Video on the Web
I just uploaded a copy of the Ministry Highlight I made for the Northwoods' Orchestra on the web. However, if you don't have a broadband connection (DSL or Cable) then you don't even want to try and view it.
It's located at:
http://ourmedia.org/node/8885After it finishes loading, you should see a black screen and you will probably have to click on the forward button to get it to play.
Time Sure Flies
I just looked at my blog and realized that I hadn't written anything in a week. Maybe that's because I live a boring life and there isn't much to write. Anyway, I just finished putting the finishing touches on a "Ministry Highlight" video about the Orchestra for Ms. Laura Cable. It's 3 minutes long and the plan is to show it this Sunday. Be sure to watch for your favorite orchestra member, although since Laura didn't want to discriminate against anyone (in other words, we included everyone we could get on video) their parts are all editing down considerably.
While making this I met some people I hadn't met before and must say this is a great group.
This warm weather has been great for golf (and has helped my game--I'm definitely not a cold-weather person--maybe that's why I retired in Florida). I've played once since my last blog and will be leaving as soon as I post this to pick up some friends and head to Colquitt, GA to play.
Reading others' blogs it reminds me that graduation time is near and I want to congratulate all those who are graduating high school and college (and even those who are successfully finishing another year). I'm sure there are a lot more, but I know for sure that congratulations are in order for Jenna and Daniel!
Well, I hear the golf course calling.
More Ups and Downs
It's been a couple of days since I've written, but have been spending most of my time (still) trying to get my computer back in shape. Actually, there are many more ups than downs in my life.
UP - Talked with Todd yesterday about getting involved with the youth. This is something I've really been felt led to do for a while, but have just been too "busy" (not an excuse) to do anything about it. I'm really excited about all the possiblities to work with these wonderful boys and girls (young men and women). I discussed with him about chaperoning the Mission Lab trip to New Orleans and that looks like a real possibility. He also mentioned the possibility of using one of my passions (video editing) to help put the drama on the internet (Calyn, we need to talk about that).
DOWN - Went to the dentist this morning for a bridge (those things start to happen when you get old). It really wasn't that bad, but the anesthetic hasn't warn off yet.
UP - Free lunch today at Smokey Bones. For the past few years I've participated in the Mystery Guest program (
www.mysteryguestinc.com). I signed up for it on their website and about every three months Lucy and I get to eat at Smokey Bones and get reimbursed. All we have to do is go on the scheduled day and time (either lunch or dinner), pretend that we've never been there before (of course, many of the waiters and waitresses recognize us) and then rate the entire experience by filling out an online report (must be done same day as visit or you don't get reimbursed). The only drawback (and it's minor) is that Smokey Bones is the only restraurant in Tallahassee that Mystery Guest evaluates. I encourage anyone who is interested to go to their website and apply to be a mystery guest. They are always sending me e-mails with open dates and times for visits, but you cannot do it if you've done an observation within the past 90 days. So, I usually schedule on about every 91 days. :) The other thing is that the lunch and dinner requires that there are two guests (you take someone with you). So, if anyone signs up and needs someone to take to lunch, I'm available. The one small downside is that there is a limit to the reimbursement $17 for lunch visits (actually up to $12 for the food and $5 for doing the survey) and $27 for dinner visits ($22 + $5). I've found the prices reasonable enough that Lucy and I never spend more than those amounts ($17 or $27).
UP - It's Wednesday and that means WOW.
UP - Golf scheduled for Friday.
Well, I guess I better get back to loading programs back on my computer and get ready for some BBQ.
Ups and Downs
The last couple of days have had both highs and lows. Let's start with Sunday's Mission Conference. That was definitely a HIGH! Pastor Scott did a great job of putting it together and it was awesome seeing the Joy Dome filled. I agreed on someone else's blog that I'd love to see us go to one service on Sunday. Not only will that crowd the dome, but there are so many members that we never get to see because we don't go to the same service. The only drawback of that is that there would probably be only one session of LIFE Groups, so Lucy and I would have to either give up our LIFE Group (Willie Meggs') or give up teaching 2nd grade Sunday School. I want to give a special "well done" to the drama team.
