Vision4Living

Last time we looked at two qualities of Abraham’s leadership that were crucial to leading into the unknown. First: he was a man of firm commitment. Second: he was a man with feet of clay. There are two other qualities illustrated by Abrahams leadership.

Third: he was a man of fervent communion. Fellowship with God can never be taken for granted. Abraham obviously walked with God, for God spoke with him, and he spoke with God regularly. In fact, in Isaiah 41:8 God refers to Abraham as “My friend”. Nowhere is Abraham’s communion with God more vividly illustrated than in his intercession for his nephew Lot in Genesis 18. There he passionately pleads for the deliverance of his backslidden nephew, interceding based on his knowledge of God’s nature. This is perhaps the most crucial aspect of Abraham’s leadership, and no person can lead well without this vital component. Fervent communion with God may or may not be noticeable to others, but it is indispensable to spiritual leadership. Abraham’s close communion with his Lord would develop in him a strong faith that would ultimately be tested in the most personal way. God’s command for Abraham to sacrifice his only son, in whom was deposited all of God’s promises to him, would require the trust God had built in Abraham through their close communion.

Fourth; He was a man of fearless conduct. We often hear people speak of the importance of putting “feet” to our prayers. It may be a cliché but Abraham lived it. Perhaps we cannot appreciate the danger into which Abraham (then Abram) rode when he took his small band of servants and went to deliver Lot from the warriors of the four kings in Genesis. Abram was no trained warrior, but his faith in God armed him with a confidence to go and deliver Lot and his family from unspeakable danger and proved the God he so faithfully trusted. Abram’s actions are reminiscent of Paul’s words in 1Cor.16:13: “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be men, be strong.” Life brings challenges that are opportunities to trust and prove our great God, and such a life is not for the weak and timid. Spiritual leadership requires the courage to go against the flow, to be different, to stand for the truth of God for the glory of God. Like Abram’s, these opportunities may be unexpected and require resources we are not aware we have. The close of chapter 14 has Abram worshiping God and laying everything at His altar. Such is the disposition of the true spiritual leader.

We began by looking at Abraham as an example of our leading into the unknown. The writer of Hebrews tells us; “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed: and he went out, not knowing where he went” (Hebrews 11:8). But the truth is, none of us knows what the future holds. Following Christ and leading others by our Godly influence into the future requires the same qualities. We all have feet of clay. “A just man falls seven times and rises up again;” (Proverbs 24:16). So each of us must ask God to build in us firm commitment, fervent communion, and fearless conduct. May the Lord help us to be such leaders.

Charles Cavanaugh

Vision4Living Ministries

Imagine leaving the comforts of home and the security of friends and family you have known for a lifetime to go somewhere unknown. Imagine going on the promise that a great opportunity awaits you. Imagine taking your wife into such an unknown “opportunity”. That is what the Old Testament patriarch Abram (later Abraham) did. He led his wife and his nephew into an unknown future. What are the qualities of leadership we can learn from Abraham?

First: He was a man of firm commitment. You can almost since the resolve of Abram in Genesis 12:4. “So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him…” This was no light thing. Abram’s background, family, and environment were entirely pagan. But it was all he knew. To be snatched out of such familiar and comfortable surroundings by Jehovah was, to say the least, a life – changing experience. It took a lot of grace which resulted in firm commitment to the revealed will of God.

So it must be with every spiritual leader. We must have an unshakable reliance on the grace of God that results in a firm commitment to His revealed will. We have what Peter calls “a more sure word of prophecy” in the completed cannon of scripture (see 2 Peter 1:19). Everything we need to be wise spiritual leaders is contained there, and we would do well to saturate ourselves with it.

Second: He was a man with feet of clay. The Bible is quite frank about the weaknesses and failures of Old Testament saints. They were men and women “subject to like passions as we are” (James 5:17). In other words, they were human. They sometimes blew it. And Abram was no exception. There is some disagreement among serious students of scripture whether Abram was right in leaving Canaan during the famine and going to Egypt (see Genesis 12, 10ff). I tend to see it as a lapse in faith. But there is no doubt that he should never have put his wife in harm’s way by passing her off as only his sister and allowing her to be taken into Pharaoh’s house with all that could have entailed. God, in His mercy, worked providentially to deliver Abram and Sarah from a potentially destructive situation. There is both an encouragement and a warning found in this episode. It is encouraging to know that our heavenly Father can and does supersede our weakness and folly. If it were not so, we would fall into all kinds of harm and destruction. We can depend on His covenant mercies. “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14). The warning, however, is this. We must not presume upon our Father’s grace. That is a dangerous path to tread. While it is true that God can restore the years the locusts have eaten, we should try to avoid feeding the locusts of life. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” But we are not to sin in order that grace may abound (See Rom. 5:20-6:2).

