Dave Dishman

Guidance from Overlooked Men and Women of the Bible

Category: Mission (Page 19 of 26)

The Prophet and the Prince

August 8, 2016 / / 0 Comments

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Isn’t it interesting that in all the conversations about the crisis inflicting the Islamic faith – I’m thinking of young Muslims killing themselves and scores of innocent people as part of the militant outworking of their beliefs – that none of these conversations bring up the life of the founder of Islam?

Muhammad founded the Islamic religion and immediately began spreading the faith. His methodology involved conquering the cities around him and forcing their citizens to convert to Islam. This type of conversion has never really stopped. The people of any land Muslim forces have taken over in the past have been forced to convert to Islam or face severe consequences. ISIS is simply following suit. Conversion at the point of the sword.

Contrast that with the founder of Christianity. Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek, to do good to those that hurt us. While Muhammad tells his followers to subjugate their enemies and conquer in the name of Allah, Jesus teaches us to love our enemies. Unfortunately, much conquering and warfare have been done throughout history in the name of Christ, but these actions do not reflect the founder’s desires for interactions between people. Muhammad brings a different modus operandi. His teachings and the life he led reveal his belief that might and power and subjugation work. Love is trampled under the boots of the conquerers.

Is it any wonder that followers of Islam read the texts proscribed by Muhammad and take them seriously? Of course they do, it’s what any true follower of a religion or belief system does. When the founding father led by violence then we should not be surprised that we see violence in the actions of his followers. It’s hard to make a case otherwise.

Better by far to follow the Prince of Peace. Jesus is the Savior of all peoples. Ironically and hopefully, Jesus is considered a prophet by those of the Muslim faith. Let’s pray and encourage our fellow seekers of God to find the true King, the Prince of Peace, and turn toward his timeless teachings of peace and love.

Authenticity, Immorality, and Homosexuality: How do I find my “true self”? Thoughts from guest blogger Dr. Lewis Winkler

July 25, 2016 / / 0 Comments

One of the thinkers I really respect is a find of mine, Dr. Lewis Winkler, who teaches at the East Asia School of Theology in Singapore. Dr. Winkler considers issues biblically, clearly and thoroughly. I appreciate his heart and compassion for people. I read his blog regularly.

I found this post titled Authenticity, Immorality, and Homosexuality: How do I find my “true self”? interesting in light of so much ongoing media coverage on this topic. To give you a taste of his writing, here’s Dr. Winkler’s closing paragraph:

The good news is you can discover your true self. There is a source of authentic humanity, but it comes from outside the self and even outside the universe. And also has a name: the God-man, Jesus Christ. If you want to find out who you really are, only the One who made you can tell you, and only He can make you who you ought to be: a truly authentic and genuinely godly human being.

I invite you to check out these thoughts from Dr. Lewis Winkler, my guest blogger, for the week.

Heroic Leadership

July 18, 2016 / / 0 Comments

What a good book and what a different sort of leadership book than I normally read! Heroic Leadership by Chris Lowney examines and draws leadership principles from the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits. The Jesuits have been around for over 450 years and Lowney attributes much of their success to the four pillars that guide their leadership: self-awareness, ingenuity, love and heroism.

I was struck by the principle of “indifference” practiced by the Jesuits, which encourages the freedom from inordinate attachments. If you’re free from the things of the world that hold you back, then you’re free to go anywhere in the world the Lord might take you. So unlike most teachings on leadership that I read and a teaching rarely heard today.

The Jesuits focused on finding and developing “as many as possible of the very best.” They worked at finding great young leaders and then putting them in challenging situations to further hone their leadership skills. They forced people to stretch and grow, all the while pushing them to live like Jesus and to treat people like Jesus would treat them.

I was also struck by the Jesuit’s Latin motto, “magis” or “more.” This does not refer to accumulating more money or stuff, which would put it in conflict with the principle of indifference, but rather magis represents the reality that there are new places to go. There are unexplored regions that have not heard about the Christian faith, there are more ways to improve the educational experience of the students under their care, things around you can be better. I love the push that results from aiming high.

Lowney does not sugarcoat the Jesuits and there are issues to be found in their work, but his insight into their leadership culture is rich and worthy of your time, especially if leadership is something you’re trying to live out. May we all be captured by the principle of magis!

 

John the Baptist got a raw deal

May 23, 2016 / / 1 Comment

In a cathedral in Seville, Spain, I ran across this painting. Sorry it’s not a great photo, but you get the idea. It’s a painting of John the Baptist’s head on a platter. I’ve been reading about John the Baptist recently and I’m always impressed with his devotion to Christ, right up to his death. Did you know that he first met Jesus when both were in their respective mother’s wombs? And John jumped for joy when he heard Mary’s voice? It’s a remarkable story that you can read about in Luke 1:39-45. Being a Christ follower from the womb is impressive.

A wild-looking man, John lived on locusts and wild honey and wore a camel skins, which was odd even back in the day. He pulled no punches as he called on people to change their lives. Herod locked him up in prison and eventually took his life, angry at John’s calling him out for taking his brother’s wife as his own.

Such a short yet powerful life. Jesus tells us that there has been no one ever born who was greater than John the Baptist. High praise for someone who has a brief sojourn across the pages of scripture and who ends his life in such a grisly style.

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