Being old has its benefits. And I don’t just mean the senior coffees at McDonalds.

I’m old enough to know that “what goes around comes around,” and King Solomon had it right when he observed that “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). History really does have a habit of repeating itself, particularly if we fail to learn its lessons the first time around.

But recently I’ve come to appreciate another benefit of having lived awhile: I’ve seen that God is a skilled Artist who delights in “connecting the dots” in our lives. Perhaps you haven’t lived long enough to see this fantastic divine pattern yet, but I believe you will in time.

By “dots,” I mean whatever experiences, events, relationships, successes, failures, pains, or pleasures you’ve encountered during your life. Some of these dots you’ve no doubt categorized as “bad,” and other ones you’ve probably described as “good.” And if you’re anything like me, many of the dots in life simply seem random—without any apparent purpose…making absolutely no sense at the time.

Yet I have good news for you today—news so good you probably will find it hard to believe: As time goes by during your life, the Lord will increasingly connect the dots and reveal an intricate, well-planned masterpiece. Yes, He’ll connect even the dots that once made no sense. And if all the dots still don’t seem to be perfectly connected by the end of your earthly life, He will surely finish the job in eternity.

By the time God gets done with His handiwork, EVERY dot will be connected, and NOTHING will be wasted. He will find a use even for your most painful dots or and the events you considered your greatest failures.

You see, the Bible has been right all along when it told us that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Read that one more time. It doesn’t say just SOME thing work together for good—it says “ALL THINGS!”

Now take a few minutes to consider some of the “dots” you wish you could erase from your life. Believe it or not, God can do something good even with those painful or ugly dots. In the next few weeks, I’ll be launching an e-book on preventing, surviving and recovering from church splits. Sad to say, I’m one of the world’s foremost experts on the subject—but the Lord is going to use my painful and unwanted experiences to help thousands of pastors who are dealing with such things in their own churches.

And if you still doubt God’s ability to turn around tragic events and use them for His purposes, consider King David. I’m sure he wished he could erase his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah (see Psalm 51). But Bathsheba ultimately gave birth to Solomon, and she ended up in the family lineage of Jesus, the Messiah! (Matthew 1:6) God is great in mercy, isn’t He?

And in case you think God only loves you or offers you His favor when you are “good,” let me share one more connect-the-dots illustration.

Although I’ve never been much of a stargazer or astronomer, the Big Dipper is one constellation that’s always blessed and intrigued me. First of all, note that it’s not a “dipper” at all until you connect the dots of the various stars.

But what amazes me about the Big Dipper is that it’s continually tilted in such a way as to pour out its contents. My friend, that’s exactly how God wants you to see His love and favor for you. It’s not something that comes and goes, nor is it so fragile that it can easily be lost. In fact, Paul assured us that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God…nothing (Romans 8:28).

So take heart today. Nothing has happened in your life that is too awful for God to forgive or to redeem for His glory. Go ahead and give Him the dots—all of them—and you’ll be amazed by the beautiful tapestry He’ll produce.

As you’ve probably already discovered, it’s painful when our fondest dreams turn into nightmares. Although we may not be as honest as Abbie was in her prayer, at times it would seem a great relief to eliminate our dreams altogether. Wouldn’t it be easier to just become a zombie or a mind-numbed robot…putting your life on autopilot and eliminating any new initiatives or risky adventures?

Becoming a Dreamer Again

If you’ve become a disillusioned dreamer, you’re not alone. Yet it’s important to see that not all “dis-illusionment” is bad, for we all have “illusions” in our lives that are not from God. (Remind me to tell you that story about the Perfect Church sometime…)

Jesus’ death on the cross was the most disillusioning event in history. His closest followers were devastated, going from their grandiose expectations at the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (John 12:12-19) to hiding out in a locked room for fear of the Jews (John 20:19). Peter and some of the others even sought comfort in turning back to their old occupation of fishing (John 21).

And the pain of disillusionment can be felt in the words of the two disciples walking to Emmaus, “We had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). How sad! These men “had hoped” they could count on Jesus to fulfill their dreams, but now their hopes were past tense.

However, at the very time these discouraged men were feeling this way, the resurrected Lord Jesus was walking right beside them! What a great lesson. When our dreams are dashed to the ground and all hope seems lost, the Source of ALL hope is right there with us, ready to open our eyes again to new possibilities.

