Leadership and the King

“God cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is his business. Good leaders abhor wrongdoing of all kinds; sound leadership has a moral foundation. Good leaders cultivate honest speech; they love advisors who tell them the truth. An intemperate leader wreaks havoc in lives; you're smart to stay clear of someone like that. Good-tempered leaders invigorate lives; they're like spring rain and sunshine.” Proverbs 16:11-15 (The Message)

Some say that ‘character doesn’t matter’ but without character what do you have? You have hallow words and empty promises that today sound good but tomorrow leave you searching and so very many hurting.

Today the hearts of men and women are searching for leadership, for character. The kind of leadership that makes wrongs… right and that stand on principle and not shady-policy. An influence that beckons us back towards righteousness and towards nobility.

A nobility found not by looking down on others or using others but by looking up to God for answers. Answers that lead us to bent knees and humble hearts and a reliance not on ourselves but on God. For it is God who raises up leadership, they are not decreed by human desire (Proverbs 8:15) they are for the King’s use.

When leadership is lacking, ‘when all seem to do what is right in their own eyes’ (Judges 17:6) then we can follow the leadership of this world or we can seek and search out the ways of God. The ways of God that calls us to honesty, to truth, and to temperance. A call that whispers and warns us to ‘come up higher’ and not be entangled with this world’s troubles. A call to righteous living that is based not on feelings but on faith. A faith that sees the glimmering promises and awards of today in our rearview mirror as we await and strive forward and towards the coming King and the truth that only he can bring.

Our King is coming. Are you ready? (Matthew 24:30-31)

Our Coming King

In an era of hope it seems that many have lost theirs. Yet, when hopes are dashed by the taking away… then is true hope brought to light. Such a hope and light we have, an inheritance that does not fade (1 Peter 1:4) but is “reserved in heaven for you.”

For consider… that kingdoms have come and gone, kings and princes have reigned, songs and sculptures were crafted and now they are no more. They are now all dust and their memory faint. The gleam of their trophies and great speeches are lost, their hopes and dreams vanquished and their people’s souls reserved for judgment. For hope without Christ is a lie.

And hope that springs from human thought, might, or persuasion is not hope at all, that is deceit. A deceitful imitation of what is to come, our coming King. For the King that we look for is called, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 6:6). On his shoulders will rest the government and it will increase in peace… He will judge “with righteousness the poor and decide with fairness.” (Isaiah 6:7, 11:3-4).

In that day the “earth will be filled with His knowledge” and He will rule with righteousness and faithfulness. That day is closer to us now than ever before. It approaches like thundering horses ferociously bringing dread, torment, and horror to the inhabitants of this world but not for us. For us it clears the way for us to glorify… our hope, the coming King.

We have a hope. Not in this world or the things of this world. They will “pass away” but the banner of righteousness that waves in our hearts and souls never will! (Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:10). A righteousness not earned, not bought with coin or influence but with the “precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:19). He is our rock that the world of old and our present one will reject but to us he is precious, humble, and all together lovely.

He calls to us, in the morning, during the night, and in the midst of hopelessness. He waves his orchestra of beauty in the trees, the mountains, the oceans, the faces… calling for our obedience and our trust. He shouts in whispers to our very being and we too often… fail to listen, look up, and heed. We need not a device, a hand-out, or a token of pleasure… we need, we crave righteousness. Oh, that our lives would honor Christ in our living! Oh, that light would spring forth from our unrighteousness to the pervading darkness that so many grope in! Oh that we were free from this body of bondage to knell down and cast our filthy crowns at his glorious feet! Come dear hope, dear Savior, most sovereign Lord and King!

Mercy and Forgiveness

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. Galatians 6:1

In these days of hard-hearts we are in need of mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Forgiveness does not come easily nor lightly nor without cost. At first it comes begrudgingly like an untrained mule. It fights and quarrels stubbornly in our hearts and minds until mercy wins over, until grace is achieved and until forgiveness touches our owns hearts first. For to show mercy, mercy must first be received.

And this mercy we’ve all received at the cross of Christ. His blood and sacrifice atoned our sins forever, but the sacrifice must be received. The free gift of mercy must be received and once received, realized.

That realization of the mercy of Christ strips away piety, arrogance, and self centeredness and focuses on the needs of others. Not the wants… the needs. There lies a dramatic difference between the two.

For we’ve been chosen to demonstrate grace on one hand and hatred on the other. Grace and mercy towards the person while utterly hating sin. Demonstrating forgiveness towards the offender while warring against the nature of the offense itself. For without holding the balance of these two we will naturally tip the scales towards hard-hearted religious hypocrisy or towards lascivious-sinful conduct. That choice begins with mercy… with forgiveness, given freely at the cross of Christ.

Have you been wronged? Forgive. And see in the offense not the person but your own need, your own weakness, and your great need to extend forgiveness. If one hurts you have they not hurt many others? Have we not all hurt others as we blunder through life? Show mercy and mercy will be shown you.

Being good in an evil world

Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples? Earth-leaders push for position, Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks, The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers: "Let's get free of God! Cast loose from Messiah!" Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first he's amused at their presumption; Then he gets good and angry. Furiously, he shuts them up: "Don't you know there's a King in Zion? A coronation banquet Is spread for him on the holy summit." Let me tell you what God said next. He said, "You're my son, And today is your birthday. What do you want? Name it: Nations as a present? continents as a prize? You can command them all to dance for you, Or throw them out with tomorrow's trash." So, rebel-kings, use your heads; Upstart-judges, learn your lesson: Worship God in adoring embrace, Celebrate in trembling awe. Kiss Messiah! Your very lives are in danger, you know; His anger is about to explode, But if you make a run for God—you won't regret it! (Psalm 2)

Sometimes I look around and wonder… what’s going on? The news channels spew out propaganda, our leaders don’t listen, and the world seems to be hit with political or social earthquake after earthquake. Through the hissing of lies and deceit, intrigue, and political maneuvering… God is at work.

