Articles by Mike Barres at Heartlight

Reluctant Leadership?

mbarres@dnet.net (Mike Barres) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" (Luke 10:1-2 NKJV).

The need is great in the time in which we find ourselves. The message of hope in Jesus Christ is our only answer. And as the scripture quoted above describes, we need far more laborers to go out and do the Father's work. And we need leaders to help make that happen. But, leaders are in short supply!

Moses appointed leaders. King David appointed leaders. The Church at Jerusalem had leaders. The books of 1 Timothy and Titus talk about the qualifications of leaders. In fact, any time in scripture that there are groups of people, we also find a great need for leaders to coordinate, encourage and give direction to those people. Many folks, in every era including today, have been reluctant to lead.

Guess what? These reluctant leaders are in good company.

Gideon felt that he lacked what was needed to be a leader. Moses mentioned his weaknesses and his poor public speaking along with his doubt about his leadership potential. Saul tried to hide. Samuel nearly overlooked King David.

There seems to be a leadership shortage today. This is not new, either. Paul mentions this problem in describing Timothy as his son in the faith:

I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:19-21).

God is not just looking at our ability, but also at our availability. If we walk in humility before God, trusting in His power to help and sustain us, He can use us. The best kind of leader is a servant leader, one who really cares about others as the Lord does. Sometimes others see leadership potential in us and we don't see it. So if someone asks you to lead, in a task great or small, prayerfully consider it. The need is great. We don't want to self-appoint ourselves to leadership, but we should all have a willingness to do whatever the Lord wants us to do. If we follow His lead, He can use us to lead!

Mike is a pastor and writer for a number of online publications.

Full Disclosure

mbarres@dnet.net (Mike Barres) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

I love home groups. There is a closeness and a "prayerfulness" that is special when a small group of Christians meet together on a regular basis. I lead a home group in our church and it is also my responsibility to order new materials for our Bible study when our current book's lessons run out. We are studying I Thessalonians, and we had completed our study guide that went through Chapter 3. I was supposed to order the next set of study guides, but got busy and forgot.

It was time for us to have our next meeting and we didn't have the materials that we needed, so I did a review of a previous lesson. Someone in the group asked me if the new books were in yet. I could have said, "You are correct, they are not in yet." But instead, I had to swallow my pride and embarrassment and say, "No, I forgot to order them."

Some would say I could have let myself off the hook and said they weren't in yet. However, that would have implied that I had ordered them. I hadn't ordered them. I wasn't going to be deceitful to save face. Full disclosure is best. It is right to be open and honest, even if it is painful.

When Ananias and Sapphira brought the money from the sale of their property to make a donation to the church, they would have been correct in saying, "We are donating part of the proceeds of the sale of our property to the church." Instead, they left the impression with everyone that they were donating ALL of the proceeds of the sale to the needy in the church, when in fact they were donating only part of the proceeds. They were deliberately being deceptive to make themselves look better: that's part of the reason why the Lord struck them dead at this crucial point in the early church (Acts 5:1-11).

Deception is a close cousin to lying. Too many times, people say, "I wasn't really lying," when in fact they were deceiving by giving an impression that they knew was not true. God's wisdom reminds us:

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, Is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, "I was only joking!" (Proverbs 26:18-19 NKJV)

In addition to using deception to keep from looking back, there are other reasons for us to practice deception. People deceive to hurt others. They also deceive to help a friend. Another reason people deceive is to get something they want. Sometimes people deceive to avoid punishment or embarrassment.

As the apostle Paul reminds us, let's put away deception, falsehood and lying, and let "each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one body" (Ephesians 4:25).

Mike is a pastor and writer for a number of online publications.

Air Traffic Controller

mbarres@dnet.net (Mike Barres) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Recently I thought of our Christian walk being like flying a plane. There are times when a pilot flies in the daylight hours and gets to see exhilarating vistas. The scenery from a plane can be breath taking. There are times however, that our Christian walk is tough and not so exhilarating, and we are simply persevering. I thought that this could be compared to a pilot who is in the middle of a storm, or flying at night. In a storm or at night, a pilot must rely on his instruments. He may not see anything that gives him a point of reference, but his instruments will not lie to him, he must simply follow them. When we are going through a tough time, we must simply rely on God’s Word, and do what it says, no matter what.

My dad was an air traffic controller much of his life. He would see planes on the radar, communicate with them, and give them direction on where to fly, and at what altitude. He would also help them land. He told me a story one time about how a man was up in a plane with someone else as the pilot. The pilot had a heart attack and was not able to continue to fly the plane. The passenger then called in to my dad, in a panic, because he didn’t know how to fly. My dad was a pilot in World War II so he could help this helpless passenger. My dad gave this man step by step instructions and he landed the plane safely. He was very grateful to my dad, as you can imagine.

When we are going through tough seasons in life, there are times that we are afraid and panic. We are disoriented and don’t know what to do. Sometimes we have been relying on someone who is no longer able to help us. God is like a really good air traffic controller. We are on his radar and He is watching us and keeping us safe. If we need His help, all we have to do is call out to Him, and He will help us "land our plane" safely!

For He Himself [God] has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV).

We can trust in and rely upon Him.

Mike is a pastor and writer for a number of online publications.

Revival Fire

mbarres@dnet.net (Mike Barres) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

It was Christmas morning, and I got up earlier than everyone else. I went outside and walked around and prayed. Our Christmas outreach, banquet and candlelight service had all gone really well, and I was thankful. I decided to start a fire in our little fire pit. It had been raining, so some of the wood was a bit wet. I got the fire going but some of the new branches that I put on the fire took a while to get burning.

I noticed something coming out of the ends of the branches that I had broken and cut. It was like the heat of the fire was driving out the moisture, so that they could burn well.

