Saturday, October 30, 2010

GOD'S RECRUITMENT STRATEGY FOR LEADERS

"Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see
nothing." - Acts 9:8a

When God calls one of His servants into service, there is often much
travail. There are many examples where God makes His presence known
through circumstances that tax the individual to his very soul.
Consider Paul, who was stricken blind on the Damascus road.
Consider Peter; when he denied Jesus after the crucifixion, he was in
total despair.
Consider Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were thrown into the fiery
furnace.
Consider Daniel, who was thrown into the lions' den.
Consider David, who was forced to flee his former employer for many
years and lived as a fugitive.
It may seem strange to us that God uses such incredible adversity to
prepare His servants for greater service, but this is God's way. God
knows that the human heart is incapable of voluntarily stepping into
situations that take us beyond our comfort zone. He intentionally brings
us into hard places to prove us and to drive us deeper into the soil of
His grace.
In arid regions of the world, trees cannot survive unless their roots
grow deeper to where the water table can be found. Once they reach the
water, these trees become stronger than any tree that can be found in
tropical climates. Their root systems ensure that they can withstand any
storm. In the same way, God brings us into extremely difficult
situations in order to prove His power and drive our spiritual roots
deeper.
Friend, God may take you through times when you will question His love
for you. In such times, you must cling to His coattail so that you see
His purposes in it. Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly
rewarded.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you
will receive what He has promised. For in just a very little while, "He
who is coming will come and will not delay. But My righteous one will
live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him"
(Hebrews 10:36-38).

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

GOD'S CHOSEN FEW

"But those who suffer He delivers in their suffering; He speaks to them
in their affliction." - Job 36:15

He was born with cerebral palsy in South Africa. He barely survived his
birth. He did not walk until he was four years old. One leg was longer
than the other and he could not speak well. For most of his life, his
hands shook and he had little control over them. Feelings of rejection
and bitterness at his plight were common occurrences during his
growing-up years. During his school years, he was chastised by kids and
generally rejected by society.
At age 17, his father felt led to take his son to a healing service.
That night, the young boy's leg divinely grew two inches. He no longer
walked with a limp. Bradley met the Savior and began to grow in his
intimacy with Him. God began to speak to him and show him things. Prayer
became his source of comfort and strength. God gave him insights about
people and situations, bringing blessing to all who encountered him.
Today, this young man travels around the world as an internationally
known intercessor and founder of a school of intercessory prayer.
Literally hundreds of hours of knowledge about the way God speaks to His
children have been birthed in and through this young man.
One evening Bradley walked forward in a meeting of about 40 workplace
believers and handed a note to the leader during a Christian business
conference. The note was for someone in the room, but Bradley did not
know whom it was for. It was the last day of a 40-day fast for this
writer. The message gave a specific description of what I had been
experiencing the two years leading up to that night. Nobody would have
known such details. I knew it was for me. It was a miraculous "telegram
from God" that provided confirmation and encouragement of where God was
taking me. God used one broken man to speak to another broken man.
God's ways are not our ways. His preparation of His warriors seems cruel
and hurtful at times. His ways are much higher than ours. Trust the God
of the universe that He can orchestrate the events of your life when
they seem the darkest.

Monday, October 25, 2010

THE GOD OF ALL ENCOURAGEMENT

"Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus
Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all
our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any
trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For
as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also
aboundeth by Christ." - 2 Corinthians 1:2-5

Do you ever get discouraged? Don't answer that, because I already know
the answer. Of course you do, you're human. Encouragement is something
we all need. Thank God it is something He has promised to everyone of
us. I'd like you to first see that the word, "encouragement", is not
used in the King James Version of the Bible. Instead, you'll see the
word "comfort" which is used 10 times in this passage from 2
Corinthians. It is also translated "consolation" and used to describe
the Holy Spirit who is called the Comforter (John 14 & 15). I want you
to know the sweet encouragement that only our Savior can bring. And once
you receive that gift, to pass it on, thereby allowing the Holy Spirit
to fill you up again and again.

The Source of Encouragement
God has cornered the market on comfort. So if you are discouraged right
now, the devil is hot on your trail. There's a story that illustrates
this point so well.
One day, the devil was auctioning off his tools. That is, all but one
tool. It was such a high price, no one could afford it. When someone
asked why, he said, "That's my favorite tool. It's the tool of
discouragement. I use it to pry open a life and when I get inside, I can
do all kinds of damage with my other tools of hatred, lust, envy,
jealousy, and pride."
When the Bible says, "who comforteth us," I want you to notice that the
word "comforteth" is in the present tense. This encouragement is
ever-present. It flows like a river -never stopping to flow from the
loving bosom of God.

