Reveration Blog
1/30/2011 0 Comments KaroshiIn 1969 the Japanese reported their first case of karoshi—death from overwork. More recently about 10,000 Japanese die annually for reasons attributed to karoshi.[1] If that is a frightening statistic for an island of high achievers, one can only wonder how many die for the same reasons in the United States where even longer work hours are kept! King Solomon once wrote, “Therefore, I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind (Ecclesiastes 7:22). I wonder how many people die each year hating what they do or full of anxiety because work has not brought them the pleasure and meaning in life they so desperately sought.
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11/6/2010 0 Comments EgotismIn his book, Follow Me, Pastor Jan Hettinga wrote, “Has your ‘right to yourself’ felt the ax? That’s what salvation is designed to accomplish. True repentance and faith ego-proof us. Our independent self-rule is broken at the cross.” Humility can be measured by the air we exhale. Self-focused leaders constantly inflate their glory balloons. If they are not puffing up, they blow away any who might disagree or question them. Their need for grandeur is always tethered to insecurity.
9/3/2010 0 Comments Prove YourselfSergeant Major Cedric Moore shared with me his story as we sat in his car at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Raised in a black community in Huntsville, Alabama, he often attended church and had uncles who were pastors. But what these men preached was not what they lived. Watching “spiritual” men engage in adultery, robbery, lying and other sinful behavior caused Cedric to conclude that God must not be real.
3/12/2010 Primary PurposeI read a fascinating article in The Oregonian. The following sentences captured my attention.
Having a sense of purpose in life seems to provide a shield against illness—particularly in old age . . . Those with the highest sense of purpose were half as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those with the lowest sense of purpose during seven years of follow-up . . . In an earlier study, the same group [Rush University Medical Center in Chicago] found that the risk of dying from any cause was nearly cut in half among women and men with a greater sense of purpose.* 8/20/2009 EldersAs the Apostle Peter neared the end of his life he wrote powerful words of instruction to those who were leaders of God’s people. Coming alongside special men, Peter urged them to shepherd God’s flock. Then he carefully defined what their motives and attitudes should look like. Those same penetrating words of truth ring applicable to us today.
5/10/2009 0 Comments CommissionThis month I had the privilege of delivering the commissioning speech to the ROTC graduates at the University of Portland. Seven cadets in front of their friends and relatives raised their right hands and swore to support and defend the constitution. Each stood before a noncommissioned officer to render their first salute and then gave the NCO a silver dollar in keeping with Army tradition. It was a moving ceremony and I was impressed by the quality of the young men and women ready to serve their nation.
1/24/2009 0 Comments InconsistentWe can learn a lot from a cat. We recently bought a puppy, a yellow Labrador we named Hero. As is often the case with puppies, he is a chewer—nothing is safe from his razor-like teeth—except for Misty, our cat. Every time Hero tries to chew on Misty he takes one-two combinations to the head from a not-amused feline.
11/2/2007 0 Comments InteractionI am convinced that I have found one of the causes of cancer—it’s a small mass of cells that when left on its own rapidly grows into a destructive monster. The cells are called assumptions.
10/5/2007 0 Comments StudyHave you ever noticed how bookstores are packed with books on how to be a successful leader? Many aspire to be the quintessential person in charge. Did you know that the most authoritative book in the world on leadership is the Bible? Not only does the Bible give us the inspiring example of the perfect leader—Jesus Christ, it also is packed with descriptive accounts of other men and women who were fantastic leaders.
6/21/2007 0 Comments SelectionThe fate of every business hangs upon the quality of the employees hired. The fate of the world rests upon the quality of Jesus’ disciples engaged in obeying the Great Commission. Therefore, selection is an extremely important concept in the formation of teams and in accomplishing God’s will! I’d like to share with you seven principles that my Dad, Ron York, utilizes as a result of over fifty years of ministry experience. I believe you will find them to be very encouraging and helpful.
2/5/2007 0 Comments Disciple MakersOur main objective in Kenya is to establish a team of 40* people committed to becoming disciple makers. In the process of leading prayer walks and speaking to large gatherings of pastors and laymen, eager men and women emerged ready to be trained. The church in Kenya is not lacking for disciples, what it lacks is disciple makers (leaders committed to reproducing disciples).
7/27/2005 Leadership IIMeditation
Philemon 8-10--For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right. I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly manand now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, appeal to you for my son, Onesimus. I fatheredhim while I was in chains. 4/8/2005 AuthorityMeditation
Luke 4:36--Amazement came over them all, and they kept saying to one another, “What is this message? For He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!” 6/28/2004 0 Comments CautiousThe Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single day in the history of the United States. On September 17, 1862, 23,110 casualties littered the ground fought between Confederate and Union Armies. Antietam is a small river in the state of Maryland close to West Virginia and Pennsylvania. As I walked the battleground today, I could not help but think of all of the lives lost and the folly of a leader who could have ended the Civil War but instead prolonged it.
3/12/2004 0 Comments ResignationRemember Moses? He has to rank as one of the greatest leaders of all time. This sheepherder did all he could to avoid his holy calling to free his enslaved countrymen and lead them into the land God promised the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 6:8). He took well over a million people with countless animals out of Egypt for forty years wandering across harsh deserts where food and water were scarce. He had a phenomenal friendship with God which afforded him incredible power and the confidence to lead. Despite the heartaches of dealing with whining rebels, he passionately set out to accomplish a compelling mission.
1/29/2004 ExcusesMoses fled Egypt after murdering an Egyptian. He married a Midianite priest’s daughter and lived a simple life for decades tending his father-in-law’s sheep. One day God appeared to him out of a burning bush to appoint him as rescuer of his enslaved countrymen. God informed Moses that He was sending him to Pharaoh to win the release of the Israelites from Egypt. What an assignment! One would think that Moses, raised in a royal family and gifted with a great education, would have leaped at the opportunity to be a hero! Alas, he had other ideas. Whenever, the first word uttered is “But,” grab an umbrella because it’s about to rain excuses!
7/11/2003 FundamentalsMajor General T.K. Moffett walked back and forth in front of the assembled soldiers. The new boss from Mississippi had just finished his first day commanding the 104th Division and he elected to share with his soldiers his leadership philosophy:
#1. Do the right thing #2. Treat others the way you would like to be treated #3. Do your best. 6/27/2003 LeadershipJames Kouzes and Barry Posner spent five years investigating the perceptions that followers had of leaders. In every survey they conducted, honesty was the most sought after leader characteristic. Similarly, a leader’s trust in others was the single most important behavior. In essence, the best leaders are trustworthy and lead by modeling trust in those who work for them. Competence, forward-looking, and inspirational were the other predominant qualities people look for in their leaders. But what I found most amazing in reading their article, “Leadership Is in the Eye of the Follower,” was the following statements: “Successful leadership depends far more on the followers perception of the leader than on the leaders abilities. Followers, not the leader, determine when someone possesses the qualities of leadership. In other words, leadership is in the eye of the follower.”
8/28/2002 0 Comments BelongingLittle Julie is ragged and dirty. Two buttons are missing from her soiled dress. Her hair is matted and she owns no brush. One shoe is missing. What were once light blue sleeves are now gray. The frail fabric is torn in many places. She can only wink with one eye, and her mouth long ago lost its vibrant expression. She’s been dragged by a dog, punched by teasing boys, and twice left outside in bone-chilling rainstorms. For any casual passerby, she is all but useless—but not to Amy. She carries Julie wherever she goes. She tells her stories, puts her to bed, and kisses her hard-plastic cheeks. Amy doesn’t see a worn-out doll. Julie is her beautiful treasure and she loves her.
8/1/2002 Holy Spirit--LeadingYears ago, when we bought bicycles for our children they came unassembled. I did not pull the parts out of the box and say, “Kids look at the picture. Now build it!” Nor did they say, “We don’t need your help we can do this our own way.” We worked together. They followed my directions, while I explained the instructions inside the box. Much of the work I did because they didn’t have the abilities necessary for many of the tasks.
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Photo from Rachel Maxey Miles