Passing the Baton

Monday, January 9, 2023

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.  Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.  Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.  Ephesians 3:14-19

Paul is writing final letters to his dear friends.  His days as a prisoner were coming to an end, and it was not to be a parole; Paul was under a sentence of death.  One of the purposes of the letter was to absolve from any guilt this  group of believers in Ephesus whom he loved deeply, and doing so, to draw them more deeply into Christ’s love.  Paul’s singular charge from God was to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles.  He had developed a reptutation as a heretic among the Jews, a traitor for saying God’s love was for everyone.[1]  The Jewish leaders pulled every string they could to silence the apostle.

This letter was a last testament of his love for his Ephesian family.  And in this text Paul’s prayer for them is for spiritual insight, that God would reveal the scope of God’s love to them, developing in that body of believers the kind of fullness of the Christian life they would need to carry-on the work Paul had begun with them.  The apostle was passing the baton to the next generation!

Mentors do that.  There are many people who influence your life, folks who reveal important things.  But, truth be told, there are fewer mentors, people who go out of their way to befriend, teach, counsel, and inspire.  This is passing the Good News baton to the next generation. 

Being a mentor, a passer of the baton, means several things are in place: 

First, some valuable learning must have taken hold in your life, if you’re going to pass along truth.  If you don’t have a baton to pass on, your leg of the race is worthless.  And before you just give up because you judge your ministry…that’s not up to you…that’s God’s prerogative.   

Second, there must be a longing beyond your reach.  As effective a missionary as Paul was, his most lasting dynamic was his willingness to leave it all on the field for someone else to pick up.

Third, you must be willing to let go of the reins.  Let’s face it…nobody drives like anybody else.  If you won’t trust God to work in the life of someone who looks up to you as mentor, you didn’t have a ministry, you had an agenda.

Most of us will not have to face the executioner’s axe, like Paul did, to realize the time of passing the baton was at hand.  Letting go to trust God’s hand is the supreme act of faith. 

For You Today  

To move into being a mentor for the next generation takes some experience, much vision, and a heart that is willing to reach the finish line.  Let’s give Paul the last word on that today:

I focus on this one thing:  Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.  Philippians 3:13b-14

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

Understanding the Danger of Peanut Butter  and  Measuring the Love of God

Images:  Title Wikimedia Commons - public domain   Images without citation are either personal property of the author, or in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

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[1] See Galatians 3:28

Chariot of Fire

 

Friday, May 22, 2020

2 Kings 2:1-12

When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.  And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Bethel.”  But Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!”  So they went down together to Bethel.  The group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?”  “Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.”  Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Jericho.”  But Elisha replied again, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.”  So they went on together to Jericho.  Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?”  “Of course I know,” Elisha answered.  “But be quiet about it.”  Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to the Jordan River.”  But again Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.”  So they went on together.  Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River.  Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it.  The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!  When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.”  And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”  “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request.  But if not, then you won’t.”  As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire.  It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.  Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!”  And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress. 

Every leader who cares about the flock they’re charged with leading looks down the road to the next leader of that flock.  There are many moving parts to transition.  In Elijah’s case, his “assistant” Elisha made it an easy choice.  Elisha was, as this account shows, fiercely loyal and unselfish; he would not leave Elijah’s side.  It is an encouragement every leader needs to have an Elisha. 

As the story unfolds it becomes obvious the successor decision isn’t Elijah’s, it is God’s.  Elijah’s last words…if you see me taken your request is granted…has nothing to do with Elijah’s will or Elisha’s, it is the prophet pointing to the sovereignty of God’s will.  His final sentence assures that, But if not, then you won’t.  Elijah was not presumptuous where God’s will was concerned.  When Elijah’s propheting days came to a close, whether or not he wanted his protégé, Elisha to fill his shoes as prophet in Israel, was of little importance; it was always going to be God’s choice.

As it turned out, it was God’s will for Elisha to serve, and do many more miracles than his mentor.  That may refer to Elisha’s request to inherit “a double share of spirit” of Elijah’s kind.  When God honors something you can count on meticulous attention to detail.

The tribe in which I serve (Methodists) has a longstanding tradition of clergy serving at the discretionary choice of bishops.  A bishop, in consultation with his cabinet (of District Superintendents) sends me a notice once a year as to where I will serve in the coming year.  My current charge as local pastor to two churches, is about to enter its ninth year.  I have in served in pastoral roles to ten different churches over the last 39 years.  In each circumstance, upon leaving, I always had that chariot of fire image moment, wondering if I’d left too soon, not left soon enough, or if I’d been obedient as God’s servant in that spot.  From this perspective I now see that as a largely non-productive exercise.  It is enough to know that in each place I served, and the people with whom I served, my heart’s desire was to be obedient.  It is God who chose successors to follow me, just as God put me in those places, following someone else.

It is always interesting, though, the way God does all that; it is a magnificent thing to watch the unfolding of thoughts and ways that are much higher than mine[1].

Let’s Pray

Father, help us to NOT kick at the changes in our lives.  Help us to be loyal, like Elisha, ready for however your Spirit will work in us.

