The Manna May 2010

M S S E C SUC

the Manna | May 2010

What will you tak Huge Regional Yard Sale Saturday, June 12th at 7 am Joy! 102.5 studios, 11890 Crisfield Lane, Princess Anne

$10 to set up | Vendors and shoppers invited | Lots of room for your items (please limit your items to things appropriate for sale on ministry property) | Tables not provided

Call 410-543-9652 for details • Rain Date is Saturday, June 19th

ke home?

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the Manna | April 2010

Columns 09 | Signals 11 | On the Air 33 | Perspective

Features 12 | Getting in Position Doing our part and adopting the right attitude.

16 | Ultimate Success What is the definition?

20 | Our Roof

24 | The Heroism of the Ordinary

Stay in Touch

Finding purpose in mundane tasks.

26 | Cut Down to Size Sometimes we need help in getting back on the right path.

30 | Excellence: Worth the Price Hope in the only One who meets God’s standard.

Extras 24 | Unfiltered

Is our natural desire for success damning or redeeming?

wolc.org | readthemanna.org | May 2010

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the Manna | A Publication of Maranatha, Inc. Editor-In-Chief: Debbie Byrd Contributing Editor: Randy Walter Creative Director: Joe Willey Contributing Writers: Brent Timmons, Karen Tull Media Client Liaisons: Jay Prouse + Rob Brunk

Frequently Asked Questions Who We Are The Manna is published by Maranatha, Inc., a Christcentered ministry called to proclaim the Good News of faith and life in Jesus Christ through various forms of media, as God directs, until He returns. “Maranatha” (mer-a-nath´-a) is an Aramaic word found in I Corinthians 16:22. It is translated, “Our Lord, come!” Joy! 102.5 WOLC is also part of Maranatha, Inc. Its call letters stand for “Watch, Our Lord Cometh.” Maranatha!

Disclaimer Non-ministry advertisers are not required to subscribe to the “Statement of Faith” printed at right; nor are their businesses and products necessarily endorsed by the Manna, Joy! 102.5 WOLC, or Maranatha, Inc., whose viewpoints are not necessarily represented by the opinions or statements of persons interviewed in this magazine; nor are the viewpoints of its advertisers.

Statement of Faith We Believe… that the Holy Bible is the inspired, infallible and authoritative source of Christian doctrine and precept; that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that the only hope for man is to believe in Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God, who died to take upon Himself the punishment for the sin of mankind, and who rose from the dead so that by receiving Him as Savior and Lord, man is redeemed by His blood; that Jesus Christ in person will return to Earth in power and glory; that the Holy Spirit indwells those who have received Christ, for the purpose of enabling them to live righteous and godly lives; and that the Church is the Body of Christ and is comprised of all those who, through belief in Christ, have been spiritually regenerated by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The twin mission of the Church is worldwide evangelization, and nurture and discipline of Christians.

Manna and Joy! 102.5 WOLC P. O. Box 130, Princess Anne, MD 21853 Voice: 410-543-9652 Fax: 410-651-9652 Manna e-mail: manna@wolc.org Joy! 102.5 e-mail: wolc@wolc.org ©2010 Maranatha, Inc. May not be reproduced without written consent of Maranatha, Inc. Photos: iStockphoto and Big Stock Photo

Maranatha Media | Home of Joy! 102.5 and the Manna

Signals True Success Many years ago, I shared with two close friends my desire to enroll in what I then called religious studies, interestingly, at a secular college. Both gentlemen were successful businessmen. Both, at best, were “social” Christians. Both scoffed at my intent and suggested, very heartily, that such a pursuit on my part would be disastrous to any potentially upward career path I might have been on.

It fascinates me, looking back on it. I actually heeded their advice, for awhile. At some point in time, I actually sought the Lord for His direction – and enrolled in Bible college.

The Lord has dramatically redirected my path. I don’t begrudge those earlier days. In fact, I’m grateful for them. They represent the training ground that, when coupled with disciplined Christian study, helps me best fulfill God’s purposes for my life.

This brings to mind the parable of the Pearl of Great Price. At first blush, the story seems to be about a merchant who gives up everything he has in order to obtain the most perfect pearl ever found. At last, he is successful! Many believe the pearl to be Christ. And that, once he had Christ, his worldly possessions became meaningless.

But we can’t “buy” Christ, or salvation.

And Scripture tells us very clearly that God gave His Son and that salvation is a gift.

At closer inspection, it is Christ who gave up everything for the Church. He left His heavenly home to come for us. II Corinthians 8:9 tells us, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.”

William MacDonald, in his Believer’s Bible Commentary, explains “just as a pearl is formed inside an oyster through suffering caused by irritation, so the Church was formed through the piercing and wounding

of the body of the Savior.” J. Vernon McGee paints a vivid picture, “Christ came to this earth as a merchantman. He saw man in sin, and He took man’s sin and bore it in His own body. Our sin was an intrusion upon Him – it was that foreign matter…”

Just as the oyster coats the granular irritation that becomes a pearl, Christ “covers us with His own white robe of righteousness…Christ sees us, not as we are now but as we shall be someday…Christ sold all that He had in order that He might gain the Church (McGee).”

Success is measured differently by different people. Each of us brings a different perspective to the matter of defining success.

If we limit our consideration to a worldly perspective and leave Christ out of the equation, there can be no true success – and the discussion is meaningless.

