I have been spending a lot of time the past month learning about the candidates running for office. I generally spend more time on Republican candidates because I am a Republican. The candidate that I like the most is Mike Huckabee. I became a Christian a year and half ago so it is very important to me to learn about the faiths of the people that are running to be President. Mike Huckabee is no doubt a faithful Christian. He was a minister before he governed Arkansas for 11 years. When he speaks he does not hide his faith and is knowledgeable and bold with every question he is asked. He strongly believes in not just serving the people but serving God first. I think it would be great to have a president that believes all of his actions and decisions should be God honoring. Here is a short list of where Huckabee stands on some debatable issues.

Taxes/Economy:

I’d like you to join me at the best “Going Out of Business” sale I can imagine - one held by the Internal Revenue Service. Am I running for president to shut down the federal government? Not exactly. But I am running to completely eliminate all federal income and payroll taxes. And do I mean all - personal federal, corporate federal, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, self-employment.

Immigration:

A 9-Point Strategy for Immigration Enforcement and Border Security. Implement a broad-based strategy that commits the resources of the federal government to the enforcement of our immigration laws and results in the attrition of the illegal immigrant population.

Iraq:

General Petraeus and our troops are giving their all to provide a window of opportunity for the Iraqi government to succeed, while the Democrats are running for the exit doors. The surge has only been in place since the middle of June, but progress has already been made. It’s way too early to write an obituary for the surge as the Democrat defeatists are doing. Having unanimously confirmed General Petraeus to lead the surge, the Democrats should let him do the job they sent him to do and await his report in mid-September. They’re Monday morning quarterbacking while we’re still playing the game, and some of us are playing to win.

Energy:

The first thing I will do as President is send Congress my comprehensive plan for energy independence. We will achieve energy independence by the end of my second term.

Marriage:

I support and have always supported passage of a federal constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. As President, I will fight for passage of this amendment. My personal belief is that marriage is between one man and one woman, for life.

Health Care:

The health care system in this country is irrevocably broken, in part because it is only a “health care” system, not a “health” system. We don’t need universal health care mandated by federal edict or funded through ever-higher taxes. We do need to get serious about preventive health care instead of chasing more and more dollars to treat chronic disease, which currently gobbles up 80% of our health care costs, and yet is often avoidable. The result is that we’ll be able to deliver better care where and when it’s needed.

Sanctity of Life:

I support and have always supported passage of a constitutional amendment to protect the right to life. My convictions regarding the sanctity of life have always been clear and consistent, without equivocation or wavering. I believe that Roe v. Wade should be over-turned.

Here is a compilation video of best clips and quotes from Mike:

What is the Fair Tax Huckabee wants to enact?

If you want to know more about Mike Huckabee
click here.

Mark Driscoll is pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. These videos of him speaking are his views of American Christianity and the difference between “religion” and Biblical Christianity. What I have been learning the most from his teachings is not the problems with American Christianity, but ways to show people the truths that lie in Scripture. He is a brutally honest type of preacher but he uses great examples and analogies to get his point across and that’s what I am taking most from these videos.

To watch a handful of 6-10 min. videos of him click here.

State of the Pulpit:

I began a new study today. I am going to start making my way through all of Paul’s letters. I plan to study these writings in depth. Not just to read through them again, but to study and meditate on the text. I will be using different reference materials such as PC Bible Study and Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps and Timelines. During this study I plan to learn more about the time frame of the writings, the geography and history of Paul’s journeys. I begin with the book of Romans. Paul wrote this letter to the Romans between 55-57 A.D. while he was living in Corinth. He wrote the letter to illustrate law, faith, salvation and righteous living. Click here for a biography of Paul the Apostle. Off I go on a journey through the book of Romans…

This week’s study is on speech. Our speech and language are the frontline of how we are perceived by others. In this study, we observe how Jesus used his words in conflict. Many people use foul language, become argumentative, and depend on our reactive nature to respond in tough situations. Jesus shows us that by having God’s word written on His heart, He is able to easily respond to conflict. In these versus we will see how Jesus responded when he was exhausted, mentally and physically. A leader who leads someone toward God would be able to handle conflict in this manner.

Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’”

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’

Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Jesus is challenged by Satan several times. He replies each time by quoting God’s word. Jesus knew the scriptures so well because He studied them growing up and He learned them because of His strong beliefs. We have strong beliefs as Christians and because we do we should learn and understand the scriptures. If we do learn scripture we would be able to use it properly and at the proper time. Satan also tries to twist God’s word and use it against Jesus. But Jesus knew the Word too well for it to throw Him off. He knew scripture and was able to react immediately. This being a leadership study we need to ask ourselves the question: How can we possibly lead and not know and understand God’s Word? Let’s look at a few more verses.

Joshua 1:8

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Memorizing scripture is something we all need to do to lead in a Godly way. This will only be effective if we make it part of us. We can intellectually know God’s word or we can receive it in our hearts. We can be able to recite the entire Bible without even looking at it, but if we don’t channel that knowledge to the place where the Holy Spirit lives inside of us we will not be able to use it effectively. When we read our Bibles we should meditate on what God has said and open our hearts to receive it.

Psalm 119:11

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

How can we keep ourselves from sinning against God? By hiding & keeping His word in our hearts. By doing this we can learn to hate our sin the way God does.

James 3:1-12
    Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
     When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

    All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

This verse shows the power and capability of the way speak. These verses show just how susceptible we are when it comes to using our mouths in a way that can be destructive to our lives and dishonoring to God. Our speech is much more powerful than we think. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. The tongue guides who we are. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in our speech. It is too easy for us to ignore what the Spirit wants to do and let our own instincts take over. By doing this we open the door for a grave outcome.

Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Unwholesome talk could be defined in many different ways. From swearing, gossiping, belittling, judging and the list can go on and on. Here we are instructed to use our mouths only to build others up. By identifying the needs of others we should be able to choose the way we speak so that it will benefit the one who is listening to us.

I found a number of verses in the book of Proverbs for us to read and meditate on. Proverbs is the book of wisdom written mostly by Solomon about 3000 years ago. Here are some verses that refer to how we should speak.

Proverbs 4:24

Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Proverbs 8:6

Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.

Proverbs 10:11-13
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.

Proverbs 11:11-13

Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed. A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue. A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

Proverbs 12:6
The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.

Proverbs 15:1-2

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

Proverbs 17:4
A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.

Proverbs 18:6-8

A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool’s mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.

Proverbs 18:13
He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his shame

Proverbs 20:19
A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.

Proverbs 21:23

He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.

There are dozens of more verses in Proverbs that refer to speech. But I think these ones can sum up how God expects us to speak and how not to speak. The next study will be on consistency and discipline.

This week’s study is on brotherhood. We began by talking about different characteristics we display toward our brothers in Christ. Some things that were mentioned are:

*Encouragement
*Accountability
*Trust
*We challenge each other to grow
*We teach by example to one another

These are all very true characteristics that we need to always display. But to have a real understanding of who we are in Christ and in brotherhood, we need to go way deeper than that. This study will take us through seven areas of God’s Word that are sure to teach us a lot.

Proverbs 22:2
Rich and poor have this in common:
The LORD is the Maker of them all.

This verse shows how God has value in every man. We as brothers are equal in Christ and need to realize who made us and why. Let’s look at the definitions of two words that effect most people at some time in their life:

Condescending: Behaving toward other people in a way that shows you consider yourself socially or intellectually superior to them.

Self-righteous: Believing in own virtue, sure of the moral superiority of personal beliefs and actions, usually to an irritating degree.

We as brothers need to be very careful when it comes to allowing this type of behavior to enter our lives. We are all at different places in our walk with God, but none of us are more superior than the other.

Malichi 2:10
Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another?

There are many we ways we can break faith with one another. Even as men of faith we can allow our egos to become destructive. This is not the work of God, but the work of the enemy. We should be careful not to compare each other to show our better worth. Or step on one another for our own gain or out of fear take from our brothers in anyway. Breaking a commitment is something we can easily fall victim to. When we commit to something regardless of how big or small it is and we do not honor that commitment we are in many ways breaking faith with our fellow Christ follower. It tarnishes our integrity and the trust our brother should have for us.

