The Reason Pope Francis has Influence

Screen Shot 2013-10-21 at 1.46.06 PMMore than any other Pope in recent history, people love Pope Francis.

This is remarkable given the public ire the Catholic Church has had to deal with in recent history regarding their very public cases of sexual abuse by her priests.

Pope Francis seems to have turned all that around.

What is it about Pope Francis that people are drawn to? Why are people so intrigued by Pope Francis? How come he has become the beloved Pope of, not only the Catholic Church, but the world?

One word: integrity.

In carrying his own bags, living in a simple apartment, turning down the life of luxury, making his own phone calls, answering his own emails, being around and serving people, taking the metro, etc. the world sees what faith in God ought to look like.

The world understands that faith looks more like strength in humility, grandeur in service, power in simplicity, and the miraculous in the everyday life than strength in power, grandeur and opulence, and influence through power.

Pope Francis is beloved and has influence because his life matches his faith.

And friends, that’s where our influence lies too: when our behavior matches our beliefs.

A. W. Tozer on Money

Screen Shot 2013-10-13 at 4.38.04 PMAs base a thing money often is, it yet can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor; it can keep a missionary actively winning lost souls to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.

 

A. W. Tozer

Leagalism – It Stinks!!!

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There was a man named John who walked into a bank to finalize a business transaction dressed in his blue jeans. The teller told him that the officer he needed to see wasn’t in and he would have to come back the next day. John said that would be fine and asked the teller to validate his parking ticket.

The teller then informed him that according to bank policy, she couldn’t validate his parking ticket because he had not technically completed a financial transaction.

John asked for an exception, since he had come to the bank intending to do business, but wasn’t able to because the appropriate officer wasn’t in.

The teller didn’t budge. She said, “I’m sorry; that’s our policy. Rules are rules.”

So John decided to make a business transaction. He decided to close his account.

The account he closed had a balance of over $1.5 million.

This qualified as a business transaction, and the teller was able to validate the parking ticket.

True story.

Legalism.

Rules are necessary.

Life would be chaos without rules.

However, legalistic adherence to rules without using common sense and judgment is not only dumb but it’s deadly. It will kill relationships. It will destroy organizations.

Legalism. It really does stink!