Engaging fired up leaders who know who they are in Christ and are ready for the challenges of leading with integrity in society today and in the future. This is done by understanding and discussing Biblical Insight into Leadership principles and practices. There has only been one perfect role model for leadership. That only role model has been Jesus Christ.
I enjoy incorporating worship music into my blog posts. Some people enjoy listening while they read and others listen at the end.
What is truth? At the
surface it sounds like it should be an easy answer to offer. But as we see in our world today, truth is
becoming increasingly difficult to define.
Jesus said that the truth will set us free. Truth is a freeing word. But yet for a concept that should seem solid
there is so much disagreement about truth and who gets to define truth and how
truth should even be defined.
When I taught college writing classes I often did an
assignment where students would have to identify truth and opinion in
writing. Truth had facts that could not
be challenged. Truth was accepted ideas.
“The earth is the third planet from the
sun and has one moon,” is a truth. We
can verify this information. It is
accepted. On the other hand a statement
like “A raging fire is a terrifying thing,” is an opinion. It may be fact to one person, but to others
it may not be. We can debate this
concept, this idea. We can each have our
own interpretation of the fire.
There is a confidence in knowing what is true. This confidence can translate into confidence
for leaders and teachers. Leaders and
teachers want to be people of integrity who live lives of truth. But in our postmodern world what is truth and
what is opinion have become virtually interchanged. Many people will present opinion as truth. Leaders and teachers need to know truth. But with flexibility of truth, leaders and
teachers are sometimes left wondering just what is true.
As leaders who follow Christ we are confronted with
countless variations on the concept of truth.
In the past people held truth to a specific standard, truth was verifiable,
testable, and knowable. But in the postmodern
world truth is being defined by personal view and experiences and understanding
of those experience. A blending of
culture, experiences, and personal ideas combine to create a version of truth
defined by a specific person.
This flexible variation of truth, based in one’s
experiences, is presenting new challenges to leaders who want to follow Christ. Leading from the truth that is found in God’s
Word is not popular with the postmodern person who does not hold to a universal
truth found in Scripture. For these
postmodern people, biblical truth is often seen as intolerant. For the postmodern person personal conviction
is the base of postmodern morality.
When teaching the postmodern person, leaders must rely on
the Holy Spirit to make Gospel truths understandable and appealing. For the leader in a postmodern world leaders
need to begin with human needs. But this
does not mean watering down the Gospel message.
In teaching, leaders should remain fully committed to the Bible and
Scriptural authority. The message stays
the same, but the manner in which it gets communicated differs.
What is exciting today is that postmodern people will go on
the journey. They just won’t accept
something because we say it is so. But
the process of going on the journey builds commitment. As people discover for themselves the truth
of God’s Word they internalize it at a level where commitment is built. We see this commitment reveal itself with
strongly held conviction.
If we lead and teach from the truthfulness of Scripture, then
there is room and space for the Holy Spirit to convince people that God’s Word
is true; that the Word is the truth that will set them free. The Holy Spirit helps us trust God’s Word as
He makes it alive and real to us.
We can no longer assume that the people we work with, lead,
or teach are all working and living from the same worldview. Today, there has been so much blending and
mixing that biblical truth has become intertwined in ways that makes it easy to
challenge. Ultimately it is the Holy
Spirit that reveals the authority of Scripture.
When we lead and teach from this place, this foundation, then the
timeless truths of Scripture have the power to transform lives. What is important is to live and work from
the truth of Scripture.
God says that your name is capable. God says you can.
Sometimes we can be our own worst critic. We can be our own worst enemy. We can talk ourselves out of doing something
before we have even tried.
Philippians 4:13 (NIV): 13I can do
all this through him who gives me strength.
The Greek for strengthens me is endunamounti which literally means, “who empowers me”. It is God who empowers us to do what He has
called us to do.
Next to John 3:16 Philippians 4:13 is well quoted. We often see athletes quote Philippians 4:13
or write it somewhere on themselves when they are about to go on the field and
go against a formidable team described as stronger, better, or more
talented. The world may even say that
the apparent underdog team is highly successful according to the standards of
the game. But the members of the team
may still be unsure about their ability to win the game. Others may be screaming to get you out of the
game. But God says when we have an
attitude that is trusting in Him and aligned with His purpose, we can do all
things.
(Please watch the Video clip: Woodlawn: “Bring it In”)
I’ve met many people who are considered highly successful
according to the standards of the world.
They rise to positions of leadership, authority, and influence. They have awards to show their skills. They have the education to support their
position. Other people often call upon
the experience for advice or consultation on projects. And even with all of these worldly accolades,
many of them feel incompetent, insecure, and incapable. And then there are some other people who talk
themselves out of being successful and even sabotage themselves because they
believe that they don’t have the skills necessary.
(Video clip: Facing the Giants: “Narrow Way”)
Success isn’t always about the outward symbols. Those who understand what Scripture says find
the success that God has planned for them.
Those who are willing to play by God’s rules find His rewards and
blessings on their lives.
Sometimes our challenges seem too big. But when we think that there is not a way,
God will provide a way. Our ability to
do what God desires and has planned for us comes not from our own ability,
ingenuity, or spirituality, but from His enabling power.
(Please watch the Video clip: Woodlawn: “On this Day”)
Philippians 4:13 (NIV): 13I can do
all this through him who gives me strength.
Closing
God calls you capable.
When the odds seem against you… when all hope appears lost… this is just
the time when God is able to do more than we can ever imagine and it is all for
His glory. It is about leaning in on
Christ who gives us strength. We can
endure and achieve all things that Christ intends for us as we rely on His
presence, power, and purposes.
Paul, the writer of Philippians maintained a right and
positive attitude on any day, regardless of how it was going. Paul was an apostle who practiced what he
preached and taught.