You’re Never Too Old

Perhaps you think you’re simply too old to dream. My generation of fellow Baby Boomers was perhaps the greatest generation of dreamers to ever live. But now we’re getting OLD, as my kids can attest to.

So is it time to admit defeat and simply stop dreaming dreams? No way! In fact, God has a prophetic word just for us: “In the last days...your young men will see visions, your OLD men will DREAM DREAMS” (Acts 2:17). Let it be, Lord!

No matter how old or young you may be, I encourage you to keep on seeing visions and dreaming dreams. Yes, as Abbie recognized, dreams sometimes are scary or even painful. But we’re entering into days when we’ll need God to raise up a new army of dreamers—taking bold action to impact the world for His kingdom.

What posture should believers take amid America's frustrating cultural war?

If you’re feeling bummed out about the direction of your nation right now, I can relate. And so can the prophet Jeremiah.

Yet as Jeremiah wept during the devastation of his beloved city, Jerusalem, his initial reaction was not to blame the Babylonian invaders for his agony. He blamed God, concluding that his nation’s afflictions had come “from the rod of God’s wrath” (Lamentations 3:1-20 TLB).

You have to admit, this was a very logical conclusion. The Lord had promised to defend and protect His people if they walked in His ways. So the Babylonians weren’t the real problem—it was an issue between God and His people.

As Jeremiah witnessed the troubling events befalling his nation, he reasoned, “[God] has turned against me…and surrounded me with anguish and distress.” And he also was baffled by the fact that “though I cry and shout, he will not hear my prayers!”

Jeremiah was having a very bad day. Perhaps you can relate.

To make matters worse, there seemed to be no quick or easy solution: “He has walled me in; I cannot escape.” Perhaps you’ve wanted to just leave the country in your frustration. But escape is not the answer.

And while Jeremiah knew that God promises freedom to His people when they trust and obey Him, he must have been horrified by the realization that “he has fastened me with heavy chains.” How traumatic!

But the chains of the Babylonians were not much different from the chains of debt we now find ourselves in as a nation. One estimate says that every baby born this year will immediately owe $250,000 as their share of the national debt. Chains of bondage, don’t you think?

Jeremiah probably once had a plan for his life, but now everything had changed. Instead of getting closer to his destination, just the opposite seemed true: “[God] has filled my path with detours.” Perhaps you’re one of the thousands of people who’ve had to defer your retirement plans because of “detours” in the economy. I can relate.

If you find your lamenting today, you no doubt feel a need for comrades who understand and sympathize. But Jeremiah wasn’t given this luxury. He felt very much alone, even rejected: “My own people laugh at me; all day long they sing their ribald songs.”

Hmmm…sounds like a cultural war is going on, doesn’t it? While Jeremiah lamented, the people around him laughed. Seemingly without a clue about the destruction they were facing, people mocked God’s prophetic message and chose to flaunt their worldly ways. Jeremiah must have faced opposition from leaders who, like some today, belittle godly people for “clinging to their guns and religion” instead of embracing cultural trends.

Recognizing peace and prosperity as two key pillars of every nation truly blessed by God, Jeremiah was disturbed to realize that both were slipping away: “All peace and all prosperity have long since gone, for you [God] have taken them away.”

As Jeremiah surveyed this dismal situation, he made another quite logical deduction: “The Lord has left me…All hope is gone.” And who could blame him for feeling melancholy, even bitter?

Fortunately, this wasn’t the end of the story. Jeremiah went on to describe how the Lord broke through the dark clouds of disillusionment and gave him a sudden ray of encouragement:

Yet there is one ray of hope: his compassion never ends.

It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction.

Great is his faithfulness; his loving‑kindness begins afresh each day.

My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him.

The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him (Lamentations 3:21-25 TLB).

What an incredible change in Jeremiah’s perspective! From his gloomy place of lament, he saw an amazing ray of hope. From the pit of despair, he saw the Lord’s compassion and faithfulness. From an attitude of blaming God for his anguish, he ended up praising God and declaring His goodness.

So what about you? If you are experiencing a time of lament today—concerning your own life, your loved ones, or your nation—may the Lord break through the clouds and give you a fresh glimpse of His faithfulness.

Like Jeremiah, the apostle John faced some frightening times when he wrote the book of Revelation. Yet everything changed when he saw “a throne in heaven and Someone sitting on it” (Revelation 4:1-2). Praise God, He is still faithful, and still on the throne.

