OUT OF THE BOX

Dear Pastor Friends This article is primarily written for pastors and church leaders. I am sharing some relevant thoughts related to church growth. I am not claiming to be an experienced expert. I am not saying, “Follow me.” I am simply sharing some perceptions I have had over recent years. I am not giving the answers, but hopefully giving some questions that may inspire some of us to be more receptive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. It is God’s favor that establishes and builds a sure house. I remember years ago looking at the church we had planted. I thought, “This is solid. God has given us some great people. This will stand firm.” Then something happened that caused me to realize that whatever we have built, no matter how great it seems to be, is like a dandelion in the wind apart from the grace of God. We are always on the verge of keeping it all and losing it all. There is something spiritual that holds things together. And the building process itself should be spiritual. What we ...

DEALING WITH STUMBLES AND FAILURES PETER'S EXAMPLES "Get thee behind me, Satan" -Matthew 16: 16-17, 22-23 We learn through our mistakes if we remain humble, teachable, and entreatable. At one moment Peter received a great revelation from the Father; the next moment he was influenced by the enemy. In one moment he was praised for his insight; the next moment he was rebuked for speaking without knowledge. Experiences such as these helped Peter to grow in discernment. If Peter and the other disciples had to learn through their mistakes, how much more should we expect to do the same? Instruction and discipline are the way of life. We should not be surprised and ashamed when we need them. "Lord, let us build three tabernacles..." -Luke 9: 33 Peter stood in the glory of God and, even there, spoke foolishly. He wanted to build tabernacles to Moses and Elijah. The Father had to silence him and move Peter's focus back to Jesus. It is a mistake to think a person is i...

"Arise, shine, for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." Isaiah 60:1-3 . THIS GENERATION THE FIERCE SOCIETY The following quote from “Minute Man News” gives a current example of the thin line between civilized and savage in its comments on the behavior of passengers on the cruise ship that lost power on the Gulf of Mexico a few years ago. “But what is interesting and terrifying...is how quickly this situation started looking like the Lord of the Flies. Just like what happened in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. People started acting like wild animals. And this will keep happening. The ready availability of abundant resources has given all of us the illusion that we are in fact civilized. But the reality is that the...

  SUBSTANCE...OR STYLE? Religious people often substitute ritual and ceremony for real relationship with the Lord Himself. People who are short on intimacy with Jesus seem to find security in the outward forms. An organization can do the same thing. It is interesting that God gave Israel a portable tabernacle long before He gave them a stone temple. In Israel’s journey across the wilderness they had to follow the cloud of God’s presence that rested above the tabernacle. When the cloud moved, they moved; when the cloud rested, they remained still. The cloud did not rise or rest according to any rigid schedule of the clock or calendar. They could not prepare for movement by watching the clock, the sun, or the date. They had to observe and follow the cloud (Exodus 40:34-38). In the same way, Jesus Christ desires that the church and each individual in it be genuinely led by the Spirit in real spiritual growth where they can experience the riches and depth of what God intends for the tr...

The message below is a reprint of an article I posted to my blog a couple years ago. It's not the kind of message that causes goose bumps, but it contains principles that I think are vital for healthy and mature believers. I hope you will take the time to read it. In Christ Billy Long TAKE WHAT IS YOURS AND GO YOUR WAY. “The apostle Peter answered and said to Him (Jesus), ‘See we have left all and followed you. Therefore what shall we have?’” Matthew 19:27. “And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is you...

MANIPULATION Too often leaders are guilty of manipulation. Manipulation is unhealthy in any relationship and is a violation of trust. It involves the dishonest use of influence to get people to do what you want them to do and is an underhanded means of controlling people. Leaders use manipulation when they lack the ability to lead by inspiration, when they have ulterior or hidden motives, or when they are trying to get people to do what the individuals most likely would not do if they had access to all the facts. Manipulation involves giving partial truth and withholding information that would be necessary for others to make an objective decision. It means distributing information selectively, giving little twists to the facts, and sharing only that which would cause other people to respond favorably to the objectives being presented. DIPLOMACY AND TRUTH Being diplomatic can “put a sweet face” on manipulation. Diplomacy in its positive sense refers to the ability to handle affairs in s...

Excessive control by leaders is one problem. It can be rooted in wrong motives, not trusting people, and not trusting God with people. It can stem from a leader’s inflated opinion of himself, from a desire for power, or even from insecurity. Often it is used to hide flaws and lack of integrity within the organization or in the leadership itself.  The need to control is often manifested in the fear of delegating responsibility. When a leader is reluctant to release people to their various areas of gifting and ministry, he suffocates the unique creativity of the people God has placed around him. He gathers around him people who do not threaten him, people who will serve him and his vision while failing to develop their own. He will be unable to tolerate people of substantial gifting and charisma, the very people he could train to replace himself. As a result the organization has to import or hire new leaders from the outside because of the inability to raise them up from within. He a...