Mark 3:31-35
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus makes it very clear about who is in his family. He was trying to show the importance of following Him. He wanted to say that as close as people are to their own family that is how close He is to those who believe and follow Him. We are the family of Christ. We who follow Him are His brothers and sisters.

Acts 17:26
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

We all have the same Father. He knew our hearts long before and determined when and where He would choose us to be in His service. We are serving together and for one purpose. We need to remember this when we are deceivingly led down a different path or stray away from our fellow believers.

Romans 14:13
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

When Jesus gave the beatitudes he said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

We should never pass judgment on one another. Whether it is on one’s family, spouse, children, parenting, actions or their strength in faith. This could create stumbling blocks before them. Notice how the verse says make up your mind. To make up our mind is to decide something. Putting stumbling blocks of any kind is to actually make a decision to harm our brother. We need not forget it is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict and judge. This being said, we must always guard our tongue and speech.

Mark 9:35
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

The key words here are servant of all. We need to serve each other as we serve our amazing God. We need to serve all, not just who we choose to serve. We should all be competing for last place by putting each other’s needs before ours. By doing this we will be living more like the Christ we profess to be following.

Romans 8:5-14
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Wow…I feel like I could write about these verses for hours, but we need to be focused on brotherhood and how it is to lead as brothers. If God does live in the hearts of those professing Christ as Lord we all have the same Spirit guiding us. Because of this we need to discern God’s Will together and anticipate the needs of Him and our fellow brother’s in Christ.

I don’t see any possible way we can be great leaders without knowing, understanding and applying all these things to our daily lives. God created us differently so we would need each other. We have to have a strong need for our brothers. Without them we are fighting too big of a battle alone and with nobody following us.

The third week of this study is about standing firm. We go to the Book of Daniel again as he displays great leadership in the first chapter. Week 2’s study offered some history of Daniel and how he was strong in problem solving. This week’s study comes from Chapter 1 and shows the Jewish dietary laws Daniel lived by. Daniel and his three friends were put into the Babylonian court servant “training program.” Part of the program was learning Babylonian customs, beliefs, laws, and practices. The eating habits of the Babylonians were not in complete agreement with the Mosaic law. As a result, Daniel asked if he and his three friends could be excused from eating the meat (which was likely sacrificed to Babylonian false gods and idols). Let’s see how Daniel stood firm in his beliefs and honored God by doing so.

Daniel 1:1-21
Daniel’s Training in Babylon

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility- 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

What did Daniel do as a leader in this situation?

1.) He took initiative. Daniel made his problem known to the guard.

2.) He presented a plan to the guard. This was a reasonable plan that didn’t offer consequences to the guard himself only to Daniel.

3.) He went head on and rallied others behind him that believed in what he did.

4.) He handled the guard effectively.

What was the result? How did God honor them in standing firm?

The guard clearly saw that their eating habits were better for the health of all who were serving the King. He changed their diet immediately. God then gave knowledge and understanding to his four faithful servants. They went on to be ten times better than others serving in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.

Let’s look at two verses from 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 6:12

“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything.

1 Corinthians 10:23

“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.

Permissible is what we have the “right” to do and the “freedom” to do. Permissible is a bigger circle. Beneficial, however, is a smaller circle. As Christians we should be living more in the smaller circle of doing what is beneficial. In other words, we don’t do things because we can, but because we should, because they are beneficial. This often means denying ourselves certain rights and freedoms. This an area we as Christians need to stand firm about. If we expect to be leaders we should also expect our lives to always be on display. What things do you do that are permissible, but not beneficial?

One way to decide what is beneficial is to ask “what will I wish I had done on judgment day?”

2 Corinthians 5:10 says, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Who’s going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ? “We all” every last one of us. At that time, what will you wish you had done more of? We all will wish we had made our decisions not on what was permissible, but on what was beneficial. Here is a phrase I’ve always liked “Keep one eye on today, and one eye on that day.”

Another saying goes like this, “When planning your life, start at judgment day and work back.” As Americans we like to take advantage of all rights and freedoms. But as Christians, we are to walk by faith, not by sight. Living by sight means living for today. But living by faith means living for eternity…looking ahead to judgment day. When you live by faith, the payoff isn’t so obvious today. The true payoff for living by faith comes on that day.