In 1517 a common Catholic monk named Martin Luther started a tidal wave in Christendom by nailing his Ninety-Five Thesis to the door of Wittenberg Church. Initially he got very little response to this bold challenge to ecclesiastical abuses, but within a year he was put on trial for being a heretic.

The door of the Wittenberg Church was sort of a bulletin board for the university, a place where people could post their events and expound on their views. It’s not too much of a stretch to say it was similar to today’s blog, Twitter, or Facebook posts, giving people an interactive way to express their concerns or share words of encouragement.

Luther’s message on the Wittenberg door challenged the status quo—and, of course, the status quo challenged Luther right back. But when asked to recant his message, he replied:

Unless I am convicted by scripture and plain reason, I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other. My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.

According to legend, Luther also said the famous words: “Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen!”

We desperately need some “Wittenberg Doors” today. The church and the secular culture are again in need of major reformation. People need safe places to ask honest questions about whether the status quo is truly representative of God’s highest will.

Thanks to new technology and the rise of social networks, we have unparalleled opportunities for communication. But hopefully the truly prophetic messages of our day won’t be drowned out in the sea of personal trivia and chatter that social networking sometimes represents.

Today, as in Luther’s day, we need safe places to deliver “dangerous” messages. Of course, Wittenberg Doors present an inevitable risk. There is nothing godly or “prophetic” about personal vendettas or doctrinal axes to grind. The writer of Hebrews warns us not to allow a “root of bitterness,” which will defile many (Hebrews 12:15). Yes, we are commanded to “speak the truth” to one another, but Paul makes it clear that the motivation must always be “in love” (Ephesians 4:15).

This call for more truth-speaking will no doubt attract some disillusioned and disgruntled believers who simply want to firebomb the church. But that is a perversion of what the Wittenberg Door is all about. Even though we are called to challenge the status quo at times, it must be with a constant realization that the church—warts and all—is the beloved bride that Jesus died to create.

In the Jewish Talmud, the rabbinic teachers forbade people from mocking or jeering at anyone or anything except idolatry. However, idolatry in its many forms—sacred cows, to be exact—is a legitimate target for our inquiry or even our derision.

Luther saw the Reformation as something far more important than just a revolt against ecclesiastical abuses or petty doctrinal differences. He believed it was a fight for nothing less than the true gospel. In a similar way, may God raise up bold leaders today who will point the church back to the gospel—and to Christ as the church’s rightful Head.

Let a new tidal wave of reformation begin.

The REAL Decision America Faces This Election

     I recently preached on “The 3 Success Secrets of a Scoundrel,” and you can hear the entire message at http://bit.ly/QMSzoF. The message was based on the life of Jacob, a man who ended up highly favored by God, though he was quite a schemer along the way.

     Jacob and his twin brother, Esau, are featured in one of the most intriguing passages in the Bible: “Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated” (Malachi 1:2-3). Why would God love the deceiver Jacob in such a way? And what was there about Esau that the Lord hated?

     Of course, today’s politically correct view of God is that He couldn’t possibly “hate” anyone. He’s a God of “unconditional love,” isn’t He? That is a deep subject indeed, but it’s not the focus of this article. Instead, I want to examine a central differences between Jacob and his brother Esau: deferred gratification.

     You see, Esau was technically the older of the twins, so he had a legal right to a double portion of their father’s inheritance. But, in an impulsive moment, he sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of soup (Genesis 25:29-34).

     We can learn a lot from Jacob and Esau about the choices we make. Jacob was far from perfect, but he passionately pursued his inheritance and ended up valuing the things God valued. He was willing to persist in wrestling with God all night if that’s what it took to receive the blessing (Genesis 32:24-31).

     Esau, in contrast, was only concerned about satisfying his immediate desires and needs. He could care less about the long-term consequences of his choices. Like so many today, he “lived for the moment” and hoped to clean up the mess later.

     As a nation, we face this same crossroads. Will we choose the path of Jacob or the path of Esau? When we select our political leaders, the choice should NOT be who will give us the best life in 2013. No, the real issue, if we are wise, must be a long-term perspective: Who will set us on the path to a better country 20 or 30 years from now? What policies will lead to a better life for our children and grandchildren?

     Many voters are concluding that they made an impulsive decision four years ago. It felt good at the time, yet now they are feeling regret. Esau felt this way too, and he wasn’t allowed to reverse his downward course (Hebrews 12:14-17).

