Why numbers do actually matter.

One way to get out of a mental rut is to take a piece of common conventional wisdom and think of a counter wisdom. The exercise often generates insight into leadership or new ways for approaching old problems. For example, we hear this conventional wisdom "it's not about numbers", too often said after a disappointing turn out for a ministry event, bible study, camp, or concert where big numbers were expected. I understand the motive and thought behind this, but let's see where will it lead us if we take the contrary stance. What if "it IS about the numbers"?

It is about the numbers because:

1) When numbering people, each number has a unique face and soul created by God and for His glory. He numbers the hair on our heads because we matter to Him.

2) A big expenditure with little result is often poor stewardship. The saying, "if only one person was saved, then it was worth it" might be used as a cover for ineffective ministry. Expand it out, why not spend $1M to save one person, wouldn't that be worth it? What about $1B to save one person? Wouldn't that be worth it? Not if those same resources could be better stewarded and thousands of people could be saved by having a better organized and executed plan.

3) Numbers mattered to the Master who entrusted the talents to his servants and expected a return on the investment. The servants who doubled their money through risk and work were praised. The servant who buried his talent in the ground and returned the money was not let off the hook because "numbers don't matter." Matthew 25:14-30.

4) I am a number, and I matter to God. I am one of 7 billion, and yet I matter. And so do the other 699,999,999,999.

5) Jesus said, go into all the nations (plural!) making disciples (plural!). If the disciples only went to one nation and made one disciple would they have been obedient to the great commission? Would that have stood up to the Lord had they packed it in after going into a few nations and made a handful of disciples? Matthew 28:16-20.

6) Honesty in our transactions matter to the Most High. Proverbs 20:23 always blows me away, "The Lord detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him. (NIV84)". The Almighty paid attention to the accuracy of a scale when one peasant sold a sack of grain to another thousands of years ago. Numbers matter to God in the daily economy of our lives, in our taxes, paying parking tickets, giving fair value in return for value, paying for what should be paid for. In our generosity toward God and others numbers matter!!

7) I'm glad that numbers do matter to God because otherwise the church would have stopped growing centuries ago, the gospel would have died on the vine, and I would not be among a multitude of billions who worship the Lamb of God, who died to take away ALL my sins (plural!!!) and the sins of the world.

Try it out. Take a tired old piece of conventional wisdom, turn it upside down, shake it like a pair of pants and see what coins fall out of the pockets. And let us know what you find.

2 Chronicles 11:13-17 Strength flows from strong spiritual leadership

In 2 Chronicles 11:13-17 we see that strength flows from strong spiritual leadership.

After division of the kingdom of Israel, the Levitical priests flocked to Jerusalem in support of the new king Rehoboam, Solomon's son, reigning over Judah.They left their own lands at great personal sacrifice (vs 13-14).

Spiritual leadership always involves sacrifice of time, resources, hours in prayer, study, service. The priests could have stayed on their lands, abandoned the priesthood altogether, and just enjoyed that great milk and honey, eating grapes the size of basketballs. But they esteemed the worship of God to be more valuable than the stuff of this world. This sacrifice served as an example to people of the nation who set their hearts to seek the Lord (vs 16). The spiritual devotion of the Levites inspired a kingdom wide determination to seek God. The result was a strengthening of the people as a whole (vs 17) and security. The Levitical obedience to God's word was the source of strength and blessing to the entire kingdom of Judah.

To what degree is the blessing of people under our leadership dependent on our personal spiritual obedience and sacrifices in following Jesus? This is a very sobering question. It is answered by Jesus in John 15:1-11. He says that we cannot produce fruit if we are not attached to the vine. But when we are attached to Jesus, abiding in him, we will bear much fruit! This is true both in our personal lives and in our ministry.

Strength flows from strong spiritual leadership.

"The Lord be With You"

What can be a trite, rote, traditional religious statement (followed by the response "and with you") is one of the most profound messages of grace in the Bible: The Lord be With You. God is with us. The holy righteous God is with sinful but redeemed people. God is with us. He is the reason and source of our strength and courage but so much more. Why?
1) "God is with us" means that God is for us, the way a Dad is for his child. Jesus is for us as our advocate, his blood pleads for us, Jesus died for us, his righteousness is credited for our own. His life was taken in exchange for ours. Jesus drank the overflowing cup of wrath for us, in our place. God is with us. 

2) It means that God is in us. His Spirit dwells in us. Jesus abides in us. He is the treasure stored in earthen vessels. God is with us.

3) God is around us, he is our fortress, our stronghold, our eternal dwelling. The kingdom of God is among us. God is with us.

4) God is in front of us, He leads, goes on ahead, like the Good Shepherd who leads his sheep to green pasture and in the valley of the shadow of death. He is a pillar of smoke leading by day and fire by night. God is with us.

5) God is behind us. He is the power that drives us forward when we can't even take a step in our own strength. God has our backs, he shields us from the enemy. God is with us.