If we limit our consideration to a Christian perspective and, having Christ, the assurance of salvation – well, yes, we can call it a success – on some level. But what if we do nothing with the gift from that point forward? We haven’t been given the gift of salvation to keep it for ourselves. It’s been given, at great cost, for us to share.

From a secular perspective, it may seem that I gave up everything to follow His direction. From a Kingdom perspective, He has given me more than that world could ever offer. Perhaps understanding that distinction is the only way to define success.

With that understanding comes a peace and contentment in seeking and serving only Him. Only when we comprehend exactly what He would have us do with our individual gift of life and salvation, then we are able to move forward as part of the Body of Christ – His String of Pearls – so that He can accomplish great things through us.

Debbie Byrd is General Manager of Maranatha, Inc., a ministry that includes Joy! 102.5 and the Manna. wolc.org | readthemanna.org | May 2010

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On the Air The Light Project One of the Christian bands we play here at Joy! 102.5 is Sioux City, Iowa-based Bread of Stone. Founders of the group, Ben and Bill Kristijanto, recently visited their homeland of Indonesia to do mission work with Scavengers (people living off of trash). Little did they know the tugging at their heart that would happen. As they worked with their hands helping people, the command that God gave to take care of your own, came to light-thus forming “The Light Project.”

“The Light Project was something we started to reach out to the Muslim community in Indonesia,” said Ben Kristijanto, lead singer. “We are working in partnership with a local church in Surabaya to help spread the love of Christ one community at a time, by helping them with everyday necessities such as food, transportation, and to just be there as a family in Christ. Our visit there was nothing short of wonder.

They have shown us how Jesus truly is the answer for us all. Even with having no worldly possession, the people there feels as though they have everything.”

Going above and beyond in their giving to support the ministry of working with the Scavengers, Bread of Stone believes they are called not to ask their fans for support; instead, the band will donate an extra 10 percent from all of their merchandise sales.

Bread of Stone is partnering with Christ in Action, a 501(c) (3) organization that will monitor all the donated funds for “The Light Project.”

Bread of Stone consists of Ben Kristijanto (lead vocals, guitar, keys), Bill Kristijanto (lead guitar), Tim Barnes (bass) and Krislyn Woolley (drums). For more info, including tour dates, music and video clips, please visit www.breadofstone.com Rodney Baylous is Program Director of Joy! 102.5. Visit www.wolc.org.

Listen Now! Check out our Program Guide at wolc.org

wolc.org | readthemanna.org | April 2010

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uman beings have an intrinsic desire to be good at something, to have success. We want the satisfaction that comes with knowing we excel at a certain skill or have accomplished a specific goal. In pursuit of that, we plan and try to configure a way it can be done. We determine the steps we need to take and perhaps the people we need to involve. In the end, we want all our efforts to come together in the way we envisioned it.

But doing “all the right things” doesn’t always bring success. The fact is, we can work our guts out and still come up short.

Maybe you put in late hours at your job but never got that promotion. Maybe you did extensive research and interviewed experts for your paper but received a disappointing grade. Maybe you have spent countless hours instilling morality in your child but he or she is making one bad choice after the next. It can be extremely discouraging to watch something we hoped and strived for implode before our very eyes.

Well, God knows our hopes and wishes.

He sees the dreams we dream in our minds and the situations we’d like to see play out in real life. More importantly, He knows

what He wants for us, and what God wants is what will happen. Sometimes, though, it isn’t what we had hoped would happen. But knowing that God’s plan supersedes our own doesn’t mean we should stop aiming for the things we want and frustratingly throw our hands up in the air as if to say, “Fine, God, have it Your way... whatever.”

God doesn’t want us to be idle and resigned. He wants us to do well. He blesses us with various talents and wants us to hone our gifts, set goals, and go after them. But more than our external success as seen by the world, God is concerned with the attitude of our heart as we pursue these things.

Are we entrusting our desires to Him and resting in the truth that He will bring about the best results, even if they look different than what we had imagined? Are we giv-

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It brings to mind Baltimore Orioles outfielder/designated hitter Luke Scott. If you follow the team at all, you are probably aware that he is very outspoken about his relationship with Jesus Christ. When interviewed after a game, regardless of whether he went 0-for-4 or hit a three-run homer, you’ll likely hear him say the same thing: “I put myself in a position to be successful and let the Lord handle the rest.”

For Scott, tangible ways of putting himself in a position to be successful may mean tweaking his batting stance, looking at video of the pitcher he’ll be facing that night, or taking extra fly balls in the outfield during practice. For us, it will probably involve a different set of preparations.

Whatever the circumstance, it’s about doing our part and giving our best to the Lord

as we go about it. Scripture says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24 NIV).

Of course, there will be hurdles. During one elongated slump at the plate last season, Scott was so distraught that it brought him to his knees and face in prayer, seeking the Lord for wisdom and help. God will often use difficult situations to draw us closer to Him and to develop our character, which not only benefits us in our spiritual walk, but makes us a powerful example to those around us who see our dependence on the Lord during the struggles. It works to build for us a solid reputation.

Seeking to do well in life is a process and one that indeed requires time and dedication, but more than that—a heart and mind focused on the Lord and His purposes. Whatever the end results may look like on the outside, the greatest accomplishments take place inside us. Becoming more like the perfect Son of God? Now that is truly success.

