A Powerful Story
On this Monday before Christmas, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate “memo” to write than the great insight shared about 2,000 years ago. Merry Christmas!
[blockquote author="Luke 2:1-20 (The Message)" link="" target="_blank"]
About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.
While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.
There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified.
The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.’
At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:
‘Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.’
As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. ‘Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.’ They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.
Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself.
The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told![/blockquote]
All who heard the shepherds were impressed. It wasn’t the messenger that was important. It was the message.
Go...and tell...that the world may know Jesus.
God’s best at Christmas and through the coming year.
How do you focus?
In this day of mobile phone cameras, most have forgotten how to focus. It happens automatically. My first camera was a 35mm single lens reflex film camera with absolutely nothing automatic about it. I had to set the f.stop (lens opening) to let in the right amount of light. And I had to set the shutter speed I wanted, especially if the scene I wanted to capture was moving. And of course, I had to focus the lens on the object. I never knew if I had gotten it right until the film was developed, sometimes weeks later.
Today, it’s all automatic…focus, light sensitivity, shutter speed. And it’s all quite good…most of the time. But sometimes, my auto mobile phone camera focuses on the wrong thing. I have to take it again, making sure I have told it what to focus on.
Dr. Chuck Swindoll, in his book The Mystery of God’s Will, talks about the focus of our lives and of our ministries.
[blockquote author="Chuck Swindoll" link="" target="_blank"]In this life, we have focus choices. We can focus on ourselves, we can focus on our circumstances, we can focus on other people, or we can focus on God. When you think biblically you focus first on God. Regardless of what you want, regardless of the circumstances you’re under, regardless of what others say or think, regardless of how you feel, God and God alone is working out His great plan. And in the final tally, it will be fabulous! [/blockquote]
So…move up from a mobile phone camera…and to a camera that lets you set the focus. The world would have you focus on what they think is important. God wants you to focus on Him.
[blockquote]Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace. [/blockquote]
Focus on Jesus.
Has creativity reached its limits?
I have an old television production book from the 1950’s that showed both microphone placement and camera angles for many musical instruments. When it got to the chapter on the piano, there were numerous places to place microphones, with varying types of sounds to be recorded.
Before the text talked about camera shots and angles for the piano, it had a simple and straightforward statement. The old production text said:
There are no new ways to shoot a piano.
From overhead boom shots, to those through the raised lid, to an extreme close-up of the pianist hands, they have all been done. I remember reading that all those many years ago, and pondering what the author was saying. I think it figured it out.
Rather than spend time trying to come up with a new angle to shoot a piano, why not seek out a fresh sequence of shots. Let the music dictate what should be pictured, and don’t depend only on some special camera angle no one has thought up yet. Sequence the shots in a meaningful and fresh way, and you will capture the spirit, the energy, and maybe even the beauty of the music.
I have often applied that to creativity in general. To my knowledge no one has created a new note. (Well, I did have a tenor in a church choir who came pretty close to inventing a new one.) We still work with the same 7 basic notes in a scale. Add in sharps and flats, and there are a few more. But that’s it.
Yet, every year, thousands…maybe millions…of new songs are written. Not one is exactly like the other. Someone took the same “old” notes and sequenced them in a fresh, new way. And…voilà…a new song was born.
My contention is that the Lord, our creator God, has not stopped the creative process. Poets use the same words we may use in conversation, but come up with amazing verses that inspire us, enlighten us, or make us smile. Artist use the same basic colors on their palate, yet paint masterpieces by applying these old colors in new ways with new designs.
My application: You may not need to invent a new program type, just put together the various elements in a fresh and meaningful way. Your program can inspire, enlighten, bring a smile…or even bring someone to the throne of Grace, to make an eternal difference.
[blockquote author="Isaiah 43:19 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.[/blockquote]
Be creative. Make a difference.
An Unlikely Leader
Did you ever wonder how you got to a position of leadership? I received a text recently from a lady I have known for all her life. Her father was a mentor and inspiration to me. Her message was that I have been that to her and to her husband. They both are involved in media. I didn’t seek that role…and I’m not sure I really qualify for the position.
Do you every feel that way? Unqualified? Unprepared? Unlikely to be one of God’s leaders?
John Maxwell, in his Maxwell Leadership Bible, lists five reasons why God often chooses unlikely leaders. They are based on Gideon’s leadership, found in Judges 7. You remember how Gideon had assembled a large army to fight the battle. But God had him reduce the number from 32,000 warriors until it was down to just 300. I’m sure the enemy looked at Gideon as a poor leader if all he could gather for the battle was 300 soldiers. If you are feeling inadequate today, maybe this will encourage you.
Why does God choose unlikely leaders?
To catch the attention of the world.
To bring honor to Himself.
To keep the message simple.
To prompt reliance upon Him, not people.
To fill us with His power.
God gave Gideon a great victory, and the Lord received the credit.
You see, in our world today, there is a plan for leaders and leadership. The right school. The right education. The right plan. The right friends. Many are following the world’s plan to become a successful leader. And if they have a level of success, guess who gets the credit?
