"What's for Dinner?"

“A body of Christian believers is only as strong as the sum of its individual members, for the Church, like Israel, functions as a corporate personality. The lives of its members are intertwined and find their truest meaning in a network of relationships within this body. As a Jewish sage once observed, ‘There is no room for God in him who is full of himself.’” –Marvin R. Wilson, Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith

As a person who believes in ripping the guts out of the status quo with deadly force, figuratively speaking, there have been plenty of opportunities for me to experience criticism.

Usually the criticism is focused on where the idea for ministry strategies and techniques are gleaned. A common response to informing a congregation of an effective ministry done by such and such a church leader would be, “Why do we always have to do what “other” churches are doing?”

Let’s never forget that there is only one church. Within the Christian world, we are all members of the same family.

I like to think of other bodies of Christ as my brothers and sisters who live in a different house. They don’t want me lying in their bed, but they are more than willing to let me hang out in their kitchen to experience their menu.

The wonderful thing about us all being one family is that there are parts of our family that have learned, experienced, and perfected healthier ways to prepare food. Why should one of our family members be kept from that wealth of health?

So, when someone in another city, state, or country has figured out a ministry method that is effective for feeding “His” sheep, we should not say that the method belongs to another church, but it is the food that Christ is using to nourish his sheep.

There are still restaurants that refuse to update their menus, continuing to serve foods that are loaded in sugars and saturated fats. There are also plenty of people who still eat those foods. Look closely and you will identify selfishness, arrogance, and/or ignorance as the reason for the unwillingness to serve and eat healthier.

We should all be privy to the details, preparation, and serving methods of the effective recipes that are feeding the sheep.

It is not our responsibility to have “our own” menu, but to find out what God is serving.

"The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep'" (John 21:17 New International Version).

Forever learning,
Johnny

Why Should We Be So Afraid to Say Good-Bye?

Discussing the subject of covenant among some circles can raise some highly sensitive emotions. Noticing that people are particularly aware of their opinions about covenants does not require much more than an ear. So, it is with a keen sense of consciousness that I approach this topic.

More and more, the subject of covenant comes up, especially as people are questioning the methods and traditions of some organizations such as The Salvation Army. I would like the opportunity to give my opinion and ask some questions as an attempt to relieve any pressure based solely on misinformation, ignorance, propaganda, or any other form of misunderstanding.

When we speak of covenant, most people, especially in religious circles, think of promises made to God, which are to be kept for life. The Salvation Army also asks its soldiers and officers to sign a covenant between The Salvation Army and the individual, with the understanding that this covenant is made in the presence of God. Some also suggest that the covenant is made between three participants—The Salvation Army, the individual, and God himself.

In biblical times a covenant was made between two participants, usually nations. The smaller nation was known as the vassal. The stronger nation was known as the suzerain. The vassal would go to the suzerain and propose a covenant, whereby the vassal would pay taxes and serve as a subordinate to the suzerain in exchange for military protection. Should the vassal break the covenant; there would be a penalty, which would include loss of the promised military protection. It was during the time that the covenant was being made that the penalties were set.

In the cases where people made covenants with God, they may lose their lives, such as the 3000 who died at Mount Sinai after making golden idols, or they may lose opportunities, such as Moses’ losing the privilege to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land.

In any covenant, the stipulations and penalties are preset, even in a denominational covenant. In the case of the covenant made with The Salvation Army for a soldier or officer, the covenants vary, but the penalty is somewhat similar. The covenant is a life-promise, with the expectation that a soldier or officer will remain faithful to The Army until death. Here is where things get confusing.

My question falls in the category of why we get so uptight when someone breaks this covenant. The covenant is a life-promise of which the covenantal terms state that the vassal will remain a soldier or officer of The Salvation Army until death. If the vassal breaks the covenant, then what happens to the vassal? Does he or she go to hell? Does he or she become separated eternally from God? What is so awful about breaking a covenant that has the penalty set at losing one’s officership or soldiership? That’s what it boils down to.
There was no agreement that, upon covenantal severance, the vassal would be giving up salvation or anything more than a formal denominational affiliation. I’d really like to know what all the fuss is about. When did the covenant with a denomination become this unbreakable, except by pain of shame equal to giving up salvation from God, get added to the penalty clause?

Before anyone goes off half-cocked, allow me to explain that I don’t ask these questions with a tone of arrogance, but with a genuine desire to find out why there is so much danger in saying, “I can no longer pay tribute to the suzerain.”

Lastly, I want to make sure that everyone is aware of my intentions in raising this sensitive issue. My intention is “not” to justify my own desires to depart from the protection of my suzerain, but to glean some truly insightful answers that I may be able to share with those who struggle with the guilt of departure, those who may be considering departure, and those may may consider covenantal severance with thier denomination in the future.

Again, I am safe and sound, satisfied and settled, and proud and positive to be the vassal of God and the suzerain, that is The Salvation Army.

Forever learning,Johnny

"Hell, Fire, Brimstone, and...Polyester?"

It's always good to remember the quote, of which I am unable to remember the author, "Before taking down the fence, find out why it was put up."

The reason I quote that contemporary proverb is because I try to remember that William Booth started with a plan, which was to never get stuck in a plan.

Booth wanted The Army to be continually transitioning into a movement that was ahead of its time. Right now many would say that we are falling behind the times.

I also keep in mind that being a Zealot for Christ is not synonymous with being a staunch Salvationist, especially when the staunch becomes a stench. And for many, we stink to high heaven in the areas of speaking a language that people can understand.

Sometimes a tradition can have the same affect that the KJV of the Bible has on the ears of a ten-year-old. If we have to explain everything we say and do, are we really sending a clear message or an apology for being outdated?

Ready or not, I'm moving forward! Christ is leading His children to reach the world for Him, not to reach the few who are willing to wear uniforms or say "Fire a volley!"

When we revue the history of The Salvation Army, we will find that The Army grew as it changed and stagnancy came when The Army began to claim traditions. The only true tradition of The Salvation Army is its refusal to settle down.

Today there is a new push for spiritual development, which is revealing that the church culture of the twentieth century was missing a few screws. It’s not traditions and garb that make Christ’s Kingdom great; it is the effectiveness of His people, regardless of any classical habits.

"Jonadab son of Recab ordered his sons not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather's command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me" (Jeremiah 35:14 NIV).

I honestly believe that there will be Salvationists on Judgment Day who will, upon a guilty verdict, turn to Jesus and smugly say, "I might be going to hell, but I'll be going to hell wearing polyester!"

Forever changing,
Johnny

Who Is Grading Me?

“Relationships cause people to want to be with you, but respect causes them to want to be empowered by you. Mutual respect is essential to the empowerment process…When you believe in people, care about them, and trust them, they know it. And that respect inspires them to want to follow where you lead.” John C. Maxwell, Becoming a Person of Influence (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1997), 186.

Some places are filled with advisors. In these places, there are people who come solely for the purpose of critique.

Where they receive their authority to share is a mystery. One could search a lifetime and never locate the legacy that is the evidence of their wisdom, and yet they share it as if a throng of pupils is following behind them.

It is good to be careful about who a person allows to teach him or her. It is even more important to be careful about who we allow to grade us. Often the person with the red ink pen is like a boy with a hammer…everything looks like a nail.

Forever learning, sometimes by force from poor teachers with red ink pens,
Johnny

Christian is a Synonym for Team

As I studied this week to prepare a teaching on the subject of marriage, I learned a very valuable truth, which I shared in the message on Sunday. One part of a Jewish wedding ceremony, during, before, and after the time of Jesus, consists of an ancient custom which is the sharing of two cups of wine by the marrying couple. The first cup is called the “cup of joy.” The “cup of joy” is a reminder that when a person shares joy with another person, the joy is doubled. The second cup is called the “cup of sacrifice.” The “cup of sacrifice” is a reminder that when a person shares a burden with another, the burden is halved. The marrying couple drink from the same cups as a symbol that they are sharing in the promises of their covenant. Another interesting point is that during the wedding feast, the word “companion” was used, which literally meant, “those who break bread together.” Though those are very interesting facts about the important traditions of a Jewish wedding, the real interest I found is in the way the tradition is performed and what it has to do with you and me today. A cup of wine shared by two or more people in Jesus day was the common act of strengthening an alliance. This was not only done in weddings, but among all people who were promising to stick together as a team. The custom of sharing a cup of wine was the equivalent of today’s Western handshake, when done as a pact between two partnering businesspeople. All of this teaches us that when Jesus shared a cup of wine and a loaf of bread with the disciples in the upper room, the act was a common way of saying, “Those of you who choose to stick together with me and each other through the joy and suffering of following your Messiah, drink from one cup and eat from one loaf as a promise to do so.” Those who find it easy to be faithful to each other during the joyful times and hard to stick together through the tough times have chosen to share the "cup of joy," yet choose not to share the "cup of sacrifice." The next time you and I share a cup or eat from the same loaf, let’s do it as a reminder that we are promising to stick together in joy and in suffering. Forever learning, Johnny

Leading Change With Diplomacy

The following is an article, quoting the words of Andy Stanley in Ministry Today Magazine:

"Many talented leaders have 'led' themselves right out of a job because their desire to challenge the process was misunderstood, or perhaps even threatening, to those in charge. While on the other side of the spectrum, many skilled leaders have resigned themselves to conform to the status quo, squelching and squashing their natural instincts because there's no obvious opportunity to be who God made them to be.

