Stand Your Ground

There are many promises of Jesus that we can find in the Bible. While there are over 200, here are just a few: He promised that He would die and in three days rise from the dead.

He promised He would send the Holy Spirit and that He would come back again. He promised that He would draw all to himself. And finally but not least, He promised his followers that they would be hated and persecuted.                                                                              

Jesus said,

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles."  

"But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."  

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes." (Matthew 18:16-23)

Jesus tell us that we will be handed over, flogged, brought before governors and kings. We will be arrested, betrayed, hated and put to death. However, He tells us to 'stand our ground.' When we hear of 'Standing your ground' we may think about self-defense or being assertive or exercising our rights. However, this is not what Jesus means as this is all about our witness and our faith.

The context of the above verses is the 10th chapter of Matthew. Jesus is providing final instructions to His disciples. Jesus has been teaching them for three years and he's about to send them out. They have been following but soon will be on their own; He's giving them their job description. Just prior to these verses Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven has come near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”(Matthew 10:8)

That’s a great charge to these disciples! Some commentators have said that this chapter 10 of Matthew is the disciples’ ordination ceremony. For those that may be unfamiliar, let me provide some insight.

Ordination is ‘setting apart the individual for the work of the ministry’. For churches and denominations that take this process seriously, there are very similar steps or processes. It begins with a selection process, an examination of the individuals, and then an examination of the individual’s credentials – typically both practical as well as academic or theological training. Finally, the candidate kneels and others that have gone before, often the elders and pastors, lay hands on the candidate.

I still remember the charge I was given when I was ordained: I was told to: 1) Love God,  2) Love His Word, and 3) Love His People. While there were a number of scripture verses that were recited during the service, one of the verses that was emphasized was in Acts 20:28-31

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!”

I believe that that these verses in Acts 20:28-31 that are similar to Jesus instructions above in Matthew 18 are valuable instructions as well as warnings for ALL of us. Jesus said that while people are offered light, they will prefer darkness because their deeds are evil. That evil in the hearts of those that prefer darkness leads to the trials, the persecutions and the hate. When these attacks come, it can easily lead to compromise, silence, withdrawal and capitulation and surrender.

Our response however is to stand firm. We are to acknowledge Jesus before men and are promised that Jesus will acknowledge us before His father. We have the truth that sets people free, we are the light in the midst of darkness.

Stand your ground!

Following Jesus

Jesus said we are to follow Him.   Following Him may mean more than what we may think.

Scripture Matthew 8:19-22
"Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead." 


While leadership training in the church has been the rage, we also need to learn what it means to follow. Jesus didn't specifically recruit leaders, He recruited followers.

It these verses, Jesus tells us what it means to truly follow Jesus.

When the teacher of the law came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, I fill follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied with this unusual response about foxes and birds and dens and nests.    This is a full unconditional commitment that is required by Jesus.   It's interesting to take note and to remember that all of the disciples literally left everything they had behind and followed Jesus along dusty roads, into distant places, through Judea, Samaria and Galilee, up mountain sides and across tumultuous seas.

How many of us are willing to follow Jesus but put conditions on where that may take us?   For those of us that can remember Scott Wesley Brown's song "Please don't send me to Africa" (Out of Africa 1998); we likely relate to the lyrics

Please don't send me to Africa
I don't think I've go what it takes
I'm just a man, I'm not a Tarzan 
Don't like lions, gorillas or snakes
I'll serve you here in suburbia
In my comfortable middle class life
But please don't send me out into the bush
Where the natives are restless at night 

Jesus also tells us that there is an urgency in his call to "Follow".   One of the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Lord let me go and bury my father".  Jesus reply to "leave the dead to bury the dead" has always seemed harsh and uncharacteristic of Jesus but is important.

All too often, likely because these words seems harsh,  Jesus response for immediacy or urgency is explained away.   I've heard it explained that the Jewish custom of burial included a "Shanah" a period of an entire year of morning that was being requested and Jesus replied with His request according to the "Shiva" that is only a maximum of seven days.    However, Jesus is not allowing even for seven days but simply says, "Follow Me."

Jesus wants us to follow but in his recruitment of his followers, He was more interested in quality rather than quantity. A famous British theologian of this last century, John Charles Ryle, said, "Nothing has done more harm to Christianity than the practice of filling the ranks of Christ's army with every volunteer who is willing to make a little profession, and to talk fluently of experience."

In these responses from Jesus we also see that Jesus is being brutally honest with his new recruits.   He wants them as well as us to know what it was going to be like to truly follow Him.   As the three-years with His disciples came to a close and the passion and crucifixion was before Him, it would require a complete and unconditional commitment on the part of His followers to make further disciples.  

One of the first teachings of Jesus is found in Matthew 3:2 as Jesus says, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand".    Interestingly, the very last words of Jesus recorded in the Bible are in the Book of Revelation 12:20 where Jesus reminds us, "Yes, I am coming quickly"

"Amen, Come Lord Jesus"

Wrestling with God

Today I was reading the story of Jacob meeting his brother Esau many years after Jacob had tricked his father into giving him his older brother's blessing.  Jacob feared that Esau might want to kill him.  The Bible says he was in ‘great fear and distress’ (Genesis 32:7).

Jacob separated his family and all of his goods into two groups reasoning that if Esau attacked one, perhaps the other could be spared.  After he then prayed he had a very strange encounter that is later described as Jacob ‘wrestling with God’.

