At Some Point

Saved by Grace

The 10-80-10 Principle – Challenged!

Our pastors never fail to give me something to think about; this time it is the 10-80-10 Principle. There are several areas in which this principle can be applied in business and healthcare, but our focus is within the church and I challenge it! I want to add the Peripherals and make it a 10-10-30-50 Principle.

I agree with Chuck Swindoll that in the church we have Innovators, Maintainers, and Inhibitors, but we also have Peripherals and two types at that.

The first type of Peripheral isn’t really concerned about the functioning of the church. They are not interested and do not want to get involved. They are not innovators, maintainers or inhibitors.

The second type of Peripheral is very much interested in the functioning of the church. They have specific areas of interest; however, they are not a good fit and cannot be used in their area of interest. Unfortunately, trying to use them somewhere outside their area of interest benefits no one.

The breakdown looks like this:

Innovators 10% = come up with the ideas, the leaders, a very select group
Inhibitors 10% = don’t like much of the innovators ideas, will not maintain, but constantly complain
Peripherals 30% = like the ideas, have specific areas of interest, but are not a good fit
Maintainers 50% = put into effect whatever the innovators ideas are

 

Tombstone

I don’t intend to be morbid, but the passing of friends and family this year alone has me thinking. Especially when people I graduated with pass from natural causes.

Just in case I too pass from natural causes, I would like to be remembered like King David in Acts 13:36, but with just a little tweaking!

 

 

The Perfect Lighthouse

Perfect Lighthouse

Don’t you just love it when things pull together without your effort?

Light houses have special meaning for me. I have many lighthouses including a photo of the Mukilteo lighthouse taken by my sister, photos taken on our trips to our friends in Michigan, figurines given to me by my son and brother-in-law; and a tapestry made by my daughter-in-law. But the one my husband recently gave me is different from the others.

My husband bought me a lighthouse at a garage sale. It is about 12” tall, made of a light wood, and has been well-loved (dusty, paint fading, missing glass pane, and a bent railing). Not realizing that the bottom of the lighthouse comes off to insert a candle, the bottom and candle fell out and the candle was damaged. I threw the candle away.

The lighthouse sat while I tried to figure out what to do with it. I had many options and none of them seemed quite right. At the same time my husband was concerned about the candle and gave me his candle from church to use. The candle fit perfect and I stood back to ponder what to do next. It was revealed to me to do nothing as the lighthouse was perfect as is.

Perfect! My newest lighthouse and the replacement candle is an object lesson for me; a reminder that we may be well-loved or damaged on the outside but Jesus is on the inside and He makes all the difference.

 

Tempting Twisted Texts

Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV) – Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”

So what just happened?

Satan talked to Jesus and Jesus talked back to Satan.

First, Satan

• Satan knew that he could do anything he wanted to do to tempt Jesus as the Spirit led Jesus there specifically for that purpose.
• Satan knew Jesus was hungry.
• Satan challenged Jesus to prove himself by turning stones into bread.
• Satan took Jesus to a holy city and to the highest point in the temple.
• Satan challenged Jesus to prove himself by jumping off.
• Satan took Jesus to a mountain and showed him all the wonderful kingdoms and splendors.
• Satan challenged Jesus to prove who he would really worship.
• With each challenge Satan quoted scripture.
• Satan then left Jesus.

Now, Jesus

• Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and he went.
• Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights.
• Jesus knew he was to be tempted by the devil.
• Jesus knew he was hungry.
• Jesus heard the devil’s challenge for food and made a counter-statement.
• Jesus went with Satan to a temple.
• Jesus was challenged by Satan and again Jesus made a counter-statement.
• Jesus went with Satan to a holy city.
• Jesus was challenged once again by Satan and Jesus made a counter-statement.
• Jesus went with Satan to a mountain top and saw the wonderful kingdoms and splendors.
• Jesus was challenged by Satan as to who he would worship.
• Jesus made a counter-statement to Satan.
• Each of Jesus’ counter-statements were quotes from scripture.
• Jesus told Satan to go away and he did.
• Jesus was attended by angels.

My Thoughts

Quote: For most people in developed countries, being hungry is the uncomfortable feeling you get if you skip lunch. But it’s very different if you’re one of the hundreds of millions who don’t get enough to eat every single day. Being malnourished means you don’t have the strength or energy to do even the simplest tasks. Hunger makes you weak, tired and unable to concentrate. Work or study of any kind is exhausting. All you can think about is when you are going to eat.

