Monthly Blog: Committing to Excellence

 

Why We Must Choose the Unpopular Path.

Mediocrity is fast becoming the by-word of our times. Every imaginable excuse is now used to make it acceptable, hopefully preferred.

Things like . . .

• My printer wasn't working
• Time deadlines
• Majority opinion
• Hard-nosed practicality

These are outshouting and outrunning excellence.

Swimming Upstream

Those forces seem to be winning the race. Even for pastors. Incompetence and status quo averages are held up as all we can now expect. The tragedy is that more and more people have agreed.

• Why worry over the small stuff?
• Why bother with the genuine now that the artificial looks so real?
• If the congregation buys it, why sweat it?

To make it painfully plain,

• Why think clearly since many in ministry want someone else to think for them?
• Why live differently in a society where it’s so much easier to look the same and swim downstream?
• Why fight fiercely when so few seem to care?
• Why stand courageously if it means risking ridicule, misunderstanding, or being considered a dreamer by some and a fool by others?

Why, indeed? To quote young David just before he took on that Philistine behemoth in the Valley of Elah:

Is there not a cause? (1 Sam. 17:29 KJV)

Must we wait for someone else to establish our standard or to set our pace?

Not on your life! It is my firm conviction that those who impact and reshape the world are the ones committed to living above the level of mediocrity.

There are still too many opportunities for excellence, too much demand for distinctiveness, to be satisfied with just getting by.

Opportunities for Excellence

Excellence in the pastorate is a difficult concept to communicate because it can easily be misread as neurotic perfectionism or snooty sophistication.

But it is neither. On the contrary, it is the stuff of which true greatness is made. It is the difference between just getting by and soaring—that which sets apart the significant from the superficial, the lasting from the temporary, the engaging from the entertaining.

A commitment to excellence is neither popular nor easy. But it is essential.

Excellence in integrity and morality as well as ethics and scholarship. Excellence in physical fitness and spiritual fervor just as much as excellence in relationships and preaching.

Since it is the living Lord in the final analysis who appraises our excellence, it is He whom we must please and serve, honor, and adore.

Pastors Blog: Chuck Swindoll

Promises Made; Promises Kept

 

About every four years here in America, we start hearing the mantra “Promises made; Promises kept” by politicians and their surrogates of all stripes, colors, and teams. Typically, they make thousands of promises and claims and after 4 years they find the 4 or 5 that came to fruition. And whether they were instrumental in them happening or not, they shout from the roof tops “Promises made; Promises kept.” If they shout loud and often enough with their paid advertising, maybe about 5 of the promises are kept, then the country will forget the other thousands of promises that never happened. This works because there is no expectation and certainly no accountability for the promises made. In fact, it is hard for me to see how one might even be considered for major office if they do not make outrageous promises first.

   This speaks volumes to the state of “truth” in America and how little it is valued and practiced. The intent of the claims is that since one kept 5 of their promises then you know that they will surely keep the thousands of promises that they are making today.  

   Rejoice, and again I say rejoice. For unto you has been given “the truth.” “The Truth” does not change. Not a half or one-sided truth.

(Ps119:160) “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”

   We read this of The One who has inspired the writings of the sacred scriptures for you and me;

   “ Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise, (this includes us), the immutability of His counsel,…” (God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. If you are waiting for the Word of God to change, to come up to date, forget it. It is already beyond “to date”, it is truth, righteous and forever),

“… confirmed it by an oath,  that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, (that is to say that we might be mighty, unwavering in our comfort from the fears and turmoil of all the tragedies and upheavals upon the earth caused by sin), “we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. (Heb 6:17-19)

(JN 16:33) “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”   

   We take hold of the hope, faith and assurance of the salvation and inheritance promised and held for us in heaven awaiting the arrival of the groom. We wait confidently and expectantly under the safe and sure wings of God our refuge.

We can spend hours and hours reading and listening to others and be left wondering if that is true or how much of that is true or if any of that is true. “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the (accurate) knowledge of the truth.” (1Tim 2:3,4).

God does not direct us to the NY times, CNN or Fox for the accurate knowledge of the truth which is able to save you and me. He has addressed His own love letter to you and I personally, the Bible, and has sent His own Son to deliver it, sealed with His Son’s own blood. And they have left us God’s holy spirit to explain, interpret and lead us into all truth. How much time do we spend listening to and seeking out guidance and advice from people that once we have listened, we walk away and wonder if they are right?  

Compare that amount of time with the time we spend reading and listening to the One who is always right, who cannot lie, who gave His only begotten Son so we can be reconciled back to Him. Because of His spirit within us, we are able to hear and comprehend. It drives us to live with and for Him and enables us to come to an accurate knowledge of the truth.

Rejoice and again I say rejoice, you have mail, a love letter from your Heavenly Father. Have you read it today? Do not put it too far from you.   

        Our mantra with God and his Holy Word needs be:

                  “All Promises made; All Promises kept.”

   The probability that a single person would fulfill 8 of the prophecies of the Messiah is conservatively estimated at 1 in 10- to the 17^th power! That is 1 chance in the number 10 followed by 17 zeros. The match probabilities for DNA profiles today typically are in the order of 1 in a billion. (or 1 in 10 to 9^th power) Again the 1 in 10 to 17 power is only for fulfilling 8 prophecies and with Jesus we are speaking of fulfilling over 300 and counting.

    If you are looking for the Messiah, just let me say, we have got your man.  He is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. If you are seeking truth and promises that cannot fail, open your love letter for it is full of prophecies about countries, kings, prophets, those known and unknown at the time they were foretold, and all came to fruition. Some hundreds of years later.

   All promises made; all promises kept. The promises that God made 4,000 years ago to Abraham and yet to be completely fulfilled, are surely on the way and are as real and sure to today as it would be if He made them an hour ago.  Read your Bible daily and let God write it in your heart.

By His Grace

B. Blake