Conclusion
But God says that we have value, we have worth. God says we are forgivable. God calls us capable. We have the skills and talents to do the work
that we have been called to do. We all
need to stop believing the lies that the enemy would use to undermine our worth. We need to start believing the promises of
God. God will never leave us. God’s plans are to prosper us and make us
successful. He will give us the strength
we need to do what needs to be done.
No matter what garbage people in your past have heaped on
you, God will take that and create beauty. God gives us beauty for ashes. Take a step and start praying and declaring
over yourself that you are valuable; you are loveable; you are capable; you are
forgivable; and that you are a child of God.
Believe what God has promised about you and for you. Believe that God says, “Yes you can!”.
We
are going to explore that in Christ we are forgivable. From the very beginning God had the plan for
forgiveness and reconciliation.
Many
times the tendency is to think that we have somehow "let God down."
That we could have done something that was so horrible that even He is unable
to forgive us. Last week we even talked
about thinking that we were not able to receive the gift of salvation offered
in Christ because we have done the unthinkable.
And this myth is often a reason why some people will not even come to
Church. That they cannot enter a church
until they get their lives in order.
But
God says that there is nothing so bad that He will ever keep His love and
forgiveness from you.
Ephesians 1:4-7 (NIV): 4For he chose us in him before the creation
of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us
for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure
and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in
the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
God
promises to forgive us. So we
are going to cover three points.
-We are forgivable
-We need to repent
-We get a fresh start
We are
Forgivable
There
is nothing so bad that we could ever do.
Remember God knows the condition of the human heart. To claim the promise of forgiveness we need to
trust God. In Isaiah 43:25 we have a
great promise from the Lord.
Isaiah 43:25 (NIV): 25“I, even I, am he who blots out your
transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
In
Christ, God calls us forgivable. God
forgives sin completely. We should
direct all glory to God alone for our salvation that He vows to us through His
one and only Son Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5: 18 – 19 (NIV): 18All this is from God, who
reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not
counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of
reconciliation.
When
we believe that Christ has completed the atoning work for us on the cross and
that in Him we have salvation and eternal life we claim the promise of being
forgiven for our sins.
We need to Repent
We
have the promise of God’s forgiveness.
There is something that we must do and that is to repent, or turn away,
from the sinful life we are living and turn to God.
Acts 3:19 (NIV): 19Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins
may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
Those
who repent (turn away from their sin and turn to God) and ask for forgiveness
will be forgiven.
Psalm 51: 3-4 (NIV): 3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is
always before me. 4Against you, you
only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in
your verdict and justified when you judge.
We
first recognize that we have sinned; that we have done wrong. All of us have sinned and need to examine our
hearts for any areas that are not pleasing to God. A time of examination is a perfect time to
get right with God in any way needed. The repentance will be characterized by a
changed life and attitude, not just by sorrow or emotional feelings of
regret. Repentance requires a change in
action and direction.
When
we have wholeheartedly repented for our sins and we believe in our heart that
Jesus Christ died and rose for the forgiveness of sins we must never doubt that
we are indeed forgiven and that God has remembered no more those sins. We cannot pick those sins up again. What has been confessed and forgiven is not
to be taken back up. We must have
fullness of faith in the forgiveness.
We Get A Fresh
Start
When
we are forgiven for our sins (and believe in fullness of faith) we receive
absolution. In other words, in our faith
in Christ we are given a fresh start. Each day God’s mercy is new and
fresh.
1 Peter 1: 3-4 (NIV): 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an
inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in
heaven for you,
Peter
reminds us in these verses that because Christ died and rose from the dead, we
have been given a fresh start. In Christ
we have the promise of a new life, forgiven of our sins. God is to be praised for saving us. This hope of salvation is a rock solid
promise of God. Our redemption and eternal life with the inheritance are
guaranteed by Christ’s resurrection.
1 Corinthians 1:30 (NIV): 30It is because of him that you are in
Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,
holiness and redemption.
All
of our life, both physical and spiritual, comes from God. We are alive because of Christ. It is all because of Jesus that we are alive.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV): 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the
new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
God
has forgiven (redeemed and restored) the believer into a new way of
existence. This new life is as a person
of faith in Jesus Christ who desires to live for Him alone. When we are in Christ, when we find our
identity in Christ, the old sinful nature, the sinful flesh, dies and the
believer is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Ephesians 4: 22 – 24 (NIV): 22You were taught, with regard to your
former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its
deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put
on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
In
baptism our old sinful life is drowned and we are given a new life. Through daily repentance we fight to keep the
old sinful nature from resurfacing.
From the beginning God has considered His creation
good. This is a promise we can believe
in and a promise we can take to the bank. The enemy will try to tell you that you do not
matter. That you are not valuable. That you deserve no respect. That you are not lovable. No matter what you
have done. No matter what mistakes you
have made. No matter what anyone else
says about you… God believes that you are valuable and lovable.
He believes this so much so that He sent His One and Only
Son, Jesus Christ to die for us so that we may have eternal life with Him. God will never forsake any of us. He loves you with a love that only He can
offer. He believes in your value. We need to believe this promise so that we
can love others and express our love for God the Father.
Tonight we are going to cover:
-You Are Valuable
-You Are Respectable
-You Are Lovable
God desires that we are successful. In our success we bring God glory, honor, and
praise. To be successful we need to
realize that in Christ we are valuable, respectable, and lovable. When we rightfully bring God these in worship
and thanksgiving we point others to the greatness of God.
(1)You Are
Valuable
What makes something valuable? Is it something that is rare? Is it something that is precious? Is it something that we cannot do
without? Just what does make something
valuable? Who determines whether
something is valuable?
Luke 12:24 (NIV): 24Consider the
ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds
them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!
