Talent is Not Enough

Just a brief note to let everyone know about a book I am reviewing...it is
titled Talent is Not Enough by John Maxwell. While flying out here to San
Diego today, I had time to read several chapters and I found it to be pure
gold! I am not a fan of most of Maxwell's books because they seem
redundant. This one is refreshing and insightful. I will be sharing much
from this book in the near future but wanted to give you a heads up in case
you wanted to go to the bookstore or order it on line. This is a book about
what generates passion into action. The only thing I don't like so far, is
that I did not write it myself...if you are a parent, or trying to make a
career decision, this is a must read.
Mark

RE: [Mark's Blog] New comment on Affairs Brought About by God.

Tonight I received a response to the Affairs Brought About by God from the blog.  The writer quotes from the blog,   

"Understanding that God is working out His sovereign plan behind the scenes of our lives is foundational to a life of peace."

 

Then says:

This understanding is o'h so difficult, please pray for this peace because I feel so weak, so sad, so alone. I know; immerse myself in the truth, God's love is all around me, his spirit within.

 

Response:

We can’t forget that we are in a spiritual battle that surrounds us.  Satan will not sleep until he does everything in his power to blind us from the glory and miraculous power that God has within the reach of anyone who desires to experience the abundant life.  Second Peter 1 goes over this in depth…please read this.  What we are often so blind to the truth that our intense suffering is the method chosen by God to change us.  To be changed into Christ’s likeness is never a process that occurs without pain.  The early Christians were persecuted and tortured.  This was God’s method of maturing them and preparing them for the new kingdom.  Today, for many, God has chosen the method of loneliness and broken relationships. The question is, how much do you want to be like Him?  How much of your life are you willing to lay down?  He gave everything!  Held nothing back…will it be easy?  Oh if you only knew…every one that I know who is genuine about their relationship with Christ, endures their private pain…no one knows the depth…the pain and intensity is more than most will ever imagine.  But this is the preparation that God has chosen to make us a fit vessel for the Master’s use.  And we can’t do it alone…for me, I need the Word…Christian radio ministers to me…serving the Lord in ministry keeps me accountable and moving forward.  Because the wonders and reward of serving the king outweighs the pain you suffer, you are propelled forward; willing to endure. Just as an Olympic athlete has to prepare for years, painstaking preparation, so too are we called by the One who redeemed us and now desires to sanctify us—the training is never easy—but when you get to participate in the games, or in the battle, the suffering becomes a fading memory and at that time, you understand…it was worth it.  So few experience this today…will you?  You are not alone.

Marketing Director You don't have to wait for 2018!

In response to what I am looking for in a Marketing Development director, Helen wrote,

 

"Wow, I wish it was 10 years later in 2018 you were looking for someone. As I read your description I was completely captivated because it sounded like me. But I am still sowing seeds in my 2 beautiful girls, 4 and 7 years old. My heart is completely committed to them. I will pray that God will provide for your need."

 

I would say to Helen and others, that I am open to Gods plan and am flexible as to how He would like to accomplish this mission.  I am open to folks working from home, giving whatever time they have to give.  What is important is that the team I am trying to build, possesses our core values, loves the Lamplighter stories, and has a passion to bring redemption to a broken world.  Our core values, mission, and goals can be reviewed at http://www.lamplighterpublishing.com/PDF/the%20rest%20of%20the%20story.pdf.  This is a paper that I wrote for one of my doctoral courses that received a very encouraging and positive endorsement from the President of Denver Seminary.  So, to all who possess the skills and passion to become part of the Lamplighter team, please contact me.  You will want to read Exodus 35:21 and Haggai 1:14

Mark Hamby

 

Edwards and the Holiness of God

EXCERPTS FROM PIPER'S 1985 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ON JONATHAN EDWARDS, The Pastor as Theologian

One of my seminary professors suggested to us back in 1970 that we find one great and godly teacher in the history of the church and make him a lifelong companion. That's what Edwards has become for me.

