Focused Vision: Who Are We and Where are we Going

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Acts 20:19-21

serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; ²⁰ how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,²¹ testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

(ESV)

The Apostle Paul diligently served His Lord despite a shipwreck on his way to Rome (Acts 28:13-44), and time in jail for his faith, something he was ready to do at any time (Acts 21:13).  Paul received 39 lashes five times for his faith (2 Corinthians 11:24), and even rejection by his own people (Acts 9:20-25).  Paul knew who he was, a child of God saved through the shed blood of the Lamb of God Jesus Christ.  The Apostle Paul also knew his mission was to bring the message of the Gospel to the Jew first, and then to the Gentiles or Greeks (Romans 1:16).  As we look forward to 2018 we too must realize who we are and where we are going as the people of God, a nation, and individually.

The Nation:

The main founding document of the United States is the Declaration of Independence.  The second paragraph of this documents states the founding father’s vision for the United States.  Their vision is based upon a belief in the equal creation of all men and woman and that all people have the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  The meaning of this statement is that rights are God given and governments role is protecting these God given rights.  (1)

Unfortunately, the United States has strayed from this foundational truth, evidenced by the advance of progressivism and liberalism, leading to a growing government unable to live within its means.  Funding of this massive leviathan comes through a progressive income tax system that punishes producers through high taxation and redistributes this money to low income individuals with some even paying no taxes but still receiving massive tax refunds through refundable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credits.  (2)  Unless there is a reversal of this trend, federal deficits will continue adding to the federal debt. 

Our nation needs a change of fiscal direction.  We must eliminate the progressive income tax which funds the liberal and progressive agenda of wealth redistribution, replacing it with a flat income tax or total elimination of the income tax, replacing it with a national sales tax or consumption tax.  This will allow individuals to truly pursue the lifestyle they desire without the government penalizing them when they succeed.

The People of God:

When Jesus took His last breath on the cross, God tore the curtain concealing the most holy place from top to bottom (Matthew27:50-51).  What the tearing of this curtain symbolizes is that Gods glory no longer dwells exclusively in the most Holy Place of the Temple and instead can dwell in the hearts of men and women who decide to make Jesus their savior.  The Church is a gathering together of followers of Jesus with the purpose of strengthening each other and sharing the Gospel of good news that there is forgiveness of sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). 

Jesus commissioned every believer to share the Gospel (Mark16:15, Matthew 28:16-20).  Unfortunately, consumerism has crept into many churches, taking the focus off spreading the gospel and spiritual maturity of the people of God and on to churches focused on the latest in God, worship, and teaching.  (3)  Instead of planting roots in a home church teaching the truth of the Gospel, people church shop from church to church seeking the latest novelty.  Ephesians4:14-15 warns the church against falling into this trap that leads to weak Christians easily deceived by the enemy. 

Just as the nation needs a change of direction, the church also needs a change of direction back to what made it great in the Book of Acts, the spreading of the Gospel which turned their world upside down (Acts17:6).  Obama has said, “white folk’s greed runs a world in need.”  (4)  I respectfully disagree with this racist statement and instead propose that a world in sin needs a church fulfilling its mission of sharing the Gospel, the great commission Jesus gave it. 

Individually:

Everyone that believes in Jesus as their Lord receives the gift of eternal life (John 3:16).  However, immortality is not something reserved to only those believing in Jesus as their Lord, but something every human being has (Matthew 25:46).  Unlike the rest of God’s creation, God created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26).  This, however, does not mean we physically look like God but instead means we have the qualities of God within us.  However, sin has separated us from God meaning that our eternal existence would be one of eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23).  Fortunately for every human being however, Jesus came and became sin even though he committed no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) so that we can receive full forgiveness of our sins, changing our eternal from separation from God in Hell to eternal life with God (1 Thessalonians 4:17). 

While many of those reading this post have decided to make Jesus the Lord of their life and have eternity with Jesus as their destination, some reading this may not have made this decision.  If that is you, I invite you to pray with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Monday begins a new year.  As with the beginning of each new year, there is hope but also uncertainty.  As a nation and church, we must go back to the basics of our founding principles that made the nation and church powerful.  As individuals we must begin with establishing the identity of a believer in Jesus as our savior, or being born again, and then moving closer in our relationship with our savior by learning more about the Bible, the Word of God, living our lives according to its principles, and sharing the truth of the Gospel with those God places in our path.  Happy New Year everyone and may God bless you. 

1. ushistory.org. The Declaration of Independence. www.ushistory.org. [Online] [Cited: October 30, 2016.] http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/.

2. Boofman, Georgi. Refundable Tax Credits Are Just Republican-Style Welfare. the federalist.com. [Online] The Federalist, November 28, 2017. [Cited: December 28, 2017.] http://thefederalist.com/2017/11/28/refundable-tax-credits-just-republican-style-welfare/.

3. CTPastors. From Lord to Label: how consumerism undermines our faith. www.christianitytoday.,com. [Online] Christianity Today. [Cited: December 30, 2017.] http://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2006/july-online-only/from-lord-to-label-how-consumerism-undermines-our-faith.html.