     However, by God’s grace, America gets to choose again. Which candidate and philosophy will pave the way to a better nation decades from now?

     The choice is yours. The choice is mine. The choice is our nation’s. The consequences will be profound.

by Jim Buchan

I’ve been haunted lately by an old quote attributed to John Wesley, the famed English preacher and founder of Methodism:

“Give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven upon the earth.”

My angst over this quote probably began when I entered the world of Twitter and began a daily count of my followers @BestBibleTweets. In just a week or so, I had gained more than 100 “followers,” yet somehow the world wasn’t shaking like Wesley described.

Another milestone came when I realized I had the same number of Twitter followers as the number of church members we had in the church I pastored in Ohio many years ago. It had taken our church an entire decade to reach that number of followers, but I did it on Twitter in slightly more than a month.

Yet the world still wasn’t shaking.

More milestones would soon follow, until I had thousands of Twitter followers in less than six months. I was certainly proud of my accomplishments…but still the world wasn’t shaking.

I forgot to mention that I also have more than 500 contacts on LinkedIn and almost 500 friends on Facebook. That’s cool, but I still find myself troubled by Wesley’s quote.

I can almost imagine Wesley appearing to me in a dream some night…

“Jim, how many disciples are you leading in the ways of Christ?” he might ask.

“Brother Wesley,” I would tell him, “I now have thousands of people following me on Twitter @BestBibleTweets and hundreds of friends reading my posts on Facebook.”

“Very impressive, Jim!” Wesley might say. “I sure wish I’d had technology like that to mold disciples in my generation. But tell me, are your followers truly growing in the grace and holiness of the Lord? Are you able to hold them accountable to the teachings of the Word? And are these ‘followers’ of yours bold in their faith and winning souls to Christ?”

Hmmm… How would I respond to such a troubling question? And how would YOU respond if Wesley inquired about your disciples?

Although I don’t plan to give up on the world of Twitter and Facebook, I’ve concluded that I would trade it all for just 100 people who “feared nothing but sin and desired nothing but God.” For as much as I love my Twitter flock, they are no substitute for true disciples. Nor can my Facebook friends match the level of face-to-face friendships God wants me to have.

Lord, we want to be world-shaking believers, able to raise up fully devoted followers who can cover the earth with Your glory!

A friend recently told me a story about renovations being done to the upstairs of an elderly woman’s house. The reconstruction project had proven more costly than expected, resulting in considerable friction among her children, who presumably will inherit the house and their mother’s remaining assets someday.

This was a casual conversation about a very real situation. But it contained significant prophetic lessons for the state of the church in America.

As the story unfolded, I found myself asking a number of intriguing questions, and the answers lead us to important principles about the kind of renovations needed in the body of Christ today.

Why Renovate the Upstairs First?

This woman lives in an old, stately house. A visitor might conclude that it’s in fairly good repair, but most of the decorations and accessories are quite dated.

Usually a visitor would only see the main floor of this house, which raises the first question: Why not invest the time and money to renovate the first floor instead of the upstairs? After all, the upstairs would rarely be seen by the public. And I know this would be our family’s priorities if we did renovations—we would concentrate on the most visible areas.

But you see, the church has an “upper room,” and from God’s perspective nothing is more important. As my friend’s story unfolded, in my mind’s eye I could see a house that was clean and fit for use on the main floor, but it had an upstairs filled with cobwebs, dust, and debris.

Sadly, this too often is the situation in the church today. We care about what is seen by the visitors (i.e., “seekers” and unchurched people), but we don’t realize the crucial importance of restoring the upper room—the place where we find intimacy with God and are filled with His world-shaking power.

So we typically renovate the main floor first. Giving great attention to a visitor’s “worship experience,” we focus on having friendly greeters, good lighting, an awesome sound system, stunning video effects, and a stage production that most rock stars would envy.

Let me be the first to say that I’m not particularly against such things in themselves. In many churches, the main floor needs some renovation. The old organ music isn’t helping to reach many new people, and the pews and overall décor clearly have a “dated” look.

But what should be our first priority? When the first floor becomes our obsession and the upper room is neglected, we aren’t putting first things first. To the extent that we succeed at all, we will fall into the dismal trap of “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5).

Of course, there are some truly successful churches that give the upper room its proper place and also reach out to seekers with excellent music and preaching. Yet many new church plants simply try to mimic the first floor worship experiences of these effective churches, without investing in the upper room power.

Is It Worth the Cost?

