Where Does Success Come From…?

There is a great story in 2 Chronicles 13. As the setting, recently the northern kingdom of Israel and southern kingdom of Judah have split into two. Jeroboam is over the north (Israel) and Abijah, son of Rehoboam, is king of Judah. Jeroboam mobilizes Israel for war; over 800,000 choice men. Abijah rallies 400,000 from Judah in battle formation against them. Abijah calls out a challenge and says that Judah will win the war because they are depending on God and have not forsaken Him.

The battle ensues and Judah, by the grace of God, routs Israel and Jeroboam. Even though Judah was well outnumber and outmanned, the victory went to Judah and Abijah. Then the writer of the book makes the conclusion…

"The Judahites succeeded because they depended on the Lord, the God of their ancestors." (2 Chronicles 13:18)

Where does our success come from? Does is come from our natural, inborn talents? Is it a result of our own design and cunning? Is it because you and I have some sort of special favor?

Likewise, where does the success come from for the impoverished, hurting and hopeless families and communities we are called to work with? Does is come from our remarkable ability to lead and inspire people? Does it come from our lofty knowledge of community development techniques and tools? Or is it something else?

As a person called and working with an organization that seeks to help those in poverty, hunger and seemingly hopeless situations, I am always constantly amazed at the small successes that come. And if I am truthful to myself and others, those successes are best realized when I totally depend upon the Lord. They usually are not a part of one of my grand schemes or carefully planned efforts but they seem to come more out of faithfulness than even my best best efforts.

Moreover, when we help a poor family or community have better access to food, a better income, or a better chance at life, we can claim a bit of "success". But when we help a family or community to know and learn to depend upon God, we have a greater chance at not only a temporal but eternal success.

Where does my true success come from? I pray that I succeed today by depending on the Lord.

I Will Never Lift My Hand Against the Lord's Anointed...

You have to love the story of David in the Bible. He is a man after God's own heart but yet shows his humanity in falling for Bathsheba. He is one of the greatest kings ever in Israel's history but starts his career with a band of discontented and disillusioned men. He is the shepherd boy who slays the giant Goliath and yet takes time to compose songs and praises to God.

One of my favorite passages regarding David, however, is when he gets a couple of chances to seize the kingdom of Israel and wrest it from Saul by force. He is (in King Saul's estimation) already more popular than Saul himself but he chooses to flee and even go into hiding with the enemies of Israel instead of taking opportunity into his own hands. During his time of fleeing from Saul, he actually is given at least two chances to strike Saul down. It would have been easy. The nation would have followed him. But in each of these cases, when given the chance to run Saul through with a simple sword thrust, David refused and said…

"I will never do such a thing…I will never lift my hand against him, since he is the Lord's anointed."

I don't know about you but I am one to quickly lean to my own understanding and my own interpretation of things, people and situations. I am fast to evaluate as judge and jury people's characters which actually are subtle ways that I tend to justify my own actions, promote my own goals and place me (at least in my own mind) looking pretty good. I am much slower to look and try to see things, people and situations from God's eyes. I tend to miss the things and people that God has anointed being content to simply interpret from a self-centered perspective.

I wonder what would be if I were to slow down a bit and try to understand before judging? I wonder if there would be times and places that my decisions and judgements would be altered if I believed that God had anointed that particular moment, place or person? I wonder how many "Sauls" I have put to death when God had grand designs and plans for accomplishing a greater purpose?

More importantly, I wonder what God could have or would have done through me if I had at critical times refused to lift my hand against His anointing, simply trusting Him in confusing situations that I could not understand?

God is in control. Let me say it again (more for my sake than yours). God is in control…in everything.

"I will not (and dare not) lift my hand against the Lord's anointed."

Selah...

In 1948, The United Nations Said This...

