Goodground

OCCUPY what?

2011-10-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

Occupy Wall Street has erupted into nationwide phenomena of outrage and marginality that is winning the attention of the media. It is as if a generation longing for meaning has locked in, not on a profound purpose or cause for justice, but a cultural "happening" as it used to be called.
     They are developing their own rules, language and culture, but lack a cohesive sense of what it's all for. We know what they are against: power, big money, old money, The Man, corporate interests, the establishment... but they are less articulate about how to remedy the ills that so enrage them.
Surely there are greedy people and corporations on Wall Street and elsewhere, and the hoarding of wealth is repulsive. These things do not escape the eye of the Lord. Micah 2:1-3 "Woe to those who devise iniquity, And work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it, Because it is in the power of their hand."

     The question is, to whom do we register our complaint? Surely it's not wrong to practice peaceful protest. But when we have a legitimate gripe, the one to whom we complain reveals a lot about who we believe holds the answer to the problem. In this case the plaintiffs obviously feel that Wall Street holds the power to fix our current crisis. This is misplaced confidence.
     To whom should we, as God's people, be airing our moans of malaise? Who holds the answers? The pages of scripture reveal that God's people have always turned to Him to answer their questions and concerns. This means that a more appropriate movement might be called "OCCUPY THE SANCTUARY" crying out together to the Father for deliverance and help.

Luke 18:6-8 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

Psalm 9:9-10 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

What do you think?

Kairos: an opportune time

2011-08-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

Chronos and Kairos- two Greek words found in scripture that both get translated TIME in our Bibles, but which have very different meanings.

Time is not on our side, or so it would seem- we are always running against the clock. And yet each of us has been given a gift of time on this earth to use as we will. We are given total freedom how we spend it. We can choose to “invest” our time and build for the future, or we can “waste” our time and end up with nothing

Chronos refers to ticking time, the orderly and relentless passing of years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds. Chronos time is inflexible and always moving. We have no control over it, and there never seems to be enough of it. Chronos has dominated western culture and society has worked to gain control over it and manage it so that efficiency could be maximized and profits would grow.

Time is money in that type of world. It is seen as a resource to be exploited. There is an illusion that there will be more time to rest and enjoy life if our work time is carefully maximized, but the goal is never reached. Real rest seems always just out of reach because we can never really “save” time, can we? Where do you put all the time you save? Is it tucked away for future use?

In the West we feel that “our time is our own”, and forget that “Our times are in His hand”. If my time is my own why can't I regain or create more of it? The fact is that time is a gift, each moment an audacious endowment from God.

Kairos is different. Kairos refers to a special moment, an opportune time, God’s chosen season. Kairos is event oriented, not clock oriented. Some cultures, particularly in the southern hemisphere, live this way. They say that church services in many parts of the world have no real starting time. People gather and begin to pray and worship and eventually someone shows up to preach the Word of God- generally for two or more hours. The clock is a non-issue. They seem more aware of God’s timing and are more open to His special moments.

The Bible is full of Kairos moments- times when God was present and had set the stage for a divine visitation. Esther lived a Kairos moment and Mordecai said to her:

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14

Moses tended sheep for 40 years in the middle of nowhere until God shows up in a burning bush.

Saul was busy in the work of the Lord, or so he thought, until one day on his way to Damascus the Lord hit him with a two by four and called him into the real service of the Lord.

Jesus taught Martha about Kairos when she came to Him and asked Him to tell her sister Mary to help with dinner. Mary is in the Kairos- she sat and worshiped Jesus at His feet. Martha is in Chronos, worried that dinner would not be ready in time.

Redeeming the time. We are called to redeem the time, it is a scriptural mandate, but what does it mean?

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

We could look at this verse in terms of Chronos and think it is our job to make every minute count. Be efficient in our use of time for the sake of the Gospel. Don’t waste a second! Could it be that it is Kairos time that is being referred to? In fact it is…How does that change the command? Redeem the opportunities, because the days are evil. It is not a call for greater efficiency, but greater awareness of the God moments that are open to us every day.

My wife Faith described Kairos moments in her life as those times when God seemed to open a door or window and she stepped through. It is effortless and time seems to stand still. There is a great awareness of God’s presence and favor. I have the same sense in my own life.

Living in the Kairos moment eliminates fear and worry as you know that God is there and you are covered in grace. Jesus says it this way….

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8

Jesus came to this world in the ultimate Kairos moment- a supreme act of the will of the Father

Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time (Kairos) had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

He will return in the same way- at the opportune hour appointed by the Father

Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour (Kairos) no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

A niche market for the Gospel- Flesh and Blood!

2011-06-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

In discussion with several shepherd friends today our subject was the impact that electronic media is having on church life and how Marshall McLuhan's axiom "The medium is the message" is more fitting today than ever.
In light of how electronic media tend to disconnect us from each other to the point of disembodiment we wondered how an incarnate Christ would fare in a church where we are more connected to people hundreds of miles away than we are with those who are in the room.
If media is simply an extension of our selves is there a neglected niche market for real flesh and blood ministry? When the gospel is constantly presented through TV, DVD, Internet, Ipad/pod/phones, and big screens in church there may come a time when it will seem cool and novel to share truth with someone face to face, one on one with spoken language. At that point the obscure pastor in his humble little church will be positioned to capture the moment with a new medium, the gospel incarnated in a human being.

See this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9iw6oluE_A&feature=related

Rich Earl is author of Shepherds Balm, a weekly devotional for pastors and church staff. www.shepherdsbalm.com

Institutions Don't Nurture

2011-03-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

I was surprised when I discovered the level of independence and self-sufficiency required in a life of ministry. Drawing from my life as a young athlete, I had romanticized the level of teamwork, support and comradery that I would experience in church work. I pictured my denomination as a team of mutually interconnected individuals rather than an institution with hierarchy, forms, committees and procedures.
This bothered me for years. I held some resentment that my overseers were not more attentive to my needs. They never called to check on me, rarely gave me an “Atta Boy”. I was starved for affirmation or for a mentor to take an interest in what I was stretching myself to accomplish for God and His Kingdom. It never came as I had hoped and now that’s okay.

Eugene Peterson in Under the Unpredictable Plant writes of a similar period in his life.
“I had discovered that spiritually and vocationally I was on my own. The people who ordained me and took responsibility for my work were interested in financial reports, attendance graphs, program planning. But they were not interested in me. They were interested in my job; they cared little for my vocation.
My deeper discovery was that I was mistaken to experience anything else. Spiritual direction doesn’t come from institutions. The institution has its necessary and proper place. I could not function well without it, maybe not at all. But I was quite mistaken to look for spiritual nurture and expect vocational counsel from the institution.”

We are on our own in some sense. Human institutions cannot love like flesh and blood. I am grateful for this perspective. If I had learned it earlier it would have saved me a lot of heartache and loneliness. My own denomination actually did much to promote fellowship and was very supportive when I had a specific issue that required their attention. But to expect the kind of warmth and concern that only another individual can provide was unfair and unrealistic.

Institutions don't nurture. They are incapable of it. Developing meaningful and mutually edifying peer relationships is part of the work of this ministry. There is no magic formula, and no one is going to do it for us. The choices are to retreat into our own little world or proactively reach out- lending a hand and finding a friend in the process.

Rich Earl is author of Shepherds Balm www.shepherdsbalm.com

FaceBook: A Marinated Perspective

2011-02-18T20:55:00.001-08:00

When Facebook first went viral there were a number of articles and blogs which suggested how it might best be leveraged as a tool for reaching non-Christians and for marketing the church. I read some of these with interest, but did not apply much of what I read. Instead I decided to just experience Facebook for myself and entered it along with my “friends”. In the process I have learned that using Facebook as a tool does not really work. Facebook is a community, now 500 million strong, and I chose to be a part of the community. After a few years on Facebook I have discovered some things.

Recently I have been stunned at the quality of connections that can be made through Facebook. I have heard from a number of old friends from college and high school who never knew me as a follower of Jesus. They have seen my posts, which often reflect my faith in a non-preachy kind of way, and have contacted me to talk about “religion”. I just got off the phone with an old fraternity brother who was amazingly grateful and excited to hear whatever I had to say about the Bible or Jesus, or whatever. I had instant credibility with him because of our past association. We talked for an hour and he told me he would be going to Barnes and Noble to get the Bible and other book I recommended. He also gobbled up some links I sent. How often does that happen?

I have come to believe that using Facebook to deliberately market a church or to press Christianity is not its greatest use. Postmoderns, and that’s who is using Facebook by and large, prefer a less confrontational approach. Strident tones don’t hit the mark with them. Creative, thoughtful and pithy posts tend to draw them in. They also crave authenticity. Sincerely joining the community gives us a stake in it, as opposed to being interlopers pushing our agenda. Presence has power.

Here are some things I try to remember when I post or comment on Facebook:

1. Be real. Share things that genuinely touch you, and that you believe will be a benefit to others.

2. Be concise. Brevity is the soul of wit. Long posts tend not to get read nearly as much as those short, snappy ones.

3. Be imaginative. Find things to say that have not been said over and over. Think about it before you post. There should be real value added to their lives by being connected to you. Make them grateful to be your friend.

4. Be interesting. Some say the great sin today is being uninteresting. That may or may not be the case, but it sure is better to create interest.

5. Be eclectic. Don’t be afraid to be different. Vary your posts between the silly, the profound and the personal. People will look forward to connecting with you if you vary what you say.

6. Be generous. Don’t expect others to comment and “like” your posts if you’re not doing that for them. That’s part of being in the community. Don’t be a voyeur, enter the conversation.

7. Be careful. Posting and commenting is fraught with peril. It is easy to be misunderstood when writing our thoughts. Objectively read over what you have written before you post or comment. Many times I have written something and simply decided not to send it at all.

8. Be sensitive- know your audience. Not everything you post will impress everyone on your friend list. Try to imagine how different sectors of your network will react to what you say. It’s okay to target certain segments, but make it obvious when you do.

Missional Coaching is working...