After 40 days and nights I think Satan was counting on Jesus suffering in this way. Malnourishment can happen in less than 30 days. I think Satan thought Jesus would not be able to resist him. He tried with three different challenges. The first one he just counted on Jesus being too hungry to resist. When that didn’t work he showed Jesus what would humanly be desirable and quoted twisted scripture. That didn’t work either.

Jesus knew the point to being sent into the desert, it was to be tempted. Because of this he was willing to follow Satan to these various places and listen as Satan spoke.

Jesus knew what he was hungry for and it wasn’t what Satan was offering him.

I don’t think Satan was trying to get Jesus to doubt, I think he was trying to get him to prove himself. The “if you are” statements sound like a challenge to prove something.

Jesus nor Satan were mentioned as having debated, they both made statements. Satan challenged, Jesus opposed, and that was that.

I think Satan will challenge us at least three different times in one trial, mixing truth with twisted scripture, hoping we will cave. We know who we are in God, do we really need to prove it?

I also think that these challenges should to be met with scripture. Not just chanting them to ourselves, but addressing Satan as Jesus did and telling him whom we will worship. In this way Jesus resisted and Satan left.

We need to know scripture well enough that we can tell when it is being twisted.

We need to know what we are hungry for as there is more than one way to be malnourished and more than one type of wilderness.

After we resist Satan (not before) we will be attended to.

References & Definitions

http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/food/whatishunger.shtml

Twisted: forced out of its natural or proper shape; crumpled

Resist: to take action in opposition to; succeed in ignoring the attraction of; not give in to

Hunger: to have a strong desire or craving for

Counter-statement: a statement made to deny or refute another statement.

When You Want to Blow Up!

Here is the scenario. You work with someone who is getting under your skin. They are a gossip and they manipulate the leadership to get what they want. They make you look bad and feel angry. You don’t like them, can’t trust them and you want to tell them off. As a Christian, what do you do?

Here are a few ideas:

One: Recognize
Recognize that it takes a former one to know one. That’s not a bad thing. Satan likes to scare us with the truth. When Satan attacks you with the reality of your past, confess it and accept that part of you. Admit that, that is who you once were and yes, you still have the temptation. Address Satan and reply to him with scripture, Jesus did and Jesus is our example. Tell Satan, yes, that is your history, but you have decided to follow Jesus, and you trust Him to make you into the person He wants you to be. It is a process, a refining process which takes time. Just because you are not perfect yet doesn’t mean you are not headed in the right direction. Just because your first thoughts and feelings are ungodly doesn’t mean you are a failure. Satan condemns but Jesus by the Holy Spirit convinces. Satan is harsh, Jesus is gentle. Satan will cause you to hate yourself, Jesus will remind you that you are His and are a work in progress. It’s interesting to note that Jesus himself had to grow in wisdom!

Two: Remember
Remember that when we experience that person doing that thing, they really don’t know what they are doing; it’s goes deeper. Sure they know what they are doing at one level of awareness, but they don’t know much else. The soldiers knew what they were doing to Jesus on one level, but Jesus asked God to forgive them because they didn’t know what they were doing at a deeper level. Where did they get the idea to do what they are doing and that it’s ok to do it? If they don’t know God (not just know about Him) then they don’t know Satan either. They don’t know how Satan works. They have no idea that their idea is not their idea. They too are being manipulated. They don’t have your advantage.

Three: Re-focus
Change your focus or re-focus. We are not battling people, we just think we are because that is what we experience: people doing things we don’t like. Think of a car tire getting ready to blow out. There is a weak spot and the tire is in effect being tormented. At some point it is going to give out and blow out. It won’t do us much good to curse the tire. We need to either repair the tire or get a new one. Similarly God will either repair us or make us new. We don’t have to blow out or blow up, we have another option. We can forgive them, not take it personally, be an example ourselves, and trust God through the whole process.