There are at least two takeaways from this unique story in Genesis.  First is the idea of wrestling with God.   When I was in college, my friends and I rented a home off campus and one of our favorite pastimes was wrestling.  Fortunately, we had very old furniture and not much in our living room as it served as our arena.   I can tell you that while I was likely in the best physical shape of my life, there was nothing more exhausting and physically draining than wrestling.    Also, like Jacob, almost all of our wrestling matches ended in a draw.  

The second takeaway the name change of Jacob.  Jacob asked the angel for a blessing and he received not only a blessing but a name change

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” (Gen 32:28)

It is at this time that Jacob finally recognized that he was dealing with an angel or someone near-deity.  Many theologians identify this as a theophany, an appearance of God. 

Where’s the blessing?  It’s in the name itself.  Jacob we are told had a name that meant deceiver or supplanter.  God changed Jacob’s name to Israel when the angel said, “You have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” 

Not only was Jacob’s name changed but the entire nation, all of his offspring for all future generations to this present time would be known as Israel.  Often, the blessing is in the name.   God’s people were to be known to have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.

As believers, we also learn from this remarkable event that our lives are also meant to be a struggle.  In this struggle, God is always present.  If we choose, we can struggle or wrestle with God but it is best that we submit to His will.  To end this unique story about Jacob we can be reminded that God will give each of us that is victorious a white stone with a new name (Rev 2:17).  Perhaps like Jacob, that new name will reveal how God sees us rather than how we now may be known presently.

Asking for Directions

It seems like there is the long-standing cliche that men just won’t ask for directions.   Perhaps it was true long ago but now we have GPS devices in our cars.  Of course, the GPS isn’t giving me directions, it’s just confirming when I'll get there!

There is a greater opportunity however for every man and every woman to continually ask for direction, and that is to ask of the Lord.   It’s said that life is a journey and in this journey we need to be getting good direction daily.   It’s recorded in Matthew 7:7-8 that Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened”

Everyone experiences times when they are trying to make a decision and in these times we all need wisdom.   I find that every day there are opportunities for me to ask of the Lord to make sure that I'm making the best decisions and taking the wisest and not just the shortest path.

Asking for direction is often a humbling experience.   Perhaps that is why it's said that men don't ask for directions.  Asking God doesn't mean however that we are lost or incompetent or necessarily less sure of our own capabilities.  It does mean that God is much more able and also willing to provide help in our time of need. 

Humility by the way is something that is actually good to learn and a necessary if we are going to be position to learn and grow.   Being humble puts us in a better position to hear from the Lord.  Psalm 25:9 says, “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.”  The book of James, the half-brother of the Lord writes, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." (James 4:6)

When you feel anxious or are confused, seek direction from the Lord.  We do this through prayer.   If you don’t get the wisdom or direction you are looking for at the time, keep praying. I have found that in every situation I’ve prayed about, God ultimately provides direction either directly through His Word, a feeling deep inside that I've learned to recognize is from the Lord,  or a sudden thought that brings clarity.  

Look to God as the one that ultimately provides direction in your life.  He is the one that knows the beginning from the end, He is the creator and the sustainer of the Universe.  You can trust him with your life. 

Straight-Line Process Improvement

Students taking Geometry or Calculus will typically learn that the ‘shortest distance between any two points is a straight line.’  While this is true for mathematics and important if you have wings, it’s also true in business process improvement.

In the 1980s American businesses soon learned that the Japanese had perfected the art of process improvement and were turning out products with higher quality at a lower cost than their American competitors.   American business schools and management consultants responded by introducing sophisticated tools and templates for business improvements ultimately leading to methodologies like Six Sigma, Kaizen, and Lean Processes.

While these methodologies are well documented and have worked well for many organizations, they are often difficult to understand at the employee-service level where they need to be implemented.  My response is that one of the best ways to better understand business process improvement is to think of the flow of goods and services from the company to the customer as a line.  The straighter that line becomes, the more opportunity for process improvement.

For example: 

• Retail: Retailers often learn that grouping products together based on type or use make it easier for the consumer to find items quicker, improving customer satisfaction and often earning more of the customer wallet.   Retailers experiment with unusual placements for the benefit of suppliers often at the expense of sales and customer satisfaction

• Services: The objective should be to empower employees at every level so that the both customer and employee satisfaction improves.   Empowerment means true delegation of authority, not just responsibility.

• Professions: Professionals including doctors, attorneys and senior executives often isolate themselves from their customers and clients by employing representatives that are rarely allowed the opportunity to fully support the client.  Processes and customer satisfaction improve when these representatives are adequately trained and empowered to handle the 90% of routine inquiries as professionally as their employer.

• Governments: Traditionally, government agencies are bureaucracies, often more interested in preserving their jobs and benefits than servicing the public.   However, many cities, townships and counties have found ways to make that ‘straight-line’ work for them by empowering these public servants and allowing them to respond to individual inquiries rather than showing the public to the next line or window. 

If a business wanted to improve processes and customer satisfaction while at the same time raising their own employee satisfaction, they should start with the employee in mind.   Empower the employee to identify redundant processes, wasted and inefficient procedures and give them the authority to approve the transactions, variations and respond to customer complaints.

Straight-line process improvement works best when businesses simplify work rules and procedures so that they rely on employees understanding of the ultimate objective.  Clue in everyone in the line from product or service to the customer on the mission, principles and objectives of the organization.  Find ways to the crooked paths straight and reduce unnecessary detours along the way.