Support For The Road Ahead

Scripture Reading: Joshua 1

The day is April 12th 1945. The place, the White House. Vice President Harry S. Truman had been summoned there. In Warm Springs Georgia, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was sitting for a portrait and grabbed his head and fell over. The situation did not look good. A White House aide came to find the Vice President in the White House gardens. The message was important. The President of the United States was dead. All of the sudden this huge weight of leading the nation, still caught up in the Second World War came to Harry Truman. He found a very saddened Eleanor Roosevelt in the White House corridor. Harry was heartfully sorry for her, and asked her gently if there was anything he could do for her. Despite her grief she replied, "is there anything we can do for you Harry, you are the President now."
As the historical photo shows, Harry S. Truman was soon sworn in as the Commander in Chief after a long legacy of FDR, a man who had reshaped America and had been the longest elected President in our nation's history. What a moment that must have been for Mr. Truman.

Similarly this account reminds me of what Joshua the servant of the Most High God faced as God told Joshua that Moses, the nations only leader was dead. Now Joshua was to be the leader of Israel. I wonder if Joshua and Harry Truman found some common emotional ground here? Nevertheless, the profound statement Eleanor Roosevelt made I believe should be the supportive cry of us all when our earthly leaders leave us.

As Christians we need to realize that these bodies we live in are only temporary and are only tools for God's use. When the tool has finished its usefulness, the soul leaves to its reward. However that does not mean all that one has done needs be left to rot. God's servants leave behind a work unfinished or at least finished as far as they can take it. Now it is up to someone else to carry on that work. What can we do when this happens?

First, depending on our position and relation to the leader that has left, we are to step up and fill the gap as our abilities and the Lord's will sees fit. We cannot sit back and let the burdens all fall directly on one person. One great aspect of the church I attend is that we have such a great team of leadership that when one person leaves for whatever reason, there are plenty ready to pitch in and fill the gap until a new member who best suits the missing position is found. So many churches falter because no one is willing to take on responsibility. Our Lord told the 11 disciples before His Ascension to make disciples of all men. That is to make those who will carry on the work of God after the 11 had passed on to Glory. That is precisely our role today, to carry on in the nursery, the parking lots, the deacon/elder board, the greeting team, the ushers, the custodians, the outreach group, the benevolence ministry, etc. Keep on, keeping on. God's ministry has not yet been finished, it relies on you.

Secondly, we need to be verbally and actively supportive of our leadership. The saying goes, we can't all be the boss, certainly applies. The church is strong because of its leaders and workers combined. But if you are involved in leadership you know how valuable it is to know that your team is behind you. Like Harry Truman, in the hardest hour, what a comfort it is to know you're not without help or support. How do we support our leaders. Here are a few suggestions:

• Most importantly, keep them in constant prayer
• Inquire what you can do to help them, either in ministry or in their personal lives (i.e. run errands, help with house repairs, help with smaller tasks so they can focus on larger ones. etc.)
• Encourage them when you see they may be going through some deep waters
• Show acts of kindness to them as the Lord directs

Just as it is wonderful to know that the Lord Jesus stands for you and behind you, so it is with our human relationships to know that we are behind our leaders ready to help, ready to support, ready to throw in our words and actions of support. The Bible is full of such accounts of human relation support. Let's take the same action as the saints of old.

The support we give honors our Lord and Master and we help grow His church, come what may.

It was in the days of old as an army marched toward its foes, it did so in a long straight horizontal line. As an artillery shell or some other weapon blasted a hole in this line, the men would come up from rear ranks and fill the gap, reinforcing the battle line. What a picture of Christian service!

Layperson, as long as we are in the world our leaders will come and go. Our mission and work though stays the same, stand and serve. If you find yourself a leader now facing a new challenge in the sudden absence of your leader, look ahead in confidence, the Lord Himself is going before you, and we the workers stand behind you.

If this post has been a blessing to you, forward it to a friend. Keep your eyes upon the sky, Jesus is coming soon.

The Faces Of Freedom

America will turn 232 years this coming 4th of July.  We are still on the world map.  We are still free.  We still produce heroes who fight to maintain this freedom.  I am most proud to be an American.  I became even more proud when I recently learned that one of my ancestors was one of the "first" Americans, those who came to the shores of Massachusetts in 1620 on the Mayflower.  But I am most proud of the photo in today's entry.  The picture is of the deck crew and officers aboard the USS Feland, APA-11 in 1943 somewhere in the Pacific theatre of World War II.  The man kneeling at the far right is my grandfather, J. Ralph Pierson, who recently was ushered into Heaven last year.  This photo is probably like ones you have in your home that a relative brought back with them.  You may not know anyone else in the photo.  It is very likely that in a group, several of the men or women died in combat not long after the photo was taken.  

No matter what war or conflict, these are the faces of our American freedom.  Freedom which does not come easily or naturally unless someone pays the sacrifice of their safety and/or in many cases, their lives that you and I may sit in comfort and ease, writing blogs, mowing the lawn, enjoying a trip or vacation, and going to worship the Lord at your church.

The embodiment of Freedom however spans far beyond what we know of in America or in the world.  This world for you and me, no matter how free or how oppressed, still ends, and it ends in eternal punishment.  Do you ever wonder what happens to a person when they die?  No maybe not.  We don't care to think about it.  But we will not only think about it one day, but experience it. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 that all men will die and when they do, comes judgement.  This sort of judgement is living in a tormented awful place called Hell.  Living there forever, with no hope of leaving is far worse than living under a Hitler, Stalin, Hussein, or any worldly tyrant. The sadness of it is that no one chooses to live in a country where a dictator's rule is life itself, but ALL men and women CHOOSE where they go when they die. The Bible plainly tells us that we were born into sin (Psalm 51:5) and the penalty for sin is eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23).  BUT

Jesus Christ, the Liberator, has made it possible for you and I to have freedom from this penalty we have.  No one or no act can do what He can do.  We as Earth dwellers have no way to negotiate or rectify anything apart from this world.  Souls of men and women are apart from this world.  People in parts of the world can sometimes buy their freedom, but we cannot buy our souls freedom.  Simply put, we don't have the right kind of payment.  It takes the sinless blood of Christ, which we don't have in and of ourselves.  By simply asking Him to pay the penalty for your sins and asking Christ to come in your heart will liberate you from the condemnation that awaits every person when they die.  He will also change your life and you will have a desire to live as He did which is far better than the slop this world dictates.  

The phrase, "Freedom Isn't Free" is correct in this world and in Eternity.  Earthly freedom costs our brave Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Aviators and all service people their lives.  Eternal freedom cost Christ His life too.  He didn't have to come and liberate us, but He chose to.  The face of Freedom is the face of Jesus Christ.  Will you make this Independence Day your new day of Freedom from what awaits you?