“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
(Philippians 2:5-8)

I enjoyed a great time yesterday worshipping with the students at McLean Bible Church, who will be raising funds through their New Years Eve event to support our efforts in the Dominican Republic. As we studied the passage above from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, we were reminded that while Jesus had every right to stay comfortably in heaven in a position of power, his love drove him to a position of weakness and vulnerability for the sake of sinful mankind.

 In light of this, our response as Christ-followers this holiday season is two-fold: to remind ourselves of his sacrifice and seize the opportunity to respond.

 Christmas (REMIND) – In the midst of an increasingly secular world pushing Christmas as addition and acquisition, we must remind ourselves of the length to which Christ lowered himself, to meet our spiritual need through his incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection.

 New Years Aid (RESPOND) – The upcoming New Years Eve event presents a unique opportunity to let the love of Christ compel us (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) to emulate Christ, by assuming a position of vulnerability and weakness for the sake of others by:

 1. Inviting our friends – making ourselves vulnerability to be rejected

2. Investing in the Global Church – requiring financial sacrifice, placing ourselves in a position of less financial strength and materialistic weakness.

Both of which are certainly counterculture and yet it was the great missionary C.T. Studd who wisely noted,

“Only one life, twill soon be passed
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Finally it was theologian Matthew Henry who stated,

“Not only did Jesus become man for us, but he became poor also. He was born in poor circumstances, lived a poor life, and died in poverty; and this was for our sakes, that we might be made rich, rich in the love and favor of God, rich in the blessings and promises of the new covenant, rich in the hopes of eternal life, being heirs of the kingdom. This is a good reason why we should be charitable to the poor out of what we have, because we ourselves live upon the charity of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I shared the following devotionals could be a great way this holiday season to make a daily investment in reminding ourselves of the true “weight” of the Christmas:

Joy Upon Joy: An Advent Devotional

The Dawning of Indestructible Joy: Daily Readings for Advent

From Heaven: A 28-Day Advent Devotional

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas

Good News of Great Joy: Daily Readings for Advent

Matthew 9:35-38 reads,

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”

Most biblical scholars believe that, as Jesus engaged in this teaching tour in Galilee, he banished illness from those areas in an unprecedented display of healing.

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”

Imagine that! Every ailment, malady and physical affliction eradicated from an area. And yet this accomplishment did not elicit a sense of ultimate satisfaction but rather intense compassion.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Why? Such incredible physical needs, representing years of pain, suffering and heartbreak, had been eliminated!

Answer. Spiritually they remained “weary and scattered,” as the people’s spiritual needs were even more desperate than the need for physical healing.

Bishop JC Ryle in the 19th century wrote about this passage,

“He saw them neglected by those who, for the time, ought to have been teachers. He saw them ignorant, hopeless, helpless, dying, and unfit to die. The sight moved Him to deep pity. That loving heart could not see such things, and not feel.”

Addressing individual’s spiritual brokenness and bankruptcy, apart from the substitutionary, saving work of Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection, must always remain priority one for every evangelical ministry across the globe. Even as we care for the bodies of victims of poverty and injustice, in obedience to Scripture and motivated by Christ’s sacrifice, we must prioritize the care of souls, found only in the Gospel.

I’m a uniquely blessed, technological novice. However, between my wife and some very knowledgeable friends and colleagues, God has provided me with a wealth of tech support and encouragement. And yesterday, amongst technology professionals, God provided spiritual support and encouragement.

At the invitation of an EA supporter, I attended the High Tech Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., and walked away both encouraged and challenged. I particularly appreciated, technology icon and outspoken follower of Christ, Pat Gelsinger’s challenge to have a clear sense of calling.

I’ve been reading the D.A. Carson’s Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation, which recently addressed 2 Thessalonians 1:11 – “We constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.”

This fabulous quote below from Carson coincides nicely with Gelsinger’s challenge:

God has graciously called us; now we must live up to that calling. That cannot mean less than that we should become increasingly holy, self-denying, loving, full of integrity, steeped in the knowledge of God and his Word, delighted to trust and obey our heavenly Father.

  We are not strong enough or disciplined enough to take these steps ourselves. That is why Paul prays as he does. If the holy God is to count us “worthy of his calling,” we must ask him for help. That is why Paul is praying: he is not simply asking the Thessalonians to try harder, but he is praying for them to the end that God will count them worthy of his calling. Such a prayer is tantamount to asking that God will so work in their lives, so make them worthy, that ultimately he will count them worthy.

And so this text asks us: When was the last time you prayed this sort of prayer for your family? For your church? For your children? Do we not spend far more energy praying that our children will pass their exams, or get a good job, or be happy, or not stray too far, than we do praying that they may live lives worthy of what it means to be a Christian?

My prayer for each of the 1,000 attendees is that we put the biblical principles, clearly outlined, into daily practice.

As noted in the book of James,

“It’s in the obeying of the Word that we experience the blessing, not in the reading or the hearing.” – Warren Wiersbe 

“But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:25)

Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over…and expecting a different result.”

Often in leadership we must make difficult, at times highly unpopular, decisions, given our desire to see different results, personally and professionally.

Recently, I’ve seen this play out, on both a micro and macro level, at my home church in Washington DC. As a result, I’ve found myself reflecting on core convictions regarding the biblical process of decision-making.