The Subject of Encouragement
That's you and me, and everyone who's gone before us or who will come
after us. You see, one of the consolations of discouragement, is that
we're in good company. We don't have to go around wearing a mask and
pretending to be happy when we're not. There have been three times in my
life when I was really discouraged. And in all three times I went to the
Lord and He met me there. He became the God of all comfort to me.
Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformer, was often discouraged. In fact,
his wife thought the only way to help him was to shock him out of it.
She put on a black dress and veil as if she was going to a funeral. When
he asked her who had died, she said, "Martin, haven't your heard? God
has died." He declared, "That is blasphemy!" His wife said, "Aye
Husband, and it is blasphemy for you to be living as if God is dead."
Needless to say, Martin snapped out of it!

The Stewardship of Encouragement
God is the One who encourages us so that we may be able to comfort
others. This is the purpose of encouragement! We are blessed that we
might be a blessing. The word "aboundeth" in 2 Corinthians, verse 5
means that we are to overflow with the life of Jesus Christ. Everywhere
we go, we are to be a source of encouragement.
To some people, tribulation is a prison. For others, tribulation is a
hospital from which they get well. But friend, tribulation is to be a
seminary where we learn to become stewards of the comfort we receive, so
that we can pass on our encouragement to others.

Friday, October 22, 2010

FEARS THAT KEEP US FROM HIS PRESENCE

"Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave
them, because they were overcome with fear. So He got into the boat and
left." - Luke 8:37

Jesus did many miracles when He lived on earth. One of those miracles
involved the deliverance of a demon-possessed man. The people of the
community witnessed this awesome demonstration of God's power when
Jesus commanded the demon spirit to come out of the man and go into the herd
of nearby pigs. The man was healed and sat at Jesus' feet.
You would expect the people who witnessed this to embrace Jesus as one
performing good deeds and to honor Him. The opposite was true. Instead,
they were overcome with fear. Why? Many of us respond the same way to
Jesus when He does an out-of-the-ordinary act among His people. We are
fearful because we have never personally experienced this before. So,
we draw wrong judgments. The result is that Jesus removes Himself from us.
The Lord is able to do far exceeding above what we think. Jesus does
not remain in the places where there is fear of His goodness. It is often
subconscious fears that prevent us from going to a deeper level with
Him. The people in Gerasenes could not benefit from Jesus' presence
because of their fears.
Have you feared Jesus because of what He might require of you? Have you
feared that He might ask of you something you are not prepared to give?
Do not let your fears drive Him from your presence. His motive is
always love for His children. You can trust Him.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

EQUIPPED FOR THE WORKPLACE

"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant
brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the
sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He
work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be
glory for ever and ever. Amen." - Hebrews 13:20

"We've spent too much time equipping our workplace believers to do our
ministries rather than equipping them to do the ministry God has called
them to in the workplace," said a third-world pastor to a large group of
workplace believers.
Over 70 percent of our time is spent in the workplace, yet our training
and teaching focuses on areas where we spend much less time. The
workplace is the greatest mission field of our day, yet we do not train
workplace believers how to effectively integrate their faith into their
workplace. The wall between Sunday and Monday still exists. Most
workplace believers do not understand that all of life is spiritual, not
just life on Sunday.
A recent study found that 50 percent of Christians have never heard a
sermon on work; 70 percent have never been taught a theology of work;
and 70 percent have never heard a sermon on vocation. Why do we focus on
the fringes rather than the center where most people spend most of their
time - the workplace?
God is removing the wall of separation by speaking to pastors and
workplace believers all over the world. A pastor recently shared how his
church ordains their workplace believers for their calling to the
workplace. Another pastor described their church's commitment to
integrating training for their workplace believers on the theology of
work. Another told how they began a workplace ministry within their
church for their workplace believers, and even integrated Sunday school
programs specifically geared to help workplace believers understand
their calling in the workplace.
We are entering a new era in the Church when workplace believers are
seen as a remnant of the Body of Christ who need to be mobilized and
trained for the work of the ministry to their own mission field-the
workplace. Are you one of the men and women God is raising up for this
task? Pray that God will help pastors understand and affirm this
calling, and that they will respond by training the people of their
churches for their own ministry to the workplace. When we reclaim the 70
percent, the remainder will be reclaimed automatically.