Looking at a fire always makes me think of the "fire" of genuine revival. When I try to light a fire with lighter fluid, I notice that it flares up quickly but soon dies out. That's what happens to many individuals seeking spiritual revival -- a quick flash of intense flame, but then the fire dies out. At other times, however, I have seen white, hot, coals fueling a pulsating fire deep in the middle of the flame. That's what I want revival to be like in my heart -- deep, hot, pulsating, and sustaining fire.

Many of us desire revival fire because it excites us and "fires us up" spiritually. But, the fire in the pit that day was doing something else as it heated up the wet wood. The fire was getting rid of things that were hindering the branch from burning -- it was actually forcing the moisture out of the wood. That's what more of us need: not just the excitement of the moment, but real "revival fire" to burn within our hearts and lead us to repent of what is wrong in our hearts and our behaviors. If the fire of God's Holy Spirit forces out the junk, we will burn brighter and longer with genuine revival so we can live for Him.

Jesus came to the earth, not to momentarily excite us, but to save us and to change us. Let's let the purifying work of His Holy Spirit do its work of genuine revival, so that we can burn bright for Him.

[John the baptizer said] "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He [Jesus] who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11 NKJV).

Mike is a pastor and writer for a number of online publications.

Lord and Christ

mbarres@dnet.net (Mike Barres) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

One of my favorite Christmas carols is "Silent Night." In one of the verses we sing, "Jesus, Lord at Thy birth." These are powerful words. We must see Him as Lord, not just a baby, as we remember Jesus' birth. This conviction struck me while reading in my quiet time. I read the following words from the apostle Peter's first public message after Jesus' resurrection:

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36 NKJV).

Jesus is both Lord and Christ! We like to emphasize the "Christ" part, but we must also remember the "Lord" part.

When the people heard Peter's words, the Bible tells us, they were convicted:

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37)

Peter's answer to them is the part of the gospel that often gets left out:

Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples of Jesus, and Peter, all preached repentance -- a heart and lifestyle change to honor God and welcome Jesus. Many people want mercy without repentance, a Savior but not a Lord. Paul, however, described his ministry as comprehensive and faithful to God, "testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21).

A minister with a heart for world evangelism has characterized American Christianity as sometimes having a negative impact, almost like an errant "virus," in countries where it has been exported. He says that quite often, "We preach a gospel that offers faith without repentance, grace without the fear of God and destiny without discipleship" (Rice Broocks).

We should not only see the gift of God in the Messiah come to earth, but also surrender to Jesus the Lord. Have you repented? Is He your Lord? May I ask "have you ever repented and surrendered to His Lordship?" This is a great time to live and to sing, "Jesus, Lord at Thy birth!"

Mike is a pastor and writer for a number of online publications.

Emotional Residue

mbarres@dnet.net (Mike Barres) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Beware of emotional residue. Have you ever found yourself in a bad mood? It may even puzzle you. If you trace it back, it may be emotional residue, from something that happened earlier.

Sometimes we get bad news, or someone irritates us and steps on our last nerve. Other times we may hear or see something that hurts us, or makes us fearful. We may have an occasion where something worries us about the future. Those things often don't disappear right away.

Later on you might say to yourself, "Why am I irritable," or "why am I in such a foul mood." Think backwards until you discover what caused it. Then what?

First of all, pray over that concern. Give it to God, "[C]asting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7 NKJV). As Paul reminds us:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

Another thing we can do is to "take our thoughts captive" -- we don't have to believe everything we think, but can challenge our thoughts with God's truth. The apostle Paul said:

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Remind yourself about what God's Word says about your blessings in Christ.

He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

You [God] will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).

For many of us, by the time we realize that we have carried some emotional residue over in to another situation, we have said or done something we should not have. If we snap at someone, or react in a wrong way, simply apologize. Sometimes we get a feeling of condemnation. Most people will readily accept an apology, because they have had it happen to them, too.

We are still human, so we are still affected by our emotions, but we can be aware of emotional residue and how it impacts our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Let's recognize it, pray about it, and live above it.

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:7).

Mike is a pastor and writer for a number of online publications.

Here I Am, Please Send Someone Else

mbarres@dnet.net (Mike Barres) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Do you ever feel inadequate? Have you ever felt like God wanted you to do something, but didn't feel like you were qualified to do it? Join the club. You are in good company. Moses and Gideon felt the same way.

God spoke to Moses through a burning bush. Think about it. First of all it's God speaking. You would think that he would just automatically believe that what He says is right and true. The Lord also gave him some miraculous signs to demonstrate Himself to him -- He turned a rod in to a snake and back again. He also made a healthy hand leprous and then healthy again. You would think that would be enough. Not for Moses:

Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue" (Exodus 4:10 NKJV).

Moses felt so inadequate. He really wanted to say to God, "Send someone else." His words came out this way:

O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send (Exodus 4:13).

God was a bit angry with him, but told him that Aaron would be along to help. God is so patient with us as we struggle with our inadequacy and fear.

God was looking for someone to deliver the people of Israel again, years later, and chose Gideon.

And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!" (Judges 6:12).

God wanted Gideon to know that He was sending him out with power:

Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?" (Judges 6:14).

Gideon didn't feel like He was the guy. He felt he had reasons not to be God's mighty leader.

O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house (Judges 6:15).

Gideon was so unsure and insecure that he had God make a fleece wet, then dry, and so on. God was so patient with Gideon to help him with his insecurity.

God does use unlikely people. Look at the 12 that Jesus picked to be His apostles. Look at other leaders throughout Scripture. All of this should be comforting to you and me. If we feel inadequate, that is good, because we will be totally dependent on God and God will get all the glory for what He is able to do through folks like us.

Praise Him!

Mike is a pastor and writer for a number of online publications.