Christ Briefs His Men for Their Mission
Kenny Luck
Every Man Ministries
This whole time the disciples traveled with Jesus they were learning the art of war, how to advance the Kingdom amidst hostile men of all persuasions—religious, political, cultural, and Satanic. He was showing them how a compassionate God-man fights during his time on earth: teaching, preaching, healing, feeling compassion, and boldly liberating those who were held captive and controlled by the god of this world and sin. But now their residency was coming to an end. The season of selection, association, and demonstration was giving way to the next phase: delegation and supervision. He looked at them and said, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out more workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37 NIV
Their "mission briefing" called by the Master Instructor went exactly like this: He called his disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. "As you go preach this message: 'The Kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Now that is what I call a green light! With the full endorsement of the Supreme Commander, God's men were given:
a sanction to fight (gave authority)
a message to forward (preach this)
targets to find (sick, dead, leper, demon possessed)
power to free (to heal, raise, cleanse, and drive out)
a charge to feel (freely you have received, freely give)
a metaphor to familiarize (sending you as sheep among wolves)
two commands to fulfill (be shrewd and be innocent)
Imagine you are there. Which of these would send your neurons into high gear? A certain metaphor maybe?
Sheep among wolves you say? This means it's hostile now. Every instruction up to that point had to feel good to the disciples and then came the harsh reality of a Hot L.Z. (as in a Hot landing Zone). This condition of hostility would not change for these men until eleven were martyred and John died in exile. Jesus didn't provide false hope or codependent comfort. He gave them the straight poop about this campaign to rid the world of Satan's grip through Kingdom advance whenever and wherever possible. He didn’t say, "sheep among wolves for a while and then sheep among rabbits for a while." So since this is our present reality I want you to think "wolves" for a second.
predatory carnivores that hunt in packs
aggressive, greedy and cruel when they find their prey
beautiful to look at but extremely dangerous
wicked sense of smell
extremely smart
never want to be caught alone amongst a pack
Take this in, God's Man: you are a sheep among wolves right now and you will remain among them going forward here on earth until you get called back to the office of the Supreme Commander for debriefing. One of the main reasons we are getting massacred is that we are sheep among wolves but we act like sheep among squirrels. We get along in this world as if there is no hostility in a war zone! What bombs? What enemy? What destruction? What blood? Bondage? Affairs? Divorce? Fatherlessness? Shattered lives? Oh, that. What a pity. It's awful. Anyways, did you say you wanted a Diet Coke with your chips? That is the definition of spiritual dysfunction! Sane men who call attention to these evil-sponsored campaigns are considered goofy, while the goofy men playing with the rabbits are considered sane. That kind of dysfunctional view of spiritual warfare makes those who are fighting it with wisdom and integrity upset at those who should be fighting but aren't. "Today," says Bono (front man for mega-band U2), "it's a load of sissies running around with their 'bless me' clubs and there’s a war going on between good and evil. Millions of children and millions of lives are being lost to greed, bureaucracy, and to a church that’s been asleep. And it sends me out of my mind with anger" (The God Factor, Cathleen Falsani Sarah Crichton Books, New York, NY 2006 , p.12).
You can just feel the frustration and, at the same time, Satan's elation. "Lovely," he sighs. "My wolves have been accepted as rabbits and squirrels." Even now I can see Satan saying to you: "Why is this Luck guy all jacked up about this? Bono? Who are you kidding? He's no theologian. Relax. Tranquilo. Chill. Get back to the game, put the book down, grab some chips, and pour yourself that Diet Coke."
He’s not just really smooth, he wants you to let him remain hidden or docile or both. Don't let him lie to you. Listen to Jesus: it's WOLVES, not rabbits! Suit up in you’re your armor and don't let your guard down today.
Kenny Luck is the Men's Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. He is also the Founder and President of Every Man Ministries which helps churches worldwide develop and grow healthy men's communities. Please visit http://www.everymanministries.com/ for more information.
Find this article at: http://www.crosswalk.comhttp://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/men/11576133/
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Christ Briefs His Men for Their Mission
Monday, June 2, 2008
Coming Down in the Wrong Place
Coming Down in the Wrong Place, by Phil Ware
Did you hear about the pilot who landed his 737 jet on an abandoned World War II era landing strip? The correct runway was nearly five miles away! "It was essentially pilot error ..." the airline official said.
Yeah, no joke!
As horrible as this sounds, haven't you done the same thing? Oh sure, it wasn't with an airliner, but haven't you come down in the wrong place before? Maybe you said something inappropriate, falsely judged someone's motives, did something embarrassing at the wrong moment, made a gigantic boo-boo at a public occasion, or ruined the mood of a tender moment. We come down in the wrong place a whole lot. It's just part of being human! None of us is perfect ... and most of us are far from it!
A number of years ago, I attended the funeral of the brother of a dear friend. He was born with Down Syndrome. The service was wonderful and sweet. But it was based on an assumption that struck me as tremendously
flawed: "When this sweet man gets to heaven, he will be made whole and perfect like we are."
But didn't Jesus say that in his Kingdom the greatest person is a servant, that love is the cardinal virtue, that the last will be first, that the least will be greatest, and that unless we become like little children we won't get into the Kingdom of Heaven! What Jesus' words tell me is that we have it wrong. In the areas of life which matter most, instead of this sweet man being more like us, in heaven we'll be more like him.