2011-02-09T05:35:00.000-08:00

This is a follow up to my post from December about Missional Coaching with the unemployed in the Coal region of Pennsylvania.

Here is an example of how coaching can work in the everyday ministry of local pastors and laypeople alike. The result is that we reach people who might never think to set foot in our churches, but who can benefit profoundly from the principles found in God's Word and exposure to the people of God. Here are two examples of changed lives.

Jason (not his real name)- Jason was a frenetic and disoriented mess when he arrived at our first coaching session two months ago. He arrived flustered and with a backpack attached that looked like it was a part of him. He described a background of abuse and abandonment. After years in foster care he ended up homeless on the streets of California. A series of events brought him to our little Pennsylvania coal town. He was doing pretty well until he was fired from his job at a major store chain. When he walked in, he had no goals and was definitely in survival mode. Living alone in a one-room rental, he was desperate for a friend who would not let him down. He shared that his biggest obstacle was needing $12 to get a state ID card. He was so grateful when I was able to connect him the resources to get one, and he made a friend from our church in the process. He was so encouraged, and since that time I have watched him slowly come to life. Religion was not something he was looking for, having had bad experiences in the past. But after our second session he asked if he could come to our church. I said sure, and gave him a Bible. He loves to read and has now become a student of the Word and attends several Bible studies as well as church services. He has reached a number of small goals and expects to be employed again soon. His countenance has lifted as he senses that God loves him.

Diane (not her real name)- Diane came to our little town from Philadelphia with her two young children to live with relatives. Although she is only in her early 30s, she has lost all of her teeth and her self-image is very poor. The smallest obstacle will keep her from following through on what she knows she should be doing. In the past two months she has set some reasonable goals including getting her GED, finding a place to live, and getting a job. Her main goal, however is rebuilding her self-respect. She has an appointment to get her new teeth this week, which will be a dramatic step toward her goal. She has also secured an apartment to raise her children in. She will take her GED test this month. Her goal is to open her own Laundromat because she loves talking with and helping people. She is learning that obstacles can be overcome. Diane says that being held accountable and having someone to believe in her has made all the difference.

More to come....

Missional community coaching in Pennsylvania's Coal Region

2010-12-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

In an effort to combine the power of coaching with a missional/incarnational approach to ministry, a fellow pastor and I have volunteered to provide free coaching services for a local non-profit group in our city. We are only in the second week of this pilot program but we are already sensing that this is something God is blessing. I believe this is fairly new ground and am optimistic that it will open doors to bring transformation in our community.

Most of the clients are in transition and dealing with poverty and unemployment issues; the goal is to bring them from dependence to independence in their lives. Some are from a group working to help young people get their GED, others are from a cash assistance program that provides some training, and others are from an employment placement program. The other pastor and I will each be working with four clients each for four months and then gathering a new group.

We developed a flier offering Free Life Coaching to those involved in the program. The response was immediate, with over a dozen candidates filling out the packets to apply for eight slots. Interestingly, several staff members at this organization were interested in the coaching and said they would be willing to pay for it.

The prospect of providing coaching for those in transition is very exciting. Although we have been asked not to “proselytize,” we are permitted to answer questions and spiritual issues are on the table. The opportunities to share Jesus have already been well received and there is every reason to believe that will continue.

visit www.shepherdsbalm.com to get Rich Earl's new book Shepherds Balm

The Arbiter of Loyalty

2010-11-22T07:34:00.000-08:00

Short video clip on Loyalty with Rich Earl featured in a sermon series at a local church.

Shepherds Balm

What would Jesus buy?

2010-11-20T18:59:00.000-08:00

"Americans in general have little tolerance for a centering way of life that is submissive to the conditions in which growth takes place: quiet, obscure, patient, not subject to human control and management. The church is uneasy in these conditions.Typically it adapts itself to the prevailing American culture and is soon indistinguishable from that culture: talkative, noisy, busy, controlling, image-conscious-" Peterson

Alan Hirsch posted this quote and it sparked some thought that I would like to share here.

I was laying in bed this morning and turned on the TV- a rarity for me as I don't like to start my day that way. As I shifted through the channels I was amazed that almost every channel had an infomercial on (Saturday). The products were things we could (and should) all live without and would all be much better off for not having. I was incredulous as during a Magic Bullet commercial, a man in the audience (an obvious plant) was convinced of the value of the juice extracting power of the Magic Bullet and endorsed the product enthusiastically after playing the skeptic. It was powerfully bad acting, but it must be working because Magic Bullet was paying oodles for the air time. Either they think we are all idiots, or we are all idiots...consumers we are all.And Christians in America don't seem to be much better at deflecting this lure of the culture.

Christmas is here. Good grief, not again. As a follower of Jesus I have come to think it may be the single most distracting and destructive event of the year for the advancement of His kingdom. Christians go wild, in lockstep with the culture, mindlessly seeking material goodies, with nary a thought for the King whose birth we allegedly celebrate. What's with us?

Every year for the past 12 on Thanksgiving we make the annual trek back to visit family on our native Long Island, a consumeristic Mecca. We journey back home on Black Friday, and we witness cars piled high with "great deals', and traffic snarled in the frenzy to acquire. My desire to join in the Black Friday madness currently registers at zero, and has been holding steady for as long as I can remember. There ought to be a deep aversion in us to following the masses into the retail maelstrom. Not because it is wrong to buy or to give, but because it is an obscene perversion of who Jesus is. We should recoil in horror. It is a black day indeed.

The question we should ask ourselves is What would Jesus buy? Really, what would the gentle, humble, powerful King of love do on Black Friday? Would He be camped out? Would his heart pound in his chest as the guards open the sacred doors at WalMart? If the person in front of Him fell to the ground during the stampede would He risk His life to lift them to their feet? It might take a minor miracle....

We don't have to settle for craziness this year if we are willing to bear the scorn of a culture that is mesmerized by the spirit of accumulation. Swim the other way like a brave salmon to the spawning grounds. Celebrate the birth of Jesus with a spiritual calm, and do the things Jesus would approve. Rest, love, share, listen, pray, give.

Resources for a better Christmas:

Worship Fully Spend Less Give More Love All

The Divine Commodity

Are you loyal?

2010-11-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

I was asked to give my views on loyalty recently and thought I would share the response.

For me the big question is not whether I am loyal or not. The question is where does my loyalty stop? When can I say with good conscience that I can no longer support you? There is a dividing line somewhere that determines whether I totally support you through a crisis or will be forced to take a different position. Truth must be the arbiter.

My experience has been that we sometimes support our friends not on the basis of truth, but merely because they are friends. We feel caught in the middle and this can be paralyzing. The core value of friendship must not trump the core value of truth- a higher value.

Confronting a friend with truth is hazardous. Few people enjoy confrontation. We generally prefer to side with our friend and avoid risking the friendship. The problem is that when we do this truth can become a castoff. Telling my friend he is wrong, especially when he is already in conflict, will rarely produce a humble response. Instead, he will grow defensive, and a bond between us has been broken.

Jonathan is a great example of loyalty. He seems to have found the fulcrum in this debate. He was torn between supporting his own father King Saul, who had lost a bit of his mind in jealousy, and his best friend David. He managed to ably support and help his friend, while remaining true to the Biblical command to honor his father, no easy trick. His soul was joined to David, but he died on the battlefield with his father.

see I Samuel 13-20

Loyalty is not really loyalty until it is tested by crisis. Will we be blindly loyal to our friends, or risk living more prophetically and remain loyal to the truth?

shepherdsbalm.com

Everything is crooked

2010-10-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

The following is taken from Shepherds Balm, a new devotional tool for pastors by Rich Earl. Visit shepherdsbalm.com for more info.

I searched one day but could not find any straight lines on earth. Among the animals, the trees, the flowers, the multitudes of fish, and birds, even people, I searched in vain for anything that was purely aligned.

I found plenty of things that were pretty straight. Mighty redwoods, the edge of a bird’s wing, mountain ridges, even flower stems and blades of grass. But none of them were completely straight. None of them qualified in my eyes.

I wondered and then realized that this is as it should be. God alone is completely straight. His creation, especially considering the Fall, is filled with anomalies and imperfections. We have knots in trees, bumpy noses, jagged seashores. Our ways are crooked, His way is straight. But there was more.

Sitting on the rocks of a jetty on my native Long Island’s south shore one day I discovered not one, but two straight lines in the seascape before me. They remain the only two straight lines I have ever noticed in the natural realm, though neither is actually located on terra firma itself.

First I saw that the spot where the water met the sky was perfectly straight. The horizon, the unreachable, fabled place always in the distance, always just out of reach, was perfectly straight. I think God and His preferred future for us are there.

Then just a few moments later, as I was still taking in this truth of the horizon, I saw another straight line. In fact, I saw lots of them. Through the clouds, dozens of sunbeams came cascading down from heaven in perfectly straight lines that were miles long. There was no effort, they were just there. Our heavenly Father remains the only source of straightness in a crooked world. The beams did not start at the earth’s crust and fly upward, but came downward to us from Him.

In ministry, we sometimes think it is our job to straighten out what is crooked. Clearly this is an impossible task, and I don’t think God ever called us to that. How many a minister has collapsed in exhaustion trying to weed out every trace of sin and corruption in the flock or in society?

Moses himself ministered to a mixed group of people. There were many sincere followers of God in the group to be sure, but there were also some real laggards. Imagine if Moses had spent his time trying to straighten them all out!

Our task is no different. For the sake of our sanity a balance must be struck between the discipline we bring as God’s undershepherds and allowing the Lord to bring His own discipline. They are His sheep, not ours.

Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat?” Numbers 11:4

Obedience to the Vision

2010-10-13T06:56:00.001-07:00

The following is entry #38 from Shepherds Balm, a 52 week devotional tool for pastors and Christian leaders by Rich Earl and available at Amazon or at ShepherdsBalm.com

From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him. John 6:66

When God gives a vision by His Spirit through His word of what He wants, and your mind and soul thrill to it, if you do not walk in the light of that vision, you will sink into servitude to a point of view which Our Lord never had.