God’s plan may go counter to all that the world says about leadership. Of course, we can learn leadership skills. We can have the personality that attracts people who are willing to follow. But what if God’s plan is counter to the world’s idea of leadership? Are we willing to follow?
Follow God. Follow His plan. Realize that He has selected you to be His leader, to use His plan, for His victory. For His glory.
Realignment
The front wheels on my car were out of alignment. Instead of being parallel to each other, one of them was angled very slightly to the left.
Very slightly.
I had noticed the car pulling to the left a bit, sometimes pulling me a bit out of my lane. Normally not a big deal. I could correct as needed.
At times, though, when the winds were blowing strongly, or when it was raining, that small alignment problem became a big problem.
I remember during the days of the space program that there had to be small corrections to the rockets trajectory. If NASA didn’t make those corrections, the space ship could end up millions of miles off course. Big problem.
Are you seeing the application? Is your life in alignment with what God intends for you. Is your ministry tracking along the path the Lord has laid out for you? Is there a need for some small corrections, or a major realignment before your ministry is way off target?
By the way, it would have been rather foolish for me to get upset at the mechanic who pointed out my alignment problem. It was something I needed to hear. A correction I needed to make. God’s Spirit is ready to give each of us that word, to provide his correction as we travel our ministry path.
[blockquote author="Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)" link="" target="_blank"]Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
whether to the right or to the left. [/blockquote]
Stay on track. Listen for…and make…those needed corrections. You and your ministry will be aligned with God’s purpose and plan, and your ministry will be more effective in sharing the Gospel.
Where do you get your funds?
Budget time rolls around quickly, doesn’t it? We plan, we figure, compute the costs, and we make our plans to come up with the needed funds. While this process isn’t always the most fun, it is necessary and important. Many have said it…if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!
As Christian ministries and organizations, I believe God expects us to diligently plan and prepare. However, we have a supernatural resource we can look to in order to meet our needs.
In my Bible reading the other morning I came across a passage…a little slice-of-life story…that underscores this truth.
In Matthew 17, Peter was confronted by a tax collector. The temple tax was due. When Peter came to Jesus to talk with Him about it, Jesus gave Peter instructions on how to get the needed funds. I can imagine Peter just staring at Jesus as if to say, “What?” Do you remember those instructions?
[blockquote author="Matthew 17:27b (NLT)" link="" target="_blank"]…go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.[/blockquote]
The Bible account of the story ends there, but can’t you see Peter. He grabs a pole and heads to the lake. And sure enough, the first fish he pulls out had a four-drachma coin in its mouth, just exactly what was needed for the temple tax for Jesus and Peter. In my imagination, I can see Peter beginning to laugh, maybe falling down on the shore with growing laughter. Then, realizing what had just happened, Peter gets up, and returns to Jesus with worship and praise in his heart.
Now, before you go out to buy a fishing rod, look at the principle. Jesus was saying, “You have a need, I have the resources to meet that need.” And I think that is what the Lord wants us to realize, too. His resources are sufficient. We can depend on Him.
There is a beautiful hymn that speaks of this. And though the hymn writer talks of strength and endurance, I think we can make the application to all areas of our lives and our needs.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
It is probably good to note that there isn’t an account of that miracle happening again and again. I suspect Peter and the others had to come up with the temple tax other ways at times. But they had a great illustration of the supernatural storehouse of riches that the Lord has for us in our time of need.
Infinite riches in Jesus. God’s resources are never ending…and He wants to give, and give, and give again.
Being Yourself
Uh…I need to…uh…stop saying “uh.”
The magazine article caught my eye. Its topic was "How to sound authentic on the radio." Among the tips the author listed was:
“As you read your on-air copy, throw in a few “uh’s” along the way. You'll sound more real to the listeners."
I laughed! I say “uh” plenty of times without having to throw a few of them in on purpose. Is that how you sound authentic? Real? It reminded me of a funny saying, a pseudo life principle we used to have in college.
Be sincere…whether you mean it or not.
What was this author saying? There is the possibility that an on-air person can be so polished and so perfect that he or she doesn’t sound real. The perfectly modulated tones. The perfect phrasing and interpretation. Perfect in every way. Yet we look around our world, we realize it is far from perfect. They tell me that even the most precious diamonds have small flaws. We live in an imperfect world that strives for perfection.
But will a few “uh’s” thrown in at random change all that? Really? That could sound just as artificial as the perfect voice and presentation. So what’s the answer.
Be real. Talk to people via radio and TV like you would someone sitting across from you. And when reading a copy, work to sound natural and personable. Record yourself reading. Listen to it. How does it sound to you?
Remember:
The goal isn’t perfection, it is communication.
By the way, most of us need to work on reducing the number of times we say “uh,” or whatever the equivalent is in your native language. We need to eliminate the extraneous words we use that have no real meaning. In the USA we need to control the use of “you know,” “like,” “just” (which comes up often in prayers), and many more.
Communicate clearly.
Communicate authentically.
Communicate personably.
Did you…uh…get all that?
Strength in Numbers
It seems wrong grammatically when you say it…but the meaning is clear.