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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

W

hat defines success? For some people, it’s rising to the top in their workplace or profession. To others, it might be spiritual rather than vocational. Parents may measure it in terms of their children’s performance in academics or sports. Whatever the consideration, success refers to excellence.

Excellence is the state or quality of excelling. People strive for excellence. Because it relies on comparison, it is competitive. Professional football legend Vincent Lombardi, a fierce competitor, once said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

The effect of excellence is not just individual but corporate.

It enlarges one’s sphere of influence. “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men,” says the Bible.

There are seven spheres where leaders influence every culture: religion, arts/entertainment, business/economics, media, education, family and government. Dr. Lance Wallnau, an executive coach, consultant and trainer, calls these the mountains of society. People who excel and control these areas are able to chart the course of nations.

The opposite of “excellent” is “mediocre,” which comes from a word which literally means “halfway up the mountain.”

RELIGION Among the loudest voices competing for influence in any culture are those of the world’s religions. Most nations have a religious identity.

Previous generations of Americans thought this a “Christian nation” – a concept now called into question as differing beliefs compete for attention and allegiance.

Where religion is concerned, the public weighs its validity by the behavior of its adherents. That is why the Bible calls Jesus’ followers “ambassadors.” They are representatives of His Kingdom whose words and actions should accurately reflect the One who sent them. Their success is measured by how much their beliefs become mainstream. Accomplishing this requires excellence.

For Christianity, influencing the culture with excellence can be seen in recent films such as The Blind Side and Letters to God. These movies have garnered accolades like their popular predecessors, Fireproof and Facing the Giants.

Blind Side leading actress Sandra Bullock received an Academy Award for her performance. This factual story is based on an affluent white family in Tennessee that adopted a homeless black youth who excelled at Ole Miss and now plays in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens.

“She was so open and honest and forthright,” said Bullock after meeting Leigh Anne Tuohy, whom she portrayed, “and I said, ‘Wow, I finally met someone who practices but doesn’t preach.’”

Bullock’s performance also received a Critic’s Choice Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, People’s Choice Award and Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award.

Letters to God is a true story about an eight-year-old boy with cancer who mails letters to the Lord. It finished in the top 10 during its opening weekend last month.

One of the most powerful sources of Christian influence in the arts is music, which has gone from a niche ministry to a thriving industry. Within Christian music are categories for every age and taste, from traditional hymns to Christian rock.

One thing they all have in common: Music is more than entertainment; it has a message that reaches people in a personal way. This impacts the entire culture.

BUSINESS/ECONOMICS In business, Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy not only influences an industry but weaves social fabric by philanthropic leadership. Cathy has based his restaurant philosophy on Christian principles for over 60 years. Bucking accepted practices, his restaurants close on Sundays. According to Cathy, “That’s the best business decision I ever made. We do more business in six days than our competition does in seven days.”

A majority of Chick-fil-A employees are teenagers, and for many it’s their first job. “We want to help them establish good work habits and good attitudes,” Cathy said. “It’s a mission field.”

Cathy has awarded $24 million in scholarships to employees, established a foundation to foster winning leadership qualities in young people, and donated $100 million toward foster Continued on page 19

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The corporate mission statement of Chick-fil-A is “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”

MEDIA Christian books are frequently on the New York Times Bestseller list. The Five Love Languages, The Love Dare and The Purpose Driven Life are among many which have helped direct social discourse from a Christian perspective.

Print and broadcast media are timehonored vehicles for disseminating information. Lives are changed over the airwaves, on the written page and via the Internet. Observers calculate the average child in America spends 45 hours a week “immersed in media.” The effect cannot be overestimated.

People everywhere are increasingly aware of life’s spiritual dimension. As Christian media competes for listeners, readers and viewers, excellence directly determines the extent of its influence.

By understanding and embracing this mandate for excellence, Joy! 102.5 and the Manna have become industry leaders in their respective fields. For two consecutive years, the Manna has received the Evangelical Press Association’s Award of Excellence, and been named Newspaper of the Year by the Fellowship of Christian Newspapers. Joy! 102.5 has been the National Religious Broadcasters’ Station of the Year, and has received two Marconi Awards from the National Association of Broadcasters.

EDUCATION The media, arts and entertainment, and education compete for sway in a child’s development. Working hand-in-hand, school and parents reinforce one another. When the one’s message differs from the other, it creates confusion.

Policies against religious expression in public schools and parents’ commitment to teach their beliefs to their children have produced tremendous growth in Christian academies and home-schooling. Some

studies have shown students educated in these environments are better prepared for higher education and jobs in the marketplace. This, too, has a great effect on the culture.

FAMILY Christians wield a lot of influence where the family is concerned. From prescribing what constitutes a family to protecting the minds of children, the Church has a responsibility to present God’s concept of a household. In a generation trying to define it by personal and political agendas, major ministries have been established to help preserve the traditional family unit.

Joy! 102.5 broadcasts programs by several of these ministries, including “Focus on the Family”, “FamilyLife Today”, and “Revive Our Hearts”.

GOVERNMENT Elected officials on both sides of the aisle bring biblical values to bear in the contentious halls of government. Despite growing acceptance of Separation of Church and State, the Christian principles on which the United States was established are still publicly displayed throughout the nation’s capital.