For You Today

Changes cause us to evaluate, adjust the sails, and get busy with the journey.  When God sends a chariot of fire to your group, family, or ministry, it could be a sign a double-share  of His Spirit and power are also on the way.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!

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Title Image:  By Giuseppe Angeli (Public Domain) via Wikimedia Commons

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For another post on Elijah’s leadership see When Kings Must Bow

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[1] Isaiah 55:9

Learning the Hard Way

[1] 

Friday, January 17, 2020

Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols.  O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.  Your plans for us are too numerous to list.  You have no equal.  If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.  You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.  Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand— you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.  Then I said, “Look, I have come.  As is written about me in the Scriptures:  I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”  Psalm 40: 4-8

I guess one of the reasons this devotional is named “Rocky Road” is because I’m (painfully) aware of the pathway; in my life I have so often learned the hard way.  King David indicated he had this same character deficiency when he wrote, in what seems a tone of resignation:  Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand….  

Life’s road is mostly not a cakewalk, but it’s a much rockier road when you learn the hard way.  Scripture is full of backup to this thought.  Solomon learned from David that a child’s life is much more likely to hold success and fruitfulness if he listens to what a loving parent tries to share.  Listen to the father-son chat:

“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind.  For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought.  If you seek him, you will find him.  But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.                   1 Chronicles 28:9

In marriage, men do well to listen to their wives (I speak here from personal, and at times painful experience of failing to hear with open ears).  Often God tries to get through the thick exterior covering the husband’s brain, and a loving wife just might be God’s voice. 

In business or government, leaders that learn the hard way rarely get to stick around for re-election encores, or franchise expansion.

In church, pastors who begin to believe the press reports of how wonderful their sermons are, or how wise they are, flirt dangerously with the worst kind of pride; Scripture declares that is the prologue to the un-gluing of your ministry!

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.  Proverbs 16:18

In any discipline of life, we can learn from David’s wise words that life itself is a gift.  Making that life a valuable contribution to the lives of others and God’s Kingdom is a sacred responsibility.  And it becomes abundantly more achievable when one’s heart and mind remain humble enough to stay off the rockier path of going it alone. 

For You Today

If you have had enough of life’s rockier road, seek God’s will in Scripture.  And a trusted mentor wouldn’t hurt. 

Most of all, remember that God gave you two ears and only one tongue; that suggests a good ratio of use…you learn much more when you hold that one tongue and use those two ears.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

Shipwrecked Faith

[1]

Friday, February 9, 2018

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier.  May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles.  Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear.  For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.  Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples.  I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.  1 Timothy 1:18-20^(NLT)

Paul was Timothy’s mentor.  From other references in Scripture we know that Timothy was raised in a Godly household, and Paul was probably instrumental in his conversion.[2]  Timothy accompanied Paul on his missionary journeys, and at times was sent to churches by Paul when he couldn’t go personally.  Six of Paul’s letters have Timothy’s greetings to the churches, if not his influence in what Paul wrote. 

As much as Paul was a tutor and “father” in the faith to Timothy, this friendship included Timothy’s influence on Paul.  When Paul came to the end of his days on earth he called for Timothy to come to the Roman prison, and bring the Scripture scrolls ^{(2 Timothy 4:9)}.   Like any other human, at the end you want your closest friends.  For Paul it was the Word of God and his “son” in the faith.

In giving Timothy some final instructions for his life and ministry, Paul charged Timothy to live with particular attention to the meaning of his name, which is:  honoring God.

The caution to Timothy in this advice is that only an un-violated conscience can honor God.  Hymenaeus and Alexander were believers who had crossed that line intentionally.  It may have been that they were under some pressure from authorities to deny Christ, or it may have been a temptation that they just weren’t willing to fight…but it was serious enough for Paul to act with discipline – a last ditch effort to save their souls.  These men had made a shipwreck of their faith walk with Christ; Paul was throwing them a compassionate lifeline in the form of a wakeup call.  Better to get a cold splash of holy water in the face than wake up in the searing fires of hell.

The whole point is conscience – that inner voice of God’s Holy Spirit which, if we let Him, directs our daily life’s choices, and leads us into living a Godly life.  Paul strongly reminded Timothy that nothing mattered as much as clinging to that faith (in Christ) once-delivered to the saints.  Trusting Christ would help him stay clean in conscience and strong in the battle against the darkness of life in a godless world. 

This is certainly true in the life and ministry of those called to work in God’s field.  And whether pastor or lay person, we are ALL called to labor in God’s vineyard!  God calls us to do so with these clean tools: 

·       faith in Christ alone,

·       the Word of God,

·       unending prayer,

·       the daily surrender of self, and

·       a clean conscience. 

These are the tools of a follower of Jesus; we must keep those tools clean and sharp!

