Tag: Jonathan Hill

“The Secret of Indigo Moon” By G. P. Taylor (A Review)

On By pastorjonathanIn booksLeave a comment

The Secret of Indigo Moon (The Dopple Ganger Chronicles) by G. P. Taylor is a fascinating book filled with mystery and intrigue.  The book is designed for children and young adults who don’t read often.  The narrative switches between a regular novel format with plain words on a page and graphic novel format where pages are filled with art depicting the scenes as they unfold.  Over all I was very impressed with the format.  The art work is also top-notch and fascinating in its own right.

I really enjoyed the content of the book.  G. P. Taylor is a master storyteller when it comes to engaging a middle school audience.  The Secret of Indigo Moon is a suspenseful tale of mystery and intrigue  filled with secret passageways, cover-ups, and disguises.  I found myself reading the whole book in one sitting.

I really like The Secret of Indigo Moon and I highly recommend it for middle school students and adults who enjoy such literature.  I especially like the blending of graphic art and novel formats.  I think it will engage a younger audience.  The retail price of The Secret of Indigo Moon is $19.99 (Hardcover), and is available around the web in places like Amazon.com for $13.59. I gave it five stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their Tyndale Blog Network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

“he was looking for the kingdom of God” (Lk. 23:51)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Have you ever been desperate to see God move?  Have you ever looked around and realized that apart from God doing something, it’s hopeless? Have you ever hoped beyond hope that God would move in a significant way in your lifetime?

Joseph did.  He was looking for the kingdom of God.  Then one day on the worst day in history Joseph did something that put him right in the middle of seeing the kingdom of God come together.

You see He put the body of Jesus in his tomb.  When it looked like all was lost he did the right thing.  He provided a burial for the peasant that everyone had thought was the Messiah.  He gave his tomb to Jesus.

Even on a terrible day, Joseph was prepared to be busy doing something.  He was going to take care of the body of this peasant and put him in his own tomb.  Joseph was a man of action.

I guess that looking really involves doing.  Looking for the kingdom of God isn’t sitting on the sidelines hoping to see a miracle or something.  That was what Herod was doing and he wasn’t looking for the kingdom of God.  He just wanted a show.

Joseph was looking and as he was looking he was doing.  His action put him in the middle of the kingdom of God.

Father,

I am seeking to follow you today.  I don’t want to be a spectator.  help me to do even small and menial tasks as unto you today.  Thank you for my salvation that was accomplished on the cross.  Use me to tell others about you today.

By Your Endurance You Will Gain Your Lives.(LK 21:19)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Be patient.  Sometimes patience is really hard to grasp.  I like the word “endurance” used here.  Endurance is the key to gaining your life.  Endurance or patience is the key because it holds on to the promise that Christ will do all that He said He would do.  Endurance is faith when the chips are down and the persecution is hot.  Endurance is holding on with the knowledge that Christ is returning and all will be as it should be.  Endurance is facing war, famine, persecution, and tragedy knowing that even in the face of grief… It is not finished.

Those who are not patient will lose their lives.  They will play their hand on the here and now looking for benefits, though they only be temporary.  They will spend their time, their talents, and their money on the immediate.  When something doesn’t pan out they will keep looking.  They give up easy on the right way and pursue dead ends because initially they look like they will pay off with big returns.

“Hold on,” He says. “Hold on, it will be a bumpy ride. Many things will happen, but they won’t be the end.  It will take a while.  My timing is not your timing.”

I guess that is really the key.  His timing is perfect, mine is comfortable.  I like knowing how things will work out.  I would like to know how the next ten years of my life will go.  The truth is I may not have 10 years to spend.  I should trust Christ now.  Even when it looks like the world is against me, I should trust Him and know that His timing is perfect.  You see patience is the ultimate statement that life isn’t all about me.

Father,

Thank you for your Word that is truth.  I continue to be amazed at how you speak to me through your Word.  Today I am waiting on you.  I am working in your Timing.

Servant Leadership: When is The Right Time to Delegate?

On By pastorjonathanIn leadershipLeave a comment

The book of Exodus contains a conversation between Moses and his father-in-law Jethro about one of the most important aspects of leadership, delegation.  Jethro challenges Moses to relieve the burden of being the sole judge for the whole nation. He counsels him to establish laws and appoint trustworthy men to handle the smaller issues of justice.  Jethro claims that if Moses will make these small changes, “God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace” (Ex. 18.23).

