The challenge of Summer and the bus route

The challenge of Summer and the bus route

- No school

- No regular bed time habits

- Kids stay inside and play video games

- It is too hot on the bus

- It is too hot outdoors

- Kids spend the night at their friend’s house

Summer time is the toughest time of the year for riders to remain faithful

Bus Workers don’t have to fall into the same slump

- People will still get saved if I present the gospel

- I don’t have complain about the kids who don’t come

- I can still spend quality time with those riders who are faithful

- I can still search for new riders

- I will not let poor numbers in the summer time discourage me

- I can still spend just as much time visiting in the summer time

- If I go on vacation, I will make sure I let someone know in advance

- I can still arrive at the bus meeting on time

- People will still get baptized in the summer

- It would be good for you to take an evening and go out and visit. People are out and moving at the evening hours.

Frown your way through the summer on the bus route or…

Smile all the way through the summer on the bus route

What if all the bus riders quit  this summer?

- Remember, there was a time when nobody was riding the bus in your area

- The bus route you are on was started from scratch

- If the workers are the only ones on the bus then your bus route will recover

The Bus Workers are the key. Nobody can stop you

- If you still struggle to stay motivated during the dog days of summer…then walk though the childrens cancer section of the hospital. God forgive us for complaing!!

Bullying – The whole agenda makes me suspicious – An article that I read

The following is an article that someone sent me last week. I can’t remember the source or I would cite it. I thought it would be helpful to post it for you with no editing on my part.

“During a keynote speech on anti-bullying at the National High School Journalism Conference, Dan Savage told the students they can “learn to ignore the (expletive) in the Bible about gay people.”

Todd Starnes of Fox News Radio reports that when offended students began walking out on the 3-minute anti-Christian rant, Savage cursed them. Many other students at the convention clapped and cheered at Savage’s remarks.

Are we to believe that culture or these students would have tolerated a speaker to ridicule gays or Muslims?

Mr. Savage, who met with President Obama in 2011, speaks against bullying, but he bullied and ridiculed Christian teenagers for their faith. It seems that he and others like him want tolerance for everything except the Bible and Christianity.

It is important for Christians to understand the nature of the attacks against our faith. Please pray for the Christian teens who stood for Christ in this moment of persecution.

No one is for bullying, but I am suspicious of the anti-bullying propaganda since it has turned into a bullying agenda against Christians.”

Pilgrim’s Bus Route Journey to the Big Day continues….(Week 5 on our way ’til the Big Day!)

You Will Be Sadly Disappointed If You Are In The Bus Ministry To Be Admired

Evangelist was just in time to wake up Christian, out of the Valley of Ease

Christian escapes form the Valley Of Ease and presses towards the big day

Christian meets Flatterer

Flatterer: Well hello there, Sweety

Christian: Excuse me, what did you say

Flatterer: Did I stutter? you heard me the first time, sweety

Flatterer: What is your big hurry?

Christian: I really don’t have time to talk

Flatterer: You know something, you are a pretty good person

Flatterer: Very few people in this world could match up with you

Christian: Wow, such kind words

Christian: I think I am a pretty good person

Christian: I climbed this great big Hill of Difficulty

Christian: I over came the Giant of Despair and….

Flatterer: Yeah baby…this is what I am talking about

Flatterer: You are in a league all by yourself

Evangelist: Christian…Christian…CHRISTIAN

Christian: Evangelist…what…what are doing here?

Evangelist: Listening to Flatterer is dangerous

Evangelist: Quick, move on. You have much travel left

Christian meets Presumption

Presumption: What are you carrying and where you headed, Pilgrim?

Christian: I am carrying this burden for others

Christian: At the end of this journey I will lay my burden down

Presumption: I think you are working too hard

Christian: Why do you say that?

Presumption: You are almost to the end of you journey, put the burden down now

Presumption: You will have no trouble making it

Christian: What do you mean?

Presumption: You only have a few more miles to go. You have done this before

Presumption: Just let up and glide the rest of the way

Evangelist: Christian, don’t listen to Presumption

Christian: But Evangelist, I think he has a point

Evangelist: Many have fallen in their journey listening to Presumption

Christian: Well, Evangelist, I think I will do as you say and move on

Apollyon: I must move ahead too. I have other ways of dealing with hard cases

Interpreter:

Flatterer -listening to applause? listening to praise?