For You Today

Look over your toolbox today.  When you reach for help in that toolbox you don’t need to find a dull, rusted conscience!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Courtesy of Pixabay.com

[2] Robert Dean in Holman Bible Dictionary © 1991 Holman Bible Publishers Electronic Edition STEP Files

Your "Life-Speak" - Part 2

[i]

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.  1 Timothy 4:12b^(NLT)

Timothy was a young pastor.  Paul was his mentor.  In giving this young leader instruction on lifestyle and leadership, the Apostle was laying down an immutable reality that the life of a leader would become the life of those who follow.

An early mentor of mine was L.B. Thomasson, pastor of First Baptist Church, Crystal River, Florida for more than 25 years.  L.B. told me, as Paul told Timothy, be careful what you say, and how you say it; the church will, after a while, take on the personality of its pastor.

And the change is always subtle.  C.S. Lewis wrote in That Hideous Strength:

This was the first thing Mark had been asked to do which he himself, before he did it, clearly knew to be criminal.  But the moment of his consent almost escaped his notice; certainly, there was no struggle, no sense of turning a corner. There may have been a time in the world’s history when such moments fully revealed their gravity, with witches prophesying on a blasted heath or visible Rubicons to be crossed.  But, for him, it all slipped past in a chatter of laughter, of that intimate laughter between fellow professionals, which of all earthly powers is strongest to make men do very bad things before they are yet, individually, very bad men. ^[ii]

When I reflect on change which happens, ever so gradually in my life, I see the truth of what C.S. Lewis was holding up to the light, and that about which Paul warned Timothy; if you do not ruthlessly guard your inner life, your character, it will not be long before your visible life, your actions, will certainly follow. 

If that is true in the life of an individual, or a church, that the pastor’s lifestyle and attitude will alter the way the flock moves and thinks, is it not so that it will be that way with larger assemblies?  Will it not be that way in municipalities and countries?

Have you ever asked yourself, how in the world did we get here?

The answer, for C.S. Lewis, Paul the Apostle, and for any right thinking person, is always that we got here because our culture became a reflection of the character of the ones we chose to lead us.

For You Today

A great question to which I choose to wake up each day is:

Whom shall it be that I put in charge of this holy day God has granted me?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

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[i] Title Image:  By Russell Brownworth [own work]

[ii] That Hideous Strength. Copyright © 1945 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. All right reserved under international and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Words to Live By: A Guide for the Merely Christian. Copyright © 2007 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

Your "Life-Speak"

[i]

Monday, August 15, 2016

Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.  1 Timothy 4:12b^(NLT)

Young Timothy was a pastor, and Paul was his mentor in the faith and ministry.  Mentoring always requires modeling and reminding.  In this profound sentence the great apostle was reminding his protégé to make certain his life was speaking a positive example of Christlikeness to everyone.

You don’t have to be a minister to take that advice seriously.  It has been said (perhaps not often enough) that you might be the only Bible a non-believer ever reads.

I was reminded of all this in my car.  See the fuzzy dice?  If your memory dates back to the 1950’s you know why they’re hanging from my rear view mirror; back in the day that’s what every self-respecting teenager had dangling over the dashboard! 

Our daughter, Jen understands this.  Her memory isn’t that old, but she’s heard about it.  When we got our first new car in 25 years a few years ago, Jen got the fuzzy dice for us as a joke.  I thought it was hilarious enough to hang them…and they haven’t moved since.  (Sounds like a Methodist choosing a pew…and never moving since).

Fast-forward 3½ years to the parking lot at Harris Teeter.  As we swung into a parking space, I was thrilled we found a convenient spot so close to the store, until I saw the sign that said Reserved for Mothers with Young Children.  Now, my bride looks younger than her years, but even she couldn’t pull that one off; I found another spot!

As I exited my car my eyes fell once-again on the fuzzy dice.  In that instant when you notice something very familiar as if for the first time…and you see it differently, the Spirit seemed to speak to my heart.  He said…the dice, Russell…really?

I said…but it’s funny.

He said…if you think so.

Well, you get the idea; I was convicted that, in an age when people younger than 50 might not get the joke, I was perhaps letting the wrong message be the first thing people see when I arrive in my VW.  It’s called guilt by association, and I’ve seen those same dice advertising a casino.  And no matter how many sermons I preach about the evils of gambling, lottery, and other forms of exploitive oppression of the poor who are trapped in poverty or temptation to grasp for illusive riches, the sermon I really preach is the one I settle for in everyday life. 

And what do I want to hear my life speak?

So…the fuzzy dice have got to go. 

The down-side to this is that my car will now seem empty and bare, and my bride will not be able to find the little gray VW in a crowded parking lot, because it will look like all the other little gray cars in the parking lot without fuzzy dice. 

Hey…maybe I’ll get a fox tail for the antenna!

For You Today

You may not have issues with fuzzy dice or fox tails, but that wasn’t the Apostle Paul’s point to Timothy (I doubt Tim had a VW anyway). 

Paul’s message to you and me is that God wants us all to be ready to listen to the Spirit’s call about what our Life-Speak says!

Can you hear Him now?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

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[i] Title Image:  By Russell Brownworth [own work]