Disobedience in mind to the heavenly vision will make you a slave to points of view that are alien to Jesus Christ. Do not look at someone else and say— “Well, if he can have those views and prosper, why cannot I?” You have to walk in the light of the vision that has been given to you and not compare yourself with others or judge them, that is between them and God.

When you find that a point of view in which you have been delighting clashes with the heavenly
vision and you debate, certain things will begin to develop in you—a sense of property and a sense of personal right, things of which Jesus Christ made nothing. He was always against these things as being the root of everything alien to Himself. “A man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things that he possesses.” If we do not recognize this, it is because we are ignoring the undercurrent of Our Lord's teaching.

We are apt to lie back and bask in the memory of the wonderful experience we have had. If there is one standard in the New Testament revealed by the light of God and you do not come up to it, and do not feel inclined to come up to it, that is the beginning of backsliding, because it means your conscience does not answer to the truth. You can never be the same after the unveiling of a truth. That moment marks you for going on as a more true disciple of Jesus Christ, or for going back as a deserter.

— Oswald Chambers, Called of God

Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Acts 26:19 (NKJV)

The Noise of a Fly

2010-09-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

The following is excerpted from Shepherds Balm, a devotional for Christian leaders by Rich Earl now available at shepherdsbalm.com

"I throw myself down in my chamber, and I call in, and invite God, and his Angels thither, and when they are there, I neglect God and his Angels, for the noise of a fly, for the rattling of a coach, for the whining of a door.” John Donne

How often have we knelt to pray and before our
hearts have even entered into God’s presence we
become absorbed in some trivial earthly matter. The
phone rings, our stomach growls, we remember
something we ought to have done. As single-hearted
servants we ought to stay focused on the One to
whom we are speaking and listening, but we do not
always. In the end our faithfulness will not be
measured merely by counting up the list of tasks
performed. A measure of our faithfulness will be in
our attention to the Master Himself, in the keenness
of our listening for His Words.

Some are effective and contented contemplatives,
not I. It requires rigor and intentionality for me to
stay put and listen, and to willingly open my
stubborn heart before my Master. Wanting to be
aware and sensitive to the needs around me, I often
forget that without His detailed instructions, I'll be of
little help to those I seek to nurture. How many
more years until I learn that the earth can wait a few
moments for me to solve all its ills?

As a boy sitting in school I longed for recess
times. I would sprint out of the school doors with my
friends and run and wrestle and chase until my heart
pounded. Now I am the same in some core way. “Sit
still”, I say to myself, like that lively schoolboy
waiting for recess. Maybe I have yet to learn the pure
joy of making Him my recess- the place of heart pounding
joy. Come unto me and I will give you recess?
— Richard Earl

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is
stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
— Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)

The snare of a step in the right direction

2010-09-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

The following is excerpted from Shepherds Balm, a devotional for Christian leaders by Rich Earl now available at shepherdsbalm.com

I have found my time of greatest peril and temptation is not in the hour of deepest distress, but in the hour just after a great spiritual victory. It is then that our guard must be up, and we must position ourselves to fight, for the enemy knows we may be unprepared. We must be careful as pastors not to excuse ourselves from the conviction of the Holy Spirit and working of repentance. We are just as prone to “go easy on ourselves” as anyone else. This word from JB Stoney should serve as a warning and reminder to us all.

"When the conscience is in exercise, there is great
need that it should not be checked or quieted by
partial action, or by imperfect intelligence. The
conscience of a saint is awakened by the spirit of God
to seek relief from the presence of evil around. This
is a true, healthy purpose, and most blessed if
effectively carried out according to the word of God.
The danger and consequent loss is when compromise
is entered into, when the conscience is quieted by
one step, rather than by a definite and clear escape
from a place of grievance. And thus, alas! The flesh is
spared and the spirit of God grieved, and there is
really no progress.

This often occurs in our Christian history; the
conscience has been aroused, but to meet it fully as
in the light of God’s presence would cost our nature
too much. Of course we do not reason in this plain
way with ourselves; but do we not often, perhaps
years afterwards, discover that it was really sparing
ourselves which led to our resisting the demands and
strivings of our conscience? For now, being in the
place of blessing which our conscience had long
before indicated, we see how we had deceived
ourselves, and thus had hindered our own blessing;
and all because we feared the personal trial to which
we should have been exposed in reaching it.
It is well to be warned of this device or weakness,
from which all suffer many times and in many ways –
one which I may call an effort to appease the
conscience without putting the flesh to much
sacrifice – because if we see how we have been
deceived in this subtle way, we are the more careful
to attend to our conscience, and how God is speaking
to it, and how we may quiet it at the smallest cost to
ourselves. In short, as a rule, when the conscience is
arrested or exercised, the first thought is, not what
will at all costs satisfy it according to God, but on the
contrary, how I can answer its demand without
involving myself in loss and pain.

Finally, if I make my own ease of mind or
judgment the measure of my action, instead of the
revealed will of God and the leading of the Holy
Spirit, the consequence will be that it will be more
difficult for me to be led on than for those who have
not moved at all. For at the bottom the hindrance to
me is the desire to spare myself the sacrifice; and
according as I spare myself I deprive myself, in a
hundredfold proportion, of the blessing contingent
on faithfulness; and hence they who rest satisfied
with the right step never advance in truth or
knowledge beyond a certain point."

— JB Stoney, The Refiner’s Fire Journal

But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
gentleness.
— 1 Timothy 6:11 (NKJV)

Among Stupid Souls

2010-09-13T05:54:00.000-07:00

The following is entry #5 from Shepherds Balm, a new devotional for pastors by Rich Earl. Purchase copies or find out more at shepherdsbalm.com

What are we to do when we come across
stupid souls? Ignorant souls we can deal
with, they need knowledge; the stupid soul does not
need knowledge; the stupid soul needs to have the
word of God until he is worried by it. The difficulty
is how the worker is to get the word of God into its
right place. Jesus Christ says the stupid soul is the
one that “hears the word but does not understand it.”
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and
does not understand it, then the wicked one comes
and snatches away what was sown in his heart…”
(Matthew 13:19).

Does God hold a man culpable for being stupid
spiritually? He certainly does. Every case of stupidity
recorded in the Bible is punished by God. How can I
get the word of God into a stupid soul?
Read 1 Samuel 15, and see how Samuel dealt
with Saul. It’s the commandment of God, “why did
you not obey that?” Take the apostle Paul, the very
same thing: “Oh foolish Galatians who hath
bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth?”
And our Lord’s own words: “Oh foolish man, and
slow of heart to believe after all that the prophets
have spoken!”

This is the time, Christian worker when you must
use the word until you get it wedged in somehow in
that stupid soul, until it rankles and worries its way
to the soul’s salvation or destruction, and there was
never a class that will drive a worker closer to God
than the stupid soul, they will tax every bit of
patience and endurance you have. They always
pretend to want to do something – “ever learning,
and never able to come to the knowledge of the
truth” – why? They would not obey the word they
heard, that is the beginning.

You remember Samuel asked Saul if he had
fulfilled the word of God with regard to the
Amalekites, and Saul said he had: “Blessed be thou
the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the
Lord.” And Samuel said, “What meaneth then this
bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of
the oxen which I hear?” It’s pretending that is the
first characteristic of the stupid soul.

When God gives you a word for a soul who is
stupid, keep at it. This is the time when you have to
keep using the verse God gives you for a soul: every
time you meet him, every time you write to him,
every time you talk to him. The only way you will
stir up that one out of his stupidity is by driving
home the word of God, and presently you will see
that stupid soul saved from perdition, if it has not
gone as far away from God as Saul, and as far away as
many a stupid soul will go for lack of faithful
workers.

When the Word of God has begun its piercing
even to the dividing of soul and spirit, it will have its
wonder-working way and heal and re-create and
dissipate the stupidity.
— Oswald Chambers, Workmen of God, pp. 71-79

Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” — Matthew 17:17 (NKJV)

Losing the mystery

2010-09-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

This is entry #29 from Shepherds Balm, a new devotional for pastors written by Rich Earl. Read more and order copies at shepherdsbalm.com

The ministry is one of the most perilous of
professions. The devil hates the Spirit-filled
minister with an intensity second only to that which
he feels for Christ Himself. The source of this hatred
is not difficult to discover. An effective, Christlike
minister is a constant embarrassment to the devil, a
threat to his dominion, a rebuttal of his best
arguments and a dogged reminder of his coming
overthrow. No wonder he hates him.

Satan knows that the downfall of a prophet of
God is a strategic victory for him, so he rests not day
or night devising hidden snares and deadfalls for the
ministry. Perhaps a better figure would be the poison
dart that only paralyzes its victim, for I think that
Satan has little interest in killing the preacher
outright. An ineffective, half-alive minister is a better
advertisement for hell than a good man dead. So the
preacher's dangers are likely to be spiritual rather
than physical, though sometimes the enemy works
through bodily weaknesses to get to the preacher's
soul.

There are indeed some very real dangers of the
grosser sort which the minister must guard against,
such as love of money and women; but the deadliest
perils are far more subtle than these. So let's
concentrate on them.

There is, for one, the danger that the minister
shall come to think of himself as belonging to a
privileged class…Seeing whose name he bears, the
unconscious acceptance of belonging to a privileged
class is particularly incongruous for the minister.
Christ came to give, to serve, to sacrifice and to die,
and said to His disciples, “As my Father hath sent me,
even so send I you.” The preacher is a servant of the
Lord and of the people. He is in great moral peril
when he forgets this.

Another danger is that he may develop a perfunctory
spirit in the performance of the work of the
Lord. Familiarity may breed contempt even at the
very altar of God. How frightful a thing it is for the
preacher when he becomes accustomed to his work,
when his sense of wonder departs, when he gets used
to the unusual, when he loses his solemn fear in the
presence of the High and Holy One; when, to put it
bluntly, he gets a little bored with God and heavenly
things.

