Archive June 2008
What is Leadership, Really?
I just did a search in Amazon.com using the key word “leadership” and got 2,060 listings. Authors, teachers and trainers have established many different definitions and categories of leaders and leadership. There are many leadership theories and techniques. The amount of material on leadership can be overwhelming.
My personal definition of leadership centers on a person’s positive influence on others. Books have been written about Moses’ style of leadership, but no one can deny that he exercised tremendous influence upon the lives of countless people.
I’ve been thinking about leadership today. I bedded down in Morgantown, PA last night, and this morning I headed back in to Philadelphia for a lunch meeting with Jim O’Neill, president of CrossWorld, a mission dedicated to reaching those who have not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They were formerly called Unevangelized Fields Mission when they were founded in 1931. To tell you a bit about them I need to start with a man who exhibited amazing influence. His name was C.T. Studd (1860-1931).
Many of you have probably heard of C.T. Studd or you have read his book Chocolate Soldier. He was an English missionary who served in China, India and Africa. He was one of The Cambridge Seven, who offered themselves to work with Hudson Taylor in the China Inland Mission. After 15 years in China, he also served for six years in India before going to Africa where he continued to labor until he died at 70 years of age. During his time in Africa he founded Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade, now known as WEC International. In the final years of his life he was instrumental in the founding of yet another mission, the one I visited today, CrossWorld.
Studd’s book continues to be read by thousands today, and his name is linked to many key moments in the history of God’s mission. In my book, C. T. Studd was a great leader, a man of influence. Can you even imagine the lives that have been positively touched and transformed by this man?
Speaking of influence, let me tell you a bit about my meeting today. Jim O’Neill was headed toward a church planting ministry here in the United States until he came under the influence of Roscoe Brewer, a passionate man with a heart for God’s mission. Jim had wanted to meet me since he heard Roscoe talk about me back in the 1970′s. Roscoe is one of the key mentors in my life. Oh, by the way, I am here in Pennsylvania for another Christar meeting as a member of the board of trustrees of that mission. The President of Christar is Steve Coffey. Steve, like Jim, went to Liberty University when Roscoe headed the mission department. So, Jim, Steve, and I all have the influence of Roscoe in common. Roscoe is a leader.
Roscoe will also be preaching at KCBT a week from Sunday. This will be his first time back in many years and I am very excited for him to be with us.
Flash or Whisper?
I welcomed the sun up this morning on the way to the airport, headed for a number of activities on the East Coast. Sitting down into my favorite seat on the Continental Express jet, I looked up to see Pastor Brian Hedges of Harrisonville, MO. In the continuing “small world” category, Brian was headed with me on both the flight to Cleveland and then on to Baltimore. Missionary Doug Pearson is back from India for a short time Stateside and Brian is joining him for a couple of days in Baltimore.
It was neat to see Doug and give him a brief hug before I headed to the rental car facility. Doug will be visiting Kansas City next month, by the way. My main mission today was to make my way to Princeton Bible Church to meet with Pastor Brad Nelson and a group of folks from his church who are interested in joining up with us in Amsterdam this November. Brad has a great heart for people and I alwas enjoy catching up on what is happening in his life and in the life of the church.
Brad and I enjoyed a nice Asian meal together followed by a good cup of coffee, and then headed for the church office. Sitting in Brad’s office a chatting about what we are reading was a great time. I thought I would share a thought Brad recently picked up from a book by Dallas Willard, though he couldn’t remember the exact book. He’s read several by Willard. The thought was simply that many believers are waiting for some bolt of lightening, a flash of heavenly glory, or some other major manifestation to determine God’s leading. Willard’s comment is that God sometimes uses those methods with people who are not spiritually mature. Those who are attuned to the Spirit of God and have their spiritual senses exercised don’t need a flash, but rather the whisper of the still small voice of God within in order to be led.
Tomorrow is another day. I’m tired, currently in Morgantown, PA and will check in tomorrow.
Write It Down
In my reading of Deuteronomy I recently came across a passage that has truly changed my life and that of others. I share this when I teach expository preaching, and I might as well share it with you. It’s found in the instructions that Moses gives for future kings of Israel.