4. Furry, Nick. Obama Says--White Folk's Greed Runs a World In Need. www.youtube.com. [Online] Youtube, May 17, 2010. [Cited: December 28, 2017.] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFNQBTOVF4o.

Legacy Building Through Obedience to God

By:  Dale Weckbacher

2 Chronicles 27:6

 So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God.

(ESV)

Jotham is a minor king of Judah who reigned for the brief period of 16 years.  We find the only mentions of what he did as King of Judah in 2 Chronicles 27 and 2 Kings 15:32-38.  However, the legacy of his brief rein is known as him being a king who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (2 Chronicles 27:2, 2 Kings 15:34) except for not removing the high places where the people made sacrifices (2 Kings 15:35) and continued their corrupt practices (2 Chronicles 27:2).  However, Jotham’s personal obedience to the Lord and his Word caused him to become a mighty leader, and an example for any leader to follow in their leadership role.

Webster’s Dictionary defines legacy as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.”  (1)  We often hear the term legacy in politics, especially when a leader is nearing the end of their term in office.  However, according to Glenn Llopis, legacy is not an afterthought built at the end of one’s term of leadership but something a leader builds through moments shared, decisions made, actions taken, and even mistakes made and overcame during their rein of power.  (2)  Mr. Llopis continues by defining five ways a leader can be effective through leading with a legacy driven mindset. 

1)      Identity and values (2) – Leaders lead and must begin with a firm knowledge of who they are and what they stand for both individually and as leaders.  This constitutes the value base of a leader and influences their decisions.  The eventual legacy of a leader is a reflection these values, as we see in the example of the briefly mentioned leadership of Jotham.

2)      Guiding foundational principles (2) – Those following a leader do so out of trust.  A leader’s reputation is the foundation upon which they build trust.  Leaders with firmly established identities and values will lead according to a predictable set of principles.  Through the establishment of a predictable set of principles, followers develop trust in a leader.  However, what if those following do not agree with the principles upon which a leader leads?  This is when those following must remember that no leader is perfect, that the leader is the boss, and that there is a big picture to consider that we may not fully see.  Followers must also understand their position and place their trust in God.  (3)  The bottom line therefore is even when followers may disagree with their leader, when their leader leads according to a predictable set of principles, followers can trust how they will lead.  Even though the people of Judah did not adopt the Godly principles of Jotham during his reign, continuing their pagan sacrifices, they did trust Jotham to protect them against their enemies (2 Chronicles 27:4-5). 

3)      Courage and Risk-taking (2)– Leaders must courageously take calculated risks. As Mr. Llopis states it, this often requires bucking the status quo of conventional wisdom and leaders placing their reputations on the line.  God often reminded Joshua to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6,7,9,18).  From God’s frequent reminders to Joshua, we can surmise that Joshua struggled with the courage to take risks.  However, Joshua later proclaimed his commitment to follow the Lord despite the risks involved (Joshua 24:15).  Joshua calculated the risks involved with confronting the Canaanites occupying the land God promised to Israel and considered them worth taking, creating a legacy of strong and courageous leadership (Acts7:45).  

4)      Genuine care to advance others (2) – Leaders who genuinely care for those following them reap the benefits of Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCP) which are behaviors going beyond the normal duties of their positions.  (4)  This is the lasting legacy a leader can create as these OCP’s will continue beyond the time of leadership, and even the life of a leader.  Jesus Christ is the perfect example of this for even after his ascension to heaven, his followers, based upon His concern for them and willingness to die for their sins, continued to spread the Gospel despite the fact it meant frequent imprisonment and eventually their lives. 

5)      Responsibility and accountability (2) – Many a great leader has fallen due to improprieties and improper behavior.  Although no leader, except for Jesus, is perfect, great leaders understand the great responsibility of leadership and hold themselves accountable for their actions.  David in the Bible understood this and when confronted with his adultery with Bathsheba by the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-15), took responsibility for his actions and went on to build a legacy as a Godly leader after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), and one through whom Messiah would come and eternally rule (Isaiah 9:6-7). 

We need more leaders working towards a legacy of obedience to God.  We need leaders with Godly values leading according to Godly principles.  We need courageous Godly leaders willing to take the calculated risk of daring to follow Godly principles even when it is unpopular or politically incorrect.  Most of all we need leaders with a genuine concern for those they lead who hold themselves responsible and accountable for their actions, something to keep in mind in the upcoming congressional elections in 2018.

1. Merriam-Webster. Definition of legacy. www.merriam-webster.com. [Online] Mirriam-Webster Dictionary. [Cited: December 24, 2017.] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legacy?src=search-dict-hed.

2. Llopis, Glenn. 5 Ways A Legacy-Driven Mindset Will Define Your Leadership. www.forbes.com. [Online] Forbes, February 20, 2014. [Cited: December 24, 2017.] https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2014/02/20/5-ways-a-legacy-driven-mindset-will-define-your-leadership/#5b056c1016b1.

3. Salisbury, Karen Jensen. When You Disagree with Your Leader. karenjensen.org. [Online] Karen Jensen Salisbury Ministries. [Cited: December 24, 2017.] http://karenjensen.org/index.php/media-menu/newsletter-archives/283-when-you-disagree-with-your-leader.

