The question, “What do you want to do when you grow up?”, is a pretty good starter for a conversation with a kid. Most have an instant answer that’s easy to build upon: “A fireman!”, “An astronaut!”, “A doctor!” [I’ve yet to hear, “A Pastor!”]

I’ve also discovered that the response-time in answering this question usually goes down as age increases. In other words, older kids (even the adult variety) have a much harder time with the question. No problem understanding that, though – committing to a singular career through retirement is down-right overwhelming!

Thankfully, there’s good news from the following scripture:

1Pe 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. [NIV]

In effect, what this verse says is: Fulfillment isn’t a matter of giftings (or occupations, or careers), but a matter of serving others! Career interests, like gifts, are important, but only to the point of making another person’s life better. It’s when those gifts are lovingly “administered” that the personal satisfaction really kicks in. Great gifts, not served, result in emptiness and meaninglessness. Just one gift, given with lots of love, is life! [The Little Drummer Boy comes to mind.]

All said, don’t be afraid of committing to a job or a career (or the use of a gift), fearing it may be at the expense of another opportunity. It doesn’t really matter what you’re doing, but how you’re doing it. The joy is in the “administering (God’s grace in it various forms)”! That, and… if God is gifting, then He probably has an opportunity in mind to use that gift.

Mt 10:39 “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Springing off a previous post, Bible Number Significance, I’m reminded of Christians who, armed with these insights (with their ‘safety’ off), adopt the practice of ascribing significance to numbers in their daily walk.

Striving for a sense of affirmation by God, and to be in harmony with His will, numbers with spiritual meanings are sought and embraced. “Good” numbers, like 7 (perfection, fullness) and 3 (divine completeness), are taken into consideration as they relate to the decision-making process. For instance…

“Does this house we’re wanting to buy have a ‘good’ address? a ‘good’ price? a ‘good’ number of stairs? a ‘good’ number of neighbors?” Implying, does it have “good” numbers associated with it? Do the numbers begin with 3 or 7? Do they add up to 3 or 7? If not, do they add up to another “good” number like 10 (3+7), or 21 (3×7), or 9 (3²), or 27 (3³), etc.. If not, “Well… then the house must not be ordained by God for our purchase.”

Perhaps the example was ridiculous (I hope so!). Or maybe “it hit really close to home”. I certainly run into Christians, some very serious and spiritual, some who are in the ministry, who use this practice to ascertain God’s will. The bottom line: Living this way is akin to soothsaying [fortune-telling] and divination, where the “bible number” serves to fore-tell or influence a decision. We’re not appointed to this!

De 18:13 “You shall be blameless before the LORD your God.
14 “For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you.

So, to what degree should numbers – “biblical numbers” – play a role in a Christian’s conduct and manner of living? Following are some examples (Disclaimer: All examples appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real examples, living or dead, is purely coincidental.):

• Purchases (eg “I’ll give you $70.77 for that, but not a penny more… or less.”)
• Dining totals & tips amounts (eg “I (barely) give 10% to God, I’ll (barely) give a 10% tip to this waiter!”
• Auction bids (eg high bid: $43.77)
• Calendar dates (eg is Fri the 13th a problem?)
• Phone numbers (eg here’s a heavenly phone number: 373-3737; and when added, equals 33 – doubly divine!)
• Age (eg 66 yrs old – bummer!)
• Elevators (eg “Are we skipping an actual 13th floor, or is the 14th floor really the 13th?”)

The answer to the question, of course, should be: “NONE! To NO degree! Numbers have no influence upon my life or decision-making. I have a relationship with God, and I walk by faith (according to His word), not by sight (all that is external to the inward working of His Spirit)!”

To this we’ve been appointed…

Joh 15:16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Otherwise…

Re 2:4 “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
 5 “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place–unless you repent.