The Founding Fathers believed this republic could survive only as long as it adhered to the tenets of Scripture. This part of their vision helps form the mandate to use society’s spheres of influence to present the Truth of God. Excellence creates world changers.

According to a Gallup survey of 2 million people – the largest study of its kind – peak performers have one thing in common.

They pursue “signature strengths,” potentials and abilities possessed from birth.

When developed to capacity, these skills provide an advantage over others in a particular enterprise.

Excellence is God’s gift – not just to the recipient but to those who can be influenced by it. Success is the wisdom to use that gift for the intended purpose.

Randy Walter is Contributing Editor to the Manna.

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Our Roof

By Joe Willey

W

alt Whitman is the only poet who ever made me cry. I don’t mean to say I was on the floor weeping, but tears trickled down my cheeks as I read Song of Myself. I used to read aloud just to hear the words bounce off the nearly bare walls and wonder if Whitman also liked the sound of his own words read aloud.

I have, for a while now, thought about what exactly it was that caused me to be so stirred by the words of Walt Whitman.

It was the fire in his poetry that got my attention first. His works are like a throttle stuck wide open. They move down a road fast, never out of control or exactly dangerous, but wild enough to keep you attentive to the trip, beads of perspiration cooling on your forehead.

There is confidence seeping from almost every word, too. I’m sure it wasn’t always that way, but by the time I had found Leaves of Grass, he had been dead for 98 years. The photo on the cover shows him with long unruly grey hair blasted back and a wiry, unmovable grey beard. He didn’t look unsure.

Whitman’s words had a confidence like nothing else I had ever read. I’ve come to see that the confidence he had was rooted in purpose. He was writing what he wanted to write. It all just spilled out in great poetic shouts and swells. It was still exciting to read his poems all those years later. To me anyone who could wield that kind of mastery with his life’s work was profoundly important.

In Song of Myself Whitman wrote, “I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.” I didn’t think he was kidding.

That line, which seemed to shake the walls I was reading to, is the bone that gets stuck in my throat now.

I know now, that it really isn’t Walt Whitman’s “barbaric yawp” that matters. That’s not really purpose, only pride.

Screaming over everyone’s head to celebrate your existence may sound fine, but it

is celebrating in word, not deed.

I think I understand what Walt Whitman was getting at though, or at least why he felt that way. Really, doesn’t it boil down to wanting your life to amount to something and being successful in what matters to you? That seems to be the way we are all naturally bent. We want to be great at something, floating above the crush of monotony that surrounds everyone. It sounds good.

But, what if there is a problem with the way we are naturally bent? What if our inclinations are damning instead of redeeming? Isn’t there the possibility that our value lies not in our self-worth, but in our worth to another?

If there is a God and this God sent His one-of-a-kind Son, Jesus Christ, to blot out our natural bent, then we better pay attention to Him. It is not a debate, or a joke. Our desire to hear what He has to say should be unrelenting.

By following after Christ, I can be free from my damning inclinations, but there is a cost. Following Christ means giving up my meager ideas of self-worth and putting my worth in the value that comes from following Him. No celebrations or shouts can compare to His suffering.

So, I ask myself what Jesus Christ’s “barbaric yawp” sounds like. It sounds like silence, instead of a boast. It sounds like the crack of a whip, instead of a pat on the back. Whitman’s “barbaric yawp” is only a squeak echoing through the halls of heaven, but Christ’s silence is the music of eternity.

What I hear from Christ’s sufferings is not the success of selfishness, but a purpose that is profound and eternal. A purpose that Whitman’s writing never had and the only purpose that matters.

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The Heroism of the Ordinary

By Margaret Manning

T

he question was asked and the room fell silent: “Does anyone ever feel they’ve lived up to their potential?” It was a loaded question, not only because it was asked in a group of persons struggling with vocation, but also because the word “potential” is elusive in its definition. What does “potential” mean in a world that views achievement as athletic prowess, celebrity status, or economic success? If the exceptional is the guide for the achievement of one’s potential, how will those of us who live somewhere between the average and the ordinary ever feel we’ve arrived?

The inherent routine and mundane tasks that fill our days contribute to the struggle to understand our “potential.” How can one possibly feel substantial when one’s day-in, day-out existence is filled with the tedium of housework, paying bills, pulling weeds, and running endless errands? These tasks are not celebrated, or noticed.

They are the daily details that make up our routine. Indeed for artists and bus drivers, homemakers and neurosurgeons, astronauts and cashiers our days are filled with repetitive motion, even

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if we do have moments of great challenge or extraordinary success. It is no wonder then, with our societal standards and our routine-filled lives, that we wonder about our potential.

Indeed, does much of what we do even matter when it feels so ordinary? Does the “ordinary” contribute to our sense of meeting our potential, or does it’s predominance in our lives simply serve as a perpetual reminder of a failure to thrive?

The “simple lifestyle” movement attempts to locate potential in exactly the opposite ways of our society. In this movement, simplicity unlocks the key to potential, and not acquisition, or achievement, or recognition. Clearing out what clutters and complicates makes room for finding potential in what is most basic and routine. In the Christian tradition, as well, there are many who believe that one’s potential and one’s purpose would only be found in the radical call of simplicity. Some of the earliest Christians, who fled the luxury and security of Rome once Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Empire, believed that one’s “holiness” potential could only be achieved within the radical austerity of a monastic cell.