- Giving praise or applause where it is due is a good thing to do

- Wanting praise or applause, is bad

- Let kind words encourage you, but don’t spend too much time listening to it

- Our sinful nature loves this, but it is the way to destruction

****There was a little boy sitting on the church pew at his father’s funeral

He was listening to the eulogy. What a great person his dad was.

The little boy leaned over to his mom and whispered, “Is he talking about dad?”

- Too much praise, too much applause…..?? careful…careful…

Presumption -

- We have done it before. It is good as done. Maybe; maybe not

- Hard work is what got it done the last time

- Our confidence should be in God, not in my ability

Apollyon -

- The closer you get to home with your burden, the more help the evil one recruits

I can see the end drawing near. I must press on.

Christian is only two weeks away from ending this journey.

Fallacies 1-3 of the “Fairness Philosophy”

Have you ever looked at a co-worker and wondered “Why does she get to do that?” or “Why didn’t he get in trouble for that?” or “How did I get stuck with this?”

I call this the “Fairness Philosophy.” Recently I took several staff meetings and taught on what’s the Bible has to say about the “Fairness Philosophy.”

In my first post we looked at Jesus’ correction of Peter in John 21. When Peter inquired about what lay ahead in John’s future Jesus answered, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.” His answer “What is that to thee?” in our day would essentially be, “What difference does it make to you?”

In this series of posts I will give you 12 fallacies to consider about the fairness philosophy. When you compare yourself to others, you are making a judgment of yourself and others. When you do this, it reveals several flaws in your thinking, even if they are not what you intended.

The first three fallacies can be found in Matthew 20:10-15.

Matthew 20:“10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?”

1. When we compare ourselves with others, we set ourselves up to be upset; rather, we should compare ourselves with what we deserve.

First of all, if we got what we deserved, it would be a Christless eternity in Hell. But let’s simply focus on the present. What do we agree to when we came to work at this position? In this passage in Matthew, the workers got exactly what they agreed to. They worked for a whole day and were paid accordingly. They were upset only when they compared themselves to those that came at the end of the day and received the same amount. Notice the words of the employer, “13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way:…”

If they would have focused on the fact that they got exactly what they deserved, according to their agreement, they would have been satisfied. But when they brought the comparison with others into the equation, they were angry.

2 Corinthians 10:12b says “… they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”

2. When we compare ourselves with others we are implying that our boss is required or obligated to treat everybody exactly the same way.

In the story in Matthew 20, the employer (representing God) did not treat everybody the same way. He gave the same money for varying levels of work. This was his prerogative.

Everybody on my staff has gifts and talents that others do not have. I had nothing to do with those talents. They are God given gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:“4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. …11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”

Jesus even gave a parable teaching us about what God expects from us in return for what He has given us. Notice, that he did not give everybody equal gifts.

Matthew 25:“14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.”

With a variety of gifts represented on my staff, each gift has a corresponding advantage that may seem like privileges or exceptions to those who do not possess those same gifts. It would not make any sense for me to ignore the special God-given abilities of my staff members, and treat everybody like they are all exactly the same. I’m not opposed to having policies to which I ask my staff to comply. This could rightly be considered just and fair. But I make no apology for allowing my staff to turn their gifts loose in service to the Lord. In fact, if I don’t allow them to use their gifts, I believe I should question the wisdom of my stewardship of the staff with which God has entrusted me.

3. When we compare ourselves with others, we are implying that your boss is required or obligated to explain to everybody why he may not have treated everybody the same.

This is not the same as the previous point. In the previous point I explained that a boss is not obligated to treat everybody the same. In this point I am saying that a boss is not obligated to explain why he didn’t treat everybody the same.

In the parable in Matthew 20, the employer did not have to explain to everybody why he paid them differently. In fact, he questioned the goodness of those who challenged him. He essentially asked them, “Is your eye evil because I am good to somebody else?” They were focused on comparison and he was focused on compassion. They were focused on the perceived injustice done against them and he was focused on being gracious to others.

Have you considered the fact that this employer could have given away his money without the person doing any work if he wanted? Also consider the fact that the man that received his money after only serving at the end of the day still had to take care of his family just like those who had worked all day.

I have made a point of communicating to my staff that they can come to me at any time and ask me to help them understand why I did something. It is an opportunity for me to teach and train. But I have also explained that if their question involves other people in our ministry, there may be details to the situation that I am privy to, that they are not. I will be kind, but I do not owe them an explanation.

Question: Have you noticed how comparing yourself to others affects your spirit?

