The Two Sides of Ministry

I have mentioned this theme in other blog posts, but I want to address directly.  I have told people recently that if I were going to write a book, it would be called, "The Two Sides of Ministry?" and a subtitle, "the silent side of ministry."  That silent side is what I call the back side of ministry, it's the process ministry leaders go through to organize around a mission statement and live out their vision.  Most ministries find meaningful needs to address, in fact most of them are feeding the hungry, rescuing the captives, healing the hurting, and saving the lost.  There is no question in my mind that these are worthwhile causes, and in principle, honor God.  The problem that I see is the silence about what goes on behind the scenes in the ministry. Most of these "behind the scenes" of ministry venues could make a very interesting reality show, revealing what really happens when no one is looking in the church.  Every non-profit ministry puts together a ministry face that they present to the public. This ministry face is usually a compelling story of what they do, and how they do it.  Videos, web sites, mission statements, personal testimonies of those being helped, are all part of this ministry face. On the surface, and in principle, all seems well, until you go beyond the scenes to see how they really do the ministry.  The silent side of ministry is how the organization treats it's employees, mingles manipulation with vision, and lacks integrity when dealing with donors.  This may sound harsh and critical, but as a person in his 40th year of ministry, I like telling the truth. Like politics, there is a dirty side of ministry that no one is willing to talk about. There are as many scammers, cheats, and ponzi schemers in ministry just as there are in the world.  The unfortunate reality is no one wants to talk about it. 

In my experience over 40 years in ministry life,  I have encountered ministry leaders who lie, misappropriate funds, manipulate stories to affect an emotional response to donors, failure in moral behavior due to no accountability by governing Boards and institutions. There is a lack of integrity in many of the so called ministry venues who say they are doing the Lord's work.  I have often wondered if the Lord Himself were a regulatory agency and visited the integrity of your church, or ministry, what discrepancies would He find?  What kind of fines would He level against your ministry due to lack of honesty and truthfulness?

Here is the bottom line for me.  No one is perfect so no organization is perfect. We are flawed and the organizations we run are flawed.  However, the problems I see in ministry today go beyond human flaws, it's outright criminal spiritual behavior.  The kind of behavior the Lord cited Israel with, calling her a spiritual prostitute.  Many of us have been seduced by the spirit of harlotry that is rampant in the body of Christ today, and most people are completely blind to it's presence.  I have found dishonesty at every turn in many ministry organizations, and I am tired of being silent, and so should you. It has been my conviction that any ministry that does not live up to a Biblical, Christ honoring process in the back side of the organization should not have the right to present the gospel to the public.  There are churches and ministry organizations who have closed books, and are unwilling to make disclosure?  Why?  When ministry leaders misrepresent themselves or the ministry, why doesn't the Board of Directors act and purge the ministry of such distasteful behavior?  Where is the accountability? The integrity that is demanded by the scriptures?  Make sure your ministry venue is above board on issues I have mentioned today.  Make sure there is complete disclosure, and a rock solid accountability system in place, so leaders know they are being held to a standard the Bible teaches. Make sure the ministry itself has a rock solid foundation of the scriptures. Don't assume anything just because people say they are Christians.  And by all means check out the the backside of any ministry you support to make sure it doesn't have a silent side that is not honoring God.

Keeping it honest and truthful...K

The State of the Union

President Obama spoke to the nation last night, as each president does every January to give the nation a pep talk about how well we are doing as a nation. I thought if he could accomplish 1/10th of what he outlined, he would go down as the most productive president yet. The problem isn't in the ideas presented, it is getting the rest of legislative body to go along with you. Washington is in gridlock, and giving the kinds of problems we have as a nation, and the kind of ideologies we employ to try to fix these problems, it's no wonder we are at a stand still. 

I love the ending to every State of the Union speech, "May God Bless the United States of America."  So, why don't these speeches ever have anything in them that gives God some credit, or at least an honorable mention?  To me, all these speeches are political, phoney and hypocritical.  They say what the American public wants us to hear, and nothing more. If we were serious about change, the President would ask the nation to repent from it's greed, corruption, and selfishness.  We talk about tax reform, perhaps we need character reform more. Unless you transform the heart of a nation, that nation will never change.  It's true with people, why wouldn't it be true for a nation?  This country needs to come back to it's core belief, a government for the people, by the people, but there is too much of "what's in it for me?" mentality among most Americans for that to happen.  Entitlements are kings and so we continue to go broke trying to fix and support everyone's individual needs. 