At the infancy of the United Nations, the group came together and made a declaration of what it saw as universal human rights. Now whether you or I agree or track with the current UN leadership, I thought that the original thoughts/intent of the UN bore sharing. Basically, the six rights were…

1. Life is better than death

2. Health is better than sickness

3. Liberty is better than slavery

4. Prosperity is better than poverty

5. Education is better than ignorance

6. Justice is better than injustice

Not bad. In fact, I could get behind an organization that would live by/promote these very issues. Too bad that time changes things, people and values change and cultures drift.

What if we took those six items above and applied them to say an evangelical Christian "spiritual" declaration of human rights? We of course would acknowledge that the greatest right (as well as privilege) is to know our Creator God through His infinite mercy/wisdom in His One and Only Son, Jesus. Along with this we would declare…

1. Life is better than death…and He came that we might live life and live it more abundantly.

2. Health is better than sickness…for we are to fear the Lord, turn away from evil so that healing will find our bodies and strength given to our bones.

3. Liberty is better than slavery…and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

4. Prosperity is better than poverty…He has set before us a choice of life and prosperity over death and disaster.

5. Education is better than ignorance…but the Counselor, the Holy Sprit will teach you all things.

6. Justice is better than injustice…and what is it the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness and walk humbly with your God.

Maybe I have to rethink my opinion of the UN. Or maybe I have to think of the UN in a Kingdom perspective. 

Your thoughts?

What to make of wealth...

I took this past year to read several books on development (e.g. wealth and poverty of nations) and mainly those from an economic model background. I re-read Adam Smith's 1776 classic, "An Iquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of the Nations." I also re-read David Lande's excellent book, "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations". I then read a book recommended to me written by Barry Asmus and Wayne Grudem, "The Poverty of Nations."

In this last one, I ran across a chart cited from Lawrence Harrison (a purporter of socio-cultural causes for development/lack of development). It showed the standard measure of wealth (Gross Domestic Product or GDP) per major faith and religious backgrounds. The chart showed the following:

Religious Background to Culture of Nations Per Capita GDP (Annual)

1. Protestant - $29,784
2. Jewish - $19,320
3. Roman Catholic - $9,358
4. Orthodox - $7,045
5. Confucian - $6,691
6. Buddhist -  $4,813
7. Islamic - $3,142
8. Hindu - $2,390

What does this mean? Some would use this to show the wisdom and practicality of living life according to God's mandates thus resulting in His blessings. Others might be tempted to use this as an illustration that the prosperity gospel works. I think Harris (the original compiler of the info) would point to the social-cultural values (e.g. hard work, honesty, fairness, etc.) underlying Christian/Biblical teachings and their resulting effects on a particular group.

I think that we should look at it from a different angle. I propose that we don't look at it and try to dissect it to the point of prescribing a formula to wealth or blessings. While I do believe deeply that God's plan for life as revealed in His scriptures does carry subsequent blessings, I think the main point here is not how we got there (or tell other how to get to financial welfare) but what do we do with what God has blessed us with.

If God has blessed me (and He has a million times over) because I have committed my life to Him and His principles for life, the main question is, "what am I going to do with that blessing?"

Abraham in Genesis 12 was told that he was to be blessed by God and then that blessing, through him, would become a blessing to all the nations.

God' way and plan for life is by far the best. God's blessings on His children are amazing. But if that blessing stops with us, we miss the point.

Your thoughts?

A New Year...And Remembering...

Regina and I took down the Christmas decorations yesterday, New Years Day. It always seems to be a lot more fun to put them up rather than take them down. Especially the Christmas tree with the seemingly thousands of ornaments. However, what started out as a necessary chore became a rather fun time and walk down memory lane.

Our tree, most likely probably like yours as well, is filled with ornaments that have a history and a story. As we took each off, we began telling remembering where each of the ornaments had come from and its story. Some had very little significance. Others are a part of our family lore.

There is the one that Regina got for me when we had just started dating. It is a little tarnished but still in good shape and stamped with the date of the first year that we knew each other.