“What Is That To Thee?” – The Folly and Fallacy of the “Fairness Philosophy”

"Follow Thou Me"

As a Pastor with a large Christian school, I oversee a large staff. Though we desire to please the Lord and enjoy serving Him, it is still easy for the ugly eye of envy to appear between two colleagues. “Why does she get to do that?” “Why did he get that day off?” “How did I get stuck with this?”

I call this the “Fairness Philosophy.” Recently I took several staff meetings and taught on what’s the Bible has to say about the “Fairness Philosophy.” Let’s start our study by considering Peter’s preoccupation with John. Our study begins in John 21.

John 21: “17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. 20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.”

Though I am teaching on fairness, I don’t believe that Peter thought that Jesus’ treatment of John was unfair. I am merely establishing the fact that Peter was inquiring about something that was none of his business. Jesus’ answer to Peter would indicate this. His answer “What is that to thee?” in our day would essentially be, “What difference does it make to you?” Then Jesus gave a threefold cure to Peter’s (and our) preoccupation with God’s dealing with other people. Note each word of this three-word answer.

1. Follow.

Jesus told Peter to follow. If we are willing to follow the Lord, we don’t much care what He does with other servants of God, whether they are fellow staff members or colleagues in ministry across the country. As a pastor I may be tempted to see how God is blessing another pastor and think, “God, why aren’t you blessing me like him?” I am essentially accusing God of being unfair. The cure for my disillusionment is to simply follow the Lord’s leading in my life. “God, am I where you want me and am I doing what you want me to do?” That is the question. Am I willing to follow? If my eyes are on God as I follow Him, then my eyes won’t get distracted by looking at others and comparing our ministries. The problem is a problem of submission.

2. Thou.

The next word in our formula is “thou.” In other words, you personally need to follow. Be sure that you don’t double up on your mistake by looking around to see if other people are following God like they are supposed to. No, you worry about following like you ought to, not whether or not others are also following God like they should.

3. Me.

The last word of this three-word command is “me.” The “me” in John 21:22 is Jesus referring to Himself. However, the principle also applies to any leader that you may be following. Let me explain.

My staff has a two-fold followship responsibility: 1) To follow God, trusting His ability to sovereignly control the events in their life and 2) To follow me as I follow Christ (Hebrews 13:7 “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”).

I would never ask my staff to follow me instead of Christ, but the same principle applies. When they think that someone else has been treated better than them they are thinking that the situation (and ultimately my treatment of them) is unfair. By following me, they will learn to trust me.

In this series of blogs I will give you 12 thoughts (2 or 3 at a time) to consider about the folly and fallacy of the fairness philosophy. I trust it will help.

Question: Can you recall a situation when you felt like you were being treated unfairly, but later, after you gave it some time, you saw the wisdom of the treatment?

Pilgrim’s Bus Route Journey to the Big Day continues….(Week 4 on our way ’til the Big Day!)

We've All Met Miss Talkative On The Bus Route

Pilgrim’s Bus Route Journey to the Big Day continues…

We last left off with Piety pulling Christian loose from the grasp of Giant Despair

 Christian meets Miss Talkative

In search of food and water Christian knocks on a door

and Miss Talkative answers

Christian: Hello, my name is Christian and…

Talkative: Come on in

Talkative: Sit down and relax

Talkative: Blah blah blah blah

Talkative: Blah blah blah blah

Christian: Uh huh uh huh uh huh

Talkative: Blah blah blah blah

Christian thinks to himself, will this person ever shut up?

Talkative: Blah blah blah blah

One hour passes and it looks like Talkative has got just got her second wind. While Talkative keeps up talking about everything, anything and nothing Christian gets up and leaves.

Christian: I will never go back to that house

Christian: I must get back on my journey

Valley of Ease

Christian spots a beautiful, peaceful valley.

- Christian: Look at this place! Flowers, trees, green grass and a nice breeze

Christian lies down in the Valley of Ease

- Christian: this is awesome, fresh air and the smell of flowers

Christian begins to doze off

Evangelist: Christian…Christian…Christian!

Christian: Evangelist, what are you doing here?