When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. Deuteronomy 17:14-20
The first requirement is that God himself choose the king. That’s a good place to begin! Let God do the picking. The second requirement is that the king be a Hebrew and not a foreigner. This is not too hard so far.
The third and fourth requirements need to be understood in the historical context. To multiply horses to himself would be to trust in amassing a military force rather than trusting in God. The multiplying of wives is a common practice among oriental kings of that era as a means of diplomacy. Again, his faith should be in God rather than the deals he can swing by combining various noble blood lines. Besides, the temptation is that these foreign women would turn his heart away from God.
But, it is the final requirement that I find fascinating. The king was to write out for himself his own copy of this book, either a reference to the Torah, the first first books of the Bible, or this book of Deuteronomy in particular. The king could command the finest scribes to copy the law in beautiful script and elaborate decorative design. Instead, he was to write the words of God in his own hand.
There is something powerful about the combination of hand, pen, ink, paper, mind, eye and spirit. Writing the words out by hand forces you to focus on every word. It is so easy for the mind to race ahead and pass over things that are important. Handwriting encourages a synchronization of the above elements resulting an increased sensitivity to the message of the words. Try it!
When I preach on a passage of scripture I write it out and even diagram it grammatically. I discover new insight even though I may have read the passage hundreds of time. Every morning as I read my Bible, pray and write in my journal, I write out the portion of scripture that has especially spoken to me that morning. Even after I have been blessed and challenged by the passage, as I am writing it out I often discover truth I previously overlooked.
Seriously, try it. Write out scripture by hand and see what happens. I highly recommend it.
Small World!
Have you ever heard that if you start talking to someone at random anywhere in the world, before you get seven layers deep in talking about relationships, you will find a common contact? I’m not sure that’s an exact quote and I can’t even remember where I heard it, but I am beginning to think there may be some truth to it.
Back in February I wrote about discovering KC Strings in Merriam, Kansas, just to the southwest of downtown. To this day I can’t drive by on the freeway without getting excited when I think about what is going on there. Before you go on, please go back here and read wrote so you will have the background for what I am about to tell you.
Sarah Kim is a very talented young violinist, one of the Apple Hill Players, and currently lives in New York City. She is also the daughter of a couple in our church. Her dad and I have been going through the Directions study this year. When I saw KC Strings, I knew that I would have to take Sarah there the next time she was in Kansas City. That time came last Monday. It was good to see Misha and Rick again. This time we got to meet Misha’s son Anton, the master violin maker. It was fun to watch Sarah interact with some or their fine violins. Later, as they were giving us the tour, Anton was mentioning some of the top tier professional musicians who now play on their instruments.
“Jut last week,” Anton said, “a very fine young violinist was in the shop. His mother lives here in the Kansas City area and he stops in whenever he is in town. He plays one of our instruments. Have you ever heard of ________?”
“I have known him for years,” Sarah exclaimed. “We went to music camps together when we were younger. We went to school together. We’ve played concerts together. I know him very well. I had asked him about his instrument and remember that it is a modern instrument, but I had no idea it was from here!”
Small world? You ain’t heard nothing yet.
I got an email earlier today from our worship pastor, Arturo la Cruz, Peruvian. Anton had called him all excited. He has been corresponding with the director of the Honduran Philharmonic who is very interested in buying a number of instruments, from violins to basses. Anton asked Arturo to help him with the communication and serve as a bridge since the Honduran maestro’s English is not the best and Anton doesn’t do Spanish. (Do you remember me talking about a symphonic set in the previous post I asked to you read above? Still haven’t read it? Shame on you! Go back and do that right now! Then, you might figure out why Anton would be so excited about an orchestra that is contemplating the purchase of a number of his instruments).
Arturo emailed me to see if we have any contacts in Honduras. I immediately thought of my friend of 30 years, Nelson Guerra, who directs the Latin America ministries of Great Commission Ministries and currently lives in Miami. I emailed Nelson to see if their group of churches might have any classical music contacts in Honduras. He immediately shot back that not only did he have contacts, the Honduran maestro is a good friend. His sister is a member of their church and sings in one of the praise groups! Is that neat or what?
