The “popular” approach to addressing major problems today appears to be to determine whose fault it is, spending all matter of resources in doing so, and then to deal out punishment; normally not in proportion to the individual’s culpability. This approach delivers two important things to the masses; first, it provides someone to point a finger at so that blame can be assigned. And two, it provides peace of mind in knowing “it certainly wasn’t my fault.”

The psychological and sociological benefits to meeting these perceived needs may be genuine, if not merely desired, but when they start cleaning up the debris from the rally where they celebrated the assignment of blame, the Snakes will still be very much alive and remain a threat.

The effective Snake Killer understands the first priority is to determine, to the best of their ability, the exact status of the circumstances they find themselves in. This is critical, especially in crisis situations. You must identify the imminent threats, Snakes, and take action immediately . . . if not sooner. The issue of who is to blame for the Snake(s) is relevant during the initial phase of the process only when knowing that information can aid in the effective resolution of the crisis.

So, you are in the middle of a battle that must be ended as quickly as possible. Who fired the first shot is not important unless establishing that fact provides your first step in killing the Snake. Throughout history there have been some really bone-headed decisions made that have resulted in some terrible consequences. Even when this has happened the primary focus remained surviving the current conflict, killing the Snake. If you fail to understand the importance of this, while you are conducting your witch hunt for those responsible, the Snake may attack again and your efforts may have been a fatal waste of precious time.

When you identify “Bone Head” you may need to take action, this is especially true when “Bone Head” remains in a position to impact the current crisis. This is where the Snake Killing Process is most effective; providing a systematic method to Identify the problem, to Determine the possible courses of actions, to Evaluate the potential outcome for each option, to Act based on what you know, and then to be vigilant and Learn from your actions. If you discover that your actions were ineffective, then you start the process again.

Snake Killing is a Systematic Approach to Problem Solving. It is a tool that was designed to be used repeatedly though out your life. And, it works.

TheSnakeKiller@live.com

Brother Bob is reaching the end of his faithful service to his Lord. He shared the doctors have told him he needs a new heart, but at 78, he would have a very rough time with the surgery. He said tonight, “Well, they told me I was in trouble either way it went.” And then he flashed that heart warming smile and I heard that unique giggle that can only come from him.

We had prayer tonight for Brother Bob after he ended the service. I was humbled and deeply saddened to know this could be the last time I might see this great man here on earth. When the prayer ended Brother Bob raised his head and looked me in the eye and said Brother Myers, we go back a long way you and I.

I have received many awards and recognitions during my life, but none of that can compare to having this Saint of God look into my eyes, call me by name and hug my neck. Nothing until the time when Jesus does this in heaven will ever compare.

Brother Bob doesn’t have email and I take that as an indication he will ever know what I have said here, but that is fitting and proper. It has been my privilege to know this Saint of God and I look forward to the time when I will see his bright smile, hear his mellow voice and feel his gentle arms around my shoulders once again . . . in Heaven.

Humbled and Loved,

The Snake Killer

Inside on the Outside…

“Leave It Outside…” should have generated more than a few questions about sharing your faith in the workplace. Did I share my faith at work? Yes, I did. But I did so only when a staff member brought up the subject, thus initiating the discussion, and asking for my input. How did I get staff members to ask me my opinion? Now that is the challenge here isn’t it?

First, there is a significant difference between nurturing a prejudice and sharing one’s faith. This will hold true until the person you are sharing with becomes offended by what you said. When this occurs, plan on receiving politically correct sensitivity training and firm counseling about your obvious transgression. This places you in a precarious position. You now know your responsibility in the Great Commission, to share your faith, can cost both your job and your livelihood. This places you in a no-win position…or does it?

Communications 101 holds the key to overcoming this dilemma. There are three parts to the communications process: the Sender, the Message, and the Receiver. It is the responsibility of the Sender to select the correct type of Message that will insure the Receiver successfully receives the message that was intended. There are countless applications for this basic model, but for our purposes we will focus on the Message.

To comply with the challenges of the Great Commission, you must live your experience daily in word, thought, and deed. In word, insure your words reflect the values and the teachings of the Lord. In thought, the basis of how you see those around you is built on how the Lord sees and views the world. Through deeds, you act upon the moral imperatives that are part and parcel of your personal relationship with God.

Prayer is an excellent place to start. Prayer is two-way communications with God; yes, two-way. To begin, skip the formalized King James prayers, using thee and thou along with the rest of the Old English forms. God hears and knows all of your thoughts, so don’t waste time formalizing and organizing it. You can say it, aloud or otherwise, and He hears it. His answers most likely will not be written across the sky in emerald smoke, so you must watch for the method He chooses to send His response.

Your deeds make the greatest impact. If you want your relationship with God to be seen by those around you, then your strongest testimony will be what you do and how you react to others. Special attention will be given to how well you deal with key issues. Get a passing grade on this, and your opinion will be sought by others. This will not always be on issues of faith, but this form of dialog begins the process.

Remember, meaningful change is a process and not an event.

The Snake Killer

I had several “basic rules” that I developed and used over the years. They are the result of my experiences and my diverse career tracks. When it came to employee relations, two rules stand out.

1. I do not care if you are black, white, brown or green; male, female or in between. Show up on time, do the job you are being paid to do, do the job the way you were trained to do it, take care of the customers, and do not become a source of chronic problems, and you can work here long after I am gone. And, many did.

