God's Plan: Submission or Rebellion

Proverbs 21:1

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases.

This is a truth that is hard for many Christians to accept, and submit to.  It is so much easier to think that we are smarter than God's anointed governors.  When it comes to the governing authorities, we seem to want to believe that it is okay to slander (Eighth Commandment) and disrespect those men and women that God has placed in positions of authority (Fourth Commandment).

Before we get into all of that though, we need to look at a couple other verses that will help guide this discussion:

Isaiah 45:1,4

"This is what the LORD says to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: 

For the sake of Jacob My servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge Me.

Romans 13:1-2

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

Back to the matter at hand, Proverbs 21:1.  Solomon is telling us that God is in control.  No earthly ruler is more powerful than the Lord, no matter what he, or she,  might try to make you believe.  The understanding of man in limited and finite.  God is omniscient (all knowing) and infinite.  (LORD, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.  Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.- Psalm 90:1-2)

No matter how much any human being wants to control anything in our world, he can't.  No one is God.  There is only one God.  

Does that mean that we are just puppets on a string?  No.  What that means is that God has a plan, and He works everything according to His plan.  God is not at the mercy of any human being.  Let's take a look at the life of Jesus Christ to illustrate this point.

Jesus' birth was prophesied by Isaiah 700 years before it happened:  "Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign:  The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel."- Isaiah 7:14

It was not a coincidence that Jesus was born during the rule of the Roman Empire.  This was all a part of God's plan.  It was actually essential for Jesus to live under a republican form of government.  If Jesus would have lived in an autonomous Israel, still controlled entirely by Mosaic law, Jesus' ministry would have looked entirely different.  If the Pharisees had been the governing authorities would Jesus have been breaking the Fourth Commandment by speaking out against them?  As it was, the Romans were the governing authorities.  Thus, Jesus' constant rebukes of the Pharisees were not a matter of civil law, a rebellion against the governing authorities.  It was a matter of Jesus rebuking the men who had been entrusted with the responsibility of being the spiritual leaders/overseers of God's people.  So Jesus rebuking the Pharisees was no different than a Christian rebuking a pastor who is teaching or practicing false doctrine.

How did Jesus submit to rule of the Roman authorities?

He commanded that we pay our taxes:  "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."  At His trial there is an interesting interaction between Jesus and Pontius Pilate:

"Do you refuse to speak to me?"  Pilate said.  "Don't you realize I have the power either to free you or to crucify you?"

Jesus answered, "You would have no power over Me if it were not given to you from above.  Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." - John 19:10-11

Jesus made it clear that neither Pilate or the Roman government had any power that God had not given them.  Why did God give the Roman government the power that He did?

He did it because He is true to His Word.  Through the Roman government God fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophesies about Jesus' death and resurrection.  God used the Roman government to fulfill His plan of Salvation:  

Jesus payed the price for the sins of all people by being crucified on the cross; because no one can do anything to atone for his own sins.

Then, on the third day Jesus raised from the dead, in the flesh, to conquer sin, death, and hell so that it no longer has any power over all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

To God be all praise and GLORY!

I doubt that there was a single Caesar that ever made this connection.  But there it is, the clearest example of what Solomon was saying in Proverbs 21:1.  If Jesus was willing to submit to the governing authorities, why won't we?  Why do we insist on rebelling against the authorities God has placed in power?  Do we know better than the Son of God, or is it a matter of faith (or lack there of)?

We don't need to know God's plan to trust His plan.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."- Romans 8:28

God bless

Jason Fredrick

The Wise and Foolish Woman

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Proverbs 14:1
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Solomon makes a clear distinction here between two opposing mindsets, or attitudes.  Let's look at them, one at a time.
First, the wise woman.
What does she do?
She builds her house.

What exactly does that mean: builds her house?

There are a couple of ways for a wise woman to build her house.
First, and foremost, is her relationship with the Lord.  The wise woman will be studying Scripture every day.  She will joyfully submit to God's commands.  She will strive daily to be a Godly wife and mother.
The second way for her to build her house is by being a respectful, submissive wife.  In Ephesians 5:22 Paul says, "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord."  Also in Ephesians 5:33 Paul says, "...and the wife must respect her husband."
These two aspects of the Godly wife are totally rejected by the American culture today.  Sadly, according to Solomon's definition, America is desperately lacking for wise women.  Think about it.  When a woman submits to her husband and respects her husband, as the Lord commands, life is much better in her house.  The Lord will bless her house and reward her faithfulness, because He is faithful.  He honors His promises.  She doesn't have to worry about her husband being unfaithful. She won't be able to stop her husband from loving her.  His love for her will grow more and more, everyday. Her children will be respectful, following her lead.  But this is only what the wise woman does to build her house.
These are the only two attributes of the wise woman that I am going to address here.  I would highly encourage you to read Proverbs 31 and 1 Corinthians 7 to study more on what Scripture has to say about this.

