Life perspectives, worldviews as some call them, are important. They serve as the lenses through which we view life and our experiences. They interpret the meaning of the events of our lives and they set our priorities.
Paul writes in Romans 8.5—“For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit.” (HCSB)
The issue here is focus. Those who are focused on the flesh—the material existence of the body in this materialistic world--will devote all time, energy, and thought to the things of material existence. This results in an existential lifestyle—living for the validation of the moment through whatever means possible. Since each moment is fleeting and material existence is temporary (always fading away), this is fruitless. Happiness cannot be found here. Even Buddhism recognizes this with its teaching that all of life is unsatisfactory.
Unlike Buddhism though, Paul does not find the answer to this in an awakening experience from within. Instead, when we come to faith in Christ, we are “new creations.” We are remade. We now have a spirit (Roms. 8.9). As Christ rose from the dead, we also came to life—spiritual life (Roms. 8.10-11).
Thus, we can have a spiritual focus—spirit-tinted lenses. This mindset can bring life and peace (Roms. 8.6). Life can be satisfactory—not because it is changed but because we are changed. Our focus, our search for meaning, purpose, and contentment become rooted in the things of the Spirit and not the temporary existence of material life. In contrast, the fleshly perspective is death, hostility to God, inability to submit to God, and being unable to please God.
How we think determines how we act. The change to a spiritual perspective will lead to actions, choices, and decisions based on the spiritual perspective. As Paul puts it, walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh (Rom. 8.4). Since our choices shape our lives, spiritual choices will create a spiritual life.
Father, help me to see my life only with the lenses of the Spirit. Forgive me of my “fleshliness.” Help my walk to be a spirit walk and not a fleshly walk. Help me to live in the Spirit and not in the material. Grant me the life and peace that are the result of a spiritual focus. Amen.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Basics of My Ministry
Just so people know what I am about, here is a primer about Perry Hardison Ministries.
What is your ministry?
Perry Hardison Ministries is the name I use for my work in churches and related activities. I am on the full-time faculty of a local community college teaching religious studies and humanities. This provides my main support which enables me to be available for any size church or organization that can use my services.
I am an ordained Southern Baptist with three former pastorates, two church staff positions, and several interim pastors during my career. My vision for my current ministry is to provide support for the teaching and pastoral ministry of churches by being available for special teaching opportunities (seminars, retreats, Bible studies, etc.), revivals, supply preaching, and any other guest speaking events.
The paradigm for what I do was the role of “the teaching elder” in the early church. “Teaching elders” were itinerant teachers who provided instruction in the Bible, theology, and church practice. In a sense, they were “pastors at large” focusing on a teaching ministry.
My qualifications for this calling include a gift and a passion for teaching, extensive study at the seminary and graduate school levels (historical theology, church history, biblical studies, and comparative religion), leadership involvement in the local church and denominationally, and more that 15 years of collegiate teaching experience.
How can I partner with your ministry?
If you are expecting a pitch for money here, you are going to be surprised! Because of my employment at the college, I do not have to solicit donations. I will address finances later on in this note.
If you would like to support my ministry, here is what you can do. First, pray for the ministry and for me. Pray that the Lord will open doors of teaching opportunity for me and that when I do have opportunities, that the Lord will use me to have a positive impact on the people I lead. Most of all, pray that the Lord will be glorified and that His kingdom will grow through those opportunities.
The second thing you can do is help me network. If you are comfortable doing so, recommend me to pastors, other church leaders, churches, organizations, etc. Though I am Southern Baptist and most of my work has been in the Baptist context, I am open to speaking for any church or organization. Should you be asked, I would describe myself as a conservative Evangelical. In terms of size, no church or organization is too small or too big. The engagement can be a one time preaching invitation or a more extended event (of course, scheduling must be done so as to not interfere with my work at the college).
Thirdly, you can recommend this Facebook page to your friends. The more followers I have on this page (or my blog, my Twitter, or my Linkedin pages), the more networking, and opportunities, might arise.
Lastly, if you know of some need or subject that churches would benefit from studies about, let me know your ideas. I will begin putting such studies together and suggest them to churches.
