By Wayne Huntley

Here are some quotations that I think are foundational:
– Stand for something or you will fall for anything.
– The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart.
– The world will step aside for the man who knows where he is going.
– Consistency, thou art a jewel.
– If our past has a future, then we must be a bridge in the present.

What the skeleton is to the body, oxygen is to the lungs, and blood is to the heart, so are our core values and beliefs to our life and ministry. Our beliefs are either our greatest ally or our worst enemy. What we believe, in great part, will determine who we are, where we go, why we do what we do, and what we will become. What we believe determines who is our God, guide, and guard. Our beliefs are our moral compass and the source of our motivation and mission. What we believe must be more than mere opinion, personal preference, and traditional prejudice. It must be a deeply rooted conviction that will create courage and commitment.

Paul said, “I believed, and therefore have I spoken” (II Corinthians 4:13). We also believe, and therefore we speak. Equal to the error of not believing what we preach is the error of not preaching what we believe. The blame for the rising tide of doubt, disbelief, and compromise in this hour may be partially laid at the foot of a silent pulpit. As never before, our churches, children, and communities need a voice of valued beliefs instead of an echo of convenience and compromise.

I have observed that prodigals who have walked away from the apostolic movement, have little or no respect for compromise by churches who once held to our doctrines and standards of truth. We gain no ground by tailoring our principles and beliefs to the whims of the masses.

What we believe matters, for it ensures that should our prodigals ever desire to return home, they will be able to recognize it as the home they left.

What we believe matters lest the struggle and sacrifice of our forefathers is wasted under our watch. They trusted us with the treasured truth, and we should never let it dim or diminish.

What we believe matters because people will never rise higher than what is preached and taught. When we abandon what we believe, it weakens both us and those who hear us.

I am convinced the kite-and-string principle still applies today. To the casual observer, it would appear that the kite in flight is being held down by the attached string in the hand of the youth. However, upon the release of the string the kite does not go up higher or remain the same, but it comes down. I am convinced that the adversary wishes to deceive us to believe that our convictions and beliefs are holding us down, when in reality, they are holding us up.

Let us grasp the old black Book afresh and renew our convictions and commitment. We must not fail, for there are those who trust us.
“As never before, our churches, children, and communities need a voice of valued beliefs instead of an echo of convenience and compromise.”

From, “Forward Magazine”/March-April 2009/Volume 40, Issue 2/Page 12, by Wayne Huntley