Follow me! It doesn't matter that I don't know where I am going...or does it?

Probing Proverbs 11:14 Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.

A pilot announced to his passengers:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have good news and bad news.  The good news is that we have a tailwind, and we are making excellent time.  The bad news is that our compass is broken, and we have no idea where we are going."

Comical as it may seem, it is also a tragedy when those that are leading have no idea of where they're going. It seems we're in that predicament in this age.

I have always been a student of history, there is so much that we can learn from history and if we are wise we will not make the same mistakes. Lately I have been reading a lot of history, I finished "Abraham Lincoln, a man of faith and courage.” I am now working myself through a mammoth trilogy on Winston Churchill. It is called “The Last Lion” volume 1 is 973 pages, volume 2 is 756 pages and volume 3 is 1232 pages. I am almost done with volume 2, and I find it absolutely incredible and very enlightening.

As I study these 2 incredible leaders, though very different in many ways in their character, it is clear that both of them made no secret of where they stood and why. Both of these men held convictions that would divide, not arbitrarily, the division would be based on what people were willing to take a stand for. Both took stands that were not popular at the time, however history has shown that they both saw that the objective truth was undeniable even at that time.

As I read so many articles and thoughts for many today that discuss the demise of our society as we know it, I am once again more convicted than ever that our focus needs to be more finely adjusted. Though it is true that a society will be impacted greatly by the character and morality of its leadership, most importantly is that we identify what leadership impacts society the most.

I freely admit that I am biased, I believe that if we study history carefully, wherever the Church was, it's leadership was essential to the health of society. Be careful, I am not speaking of religiosity, for many terrible things and atrocities have been done while those in charge claim that it is done in the name of the church. When I say “Church” I am speaking of those that have experienced a conversion by grace through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This may or may not be an organized and recognized group, but in every scenario throughout history, individuals that held to the standards that God has laid out in His Scriptures, their impact on society brought order, charity and a clear sense of direction. So my concern for the vacuum of leadership is not so much found in the halls of political power, but is centered in those that claim to be teachers and shepherds of God's Word and His people.

This is where my greatest fear is found today, so many of God's leaders seem to be willing to compromise what God's Word states in light of public opinion and political correctness. This Proverb warns of what happens to nations when there is a vacuum in leadership.

Notice, the Proverb qualifies the kind of leadership; “wise” which is applied knowledge. God is the source of wisdom and loves to guide humans into taking their knowledge and making wise decisions with it. We must understand that this knowledge is based on the objective truth of the Scriptures and not the relative truth of experience and personal preference.

Consider the following Scriptures to encourage us to think about what we see happening today in the Body of Christ, and then ask ourselves what should we do about it.

God alone:

The Word of God makes it clear that it is God, and God alone that allows or lifts up people into leadership. Again, if you choose to believe that God is far removed from His creation then you do not accept this, that is your right, however, the Scriptures make it clear that God is intimately involved in all that goes on in our world. What is most frightening is that the Scripture also warns that when a society continues to reject Him, He will give them leaders that have the wisdom of children. Something I think we see manifested today.

Proverbs 8:16  “By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly.

Isaiah 3:4  And I will make mere lads their princes, And capricious children will rule over them,

God’s reason for leaders:

God's concept of leadership for the Body of Christ was not arbitrary, it was purposeful and intentional. He did not raise up leaders for leadership sake, in many places he gives a clear description of what they are for and why. Ephesians does a good job of explaining:

Ephesians 4:11–13 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Notice, the leader's job is to help people be prepared to follow and be used by God. Therefore a leader must be willing to share all of the truth, even when it is difficult truth. When a leader chooses to remain neutral over a non-neutral issue of Scripture they are abdicating from their responsibilities. This is what is happening in the Church worldwide today, I cannot say what the motive is, it could be popularity, book sales, love of money, fear of rejection, perhaps a warped view of trying to be a peacemaker.

Neville Chamberlain in World War II thought by appeasing an evil and demented leader that he could keep peace. We know the outcome of that approach, millions of people died as the world learned how foolish that approach was.