If anyone should doubt that this can happen let
him read the Old Testament and see how the priests
of Jehovah sometimes lost their sense of divine
mystery and became profane even as they performed
their holy duties. And church history reveals that this
tendency toward perfunctoriness did not die with the
passing of the Old Testament order. Secular priests
and pastors who keep the doors of God's house for
bread are still among us. Satan will see to it that they
are, for they do the cause of God more injury than a
whole army of atheists would do.
— AW Tozer, God Tells the man who cares, pp. 76-77

Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’” So Aaron held his peace. — Leviticus 10:1-3(KJV)

How to Grow a Church

2010-08-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

The following is excerpted from Shepherds Balm, a devotional tool for pastors by Richard Earl available now at www.shepherdsbalm.com.

Anyone who has been involved with church
planting or revitalization on any level knows
what a gargantuan task it is to plant and grow a
young church or to renew an old one. The
handbooks for how to do it are as the sands of the
sea, but the multiplicity of contexts for this
missionary work makes them only marginally useful.

Likewise with church transformation. The task of
taking a church from stagnation to genuine life is
herculean at the least. A bit of simple and sound
advice and encouragement according to Biblical
patterns is welcome indeed.

I found such help in the timeworn and humble
pages of Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary and
it has helped clarify my vision. Here is what good
Brother Henry said in his commentary on Acts
Chapters 1:12-14:
“A little company united in love,
exemplary in their conduct, fervent in prayer, and
wisely zealous to promote the cause of Christ, are
likely to increase rapidly.”

It is a pattern to follow, forged out of decades of
fruitful ministry experience. There are exceptions to
this rule, it is not hard and fast. Love, holiness,
prayerful, zealous and united we must be or we fail
to imitate our Master Jesus, and have no right to
expect He will want to see our model duplicated or
our influence expanded.
— Richard Earl with thanks to Matthew Henry

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. Acts 1:12-14 (NKJV)

Toiling in Obscurity

2010-08-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

The following is excerpted from Shepherds Balm, a devotional tool for pastors and Christian leaders published August 2010 and available at www.shepherdsbalm.com

Why does God test those he calls with a
time of obscurity before he entrusts them
with their missions? Could it be that he desires
relationship before service? If we were to get our
commission right from the start, we'd never have
time to get to know God as a person, would we?
We'd be busy working...

Relish the times of obscurity. You may wish for
them when you've been commissioned and the busy
days come.
Be flattered if God “puts you on the shelf” for
awhile. He just wants to get to know you as you
before he knows you as his worker. You the person,
with your fancies and foibles, with your delights and
dislikes.

God seems to love obscure pastors. After all,
there are so many of us! Like most pastors, we don’t
have “big names,” aren’t famous, and are in no
danger of becoming so. This is quite in keeping with
the way God loves to operate, employing ordinary
people, the weak, the foolish, the obscure—as
vessels and channels of His blessing to men. Finding
joy in our seeming obscurity is a secret storehouse
few enjoy.

Indeed, obscurity in ministry has its challenges.
There is generally a lack of resources- talent, money,
personnel. There are traditions we may neither
understand nor agree with. There is often a lack of
vision as the people see no point in dreaming as they
are content where they are.

The pastor in obscurity is also at risk of
depression as results and affirmation can be hard to
come by. Similarly, there are many temptations
which we must be on guard against. It is easy to take
on a dictatorial stance as there may be few whom we
can share the leadership load with. We can often fall
into the habit of laziness because of the lack of
accountability. Then there is the tendency to envy
larger churches with more influence and resources,
or to imagine they must be using methods filled with
compromise to fill their pews.

Finally, there are great benefits in ministry in an
obscure place. The sense of community is generally
stronger and more organic. It can be easy to observe
real visible change not only in the church, but in the
community in a small amount of time. We also enjoy
greater accessibility to public officials, local media,
the business community and school systems. There is
also freedom to experiment- lower cost and risk.
— Richard Earl

Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering,
no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world
uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and
polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good
living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving
Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be
proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be
living proof that I didn't go to all this work for
nothing. Even if I am executed here and now, I'll
rejoice in being an element in the offering of your faith
that you make on Christ's altar, a part of your
rejoicing. But turnabout's fair play—you must join
me in my rejoicing. Whatever you do, don't feel sorry
for me.
— Philippians 2:14-18 (The Message)

Religious Shopkeepers

2010-08-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

The following is an excerpt from the recently published Shepherds Balm devotional for pastors. Copies may be acquired at www.shepherdsbalm.com

American pastors are abandoning their posts,
left and right, and at an alarming rate.
They’re not leaving the churches and getting other
jobs. Congregations still pay their salaries. Their
names remain on the church stationery and they
continue to appear in pulpits on Sundays. But they
are abandoning their posts, their calling. They have
gone whoring after other gods. What they do with
their time under the guise of pastoral ministry hasn’t
the remotest connection with what the church’s
pastors have done for most of 20 centuries.
The pastors of America have metamorphosed into
a company of shopkeepers, and the shops to keep are
churches. They are preoccupied with shopkeepers
concerns – how to keep customers happy, how to
lure customers away from competitors down the
street, how to package the goods so that the
customers will lay out more money.

Some of them are very good shopkeepers. They
attract a lot of customers, pulling great sums of
money, develop splendid reputations. It is still shop
keeping; religious shop keeping, to be sure, but shop
keeping all the same. The marketing strategies of the
fast food franchise occupy the weak minds of these
entrepreneurs; while asleep they dream of the kind
of success that will get the attention of journalists. “A
walloping great congregation is fine, and fun,” says
Martin Thornton, “but what most communities
really need is a couple of saints. The tragedy is that
they may well be there in embryo, waiting to be
discovered, waiting for sound training, waiting to be
emancipated from the cult of the mediocre.”
The biblical fact is that there are no successful
churches. There are, instead, communities of
sinners, gathered before God week after week in
towns and villages all over the world. The Holy
Spirit gathers them and does his work in them. In
these communities of sinners, one of the sinners is
called pastor and given a designated responsibility in
the community. The pastor’s responsibility is to keep
the community attuned to God. It is this
responsibility that is being abandoned in spades.

— Eugene Peterson, Working the Angles, pp. 1-2

Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.
— 2 Corinthians 2:8 (NKJV)

What the World Wants

2010-08-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

The following is excerpted from Shepherds Balm by Rich Earl, a dynamic pastors 52 week devotional tool.
Copies may be obtained at ShepherdsBalm.com for $9.99 plus $2.75 shipping.

When the Good Shepherd appeared in
Galilee, the contrast between him and the
other shepherds was perceived at once. There was
sympathy in Jesus’ tone and gentleness in his touch
which proved at once that he was with the people in
their sorrows and upward strivings. The chief
trouble with the modern church is that in too many
localities it has lost contact with the life of the town.
It is out of touch with the souls of men in their present
perplexities and needs, and hence it cannot
influence them.
The impression is abroad that Christianity is a
pretty speech, a bit of idealism, a lovely dream, a
stanza of poetry, a piece of Sunday acting, something
that the preacher can say by rote, and to which the
saints can say, “Amen”; and not a sober, serious,
week-day life. What the world most wants today is
shepherding. The world has many comforts, luxuries
in abundance; what it lacks is love. Love cannot be
satisfactorily expressed to our generation in printer's
ink, in evangelistic appeals, in pulpit eloquence, or in
doctrinal statements. The expression which the
world now demands is the love of the shepherd who
takes the lambs in his bosom, who gently leads those
who have their young, and who day by day lays down
his life for the sheep.
A genuine Christian is the only epistle which the world now
cares to read. Multitudes care little for worship, less
for church polity, still less for creeds, nothing for
traditions and ceremonies. Character is everything.
Shepherding work is the work for which humanity is
crying.
— Charles Jefferson, The Minister as Shepherd, pp.
103-104

“ I'll set shepherd-leaders over them who will take good
care of them. They won't live in fear or panic anymore.
All the lost sheep rounded up!” God's Decree.
— Jeremiah 23:4 (The Message)

Praise for Shepherds Balm

2010-08-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

There is early praise for the new Shepherds Balm pastors devotional tool.

"Richard Earl has crafted an eloquent collage of prose and poetry, images and journaling space, to soothe a pastor's soul and heal emotional wounds—in short, a first-aid kit filled with psychological and spiritual supplies that help pastors stay fit while tending the Lord's flock." Dan Montgomery, Ph.D., Psychologist, author of Pastoral Counseling & Coaching

"In 'Shepherd's Balm,' Rich Earl is serving up for pastors some wise and soothing words for Monday mornings. Combining devotional thoughts from some of the greatest Christian minds and hearts in the past few centuries with some original insights of his own, Rich is offering just what the doctor ordered. I believe every pastor will benefit from all 52 doses." Paul E. Grabill Lead Pastor State College Assembly of God

“It will bless and challenge every pastor who reads it. It will help them face and solve many of the problems pastors face today. I recommend it highly.” Stanley M. Horton, Th.D. author

"Some volumes tell stories that make you laugh or entertain, some provide information or increase awareness of the world, and some challenge the mind. Shepherd's Balm is a work for the pastor's soul. It will inform, challenge, and reveal the condition of the shepherd's heart, then invite reflection to apply what the heart has sensed the Spirit saying to the follower of Jesus who longs to be a faithful under-shepherd to the flock of God. With the assistance of many classic authors, Pastor Earl has captured so much of the truth essential to the life and ministry of one called to serve the Master." Stephen Tourville District Superintendent- PennDel District of the Assemblies of God

Place your order now at Shepherdsbalm.com or visit Ebay for a signed copy.

Shepherds Balm copies now available!

2010-08-19T08:46:00.001-07:00

Of all the wonderful devotional books written over the years there are few that appeal specifically to the minister of the Gospel. Pastors are a unique group and need devotional food that is adapted to their position and calling.

In answer to that need, Richard Earl has developed an amazing collection of 52 profound thoughts for the “Shepherds of God’s Flock”, intended for use on Monday mornings, when the pastor’s spiritual fuel tank is sometimes low.

Sure to be a perennial favorite with readers, Shepherd’s Balm also contains many great and unusual quotes, some with sharp images to inspire and challenge. Space for journaling and interesting exercises make this a well-rounded tool for private devotions, or for church staff or Christian non-profit staff devotions.