It’s fascinating that numbers have spiritual significance in the Bible, consistent throughout the Old and New Testaments. By design, they carry an underlying prophetic connotation, denoting authorship to a singular source – the Creator (2Ti 3:16). Simply put: God’s signature can be found even on a number. That’s awesome!

Following is a list of numbers referenced in the Bible, with their interpreted meanings. Though not absolute, the meanings demonstrate constancy and, in most cases, are corroborated by “two or more” (Mt 18:16) references.

1 – singularity, unity (the Shema, one Spirit/Lord/God, abiding as one)

2 – truth, justice, division (testimony of witnesses, double-edge sword, Old & New Testaments)

3 – divine completeness (trinity, baptism into triune God, “Holy, Holy, Holy”)

4 – the earth, creation, empirical truth (North/South/East/West, seasons & earth life, corners of the earth)

5 – grace, instruction (Torah/Book of Moses, equipping of the saints)

6 – man, works, sin (man created, 6-days work, 6th commandment = sin against man)

7 – spiritual perfection, fullness, rest (lamps & the throne, 7 churches, 7th day rest)

8 – new beginnings (new week, Noah’s ark passengers)

9 – transition, visitation (Jesus died, Peter & John’s 1st miracle, Cornelius’ vision)

10 – divine order (plagues, Commandments, the tithe)

11 – disorder (brothers minus Joseph, disciples minus Judas)

12 – governmental authority (tribes of Israel, Apostles, fruit on tree of life)

13 – rebellion (Chedorloamer, Solomon’s house)

14 – release, deliverance (Jesus’ crucifixion, Passover, Paul’s storm & shipwreck)

15 – new direction (Israel departs Egypt, Hezekiah’s additional years, Hosea buys his wife)

16 – love (characteristics of love)

17 – victory (Jesus’ resurrection, Noah’s ark rests on Mt Ararat)

18 – bondage (Israel oppressed, woman with issue of blood)

20 – enlistment (Jacob serving Laban, Joseph’s sale price, offering given, military service)

24 – priesthood (division of priests, 24 elders)

30 – ordination (Joseph, David, Jesus)

39 – mercy (40 stripes minus one)

40 – trial (the flood, Moses receives the Law, desert wandering,  Jesus’ fast)

42 – mocking, blasphemy (mocking Elisha, antichrist blasphemes God)

50 – liberty & joy (year of jubilee, Pentecost)

70 – human leadership (elders, Sanhedrin, disciples)

100 – fullness, fruitfulness (Abraham’s age at Isaac’s birth, prophets hidden in caves, assured age in millennium, a crop on good ground)

120 – limits (age, priests at temple dedication, Ninevah heathen (x1000), disciples at Pentecost)

153 – congregational subset (aliens in the kingdom, Peter’s catch)

490 – forgiveness, humanity perfected (70 x 7)

666 – anti-Christ, secular humanism (number of the beast, Solomon’s gold)

Before getting too carried away, beware of the dangers associated with Bible Numbers. Read Bible Number Soothsaying.

 Ps 90:12 ¶ So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Additional references:

• The Biblical Meaning of Numbers by Dr. Stephen E. Jones, God’s Kingdom Ministries
• BibleStudy.org – Numbers in Scripture: Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance by E.W. Bullinger
• CARM – Christian Apologetic and Research Ministry

John 3:16 is, perhaps, the most popular verse in the Bible. Christians are familiar with it as a one-verse summary of the Gospel, easy to memorize, serving as an excellent starting point for evangelism. The rest of the world is familiar with its reference in sporting events, graffiti, and evangelical attempts by good-intentioned Christians. Regardless of the association, John 3:16 is one of those verses that keep recurring in people’s lives.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [KJV]