Likewise, in the New Testament book of Acts Luke records the history of the office of deacon.  Deacons were selected from among the people to meet an urgent need that was taking the Apostles away from their main duties. Luke records the twelve as saying, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty” (Acts 6:2-3).

Delegation is one of the most important aspects of servant leadership.  Through delegation leaders are able to focus clearly on the greater needs of the organization or ministry they serve.  Delegation also charges leaders to responsibly recognize the gifts of others in the organization and empower them to accomplish larger tasks. Generally, as a result of good delegation, organizations are able to grow and leadership is multiplied. 

WHEN IS IT TIME TO DELGATE?

Knowing when to delegate can be an arduous task.  Leaders may feel that the tasks they accomplish quite readily or even with great agitation will suffer under the oversight of someone else.  Some leaders may sense a loss of control by handing responsibilities of a given task over to another individual, even if that individual is a subordinate.  However, the risk of not delegating at the right time is even greater.  Leaders who delegate well are helping their organization in a long term capacity.  Leaders who do not delegate tend to have only a short-term view in mind.

Leaders who do not delegate efficiently are hampering the growth of their organization. Delegation enlarges an organization’s leadership pool.  Therefore, an organization will never grow larger than its leader’s ability to delegate. Oswald Sanders writes in his book Spiritual Leadership, “A one person office can never grow larger than the load one person can carry.”[2]

Both in the case of Moses and the twelve leading disciples the time to delegate came when they could no longer move forward doing what they had been doing.  The time to delegate presented itself in the midst of crisis.  On occasion, a leader will find that he has taken on more tasks than he has time to adequately manage.  When this occurs something inevitably is let go.[3] While a leader may get by with this for a season, after a while, burning the candle at both ends generally leads to burnout and is unhealthy both for the leader and the organization he serves.

When a leader finds that she has too many tasks on her plate for one person to accomplish she should scrutinize her schedule.  Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby write in their book Spiritual Leadership, “The key to successful leadership is not creating more time in one’s life or packing more activities into one’s day, but staying on God’s agenda.”[4] Sometimes a leader will need to say no to items that others would like to place on her agenda. Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby go on to state, “Great leaders don’t allow their busy lives or their vast responsibilities to overwhelm them.  Rather, they become the masters of their schedules through determined and conscience effort.”[5]

When is the right time to delegate?  All the time.  Stay tuned for more on delegation tomorrow.

How about you?  Are you good at delegation? What is the hardest part of delegation for you?

[2] Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership (Chicago:  Moody Press, 1994), 138.

[3] Ibid., 140.

[4] Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, Spiritual Leadership (Nashville: B & H, 2001), 200.

[5] Ibid., 201.

because “They Supposed That The Kingdom of God Was to Appear Immediately” (Lk. 19:11)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

He had just proclaimed in Zacchaeus’ house that he had come to “seek and save that which was lost.”  To their minds they couldn’t fathom what would be more lost than the city of Jerusalem under Roman rule.  Some had already sought to make Him the king by force.  But they didn’t understand the full magnitude of what Jesus had come to do.  They were looking to be saved from Rome, never did they imagine that He had come to save them from an even greater enemy.

I wonder if sometimes we might ever underestimate what Jesus is really up to in our lives? We have plans and ideas about how things should play out.  We have taken the liberty and written out all the plays that God should make.  We even take the time to find the verses that support our theories.  Yet in the midst of it we forget one thing: He is God and we are not. We don’t see the big picture.  We don’t have full knowledge of how things will play out. We don’t understand the full ramification of our own actions, how then could we fully fathom the mind of God.

They would have stopped Easter from ever happening in order to have a temporal king. They would have been free from Rome, but dead in their sins.  They would have national hero, but the world would be lost forever.

How many times along the road to the cross would he have been stopped if he listened to those around Him?  Have you ever Praised God that He didn’t listen to our foolish plans or ideas? His are always better, even if their is a bit of pain in the mix.  Have you ever thought that God provides for us exactly what we need in Jesus Christ, and this is often more than we have the foresight to want?

Father,

I thank you today for your patience with me.  Like those around Jesus at this time, I often try to fit you into my understanding of things.  I have ideas on how things should play out, but I am reminded today that your ways are greater and your plans are better.  I am following you today.

 

Review: The Grad’s Guide to Surviving Stressful Times

On By pastorjonathanIn booksLeave a comment

I greatly enjoyed reading The Grad’s Guide to Surviving Stressful Times ! Initially I thought it would just be another corny book aimed at recent or soon to be high school graduates full of useless information and cheesy antidotes.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a great book of substance. Though I do think the publishers should rework the cover. (Some people still do judge a book that way you know).