Since Edwards, American evangelicals have not thought about life from the ground up as Christians because their entire culture has ceased to do so. Edwards's piety continued on in the revivalist tradition, his theology continued on in academic Calvinism, but there were no successors to his God-entranced world-view or his profoundly theological philosophy. The disappearance of Edwards's perspective in American Christian history has been a tragedy.

And our people need to hear God-entranced preaching. God himself needs to be the subject matter of our preaching, in his majesty and holiness and righteousness and faithfulness and sovereignty and grace. And by that I don't mean we shouldn't preach about nitty-gritty practical things like parenthood, and divorce and AIDS and gluttony and television and sex…What I mean is that every one of those things should be swept right up into the holy presence of God and laid bare to the roots of its Godwardness or godlessness.

What our people need is not nice little moral or psychological pep talks about how to get along in the world. They need to see that everything, absolutely everything – from garage sales and garbage recycling to death and demons have to do with God in all his infinite greatness. Most of our people have no one, no one in the world to placard the majesty of God for them. Therefore most of them are starved for the infinite God-entranced vision of Jonathan Edwards and they don't even know it.

They are like people who have grown up in a room with an 8-foot flat white plaster ceiling and no windows. They have never seen the broad blue sky, or the sun blazing in midday glory, or the million stars of a clear country night or some trillion-ton mountain. And so they can't explain the sense of littleness and triviality and pettiness and insignificance in their souls. But it's because there is no grandeur. What our people need is the God-entranced vision of reality that Jonathan Edwards saw.

About five years ago during our January prayer week, I decided to preach on the holiness of God from Isaiah 6. And I resolved on the first Sunday of the year to take the first four verses of that chapter and unfold the vision of God's holiness.

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high an lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.

So I preached on the holiness of God and did my best to display the majesty and glory of such an unapproachably holy God. I gave not one word of application to the lives of our people. Little did I know that in the week prior to this message one of the young families of our church discovered that their child was being sexually abused for over a year by a close relative. It was incredibly devastating. There was police involvement - Social workers, Psychiatrists, Doctors. They were there that Sunday morning and sat under that message.

I wonder how many advisers to us pastors today would have said, Piper, can't you see your people are hurting? Can't you come down out of your ivory tower of theology and get practical? Don't you realize what kind of people sit in front of you on Sunday?

Several months later the sad details began to come out. And the husband came to me one Sunday after a service and took me aside, and said, "John, these have been the hardest months of our lives. You know what has gotten me through? The vision of the greatness of God's holiness that you gave me the first week of January has been the rock we could stand on."

Lamplighter Needs a Special Person

Today was a beautiful day as the light fluffy snow changed the
landscape from a brownish green matt surface to a white satin finish. What
a wonderful imagination our God possesses. Can you imagine thinking up snow
when it didn't yet exist. I can't even imagine water, let alone snow when
there wasn't any. His ways and thoughts are just unfathomable.
Similarly, I have been searching for someone who also possesses a
compelling imagination, who is also gifted with persuasive communication
skills and loves to serve God and others. Today for example I was reading a
magazine from the organization founded by Dr. Spiros Zodiates. It is a
magazine for pastors and teachers. It is filled with excellent ideas,
articles, and resources. I had read an article several months ago on
literature and wanted to share it in my next enewsletter. So I called and
requested permission. In our discussion, I began sharing about my dad's
recent salvation experience after reading several of our Lamplighter books.
The editor was very interested and as one thing led to another, a door was
opened and a desire to review several Lamplighter books which could be
featured in their magazine.
Later that day I also had a phone meeting with a very friendly
Australian man who is in charge of choosing text books for thirty five
thousand children in public schools. He was looking for books that have a
moral focus without an overt Christian message. We don't have a many books
without an overt Christian message, but we do have about seven that could
fit in his program, particularly the Boys of Grit books. Can you imagine
influencing thirty-five thousand children with Lamplighter books!?
So that brings me back to my search. With my speaking schedule and
leading this organization, I do not have time to head up the marketing and
development. I need a special person who loves to connect; who loves to
imagine; who sees everything as an opportunity; who doesn't give up easily;
who loves the Lord and will do what it takes to get the job done. This
person also will need a love and passion for the Lamplighter mission and the
stories we publish. If I could choose a person for this position it would
be someone who loves the Lord and has a convincing passion to bring
redemption to a broken world. This person loves to share what they are
learning and reaps bountifully because they sow bountifully. Well, I
thought I would place this on my blog...you just never know how the Lord
might use this. "Father, please raise this person up in your timing."