God desires that we are free from worry and anxiety. God will make sure that we have everything
that we need. Now this is not to be
confused with those things that we desire as wants. God will give us those things that are good
for us. He will never give us what will
not be good for us. Jesus tells the
disciples here that we are to trust God.
If God will provide for the birds, then we can rest in the promise that
He will provide for our needs as well.
God believes that we are valuable. To God we are priceless.
(2)You Are Respectable
What does “esteem” mean?
When we hear about being esteemed what are we talking about? We are talking about respect. There are many people though who do not feel
that they deserve this respect. But
Scripture reminds us that we are worthy of respect. Daniel writes something about the angels that
is not found anywhere else in Scripture.
The good angels do battle with evil angels in defense of men.
Daniel 10:19 (NIV): 19“Do not be
afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be
strong.”
Earlier in this 10th chapter of Daniel we hear
that Daniel has no strength. Daniel
repeatedly spoke of his weakness and prayed for his need to be
strengthened. There are times when we
feel weak and God loves us so much that He provides strength in those times we
feel weakest and lacking respect.
(3)You Are Lovable
God loves us. God’s
love is constant. It is not today I love
you and tomorrow I don’t. It is not
conditional love based on what you do.
God’s love is unconditional and constant. God’s love is consistent.
Isaiah 54:10 (NIV): 10Though the
mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you
will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has
compassion on you.
Here mountains are talking about the world. The world may fall apart. The hills may come down. But God’s love and His promises are
permanent. We are redeemed, forgiven,
and accounted righteous by Christ’s sacrifice.
Conclusion
God desires that we come to Him and bring Him glory, praise,
and honor. There is rejoicing in heaven
every time a person repents and turns to God and believes in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son and our Lord and Savior.
In God’s promises all throughout Scripture we are reminded that we are
valuable because He loves all of us and He has accepted you in Christ. In Christ we are free to live as God intended
us to live.
Why does God love us in this way? Because He finds the value in each and every
one of us as His children. God will
always love us with a love that honestly we do not deserve. God loves us so much that as recorded in John
3:16, He sent His only son to save us by a death on a cross to pay a price that
we could not pay. There is nothing that
we can do to earn the love except receive the gift of faith through God’s grace
and love. We can never “do” enough to
earn this type of unconditional love.
That is why we need Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
God surrounds us with His love. His love which is constant, unfailing, and
not dependent on what we do or do not do.
In God’s eyes in Christ we are valuable and we are lovable no matter
what we have done.
Prayer
Heavenly Father. Your
everlasting and permanent Word promises that we are Your children. Let your Holy Word remind us that in Christ
You see each of us as valuable and lovable.
Let us be reminded that Your love is never ending, always abounding, and
never changing. Your love is not based
on what we do. Amen!
How
do you define yourself? What is it that
determines your identity? Is it your
physical characteristics? Is your
identity determined by your parents? Are
you more like your mom or dad?
Is
your identity found in your personality?
Is your identity formed by your experiences? Is identity based on what you do? Is your identity based on your hobbies or
work? Is it based on your school?
Is
your identity defined by your latest update on facebook, instagram, twitter?
Over
the next several weeks we are going to explore who we are in Christ. Christ
came so that we can have life and have it to the full.
Identity
is defined as the distinguishing character or personality of an individual.
We
can often confuse what the world claims our identity to be and what our
identity is in Christ.
In
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) we learn that we gain a new identity in Christ. 17Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is
here!
God
has redeemed, restored, and recreated the believer as a person of faith in
Christ. God sees you through His son Jesus Christ. Our identity is in Christ. God desires for us to grow into the image or
likeness of Christ. In Christ the sinful
flesh has died and the believer surrenders to the Lordship of Jesus.
Through
the next couple of weeks we are going to take a closer look at how God sees us
through Christ.
We
are going to examine what is meant by our identity in Christ. We’ll look at how this identity is formed and
shaped in three areas.
· - The messages of the world.
· - God made us with a purpose.
· - The promise is this: You are a child of God.
(1)The messages
of the world.
Good,
bad, ugly, or indifferent, we are constantly bombarded by messages. The messages that the world provides gives us
a clue about the identity that the world would have for us. And by “world” we mean our culture; our
society.
To
the world image is of the utmost importance.
The world has us compare ourselves to others. How do we look? Do we wear the right clothes? Do we make the right amount of money? The world uses messages that cause you to
question your perfection. The world
causes us to take on names like “disappointment” “regret” “weak” “fear”
“failure”.
The
messages of the work cause you to question whether you are thin enough, strong
enough, smart enough. Do you have what
it takes? Use this product and more
people will like you. The world’s
message for your identity is that you need to make a lot of money, gain power,
and gain prestige and fame. And if you
do not gain those things you are a failure.
Using the world’s definition of identity can lead us to feel condemned. Using the world’s definition of identity can
lead us to choose something that dishonors God and separate us from His love.
And
this is not the plan that God has for you.
His plan calls you to be seen through His son Jesus Christ.
Romans 12:2 (NIV): 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
We
are taught through Scripture to not conform to the pattern or teaching of the
world. The world is not stable. The world deals with trends, fads, popularity
polls, and passing fancies. The patterns
of the world place unrealistic expectations on us. We become concerned about how many people
like our latest post or photo on social media.
The messages of the world get in the way of being who God created you to
be.
(2)God Made You
With a Purpose
You
have been wonderfully created by God and redeemed by the work Christ completed
on the cross. As a child of God you have
a purpose. God has a role for you to
play.
Psalm 139: 13 – 16 (NIV):
13For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s
womb. 14I praise you because I am
fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. 15My
frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was
woven together in the depths of the earth.
16Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were
written in your book before one of them came to be.