Leaders must understand reason for objective Truth:

Perhaps what disturbs me the most about the trend that I see in Church leadership today is an ignorance or at the very least a disconnect on the understanding of why God gave us a written revelation to proclaim. Because the Scriptures are written down we need not fear of missing the truth. It seems that many leaders don't get this, that when we equate other authors, speakers and claimed experiences equal to the authority of the written Scriptures we open the door that leads to truth being relative, negotiable based on preference, which in turn leaves those that are in sincerity seeking truth… Lost!

God the Father and Jesus Christ spoke their harshest to those who know the truth and yet pervert it by changing it or remaining silent. All of God's leaders need to understand that this has nothing to do with their opinion, and it is never personal. I have met many people that desire to live close to God, yet have an area in their life that is in clear disobedience to Scripture and may desire me to tell them it is okay. Personally, I like them and would prefer to do nothing more than tell them that is up to them. However, because I do love them and do not want them to experience displeasure from God, I see it as my responsibility to inform them what the Scriptures states on this issue, still leaving it up to them to obey or disobey. To do any less shows not only disrespect for the authority of Scripture, but also in reality a lack of sensitivity toward that person's relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. 

What these folks define as love astounds me. If their child wanted to eat rat poison, would they simply say, “ok if that is what you desire, go ahead!” That is not love, that is callous, naïve stupidity! Afterwards, when you finally realize you should have told the child that rat poison will kill them and they need to stay away from it, it will be too late. If we did not have the Truth, there would be an excuse, but since we do, saying “sorry” won’t cut it. What will we say as the Lord asks us why we did not clearly warn all about the dangers of sin?

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.

Romans 7:7  What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

God has not laid on us a burden of judging motives of individuals nor to be the one to condemn them for disobedience. He knows that we are all sinners and fail, that especially includes leaders in the Body of Christ. I never feel that I have a right to think less of someone that is in sin, for I know how dark the sins are in my own life. I also know though, the desire placed in me by the Holy Spirit to obey my Lord and please Him, thereby enjoying an unbroken fellowship with Him. The only way I can do that is to recognize my sin and repent from it. This is and should be the only goal for every leader in the Body of Christ, just share what the Scripture states on the topic, let the person know that you love them and hope they do what God desires, but that decision is between them and God. You will not judge, but you will not be manipulated or bullied into compromising what the Scripture states just to please them.

God states emphatically in Scripture that if we do not do this simple task of just sharing with someone what the Scripture states He will hold us accountable for that.

2 Timothy 4:1–4 I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.

Acts 20:25–30  “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. “Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

My Concern:

The sad reality for me is that many think that those like me, hold this view because we have to be right and all others wrong. I cannot speak for others, I cannot judge their motives, though I do find it interesting that the very ones that say we're judgmental and judging motives so easily and freely judge ours! I guess the kettle never stops calling the pot black!

My concern is that I know some of these men, and some of them I care for very much and I am concerned what they will experience when they face the Author of the Scriptures and they are required to be accountable for their actions or lack thereof. This is not something I think is funny or I look forward to. In a face-to-face discussion I will passionately tell them they are wrong and that they should be honest with the Scriptures. While at the same time inside I'm struggling with a great fear of the disappointment they will face when God, as shown in His scriptures, will confront leaders that did not hold true to just simply sharing what God's Word states. I would hope this on no one.

So my confession is, not only my concern for all of society as I see the Church is no longer holding the light of truth to guide those that are lost and seeking, but for me this is also personal. There are men that I love that have compromised their stand on the objective truth of Scripture.

James 3:1  Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.

Where are you? Who do you listen to? Where do your leaders stand of the authority of Scripture? Are you willing to lovingly and simply share with someone the black and white truth of Scripture? 

Does God will evil?

Judges 14:1-4 Then Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines.  So he came back and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.”  Then his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she looks good to me.” However, his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

This passage opens the door to a truth of Scripture that causes many a great struggle in their faith. The fact that God knows everything about the future and that He also will use the actions of people, whether good or bad, to accomplish His plans. Some come to the conclusion that we are nothing more then pawns in a game. That is not true. 

