Forming Great Teams

by Michael Elmore

Many people who read this blog are interested in writing. I know I am. Writing takes talent, practice, learning and encouragement. Perhaps you are not an accomplished author yet. But God has this in mind for you because he has put the desire in your heart. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Recognize that the dream to become an author is not just your aspiration but it is a desire that God has purposely placed within you to glorify His name and fulfill your destiny.

Regardless of the genre you are interested in, God can use your gift to touch countless lives. I don’t know if you realize this or not but the Bible includes a variety of writing genres. For example, you may not be aware of this but about 60% of Scripture is written as poetry. Poetry touches the inner life like few genres can. God also used prose, history, accounting and record keeping, prophecy and storytelling to communicate to humanity. So be encouraged, regardless of the genre you are interested in God can use you!

The question remains for most of us, “How can I hone my skills, connect with literary agents, market a product and sell it successfully?” That’s where learning how to form a great team comes in. Zechariah 4:10 states, ”Do not despise the day of small beginnings.” You probably know someone who has an interest in writing like yourself. You may belong to a writers association, perhaps you’ve attended a conference or workshop or two. Great! That’s how you begin to form a team.

When forming a team pray for divine connections. If you are serious about writing God will put you in touch with just the people you need to serve on your team. One way to help you form a team is to remember that serving others is an excellent way to form a team. Volunteer to help an experienced author. Learn from them, let them mentor you, assist them with their projects and you will be surprised at how rapidly a network of possible team members will soon cross your path. This is called the Law of Association. If we want to be successful then we need to spend time with people that we want to be like. Jesus said, “I came to serve not to be served.”( Mk. 10:45) If serving was good enough for Jesus, then it should be good enough for us.

Finally, be selective who you allow to be part of your team. Look for quality not for quantity. Learn from the best people you are able to connect with. One way to do this is to build networks through conferences, workshops, and seminars. These types of places are chock-full of published authors, promoters, marketing people and literary agents. But when you network with other people I use one word of guidance: listen to the Voice of the Holy Spirit and let His Voice guide you to the right people. Be aware of the agendas that others may have. What are their motives, character, lifestyle and spiritual life? Do they honor God through their work? I have found a good rule of thumb for hearing from God is stopping long enough to hear the Shepherds Voice. Jesus said in John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

Welcome to the concept of forming a writing team. I believe as you work in this direction and in the way God leads you, you will find good success! (Joshua 1:8).

Wondering About God?

By Michael Elmore


Have you ever wondered about God? I mean really wondered about him? ...That's good because that means you have begun a spiritual journey and you have a sincere desire to find God. So as you are wondering about God, you may be relieved and excited to discover that God has provided several ways for us to learn more about him. Besides this, God promises us that "everyone who seeks will find (Matt. 7:8)." You can depend on that!

One of those ways is that God has revealed himself to us is through his Son, Jesus. Jesus said that he and God are One and that if you have seen him, then you have seen God. The best way to learn about God then is to learn about Jesus by reading about his life in the Bible. Open up your mind to learn more about God.

Another way that God reveals himself is through his actions. One of the greatest things God reveals is that He is Love. God loves you and me so much that he acted by sending Jesus to earth to give his life for us. Jesus said that no one can prove his love in any better way than by laying his life down for them. Open up your heart, let God's love touch you deep inside and invite him into your life.

Finally, one of the most important ways to learn about God is by talking to him and getting to know him. Can you imagine trying to get to know someone but never even talking to them? Praying (talking with God) is crucial to someone wondering about God. It's the best way to get to know him personally. You may be surprised to learn that God is longing to talk with you. Open up your spirit and discover that God wants to know you and that he is vitally concerned for you.

Wondering about God is a journey. It starts with a glimmer of hope that maybe there is a God and if so what are the personal implications of His existence to me. Wondering about God leads to discovering God and a revolutionary and fundamental change in your world view. Suddenly, God is at the Center and you have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. The beauty of it all is wondering about God never ends – it’s a life long journey that grows, and grows, and grows. We discover new things about God every single day. Keep wondering, you will find Him as your journey continues. (Matt. 7:7).