As leaders, we must keep a sense of diplomacy without shrinking from our scrutinizing nature. When you stop challenging the process, you cease to be a leader and you become a manager.

Not that there's anything wrong with managers. The world needs those too. But it's a different job description from the leader's. And if you cease to challenge, then you have abdicated your true calling and giftedness in the world.

Successful leaders must learn how to alienate the process without alienating the people who created it, or the people who work it faithfully every day."

Harem Husbands, There is Hope

Covenant is a serious matter. I believe in covenants, because they remind us of the value of commitment. Without commitment, we would have no reason to believe anything anyone tells us.

An example of a covenant is marriage. I promise to her and she promises to me to be faithful and grow together with mutual goals as one in this life.

Another example of covenant is the covenant made to a denomination as a leader who promises to commit his or herself to that denomination and spend life together as one.

Now, let’s say that we make this promise to be faithful to one another as we are joined by a covenant. And on the honeymoon we find that our covenant partner is already married to something else.

We walk into the bedroom (metaphorically speaking) and there on the bed, spread out for all to see, is the covenant partner’s first love—Traditions!

This is not unlike getting married and finding your new bride’s other husband and children have joined you for the honeymoon.

So, you learn that she doesn’t actually have any interest in what you bring to the marriage. She married you because her family has outgrown her ability to care for it and she needs you to help baby-sit her 50-year-old kids.

So, do we stay married? Nope! Not in a real marriage.

Is a denominational covenant any different? Perhaps...but survival will require some new ground rules for realizing, appreciating, and using the gifts and abilities that the “Harem Husband” brings into the marriage. Unless this happens, the new husband will feel used and worthless.

Forever learning,
Johnny

How Do I See Others?

"A traveler nearing a great city asked an old man seated by the road, 'What are the people like in this city?'

'What were they like where you came from?' the man asked.
'Horrible,' the traveler reported. 'Mean, untrustworthy, detestable in all respects.'
'Ah,' said the old man, 'you will find them the same in the city ahead.'

Scarcely had the first traveler gone on his way when another stopped to inquire about the people in the city before him. Again the old man asked about the people in the place the traveler has just left.

'They were fine people: honest, industrious, and generous to a fault,' declared the second traveler. 'I was sorry to leave.'

The old man responded, 'That's exactly how you’ll find the people here.'

The way people see others is a reflection of themselves…Your personality comes through when you talk about others and interact with them. Someone who doesn’t know you would be able to tell a lot about who you are based on simple observation."

John Maxwell, "Winning With People" (Nashville: Thomas Nelson , 2004), 7-8.

Every day is a test. We can choose to pass or fail by our choice to encourage or discourage the people around us. Let’s see others in a positive light, thereby casting light on ourselves. Let's see ourselves in a positive light, thereby casting light on others.

Forever learning,
Johnny

Confessing to a Priest (Response to a question from the last blog.)

Priests, in Jesus day, were decedents of Aaron, just as they had been since the time of Aaron who, with Miriam and Moses, led God's people out of Egypt.

Priests were to bring the sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people to the altar. From this practice evolved the modern form of confessing sins to the priest.

After the death of the Messiah, Jesus, the Most High Priest, became the atoning sacrifice for the sins of all people for all time. We are now able to confess our sins directly to our Savior without mediation between a priest and God. As Paul stated in his first letter to Timothy: "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (2:5 NIV)

The priests of today are a mixture between rabbi and priest (teacher and atoner), but this is not a biblical model due to the fact that we are to confess our sins to Jesus who is our holy representative to the throne of God's grace and forgiveness.

Still, it is biblical to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16), as we are all members of the priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).

Yet, beyond our responsibility to confess daily, there is a very crucial element that must not be overlooked in our desire for God's forgiveness.

In the Talmud, Rabbi Gamaliel Berabbi taught: He who shows mercy to others, mercy is shown to him by Heaven. But he who does not show mercy to others, mercy is not shown to him by Heaven. (Shabbat 151b)

The fact that we are required to offer forgiveness before asking for it is also represented throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

Forever learning,
Johnny

Jewish Wesleyans

Based on this ancient "King Parable" taught by first century sages, like Jesus, there is evidence for the legitimacy of Wesleyanism, among the Jews.

From Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus, New Insights From a Hebraic Perspective, written by David Bivin and Roy Blizzard, Jr.

"Rabbi Eliezer said, 'Repent one day before your death.' His disciples asked him, 'But can a man know on what day he will die?' He said, 'So much the more must he repent today. Perhaps he will die tomorrow. It follows that a man should repent every day. Thus in his wisdom Solomon said: 'Let your garments always be white, and let not oil be lacking on your head' [Ecclesiastes 9:8].'"

Forever learning,
Johnny

Blogging Etiquette (It's worth a read)

I thought it would be helpful to share some basic rules of posting onto the Forum of a very popular website called Jerusalemperspective.com. They post these rules as a guideline to help keep the Forum from becoming a place to vent.

I have posted those which I feel are appropriate to blogging for me and those who respond.

Beginning with rule #2:
2. Do not be confrontational. Be polite. Be tactful. Adhere to the Golden Rule.

3. No "flames" (heated messages). Your posts should be constructive. Resist the temptation to "flame" (respond emotionally). If you disagree with something a group member has written, disagree respectfully.

4. Do not troll, that is, attempt to provoke or "get a rise out of" another member.

5. No advertisements.

6. Do not "shout," that is, type in all caps. (even in the subject line). Type in mixed case. Studies have shown that material typed in all caps is more difficult to read.

7. Offensive language will not be tolerated. Posts that contain such language will be deleted. A group member who uses abusive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous, hateful, threatening, or sexually oriented language will be permanently banned.

8. As a courtesy to other Forum participants, before submitting your post please reread its contents and correct grammatical and spelling mistakes.

9. You can utilize emoticons (smilies) to indicate tone of voice, but use them sparingly. Do not assume that the inclusion of a smiley will wipe out an otherwise insulting comment.

10. If a group member writes to you privately, be careful not to inadvertently post his message to other members of the group.

11. If, in your opinion, a group member has posted something inappropriate, please ask the moderator to remove it. Do not express your reservations to the discussion group. This will only draw more attention to the post in question.

Equally Powerful

From the reading of an incredible book by Marvin R. Wilson, Our Father Abraham, Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, I have learned a powerful truth about God's magnificent creation, which we call "woman."

"The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'...So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found." (Genesis 2:18, 20 NIV)

The word "helper", found in this passage of Scripture comes from the original Hebrew word ezer. Ezer is often translated "helper." But according to Hebrew scholars the word actually means "power" or "strength," just as it is used elsewhere in the Hebrew Scriptures.

The phrase "make a helper suitable" in the original Hebrew is, "ezer kenegdo," meaning "a power equal to him," which is found in other ancient Hebrew writings.

This tells us that the woman was not merely created to be the man's "helper," but to be a "powerful partner" with him. She is neither less nor more than he; they are "One Equally Powerful Flesh."

Forever learning,
Johnny

Answering questions concerning the "Building Tax"

As to how much should we give:
That would be based on how many your congregation starts with, assuming you don't yet have a building. With established churches, this practice will take some time to develop. It's like convincing Americans to stop eating cheeseburgers.

The practice of tithing was advocated by the Council of Tours in 567 and the second Council of Macon in 585, and it became obligatory (by law) in the Carolingian empire (in 765). So we've been doing this for a long time.

Implementing this idea would be best for a "NEW" congregation.

You would start by having a house group who would bring 5 or 10 dollars per week to support the ministry. John Wesley started this idea in the early 1700’s, when he required a penny and would pay the penny for anyone who literally couldn’t.

As the small groups grow, you would need to make a decision as to where you will worship corporately.

A group of 1000 people giving $10 each per week would raise $520,000.00 per year. This would be enough to build a chapel and maintain salaries and the building every year, with some left over. My church costs around $200,000 with building and cost of leadership. We could minister to 1000 people on Sunday with 3 services, which is quite common.

Also, it is not uncommon for a "small group" based ministry to grow to 1000 in the course of 3 to 5 years. Patience is required.

With the biblical model of giving, an individual in a church of 1000 could give no more than $15.00 per week to his or her “church” and with all of those people giving the same $15.00 the church would raise over $750,000.00 per year. Therefore, if someone were to ask, “How much do I need to give?” my answer would be, “$15.00 to maintain the place of worship, which will also allow for a $250,000.00 per year “help the poor” fund. Then any giving after that would be up to the giver for helping people in the community and oversees.

There is no reason why a church should require its people to give 10% of their income just to the “church.” There is no biblical justification for a building any longer, but if we choose to have one, then we should be willing to pay a “Building tax.” The Building tax should be something that everyone can pay, just as it was done in biblical times. $10 or $15 is a fair cost in today's economy.

Forever learning,
Johnny

10% Temple Tax

A few weeks ago I posted some info about the fact that tithing was an instruction for farmers and Levites. Farmers/shepherds were to tithe a tenth of their produce and flocks to take care of the Levites who weren't allowed to own land or do other work. The Levites tithed to the priests.

Every male over 20-years-old paid the Temple tax, and everyone was to give to the poor.

