Jul 02
Three Reasons Correction Comes:
To stop strife & Discord (Preserve Unity)
Growth & development of others is hindered or stagnated. (Nurture)
Harm is being caused or happening to others (Protection)
God CAN NOT use and lead people without correcting them. You won’t realize your full potential without correction. God won’t use people who refuse correction.
Thankfully, HE doesn’t deal with us about everything all at once! 
i.e.: You first teach your children where to go to the bathroom, and then you move on over time to other issues. We don’t instruct or correct EVERYTHING all at once as to not discourage & overwhelm our children.
*Over time God wants to hone you into the full image of Christ – your full potential. But He generally picks one issue at a time to “deal with”. I don’t know about you but I’m thankful for that! So the question of the day could be, “What is God dealing with ME about TODAY – right now?”
to be continued…
Jul 01
Protect is the third major purpose God invests authority.
All authority has the responsibility to protect those entrusted to it’s care. Somebody has to be the “heavy” from time to time. Protect means to keep from harm, attack or injury; to guard. Parents, Presidents & Pastors “guard” the ones entrusted to their care. Policeman all around the nation have “to serve & protect” on side of their vehicle.
A “Protector” can refer to one ruling the kingdom in the absence of the monarch (or king.) He knows that one day The King shall return & he will give an account. This should impact the way we “rule.” Ruling should always include serving & protecting.
Luke 12:35-48
A pastor is to feed the sheep, milk the goats, and run-off the wolves. One of the enemies’ #1 strategies is to get you to loose confidence in leadership and (those in) authority. i.e.: the 1980’s TWO televangelists committed sex sins and EVERYBODY suffered. $upport for ministries dropped by 50% over night!
I Timothy 2:1-10
To be continued…
Jun 30
Spent the day writing episode #1 of our local TV show. Shooting it this Thursday: jazzed! Gonna be fun to take this step. Despise not small beginnings right? Oaks start as acorns. Take a step in the right direction today. Go ahead – you can do it! 
pkc
Jun 30
I don’t want to create or “raise up” an institutional church. (Nor do I want to pastor a church that I don’t enjoy attending myself.) At the same time, many of us would agree that there are some systems that the “organized” church offers that many people gripe about if they don’t get. Maybe the issue deeper than spoiled, consumeristic christians is that we’ve tried to institutionalize what shoud be flowing out of authentic relationships. By authentic I mean that they are both difficult & rewarding. While marriage is a great example of this it shouldn’t be the only one. How often do we quickly dispose of relationships that GOD tried to give us, but we were to lazy or (usually) easily offended to keep? I’m amazed at how fast people will throw away a Divinly Connection because they got their feelings hurt or their personal preference wasn’t satisfied. Though tempted to say, “Welcome to the Planet,” instead I will exhort & encourage EACH of us to do the hard, dirty & difficult work required to have meaningful, life-giving relationships.
Some of the major contributors of this cancer in Christianity (in America) are:
1. the disposable society we live in. Everything is “use & throw” – from Starbucks coffee cups, to unborn babies to quickie divorces. If it’s not convenient for you or meeting your often unrealistic expectation then just throw it away & get another one. Churches & Pastors are often included in this disposable catagory. 2. the “you’re not the boss of me” independent, democratic mentality we Americans are so proud of. As long as you dance to my tune or inact the policies I like then we’re cool. But don’t think for minutes I will bow or bend. This is a free country by God!
I know I’m paiting with very broad strokes here this morning, and I am well aware there’s another side to this coin too. So let me ask you for input: how can we move from institutional church to “organic” church (especially here in Mobile, AL if you are aquainted with the culture here.) What’s lacking & who are the ones to provide it. Now don’t just say, “We need a ‘move of God!’” I get that & agree. But what else. What part do WE have to play as leaders and members of the church at large here this area. Also, don’t say, “There is nothing else we need than God!” Ok, got it. But HOW could He better express Himself through US since we are His body?
Thanks in advance for sharing your supply.
Peace,
kc
Jun 27
Yesterday was my day off. I was SO lazy! I slept til noon, had breakfast at ONE o’clock, & hung out with my fam! I haven’t slept til noon since I was a teenager. Okay, maybe I have but it felt good nonetheless. Addie & I were up the night before until about2 a.m watching the new USA series “Royal Pain.” It’s hard to get her to watch ANY T.V. so I had to seize the opportunity. Gavin joined us too. That kid can STAY UP L-A-T-E if you let him! Wow~ but Garrison was OUT at like 9:30! He’s more like his momma. (By the way – Royal Pains was pretty good!)
I’m so glad it rained yesterday. It watered my lawn. Is it a sign of “getting old” when you get happy about stuff like that?
Tomorrow at Harvest Church I’ll finish up a 2 part series honoring Dads & men. In fact, it’s Shoe-Shine Sunday!!! I’m taking my loafers… if I can find them. I’ve been in flip-flops all summer.
Today… what will we do today? We shall see!
kc
Jun 26
Nurture is another vital purpose of authority.
Nurture means to bring up, to train, to educate, to develop, cultivate or foster, to improve.
The husband, as the leader, is to promote an atmosphere of nurture. The greatest gift God has ever given me outside of Salvation (& my children) is my wife! Will I nurture the greatness & gifts in her or be a typical, insecure man? Ephesians 5:22,23-chap 6:1,2
Anybody in leadership is to cultivate and bring others along. A good leader brings out the gifts and helps you do more than you thought you could. i.e.: A Coach, a Pastor, a Parent, or a President.
It’s the responsibility of the government to cultivate & nurture commerce. It’s not to get into running and operating businesses but to facilitate an appropriate atmosphere for that. It’s the responsibility of the Church to cultivate & nurture the God’s people to express & expand His Kingdom in the earth. The Government exits for Law Enforcement; the Church for Love Enforcement.
It use to be unthinkable for me to be absent from our Bible School in India for 2 weeks, but now I’m only there for 2 weeks! Why? I’ve “brought others along” & now they do a better job than I ever did. *If you can’t NURTURE you can’t keep your authority. One of my mentors Jim Wideman told me once, “The moment you quit believing in the people you are leading is the moment you loose the ability to lead them.”
to be continued…
Jun 25
Authority is not self-generated All Authority gets it license and originates from God.
Three Institutions God Has Ordained and Established for Authority to Flow Through:
The Home. (Ephesians 5:31) First to appear in scripture was the home!
The Government (Romans 13:1-5)
The Church (I Peter 5:1-7)
The 3 Fold Purpose of Authority:
1.) Unity – The condition of being united into a single whole; accord or agreement; singleness of purpose or action.
Matt. 12:25 “A house divided cannot stand…” Anytime you have a divided Home, Government, or Church, it is hindered from performing to it’s full potential. *DIVISION PREVENTS MAXIMUM POTENTIAL and retards effectiveness.
God measures submission not by words but by behavior… cooperation. Authority is our friend.
If a man resisting arrest was saying, “I’m cooperating… I’m submitted.” But he kept rolling over, trying to swallow the cocaine, and would not put his hands to together to be cuffed he is not submitted. Obedience is an action; true submission (which cannot be forced) is an attitude.
If you keep tying the hands of authority you will get anarchy so authority is vital! Rebellion from the bottom creates pressure from the top. If you REALLY want to help and bring about positive change you go to authority, in the right spirit and attitude. YOU CAN DISAGREE but voice your disagreement to the right people & in the right way. Distension will rip you apart!
Amos 3:3 “How can 2 walk together lest they be agreed?”
To be continued…
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