The Great Unifier

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalms 133:1 NKJV)

         Unity seems to be the most sought after entity in many churches and Christian ministries, but in reality it seems to be the least found.  I believe humility lived out in our lives may go along way in solving this dilemma.

         Once I led a discipleship course in my church, where we talked about things like, openness, honesty, and humility.  In the midst of this course, on my job, I told my supervisor a half-truth.  A half-truth is a whole lie.  I repented and made it right with God.  Also, with egg on my face, I told my supervisor that I had lied to her.

         Not really the type of thing you would like to write home to Mom about, but I felt like I should share it with my class. I didn’t have to share it, as they were not a party to my dishonesty, but I thought it might be a teachable moment.  Not one person got up and left the class when I told them.  No one stayed home the next week from the class because I had revealed my clay feet.  As a matter of fact, they seemed to like me better after I told them. Do you know why? Humility always fosters unity. When we are open and honest about are flaws, it speaks to the fact that no matter what our station in life, we are all in this thing together.  We are all sinners in need of grace.  In Christ there are no big or little people. The ground is all level at foot of the cross.

         The next time you are tempted to hide something of which you are not proud, at the right time and with the right people, share it.  You might be surprised how good and pleasant it is when you walk in humility.

        

Ken Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs:  http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

             http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

Self Control

.......‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy,

And before all the people I will be honored.’”

So Aaron, therefore, kept silent. (Leviticus 10: 3b NASB)

         Aaron had just been dealt a terrible blow.  His two sons, Nahab and Abihu had just been consumed by fire from heaven (Leviticus 10: 1-2).

The two sons in their ambition and zeal had burned incense without having special direction from Moses. Strange fire or incense is expressly forbidden (Exodus 30:9).   Incense was to be burnt by only one priest at a time.  And furthermore, as Matthew Henry has suggested, they may have been drunk, as they were feasting on the peace and drink offerings. Servants of the Lord must minister with a clear head.

         Think of how Aaron must have felt as his two beloved sons were taken from him.  Yet at this poignant moment, when you would expect some show of emotion, Aaron “kept silent.”  Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth With A Mission, frequently said, “The most necessary trait of a leader is self control.”  God had been right and just in His actions to preserve His glory.  The greater the level of authority God gives to a person, the greater the level of His scrutiny. Irreverence in God’s minsters will always multiply itself in those they lead.  Therefore, God had to act decisively and publicly. 

         There comes a time in the life of God’s servants when we have to chose between the things we humanly love and the glory of God.  As leaders, we can overly mourn or even start to doubt the character of God because of God’s consequences in the lives of those we serve. Spiritual leaders are often criticized and unfairly portrayed.  We want to set the record straight, when God is saying to us to remain silent and allow Him to fight our battles.

         It should be noted that after Aaron submitted to God’s judgments quietly, the Lord spoke directly to Aaron instead of through Moses as He normally did, an obvious indication of His approval (Leviticus 10: 8-9.  A leader without self-control is like a fortress without walls.

        

Ken Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs:  http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

             http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

To The Servants Of This World

His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant;

(Matthew 25:21a NKJV)

         In 2015 I believe that the servants in His church are on the heart of the Father.  God’s servant people have always been the force that turns the wheels of the church.  I speak of the people who are most deserving of our recognition but seek it the least.  They are God’s under-recognized remnant that glorifies the Father by serving His people.  They may do this by cleaning pews or preaching in pulpits.  It is not about a position but an attitude of heart.  Whether they are followers or ones who are followed, they have one thing in common; they do what they do to glorify their Lord and not themselves.

         A church without servants is like a carriage without a horse, its not going anywhere.  They are like the salt in our food.  We can’t see it but we know when it is lacking.  The Apostle Paul once described in Ephesians 4:16 how the Body of Christ is held together by every joint (or ligament).  A ligament is not very visible but without it the muscle becomes absolutely useless.  You servants in the church that give of yourselves to help make others successful are the glue that holds things together.

         It seems to me that there is one central test for all true servants of Christ, and that is being willing to do a great deal of the work and yet get little credit for its outcome.  If you seem to find yourself in this situation a lot, listen to the following words.

         In that great stage we call life, your curtain calls may be few and far between.  And it may always seem like you get the understudy roll.  But if you play your roll for Him and His glory, not for what you can get but what you can give.  Don’t be surprised as you cross that great river in that final great encore, when you get a standing ovation from the audience of three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, backed up in perfect harmony by the host of heaven.  God has never missed one of your acts of selfless service and He never, ever forgets.

         My dear servant friends, you must keep an eternal rather than a temporal perspective. Keep your eye on the prize. One day you will stand before the Lord Jesus and He will look into your eyes and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  At that moment when Jesus plants that first kiss on the back of your neck, it will make it all worthwhile.

         Remember, it’s not the height, or even the breath of your ministry that impresses God.  It’s the depth of your love for Him that motivates you to serve that catches the eye of the Father.  There is no greater calling than a servant of Christ.

Ken Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs:  http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

             http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

To Know Him Is To Love Him

We love Him because He first loved us. (I John 4:19)

         There is a song that was written in the late 50’s by Phil Spector called “To Know Him Is To Love Him.”  The title is taken from the words on his father’s tombstone.  One verse goes;

                    To know, know, know him

                    Is to love, love, love him

                    And I do, I do, I do.

You baby boomers reading this can probably hear the tune going through your heads.  Spector wrote it as a romantic melody, but it can just as well speak of God.

         Knowledge of the Holy One always leads to a thirst for more of Him. There is an inverse relationship between physical and spiritual food.  The more food we eat the less hungry we become.  The more spiritual food (God and His Word) of which we partake, the more desire we have for Him.  An appetite for the things of God is the byproduct of a love relationship with Him.

         The commentator Matthew Henry once said “Thinking that one has enough grace only proves that one does not, ........ because wherever there is true grace there is a desire for more grace.”  When we truly find God it activates an eternal quest for Him.  One small glimmer of revelation of the ultimate being in the universe can change us for a whole lifetime, not to mention the direction of our eternal abode.  It will cause you to sing, to know Him is to love Him, and I do.

        

 Ken Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing

Email:kenbarnes737@gmail.com

website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs:  http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

             http://gleanings757.blogspot.com