Some areas we American Christians need to take a hard look at include the following. As you read these ask yourself, “Am I making these choices in the ‘permissible’ or the ‘beneficial?’”

Our entertainment.
Our dating, marriage and divorce choices.
Our education choices. Our choices in how we use our time.
Our choices in how we spend our money.
Our choices in who we spend time with.

2 Thessalonians 2:15

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

As Christians we believe the many things God’s Word teaches us. We need to honestly look at ourselves and ask if we are standing firm and are holding to the teachings of God’s Word. Doing this will create a strong foundation in our leadership.

Exodus 14:13
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.

Moses was clear about us not being afraid to stand firm in our beliefs. Our reward is great and there is no reason to fear standing firm in how God has instructed us to live. It is amazing how God’s timing is and how perfect his plan is. This study originally took place one month ago and since then I have had several situations arise that required me to stand firm. I relied heavily on what I learned and the outcome continues to glorify God. The next study is about men in brotherhood. How we as brothers in Christ should lead and to serve one another as well as God.

The second week of this study is about problem solving. It comes from the Book of Daniel.

Some history about Daniel:
(keyway.ca)
Daniel, from the Hebrew word meaning God is my Judge, is one of the major prophets of the Old Testament. Daniel was of royal lineage, probably born in or near Jerusalem about 622 B.C. during the reign of Josiah. In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim, about 605 B.C., the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar, besieged Jerusalem, looted the original Temple that had been built by Solomon (the complete devastation would come later, about 586 B.C.), and took a number of the people of Judah away into exile in Babylon. Among them was the teenage Daniel. Despite being a prisoner-exile, Daniel’s living conditions in Babylon were likely at least as good as they had been back home. He was selected, along with a number of others, to be trained for service in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar. There, he distinguished himself with wisdom and ability. Daniel’s first great test came when he was required not only to interpret the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, but to do so without the king even telling him what the dream was. With the help of God, Daniel successfully interpreted the dream which represented the great future empires of history, from the time then of Babylonian supremacy, to the Persians who conquered them, to the Greeks who in turn conquered them, to the successive revivals of the Roman Empire that will lead right to the Return of Jesus Christ.

Our study begins with Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:

Daniel 2:1-6
In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.” Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.” The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”

Nebuchadnezzar demanded a near impossible task to be accomplished by the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers. Now let’s look at ourselves and ask the question how we would react to such a demand in our daily lives. Of course nobody asks us to interpret dreams, but life is full of challenging things that demand equally difficult problem solving. Let’s look at how the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers reacted:

Daniel 2:7-11
Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.” Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.” The astrologers answered the king, “There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men.”

They sought immediate answers, they talked and they reasoned. What was the King’s reaction?

Daniel 2:12-13
This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.

Have you ever felt that others responded this way to your problem or conflict solving? Yep, me too! Now enters Daniel. Let’s see how he handles this difficult situation.

Daniel 2:14-15
When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel.

Daniel’s first response was he sought understanding to the problem. He also spoke with wisdom and tact. Let’s read on and break down the next couple of verses.

Daniel 2:16
At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.

Now Daniel asks for time. Once again not jumping to the solution stage.

Daniel 2:17-18
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Daniel explained to other people the problem. These were people he trusted. He asked for support and assistance to find a solution. He also asked them to look towards God in finding a solution.

Daniel 2:19-23
During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: “Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Daniel was open to hear from God. Too often we are too busy trying to figure out problems on our own. We do too much talking and not enough listening. God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth. Maybe so we would listen twice as much as we speak. Daniel immediately gave glory and praise to God. He recognized where the answer came from.

Daniel 2:24-28
Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.” Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.” The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?” Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:

The stage is now set for the end. He begins with humility and gives the glory to God.

Daniel 2:29-45
“As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. “You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. “This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. “After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy.”

It’s amazing to see how humble and sensitive Daniel is throughout this. If only we could be this way to people who are listening to us. This awesome story now ends in such a wonderful way:

Daniel 2:46-49
Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.

