Author: admin

Most of us could use more bodily discipline! Saying “no” to that cookie . . . Passing on dessert . . . choosing a salad over the fried chicken . . . It is discipline that propels us to get up early in the morning to hit the treadmill, or to go for a run, or to do those stretching exercises. Bodily discipline is good for you. It drives you to do healthy activities you would otherwise bypass. But there is a discipline that produces far greater results.

Godliness is a form of discipline. Just as it takes self-control to sit still while the nurse sticks a needle into your arm, so it requires discipline to allow the Holy Spirit to remove sinful habits and thoughts from us until we look like Jesus. Carnal habits generally are changed through focused effort. God will not make us Christ-like against our will!

Besides the enormous reward that comes from becoming like Jesus, godliness also offers eternal benefits: we bring our godly character with us into the next life. All of that work is not lost at our death! Certainly there is some “pain” associated with becoming godly. But it is worth it!

Some people love to talk. They will discuss anything and they will do so for hours on end. Some people are never happier than when debating and speculating They will vehemently defend their positions and viewpoints even though what they are arguing about seems of little or no consequence to others. The fact is that it is easier to talk about the Christian life than it is to live it, well.

Our calling as Christians is not to talk about Christian beliefs, but to live them. At times we’d rather confess our shortcomings than to let God definitively address them. Or we’re more comfortable discussing God’s power than we are with experiencing it in our daily living. It is easier to discuss what God did in peoples’ lives during biblical times than to allow Him to live out His life in ours, today. Too often God’s people would rather talk about the need for the Great Commission than reach out to their neighbor next door.

Paul was a man of action. He urged Timothy to avoid the trap of talking about things he should have been experiencing. Godliness doesn’t come from talking about it. It results from exercise. Talking is less demanding than is exercise, but it doesn’t accomplish as much. Are you merely talking about becoming like Christ, or are you taking the necessary steps for you to truly take on His character?

The world can be a hostile place for Christians. It is filled with voices and opinions that adamantly argue against and even scorn God’s word. This has always been the case. But it will be even more so in the latter days. The latter days represent the period of history immediately preceding Christ’s return. Satan and his demonic forces will desperately attempt to destroy as many people as possible as their own judgment looms.

Satan’s most lethal weapon has always been deception. He is not as powerful as he would like us to think. But he is infinitely crafty. What can seem to us as only a disagreement on a theological issue can, in fact, be a demonic doctrine. There will be Christians who argue with one another and angrily leave their church, who think it is merely due to a difference of opinion. The fact of the matter is the forces of darkness have succeeded in deceiving them. People will cause churches to split over minor or secondary issues and be duped into believing their actions are pleasing to God.

Such deception has been with us since the Garden of Eden. But it will get worse in the latter days. Beware! There is plentiful evidence that we are in the final days before our Lord returns. Deception is rampant. Don’t become the next victim.

Our leaders reflect on us. When a watching world looks at Christian leaders, it draws conclusions about the church as a whole. That is why it is imperative that we select leaders with sterling reputations.

Today we are too quick to excuse un-Christ-like behavior in our leaders. “No one is perfect” some claim. “We’ve all made mistakes” others argue. Before we know it, our leaders are no different than anyone else. But they ought to be. Christian leaders need not be perfect, but they ought to serve as role models for everyone else.

The secular media has had a field day exposing ecclesiastical hypocrites and charlatans. Each time they reveal another fallen leader, the world exults that Christians are no different than unbelievers, regardless of what they claim. Leaders represent their people. For those who lead the people of God, a high standard must be expected. What is your reputation with the world around you?

History is replete with tales of young men and women who rose to spectacular heights of leadership. Yet Scripture cautions us in being too quick to enlist novices into important leadership roles. This is in part because spiritual leadership is based on character. Our character takes time to develop and mature. Young adults may not yet have had time to be fully seasoned. Likewise, experience teaches us many things, humility being one of the most important. As young leaders, we don’t yet recognize all that we do not yet know! Being elevated quickly has led to the ruin of many a potential leader.

At times people are promoted too quickly because their organization is desperate for talented leaders. At other times they are enlisted prematurely because the people themselves are consumed with ambition. We are doing no one any favor by elevating someone into a leadership role for which they are ill-prepared.

One of the best measuring sticks for choosing leaders is their track record. Are they leading their own home well? Have they been faithful in small things? Have they completed earlier tasks? Have they developed a solid reputation in the lower ranks? If leadership candidates have no previous track record of success, be cautious in elevating them too quickly.

Perhaps one of the most hotly debated qualifications for godly leaders is that they rule their own household well. We are often informed today that it is none of our business how people lead in their home. If their marriage is struggling or their children rebelling, that has no bearing on their effectiveness as leaders.

