The Monday Memo from John Stanko

807: Self-Promotion Revisited

I had a few discussions this past week with people who are concerned about writing a book or stepping out into other ministry because they may be promoting themselves rather than the Lord. They are worried (yes, worried) that they will get ahead of the Lord, or somehow do something that does bring God glory, but glory only to self. Those are legitimate concerns, but all based and rooted in fear, and we know that God has not given us a spirit of fear.

About five years ago, I did a series title "Self Promotion," so I thought it would be good to revisit that topic in light of the concerns that my friends have recently raise. It's an issue I have pondered for a long time, since I have been accused of being self-promoting from time to tome. I will need your help as we examine this issue, however, and I ask you to respond with your own thoughts (whether you agree or disagree) once you have read what I have to say.

CONCEIT    

The main concern with self-promotion is best summarized in Philippians 2:3, where Paul wrote: ^"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." Many conclude talking about yourself in almost any situation is wrong or at least improper, and ambition is also considered to be in bad taste or downright evil. Are these interpretations correct?

Here are some thoughts off the top of my head for this week's discussion.

1. When Paul wrote his letters, he clearly identified himself as an apostle.
2. David approached Goliath and declared what he was going to do to the giant in no uncertain terms.
3. Jesus made many claims, although sometimes veiled to hide them from unbelievers, concerning who He was and what He had come to do

Let's examine that last point a little more.

PUBLIC FIGURE

Jesus' family thought he was self-promoting and eager for to be a public figure as you can see from John 7:3-4: Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." It's comforting to know that Jesus' family thought He was self-promoting, and to some extent He was - promoting that is, but without self and with a purpose. Is that possible for you and I to do?

Weren't Jesus' miracles a means by which He could gather a crowd to announce the coming of His kingdom? Did not the Father make Jesus a household name and a celebrity in all of Israel? Did Jesus gather disciples whom He then sent out to extend His work and announce God's plan with even greater intensity that He did?

We are not going to settle this issue this week, but I wanted to start the dialogue with these thoughts. What do you think?  Is it wrong to promote yourself?  When, if ever, is it permissible? Does Philippians 2:3 prohibit any kind of ambition or marketing?  I leave you to ponder these questions until next week. Till then, have a blessed week!

    Please respond to this post on the site where it is posted and let's get the dialogue going.

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UPCOMING SEMINARS: I have two seminars coming up in Pittsburgh next Saturday. You can read about them here and then I hope to see you at one or both.

ISRAEL 2018: Don't forget to check out my trip to Israel scheduled for next April. Read about it and then register on the trip site.

806: Living Water

You are probably familiar with the story of Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well as told in John 4. You may want to read the story again before you proceed with this Memo, for we are going to talk about how you can find and benefit from the living waters that Jesus mentioned to the woman in the story. Once you have read John 4, then come back to read what I have to say.

A RELIGIOUS DEBATE

The woman kept trying to engage Jesus in a religious debate about the most appropriate mountain upon which Jews and Samaritans should worship. Jesus was trying to teach her that worship was not about geography but rather about a person, specifically His person. They went back and forth talking about worship and water, and then Jesus made an offer that intrigued the woman:

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water [from the well the woman had come to draw from] will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:13-14 comment added).

The woman decided to take Jesus up on His offer and responded, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water" (John 4:15). What I had never noticed was how Jesus fulfilled her request through His next comment. He basically said to her, "You want this water? Are you sure you want this water? If you want this water, then go get your husband" (a paraphrase of John 4:16).

THE WATER

What was the water that Jesus was offering? It was an honest relationship with God where the woman could acknowledge her sins and when she did, she would then receive the living water of a relationship with Jesus. Up to that point in their conversation, the woman had wanted to talk about religious things, thinking that was what God would want from her. Instead, Jesus confronted her with her sins of the past and present, and that was the water He promised to give her and others like her: honesty and forgiveness.

If you want that same living water, you must come to God as you are, not as you think He wants you to be or who you are pretending to be. This woman was trying to present herself as a source of theological insight instead of the mess that she truly was. When she confronted her mess, it did not disqualify her from having a relationship with God; it actually qualified her. Her source of life was not in the correct mountain for worship, but an open and honest relationship with God.

When the woman understood that, she went home and got as many people as she could find to come and meet Jesus. She did not take them to the mountain; she took them to the Maker of the mountain who had "told me everything I ever did" (John 4:39b). She saw her connection to God was honesty, not correct doctrine. Her honesty led her to the correct doctrine in the person of her Forgiver and Savior.

Where are you telling God what you think He wants to hear? What religious debate have you entered into that is not a source of life? This woman found her purpose (to evangelize) when she faced the reality of who she was, then who God was (and is). The key to finding your purpose may be the same way, for living water is not found in a place (a mountain or a well) but through honesty with God. Have a blessed week!

