I’m not suggesting unity at the expense of sound doctrine, but I am suggesting that we come together to support one another in business. To contribute to the needs of those less fortunate. To take care of widows and orphans. To financially tithe into our local church and let the Holy Spirit guide us toward additional offerings/gifts to other ministries.  To support those among us who step out in faith into the ministry. To promote our Christian brothers or sisters in sports, media, politics, business and the arts. To help start new church plants and to help encourage new church planters. To preach the word in season and out.

Any takers?

In reading James the 4th chapter this morning, I realized a few things.

1. The 4th chapter of James became my new favorite text in the bible.
2. The 4th chapter of James is like a what if.

I’m not a bible commentator. There is my disclaimer, but the word of God is living and active and speaks to my heart just like it does yours. So here goes.

What if in verses 1-3 we would ask God for what we want with the right motives? I think about how many times my will was secretly for more. More recognition, more money myself, more comfort or freedom. What if my petitions were more about the right motives? I believe he’d answer much more frequently which leads to less quarreling, fighting and coveting.

What if in verses 4-10 we would make Jesus Lord of all of our life? What if we stepped out of the world 100% instead of 1/2 or 3/4? God is jealous for our attention or as the NIV says the spirit he caused to live within us envies intensely.

What if we resisted the devil? James tell us the evil one will flee. I’ve read of some amazing turning points in the lives of Christian businessmen who experienced tremendous success after this scenario played out. Come near to God and he will come near to you. He will exalt you if you humble yourself you double minded man. Sometimes I read these verses and think my picture should be next to the text.

Lastly, what if we let God whittle our goals, dreams and visions down to his will for our life. His will is that none should perish, above that you’ll get a million opinions. What if we dreamed big dreams with a sense of destiny, but approached them humbly. What if we avoided not only sins of commission but sins of omission like James refers to in verse 4:17. What if we showed up daily for our walk?

How much more could we build God’s kingdom if we made him the majority partner in our business?

I heard Max Lucado yesterday on the radio say, “Do most what you do best”.

What kind of a view do we take of this pain and suffering? Do we march on in faith as God has commanded us to do so many times. The 11th and 12th chapters of Hebrews makes it clear that God thinks highly of those with great faith. Whenever I’m completely defeated and beaten down, those two chapters bring a spring to my step.

I have been reading a little about a great hero of the twentieth century Winston Churchill. The story has been told many a time of how Churchill wrote a letter home to his mother after surviving a battle and dispatching several enemies. He told his mother he believed he had been preserved for greater things.

What if we fellow Christians (by the way don’t let the revisionist historians tell you that Churchill wasn’t a bible believing Christian) approached our lives with the sense of destiny. Churchill made a statement in his twenties about acts he fulfilled in his 80′s. Wow.

The same could be said for Abe Lincoln who failed and failed and failed. In those fiery furnaces of failure a man of such perseverance and diligent character was formed. If not he couldn’t have possibly lead our country through it’s toughest times.

Keep showing up and believing that God has preserved you for higher things. Yes this world is temporary. Heaven is home but while we’re here let’s walk forward in faith. It’s much better than fear.

Sounds like a great time to plug Max Lucado’s new book “Fearless”. I need to pick up a copy.

He talks about joining the missionary society and the church choir and says “In both I was an asset of doubtful value”.

It was funny to me that things change and yet they stay the same. Some wise man said that because I’ve heard Doug Wead and others quote him in it. I can’t for the life of me remember who it was. In our modern Christian churches we hear about feuds over music. Heck even whole denominations have split over this issue. I have never totally understood these disputes, probably because of my lack of musical skill and thus disinterest.

LeTourneau says ” A lot of old timers resented the changes being made after the turn of the century. They had been doing things the same way for so long that change made them feel insecure.” He’s speaking of 1901 not 2001. He goes on to say “I was one of the lucky ones trained to accept change as routine”.

He later speaks about lessons he got when building his first big piece of machinery. He was told better a poor steam engine that runs than a good one never finished. He said that was true in so far as it went but later said he would add this clause to it- because until the good one is finished, its development can’t begin.

Wow that’s powerful perspective.

A few other tid bits of wisdom so far from R.G. LeTourneau

One advantage of education is that it gives a young man a broad look at many vocations before he determines on his own.

Twelve years later I was to learn how smug I had been in thinking God was on my side. Ever since then, with His help, I have tried hard to be on His side.

Two more funny nuggets from this morning. When describing a major accident that knocked out his front teeth.

I was beginning to get the idea that on hazardous jobs in the wilderness, a man ought to have a partner. Somebody to tell the others how you had been killed and maybe save them from the same mistake.

Right there began my feud with doctors and dentists that I have carried on ever since. I number many doctors and dentists among my friends, as long as they are not working on me.