Midweek Meditation: "On Success" (Billy Graham)

Billy Graham passed away on Feb 21st, 2018. Our world is constantly infatuated with all things success. Learn from Graham as he offers a different take.

• "Where do we get the notion that our idea of success and God's are the same? You have written a book; you are a clever manager and promoter; you are a talented artist; you are independently wealthy; you have achieved fame and fortune. Without the gifts of intelligence, personality, and physical energy - which are all endowed by God - where would you be?"
• "Success stories may be great motivational material for sales seminars, but we are not always successful." 
• "Many of the wicked are receiving their wages now. Many Christians who may not be succeeding according to the world's standards now, will reap great rewards in heaven."
• "Our world is obsessed with success. But how does God define success? Success in God's eyes is faithfulness to His calling."
• "God measures people by the small dimensions of humility and not by the bigness of their capabilities."

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Midweek Meditation: "On Religion" (Billy Graham)

Billy Graham passed away on Feb 21st, 2018. He has seen many decades of cultural change. One of the most difficult is the postmodern period of skepticism and doubt. Hear what Graham has to say about religion.

• "Something distinguishes Christianity from all the religions of the world. Not only does it carry the truth of the redemption, by the death of our Savior for our sins on the cross, but it carries the fact that Christ rose again."
• "We see that humanism has become for many a polite name for a vocal, aggressive, influential crusade against religion in the name of social and moral advance. There is nothing new about humanism. It is the yielding to Satan's first temptation of Adam and Eve: 'Ye shall be as gods.' Genesis 3:5"
• "There are many bibles of different religions; there is the Mohammedan Koran, the Buddhist Canon of Sacred Scripture, the Zoroastrian ZendAvesta, and the Brahman Veda . . . they all began with some flashes of true light, and end in utter darkness. Even the most casual observer soon discovers that the Bible is radically different. It is the only Book that offers redemption to us and points the way out of our dilemma."
• "Nothing seems to satisfy. Not politics, not education, not material goods. Some who refuse to turn their hearts toward God have created the New Age movement, with all of its aberrations. This is actually not new but only the latest attempt by man to place something other than Christ inside himself in a futile attempt to satisfy spiritual longings."
• "Some Christian leaders . . are willing to give up some of the teachings of the Bible in order to harmonize Christianity with the other religions."

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Midweek Meditation: "On Prayer" (Billy Graham)

Billy Graham passed away on Feb 21st, 2018. At the heart of preaching the gospel is a heart of prayer. Learn from Graham about prayer.

• "Many times I have been driven to prayer. When I was in Bible school I didn't know what to do with my life. I used to walk the streets . . . and pray, sometimes for hours at a time. In His timing, God answered those prayers, and since then prayer has been an essential part of my life."
• "If there are any tears shed in heaven, they will be over the fact that we prayed so little."
• "Prayer is crucial in evangelism: Only God can change the heart of someone who is in rebellion against Him. No matter how logical our arguments or how fervent our appeals, our words will accomplish nothing unless God's Spirit prepares the way."
• "We should not pray for God to be on our side, but pray that we may be on God's side."
• "I believe we should pray that God will take possession of our lives totally and completely. We should pray that we will be emptied of self - self-love, self-will, self-ambition - and be placed completely at his disposal."

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Midweek Meditation: "On Faith" (Billy Graham)

Billy Graham passed away on Feb 21st, 2018. Preaching the gospel has been his conviction. Many came to faith. Reflect on Graham's words about the meaning of faith.

• "Your faith may be just a little thread. It may be small and weak, but act on that faith. It does not matter how big your faith is, but rather, where your faith is."
• "The Bible teaches that faith will manifest itself in three ways.
  It will manifest itself in doctrine - in what you believe.
  It will manifest itself in worship - your communion with God.
  It will manifest itself in morality - in the way you live and behave."
• "Our faith can stand up to any question, but sometimes people ask questions - and keep asking questions - just to avoid facing their own spiritual needs and acknowledging who Jesus really is."
• "Faith isn't pretending our problems don't exist, nor is it simply blind optimism. Faith points us beyond our problems to the hope we have in Christ."
• "Faith implies four things: self-renunciation, reliance with utter confidence on Christ, obedience, and a changed life."