There were the ones that we had of the children when they were smaller. They were pictures of when they were smaller. It seemed like they should still be those very ages.

There were those who had been sent to us by friends through the years. We lived overseas for more than twenty years and each year, it seems that someone or some church group would send us a special ornament. It was nice to see those and remember where we were and who sent them.

Then there was the Christmas nail. It is one we hang near the trunk of the tree and is a family tradition. It is a simple 10 inch nail that reminds us of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us and the true meaning of Christmas. 

As we start the New Year 2014, we have a lot to look forward to. But we also have a lot to remember and be thankful for. I am thankful for God's blessings through Jesus Christ in my life, family and ministry. I am also thankful for the wonderful partners and friends who help to make our work through BGR possible. 

I look forward to this new year - the challenges and the blessings - and the memories of what God will accomplish through our work.

Blessings,

Jeff Palmer

Elisabeth's Story...

Her name is Elisabeth. They call her Ma’am Elisabeth. She is the principal at the only school on the island of Gibitgnil. She has the respect of the whole community and her students in that she had brought the small school in Gibitngil from a grade one through six school to one that goes all the way through the 12^th grade. This is very important to the 2,500 residents of the islands. This means that their children can stay at home until fourth year high school and not have to go off the island everyday to go to school once they reach the seventh grade.

Ma’am Elisabeth and her school had a huge setback when typhoon Yolanda swept through their island. Not only did they lose many of their homes and small government offices, several of the structures at the local school were destroyed or damaged. She was worried how she would convince anyone to come help her school since they were so small and isolated.

A member of the BGR Rapid Assistance Team, Dwain Carter, came to her island and was moved by what he saw. He agreed to try and help rally resources to their aid. Dwain is not only a Pastor in Missouri but also the State Disaster Relief Coordinator as well.

This past week, I saw Dwain helping to fulfill his promise to Ma’am Elisabeth. He had some back with a disaster relief team from Missouri and supplies provided by Southern Baptists. They were working under hard conditions to help restore the school and still smiled as they worked.

Ma’am Elisabeth had taken a week off to work on her own house but when she saw Pastor Dwain coming back, she decided to help with the school reconstruction. She is very appreciative of Dwain, his group and the help provided by Southern Baptists to assist in the rebuilding of their school and keeping their children on their island until they are ready for college.

Everyone is sacrificing a lot to help the Philippines recovery effort. But it is worth it for the glory of God.

A Parade of Volunteers Helping to Rebuild in the Philippines...

One is a farmer. One is a former State Representative. Others include a retired mailman, a State Agriculturist, a writer and a pastor. They even have one who is a “jack of all trades.” This is the team of State Disaster relief volunteers who have come from Missouri to help with the rebuilding of a school on the island of Gibitngil, Philippines.

They labor under the hot tropical sun. They work in a place with no electricity and scarce water resources. They are having to use hand tools and confess they are much more used to power tools. But in the midst of the challenges and the frustrations, they are all smiles especially when it comes to relating to the local people.

They are “heroes” of sorts; at least to the local people there. They came to the small island a few days ago and brought with them materials to help rebuild the local school that was partially destroyed by the recent typhoon.

As they arrived by a small boat, they began to unload the materials such as wood and tin roofing and looked up the steep incline to the school almost a mile away. It was going to be a long walk hauling those materials. They were anticipating taking most of the day to haul the materials but something happened. The villagers and mostly the school children themselves began to take the materials and carry them to the building site. The disaster relief volutneers picked up loads as well and began joining in the “parade”.  What seemed to be a daunting task turned into a parade of foreigners and locals working together to bring the needed construction supplies to the local school.

One of the volunteers described the scene as a festive occasion. The local people were happy to see the help come and they were happy to join in the efforts to rebuild their beloved school.

Thank you Southern Baptists for providing funds for the rebuilding of Gibitnil school. And thank you Southern Baptists for coming and help to rebuild.