With this (VERY BIBLICAL) model it would cost a congregation of 300 people less than $12 dollars a week per person to finance a worship building and leadership with a budget of $200,000.00 per year.

Imagine being a part of a ministry where the leaders say, "Bring $12.00 a week for upkeep and leadership costs. Anything beyond that will be an offering to the poor. We, as a body, can decide where it will go."

With this biblical model, a church of 300 could have a major impact on its community that would never be a burden on the Christians who supported it.

I currently give $70.00 per week. $12.00 of that would go to the upkeep of the church and I could give $58.00 directly to help the needs in my community and to people oversees. If all 300 people were to match that, we would meet the church budget and contribute an additional $904,800.00 to help people in our world.

Currently, with the imposed 10% (unbiblical) temple tax, which an estimated 20% of churchgoers actually contribute, most churches don't make their building and leadership budget and depend on gifts from outside to help the poor.

Imagine if all churches were to take on the biblical model of giving. There would be no need for government funding or community chest funds.

The church could do its job!

Forever learning,Johnny

A New Yoke Is Hard to Hear

Today I taught at the "Center of Hope" on Spratt Street in Charlotte. The people were wonderful. And I was able to share some insights with them that deepened their understanding of the Scriptures.

There was one lady who I noticed had a sense of anger about her the minute she walked in. I placed ten or twelve chairs in a circle and placed a laptop on the chair beside me to use in place of a printed manuscript. This particular woman walked into the room and didn't sit in the circle. Instead, she sat in one of the rows of chairs behind the circle.

I asked her to join us and she did, but immediately asked if she could get up to get something. She came back and sat down after a minute or so.

She was the only person of eleven who challenged me. (The sign of a choleric temperament.) I knew she'd bring on more, and I was prepared to be patient.

Her challenge was to tell me that not believing in ourselves to do what God asks us to do is not arrogance. So, I gently explained: "To tell God, who created me, that he doesn't know me as well as he thinks he does and shouldn't have called me, is to tell the one who made me that he doesn't know what he made." She concurred, but remained stoic.

She never smiled.

About 25 minutes into the teaching, and about 5 minutes before I was finished, she interrupted and said, "I am going to need to leave." Her body language and tone expressed frustration. She wanted everyone to know she had power by challenging, interrupting, sitting in a different place, and, finally, by leaving.

Her intent was to challenge me for control and I realized what was happening.

Shelters are filled with people whose lives are out of their control. Nothing is stable, nothing is predictable, and they have no ability to get a handle on anything. My teaching represented, for me, new insight, for her, one more thing that she was not used to and couldn't control. Her situation was so powerfully negative that she would do anything to have some control, if only to attempt control of everyone's mood.

I silently prayed for her as she left. She must be in tremendous pain.

I'm sure that Jesus must have dealt with a lot of people who were simply unable to listen to his words when he taught of his light yoke. Many people would have walked out on him for interpreting the Scriptures in a way they had never heard.

My experience today gave me a tiny glimpse of the disappointment that Jesus must have felt many times when people refused to see and listen to what he wanted them to understand.

"He who has ears, let him hear." (Matthew 11:15 NIV)

Forever learning,Johnny

Need Acceptance? Must be dirty. Apply within.

My oldest son is experiencing employment for the first time in his life. He also filled out his first job application. I helped him fill it out.

On an application for employment there are a lot of questions that pry into your life to make sure there is no "dirt."

Some questions include:
1. Have you ever been convicted of a felony?
2. Have you ever been convicted of a sex crime?

There is also the "Please list all prior employment." This is so they can check with former employees to get a good idea of your work ethic.

Most of this, mind you, is to find the "dirt." And if they find the dirt, you don't get the job. The employer is depending on you not having any dirt and you are depending on your ability to hide your dirt in order to get your foot in the door.

God uses a completely opposite entry criterion. He says, "Confess your 'dirt' and I'll gladly let you in. If your application is spotless, go back home."

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8 NIV). Have you ever met an employer, a Dad whose daughter you want to marry, or a lender who will say that?

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 NIV) Who lets us in their house, their employment, their lives, when we confess all our temptations and sins?

This, I believe, is the importance of community for Christians. If we are going to be Christ to the world, then it is important that we are able to let people in, not in spite of their confessions, but by expecting and encouraging confessions.

Hiding our 'dirt' only prolongs the inability to help or get help cleaning it up.

Remember, we all have dirt.

Some have learned to use makeup and pretend it isn't there, while others have been washed in the shower of forgiveness with support, encouragement, and guidance from God's community.

Isn't it strange that when we tell people our faults, most will keep us out, but God won't let us in until we tell Him our faults?

When we are able to accept people with all their "dirt", we are experiencing godliness.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 NIV)

Stop Judging Me!

How many of us have quoted Scripture when we don’t want to be held accountable? “Don’t judge me!” we scream. The meaning of ”not judging” that is used in Scripture has little to do with looking the other way when someone sins.

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’” –Jesus (Luke 6:36-38) NIV.

Judging in the context used by Jesus is a reference to “giving people the benefit of the doubt when they hurt you.” It is a direct allusion to Leviticus 19:15, which says, “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.”

Also keep in mind the Hebrew word for neighbor is “rea,” which means friend and enemy.

The Scripture of Leviticus 19:15 is an instruction from God to judge fairly, giving others the benefit of the doubt, such as when someone hurts you and you say, “He only did that because he was hurting or was angry” as apposed to, “He is a jerk! Hang him.”

The way we judge by giving the benefit of doubt is the way others will judge us. If I am quick to assume the worst in others, then others will be quick to assume the worst in me. However, if I am a person who is quick to assume the best, then others will assume the best in me when I hurt them.

Jesus lived by what he taught while being nailed to a cross, when he said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) NIV.

There is a rabbinic saying from the Oral Torah of the Jews, which states, “Judge every person in favorable terms.” (Mishnah, Avot 1:6).

Jesus is a fair judge who looks for a reason to pardon, rather than a reason to punish.

Judge the motives of others in the way you would appreciate being judged.

Forever learning,
Johnny

Sunday Sermons...Why?

By listening to the expressed frustration of many well-intentioned Christians, I have discovered that there are a few who wonder about the purpose of preaching in worship meetings.

Among the complaints, is the thought that preaching is wasted on those who attend worship when it could be used so much more productively in the streets or other venues where there are no Christians. Wasting words on altar calls comes up in these conversations as well.

Perhaps the assumption is that the Holy Spirit gifts people to preach as a means of evangelism only.

It's true that we are called to go and make disciples and preach the Word of God. This is a command to teach God's people and to invite non-Christians to enter the Kingdom.

There is no directive in Scripture for altar calls, but only an invitation to know God's Word and obey Christ through faithful service to Him and others. This is how people enter the Kingdom of God (Community of God).When people accept the “yoke” of the Kingdom, they have entered the Kingdom and are expected to learn from the teacher/preacher how to interpret and apply Christ's teaching.

Altar calls may not be necessary in some worship experiences, in fact they may serve as little more than an annoying, traditional formality, though effective teaching is always the goal when sharing the Word of God with others.

“Others” is not only the lost, but those who walk beside the leader, faithfully seeking knowledge and direction. It seems to me that the call to preach has been misinterpreted as only a call to evangelize.

Evangelism alone is not the intention for teaching or preaching. The model of teaching and preaching is given to us by Jesus and His disciples. They taught as a means of instruction and evangelism. That should be our intention as well, even when the altars aren't filled with the knees of repentance.

Forever learning,
Johnny

How Important is Having a Teacher (Preacher) for Christians?

The following is a response that I posted in somone else's blog and feel should be shared.

Many well-meaning Christians are continuing to experience confusion over the importance of having a teacher.

In the first century A.D., also known as the Second Temple Period, teaching was highly regarded. Sages who taught their interpretation of the Torah, or "yoke," were so appreciated and sought after that every Jew considered it an honor to have a teacher in his or her home.

The most honorable place to be was at the feet of the teacher. This is exactly where we find Mary, as Martha continues to work in Luke 10:39.

Open Airs weren't forced, because the value of hearing the teaching was so high that people would flock to the feet of the teacher. This is why you will often read of teachers of the Torah, Pharisees, et cetera being present when John the Baptist and others are teaching.

Jesus taught in synagogues (gatherings of Jews) and at the Temple just as all Jewish teachers of his time. He also taught in homes, because every home was open to the teachers in Palestine. (Those that weren't open belonged to pagan settlers and Gentiles.)

When preaching and teaching is not valued, it's because the people listening no longer see its relevance for life. The Torah was life for people in the first century. It wasn't religious instruction, but practical, utilitarian, and useful guidance for every aspect of life. Biblical teaching is still to be practical and relevant.

Flippant rants were never a part of Jesus teaching. As someone said to me recently, “In everything you do, reflect Jesus.” Teaching is a serious responsibility and one that requires constant preparation and hard work, along with fervent prayer and a loving presentation.

Preaching is not our privilege from God to bark at His people, but the responsibility and authority to guide them according to His Word.

Forever learning,
Johnny

"Yesterday Ended Last Night"

Over and over, I hear people say, “Why can’t we do the things that we used to do; the things that made The Salvation Army great?”

If The Salvation Army did the things it used to do, then it would be doing things it has never done.