In my friend’s story, the cost overruns had caused conflicts among the woman’s children. It was a very expensive project, and one could well question whether it was worth it.

Here again, there’s a prophetic lesson. When a woman anointed Jesus with costly spices before His death, the disciples asked this very same question: “Why this waste?” (Matthew 26:8) After all, there certainly could have been better use for this extravagant expenditure: “This fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor” (v. 9).

In essence, the disciples were saying, “Jesus doesn’t really need this lavish display of affection. Instead of wasting it on Him, we should be reaching out to the poor—the seekers and those are lost.” There was a certain logic to their argument, for they knew Jesus had a great passion for the least and the lost. They probably thought He would commend them for their perspective.

But Jesus startled them with this surprising rebuke: “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” (v. 13). In other words, true worship—upper room style—was a key ingredient for genuine gospel outreach! Jesus wanted people to remember this woman’s act “wherever this gospel is preached.”

While trying to impress people with our amazing technology and “sound and light show,” we must never forget the most important feature of an authentic church: the presence of Jesus! (Matthew 18:20) In the end, that’s all we really have to offer (Exodus 33:15-16).

When we truly worship Him as our first priority, something incredible happens in the spiritual atmosphere: “The house was filled with the fragrance of the oil” (John 12:3). Notice that the WHOLE house was filled—not just the upper room. When we set our hearts on worshiping Jesus in the upper room, the aroma will surely fill the downstairs too.

So Why Not Make the Whole House an Upper Room?

There’s an urgent need for the church to renovate its experience of the upper room. The cobwebs are many, and the power is running low in most congregations today.

However, some well-meaning believers have taken this message to an unhealthy extreme. Realizing the vital importance of the upper room, they’ve surmised that nothing else is of much value.

So these very spiritual Christians have tried to turn the downstairs part of the house into an upper room. Since the upper room is so crucial, they argue, why not turn the whole house into a “house of prayer”?

While this indeed sounds spiritual, it’s basically moving the pendulum from one imbalance to another. Yes, Jesus wants His house to be a “house of prayer,” but He never wants us to forget the second part of our assignment: We must be “a house of prayer FOR ALL NATIONS” (Mark 11:17). In other words, the prayers and praises in the upper room are always supposed to be linked to our mission to preach the gospel.

If we turn the “public” floor of the house into an upper room, it’s no longer truly public. We’ve lost our place for visitors or seekers to come, because we’ve taken away their point of access. In effect, we’ve eliminated the outer court of the Temple and told people to come directly into the Holy of Holies.

Of course, I’ve heard all the arguments that the church must be a super-spiritual place where believers come to meet with God—and the evangelism will come later, after we’ve soaked in His presence for an extended period. While this concept sounds appealing, I’ve found that, too often, the evangelism never actually comes. We’re basking in our upper room day after day, but never taking the presence of God with us to the streets and the marketplace.

Conclusions

Satan loves imbalance. Sometimes he even lets “good” things happen unopposed, if they are good but ineffective.

Unless connected to the upper room, an effort to reach seekers will ultimately end in frustration. But an upper room not connected to outreach a lost and needy world will ultimately become a self-absorbed delusion.

No matter which side of the pendulum you’re presently on, it’s time to regain balance and true impact. As for the early disciples, so with us: It was after they worshiped Him that He gave them the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). The two cannot be separated if we are to succeed in filling the earth with the knowledge of His glory (Habakkuk 2:14).

Are you ready for renovation? Then let’s start in the upper room, as the early church did. But let’s not be content until our renovations rock the whole world.

For several years, America has been under what Romans 11:8 calls “a spirit of stupor.” More on that in a minute, but first a story…

You’ve probably heard the old German legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. When the town of Hamelin was suffering from a terrible rat infestation, a charismatic man dressed in multicolored clothing appeared, claiming to have a solution. The desperate townspeople gladly promised to pay him for his services, and the man proceeded to play a musical pipe to lure the rats into a river, where they drowned.

Despite this success, the mayor of the town refused to pay the piper the full amount of money due. The piper angrily left the town, vowing to return and seek revenge.

Sure enough, the piper came back, this time when the townspeople were in church. He played his pipe again, but not to lure away the rats this time. The seductive sound of his music drew away the children of Hamelin out of their town and into a cave, where they were never seen again.

Why has this story endured for so many centuries? Because we’ve all experienced some version of its plot: The guy hired to fix one problem ends up creating other problems that are even worse.

