“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” -Saint Augustine
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Jesus and the Poor
The other day someone close to me commented that a friend of hers attended a Christian wedding where she noticed that many of the women in attendance wore diamonds. She asked me if it were true that most believers have an affinity for these gems. While I’m sure that there are plenty of Christians who like diamonds I don’t happen to be one of them. While I don’t believe that there’s anything wrong with wearing the hardest naturally occurring stones found on earth, my wife assures me that when it comes to diamonds, and jewelry in general, I am mentally handicapped, that is to say that my disability is an inability to perceive any value in jewelry. Although there was no intent to do so, the question about diamonds along with much of what I’m seeing on television and on the internet makes me think that many hold the perception that Christians are rich. That strikes me as funny because right now, most of the Christians I’m close to happen to be unemployed.
These thoughts along with what I’m seeing and hearing about the Occupy Wall Street movement remind me of a story Jesus tells:
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”
Luke 16:19-25
Or to quote Gayle Erwin, author of the book The Jesus Style.
The Pharisees loved money and were rich. They despised the poor and thought they were cursed by God.
The poor people heard Jesus Gladly.
The Pharisees killed Jesus.
The bottom line:
God isn’t a conservative republican.
Nor is He a liberal democrat.
God is a revolutionary and He sent His Son to lead His revolution.
References:
5 Things You Should Know About Tim Tebow
5 things you should know about Tim Tebow
A Tim Tebow Reality Check
1) Tim Tebow is going to lose
I think some people believe that God’s doing a miracle and will take Tim Tebow and the Broncos all the way, as in all the way to a Super Bowl victory. But like all of God’s children, Tim Tebow will be allowed to win some and lose some. God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45) We all get to take our lumps. God has created a world that’s governed by laws of nature and probabilities. If you’re thrown out of a tenth story window you’re probably going to die. If your quarterback rating is 28th out of 34 NFL quarterbacks, like Tim Tebow’s is, you’re probably not going to win the Super Bowl. That’s not to say that God can’t decide to disregard these probabilities. Mr. Hashimoto, a thirty-seven year old who lives in Tokyo, Japan, is under psychiatric evlauation because on December 16, 2011 he threw a toddler out of his tenth floor apartment window. Miraculously, the toddler was found alive, conscious, and crying. He suffered only one minor injury to his face. The LORD, in His mercy, provided a shrub for the baby to land in. (See ABC News and The Free Fall Research Page) God can decide to disregard His own framework of probabilities any time He likes — He’s God. But for the most part, you and I have to live with those probabilities.
Most likely, Tim Tebow will too.
2) Tim Tebow’s young
With respect to how Tim Tebow handles himself in the media, I think that some people’s expectations are a bit high. When we see sports figures on TV who are multi-millionaires, well spoken, and accomplished, it’s easy to forget that they’re barely out of college. Given the amount of controversy and criticism he’s endured, I’d say that he’s handling himself pretty well for a 24 year old.
3) Tim Tebow is a project
Many fans want Tebow to be successful and to be successful right now. Some quarterbacks come into the NFL with guns blazing. Dan Marino is one example of an NFL quarterback who had a fast start in the NFL. Ranked #1 on ESPN’s list of best rookie quarterbacks is Greg Cook, a Cincinnati Bengals QB whose career was ended by injury after one year. This year rookie QBs Cam Newton and Andy Dalton had good starts.
But it’s not at all uncommon for great NFL quarterbacks to struggle early in their careers. In Terry Bradshaw’s rookie season he completed only 38.1% of his passes. He had three times as many interceptions as he had touchdowns and his record was 3-5. John Elway also had a terrible first season throwing twice as many interceptions as touchdowns leading the Broncos to a 4-6 record as a starter. (see Many QBs Struggle by Adam Stites )
Even though Tim Tebow has a winning record I don’t think anyone would argue that he fits better in the second category. He’s definitely struggling in some areas but there’s still the potential for him to become a great quarterback. He’s probably good enough that the Broncos should continue to invest in him. Can you imagine if the Steelers or the Broncos had given up on Bradshaw or Elway?