There in the cloistered walls where each and every day presented simple routine, repetitive tasks, and the regular rhythm of prayer and worship, perseverance with the ordinary became the path to one’s potential.

Brother Lawrence is one of the most well known of this type of monastic. In The Practice of Prayer, Margaret Guenther writes that “Brother Lawrence, our patron of housekeeping, was a hero of the ordinary.” As one who found his potential in cultivating a profound awareness of God in the ordinary tasks of his day, Brother Lawrence was the “hero of the ordinary.” While he attended chapel with the other monks, his true sanctuary was there amongst the pots and pans of his Carmelite kitchen. What we may not realize in the popularized retelling of his story is that he hated his work. His abbot wrote about him: “The same thing was true of his work in the kitchen, for which he had a naturally strong aversion; having accus-

tomed himself to doing everything there for the love of God, and asking His grace to do his work, he found he had become quite proficient in the fifteen years he had worked in the kitchen.”

Quite proficient in the kitchen. Could it be that Brother Lawrence was able to fulfill his potential by washing dishes?

Despite his strong aversion, he found purpose in the very midst of the most mundane and ordinary tasks of life. He fulfilled his potential by focusing on faithfulness. This is not faithfulness that triumphs over the desire to fulfill one’s potential. Indeed, as Guenther describes it “faithfulness rarely feels heroic; it feels much more like showing up and hanging in. It is a matter of going to our cell, whatever form that might take, and letting it teach us what it will.” Availing himself to consistent faithfulness yielded the blessing of both proficiency and presence – the presence of God – right there in midst of the monotony of dirty pots and pans.

Fulfilling one’s potential has little to do with greatness.

And yet, the heroism of the ordinary does not preempt “greatness” that our world confers to those who have reached their potential with staggering and dramatic achievement; for even those who achieve greatness have faced the drama of routine and the tidal wave of tedium. But to assign the fulfillment of one’s potential solely to great acts and recognition is to miss the blessing that comes from faithful acts of devotion, often done routinely and heroically in the ordinary of our everyday.

Perhaps it might be said of us, as it was of Brother Lawrence: “He was more united with God in his ordinary activities.”

Margaret Manning is a member of the speaking and writing team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Seattle, Washington.

The Heroism of the Ordinary by Margaret Manning, A Slice of Infinity, No. 2133, orignally printed February 9, 2010 (www.rzim.org). Used by permission of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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he job came with risks. Failure would mean the loss of a town treasure, a 10’ x 18’ mural painted by a local celebrity artist. I would likely be run out of town and never be allowed to call it home again, should things not go well.

The task involved moving the mural from its location in the old library building to its home in the new one. The scene was painted on sheetrock mounted on a 2x4 wall at the front of an old stage. The first suggestion was to move it in one piece.

This idea was quickly abandoned, and a more manageable plan of cutting it horizontally in half was devised.

To avoid damaging the old drywall, two truss-like frames were fastened to the back side of the wall, leaving a channel to make a cut from the back using the world’s largest circular saw. A layer of 1/4” plywood was fastened to the front of the mural with finishing nails, straight through the face. This almost put the librarian into cardiac arrest.

On the day of the move, 10 able-bodied men showed up to do the bull work. The librarian set the tone of the entire day with the remark, “This is exciting slash nauseating”. First, the bottom half was freed, which was then carried out and loaded onto a flat bed trailer, while the top half remained in place, held there by props, ropes, assorted fasteners, and a few prayers. We drove to the new building, and our cargo was unloaded and hauled inside.

Some of us jumped on the trailer for the short ride back to the old library to pick up the top portion of the mural. On the way back, someone asked me how I got involved in the moving of the mural.

“Well, it probably had something to do with the fact I have been doing work for the library for years now.” I answered.

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I speculated to myself that I had built up a level of trust with the librarian.

A library employee who was on the trailer riding with us overheard our conversation. “Are you discussing how you ended up with the job of moving the mural?” she asked. “It’s really very simple…you were the last one they asked.”

So much for “trust.” Apparently I was the only one foolish enough not to reject the invitation.

But I had taken on the job with the understanding that I would do the best I could, and we would be satisfied with whatever we got. Hopefully everyone else was operating with that same understanding. I reminded them frequently throughout the whole process. Still, we all remained slightly nauseous.

The idea of catastrophic failure was not a huge concern.

We took so long to prepare the mural that the likelihood of that occurring seemed minimal. Much time was spent before ever touching it in consulting with an engineer, a master builder, the new library building superintendent, and a couple of art experts. By the day of the move, it was just a matter of assembling the manpower and carrying out the plan.

The move was a testimony of one thing. Good advisors are invaluable. I knew that I didn’t possess the abilities to do the job on my own.

When I began my walk of faith, I was surrounded by good advisors. But by my college years, I began to lose my way, and continued to veer off course until my late 20’s. I needed some new guidance.

One day I got a call from my parents. The church I had been attending a good part of my life was in a predicament.

They felt compelled to address my situation, but wanted to get the facts straight first. This was the proper move on their part, given the lifestyle I was living at the time. I made it clear to them that I understood, and agreed that they should move ahead with their intentions.