So now lets look at the foolish woman.  We can start by saying that she is exactly opposite of the wise woman as described above.  She doesn't submit to God's authority.  She doesn't read God's Word.  And this is how she tears her house down with her own hands.  She is constantly rebelling against God, so she is constantly battling her husband for leadership in her house.  She can never be certain of her husband's love because she is constantly nagging and belittling him.  Words cut deep and those wounds are not easily healed.
Her children follow her lead.  They don't respect either parent.  They are living in a state of constant rebellion against their parents, authority, and most importantly- God.  This is how the foolish woman tears down her house with her own hands.
Jesus said, "A house divided against itself can not stand." How long can the foolish woman's house stand?
The sad thing is that the foolish woman doesn't even recognize that it is she who is destroying her house.  Satan has her totally fooled.  Instead of stopping to recognize her own selfishness and rebellion, she blames her husband, her children and God Himself.  Every aspect of her life is miserable and it's somebody else's fault.  Blame is one of the quickest ways to becoming a fool.  That is true for both men and women.

Women-
Today's pop media is constantly trying to convince you to be the foolish woman.  Resist it.  Unplug from it.  All media has an agenda.  You have to discern for yourself:  is the media you are plugged into helping you to become the wise woman or the foolish woman.  If you are rejecting God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then you are the foolish woman.

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."- Psalm 14:1

The fear of the LORD  is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding.  To Him belongs eternal praise.- Psalm 111:10

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.  Though it cost all you have, get understanding.-Proverbs 4:7

The wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.- Proverbs 31:10


God bless
Jason Fredrick

Be a Fanatical Spiritual (Christian) Athlete

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.- 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

It's interesting that this same principle is still at play in our world today.  It's okay to be fanatical if it is for the sake of sports.  If our children participate in sports we expect them to push themselves to the limit; mentally, physically, and emotionally.  We expect them to train like crazy every day.  We expect them to discipline themselves in their diet, sleep schedule, entertainment consumption, etc.  It goes without saying that they cannot become successful athletes by spending hours a day in front of the t.v., playing video games, and staying up to date on Facebook.  So why do we think that we, or our children, can be high level Christian "athletes" by indulging those lazy habits and ignoring fanatical discipline?

In the text above, Paul compares the Christian life to running a race.  Who in their right mind would sign up to run in a race without diligently training every day?  Guess what,  life is a race.  We didn't sign up for it, we were elected to it by the Lord God almighty, Creator of the universe.  That makes it even more imperative to run this race to our absolute best ability.  God has elected us to run our race for His glory!  If that's the case, don't you think we should be training and disciplining ourselves daily so that we can run our best race possible?  After all, we only get one shot at this race.  There is no re-match.  There is no do-over.  There is no tomorrow.  Judgment Day will be upon us in the blink of an eye.

How do we run our race "so as to get a crown that will last forever"?

1. Strict Training
1. Read from God's Word every day.
2. Attend a Bible study at least once/week.
3. Seek out Bible classes that go deeper into the truths of Scripture.
4. Enroll in the Congregational Assistant Program from Martin Luther College.
5. Find a spiritual mentor.
6. Read from Luther's Small Catechism every day.
7. Intentionally develop your leadership skills every day.
2. Running the Race
1. Share the saving truth of God's Word at every opportunity- with friends, family, co-workers,etc.
2. Become an active participant in the ministry of God's Word.
1. Get active in your church.
2. Volunteer with a ministry that is in fellowship with your church body.
3. Start a Bible study in your home (when your mentor agrees that you are ready).
3. Look for ways to use your talents and abilities in service to others, for God's glory.
4. Be the salt and the light in this world.  Strive to live a Godly life every day.
1. Love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
2. Love you neighbor as yourself.  

Treat your life like an athletic competition.  Be as fanatical about building yourself spiritually as a professional athlete is about building himself physically.

God bless and Merry Christmas
Jason Fredrick

Who's Job Is It to Keep the Leader on Track?

The answer to this question seems like it should be obvious.  For some reason there is a lot of confusion that surrounds this topic, though.