For God so loved the world – Good news! God loves the world! This truth is important, particularly on those days when we may feel unloved or unlovable. This verse clearly indicates God’s heart of love toward the world. Further, God’s love is defined as an action, as an initiative, as a matter of sacrifice, not as an emotion. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1Jo 4:10)”

that he gave his only begotten Son – God gave His son, not some other object of lesser value or affection. No greater loss could be known than that of a parent’s loss (much less, sacrifice) of their child; all the more, their only child. God’s plan of redemption was no cakewalk, being extremely painful for both the Son and the Father.

that whosoever believeth in him – Believing in Him, in Jesus, is an option made available to every inhabitant of the world: “whosoever”. Although an affirmative response is implied, a valid decision includes the option for rejection. In either case, God took the initiative, and the responsibility now rests upon the decision-maker.

should not perish – Death is a reality, but it really “should not” occur. For some, death is a topic they’d rather not discuss nor have any association; however, the ability to ignore the reality of death has little effect upon its inevitability. Others may face death apart from “believing in him [God’s only begotten son]”, only to bear the consequence of a life in rebellion to God (2Th 1:9). Both perspectives are foolish when the option to “not perish”, through faith in Jesus Christ, is available.

but have everlasting life – Life can be, is intended to be, and is available to be, everlasting! And it’s offered freely (though the cost, Jesus’ death at Calvary, was high). The alternative to everlasting life is not immediate death, as some might believe, but everlasting death – separation from God and His attributes (Gal 5:22-23). Why choose the latter when the former is so good?

†

De 30:19 “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore CHOOSE LIFE, that both you and your descendants may live;
20 “that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days…”

The authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews is a much debated subject! The following are some reasons why the Apostle Paul may be its author:

“My Chains”

Heb 10:34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.

Paul is the only writer to reference my chains in the New Testament, and he does so 9 times (Php 1:7, 13, 14, 16, Col 4:18, 2Ti 1:16, 2:9, Phm 1:10, 13).

My chains coincides with Paul’s letters written during either his…

1st Roman imprisonment (60-62AD): Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (aka The Prison Epistles)

2nd Roman imprisonment (67AD): 2nd Timothy

“Timothy” and “Italy”

Heb 13:23 Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly. 24 Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

Timothy was Paul’s closest associate

1Co 4:17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.

Php 2:19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state.
20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.

Paul was “bound” for Italy

Ac 27:1 ¶ And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Regiment.

Ac 28:30 ¶ Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house [in Rome], and received all who came to him,

“Hebrew of Hebrews”

Php 3:4 ¶ though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee

Q: Who would have been more qualified to address the Jews than Paul, the Hebrew of Hebrews?

“My Countrymen”

Ro 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,

Paul loved his brethren to such a degree that, if it were possible, he would have been willing to be accursed for their sake!

Wide Circulation

In order for the Epistle to the Hebrews to be received authoritatively, it had to be authored by a significant church leader. With the exception of the Epistle of James (the half-brother of Jesus), all other NT writings have apostolic origins.

Compliment to the Epistle to the Romans

Just as the Epistle to the Romans was written by Paul for the Gentiles, Hebrews may have been written by Paul for the Jews.

So… why is it important to know who wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews? Well, actually it isn’t – not enough, anyway, that the Holy Spirit wouldn’t have included the information instead of remaining silent. All the same, the study of Paul’s life as it relates to his Hebrew brethren and to the Gentiles is inspiring!

Ac 26:22 “Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I [Paul] stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come–
23 “that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

Against my better judgment I played the game, PayDay, today with my family. Against my better judgment because, for the most part, I’m not into playing games – those who know me would say this was a gross understatement. There are (lots of) other things I’d rather do (like playing the guitar, blogging, reconciling a checkbook), but this was an opportunity for us to spend some time together so, against my better judgment, I played the game.

So we set up the game and started playing. My favorite game playing piece, blue, was snatched-up so, against my better judgment, I settled for yellow (my least favorite color, the color of cowardice and humiliation).