The Lord knew I needed a new advisor in my life. Through a brother He placed in my path, the Lord began to dawn on my heart the message of grace in a fuller way. I had come to the Lord by grace at a young age, but had not understood the work of grace in the daily living of my life. And I had given up on faith. Through this brother, the Lord began to show me that, just as His Grace provided for my salvation, His grace would make a way for every step after that.

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One could draw the comparison between the advisors who came to my rescue with the library mural, and the advisor that came to my rescue as I began to make my way back to the Lord. We could consider how, just as I was aware that I didn’t possess the ability to move the mural on my own, in the same way I came to realize that I didn’t possess the ability to move forward in my Christian life. That would be a fairly accurate comparison.

Then we could continue to discuss how, more important than the brother who came along and pointed me towards Christ, there is One who dwells within us, the Holy Spirit of God Himself, who is there to advise. We could discuss how He is there to whisper in our ear when we need direction, or correction, or when we need wisdom.

But that would be a poor representation of the work of the Spirit.

The work of the Holy Spirit is not comparable to an advisor on the level of Earth. They are two different worlds, and the comparison is weak. As believers, we often have the idea that the Holy Spirit is there to help us do what we can’t do on our own. The thought is that, when we lack ability, then we seek His advice and His strength. We ask Him to help us follow the example of Christ Himself. Perhaps this is skewed thinking.

A more correct comparison requires a reworking of the whole illustration. Instead of seeking advice to move the mural, and then carrying out the plan with that advice fixed in my mind, suppose all my advisors actually inhabited my body during the preparation and on the day of the move, and then did the work through me, using my hands? I am suggesting that is the more accurate picture of the work of the Spirit, and how the Lord intends for us to live.

The fact is, we don’t just need occasional advice to live the Christian life. We can’t live the Christian life, only Christ can.

Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “… it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” It is the Christ in us who does all those things we know a Christian is to do… to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, to know the will of God, to do things outside of our own understanding and abilities. We do not just have an advisor whispering into our ear what to do so that we might follow His lead; rather, we have One living within us, willing to be united with us, who is completely capable of living as God intends.

And through that, we do as He does. We move as He moves.

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Think Out Loud

Loretta longingly says, “We used to go out walkin’ hand in hand”. Here it comes you’re probably thinking. Yes, here it comes.

It is easy to trade true success for the fool’s gold of fame and fortune like the lover did in the song. To sacrifice relationships to pursue a goal is an inbred, although denied desire in many people. It’s a trade though; just one thing for the other.

And, when you hear Loretta Lynn deliver the warning in “Success”, your likely to heed it.

Success: Loretta Lynn We used to go out walkin’ hand in hand You told me all the big things you had planned It wasn’t long till all your dreams came true Success put me in second place with you You have no time to love me any more Since fame and fortune knocked upon our door Now I spend all my evenings all alone Success had made a failure of our home If we could share an evening now and then Perhaps we’d find true happiness again You never hold me like you used to do Its funny what success has done to you You have no time to love me any more Since fame and fortune knocked upon our door Now I spend all my evenings all alone Success has made a failure of our home Truth be told, I was never been a big fan of Loretta Lynn. I didn’t mind her voice. I thought it was pleasant and sweet. I just didn’t like the songs she sang; well, until I heard “Success”.

I liked it precisely because it was the opposite of what you would have expected. Most people think that when you get what you have been wanting, things get better. Maybe, but “Success” tells a far more convincing story.

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Love & Respect: Dr. Emerson Eggerichs Considered among counselors as a vital teaching tool in counseling those about to be wed, newlywed couples, and those married for many years, Love & Respect explains what might be considered “the obvious”. Perhaps, too, the easily overlooked, easily ignored. Using Scripture as the basis, the author walks couples through the differences in how men and women view and experience common conflicts in marriage.

Though the author speaks with a bit of an old-fashioned ‘voice’ and tends to over-stereotype the sexes, the basics shared are still valued truths and, when applied consistently, may add richness and intimacy to marriage. Take time to consider his points with an open mind. Take time to consider with an open

mind his examples and suggestions and don’t be too quick to accept them as ‘givens’. With discernment in mind, any couple, younger or older, may benefit from the biblically based advice and reminders he shares.

The Lovely Bones: Peter Jackson Based on the bestselling novel, The Lovely Bones is about 14-year-old Susie Salmon, murdered by a serial killer who lives in her neighborhood. The story is set in a small Pennsylvania town in 1973, a time and place when parents think nothing of letting their children walk home from school. For Susie and her family, however, everything changes one afternoon when she doesn’t emerge from the cornfield behind her house.

This is where her earthly journey ends, but a new one is just beginning.

Susie now finds herself in a strange and beautiful world – an “in-between” place where memories of her former life intermingle with the paradise awaiting her... if she would only release herself to go there. But Susie is not ready. She can still see who and what she left behind. She sees her grieving family, frantically searching for answers and falling apart in the process. She sees the boy she liked so much but never kissed.

She sees her murderer going unnoticed and smugly celebrating yet another conquest. And she is heartbroken and seething with rage. Only until there is justice and closure can Susie finally relinquish her spirit to Heaven.

Things to enjoy about this film include a touching portrayal of a father’s deep love for his daughter, as well as captivating visual effects helmed by Academy Award-winning director Peter Jackson (who directed Lord of the Rings). But there is little accuracy – or comfort – to be found in its depiction of life after bodily death when compared with what Scripture says.