The obvious answer is:  It is EVERYBODY'S responsibility to keep the leader on track.
The leader is supposed to be the servant of all.  That means the leaders is to SERVE everyone in the community, not demand that everyone in the community serves him.  That also means that each member of the community has a responsibility to serve each other, "Everyone is called upon to lead in some capacity sooner or later in life." (Woodward/Brady: Launching A Leadership Revolution).  One of the crucial ways that members of a community serve each other is by keeping the leader in check, making sure that he stays on track and isn't leading individuals, or the organization to it's doom.

This is a great responsibility that is shared by everyone within the community.  There is only one way that this can, and will, happen:  life-long learning.  If every member of the community hasn't made the commitment to a lifetime of growth and development then the members of the community aren't capable of checking the leader (ex. citizens of the United States checking government at every level:  local, state, and federal).

It is only by every individual making the commitment to be a lifelong student that this can actually happen.  People who don't read every day, listen to educational audios every day, and associate with other leaders on a regular basis are not equipped to check anybody.  Watching 4-6 hours of TV every day will not equip your community with the skills they need to become effective leaders and overseers.  It is only through an intentional plan of self-education that leaders grow and develop.

Learning and growing yourself is essential because when it comes time to check or question the leader you have to be ready to give answers for your opinion or challenge.  You especially need to be prepared if you are checking an out-of-control ego:  "Who do you think you are questioning me?  Don't you know who I am?"  Sadly, these egocentric leaders surface in every kind of community:  families, volunteer organizations, churches, corporate America, government, etc.

It is when checking the egocentric leader that you really need to be sure of yourself.  Don't be intimidated by their arrogance, but make sure you are prepared to defend every one of your criticisms and concerns.  Be prepared for a continuing barrage of superficial counter-attacks.  Don't get distracted by that.  Stay focused on the points that you are making.  Keep the main points in front of you and don't get caught running in circles.  No matter how he attacks you, keep coming back to the point that you are making.

If at the end of your conversation it is clear that the leader's heart is hardened and his ears are closed, it may be time to leave the community.  Leaving should only really be considered as a last resort.  If you have tried to address the same issues two, or three, or even four times with no positive results, then it may be time to leave.

If you need to leave don't keep it a secret that you are going.  Don't launch a smear campaign against the leader or the community, but be open to sharing why you are leaving if anyone asks.  Be available to meet privately with individuals to help them understand the decision you have made.  You owe it to them to make sure they know what's going on.  You don't want people to be blind-sided when they find themselves in the same exact situation that you did.

God bless
Jason Fredrick

Pursuing Your Purpose: When is it Time to Make A Pivot?

When you're on the path of pursuing your life's purpose there will be times when you need to make some adjustments.  You will need to reassess what you're doing, how you're doing it, and why you're doing it.  This is something that should be done frequently, weekly or monthly; as well as taking the time once or twice a year to really evaluate whether or not you are still passionate about what you're pursuing.

Most of the time, this yearly evaluation will just be an opportunity to recommit to yourself, and your team.  Sometimes, however, that evaluation will be a time to make some tough decisions:

• Is what you're pursuing for God, or for yourself?
• Are you impacting the world in the way that you know you can, or want to?
• Is what you're pursuing fulfilling, or is it just chasing more money?
• Has it simply become an inconvenient obligation to others that is actually blocking you from pursuing your true calling in life?
• Which would require more courage:  stay the course and work harder, or change your course and pursue your true calling (if your current pursuit isn't actually your true calling) with everything you have?

These are tough questions.  Sometimes the answers are even tougher.  What I have learned is that if what you're currently doing is not your true calling, the sooner you make that pivot the better.  Don't use other people as your excuse to not pull the trigger on making a life changing decision.  In the end, you're not really helping anybody by not living your calling in life.  Your courage will empower those around you to do the same.

Change is tough.  Don't ever make a big decision like this without careful thought and a lot of prayer.  I am not talking, here, about chasing every fleeting fancy that dances across your brain.  I am talking about battling yourself internally as to whether or not your current pursuits are going to take you all the way to your God-given purpose.  Sometimes, what you are currently doing is just preparatory experiences for the next phase of your journey towards your purpose.  Don't take this lightly.  Give it a lot of serious thought time.  Discuss it with your spouse and your mentor.

Most importantly, exercise the courage to do what you need to do.  Make the tough decision; whether that means continuing on the path you're currently on, or making the pivot that you need to make.

God bless

Jason Fredrick