STREAMS IN THE DESERT

By Michel Elmore



Have you ever had to travel through a desert? I have and believe me it was not an adventure I would like to repeat anytime soon. Many years ago, I my young family and I were moving from Iowa to Los Angeles in an old 1974 Grand Safari station wagon with a leaky front transmission seal pulling a 6’ x 12’ U-Haul trailer. It seemed like every hundred miles, sometimes less; we were stopping to top off the transmission with oil or the radiator with water. Our car dangerously over heated several times on the 1800 miles trip.

After traveling over 1000 miles of Rocky Mountains, sometimes barely creeping over each new peak before us, we found some respite when we stopped for a day in Las Vegas to rest. As we headed west out of the city the next morning, we were surprised to discover that we still had to cross another 800 miles of desert terrain filled with mountain range after mountain range.

 

A few miles into this leg of the journey a sign appeared along the shoulder of the highway which read: “No water next 156 miles”. Sure enough, about 50 miles into the desert our car over heated and my thermostat on my radiator exploded. Slowly, we coasted into a rest area (with no facilities) wondering what we were going to do?

I happened to have been quick witted enough to pick up an extra thermostat along the way, and even five gallons of water. However, when I looked in my car’s tool box I was short one 9”x16” box end wrench – the only one that would enable me to replace the broken thermostat on the car. I remember praying super-fast and super-intensely because I had no idea how my wife and I and three young children were going to get out of this seemingly hopeless situation.

No kidding, just as I ended my prayer, a long-haired guy in a white panel van pulled up beside me and noticed me working under the hood of the car. He saw my frustration and asked me what was wrong? I told him about the missing wrench and my broken thermostat. He told me he thought he might be able to help me out. The guy went to the back of his panel van and returned in just a few minutes with a 9”x16” box end wrench – the very one I needed! He told me that he was a mechanic and that he was moving to Los Angeles as well and had all of his tools in the back of his van. I fixed the thermostat and went to return the wrench to its owner who simply said, “Keep it – you might need it again.”

Crossing a desert can be difficult and dangerous. Sometimes God’s people find themselves traveling through desert places in their lives. Perhaps you are traveling across a desert in your life right now. If you are, I am sorry that you have to endure it. However, one thing I learned through my desert experience is that God is the God of the deserts of life. Even the deserts are subject to His deity, serve His purpose and must render glory to their Creator.

God has left a precious promise to those traveling through the deserts of life in Isaiah 43:19. Isaiah records these words, “I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Just as in my situation when I felt the most stuck, the most helpless and the most hopeless, God made a way in the desert for me. My desire is to pass on to you a message of hope - if God made a way for me, he can also make a way for you.

Some well-meaning folks would say: “stop being impatient, just wait for God”; “He’ll bring the answer in His timing.” I learned that out in the desert sometimes we need help right away – if help doesn’t come right away we may not make it. The sun is just too hot and our thirst is just too great.

God knows how hot, dry and dangerous the desert can be too. That is why in verse 19 he recognizes our urgent need for help in desert situations. Isaiah reminds of the immediate availability of God’s help when we find ourselves out in the desert. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

Just as God was aware that I needed His help immediately in my desert journey, He is well aware of your need and your time table in your circumstances too. God wants to remind you that His help is already on the way – “Even now it springs up!” The Hebrew word for “now” means that “help has already been prepared and stands at the ready!”

I want you to know that I am no stranger to the desert. I have had my troubles there too. I think you can see that. I will even go so far as to confess that I have been anxious at times, angry at others, felt depressed and sometimes even distraught. However, I have learned a great lesson that I hope that you can learn too. God is God over every desert you face in your life. He has already made a way for you to pass through it, and “even now His help springs up, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19).

Christmas X 7

By various authors and you, too, hopefully.

I challenged our TGBA authors to write a seven word sentence about Christmas. Today's post is the result of that challenge. I hope you enjoy it and will add your own seven word description of whatever comes into your mind/heart when you hear the word "Christmas."

Childhood memories from Christmases long, long ago.  
Michael Elmore

Intentionally reflecting daily on Christ's miraculous birth!
Sharon Wilhite

Love wrapped in cloths--given for us.
Marie Tschopp

Celebrating Emmanuel, God’s love with us, forevermore.
Gail Smith

And from Robin, a seven word series:

Christmas Season in Seven Seven-Word Sentences

By Robin Steinweg

*Christmas lights brighten the ever lengthening days.

*Christmas recital: performed by diligently practicing students.

*Christmas shopping: delayed because of practicing students.

*Christmas music seems slaughtered by muzak loops.