We see this in the Biblical story of the woman who suffered with a hemorrhage for 12 years. We’re told that she “had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:25-34). Notice that this poor woman (1) suffered at the hands of the very ones who were supposedly trying to help her, (2) spent all her money on worthless cures, and (3) ended up getting worse instead of better.

And it’s also crucial to notice that this woman apparently persisted—for 12 long years—in a treatment plan that actually made her situation worse. No doubt, her worthless (or evil) doctors assured her that improvement was right around the corner. “Just stay the course,” they advised her. “We’re surely making progress.”

You see, there are Pied Pipers everywhere. Politicians, financial planners, sports coaches—we’ve all heard the “stay the course” message when it made no logical sense at all.

That brings us back to “the spirit of stupor.” Romans 11:8 says this unfortunate condition came from God Himself, a judgment for people’s idolatry, hardness of heart, and failure to seek His ways. Those overcome by this spirit had “eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear.”

Our English word “stupor” comes from the Latin stupure, meaning “insensible.” Dictionaries define it as “a lack of critical cognitive function, where a sufferer only responds to stimuli such as pain” … “suspension or great diminishing of sensibility, such as the effect of narcotics or intoxicants (e.g., a drunken stupor)” … “mental apathy.”

Just as a person usually needs several drinks to become inebriated, America’s stupor didn’t happen all at once. The Pied Piper spirit began to weave its seductive web decades ago, but its tune surely came to a crescendo with the intoxicating rhetoric and promises of 2008.

If you see this as strictly a matter of party affiliation you’ve completely missed the point. There are Pied Pipers on all sides of the political spectrum. We have to address the spiritual roots of many people’s trancelike political preferences. The stupor is, after all, a “spirit”—something that must ultimately be broken through prayer, fasting, and spiritual warfare.

Have you ever tried to persuade a drunken person to follow any kind of sensible path? Good luck on that. First, the intoxicated person must sober up and come to his senses.

In the same way, God graciously wants to return America to “sobriety” and sensibility. Prayer is a powerful thing, and the curse of spiritual stupor can be broken. But time is running out, and our children’s future depends on it. We must boldly cry out to awaken those still mesmerized by the piper’s seductive spell, “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Ephesians 5:14).

Caution: The blog post you are about to read is a BIBLE STUDY about a critical issue of our day. It is not meant as an endorsement or rebuke of any specific political candidate or party. Apply these truths as God leads you!

We live in dangerous, deceptive times, when it has never been more important to be like the sons of Issachar, “who understood the times” and knew what God’s people should do (1 Chronicles 12:32). The recent political conventions have served to illustrate the critical nature of this: Will Christians in our country discern the truth or be hoodwinked by smooth-talking, emotion-stirring politicians? Will we allow the candidates’ rhetoric to twist reality and permit them to substitute promises for performance?

I’m old enough to remember the old “To Tell the Truth” TV program, where three mystery guests claimed to be a certain person, and the four celebrity panelists had to guess which one of them was telling the truth about their identity. Each segment of the program culminated with the host saying, “Only one of these is the real ______, and the others are imposters. Will the real _____ please stand up!”

Matthew 27 tells a story remarkably similar to an episode of “To Tell the Truth.” Two men stood before the Roman governor (Pontius Pilate) and a large crowd of people. Both of these men were revolutionaries, but they advocated two very different kinds of revolution. Both were radical in their approach, but in completely different ways.

Pilate made it clear that only one of these men could be chosen: “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (v. 17) The people had to carefully evaluate the claims of these two revolutionaries before making their all-important decision.

According to many early manuscripts, the full name of the first man was Jesus Barabbas. Jesus meant “savior,” and Barabbas meant “son of the father” (Bar = Son, Abbas = Father). This man was widely known as an insurrectionist who had participated in a recent uprising against the Roman authorities (Mark 15:7).

The message of Barabbas was clear: “You all could have a great life if it weren’t for the Romans. They’ve victimized and oppressed you, making it impossible to be happy and productive. Let me come to your aid and get rid of the ‘bad guys’ who’ve ripped you off and done you wrong.”

No doubt, there was a grain of truth in Barabbas’ case, just as there’s always an element of truth in the manipulative arguments of political demagogues today. However, the cure he promised didn’t address the more fundamental cause of people’s misery.