Drawing from authors both old and new, this substantial collection of short devotions (it runs over 250 pp.) covers many areas of ministry and speaks in a voice that only the pastor or Christian leader can fully comprehend. Styles range from the traditional to the missional and everything in between.

Meet again or for the first time: Charles Spurgeon, DL Moody, Oswald Chambers, EM Bounds, John Bunyan, Eugene Peterson, John Piper, Margaret Feinberg, Richard Baxter, Reggie McNeal, Andrew Murray, J. Wilbur Chapman, Mark Buchanan, Bill Easum, Francis Schaeffer and many more. Some you have never heard of and you will quickly wonder why. Drawing from his 27 years of ministry experience, Earl has also written eight of his own entries that hit the mark squarely.

Earl seems to recognize the current hunger for material that addresses the new challenges being faced by emerging shepherds in a world where the Gospel is finding a renewed voice. The book, however, speaks in a way that also appeals strongly to more seasoned shepherds as well. Every Christian leader should have a copy.

The book is available now and can be purchased for just $9.99 plus shipping through Kalosbooks.com. Bulk prices available beginning at quantities of ten. Signed copies can be obtained by ordering through Ebay.

2010-08-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

The following is entry #3 from the new devotional book for pastors called Shepherds Balm by Richard Earl available from kalosbooks.com in mid August 2010.

It has been said that a good teacher will make the
complex seem simple. This is the task of the pastor
when he is in teaching mode. Making the Word and ways of
God understandable is one of the joys of ministry. CW
Slemming describes that process here.

Having reached the mountaintop the sheep are
hot and thirsty. It may be that there is water in
abundance gushing from a rock, or bounding over
rocks and making its way swiftly down the side of a
mountain: but this would not meet the need of the
sheep, they could perish from thirst while water is
abundant because they cannot drink from fast
running water. It becomes necessary for the
Shepherd to find a hollowed rock or something that
will hold water and then he will bail it from the rich
running stream into the receptacle or, if it be gushing
from a rock with his staff he will scratch a channel in
the earth from the water for a little distance and,
following the earth the water will trickle along the
channel, fill up the hollow, and so he has made a pool
of still waters. From this, and others that he will
make, the sheep drink.

Christ’s love is like torrential waters. His grace is
like a swelling tide. Who can approach the height and
depth, length and breadth of the love of God? It
passes understanding; it is beyond our
comprehension, but from it comes that life-giving
stream from which you and I find refreshment.

God’s Word, too, is like a great torrent. The depths
of its mysteries will never be fathomed, the height of
its glory never attained, the vastness of its wonders
never discovered. It is a mine never to be exhausted,
a spring never to run dry. It is the unsearchable
riches of his grace but, while it remains beyond all
human comprehension, we thank God for the still
waters of that word to which we have been led and
of which we have partaken, and we shall anticipate
the day when we shall be able to eat of the hidden
manna and drink of the fountainhead.
— CW Slemming, Echoes from the Hills of Bethlehem,
pp.39-40

God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. — Psalm 23:1-2 (The Message)

One Blind Eye, One Deaf Ear

2010-08-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

The following quote from Charles H. Spurgeon is excerpted from Shepherd's Balm pastors devotional written by Richard Earl and available in early August from kalosbooks.com

Having often said that a minister ought to have one blind eye and one deaf ear, I have excited the curiosity of several brethren, who have requested an explanation; for it appears to them, as it does also to me, that the keener eyes and ears we have the better. Well, gentlemen, since the text is somewhat mysterious, you shall have the exegesis of it.

A part of my meaning is expressed in plain language by Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes (7:21): “Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.” The margin says, “Give not thy heart to all words that are spoken”—do not take them to heart or let them weigh with you, do not notice them, or act as if you heard them. You cannot stop people's tongues, and therefore the best thing is to stop your own ears and never mind what is spoken.

There is a world of idle chit-chat abroad, and he who takes note of it will have enough to do. He will find that even those who live with him are not always singing his praises, and that when he has displeased his most faithful servants they have, in the heat of the moment, spoken fierce words which it would be better for him not to have heard. Who has not, under temporary irritation, said that of another which he has afterwards regretted? It is the part of the generous to treat passionate words as if they had never been uttered. When a man is in an angry mood it is wise to walk away from him, and leave off strife before it be meddled with; and if we are compelled to hear hasty language, we must endeavour to obliterate it from the memory, and say with David, “But I, as a deaf man, heard not. I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.” Tacitus describes a wise man as saying to one that railed at him, “You are lord of your tongue, but I am also master of my ears”—you may say what you please, but I will only hear what I choose.

We cannot shut our ears as we do our eyes, for we have no ear lids, and yet, it is, no doubt, possible to seal the portal of the ear so that nothing contraband shall enter. We would say of the general gossip of the village, and of the unadvised words of angry friends— do not hear them, or if you must hear them, do not lay them to heart, for you also have talked idly and angrily in your day, and would even now be in an awkward position if you were called to account for every word that you have spoken, even about your dearest friend.

…Know nothing of parties and cliques, but be the pastor of all the flock, and care for all alike. Blessed are the peacemakers, and one sure way of peacemaking is to let the fire of contention alone. Neither fan it, nor stir it, nor add fuel to it, but let it go out of itself. Begin your ministry with one blind eye and one deaf ear.

— Charles H Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, Volume II Lecture IX

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,and his glory is to overlook a transgression.

Proverbs 19:11 (NKJV)

In Praise of Plodders

2010-08-03T05:33:00.000-07:00

The following is entry #8 from the upcoming pastor's devotional tool Shepherd's Balm by Rich Earl. The book is available by pre-order now from Kalosbooks.com

The climax of God’s redeeming grace, according to Isaiah 40:31, is found in the strength which enables men to plod. To soar like an eagle is difficult, to run like a racehorse is more difficult still, but to walk and not faint – this is the greatest feat which the power of God can enable any man to do.

Shepherds neither fly nor run. A shepherd’s work is prosaic, tedious, slow and obscure. Feeding sheep is his daily task and for this he needs neither the mettle of the racer nor the buoyancy of the eagle. He must have a genius for plodding. The clergyman who is able to trudge bravely through the years, filling the months with quiet honest work, pressing himself close upon his people and holding his people and himself close to the heart of Christ may cause little stir in the world but will make an impression which will be felt in heaven.

The farmer and preacher have need of the same patience, fidelity and pluck. The laws of the soil and the soul are inexorable and processes of growth in matter and spirit are orderly and slow. It must be hard plowing, faithful sowing, patient waiting, and skillful harvesting if the Lord of the harvest is to give a reward. A man who only prances or flies is a failure both in pulpit and field.

But this gift of plodding has not been given to all men. It is a form of genius, almost as invaluable and rare as that of the artist and poet. If a man does not possess it let them keep out of the ministry. He will be unhappy all his days and at eventide it shall be dark. The parish will be a cage against whose bars he will beat and bruise his impatient wings…repining always over imaginary races which he might have run and won.

Most of the best work done in the world is done by unnoticed toilers in obscure fields. Most of the best preaching is done in pulpits which have no halo around them in the public eye. The best sermons do not as a rule get into the papers, nor is any mention made of them by the reporters.

The most influential preachers are not those most talked about but those whose words go deepest into the consciences and hearts of men. The church can afford a few eagles and racehorses of a nobler sort, but after all the solid and enduring work must be done largely by the plodders. My friend, if you’re capable of walking without fainting, thank God and take courage. You are a person of gifts, and have in yourself indubitable evidence of the presence and favor of the Almighty. Others may astonish the nation by flying over every celebration, but at the end of the day you, having some precious seed, will come home rejoicing bringing your sheaves with you.

Charles Edward Jefferson, Quiet Hints to Growing Preachers, pp. 199-206

Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
1 Timothy 4:14-15 (NKJV)

Shepherd's Balm Book Trailer

2010-07-30T05:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the first video trailer promoting Shepherd's Balm, a transformational new devotional tool for pastors. Available August 2010 from kalosbooks.com

The Busy Pastor

2010-07-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

The following is taken from the new transformational ministry devotional Shepherd's Balm to be published August 2010 www.kalosbooks.com (pre-order now) -written by Rich Earl.

The one piece of mail certain to go unread into my wastebasket is a letter addressed to the “busy pastor.” Not that the phrase doesn’t describe me at times, but I refuse to give my attention to someone who encourages what is worst in me. I’m not arguing the accuracy of the adjective; I am, though, contesting the way it’s used to flatter and express sympathy.

“The poor man,” we say. He’s so devoted to his flock; the work is endless, and he sacrifices himself so unstintingly. But the word “busy” is the symptom not of commitment but of betrayal. It is not devotion but defection. The adjective busy set as a modifier to pastor should sound to our ears like adulterous to characterize a wife or embezzling to describe the banker. It is an outrageous scandal, a blasphemous affront.

I become busy for two reasons; both are ignoble: I am busy because I am vain. I want to appear important. Significant. What better way than to be busy? The incredible hours, the crowded schedule, and the heavy demands on my time are proof to myself – and to all who will notice – that I am important. If I go into a doctor’s office and find there’s no one waiting, and I see through a half-open door the doctor reading a book, I wonder if he’s any good. A good doctor will have people lined up waiting to see him; a good doctor will not have time to read a book. Although I grumble about waiting my turn in the busy doctor’s office, I’m also impressed with his importance.

Such experiences affect me. I live in a society in which crowded schedules and harassed conditions are evidence of importance so I develop a crowded schedule and harassed conditions. When others notice, they acknowledge my significance, and my vanity is fed.

I am busy because I am lazy. I indolently let others decide what I will do instead of resolutely deciding myself. I let people who do not understand the work of the pastor write the agenda for my day’s work because I am too slipshod to write it myself. The pastor is a shadow figure in these people’s minds, a marginal person vaguely connected with matters of God and goodwill. Anything remotely religious or somehow well-intentioned can be properly assigned to the pastor.