On my first move I landed on a Deal space and had the opportunity to buy an investment; however, I didn’t have enough money built up (only $325, my monthly salary) since it was early in the game. So, against my better judgment, I took out a loan to make the purchase. [NOTE: I didn’t know until another move later that the monthly interest on the loan was 20% (240% APR – it’s robbery, that’s what it is!) if not paid in full by month’s end!]

On my next move, I landed on a Mail space and received bills requiring payments equally ~$1200. I didn’t have that either so, against my better judgment (more like, against my will), I increased the line of credit.

A round later, someone landed on the Poker Game space, where each participant could pitch-in $100 for a chance to win the pot with a high roll. Decent odds but, being deeply in debt only 1/6th of the way into the game, I wasn’t going to take a $100 loan to play Poker. “Come on, Pop!” they all said, so, against my better judgment, I played… and subsequently lost $100.

A turn later I landed on a Mail space again and received a Lottery Ticket, worth $100 if I landed on the Lottery Draw at the end of the month. Big deal – the odds were worse than the Poker Game, and it would expire at the end of the month. So, I considered selling it for the highest bid since I was so far in the red. But, against my better judgment, I kept it… and passed over the Draw space.

The game continued like this pretty much to the end. Four or five more Poker Games came up and, against my better judgment, I played on loaned money (“I’m due for a win!”) and lost. At the end, my total “assets” equaled -$1000; everyone else had at least $1500; the youngest won the game with >$5000!

3 Lessons Learned (for games and, all the more, for life):

Ps 119:66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments.

1. Learn good judgment and knowledge.
2. Believe and stick to (DOING) what is “right” according to God’s word (ie Loans, Poker Games, and the Lottery are bad ideas and lead to poverty).
3. Don’t go against my better judgment again!

Joh 7:34 “You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”

Why will some who seek Jesus not find Him? Because their aim in “seeking” is to dominate and gain control over Him. They want their will to be done and, by default, displace His authority in their lives. For example, earlier in the same chapter, they Jews intended to kill Him! (Joh 7:1)

Those who pursue Jesus with an agenda may find that He becomes elusive, and His will becomes difficult to ascertain. In contrast, those who seek Jesus to be with Him… to be led, directed, and guided by Him… will find Him readily!

De 4:29 “You will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

One day, every believer who’s lived with hair loss will stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His glorious light, where hairstyles become meaningless and insignificant! Until then, however, the following is given to bridge the gap of understanding between believers with hair and those without.

Cons to hair loss

• Head sunburns easily, then looks gross when it peels
• Wearing a hat leads people to believe you’re insecure about your hair loss and are trying to hide it; but that’s not the case… really… it isn’t
• Collisions with cabinet doors occur without cushioning
• Hairstyles are fewer, but are more difficult to manage
• Hair growth on other areas of the body are accentuated, by comparison
• Becomes a means for identification – “Yeah, he’s the bald guy over there.”
• Weight gain is rewarded with a new identification – “Yeah, he’s the fat, bald guy over there.”

Pros to hair loss

• n/a (anyone who says otherwise is telling a bald-faced lie)

Consolation concerning hair loss

• The following verse is God’s gift to believers endeavoring to serve Him to the fullest while living with hair loss:

2Ki 2:23 Then [the prophet, Elisha] went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
24 So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.

So, be kind to your bald brethren.

Or else…

In reference to iLove leads to iSolation

Where there’s iLove (self-love), iSolation will follow in the heart toward others, in addition to being alienated by others (and God).

This happens because, as the individual falls more in love with himself, he begins to regard his peers less. He becomes superior; they become inferior. The iSolation is his doing, and his equals become fewer and fewer.

Worse, left uncrucified, iLove will authorize any and every action, even those which cross the line of morality or legality. Authority is replaced with iThority.

