Kingdom Leadership – Love Displayed

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My father-in law has always been an exceptional leader. He led as a school principal for over 40 years helping to create environments where students and teachers thrived. For 6 years I experienced this first hand as I inhabited his office with fellow classmates who I tangled with on the playground. Instead of a stern rebuke, which was deserved, he smiled and handed my fellow fighting partner and me a puzzle and said, “When you finish this you can have your recess back.” Even though I despise puzzles to this day it was an ingenious way to restore a relationship as one was forced to work closely with his opponent and by the end a friendship was formed.

Yes, even though I graced the principal office to many times to count I was still allowed to marry his daughter and be apart of the family for almost 30 years. These past few years I have watched my father –in law lead in an unforgettable way. He used to lead literally hundreds of people but now, most of the time, it is down to one, his beloved wife of over 50 years who battles memory loss. Patty and I recently spent a few days with them and we witnessed Ray pouring out unconditional love to Jan in affirming words and countless actions. Just as he did during my elementary school years he teaches how to lead in love in the midst of a battle that won’t be won. He continues to give even when love is not always received or understood.

Watching my father-in law lead in sacrificial love brought to mind one of the greatest passages of leadership in the Bible John 13:1-17, Jesus washing His disciples’ feet. This text starts out by saying:

Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world he now showed them the full extent of His love (vs. 1).

The goal of Jesus’ mission on earth was to bring the Father’s love to an orphan planet. Jesus’ final act of love on the cross was only a day away and yet He takes the time to show the future leaders of the church what Kingdom Leadership looked like. If you want to lead in the Kingdom it will require a love that brings you to your knees-washing the dirty feet of both friend and foe.

As Patty and I watched the second presidential debate I noticed my father-in-law’s hand gently holding his wife’s hand. I thought about the contrast of the world’s view of leadership that promotes power fueled by fear and how the Kingdom of God promotes sacrifice fueled by the by the love of heaven seen best at the cross. When I asked my father-in law how he gets through each day, he said, “Tim, I pray daily for the love of God to fill me with patience and strength to love Jan, and He does.”

As we live in a culture void of Kingdom Leadership, hear the voice of God call us back to the model given to us by Jesus in John 13. May we fervently pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us anew with Heaven’s love to follow Christ’s example.

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Following the Father – Know the Truth

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In today’s social media crazed world Jesus could be considered The Father’s Instagram Post! Furthering that idea I thought one post about Jesus could be a video showing the heavens ripping open and God’s voice bellowing out at Jesus’ baptism and another similar post might be at the transfiguration. With such a visual post we can see without a doubt that God the Father has an immense love for His Boy. After Jesus’ baptism a Holy Spirit-filled Jesus heads off to war against Satan in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13). This time the Father posts an Instagram of His Son in the thick of a spiritual battle. In this battle Jesus demonstrates for us how to conquer such situations and temptations in our own lives.

Jesus’ temptations are real and Satan knows exactly where to aim his repugnant arrows. In each case Satan goes after the Son’s identity found in the Father’s love. This crafty one states, “if you are the Son of God” turn the stones into bread and feed your hungry stomach and another time he says, “if you are the Son of God” jump off the high point of the temple and dazzle the crowds to prove your Father’s love. Satan does the same to us by trying to convince us to turn away from the Father’s love and worship his temporal lures for satisfaction. Satan says all we need to do is give our heart’s allegiance to him and in exchange we get all the pleasures of the world without having to “carry the cross” of our Father’s will (Luke 4:8-9). What a lie from the father of lies!

This post from our Father begs us to tuck in behind our Savior Jesus Christ. We need to follow Him through the maze of temptations we face each day from the enemy telling us the Father’s love is not enough. Jesus stands on the rock solid promise of His Father’s Word every time His identity is attacked and we must do the same. Notice Jesus’ response to the first temptation:

Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

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Jesus’ identity was not rooted in the things of the world but rather in the Words of the Father. For you and me the greatest “word that comes from the mouth of God” is “Jesus!” The Father sent Jesus to show what His love looks like culminating in the victory over sin and Satan at the Cross. Jesus’ finished work enables us to war against the onslaught of the enemy’s attacks and temptations.

Know that by being a follower of Christ temptations will come, and by hiding The Word in your heart and knowing that because of the cross of Christ you have the victory. Your identity and security is in Christ! Go ahead and like that post!!

 

 

 

Following the Father – Abba’s Post

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Quickly perusing the latest posts on my Instagram I find a picture of a precious new born baby, a birthday celebration of a smiling little girl, a flag football game of a young boy’s team called the Bronco’s (yea!), a weddings, bike ride, trips, and inspirational quotes. Many of these posts reflect proud parents who love their kids and want to share their experience and love with others in their social network.

As I shared with you in a previous blog Abba Father breaks into time and space to share with the world His heartfelt love and pride over His Son Jesus. At Jesus’ Baptism and Transfiguration the Father posts like any other adoring parent:

This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased! (Matthew 3:17/17:5).

Like a proud parent who jumps up and down on the stands after their child scored the winning goal or hit the last minute shot to win the game, the Father leaps off His throne in Heaven to cheer on His only Son. He wants the world to hear “That’s My Boy!!! Did you see him just walk into the Jordan to identify with sinners in baptism? How faithful my Son is to live out the will of Heaven? Wow! I love Him so much, I’m so proud of my only Boy!”