Evangelist: Christian, you almost fell asleep

Christian: But I am so tired from carrying this burden and this place was so peaceful

Evangelist: If you go to sleep here chances are you will never wake up again

Evangelist: Many lie down in this Valley of Ease to never rise again

Christian: You are scaring me, Evangelist

Evangelist: Quick, rise up and be on your way

Interpreter

Talkative

- We have all met Mr. or Miss Talkative while bus visiting

- Talkative has nothing to say but talks because you are being nice to listen

- Don’t waste time at these stops

- Sometimes talkative knows some Bible and wants to tell me all about it

- I am pressed to look for new riders and visit regulars, I don’t have time for this

- I listen to people but they better make sense if they want my time

- If they are not going to ride the bus or their kids are not going to ride, I have to move on

- I am kind, but I move on

Valley of Ease

- It is easy to sit on the front porch and rock in a chair

- It is easy to go to the lake and go fishing

- It is easy to pass people by instead of witness

- It is easy to watch sports on the couch

- It is easy to just visit regulars

- It is easy to go home than to ride a bus

- It easy to ride in a warm car than to ride a cold bus

- It easy to ride in an air-conditioned car than to ride a hot bus

- It is easy to sit on heated seats instead of cold bus seats

The Valley of Ease instead of the bus: you may go to sleep here, but you also may never get back up

Relax take vacations, but be careful from the Valley of Ease

You will have time to relax, after the the big day

Tune in next week as Christian continues his journey to the big day

God Measures His Compassion By His Mercy

God Measures His Compassion, But How?

Lamentations 3:“22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. 29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. 30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. 31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.”

Having a standard of measurement is very helpful. Imagine trying to tell someone how tall you are, how much you weigh or how old you are with out having a standard of measurement. “I’m as tall as…” “I weigh about as much as…” You get the idea. It is so much easier to have measurements of inches, feet, months, years, pounds and ounces.

God also has a standard of measurement. Specifically for our study today, I want to ask what does the Bible have to say about God’s measurement of compassion?

1. God is holy. This causes Him to act in righteousness and justice toward man (3:22, 31-32).

Notice Lamentations 3:“22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not…. 31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.”

Why would we be in danger of being consumed or being cast off or of Him causing us grief? because God is holy. I have underlined these three phrases in this passage to draw our attention to God’s holiness. In taking this thought to its next logical step, let me say that God has every right to judge us anyway that He wants. He is our holy Creator and He therefore has the every right to expect whatever response from us He desires.

Leviticus 11: “44 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:16 “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Nehemiah 9:33 “Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:”

How is God’s holiness connected to the subject of compassion? It doesn’t sound all that compassionate to me. We cannot understand compassion or understand the measure of compassion without understanding the reason that we needed God to have compassion. It is because He is holy and we are not.

2. God is love. This causes Him to act in mercy toward man (22, 31-32).

Notice again 3:“22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not…. 31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.”

1 John 4:8 “8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

1 John 4:16 “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”

Nehemiah 9:31 “Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.”

Do you understand the theme of the underlined portions of these verses? It is God’s mercy, love and compassion. Why would we be consumed? because He is holy? Why aren’t we consumed? because of His love. His love manifests itself to us in mercy. It is because of His love that we are not consumed, that we are not cast off forever and that He does have compassion.

3. God is love and holy at the same time. The fulcrum on the balance is compassion (or mercy) (22, 32).

The word “mercy” means not getting what we actually deserve. Did you know that 32 times in the Bible the exact same word that is translated “compassion” is also translated “mercy”. Compassion (or mercy) is the fulcrum on the balancing scale of God’s holiness and love.

Notice now 3:“22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not…. 32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.”

The words “because” and “yet” show us that God balances His love and holiness.

4. God has a way He measures His compassion (32).

3:“32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.” This is not the only time in the Bible that the words “according to” are used to show God’s measurement for His compassion.

Nehemiah 13:22 “And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.”

Psalms 25:7 “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.”

Psalms 51:1 “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.”

Psalms 109:26 “Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:”

Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

We may have the idea that God pours out his compassion without measure, but these verses tell us that He measures His compassion “according to” His mercy.

5. However, in measuring out His compassion “according to” His mercy, He measures by a standard that we are unable to measure (32).

3:“32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.”

Psalms 103:11 “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.”

Though God has a way to measure His compassion, He uses a standard of measurement that is beyond our ability to comprehend. That is awesome. God can measure it because He is so vast and awesome. But I, nor anyone else, can fathom the measure of His mercy.

6. We have no right to have a different measure of compassion than God does.

1 John 3:17 “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”

Not only should I measure my compassion to people the same way that God does; according to His mercy; but I should have a measurement so vast that I am unable to keep track of its limits. In other words, I don’t ever place a limit on my compassion or mercy to other people.

The closer to God I get, the more I realize that I need His compassion and mercy. In addition, the closer to God I get, the more compassionate and merciful I desire to be to other people.

Question: When was the last time that you specifically remember that you were overwhelmed by God’s mercy to you?