That said: Rather than perpetuate iLove by seeking and justifying “a better, more enhanced (‘i’) experience”, instead…

• Be content with your present “experience”

Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

• Seek opportunities to give to others in lieu of keeping for self (hint: try blessing someone with the “i” experience you planned on giving to yourself)

Ac 20:35 “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

• Find and “experience” Life (Joh 14:6) through self-sacrifice

Mt 10:39 “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

†

Jas 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

2Ti 3:1 ¶ But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

The iPod, iPhone, iPad, and iTunes are appealing and innovative products, and they’ve been marketed brilliantly to promise a captivating, individual, “i” experience.

It shouldn’t surprise us that the “i” concept has caught on. Why wouldn’t it? It appeals and caters to our self-centered, human nature. Cool products, for sure; but a pretty ego-centric concept, to say the least!

In addition to the Apple products mentioned, following are some other “i”-centered experiences, gleaned from 2Ti 3:1-5 (above). These find an association to another “apple” (fruit) product, consumed some years ago in the Garden of Eden:

• iLove
• iGreed
• iBoast
• iProud
• iBlaspheme
• iDisobedient
• iUnthankful
• iUnholy
• iUnloving
• iUnforgiving
• iSlander
• iUncontrollable
• iBrutal
• iDespise
• iTraitor
• iHeadstrong
• iHaughty
• iNarcissistic
• iDenying
• iSolation

The lesson, of course, is that “iLove” (self-love) leads to “iSolation” (isolation). This makes sense: Who wants to be around a person who’s in love with himself and his “i”-centered experiences? People don’t, and neither does God (Lk 13:27)!

Instead, let’s adopt some Jesus-centered “i” experiences. Here’s a short list of 10:

1. iCrucified
2. iEncourage
3. iFaithful
4. iFollow
5. iGive
6. iHumble
7. iOthers
8. iServant
9. iSubmit
10. iTernalLife (ok, Eternal Life)

Joh 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

One day way back in the ’80s I spent some time looking up the number of chapters in the Bible. The total, as well as the number per book, was needed to create a “custom” reading plan (something a little different from what was readily available). It was a fun project and, though I’ve found the information duplicated in planners and now on the internet, the exercise acquainted me with my Bible since I had to go through it book-by-book. Valuable.

Since then I’ve continued to reference the information more than I would’ve anticipated, and have opted to include it in RockinTheWord for quick access online. Following is the list of Books, with their typical abbreviations, ordered by number (which is handy for organization of notes and studies – eg: n19 = Hebrews, the 19th book of the NT).

The Old Testament: 39 Books – 929 Chapters

1. Genesis (Ge): 50
2. Exodus (Ex): 40
3. Leviticus (Le): 27
4. Numbers (Nu): 36
5. Deuteronomy (De): 34
6. Joshua (Jos): 24
7. Judges (Jg, Jud): 21
8. Ruth (Ru): 4
9. 1st Samuel (1Sa): 31
10. 2nd Samuel (2Sa): 24
11. 1st Kings (1Ki): 22
12. 2nd Kings (2Ki): 25
13. 1st Chronicles (1Ch): 29
14. 2nd Chronicles (2Ch): 36
15. Ezra (Ezr): 10
16. Nehemiah (Ne, Neh): 13
17. Esther (Es): 10
18. Job: 42
19. Psalms (Ps): 150
20. Proverbs (Pr): 31
21. Ecclesiastes (Ec): 12
22. Song of Songs/Solomon (Song): 8
23. Isaiah (Isa): 66
24. Jeremiah (Jer): 52
25. Lamentations (La, Lam): 5
26. Ezekiel (Eze): 48
27. Daniel (Da, Dan): 12
28. Hosea (Ho, Hos): 14
29. Joel (Joe): 3
30. Amos (Am): 9
31. Obadiah (Ob): 1
32. Jonah (Jon): 4
33. Micah (Mic): 7
34. Nahum (Na, Nah): 3
35. Habakkuk (Hab): 3
36. Zephaniah (Zep): 3
37. Haggai (Hag): 2
38. Zechariah (Zec): 14
39. Malachi (Mal): 4

