lies and liars

Proverbs. 12:22 - The LORD detests lying lips. he delights in men who are truthful. See also Revelation 21:8; 21:27; 22:15. Let us see some forms of lies: 1. DISTORTION OF FACTS.
e.g 1. Gehazi 2 Kings. 5:20-27. 2. Ananias. Acts 5:1-11. You will find people lying about facts such as the level of their education, marital status, the time they leave their working place, if they have a child or not, residence, hospital bills and the next appointment, salaries, unpaid debts, secret financial support from people with some interest known to the person,etc 2. FAKING DESIRES AND INTERESTS. e.g 1. Saul to David. 1Sam. 18:17-28. 2.Delilah to Samson. Judges. 16:4-6;15-17.

RESULTS.
OF LYING:1. Attracts God's punishment and curse 2. Destroys relationships. 3. Destroys one's name. 4. May deny you opportunities. 5. Can destroy your work. 6. Will determine your final destiny - eternal separation from God.

OF NOT LYING: 1. Commands the blessing of God. 2. Builds relationships. 3. Builds trust and peace. 4. Can save life, property, a nation etc. 5. Will make your light more visible on earth.

Fw: [New post] Standing up to Emotional Terrorism in Churches

--- On Tue, 10/9/12, Restoring Kingdom Builders <comment-reply@wordpress.com> wrote: From: Restoring Kingdom Builders <comment-reply@wordpress.com> Subject: [New post] Standing up to Emotional Terrorism in Churches To: elijahmutua97@yahoo.com Date: Tuesday, October 9, 2012, 12:32 AM Jim Meyer posted: "A wise old pastor once warned me to avoid "the kiss of death." The kiss of death for a pastor isn't administered by a woman ... or a governing board ... or a government agency. No, the kiss of death occurs when a pastor resigns his position without" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Restoring Kingdom Builders Standing up to Emotional Terrorism in Churches by Jim Meyer A wise old pastor once warned me to avoid "the kiss of death." The kiss of death for a pastor isn't administered by a woman ... or a governing board ... or a government agency. No, the kiss of death occurs when a pastor resigns his position without anywhere else to go ... because when churches are looking for a pastor, they prefer to call one who is already serving in a church rather than one who is in secular work or unemployed. I nearly experienced the kiss of death in my second pastorate. The church I served as pastor was the result of a merger between two churches ... and I had led one of those churches. The church board and I went on a retreat in the mountains.  We evaluated the entire ministry, including ways to improve everything we did. This included the music ministry. The board agreed to allow a band of young men to play for our services on Sunday mornings and evenings. (The mother of the board chairman liked the band so much that when she died, she requested they play at her memorial service.) However, when we made this change, I warned the board in advance that some people weren't going to like it. And I was right. One middle-aged couple in particular became incensed about the music.  The wife refused to come to church.  Her husband eventually stayed home as well. One year later, this antagonist contacted my district minister to complain about me.  By this time, he had gathered together a small but vocal contingent of people who viewed me as the antichrist. One night, my district minister and I had a conversation in which he recommended that I resign to keep the peace in the church. However, the entire board had told me that if I resigned, they would all resign along with me ... leaving the church in the hands of the antagonists ... who didn't have a collective clue as to how to run a church. Fortunately, the board stood with me ... but the district leadership wilted. For years, this scenario has played itself out in thousands of churches: *The district leaders of a denomination hold a training time for pastors. *The pastors are encouraged to institute changes in their churches so they will grow numerically. *The changes always involve taking risks ... and such risk-taking always angers some attendees. *Those attendees who are angry about the changes don't speak directly with their pastor about their feelings. *Instead, they go around the pastor and form a faction inside the church designed to oust the pastor. *In the process, someone in their group calls the district minister and complains to him about the pastor, intimating that the pastor is so divisive and/or ineffective that he should be removed from office. *The district minister listens to the complainers, ends up taking their side, and then recommends that the pastor resign to keep peace in the church. That's exactly what happened to me 25 years ago. Here's the problem, however.  For any church to grow: *The pastor needs to assume leadership. *Leadership involves taking risks. *Risk-taking always provokes change. *Change always provokes anxiety and even anger. *And those reactions are always aimed at the leader ... in this case, the pastor. *If the pastor receives support from the church's governing board, he will survive and the church has the best chance for success. *The pastor also needs support from his "superior," whether that's a district minister or a bishop. *But if either the board or the district collapses on the pastor, he may be forced to resign. I've recently been reading an insightful and motivating book on denominational leadership at the district level. It's called Hit the Bullseye by former denominational executive Paul Borden. Borden says that district leaders need to become coaches for pastors, who need to become better leaders in their churches. And if this occurs, Borden writes about district leadership: "We are also willing to confront those congregations and congregational leaders (the emotional terrorists) who for years have chewed up pastors and spit them out.  We have confronted both pastors and congregations even though it has cost the region the loss of financial support." That last statement takes great courage to implement.  One of the reasons district leaders side with a church over against their pastor is to keep donations to the district flowing. Borden continues: "Finally, we are adamant about not letting the region be used to promote congregational triangulation, which allows laity to condemn pastors anonymously.  If any lay leaders call the region to complain about their pastor those leaders are told they must first confront their pastor before we will become involved in offering assistance, if that is required." Borden goes on to say that "congregational transformation will create tremendous conflict in dysfunctional, dying churches" and that "the worst thing that can happen in the midst of such conflict is mediation, since the conflict is more about the transfer of power and who will lead the congregation, than individuals or groups not being able to get along." Let me tell you one reason why so many churches aren't growing and so many pastors are ineffective. It's because pastors instinctively know that for a church to grow, they'll have to take risks ... and if they do, they may very well end up standing alone without any support ... because many Christian leaders will not stand up to emotional terrorism. Will you? Jim Meyer | October 8, 2012 at 5:32 pm | Tags: change in churches, church antagonism, denominational support of pastors, pastors and risk-taking | Categories: Change in the Church, Church Conflict, Conflict with Antagonists, Conflict with the Pastor, Pastoral Termination | URL: http://wp.me/p1dBN6-BK Comment    See all comments Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://blog.restoringkingdombuilders.org/2012/10/08/standing-up-to-emotional-terrorism-in-churches/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