We
are God’s creation. There is nothing
hidden from God as we grew. God has
written out our entire life story. Even
though we are each created after the fall in the Garden, God acknowledges and
claims us as His work.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV): 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ
Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
When
we become aligned to God’s purpose for our lives; His plan; His agenda the work
we do is not to gain our salvation, but is a result of being saved and aligned
with God’s purpose for our life. We
therefore cannot lay claim to the work or the results of the work, for God
created these for us to do in Christ.
(3)The Promise is
This: You Are a Child of God
If
you are a believer in Christ, this means to think of yourself as "Who you
are in Christ." Remember "you
are a child of the One True King."
We can be slaves of the world or we can be free in Christ. In Christ, you have been set free from the
bondages (the messages, the desires) of the world. You have been set free from the condemnation
that comes from not being considered good enough.
Galatians 4:7 (NIV): 7So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child;
and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
By
God’s grace, each of us can regard ourselves as an heir to all spiritual
blessings. For many this can become a
mind boggling thought. And many consider
themselves undeserving us this heirship that they have in Christ. This is an incredible promise.
When
we need reminding that we are the children of God we just need to turn our
attention to Romans 8: 16-17.
Romans 8: 16-17 (NIV): 16The Spirit himself testifies with our
spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are
heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his
sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
This
is a great promise. It can’t get any
better. To be a co-heir with Christ means
to have all the blessings that God has for us.
The Holy Spirit assures us that we are God’s children. No matter what we have done or by what name
we may have been called or assumed, the promise is that we are redeemed by
Jesus Christ and made full heirs to the promise of Abraham. Our full status as God’s children makes us
beneficiaries of everything Christ posses.
Christ has given us access to the Father. We are truly co-heirs.
By
being God’s children, we gain an inheritance, the promise which Paul had
earlier described in Romans —
Romans 4:13-16 (NIV): 13It was not through the law that Abraham and
his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but
through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14For if those who depend on the
law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15because the
law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
16Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace
and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of
the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us
all.
So
we are no longer slaves to the law. In
Christ the Law has been fulfilled. People
could not keep the Law as it had been given.
The Law became a bondage to the people.
We are co-heirs through Christ. Paul
reminds his listeners and readers that we should not ever return to the life of
slavery that we have been saved from.
In
the victory of the Cross we have a new and eternal life. As God’s child we can enjoy the riches of His
blessings. As God’s children we are not
to take on the names of regret, guilt, shame, and defeat.
As
we are reminded in Romans 8:16, the Holy Spirit tells that we are adopted as God’s
children. We are children of the One
True King. We have been set free by the
work that Christ did for us on the cross.
He paid a price that we could never have paid. We are God’s children. In that promise we can stand firm.
PRAYER - Lord, we pray that You
will help us truly understand our uniqueness.
Help us to see ourselves not a sum of our failures or successes but as
You see us, as your children. We thank
You for salvation through Jesus Christ and that we have taken on His identity
as we are clothed in His righteousness, Amen.
1The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul,
since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be
on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his
sons to be king.”
2But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he
will kill me.”
The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come
to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you
what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”
4Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at
Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do
you come in peace?”
5Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to
the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he
consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely
the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”
7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his
appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at
the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord
looks at the heart.”
Sometimes people will look at another person and by
appearance only say, “Wow! This person
is a strong leader or would make a strong leader.” The debate has gone on for a long time about
whether leaders are born or made. Are
there certain characteristics such as looks, height, athletic build or other
physical qualities that make for a good leader?
Some would say, “Yes.” Some
studies have shown that people think tall men make good leaders. But have such leaders often been the best
leaders? For some yes and for others,
the jury is still out.
To accomplish God’s plans, God often ignores those
attributes that we humans think make for a great leader. Often the leader that God needs are the very
people that other people would say would never qualify for a leadership
role. These are the very people that
others would disregard as having no leadership capacity.
In these first seven verses of chapter sixteen, even Samuel
thought that God was going to choose Eliab to be the next leader. Eliab is described as looking like a
leader. He was tall, strong, sturdy, and
looked noble. Eliab looked the part. As people we get fixated on the
external. We want the image of the
leader that we have in our minds. But
this is not always the case with God.
God looks at the strengths of the character. God looks at the heart of the leader.
For God, the heart is what qualifies the leader. Leaders must have a servant heart. The leader needs to know that as leader they
are to serve and not to be served. But
not only know this… the leader must live it out at all times. The right skills, talents, physical looks,
personality, intelligence, and hard work are all excellent, but the heart of
the leader is what God looks at first.
2“This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: 3‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
God-- the God who formed the universe and everything in it-- wants to hear our prayers. God desires to answer our prayers. God will answer these prayers with things that we may not otherwise know. As leaders it is critical that we pray continuously for God's guidance, direction, wisdom, peace, and understanding. Always protect your prayer life. We have a large God ready to listen to and answer even our smallest prayer.
17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us
an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Romans 5: 3-4 (NIV)
3Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that
suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope.
The ability to press on is about perspective and how we view
our current circumstances. We get more
of what we focus on. If we feel that
everything is hard and heavy we will be weighed down and not able to fulfill
the purpose that God has for us. We will
never see the dream come to reality. But
remember and rest in the knowledge that what each trouble brings is glory that
far exceeds the momentary pain and suffering.
Our character and hope develops in our trials and
suffering. In this process God is able
to remove those things that bind us and in doing so, He leaves us refreshed,
renewed, re-created to do the work that He has called us to do. And know this… this is never a once and done
event. This is a process that moves us
forward toward God and His will.
God will use our trials to continue to shape us toward His
purpose, His vision, His mission, and His goals. Even our mistakes can be used by God. God can use those times when others
intentionally seek to hurt us. God will bring to pass what must be done to work
out for His glory.
Remember, we get more of what we focus on. Therefore focus on God. To help us see the big picture we need to
trust in God’s timing. When we adopt God’s
timing we are able to take on an eternal perspective that lifts the burden from
our strengths and places it in God’s strength.