Abraham’s firm commitment was an excellent starting point for a man who was called to lead into an unknown future. The fact that he had feet of clay should remind us that we too are weak and sinful and in need of the resources that are ours in Christ in order to lead to His glory. And our weakness makes the next quality of leadership Abraham exhibited all the more indispensable. We will take that quality and one other up the next time.

In Christ,

Charles Cavanaugh

Dear Subscribers,

In the word’s of John Maxwell, “Leadership is Influence: nothing more, nothing less”. But that influence is about direction. Spiritual leadership is about the direction we are going and the direction we want to take othrrs. For the next weeks, we will consider the direction significant men and women in the Bible took others. As always your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

He was inundated by a sin-saturated and satiated culture.  It was enough to throw anyone off track. The minds and hearts and eyes and hands of the world were given over to all manner of evil all day, every day (Gen. 6:5). The world was one vile cesspool.

But there was an exception; a notable and noble exception. “…Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8). He did not go with the flow. He did not follow the crowd. He did not compromise with the culture. In a day when the world was on a roller coaster to hell, Noah resolutely went in the other direction and led his family to do so. And that is the crux of spiritual leadership: not knowledge or ability but direction. And direction can be very obvious in a day of rampant wickedness like Noah’s day; and like ours. When culture is bent on wickedness the person bent on following Christ will stand out. Noah’s integrity, his upright conduct, and his walk with God were notable exceptions to the fair of his day. His wife and his children saw a different kind of man when they looked at him; a man who knew the grace of God personally and enjoyed fellowship with God regularly. This is a distinguishing mark of any spiritual leader. He or she sets himself apart from the norm. He is not afraid to be different. Such a person is ready to hear from God and cooperate in what God will accomplish in a day of great wickedness.

What is the significance of Noah’s spiritual leadership? What was the fruit of his life being a light “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation”? (See Phil. 2:15).  The author of Hebrews in the New Testament tells us (Hebrews 11:7). This man of genuine faith guided by the word of God and bound to the will of God heeded the warning of God and acted on things that He had never seen to bring his family to salvation. His godly life stood as a condemnation to a wicked generation and a means of salvation to his family.

But his actions had consequences far beyond his immediate family and generation. Not only did he follow God and become a means of salvation to his immediate family, but God also used him to affect the course of human history. His sons repopulated the earth. One of his sons was the father of the Jewish people through whom we received the Scriptures and ultimately the Savior – our Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritual leadership is not just about today. Spiritual leaders live with a view to the coming generations. In a day in which evil is exalted and righteousness is ridiculed, we who follow Christ would do well to keep this in mind. The faith and spiritual leadership of Noah are a challenge to us to avoid a life of ease that goes with the flow and to embrace a life lived to the glory of Christ.

Charles Cavanaugh

President, Vision4living Ministries, Inc.

With the approach of June 21, many will be pondering what to get dad. It is true, dad’s can be hard to buy for. So, one of the challenges of Father’s Day is what to get dad: how to show him he is special.

But as a man and a father, I am much more concerned with what to me is a more pressing challenge, not for spouses and children, but for men. The challenge of Father’s Day for men is to be a worthy father, a kind of man who has a lasting influence on his descendants. “The just man walks in his integrity: his children are blessed after him” (Prov. 20:7). May God give us such men. Oh, to be such a man!

Paul often referred to himself and to Christians as “a man in Christ”. He was speaking generically of course and included both men and women. But for my purposes, I want to think a little bit about what it means to be “a man in Christ”. Speaking of himself and his Christian experience of being caught up into heaven he said; “I knew a man in Christ…” (2 Cor. 12:2). He also said; “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away, behold, all things have become knew” (2 Cor. 5:17). I want us to look at the qualities of “a man in Christ” as we see them in Paul and ask our Lord to make us such men.

