Pastoral Resources

It was Napoleon Bonaparte who, early in his life, said, "God is on the side of the biggest artillery." Years later, when he was exiled on an island, he reversed his opinion, and conceded, "Man proposes, but God disposes." Napoleon learned the attitude of "If it is the Lord's will" the hard way May we learn it now.

Charles Swindoll said: "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life Attitude, to me, is more important than facts It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill It will make or break a company, a church, a home The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day We cannot change our past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way We cannot change the inevitable The only thing we can do is play on the one string that we have, and that is our attitude I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it And so it is with you We are in charge of our attitudes."

A man bought a field next to a farmer who had been engaged in a long-standing dispute with the former owner about the exact boundary line between this field and his own property When the new owner saw the farmer near the fence one day, he greeted him with the words, "I'm your new neighbor; and I would like to talk to you about the boundary line between our properties." The farmer assumed a belligerent attitude and said, "What about it?" "How much of this field do you claim as belonging to you?" asked the new owner who was a Christian "I claim that your fence is a good two feet over on my property," replied the farmer "Well, then, I want you to reset the fence four feet back on my side," said the Christian This completely took the fight out of the farmer and was the beginning of a new spirit of concession on his part also.

A girl who received a book from a young man, read it and said, "What a tiresome book!" The young man said, "Did you notice who wrote it?" She looked at the front page and saw that her lover was the author She began to read it again, and at the end she said, "I never read a greater book." What made the difference? Her relationship to the writer Look at God Is He good or evil? It all depends on whether you are single in heart or evil in heart If you look at Jesus, you may see Him either as a deceiver or as a Savior What makes the difference? Your attitude, your eye.

During World War II General Creighton Abrams and his command were surrounded by the enemy to the east, west, north and south General Abrams said, "Gentlemen, for the first time in the history of this campaign, we are now in a position to attack the enemy in any direction."

What has you surrounded, tied down, fenced in? All of us have limitations in life Some we will have to bear with while others the Lord wants us to break through! It will only happen if we give ourselves an attitude adjustment.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2).

When an individual or a congregation has the attitude of compromise in regard to spiritual values and truths, dark days are ahead All who strive to be Christians feel a certain amount of pressure from the world Through the strength that Christ gives, we can overcome the world and its temptations.

A man starting a fish business put out his sign that read, "Fresh Fish For Sale Today" and invited all to visit his place of business on opening day Many came and congratulated him on his new business, but one suggested that he change his sign "Why the 'Today'? It is today." So he removed the "Today".

Someone else said, "Why, 'For Sale'? Everybody knows you have fish for sale-or else why the store?" The words "For Sale" came off the sign.

Another said, "Why the word 'Fresh'? You are a man of integrity, that guarantees your fish to be fresh." "Fresh" came off the sign.

Only one word was left, "Fish" and one complained about it "I smelled your fish two blocks away."

The individual or congregation that tries to satisfy everybody ends up by pleasing nobody If we start compromising, we will end up serving the devil The man should have put up his sign and then stood by it This is what we are to do in life Accept God's will for our lives and stand on His promises.

The history of missions is full of examples of Christian manliness We think of Dr Paul Carlson who served as a medical missionary in the Congo He compassionately sought to heal the most loathsome of tropical diseases as he preached Christ as the only cure for sin For several years he worked in the midst of increasing political ferment, preaching and living the gospel in which he so wholeheartedly believed Even when he was arrested, he continued to treat the wounds of the rebels who had captured him Under sentence of death, he bore himself heroically and died boosting another missionary over the wall to safety The prevailing attitude of missionaries everywhere seems to be summed up in the words of one mission board secretary who commented, "It shows merely that we must go back."

If the President of the United States invited us to visit him, and we tried to assume the prerogatives of the Presidency ourselves, he'd soon put us out Yet, this is how some of us act toward God He has told us to ask, but our asking often demonstrates an attitude of irresponsibility on our part We ask Him to overrule His natural laws, to act as our servant who must accede to our command We must never play God when we pray.

Two ministers, given to arguing about their respective faiths, were in a very heated discussion "That's all right," said one calmly "We'll just agree to disagree After all, we're both doing the Lord's work-you in your way and I in His." Too many of us are tempted to feel and act that way This type of behavior often is a manifestation of the attitude that we know in full, that we prophesy in full-that we are superior even to the Apostle Paul, although we may not say that in so many words.

Is Satan actually interested in the childhood years? After all, children from birth to six could not be any real threat to him and his forces of darkness Or could they?