4. Study.com. Organizational Citizenship Behavior in the Workplace: Definition and Examples. study.com. [Online] Study.com. [Cited: December 24, 2017.] Organizational Citizenship Behavior in the Workplace: Definition and Examples https://study.com/academy/lesson/organizational-citizenship-behavior-in-the-workplace-definition-and-examples.html.

Following the Star of Salvation

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Matthew 2:1-2

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men^[a] from the east came to Jerusalem, ² saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose^[b] and have come to worship him.”

(ESV)

On the first day of creation God declared “let there be light” (Genesis 1:3-5) and light appeared separating night from day.  However, it was not until the forth day of creation that God created the sun, moon, and stars (Genesis 1:14-19) leading to the question, what light lit the world on the first day of creation?  In John 8:12, Jesus declared himself to be the light of the world.  Revelation 21:9-27 describes the New Jerusalem that will come after the thousand-year millennial rein of Jesus and in verse 23 tells us that this city will need no sun or moon for the glory of the Lord will provide light.  We can therefore conclude that it is the light of the glory of God through Jesus Christ the Son of God that lit the earth for the first three days of creation and will provide light for the earth after God establishes heaven on earth in the New Jerusalem. 

 Light is the main object of the celebrations of both the holidays of Chanukah and Christmas.  Chanukah commemorates the relighting of the ner tamid (eternal light) after the Jews reclaimed the Temple.  There was only one jar of oil, enough for 1 day, to keep the eternal light lit.  They sent a messenger to get more oil, but this would take eight days.  Miraculously, however, the one jar of oil was able to keep the light lit until the messenger returned with more oil.  (1)

Jesus, the eternal light of the Gospel (John 8:12) came with the purpose of lighting the eternal flame in our souls and through his death on Calvary and resurrection three days later miraculously keeping that flame lit.  The star seen by the wise men represents a beacon directing them to the one who would light the fire of their souls (Matthew 3:11).  However, we must ask the question, what was so unusual about this star that grabbed the wise men’s attention and how did they come to believe this star symbolized the birth of the King of the Jews or Messiah. 

The term translated wise men in Matthew 2:2 is the Greek word Magi.  These Magi were astrologers and interpreters of omens and as such would have regularly looked at the stars.  What they saw coming from Bethlehem on the first Christmas night must have been highly unusual for it to capture the attention of these professional stargazers.  (2)

As far as how these wise men came to believe this heavenly anomaly indicated the birth of the Jewish Messiah we must go back to the time of the Jewish exile in Babylon.  After besieging Jerusalem King Nebuchadnezzar ordered some of the people of Israel brought to Babylon, both of the royal family and of nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance, and skillful in all wisdom (Daniel 1:1-4).  Among these youths was Daniel who after a time of testing by the King proved to be ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom (Daniel 1:8-21). 

After interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the king promotes Daniel, making him part of the king’s magi (Daniel 2).  It is possible that the wise men gazing at the star of Bethlehem were exposed to the teachings of Daniel about the coming Jewish Messiah and recalling these teachings, surmised that the unusual astrological event was a sign of the birth of the Messiah.  They also understood that this Messiah would bring salvation to the world and therefore they knew they needed to make a journey to Bethlehem and pay Him homage. 

Jesus is indeed the light of the world and His birth is a unique and unusual event in human history.  This is because we have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and deserve the penalty of death for our sins (Romans 6:23).  Fortunately, however, God chooses not to carry out the death penalty and instead chooses to provide a path of salvation with the promise of Genesis 3:15.  Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise, the star of salvation that shone over the town of Bethlehem on the first Christmas night. 

Like the wise men in the Bible, all humanity has a choice.  Do we ignore the unique star of salvation, the Gospel, or do as the wise men did and come to pay homage to the Messiah by accepting his gift of forgiveness for our sins?  I encourage everyone reading this to follow the example of the wise men and come to the Messiah by praying with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, know that if you just prayed with me, you have received the most valuable gift anyone can receive, the gift of eternal life (John 3:16).  Regifting of this gift is okay and actually encouraged (Mark 16:15), for when we re-gift this gift, we do not lose it ourselves, but it multiplies as it we share it with others.  So, I encourage sharing of this gift, so others can experience the power of the star of salvation, the Gospel in their lives. 

1. ReformJudaism.org. History: The Hanukkah Story. reformjudaism.org. [Online] ReformJudaism.org. [Cited: December 22, 2017.] https://reformjudaism.org/hanukkah-history.

2. Ashby, Chad. Magi, Wise Men, or Kings? It’s Complicated. www.christianitytoday.com. [Online] Christianity Today. [Cited: December 22, 2017.] http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/holidays/christmas/magi-wise-men-or-kings-its-complicated.html.

Leadership Connections: A Look Back at the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Hebrews 4:15

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

(ESV)

Even though more than a year has passed since the 2016 Presidential election in the United States, Democrats still struggle with what happened and remain clueless about what caused their candidate to lose.  Efforts to blame collusion between Trump and the Russians have failed with no discovery of such a connection after more than a year of investigations.  (1)  While many criminal convictions occur without a smoking gun of evidence, (2) a crime must exist for a conviction.  This is because in a criminal case, the prosecution must prove guilt beyond any doubt.  For example, if both the defense and prosecution come into court on a criminal case and neither one presents any evidence of a crime, the defense wins due to the failure of the prosecution to prove guilt beyond any doubt.  (3)  This represents the foundation of innocent until proven guilty, the foundation of U.S. law. 