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Midweek Meditation: "On the Cross" (Billy Graham)

Billy Graham passed away on Feb 21st, 2018. As this is Holy Week, it is most appropriate to reflect on some of his words about the Cross of Christ.

• "The cross has become a symbol in much of the Western world, misused by many rock stars and others who do not comprehend its significance."
• "The cross shows the seriousness of our sin - but it also shows the immeasurable love of God."
• "The law enables us to see ourselves as morally dirty and in need of cleansing. But it also points us to the place of cleansing: The Cross of Christ."
• "God undertook the most dramatic rescue operation in cosmic history. He determined to save the human race from self-destruction, and He sent His Son Jesus Christ to salvage and redeem them. The work of man's redemption was accomplished at the Cross."
• "To take up your cross means to associate yourself with Christ and to share His rejection. It means you take a stand for Christ even though people make fun of you, persecute you, - or even kill you."

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Midweek Meditation: "On Evangelism" (Billy Graham)

Billy Graham passed away on Feb 21st, 2018. He is also referred to an evangelist. Let's us reflect on his sayings about evangelism.

• "During all my years as an evangelist, my message has always been the Gospel of Christ. It is not a Western religion, nor is it a message of one culture or political system. . . . it is a message of life and hope for all the world."
• "The evangelist cannot bring conviction of sin, righteousness, or judgment; that is the Spirit's work. They cannot convert anyone; that is the Spirit's work."
• "Evangelism is not a calling reserved exclusively for the clergy. I believe one of the greatest priorities of the church today is to mobilize the laity to do the work of evangelism."
• "The great crowds themselves are meaningless. The thing that counts is what happens in the hearts of the people. The evangelist sows the seed, and much inevitably falls upon stony ground and bears no fruit. But only if a few seeds flourish, the results are manifold."
• "Evangelism is more than simply encouraging decisions for Christ. It is urging people to become disciples - followers - of Jesus Christ. As such, the evangelist has a responsibility to make growth in discipleship possible for those who come to faith under his ministry."

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Midweek Meditation: "On the Church" (Billy Graham)

Billy Graham passed away on Feb 21st, 2018. His life is filled with powerful testimonies of the good news of Christ. These are some of his sayings about the Church.

• "I am convinced if the Church went back to the main task of proclaiming the Gospel, it would see people being converted to Christ, and it would have far greater impact on the social, moral, and psychological needs of people than anything else it could possibly do."
• "Thousands of people have entered churches without discovering a vital experience with Jesus Christ. The substitutes have been handed them in the guise of religious rituals, good works, community effort, or social reform. . . none of which can gain a person a right relationship with God."
• "The Church isn't just a particular building or congregation but the spiritual fellowship of all who belong to Jesus Christ. If we belong to Christ, we also belong to each other."
• "The Church should not reflect pop culture but portray godly attributes. The Church should not seek pleasures but seek after God."
• "The Church should not be pampered but rather prepare for, and expect, persecution - for it is Christ's body on earth."

Midweek Meditation: "On the Bible" (Billy Graham)

What has Billy Graham to say about the Bible? Lots.

• "Let the study of the Bible become central in your life - not just so you will know it, but that you will obey it."
• "It is man and not the Bible that needs correcting. Greater and more careful scholarship has shown that apparent contradictions were caused by incorrect translations, rather than divine inconsistencies."
• "The sword of the Spirit - the Bible - is the weapon God has provided for us to use in this battle between truth and deception. Make it a priority to wield that sword skillfully."
• "When we approach the Bible as history and biography, we approach the Bible in the wrong spirit. We must read the Bible, not primarily as historians seeking information, but as men and women seeking God."
• "Man is precisely what the Bible says he is. Human nature is behaving exactly as the Bible said it would. The course of human history is flowing just as Christ predicted."

