When Young Peter Parker was still growing into his newfound superpower as Spiderman, during a pivotal moment, he remembered a comment his Uncle made to him, “With great power comes great responsibility”.
No matter if someone is a leading political official, the top of a successful company, or the head of an influential organization they all have something in common. Their position comes with a level of power and authority.
The need for responsible management of power is essential, as some leaders will grow to like their power and work to retain it. As a result, self-preserving decisions will be made. In the short term, such decisions will bring success. In the long term, they will bring devastating consequences. Additionally, a power-hungry leader will begin to experience the inward effects of the poisonous cocktail they willingly drink. It is a potent mixture of pride, arrogance and selfishness along with a shot of greed.
Eventually, this poison will so weaken leaders that what they have built will mercilessly be ripped from their fingers in embarrassment and shame.
What if someone occupied the seat of power from the mindset of serving rather than receiving, humility rather than pride, generosity rather than greed? What if they never operated out of a self-preservation motive? What if they did what was right, good and just even if they knew it might cost them dearly?
There is an example of someone who did lead that way – Jesus. In three years, He rose from an obscure carpenter to one of the most powerful and influential figures of His day. Today, nearly 2,000 years later, His name is known worldwide and the movement He started, Christianity, numbers in the billions of followers.
Jesus made a startling statement that reveals His unique style of leadership, “For even the Son of Man [Jesus] came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
What would happen to our world if all those in positions of power led from the mindset of Jesus? What a difference it would make. May those with great power exercise great responsibility. May leaders choose to humble themselves before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, calling upon Him to change their hearts that He may be their hope for today and for those whom they lead.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
HOPE FOR TODAY: Finding Hope in Easter
AP Bangkok Bureau Chief, Todd Pitman, came on the scene the morning after the Japan disaster. He wrote, “A man who has not seen his wife since . . . minutes before the tsunami told me with the utmost certainty that she MUST be alive. After failing to find her at seven different shelters, he began searching for her inside a city gym-turned-morgue where the bodies of 300 tsunami victims lay under blue tarps, waiting to be identified.”
As the death toll continues to mount, people are still searching for their loved ones amidst the apocalyptic scene in Japan. Since 2011 started there also has been a deadly earthquake in New Zealand, catastrophic flooding in Australia and unrest throughout the Arab nations.
Events like these on the world stage are not new. We live on a fragile planet and into all this madness enters Easter. It is not about a sale at the department store, days off from school or Easter egg hunts. It is more. It is about God’s Son, Jesus. He suffered, died and rose again from the dead on our behalf.
Many believers in Jesus use the term “Good Friday” to talk about the day of His death. Perhaps we could also call it “Black Friday”. On it, Jesus, an innocent man, took our place in death. He was separated from His Father receiving His judgment and wrath for the sins of all mankind. It was a gruesome day of suffering and death.
The pain due to the suffering and death we have seen this year is for a season. What Jesus experienced through his crucifixion was for a season too. He did it so we would not be separated from God and suffer without Him in the lake of fire – for an eternity.
Sunday is Resurrection Day - a day of hope. Jesus is alive! He overcame sin and death through His bodily resurrection. Through it, He provided a way of escape from the judgment and wrath of God. Through it, He provided freedom from sin and death leading to genuine and lasting hope.
Easter represents light over darkness, good defeating evil and freedom for the captive. The Scripture says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Roman 15:13). May Jesus be your hope for today.
As the death toll continues to mount, people are still searching for their loved ones amidst the apocalyptic scene in Japan. Since 2011 started there also has been a deadly earthquake in New Zealand, catastrophic flooding in Australia and unrest throughout the Arab nations.
Events like these on the world stage are not new. We live on a fragile planet and into all this madness enters Easter. It is not about a sale at the department store, days off from school or Easter egg hunts. It is more. It is about God’s Son, Jesus. He suffered, died and rose again from the dead on our behalf.
Many believers in Jesus use the term “Good Friday” to talk about the day of His death. Perhaps we could also call it “Black Friday”. On it, Jesus, an innocent man, took our place in death. He was separated from His Father receiving His judgment and wrath for the sins of all mankind. It was a gruesome day of suffering and death.
The pain due to the suffering and death we have seen this year is for a season. What Jesus experienced through his crucifixion was for a season too. He did it so we would not be separated from God and suffer without Him in the lake of fire – for an eternity.
Sunday is Resurrection Day - a day of hope. Jesus is alive! He overcame sin and death through His bodily resurrection. Through it, He provided a way of escape from the judgment and wrath of God. Through it, He provided freedom from sin and death leading to genuine and lasting hope.