It wasn't past accomplishments, but creative progression that made The Salvation Army a great force for the mission of Christ in its early years.

Today is a new day, with a new song, and a fresh idea. As John Maxwell says, "Yesterday ended last night!"

Let’s not stifle the creative spirit of God’s people. Encourage one another to share ideas and be enthusiastic for one another as we work together to see those ideas suited to God’s will.

Forever learning,
Johnny

Questions I Am Finally Able to Answer

In my studies this week, I have discovered some wonderful answers to questions that I’ve been asking for years. Why didn't my Sunday school teachers ever tell me this stuff? Oh yeah...they didn't know it either.

Question:
Why does Jesus say that there will be those who are standing there today who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming into his kingdom (Matthew, chapter 16)?
Answer:
Jesus called his movement “the Kingdom of Heaven”. To enter the kingdom of Heaven (community of God), you chose to follow Christ and once you become a follower you have entered the Kingdom of Heaven. Death is not the doorway to heaven—faithfully following Christ is. When Christ returns, the Kingdom of God will be in its full glory, until then "the Kingdom of God" moves forward as the followers of Christ waiting on His return.

Question:
Are we supposed to tithe?

Answer:
The instruction to tithe was given to farmers and Levites. They tithed as a form of “Social Security” as their tithes of produce and flocks were used immediately to feed everyone who came to the worship festivals including orphans and widows.

Everyone was to pay the Temple tax, which was a half shekel (not 10 percent of everyone’s income).

Giving to the poor or “Giving Alms” was and is a Biblical mandate that even Jesus preached constantly. This was for all to do and it was and is the opportunity for all followers of Christ to share with those who don’t have. This is what we are to give according to what our hearts tell us to give.

It appears that the church has confused these commands and has created a new Temple tax, which is set at 10 percent of everyone’s income and doesn’t include the Biblical command to give to the poor. Helping the poor is extra!

FINALLY
The question that will blow your mind is the one that I will post soon with more elaboration on the findings. The question is: Why do we worship on Sunday? The answer is sure to threaten the less than solid in faith. It may even convince Chic-Fil-A to close on Saturday and be ready for business Sunday morning.

Forever learning,
Johnny

"There Is No God Jehovah"

Hamakom, hagavoah, halashon, hag'vurah, and shamayim were all names used by the ancient people of God in order to avoid misusing the name YHWH (yah-WEH) when having daily conversation or even in teaching. This is still the practice for modern Jews.

‘Adonai or ‘elohim was used when reciting or reading Scripture. Yet, even ‘elohim was not used in conversation.

The reason these other names, literally meaning the Place, the High, the Tongue, the Power, and the Heaven, were used in place of the tetragrammaton, YHWH was due to a literal translation of the third commandment, which was to never use the name of YHWH in vain.

Until some time around the third century B.C., but definitely up until the exile in 586 B.C. the name YHWH was used regularly. But in the third century B.C. the name YHWH was only spoken by the priests during Temple liturgies.

Until the sixth century A.D. there were no vowels used in writing the Hebrew language. But at that time, due to the deficite of people who were still fluent in Hebrew, vowels were used to help future generations pronounce the words of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Here is where the name Jehovah was accidentally invented.

The scholars of the sixth century, known as Masoretes, are the ones who began using vowels in writing the Hebrew Scriptures. In their attempt to preserve the third century B.C. law of not saying YHWH, the Masoretes superimposed the vowels of ‘adonai into the tetragrammaton YHWH. This was a protection for those who stumbled across the name YHWH in their reading and prevented them from saying the “sacred name.”

In 1516 A.D. an Italian theologian named Franciscan friar Galatinus came across this superimposed “warning” and misinterpreted it to be a name used for God. He then transliterated the Hebrew Y with the Latin equivalent J and the Hebrew W with the Latin equivalent V and presto…JeHoVaH was created.

Remember that as you sing, “There’s no God like Jehovah,” just take out the “like” and you have a more theologically correct song.

I raya and ahava you!

Life is never short of surprises. I gained some freedom tonight in my small group.

I know for a fact that I am among the top 10 luckiest people on the planet to have such great friends and a fantastic family.

The world seems so much lighter when great friends surround us. I raya and ahava all of you. Staci is also blessed with my expression of dod. Sorry that's exclusively reserved for her.

Thank you everyone for being so wonderful.

Grace and peace,
Johnny

A Foil

Life is very complex. There are so many real people with real problems who are searching for real solutions.

At the same time, there are too many actors pretending to be people with answers. Actaully, I think we are all actors in some capacity. The most reliable actors research the works of other actors and claim them as authority. The least reliable simply rely on our own acting.

At least the authority of other actors comes with some kind of experiences, even if they are only acted out expreiences.

Cynicism is a wonderful expression, isn't it? It's a popular one anyway, so I thought I'd use it for a moment.

Actually, I'm not convinced that cynicism is all it's cracked up to be.

Forever learning or acting like I'm learning,
Johnny

Posting to post.

Have a good day.

Good bye.

Passive Friendship Evangelism Committee

Words from Dr. William Willimon: "We, as the church, need to mock the world, instead of being so accepting and encouraging of it. We celebrate sin, by honoring sinners."

This is very true. Lately I am seeing more and more honor given to the lost as if this is a way of showing them Christ. Remember Christ told them to go and sin no more, sell all that you have and give it to the poor, come and follow me.

Sure, he had parties with sinners, but he didn't give them a big hug and say, "It's okay, you just keep trying and you'll get better while I love you." He said, "Go and sin NO MORE!"

It's time for the church to start mocking the world and stop treating sin and sinners as if they are a project for the "Passive Friendship Evangelism Committee."

Sin is real
Hell is hot
Christ saves
Friendships do not

Forever learning,
Johnny

Another Pentecost?"

I’m not going to do the study for everyone, but I will give my best, according to my own study and the insight of great teachers, professors, and, of course, the Word of God.

To ask for another Pentecost, is like asking for another crucifixion, another risen Christ, or another Ark of the Covenant to be built. Pentecost happened as it was prophesied to happen…once!

The Spirit of God was present in “Tongues of Fire” or, to give a clearer translation, “Languages of Power.” The “fire” of God, was at Pentecost and is today, His powerful spoken Word, given by those who are faithful to share it.

I have always cringed a bit when I hear this song led in worship. Next we’ll be writing a song asking for another crucifixion.

Forever Learning,

Walking Examples of Joy in Suffering

Tuesday, I went to a seminar led by Dr. William Willimon. WOW! He is an amazing communicator; considered to be one of the top 12 preachers in the country.

He has written 50 books and I know why; he has a lot to teach us.

I want to share specifically his point on pastoral pride.

He brought to the attention of everyone present that Christian leaders are quickly sucked into the "entitlement" syndrome.

When we (Christian leaders) first begin, we are looking to serve God regardless of the perks and pay, but it doesn't take long before we'll quit if we aren't allowed to have a laptop.

Think about it: how many Christian leaders do you know that aren't concerned about what neighborhood they live in, what kind of car they drive, or how much of an expense account they are alotted? I'll give you a hint. They are those who are asking of God, "Where do you want me to go Lord?" They are not those who are saying to the congregation and the church leadership, "Don't you realize how called and gifted I am?"

PRIDE is going to destroy us, if we don't take a good look in the mirror.

I am so proud of Rob and Heather who are leading a powerful outreach ministry in Charlotte, NC. They haven't received a paycheck in months, they are borrowing a car from a friend, they receive all of their meals from shelters and soup kitchens, they live in the ghetto, and their biggest request is for someone to give them something to stop up holes that allow cold air to come into their apartment.

I saw Rob last Wednesday night and the man is a "WALKING EXAMPLE OF JOY IN SUFFERING." How many of us have someone saying that about us? Not many.

It's tough to suffer the lack of constant needs for upgrades on technological gear and living arrangements. God should understand how important I am and how much I need to live comfortably. (Hope you're picking up on the sarcasm.)

Today is Ash Wendesday, therefore it is appropriate for me to remind all of you that you are dirt. You started as dirt and you're heading back to dirt. You've already been given the gift of God making you something out of nothing. To feel intitled to more is the equivelant of your hamburger asking for more ketchup. Thanks for returning this reminder to me--I am dirt too!

I have seen Rob many times in Charlotte and never knew of any of his suffering until someone told me this morning. He is always clean, joyful, and never puts on a bit of air that he is struggling. This is what Jesus meant when he said not to tell people when you are fasting. That's Rob and Heather; they don't whine and complain. They just move ahead with the calling to share Jesus with the world.

Thank you Rob and Heather for reminding me of what's important...Following the will of God and reaching others for His purposes, regardless of how comfortable life is for me.

Forever learning,
Johnny

Clarifying Clarification

Please allow me to take a moment to clarify my last clarification.

My last blog was an attempt to say, "Please don't think that I am a staunch advocate of my own views." I also have great respect for the insights and views of other Christians and Christian leaders. There are people who are reading my blogs, specifically "Amnesty Box" and are thinking that I am an advocate of a strict militant style of leadership for every ministry of The Salvation Army.

Amnesty Box is something that I truly believe in and it has its place as a prophetic voice. However, there is much more to my views than the two dimensions of my writing that may paint me as some kind of voice for Salvationists who believe in strict militant leadership.