Think back over what I just related. This has to do with an American pastor (me) who used to live in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and El Salvador, a Russian Jewish father/son team who make world class violins in Merriam, Kansas, a Peruvian worship leader, a Korean/American violinist, an American violinist whose mother lives in Kansas City, a Honduran ministry leader/pastor who lives in Miami and a Honduran orchestra conductor. By the way, this all got started when an Italian/American friend of mine insisted that I meet Misha and see his stringed instrument shop and hear about his dream of making a symphonic set.
Now, what all this means and where it is all headed, I have no idea. Even if nothing more comes of it, it’s a blast just seeing all the contacts and connections come together. Oh, another interesting detail — Misha had been a double bass player in the Kansas City symphony for years when he got a visit one night from a wild man in a pickup truck who wanted to sell him a plywood cello. MIsha had to politely tell him that he had no use for a plywood cello, but before he could finish, the wild man had grabbed a guitar and started settling into Misha’s house to sing him some songs he had written.
When the guy finally left, Misha was left wondering if God would have some purpose in such a chance and bizarre encounter. He concluded that there must be a purpose in there somewhere. Just a couple of months later, the wild guy in the pickup had sent another mutual contact to Misha to buy a quality cello for his son who was looking to upgrade his cello. This cello-buying father was Rick, master woodworker and designer, and now one of the partners with Misha and Anton.
My point is that we never know how and why God is bringing people across our paths. God is constantly weaving a network of human relationships and we never know when or how he is going to tie them together, or to what purpose. The next time you are tempted to brush someone off, maybe you should consider how that person may be a key link in the chain someday. Got a story to share?
God’s Economic Strategies
At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. Deuteronomy 15:1-5
This speaks of the sabbatical year when all debts to fellow Israelites would be forgiven. Not so to the foreigners in the land. Their debts could still be collected. What I want you to see is the phrase “Save when there shall be no poor among you.” Sometimes in the KJV the word “save” can imply “except.” That is not the case here, as this is the only time in the Old Testament this particular word is translated as “save”. The translation is correct and legitimate according to proper 17th century English, but even the translators insert a note so the reader does not stumble. The word implies “toward the end or purpose of something.” In other words, Moses is saying that because the Lord would bless them so greatly, they could afford to forgive their brethren their debts in the seventh year to the end there be no poor among them.
What a great ideal! That there be no poor people in the land! This is the ideal. This is God’s expressed will in accordance with his abundant provision for his people. Let me make this clear. God is saying that he has provided so abundantly in the resources of the land and the resulting economies that there is no reason for any Israelite to beg or be poor.All they had to do was live according to God’s truth in order to activate all the fullness of the land’s economic potential.
Here’s the reality. Even after expressing so clearly his will, God knows that his people are not going to follow through on their responsibilities.
For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. Deuteronomy 15:11
God has said there would be no poor in the land. Yet here he says the poor will never cease out of the land. Contradiction? No, just the difference between ideal and real. The difference is sin, carnality and human nature. Jesus said essentially the same in Matthew 26:11, that the poor would be with us always.
With the establishment of the Sabbatical year God even makes provision for the indentured servant to be set free from the slavery of debt. God’s economic strategies laid the foundation for an economy that would be perpetually refreshed. Sadly, there is no historical evidence to suggest that Israel ever obeyed and applied these provisions in any consistent fashion.
It would appear that human nature has not changed much since the Old Testament. Most of us are very familiar with these words of Jesus in Matthew.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33
Put another way, God has made provision in today’s economy to provide for anyone who seeks him first on their list of life priorities. Few take advantage. Therefore, the poor will always be with us — and may be us.
Over the course of the next few months we will hear countless promises and affirmations from political candidates that if we will just give them our votes poverty will probably disappear in short order. Not going to happen! If you want God’s ideal, here’s the deal that will make it real. No politician or government agency is going to take care of the consequences of your own irresponsibility. No church is going to endlessly supply what you need because you have made countless bad decisions and don’t want to learn. If you want the ideal to be more real you must be obedient to live according to God’s truth so that his economic provision becomes activated in your life. He doesn’t promise to make you prosperous; he promises to supply your needs.
What to do? Read your Bible. Believe it. Live it. Take advantage of the many good classes and materials that can give you specific instruction to apply God’s truth to your life. Let his truth lead you to debt-free living. Then, you don’t have to worry if your candidate doesn’t win. You don’t have to panic when the media announces that economy is crashing.