The New Testament: 27 Books – 260 Chapters

1. Matthew (Mt): 28
2. Mark (Mr, Mk): 16
3. Luke (Lu, Lk): 24
4. John (Joh, Jn): 21
5. Acts (Ac): 28
6. Romans (Ro, Rom): 16
7. 1st Corinthians (1Co): 16
8. 2nd Corinthians (2Co): 13
9. Galatians (Ga, Gal): 6
10. Ephesians (Eph): 6
11. Philippians (Php): 4
12. Colossians (Col): 4
13. 1st Thessalonians (1Th): 5
14. 2nd Thessalonians (2Th): 3
15. 1st Timothy (1Ti): 6
16. 2nd Timothy (2Ti): 4
17. Titus (Tit): 3
18. Philemon (Phm): 1
19. Hebrews (Heb): 13
20. James (Jas): 5
21. 1st Peter (1Pe): 5
22. 2nd Peter (2Pe): 3
23. 1st John (1Jo): 5
24. 2nd John (2Jo): 1
25. 3rd John (3Jo): 1
26. Jude: 1
27. Revelation (Re, Rev): 22

Pr 13:4 ¶ The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

“Giant Steps” is a 1960 composition by tenor saxophonist John Coltrane. It’s an incredible piece, and many jazz musicians like to cover it, but not without having “honed their chops” with a lot of practice and performance. Playing “Giant Steps” well is a matter of God-given ability coupled with disciplined and diligent “smaller steps”.

Disciplined and diligent steps of faith, accomplished in God’s supernatural strength, likewise prepare the way for giant steps tomorrow.

Mt 25:21 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

The following (ordered alphabetically, because one’s not more important than another) is intended to serve as a basic checklist to self-evaluate faithfulness “over a few things” (ie “small steps”), and ought to be reviewed with frequent regularity:

• Confessing trespasses & praying for one another?

Jas 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

• Fellowshipping consistently?

Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

• Forgiving as God forgave?

Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

• Giving?

Lu 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

• Serving others?

1Pe 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. [NIV]

• Studying the Word?

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [KJV]

• Thanking God?

1Th 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Doing these faithfully can be difficult and overwhelming; however, don’t lose heart, but remember…

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

OK – so let’s step out in faith!

The way someone follows in a car caravan speaks volumes about them – their personality, diligence, consideration, and attentiveness among other things.

Do they lag behind, allow cars to get in between, cruise in different lanes, get caught behind traffic lights? Or do they follow behind closely, anticipating lane changes, not allowing for any chance of separation? To someone in a lead car, a good follower is like a friend and a brother!

I’ve found that good caravan-ers tend to be good followers overall. They respect the leader by staying in close proximity, being ready for changes, doing what they can to make life easier for everyone. Not coincidentally, they tend to be good leaders, too. Their consideration and respect translates to being reasonable, consistent, and conscientious, getting everyone who follows to their destination without incident.

Over the years “the caravan test” has served to be a pretty useful indicator of one’s ability to follow and, subsequently, to lead. Simply put: If a person has a problem following in a caravan, then they may have a problem following a minister, a ministry, and even the Lord – not always, but more often than not. Faithfulness in the little things, even as it applies to following, cannot be overstated.

Lu 16:10 “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

Just as Jesus would abide in the Father, and Moses would seek God’s face on the mountain and in the tabernacle, and King David would humble himself in the Word and prayer, so are excellent Christian leaders first, and foremost, faithful followers – tenacious followers!

Once, when sharing about “the caravan test”, a visitor from a local ministry came to me afterward and declared outrightly that he did not agree with my assessment. His disagreement was not accompanied with an explanation – just disagreement. Later, however, he requested specific directions to our scheduled restaurant destination, since he preferred to go on ahead. Without realizing it, he just revealed his leadership style.

Ru 1:16 But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.

Ps 63:8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.