Yeah, but what about the money?
Okay, I know it has to be addressed. I have never liked talking about the money but I understand the question arises. I decided years ago not to set up as a non-profit with the government. It was too much paperwork both to set up and provide the proper monitoring. Plus, to produce enough money to make it work, I would have to put emphasis on fundraising which I am not good to doing and it makes me uncomfortable.
So, my model is to work full time to take care of my financial needs and accept whatever payment a church or organization can provide as basically payment for my work. This approach means I do not have to talk about money, solicit donations, worry about fundraising, etc. This is good since I do not like doing that and many people associate “freelance” preacher like me with the Elmer Gantry’s of the world. I hope my approach alleviates some of those assumptions.
I think it is appropriate for churches to make sure the travel expenses of outside speakers are covered; but beyond that, I come for whatever a church/organization can offer.
Since I am not set up as a non-profit organization, donations would not be tax deductible—therefore, I do not seek them or ask for them. The downside of all of this is that I am responsible for paying my own taxes and social security contributions as self-employed out of whatever fees/honorarium a church or organization might provide.
Thankfully, the Lord has provided me with a job that provides benefits and a solid salary and the vast majority of churches do a great job of providing me what they can. Therefore, money just is not a subject I need to discuss. I do it here only to be above board about what can be the downfall of any ministry.
To summarize
Thank you for your friendship and support. I stand available to do whatever I can to further the cause of Christ and His church. If I can ever help you, your church or your organization, just let me know.
What is your ministry?
Perry Hardison Ministries is the name I use for my work in churches and related activities. I am on the full-time faculty of a local community college teaching religious studies and humanities. This provides my main support which enables me to be available for any size church or organization that can use my services.
I am an ordained Southern Baptist with three former pastorates, two church staff positions, and several interim pastors during my career. My vision for my current ministry is to provide support for the teaching and pastoral ministry of churches by being available for special teaching opportunities (seminars, retreats, Bible studies, etc.), revivals, supply preaching, and any other guest speaking events.
The paradigm for what I do was the role of “the teaching elder” in the early church. “Teaching elders” were itinerant teachers who provided instruction in the Bible, theology, and church practice. In a sense, they were “pastors at large” focusing on a teaching ministry.
My qualifications for this calling include a gift and a passion for teaching, extensive study at the seminary and graduate school levels (historical theology, church history, biblical studies, and comparative religion), leadership involvement in the local church and denominationally, and more that 15 years of collegiate teaching experience.
How can I partner with your ministry?
If you are expecting a pitch for money here, you are going to be surprised! Because of my employment at the college, I do not have to solicit donations. I will address finances later on in this note.
If you would like to support my ministry, here is what you can do. First, pray for the ministry and for me. Pray that the Lord will open doors of teaching opportunity for me and that when I do have opportunities, that the Lord will use me to have a positive impact on the people I lead. Most of all, pray that the Lord will be glorified and that His kingdom will grow through those opportunities.
The second thing you can do is help me network. If you are comfortable doing so, recommend me to pastors, other church leaders, churches, organizations, etc. Though I am Southern Baptist and most of my work has been in the Baptist context, I am open to speaking for any church or organization. Should you be asked, I would describe myself as a conservative Evangelical. In terms of size, no church or organization is too small or too big. The engagement can be a one time preaching invitation or a more extended event (of course, scheduling must be done so as to not interfere with my work at the college).
Thirdly, you can recommend this Facebook page to your friends. The more followers I have on this page (or my blog, my Twitter, or my Linkedin pages), the more networking, and opportunities, might arise.
Lastly, if you know of some need or subject that churches would benefit from studies about, let me know your ideas. I will begin putting such studies together and suggest them to churches.
Yeah, but what about the money?
Okay, I know it has to be addressed. I have never liked talking about the money but I understand the question arises. I decided years ago not to set up as a non-profit with the government. It was too much paperwork both to set up and provide the proper monitoring. Plus, to produce enough money to make it work, I would have to put emphasis on fundraising which I am not good to doing and it makes me uncomfortable.