*Yuletide carols being sung by a choir.

*Will the cantata be ready in time??? 

*All preparation is for One alone: Jesus!

Photo courtesy of MotionWorship.com
 

Don't forget to add to our seven words of Christmas post.  Merry Christmas, friends!

JUST ANOTHER HOLIDAY

By Michael Elmore

Walk through the doors of any Wal-Mart, Kmart, J. C. Penney’s or Sears today and you will see the sparkle of bright decorations adorning evergreen trees, hear the cacophony of Christmas music filling the air and have your eyes drawn to row upon row, shelf upon shelf of holiday gifts. Close by, anxious managers will be scurrying about impatiently waiting for them to be purchased.

In the world of marketing and sales, a season devoid of profits that extends between October 31st – Halloween, and December 25th - Christmas Day. It is called Thanksgiving. In the hubbub and rush of business plans and marketing ploys one of the greatest holidays of American culture has nearly vanished. In the world of cash registers dinging and carolers singing something of great significance has become lost. In some peculiar way we have lost not only the meaning of Thanksgiving but virtually the existence of the holiday itself.

In Psalm 136: 1 the Bible instructs us to “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.” In this single verse, God’s Word sets forth an imperative to be thankful. The etymology of the Old English word “thankful” means to be “thinkful”. Being “thinkful” and remembering the first celebration of Thanksgiving is an important way to awaken our slumbering spirit of thankfulness. Perhaps if we remember the religious, cultural and historical roots of Thanksgiving Day, we can re-instill a spirit of thankfulness within our thankless hearts.

Thanksgiving at Plymouth

In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers—an assortment of religious separatists seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith. After a treacherous and uncomfortable crossing that lasted 66 days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims, as they are now commonly known, began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth.

Throughout that first brutal winter, most of the colonists remained on board the ship, where they suffered from exposure, scurvy and outbreaks of contagious disease. Only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew lived to see their first New England spring. In March, the remaining settlers moved ashore, where they received an astonishing visit from an Abenaki Indian who greeted them in English. Several days later, he returned with another Native American, Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe who had been kidnapped by an English sea captain and sold into slavery before escaping to London and returning to his homeland.
In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first harvest proved successful, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of the fledgling colony’s Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit. This day is remembered as American’s “First Thanksgiving”. 1 It is astonishing to think that after the deaths of 63 of the original Pilgrim party, these God-honoring people remembered to be thankful.

Familiar story isn’t it? Although that first Thanksgiving is an archetypical story of our American way of life it is in danger of being forgotten between two other more popular, profit-producing holidays.

It’s good to be reminded to be thankful at least once a year. So in the Spirit of the holiday, I ask that in the middle of family, feasting and football games, please take a moment and remind your children and your children’s children why this holiday is so important to us. I encourage you at the Thanksgiving table to turn yours eyes toward heaven, “from where our help comes” and give thanks to God “for his love endures forever”. Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be just another holiday; it can once again become sacred to all.

1 http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving (Accessed November 9, 2011)
2 Please watch Chris Tomlin’s video “His Love Endures forever” at this link to further inspire a spirit of thankfulness in your heart. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVYcDOXczus

Filling Inner Emptiness

By Michael Elmore

People live such utterly meaningless lives. Victor Frankel, a survivor of the Nazi Concentration Camps wrote a book entitled, “Man’s Search for Meaning.” In it, Frankel suggests that the reason he survived the Concentration Camps while multiples of tens of thousands didn’t was because he found a sense of meaning that gave him a sense of purpose that kept his hopes and himself alive.

It is my belief that most of us walk around with huge gaping holes in our souls that I describe as a feeling of emptiness. Emptiness is an extremely painful but all too common condition. The deal is that people seem to be on a constant hunt to find something, someone, some career, some addiction, some something – most anything to fill the inner emptiness they pathetically bear. Most of us would do anything to fill the “holes in our souls”. Have you ever had this feeling. Most of us have – I put myself in that category too.

St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo (c. 325) expressed much the same thought, “Our hearts were created for Thee O God and our hearts remain restless until they rest in Thee.” Similar phrases echo throughout the centuries by Christian writers and philosophers. Rene Descartes, a French mathematician in the 18th Century coined a most perceptive axiom on the subject. Descartes wrote, “Within all of us is a God-shaped void that can only be filled by God himself.” Sandu Singh, a Christian missionary and philosopher from the sub-continent of India during the 19th Century echoed the same thought when he wrote, “The human heart is such a tiny thing but only the infinite God can fill it.”