The king saw that God provided a solution through Daniel. He then believed in the one true God. I have never had a conflict or problem solved in such a way. Have you? If not, then I suggest we start problem solving the way Daniel did:

1.) Seek understanding first.

2.) Speak with wisdom and tact.

3.) Allow proper amount of time for a solution.

4.) Seek counsel and support from other believers.

5.) Listen to God as His Spirit speaks within your heart.

6.) Give the glory to God. Don’t take the credit for yourself.

7.) Be humble in presentation.

8.) Be sensitive to your audience when delivering the solution.

Week 2 of this study has impacted me in many different ways. Most of all I see the order of Daniel’s problem solving and how he handled unreasonable demands made by someone who is not living in a direct relationship with God. I realize this order cannot be changed and moved around to my liking. I have tried different variations of this order before and after becoming a Christian. It is clear to me now how God wants me to succeed when facing impossible-like situations. Now I need to act on what He has taught me.

    On Wednesday mornings for the past month I have been going to a men’s bible study. We meet at Larry Linne’s office in Fort Myers. Larry is a member of FCC and I have found his current study and teaching to be very effective in my own life. Four weeks ago we began studying Biblical leadership as men and how to apply it in our lives. Being a new husband, business owner, having a heart desiring a career in ministry and wanting to be a father I feel this is the type of study and learning I need most right now. I am going to share this study using this site week by week. I am behind four weeks, so here is Week 1. I will catch up to the current week within the next 2 weeks.

    The first week of this study is about self-control. For us guys to be leaders we must excel in this area. For people to view us as not in control of our lives, families, actions, speech, money, etc. makes a poor leader. Who would want to follow a leader that lacks the quality of self control in their own lives? Your guess is as good as mine. It is always important for us to be realistic when viewing ourselves. If we consider ourselves leaders and look behind us and no one is following then what type of leader are we?

Here is some scripture we read and discussed on this subject:

Galations 5:22-24

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

It’s amazing to see ourselves produce great fruit in our lives, all of which to glorify God. The fruits of the Holy Spirit listed here are difficult to develop, but I believe Paul finished the first verse with the most difficult of them all. For us to have Christ in our hearts and as our Lord and to have not crucified the sinful nature that prevents these fruits from growing will have a terrible effect in becoming a leader of anything.

2 Peter 1:3-11

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.

Peter makes it very clear about God’s time table and His mercy and patience throughout this passage. As men and leaders we should live the Holy and Godly lives that He calls us to live. Living that life presents a great need for our self-control in all things. After all, God expects us to be great leaders so people will see their need for Christ and need to turn away from their sins and live a life of repentance.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

This is one long list of things we see in the lives of humanity today. Right in the middle of these things is the topic of this study. Self-control is something God sees as us having a form of godliness. We should not deny its power in being a great leader.

Collosians 3:12-13

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

We are told here to clothe ourselves with five important things that require great self-control. God has chosen us to do so. I spent a lot of time looking at these five gifts that His Spirit continues to grow in me. I have found two that I need to work on right away. Humility and gentleness are two things that prevent me from being a good leader. I will be focusing on changing those things in coming weeks.

1 Corinthians 3:4-7

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.

This passage speaks to me in so many different ways. I could write about the things I do well with and the things I need to work on desperately. This is God’s definition of love and we should use this as a mirror to teach ourselves self-control and the most important thing about being a leader. We as men need to love in all these ways.

This study has opened my eyes to things I need to improve on, but at the same time has shown me the fruit I am producing to become a leader that glorifies God. Week 2’s study is from the book of Daniel and is on problem solving. I will post that early next week.

We all had another great build day. It was a hot one today and unfortunately the day was cut short at noontime because of rain. But, not before we installed all the interior walls, helped finish the roof, hurricane straps and other misc. jobs. The rain also didn’t stop Jon, Rick & Pam from the FCC Grill Team from feeding three (yes, 3) hungry worksites. The next build The Grill Team will be making their famous BBQ pork and that will be on September 15th. Habitat for Humanity are looking for people to qualify for homes. Most people may think they wouldn’t qualify for a home. Fortunately that is not true. Here are the basic requirements: https://www.habitat4humanity.org/Apply.htm

Here is a 2 min. video of todays build: