For the last several years, in a quest for a New Testament church functioning with the Order and Blessing of those churches formed in the Book of Acts, I’ve been drawn to the study of the one requirement for that kind of church, unity.

As I studied unity, I discovered the complexities traditional, hierarchal denominal leadership interjects into relationships, specifically those relationships of pastors.  One of the things that I find most interesting is the response of men who follow those who have labored to establish the churches they have been privileged to take the leadership of.  I have been perplexed by the absolute disrespect our elders seem to receive from those who follow them in ministry!  It is almost as if every generation of leaders feels compelled to distance themselves from their predecessors by annulling their work, and often with apparent disdain.

When it hit me afresh again, Israel seemed to always struggle in her LOVE AFFAIR.  She is often rebuked for whoring after other gods, peoples, lands, cities, nations, gold, commerce, business, women, etc...

So, I started writing and this is what I penned... (yes, this is a rare look through the portal of transparency into the dirty side of creativity's first draft)

The results of an affair: you have intercourse without intimacy; gratification without love; infatuation without fruition; excitement without responsibility; discovery without respect, and intrigue without fulfillment. You spend the currency of your trust, nevermore to be regained; for once it is lost it cannot be reclaimed. Questions will haunt you as you walk the fare to your future; and where love tries to abide, there fear will share to hide!

#1 – “The Church Is Not A Business But Rather A Hospital For Sinners.”

Uh…ok, the problem with this argument is…a hospital IS a business…and if it is not ran properly then it will have to close its doors, thus losing its effectiveness in helping those it has been called to reach.

Like it or not in church world today leadership matters.  God made sure we knew that leadership IS a spiritual gift and the reason it has been given was to help the church be more and more effective.

I personally believe the church should be the best ran organization on the planet because God has gifted and called leaders to lead AND filled them with HIS Holy Spirit so that they can do so.

To the leader who is an Adventurer – a Frontiersman whose quest is reaching new heights in new lands; a man of motion who seeks vista views others have not known.  A man who desires to see “God-movements” in realms other mortals have not the courage to look.  To be that “Lewis & Clark” man who can stand and say, “I have discovered…”

It is that man who is ever vigilant to reach forward, pressing toward the future, living to go for the dream - that man will reach a pivot point in his life where his age will determine his reaction.  You see, it’s when the strength of our youth begins to fade that we suddenly become much more aware of the eternality of our journey! The hinterlands of new discoveries still call, but now we look to see if our past accomplishments are keeping pace with our passions!  Are our dreams growing too distant, fading from eyesight? Has our purpose been arrested by futilities arm?

Yes, you read it right…I am a legalist…the most self-righteous of the self-righteous!

My garage needs to be cleaned out and reorganized, but as I drive by the guy’s house down the street and see his garage, well my, my…my garage does not look as bad as his garage,  so I think to myself, “I will wait a while to take care of that, because mine is not as bad as his.”

My yard needs to be mowed, but going out of my subdivision the other day, I saw a home whose yard needed to be mowed, and it was much worse than mine.  So, I thought “Mine is not that bad, I will wait a couple more days.”

My inspection sticker is expired on my truck and it needs to be renewed.  But, while I was in the grocery store parking lot the other day, I looked (with disbelief!) and there was someone there whose inspection sticker was due last November…what never!