Fw: [New post] Exaggerating a Leader’s Mistakes

--- On Mon, 10/1/12, Restoring Kingdom Builders <comment-reply@wordpress.com> wrote: From: Restoring Kingdom Builders <comment-reply@wordpress.com> Subject: [New post] Exaggerating a Leader's Mistakes To: elijahmutua97@yahoo.com Date: Monday, October 1, 2012, 10:57 PM Jim Meyer posted: "My first few years as a pastor, I wanted to quit every other Monday. And there were some people in my second church ministry who wanted to help that process along. One Saturday morning, our church held a workday.  We had a small gymnasium, and at " Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Restoring Kingdom Builders Exaggerating a Leader's Mistakes by Jim Meyer My first few years as a pastor, I wanted to quit every other Monday. And there were some people in my second church ministry who wanted to help that process along. One Saturday morning, our church held a workday.  We had a small gymnasium, and at the front of the gym were two rooms used for storage.  One room contained several boxes of hymnbooks that were so old even the rescue mission wouldn't take them.  They were at least three generations old ... and nobody, but nobody, wanted them. So I took the boxes and threw them in the church dumpster. I should have thrown them out after the workday, however, when no one else was around ... because my all-time greatest church nemesis (I'll call him Phil) discovered the hymn books in the dumpster even though I thought I had covered them up pretty well. Phil went around and told everybody ... not that I had thrown out the old hymnbooks ... but that I was throwing out the old hymns! Phil's charge simply wasn't true.  I grew up on hymns and love many of them to this day.  While our church was learning new praise songs at the time - this was the late 1980s - we still sang hymns all the time.  Phil wasn't comfortable with the changes I was making with our worship service, so he needed some issue against me. So he did what many pastoral antagonists do. Phil gathered a group around him, and they began writing down all kinds of things they didn't like about me. For one thing, they didn't like the short dresses worn by the wife of a band member.  One critic demanded that I put a stop to her sleazy attire.  But this woman was struggling with her faith and her marriage ... and I wasn't about to drive her away from the church by telling her how to dress. The group also attacked my wife, my nine-year-old son, and my six-year-old daughter for the flimsiest of reasons. But the coup de grace occurred when they read the church constitution and noticed that I recommended that the constitution be null and void after five years. Their conclusion?  After five years, I planned on taking over the church and running it as a dictatorship.  In other words, I would become the constitution! The truth is that I just wanted to force us to update our governing document every few years ... an idea I borrowed from Christian management guru Ted Engstrom. The group came up with a lot more charges against me ... most of which I mercifully cannot remember. But here's what I want you to know: they were almost all exaggerated. When an antagonist decides to attack a pastor, that person usually takes a flaw in the pastor's character or a mistake the pastor made and blows it up so the pastor looks evil. And one of the tipoffs is that the antagonist along with his/her group never talks to the pastor directly about their issue(s). What would happen if they did? Most likely, the pastor would offer an explanation that would neutralize or negate the charges. Because the antagonist cannot let the pastor interfere with his/her plan, the antagonist goes around the pastor and shares his charges with others as if they're fact ... and he/she has to exaggerate the charges to make the pastor look as bad as possible. And wonder of wonders ... a few people actually believe the overstated charges. This is the devil's modus operandi.  Isn't this the same tactic Satan used against Jesus? Jesus was accused by the Jews of blasphemy (because He called Himself the Son of God ... which He was) and by the Romans of sedition against the state (because Jesus admitted He was a king ... which He was) because they had only one king: Caesar. And the sad thing about exaggerating charges against someone is that it often works ... even though it's evil. Paul writes his ministry protege Timothy and urges him in 1 Timothy 5:19: "Do not listen to an accusation against an elder [includes pastors; see verse 17] unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses." In other words, if you're going to charge a pastor with wrongdoing, you better get it right ... because all of heaven is watching the process very carefully (5:21). Whenever you discuss someone's misbehavior, make sure you are as accurate as possible.  While you don't have to minimize misconduct, make sure you don't maximize it, either. And if you're ever going to get rid of the old hymnals, load them in the trunk of your car and throw them out at home. Jim Meyer | October 1, 2012 at 3:57 pm | Tags: church antagonists, criticizing a church leader, criticizing a pastor, exaggerating charges | Categories: Church Conflict, Conflict with the Pastor, Pastoral Termination | URL: http://wp.me/p1dBN6-BC Comment    See all comments Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://blog.restoringkingdombuilders.org/2012/10/01/exaggerating-a-leaders-mistakes/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