We need to rest in God’s timing and develop perseverance.
God uses each situation to teach us something if we let Him
do so. He has a lesson for us to learn
in each trial and situation. What we
need to know right from the start is perhaps the lesson God is teaching you is
meant to help someone else. When we
share the lesson we have learned through offering testimony of a trial God has
gotten us through, we may help someone who is in the middle of a similar trial
get through it knowing that God is faithful.
Or we may help someone avoid a similar trial entirely.
God will use a variety of teaching methods including
repetition to teach us the lessons He needs us to know or to move us to His
agenda. This process may be
uncomfortable. At these times we may
pray for God to change our circumstances.
But what I have come to learn is that God would rather change us
personally. Although He can certainly
change the circumstances we are in, that often leaves us unchanged. God is more interested in using the suffering
to build perseverance and perseverance to build character and character
inspires hope.
5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6But when
you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a
wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That person should not expect
to receive anything from the Lord. 8Such a person is double-minded and unstable
in all they do.
As leaders we need to allow God to develop every aspect of
our person. We need to be in 100% for
God. We cannot hold any part back. We need to place our full faith and
confidence in Him. We must believe that
He will provide.
But when we hold back, even a little, and have doubt, we do
not have complete faith and trust in God.
We doubt. We question if God can
really get us through this situation we are facing. In doubt we try to go into the situation and
solve it in our own strength instead of relying on God.
Proverbs 28:26 (NIV)
Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than the rich whose ways are perverse.
In other words when we trust in our own strength, when we
trust in our human skills, in ourselves, we are fools. But those who walk in the wisdom that is from
God are kept safe. Doubting can delay or
prevent God’s blessing.
In our leadership journey we often come to regular
decisions; a fork in the road. Do we go
right or left? Decisions must be
made. Action must be taken. We cannot get stuck by second-guessing
ourselves. Second-guessing leads to
mediocracy and playing it safe. Make
decisions to move toward your destiny.
There is no forward motion by staying stuck.
How to avoid doubt and live the life and be the leader God
has called you to be.
-Commit
your life to Christ. His call. His direction. His vision.
His purpose. Understand your
identity in Christ.
-Let
God develop every aspect of your person.
Commit to the habits that help you grow spiritually. All God every aspect of your life. Hold nothing back. Serve God with all of your gifts. Bring glory to God.
-We
learn God’s will when we pray. Leaders
need to pray continuously for God’s wisdom, guidance, direction, and will. Make prayer time a priority in your day.
-Be
led by the Holy Spirit. At times this
will not be or feel easy. The right path
often is not in agreement with human popular opinion polls.
Be confident in your knowledge of who you are in
Christ. Know without doubt that God’s
plans for you are right, good, and will lead you to the things that God has in
store for you.
For today’s text see: https://bible.com/111/1sa.15.1-24.niv
The Lord called Saul to obey His instruction. The Lord gave Saul a very clear mission. The mission was to completely destroy the Amalekites
for what they had done to Israel. (Verses 2 -3). But Saul and the army of men only did a part
of the mission.
God calls us to obey Him.
However, with free will, we can choose to obey God and be a servant, or
we can choose not to obey and be self-serving.
The mission in verse three is clear – Attack and totally
destroy. Put all people to death, spare
nothing including the livestock. But
Saul only carried out part of the mission.
We learn in the text that he took king Agag as a prisoner and Saul and
the men spared the best sheep and cattle.
They knowingly disobeyed in order to take the spoils of the battle so
that others could see their success. To
top this all off, Saul even went to Carmel to erect a monument in his own
honor.
Then when Samuel confronts Saul about this, Saul tries to
rationalize keeping the king, cattle and sheep, and the monument. He tries to justify his disobedience; his sin
to Samuel. But Samuel speaking the word
of God will have no part of it.
Saul allowed his position (the image) of leadership to
dictate what he attends to and how he attends to it. And when confronted about his choices, how he
justified it. Saul rationalized his
disobedience. He even used religious
practice as part of his rationalization.
In Saul’s eyes he successfully completed the will of God.
Samuel explains to Saul that obedience to God is better than
any sacrifice. Samuel finished by
stating that rebellion or disobedience to God is like divination and arrogance no
better than idolatry. Samuel closes by
saying that since Saul rejected God’s command that God has rejected Saul as
leader. Upon hearing this Saul repents.
But even his repentance is still an excuse (verse 24).
Saul does not recognize how the image of leadership drove
decisions he made. Saul become too
concerned with the image of leadership instead of the essence of
leadership. Saul was concerned about
being seen by others and recognized for successfully winning the battle against
the Amalekites. He was seeking honor and
glory for himself.
When we seek the image of leadership instead of the essence
of leadership we move from being servant leaders with the goal of serving God
and others to be self-serving leaders who seek personal glory. The motives for leadership shift from God centered
to self-centered.
People look for the image of leadership. The Lord looks at the heart of leadership.
9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not
be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go.
Proverbs 28:1 (NIV)
The wicked flee though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
Matthew 10: 16 -20 (NIV)
16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore
be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17Be on your guard; you will
be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18On my
account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and
to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or
how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be
you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Trials will come.
That is just a fact of life. We
need to be vigilant, watchful, and on guard to be prepared when they come. People will challenge you. People will test your authority. But when you need to respond, when you need
to speak, God, through His Holy Spirit, will be with you. The Holy Spirit empowers us to respond in the
way that we need to.
Great leaders are confident in their courage. They are able to stand firm because they know
that God is with them. They have full
faith that God is with them. When we
have God with us He helps us when we need it.
When we speak we have true confidence and we have courage. When we know our identity in Christ we can be
the servant leaders that God calls us to be.
We then place the needs of others ahead of our own needs.
But many leaders have a false courage built upon the
emptiness of the position of leadership.