4) Tim Tebow’s genuine
Some say that Tim Tebow is over the top in his public displays of religion. Jesus taught us that we’re not to pray in order to be seen by others. (Matthew 6:5) But this teaching is in the context of a rebuke to the Pharisees, the established religious authority of the day, of whom Jesus said, “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.” (Matthew 23:5-7)
In my observation of Tebow I haven’t seen one shred of Pharisetical spirit in the man. As near as I can tell Tim Tebow’s displays aren’t public displays of religion at all but they’re public displays of affection — for his Savior. Remember that Jesus also taught: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32)
As an example of this watch the video of this year’s Broncos game against the Bears where Tebow was mic’d up. He was heard praying for a wall of protection around he and his teammates, during warm-up he sang the refrain from Michael W. Smith’s song, Awesome God (BTW keep your day job Tim), and he was genuine in his interaction with everyone on the field — teammates, fans, coaches, even opposing players.
Whatever else you may think of him. He’s genuine.
5) Tim Tebow’s going to disappoint you
If you put your faith in Tim Tebow he’ll disappoint you. In fact if you put your faith in any celebrity sports figure, in any celebrity at all for that matter, they’ll fail you, they’ll disappoint you, they’ll let you down. Think about this year alone: Charlie Sheen’s melt down, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s indiscretions, Anthony Weiner’s Tweets, Lindsay Lohan’s shoplifting and need for rehab — the list goes on and on. I’m not saying that Tebow will wind up in a scandal, I’m just saying that putting your faith in any human being will disappoint in the end every time. And it’s not just celebrities. If you get to know anyone well enough or if you wait around and watch long enough everyone will let you down. With one exception. That exception is the person who already proved his love for you when he died for you so you could be reconciled to God. Put your faith in Him. You won’t be disappointed. (see Join Christ’s Family)
Heaven is for Real
The day after Christmas I drove up to Portland to visit my son Nate, daughter (in-law) Anastasia, and their friend Steve. On the way up I listened to the audio version of the book Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. It’s the story of a four year old who nearly died on the operating table but survived to tell of his vivid recollections of what it was like in heaven. It was a great read/listen. Do I believe that four year old Colton Burpo’s descriptions of heaven are just the imaginings of a four year old? Or do I believe they’re a factual account of his visit to heaven? There’s no way to know for sure, but I have to admit the book definitely made me think.
Interestingly, a few days after I arrived in Portland I found out that the same day I finished the book Heaven is for Real a family member, my Aunt Alice, died.
In case you’re interested, a Today show interview with Colton and Todd Burpo is below.
References:
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
Tiger Woods, Become a Christian – Go Brit Hume! Video
On national television during a Fox News panel discussion Brit Hume admonishes Tiger Woods to convert from Buddhism to Christianity. His comment is that Buddhism doesn’t offer “the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith.” Anyone knowledgeable about religion can’t argue that.
Hume’s remarks remind me of the story about the conference with representatives from all the world’s major religions. Things started off very tame as they agreed on multiple similarities shared among their different belief systems. C.S. Lewis was invited to the conference but arrived late. When he entered the room he was immediately asked if he felt that there was any difference between Christianity and the other major religions of the world. Without hesitation he said, of course there is, forgiveness of sin. At that point the room exploded into pandemonium.
Leadership Take-away: During an Advanced Fire Administration Institute class I had an instructor in a leadership class who was not a Christian. However every leadership author and expert, both alive and dead, that he cited was a believer — some were pastors. Toward the end of the class he spontaneously stopped his lecture, thought to himself for a moment, then said, “What is it with these leadership gurus, they all seem to be pastors and Christians.” I had to smile because if you define leadership as influence, as many do, it follows that the most influential person who ever lived would produce the best leaders. And of course that person is Jesus Christ.