DOES A PERSON RISK TO LOSE EVERLASTING LIFE IF HE/ SHE SINS AFTER HAVING BEEN SAVED? LIFE

The answer to this important question is emphatic YES and NO.
NO if you have set your mind and heart to follow Christ. If you have done that and it happens that you have sinned, then most probably it will be an incidence and not a lifestyle. In such a case 1John 2:1-2 applies. ''My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the father in our defence- Jesus Christ., the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world''.NIV. You will notice  that John employs the language used in our court rooms. Jesus who experienced all the temptations and sufferings of this life and was able to overcome them without sin will have to show the reason why He believes that the temptation was in such a way, such a time and such a version that it was really tricky and hard for you to overcome. Remember there is no explanation that can be easy considering that He Himself overcame all.
YES. You risk losing everlasting  life even after being saved if you said a little prayer of confession and continued in your old lifestyle. Such a life shows that most probably you did not mean what you were saying and deciding. To such a person 2John verse 9 applies: ''Any one who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.''NIV. True repentance will always be like the story we read in the Bible of the prodigal son. When he accepted that he was wrong he did not continue doing wrong. He started down the road toward his father and home. Luke 15:11-32. True repentance is about turning from sin to Jesus Christ, from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to the power of God. The following bible readings shows beyond reasonable doubt that a believer should walk in holiness and newness of life after receiving Christ: Before salvation - Ephesians 2:1-3. After: Eph. 4:17-32, Rom.6:11-14,19,22. Rom.8:6-17, 8:31-38.; 11:19-22; 12:1,2,9-21. 1Cor.3:1-4,16; 5:11; 6:12-20; 9:24-27; 10:1-13; Gal.5:16-26; Php.4-49; Col.3; 1Thes.5:16-24; 1Tim.2:8; 4:1-15; Titus 2:6; Heb.10:26-. James 1:22-; 4:1-.; 1Pet. 3:8-.; 2Pet. 1:3-11. Read full 1st, 2nd and 3rd letters of John and Jude. These are a few scriptures among others that testifies to the truth of the question in discussion. Thank you and God bless and keep you.

Celebrating 1 Year Tomorrow. (1st Annivassary)

We actually had our first Service on 11/09/2011. Between 19/04/2012 and End/08/2012, We were waiting for official registration. We thank God for keeping us moving. Achievements: 1. We've been able to build a small hall for Worship services on a rented space. 2. We were able to have a church's postal address. 3. We have been able to carry out teachings in the church and through the social media. 4. We have created the awareness of the Church in the Estate and other places in various ways. 5. We were able to have the Church's books of account audited by qualified and registered auditors for the year  ended 31/12/2011 and gave the report to the Church. 6. We were able to pay returns to the govt. for the year ended 31/12/2011. 7. We were able to apply for and get the Church's KRA PIN Number. 7. We witnessed to people and 15 gave their life to Jesus Christ.

           CHALLENGES.
1. We have incurred a debt of about Ksh. 100, 000. ( money used to build the small hall, buy some forms to sit on, a few other things and Ksh. 2000 used monthly to pay rent for the hall) 2. We have had a very small number of attendance. - several Sundays only I and my wife were in the service. 3. We have not been able to pay the pastor and he has been forced to do work else where to support himself and his family. 4. We lacked money to carry out ministry - organize seminors, crusades, pamphlets, buy instruments, help the needy, educate society on matters of life in relation to the Word of God etc.

      HOPE IN DAYS TO COME.
We believe in God that as we begin the second year of ministry: 1.  We will witness to more people and many will be saved and some will commit to be full members in our Church. We also believe that God will send us mature people in the faith to serve with us. 2. We will have more desiring and getting involved in leadership. 3. God will bless us financially so as to enable us do those things that needs money. 4. God will anoint us and grant us favor in His eyes and before people near and far. 4. We will continue to fulfill the Church's vision, Mission and Objectives. 5. We will continue to have the Word of God as our final Authority in matters of life and faith and that we will continue to up-hold the rule of the Church's Constitution. Feel free to join us, partner with us, support us, pray for us etc

Freedom

We Know we are free when we can start individual initiatives, delay gratification, involve in self-interested hard work, take individual responsibility, accept that what God teaches is Truth and nothing can hinder us from obeying Him.

Word For Today

Jesus may come any time from now, or you may die any time from now. If any of the above happened in an instant, will you be in a position to face your Creotor and Saviour with confidence - fully knowing that you trusted in Jesus and lived His Word?

LEARN TO WAIT

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.  Psalm 27:14

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.  Psalm 33:20

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Psalm 37:7

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.  Psalm 40:1

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.  Psalm 130:5

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for him!  Isaiah 30:18

Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:31

THIS THING CALLED SALVATION

Most people both Christians and non Christians have heard about the central Message of the Bible - Forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God and to fellow mankind. But who has sinned and what is sin are some of the questions they ask. Let's here What God has to tell us: 1. All have sinned. Rom.3:23. If they will not follow the regulations laid by God to rescue them they will have to pay for their sin through death, both physical, spiritual and eternally be separated from God.Rom 5:17. 2 What is sin? Shortly, Sin is doing against the perfect will of God as revealed in His Word. (accepting Jesus as the atonement of our sins, living a holy life and repenting in case we have failed and continue in faith and  holiness) James 4:17; 1John 3:4. 3 What is so bad about sin? Rom. 6:23; Isa.59:2 
                                                REMEDY.
1 Peter 3:18
John      3:16
John    14:6
                                       YOUR RESPONSE

   You may obediently accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you will be saved. To accept Jesus as Lord means making Him master of your life. You think, do and believe according to His Word and teaching. If you refuse Him then unfortunately, it becomes a sad story when He returns or you die having not accepted Him. Rom.10:9-10; John 1:2.

                                   AFTER SALVATION
1. You have the assurance of salvation. John 14:20; Colosians 2:13-14; 1John 5:13
2.Love God and fellow man, Have a good relationship with God and fellow man, Keep a life-long commitment. Ephesians 1:4-5; Colosians 2:6-7.
3.Pray continually. Phillipians 4:6.
4.Live as per the Word. 2Timothy 3:16.
5.Check your lifestyle. John 14:15; Philipians 2:13
6.Resist Temptations 1Corinthians 10:13
7.Walk in the Holy Spirit. John 14:26
8.If you mess up, repent and make it not a habit. 1John 1:9.
9.Fellowship with others. Hebrews 10:25
10.Share your testimony and the gospel. Romans1:16
11.Memorize verses. Ephesians 6:17
12.Remember your life-long goal i.e To be like Christ. Philipians 1:6; Psalms 119:105.
                     OTHER TOPICS TO STUDY
Get into a good Christian Church/ Fellowship and have a deep study of the Word of God. The best way to do it is to identify a congregation through Prayer and general guidance in the Word of God and commit yourself as a full member as opposed to going into this church this Sunday and into another the following Sunday. Among others the leadership must have a plan of covering topics such as: Belief, Bible, Church, Death, Devil, Faith, Forgiveness, Future, God, Gospel, Grace, Heaven, Hell, Holy Spirit, Jesus,  Giving, Life, Some information on other World Religions, Spiritual Gifts, Prosperity, Temptation, Suffering, Family, Holiness, Citizenship - in our particular countries and heavenly citizenship, Work, Leisure, Stewardship etc.
     To cover all these and the many, many more teachings of the Bible requires time. I would urge you to try to get time as an individual, as a group and as a congregation for such studies. Christians cannot change and cannot change the world unless after believing in Christ they commit themselves to deep Study of the Word of God and apply the teachings there in to our day to day living through the help of the Holy Spirit. God bless you and keep you.