I have recently been reading in the biblical book of Ecclesiastes, meditating on the words of the man who Scripture says was the wisest man that ever lived – Solomon. I think Solomon was particularly aware of the inner emptiness that he felt. And his empty feels must have been great because he attempted to fill them in such numerous ways. Read along with me some of the things Solomon attempted to use to fill the inner vacancy his heart must have felt.

In the first seven chapters of the book of Ecclesiastes he describes all of his personal attempts he tries to use to find fulfillment. He tries scientific discovery (1:10-11), wisdom and philosophy (1:13-18), entertainment (2:1), alcohol (2:3), architecture (2:4), property (2:7-8), and luxury (2:8) and least but not last, sex; the man had a thousand wives and 700 mistresses. Solomon turned his mind towards different philosophies to find meaning, such as materialism (2:19-20), and even moral codes (including chapters 8-9). He found that everything was meaningless, a temporary diversion that had no purpose or longevity. After all of his personal efforts to fill the emptiness that he felt within, Solomon concludes that every one of his diversions is “utterly meaningless”. In fact, he states over 35 times through this relatively short book of the Bible that every attempt he ever made to find fulfillment and fill the emotional hole of his life was futile, pointless and meaningless.

A song that recently came out on the radio asks an interesting question, “Have you worn out the world yet?” I think that Solomon did. The world held no meaning, no purpose, no satisfaction for him. I think another song might resonate with King Solomon if he had lived today – “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones. It captures much of the same essence.

However, I do not believe that we have to end this little essay on a note of despair; Solomon didn’t. At the conclusion of his book we catch a glimmer of hope that Solomon finally found the one thing that would fill the “hole in his soul” – he comes to accept that faith in God is the only way to find personal meaning. He decides that life is brief and ultimately worthless without God.

In the end he concludes by advising his readers to focus on an eternal God instead of temporary pleasure. After years of attempting to fill the inner emptiness he felt as only a man as wealthy as a king could do, Solomon found that God alone could fill the inner recesses where the constant ache demanded to be filled. By focusing on God and the purposes for which God had created him to fulfill, Solomon assuaged the pain he felt and discovered the secret to absolute meaning.

Wondering About God?

By Michael Elmore

Have you ever wondered about God? I mean really wondered about him? That’s good because that means that you have begun a spiritual journey and that you have a sincere desire to find God.  So as you are wondering about God you may be relieved and excited to discover that God has provided several ways for us to learn more about him.  Besides this, God promises us that “everyone who seeks will find (Matt. 7:8).” You can depend on that!  

One of those ways is that God has revealed himself to us is through his Son Jesus. Jesus said that he and God are One and that if you have seen him, then you have seen God. The best way to learn about God then is to learn about Jesus by reading concerning his life in the Bible. Open up your mind to learning more about God.

Another way that God reveals himself is though his actions. One of the greatest things God reveals to us through Jesus’ life is that He is Love. God loves you and me so much that he acted by sending Jesus to earth to give his life for us. Jesus said that no one can prove his love in any better way than by laying his life down for them. Open up your heart and let God’s love touch you deep inside.

One of the most important ways to learn about God is by talking to him and getting to know him. Can you imagine trying to get to know someone but never even talking to them? Praying then is crucial to someone wondering about God. It’s the best way to get to know him personally. You may be surprised to learn that God is longing to talk with you. Open up your spirit and discover that God wants to know you and that he is vitally concerned for you.

Dare to Dream

By Michael Elmore 

Back in 1989 a movie which was later to become a cult classic was released in theaters nation-wide. It was called “The Field of Dreams.” You can watch the movie trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKL-j0vXzqI&feature=related  .  In the film, a disembodied voice speaks to Kevin Costner through a dream. He hears a voice that tells him, “If you build it, he will come.” Of course the dream was about meeting his father whom he only slightly knew and experiencing a relationship with his dad that he had missed as a child. Kevin Costner’s character, “Ray”, had a significant dream that changed his life and impacted the lives of countless people around the globe making them realize the importance of having a dream.