Scripture References

Ephesians 2:13 (NIV) – But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 5:8 (NIV) – For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

Luke 2:52 (NIV) – And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Luke 23:34 (NIV) – Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Philippians 1:6 (NIV) – …being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) – For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

1 Peter 2:21 (NIV) – To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

Colossians 3:13 (NIV) – Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

James 1:2-4 (NIV) – Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Isaiah 48:10 (ESV) – Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

Good Books

Failing Forward ~ John C. Maxwell
Who’s Pushing Your Buttons? Handling the Difficult People in Your Life ~ Dr. John Townsend
Anger & Stress Management, God’s Way ~ Wayne A. Mack

Good Quotes

“Failing forward” is the ability to get back up after you’ve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.” – John C. Maxwell

“Success is…knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others.” – John C. Maxwell

“Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.” – Zig Ziglar

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford

“You have got to decide, look, this is who I am; this is my best way to present myself, and I’m going to ride that horse to the finish line. Not everybody will like it, but that’s OK.” – Dr. Phil

“It’s never too late to start a new history.” – Dr. Phil

Resistance Means Taking Action

 

1 Peter 5:8-10 (NIV) Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Resist: to take action in opposition to; try to eliminate, reduce, or stop; to take action to defeat or thwart (an invading or occupying force); to remain unaltered, undamaged, or unaffected by; withstand.

Up until recently it did not occur to me to speak to Satan. I preferred to ignore him altogether and inundate myself with God’s presence and his written word.

Then when Satan scared me by pointing out all the possible endings to a bad situation, I had enough. I spoke to Satan. I told him that what he said may indeed come true, but I will not fear I will trust God. Then I quoted to Satan Job 13:15 (CEV) “God may kill me, but still I will trust him…” Satan left me alone! I felt peace!

Ignoring Satan isn’t resisting him. Resisting takes action. Jesus spoke scripture to Satan, he didn’t ignore him. Jesus is our example and he taught us to follow him. The apostle’s taught us to follow them as they followed Christ.

If Jesus spoke to Satan and he is our example, we should too. Not to engage in a conversation, not to debate, but to tell him this is what God’s written words says and we are going to trust God no matter what happens. This is one way we withstand.

Additional Scriptures:

John 13:15 (NIV) I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV) Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

 

The Gist of it in One Liners

Gist: the substance or essence of a speech or text.

• The biblical God is real and rewards those who seek him
• God wanted children so he made us, starting with Adam and Eve
• God made us to be dependent on him, starting with Adam and Eve
• God, Adam, and Eve had a personal relationship
• All went well until Eve blew it, then Adam blew it, and God called them on it
• Sin (missing the mark) entered the world and severed our relationship with God
• Generations came and went and quite a few blew it (but not all)
• God became was a distant memory, a myth, an illusion (except to some)
• Many said that if God was real he should prove it by showing himself
• God said no, to see him as he is would kill us
• God spoke once and it frightened too many people
• God said he would speak to the prophets and they would relate the message
• Some listened, some did not and the distance from God grew
• God does not like the separation and had a plan to get us back together
• God came to earth, in the form of Jesus, so we would not die when we saw him
• He taught followers everything about himself then told everyone he was leaving
• He would not leave us alone, he would give us his holy spirit
• God (in human form) can reach only so many as he is outside of us
• God (in spirit form) can reach, preach, bleach, and teach as he is inside of each
• God left us in human form and stayed with us in spirit form
• Some believed him and some did not, too bad
• The catch? You must believe that the God of the Bible is real and he rewards believers
• Do not check this out with a Christian that does not follow Jesus
• Do check this out with a Christian that does a follow Jesus

Guilty!

I really got a scare recently. An automatic transfer payment to my insurance company from my banking account didn’t happen and my immediate thoughts were:

I did something dishonest; I “stole” bill money to go out and have fun
I spent money I shouldn’t have and now the bill can’t be paid
There will be painful consequences: chastisement, fines, rejection
I didn’t keep track of what I spent or check to see if the bill was paid before I spent

I knew I needed to contact the bank and the insurance company to see what had happened and I dreaded it. I double checked all records and everything seemed to be in order. I called the insurance company and they said the bank declined their request. I called the bank and they said there was no record of anyone even trying to collect. I called the insurance company back.

Then we found the problem. When you have automatic payments sent out from your debit card, each time the expiration date on the card expires and is renewed, you have to inform the company of the change. I didn’t do that. Problem solved. Simple fix.

But…I can’t help question why I thought I had done something dishonest? Why did I feel ashamed before I even knew what the problem was? Perhaps it’s because of my past before Christ. I was into stealing money, getting caught, lying about it and suffering the consequences of having done so.

Thank God that stealing isn’t on my agenda anymore. In fact, one of my many favorite scriptures comes from Proverbs 30:8-9 (English Standard Version)

“Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal and
profane the name of my God.”

God has been very good to me. He has forgiven me this fault. He has provided for all my needs, money included. Sometimes I think Satan just enjoys torturing me when I least expect it.