                  

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM

The GOSPEL TRUTH The Oberlin Evangelist. August 27, 1845 SEEKING THE KINGDOM OF GOD FIRST Sermon by Prof. Finney. Reported by The Editor   "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." --Matthew 6:33.   The Jews were greatly mistaken in respect to the nature of that kingdom which their Messiah was to set up. They expected a kingdom like the kingdoms of this world, invested with earthly splendor, fitted to aggrandize their nation, and minister to their national pride. Christ sought to undeceive them. He told them that his kingdom did not come with outward show--that it must be within men, and that it was not of this world. He would have them understand that it was spiritual, and not temporal; demanding the homage of the heart, and not the pomp and pageant, so commonly rendered to royalty. The simple idea of this kingdom is that Christ himself reigns in the hearts of his people, securing the perfect submission of the will, and the consecration of every power to himself. Thus his kingdom is within; it is invisible. It puts on no outward glare. In the hearts of men he writes his laws by his Spirit, and thus rules over them to deliver them from Satan and sin, and translate them into his own kingdom of peace and love. The subjects of this Kingdom are shut up to no particular location. Each in the sphere where providence has called him to reside and to his master's will, may there be truly a member of this invisible kingdom. Christ may be reigning over him, and he may be indeed a subject and a citizen of this kingdom of God. This is the kingdom we are required in our text to seek. To seek it, implies that we seek to belong to it--seek to know Christ's will and to do it--seek to be recognized by Christ as one of his subjects, and seek to promote the interests of this kingdom, as all true subjects of any kingdom do, and should do if the government deserves their support. He who truly seeks first the kingdom of God, seeks to be as really and perfectly governed by Christ now, as the holy in Heaven are. He would have Christ living and reigning within him so that every thought shall be brought into obedience. We are required, not only to seek the kingdom of God, but also "his righteousness." The original word here rendered righteousness, is sometimes rendered justification. The radical idea seems to be simply this--being right with God--coming into a state of acceptance with him. This we know must in our case include both the free pardon of past sin and the being sanctified so that we are not actually sinning. So long as his law condemns us for unpardoned sin, or so long as we are actually sinning, it would be monstrous to suppose that God can accept us as righteous, and that we are right in his sight. Hence, when the righteousness of God as in our text, is spoken of as a thing for us to seek, it must include both pardon and sanctification. The command to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first, enjoins upon us to treat this subject as of absolute and supreme importance. This must be the great business of our lives. Nothing else is allowed to have any practical importance compared with this. The injunction--seek God's kingdom first, implies that we seek it first in point of time. It should be the first thing attended to. It is not merely to be admitted as of first importance, but should really be put first in point of time. The first thoughts of each morning should be given to it. And whenever God's word, or his providence brings before our mind the invitations or the claims of this kingdom, we are to remember that now is the accepted time. Now, first in order, before any thing else, let the concerns of your soul with the kingdom of God and his righteousness have the first regard. It is also implied that we seek this kingdom with supreme earnestness. This is fully involved in the points just spoken of. We are required to agonize to enter in at the strait gate--to press hard for entrance, with the greatest earnestness, and the most strenuous efforts. Let the soul be indeed in agony to carry the point and make sure of admission into the kingdom of God. To the same purport are very many passages which I might quote from the Scriptures, all going to show that God requires us to seek with all our hearts, to lay out the utmost strength of our souls, if we would successfully resist the devil, and really break the chains of sin, and secure so great a treasure as eternal life. It is also implied that we seek the kingdom of God with perseverance. We must press on till we obtain. This is the great business of life--to get back from revolt, to obedience--from our state of rejection, cast out from God, to a state of acceptance, where we shall be sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. Then let us persevere in seeking the whole of this change until it be completely effected. The nature of the case demands such perseverance. The blessings within reach are too great and precious to be lost for want of perseverance in the pursuit. They will amply reward you for a whole life of most earnest seeking. Again, the kingdom of God would be the object of supreme engrossment. You must bring all your powers into action. Your intellect must be thoroughly awake--your sensibility to the claims of truth must be all alive, and your will must act with inflexible decision. Absolutely your whole mind must be aroused to its utmost exertion. Still again, the command implies that every thing else must be postponed to this. The spirit of the precept demands that every thing else be thrown into the back-ground, and this be placed foremost of all. When Christ was upon earth, he admitted no apology for delay--would allow nothing to interpose between the soul, and its present duty. On a certain occasion, Christ called a man to follow himself. The man replied, "Suffer me first to go and bury my father." No, said Christ, "leave the dead to bury their dead"--the dead in sin to bury the natural dead--"but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." One might suppose that if any circumstances would justify delay, these would. God has said, "Honor thy father;" and the instinctive feelings of propriety, as well as respect for the dead are wont to secure a prompt regard to these last offices which we can pay to the departed. Shall we then forsake a father's burial, and leave to others, yea to wicked men, these last obsequies? Yea, let the dead bury their dead; thou hast a call from God--go thou and preach his kingdom. But "let me go first and bid them farewell which are at home in my house." No; said Christ, ["]no man putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." Now it is plain that our Savior puts these strong cases for the very purpose of enforcing strongly this point--that nothing else whatever may be placed before prompt obedience to this great precept, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." The spirit of the text requires that every thing shall be promptly sacrificed that comes in competition with this. Let nothing else come up to crowd this aside; seek this first; make this your present business; if your father is dead, no matter, attend to this; cut off your right hand if it interfere with this work--make any sacrifice whatever which needs to be made in order to your successful prosecution of this great work of seeking first the kingdom of God. No consideration whatever may be allowed to divert the mind from this subject. To this command Christ has annexed a promise. This next claims our attention. You will observe that the condition of this promise is, "Seek first the kingdom of God;"--as if he had said "If you will seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, you shall have all these earthly things of which he had been speaking. You shall be