Abba doesn’t want us to miss how He feels about His Son. His love for Jesus is so overwhelming that His shout from Heaven is so loud that the atmosphere was ripped in two to usher in a proud Father’s heart (Mk. 1:10). The same thing happens at the Transfiguration, where Jesus climbs up a high mountain with Peter, James, and John to pray. As the Son seeks out His Father to prepare His heart for the coming Cross Heaven consumes the mountain with glory and the Father sends Moses and Elijah to encourage Jesus for the journey ahead of Him. But again the Father can’t contain Himself and shouts out the same words:

“This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Notice Abba adds, “Listen to Him!” Oh don’t miss these 3 words. These 3 penetrating words bring healing and life to those who hear. What the Father is saying when He tells us to “Listen to Him” is that Jesus’ life, death, resurrection is also reign ripping heaven wide open for you so you too can hear The Father Post about you. Jesus came so that you would know the truth about what The Father thinks about you. Through the love of Christ He shouts “You’re my son/daughter, I love you, I’m so proud of who you are!!!”

Think of Jesus as the Post from Abba Father that comes to you everyday to shout out the Father’s indescribable love for you. Today take a few moments to focus on this post from Abba and listen to Jesus shout out the Father’s everlasting love for you.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God,” 1 John 3:1.

Following the Father – #jer333

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What’s God’s telephone number? Someone asked me this question when I in college? I had no idea exactly how to respond, the perplexed expression on my face prompted my friend to answer his own question with “Jere333,” and preceded to tell me to look up Jeremiah 33:3 and I did! Here it is:

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

What a promise from the Father to His followers, He will answer when we call out to Him. This morning in my daily Psalm reading David made this statement:

“When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.”

Psalm 138:3

Jesus takes this promise to heart. Right after He was baptized in the Jordan, likely still soaking wet, He calls out to His Father in prayer (Luke 3:21). The Father was pleased with the humility of His son’s spirit identifying with sinners in baptism and calling out to Him for help. The Father quickly responds by tearing apart the heavens, filling Jesus up with the Holy Spirit, and speaking words of love and affirmation over Him (Mark 1:10-11). What an incredible picture!

Throughout the Gospels Jesus continues to demonstrate to us the overriding principle for Following the Father, simply stated calling upon Him in prayer. On three public occasions-Jesus’ Baptism, the Transfiguration, and a prayer of preparation before the cross (John 12:28). Each time Jesus calls to His Father there is an audible voice, a voice that explodes through time and space with words of affirmation and love for His son Jesus the Messiah!

If Christ is in you then you have a Father who will rip open the heavens to speak with you when you call on Him. In fact your Father can’t wait to respond to you out of His infinite love for you. When I see that one of my kids have texted me or believe it or not actually called me I will do everything I can to respond right away. However I have to be honest and admit that I don’t respond immediately to everyone who may text or leave a voicemail, sorry L. But if it is my kids or my wife I am highly motivated by love and I find joy in answering. Your Father can’t wait to respond to you His child, bring to Him whatever is on your heart at this very moment.

To update to today’s terms try hashtag#jer333 and believe He will answer you and in His time will reveal to you great and unsearchable things of His love that is beyond your understanding.

Just incase you lost it, here it is again #jer333!

 

 

Following the Father – To the River

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Baptisms have always been a highlight and the other week I preached at a church where three adults from China were baptized! The testimonies captivated the service and it literally seemed that time stood still as each one shared the miraculous interventions of God’s grace in their lives. It was as if the water that covered these new believers in baptism flowed out into the congregation with waves of heaven’s joy as the Father’s presence flooded the room.

When you look at the life of Jesus and the critical event that launched Him into ministry you have to follow Him to the Jordan River where His baptism took place. There in the wilderness John the Baptist baptized Jesus. John preached repentance. John called people to jump into the flowing river as a symbol of their sins being washed down stream.

John was humbled that Jesus wanted to be baptized by him and in a way this story is one of “show and tell.” You recall that elementary school activity where students took turns bringing in something that was of value and shared why for fellow classmates. After Jesus’ baptism the heavens opened up and the voice of the Father could be heard from above. Jesus was “showing the Father” to His followers. Jesus was sinless and was not in need of baptism, yet Jesus insisted on going under the Jordan River as all the others stood in line. He did this to show others the way. Through this act of baptism He “showed us” how we are to turn from sin. Sin keeps us from a love relationship with the Father. Sin holds us in bondage. Yet, through the act of baptism Jesus “was telling us” that He would take the sin of the world on His shoulders and He would do so at the cross. There are sins were and buried forever in the grave. And because of His resurrection we would hear the voice of our Abba Father!

As I witnessed the three baptism that Sunday I was reminded how I daily need to follow Jesus to the river, plunge under Calvary’s stream, and die to self in order to open my heart and my mind to the voice of my Father. Jesus demonstrated this to us in word and deed. This is clearly stated in Luke 9:23-25

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self.  

This morning before I wrote this blog I went down to the river and jumped in again. I confessed my sin and my need for a Savior. Daily I need to have my sins washed away and die to my self-willed life, so that I can hear my Father’s voice; a voice that brings true life. If you haven’t done so yet today, I encourage you to walk down to the river and jump in and let Jesus bring you up and out so that you can hear from your Abba Father.