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ISRAEL 2018: Don't miss out on the trip of a lifetime next April 2018 to Israel with an optional trip to Rome after Israel. Here is all the information you will need to register today!

TIME AND FAITH SEMINAR: I will host a free time management and faith seminar in Pittsburgh on Saturday, May 6, from noon to 4:30. It's free but you have to let me know you are coming. Send me an email today to be added to the list.

805: Easter Breakthrough

Yesterday we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and I trust you were in your local church (or some church) to commemorate the event. Can you imagine what it must have been like for those disciples, who thought Jesus was dead and gone, only to find that He was alive and thriving? It must have been a shock to say the least and that is what I want to talk about this week. I want to look at one of the women who went to the tomb on Sunday morning only to find it not as she thought it would be. So let's go back in time and see if there is any lesson we can learn from her encounter with the empty tomb.

TWO ANGELS AND THE LORD    

When Mary came to the tomb, she found it empty and went to inform the disciples. They went running and found it as she said, while Mary stood outside crying, assuming that someone had stolen and hidden Jesus' body. Two angels sat in the empty tomb and spoke to her, asking her for whom she was looking. She said that she was looking for Jesus, and repeated her assumption that someone had taken Him away. It was then that Jesus Himself appeared to her:

At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”) (John 20:14-16).

Mary was well acquainted with Jesus and certainly knew His voice, yet her preconceived notion that Jesus was dead and gone prevented her from hearing the Lord's voice. Her thinking affected her perception and she could not hear God speaking to her, even though she knew His voice. The same can happen to you and me.

EASTER BREAKTHROUGH

Mary's thinking was an impediment to hearing God's voice. The same can happen to you. You can be consumed by worry, fear, doubt, wrong assumptions, or anxiety and miss the Lord, even though you are familiar with His voice. You can read His word and still not comprehend His word because of your heart or, should I say, mind condition. You would do well to heed the admonition found in Hebrews 4, where the writer warned:

God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 4:7).

What situation do you consider hopeless into which God is trying to speak today? Where is there a tomb in your life, where you think you know what the outcome will be, but where God wants to speak to your heart and bring hope and life?  You may not think your heart is hard, but any number of things can numb or deaden you to the presence of God in your life and His voice in your heart. So in effect, God can be speaking to you and you not realize it's Him. Thus the barrier to your breakthrough is not in your circumstances but rather in your mind.

One of the lessons of Easter is that what is impossible with man is possible with God. You must see your situation from God's perspective or you may miss what He is trying to say and do, and that would be a real tragedy. So go to the tomb today, but don't go in a hopeless state of mind. Go expecting to hear the Lord and see new and fresh things. When you do, your circumstances may not change, but how you see them will, and that may be the breakthrough you are looking for and God wants you to have. Have a great week!

805: Just a Little Off Course

The last several weeks we have looked at the life and call of King Saul, examining it for clues to help you understand some of the challenges to finding and fulfilling your purpose. Last week, we saw how "miraculous" Saul's appointment was, complete with signs and wonders, but how those supernatural confirmations did nothing to change Saul's heart, and his lack of development led to a tragic end to a lackluster career. That summary led me to think of another king who started out strong but ended poorly, and it is to his story that I turn this week.

SOLOMON

Solomon was another leader whose call was surrounded by the miraculous and prophetic confirmation. When the throne almost slipped from David's control to another son, God intervened to ensure that David's promise to Bathsheba was fulfilled. Then we have the story in 1 Kings 3 of Solomon's dream and request for wisdom. God was so impressed by Solomon's request that He agreed to give him wisdom, along with riches and victory over his enemies, things for which most young kings would have asked. What immediately followed was the encounter with the two women, each claiming that a baby boy belonged to them, and Solomon's edict to cut the boy in two, which revealed the real mother's heart.

All that caused the people to hold Solomon in high esteem, which enabled him to embark on an ambitious building program made possible by the peace Solomon enjoyed on all his borders. Yet through all the confirmation, the miraculous acts, interventions, and prophetic involvement, Solomon sent a mixed message and that mixed message led to his downfall and the eventual ruin of his father's throne and Solmon's legacy.

OFF COURSE

We are told by Solomon's historian that Solomon loved the Lord: "Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places" (1 Kings 3:3). He burned incense in the high places because the Temple had not yet been built. That is not an indication of Solomon's problem. The real problem was mentioned two verses earlier: "Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter" (1 Kings 3:1). 