Psychologists agree that the ability to dream is vital to the well-being of the human psyche. Dreams are at times full of meaningless drivel that doesn’t really matter in the scheme of all things and at other times they are have significant value. The pages of the Bible are filled with accounts of important biblical characters that God spoke to them through relevant, meaningful and significant dreams. Genesis records the life of Joseph whose dreams affected not only his destiny to become second-in-command of all Egypt, but saved the lives of his family as well as the future nation of Israel. In fact, we often refer to him as “the dreamer.” Joseph’s dreams and the dreams of scores of others throughout the Bible impacted countless lives. They continue to do so to this very day.

Dreams can be significant and can be pathways through which God speaks to us. He continues to speak to us today through the dreams he places in our hearts. Joel 2:28 tells us this very things, “In the last days,” the Lord says, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions.” The Bible says that God still puts dreams in the human hearts!

I believe that God speaks to us many times by putting dreams within our hearts. I ask you today, “What dream has God placed in your heart?” God has a vision, yes even a dream for your life. If you only have faith, I believe that God will fulfill the dream that He has given you. The secret is that God’s dreams do not just remain dreams but with the empowerment of His Spirit, our dreams will become reality. Even broken, crushed or unfulfilled dreams can become reality if we simply put our trust in God.

A Time for Second Chances

By Michael Elmore

Author, Max Lucado shares a great piece of insight in his monthly newsletter that all of us need to take to heart. In case you haven’t read it on Crosswalk.com let me share it with you:

"It was small enough to overlook. Only two words. I know I’d read that passage a hundred times. But I’d never seen it.

But I won’t miss it again. It’s highlighted in yellow and underlined in red. You might want to do the same. Look in Mark, chapter 16. Get your pencil ready and enjoy this jewel in the seventh verse (here it comes). The verse reads like this: 'But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.'

Did you see it? Read it again. (This time I italicized the words.)

'But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.'

Now tell me if that’s not a hidden treasure.

If I might paraphrase the words, 'Don’t stay here, go tell the disciples,' a pause, then a smile, 'and especially tell Peter, that he is going before you to Galilee.'

What a line. It’s as if all of heaven had watched Peter fall—and it’s as if all of heaven wanted to help him back up again. 'Be sure and tell Peter that he’s not left out. Tell him that one failure doesn’t make a flop.'

Whew!

No wonder they call it the gospel of the second chance.

Those who know these types of things say that the Gospel of Mark is really the transcribed notes and dictated thoughts of Peter. If this is true, then it was Peter himself who included these two words! And if these really are his words, I can’t help but imagine that the old fisherman had to brush away a tear and swallow a lump when he got to this point in the story.

It’s not every day that you get a second chance. Peter must have known that. The next time he saw Jesus, he got so excited that he barely got his britches on before he jumped into the cold water of the Sea of Galilee. It was also enough, so they say, to cause this backwoods Galilean to carry the gospel of the second chance all the way to Rome where they killed him. If you’ve ever wondered what would cause a man to be willing to be crucified upside down, maybe now you know.

It’s not every day that you find someone who will give you a second chance—much less someone who will give you a second chance every day.

But in Jesus, Peter found both."

I love Max Lucado’s explanation of Mark 16 its excellent. “The God of the second chance”. God knows that we all need one. Peter is a prime example. So are others. I think of John Mark in Acts. After he left Paul as they travelled together, Paul refused to travel with him so violently that he and Barnabas split up. Later, Paul gives John Mark a second chance to join with him in his travels and ministry Its interesting to note that John Mark, a "second chance guy,"  was the one who Peter dictated the Gospel of Mark to. I think John Mark understood Peter’s experience.  

“Second chances” are something God does in our lives all the time. The Bible is full of “second chance stories and we need them. Perhaps this New Year’s time you have found your relationship with Jesus to be a little out of sync . . . maybe more out of sync then you’d like to admit. Remember Peter wasn’t unique. If you find yourself needing a second chance this New Year’s season, open up your heart and receive the Christ afresh. Jesus tells us that “he stands at the door of our hearts knocking” (Rev. 3:20). Open the door let him in and the joy of second chances can be yours.

JUST ANOTHER HOLIDAY

By Michael Elmore

Walk through the doors of any Wal-Mart, Kmart, J. C. Penney’s or Sears today and you will see the sparkle of bright decorations adorning evergreen trees, hear the cacophony of Christmas music filling the air and have your eyes drawn to row upon row, shelf upon shelf of holiday gifts.  Close by, anxious managers will be scurrying about impatiently waiting for them to be purchased.