6) God is beside us, a friend that walks along with us. Jesus is the friend of sinners, our companion, our brother. He suffered what we suffer and then some, he knows our trials. God is with us.

7) God is above us, our Lord, our King, our Sovereign and Master. His will is our highest calling, his perfection and glory what we look up to, his majesty towers above us as we worship below. Jesus was raised above us on the cross, lifted up in sacrifice for our sin. God is with us.

8) God is below us. He is our rock, the cornerstone upon which all rests and everything worth building stands. Jesus is our foundation, our lives are built on him and our work will be judged based on how we build on that foundation below us whether gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble (1 Cor 3:10-15). God is also below us and He is already waiting for us in the depth of our worst trials, grief, anguish. He is there below in the depth of our darkness. He is below us, God holds us in his mighty hand, he carries us where we can't go ourselves. Jesus descended to the depths in his death and burial, defeating the grave below. God is with us.

9) God still stands before us in time as our creator and already waits ahead of us as our eternal destiny. Jesus is the first and the last. The Alpha and Omega. The great I Am. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us.

10) Look down at the smallest subatomic level, between the minute basic particles of creation, among muons, gluons and leptons, God is fully there. Look out over the vast unending stretches of galaxies, star systems, globular clusters, nebula, and pulsars, God is fully there. And where two or three people are gathered in the name of Jesus, there he is in the midst. God is with us.

11) In the most vile hellhole of sin and evil on earth, God is present to save any lost soul who would repent, call on His name and believe. From among the worst of sinners God calls and redeems the heroes of the faith. In the prison cell, on the battle field, in gulag, concentration camp, slave market, house of prostitution, crack house, meth lab, porn shop God is present and immediately answers the prayer of the converted soul asking for a savior. Both victims and oppressors. On the spot forgiving sin, imputing righteousness, depositing the Holy Spirit, adopting sons and daughters, beginning the work of sanctification he will finish. In the places of abomination among crowds of outcasts and sinners Jesus made friends. God is with us.

12) There will be people from every tongue, tribe and nation praising Jesus at his return, because he was with them, bringing hope and redemption to every land. God is with us.

13) When we sleep and awake he is there giving new mercies every day. God is with us.

14) God is in believers, around us, above, below, beside. God came before everything, is with us during everything, and will be there in eternity for everything. God is with us.

15) God gives us the strength needed to fight our battles, the wisdom to make choices, the love needed to serve others, the will and desire to obey Him. He is the vine that causes fruit in our lives to grow. The sower that plants the seed of the word that flourishes in our hearts. He is the author and finisher of our faith that can move mountains. He multiplies the meager loaves and fishes confounding all laws of supply and demand. He is our healer and physician, curing the most grievous wounds in our souls. He is our comforter, our greatest teacher, our best model. He is our light in darkness, our hope in despair, our greatest joy. Our focus of worship, the rightful owner of our highest devotion and deepest love. The only one we should fear and tremble before while at the same time He gives us rest and peace. God is with us! 

16) God speaks to us when we daily open His Word and make worn the pages of the Bible. He listens in the solitude of our prayers when we're on our knees. He exalts in our worship with arms outstretched. He laughs with us in our greatest joys, cries in our anguish, guides when we plan, searches us out when we are lost, answers when we ask, is found when we seek Him, opens the door when we knock. He shows patience as we slowly grow, picks us up when we fall, disciplines us in love when we rebel. God gives us each breath and our daily bread. He clothes us better than the flowers of the field. He delivers us from evil and sometimes from ourselves. God is with us!!!!

Why can we can be strong and courageous? Because God is with us! The only question we must answer moment by moment is this, "Are we with him?"

Will we live our lives Coram Deo, before His face and in His presence? Are you with him?

The Lord be with you.

Playing Frisbee with Jesus

I ran into a friend today who was with one of his developmentally disabled clients, a guy we'll call Alex. Alex kept saying over and over again, "Want to play frisbee? Want to play frisbee? Want to play frisbee?". He has pretty severe OCD among a suite of other serious mental issues. But when I said that I didn't have a frisbee, Alex took off his hat to use as a frisbee. And we "played frisbee" for a few minutes, throwing his hat back and forth.

He was just bursting with joy! Huge grin on his face! Alex was so happy and also super intent on the simple game.  It seemed to be a sacred time for him.  

My friend said that Alex will be talking about this for days. And in a strange way, I got a huge joy out of it too. As if God were present, enjoying the action, thrilling in the joy as much or more so than Alex. In a manner that is difficult to explain I felt that I was playing frisbee with Jesus.

This is another "chicken suit for the soul" moment. Using the lowly, seemingly useless stuff of the earth for a blessing in somebody's life. In this case a knit hat that became a frisbee.  