Consider the following excerpt from Traveler and the Chaplain:
During Jesus’ time on earth his influence on his immediate followers is obvious. Just look at how they died. Matthew was run through with the sword. Mark was killed when he was drug behind horses. Luke was hanged. Peter was crucified upside down. Bartholomew was beaten to death. Andrew was crucified on an X shaped cross. Thomas was stabbed to death. All of these men were influenced to the point of giving their lives for Jesus’ sake.”
The Chaplain was becoming more and more animated as he continued, “And thousands of years later Jesus is still by far the most influential person who ever lived. The Bible is by far the best selling book in the history of the world. Every college established in colonial America except for one was created by a denomination of Christianity. Many of our hospitals are named after Christian Saints: Saint John’s, Saint Jude’s, Saint Peter’s, etc. The Red Cross and the YMCA are just a few of our institutions that were established by Christians. During the time of the Roman Empire it was common for people to kill their female babies. It was Christ’s influence through his followers that changed the Roman culture to eliminate infanticide. It was Christian abolitionists that influenced the United States to eliminate slavery. The door of time itself is hinged on the life of Jesus Christ. Our dating system is divided by B.C. Before Christ, and Anno Domini after Christ’s birth.”
Traveler sat listening, wide eyed.
The Chaplain said, “The great historian Will Durant wrote that, ‘Caesar hoped to reform men by changing institutions and laws; Christ wished to remake institutions, and lessen laws by changing men.’3 Some leaders, managers, teachers, coaches, or parents focus their efforts on changing organizational structure, or developing rules and regulations. Jesus’ leadership style was to influence people. And no one in history has influenced the world more.”
Go Brit Hume!
A Miracle: Mother and Baby Back From The Dead
At the hospital Tracy Hermanstorfer was in labor with her third child. Her first two deliveries were perfectly normal and there was no reason to believe that this delivery would be any different. Shortly after she received a local anesthetic she said that she felt the need to “rest her eyes.” Suddenly she went into cardiac arrest. A quick assessment revealed that she was clinically dead! Her doctor and medical team tried to resuscitate her but the deceased mother didn’t respond, so the they turned their attention to the life of the baby. In desperation an emergency C-section was performed but when the baby was delivered he was limp showing no sign of life.
The rest of the story is told in this excerpt from Times On Line, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6972008.ece .
“We are both believers . . . but this right here, even a nonbeliever — you explain to me how this happened,” Mr Hermanstorfer, 37, said. “There is no other explanation.”
Mrs Hermanstorfer, 33, was in labour and had just received a local anaesthetic with her husband by her side when she began to feel sleepy and lay back in the bed.
“I was holding her hand when we realised she was gone,” Mr Hermanstorfer said. “My entire life just rolled out.”
Dr Stephanie Martin, a specialist in maternal-foetal medicine at Memorial Hospital who rushed to the bedside, said: “She had no signs of life. No heartbeat, no blood pressure, she wasn’t breathing.”
Doctors told Mr Hermanstorfer: “We’re going to take your son out now. We have been unable to revive her, and we’re going to take your son out,” he said.
After the emergency Caesarean section without anaesthetic, staff rushed his wife to the operating theatre to complete the procedure while the others attended to the baby.
“They handed him to me, he’s absolutely lifeless,” said Mr Hermanstorfer. The doctors attempted to save the newborn as Mr Hermanstorfer held him, and soon he began to breathe.
“His life began in my hands,” the father said. “That’s a feeling like none other. Life actually began in the palm of my hands.”
Mrs Hermanstorfer’s pulse returned even before she was wheeled out of the room and into the operating theatre.
Mother and baby were able to leave the hospital on Monday after tests showed them to be in good health. However, they failed to reveal the reason for Mrs Hermanstorfer’s heart attack and recovery.
Mrs Hermanstorfer remembers getting sleepy and closing her eyes in her hospital bed, then awakening in intensive care. “I just felt like I was asleep,” she said.
Tracy’s physician, Dr Martin said, “I don’t have a great explanation. From my personal perspective, I will take help wherever I can get it.”
What did God do here? Was it a miracle?
I think that while the frequency of miracles today is not the same as when Christ walked the earth — And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? John 7:31 — God still intervenes on our behalf, He still loves us, He still does miracles as He did for the family in our story.