In the world of marketing and sales, a season devoid of profits extends between October 31^{st –} Halloween, and December 25^th - Christmas Day. It is called Thanksgiving. In the hubbub and rush of business plans and marketing ploys one of the greatest holidays of American culture has nearly vanished. In the world of cash registers dinging and carolers singing something of great significance has become lost. In some peculiar way we have lost not only the meaning of Thanksgiving but virtually the existence of the holiday itself.

In Psalm 136: 1 the Bible instructs us to “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.” In this single verse, God’s Word sets forth an imperative to be thankful. The etymology of the Old English word “thankful” means to be “thinkful”.  Being “thinkful” and remembering the first celebration of Thanksgiving is an important way to awaken our slumbering spirit of thankfulness. Perhaps if we remember the religious, cultural and historical roots of Thanksgiving Day, we can re-instill a spirit of thankfulness within our thankless hearts.

Thanksgiving at Plymouth

In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers—an assortment of religious separatists seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith. After a treacherous and uncomfortable crossing that lasted 66 days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims, as they are now commonly known, began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth.

Throughout that first brutal winter, most of the colonists remained on board the ship, where they suffered from exposure, scurvy and outbreaks of contagious disease. Only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew lived to see their first New England spring. In March, the remaining settlers moved ashore, where they received an astonishing visit from an Abenaki Indian who greeted them in English. Several days later, he returned with another Native American, Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe who had been kidnapped by an English sea captain and sold into slavery before escaping to London and returning to his homeland.

In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first harvest proved successful, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of the fledgling colony’s Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit. This day is remembered as American’s “First Thanksgiving”. ¹  It is astonishing to think that after the deaths of 63 of the original Pilgrim party, these God-honoring people remembered to be thankful.

Familiar story isn’t it? Although that first Thanksgiving is an archetypical story of our American way of life it is in danger of being forgotten between two other more popular, profit-producing holidays.

It’s good to be reminded to be thankful at least once a year. So in the Spirit of the holiday, I ask that in the middle of family, feasting and football games, please take a moment and remind your children and your children’s children why this holiday is so important to us. I encourage you at the Thanksgiving table to turn yours eyes toward heaven, “from where our help comes” and give thanks to God “for his love endures forever”. Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be just another holiday; it can once again become sacred to all.

¹ http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving (Accessed November 9, 2011)

²  Please watch Chris Tomlin’s video “His Love Endures forever” at this link to further inspire a spirit of thankfulness in your heart. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVYcDOXczus

Criteria for Selecting Leaders in the Church

By Michael Elmore

There is a push today in many churches and denominations to advance leadership within the local church. 1 Timothy 3:1 commends those who have the desire and the initiative to seek leadership within the church: “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” However, a considerable number of pastors and Christian leaders select leaders in their churches without considering the biblical qualifications for choosing leaders.

2 Timothy 2:2 is a pivotal verse which depicts three qualities in selecting Christian leaders: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” The apostle Paul depicts three key characteristics that must be followed in choosing those to lead the Church of Jesus Christ. Look at the verse carefully. Note that Paul does not say that these qualities should be on the job training program, they should already be inherently part of a potential leaders Christ-like character based a certain level of Christian maturity.

First Paul states that potential leaders must be someone who can be entrusted. To be entrusted means to hold a trust of someone else’s property or well-being. As we raise individuals into leadership positions we must recognize that we are entrusting them with the greatest responsibility of all: other people’s spiritual lives and destinies.

Second, Paul states that a potential leader must be reliable. Reliability is the quality of being someone that can be counted on consistently. Consistency is a mark of Christian maturity and leaders without this quality are not fit to lead.

Third, Paul states that potential leaders must be qualified. What does Paul mean when he states that they must be qualified? Simply this: a qualified individual being considered for Christian leadership must have been mentored in Christian service. Whether this is through formal education or an in-depth mentoring process taking the time for necessary preparation for leadership is essential. Again, Paul states in 1 Timothy 3:6 that a leader should “not be a novice, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.”

The Bible states that potential leaders must be able to be entrusted, be reliable and be qualified. In today’s church there are great needs to be met in the realm of leadership. However, when out of desperation we select immature or unqualified leaders in the church we are only hurting ourselves and our congregations. This type of leader almost always falls short. Often, they are a source of constant frustration for those in authority above them. And usually they end up shirking from their leadership role.  Sometimes they must be involuntarily replaced. This is indeed a painful task to perform.