God’s at work on that stage but in our hearts as well. He’s calling for attention, he’s whispering for our affection, he’s stirring our hearts to come-up-higher (1 Kings 19:12). Not in a grand-show of piety or more religiosity but in trust and obedience to Him. Christ is tugging at our hearts to come to him; come to him for comfort, for rest, and for peace of mind.

A peace that betrays the anxieties of our day. A peace that guides, directs, instructs, and leads us even when we fail. Even when we falter or sin or mis-step along the way. None of us are perfect, we all make mistakes and we all are sinful yet our advantage is knowing, believing, and walking with Christ who is perfect, righteous, and holy. Certainly, our ‘righteousness’ alone will not pave the way to heaven or to peace of mind as we have none (Isa 64:6). We are righteous when we walk in faith, believing that God will take care of the big problems in our lives and the small ones as well (Rom. 1:17). Is anything too hard for God? (Gen. 18:14).

So as the days grow ever more evil (Eph. 5:16) may we look to Jesus for strength, wisdom, and guidance. If the ‘one-eye devil’ is getting you down then turn the thing off or select a godly movie to watch. If you want peace of mind you have to seek for it, surround yourself with it, and cut off the anxiety stimuli. Or better yet, give of yourself. There’s a healing wonder in giving without thought of receiving.

And giving is what we are all about. As the world takes and grabs and holds onto may we be a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9) and give of ourselves. May we have a heart to seek out the lonely, the forgotten, the depressed, and those suffering and show kindness… show a caring heart. May we be good in an evil world.

I want to be like you

When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming. 2 Corinthians 5:6

Tonight, as I continued working on a history I listened to Far-From-Home (FFH), a band that I had the pleasure to see in concert and meet in Korea. One of their songs, “I want to be like you” touched my heart from the first hearing. I thought I would share in the hopes that the lyrics alone might be of comfort to you…

When I'm down,
You are up for me
When I frown, You have a smile for me
And when I'm weak,
You are strong for me
You are there for me
You're always there for me
When I fall, You will catch me
When I call, You're quick to answer me
And when I weep, You will weep with me
You are there for meYou're always there for me

Chorus:(And I want to be like You)
Take my cross and follow after You
(I want to be like You)
Speak the truth in everything I do
(I want to be like You)
Leave the many to go and find the few
(I want to be like You)
I want to be like You
When I thirst,
You will quench me
When I hunger, You are the bread for me
When I kneel, you already heard me
You are there for me
You're always there for me
When I cried, You were there,
You heard my call
When I fell, You were there,
You saw it all
On my knees,
You came and rescued me
And now in everything I say and do
I want to be just like you.

In God’s Word, a song, or a friends sharing we are given comfort and courage to keep on keeping on. That is what is so different with this Christian walk. For it’s not to the swift, the brightest, the best, or the noblest. It’s not a contest, it’s a continuation… a one day at a time, getting up when knocked down, forgiving yourself, forgiving others, and learning to just be your self… race. Walking with Christ is looking in the mirror and appreciated what He sees without arrogance, without false pride, and without pretensions. Walking with Christ is all about Him. It’s a joy that cannot be expressed, a peace that leads us to the unknown, and a love for others that cuts across our ugly nature.

So yes, dear friends we are truly far from home… we are temporarily exiles from the ultimate glory of Jesus Christ but in looking around us we are not filled with apprehension… no, we are filled with over whelming joy as we see the signposts of His returning whizzing-by! What a glorious, triumphant hope and joy we have in Him! To Christ be the Glory!

Trouble and Refuge

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9

All around us trouble is brewing. It is stirred by forces seen and unseen, by corruption, deceit, fraud, and moral decay. The world around us is shaking apart – all to build a different one – one ever more evil for a season, for a purpose.

Yet, in the midst there is an oasis of peace, and comfort, and grace in time of need. These are ours for the asking – for the seeking. What do you seek for? “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matt. 6:33.

For trouble truly is a blessing in disguise. Trouble comes and we are given a choice. A choice to react in haste or a choice to seek God’s refuge. Too often I react and too often I miss the refuge of God’s grace and peace. But God is merciful and allows us to go around the mountain again. Why? Because our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us. He knows that we need trouble to motivate us. Motivate us to seek him and find in him “a refuge in times of trouble.”

Joy in good news

A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart, and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle. Proverbs 15:30.

In a world we live in there’s not a lot of good news these days. Greed and corruption, anger and fear and doubt persist. As predicted in the Bible—systems of this world are falling apart. Humanism now has a black-eye.

Yet, for all of that there is a whole lot of good news. We just have to see it. When times get tough people tend to turn their attention back to God. When human-made systems fail due to corrupt human nature some people come to an understanding that the only true goodness comes from God. Goodness found not in a pretty slogan, a well-pressed suit, or great orations from a platform, no from God.

When on our darkest day we’ve been given grace to look up and see God’s silver lining then there is joy unknown to this world. A joy that carries us through the rough times and prompts our hearts to give, to share, and to encourage.

Giving and caring and loving because that abiding joy prompts us to. Joy that leads us and guides us to help and to uplift. That is the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. The joy in the power of God’s great grace and great love for us all.