fed as surely as I feed the ravens, and clothed as well as I clothe the lilies. You need not be anxious for these things. It is my business to provide them. Mark the lilies of the field; how they grow--they toil not--they spin not; yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. And if God so gloriously attires the grass which grows only for a day, and is burnt tomorrow, will he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" ["]Therefore, be not anxious about these earthly things. Let the Gentiles who know not their Father on high, seek after these things anxiously--but remember that your Father knows your wants and will take care to supply them. Only, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Consider also that your anxieties about these things can do no good. Which of you by ever so much anxiety can add to his stature one cubit? We are to understand this promise as including all that is necessary for us, either in time or eternity. The connection however, shows that Christ had principal reference to provisions for our earthly wants. He knows what these wants are. He formed the constitution which creates them; and he passed through this very state of physical want himself. He understood how strong the tendencies of our minds are to excessive anxiety about the requisite supply. Hence he says--I will take away from you all apology for neglecting the things of My kingdom--you shall have no excuse for not making religion the chief thing; let it be your first business--first in point of time--first in your esteem--first in the earnestness with which you seek it; then trust me to make up all the other things that you need. Do My business and I will do yours. Take care of My kingdom--throw your whole soul into its interests, and I will supply your physical wants. Do your duty as I enjoin it, and I will be responsible for these lesser things. It is very easy to see that for Christ to take this course, and require us to seek the kingdom of God first is very reasonable, even though he had annexed no promise; because, 1. It is of supreme importance to us that we should attend to these spiritual things. The infinite well-being of the soul depends upon it. 2. The time is so short: and the fact that we know not how short it is, renders it indispensable that we should attend to it immediately. Life is so uncertain that we can place no dependence upon the prospect of doing another day what we put over from this. "Who knoweth what a day may bring forth?" 3. Another consideration: Every hour's delay makes success more doubtful, and your peril of damnation more portentous. Your heart will be more hardened, temptations will have gained more power, and a mightier struggle will be demanded ere victory can be sure. 4. If you neglect but for one moment too long, it will be fatal. There is a moment beyond which if you neglect seeking the kingdom of God, you can never attend to it with success thereafter. If you wait beyond that point, no mercy remains; the door of heaven is shut against you; your damnation is certain. We cannot know where this point is. It may be this hour, this moment. This sinner, may be your last opportunity. If so, how important that Christ should require you to seek salvation now! And how vital that you should heed and obey the call! 5. Unless the subject is treated as of supreme importance, it is of no use to attend to it at all. Some persons attend to it just enough to make their damnation as certain as it can possibly be made, and as dreadful. Let one attend just enough to quiet his conscience and lull his fears--just enough to keep the truth before his mind and learn to resist it--just enough to habituate himself to resist the claims of God and do despite to the Spirit of grace; he is in the worst condition possible. He is commonly decent enough to prevent being aroused and alarmed by his own open wickedness. He does nothing that shocks his own moral sense and startles him from his deep lethargy; so he moves along waxing daily worse and worse, till he wakes at last in hell. Now it were better for this man to let the subject entirely alone than to attend to it in this sleepy, profitless, heart-hardening way. It is better also for the sake of others that he should let the subject alone than give it only such attention; for he will greatly stumble others and lead them down to perdition. His example induces others to follow him; and if his course is the most ruinous that can be for himself, so will it be for his followers. But it was in view of this very influence that Christ said of some, "I would that thou wert cold or hot; because thou are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth." Christ therefore prefers that you would let the subject entirely alone, rather than attend to it just enough to quiet your fears, evade conviction, harden your heart, induce others to ruin, and never do your duty. 6. The supreme importance of the subject would render Christ's command in the text more reasonable even without the annexed promise. For even if we were to suffer the want of bread and the worst pinchings of poverty, this were infinitely better than to lose the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Therefore, it must be wise to seek the kingdom of God first. It would be supreme folly to grasp the lesser good so eagerly as to lose that which is infinitely greater. How much more now, since to him who seeks first God's kingdom, the promise is given--all these things shall be added unto thee. Indeed we have no reason left us for neglecting obedience to this great and good command. My main object in this discourse is to bring before you, and illustrate several REMARKS. 1. The command and promise in our text strongly illustrate God's great care for our souls. If God had no care for us, or but little care for us, he would not use so much effort to urge us to secure salvation. Why is it that God reiterates these commands so incessantly, giving line upon line, and precept upon precept? Only because he would awaken and urge us to those efforts which our case demands. But especially I ask, Why does God append to his commands to great and precious promises? He knows our circumstances. He sees how great our wants are, and how many, and therefore he says--your soul is in danger and will be lost if you suffer your chief attention to be engrossed in cares for earthly things. I entreat you, therefore, to take care of your soul, and I will see to your physical wants. Do you by all means seek first my kingdom and righteousness, and I will see that your "bread shall be given and your water shall be sure." This is just like an infinite Father. It is as if a father should come out from the East to visit his son in Ohio, and should find him almost worn down with toil, laboring hard to get in his wheat and his hay that he might feed his family and pay his debts;--but his great labor and care are crushing his health and putting his very life in peril. See, he raises blood, and his cold night sweats but too plainly show that he must change his course and get relief, or his wife is a widow and his babes are orphans. The father sees all this in an instant. My son, he says, attend first to your precious health and do all you can to restore it and prolong your life; I will take care of your hay and your wheat; I will see that all the other things you need shall be added if you will only secure your precious life. So he writes home to his distant family that they need not expect him home again for a long time yet;--he finds business with his son of more importance than anything else can be. Now this would be a striking case of parental sympathy and interest--just such a case as we have in our text of the parental care of our great Father for our salvation. 