I believe there is a place for those who need to be led strongly.

I also believe that God speaks through patience and tenderness of which some leaders in The Army must present to be effective for some people.

For instance, the poorest of the poor are also among some of the most verbally and physically abused. Do we really want to go into their neighborhoods barking out orders? Personally, I think they could use a little tenderness.

So, again, thank you everyone for your encouragement and support of my philosophies and teaching. And another thank you for your Christ-like patience with those whose views you may disagree with, including my own.

Forever learning,
Johnny

Keeping It In Context

Well, just in case you happen to come across Stephen Court's blog, "Amnesty Box vs. The Salvationist Mind for the 21st Century" on ARMYBARMY and see that one of my articles has become a source of inspiration, know this:

Context means everything.

I'm not sure how people will take my words when I write them, but those who know me best know that I am constantly learning and developing.

I believe The Salvation Army needs to stand and not be so flaky when it comes to serving the world. There is way too much compromise in the ranks and in our purpose. It’s very difficult to move forward when you don’t know which direction is forward.

I want it to be clear that The Salvation Army is the vehicle of which I choose to serve Christ and I am always looking for the most effective way to serve Him for the Kingdom.

Church growth and personal recognition are not any less divisive than rigidity and irrelevance in Christian expression and ministry.

I don’t know that a dogmatic stance, which moves us to see the opinions of others as an opportunity to judge them as if they have no other dimensions, is justifiable Christian behavior.

We must constantly understand that sometimes God is represented by the prophet who stands on the side of God with a warning of judgment to the people; sometimes He is represented by the priest who stands on the side of the people pleading to God for mercy; still sometimes He is represented by the king who makes a decision based on God's will.

In all of these roles, God is often represented by a human being in the form of a Christian leader. God's leaders are sent to represent the role God calls that leader to be for each individual or congregation.

As Doctor Rick Lints, Professor of Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary so adequately stated, “There are some who are standing and need to fall on their knees and pray for mercy, while there are others who are kneeling who need to stand up and trust that God has given it to them.” God's representatives are often used to help His flock know whether they are to stand or kneel when their pride or self-pity blind them to the direct message from God.

Every message or philosophy deserves to be heard for what it is--an attempt at finding and revealing the truth. I believe that no matter how wrong one person sees the views of another, we must always remember that those who are brave enough to voice their views and are within biblical parameters of doing so, are also those who care enough to speak.

Let’s not discourage vocal expression, as each expresser is a child of God who seeks to find and share Christ with deep conviction and sincerity.

Thank you to everyone who encourages me and stands beside me as a REVOLUTIONARY and wants what is best for The Salvation Army and, most importantly, The Kindgom of God.

Forever learning,
Johnny

Why?

There is a time in every person's life when we just have to ask, "WHY?" Why are we? Why do we? Why have we? Why did we? Why will we?

I was walking around a Supercuts today, which used to be a bank. The old drive thru tellers are still there, but I could tell they were from the 80's.

Ella walked around the old machine where people would drive up and put their money or whatever in a big plastic tube, which was then sucked up into a vacuum. For her, it meant nothing.

For me, it was a mark, a step, a yesterday. Sometimes I get really tired of yesterdays and all I want to do is see right now. Life seems to be nothing but memory making moments. I can’t quite get to the next minute and then suddenly I’m past it.

Sometimes I just want to scream out, “STOP! Let me look at you for a moment." I want a chance to stare life in the face. I want to stare at it just like staring closely at a leaf and noticing all its specks and lines. When do we get to just take some time to look at life and enjoy the beauty of it?

"Why?" may be the wrong question. Maybe there is no question.
Who knows? Hey! Maybe "Who Knows?" is the question.

Forever wondering,
Johnny

The Gainey Sweat Shop

Ella has called an attorney and is demanding better working conditions.

Small Group Agenda Info and Birth of a new group update

For the next 23 weeks, we will not be posting the Small Group Agendas.

Reason:

We will be using the Rob Bell NOOMA videos and using a basic format for accompishing the Welcome, Word, Worship, and Witness based on the Videos and the book that accompanies the video.

However, I would like to share that a New Small Group/Interest Group has begun at DHQ during the lunch hour in the break room. The group met today and there were 8 in attendance. One of those eight was with us via Skype. Thanks for being there in voice Kristy.

The Interest Group meets to discuss the Velvet Elvis book written by Rob Bell. It was great. I had a wonderful time as I'm sure we all did.

Have a great day everyone.

Forever learning,
Johnny

How was your day?

Today was a beautiful day.

The skies were blue.

My children are healthy.

My marriage is happy.

I have a headache.

My dog is aggravating.

My grandparents are dead.

My Dad has a liver disease.

Today was a beautiful day.

The coffee was wonderful. (Tim Hortons from Jeff. Thanks Jeff.)

I've put on three pounds in two weeks.

I'm losing my hair.

I love being a Salvation Army Officer.

Some people are mean.

Some people give me energy.

My wife is so pretty.

Today was a beautiful day.

Good and not so good, God is always good.

Today was a beautiful day.

How was your day?

No Dogs Allowed!

Is it just me or is there an immense amount of spiritual gluttony among Christians.

Tonight I was privy to a wonderful conversation with friends at my dining room table and in that conversation some wonderful points were brought before us.

The conversation caused me to think more about this situation of spiritual gluttony.

The root of the problem appears to be grounded in selfishness. There appears to be a sense that Christianity is a calling to go to church, rather than be the church. Over and over I hear this phrase, “We need to be fed!” There is no more a sickening phrase on the planet. But, that’s just my opinion. If it’s not yours, please allow me to be loved by you anyway.

Jesus calls us to feed sheep. It appears that everybody thinks they are all sheep. My question is, “If everyone is a sheep, who does the feeding?” I don’t think God intended for one or two to be shepherds and the rest of the millions of Christians on earth to be "Get-fed-only" sheep. Again, this is my opinion. Please continue to love me.

Eternal sheep have a habit of taking up so much time and energy from the shepherds that shepherds never have time to look for lost sheep.

I think we need to be intellectually fed by the Word of God and spiritually fed by the Spirit of God and physically fed by the servants of God, but then it’s time to do some feeding ourselves.

No sheep eats all day, every day, with no concern for becoming a shepherd.
That is what shepherds do. Shepherds train sheep to be shepherds. Not all shepherds are shepherds of a lot of sheep. Some shepherds merely feed their family and maybe a friend. Some shepherds don’t have the capacity to feed, but they help those who do.

Wouldn’t a sheep that only eats be a glutton of a lamb?

I like sheep and I don’t think they’re as stupid as most preachers try to portray them to be. I believe that any animal that can convince its master that it only exists to eat and is never responsible to feed is pretty darn smart.

In fact, I think these sheep are not sheep at all…they are dogs. They show up, eat, sleep, get a few pats on the head and wait for the next feeding.

Let’s all be sheep that become shepherds and shepherds who don’t allow dogs to pose as sheep.

Forever learning,
Johnny

Cell Group Agenda for the week of Febuary 5, 2006

Welcome
Have everyone come in, place their food or drinks on the table, get something to snack on and join each other in a comfortable room to talk.

Give everyone an opportunity to tell when he or she feels the most safe.

Tip: Some may try to spiritualize this question and give obvious answers, such as all the time, because God is with me. Ask them to be more specific and speak of a specific place or when they’re with a specific person.

After everyone has a chance to share, talk with Jesus and tell Him how grateful we are for safety in our lives.

Word
Play the Rob Bell’s Nooma DVD #001 “Rain.”

After the DVD is played have your group break up into small groups of three or four. Give each person a list of the questions from Rob Bell's study guide, which accompanies the DVD.

In each breakout group ask the questions from the book that accompanies the DVD starting on page 2 and ending (this week) on page 8:

After everyone gets a chance to answer the question on page 8, have the people in your breakout group take turns reading the list of Scriptures found on page 10 of Bell’s Nooma DVD book.

[I do not feel that it would be an ethically correct decision to list the questions from Rob Bell’s book. These videos are incredible and well worth you purchasing for your group.
I purchased the DVDs, which came with the study book, for $12.99 per DVD at Family Christian Book Store.]

After reading the verses of Scripture, have everyone join together in one room for worship.

Tip: When individual breakout groups are finished have them go into the room where everyone will be together for worship. Don’t wait for everyone to be done. This will help everyone to respect each other’s time and keep from giving too much time for those who are finished to engage in unrelated topics.

Worship
Play a CD of peaceful, worship conducive music with no words.
While the music plays take a few minutes to sit in silence and have each person picture a moment in his or her mind that he or she wishes could have been avoided.

After 5 minutes have the group pray that God will show them how He was able to draw closer to them because of that scary time. Then ask God to give them the wisdom to see how God was using the moment to get closer to him or her.
Witness
Your act of taking your experience of being with Jesus tonight will be to share your excitement for what you’re learning with someone who is not a part of your group. Then invite them to come next week, when we will watch the same video again and go through the Scriptures and questions in the remainder of Rob Bell’s study guide.

Retro-New and Different

Every morning I drive for about an hour and fifteen minutes before I finally arrive at my destination of the office. And during that time I chat with Jesus about life. Sometimes we talk about family, tragedies, fun stuff, sad stuff. Sometimes I just try to listen to Him speak.