So, my model is to work full time to take care of my financial needs and accept whatever payment a church or organization can provide as basically payment for my work. This approach means I do not have to talk about money, solicit donations, worry about fundraising, etc. This is good since I do not like doing that and many people associate “freelance” preacher like me with the Elmer Gantry’s of the world. I hope my approach alleviates some of those assumptions.
I think it is appropriate for churches to make sure the travel expenses of outside speakers are covered; but beyond that, I come for whatever a church/organization can offer.
Since I am not set up as a non-profit organization, donations would not be tax deductible—therefore, I do not seek them or ask for them. The downside of all of this is that I am responsible for paying my own taxes and social security contributions as self-employed out of whatever fees/honorarium a church or organization might provide.
Thankfully, the Lord has provided me with a job that provides benefits and a solid salary and the vast majority of churches do a great job of providing me what they can. Therefore, money just is not a subject I need to discuss. I do it here only to be above board about what can be the downfall of any ministry.
To summarize
Thank you for your friendship and support. I stand available to do whatever I can to further the cause of Christ and His church. If I can ever help you, your church or your organization, just let me know.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Psalms 3 - Reflections on Being Outnumbered.
Does it ever seem the whole world has turned against you? I am not speaking of paranoia which is an irrational belief that everything is against you. I am speaking of those times in life when everyone seems angry with you; those times when there are more people treating you as an enemy than as a friend. As a comedian once said, it is not paranoia if the whole world is out to get you.
The third psalm is attributed to King David during the rebellion of his son Absalom. You can find the story in II Kings 15-18. The revolt was so successful that David was forced from Jerusalem. According to II Kings 15.13, the hearts of “all Israel” turned from David to Absalom. David was eventually able to defeat the revolt and regain his throne but only after the death of his son.
The setting of this psalm is in David’s darkest days of the revolt. David’s response is a lesson in dealing with opposition and the stress that comes from finding yourself under attack.
My first observation is that the psalm is addressed to God. It combines a description of the circumstances with praise. As an address to God, it is a prayer. Despite his horrific circumstances, David responded with praise. This is a valuable lesson for all of us—when overwhelmed by the greatest struggles in life, we should still praise God.
Praise reminds us that life is not chaotic and our circumstances not random. Instead, praise reinforces in us the knowledge that God is still on the throne and that all things do work together for good (Romans 8.28). Not all things are good. However, the God who controls history can take all the circumstances of our lives and bring them together like scattered pieces of a puzzle to create a beautiful picture. Praise brings us back to the understanding that though our lives might appear to be out of control to us, the truth is that God is still in control.
The logical response then is to do exactly what David did—in the words of the hymn “…take everything to God in prayer.” Who better to consult than the one in charge? David’s prayer is honest and expresses his emotions and his desire for the defeat of his enemies. God already knows what we are thinking and feeling so why try to hide it? When surrounded by enemies, turn to God in praise and prayer.
This is in contrast to the apparent situation. David sees a rising tide of opposition (vv. 1-2). His enemies claim that God has deserted David. In their minds, David stands vulnerable because God is no longer with him. Sadly, I have learned from personal experience that one of the things opponents will do is raise questions about your salvation, your relationship with God because they disagree with you, do not like you, or for their own political agenda. Assuming God is on their side, they assume God is your enemy.
David knew better. He comes to God in prayer—the God his enemies say is no longer with David. David is confident that God is still with him and will be his protector (v. 3). David knew well the truth expressed centuries later by Paul—nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8.31ff). Regardless of the circumstances and the taunting of his enemies, David was convinced of his personal relationship with God because he trusted the covenant faithfulness of God. While David was losing his possessions and his glory as king, he believed that God was his true glory (v. 4). While the object of scorn by humans, David believed that God would “lift up his head” (v.4).
While many would look at the situation from a human viewpoint and despair, David looked at it from a divine viewpoint and found comfort. He is so much at peace, he is able to sleep comfortably and rest. How many of us could have gotten any sleep under those circumstances? David was able to because he was counting on God to sustain him (v. 5). Just as Jesus could sleep soundly in the boat during a storm that had seasoned sailors like Peter terrified, David could sleep soundly in the middle of the greatest storm of his life.