BookPastor >> "Ministry Mantras" (J.R. Briggs and Bob Hyatt)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on March 16th, 2017.

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TITLE: Ministry Mantras: Language for Cultivating Kingdom Culture
AUTHOR: J.R. Briggs and Bob Hyatt
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2016, (269 pages).

A mantra is a short word, phrase, or a chant. It can be a proverb or a wise saying. Inspired by Guy Kawasaki's words "Don't write a mission statement, write a mantra," authors Briggs and Hyatt have taken up the challenge to do just that for the Church ministry and Christian ministries in general. Writing a mantra forces one to choose only the most appropriate and significant words to project a thought or a meaning. It brings clarity to the hearers by first bringing clarity to the writers. According to the authors, mantras need four elements.

1. It is wise and truthful
2. The message is clear
3. It is compelling
4. It is memorable

A ministry mantra is basically describing the organizational mission or vision in a brief statement. It is important because its simplicity promotes clarity; clarity encourages creativity; and creativity inspires ease of communications. Briggs and Hyatt call it "the proverbial seeds of kingdom values planted in local communities of faith." They structure this book in 80 short chapters, with each chapter titled with a mantra. They supply mantras in two parts: for leaders and for the community. For leaders, there are sections pertaining to leadership; vision; motivation; ministry; pastoral care; leadership development; opportunities; success; and Self-Development. For the community, they write on matters to promote community; formation; tips on responding to conflicts; learning to do outreach and stewardship. Many of the mantras have given rise to creative thinking and opportunities to think out of the box. Some of my favourites are:

• "Leadership is Purposefully Choosing Whom You will disappoint"
• "Structure must always submit to Spirit"
• "Don't Try to make Church relevant to the crowds; Make the Gospel Relatable to the Context"
• "If they know you love them, you can say anything to them"
• "Ministry is Meeting People where they are and Journeying with them to where God wants them to Be "
• "Ministry happens in the interruptions"
• "The essence of discipleship i snot knowledge, but imitation"
• "Quit looking for leaders and start building them"
• "It's kingdom, not competition"
• "We will let you down: If we're close enough to help, we're close enough to hurt"
• "Community is made, not found"
• "Rotate your crops"
• "Church is free, but it ain't cheap"

Mantras are languages spoken or written in a clear and brief manner. It cuts away the spaghetti of mass information to yield an important point. While we can always say that context is important, being able to communicate something is better than people disengaging completely. In an attention-deficit world, many are jumping on the bandwagon of short quips and easy quotes. They prefer abbreviations and straight to the point messages. They have no time to bother with long essays. Reading has also taken a beating, with more people choosing electronic media over print. This is why I believe books like this will reach a segment of readers in a way that traditional books could not. It is a great resource for leaders to learn how to do ministry without letting unrealistic expectations overwhelm them. The mantras does three things.

First, it challenges our set thinking. Just because things have been done a certain way in the past does not mean it must be so for the present and future. Indeed, churches that are struggling tend to look back at the good-old-days, forgetting that the past can never be repeated in new contexts. By shaking up the status quo, leaders are forced to be creative and innovative in their ministry approaches. This does not mean throwing the past away. It means being open to change. This openness enables us to humbly seek God for what is best for the Church or ministry. Second. it helps us think out of the box. The ideas like "disagreeing without disengaging" forces us to learn how to disagree without running away from the disagreement altogether. For every conflict, there is a chance to learn more about the other parties and ourselves. Learning to work together is a core need in the Church. If churches fail to work together, what kind of a testimony will that present to outsiders? Third, the book may comprise of brief chapters but what it lacks in depth it more than compensates in the breadth of coverage of issues in ministry. 

JR Briggs is founder of Kairos Partnership and calls himself the Pastor/Cultural Cultivator of Renew Community. He has previously written a book entitled "Fail." Bob Hyatt is author, coach, and spiritual director. He is pastor and elder at the Everygreen Community as well as a staff member with Ecclesia Network.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Inter-Varsity Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Midweek Meditation: "On Addiction" (Billy Graham)

In memory of the late Billy Graham, for the next two months, each Wednesday weekly will contain quotes from the famous evangelist.