As we have already said, Samson allowed his physical eyes to guide him too much. God knew this about Samson, yet chose to use him to help free Israel from the bondage that the Philistines had placed them in. So from verse 4 we see that although Samson's mother and father had encouraged him to seek a wife from his own people, that God was using Samson's weakness to accomplish what God intended.

This causes many believers a deep struggle within themselves, and it is important that we address this issue.

First, and foremost we must lay the groundwork of Who God is. The Scriptures are clear that there is no evil or wrong in God's character. God does not sin. It would be impossible for me to show you all the Scriptures that speak to this issue on the character of God. However, I will share just some so we can understand that the Scripture states clearly that our God does no wrong, is holy and righteous in all that He does:

Matt 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Ps 99:9 Exalt the Lord our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the Lord our God is holy.

Is 5:16 But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.

Deut 32:4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

Understanding that, we now move to the stress that this passage brings forth. Why in Scripture does it appear that God will use what is wrong or even evil to accomplish His will? Here is where we enter into the understanding of the Providence of our God. The reason so many find this so uncomfortable is because, though we do not like to admit it, we humans want to be in 100% control of our own lives. This is what makes agnosticism such an attractive belief. An agnostic believes in God, but not a personal or interactive one. In other words, God created the heavens and the earth and then closed the door and leaves it alone. Conversely, and happily I admit, Scriptures teach a very different picture of our Creator. Not only does He sustain the entire workings of the universe, but He is very interactive and intimately involved with His creation. Again, I cannot share all the Scriptures that communicate God's involvement with His creation, but I will share some of what the Scriptures state:

Neh 9:6 You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.

Matt 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.

Ps 104:27–28 These all wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good.

Matt 6:26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

1 Sam 2:7–8 The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. “For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, And He has set the world upon them.

Prov 16:9 A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

Acts 17:26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,

Gen 8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”

God is always working behind-the-scenes to accomplish what He knows is best for all. The problem arises with our attributing motive to God's actions. God knows the beginning from the end, He is omniscient, and therefore He knows exactly what each person will do. This however, does not lead to the conclusion that some mistakenly make, that just because God knows what a person will do and then allows them to be used in His plan, that He is accountable for their actions.

For example, if you and I are in a plane flying at 35,000 feet and you tell me you want to step out the door for a walk, and I tell you the truth of gravity, but you still insist to go for the walk, just because I knew that if you stepped out of the plane you would fall to your death due to the law of gravity, does not make me accountable for your actions. So it is with the providential involvement of God in our lives. God has a plan, and if in that plan He foresees individuals that will do actions that will accomplish His plan, God will allow them to flex their free choice and He will use their actions to accomplish His plan. Judas Iscariot is one of many examples of that. In the same way, God knows that Samson has a weakness and uses it to bring the Philistines to fight against Samson, who God is going to use to deliver Israel.

The most important thing that we need to remember about God's providential interaction with His creation is that it is always motivated by love. God always desires what is best for us, while keeping the balance of His decision to allow us free choices, even if those choices lead us in the wrong direction. God chose to pursue a relationship with His creation based on their free choice decision to obey or disobey him.

Is important here to remember that our God is a God of love that seeks the best for his creation.

1 John 4:7–8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Romans 5:8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

The big question we must ask ourselves is how do we see God's involvement in our life? This includes the good, the bad and the ugly. Can we be like Joseph who suffered terribly at the hands of his brothers’ choices, yet saw the bigger picture of the hand of God in his life?

Gen 50:20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Or as Paul, who looked at his circumstances from the perspective of God's desire to help all know the offer of His salvation, even the Roman soldiers that held Paul prisoner?

Phil 1:12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,

Is our faith strong enough to really believe what Romans states?

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

The man who endured the most intense testing in the entire Bible next to Jesus Christ, Job understood this reality.

Job 1:21 And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

As you contemplate the involvement God has in your life, may I please leave you with a great truth communicated by Scripture?

Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.

Do you live your life in such a way that at the end of all you do, when it stands before the judgment of your Creator, will it endure or pass away as all temporal things do? Have you decided to “partner” with God, or go it alone?