Standing next to Barabbas that day was a very different kind of revolutionary, though there were some intriguing parallels between the men. This radical young leader from Nazareth was also named Jesus, and his followers considered him the Savior. And just as the name Barabbas meant “son of the father,” this other Jesus was known by many as the son of Father God. Ultimately he was referred to as Jesus the Christ, or Messiah.

Jesus had some fair-weather followers who probably weren’t much different from the followers of Barabbas. They saw his miracles and hoped he would liberate them from Roman oppression and restore the independent Jewish nation. Mostly likely, this was their misguided motivation in shouting “Hosanna” (save now!) when he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey a few days earlier.  

However, the message of this Jesus was much different than Jesus Barabbas. Instead of promising political solutions—salvation from the outside—he told his followers they must repent and receive God’s kingdom on the inside. Rather than allowing his disciples to pity themselves and feel like victims, he challenged them to take the “logs” out of their own eyes and deal with any sin or selfishness that was preventing them from receiving true freedom and abundance.

The unfolding scene in Matthew 27 was almost unbelievable. Which “Jesus”—which savior—would the people choose: Jesus Barabbas or Jesus Christ? Would they opt for a political solution that let them off the hook in dealing with their own sinfulness and disobedience? Or would they embrace Jesus’ promise of a new heart and a transformed life?

You see, two different gospels were presented by these two men. Both claimed to offer “good news” to those who would follow their pathway. Barabbas promised a better life once the Romans were defeated, while Jesus promised new life in a spiritual kingdom that transcended politics and earthly kingdoms.

To Pilate’s shock, the people overwhelmingly voted for Barabbas and were content to send Jesus to crucifixion. How could this be? Were they simply deceived, lured by Barabbas’ promise of sweet revenge against their oppressors? Were they paid off by the jealous religious leaders, who saw Jesus as a threat to their grip on people’s lives? Or was the problem that most of Jesus’ fans and followers simply failed to show up—or speak up—on that fateful day?

Today America faces an eerily similar moment of decision. As in the days of Barabbas and Jesus, we face enormous economic and social challenges, causing many people to feel desperate for relief. If we are seduced by the promises of Barabbas, we will seek political saviors and opt for government solutions to our woes. We will listen to the alluring siren call of those who stoke the flames of victimhood and demonize opponents with a “divide and conquer” strategy.

In contrast, the pathway prescribed by Jesus seems much more costly and difficult. It beckons us to lay down our lives and trust God to meet our needs. Instead of permitting us to play the blame game, it points us to the ancient remedy prescribed in 2 Chronicles 7:14: We must humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our own wicked ways. Then, and only then, does the Lord promise to forgive our national sins and heal our land.

No matter what your political persuasion might be, it’s time to repent of any tendency to cast our nation’s leaders in the role of our savior or source. Regardless of which Presidential candidate you support, I hope you can see they are certainly not Jesus!

There’s only ONE true Savior and Source, and those who put their hope in Him will not be disappointed (Romans 10:11). Every human substitute is just an imposter and counterfeit, shifting sand that will ultimately replace our soaring hopes with deep disappointment.

Don’t be duped! Examine each candidate’s track record, and not just their words. And pray for God to give discernment, both to you and to your fellow citizens.

Why Leaders Today Need Holy Testosterone

The stress on Christian leaders in America is seldom the result of overt persecution. Sadly, most of us have not been enough of a threat to anyone to be persecuted.

Instead, the stress comes primarily from the daily wear and tear of babysitting self-absorbed believers who are more concerned about their own needs than about the gospel. Having chosen to babysit rather than confront, emasculated leaders find themselves increasingly frustrated with a ministry typified by spinning of wheels instead of changing of lives.

Those with crushed testicles not only are crippled from leading, they also are disabled from reproducing. Like eunuchs, their castration prevents them from having normal “intercourse” and raising up a new generation of leaders. Amazingly, this lack of spiritual reproduction has become accepted as normal by many who are in leadership today. Losing sight of the clear biblical mandate to equip new leaders, many leaders have become content to have no spiritual offspring.

Be clear on this: It is not a sin to have been crushed. But it is a sin to wallow in an impotent condition, not letting God heal us and restore our courage to lead and reproduce.

After listing the traits that would disqualify a person from the priesthood, God concludes Leviticus 21 with this word of encouragement: “I am the Lord who sanctifies them” (v. 23). This means that no matter what condition you find yourself in today, God is committed to help and heal you if you let Him.

Take heart! Today there can be a whole new beginning for your leadership journey.