First; “a man in Christ” is a man of humility. This humility is a holy, biblical understanding of my depravity, inability, and vulnerability. Paul always kept a healthy view of his sinfulness. That is why he could say with all honesty; “I am less than the least of all saints” (Eph. 3:8). Just a quick read of Romans 7 shows us he was acutely aware of his own struggle with the ever present enemy of sin. Such an awareness will help us maintain a proper sense of humility.

Second; “a man in Christ” is a man integrity. Integrity is not perfection, but it is honesty with myself, others, and God. There can be no pretense that I am more than I am or that I am somehow more holy than those around me, especially my family. They know better. Paul said; “And herein I do exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). “Pray for us: for we trust that we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly” (Heb. 13:18). This is a man of integrity: the one who is honest with God and others and quickly deals with any offenses.

Third; a man in Christ is a man of charity. Charity is the old English word used to translate the Greek agape in the KJV. The old English translators knew that a man who loves is a man generous with money, things, and himself. “A man in Christ” is a giver, especially of himself. This is the evidence of his love for Christ and people. Therefore Paul could say; “…The things which happened unto me have turn out rather for the furtherance of the gospel” (Phil. 1:12). His life was given to Christ and others for the gospel’s sake. His love for Christ and his love for others were illustrated by his life of charity.

And so it should be for every man in Christ. Our lives our given to Christ, our families, and others because of our love for Christ. We willing lay aside our petty, selfish, grievances, and preferences for love’s sake.

Fourth; “a man in Christ” is a man of clarity. ” A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). Lack of clarity and focus and lack of vision lead to confusion and instability. The heart and soul of a man in Christ is clear in its focus. Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ…I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord…This one thing I do…” (Phil. 1:21; 3:8, 13).

Fifth; a man in Christ is a man of intensity. Dr. Art Glasser commented; “Passivity is an enemy.” C.H. Spurgeon said; “We cannot afford to live useless lives.” John MacArthur warned; “This is certainly no time for weak men, weak messages, and weak ministries.” With clarity of focus should come intensity of commitment. Again Paul speaks to this in Philippians; “I follow after…” (Phil. 3:12). Paul spoke of himself as being in dogged pursuit of Christ, His Kingdom, and His glory. “Whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working, which works in me mightily” (Col. 1:29). It was obvious to those around Paul that something owned Paul, and that something created in him a passion and intensity that was life-controlling. Men; the seriousness of our commitment will be expressed, at least in part, by the intensity of our passion. Our wives and children will notice.

Sixth; “a man in Christ” is a man of destiny. ” A man in Christ” is going somewhere. He is moving in a particular direction. Spiritual leadership is not seen so much by where you are as by the direction you are going. ” A man in Christ” is moving toward Christ and His will. He realizes that everything is preparation, and he lives his life with this in mind. We live moving ever closer to Christ, and anticipating eternity with Him. Therefore, life is lived and decisions are made with the next generation and eternity in view. Paul said; ” I press toward the mark for the prize…” (Phil. 3:14). “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17, 18). The man in Christ lives with an awareness of his place in Christ’s kingdom now and an excitement and commitment to eternal glory with Christ.

May the Lord help us to be such men; men of humility, men of integrity, men of charity, men of clarity, men of intensity, and men of destiny.

Through the Grace of Our Lord,

Charles Cavanaugh

President, Vision4Living Ministries

Recently a current political figure was quoted as saying; “Never let a crisis go to waste.” The implication is that a crisis is an opportunity to implement one’s agenda. And there seems to be no end of crises at the disposal of those who are looking for an opportunity to exploit.

However, the greatest crises are not those of an economic type, in spite of all the hype to the contrary. The matters of gravest concern are those of a spiritual and biblical nature, and the more fundamental the issue, the more critical our response. Modern day Christianity in general, and Evangelicalism in particular, face a crises of the gospel; a crises that serious-minded followers of Christ cannot ignore or fail to address. The issue is no more basic than biblically defining the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we are to spread the gospel we must know what it is, for to spread a false gospel is to sow the seeds of confusion and destruction and turn the gospel from good news into bad medicine.

Much, if not most, of modern evangelicalism is busy addressing felt needs. Many believe and espouse that the gospel is a panacea for every possible ill or problem. If you have problems in your marriage, come to Jesus, and He will fix your marriage. If you are having financial problems, Jesus will resolve those for you. Are you struggling with emotional unrest? Jesus will give you peace. Whether Jesus is capable of doing any or all these things is not the issue. He certainly is. But these are not what the gospel is about. That is not to say such matters as those mentioned above are not real and important: they are. But they are not what the gospel is about, nor are they the basis for a biblical gospel appeal.