Monday, October 18, 2010

GOD'S PREPARATION FOR MOVING OUT

"In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large
flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys."- Genesis 30:43

Jacob left his homeland after suffering a broken relationship with Esau
for stealing the family blessing. He went to work for his uncle Laban
where he stayed for 20 years. It came time for him to leave, but he had
no physical assets to show for those years under Laban. Laban had taken
advantage of his nephew in every way. (In some ways, Jacob was reaping
the seed he had sown his entire life as a manipulator and controller.)
Nevertheless, God's hand was on Jacob, and He had plans to prosper him.
However, Jacob had one problem - he had no resources of his own. For
Jacob to launch out on his own, he would need resources. In those days,
resources often meant large flocks of animals. God gave Jacob a dream
that resulted in a strategy for creating wealth by multiplying his
sheep. Even though Laban sought to thwart Jacob's efforts, God overcame
the evil in Laban to allow Jacob to prosper.
There are many important lessons for us in this story. First, when God
decides it is time to move you into a larger place of His calling, He
has the ability to provide the resources you need to support the call.
God gave Jacob a dream that resulted in a strategy never used before to
build wealth. It was totally from God's hand. It was creative and new.
God called Jacob to move out after he had demonstrated his faithfulness
in 20 years of serving Laban. He learned to live under authority and
served Laban faithfully, even though he knew he was being taken
advantage of.
God will do the same for you and me. However, a word of caution: Be
sure the strategy is born from above, and not from self-effort. The
difficulty for most of us workplace believers is to learn the
difference between the strategies born of God versus the strategy of self-effort.

Friday, October 15, 2010

GENTLY LEADING

"So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at
the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come
to my lord in Seir." - Genesis 33:14

Work often determines that we move at a pace that can put incredible
stresses upon people and relationships. Jacob was a man who learned to
manipulate and control outcomes. He even stole the birthright of his
brother, Esau, through trickery. The Bible speaks of Jacob as a man who
strived with God. He knew how to force situations to his advantage. It
took years for God to break down all the rough edges of Jacob so that he
could be worthy of becoming the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel.
God saw something in Jacob that He could use.
Robert Hicks, in his book Masculine Journey, describes five biblical
stages of manhood that must be passed through before a man becomes a
mature man of God. One of those early stages is known as the "warrior
stage." In this stage of manhood, the man is known by what he does, what
he accomplishes, and he is totally defined by his performance. It can be
a tumultuous time for the man and those close to him. It is often
signified by broken relationships because the goal is often more
important than the way the goal is accomplished. When I meet with a man,
I can easily determine what stage of life he is in by hearing him talk.
Jacob had successfully passed through these five stages based on the
verse above. It takes someone mature to be able to "move along slowly at
the pace of the droves before me and that of the children." Leaders who
never come to understand this may be successful materially but fail at
the most important aspect of leadership-leading at a pace that his
followers can maintain. The roads are full of wives, children, and
workers who cannot keep up with the pace of leaders and are left behind
with broken dreams, broken hearts, and unfulfilled promises.
Are you a person who is more concerned with outcome than how you achieve
the outcome? Can the people around you describe you as someone who leads
at a pace that ensures respect and admiration? Ask the Lord for the
ability to be a godly leader who understands the condition of his flock
and the pace in which you can lead without alienating.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

FREEDOM AND BOUNDARIES

"Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God
had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat
from any tree in the garden'?" - Genesis 3:1

God is big on giving man freedom and boundaries-freedom to manage what
He has entrusted to us, boundaries to protect us from evil. The
boundaries in the Garden of Eden were not set for the purpose of
limiting Adam. Man got into trouble when he questioned those boundaries.
God had provided everything he would need for life. He also entrusted
man with responsibility to manage and work the Garden. God gave him
freedom in that responsibility. God knows we were made to express
ourselves creatively through our work.
Each of us must have freedom and boundaries in our work life. Whenever
you are hired for a job, you must have the freedom to make certain
decisions. You must have the authority to manage things within your area
of expertise. You must also have limits within your area of
responsibility. You need to know where those limits are and stay within
them. Both freedom and boundaries are always under the umbrella of God's
authority and our authorities at work.
Jesus understood these boundaries. When He was tempted for 40 days by
the devil after being baptized, He was challenged by satan to go outside
His freedom and boundaries. (See Matthew 4:1-11.) Satan said that He had
the power to turn a stone into bread. Jesus was hungry and easily could
have justified using His power to feed Himself. However, Jesus
understood He could do nothing outside the boundaries of God's will for
His life. It was God's will for Jesus to be tempted and to withstand the
temptation. God was showing His Son that "man does not live on bread
alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Mt. 4:4b).
You and I are tempted every day to go beyond our God-ordained
boundaries. Whether it is solving financial problems that have arisen
through debt, making wrong decisions due to pressure, or manipulating
someone in order to achieve our ends, it all represents rebellion toward
God.
Ask God to show you His freedom and boundaries for your life. These are
meant to enhance your life, not hinder it.