2. The disinterestedness of God is very affectingly manifested in this command and promise. What would you say of a father who should do as I have just represented? Just leave all care of your business to me, he says to his son; go at once into your house and take your bed as much as your health needs; and he sends home to the dear ones there that they must forego the pleasure of seeing him for some months yet, for here are other interests not his own which his heart will not allow him to leave neglected; this father you would say manifested a most admirable degree of disinterested affection. You might perhaps naturally expect all this of one who was really a father, yet it would show that indeed he had a father's heart. So of God. In making these provisions for supplying our earthly wants and in taking from our minds the burden of earthly cares, he has shown himself a God of love. That he should be so careful to urge us up to duty and to remove all hindrances so that nothing need divert or interrupt us--this indeed shows us a God full of goodness and rich in love. 3. To refuse to be diverted from God's service by worldly cares and to give our whole heart to the Lord, is the only way to make sure of earthly good. If any of you would make sure of whatever temporal good you need, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Then you shall have a promise which is infinitely more secure than any stocks or deposits in all the land. It will be safe to trust God. He who makes the rain and the sunshine; he who clothes the lilies and feeds the young ravens, knows how to reach your wants and fulfil his own promises. He cannot lack either the resources or the will. 4. Unbelief urges a very different course from this. Unbelief always professes to be sorely afraid of tempting God by neglecting temporal matters. So much afraid is it of overdoing this thing of having faith in God's explicit promises! Now it cannot be doubted that the Savior meant to rebuke this unbelief and urge strongly the duty of casting all our care upon God, only taking care on our part that we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. He meant to show us that we have no room for fear about earthly good, provided we take all due care of our souls and of all the things of his kingdom. And this was in our Lord a most wise and beneficent foresight. For who does not know that for one reason or for another, almost all persons are excusing themselves for neglecting the soul. The student must study. Most certainly, and without doubt, he must now get his lessons. What! do you call him away from his lessons to seek the kingdom of God first! What! he cries out, shall I not lose my education if I listen to such a call? Now is my harvest time--now is the time to cultivate my mind--I came here to study--it were a pity if I may not get my lessons first, and seek the kingdom of God when I have a convenient season! Yet let me say here that ever so much proper attention to religion can never be any loss to us. It never robs us of other things which are really better. The student who seeks first the kingdom of God rationally, will not need to neglect any useful study. He cannot lose any thing on the whole by putting each and all things in their proper places, and giving to each its due measure of attention. The wise-minded student may not know so much of Shakespeare or of Byron--may have less to do with Homer or with Virgil; but he will not therefore fail of learning the things that are most useful. I do not hesitate to say that the student who shall obey this precept will come out ahead of all his fellow-students who disobey it; he will not be an intellectual drone, a lounging idler, only half awake to the value of knowledge, and only half alive to pursue it. No, his mind will apprehend the value of truth and will press forward with quenchless longings to attain it. Hence his mind will move under such impulses and be encompassed with such an atmosphere of light that he will be a better man, will have more of all useful knowledge, and will have a better balanced mind than any of his associates who seek first something else and not God's kingdom. The same may be said of men of any condition in life--of those who till the ground--of those who fill the shop, or move behind the counter. Let a man any where obey this precept; you will find that his temporal wants will be supplied. He may not get so rich or get rich so fast or by such means as shall load himself down too much to run the Christian race at all--so much as to crush himself down to hell--this may not be his course, but he will have all real good. 5. Every thing really valuable must be lost by disobeying this command. If a man neglects the kingdom of God, nothing which he can obtain is really valuable to him. Suppose he gets an education. This will only aggravate his final condemnation. I wonder if this is usually understood. Do these young men and young women understand this principle? It is plain and undeniable. Our future happiness and misery will be as our mental cultivation and as the development of our intelligence. The more mental power and the wider range of views we have, the larger is the scope for bitter reflection, and the keener the pangs of self-reproach and remorse in that world where the wicked become their own worst tormentors. Did you ever consider what Byron's state of mind must have been when he spent whole nights in writing poems to save his soul from the unutterable agonies of reflection upon himself--to keep himself from rolling in hell while he yet lived upon the earth! And do you ask, why was this? Because his mind was highly cultivated, and its original endowments were of the very first order--because he saw truth and its relations clearly, and felt its force deeply--and therefore could not bear the terrible reactings of such mental powers when they turned in upon his soul to scourge and lash himself as the guiltiest being on earth. In mental power and in self-inflicted torment too, he is like the devil. Perhaps one more like the devil never trod the earth. Sinner, if you don't mean to serve God, I advise you to be as near an idiot as possible. Keep away from knowledge; go beyond the Rocky Mountains--go and fish for whales--shut off every flashing ray of light you can--contract your mind within the narrowest possible compass; don't seek knowledge unless you mean to pile up a mass of fuel that shall burn your soul forever. Keep away from knowledge and mental cultivation. What have you to do with an expanded mind, and sharpened intellect? It will only inflict the keener stings of remorse and furnish you the more scope for everlasting self-torment. I said, nothing is valuable to you unless you mean to seek first the kingdom of God. Every enjoyment, even life itself, is a curse to him who is treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath. Every abused mercy augments that fearful treasure of wrath. The sooner you stop eating and drinking and breathing the better. "Every beating pulse you tell" will rise up in the judgment against you to swell the evidence of your great guilt in not seeking life when God besought you to live. It were better for you not to have lived at all unless you seek first the blessing of God and eternal life. Hence, if you neglect to seek first the kingdom of God in pretense of seeking other good first, you are infinitely mistaken. You will lose the good you seek, and also the greater good you would not seek but should have sought. Let me tell that student who neglects the kingdom of God and drives his studies that he may keep up with his class or keep before them; that he drives on upon his own ruin. The good you seek to gain will be an infinite curse to you. If it should prove a blessing, it must be in spite of God's threatened curses; and surely you ought to know that it is a vain thing to fight against God. Surely whom the Lord blesses is blessed, and whom the Lord curses is cursed. You will find it so. 6. Again, it is plainly implied that if we seek first the kingdom of God, we shall not only have these other things promised, but have the kingdom of God too. Certainly our Lord meant to imply that we should have the very thing we seek first. 