Leadership Take-away: I believe this to be a genuine miracle. The mother was without a pulse or blood pressure for 4 minutes! In my 28 years in the Fire and Emergency Medical Services I have never heard of anything like this happening before. A genuine miracle — that means that this was a work of the Holy Spirit. Do you want more of God’s power in your life? Do you want to be more effective as a mother, father, coach, or supervisor? Then ask God to pour out His Holy Spirit upon you. Ask him every day. Jesus said, If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13
Consider the following excerpt from Traveler and the Chaplain:
“How is asking for the Holy Spirit going to increase my level of enthusiasm?” Traveler asked.
“The Bible says that when the Philistines came against Samson…”
…the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. Judges 15:14
Through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit Samson then went on to defeat 1,000 of the enemy by himself! When you receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit your passion increases, among other things. You said that you wanted more enthusiasm?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting word. We get our word enthusiasm from the Greek word en-theos which means full of God’s spirit.”
“Hmm,” Traveler said. He was beginning to understand. “So how do I get it, or Him? The Holy Spirit?”
“You ask God,” the Chaplain replied.
“I just ask God?”
“Jesus said,”
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13
“So, pray,” the Chaplain said. “Just ask God. Ask Him for the Holy Spirit, every day.”
Helping the Poor
Just returned from church, Applegate Christian Fellowship, http://www.applegatefellowship.org/ , where I heard a most profound teaching from Matthew 25. The most intriguing part of Pastor Jon Courson’s, http://joncourson.com/ , teaching came when he reached the section of scripture that addresses the sheep and the goats. Jesus said,
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Matthew 25:31-45
Many interpret this passage to mean that we should give to the indigent. However, pastor Jon believes that the idea here is that we should give to each other. Not that we should ignore giving to the indigent. In Mike Yankoski’s excellent book, Under the Overpass, http://www.undertheoverpass.com/uop/home.php , Mike and a friend spend five months on the street, homeless, in six U.S. cities. By the end of his adventure Yankoski is filled with compassion for the people on the street, however, even he says that we should use great discretion in our giving, avoiding cash, and offering food. And where is the emphasis in Jesus’ teachings? Did He not say, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34 and “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” and “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” John 15:12 and “These things I command you, that ye love one another.” John 15:17
Leadership Take-away: Lead with love. Upon examination of Jesus’ commandment it seems pretty clear what we are to do. In these difficult economic times some of us are really hurting, and some of us still have some ability to help. No Christian should go without during this trying economic season. If you can help, love your brother by giving what you can. And show some initiative, ask your church leadership who is hurting. Most people in your church family aren’t going to approach you with their hand out. Help them find work if you can, offer to pay a bill, or invite their family over for a meal.
Yes we should, according to the leading of the Holy Spirit and with discernment, help those in need on the street, but let’s heed the commandment of Jesus first, “…love one another.” John 15:17
Nigerian Bomber — One Courageous Family’s Response
A local news outlet from Wisconsin, WTMJ, http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/80201152.html , just published a story about the family that adopted the two Ethiopian children. Their actions on the Northwest Airlines flight that was attacked by the Nigerian/Al Queda bomber were outstanding! Check out this excerpt from the WTMJ article.
“I would just like to know how to get to Ethiopia by boat.”
Patricia “Scotty” Keepman still has a sense of humor after the harrowing experience she, her husband, daughter and two new adopted children from Ethiopia had as a man tried to detonate an explosive device while their plane was getting ready to land in Detroit on Christmas Day.
“I honestly don’t think I’ve had a chance to let it sink in, because having these children with us, we’ve just got to keep them grounded, and I’m just really focusing on the kids,” said Patricia, who lives in Oconomowoc, (Wisconsin) on 620WTMJ’s “Wisconsin’s Morning News…”
“…We heard what sounded like an electrical pop to me. Everybody looked above their seats, kind of like startled, panicked. Shortly thereafter, we heard the screams. We could not see what was going on. We were too far back. We heard shouting, and you could hear the mayhem happening.