Haddon W. Robinson has written a powerful book, entitled Decision Making By the Book, where he notes an essential attitude and aptitude for biblical decision-making:

– “God has given us tremendous freedom and responsibility in making decisions. When seeking to carry out that responsibility, the place for us to begin is in an attitude of complete submission to the sovereign will of the all-powerful God.”

– “To make good decisions I need to be mighty in the Word of God. This is not a peripheral issue. I need to know the Scriptures—the New Testament and the Old.”

With that attitude of complete submission and aptitude of biblical literacy in mind, these are three questions I use to evaluate personal and professional decision-making:

 1.  Was the decision bathed in prayer?

-If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)

2.  Did I seek wisdom in Scripture?

-Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Prov. 3:5-6)

3. Did I seek wise counsel?

-Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. (Prov. 11:14)

CAUTION:

-Beware…

Breeding discord
Creating disunity and divisiveness

-We recognize our passion

Remember our role – WE are the primary disciplers of our children

-As parents we know:

It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it
It’s not what you say, it’s how you say

Tithing – Not….

-Stockholder’s meeting

-Kid with his ball on a playground

-This isn’t the same as your child’s education: I pay my taxes!

Stewards of God’s resources; not something to use for blackmail

Confrontation –

-If you see that, we have a responsibility to speak truth in love

-Bear One Another’s Burdens

Gal.6: 1-2
1Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

-Remember our children are watching us…

Are we going to talk ABOUT people or practice Matt 18:15 and talk TO people.

It’s called “the mic creep.” It occurs when, in the midst of a program or service, the emcee begins to move toward a guest speaker to indicate “it’s time to wrap it up…you’re going long.” I’ve used the move many times myself, but recently I had “mic creep” occur to me! I saw it happening out of the corner of my eye, as the emcee of the Sunday School class began to creep closer, indicating, “You’re done here, Husted. Land the plane!”

I laughed internally, even as it was occurring, as I was given 2-3 minutes to promote an upcoming EA event, and yet I always like to incorporate Scripture into any speaking opportunity.

Recently, I’ve been studying the life of Elijah, including reading A.W. Pink’s commentary, so I found inspiration in the content below.

1 Kings 17 – Elijah Predicts a Drought to evil King Ahab

2And the word of the LORD came to him: 3“Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan

A.W. Pink notes, “Instead of a river, God often gives us a brook, which may be running today and dried up tomorrow. Why? To teach us not to rest in our blessings, but in the blesser Himself.”

Over the past 5 years of Empowering Action, God, in His wisdom, has not seen fit to provide EA a raging river of financial support, overflowing its banks, but he has provided a constant brook.

4You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

Pink again notes, “The prophet might have preferred another hiding-place, but to Cherith he must go if he was to receive the Divine supplies: as long as he tarried there, God was pledged to provide for him. How important, then, is the question, Am I in the place which God has (by His Word or providence) assigned me?”

As individuals and institutions, it is imperative to regularly ask, “Am I in the place which God assigned me? Am I performing the good works that He prepared beforehand that I should walk in?” (Ephesians 2:10)

For me I find clarity of my current calling in personalizing Paul’s words to the church of Rome, in Romans 1:1, which states,

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.”

“Kent, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to empower Christ’s church to combat poverty, set apart for the gospel of God.”

And I find motivation to “keep my hands to the plow” as long as the Lord commands in this endeavor in the following passage from Psalms and quote from Richard Baxter.

“It will be an unspeakable comfort to look back on a life well spent. And to be able to say, ‘My time was not cast away…It was spent on doing good to men’s souls and bodies.’”– Richard Baxter

Psalm 90:16-17

Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!

 

In his outstanding book Mission Drift, Peter Greer writes,

“The excellent leader is the steward-in-chief of the organization’s story…Leadership comes down to protecting the story, bringing others into the story, and keeping the organization accountable to the story. The leader tells the story, over and over again, refining it, updating it and driving it home.”

This week, as I found myself attempting to “invite” others to “join the story of EA,” by sponsoring an upcoming pastor’s conference, I wrote the following,

“I thought that perhaps the church and/or the October trip participants might be interested in contributing to this upcoming training opportunity in September. This preaching conference in Santo Domingo will be attended by a select core of our volunteer pastors, who will be facilitating the network development efforts, led by Raydel Riquelme, our new Church Network Development Director from Cuba. The goal is that they would serve as a catalyst in reproducing church leaders bathed in Scripture, serving out of an abundance of their own personal walk with the Lord.”

 “Serving out of an abundance of their own personal walk with the Lord.” Or, as I’ve entitled this blog, “Operating off the Overflow” something that Scripture is clear we must do daily in every facet of our lives, if we wish to honor the Lord.

This morning’s devotional from Andrew Murray on Paul’s words to the Corinthian church sums it up well,

Christ’s love controls us. (2 Corinthians 5:14)

“Think about this: God longs to have our hearts filled with His love so that He can use us as channels for this love to flow out to others. Let us be satisfied with nothing less and sacrifice everything to secure a place for this love in the hearts of men and women.

 Heavenly Father,

Fill my heart with Your love. May Your love overflow from my heart to the hearts of others. I pray that my words and actions shine with your love so that others may experience You through me.

Amen”