Scripture tells us that Timothy, while still young enough to have to be fed, dressed and carried, knew the Holy Scriptures (2T 3:15) He had an experiential knowledge of them; they meant something to him Samuel's heart was already submissive at weaning when taken to the temple to serve God (1 Samuel 1) John the Baptist leaped in the womb at the presence of Jesus in Mary's womb.

It has been said, "Give me a child the first six years of his life and you can do what you will with him thereafter." It is during that short period that the bulk of a child's personality, character, habits and intellectual makeup is established.

The battle lines in the warfare for our children's souls are clear God says, "All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children" (Isaiah 54:13, NKJV) "By the year 2000 we will, I hope," says Women's Lib advocate and Ms magazine editor Gloria Steinem, "raise our children to believe in human potential, not God."

Already born with an "I-want-what-I-want-when-I-want-it" nature, preschoolers are ripe to fall prey to a love for the world and all that is in it (1 John 2:15-16).

Satan's snares are everywhere The Saturday morning cartoon lineup is just one classic example Constant scenes of violence and moral decadence purposefully desensitize impressionable minds Hidden behind many of the seemingly cute and innocent cartoons are occult symbolisms "Magic" lures them to eventually practice witchcraft Youngsters, bombarded with appeals to materialism, plead, "Buy that for me, Daddy!" They can then vicariously "act out" cartoons and movies through similar toys.

Another please-meism snare are story books which convey that all of life is meant to be "fun, fun, fun." This attitude is further exemplified in shows like "Sesame Street" which teach that entertainment and education are inseparable (Entertainment is Satan's counterfeit for joy.) Then there are Satan's whispers in parents' minds: "Play is a child's work Let kids be kids! Their natures are innocent; they should be free to explore Curriculum should be fun, according to the interests of each child and his experience."

Bit by bit, preschoolers can thus be taken captive because what they think upon, they will become (Proverbs 23:7).

What can concerned parents do to prevent this from happening? We must stay alert to Satan's tactics and teach our children how to put on the whole armor of God to withstand his attacks (Ephesians 6:10-12) This means actively, constantly and purposefully teaching them the love, discipline and understanding of God's Word No time of day is exempt from this responsibility (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) Therefore, providing a God-centered, God-purposed education is also essential In other words, every day should be consistent with Ph 4:8 The ultimate objective should be to rear our children to view the world as a spiritual battleground-not a playground! For then they will be truly equipped for every good work, thinking and living as mature Christians (2T 3:17).

Fathers and mothers have the greatest opportunity as teachers of anyone in the world You see, that boy or girl in the home has the chance to see if Father and Mother really believe and practice what they teach.

A father who says he believes in Sunday school, and then does not go himself, is teaching by his actions that he really does not feel it very important A father who teaches love and tolerance to all and yet maintains a critical attitude in the home toward his brothers and sisters in the church is doing a wrong to his children which never in this world can be undone It is pure poison to the mind of the child, and will most certainly be a stumbling block in the way of the child becoming a Christian.

A father who says he believes the Bible to be the greatest Book, to be God's Word to us, but leaves it on the shelf to gather dust while he spends hours with the newspaper, magazines, radio and television is in reality saying, "Children, the Bible is not too important You should read it if you have any extra time."

Which one of you had not heard a little boy step proudly forward among his playmates and declare, "I KNOW that's so because my Daddy said so!" He has confidence in you, dear Dad, and the things which he sees you put first in your life are going to stand out as mighty important to him, too.

Is your prayer: " Lord, fit me to be loved and imitated by my children"?

The fact remains that God does keep many secrets, and it seems to me that there are some secrets that every good government ought to keep to itself for the good of its citizens Responsibility demands a certain amount of reserve God is certainly responsible and He exercises authority But He keeps secrets These are both for His glory and the glory of those who have become His children through faith in Christ This is not understood by unbelievers, even as some unrealistic citizens do not concede the necessity of a certain amount of secrecy on the part of their government Sometimes men cultivate the habit of concealment so that they may circumvent opposition and accomplish their own crafty aims more adroitly This reflects an attitude of contempt for others But God's reserve is always noble It is always in favor of man And the mystery of mysteries is that it is both for His glory and the believer's glory.

Satan is not warring over those who are in the world, for he already has them in his grasp His war is to conquer those who are sitting in the pew Those who have been reconciled, he longs to take hostage once again His strategy is deceptive, because he uses them to hinder the work of the church.