It was a favorite theme of CS Lewis that only lazy people work hard by lazily abdicating the essential work of deciding and directing, establishing values and setting goals, other people do it for us; then we find ourselves frantically, at the last minute, trying to satisfy a half dozen different demands on our time, none of which is essential to our vocation, to stave off the disaster of disappointing someone.

But if I vainly crowd my day with conspicuous activity or let others fill my day with imperious demands, I don’t have time to do my proper work, the work to which I have been called. How can I lead people into the quiet place beside the still waters if I am in perpetual motion? How can I persuade a person to live by faith and not by works if I had to juggle my schedule constantly to make everything fit into place?

…The trick, of course, is to get to the calendar before anyone else does. I mark out times for prayer, for reading, for leisure, for the silence and solitude out of which creative work – prayer, preaching, and listening – can issue.

— Eugene Peterson, The Contemplative Pastor, pp.17-23

While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed.

Mark 1:35 (The Message)

The Shepherd's Great Reward

2010-07-27T05:58:00.000-07:00

The following is entry #1 excerpted from Shepherd's Balm by Richard Earl, a devotional tool for pastors due for publication in August, 2010 and available from Kalosbooks.com.

A minister, who does his work with an eye single to God’s glory, leaving everything else behind, receives the best things the world affords. A multitude of people become his relatives and friends. Fathers and mothers are as proud of him as though he were a member of their family. Old men look on him lovingly as on a son. Young men look up to him reverently as to a father. Men of his own age love him as a brother. A large circle feels that in him they have a comrade and friend. He enjoys free access to many homes, houses and lands are his, not by legal title but by spiritual prescription.

Appreciation, gratitude, affection, these are the gold, frankincense, and myrrh constantly poured out before him. If love is the best thing in the world, then the faithful pastor gets more of the Earth’s richest treasure than any other man.

To be sure, he will not be loved by everybody. Jesus was careful to state that the good things would be accompanied by tribulations. These also are part of the minister’s reward. The Pharisees and Sadducees and scribes will always be against him. Men not bad of heart, but of stupid ear will misunderstand him and misrepresent him. The idler will gossip about him and the ungrateful will return evil for good. Those possessed of demons will openly attack him. All this is to be expected. Is the pupil to be above his teacher, and the servant above his master? Think it not strange, young man, when this fiery experience overtakes you.

Do not be thrown into panic because all men do not speak well of you. Do not cry and sob when you meet with opposition in your parish. Do your duty and you will stir up trouble, but you will never be left without faithful hearts to love you. When you go into Gethsemane, friends will remain praying at the gate, and if you die on the cross you will carry into heaven with you the affectionate devotion of many loyal hearts. There is nothing more beautiful on this earth than the love of a parish for a faithful pastor.

Charles Edward Jefferson, The Minister as Shepherd, pp. 180-182

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Psalms 23:6 (NKJV)

Sentry for a Snowdrop

2010-07-26T05:55:00.000-07:00

The following appears as entry #52 in the new pastor's devotional tool called Shepherd's Balm by Richard Earl, due for publication in August 2010 from Kalosbooks.com. It explores the need to consider, and reconsider, our traditions.

With every generation new conditions present themselves to the church. Society, business, politics, home, and everything has undergone a marked change within the last quarter of a century. The church has lost her grip upon these times if she does not move with them, and the men of this generation pass by without ever a thought of crossing its threshold. We must change our thought and work and machinery, and even the course of the ship, if we are to fulfill our mission.

The old truth is sacred; old methods may not be. Truth cannot be changed; methods must always be changing. He who is wide awake, and lives in his own time, and pushes to the front, and devises new methods, will be the center of gravity of the men of the world. He who runs in old ruts, and preaches old sermons, and works with old plans, is dead as far as the world is concerned. He has neither life nor power, and that is death. He who studies the right way of presenting truth, and the art of putting things, and the skill in catching men, and understands the importance of tact and sanctified common sense, is “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

If the old methods are worn out and ineffective, it is folly and sin to continue their operation. The emperor of Russia, while showing a distinguished visitor over his palace, was asked by the latter why a sentinel was placed on a small grass plot in the grounds. The emperor called his aide-de-camp and asked for information. This the latter was unable to give. The officer for the day was sent for, but he, too, was unable to enlighten the czar. “Send me the general in command of the forces here,” said the emperor. The general came, but could give no further information than that his orders were to post an armed sentinel on that spot. “Investigate it, then,” said the czar shortly, “and report the result to me.” A long search in the military order-book revealed the fact that, eighty years ago, Catherine II, looking from a window in her apartment, had seen the first spring flower shoot up above the snow. She ordered a sentinel to be placed in order to prevent anyone from breaking the snowdrop. No one thought to countermand the order afterward, and so for eighty years a sentinel had kept watch on that very spot; a human monument of blind, useless obedience to old orders and customs. Many a preacher stands within the courts of the church a sentinel over some withered flower of the past.

That same czar, while going through his palace one day, noticed some repairs were being made, and, wishing to make inquiry, he beckoned to a workman nearby, who immediately dropped his tools and approached the emperor. Before the latter could speak to him a rifle shot rang out, and the man fell dead. A hidden sentinel had not seen the emperor beckon, and, in accordance with orders to shoot anyone coming unsummoned within twenty paces of the czar, he had killed the workman, whom he had suspected of approaching the emperor for the purpose of murdering him.

The man who is doing some new work in the kingdom of God, and reaching the churchless and Christless men, is beckoned to the side of his Master to receive commendation, while the impulsive and shortsighted guard over antiquities tries to shoot him down.

The church for the times must meet the church of the times. It must be of the Columbus spirit, and, with consecrated determination, discover the new world. It will find the discord in the music of modern life, and bring it back to key note and harmony. It will brave any storm, and sail any sea to

reach the great continent of man’s needs, and to satisfy the longings of his heart.

— Cortland Myers, Why Men do not go to church, pp. 13-19

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?
…Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

Matthew 15:1-9 (NKJV)

Ministry in an Obscure Place

2010-07-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

The following is entry #6 from the soon to be published Shepherd's Balm weekly ministry devotional by Richard Earl. It is expected in early August 2010 and can be pre-ordered at Kalosbooks.com. Additional entries will be seen here soon.

“The overwhelming majority of the Lord’s workers labor anonymously in His vineyard-often in lonely places.” (George Wood)

“One hundred years from now, it won’t matter whether you drive an expensive or cheap car, whether you live in a mansion or a rented room, or whether you buy your clothes from Nordstrom’s or Goodwill. It will not matter whether you pastored a large church or a small one; whether you preached to thousands or a handful; whether you had a public platform or ministered individually as a chaplain or counselor. What will matter 100 years from now is the legacy of your life that you pass on to others.” (George Wood)

There is much that the Lord's true servants do which no human eye takes knowledge of. What they do they are to do as to the Lord, and to look for reward from him; learning also to have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings and service.
It is our wisdom not to seek praise of men. If, in our relationships with saints, rather than look after a good name, we seek to approve ourselves to God, a good name will surely follow us.
Look not at the quantity, but the quality of your service, whatsoever that service may be. It could be preaching, preaching is not the first thing: the heart must first be kept; then two or three words spoken in the power of the spirit may avail more than many a long discourse. (RC Chapman)

We all want to be noticed. This can even become an obsession. We strive, and seek some visible success so that we can point to it and receive the “atta boy” or pat on the back. This is especially true in our late 20s and through our 30s. We are affirmed by these things - numerical growth, recognition by our peers or a mentor, being noticed by society in general. When we don’t receive them, we can feel empty.
Ideally, we ought to get these things from God. We ought not to crave the recognition of others. That is true, but we also need to know that we are making a difference, that our life’s work matters.
A counter intuitive response is to seek ministry in an obscure place, not as a stepping stone, but as a life’s work. The fact is, most of our churches are not large. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Most are not in booming communities. They are in obscure places.
Jesus was from an obscure place, and seemed to love being there. Many great people toil in obscurity their whole lives and are not seen for what they are until long after their death. Are you content to live such a life if it is God’s will for you? Or will you need to be noticed and allow that to take you places the Lord does not send you?
Richard Earl

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.
—1 Corinthians 15:58 (The Message)

The Man Behind the Wall

2010-07-21T11:07:00.001-07:00

The following is taken from the new transformational ministry devotional Shepherd's Balm published August 2010 by Kalos books www.kalosbooks.com (pre-order now) and written by Rich Earl.

This brief excerpt from Pilgrim's Progress provides insight as to why we, as servants of the Lord, are able to persevere even after our human strength has already given out. We must not minimize the power of the Holy Spirit to inspire and renew God's people. The Father has invested the life of His own Son for our deliverance, and is not limited in his ability to continually resource us for His glory.

"Then I saw in my dream, that the Interpreter took Christian by the hand, and led him into a place where was a fire burning against a wall. Standing by the wall was an individual continually throwing water on the fire to put it out. Yet the fire just burned higher and hotter.

Christian asked, “What does this mean?”

The Interpreter answered, “This fire is the work of grace working in the heart. He who throws water on it, to extinguish it and put it out, is the devil. But as you see, the fire is burning higher and hotter in spite of it. You'll be shown the reason of it.”

With that he took Christian to the other side of the wall. There he saw a man with a vessel of oil in his hand, of the which he did also continually cast (but secretly) into the fire.

Then said Christian, “What means this?”

The Interpreter answered, “This is Christ, who continually, with the oil of his grace, maintains the work already begun in the heart; by the means of which, notwithstanding what the devil can do, the souls of his people prove gracious still. And in that thou sawest that the man stood behind the wall to maintain the fire; this is to teach thee, that it is hard for the tempted to see how this work of grace is maintained in the soul.”

— John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress in Modern English, p. 40

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)

Thoughts on Solitude

2010-07-15T07:23:00.000-07:00

The following is from the soon to be released pastor's devotional tool called Shepherd's Balm. Available in August 2010 through Kalosbooks.com.