This type of courage is a façade; an empty shell. Such an image of courage is apart from
Christ; or wicked. Eventually the empty
shell is discovered and no one will follow a leader with a façade of courage
built around an emptiness. These leaders
become overwhelmed by the image of leadership.
They try to please everyone to maintain the image. These leaders are self-serving and seek to
lead only to maintain the image. To
maintain the image they will never admit to mistakes. Self-serving leaders know what to do. They may even know how to do it. But they lack the why to lead. The image must be protected at all
costs. They know the game. They play the game of politics to achieve
their goals. This style of leadership is
empty. Eventually the followers fall
away. They do not pursue this leader.
Servant leaders develop a deep rooted courage because they
are confident in their identity in Christ.
They know not only the what and how of leadership, but they have a deep
sense of the why of leadership. They
have a deep sense of purpose, call, and desire.
The servant leader is concerned with authentic influence that creates
value for others. The servant leader has
courage that is not concerned with the image, but the core essence of helping
others in positive ways. The servant
leader wants to leave a positive impact in the lives of others. The servant leader wants to bring glory to
God.
To do this, servant leaders must know who they and whose
they are. They work at things and lead
others to bring forth the purpose for which they were created. They employ their gifts and talents to raise
others up.
Most leadership development teachers will start by having
new leaders explore who they are. What
are the things that you value? What are
you passionate about? Spend time with
God and soak your leadership character in prayer. Ask God to reveal who you are
as a leader. Submit to Him and be led by
His Holy Spirit. Ask God to reveal the
vision He has for you. Then lead to
serve others with authentic influence that creates value.
Seven years ago while conducting my doctoral research study
on college student faith development the Lord laid a burden on my heart; a
desire to teach leadership in a biblical context. I have always had a tendency to raise up and
mentor the next generation of leaders. I
believe that this is the primary task of a leader is to raise up and mentor new
leaders. This is how I have found I fulfill
the command to “Go and Make Disciples.” We need more leaders who have a
foundation in biblical leadership principles and stand firm and are not tossed
around by every passing fad and fancy. Leaders develop leaders.
At the time the time the seed was planted it was not the right
time to launch a teaching ministry.
There was still much I needed to learn. There was still more I needed to
do. The Lord began to put me in
situations that would stretch my own leadership capacity. He placed me in situations that would help me
define who I was as a leader and my identity in Christ. He placed me in situations that would prompt
me to lean on His strength. The Lord put
me in places where I would need to take risks and be entrepreneurial.
Two years ago my family relocated to Farmville,
Virginia. We joined a church that was
like pouring Holy Spirit gasoline on the spark.
I met some great spiritual mentors and teachers. In the last six months the Lord has given
significant direction and guidance to launching this teaching ministry called:
Fired Up Leader Life. The mission of
FULL is to develop Christ centered leaders who (1) know their identity in
Christ; (2) allow God to develop every aspect of their person; (3) pray
continuously; and (4) are led by the Holy Spirit.
God’s work done God’s way will never lack God’s resources –
Hudson Taylor. My prayers have been big
prayers that God will align the resources necessary to carry out the mission of
Fired Up Leader Life. The vision is that
events and programs will remain free so that they are open to the largest
number of participants. But in order to
do this I need partners who are willing to offer financial gifts to support the
work of the ministry. Currently Fired Up
Leader Life is a small flame but I have faith and trust that God will direct
the right people to throw Spiritual gasoline and help Fired Up Leader Life spark
the fire for Christ in the lives of many people.
To support the launch of Fired Up Leader Life please see the
Go Fund Me link at:
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not
be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go."
For more information about Fired Up Leader Life please see
the website at: www.firedupleaderlife.com.
When we rely on our own strength we can end up in
trouble. When we rely on the whims of
the day, the passing fancies, we can end up in trouble. Since the fall in the Garden of Eden people
have been trying to do things in their own strength that only God can do. They do this believing that their human approach
is better than or higher than God’s plan.
We need to seek God’s wisdom and guidance.
We cannot be like a leaf being blown around in the wind by
every passing fad and fancy. These
people make decisions based on popularity polls and opinions. By doing so their decisions become weak, they
never plant, and therefore never reap.
We need to take action.
We need to choose to move forward.
We cannot sit and do nothing. We’ll
never achieve our God given dream if we do not step out in faith. We need to do so strategically and
intentionally. We cannot just step here
and there like being blown by the wind.
Have advisers. Have
people who will hold you accountable.
Pray for God’s guidance and wisdom.
Gather information. When the
prudent act, they do so with knowledge and wisdom. Prepare for setbacks. And finally face your fears head on and know
that you have God as a partner.
13Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light. 14Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small. 15You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 16For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.
Proverbs 19:1 (NIV)
1Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.
Colossians 3: 9 – 10 (NIV)
9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Integrity matters to leadership. Because influence is a foundation piece to leadership, integrity matters greatly.
Some people take great pride in their ability to “play politics”. They practice their ability to speak deceptively, to stretch the truth, and to sometimes straight out lie to get what they want. They even boast in their political prowess. But this is not the type of leader that God has called us to be. God has called us to be leaders of integrity. God has called us to be servant leaders not self-serving leaders. Our approach to leadership should bring God glory. But the world encourages and even rewards leaders who know how to play politics and manipulate others for personal gain. The world encourages self-serving leadership.
Great leaders cultivate integrity in themselves and those they serve and lead. Acting without integrity or manipulating the circumstances may bring a quick win and the appearance of success. However, acting and leading with integrity and honesty (even in the hardest of moments) will bring and build lasting and solid success. Strong relationships are forged in trust. Followers will go anywhere the leader needs them to go.
As leaders we need to model the right example. Always choose to act and lead with integrity.