The Bible tells of no middle ground between here and our eternal home – which will be one of two places depending on whether or not we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. We will no longer be privy to earthly happenings or their outcome.

And even if we had the ability to put our spirit on hold until justice occurred in our past situations, most of us would be waiting forever “in between.”

If we know Christ personally, we can rest assured that we will be with Him instantaneously after our body perishes.

There will be no more heartache, no re-living of our earthly existence. Just peace. And our sole focus will be Jesus and our Heavenly Father. Unfortunately, this film communicates no such “lovely” truth.

These reviews are provided by Maranatha, Inc. staff and contributing writers.

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Excellence: Worth the Price

By Randy Walter

N

ations, manufacturers and technicians develop reputations for the quality of their products. Their work is judged by what is possible. That is the criterion for excellence.

No one would want to be measured by a standard that is out of reach. Yet God does precisely that. His requirements for goodness and righteousness can never be attained by mortal flesh. The Bible says, “There is no one righteous; not even one.”

Is it fair for God to use His divine attributes to determine man’s acceptability?

Yet how can He do otherwise?

In ancient Israel, the Jews believed if they kept all the commandments of the Law, they were righteous. The term “sinner” referred to one who did not meet that standard. It was said, “To break one ordinance of the Law is to be guilty of breaking all of it.”

This produced a class structure in which the temple leaders were considered “righteous” and the common people were “sinners.” That dichotomy naturally led to abuses and revealed the failings of men who used religion to promote themselves.

That is why Jesus was such a radical.

He did not seek to fit in with the system.

He wasn’t looking to obtain power or position by the acceptance of men. He already had those things from His Father. He could

not be intimidated by the rejection of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. The religious leaders felt threatened and wanted Jesus out of the way because He dissolved the distinctions which elevated them. Jesus taught that in God’s eyes, every man is guilty of sin and fails to meet God’s standards for righteousness.

Was this the revelation Jesus wanted to leave with us? Did He come to extinguish hope by saying, “Even on your best day, none of you can make it into the Household of God”?

No, quite the opposite. Jesus did not come to take hope from the world but to be the Hope of the world. He met God’s standards for righteousness.

He was the perfect man because He is also God. His was the only atonement acceptable for the sin and rebellion of all mankind. That was Jesus’ mission and His passion: to be the Lamb without blemish, the all-sufficient sacrifice to redeem the human race from spiritual death and eternal darkness – the consequences of sin.

As a lover courts the object of his affection, Jesus intentionally pursued the cross because He understood His mission. He knew it would provoke jealousy from the religious establishment which would lead to His death. He initiated everything that was done to Him. Jesus told His followers

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to be just as deliberate.

In a parable, He compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a merchant seeking beautiful pearls. When the merchant found a pearl of great price, he sold all he had to obtain it.

Jesus is the pearl of great price. He is the standard of excellence, the only treasure God would accept to purchase a pardon for the people He loves who haven’t always loved Him. How do we obtain the pearl of great price for ourselves? We give Him all of us because He gave His all for us. We ask Him to be the Lord of our hearts and Savior of our beings. This is like the pearl merchant who parted with everything he owned to obtain something priceless.

In exchange, Jesus begins a program of transformation. Starting with the obvious, He eventually gets to the underlying motives which prompt our decisions and behavior. He raises the level of our thinking as He renews our minds to be more like His. When we start seeing things His way,

we start doing them His way.

This is how we become new creations.

God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” wrote Paul.

Put another way, “God took His Son who was excellent and attributed our flaws to Him, so by taking our shortcomings to the cross, He would make us righteous in God’s sight.”

Jesus paid the price for us to meet God’s standards. All He asks of us is to exchange our faults and shortcomings for His priceless gift of atonement.

Excellence – not our own but that of Christ – is worth the price.

Randy Walter is Contributing Editor to the Manna.

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he Afters’ single “Never Going Back to OK”, from the album of the same name, will be featured on the upcoming soundtrack of the family-friendly film Secrets of the Mountain. The song was hand-picked for the soundtrack by Grammy-Award winning producer and American Idol judge Randy Jackson, who is the music supervisor for the film and soundtrack. Also included on the soundtrack are artists like Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, American Idol contestant Brooke White and American Idol season six winner Jordin Sparks.

American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle shares her personal story in her new book, Beyond Me. The humble singer, who won the hearts of Idol fans on season six, talks in her book about growing up tone deaf, being raised by a single mother, and finally achieving her dreams of being a recording artist. The book includes a forward by season six Idol winner, Jordan Sparks.

Online classes begin May 3 for the new Integrity Worship Institute’s Online School of Worship, an online educational program designed to provide leadership training for men and women in worship and pastoral ministry. Since the 1990s, Integrity Worship Institute has organized around the world, providing “pastors, worship leaders and worship team members with sound Biblical teaching on the subject of worship,” says Integrity Media’s president Mike Coleman. You can learn more about the new online school at www.integrityworshipinstitute.com .