It takes 20 times more the amount of amphetamine to kill individual mice than it takes to kill them in groups. Experimenters also find that a mouse given no amphetamine at all will be dead within 10 minutes of being placed in the midst of a group on the drug. In groups they go off like popcorn or firecrackers. Western men and women especially, talk a great deal about being individuals. But conformity to social pattern is hardly less remarkable than that of the mice - and just as deadly!

In solitude we find the psychic distance, the perspective from which we can see, in the light of eternity, the created things that trap, worry, and oppress us. Thomas Merton writes:

“That is the only reason why I desire solitude – to be lost to all created things, to die to them and to the knowledge of them, for they remind me of my distance from You: that You are far from them, even though You are in them. You have made them and your presence sustains their being and they hide you from me.”

But solitude, like all of the disciplines of the spirit, carries its risks. In solitude, we confront our own soul with its obscure forces and conflicts that escape our attention when we are interacting with others. Thus “solitude is a terrible trial, for it serves to crack open and burst apart the shell of our superficial securities. It opens out to us the unknown abyss that we all carry within us and discloses the fact that these abysses are haunted." We can only survive solitude if we cling to Christ there. And yet what we find of Him in that solitude enables us to return to society as free persons.

— Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, pp 160-161.

Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

John 16:32 (NKJV)

Shepherd's Balm devotional coming soon!

2010-07-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

In answer to that need, I have developed a collection of 52 profound thoughts for the “Shepherds of God’s Flock”, intended for use on Monday mornings, when the pastor’s spiritual fuel tank is sometimes low.

Shepherd’s Balm also contains many great and unusual short quotes, some with sharp images to inspire and challenge. Space for journaling and interesting exercises make this a well-rounded tool for private devotions, or for church staff or Christian non-profit staff devotions.

Meet again or for the first time: Charles Spurgeon, DL Moody, Oswald Chambers, EM Bounds, John Bunyan, Eugene Peterson, John Piper, Margaret Feinberg, Richard Baxter, Reggie McNeal, Andrew Murray, J. Wilbur Chapman, Mark Buchanan, Bill Easum, Francis Schaeffer and many more. Some you have never heard of and you will quickly wonder why. Drawing from my own 27 years of ministry experience, I have also written eight of my own entries.

Shepherd's Balm recognizes the current hunger for material that addresses the new challenges being faced by emerging shepherds in a world where the Gospel is finding a renewed voice. The book, however, speaks in a way that also appeals strongly to more seasoned shepherds as well. Every Christian leader should have a copy.

The book is expected out in August 2010 and can be purchased for just $9.99 plus shipping through Kalosbooks.com. Bulk prices available beginning at quantities of ten.

The King comes to Cleanse

2010-03-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

When Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem and heralded as King He wasted no time in doing what Kings must do. Kings must establish their authority and enact the vision they have been given for how things should be.
The next day Jesus entered the temple area, the Court of the Gentiles to be specific, with whip in hand and chased out those who had no right to be there. This produced predictable results as the Jewish leaders stepped up their scheme to eliminate His influence.

Mark 11:15-18 (NKJV) So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.
Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "
And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

Why was Jesus so angry? It was because those entrusted with opening the way to God had closed the door in the face of those with the least access. The Court of the Gentiles was the one place where non-Jews could get close to God. But they had made it into a marketplace full of thieves, noisy animals, and foot traffic. Who could pray in such a place?
What kind of king would allow such a deplorable status quo to continue unchallenged? When the crowds cheered and welcomed Him as King they were giving Him authority to rule over them.
When each of us make Jesus Lord in our own lives we are giving Him authority to "cleanse our temples". We may be surprised at what He chooses to remove, but we must accept and bow to His vision of who we are to become. He sometimes finds something very precious to us and says NO! it must go!
Jesus comes to make things right, and also to bless and to heal. Until we allow Him to establish His authority His blessings cannot flow.

Discipleship Dare Day 18- Peacemaking or Peacefaking?

2010-03-10T08:22:00.000-08:00

"You will never know who God will call to be His child as a result of rubbing shoulders with you." Jess Bousa

False peace is no peace at all. How often do we pretend we have forgiven or made amends with another when we have really just repressed our feelings? Real openness sometimes hurts, but it is what families thrive on. Unspoken hurt and resentment cannot produce long term loving relationships.

Timing and attitude are critical when we approach someone to confront. Finding a time convenient for them rather than us will produce the best result. An arrogant attitude will bring resistance, but a soft answer turns away wrath.

Fake peace just pushes our problems down the road. We will have to face them later anyway and it will probably be worse. Wipe that phony smile off your face and say what's on your mind in a loving and humble way. That's what family does!

http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

Conflict is the only way to Shalom Discipleship Dare Day 17

2010-03-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

"Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." Matthew 5:8

The Hebrew word Shalom is commonly used to express the idea of peace, but it means much more than that. Shalom implies wholeness or completeness and involves both inner and outer harmony. It means more than having a good life and great circumstances.

Nancy Ortberg has said that "conflict is the only way to intimacy." I agree with that, but Jess Bousa takes it one step further in today's dare. He implies that conflict is the only way to Shalom.

Counterintuitively, the peacemakers must have a warrior spirit and be willing to lovingly confront no matter the cost. It takes no courage or great love to gloss things over, and it lacks authenticity. Truly mature and deep relationships require taking the risks involved in caring conflict.

Jesus cared enough to confront and brought Shalom to His disciples. He did not back away from telling the truth to the Pharisees and called them on their empty and duplicitous religion. If we call ourselves His disciples we will do the same and make truth and love the standards again.

What do you think?

http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

Shepherd's Balm- entry two- The Man Behind the Wall

2010-02-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

excerpt number two from my upcoming pastor's devotional Shepherd's Balm

Then I saw in my dream, that the Interpreter took Christian by the hand, and led him into a place where was a fire burning against a wall. Standing by the wall was an individual continually throwing water on the dfire to put it out. Yet the fire just burned higher and hotter.

Christian asked, "What does this mean?

The Interpreter answered, "This fire is the work of grace working in the heart. He who throws water on it, to extinguish it and put it out, is the devil. But as you see, the fire is burning higher and hotter in spite of it. You'll be shown the reason of it.

With that he took Christian to the other side of the wall. There he saw a man with a vessel of oil in his hand, of the which he did also continually cast (but secretly) into the fire.

Then said Christian, What means this?

The Interpreter answered, This is Christ, who continually, with the oil of his grace, maintains the work already begun in the heart; by the means of which, notwithstanding what the devil can do, the souls of his people prove gracious still. And in that thou sawest that the man stood behind the wall to maintain the fire; this is to teach thee, that it is hard for the tempted to see how this work of grace is maintained in the soul.

John Bunyan

Pilgrim’s Progress in Modern English

p. 40

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)
9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Shepherd's Balm sample- Golden Windows

2010-02-04T12:12:00.000-08:00

Having nearly completed the manuscript for a pastor's devotional I thought some might like to see a sample of the work which is mostly a compilation of great thoughts about ministry. This one features covetouness, as pastors are as prone to this sin as anyone else.

All day long the little boy had worked hard, in field and barn and shed, for his people were poor farmers, and could not pay a workman; but at sunset there came an hour that was all his own, for his father had given it to him.

Then the boy would go up to the top of a hill and look across at another hill that rose some miles away. On this far hill stood a house with windows of clear gold and diamonds. They shone and blazed so that it made the boy blink to look at them: but after a while the people in the house put up shutters, as it seemed, and then it looked like any common farm-house. The boy supposed they did his because it was supper-time; and then he would go into the house and have his supper of bread and milk, and so to bed.

One day the boy's father called him and said: "You have been a good boy, and have earned a holiday. Take this day for your own; but remember that God gave it, and try to learn some good thing."

The boy thanked his father and kissed his mother; then he put a piece of bread in his pocket, and started off to find the house with the golden windows. It was pleasant walking. His bare feet made marks in the white dust, and when he looked back, the footprints seemed to be following him, and making company for him. His shadow, too, kept beside him, and would dance or run with him as he pleased; so it was very cheerful.

By and by he felt hungry; and he sat down by a brown brook that ran through the alder hedge by the roadside, and ate his bread, and drank the clear water. Then he scattered the crumbs for the birds, as his mother had taught him to do, and went on his way.
After a long time he came to a high green hill; and when he had climbed the hill, there was the house on the top; but it seemed that the shutters were up, for he could not see the golden windows. He came up to the house, and then he could well have wept, for the windows were of clear glass, like any others, and there was no gold anywhere about them.

A woman came to the door, and looked kindly at the boy, and asked him what he wanted.
"I saw the golden windows from our hilltop," he said, "and I came to see them, but now they are only glass."
The woman shook her head and laughed.
"We are poor farming people," she said, "and are not likely to have gold about our windows; but glass is better to see through."

She bade the boy sit down on the broad stone step at the door, and brought him a cup of milk and a cake, and bade him rest; then she called her daughter, a child of his own age, and nodded kindly at the two, and went back to her work.

The little girl was barefooted like himself, and wore a brown cotton gown, but her hair was golden like the windows he had seen, and her eyes were blue like the sky at noon. She led the boy about the farm, and showed him her black calf with the white star on its forehead, and he told her about his own at home, which was red like a chestnut, with four white feet. Then when they had eaten an apple together, and so had become friends, the boy asked her about the golden windows. The little girl nodded, and said she knew all about them, only he had mistaken the house.

"You have come quite the wrong way!" she said. "Come with me, and I will show you the house with the golden windows, and then you will see for yourself."
They went to a knoll that rose behind the farmhouse, and as they went the little girl told him that the golden windows could only be seen at a certain hour, about sunset.
"Yes, I know that!" said the boy.

When they reached the top of the knoll, the girl turned and pointed; and there on a hill far away stood a house with windows of clear gold and diamond, just as he had seen them. And when they looked again, the boy saw that it was his own home.

Then he told the little girl that he must go; and he gave her his best pebble, the white one with the red band, that he had carried for a year in his pocket; and she gave him three horse-chestnuts, one red like satin, one spotted, and one white like milk. He kissed her, and promised to come again, but he did not tell her what he had learned; and so he went back down the hill, and the little girl stood in the sunset light and watched him.