This morning He spoke through the silence and taught me something wonderful. I have been working so hard on affecting change in the part of God’s Kingdom that He has called me to and this morning I realized something wonderful.

Change is not about something new and different. Change is about retro-new and different.

As I pondered on the frustration of how to get people to see that change is necessary for effective Christian ministry, I realized that the threat is usually a fear that we will be leaving the place where God has put us. But I learned that change is really about bringing us back to the right place.

Change is the equivalent of the ref blowing his whistle during a football game when the ball has gone out of bounds. Change in ministry is the equivalent of the ref blowing the whistle because the whole team has begun to play out of bounds.

There are times, moments, decades, eras, when ministry has gone so far out of bounds that God calls a leader to blow the whistle and get people back on the playing field.

That is when leaders have to listen to God, share that vision, and inspire the team to get back on the field. The tough part is getting the players to see that they have moved away from where God wants the team to be. These are the moments when the players actually believe they are still on the field and everyone else has gone home because they don't care about the game or the team anymore.

However there is a strange and wonderful difference between football fields and ministry fields. With football the field never moves. With ministry, if we don't keep our eyes open, the field will slip right out from under us and some will never even notice it's gone.

One day the team looks up and asks, “Where is everybody? Don’t they care about the game?" The fact is God has moved the field to a whole new place where the spectators have new faces, wear different clothes, speak a different language, and may not even sit in the bleachers.

Change is what a leader does when he says to the team, It’s time to get back on the field. There is an entire world of people who need to see and be a part of the game, but they can't see us play anymore, because we have completely left the field or the field has left us."

Change is about getting the team back on the field.

Ministry Is Not Messy!

How do I balance Johnny the person with Captain Gainey the Corps Officer/Pastor?

I am learning more and more that being a leader of God's flock is synonymous with self-ostracizing. The lessons I’ve learned after three and a half years of pastoring have taught me why so many church leaders end up bitter and alone, questioning their calling, and pampering a low self-image.

I don’t agree that ministry is messy. That may sound catchy, but the truth of the matter is that Satan’s intervention in ministry is messy, not ministry. Ministry is an extension of the love of Jesus Christ. How can that be anything but beautiful?

In Marshall Shelley’s book, ‘WELL-INTENTIONED Dragons’, Shelley says, “A pastor’s authority requires two ingredients: God’s appointment and call, and the body’s respect for his leadership. Losing either side of the equation spells an end to effective ministry.” pgs115-116

Shelly also says, “Every pastor walks that delicate line between steering and being steered by the congregation. As they weigh the criticisms, most ministers occasionally wonder, Am I being followed or chased?” pg. 115

This is a serious dilemma in the church, because too often God’s flock forgets the role of the shepherd, which is to lead. Too many sheep believe that they are supposed to train the shepherd to listen to sheep, rather than assist the shepherd in listening to God.

I could be wrong. I’ve been wrong before.

Forever learning,
Johnny

Down the Track

As I continue to study leadership, especially Christian leadership, I never run out of helpful insights. In my recent studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I studied under the teaching of Professors Wayne Goodwin and Rod Cooper.

I want to share an insight that is incredibly helpful to all of us as Christians and Christian leaders.

As Dr. Wayne Goodwin so adequately explained, there are many different characteristics of a Christian Leader. Some of these characteristics are intrinsic and others are externally expressed. The four characteristics that we focused on were Calling, Character, Competency, and Community.

Dr. Goodwin pointed out that most Christians and Christian leaders approach the development of these characteristics much like laying a train track. Each of the tracks run parallel and if you look far enough down the road they appear to join or touch. The truth of the matter is that they never join. If you run down the track, you will see that they remain parallel forever.

The thing that should bring them together is spiritual development. But too often we believe that as long as we work on each of the external tracks, they will eventually come together and make us authentic, mature Christians and/or Christian leaders.

In truth, we should be focused mostly on our spiritual development, and out of that spiritual development we will be better prepared to have healthier character, competencies, and community.

I will leave you with this thought from Dr. Rod Cooper:
“Leaders either cast shadows or light. The heart of the leader determines the heart of the organization.”

Forever Learning,
Johnny

Cell Group Agenda for week of January 29, 2006

Small Group Agenda for Week of January 29, 2006
Scripture 1 John 4:10-11
“Love One Another”


”This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:10-11

Welcome
Have everyone get something to snack on and drink and bring it to a room where everyone can get comfortable and join each other.
Once everyone is comfortable, have them share how they felt when they received the letter from another member of the group telling them how the writer sees him or her as representing a child of God.

After everyone has a chance to respond, pray a prayer welcoming Christ into our presence and asking Him to make us receptive to His Word as we prepare ourselves to experience Him through the Scriptures.


Word
Have someone read 1 John 4:10-11.
”This is love: not that we loved God, but hat he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

After reading Scripture, have everyone break up into groups of 3 or 4. Give a copy of the following questions to one person in each group and have them ask a couple of questions, then pass the questions to someone else in the group. Try to give everyone an opportunity to ask a couple of the questions in the breakout groups.


1. Are we supposed to love one another?
2. Does God love us?
3. Based on this Scripture, considering it is written in the context of a letter, why do you think John finds it important to remind people in the first century that they are to love one another?
4. How are we supposed to love one another? (After everyone has a chance to answer this question, have someone read 1 John 3:18 and give everyone a chance to answer the question again.)
5. How important should loving with actions and with the love of Christ be for those of us who call ourselves Christians?

Tell the following story:
In his book Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, Richard Foster tells of an old sage who asked his disciples, “How can we know when the darkness is leaving and the dawn is coming?” “When we can see a tree in the distance and know that it is an elm and not a juniper,” one student responded. “When we can see an animal and know it is a fox and not a wolf,” replied another.

“No,” said the teacher.

Puzzled, the students asked for the answer. The sage replied quietly, “We know the darkness is leaving and the dawn is coming when we can see another person and know that it is our brother or sister; otherwise no matter what time it is, it’s still dark.”

Do we take seriously John’s words, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren?” (1 John 3:14).

Our Daily Bread, June/July/August 1998, June 17
Haddon W. Robinson


6. When does it become most difficult to love one another?
7. Is there anyone here who is finding it hard to be seen as a Christian because of an misunderstanding or an unwillingness to love other?

If anyone answers this question by saying that he or she is having a difficult time loving others, have everyone surround that person and pray that the Spirit of Christ will fall upon them in such a way as to give them a willingness to care for others with actions.

After prayer, join the others for collective worship.


Worship
Worship will be experienced by sharing with Christ and one another the ways God is calling each of you specifically to love others with actions and with the same love that Christ has for him or her.
After each person speaks have someone lead everyone in a song that expresses gratefulness for Christ’s model of love.
Finally, pray a prayer of thanksgiving for the love of Christ that is present with each of His children.

Witness
Briefly discuss ways that we can use actions to share the love of Christ with each other and others. Decide on which expression of love we will share as a group before the next gathering.

A Worship Family

This week was a great one. I spent 40 hours under the teaching of two great professors. The class was Christian Leadership.

After much discussion about church leadership, one of my fellow students was commenting on his appreciation for the structure of The Salvation Army. He noted, after 3 or 4 presentations of Salvation Army officers who did interviews with various Salvation Army leaders, that his church was missing something very vital.

He said that he is a part of a new and thriving church that is reaching out to a new population of normal people (non-Christians). The worship in his church is very contemporary and exciting. He also said that he enjoys working in this church.

The one thing he misses and is envious of, in regards to The Salvation Army, is the valuable asset that we have in our heroes of the faith. He spoke of a longing for a church with a history, which had people who had been around for decades to share their stories and their wealth of experiences and insight for ministry.

What immediately came to my mind was the picture of a Christmas feast. I very much miss being home for Christmas. It’s not the presents, the tree, the food, or even the traditions that I miss most. For me, it’s the family that I miss.

I miss grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts, cousins, brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces all being together in the house, enjoying each other, no matter who we are or what we bring. It is the family that I miss more than the festivities. I especially miss the great stories that my grandparents would tell while we would drink coffee after dinner.

For me, this is a picture of worship that should never be lost; a picture of people of all ages coming together with all that they bring of themselves. I appreciate the young and the old, the fast and the slow, the traditional and the contemporary.

Worship should always be with family—the whole family, with everyone enjoying the company of one another. I am grateful for our heroes of the faith. I am thankful to God for those who have worked hard to set the stage and bring their rich heritage, experiences, and passions to share with those who are in great need of a sense of history.

I give thanks to God for placing that student in my class to give me a reminder of what it means to share my faith with those who have lived it for nearly an entire lifetime.

It has been wisely stated that you can’t head into the future without knowing where you are right now. I would add to that by stating that you can’t know where you are right now without knowing where you’ve come from.

Praise God for the elders of the church. You are loved, appreciated, and greatly respected.

Forever Learning,
Johnny

Cell Agenda for week of January 22, 2006

Cell Agenda for Week of January 22, 2006
“God’s Kids”
1 John 3:1-3

Welcome
Ask about the prayer lists and how they have used them. Ask if they have been helpful and if anyone called anyone on their list just to say hi.