Unfortunately, outside of the judicial system, media and their liberal counterparts run with any alleged appearance of a crime and spin it to appear like someone is guilty prior to receiving their day in court.  While the court may eventually find them innocent of any wrong doing, the political damage may have already occurred with someone losing an election or forced to resign from office.  The revelation that the entire Russian dossier is a piece of opposition research funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign means there is no foundational crime upon which to launch a case against President Trump regarding Russian collusion. 

It was not some Trump Russian conspiracy that cost Hillary Clinton the 2016 election but a loss of connection between the political elites, represented by Hillary Clinton and the voters in the U.S.  Since it is voters that decide who wins elections, and not connections to donors or special interest groups, Hillary Clinton achieved a popular vote victory but did not achieve an electoral college victory, the victory needed to become President of The United States.  Donald Trump, however, made a connection with voters, allowing Him to pierce the blue wall in the 2016 election, propelling him to an electoral college victory.  (4) 

Leaders make a connection with those following them at four levels,

1)      Reputational connection – A leader’s reputation is crucial for it is the foundation upon which a leader builds trust. 

2)      Influential connection – Leaders trusted by their followers based upon good reputations can exercise influence over followers that is deeper than just having an official title.  Instead of followers following their leader based upon their position, followers willingly follow their leader.

3)      Emotional connection – The subsequent willful following of a leader out of trust establishes an emotional connection.

4)      Transformational connection – The established emotional connection results in followers looking up to their leader for motivation guidance during uncertain times. 

This progression of leader-member connection with followers parallels the connection candidate Donald Trump made with voters.  He spent years establishing a successful reputation as a businessman able to succeed through hard work, the subject of many books.  (5)  The respect gained from this history of success created influence with voters.  This influential connection coupled with Trump speaking to issues affecting many Americans who believed the political elite could care less about them and were more interested in appeasing their donors and special interests created an emotional connection with voters.  The connection was complete as voters seeking a transformational leader interested in what affected their lives went to the polls and voted for Donald Trump. 

The strategy of Hillary Clinton was similar to the strategy of Barak Obama.  Instead of beginning from the foundation of a solid reputation, Clinton begins with making an emotional appeal with people as becoming the first female President of the United States, like what propelled Barak Obama to victory as the first African American President.  The expectation of Hilary Clinton was that her emotional connection with voters would result in hope of transformational change.  However, unlike the relatively unknown candidate Barak Obama who had no widely known reputational or influential connection with voters, Hillary Clinton had both a reputational and influential problem. 

Her reputational problem stems from serving as an enabler of her husband’s sexual improprieties.  (6)  Her lack of influential connection stems from a brief but unproductive career in the Senate.  (7)  As Secretary of State, Benghazi severed any potential influential connection.  (8) 

Hillary Clinton did not make the reputational and influential connection leading to her failure to gain broad support necessary to achieve an electoral college victory.  Her strategy of establishing an emotional connection first hoping to achieve a transformational connection leading to victory failed due to her lack of a strong reputation as a good leader with influence due to a history of a reputation as an enabler of sexual improprieties and lack of Senate influence coupled with incompetency as Secretary of State. 

This illustrates an ongoing problem with liberal and progressive candidates for their campaigns usually begin from a foundation of emotion.  Unless the candidate is relatively unknown, something difficult to do in our social media charged environment, this is a flawed foundation upon which to build a successful Electoral College victory.  The ongoing problem stems from a flawed liberal progressive philosophy lacking a reputation of positive accomplishments bringing about transformational change bettering the lives of individuals.  This leads to a lack of influence as leaders.  Solid Presidential leadership begins with a reputation of success creating influence as followers make an emotional connection with a leader that has demonstrated the ability to bring about transformational change bettering their lives.  In the 2016 election, this candidate was Donald Trump. 

Jesus Christ provides the perfect example of leadership connection.  Scripture tells us of Jesus divine reputation in John 1:1-14 telling us that the Word of God, God Himself, became flesh and lived among us in the person of Jesus Christ.  He made the emotional connection by healing the sick and opening the eyes of the blind.  His mastery over the weather and demonic spirits demonstrates His divine influence.  His transformational connection came to completion when he died on the cross for our sins, so we can have eternal life (John 3:16). 

The question we each must settle is whether we want to connect personally with God by accepting the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for our sins.  If you want to make this connection with your creator God, please pray with me now.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23)and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Your connection with God has begun and you now have eternal life according to John 3:16. However, just as with any other relationship, the connection grows stronger as we learn more about each other.  Since God already knows all about us, the movement must be on our end as we learn more about our creator God through prayer, reading the Bible, and regular church attendance at a church teaching the Bible.  I also encourage you to make your profession of faith public by commenting to this post. 

May God bless everyone reading this.