A guided missile that is just one degree off at take off does not appear to be off course. No one can detect the problem, but the longer the missile stays in the air, the more of course the missile will become. That is what happened to Solomon, for later we read

He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done (1 Kings 11:3-6).

Oh yes, and along the way, Solomon ignored the Lord's edict not to enslave His people by forcing them to labor on his building projects so that this complaint of the next generation was found in Jeroboam's words: “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you” (1 Kings 12:4).

THE LESSON

What's the lesson for you and me? First, be careful not to rely too much on the confirmation the Lord has provided for you to know His will for your life. While that confirmation is important, it cannot be the basis for your success. It is only the launching pad. From there, you must develop yourself and your gifts. Second, don't ignore your "little" or minor heart problems. I am not talking physical problems, but that could apply as well. Take care to confront your heart issues like greed, fear, lust, and love of power. If you focus on your anointing or the word of the Lord for your confirmation, you may miss the signs along the way that you are off course.

Finally, don't continue to rely on the supernatural as you grow and go forward. Yes, the supernatural is important but it cannot be a substitute for personal development, accountability, and humility. I have actually discovered that the stronger your initial miraculous confirmation, the more you will need it as God puts you through things that will make it seem like you are light years away from what He promised in His confirmation.

Is your missile on course, or do you need a course adjustment? How do you know for sure? I urge you this week to ask good questions of the Lord and others that will help you see if you are on the right track or wandering off into something that is a little off course that if not corrected, could take you continents away from where God had launched you to go in the first place. Have a blessed week!

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ISRAEL 2018: People are already registering for the Israel trip next April. Check out the website and then sign up for the trip of a lifetime!

804: More than the Supernatural

Last week, we began to look at the story of King Saul's' ascent to power as the king of Israel. In Memo 803, we found Saul hiding when Samuel and Israel were looking to appoint him the king, and I asked you to consider where you also may be hiding from God's choice and purpose. Perhaps you are hiding with noble intent, waiting for God to confirm or re-confirm your purpose assignment. If you are waiting for a supernatural confirmation, however, it may not provide what you really need. For what you really need is probably not more confirmation, but a change of heart. Let me explain.

THE SUPERNATURAL

When you read 1 Samuel 9 and 10, I challenge you to find a leadership assignment more confirmed with signs and wonders than Saul's. Consider these supernatural events surrounding Saul's coronation:

1. When Saul went looking for Samuel, Samuel was the first man he met when he entered the village.
2. Samuel told Saul what he was looking for (his father's lost donkeys) before Saul had a chance to inform Samuel. Samuel informed him that the donkeys had been found
3. The Lord had already spoken to Samuel that Saul was to be the king, and then Saul appeared on the scene right after the Lord spoke.
4. Samuel poured oil over Saul's head, and proceeded to tell Saul a number of things that would happen to him on the way back to his father; each one of those things came to pass, just as Samuel had foretold.
5. When Saul encountered some prophets on the way home, Saul himself began to prophesy, to the amazement of those who were acquainted with his history, which had not included that spiritual practice or tendency.
6. Then Samuel drew lots for all Israel to see, and Saul's tribe, clan, and family were chosen by lot, with the final lot falling to Saul; all that proved God's choice.

As I stated, there is no more confirmed event in the Bible, yet it was all to no avail. Even with all the supernatural activity that Saul experienced and encountered, he was a massive disappointment as king, never becoming much more than what his family had always been, and that was being a family of fighters.

THE REALITY

The reality was that Saul was fearful, falsely humble, and cowardly. All the external miracles did not touch his heart condition, and that condition eventually unraveled all that God had orchestrated to promote Saul. And the same will happen to you if you are not careful. Yes, God will confirm and work through the fleeces you put before him to show you what He wants you to do. He will send prophets who will tell you what you had for breakfast and where you live through their prophetic insight.

If you don't change the way you think, you will carry your doubt and fear into your purpose assignment and you will continue to search for all kinds of external evidence that you are on the right track. While those externals can be helpful, they cannot take the place of God's transforming work in your heart, and we we know from Romans 12:2 that your transformation does not occur by a supernatural work, but through the renewing of your mind. Since the business of your mind is thinking, then unless you change your thoughts, all the supernatural that you encounter will do as much good as it did for Saul -- which is not much good at all.

The big difference between Saul and David was the amount of development they went through for leadership. Saul had very little but had a lot of supernatural activity; David had a lot of character training but very little supernatural confirmation. Who do you think was the better king? So what is your chosen path to accept your purpose call? Are you looking for and relying on the supernatural, or are you willing to do the work to develop your gift and call? I won't answer for you, but I urge you to reflect on that question in the coming week and then settle in your own mind what is needed to make you a champion after God's own heart. Have a blessed week as you consider your answer.