Christ-like character must be shaped and molded carefully. Galatians 4:19 reminds us that developing character takes times. “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” Christ-like character must be formed. Forming character takes time, it takes nurture and it takes patience. Leaders should not be selected too early in the process of becoming more like Jesus.

God Speaks in a Variety of Ways

As evangelical Christians, we have a firm commitment to the written Word of God. That is as it should be. However, we forget that the first revelation that God gave was through that which He created. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.”

I made my usual pilgrimage to the Black Hills of South Dakota this summer. The sacred beauty of that holy place never fails to strike me afresh each time I visit. The mountain grandeur: great hoary ponderosa pine, deep fresh water lakes teeming with life, cool moonlit nights filled by a galaxy of stars ebbing, twinkling and sparkling along the Milky Way. Here in the sacredness of God’s created order His voice wafts to me through the trees astride a gentle mountain breeze. God’s voice comes quietly, yet it is strikes me like thunder. My human spirit longs to be quelled by the Spirit of Creator God.

Perhaps you do not have the luxury of making a pilgrimage this summer to a favorite place filled with this kind of majestic certitude as I often do. Yet, you can afford to embrace the sacredness of God’s creation wherever you are. You can immerse yourself in its beauty and listen with the ear of your spirit to His still and thunderous voice. Perhaps connecting with the Holy through His created revelation will provide you with a fresh avenue of communion unlike any that you have experienced before.

Michael Elmore

Bettendorf, Iowa July 2011

PASSING THE TEST

By Michael Elmore

No one likes to takes tests. I remember the very first test I took in seminary; my hands were shaking because I was so nervous. (Incidentally, I aced the test!)
In 1 Corinthians 10:13, 14, the Bible states that God tests us, “No test has seized you except what is common to everyone. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tested beyond what you can bear. But when you are tested, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it”

God’s tests are not like pencil and paper tests. His tests aren’t to see what we know; he wants to see what we are. His tests are more like drop forging hot metal. In the process of drop forging, one metal is combined with another and then dropped into a vat of cold water to see if it cracks or remains strong. In this way it can be shaped and molded. The purpose of God’s test is to make us stronger by shaping us into the image of Christ.

As I said, no one likes tests. However the apostle Paul shares with us three things in this verse that will help us “ace” God’s test. The first secret to passing the test is to realize that you are not in a unique situation; the test you are going through is “common to everyone”. In other words, lots of people have or are facing the same thing you are. God is not picking on you.

The second secret to passing the test is to realize that, “God is faithful”. Like the Marine motto “Semper Fi”, you can count on God not to test you beyond what you can stand up under. Will you face pressure while being tested? Of course! We must realize that most of us rarely change unless we are pressured to do so. That is why James 1:2 says, “Count it all joy brothers when you face many kinds of tests.” Why? God is doing his best to help you change for the better. God guarantees that the pressure won’t be so great that we will fail the test.

The third secret to passing the test Paul says is that “when we are tested God will provide a way out.” What we don’t realize is that “the way out”, is “often the way through”. I went through the largest corn maze in the State of Iowa with my family. We all went in and wondered around in circles asking other people for directions. Finally, we spotted a platform where we thought that we would see the way out. Up on top of the platform we soon realized that we were stuck in the middle of the maze. We could see the end but we still had to go through the maze to get there. Fortunately, an employee met us and offered to take us through to the exit. God doesn’t provide a way out, but he does provide a way through. The secret to passing the test is to realize that it is God who takes us through.

You may be saying to yourself, “hey, I am going through a whopper of a test RIGHT NOW and I need help. Like a dead car battery your strength might be used up and you don’t think you can make it. That’s exactly where God wants us to be . . . wholly dependent on his power. Open yourself heart right now and receive a boost of God’s power to recharge your life. Remember, “God is faithful he will not let you be tested beyond what you can bear.” Use the three secrets the Apostle Paul gives us to pass this test: tests put the pressure on us but God will never let it become too great that you can’t stand it. You are not unique many people face tests like yours and pass it successfully. Don’t forget, you may have to go through the test, but you are not alone God goes through it with you.