First, he deludes them with other goals in life which soon take priority over the work of the church and personal involvement They become members of the body which become dysfunctional Hands that will not work Feet that will not travel to God's appointed place A mouth that will not confess Jesus to others Ears that soon fail to listen A brain that refuses to think and dwell on things above Lame, blind and deaf, the church struggles to fulfill its purpose.

Second, he lures them into complacency Having become satisfied with less than God's desire for their lives, they settle for adolescence rather than maturing to adulthood, while at the same time believing they are adults They fail to meditate upon God's Word, except while sitting in the pew They give token gifts instead of a sacrifice They listen to lessons with change or repentance far from mind Maturity is not even in view, because their eyes have been blinded Eventually, they find themselves attending but not involved.

Third, he tantalizes their sense with false teachings with the purpose of taking others off course Having become numb, new sensations must fill the void Having not understood God's purpose they change their attitude from not wanting to go beyond what is written to stretching the limits as far as they can Deluded themselves, they delude others to a false sense of security They now must seek bigger, greater sensational things to keep the momentum going so their individual spirits can feel fulfilled The appearance of great things happening blinds their eyes to the fact they have been taken hostage, and pride keeps them from being set free.

Fourth, he stalemates their vision with past accomplishments Boasting in the glory of a successful past program they fail to launch out into new, more productive, fruitful efforts They might even nurture a program long after its death Individuals stop teaching and serving others after just a few victories They fail to dream of God's use of their lives and God's vision for the church.

If the church and we as individual members are ever going to be what God desires, the hostages in the pews must be freed The only thing that can set them free is the truth No mystical, sensational experience, just reasonable, plain truth Only the Bible can reveal if we are held hostage Only the Bible can set and keep us free Read it, study it, and make it yours, that you might heed the warnings and not be taken hostage.

A young woman who won a coveted award smiled when her mother said, "I was praying you would get it." "Well, thank you," she replied, "but I earned this by my own hard work." Some people feel so sure of their self-sufficiency that they resent any implication that they owe God a word of thanks for the good things that come their way Such an attitude could be justified only if a person were able to say, "I brought myself into the world, I endowed myself with all my talents and abilities, I raised myself, taught myself all I know, and control my present and future."

TO: Jesus, Son of Joseph

Woodcrafters Carpenter Shop

Nazareth 25922

FROM: Jordan Management

Consultants

Jerusalem 26544

Dear Sir:

Thank you for submitting the r of the twelve men you have picked for management positions in your new organization All of them have not taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.

The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them carefully.

As part of our service and for your guidance, we make some general comments, much as an auditor will include some general statements This is given as a result of staff consultation and comes without any additional fee.

It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking They do not have team concept We recommend that you continue your search for per sons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.

Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau James, the son of Alpheaus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale.

One of the candidates, however, shows great potential He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind and has contacts in high places He is highly motivated, ambitious and responsible We recommend Judas Iscariot as your comptroller and right-hand man All the other profiles are self-explanatory.

We wish you every success in your new venture.

Sincerely Yours,

Jordan Management Committee

A gardener expressed his idea of a co-worker: "As I work in the garden with the flowers and vegetables I feel that I am having a share in creation." And when a mother says to a little child who carries some small item into another room for her, "You are helping me," what stature it gives to that child and what a sense of dignity and place in life's affairs This ought to take away any sense of the worthlessness of the countless small tasks you perform day by day Look beyond the temporal and limited as you work in partnership with God Your attitude will determine your sense of satisfaction with your task.

The ancient Chinese had a unique mechanism for presenting their plays They would present a play on a two-level stage On the upper stage, the resolution of the drama was acted out as the story unfolded below So as tension and mystery were building on the first level, the audience watching the resolution of the plot would yell to the people on the first level, "Hang in there! Don't give up! If you only knew!" What inspired that hope? It was the knowledge of what was happening on the second level.

Joseph M Stowell recalls this special event:

"I will never forget the 1980 Olympics hockey match between the U.S team-composed of small, young, amateur players-and the Soviets During the final period, I was literally on the edge of my seat I felt all the agony and anxiety of the contest as I watched it on television-and then suddenly we scored to go ahead late in the game! Can we hang on? I was tense, nervous, and traumatized Our team went on to win, and at last I was ecstatic.

"Later that night, the network broadcast a replay of the game, so I invited some friends over to watch it I watched the same game again, but was I on the edge of my seat? Of course not I sat back, propped up my feet, had a bowl of popcorn, and leisurely sipped a cola I was watching the very same game-but what I knew about the outcome made a radical difference in my attitude and actions."