In Surviving Stressful Times the authors take the reader through a survey of Daniel the prophets life, offering tidbits of wisdom and guidance all along the way.  The book is geared towards graduates, but the theme lends itself to a great series for older teens and young adults.  I really liked the authors writing style.  The book was easy to read, yet full of Biblical principles and truth.

With that being said, the authors did take a little more liberty with the contextualization of the story that I was comfortable with. While at times they did an excellent job of explaining the original cultural context by comparing and contrasting current teen culture, as the book progressed they became more sloppy about providing background and went straight for application which can be misleading.

Overall I thought it was an incredibly well written book and will recommend it to several young adults in my life. The retail price is $14.99 (hardcover), and is available around the web in places like  Amazon.com for prices as low as $11.24. I gave it FOUR stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

I have too many books, so I’m giving some Away

On By pastorjonathanIn books3 Comments

I have too many books!  So I’ve come up with a creative way to give away some of my books, reward those of you who stop by here from time to time (or just today), and get some of my blog posts out there. So here is the deal:

1. Pick a favorite blog article from this blog (I’ve listed a few of mine below, but you can pick yours)

2. Share a link to that article via Facebook, Twitter, your own blog, etc.

3. Let my know which post you shared and how by commenting on that post or this one. (example of a comment: I shared your “review of Generous Justice” on my Facebook Page.)

On Friday, February 25th, 2011 I’ll randomly select the winners. Right now I have at least 3 books to give away but I am scouring my shelves for more.  I’ll be giving books away according to how I rated them.  So if your name is drawn first you will get  a 4 or 5 star book in my opinion.  If your name is drawn last you might end up with a 2-3 star book (I won’t burden anyone with a 1 star book).  Obviously if more than 3 people enter,  not everyone will get a book.  If less than 3 enter you may get more than one book. There is no limit to how many times you can enter.  Just share a different blog post with each entry and place a separate comment on this blog so your entry gets counted properly.  If you have questions leave a comment and I’ll answer.  If you win, I’ll mail the books to you providing that you live in the continental United States or Canada.  (unless of course you live here in town, then we can make arrangements for me to drop them off).

Here are a few of my favorites from over the past year or two:

Living Godly in an Ungodly Wolrd (Titus 3)

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, discipleship1 Comment

My pastor posts a daily devotional thoughts most every day on the passages of scripture he is reading.  I follow along by reading the same passage in the morning and some time later catching up with his thoughts.  Today is the third and final day in Titus. I don’t know what aspects of the passage he is going to flesh out.  Hopefully this will be complimentary to his blog post.

Living Godly in an Ungodly World

In a perfect world just knowing sound doctrine would be good enough to effect the way we live, but the truth of the matter is that we live in an ungodly world.  It is difficult to put into practice the things that we know are right.  We can find ourselves justifying wrong behavior.  We justify cheating on our taxes because we disagree how the money will be spent.  We talking bad about our boss because we find ourselves on his bad side.  We justify not disciplining our kids because we have had a long day at work.

So then, how do we live Godly in an ungodly world?

We submit to the authorities that God has placed us under (Titus 3:1) – We are good citizens.  We didn’t used to be (Titus 3:3).  We don’t take offense at having leadership placed over us.  We look for ways to serve those who lead us, sometimes even while we disagree.

When teaching on leadership one time I wanted to illustrate how leaders have to make decisions based on the best interest of the people they lead.  Sometimes the majority vote is wrong.  To make the point I let the kids decide where to eat.  They said, “Chick-fil-a.” I said it wouldn’t work.  They said, “KFC.”  I said it wasn’t a good choice for the group.  I kid you not they said, “Churches Chicken.”  I finally said, “you need to make a decision that’s good for the group.”  They asked, “What’s wrong with Chicken?” The answer was that one of them was allergic to chicken.

Sometimes we may think that those we are called to submit to just hate chicken, but I bet if we give them the benefit of the doubt we will find out that more often than not they are making wise decisions for the group.  When we place the interest of others ahead of our own we are ready to hear that.  Its while we are self absorbed that we most often rail against  the Authorities in our lives.

We do good works (Titus 3:1, 8) – We shouldn’t be godly in our speach only, but in our actions as well.  When God has blessed us we need to give of our time, effort, and money to help others along the way.  Sometimes that is helping our brothers in Christ along the way.  Sometimes that is going out of our way to help people meet Jesus.