So much of what we value comes down in the wrong place -- how we look, the titles we hold, the money we make, our physical and our mental capabilities. Yet the things that matter most, things like unrestrained joy, unfeigned kindness, expressive love, unmitigated wonder, unreserved forgiveness, and un-coerced service are often found most in those our world regards as broken, deformed, handicapped, or retarded.
What should we do?
While the politically correct police have sought to reform our terminology, our bias and bigotry have only deepened as more and more of these who are more like heaven are never given the opportunity to grace our earth. That sort of makes an airplane coming down on the wrong landing strip seem pretty insignificant.
None of us should underestimate the difficulties of raising a child with "special challenges," but we must also learn to value those who are "precious in his sight." Otherwise I'm afraid we will find our "more perfect" children crash landing in many wrong places because the compass we give them is false and the place we land is in the wrong place.
Did you hear about the pilot who landed his 737 jet on an abandoned World War II era landing strip? The correct runway was nearly five miles away! "It was essentially pilot error ..." the airline official said.
Yeah, no joke!
As horrible as this sounds, haven't you done the same thing? Oh sure, it wasn't with an airliner, but haven't you come down in the wrong place before? Maybe you said something inappropriate, falsely judged someone's motives, did something embarrassing at the wrong moment, made a gigantic boo-boo at a public occasion, or ruined the mood of a tender moment. We come down in the wrong place a whole lot. It's just part of being human! None of us is perfect ... and most of us are far from it!
A number of years ago, I attended the funeral of the brother of a dear friend. He was born with Down Syndrome. The service was wonderful and sweet. But it was based on an assumption that struck me as tremendously
flawed: "When this sweet man gets to heaven, he will be made whole and perfect like we are."
But didn't Jesus say that in his Kingdom the greatest person is a servant, that love is the cardinal virtue, that the last will be first, that the least will be greatest, and that unless we become like little children we won't get into the Kingdom of Heaven! What Jesus' words tell me is that we have it wrong. In the areas of life which matter most, instead of this sweet man being more like us, in heaven we'll be more like him.
So much of what we value comes down in the wrong place -- how we look, the titles we hold, the money we make, our physical and our mental capabilities. Yet the things that matter most, things like unrestrained joy, unfeigned kindness, expressive love, unmitigated wonder, unreserved forgiveness, and un-coerced service are often found most in those our world regards as broken, deformed, handicapped, or retarded.
What should we do?
While the politically correct police have sought to reform our terminology, our bias and bigotry have only deepened as more and more of these who are more like heaven are never given the opportunity to grace our earth. That sort of makes an airplane coming down on the wrong landing strip seem pretty insignificant.
None of us should underestimate the difficulties of raising a child with "special challenges," but we must also learn to value those who are "precious in his sight." Otherwise I'm afraid we will find our "more perfect" children crash landing in many wrong places because the compass we give them is false and the place we land is in the wrong place.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Hymn Styles - Tennessean letter to the editor
Where have I heard this before? :) Kent
Churches can't afford a rift over hymn styles
To the Editor:
Republicans vs. Democrats. Pro-choice vs. pro-life. It seems to always be "us vs. them." And now, it's in our churches. Contemporary music vs. traditional hymns. Has anyone noticed it besides me?
Many churches seem to be battling it out. One part of the congregation enjoys the drum-driven, loud-guitar music. The other part seems bewildered by the disappearance of the old familiar hymns. You're either "with it and progressive," or you're "stale, close-minded and grumpy." Why? Whatever happened to diversity and acceptance, especially in worship?
In April, I attended the Community Hymn Sing at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. We experienced every kind of music — the old, sweet songs, soul, majestic anthems, full orchestration, a cappella and even what some would call rock. It was wonderful! Why? Because every song was presented the way it should be experienced. Every song has its own emotion and character. All contemporary music doesn't have to be wild. A traditional hymn, sung properly, should never be dull.
It largely depends on the music leadership. He/she should first understand the music, then pass that knowledge on to the other participants. A tall order in this day of controversy and opinions. But the music in a religious setting is of great importance. The musicians owe it to their people to be creative and sensitive in their planning. Some songs need drums and guitars. Other songs beg for an organ.
Churches can't afford the time and energy to argue over music!
Joyce Bell
Joelton 37080
Churches can't afford a rift over hymn styles
To the Editor:
Republicans vs. Democrats. Pro-choice vs. pro-life. It seems to always be "us vs. them." And now, it's in our churches. Contemporary music vs. traditional hymns. Has anyone noticed it besides me?
Many churches seem to be battling it out. One part of the congregation enjoys the drum-driven, loud-guitar music. The other part seems bewildered by the disappearance of the old familiar hymns. You're either "with it and progressive," or you're "stale, close-minded and grumpy." Why? Whatever happened to diversity and acceptance, especially in worship?
In April, I attended the Community Hymn Sing at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. We experienced every kind of music — the old, sweet songs, soul, majestic anthems, full orchestration, a cappella and even what some would call rock. It was wonderful! Why? Because every song was presented the way it should be experienced. Every song has its own emotion and character. All contemporary music doesn't have to be wild. A traditional hymn, sung properly, should never be dull.
It largely depends on the music leadership. He/she should first understand the music, then pass that knowledge on to the other participants. A tall order in this day of controversy and opinions. But the music in a religious setting is of great importance. The musicians owe it to their people to be creative and sensitive in their planning. Some songs need drums and guitars. Other songs beg for an organ.
Churches can't afford the time and energy to argue over music!
Joyce Bell
Joelton 37080
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