7. If we really obey this command, it will be manifest in all the arrangements of our common life. Observe a business man who obeys this command. He never takes upon himself any business which must crowd out a proper attention to religion. You will see in all his arrangements, that he makes provision for religious duties as much as he makes provision to eat his daily meals. When did you ever know a man lay out his business so as to reverse no time for his daily food and nightly sleep? Go into any house and you see provision made for sleeping and eating. You will see perhaps articles of food and means of cooking it. You will say--well, these people expect doubtless to eat and to sleep. This enters into their arrangements. So of every man who means to seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness. Whatever his principle business is, you will see his arrangements made accordingly. So long as he has his reason, he never can make his arrangements for his time so as to leave his principal business unprovided for. If his principal business be to seek the kingdom of God, everything will be shaped accordingly. He will no sooner fail to do this than fail to make his family arrangements for eating and sleeping. But let us go into that student's room. We can probably learn what he is seeking first. The door opens; we pass along in; there are his books; there lies Byron and Shakespeare; let us look for his Bible. Aye, his Bible is not there; we look for it on the table, for possibly he keeps it there and goes to it regularly for his spiritual bread--but no, it is not there. Look under his pillow. Alexander the Great is said to have slept always with his Homer under his pillow--but not so with this student. You find no Bible there. At last it is found in the bottom of his trunk. It has not been opened since his mother put it there on the very day he left that home of his childhood. It was his mother who put it there we know; for see, she has marked many passages with her tears. O, she did hope this dear son would ponder and learn to love those blessed pages. With what throes of heart, such as none but a parent feels, did she send him away and commit him to her own Father and Savior. O, has he forgotten all a mother's prayers? But perhaps the Bible has been taken out of his trunk, but has lain on his shelf unmoved until the dust has coated it over--a witness against him that he heeds not the words of eternal life. Or you find it at last on his table, but under his Cicero and a huge pile of newspapers and novels--ah, that youth is not seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. His arrangements are not made at all for this end. But there is another scene. Here is a student's Bible worn with much and constant use--wet with many tears--Oh, how often has his soul been feasted as with angel's food from those exceeding great and precious promises! It is said of one of the Apostles that after his death his knees were found to be callous from his frequent and long-continued kneeling in prayer. So it might be with you if you were really given to prayer and mighty wrestlings with God. 8. When persons are really engaged about their souls, they will not suffer themselves to be placed in circumstances so engrossing as to be crowded away from seeking God supremely. They would dread such a state worse than death. 9. Many hold this truth in theory who after all utterly deny it in practice. Almost every body will admit that we ought to seek first the kingdom of God, and that religion is the supreme business of life; yet how almost constantly is this denied in practice? As I have kept my eye upon the course of things in this community, I have seen almost every thing crowded in here to draw men away from God. The students get up society after society to cultivate the intellect;--but where are the societies got up to cultivate the heart? If all were right here, should we not see a different course of things; should we not see something crowded in almost everywhere to make the heart better--to awaken religious feeling and arouse attention to religious truth, and carry abroad a religious influence over all hearts. O, if this truth were really believed, we should see it reduced to practice by the students and by all the church, let their vocation be what it may. But now we see a great many students constantly pressed--full of engrossing business and wasting care--and why? What are they doing? Are they making ceaseless efforts to promote their own or others spirituality? Their efforts surely are ardent and vigorous enough to lead you to suppose so. O, if such were only the fact! But judging from the actual life of many of these students, one would suppose that Christ had said--Seek first to get your lessons--seek first to master your Algebra or your Latin. And the course of things in the business community is such as it might rightly be if Christ had said--Seek first to get your business done in good time and in the most perfect manner;--first see to it that your crops are duly sown and timely gathered; then shall all needful things be added to you. Such is a very common state of things in this community. It is such also with many of the students, but not with all as I am happy to know. There are some here who show that their hearts are upon the Zion of God. But having made these exceptions, the rest seem to live as if Christ had said to the student--Get your studies first, and you shall lose nothing in point of spirituality. The fact is, if we are ever going to be seriously and thoroughly pious, we must make all our arrangements accordingly. Wherever you see a man thoroughly pious, you see a man who in fact does make all his arrangements with a view to this great object. He will not let labor or business of any kind interfere with his going to meeting, when he can go without fearing to displease God by neglecting some other apparent duty. His seasons of prayer are too precious to be lost. He cannot on any account forego the pleasure of meeting with God a few times at least each day. He is conscious that he needs to be strengthened daily with might in the inner man. Hence he cannot live without prayer. 10. No Institution can do much to bless the world unless it practically sets religion foremost. I mean what I say--practically; not in theory only, but in practice. An Institution which takes some other practical ground, may make students intellectual--may train them well enough for the bar or for medicine; but students so trained, must suffer fearfully in their spirituality, and if they go into the ministry, they can do little indeed to promote the salvation of souls. They cannot have power without deep piety, and they cannot have this unless they seek it first. The first place is its only right place. Make piety a secondary thing in any Institution, and the Spirit of God feels himself dishonored, and cannot bless. Oh, brethren, let us anchor this Institution fast to this only right principle--religion the chief concern--seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Return to 1845 Index Page   Copyright (c)1999, 2000. Gospel Truth Ministries Wish to Copy a File? READ THIS HOME | FINNEY LIFE | FINNEY WORKS | TEXT INDEX | SUBJECT INDEX | GLOSSARY | BOOK STORE This file is CERTIFIED BY GOSPEL TRUTH MINISTRIES TO BE CONFORMED TO THE ORIGINAL TEXT. For authenticity verification, its contents can be compared to the original file at www.GospelTruth.net or by contacting Gospel Truth P.O. Box 6322, Orange, CA 92863. (C)2000. This file is not to be changed in any way, nor to be sold, nor this seal to be removed.