The President tried to inform us that the nations of the world are loving us as a nation, and that things are changing in how other nations see America.  Great speech writing, but this is not the reality as lived out in the world today. America is still seen as a greedy opportunistic nation among the poor nations of the world.  America lost it's moral character long ago, that's why we are a broke, gridlocked, and visionless government.  You can not change a man by simply changing his clothes, it's the heart of a man that needs to change, and only God can change a heart. 

The State of Union is in dire need of change, but not the kind of change a political president or a state of the union speech can deliver.  We need change by seeking God's help, by living by God's rules, and by bringing Him into the mix of governmental affairs.  Throw out the nay sayers, agnostics, and other degenerates who only want to bring this nation to its knees through their immoral self centeredness. I was impressed to hear that the President of Israel is having Bible studies in his home, now that's progress, that's the kind of leader most governments lack, and because they lack this kind of insight they will continue to lead toward a dark and dismal future. 

State of the Union, it was a nice speech, the President did a nice job in delivering it, but nothing will come from it. He was trying to position himself as a good leader who is worthy of another four year term in office. 

America will only become great again if it comes to the reality of coming back to God.  Let's all pray that leaders in Washington will come to realize our hope as Americans comes from a different source than politics. 

Keeping it honest and truthful...K

       Proverbs 14:34

³⁴Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.     

When God Pulls the Plug.

Does God ever step out of a situation, and allow us to suffer the consequences of a life lived without Him?  The scriptures indicate He does, and He does so to get us to realize how messed up life can become without Him. Our nation is in a mess, we have lost the kind of moorings we once had in a Judeo-Christian society, and now we see how the pride of man has taken over our politics, our government, our entertainment, and our churches.   NBA starKolby Bryant is about to settle his divorce case with his wife for about 100 million dollars, all brought about because he couldn't keep his morals in check, consequences of a prideful life without God.  In the history of God's relationship with Israel, He allowed her to go her own way, making decisions that were without God's input, and living outside of His perimeters. In Isaiah 5, he tells a story about a vineyard He planted, and it produced wild unusable grapes.  He then removed the protective fences, did no cultivating, and sent no rain, all of which destroyed the productivity of the crop.

5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.  6I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.  7 For the vineyard of the LORD of host is the house of Israel,

The Apostle Paul picks up on this theme in Romans 1 as it concerns God removing Himself and allowing man to go his own way.

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  22Claiming to be wise, they became fools,  23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.  24Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,  25because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

God does pull the plug and allow us to suffer the consequences of our own making.  It's a life lesson that He continues to teach us, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by the very words that proceed out of the Lord. God wants us to live within His protection by obeying His words, and honoring His name.  

Our nation needs help, and as this political year begins it march toward the November election, we need God's help more than ever.  When we make decisions without Him as a nation or as an individual, we will pay the price of God stepping out of the equation so that we will face consequences of rejecting Him, and living for ourselves.  It's a hard lesson to learn, and some go to the grave kicking and screaming, because they don't have the assurance of God in their lives.  Don't be foolish today, if you have been living your life outside of God oversight and protection, it's time to reconsider your ways.  The only hope this world has is God, and more specifically, the God who hung on the cross, Jesus Christ.  He died so that we would live within the righteous of a holy God without the penalty of sin.  Grab yourself a piece of the cross today, because it is the cross that brings you the benefits of all what God has for you.

Keeping it honest and truthful..K

Confrontation, yuck, who needs it?

At the top of the list of the most hated things to do in a relationship, is confrontation.  Usually, most people do not like to confront, because most of us feel as if we are declaring war on the relationship if we say how we feel.  However, without confrontation, you may not have a relationship.  Relationships that are built only on the good times are shallow in nature, and show little respect for both parties. In most relationships there is a dominate personality, and it is that personality that creates the issues and demands entitlement.  Most people give in because they don't want to confront the bad behavior and risk all the hassles of of aftermath drama. These personalities are definitely the ones most gossip and complaining are about, but my advise to those who are doing all the gripping?  Put up with your frustration and shut up. Don't bother the rest of us with all your drama about people you are not willing to confront. Here is a great saying....write it down.