Kingsway Music recently released The Best Hymns Album In The World… Ever, a three-CD, 50-song set featuring recordings of today’s best-loved hymns from such world-acclaimed writers as Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, John Newton, Fanny J Crosby, and many more. The hymns feature the St. Michael’s Singers, conducted by Paul Leddington Wright; The Celebration Choir, conducted by Jackie Williams; The Scottish

Festival Singers, conducted

by Ian McCrorie; and Daily Service Singers. Songs included on the project include “All Things Bright And Beautiful,” “Blessed Assurance,” “To God Be The Glory,” “Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory,” “Nearer My God To Thee,” “The Old Rugged Cross,” and dozens more.

On May 4th MercyMe will release The Generous Mr. Lovewell. The album garnered a No.1 Billboard Christian AC and No.1 iTunes Top Christian Song four weeks before the album was released. Mr. Lovewell is a fictitious character, described

by Mercy Me lead vocalist Bart Millard as “Buddy the Elf meets Forrest Gump”, who spreads a message of “extravagant selflessness and faithful optimism” not only in the songs but via his own Twitter and Facebook pages.

On Friday, May 14th, show HOPE, the organization founded by Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman, will present a unique concert production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.” The event will celebrate the life of Maria Sue Chapman, the couple’s daughter who was killed in an accident in 2008. The is produced by Steven Curtis Chapman and directed by Matt Logan, and features an all-star cast, including Jodi Benson (the voice of Ariel from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”) as The Queen, BeBe Winans as the King, Heather Headley as the Fairy Godmother, and Alli Mauzey as Cinderella. You can learn more at www.showHOPE.org.

For more Christian music news, visit Joanne’s Gospel Soundcheck blog at Beliefnet.com www.blog.beliefnet.com/ gospelsoundcheck

Perspective

Spiritual Success

O

ver the years, the Manna has ended up in places we never could have anticipated.

Imagine receiving a letter from a pastor in Myanmar (formerly Burma), saying he wanted to be added to our mailing list. Or a request from someone in Cuba, inquiring if we had Manna T-shirts.

But not all of these communiqués have been fun to read. For about a year, the Manna received letters from Nigerian pastors who risked their lives daily to teach about for Christ. Some of them were attacked and saw their church buildings destroyed. One man wrote after being so severely beaten that he spent six months in a hospital. The assailants killed several of his family members and burned all of his books.

I was reminded of this by a recent news story which described the slaying of hundreds of Christians in Nigeria by machete-wielding enemies.

The same tool created to clear roads and assist in harvesting was being used to bring death. It made me wonder if, in a spiritual sense, that happens in this country.

I thought of my first years as a Christian, when I misused a different tool – the Bible. Isn’t it strange that for some of us, as soon as we do something right, we want to teach it to others before we fully understand it ourselves? I used the Bible to browbeat people. My writing was rife with Scripture passages intended to validate my assertions. I thought I was showing love because God’s Word accomplishes what He sends it to do and does not return void, and He is not willing that any should spiritually perish. Now my early attempts at ministry seem naïvely sanctimonious.

God never intended us to use His Word to justify ourselves. The Bible is our personal operating manual. Its purpose is to teach us His ways and draw us into His family. When rightly applied, it yields a harvest of souls for His Kingdom as we model His love. When misused, God’s Word is no longer a mechanism for gathering but scattering. It was not given to us to inflict blunt force trauma on others. Before we can correct someone else, we’d better learn and do what the Bible says. Overlooking that is the classic definition of hypocrisy.

In the long run, it’s not our Bible knowledge which wins people to Christ, it’s speaking the truth in love and recognizing that communication is more the responsibility of the speaker than the hearer.

The first challenge is using an understandable language. Like the golfer who takes lessons to improve his game, it is necessary to unlearn unproductive techniques in order to implement effective ones. I’m still learning to avoid “Christianese” – spiritual buzzwords which sound like insider code to the uninitiated.

I’m also learning not to preach, although it’s a hard habit to break.

There are times when God instructs people to preach against something, as when He told Jonah to go to Ninevah and preach against the city because of its practices. But as a rule, preaching solely to oppose things misses the point. It can use Scripture like a machete to bludgeon people rather than produce life. Jesus told His disciples to preach for something – the Good News of God’s Kingdom.

Very few people want others to preach at them. But most everyone is willing to reason with someone who is reasonable. Preaching can seem

condescending and infer an “us and them” relationship. Reasoning lays down pretense and tries to approach a problem on a level plane. This is where good communication leads to success.

Ours is a culture which reveres success. The word infers position, wealth and prestige. We carry this concept over into our spiritual lives as well. Framing fervor with scriptures like, “Wise is the man who wins souls,” it is easy for Christians to define success in terms of church attendance or responses to altar calls.

That is very American. What about the people in hot spots where Christians fall prey to enemies of their faith? Might their vulnerability for the sake of Christ also be a measure of success?

When I heard from the Nigerian pastor who was in the hospital, I had just been given an expensive Spirit-filled Life Bible. Here was a man who had lost nearly everything he valued because of his faith. And there I was, happy about adding one more to my collection of Bibles. I couldn’t keep that Spirit-filled Life Bible without feeling selfish. I had it shipped to this pastor who would doubtless use it as much more than a reference book. I am still grateful for how it must have encouraged him, and how it served to instruct others in righteousness.

The job of all Christians is to reconcile men to God by speaking the truth in love. If that pastor is still alive, I imagine he did just that, even to some of those who persecuted him. That is what Jesus calls success.

Randy Walter is Contributing Editor to the Manna.

wolc.org | readthemanna.org | May 2010

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