2. At work, you are being paid for your time and efforts. We do not pay you to express or discuss your opinions on race, gender, age, religion or national origin. There are five imaginary “Olympic Pegs” outside the employee entrance. Hang your personal prejudices on them when you come in and, if you can’t live without them, pick them up again as you leave. But be warned, there is no room for them inside and they will not be tolerated here.

These normally pass the “smell test” when it comes to meeting federal, state and local standards. And of course, these were and are the standards established by the government through law, regulation or the current “tempest in the tea-pot.” That makes them “Caesar’s Law.” God has His own standards and His are much higher. If you are wondering, God signed off on my two rules a couple thousand years ago, give or take. God has His own set of rules called commandments. If that sounds stronger than just rules, good, they were so important for us to know and remember, He wrote them down on tablets of stone, twice.

Further discourses on this are for another time, but for the moment, think on this. The time will come when each of us will account before God for our actions and attitudes. So remember, we all eat, drink, work, socialize, and some may even sleep with, someone who is breaking, or has broken, one or more of God’s commandments without repentance, and remember those babies were written in stone!

The issues raised in my two rules are cause for us all to pray and seek the face of God. Are we to be the hurried priest or the lowly Samaritan on these tough issues?

The Snake Killer

I am serving as chaplain for the daycare center at church.

Now don’t laugh, this is serious stuff here! How do you explain Christ on the Cross to three-year olds? And while you’re at it, exactly how well do you think the details of the crucifixion process are going to fit into your sermon series? Now for real, tell me, how many ways can you teach Daniel, Noah and David? Suffer not the little children…yeah right, I’m the one suffering here.

Then I remember my first pastorate. Two of my board members shared with me that they didn’t know if anyone else was listening, but their kids were driving them crazy on the way home asking questions about what I had meant in my sermons. I told them that was great! If the children were being challenged by what they heard, then the adults had no excuses.

So now I find myself going back to my first love, preparing based on the learning levels of the least in my “congregation.” My job is to insure these little ones know God loves them and that His love has no limit and has no end. That message never changes and it crosses all boundaries; age, race, gender, religion or national origin.

Is it working? Let me tell you…

There is no amount of money, no degree, no job, no title, no award, no achievement on this side of heaven that is greater than having one of my “short people” hug my leg at the knee and tell me much they care for me.

The Snake Killer

My general manager came to me concerned about my state of mind in light of what was happening.  I asked him why he was concerned.  He replied I seemed very relaxed and at ease, almost too calm under the circumstances.  I smiled and explained that the Air Force had trained me to be calm during times of crisis as lives may depended on it, and it was during times like these that I was truly in my element.

Unfortunately, we all find ourselves in countless crisis situations in our day to day lives that are driven by Snake Handlers, people who have Pet Snakes and like to let them loose to cause stress. The Snake might be how a date is written on a document or even that the coffee was not made. Important details, but not critical to the mission of the church and certainly not worthy of being elevated to hurricane status.

A Systematic Approach to Problem Solving for Everyone...

We all have Snakes, problems, in our lives. You would think by now we would all be highly skilled in killing them, but we’re not! Whether your Snakes are in your personal life, your family life, your social life or, oh yeah, let’s not forget about your spiritual life…especially in your spiritual life, good snakes are dead snakes. You need to learn how to identify and eliminate chronic Snakes that impact your life if you ever hope to find the happiness, confidence and inner peace that God wants for you.

And, for all those obsessive-compulsive Snake Handlers, nurturing your Pet Snakes, this is fair warning…your days are numbered!

This is being heard repeatedly across the country and around the world as congregations become energized through the faithful proclamation of the Word of God. Increasing in both effectiveness and size, these churches, or faith communities, have focused their goals to emulate those of the Early Church. They have taken to heart the teachings and practices found in Scripture. They are meeting spiritual needs while reaching out to provide for the sick and needy among them.

But they are also starting to lose dearly loved, and often lifelong, friends. These friends have become “lost” in the success of the new, dynamic church. They miss the feeling of belonging to an intimate congregation. They also miss the fellowship and close relationships they enjoyed before the evangelistic explosion occurred and the faith community began to grow and take on new life.

What if you divided that larger and more impersonal congregation into smaller, more intimate groups? In this way could you provide the more comfortable setting of intimate fellowship and relationships while preserving the majesty and power of the corporate worship experience?

Dealing with the desires and convictions of varied groups within the Body is not new. We find in the Book of Acts the devout Jewish Christians, faced with the reality of God welcoming the Gentiles into the Kingdom, felt compelled to bind them to the Old Testament requirements of the Law. In this instance, history shows it was the Gentile Christians who became the conduit through which God built His church. To meet the heart felt needs of Jewish and Gentile Christians, God, through the Apostles, granted provisions to satisfy the needs of both and the building of the Kingdom continues even now.

Do it for God? Do it on purpose! Take time to see and feel all the needs in your faith community. We boldly profess nothing is impossible with God, so let’s not lose the one for the sake of the ninety and nine.

The Snake Killer

How do you see your church or faith community?

Is it merely a place holder in history or is it a dynamic place of worship impacting the lives of individuals and the heart and soul of the community?

If it is the later, then it is still Morning for you.

Otherwise . . .

Where do you want to be?

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