David puts aside fear despite the huge numbers aligned against him (v. 6). How is this possible? Had David looked at the situation solely from the standpoint of what he could do about it, fear would be the logical result. There was no way for him to win using only human resources.
The answer comes in vv. 7-8. David is going to turn it over to God to fight for him. He calls upon God, not his army, to rise up and defeat his enemies. Thousands of humans are no match for the power of the one God.
In David’s response to his grave situation, we learn something to help us respond to the struggles of life. David did not rely on his abilities, skills, tactics, or resources. David confidently turned it all over to God and God’s abilities, skills, tactics, and resources. This is the essence of living by faith.
The third psalm is attributed to King David during the rebellion of his son Absalom. You can find the story in II Kings 15-18. The revolt was so successful that David was forced from Jerusalem. According to II Kings 15.13, the hearts of “all Israel” turned from David to Absalom. David was eventually able to defeat the revolt and regain his throne but only after the death of his son.
The setting of this psalm is in David’s darkest days of the revolt. David’s response is a lesson in dealing with opposition and the stress that comes from finding yourself under attack.
My first observation is that the psalm is addressed to God. It combines a description of the circumstances with praise. As an address to God, it is a prayer. Despite his horrific circumstances, David responded with praise. This is a valuable lesson for all of us—when overwhelmed by the greatest struggles in life, we should still praise God.
Praise reminds us that life is not chaotic and our circumstances not random. Instead, praise reinforces in us the knowledge that God is still on the throne and that all things do work together for good (Romans 8.28). Not all things are good. However, the God who controls history can take all the circumstances of our lives and bring them together like scattered pieces of a puzzle to create a beautiful picture. Praise brings us back to the understanding that though our lives might appear to be out of control to us, the truth is that God is still in control.
The logical response then is to do exactly what David did—in the words of the hymn “…take everything to God in prayer.” Who better to consult than the one in charge? David’s prayer is honest and expresses his emotions and his desire for the defeat of his enemies. God already knows what we are thinking and feeling so why try to hide it? When surrounded by enemies, turn to God in praise and prayer.
This is in contrast to the apparent situation. David sees a rising tide of opposition (vv. 1-2). His enemies claim that God has deserted David. In their minds, David stands vulnerable because God is no longer with him. Sadly, I have learned from personal experience that one of the things opponents will do is raise questions about your salvation, your relationship with God because they disagree with you, do not like you, or for their own political agenda. Assuming God is on their side, they assume God is your enemy.
David knew better. He comes to God in prayer—the God his enemies say is no longer with David. David is confident that God is still with him and will be his protector (v. 3). David knew well the truth expressed centuries later by Paul—nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8.31ff). Regardless of the circumstances and the taunting of his enemies, David was convinced of his personal relationship with God because he trusted the covenant faithfulness of God. While David was losing his possessions and his glory as king, he believed that God was his true glory (v. 4). While the object of scorn by humans, David believed that God would “lift up his head” (v.4).
While many would look at the situation from a human viewpoint and despair, David looked at it from a divine viewpoint and found comfort. He is so much at peace, he is able to sleep comfortably and rest. How many of us could have gotten any sleep under those circumstances? David was able to because he was counting on God to sustain him (v. 5). Just as Jesus could sleep soundly in the boat during a storm that had seasoned sailors like Peter terrified, David could sleep soundly in the middle of the greatest storm of his life.
David puts aside fear despite the huge numbers aligned against him (v. 6). How is this possible? Had David looked at the situation solely from the standpoint of what he could do about it, fear would be the logical result. There was no way for him to win using only human resources.
The answer comes in vv. 7-8. David is going to turn it over to God to fight for him. He calls upon God, not his army, to rise up and defeat his enemies. Thousands of humans are no match for the power of the one God.
In David’s response to his grave situation, we learn something to help us respond to the struggles of life. David did not rely on his abilities, skills, tactics, or resources. David confidently turned it all over to God and God’s abilities, skills, tactics, and resources. This is the essence of living by faith.
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