1. Schwartz, Ian. Feinstein: No Evidence Trump Campaign Paid Russians For "Dirt" On Hillary Clinton. www.realclearpolitics.com. [Online] RealClear Politics, November 5, 2017. [Cited: December 17, 2017.] https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/11/05/feinstein_no_evidence_trump_campaign_paid_russians_for_dirt_on_hillary_clinton.html.

2. Holland, Joshua. There may not be a smoking gun, but there’s a mountain of evidence tying Trump to the Kremlin. www.thenation.com. [Online] The Nation, December 11, 2017. [Cited: December 17, 2017.] https://www.thenation.com/article/luke-harding-on-trump-russia-and-collusion/.

3. Crooks, Low & Connell S.C. Can a Person Be Convicted Without Evidence? www.crooks-law.com. [Online] Crooks, Low & Connell S.C., April 6, 2017. [Cited: December 17, 2017.] https://www.crooks-law.com/convicted-without-evidence/.

4. Blankenhorn, David. Listemning to Trump Voters. www.the-american-interest.com. [Online] The American Interest, 2016. [Cited: December 17, 2017.] https://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/08/02/listening-to-trump-voters/.

5. Epstein, Ethan. Trump’s Business Success Is More Than Marginal. www.weeklystandard.com. [Online] The Weekly Standard, September 15, 2015. [Cited: December 19, 2017.] http://www.weeklystandard.com/trumps-business-success-is-more-than-marginal/article/1031022.

6. Lowry, Rich. Yes, Hillary Was an Enabler. www.politico.com. [Online] Politico, May 26, 2016. [Cited: December 17, 2017.] https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/05/yes-hillary-was-an-enabler-213919.

7. Jr., Nicole Goeser & John R. Lott. In eight years, her one concrete achievement was getting a courthouse renamed for Thurgood Marshall. www.nationalreview.com. [Online] National Review, July 28, 2016. [Cited: December 17, 2017.] http://www.nationalreview.com/article/438430/hillarys-senate-record-bill-renaming-nyc-building-her-single-success.

8. Board, Editorial. Benghazi: What the report reveals about Hillary Clinton. www.chicagotribune.com. [Online] Chicago Tribune, June 28, 2016. [Cited: December 17, 2017.] http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-benghazi-hillary-clinton-obama-rhodes-edit-0629-jm-20160628-story.html.

Charging the Batteries of Power

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

(ESV)

Corruption and abuse of power is rampant in our culture.  Hollywood producers and actors whom we pay to watch abuse their power in deciding who works in their movies and television programs by requiring aspiring actors and actresses commit immoral acts.  While these revelations are disgusting and alarming, the fact that much of the same behavior occurs among leaders in Congress is even more disgusting and serves to create added distrust in government at a time when this distrust is at alarmingly high levels. 

It is at times like these when ordinary people having morals in our lives feel powerless to stop it.  In our own power, this may be true for each of us is just one vote among millions but there is a power we can tap into, the power of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, I encourage everyone reading this who has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in their lives to allow the Holy Spirit to recharge their batteries of power. 

First, however, some clarification.  Every person that has made a profession of faith in their belief in Jesus Christ as their savior has the Holy Spirit living within them.  This is a spiritual possession of sorts but a possession of free will for the Holy Spirit only dwells in those inviting Him in.  While this empowers the forgiveness of sins in a person’s life, there is another work of the Holy Spirit which is what occurred in the upper room in Acts 2:1-13.  Some call this work the infilling or Baptism of the Holy Spirit but whatever one calls it, it is an empowering work in a believer’s life empowering them to live and serve God in a powerful manner.  (1) 

Knowing that His disciples had just had their lives turned upside down over the past few weeks with His death and resurrection, and knowing of the coming persecution and oppression they were about to experience, Jesus commanded His followers to wait for the charging of their spiritual batteries with the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4).  In these tumultuous times in our society, I believe it is important for every believer in Jesus Christ to go back to their spiritual Jerusalem or prayer closet and wait for the Holy Spirit to charge or recharge their spiritual batteries for more effective living and service for Christ. 

Jesus promised another comforter that would abide with us forever.  Jesus knew he would go away for a time after His ascension, and that times for believers would be tough due to the spiritual warfare we are engaged in (Ephesians 6:12).  However, through the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer, he or she has access to a powerful set of spiritual weapons (Ephesians 6:13-18).  However, even the most powerful weapon available is useless unless the one using it receives training in its use.  Therefore, the empowering of the Holy Spirit must also include the teaching and study of the truths in the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15, 1Corinthians 1:18). 

Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that the true worshipers of God worship in spirit and in truth.  Service to the Lord is more than just singing of songs and includes our service to God (Matthew 4:10).  (2)  However, service to the Lord lacking the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in the server’s life can quickly cause the server’s spiritual batteries to be drained rendering them ineffective or worse yet destroying them spiritually.  Even Jesus took time to go off and pray with His Heavenly Father, even just prior to his crucifixion (Luke 22:39).  Let us therefore follow the example of Jesus and insure we take time to allow the Holy Spirit to empower our spiritual batteries by practicing the spiritual disciplines of,

1)      Prayer – What an awesome privilege every believer has in that we can have a personal conversation with our creator.  However, in our busy society it is easy to become too busy to take regular time to talk with God.  No wonder many of us feel powerless.  We therefore must make time daily to talk with our creator.  (3)