52He said to them, “Therefore every teacher
of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner
of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
This
parable is a discipleship lesson. This
is one of the parables from the middle of the Galilean ministry period. It is also contained with this listing of
Matthew’s Kingdom parables.
One
of the overall messages of this short parable is that as we gain deeper
understanding and discipleship we are to impart that knowledge to others. We are to repeat the process and grow new
disciples. With this parable we can see
Jesus laying the foundation for the coming Great Commission and the work that
is to come.
This
parable is the close to a series of parables in Matthew Chapter 13. Those in this chapter are some of Jesus’
simplest, yet most profound parables in the Bible. These are the parables of Matthew that
illustrate the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus
had asked the disciples in verse 51 if they understood the parables, and they
responded that they do. That is when
Jesus offers this quick parable to close the teaching.
Jesus is
Preparing New Scribes or Teachers
Every
minister of the Gospel should be properly trained. Remember that Jesus’ disciples had no formal
training or teaching to rely upon. For 3
years Jesus trained and mentored His disciples.
By doing this in this way through a variety of teaching methods, the
disciples would be equipped not only to understand the Gospel, but also defend
it, live it out, and teach it to others.
The
traditional scribe restates only the old, stale message. The scribe or disciple of the Kingdom of
Heaven offers teaching that is fresh, but yet values the older knowledge and
teaching.
Scribes
had a duty to share what they had learned and what they knew with others. Jesus is explaining that the disciples (as
these new scribes or teachers) have a responsibility to share what they know
with others.
We
can look to Ezra as an example of the scribe that Jesus is readying.
Ezra 7:10 (NIV)
For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and
observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in
Israel.
With
this short parable Jesus is continuing to teach the disciples that they are
going to be teaching others what He has shared with them. Through His teaching they are learning how to
take what they have known about the Law and add new understanding. Jesus is readying a new type of scribe or
teacher.
We
are not to hold the knowledge of Jesus Christ to ourselves, we are to share it
with others. We have been empowered by
the Holy Spirit to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus is telling the
disciples not to keep the treasure of the Gospel to themselves, but we are to
teach it and bring it forth.
Jesus
brought together the things of the Jewish Law (Old Testament, old) and His new
vision and wisdom. With and through
Jesus Christ we learn new lessons from the past teachings. As those preparing to serve in ministry it is
important to be well versed in the truth and knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ and be prepared and able to teach that.
We
cannot give or teach what we do not live out.
God wants us to construct our “being” before our “doing.” (Maxwell) Ezra shows us this example. Ezra prepared for it, lived it, and taught
it. We need to understand the old before we can convey a new message. The old treasure is understanding the Law and
the new treasure is understanding how to live in the Kingdom of Heaven and be
able to teach it.
In my junior year of high school I worked at Scout Summer
Camp as a Counselor in the Nature Lodge.
One of my responsibilities was facilitating an activity called the “Web
of Life”. You may be familiar with this
activity and may have done it or a variation of it. In it, each scout was given a card with
something from nature written on it. The
idea is to toss the ball of string or yarn from person to person explaining the
significance of the connection between your card and the card you through it
to.
For instance, if I had the card “bird” and threw the string to
someone holding “grass” I would explain that the bird uses the grass to build a
nest and without the grass, the bird might not have building materials. Simple enough. The activity continues until
each person is holding a segment of the string. The activity shows the delicate
nature of the eco-system. Sometimes we
would throw a ball onto to web to illustrate the support given by the
interconnections on the web.
The next part of the activity is to have people
systematically start letting go of the string.
For instance, I might say that man covers the grass with blacktop to
create a parking lot. The people holding
“bird” and “grass” would let go of the string.
As people start to let go the web breaks down and is unable to sustain
the eco-system (represented by the ball).
The same activity has been used to show the importance of human
relationships on teams for team building activities. That we each need
relationships and that relationships need to be reciprocal. That each person has a part to play in the
relationship. We cannot forget to build
relationships.
The same image can be used for the importance of praying
daily for one another. As we build a
prayer web by praying we support one another.
That’s why we have prayer chains in our churches. As we pray in authority we can lift each
other up. We need to be holding our
section of the string and each other up in prayer.
Forgetting to pray for each other it is like letting go of a
section of the string in our web. The
web begins to break down and the person needing prayer support is like the ball
set upon the string and begins to fall through the weakened web. When we fall we are vulnerable. Pray always for one another. Keep the web of life strong. Let no one fall.
Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with
all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep
on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Colossians 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
Philippians 1:4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always
pray with joy
Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show
them that they should always pray and not give up.
Scripture calls all of us to be “filled with the Spirit”
(Ephesians 5: 17 – 20 (NIV)).
17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the
Lord’s will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead,
be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and
songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
With the Holy Spirit we become empowered to carry out the
work for which God has pre-ordained for us.
God wants to put within each of us a fire or a focus so that we can
complete His will on earth. The Holy
Spirit is at work in the lives of all believers to make them more like Jesus
(Bicket, 2010). The message of the Holy Spirit is not for a few select believers. The empowerment gift of the Holy Spirit is
for all people.
Christ’s church was born from the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was sent by God to His Church
following the ascension of Jesus during the time of Pentecost (Acts 2: 1 – 5 (NIV)).
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in
one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from
heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what
seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
The early Church was a Spirit led Church. The baptism in the Holy Spirit was an
important aspect of the early church. As
the apostles traveled and spread the Gospel they expected all who had been
baptized and believed the Gospel to also have a baptism of the Holy Spirit
(Herbeck, 2003). It was expected that
all believers would experience the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Many contemporary Christian easily understand God the Father
and God the Son, but struggle with God the Holy Spirit. God consists of three Persons: the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The
accounts of the Baptism of Jesus found in Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; or Luke
3:21–22 show all three members of the Trinity present at the same time: Jesus
being baptized, the Holy Spirit descending like a dove, and the voice of the
Father expressing approval from heaven.