Michael Elmore

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MANY PATHWAYS TO GOD

By Michael Elmore 

While working for a healthcare institution as a chaplain, I had a serious difference of opinion with management over their point of view regarding spirituality. They held to the idea that “there are many pathways to God”.  This viewpoint is extremely popular today and reflects a majority opinion in healthcare at this present time.

The idea that “there are many pathways to God” was birthed out of the necessity to meet the spiritual needs of a plurality of patients who held views outside the scope of traditional Christianity. It is true that our country is becoming more diverse in its religious views. It is equally true that healthcare facilities have been confronted with this problem. However, their response has been to innovate by promoting religious tolerance.

This presents a problem. In order to meet this need, healthcare facilities have had to radically differentiate between religion and spirituality. Under this new definition, religion is seen as beliefs based on a set of sacred writings which offer a moral code that necessitates a change in behavior.

Spirituality, on the other hand, is that which gives meaning, hope and comfort to the patient outside the confines of traditional religious practices. Spirituality is primarily a response to a person’s felt needs and offers cognitive and emotional help to those in pain. The focus of spirituality can center on the comfort found in family life, relationships with friends and acquaintances, and may include reflecting upon hobbies as well as favorite pets. Spirituality is sometimes based on the transcendence found in nature, or personal theological views held outside accepted organized religion. These ideas are often very personal and have little rational basis.

As a result, separating religion and spirituality has nullified traditional religious practices in medicine. Now there exists a bias in favor of spirituality which has eliminated traditional religious practice. First of all, spirituality fails to recognize that Christianity is not about religion but is about relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Second, healthcare institutions continue to hire Christian ministers, by and large, and then prohibits them from practicing that which they have been trained for – presenting help through Christian values. I found that this attacked my integrity as a chaplain and left me in a quagmire of my commitment to Christ and prostituting myself to the facility which provided my paycheck. This is a difficulty quandary to be left in.

One answer is don’t hire Christian chaplains if they are prohibited from sharing their faith. Instead, hire social workers who are far better equipped to meet emotional needs.

One of the most visible examples of the idea of “there are many pathways that lead to God” was articulated by a national leader while appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He said that “getting to God is like climbing a mountain – there are many pathways to God”. I like the response made to this statement by Christian broadcaster Cal Thomas. Cal said that getting to God is more like what an airline pilot must do every day. The pilot must land straight on the runway to avoid a crash and burn. The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of this is death.” Proverbs 16:25. Let us be aware then that while healthcare institutions promote a “spiritual viewpoint” it is not necessarily Christian.

Introducing Michael Elmore

A SECOND CHANCE

Being overweight is an issue I have struggled with all of my life. Of course, I had been through the usual panacea of diets. Dieting and weight loss were like a never-ending yo-yo for me. I eventually tipped the scales at nearly 400 pounds and my life was miserable. What made me the saddest was the thought that within a handful of years I would die and not see my grandchildren grow up.

This led me to having bariatric bypass surgery for weight loss in April 2008. The surgery was successful except that eight months later I developed a vitamin B-1 deficiency. The result was that I woke up one morning with global amnesia, unable to walk or even talk. Eventually, doctors noticed that my blood serum B-1 level was mildly low and gave me an IV which I responded to almost immediately. Later, they told me that I had developed Wernike-Korsakoff's Syndrome, a rare disorder that usually occurs only in alcoholics.

After my release from the hospital the day before Christmas, I began a nine-month stint in therapy and a two years later, I have experienced a miraculous recovery. This is amazing since many Wernike-Korsakoff patients never fully recover and some have to spend the rest of their lives in care centers.

So what is the message behind my story? I have learned firsthand that God is my healer. I weigh 190 pounds now – not 400. I no longer have diabetes or any of the other health conditions I mentioned earlier, and the serious illness I had has resolved. I expect to see my grandchildren grow up and watch them have children. I have been given a second chance to live.

It's alright for men to admit that they haven't done such a good job of taking care of themselves physically and that they need a second chance too. The truth is that God has given all of us a second chance in Christ Jesus. Perhaps you have health concerns that you have not dealt with or have felt guilty about or been afraid to deal with. It is all right. I am familiar with those emotions and I am living proof that God can give you the second chance that you need.


Michael Elmore
Chaplain, pastor, author
The Occult Invasion of Healthcare
The Changing Face of Spirituality in Medicine
www.michaelelmoreonline.com