I said there were ups and downs. Well, on Saturday, my computer started acting a little funny (not "ha ha" funny, if you know what I mean). I had problems running some of my regular programs and got messages telling me to reinstall. I did, but it didn't work. There were other things wrong too, but I won't bore you with it. It became obvious that I was going to have to reformat my "C" drive and rebuild it. It is only 120GB, but I had over a hundred programs on it. Supposedly, the good news is that I have two other hard drives (a 2nd 120GB internal one and a 200GB external one). So, before I reformatted the C-drive, I made backups of all my important data files, etc on the external drive. Anyway, I started about 3:00 pm on Sunday with the monumental task and everything seemed to be going smoothly until I had a hiccup (actually my computer did) as I was rehooking up my external hard drive. The result was that all my files on it were made unreadable and that hard drive also required reformatting. By this time it was 11:30 pm and I decided it was time to go to bed (old folks need their sleep).
And, I thought I was so smart backing up all my important stuff to that drive. One of the worst parts of this is that I do a lot of video editing and that is the primary purpose of my external drive. For the past couple of weeks I've been working on a video "promo" for the Northwoods' Orchestra for Ms. Laura. Dozens of hours of work was lost. I've still got the original video on the tape in my camera, but I have to start all over again with the editing.
The next GOOD news is that Monday is (one of) my golf day and I got to relax and forget about the computer for several hours. It was another beautiful day for golf and I enjoyed the sport and fellowship. However, when I got home the computer was still in the same condition it was when I went to bed last night--figure that. I have finally finished re-installing all my hardware (that, in itself, is a huge job when you have as much junk as I do) and gotten the Internet and e-mail configured. I still have the "hundreds of programs" to install, update, etc. I guess I've written enough and need to get back to rebuilding the hard drive so that I can then get started re-capturing and re-editing the orchestra project files.
Final Principle of War - PURSUIT
I'd like to say that I've enjoyed writing this series of blogs on how the age-old principles of war apply to spiritual warfare. Again, I'd like to thank my friend and author, Rick Bereit, for his insights into this subject (i.e., I stole most of his thoughts).
The principle of
PURSUIT encourages follow-up of each breakthrough. The commander who achieves a victory will continue to press the enemy and exploit the gains he has made. Failure to pursue the fight to the end can result in fighting the same foe again, perhaps on less favorable terms the next time. Pursuit means finishing what was begun as quickly as possible.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14).Pursuit has several applications in spiritual warfare. First, it means we follow-up and disciple new believers. We wouldn’t fight to win a battle and then fail to pursue it to the end. Yet, we often do precisely that with new Christians—we pray for their salvation, share the Gospel, even lead them to Christ, but fail to maximize this victory with follow-up.
Pursuit in spiritual warfare also applies to continuing on, day by day, in victory. We are never to let down our guard. We never “retire” and rest on our laurels. From the day we become Christians to the day we enter eternity, we must pursue His purpose with our whole lives.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).
Spiritual Warfare - Economy of Force
Another principle of war is “
ECONOMY OF FORCE.” To mass force at one point, other places must be manned with a minimum number of “combatants.” The greatest possible force is committed to the highest priority objective. The wise commander person understands that there is never enough manpower or equipment to simultaneously achieve every objective. Therefore, commanders are forced to choose from among many worthy objectives. Failure to economize will dilute the strength of the army and lead to defeat.
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed (Luke 10:41:42a).”All Christians eventually realize they have limited capacity. Some, however, burn out before they realize it. This is why economy of force is important. It’s easy to get involved in many good activities but to have little impact—the “good” is always the enemy of the “best.” Instead, focus on your highest priorities and ensure that the best of your time is allotted to these. Understand you gifting and capacities. Develop the habit of saying “no” to opportunities that use your time and resources with little substantial return on your investment. Every choice to do one thing is also a choice not to do other things. Your time, money, emotions, creativity and physical energy are all limited. Concentrate your best resources on God’s highest priorities.