The Truth Projecthttp://www.thetruthproject.org/

 A friend of mine shared this website with me and I found it worth sharing with you.  In fact, much of what Lamplighter Ministries is all about is found in the content of this trailer.  Without a proper understanding of the character of God, people will be governed by their feelings…the absence of reasonable faith.  I say reasonable because it is more reasonable to believe in a creator God who took six days to call the world into existence than to believe in an evolution by random chance that took billions of years.  This is just one example of reasonable faith.  But faith will only grow in proportion to one’s understanding of the nature of God found in His Word and our own nature.  Grappling with the knowledge that there is a God who at one time destroyed the entire human race except eight people, or grappling with a God who commanded a chosen nation to destroy another undeserving nation, including woman and children, or grappling with a God would allow sin to enter the world in the first place, are questions that must be answered if one is to completely trust that God is love and light and in Him is no darkness at all.  Knowing these answers and believing them, may be one’s only foundation when life just doesn’t make sense anymore.  The following website will lead you to these truths:

http://www.thetruthproject.org/  is from Dr. Dobson's family.org "Focus on the Family."

 

 

Affairs Brought About by God

In 2nd Chronicles 10, Solomon has just died and Rehoboam his son his reigning in his stead. Though Solomon was the wisest man to have ever lived, he did not retain his wisdom in his latter years as he gave himself over the lust of his flesh, the lust of his eyes and the pride of life.  These sins can be seen in his disobedience to the law of God when he accumulated horses from Egypt (Deut 17:16), accumulated foreign wives (Deut 17:17), accumulated silver and gold (Deut 17:17), did not heed the Word of God by reading it through all the days of his life so that he would learn to reverence God and do what he found in it (Deut 17:19), and did not walk humbly but thought himself above others (Deut 17:20).  He was also to write out Genesis through Deuteronomy and study it.  It would be safe to assume that he did this which sustained his early days of his wisdom.

 

When Rehoboam his son takes over, it is inevitable that he will fall into the sins of his father.  When counseled to be a servant to his people, he rejects the wise counsel of his elders (2nd Chron10:13) and begins speaking arrogantly to his people.  Then a very unusual thing occurs and is recorded in 2nd Chronicles 10:15...It says: "So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the LORD might fulfill his Word..."  Behind the scenes God is working to accomplish His end.  Recognizing our errors when we make them is the lesson here. An inability to recognize our errors is evidence that we have become disconnected from the truth that God is in control of “everything.”  When conflict begins to occur, we need to ask ourselves if God is orchestrating everything behind the scenes in order to humble us.  We are so full of ourselves that we are ready to launch an attack, even against our own family members.  And this is exactly what Rehoboam is about to do.  In chapter 11 of 2^nd Chronicles, Rehoboam assembles 180,000 chosen warriors to fight against his extended family, Israel.  “But the Word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah and Benjamin, ‘Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from Me.’  So they listened to the Word of the LORD and returned and did not go against Jeroboam.”

 

The truth found in these texts is so powerful and so convicting.  Understanding that God is working out His sovereign plan behind the scenes of our lives is foundational to a life of peace.  As I watched horrific mistakes occur during my father’s final hours in the hospital, I am at times tempted to want to blame and rise up and hold people accountable.  During the days of grieving after his death, there were times when I felt a certain family member was not behaving with the consideration due me during this time of great loss.  However, when I ponder the truths found in 2^nd Chronicles 10 and 11, that these things were turn of affairs brought about by God…. for this thing is from Me, I am silenced, and begin the process of humbling myself, for who am I to challenge the plan of an all wise God.