2)      Regular time in God’s Word – Much falsehood and untruth exists all around us.  Regular time in the truth of The Word of God helps us discern truth from lies but it also is how God speaks to us, empowering us to serve as the Holy Spirit helps us discern what God is saying.  (3)

3)      Positive Spiritual Accountability – Spiritual accountability is something may men struggle with and something we can learn from our sisters in the Lord.  Society teaches us as men to be tough and independent and as a result we view asking others for help or advice as a weakness.  Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17) and why we need accountability with others so that the Holy Spirit can empowers us both (Matthew 18:20).  (3)

4)      Small Group Involvement – Attending a large church service is encouraging for it shows us we are not alone in our belief in Jesus as our Savior.  However, development of spiritual disciplines is best accomplished in a small group setting.  (3)

5)      Personal Ministry – Jesus parting words to those following Him was to serve by telling others about the message of the Gospel (Mark 16:15).  However, before just leaping into service, Jesus told them to wait for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in their lives (Acts 1:4).  In obedience to the command of Jesus and spiritual batteries charged with the power of the Holy Spirit, these early believers turned their world upside down (Acts 17:6).  (3)

We as believers in Jesus Christ are not powerless but have access to tremendous power through the Holy Spirit.  However, it is important that we plug into the divine battery charger through the practice of spiritual disciplines.  I therefore encourage everyone reading this to begin regular practice of spiritual disciplines allowing the Holy Spirit to empower, guide, and direct you on where and how to serve in power to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

1. Smith, Chuck. The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Believer (Part 1). www.blueletterbible.org. [Online] The Blue Letter Bible. [Cited: December 10, 2017.] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/smith_chuck/HolySpirit/hs_08.cfm.

2. Bayless, David. Worship and Service. www.dabhand.org. [Online] www.dabhand.org. [Cited: December 10, 2017.] http://www.dabhand.org/Essays/ME511_worship_and_service.htm.

3. Miller, Vince. 5 Disciplines that need to be built into every man, that leaders of men should encourage. beresolute.org. [Online] Resolute, July 8, 2017. [Cited: December 10, 2017.] https://beresolute.org/5-disciplines-to-build-in-every-man/?gclid=CjwKCAiA07PRBRBJEiwAS20SIF1wPGoospvpaoQhq3zKwaqTb9neBgjAgGHm4ysDwCt5LKCGT7FM3BoCHNwQAvD_BwE.

The Power of Worship

By:  Dale Weckbacher

2 Chronicles 20:21-22

And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,

“Give thanks to the Lord,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.”

²² And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.

(ESV)

While the preaching and teaching of the Word of God is vital when believers gather together, worship is also a vital ingredient.  In His conversation with the Woman at the well, when questioned about the Jews requiring worshipers go to Jerusalem to worship, Jesus told her that the true worshipers worship God in spirit and truth wherever they are (John 4:23).  When we gather together in church, worship consists of truth as declared by the preaching and teaching of the Word of God but there is also a spirit ingredient which usually occurs at the beginning of the worship service. 

The account of Josephat’s victory over the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites without having to lift a hand in battle illustrates the power of song in our worship of the Lord (2 Chronicles20:23).  Like when the musicians preceded the armies of the Lord into battle, our songs of praise and worship prior to the preaching of truth serve as spiritual weapon disarming the attempts of the enemy to inhibit the preaching of the Word of God that changes the hearts of those in attendance at the service.  However, just as with other parts of the continual spiritual battle we find ourselves in, the enemy attempts to divide and disarm the body of Christ by creating division over the style of music used in our church services. 

While many styles and genres of music exist, the current debate in Christian circles comes down to two styles, traditional and contemporary.  To mitigate this division some churches have decided to have two services, one offering traditional worship and one offering contemporary worship.  (1)  While this may logically seem to mitigate the debate by providing the best of both worlds to a congregation, the separation of services also divides a congregation, possibly by age groups with older members of the congregation attending the more traditional worship service and younger ones attending the contemporary service.  The problem is that part of why we as a church gather together is for fellowship with one another and by potentially dividing a congregation by age, we stifle interaction of younger members of the congregation with older, more mature members. 

The bottom line is that no matter the genre of music, words of praise offered up to our Lord are pleasing to His ears (Psalm 147:1).  In fact, God could care less about how the music sounds and encourages us to make a joyful noise to the Lord, something those of us lacking a good voice can take solace in (Psalm 100:1).  However, Psalm 100:1 tells us to make sure the noise we offer the Lord is joyful, indicating He is most interested in the attitude of our heart when singing to him and not how it sounds. 

Romans 14 scripturally addresses this issue by encouraging us not to pass judgement on one another.  The debate over music genres in worship is a petty issue with God only interested in hearing our words of praise, offered from a joyful heart.  Let us therefore not give the enemy a foothold by placing a wedge over worship genres in our church services and instead insure the object of worship is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and not the performers on the stage. 