Spiritual Warfare - Concentration
I'm getting near the end of my series on applying the principles of war to spiritual warfare. Today, I'll talk about "concentration" and then there are just two more. I'm sure many people will be glad to see this end. :)
The principle of
CONCENTRATION teaches the commander to gather superior forces at places of highest priority. Mass coupled with initiative allows the attaching force to concentrate at points of advantage and forces the enemy to disperse his force to cover known and possible points of combat.
Mass does not always require numerical advantage. Forces effectively massed and supported can defeat larger numbers, particularly if the attacking force uses
surprise as well.
“Again, I tell you that if two or you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:19-20).”It’s been said that “God and one committed follower constitute a majority!” It does not take hundreds of Christians massed together to impact a friend or a workplace. One or two who are committed to the Lord and to one another can accomplish a lot. You don’t need to wait for huge groups of believers to form before you attempt to live as a Christian witness to others. God’s promise is for “two or three.” Of course, there is also benefit from periodically massing believers. There are times to be encouraged by a crowd of believers and times when only two or three are needed to accomplish God’s purpose.
Principles of War (Part Whatever) - Surprise
SURPRISE means to initiate action at a time, place, or in a manner that the enemy is neither prepared for nor expects. It is achieved through audacity, originality, innovation and timely execution. Surprise can decisively shift the balance of power, giving the attacking forces the advantage of seizing the initiative while forcing the enemy to react.
Surprise does not guarantee victory, bit it does give great advantage.
And they were completely flabbergasted, and that in a super-abundant degree which itself was augmented by the addition of yet more astonishment, saying, “He (Jesus) has done all things well (Mark 7:37a)!When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).
Jesus’ life and teaching were astonishing—He was not what people expected in a Messiah. He surprised people: The woman at the well was surprised the Jesus spoke to her; the woman caught in adultery was surprised that Jesus did not condemn her; Satan and his host were surprised when Jesus rose from the dead.
A true Christian will always be a surprise to the watching world, just as Peter and John astonished their peers. The world believes that Christians are simple, sad and rigid. When we live authentic, obedient lives, as Jesus did, we catch people by surprise. Satan tells the world lies about Jesus and His followers. As you live your life before the watching world, the reality of a true Christians’ life will amaze and attract others. Surprise is a powerful force in Christian warfare so don’t be afraid to use it.
A Great Day
Wasn't today a beautiful day? It was a wonderful day to enjoy God's creation. Of course, for me, that meant playing golf. For me, the two go hand-in-hand. You see, when I play golf I get to enjoy a wide range of God's creations--not only the beautiful green grass of the fairways, but I get close-up looks at His trees, His lakes, His sand, etc.
It's also a great time of fellowship (that's what I tell my wife when I go to play golf) with friends from Sunday School and church, among others.
The "fellowship" thing reminds me of another friend from church (no name to protect the guilty) from church who is an avid bass fisherman. He has named his bass boat, "Visitation." That way when he is in a bass tournament on Sunday instead of church and people ask him where he was, he always says, "I was on visitation."
Spiritual Warfare - Simplicity
The principle of
SIMPLICITY requires all commands, strategies, plans, tactics and procedures to be clear, simple and unencumbered. Simplicity promotes understanding, reduces confusion and permits easy execution. Simplicity seeks to reduce to a minimum words, equipment, procedures, and steps in order to reduce the total number of “moving parts” in the complex machinery of warfare.
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her "(Luke 10:41-42).Our lives easily become cluttered with activities and possessions, leaving us rich in things and poor in spirit and character. Christians need to periodically assess their level of clutter and distraction and make adjustments. Your life can get weighted down with activities, possessions and debt. You can fill your free time with commitments to things of little eternal value.
To live a victorious life in a complex world,
simplify your life and lighten your load. Be sure to know a simple, easy-to-understand presentation of the Gospel message. The Gospel is simple and powerful; don’t rob it of its power by making it complex and dull. Have a few clear goals for your physical and spiritual progress. Be very good at a few things rather than dabbling in many. Like Mary, consciously choose to do what is better.
Spiritual Warfare - Security (Defensive)
The next Principle of War I want to address is "
Security" (or Defensive).
To maintain offensive military action, fighting forces must be
defended from enemy attack. This involves gaining information about the enemy and ensuring that weak points are adequately defended.