The way home was long, and it was dark before the boy reached his father's house; but the lamplight and firelight shone through the windows, making them almost as bright as he had seen them from the hilltop; and when he opened the door, his mother came to kiss him, and his little sister ran to throw her arms about his neck, and his father looked up and smiled from his seat by the fire.

"Have you had a good day?" asked his mother.
Yes, the boy had had a very good day.
"And have you learned anything?" asked his father.
"Yes!" said the boy. "I have learned that our house has windows of gold and diamond."

Laura E. Richards

Hebrews 13:5-6 (NKJV) Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

Discipleship Dare Day 16- Integrity in small things

2010-01-16T10:53:00.000-08:00

Jess Bousa relates a great story about golfer Bobby Jones losing a major tournament when he assessed himself one penalty stroke for touching his golf ball. He displayed rare integrity in what might seem like a small thing. But small lapses in integrity signal larger ones down the road.

"And He said to him, 'Well done, good servant, because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities." Luke 19:17

If a person cannot be trusted with a small thing, who would trust them with a large thing?

http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

Discipleship Dare Day 15- Determined mercy

2010-01-16T09:57:00.000-08:00

Jess Bousa makes a distinction in today's dare between feeling compassion and showing compassion. The earthquake ravaged people of Haiti will not have their suffering alleviated by our sense of pity for them. They will only be helped and God glorified by a compassion which moves us to action.

Recently I volunteered to teach a Bible study at a local juvenile detention center when I discovered that the boys had absolutely no spiritual encouragement at all. There was no chaplain, no church services, nothing. I was horrified, felt mercy and vowed to help them. At our first sesssion we had 12 boys, but at the next few sessions it was a struggle to get even 6 to attend. I felt that a spiritual battle was going on and heard this in my heart, "the enemy will back away from a well-armed, determined foe." I was and am determined to continue the study even if it only feeds one boy. It is that kind of determination that can only come from God.

There are some things that will kill mercy for others as it rises up in us. We get stifled before we get the chance to act on the compassion we feel. Distractions can kill mercy, or selfishness, or a sense that someone else will take care of it, or that the benefit is not worth the cost. The world needs a determined, Christ-originated mercy that will not be waylaid.

"I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me." Matthew 25:36

http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

Discipleship Dare Day 14- Are you content?

2010-01-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat. Matthew 5:6 (MSG)

Contentment is a state of mind and heart. I know this because there are folks who live in what we would consider abject poverty who are perfectly happy. I have seen children with Down's syndrome laughing hysterically. I was greeted yesterday in Walmart by a young man with cerebral palsy and a big smile on his face. What a great gift to be satisfied because therein is peace.

An unsatisfied soul makes everyone miserable. It really is a state of mind and heart. It signals internal corruption when all we can do is complain.

God fulfilled His righteousness in Jesus and as the body of Christ we are called to not only seek righteousness, but to pursue it. In this way we will find satisfaction- as we help transform the culture and glorify His name.

http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

Discipleship Dare Day 13- Wanting what God wants

2010-01-14T19:51:00.000-08:00

"The righteousness of God is counter-cultural", Jess Bousa says in todays Dare entry. If that is true, and of course it is, then the church has to be much less concerned with blending with culture and much more concerned with redeeming culture.

Hating what God hates is important, but only when led by the love of what is good as rooted in a God-relationship. Sometimes we become narrowly focused on condemning the mere acts of evil we see in society, and lose the very heart of God. We can alienate those we long to reach with the good news by a self-righteous attitude and by using a flamethrower on the "enemies of God".

We are called to hunger and thirst for righteousness. That means wanting God to set all things right. We should participate in what God is doing to set the world right. That means having right relationships, insomuch as it is in our power, recognizing that some things are beyond our control. We should jump in with both feet, but leave the heavy lifting to the KING!

http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

Discipleship dare Day 12- The meekness ethic

2010-01-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

In this world might often equals right. Whoever can wield the greatest power wins the right of control. This is true in military affairs, politics, business and many other places.

Jesus never used His power to control, though He could have, but He influenced by love. Healing, teaching, dying meekly the death of a servant.

Is the meekness ethic of Jesus lost in our church culture today? Where can we see it in action? How could we exercise it more readily?

http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

Thy will move me, Thy will use me

You lay your crushing hand, your mighty hand

On me gently

You know my name, wound me

You know my frame, heal me

You lay your crushing hand

Your mighty hand on me gently

Do what You must and save me

I'm in the dust now raise me

Lord I believe, help my unbelief

Go gently

Terry Taylor

Discipleship dare Day 11- Comfort

2010-01-11T17:37:00.001-08:00

"God uses your character to restore the world" Jess Bousa shares on Day 11. If Christians are crushed by their circumstances and lose hope, how can the world find comfort in that? If Jesus is our source and our hope, then we can have hope even in the midst of intense conflict or pain.

Jesus makes this possible by promising to always be with us. In the midst of the mission, we must keep our eye on the prize.

www.thediscipleshipdare.com

Discipleship Dare day 10- The Kingdom of Heaven

2010-01-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

I love what Jess Bousa says on day 10 of the Discipleship Dare, "In the Kingdom of God all earthly values are reversed. The first shall be last, the last shall be first. The greatest people in the kingdom shall be servants. The kingdom particularly belongs to the poor, the hungry and the mourning. The rich will find it almost impossible to enter."
This reversal of what we have known all our lives will be transformational. We see this now as it happens in part, but when the kingdom comes in fulness there will be no opposition. There will really be "peace on earth."
In the meantime we are sent as ambassadors of this Kingdom of God to implore all who will hear us to come and be a part of it. "So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you."

Discipleship Dare Day 9- Poverty of spirit

2010-01-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

Jesus said the poor in spirit are blessed, but I don't know if we really act we like understand what that means, or believe it.
So much of what we do in our western church culture is assertive, aggressive and a reflection of the consumerist culture we are embedded within. This can produce a pride and selfishness of spirit that can hinder what God wants to do through us, and limit the glory we are willing to give Him.
There is an old saying that we should "pray like everything depends upon God and work like everything depends upon us." There is a lot of truth in that, but I think we mostly err on the side of things depending upon us.
The opposite of poverty of spirit is wealth of spirit. Those who are wealthy in spirit have little need for outside help- they can handle anything on their own.

'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- Revelation 3:17 (NKJV)

Those poor in spirit are blessed because their humility allows them to readily accept the rulership of Jesus as Messiah and king of their own lives. "--theirs is the kingdom of heaven".

"Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up."

http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

Discipleship Dare Day 8- Accountability means growth in character.

2010-01-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

In today's devotional from the Discipleship Dare Jess Bousa raises the issue of our character. We should all think intently about whether our own character measures up to the example Jesus set. It is easy to find people around us who we feel superior in character to, but we must not allow this to assuage our need to strive for Christlikeness.

Jess stresses the fact that character is developed best in community. This is true because accountability has a tremendous effect upon our development. Just as most things would never get done without deadlines, we tend to drift without the accountability provided in community. We need to love each other enough to hold one another's feet to the fire when necessary. This is true in school, at work, in the military, in sports, in the church and in the family- it is universal.

How would your church be different if every member felt responsible to help every other member develop in character?

http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/

Discipleship Dare Day 7 Hand to the plow

2010-01-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

"Although Peter cannot achieve his own conversion, he can leave his nets." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Once we place our hands on the plow and agree to make furrows and plant the seed of the Gospel for Jesus we can never go back to what we were doing before and be happy or in the will of God. Plowing requires determination and total concentration. There may be relationships, positions, situations or other circumstanmces that must be left behind as Peter left his nets.

Responsibility, Sacrifice, Training are the key words Jess stresses in today's entry in the Discipleship Dare. The challenge is to keep moving forward no matter what and not get pulled back into a lifestyle that does not allow us to be fully engaged in the mission of Jesus.

www.thediscipleshipdare.com

Discipleship Dare Day 6 Care...really care

2010-01-07T11:34:00.000-08:00

Today's dare is about caring, caring about someone enough to change their world. There are many ways to do that, and it is exciting because no two situations are alike-- no two people have the same story. A wealthy person needs caring as much as a needy person, but they do not need the same things.

Our church is in an old coal mining town. The heyday of Shamokin is only a distant memory. The young people can't even imagine that the town was once bustling and thriving. We have lots of opportunities to care and help. Our church has been getting at least ten phone calls a week from people needing oil, food, rent $ or a bill paid because they got a shutoff notice.

I used to get so frustrated because there were so many calls, but our resources to meet their needs were far too slim, and I had nowhere to send them for help. I have a new strategy. I spend time asking them questions, and even if I can't meet their big immediate need, I usually find one that I can meet, even if it's just to listen. I have learned the value of just providing a caring ear, and it has brought many to ask questions about my Savior Jesus and join us for church. Would the Lord send them to me for no reason? He knows about our resources. I must have something they need- a caring ear.

Discipleship Dare Day Five- Love God

2010-01-05T06:05:00.000-08:00

The world offers many seductions. The enemy of our souls does not care how he keeps us from God. To him it is immaterial. Wealth or poverty, success or failure, it matters not, they can each serve the purpose.

The Message Bible puts it this way: "Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world- wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important- has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from Him." I John 2:15-16

There is good reason for Jesus defining the greatest commandment as love for the Father with all our being. Second place is no place at all.

Discipleship Dare Day Four

2010-01-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

Today's dare challenged me to divest of possession or "loves" for the purpose of removing hindrances in my relationship with God. God is jealous and will not tolerate any other gods before Him.

I have struggled with clutter for a long time. I have found that when I get rid of things I feel freed up, and when the house gets too cluttered I am prone to worry and can become distracted. There is peace in an orderly and uncluttered home. I am afraid I am losing the battle on the home front. My home office is a mess due to it serving many purposes: Ebay store, Pastor's Study, Home Banking Center, clothes closet and memorabilia collection bin.

Help me Lord to order my world in such a way that none of this gets in the way of my love or work for you.

http://www.thediscipleshipdare.com/