The world offers plenty of divisiveness.  We therefore must insure our churches are places where the world sees a diverse group of individuals gathering in unity to worship Jesus Christ.  When our services begin with praises offered joyfully to God in whatever genre we choose, the enemy flees just like the enemies fled when the praise leaders led the army of the Lord into battle in Josephat’s time.  With this foundation of defeating the enemy initiating the gathering of God’s people together, the preaching of the Word of God becomes powerful changing lives through its truth.  This is what Jesus meant when He told the woman at the well true worshipers worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. 

The power of worship is not in how we worship, but who we worship.  Worship of our creator God, however, begins with entering into a relationship with Him through accepting His free gift of salvation.  If you are reading this and never entered into a relationship with God please pray with me now.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

You now have a personal relationship with your creator God.  I encourage you to now experience the power of worship by finding a church and offering up praises to God remembering that it does not matter what form of music in which you worship God, or how you sound as long as the object of your worship is God.  May God bless everyone reading this.

1. Thorngate, Steve. New Harminies: Music and Identity at Four Congegations. www.christiancentury.org. [Online] The Christian Century, November 17, 2011. [Cited: December 2017, 2017.] https://www.christiancentury.org/article/2011-11/new-harmonies.

Leading by Example: The Importance of Spiritual Disciplines

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Titus 1:7-9

For an overseer,^[f] as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, ⁸ but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. ⁹ He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound^[g] doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

(ESV)

Robert K Greenleaf in his 1970 essay entitled The Servant as Leader first coined the term servant leadership.  (1)  Mr. Greenleaf’s definition of the servant leader is one who sees themselves as servant first.  A servant leader is one with a desire to serve first with the decision to lead being a conscious choice in contrast to the traditional view as a leader being one aspiring to lead first through the accumulation of power or material possessions.  The stark difference in the servant leader as opposed to the traditional view of a leader is how the leader views the needs of those following them.  A traditional leader focuses on carrying out the objectives of the organization through the exercise of influence and power over followers with little consideration of the followers needs.  In contrast the servant leader seeks to carry out organizational objectives through creation of an atmosphere of mutual trust between leader and follower with followers working to accomplish organizational objectives out of respect for the concern the leader has for their needs. 

While leadership experts credit Mr. Greenleaf with coining the phrase servant leadership, Jesus modeled this leadership philosophy in His ministry culminating in his offering up His life for the sins of those following Him.  Granted, as God Jesus knew a resurrection in three days would follow His death (Mark 10:32-34), but the experience of crucifixion was excruciatingly painful.  Jesus example of servant leadership though initially misunderstood by His disciples who viewed leadership in the secular hierarchical model came to follow Jesus example, with all but John giving their life in martyrdom for their faith (Luke 22:24-27). 

While we typically think of leaders being someone holding a political office of running a business, everyone reading this is a leader at some level.  Our leadership may be over our family, or those we work with.  Teachers are leaders over the students in their classroom.  Teachers, Rabbi’s, and pastors in a church or synagogue are leaders in their religious organization.  As leaders, people are watching us and like it or not, if those following us have a level of respect and awe of us as leaders, will have a desire to follow our example.  For this reason, it is crucial for anyone in a leadership position to practice spiritual disciplines in their lives so as to provide a positive example for people to follow. 

Titus 1:5-16 gives us the qualification for elders in the church.  As we view these qualifications, they parallel the fruits of the Spirit which are rooted in one leading a life of self-control.  Perhaps we should apply these high standards to those leading us in Congress considering the endless allegations of lewd behaviors from those we elect to lead us under the assumption they are mature. 

What we are seeing in these leaders are individuals that view leadership as one in authority over those they lead with no need to follow the laws they pass.  What they neglect to consider is that those following them elect them and since voters hire them, voters can fire them in the next election.  I encourage voters to begin employing a higher standard for elected officials following the pattern of Titus 1:5-16 by electing leaders that are,

1)      Above reproach (Titus 1:6) – When elected officials are in the news, voters want it to be for something they have accomplished and not some scandalous behavior.

2)      Not arrogant or quick-tempered (Titus 1:7) – The politics of anger creates interesting soundbites but accomplishes nothing.  Voters have also had enough of arrogant leaders more interested in their own political advancement instead of the interests of the voters electing them.  This is one reason voters elected an outsider for President who had nothing to gain by becoming President.

3)      Hospitable (Titus 1:8) – All elected officials put on a face of hospitality during the campaign, but voters have had their fill of elected officials taking off the mask of hospitality after the election.  Voters want a genuinely hospitable leader. 

4)      A lover of good (Titus 1:8) – The news is alive with the sound of scandal.  This may be a great theme for a reality show, TV drama, or Movie but in the real-world leaders distracted by scandal are ineffective.  Voters seek ethical leaders that love doing good towards those electing them to office.

5)      Disciplined and Self-controlled (Titus 1:8) – The business of politics is stressful with opposition doing their best to distract leaders, causing them to lose their self-control.  Voters seek leaders that exercise a quiet strength with self-control that stay focused on fulfilling campaign promises.

6)      One keeping their promises (Titus 1:9) – While some voters vote along party lines without consideration for what the candidate stands for, many take the time to research the candidate to judge if they are people of integrity who keep their promises.  With many elections being close in our divisive political climate, informed voters need to apply pressure on candidates letting them know that if they do not fulfill their promises, voters will replace them. 