• "Every generation becomes more addicted to the sedatives of life, to dull the pain of living."
• "Many people turn to alcohol to try to drown the cries and longings of the soul. Others attempt to quiet the longings of their souls in other ways. Nothing but God ever completely satisfies, because the soul is made for God."
• "Drinking has become one of the most serious social problems. It is basically the result of an attempt to escape from the responsibilities and realities of life."
• "This self-confident generation has produced more alcoholics, more drug addicts, more criminals, more wars, more broken homes, more assaults, more embezzlements, more murders, and more suicides, . . . . . it is time that we place less confidence in ourselves and more trust and faith in God."
• One of the characteristics of some drugs (such as cocaine) is that they make a person feel strong and alert - when in fact the opposite is the case. Don't allow yourself to be deceived."

Midweek Meditation: "Worship" (Ten Quotes)

1. “For when we cease to worship God, we do not worship nothing, we worship anything.” (GK Chesterton)

2. "May the Son of God who is already formed in you grow in you - so that for you He will become immeasurable, and that in you He will become laughter, exultation, the fullness of joy which no one can take from you." (Isaac of Stella)

3. "Worship is an it-is-well-with-my-soul experience." (Robert Webber)

4. "Seeing that we humans were once created in the image of God and that we have by our sin fallen into a state of spiritual blindness and mortality, I would rather be a serious-minded dolt concerned about eternal life than to be an overpaid jester with nothing better to do than to make men laugh and forget that they must die and come to judgment." (A.W. Tozer)

5. "Worship changes the worshiper into the image of the One worshiped." (Jack Hayford)

6. "Just as worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience. If worship does not propel us into greater obedience, it has not been worship." (Richard J. Foster)

7. "I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven." (A. W. Tozer)

8. "Christian worship must contain both the cross and the crown. Sing of majesty, and sing of mercy." (Matt Redman)

9. "To worship God in truth is to recognize Him for being who He is, and to recognize ourselves for what we are." (Brother Lawrence)

10. "“God created us for this: to live our lives in a way that makes him look more like the greatness and the beauty and the infinite worth that he really is. This is what it means to be created in the image of God.” (John Piper)

Midweek Meditation: "Prophetic Prayer" (Mark Batterson)

In our fifth part of the Circle Maker prayer series, we arrive at prophetic praying.

"In 1960, an evangelist named R.W.Shamback preached a revival in Washington, DC for church planters Fred and Charlotte Hall. Without them even knowing, Shambach laid hands on the Academy Theatre and prayed that God would give it to them. That prayer was answered in 1962 when the People's Church purchased that old theater and turned it into a place of worship. They faithfully served God and the community there for forty-nine years.

Shambach also prayed what I believe was a prophetic prayer over that theater. As he laid hands on that building, he bound it for God's glory: 'May this place always be used for God's glory.'

That prophetic prayer resurfaced one day over lunch. Michael said he knew that prayer was the reason that the nightclub deal fell through. He also knew that we were the fulfillment of that prayer. I knew it too.

It's hard to describe the feeling when you know that a fifty-year-old prayer is being answered and you're right in the middle of the miracle. Shambach's prayer was a binding prayer that sealed the theater for God's glory forever. Like a time-capsule, it was opened and answered fifty years later.

Every prayer is a time capsule. You never know when or where or how God is going to answer it, but He will answer it. There is no expiration date, and there are no exceptions. God answers prayer. Period. We don't always see it or understand it, but God always answers."

(Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker, Zondervan, 2011, p202)

Midweek Meditation: "The Circle Maker"

In the book, The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson shows us the way to pray without ceasing. Using the circling metaphor, he seeks to encourage us to circle ourselves with prayer, constant prayer. Based on the first-century Jewish sage, Honi, whose faith was expressed in fervent prayer, he describes three types of circles. For the next five weeks, we will be dealing with the topic of prayer according to the Circle Maker.