Shirley Pope Waite tells this moving story:

"'You must visit the American cemetery,'our bed and breakfast hosts told us We hadn't known about this cemetery three miles from Cambridge, site of one of England's most famous universities.

"Upon our arrival, we were surprised to see the American and British flags at half mast Special Memorial Day services were scheduled to honor the war's dead buried there.

"Established in 1943 on land donated by the University of Cambridge, it is the only permanent World War II military cemetery in the British Isles The rolling grounds are framed by trees on two sides, and contain 3,811 headstones in seven curved grave plots.

"A large proportion of the servicemen and women buried there were crew members of British-based American aircraft Others died in the invasion of North Africa and France, at sea, or in training areas within the United Kingdom.

"An impressive Wall of the Missing lies alongside a mall with a pool bordered by roses The wall records names of 5,125 missing in action, lost, or buried at sea Four huge statues represent a soldier, sailor, airman, and coast guardsman in uniform A mosaic in the chapel of the memorial building stretches across the ceiling above the altar It depicts the archangel trumpeting the resurrection and the last judgment.

"As we walked reverently around the beautiful grounds, we paused at the foot of a grave It was one of 24 decorated with red and white carnations tied with a blue ribbon, and flanked by a tiny American and British flag The words etched in the headstone read: "here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God."

"Tears came to my eyes as we stood in an attitude of worship Unknown but to God, these service people were once known intimately by parents, siblings, friends, perhaps a spouse and children Young men and women who fought for freedom and the dignity of humankind! Yet in death-known only to God!

"Relatives and friends may forsake us We may feel alone in a world that offers many only poverty, cruelty, and apathy; but God knows each of us intimately He is a husband to the widow: "for your Maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is His name" (Isaiah 54:5) He is a father to the orphan: "Father of the fatherless ...is God in His holy habitation" (Psalm 68:5) He is Father to us all!

"Unknown except to God! Isn't that the most important relationship of any? Thank God, we are known to Him not just in life, not just in death, but for eternity!"

Ancil Jenkins shares this illustration:

"'Fasten your seat belt,'I said to my wife, Elaine, the other day 'It is the law, you know.'As she fastened her seat belt, I thought, 'Dummy, that is not the reason you want her buckled up You want her protected from the harm of any accident you might drive her into.'How shallow would be my concern if I was more in fear of paying a fine than in her being seriously hurt!

"How much this can describe our approach to our obedience to God! Almost all we do is from mixed motives Yet which motive is overriding? Do we obey because we fear God's wrath and judgment? Do we feel He will break our leg or burn down our house if we disobey? Do we feel that Christianity is just a set of rules to be obeyed and our satisfaction comes from doing a good job of keeping rules?

"The result of such an attitude will only breed fear and guilt Fear comes from any failure to obey, and there will be such failure Guilt comes from many sources, such as finding there was a law you had been failing to obey Any failure at perfect obedience can lead to regarding some laws as more important than others All this can lead to a disregard of others who do not keep laws as well as we do (Luke 18:1) It can lead us to giving more attention to the minute details and neglecting the major virtues God desires us to have (Matthew 23:23) We become ridiculous gnat strainers and camel swallowers (Matthew 23:24).

"We should obey God because we love Him We obey because He has done so much for us and we have done so little for Him We obey because love is never content to accept but must always give Jesus said, 'If you love Me, you will do what I command' (John 14:15) We then come to realize that our disobedience not only breaks the laws of God, it also breaks the heart of God How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! (Psalm 78:40).

"Such obedience is far fuller, richer, and freer than can ever come from a legal motivation Imagine a woman who is a nurse and a mother She may work at a hospital all day caring for the sick When she has worked eight hours, she goes home Upon arriving home, she finds her child is seriously ill She will then give her child the same care she gives the hospital patients However, when she has cared for her child for eight hours, she will not quit She gives care no one can buy The difference is the motivation.

"What is your major motivation? Seek to know God better, and you will find yourself obeying out of love It will become 'richer, fuller, deeper'and will become 'sweeter as the years go by.'"

What can make the difference in how we face our everyday trials, even our little ones, is our attitude We can have the attitude of the Pharaoh of Egypt, who, when confronted by Moses and the ten plagues from God, grumbled, and griped, and became stubborn, causing more woes to come upon him Or, that of Job, who at the loss of all his possessions, even his own health, succumbed to the will of God and remained faithful That type of commitment to Christ will give us eternal life, happiness and joy.

Remember: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Ph 4:13) "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28).