 

 

Call of the Entrepreneur

A few days ago I shared that there was a film out on The Call of the
Entrepreneur. Since this was during the time of my dad's departing I did
not review this film. I was wondering if anyone else viewed it? Did it
contain substantive information that would make this a valuable resource for
parents and teens? If so, does anyone know how the dvd can be obtained?
Thanks,
Mark

Spiritual Disciplines

Over this past year I have read several books on Spiritual Disciplines.  I believe that our lack of Spiritual Disciplines is one of the main reasons for our shallow Christianity.  The information listed below was not found in one of the books I read but these simple principles can really lead one from despair and depression to a life that is controlled by the Spirit.  You will not find any biblical exegesis here but sometimes it is the simple things that can shed the most light:  Thank you for sharing them with me.

CHRIST-like WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS...

An Angel says, 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.'

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6.  Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.    

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19 Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus.'

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33 Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

'If God is for us, who can be against us?'  (Romans 8:31)

Meet My Dad

For those who would like to meet my dad...

Arnold Hamby Memorial

As most of you have heard, on February 12th, my dad went to be with the Lord
after a three month flight for his life. By God's grace, I was able to spend
most of every day (most nights when he was critical), with him in the
hospital. I have appreciated hearing from many who have learned along with
me the importance of caring for our loved ones, to the very end. My only
regret is that I did not have more time to just sit and enjoy my dad without
having some work or project that needed to be done...however, dad and I sure
enjoyed working together. We loved accomplishing something.

The day before my dad became ill he was digging test holes for a pond we had
designed on our fifty acres we own in western NY. Can you imagine at 76?
As I thought about the time I didn't have or didn't take, I was reminded of
the way my dad came to know the Lord as his Savior. He was reading the
Lamplighter books that God has given me to publish, particularly Christies
Old Organ, Buried in the Snow, and That Printer of Udell's. These were the
stories that God used to awaken his soul and bring him to the Savior. If I
hadn't followed God's calling of leaving my family 25 years ago, I may have
never founded Lamplighter Publishing which would never have provided an
opportunity for my dad to come to the know the Lord. When I left
twenty-five years ago, my dad was heart broken. For the past ten years, I
have longed to return to western NY so that I could be near mom and dad in
their latter years. But I have tried to keep a "Seek first the Kingdom of
God" focus, and all these things will be added unto you. The fact that I
will see my dad again for all of eternity was worth any temporary sacrifice.
We just never know how obedience to the Lord will bring about redemption to
our loved ones in ways we can never imagine.

The Arnold Hamby Memorial fund has been established to send his favorite
Lamplighter books that led him to the Lord, to nursing homes, hospices,
hospitals, and children's hospitals. We have a donor who will match each
gift sent in my father's name. It is my desire to see these books in the
hands of those who sit in darkness and have never had the light of the
gospel shine into their souls. Just this week I sat with my dad's best
friend who is 86 years old and asked him if he would like to receive Jesus
as his savior. His response was that he wasn't ready to make this decision.
My friends, Satan has blinded the eyes of many, even those we love so much.
Our loved ones are being lulled to sleep, without any regard to their
eternal destiny. These stories are an opportunity to bring hope to the
hopeless and freedom to those who are in bondage, so that the glorious
gospel will set them free.

All gifts for the memorial fund can be sent to Lamplighter, PO Box 777,
Waverly, PA 18471.
If you would rather purchase a book and have it sent to your loved one as a
gift from you, that would mean just as much to my dad as giving to the
memorial fund. Our goal is to place these stories into the hands of those
whose souls hang in the balances.
Here are the titles my dad loved the most:
Christies Old Organ, Buried in the Snow, That Printer of Udell's,
The Basket of Flowers, Shipwrecked, The Robber's Cave, Ishmael, Self Raised,
Clear Your Boots, The Inheritance, Winter's Folly, Throw Me Overboard, and
Rising to the Top

The Call of the Entrepreneur

Here is something that will stretch your vision for the future...our
children need to see what they can achieve through God's enablement.

http://www.calloftheentrepreneur.com/trailer/

Growing through Grief: Psalm 119:65-80

A friend sent me the following devotional:

 

            It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes (Word).  Psalm 119:71

 

            A woman who lost her husband of 40 years to a sudden heart attack said that the resulting grief had caused her to value love more. When she heard couple arguing, she sometimes spoke to them, saying, "You don't have time for this." She noted that the wasted moments in all our lives become more precious when they cannot be repeated.