“We” is stronger than “me”.
My friend Tom McMinn used that phrase in a recent blog on leadership. The longer version of it helps clarify.
All of us are smarter than one of us.
The idea here is for the leader to recognize that there is strength and wisdom to be gained when others on your team are brought into the decision process. McMinn calls this robust dialogue. He says:
Robust dialogue occurs in a group when everyone is encouraged, allowed, and even required to give their honest input on issues. The value of robust dialogue is: Every idea or plan will be improved upon when submitted to the wisdom and input of others. If your idea is a seven (on a scale from 1 to 10 with 1 indicating a bad idea and 10 an outstanding one) and you submit it to robust dialogue, it will become an eight or higher.
The Bible underscores this, too.
[blockquote author="Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT " link="" target="_blank"]A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.[/blockquote]
[blockquote author="Proverbs 20:18a NLT" link="" target="_blank"]Plans succeed through good counsel;[/blockquote]
In other words, there is strength in numbers.
So how does this look in our decision making process? Tom McMinn offers these suggestions.
- A leader says to his team, “I’ve got an idea I want to share with you. Please give me your honest thoughts about it.”
- A leader says to his team, “I need to make an important decision by the end of the week. Before I do, I want to get your input.”
- A team member has the freedom to say, “I think we’re going in the wrong direction on this project.”
There may be occasions where you must make a decision without the input from others. That should be rare. God has given you a team of folks who can help you as you lead. They will appreciate you for asking them for their wisdom. And your ministry will be stronger and more effective in its mission.
Getting Gems from the Storehouse
In my morning Bible reading I came across a verse I had never noticed before. I love how the Holy Spirit does that. It’s like wandering through your house and finding a present someone gave you that you haven’t opened yet. A surprise. A treasure. Here’s the verse as Eugene Peterson renders it in his paraphrase of the Bible.
[blockquote author="Matthew 13:52 (The Message)" link="" target="_blank"]Then you see how every student well-trained in God’s kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it.[/blockquote]
As I looked at that verse I saw several things of importance. First, it speaks of a student. We are in a life-long “university.” We ought to be learning every day. Both professionally and personally.
The verse says “…well-trained in God’s kingdom….” We are not just students. We are to be good students. We ought to be eager to learn, digging out information and absorbing it, memorizing it, and applying it. Whether we are talking about our leadership roles, our communication ministries, or our spiritual lives, we need to be that diligent workman that Paul talked about in his letter to Timothy.
[blockquote author="II Timothy 2:15 (NLT)" link="" target="_blank"]Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.[/blockquote]
What is exciting to think about is the result of being a well-trained student. You can put your hands on what is needed exactly when it is needed. You probably have had that experience. Maybe you were on the air and a truth from God’s Word came to you so you could share it with the audience. Perhaps it was when counseling a friend who needed spiritual insight for a deep need, and you were able to put your “hands” on what was needed at just the right moment.
Can I be honest with you? When that happens to me, I don’t gloat or think “what a wonderful person I am.” I am usually humbled by it, and wish I had studied the Bible more so I could grab more “gems” from God’s storehouse.
Thankfully, the Lord is gracious and allows us to be life-long learners. We can recommit ourselves today to study…be a good worker…receive His approval…and be able to put our “hands” on what is needed when it is needed. If so, you will be blessed, and those around you will receive the wisdom from God’s storehouse of treasures… His Holy Word.
Simple…and Profoundly Important
Simplistic sounding…but profound in its application. Trust God.
If you have heard Dr. Charles Stanley’s sermons, you have probably encountered his Life Principles. Dr. Stanley, who through several decades has seen God use media in amazing ways in his In Touch ministry, often speaks of life principles. These are tenants of our faith taken from the many promises from God’s Word.
I have heard and read many of these through the years, and they become like markers along the highway of life, guiding us to the destination of Christ-likeness that the Lord intends for His children.
One of the things that I have learned through my 70+ years is that our God is infinitely trustworthy. We can trust him in every area of our lives. However, saying we trust Him is only part of the issue. It’s like when James challenged believers to put their faith into action.
[blockquote author="James 2:19 (NLT)" link="" target="_blank"]You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. [/blockquote]
We say we trust God, but what do we do about it? One of Dr. Stanley’s Life Principles expands on my “trust God” philosophy by saying.
“Obey God, and leave all the consequence to Him.”
Well…that sure changes things. Faith in action. Putting trust to the test. Maybe you are familiar with the American saying, “That’s where the rubber meets the road.”
Dr. Stanley says, “When God directs you to do something, how do you respond? Do His commands seem too difficult or costly for you to obey? When you choose to disobey God, what you are really saying is that you don’t have confidence in Him. Yet you cannot have intimate fellowship with someone that you don’t trust.” Dr. Stanley concludes his study based on this life principle with these words:
“What challenge are you facing today? What is God leading you to do? Your choice in this situation will determine whether you succeed or fail; therefore, obey God, and leave in His hands whatever consequence is causing you to fear. If God makes a promise to you, you can be assured He will bring it to pass.”
Trust God. Obey God…and then leave the consequences to Him.