Word
Have someone read 1 John 3:1-3, then read the following story.
A group of teen-agers were enjoying a party, and someone suggested that they go to a certain restaurant for a good time.
“I’d rather you took me home,” Jan said to her date. “My parents don’t approve of that place.”
“Afraid your father will hurt you?” one of the girls asked sarcastically.
“No,” Jan replied, “I’m not afraid my father will hurt me. I’m afraid I will hurt him.”
–Warren W. Wiersbe

After reading this Scripture and the illustration, divide into groups of four and have one person of each group take a copy of the questions and ask them of the group.

Ask the following questions
1. Are those people John is writing to, as well as those this letter would speak to today, children of God or are they only like His Children?
2. Does God mind us calling ourselves His sons and daughters?
3. Do you think that John saw people who were struggling to call themselves children of God, even though they were? Why?
4. How do believers find themselves wondering whether or not they are children of God?
5. Give your best description or definition of a child of God.
6. Share a time when you felt least like a child of God.
7. Is there anyone here who feels unworthy to be a child of God today?

After this question join the other groups for worship.

Worship
Use this worship time to have each person give a reason why they feel they are glad to be one of God’s children.
Then pray and thank God for allowing us all to be his children.


Witness
Have each person put their own name on a small piece of paper and fold it into a small square. Place all the folded papers in a basket. Then pass the basket around and have each person take out a name, making sure it’s not his or her own name.

On Sunday afternoon after worship, each person will go home and write a letter to the person of whose name they received. On the letter write no more than one page of why this person should have confidence in calling his or her self a Child of God.

Commissioned to teach Church Etiquette?

Today I received an amazing phone call. You may recall the book 'Radical Outreach.' You can find it in any Christian bookstore. The book is about reaching people the way they can be reached today and the author's name is Dr. George Hunter III.

Dr. Hunter is Distinguished Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore Kentucky. He is also the author of 'Church for the Unchurched' and 'The Celtic Way of Evangelism.'

I called him a week ago to discuss my concerns over the challenge of transitioning the traditional into missional. Dr. Hunter called me back today and left me with these wise words:

"Many Christians are now the modern day Judaizers who insist that those who are not Christians are the Gentiles who need to be circumcised before they enter the church."

Dr. Hunter's words were in reference to those who hold on to the status quo, enjoying their church lives, and unwilling to change in order to reach the lost. Instead many Christians require the lost to accept the culture of their particular denomination, class, and/or social behavior before they can be a part of the family of God.

It's time to put away the scalpels.

Forever learning,
Johnny

Jesus was no Pacifist!

A while back I posted a blog that answered the question, "Would Jesus have gone to Vietnam?" This is some further insight on that subject.

Pacifism and Jesus? Maybe, if he was a 21st century liberal American. But Jesus was, in fact, a first Century Jew.

In the Jewish Talmud, which Jesus would have read, trusted, and taught from, are these words, "If someone comes to kill you, anticipate him and kill him first" (Sanhedrin 72a). To kill in self-defense was perfectly permissible in Jewish belief. And please take the time to ponder for a moment that Jesus was not a Christian; He was a Jew.

In fact Christians were a legitimate sect of the Jews, not unlike the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, et cetera, until 380 A.D. or C.E., whichever you choose. It was then that the church father, John Chrysostom was appointed Bishop of Antioch.

According to Stephen M. Wylen, when Chrysostom came to the city, he was shocked to find his flock regularly attending the synagogue, enjoying the sermons there and socializing with Jews. The Christians treated rabbis as holy men, going to them for amulets, blessings and cures. John Chrysostom responded with his ten famous sermons Adversus Judaeus, “Against the Jews.”

He condemned the Jews in the strongest terms as servants of the Devil. He forbade social and economic contact of any kind with Jews; much less a sharing of religious ideas and practices…these sermons became the basis for church policy. Judaism was utterly condemned as debased, even satanic religion. Contact with Jews was restricted. Attendance at Jewish rites was prohibited. Christians were prohibited by law from “Judiaizing”—that is, from observing Jewish rites, laws and customs. Christians were prohibited from keeping kosher, celebrating Jewish holidays, or visiting synagogues.

The Ebeonites, or Jewish Christians, had become increasingly marginalized. Now they disappeared altogether. To become a Christian was to reject Jewish identity and become a Gentile, with no exceptions. –The Jews in the Time of Jesus, pgs. 195-196

To truly understand Jesus and how he would respond to laws against killing, you must understand first century Jews and their beliefs and teachings, as well as have some understanding of the original languages. You also have to understand what Jewish culture and social life was like for a follower of Jesus. Jesus told his followers to buy swords in Luke 22:35-37. We also know that some of them carried weapons (Luke 22:8; 22:50).

For those who believe that Jesus was a Pacifist, the misunderstanding comes from a mistranslation of the Semitic languages and Biblical Greek into English. The word used in Matthew 5:21 which says, “You shall not kill” is better translated, “You shall not murder.” There is a big difference, even in modern English.

Killing and murder are polarized by the intent. As David Bivin and Roy Blizzard, Jr. point out in their revised edition of their book, Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus New Insights From a Hebraic Perspective, “It’s difficult to explain how English translators made this mistake since the Greek language also has separate words for ‘murder’ and ‘kill,’ and it is the Greek word for ‘murder’ (not ‘kill’) which is used in Matthew 5:21.”

There are also other passages of Scripture where the English translations lend themselves to lead readers astray. If you want to know more, buy the books that you see quoted in this blog. But be careful, some modern Christians live by the motto, "The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it." These books just may unsettle it.

I hope this has shaken your faith just enough to get you thinking and studying for yourself.

For those of you high and mighty, know-it-all Chirstians, there is a saying, “Once a Christian becomes a Bishop, he never again eats a bad meal, reads a good book, or hears the truth.” (source unknown, at least to me.)

I'm not in the mood to be diplomatic tonight. But my name is still Johnny and I'm still your friend.

Forever learning
Johnny

Cell Group Agenda for Week of January 15, 2006

Cell Group Agenda for the week of January 15, 2006
Theme: “How do I know I belong to Christ?”
Scripture: 1 John 2:3-11

Welcome

1. Give everyone present a piece of paper. Have them write down on the paper:
a. The names of people they have a hard time getting along with
b. The names of people they avoid
c. The names of people who would bring out feelings of anger if he or she were to see them.
2. Allow people to verbally express the feelings they experience when they look at the names on their list. Don’t allow the people in the group to speak the names, this would be gossip. Only allow for them to tell how they feel when they think of the people listed.

Should anyone appear to need prayer at this moment, take the time to pray for him or her to give them comfort, but don’t allow this to become a therapy session.

Word

Read this story:
Dolly Madison, the wife of the fourth president of the United States, was one of the most popular women in American history. Wherever she went, she charmed everyone—the rich, the poor; the famous, the obscure; men, women—everyone she met. She was once assked to explain the secret of her power over others. The question took her by surprise. She said, “Power over people? I have none, I desire none. I merely love everyone.” –Source from Word and Worship Resoures for Salvationists, First Quarter 2006, pg. 17

Have someone Read 1 John 2:3-11
Ask the following questions:
1. Is there a way to know that you can be sure that you belong to Christ?
2. Do you believe that those who call themselves Christians, yet disobey the word of God are lying about being Christians, even if they aren’t aware that they are lying?
3. Is it easy to obey God’s command to love others?
4. What are some reasons that the people John is writing to would hate someone?
5. What are some reasons people hate others today?

After this question, break up into groups of three and ask:

6. Is there anyone here who is struggling with not being able to obey God’s command to love others because of unforgiveness, racism, or because of a judgemnt against sertain sinners, such as those struggling with homosexuality?

7. Ask if there is anyone in the group that would like to be able to begin caring about the people he or she wrote on their paper during the welcome of this gathering.
8. Have the person who says he or she would like to lose their ill feelings toward those on their list to pray sit on a chair and have the others come around that person and pray.

Get back together in a large group for Worship.

Worship

To begin worship sing have the worship leader lead a song of God’s mercy and love for sinners.

After singing, have everyone step out onto the back porch, bring the papers with their list of names.
Have a metal coffee can, garbage can, or chargoal grill available. Tell everyone who is willing to begin obeying God’s will by loving others, including those on their list to place their paper in the can or grill.
Then have everyone light a match and throw their match on the papers, signifying that they will begin to pray for those people, forgive them, and even begin loving them.

After this, pray for each other to continue to obey God’s command by praying daily for those whose names, once listed as people they didn’t care for, will now join the names of those whom they love.

Witness

Before you share the idea for witnessing this week, share this story from Warren W. Wiersbe, pgs 60, 61:

A man who was walking down a dark street one night saw a pinpoint of light coming toward him in a faltering way. He thought perhaps the person carrying the light was ill or drunk; but as he drew nearer he could see a man with a flashlight carrying a white cane.

“Why would a blind man be carrying a light? the man wondered, and then he decided to ask.

The blind man smiled. “I carry my light, not so I can see, but so that others can see me. I cannot help being blind,” he said, “but I can help being a stumbling block.”

After reading this story tell the group to make a commitment to call or write someone on the list they burned and just take the time to say hello and let that person know that you were thinking about him or her.
Next week you will be asked to share your experience in the group.