The calculus of God's kingdom is not the same of this world's. Because today I experienced this equation:

2 minutes + 1 hat = HUGE joy

We have so much stuff, are often overwhelmed with blessing, that we commonly loose sight of the value of the things around us. We tend to focus on what we don't have and so always walk around with a deep sense of need.  Who knew that chucking a hat a few times would purchase days of joy for somebody?  And not just Alex. But me too. And I sensed that Jesus was present and smiling big.   

Jesus taught that even giving a simple cup of water can have eternal value (Matt 25:34-46).  Is throwing a frisbee hat much different?  And what else can be used for God's glory?  But lately I'm thinking that perhaps that's even the wrong question. Maybe the right question is, which tiny speck or insignificant morsel of his creation can't be used for God's glory?

How much do we need to remember that the Almighty God of the Universe powerfully uses the perishable stuff of the earth for blessing, and some of that blessing will last for an eternity!  Even the very little stuff we do have, or stuff that is everywhere and all around us always,  can be multiplied by the Creator a thousand  fold.  Loaves and fishes style.

At Pastor Grant's suggestion I've been reading Jean-Pierre de Caussade who teaches that God is ever present in each moment (his book "The Sacrament of the Present Moment" is a game changer). But I also get the sense that God is also always at the ready to partner with us as we use even the simple things of this earth to magnify His glory and bless others way beyond the typical earthly value. 

So was I playing frisbee with Jesus?  Perhaps. If so, why not hacky sack with the Holy Spirit? Or flag football with our heavenly Father?  Mark Driscoll, Pastor of Mars Hill, talks about eating chicken wings to the Glory of God.  And why not?  I think Driscoll is exactly right about that.

So let everything we do, in word or deed, all be done in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17).

Have you ever had a similar experience?  Ever seen something simple used for great purposes? Ever seen God use something ordinary in an extraordinary way?  Do tell!

A Visit with Dori

A few days ago I heard that the office cleaning lady who used to take care of my work place was in the hospital. A friend called to give me the news and so I thought, admittedly with a tinge of stupid pride, that I could visit her and give her some degree of comfort. She's 84 and had a serious heart failure, and I didn't know what to expect.

When I got to the hospital today she didn't know who I was immediately, but then when I told her where I worked, her eyes lit up, she sat upright in the bed, dragging tubes and wires from her skin and bones arms.

She knew who I was from my desk that she cleaned for years. How many times did I pass her in the hallway at work, I'd be polite but never took the time to get to know her or move deeper than "Howzitgoing?" in our short conversations. But when I told her what desk I was in she said, "Oh, you're the one who had the divorce!" Yes, that's me I confirmed. She told me she knew something was wrong in my life because my desk changed. And at 79 years old, cleaning an office, she started praying for me. I had no idea. For years she's prayed for me and my son. For years. Through one of the darkest periods of my life, Dori has been praying for me. In the isolation of her room, she bent to her knees before God, for me when I was laid flat with my world upside down.

I was able to share with her today that my life is so blessed now, that I've emerged from darkness to become a guy so thankful for God's countless blessings in my life. Dori pumped her fist in the air, shocking me with her energy and praise to Jesus. Her wrinkled, shrunken face just beamed and burst in a huge toothy grin.

I asked her about her life. And that's when I learned that the "cleaning lady" is a towering hero of the faith. She's travelled the world 4 times over, smuggled Bibles into countries hostile to the faith, prayed with hundreds of souls to be saved, spent decades in the mission field, often a great personal risk. My jaw dropped. The "cleaning lady" is a saint. And in the work or her hands, dusting, vacuuming, emptying trash she was still in the mission field, serving Jesus, being a huge blessing, praying for me.

I went to the hospital thinking I might bless somebody, but walked away so blessed. I went to serve Dori, but she served me.

I'm pulling away some powerful lessons from my visit with Dori:

Serve God where you are with what you have to those around you.
God takes a life dedicated to Jesus and uses her powerfully no matter if it is in a remote region of the world risking her life, or cleaning a desk, or suffering from stroke in a hospital bed.

Dedicated prayer done anonymously has huge kingdom impact.
Pray for people that may never know the hours you spend on bended knee before the Father. I'm sure there will be a massive crowd that welcomes Dori into the kingdom, those she's brought before the Father in faithful fervent prayer, without any immediate reward or thanks.

In your worst circumstances God can use you the best.
Dori was literally a bag of bones, eyes fogged, teeth rotting, skin gaunt, face worn and stricken. But God was still using her powerfully in that hospital room. She said, "Well, I guess that since I can't go out to help people, God is bringing people to me so I can help them." Wow. She had every reason to be depressed and discouraged. But she was full of joy, serving the Jesus she deeply loves.

I'm amazed at Dori in a hospital bed, very sick, and poor, but still on mission. And then I'm challenged about how I'm using my health, my youth, my time, and my abundance to bless, serve and pray for others others.

How about you? Is there a Dori in your life? A living hero of the faith? Somebody you've discovered that's secretly been praying for you for years? Who will you be a Dori to?