At that point, two flight attendants ran at full speed to get fire extinguishers.
“Whatever they did, it all went on for what seemed like a long to me, but what was probably a very short time.”
What Was Going On In Her Mind At That Time?
First: to convince her new children that everything was OK.
“No matter what happened, these kids would never know if we didn’t make it. We wanted them to think this was a game,” explained Patricia.
“They were very concerned when they saw the flight attendant. They were very withdrawn. So I told them that they were just being very funny and silly, and this is what they do on airplanes, since they’d never been on one, and we got them to giggle about it.
But then, the gravity of the situation came over the whole family.
“As the seriousness progressed, and we knew that this could possibly be it, my husband and daughter put their hand through their seats and we all held hands in a circle and sang ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and we prayed, and we just made it as much of a game as we could and make them completely innocent as to what was happening.”
“The holding hands gave us a real sense of peace. If it happened that point, it would happen. We were ready. We just weren’t ready for it to happen for the kids. We just kept thinking, ‘God didn’t bring us this far, to go through all of this, to shorten these kids’ lives,’ and sure enough, He didn’t.”
To see a short video interview of this brave family go to http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/80201152.html?video=pop&t=a&bctid=CLIP_ID_164681
Leadership Take-away: Good leaders set the example. Charles and Patricia Keepman stayed calm and did their best to persuade their kids that this was all a game. I can’t help but be reminded of the excellent film, Life is Beautiful, in which a Jewish father and his son are sent to a Nazi prison camp and the father helps his son endure by persuading him that it’s all a game. The Keepmans also set a great example by leading their kids in worship and prayer, which reminds me of Paul and Silas’ response to their being wrongly thrust into the inner prison: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.. Acts 16:25 These parents were right on! Obviously from the story we can see that what might have been a life changing, emotionally traumatic experience was minimized by the courage and example of the Keepmans. Want your children to have courage? You must demonstrate courage. Want your children to have a great relationship with Christ? Start with your own relationship with Christ. Whatever you may want from those who you’re responsible for, start with your own example. Consider the following excerpt from Traveler and the Chaplain:
The Chaplain smiled patiently and graciously. “Traveler, everyone remembers the story of David and Goliath right?”“Yes.”
“Are you aware of David’s men who are credited in the Bible with killing giants?” the Chaplain asked.
“No.”
The Chaplain said, “Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Sibbechai the Hushathite, Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, and Jonathan the son of Shimeah: they were all David’s men. They all spent time with David. Having spent time with David they were influenced by David. They became like David, and eventually, like David, they too became giant killers. Their life paths led them to the same place as the life path of the leader who they followed. You’re example to your people is one of the most powerful dimensions of your leadership.” (2 Samuel 21, and Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary — New Testament http://joncourson.com/ )
The Chaplain paused then said, “You, are the future of the people who you lead. Your wife, your children, your employees, the kids you coach in the soccer league – their life path will almost certainly be in the same neighborhood as yours. The principle of example is a daunting one because we’re sinners with all of the flaws and frailties that come with being human. Nevertheless Titus 2:7 says,”
In everything set them an example by doing what is good.
The Nigerian Bomber and What Happened on the Plane
Check out this excerpt from the Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/26/AR2009122601150.html , describing what happened on the plane when the Nigerian bomber’s activities were discovered. If you haven’t already heard, this guy, who has been tied to Al Queda, tried to take down a Northwest Airlines airliner headed for Detroit:
“People were just running, and they were scared,” said Veena Saigal, who turned from her seat on the Christmas Day flight and saw the fire’s glow six rows back. “They were running toward the center of the plane, running to get away from the flames.”
Jasper Schuringa, an Amsterdam resident, lunged toward the fire in Row 19, jumping from one side of the plane to the other and over several other passengers. He burned his fingers as he grabbed a piece of melting plastic held by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man accused Saturday of trying to bring down the passenger jet with a homemade explosive device.
Schuringa, a video producer, restrained Abdulmutallab as others used blankets and fire extinguishers to douse the flames.