Has Christian Publishing Lost Its Way?

As an admirer of Michael Hyatt, I greeted the release of his best-selling Platform book with great anticipation. But having read the book, I find myself disappointed at its underlying message and deeply concerned about the overall condition of the Christian publishing industry.

There’s no doubt that Hyatt offers many truths about the difficulty of getting our message heard in a noisy world. And he highlights a dazzling array of useful technological tools for breaking through the fog and gaining a higher platform.

As a preacher and writer, these are issues of great interest to me. I want to get my message disseminated to a wider audience and am eager to learn from experts like Michael Hyatt. Yet I’ve been frustrated by Christian publishers’ increasing reliance on “platform” as the primary criterion for evaluating a book proposal. I sometimes wonder if Matthew, Mark, Luke or John could have gotten their book published today. And as the former CEO of Thomas Nelson, Michael Hyatt is one of the industry leaders responsible for this trend.

I can’t help wondering if much of this is akin to the story in Genesis 11, where some enterprising people sought a higher platform in order to make a name for themselves. Their concern wasn’t to further God’s kingdom but to advance their own.

From my perspective, Michael Hyatt’s book is largely amoral when it comes to the purpose of the platform. Yes, he talks about creating “wow” through great products we can promote via our platform. But communicating God’s truth is a lot different than just creating products of our own hands—products that may turn out to be like the bricks created in Genesis 11. The only true and lasting wow occurs when an endeavor is marked by God’s supernatural touch.

iPhones are an excellent product, and Steve Jobs definitely was gifted at promoting the “wow.” Yet iPhones aren’t inherently virtuous. They can be used either for good or for evil, and the same can be said of a platform. Building a platform can be pointless, or even evil, if our purpose is not God’s purpose.

How would Jesus handle technology if He lived in the 21^st century? Would He boast that he had a billion Facebook friends or Twitter followers—or would He purposely “unfriend” people or delete Twitter followers who were followers in name only?

The bottom line is this: Michael Hyatt’s book is unwittingly promoting the Cult of the Celebrity. Before you can get your Christian book published these days, you first must make yourself a celebrity. If you have as many Twitter followers as Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga, your chances are pretty good—regardless of the book’s message.

I dove into the world of Twitter only recently. It was a landmark day when I had the same number of Twitter followers as the number of people in my church when I was a pastor. But although I was excited that my numbers kept growing, I was troubled that only a small portion of my so-called followers even knew who I was. And many were clearly following merely out of self-interest, hoping I would follow them back and increase their numbers.

In Platform, Michael Hyatt makes many references to his use of analytics to evaluate the responses he gets to his blogs and tweets. While I have no problem with analyzing results, I’m grieved that this is what much of the Christian church world and publishing world have become: It’s all about the numbers, baby. While I’m sure God LOVES numbers when they represent transformed lives, numbers on Facebook or Twitter are usually pretty shallow, aren’t they?

In stark contrast, Jesus changed the entire world with a core group of 12 rather dysfunctional men, none of whom started with much of a platform. Yes, He fed thousands at times, but His hope was never that the crowds would change the world. He put His focus on disciples.

And Jesus never told His disciples to seek a higher platform. To the contrary, He told them to kneel down and get low enough to wash each other’s feet (John 13:14-15). He taught that we should humble ourselves and seek out the lowest place at the banqueting table (Luke 14:7-11, 20:46).

Some of the elements in Platform seem quite elitist. Not everyone can afford to get a new headshot taken by a professional photographer every few years, as he recommends. Few people have the resources to follow his advice and get an image consultant and voice coach. (Can you imagine Jesus getting help from an image consultant or voice coach? What a conversation that would be!)

Not everyone is as technologically astute as Hyatt, and here again, this comes across as elitist. Yes, some of us do still have AOL e-mail addresses, which he says is a turnoff to the publishing gatekeepers who long ago upgraded to the 21^st century. Instead, we should all have our very own Internet domain, promoting our own name and branding.

Indeed, that seems to be the chief objective advocated in Platform: to promote our own name and branding. At best, this objective is extremely shallow. At the worst, it violates a key precept of Scripture: “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1).

From a practical perspective, Hyatt is probably right about his suggestions. This is how the Christian publishing world works, a world he has been instrumental in creating. But where is Jesus in this Cult of Celebrity? I’m sincerely trying to figure that out.

Jim Buchan

Charlotte, NC