"God has determined that certain expressions of His power will only be exercised in response to prayer. Simply put, God won't do it unless you pray for it. We have not because we ask not, or maybe I should say, we have not because we circle not. The greatest tragedy in life is the prayers that go unanswered because they go unasked.

Now here's the good news: If you do pray, all bets are off. You can live with holy anticipation because you never know how or when or where God is going to answer, but I promise you this: He will answer. And His answers are not limited by your requests. We pray out of our ignorance, but God answers out of His omniscience. We pray out of our impotence, but God answers out of His omnipotence. God has the ability to answer the prayers we should have prayed but lacked the knowledge or ability to even ask." (Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker, Zondervan, 2011, p16-7)

Midweek Meditation: Fourth Century Wisdom (Ambrose, Bishop of Milan)

On Christ
"When we speak about wisdom, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about virtue, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about justice, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak of peace, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about truth and life and redemption, we are speaking of Christ."

On Riches and Possessions
"Riches are the beginning of all vices, because they make us capable of carrying out even our most vicious desires."

"To renounce riches is the beginning and sustaining of virtues."

On the Virtuous Quality Expected of Clergy
"One of the duties of fortitude is to keep the weak from receiving injury; another, to check the wrong motions of our own souls; a third, both to disregard humiliations, and to do what is right with an even mind. All these clearly ought to be fulfilled by all Christians, and especially by the clergy."

On Fasting
"Do not limit the benefit of fasting to abstinence from good, for a true fast means refraining from evil. Loose every unjust bond, put away your resentment against your neighbour, forgive him his offences. Do not let your fasting lead to wrangling and strife. You do not eat meat, but you devour your brother, you abstain from wine, but note from insults. So all the labour of your fast is useless."

On Holding the Tongue
"Bind up thy words that they run not riot, and grow wanton, and gather up sins for themselves in too much talking. Let them be rather confined, and held back within their own banks. An overflowing river quickly gathers mud."

"Let no word pass your lips in vain, no meaningless word be uttered."

Midweek Meditation: Third Century Wisdom (Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage)

On Baptism
"Let us, then who in baptism have both died and been buried in respect to the carnal sins of the old man, who have risen again with Christ in the heavenly regeneration, both think upon and do the things that are Christ's."

On True Safety
"No one is strong in his own strength, but he is safe by the grace and mercy of God."

On Faith and Doubt
"When I had drunk the Spirit from heaven, and the second birth had restored me so as to make a new man of me, then at once in an amazing way my doubts began to be resolved, doors that had been closed to me opened, dark places became light, and what before had seemed difficult now seemed easy to me."

On Unity
"The sacrament of unity, this bond of peace inseparable and indivisible, is indicated when in the gospel the robe of the Lord Jesus Christ was not divided at all or rent, but they cast lots for the raiment of Christ, to see who should put on Christ for clothing."

"He who rends and divides the church of Christ cannot possess the clothing of Christ."

Midweek Meditation: Third Century Wisdom (Origen)

Alexandrian biblical scholar
& theologian

On the Scriptures
"If we consult the Scriptures about the stock into which we have to be grafted, and the kind of tree it is, we find this text concerning wisdom: She is a tree of life to those who hope in her and put their trust in her, as in their Lord. This tree of life into which we have to be grafted is Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God - Christ who by his death, that unprecedented gift of divine love, became for us a tree of life."

On Human Choice
"The power of choosing between good and evil is within the reach of all."

On Holiness
"Let us have clean hearts ready inside us for the Lord Jesus, so that he will be glad to come in, gratefully accepting the hospitality of those worlds, our hearts; he whose glory and power will endure throughout the ages."

On Prayer
"The physical voice we use in prayer need not be great nor startling; even should we not lift up any great cry or shout, God will yet hear us."