“When I saw the suspect, that he was getting on fire, I freaked, of course, and without any hesitation I just jumped over all the seats,” Schuringa told CNN on Saturday. “And I jumped to the suspect. I was thinking like, he’s trying to blow up the plane.”
The stretch of time from bafflement to abject fear to a calamity averted lasted just a few minutes on the flight, yet as they replayed those moments from their homes on Saturday, passengers described a drama that left many shaken long after the jetliner safely touched down.
“We heard a pop, then the smell and the reality kicked in for all of us. The reality was the fear in the flight attendants’ eyes,” said Charles Keepman, a Wisconsin businessman returning from Ethiopia, where he and his wife had adopted two children. “We’re just thankful to the Lord that we were spared.”
Leadership Take-away: Leaders initiate. Every good leader that I have ever had the occasion to observe has been an initiator. Three different leaders initiated action on this flight. Not all leaders are leaders for good — the Nigerian bomber initiated an attack on a plane load of innocent people. Jasper Schuringa initiated a response to that attack — thank God! Finally Charles Keepman (and his wife) initiated an adoption of two children from Ethiopia.
Jesus initiated on many occasions, including initiating contact with his disciples when he chose them. He initiated too many teachings to count. He even initiated his own baptism, over the protests of John the Baptist, to receive the Holy Spirit and begin his public ministry. Matthew 3:14-16
If you’re a leader, a mother, father, supervisor, coach, teacher, become an initiator. Good leaders spend time in God’s word, spend time in prayer, spend time in fellowship with the body of Christ, as a foundation to initiate. With an intimate relationship with Christ as a foundation, good leaders make good things happen.
To quote a friend from the blog Anchor Watch, http://anchorbuoy.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-blog-pt-1.html :
Biblical, God-glorifying, Christ-like, redemptive leadership does not and will not happen on accident. We cannot be passive, but must actively engage our minds in the process of purposely leading to fulfill our potential in Christ.
You, “…can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth…” you. Phillipians 4:13
Initiate.
Gilad Shalit
Gilad Shalit — Wow, this video is like something out of a Hollywood movie — only it’s not — it’s real. Seems like the U.S. should help to free this guy.
From Wiki:
Gilad Shalit (Hebrew: גלעד שליט, born 28 August 1986) is an Israeli soldier who was captured[2] on 25 June 2006 by Palestinian militants in a cross-border raid. He was abducted[3] through the Kerem Shalom crossing (in Israel), and has been held as aprisoner in the Gaza Strip by Hamas since.
Shalit, 19 years old at the time of his capture, held the rank of corporal in the IDF’sArmor Corps at the time of his abduction, but has since been promoted to staff sergeant.[1]
He was the first Israeli soldier captured[4][5] by Palestinian militants since Nachshon Wachsman in 1994.[6] Shalit holds French citizenship, a fact that encouraged France and the European Union to be involved to some extent in efforts to release him.[7] He also received Italian citizenship after his abduction.[8][9][10][11][12][13]
Hamas has refused requests from the International Committee of the Red Cross to allow the ICRC to visit Shalit. Several human rights organizations have stated that the terms and conditions of Shalit’s detention are contrary to international humanitarian law. In exchange for his release, Hamas is demanding the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, including many convicted of deadly terrorist attacks against Israelis.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] The United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, which released a report in September 2009, called for Shalit to be released.[22]
If you were held by terrorists and had the opportunity to be released, but, it would mean the release of 1,000 imprisoned terrorists, would you tell your government to make the deal?
My take is that this is one of those situations where you don’t know how you’d react until you were in that actual circumstance. I would hope that I would have the courage to find a way to tell my government to hold fast and not make the deal.
In the words of Jesus, Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
I have to believe that if 1,000 terrorists were to be released, odds are that people are going to die at their hands. I doubt that Gilad would encourage such a deal.
Leadership take-away: To be a good leader we must put the needs and welfare of other people ahead of ourselves. As soon as you put yourself before others, things go downhill fast. Jesus first — Others second — Yourself third.
Please remember Gilad Shalit in your prayers.