Cell Group Agenda for week of Jan 8, 2006

Cell Group Agenda for the week of January 8, 2006
Theme: “Working on your Relationship.”
Scripture: 1 John 1:1-10

Welcome
1. Have everyone get something to drink and something to snack on before you begin. Then bring everyone to sit down on the floor in a circle and ask the following questions:
2. Who in here has ever gotten something that you really wanted, only to lose interest in it in a very short period of time? What was it?

Word
Read the following passage from Graham Scroggie:

“Too many Christians live on the right side of Easter, but on the wrong side of Pentecost; the right side of pardon, but the wrong side of power; the right side of forgiveness, but the wrong side of fellowship. They are out of Egypt, but have not reached the land of promise and blessing. They are still wandering about in the wilderness of frustration and dissatisfaction.”



Have someone Read 1 John 1:1-10
1. Can we claim to have fellowship with God, yet live like we don’t and not be a liar?
2. Is it possible to know Christ and not be excited about it?
3. When John wrote this letter, he was an old man. At least 70 years had passed and Christians were beginning to become complacent about their faith. Why do you think that John’s concern for the state of those somber Christians caused him to write a letter?

After the third question, break up into groups of three and ask:

4. For those of us who believe in Christ and were once excited about our relationship with Him, have any of us become bored with our relationship with Jesus Christ?
5. Has this boredom caused you to stop sharing your faith?
6. How can we keep our faith from becoming stagnant and stale?
7. How important is it to have other Christians around us to encourage us in our relationship with Christ?

After this question, take the time to pray in your group of three for anyone who has lost their excitement over their relationship with Christ. Ask Jesus to bring freshness to his or her faith.

Get back together in a large group for Worship.

Worship
Have the person leading worship sing a song of adoration for our Savior. After singing, pray for each other to have a fresh love for Christ that will cause you to be excited about your relationship with Christ and make you look forward to bragging about your Savior to other.

Witness
Before you share the idea for witnessing this week, share this story from Carl G. Conner:

A few winters ago, heavy snows hit North Carolina. Following a wet, six-inch snowfall, it was interesting to see the effect along interstate 40.

Next to the highway stood several large groves of tall, young, pine trees. The branches were bowed down with the heavy snow—so low that branches from one tree were often leaning against the trunk of branches of another.

Where trees stood alone, however, the effect of the heavy snow was different. The branches had become heavier, but without other trees to lean against, the branches snapped. They lay on the ground, dark and alone in the cold snow.

When the storms of life hit, we need to be standing close to other Christians. The closer we stand, the more we will be able to hold up.”


Next Saturday night plan to go and see “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” with the group. Each person needs to invite and bring a friend and pay for that person’s ticket along with your own.

Cell Group Ministries

I am using this blog space to share the great ministry experiences that I and others have been involved in with Cell Group Ministries.

Let me start by stating some of the major lessons:

1. Not everyone is able to be in such a relational, community-based movement.
2. God is in it and that is affirmed by some of the negative and constant criticism.
3. Cell Ministries requires a Vision from leadership to be shared with those who are able to share that vision with the leaders of a given ministry.
4. You can't jump into Cell Ministries; it is a development, not an instant ministry.
5. It is not a replacement for programs; it is, in fact, a holistic ministry that requires the dedication, gifts, and personal involvement of every member of a cell.
6. The leader is merely a facilitator, not a director.
7. The 2 MAJOR GOALS of cell group mistries are 1) Develop Leaders 2) Multiply Groups. (DO NOT CREATE CLIQUES, BE PREPARED TO MULTIPLY AND SEPARATE WITHIN 1 or 2 years. {BUY THE BOOK!)
8. Cell Group Meetings are broken into four parts, not always done in the same order:

1. Welcome 2. Worship 3. Word 4. Witness
I could list others, but I won't for now.

I passionately believe in the perfection and Authentic Christian Community of this ministry. If you are interested, you can begin by looking at www.touchusa.org and purchase the book "Making Cell Groups Work." READ THE BOOK and use its advice and wisdom. There are over 30 years of experience from Ralph Neighbour Jr. on the subject of cell ministries and you will greatly benefit from his team and their written wisdom.

For now, I have decided to share our weekly Cell Group Agendas. You are welcome to print them and use them in your own groups.

Two Important Tips:

1. It is crucial that your church pastor, leader, minister, Corps Officer (whatever you call him, her or both) have a vision for this ministry. Without that support, you will be spinning wheels.

2. It is also crucial that you are involved in a weekly congregational celebration of worship. Cell groups that have left this very important part of sharing their praise and worship in honor of God, with a congregational body of believers have met the fate of cell group death. Congregational worship shows your cell group that God is bigger than your group.

Here is the Cell Agenda for January 1, 2006: Again, don’t just start a cell group. Purchase “Making Cell Groups Work,” do research on other cell model ministries, but don’t try to copy them, visit other cell churches and get the experience with a vision team.

If you have any questions, write me at captain_gainey@yahoo.com

Grace and peace,
Johnny

Cell Agenda for week of January 1, 2006 by Captain Jonathan Gainey, The Salvation Army, Charlotte, NC

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Theme: Giving is not a gift.

WELCOME

Is there anyone here who gives to people because you love to help people in need? How do you feel when you give to someone who truly needs what you have given him or her?


WITNESS
Have someone read Matthew 6:2-4.
After the Scripture reading say to your group: Remembering that giving without expecting recognition is a godly way of giving. (Paraphrase to sound as natural as possible.

This Sunday is the start of a brand new year. For those of you, who have never been able to share your monetary treasures with the Church for the ministry of God to be done, then make this a resolution to begin trusting God with a percentage of what He gives you. Through giving to the ministry of your Savior through your church you will begin to experience the obedience of sharing God’s wealth with the world, as well as receiving the added blessing of showing immeasurable gratitude to God for His gifts to you.

WORSHIP
To begin worship, place a pillow on the floor in a room large enough to have everyone sit in a semi-circle with the pillow as if the pillow were part of the circle, not in the middle of the circle. This pillow represents the place where Christ is sitting with you and listening to you as you pray.

Sing a song of Thanksgiving and then pray for Christ to make each of you people who give gladly. Also pray and thank God for His wisdom and our privilege of supplying the needs of the world through His church.

WORD
It would probably surprise you to know that there is no word in Hebrew for charity. The Hebrew word tzedakah, often used in connection with charitable giving, only means justice and righteousness. It is not a gift that you give to the poor, but rather the fulfillment of an obligation.
God gives to you and you must give to others. You are the medium for the proper management of God’s wealth here on Earth. And if you won’t do it right, the rabbis teach, God will find another “messenger” to help him distribute his funds to the needy. That’s why it has been said that beggars don’t take; they demand alms as if they were collecting a debt.
There is a Jewish story that says when the pauper came to the rich man and was told by the rich man that he would receive nothing because the rich man had a bad year, the pauper’s response was, “I don’t understand—why does your bad year mean I should suffer?”
The poor are always to be taken care of, according to the Will, Word, and Laws of God.

Someone Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

1. Does God give to those of us who have so that we can be generous?
2. Does our giving supply the needs of God’s people and offer as an expression of gratitude to God?
3. Why do you think Paul needed to remind the people of Corinth to be gracious givers who share their wealth with the poor?
4. Do you know Christians who have a difficult time realizing that they are earning money for more than just their own families?
5. What are some good ways to create a habit of sharing our wages with the poor, which will include being held accountable to give without reluctance?
6. Is there anyone here who needs to begin sharing his or her monetary treasures in this New Year so that God’s resources can be used to help more people who are in need?

After this question, have people break into groups of two (three if there is one person left without another to create a couple) and pray for each other to begin giving, so that God’s work can be done through His church.

LEADER’S MINUTE:
This is a time for the leader to remind everyone of any upcoming events or ministries.
Remember: it is important to share in life outside of the cell group meeting. You may want to plan a movie night, go out to dinner or something during the week.

Tip: Do not allow your meeting to go longer than an hour and a half. This will create the feeling that people are leaving before they're ready to leave, which will make them look forward to coming back next week. (Advice from Dr. Kennon Callahan)

NOTE: Cell Groups are not readily accepted by highly traditional Christians; some may try to turn it into a program instead of a holistic community of ministering ministers.

Write me at captain_gainey@yahoo.com. I will respond quickly to any questions. Respectfully written criticisms will be respectfully read and appreciated. Thank you and God bless your ministry.

A Face in the Toilet

When I had the flu a few months ago and found myself with my head in the toilet, no one would have blamed me. Vomiting is pure misery and putting my face in the toilet is considered normal in our culture.

Now that I’ve experienced putting my face in a toilet, I actually look forward to getting the flu and I do nothing to prevent it. I don’t avoid people who have the flu. I don’t wash my hands when I leave a doctor’s office or hospital. I don’t eat well or dress warm in the winter. I have even considered ordering some influenza just for those boring days when there’s nothing better to do than stick my face in the toilet.

You probably think I’m kidding and you’re right. No one looks forward to sticking his or her face in the “underwater waste basket.” And anyone who does needs some serious therapy.

Shouldn’t we hold people accountable for recognizing the difference between needs and dependence? There are so many people who appear to love being sick. They don’t plan their lives; they don’t budget their money; they don’t invest in personal education. In short, they don’t make life happen; they accept whatever it gives.

It makes a lot more sense for us to teach people how to prevent the flu, than to show them where all the toilets of life can be found.

My name is Johnny and I am your friend.