Matthew 3: 13 – 17 (NIV)
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized
by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you,
and do you come to me?” 15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us
to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16As soon as
Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was
opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on
him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I
am well pleased.”
Mark 1 9 – 11 (NIV)
9At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was
baptized by John in the Jordan. 10Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water,
he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am
well pleased.”
Luke 3: 21 – 22 (NIV)
21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was
baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22and the Holy Spirit
descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You
are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Jesus wants to manifest His presence on our hearts, mind,
and emotions. He does this as we engage with Holy Spirit (IHOP). “Knowing God through a conscious, personal
encounter through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit is Christianity”
(Herbeck, 2003, p. 59). The baptism in
the Holy Spirit completes baptism and is a release of the empowering gifts of
baptism.
The
promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit is recorded throughout Scripture both
in the Old and New Testaments.
Joel
2:28–29 describes the coming of the Holy Spirit. 28“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit
on all people. Your sons and daughters
will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29Even on my servants, both men and women, I
will pour out my Spirit in those days. (NIV).
In John
14:15–17 Jesus promises that God the Father will send the Holy Spirit to be in
the apostles. 15 “If you love me, keep
my commands. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate
to help you and be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot
accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he
lives with you and will be in you. (NIV).
“The Holy
Spirit is described in Scripture as having characteristics we all have: a mind
(Romans 8:27), a will (1 Corinthians 12:11), and feelings (Ephesians 4:30)”
(Bicket, 2010, p.73). Different name
such as counselor, teacher, helper, intercessor are used to describe the Holy Spirit.
Living
in the Holy Spirit was an important part of the early Christian life. Instances of infilling by the Holy Spirit can
be found in Acts 2; 8; 9; 10; and 19.
Acts
2:4 (NIV): 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts
8: 17 (NIV): 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they
received the Holy Spirit.
Acts
9: 17 – 19 (NIV): 17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his
hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on
the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be
filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18Immediately, something like scales fell from
Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19and after
taking some food, he regained his strength.
Acts
10: 44-47 (NIV): 44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit
came on all who heard the message. 45The circumcised believers who had come
with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out
even on Gentiles. 46For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47“Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized
with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”
Acts
19: 6 (NIV): 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them,
and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
In Acts 5:32 God has given the Holy Spirit to those who obey
him. The Holy Spirit is called the Helper
by Jesus. He helps us to trust, love, and obey Jesus as we trust and talk to
Him.
“It’s important to
see that the willingness to let ‘oneself be acted upon’ by God is fundamental
aspect of coming to a genuine or fuller knowledge of him” (Herbeck, 2003, p.
50). When it come to the Holy Spirit, with
or on is good but in is far better. When
filled with the Holy Spirit you become empowered for your mission.
Engaging with the Holy Spirit is the way we bear much fruit
to God in the Kingdom. (IHOP). You can
overcome every obstacle, as long as you refuse to give up, because you have the
Spirit of God inside of you (Joyce Meyer).
With the Holy Spirit we can become transformative leaders that become
world changers. The Holy Spirit is a
power source that will empower, guide, lead, and direct us.
The Spirit desires to manifest His power through people who
will not use it to draw attention to themselves. (John. 3:29-30). Meekness is power under restraint. We are meek
as we use our resources under the direction the Holy Spirit. “The baptism in the Holy Spirit also disposes
‘the believer to be ever more docile to the action of the Holy Spirit’”
(Herbeck, 2003, p. 68). When we are
docile we are teachable and able to be led by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit reveals Jesus' heart and will by
teaching us the Word and inspiring us to obey (IHOP).
We need to cooperate with and call upon the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:26 we see how the Spirit enables God’s will.
26In the same way,
the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for,
but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27And he who
searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes
for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28And we know that in all
things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose. (NIV).
Although not a formula or a process outline, there are some
key common aspects to building and deepening an infilling of the Holy Spirit. For some it comes in an instant and others
recognize the baptism in a more subtle way. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is available to
all believers. However, “The Spirit does
not fill persons who do not plan to use the Spirit empowerment for the purposes
God intended” (Bicket, 2010, p. 82). First
is to turn away from sin. Be obedient to
God’s will. Surrender yourself to God
and do His will. Don’t put any limits on
God. Love is everything. Clothe yourself in love. Draw a line in the sand and live a life free
from sin. Feeding our fleshly live is
the surest way to kill the work of the Spirit (6The mind governed by the flesh
is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. [Romans 8:6
(NIV)]). Be unified and set your focus
on God’s Kingdom. (33But seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as
well. [Matthew 6:33 (NIV)]). Desire the
gift of the Spirit. (1Follow the way of
love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2For anyone
who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one
understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. [1 Corinthians 14:1-2
(NIV)]). Pray for the baptism. Prayer is central to the life of the Church
(Wood, 2010). Listen for God’s voice. Finally, believers desiring the baptism in
the Holy Spirit need to study and apply the Scriptures (Wood, 2010). (16All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God may be thoroughly
equipped for every good work. [2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 (NIV)]).
When we have the Holy Spirit within us, we are charged,
transformed, and empowered to carry out God’s will. We must desire and be attentive to the action
and will of the Holy Spirit. We must welcome the Holy Spirit into our life and let His work flow through our lives.
References
Bicket, Z. (2010).
Introduction to Pentecostal doctrine, 3rd Ed. Gospel Publishing House. Springfield, MO.
Herbeck, P. (2003) When the Spirit comes in power:
Rediscovering the charismatic dimension of the Christian life. Servant Books. Cincinnati, OH.
International House of Prayer (IHOP) Facebook Feed
Joyce Meyer Ministries
Wood, G. O. (2010). Acts:
The Holy Spirit at work in believers.
Servant Books. Cincinnati, OH.