You can not correct what you are unwilling to CONFRONT!

If you are unwilling to step up to the plate and confront the offender, then you really shouldn't have the right to complain to the rest of us.  I get tired of all the belly aching and gossip about situations when the person complaining is not willing to confront the issues.  

Confrontation should be a course in every school, and seminary in the nation.  When, where, and how to confront those who are creating a nuisance, or division, or personal discomfort in your life.  Some spouses get confronted everyday about things that don't matter, and is a nuisance in itself, but I am not talking about people nit picking on personal habits, I am talking about issues that matter.

So what are some examples of what matters.

• Employment issues
• Theological disception
• Leadership abuse
• Lack of Integrity
• Dishonesty in relationships/lying
• Narcissic abuse
• Dishonoring issues
• Discrimination of race or gender
• Distrust and loyalty issues
• Political correctness issues 
• Morality issues

The list could go on and on as you can see, but there are issues that affect you personally and afflict many people who are connected to the issues.  Confrontation doesn't have to be negative, it can also be constructive.  If I care about someone, my responsibility is to tell them the truth, and not be politically correct and be silent.  

The Church for too long has been silent on issues it needs to confront.  The Church loses more of its soul everytime it fails to tell people the truth and stand firm defending it. Moral issues are the easiest to defend because we have the support of the Bible, yet many moral issues aren't even talked about because it would cause people to feel uncomfortable. We don't teach each other on how to tell the truth in love, we teach people how not to offend, so don't say anything. Or, we get so worked up over issues, that the confrontation isn't constructive, it's just anger that has been stored up. Jesus confronted repeatedly, whether it was Peter in his hypocritical behavior or it was to the Pharisees in Matthew 23, He was straight forward and honest in His confrontation.

If you are suffering in silence about issues, ask God to give you courage, wisdom, and strength to do what is right.  Remember you will never change anything unless you are willing to confront. 

Keeping it honest and truthful...K

Matthew 23  25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For  you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of  greed and self-indulgence.  26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of  the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

James 5:12 12But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Who Keeps the Record?

My wife and I were talking in our early morning discussions about life, and how unfair it can be at times. It throws us curves all the time, keeping us on edge about who we are, and what we do.  People are in the business of impressing others, by who we are by position, education, or what we own. We are always letting people know the stats about ourselves, its hard not to when you are competing for attention.  Think about all the conversations we have where you purposely want to impress the person you were talking with about yourself.  You have to say something that would make them feel good about you, or what you do.  This is one of the reasons we have become so politically correct.  We want people to be impressed with us, fall in love with us, and lend us their admiration and support.  Truth telling has changed from being honest, to being politically correct, where no one is ugly, stupid or incorrect.  Sorry, but there is ugliness in our world, there is stupidity, and there is a whole lot of incorrectness.  

I have always said, "You always have to be honest, but you don't have to be unkind."

Honestly doesn't have to blast people, or be mean to people, but you have to be honest.  I have learned that if you aren't honest in your relationships, it becomes an elephant in the room. If you remember that one day you will have to stand before the one who keeps all records, knows all truth, and sees all things, you will have a different perspective on how you live your life.  God keeps the records. He can not be fooled, cheated, or conned. He knows the truth about your feelings, your pain, your lies, your misgivings, and your motives.  (it is amazing after knowing all of this about us, that He still loves and forgives us)

He is the only one we have to impress, He is the only one who can be trusted with our lives. There is no reason to live in secret, or have hidden agendas, it's all open to Him.  I believe this is what Jesus said about knowing them by their fruits.  When a person says they know God, and that they are believers, yet live in secret places with lies, and half truths, I don't think they really know Him. I can't tell you how many times I have asked God for clarity on this, because many Christian leaders do not have integrity in telling the truth.  They only see truth as it relates to others, and not to themselves. 

Let me go on record to say that if you aren't living honestly before others, you are not living for God.  If you are practicing dishonestly at any level, you are not living for Him. Any form of dishonestly no matter how small it might be is still being recorded by God.  As one man said, "as a Christian we live for an audience of One."  God knows you, and He is keeping record, so stop trying to live your life in dishonestly.  Don't mess around with God, get honest and right with Him today.

Matthew 12:33 A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit  33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad,for the tree is known by its fruit. Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. Keeping it honest and truthful....K