            Grief changes our perspective on life. It is trite but true that how we deal with sorrow will make us either bitter or better. In a remarkable statement, the Psalmist actually thanked God for a difficult experience: "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your Word...It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes" (Ps. 119:67,71)

            We don't know the nature of the psalmist's affliction, but the positive outcome was a longing to obey the Lord and a hunger for His Word.  Rarely can we use this truth to comfort those who hurt.  Instead, it is the Lord's Word to us from His compassionate heart and the touch from His healing hand.

            When we grieve, it feels more like dying than growing. But as God wraps His loving arms around us, we have the assurance of His faithful care. --David McCasland

 

                                I have been through the valley of weeping,

                                    The valley of sorrow and pain;

                        But the God of all comfort was with me,

                                    At hand to uphold and sustain.  –Anon.

 

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.  –Psalm 116:15

365 Promises

Someone recently shared this website with me.  We were just getting ready to create something similar on our Lamplighter website...i am so thankful for this:

http://www.365promises.com/044.aspx

your dad/my dad

Dear Mark, when I lost my dad over thirty years ago, I didn't really lose a
dad, because your dad took me in and became my dad...he was everything you
said he was at the service...i am going to miss him more than you'll know.

video for dad's memorial service...

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=d5d4ee2c067a456e7c0f

My Dad...Saturday at 11am,

For those who have been glancing at the blog site, you know that my dad went
to be with the Lord this past Tuesday at 12:15am...Feb, 12th. This Saturday
at 11am, I will be conducting a celebration service of his life and how he
came to know Jesus as his savior at seventy six years of age. This service
is going to be very unique and end with this short video (see the web
address below) that I have shared with you before. Please pray that many
who will come will begin to see their need of our Savior and His incredible
love. 'Thank you Lord for allowing me to be so privileged to have a dad
that modeled such an honorable life...i will strive to be like him, so that
Your reflection will be clearly seen."

My Dad

Born October 28th, 1931
Born Again November 1st, 2007
With the LORD Jesus February 12th, 2008 12:15 am
Finally, "Home sweet Home"
Thank you everyone for your prayers during these days...i am so looking
forward to seeing my dad again...May we all live in view that life is very
uncertain and very brief...may we cherish and love one another while we have
breath.

Aliteracy

According to Philosopher Gene Edward Veith, "Missionaries to non-literate
cultures often begin mastering the people's language and giving them a
system of writing. They then translate the Bible and teach the people how
to read it in their own language. The Word of God begins to transform its
readers. Once people know how to read the Bible, of course they can read
anything. Tribes go on to discover modern health care and the need for
social change, just as the Reformation Christians, empowered by Bible
reading, went on to develop scientific technology, economic growth, and
democratic institutions.
Non-literate peoples tend to exist in static, unchanging societies,
whereas literate societies tend toward rapid change and technological
growth. It is no exaggeration to say that reading has shaped our
civilization more than any other factor and that a major impetus to reading
has been the Bible.
Reading has been essential to our civilization, yet today its
centrality is under attack by the new electronic media. If reading has had
vast social and intellectual repercussions, we should wonder about the
repercussions of the new media. Can democratic institutions survive without
a literate-that is reading-populace, or will the new modes of thinking lend
themselves to new forms of totalitarianism? Can educational and
intellectual progress continue if visual imagery supplants reading, or will
the new information technologies, ironically, subvert the scientific
thinking that created them, resulting in anti-intellectualism and mass
ignorance?
Such issues are critical for the culture as a whole, but hey are
especially urgent for the church. Is it possible for Biblical faith to
flourish in a society that no lon