On Loving People
"When Jesus then is with the multitudes, he is not in his house, for the multitudes are outside of the house, and it is an act which springs from his love of men to leave the house and to go away to those who are not able to come to him."

Midweek Meditation: Third Century Wisdom (Tertullian)

On Making a Living
"The usual complaint is, 'I have no other way to make a living.' The harsh reply can be, 'Do you have to live?'"

On Marriage
“How beautiful, the marriage of two Christians, two who are one in home, one in desire, one in the way of life they follow, one in the religion they practice. Nothing divides them either in flesh or in spirit.

They pray together, they worship together, they fast together; instructing one another, encouraging one another, strengthening one another. Side by side they visit God’s church and partake God’s banquet, side by side they face difficulties and persecution, share their consolations.

They have no secrets from one another, they never shun each other’s company; they never bring sorrow to each other’s hearts. Seeing this Christ rejoices. To such as these He gives His peace. Where there are two together, there also He is present.”

On the Creator Behind the Creation
"The world was made up of all kinds of good things, and gives sufficient indication of the great good in store for the one for whom all these was provided."

The Church
"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church."

On Truth
"You can't undo anything you've already done, but you can face up to it. You can tell the truth. You can seek forgiveness. And then let God do the rest."

Midweek Meditation: Second Century Wisdom (Polycarp)

Polycarp (AD 69-155)

Refusal to Deny Christ
"For eighty-six years have I been Christ's servant, and he has done me no wrong, and how can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"

"Leave me as I am, the one who gives me strength to endure the fire will also give me strength to stay quite still on the pyre, even without the precaution of your nails."

On Idolatry
"If anyone does not refrain from the love of money, he will be defiled by idolatry and so be judged as if he were one of the heathen."

"Beware of greed and remain pure and just. Restrain yourself from every vice. He who cannot restrain himself, how will he be able to teach others restraint?"

On Prayer
"Keep looking forward in prayer, and persevering in fasting; beseeching in supplications the all-seeing God to lead us away from temptation."

If you are interested in an article about the martyrdom of Polycarp, click here.

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Midweek Meditation: Second Century Wisdom (Justin Martyr)

Christian Apologist (AD 100-165)

On Sunday Worship
"We hold this gathering on Sunday, since this is the first day on which God, by making a transformation of darkness and chaos, made the universe, and on the same day Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from the dead."

"Plain singing is not childish, but only the singing with lifeless organs, with dancing, and cymbals, etc. Whence the use of such instruments, and other things fit for children, is laid aside and plain singing only retained."

On Conquering the Flesh
"To yield and give way to our passions is the lowest slavery, even as to rule over them is the only liberty."

On Being Peacemakers
"We used to hate and destroy one another and refused to associate with people of another race or country. Now, because of Christ, we live together with such people and pray for our enemies."

"We who formerly hated and murdered one another now live together and share the same table. We pray for our enemies and try to win those who hate us."

On the Different Sides of Atheism
"Thus we are called atheists. And we admit that in respect of such supposed gods we are atheists; but not in regard to the most true God, the Father of righteousness."

"We are not atheists, for we worship the Creator of the Universe with the word of prayer and thanksgiving."

On the Tongue
"By examining the tongue of a patient, physicians find out the diseases of the body, and philosophers the diseases of the mind."

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Midweek Meditation: Second Century Wisdom (Irenaeus)

Irenaeus (130-202)

"The glory of God is the human person fully alive."

"For where the Church is there is the Spirit of God, and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church and all grace."

"Error never shows itself in its naked reality, in order not to be discovered. On the contrary, it dresses elegantly, so that the unwary may be led to believe that it is more truthful than truth itself."

"It was the ground God cursed, not Adam."

"Jesus Christ, in His infinite love, has become what we are, in order that He may make us entirely what He is."

"In the beginning God fashioned Adam, not because He had need of human beings, but so that He might have beings on whom to bestow His benefits."

"As long as any one has the means of doing good to his neighbours, and does not do so, he shall be reckoned as stranger to the love of the Lord."