The word gospel literally means “good news”. And “good news” implies that there is bad news. One cannot fully appreciate the good news of the gospel unless he or she comes to grips with the bad news. It is like the old saying; “I have good news and bad news.” In this case, we need to hear the bad news first. The bad news is that we are sinners by nature (Eph. 2:3), held by the power of darkness (Col. 1:13), and enemies of God (Col. 1:21). The bad news is really bad because sinners have no means in themselves to escape this wretched condition, being blinded by the spiritual darkness that engulfs them and dead to spiritual realities (Eph. 2:1, John 3:3).

So what sinners (i.e. humans) need is not a salve for their felt needs but a Savior for their lostness. “Christ Jesus came to save sinners,” not to act as a Jeanie, an unseen psychologist, or financial advisor. And to be faithful to gospel, to Christ, and to the never-dying souls of men, women, boys and girls we must convince them biblically that they are enemies of God because of their sin and hopelessly alienated from Him. If they are to turn or repent, and they must (Luke 13:3), then they must know from what they are turning as well as to whom they are turning. They must flee from the wrath to come and flee to Christ. The gospel is not “ask Jesus into your heart”, a phrase which never occurs in scripture. The “good news” is that all sinners who turn from their sins and look in faith to Christ for salvation from their sins and their just penalty will be saved (John 3:18).

There is one last aspect to consider if we are to proclaim a biblical gospel. For the ultimate end in view is not the salvation of humans, as critical and delightful as that is. God’s ultimate concern is His own glory. He is glorified in the salvation of sinners. He is glorified in people bowing the knee to Him. He is pleased to glorify Himself in the salvation and transformation of human souls. His first thought and His last thought are not mankind. They are His glory. And He is pleased to let those who believe be part of that great ultimate purpose. “Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9-11)

The time has come to turn from the easy-believism that has filled church roles with unconverted people who have no hunger and thirst for righteousness. The time has come for all true followers of Christ to love the souls of the lost by confronting them with a clear biblical gospel that is “the power of God of salvation to everyone who believes…” (Rom. 1:16).

Charles Cavanaugh

President of Vision4Living Ministries

There once was a young man who was brought up in a godly home. His father was a great leader who had a heart for God and taught him in the ways of Jehovah. This young man had many siblings, but he stood out as one who had significant potential and seemed destined for leadership. He followed in his father footsteps, and, as a leader of God’s people, brought them to achievements far greater than they had ever reached. His wisdom astonished them as well as unbelievers all around. It seemed that nothing or no one could keep this man from achieving unparalleled success as a leader of God’s people and as a man of God. Anyone who would have questioned his wisdom, abilities, and future potential would have been subject to scorn, considered a spiritual novice at best, and an infidel at the worst. God’s blessing was evidently upon this man as seen through his inspirational writings and prolific achievements.

There were, however, chinks in the proverbial armor of this great man. Decisions were being made that were setting the course for future failure and destruction. In light of his great achievements and God’s obvious blessing, they appeared relatively insignificant, and sadly their effects were not immediately recognizable. While he made these unwise and unbiblical decisions, the residual effects of God’s blessing continued, and the work of God continued to flourish. But inevitable consequences were on the horizon, and God’s blessing would undoubtedly change into a curse.

Indeed, while this gifted and passionate man had begun well, his end was not blessed. The seeds of destruction had been sown and were growing into a full harvest. As his final days approached there was a latent and growing dissatisfaction which was causing an underlying division among God’s people. Earlier, unbiblical decisions had paved the way for the unscrupulous to have their influence. And this once great leader’s failure to reject compromise in critical areas resulted in irreparable weakness in his children. The heir to his great work was unable and unwilling to make wise decisions that would have solidified his position of leadership and broadened his influence. The result was a people divided and a work destroyed. The potential of a godly seed was greatly diminished and unbelievers were given cause and opportunity to blaspheme the true and living God.

Perhaps you have some thoughts on the spiritual journey of this leader. Who was he? What could have been done to avoid this tragedy? And what lessons can we learn to avoid this end?

Charles Cavanaugh

President of Vision4Living Ministries