Fw: [New post] Selecting a Church’s Governing Leaders, Finale

--- On Fri, 8/10/12, Restoring Kingdom Builders <comment-reply@wordpress.com> wrote: From: Restoring Kingdom Builders <comment-reply@wordpress.com> Subject: [New post] Selecting a Church's Governing Leaders, Finale To: elijahmutua97@yahoo.com Date: Friday, August 10, 2012, 10:33 PM Jim Meyer posted: "The single greatest human indicator of a pastor's success in a church is his relationship with the governing board. A pastor can be a visionary ... and a great Bible teacher ... and an insightful counselor ... and a superb administrator ... but if he" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Restoring Kingdom Builders Selecting a Church's Governing Leaders, Finale by Jim Meyer The single greatest human indicator of a pastor's success in a church is his relationship with the governing board. A pastor can be a visionary ... and a great Bible teacher ... and an insightful counselor ... and a superb administrator ... but if he does not work well with the board, his ministry will go nowhere. For most of my ministry life, the boards I served with let me know they were there to support my vision for the church ... although they reserved the right to tell me when I was suffering from temporary insanity. But if a pastor wants to take a church in one direction, and the board wants to go in a different direction, the eventual aftermath will be heartbreaking for everybody involved. This is why the selection process for church leaders is so crucial. How should the process be managed? *The selection process should begin months before leaders are approved.  If you wait to the last minute to select leaders, you will pay for it by securing people who are available but not necessarily competent. *Nominations can come from the congregation, a nominating team, the board itself, or the pastor.  However it's done, you can't allow yourself to be pressured by lobbying.  I've found that the best people are initially reluctant to serve and that some who appear eager just want power. *There needs to be some kind of vetting process for each nominee, including a criminal background check.  Some churches require the written approval of a supervisor at work and/or people in the community (consistent with 1 Timothy 3:7) as well. *I don't know how far to push this, but the pastor needs to have access to the giving records of all prospective board candidates, especially if the board oversees church finances.  You cannot allow someone on the board who does not give generously to the church.  Board members need to set a financial example and they can't be managing tens of thousands of dollars when they haven't invested in their own local ministry. Besides, giving is always an indicator of a person's spiritual temperature. I once read that about half of all pastors know how much the people in their church give every week, and that half do not.  (Some pastors come into the office on Monday and the giving records from the weekend are already on their computer.)  While I was one of those pastors who never wanted to know (and never did know) how much people gave, I would make one exception: the pastor has to know that any prospective board member is already a generous giver ... or that person should be dropped from consideration as a board candidate. Why?  Because when financial times are tough, the non-giving board member will insist that staff be laid off ... or missions be cut back ... or outreach ministries be decimated ... because that person has already established that they are not going to reach down and give more to the ministry ... because nobody knows what they give, right? *Before board members are officially approved, the pastor and/or chairman should sit down with each candidate and let them know what is expected of them in writing ... and the board member should be willing to sign a document to that effect. *I believe that if a church votes on/ratifies its board members, the percentage necessary for election should be high.  In fact, I believe it should be the same percentage that a senior pastor candidate has to receive (usually 75%). When I was still a teenager, I was selected to count the votes for elders and deacons at my church two years in a row.  Out of 95 votes cast the first year, one man had 20 votes against him.  The second year, one man had 11 votes against him.  Since a simple majority was all that was required for election, both men were put into office ... and both men later crashed and burned morally.  I always felt that the people who voted against those men knew something they weren't sharing. However, my former church in Phoenix never votes on elders.  The board nominates three men every year, and their brief biographies are placed in the program.  Then the men are introduced in each worship service, and the congregation is encouraged to write down how they feel about the nominees.  If you think they should be elders, or you have reservations, you can write those down ... and I assume someone follows up those responses.  (The basis for this process is Titus 1:5 where Paul tells Titus to appoint - not elect - elders in every city.) *I do not believe that a staff member ... with the possible exception of an executive pastor ... should sit on a church board.  If the pastor supervises the staff, as in most churches ... and the board supervises the pastor ... how can a staff member be put in the position of supervising the pastor?  When the staff member is having problems with the pastor, the staffer will inevitably share his concerns with a board member, who may very well take the staffer's side against the pastor ... a classic recipe for a major conflict. This scenario blurs the lines of accountability.  Who supervises whom? I've tried it both ways, and believe that allowing a staff member to sit on the church board will eventually result in one of two scenarios: either the staff member will align himself with the board and push out the pastor, or the pastor will align himself with the board and push out the staff member. *There needs to be some kind of an installation service for new board members ... maybe with former board members laying hands on them and praying for their ministry. *The board needs to find a way to report to the church on a regular basis about what they're doing, whether orally or in writing.  A board that isn't accountable will cloak things in secrecy by claiming that everything is confidential. Whenever I placed a priority on the selection of governing leaders, the ministry went forward at a steady pace. But whenever I neglected to select leaders carefully, the board, the church, and their pastor paid a heavy price. Your thoughts? Jim Meyer | August 10, 2012 at 3:33 pm | Tags: selecting church leaders, selecting elders, voting on church leaders | Categories: Church Conflict, Conflict with Church Board, Conflict with the Pastor, Pastoral Termination | URL: http://wp.me/p1dBN6-Ao Comment    See all comments Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://blog.restoringkingdombuilders.org/2012/08/10/selecting-a-churchs-governing-leaders-finale/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com