Yet Scripture, which thoroughly understands human nature, asks how people who cannot lead effectively in their home can be expected to lead people whom they presumably care even less about. If we cannot keep our vows to our spouse, how will we honor our promises to our associates? If those who know us best do not respect us, how can we expect to win the loyalty of those with whom we work?

Scripture is clear that, if we are faithful in a little, we will prove to be faithful with much. It is entirely reasonable to estimate peoples’ possible effectiveness in leading an organization by first examining how they lead their own family. If our family loves and respects us, we may well be leaders for whom love and affection follow us to work. But if our home is presently in turmoil, we would do well to put it in order first, before actively seeking leadership roles farther afield.

Leaders must demonstrate self-control. If people cannot control themselves, they cannot lead others. Those under the control of alcohol cannot be trusted to lead Christ’s church. Willingly placing ourselves under its power demonstrates a lack of self-control. True leaders are always composed, so they are prepared to lead. Godly leaders aren’t bullies. They have no need to resort to threats or intimidation to get their way. True leaders are free from the love of money. It is always dangerous to place someone who loves money into a position of leadership. It can be too tempting to compromise their ethics in an effort to accumulate wealth.

Leaders that please God are also gentle, not quarrelsome. They draw people together rather than driving them apart. They are long suffering. They don’t lose their tempers when they fail to get their way. They also are not covetous. They are satisfied with what God has given them, without desiring what does not belong to them.

Such qualities are particularly important in leaders in an age when the media bombards us with messages that assure us we deserve to have what we want. Today’s leaders are continually tempted to grasp at pleasures for themselves while neglecting their duties to others. Godly leaders are God centered, and others-focused, rather than self-centered. God’s standards for leaders is much higher than the world’s!

God has standards for those who lead, especially in the church. The Greek term translated “bishop” has also been translated as “overseer, superintendent, and pastor.” It was a recognized leadership position in the early church and a role to which it was acceptable to aspire (1 Timothy 3:1).

What is significant is that Scripture tells us more about the qualifications of church leaders than it does about the activities. It would seem that by enlisting the properly qualified leaders, it was almost assumed they would do the right things. Unfortunately many churches today focus more on performance than character. If leaders “get the job done,” we aren’t so concerned about their Christ-likeness.

Perhaps the single, most challenging qualifier of leaders is the first: blameless. This doesn’t mean perfect. It does mean that such leaders have handled their successes, as well as their mistakes, properly. Such leaders are also faithful to their spouse. Their hearts are not divided. They are temperate. That is,they do not go to extremes. They do not allow their passions to get out of control, whether they are promoting or opposing something. They are sober-minded. They think clearly! They also exhibit good behavior. They live the kind of lives you would wish others to model. Interestingly, they are also hospitable. They love people and they enjoy caring for others. Some people enjoy leading, but they don’t enjoy people. This ought not to describe a church leader. Finally, the only skill that is listed is the ability to teach. It is perhaps interesting that if you are going to lead God’s people, you must be able to teach others to live as you are. You must be able to duplicate yourself.

At times we can become more concerned with attaining office than we are with qualifying for it. Strive to be qualified for service and you will never lack things to do!

Sometimes we can feel guilty for desiring leadership roles. It would seem that proper Christian humility would preclude us from seeking any office that gave us influence over others. Yet, as with most aspects of the Christian life, the key is motive. Spiritual leaders are people who serve God and bless people. Who would not want to do that?

Yet if we lose focus of the purpose for leadership, we can become self-focused and filled with pride. Leadership is never about achieving a position, but about gaining a fresh opportunity to serve Christ. The danger is when we move from desiring such a position in order to serve Christ, to coveting the office so others must serve us. We are in danger when, instead of allowing Christ to grant us leadership roles as He sees fit, we grasp at and politicize for them through our own carnal efforts.

God has “wired” some people to lead. We long to make organizations stronger. We love to solve problems. We delight in helping others achieve their best. If God has prepared us to lead, it will be a natural desire of our heart to do so. Just as a cheetah loves to run; so leaders thrive when leading. Only check your motives. It is good to lead. It is best to lead with noble motives.

In the politically correct society in which we live today, we are continually being reminded that there are many ways people can find their way to God. Christians are judged to be intolerant, bigoted, or worse, if we appear to disparage any one else’s views on reality or God. As a result, we can be bullied into silence or compliance or even heresy.

A Christian’s views are not determined by the opinions of newscasters or public opinion polls, but by God’s word. On this subject Scripture is clear: there is no other way to God but through the mediation of Jesus Christ. We must believe what Scripture tells us. If we begin to assume that people who are sincere can discover other paths to God, we will never be driven by the missionary impulse God expects of us. We will not have the sense of urgency that drove the First Century Christians to lay down their lives to spread the Gospel. If we truly believe what the Bible says, we will not be able to live with ourselves if we have not told our friends and colleagues how to embrace the Person of Christ.

There is only one God and one mediator between God and people, and that is Christ. Are you telling people about Him?