We Avoid foolish controversies and toxic people (Titus 3:9) – Some people never get it.  We are to lovingly reach out once or twice, but not give audience to those who are seeking a division.  This may sound strange or out of character, but the truth is some people  thrive of having people listen to what they are saying and so they invent controversy.  The best way to deal with someone who is creating controversy for controversy sake is to reason with them once or twice and then deal with them like the little boy that cried wolf.

There isn’t profit in continually giving someone an audience who is bent on folly.  You are only feeding the folly.  The godly thing to do is cut them off so they will learn of their sin and quickly repent.  The last thing you want to do is be seen in the middle of a church scandal while trying to invite your lost friends to meet Jesus.

Application: Living Godly in an ungodly world… What are you doing to submit to the authority in your life? How are you blessing the leadership in your life? What kinds of good works are you involved in or can you be involved in today?  Who can you bless?  Who do you need to avoid?  What situations do you need to remove yourself from?

Which of the 3 is hardest for you?

What are your thoughts on Titus 3?

If you liked this post, you may like these as well:

When Church People Do Bad Things

When Church hurts

7 Steps of a Unified Group

God Cannot Lie, but People Can (Titus 1)

Sound Doctrine Produces Godly Living (Titus 2)

Review: “Spectacular Sins” By John Piper

On By pastorjonathanIn books, Kingdom of GodLeave a comment

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend the Florida Baptist Convention where I got a chance to buy a copy of John Piper’s book, Spectacular Sins at the Lifeway store.   Being a Piper fan and having read most all of his works I set out to read this book this past weekend.  I was refreshed with the candor and diligence with which Piper writes in this book.  The introduction alone is worth the price of the book.

After establishing a need for a more vigilant Christianity and pleading with the reader to be prepared for the advancing darkness Piper launches into an exposition of several of the spectacular sins that have been recorded in the scriptures.  He writes of sins such as the fall in the Garden of Eden, rebellion at the Tower of Babel, selling of Joseph, and betrayal by Judas and how through each rebellious act God was in control, turning evil on its nose and causing great good to come out of acts that were intended for evil.

You can find the book in hard cover it normally goes for $15.99, but you can find it on Amazon.com for $10.87 and even cheaper from Desiring God in paper back for $6.49.  You can find our more about John Piper and resources he has written and produced here.  The original sermons that have been recorded in print in this book can also be found free of charge here on the Desiring God ministry site.

I highly recommend this brief book (128 Pages) to anyone interested getting a glimps at how God can cause good to triumph over plans that were intended for evil.  It is an urgent message that is much-needed in our day.  I give it 4 stars.

21 Days of Bond(ing)

On By pastorjonathanIn About Jonathan, Family, Manhood, WomanhoodLeave a comment

Fortunately I was also friends with Avia’s brother Fred.  We’d go up to the church gym every now and then and he would beat me in a game of basketball. One night it came to Fred’s attention that I hadn’t seen all of the James Bond movies.  Fred was an avid Bond fan and owned the complete boxed set.  I didn’t have a TV at the time, so he invited me over to their house and we started watching the Bond movies on a pretty regular basis.

This provided me with a great opportunity to spend time with Avia her family.  I wanted to see how she interacted with her brother and parents.  She would often stay up late and watch the movies with us.  I remember one night she was sick and had already  gone to sleep.  As soon as she heard Fred and I were there, she woke up and came to the living room to watch the movie with us.  That’s when I knew she liked me.

As the bond series was ending (21 movies at that time) it became obvious that Avia and I were quickly becoming close friends.  I knew my intentions toward her were for more than friendship and felt it was time to define the relationship.  After we saw the last Bond movie, I asked her to spend the day with me by going canoeing with a large group and a seeing a movie together.  On the ride home I discussed my feelings and thoughts with her and asked her if she would be interested in a dating relationship with a view towards marriage.  We both understood that if either of us saw the relationship wasn’t going to work toward marriage, we would break it off immediately.  She agreed that we could “try it out.”

Then I did something weird.  I asked her parents if it was okay to date their daughter. They had gotten a chance to know me and they definately knew Avia.  I valued their perspective.  I explained that I was not asking to marry their daughter, but to date her with a view toward marriage.  If they said, no, I would respect that.  But my heart turned flips when they said yes!  I valued their observation and input along the way and  welcomed their sound advice.  I now look back on this time as one of the most treasured moments of my life.   That day God also kindled in my heart a warm appreciation, love and respect for Avia’s parents.