Easter represents light over darkness, good defeating evil and freedom for the captive. The Scripture says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Roman 15:13). May Jesus be your hope for today.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
HOPE FOR TODAY: What Happens during Mardi Gras is Recorded in Heaven
Costumes, parades, fattened calves, masks and of course, beads. They are all connected with Mardi Gras. For the unfamiliar it is a gigantic party in New Orleans each year, but to the familiar it is a whole lot more.
Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, and has become known as a season of celebration. It officially starts 12 days after Christmas and goes until midnight on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Some historians say the origin goes back to the Roman Empire in the second century. Over time the Roman Catholic Church tried to Christianize the pagan event which has become a mixture of religious and pagan rituals and traditions.
Today Mardi Gras celebrations are found in cities across the United States and at least 12 nations. There are millions of people that participate. New Orleans is the face of Mardi Gras, which routinely has over 600,000 people gather each year on Fat Tuesday.
From the Roman Empire to the French Quarters, the days of Mardi Gras are well known as days of self-indulgence of every sort, and that is the point. There is a sense of freedom to engage in whatever your heart desires. Open drunkenness, sexual immorality, and vulgarity of every kind are found – until the stroke of midnight on Fat Tuesday. Then from Ash Wednesday through the 40 days of Lent people are to confess their sins and prepare themselves for Easter Sunday.
Have you ever seen the commercial, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?” That slogan represents the culture of Mardi Gras. Indulge now, confess later and all will be well. That is a dangerous belief. If you plan to do something wrong, but it is legal and fun, and afterwards you intend to confess your foolishness does that mean it is okay? The mindset that we can do whatever we want, offer a half-hearted confession and think that God’s love will cover our sin is a huge misunderstanding.
How foolish to think we can deceive the Most High God. He knows our motives and the sincerity of our hearts. God will not grant forgiveness to a pre-planned, unremorseful confession that is simply based on a religious ritual after a season of wide-eyed and highhanded sin, which you anticipate doing again anyway. There is no mercy for such souls, only the judgment of God. Scripture says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31)
Jesus blood was not shed to give our guilty conscience a brief and shallow season of peace while we continue in a sinful lifestyle. Rather, His blood was shed to make us whole and holy. His precious gift of forgiveness came at a tremendous cost. It requires a genuine confession of sin with a truly repentant heart and life. As we enter this time of Lent may our hearts be humble and holy before the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Receive His gift of forgiveness and hope for today.
Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, and has become known as a season of celebration. It officially starts 12 days after Christmas and goes until midnight on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Some historians say the origin goes back to the Roman Empire in the second century. Over time the Roman Catholic Church tried to Christianize the pagan event which has become a mixture of religious and pagan rituals and traditions.
Today Mardi Gras celebrations are found in cities across the United States and at least 12 nations. There are millions of people that participate. New Orleans is the face of Mardi Gras, which routinely has over 600,000 people gather each year on Fat Tuesday.
From the Roman Empire to the French Quarters, the days of Mardi Gras are well known as days of self-indulgence of every sort, and that is the point. There is a sense of freedom to engage in whatever your heart desires. Open drunkenness, sexual immorality, and vulgarity of every kind are found – until the stroke of midnight on Fat Tuesday. Then from Ash Wednesday through the 40 days of Lent people are to confess their sins and prepare themselves for Easter Sunday.
Have you ever seen the commercial, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?” That slogan represents the culture of Mardi Gras. Indulge now, confess later and all will be well. That is a dangerous belief. If you plan to do something wrong, but it is legal and fun, and afterwards you intend to confess your foolishness does that mean it is okay? The mindset that we can do whatever we want, offer a half-hearted confession and think that God’s love will cover our sin is a huge misunderstanding.
How foolish to think we can deceive the Most High God. He knows our motives and the sincerity of our hearts. God will not grant forgiveness to a pre-planned, unremorseful confession that is simply based on a religious ritual after a season of wide-eyed and highhanded sin, which you anticipate doing again anyway. There is no mercy for such souls, only the judgment of God. Scripture says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31)
Jesus blood was not shed to give our guilty conscience a brief and shallow season of peace while we continue in a sinful lifestyle. Rather, His blood was shed to make us whole and holy. His precious gift of forgiveness came at a tremendous cost. It requires a genuine confession of sin with a truly repentant heart and life. As we enter this time of Lent may our hearts be humble and holy before the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Receive His gift of forgiveness and hope for today.
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