SECURITY aims to protect forces from surprise action and to minimize losses. It is maintained only constant vigilance on the part of every warrior.
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).Even though we have a very real and potent spiritual enemy,
“… we are not unaware of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11)." Christians have the potential to win every engagement with their enemy. Victory depends on using the full armor of God and being empowered by God’s Holy Spirit. Why, then, do many Christians fail?
They fail because they ignore the principle of
security. They plan their own initiatives but fail to account for and protect against the attacks of the enemy. Christians who are cut off from fellowship or are out of communication with their Commander (Jesus Christ) are especially vulnerable to attack.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fail. (2 Peter 1:10).
Spiritual Warfare - Cohesion
COHESION is the immeasurable but very real force that holds the various elements of combat forces together in battle.
Cohesion flows from a single
objective and
unity of command. It comes from each combatant understanding and being committed to the plan and making every effort to coordinate his or her efforts with allied forces.
My brothers, some…have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided (1 Corinthians 1:11-13a)?The church, which is the Body of Christ, must practice cohesion. Jesus said that our love for one another would be the mark of a true disciple. The world will judge whether or not we are His disciples by the love we demonstrate for one another.
A new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34-35).Factions and schisms harm the testimony of Christ. Do you see any of these problems in your church? If so, you probably also see the result of those things on those outside the church. How many times have you talked to someone about Christ or coming to church only to hear the reply, “churches a filled with a bunch of hypocrites.” Christians must make every effort to coordinate their efforts and cooperate with other believers in their community.
Nothing harms the name of Christ as much as His disciples “leveling their guns” (sorry for the military phrase) at each other. If Christ is our supreme Commander and we are all in His army, we need to coordinate our actions with our allies.
Thinking About Death
I am going to take a break today from my series on Spiritiual Warfare and talk about death. This is not a fun or popular subject, but one that has been in the news quite a bit this past week. First, there was Terry Shiavo and then the Pope's worsening condition. This morning I got a phone call informing me of the death of a close friend and long-time Northwoods member.
Floyd Jaggears passed away this morning and my sympathy and prayers go out to his wife, Sybil, and the their family. Although we grieve and will miss Floyd, we can rejoice that he is now with our Lord and Savior. However, all this thinking about death really brings home the urgency of our earthly mission as Christians. We need to be doing everything we can to bring more people to salvation through Jesus Christ.
How many of us have friends and/or family who are truly good people, but are not Christians? It doesn't matter how good they are, but if they haven't been "saved" we are not going to be spending eternity with them. I am not smart enough to get into a really deep theological discussion, but I even wonder about the Pope!
There is no doubt that the Pope is a great man who loves God and has done a lot of good and I respect him and his conservative views. I also respect peoples' beliefs that are different than mine (i.e., in this case, Catholics). But, I truly believe that there is only one way to salvation and that is through Jesus Christ and that His death on the cross paid for my sins. Does the fact that Catholics believe that Jesus' death was not enough and that we also need good works to get to heaven mean that they are not saved? In watching the TV coverage on the Pope yesterday, one of the leaders of the Catholic church, in talking about the Pope, mentioned how he (the Pope) respected other religions because there are many ways to God. He also mentioned that through the Pope's suffering over the past several years, he has most likely "bought" many people out of pergatory. Can someone who believes these things truly be saved (according to evangelical Christians)?
Spiritual Warfare - Unity of Command
As I continue in my series of blogs on applying the centuries-old principles of war to spiritual warfare, today I will look at another vital principle--Unity of Command.
The principle of
UNITY OF COMMAND suggests that appropriate authority and responsibility be assigned to a single commander to bring unity to an assignment. It unites all forces in pursuit of a common goal.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-6).All Christians have one “Commander” – Jesus Christ. He is the one who gives direction to our lives. When Christians align their behavior, attitudes and speech with Jesus’ commands, the body of believers is unified.
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him (John 14:21).Examine your motives and actions to be sure you are not trying to usurp or undercut Jesus’ rightful authority over your life—He must lead and you must follow. Pattern your ministry after His—serving, ministering and sacrificing.