To effect the needed changes in our government and culture, we must have leaders leading by exampling a high standard in their lives.  If you agree, please feel free to leave your comment to this post.  May God bless everyone reading this. 

1. Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. The Servant as Leader. www.greenleaf.org. [Online] Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. [Cited: December 3, 2017.] https://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/.

Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(ESV)

Looking at the fruits of the Spirit requires looking at the fruit tree upon which the fruits of the Spirit grow.  Since the Holy Spirit dwells within each believer, the fruit tree is every believer (1 Corinthians 6:19).  With this in mind, we can view self-control is the root causing the tree to be fruitful. 

The tsunami of never-ending allegations of sexual harassment and even assault show what occurs when people life lives without self-control.  (1) (2)  A person lacking a solid root of self-control bears fruit, but instead of the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness, these people bear the fruits of lust, unhappiness, anxiety, threatening behavior, evil, lack of respect, and lewdness.  This leads us to ask, what must we do to insure our lives have a solid root of self-control?

1 Corinthians 6:19 reminds us that as Christians we are now the Temple of the Holy Spirit.  Prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwelt in the Holy of Holies of the Temple.  Only the High Priest could enter this part of the Temple and only once a year (Hebrews 9:1-10).  The tearing of the veil after Jesus died on the cross is God telling us that this most Holy Place is now open to all through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ.  However, the Holy Spirit does not just invade a person’s spirit but only does so when invited by that person.  If you are reading this and have not allowed the tearing of the veil of sin between your heart and God, allowing the Spirit of God to enter in, I urge you to do so now by praying with me.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

While God has now declared us righteous and we are now a Temple of the Holy Spirit, learning self-control is a process requiring the practice of spiritual disciplines.  Through the continual practice of spiritual disciplines, the root of self-control in our lives grows deeper allowing the tree of our lives to bear the fruits of the Spirit.  These spiritual disciplines consist of,

1)      Prayer (3) – On the night before Jesus’ crucifixion Luke 22:47 tells us that Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives to pray.  This passage of scripture also tells us that this was not just something Jesus did because of his eminent death, but something He regularly did.  Luke 9:28-29 records another time when Jesus went up on a mountain to pray with the transfiguration occurring during this time.  Prayer is how we as Christians talk to God.  While our perspective of prayer is often believing we are making petitions to God causing Him to move on our behalf, the real motion of prayer is that God moves us into agreement with his desire for us (Psalm 37:4).  When our lives fall into alignment with God’s desire for us, self-control results.

2)      Fasting (3) – The lack of self-control we are seeing in media and politics today is rooted in the fleshly desires of our hearts.  We need food to sustain our physical bodies but fasting for a period of time is a spiritual discipline where believers skip meals depriving their flesh for a period of time in order to devote more time in fellowship with God in prayer and study of God's Word.  It is a temporary depriving of the flesh to achieve a higher spiritual goal.  Fasting requires self-control as our flesh will cry out for food but the spiritual self-control achieved has the eternal goal of making our fruit tree more fruitful with the fruits of the Spirit. 

3)      Scripture reading (3) – While prayer is our talking with God, The Bible is God speaking to us.  Most of us have not heard an audible voice from God and when I hear of someone claiming to hear one, my red flags go up.  However, just like any other relationship, if we do not take time to listen to God, our relationship with Him will grow cold.  God’s Words in the Bible are a source of knowledge and wisdom coming from our creator God.  These Godly words of wisdom and knowledge teach us to live lives of self-control driving the roots of self-control of our fruit tree deeper making our lives even more fruitful.

4)      Worship (3) – In Jesus’ discourse with the woman of Samaria, Jesus told her that the true worshipers of God worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).  The truth component of worship is the discipline of Bible study.  The spirit portion is when we engage God with intention and reverence.  We usually accomplish this through the singing of songs.  The type of music played is not what is important, but it is focusing our attention on Jesus.  A person focused on worship of their creator God will live a life of self-control

5)      Service (3) – James 2:14 tells us that faith not accompanied with works is dead.  Some mistakenly interpret this Scripture to mean that it is our works that save us but the proper interpretation is that good works indicate a life of self-controlled devotion to God. 

A fruitful life bearing the fruits of the Spirit requires a deep-rooted life of self-control.  The consistent practice of these five spiritual disciplines in our lives are the path to achievement of self-control in our lives.  A world fed up with its secular and often disgusting fruits needs to see Godly people of self-control bearing the Fruits of the Spirit.  My question to my readers is will you be one of those people? 

1. Easley, Jonathan. Political media engulfed by sexual harassment crisis. thehill.com. [Online] The Hill, November 22, 2017. [Cited: December 3, 2017.] http://thehill.com/homenews/media/361422-harassment-allegations-shake-political-media.

2. Bennett, Jessica. The 'Click' Moment: How the Weinstein Scandal Unleashed a Tsunami. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, November 5, 2017. [Cited: December 3, 2017.] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/us/sexual-harrasment-weinstein-trump.html.

3. Daniels, Dharius. 5 Spiritual Disciplines that Will Change Your Life. www.crosswalk.com. [Online] Crosswalk.com, January 9, 2015. [Cited: December 3, 2017.] https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/5-spiritual-disciplines-that-will-change-your-life.html.