Monday, October 11, 2010

FORGIVING OURSELVES

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

The apostle Peter was one of three disciples who walked with Jesus
closer than the other nine. He was the most enthusiastic and the one
man who was willing to step into territories where others would not dare.
He was the first to step out of the boat and walk on water. He wanted to
protect Jesus at times when Jesus rebuked him for having a demon
influence him. He cut off the ear of the guard who wanted to arrest
Jesus in the garden. As Peter matured, the Holy Spirit harnessed his
many extreme emotions.
The greatest trial for Peter was when he denied the Lord just before
Jesus was crucified. Three times he denied knowing Jesus. Jesus
predicted that the cock would crow after the third time just to
reinforce the prophecy to Peter. Peter was crushed when he realized he
had failed His Lord so badly.
The Lord forgave Peter for his denial. However, gaining forgiveness
from Jesus was not the most difficult part for Peter. The hard part was
forgiving himself. As we mature in the faith, we begin moving in
victory after victory with our Lord. Then out of nowhere, an event happens that
reveals our true sin nature, and we are confronted face to face with
this reality. We cannot believe that we are capable of such sin. There
is no good thing in us save the grace of Jesus Christ and His blood
that cleanses us. When God looks at us, He looks at the blood of Christ that
has covered our sin. He does not look at our sin once we confess it.
When we have difficulty forgiving ourselves, this is pride at its
deepest level. We are making an assumption that we should never have
sinned and that we are too mature to sin. This is a trap from the enemy
of our souls. People who cannot forgive do not recognize from what they
have been forgiven. That includes us.

FORGIVING OURSELVES

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

The apostle Peter was one of three disciples who walked with Jesus
closer than the other nine. He was the most enthusiastic and the one
man who was willing to step into territories where others would not dare.
He was the first to step out of the boat and walk on water. He wanted to
protect Jesus at times when Jesus rebuked him for having a demon
influence him. He cut off the ear of the guard who wanted to arrest
Jesus in the garden. As Peter matured, the Holy Spirit harnessed his
many extreme emotions.
The greatest trial for Peter was when he denied the Lord just before
Jesus was crucified. Three times he denied knowing Jesus. Jesus
predicted that the cock would crow after the third time just to
reinforce the prophecy to Peter. Peter was crushed when he realized he
had failed His Lord so badly.
The Lord forgave Peter for his denial. However, gaining forgiveness
from Jesus was not the most difficult part for Peter. The hard part was
forgiving himself. As we mature in the faith, we begin moving in
victory after victory with our Lord. Then out of nowhere, an event happens that
reveals our true sin nature, and we are confronted face to face with
this reality. We cannot believe that we are capable of such sin. There
is no good thing in us save the grace of Jesus Christ and His blood
that cleanses us. When God looks at us, He looks at the blood of Christ that
has covered our sin. He does not look at our sin once we confess it.
When we have difficulty forgiving ourselves, this is pride at its
deepest level. We are making an assumption that we should never have
sinned and that we are too mature to sin. This is a trap from the enemy
of our souls. People who cannot forgive do not recognize from what they
have been forgiven. That includes us.

Friday, October 8, 2010

FINDING MEANING IN OUR LABOUR

"But I said, "I have laboured to no purpose; I have spent my
strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the
Lord's hand, and my reward is with my God." - (Isaiah 49:4)

Have you ever felt like you're spending your life using your
talent for nothing? Life is often spent doing mundane activities
that seem to have little eternal purpose.
The great prophet Isaiah was struggling with his own purpose. He
knew he was chosen to be a voice for God, yet life became
purposeless for Isaiah. We all go through periods when our
purpose seems to be clouded with the mundane. We see little
meaning in life. On the other hand, Isaiah didn't stay in this
place. We read in this passage that he knew the truth of his
existence. He could look past his present circumstance and know
that his real reward and purpose would be revealed in eternity.
He knew that God was just and fair, so he placed his faith on
this truth.
When life appears to lack meaning and purpose, remember that if
you devote your life to the purposes He has for you, the fruits
of your labour will be manifested in due time. "The one who calls
you is faithful and He will do it" (1 Thess. 5:24).

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

FIVE TRAPS LEADERS FALL INTO

"I set you apart for a special work." - Jeremiah 1:5 NCV

If you're a leader, consider these five traps:
(1) The need to be well-rounded! Great achievers are usually not
well-rounded. They're focused! Striving to be well-rounded only sounds
good. It actually forces you to invest time and energy into areas where
you'll never excel.
(2) Authority without competence! Every leader has authority over areas
in which s/he has little or no competence. When s/he tries to exercise
authority there, s/he often hinders everything and everyone under
his/her watch. To put it bluntly, there are things you're responsible
for, that you should keep your nose out of.
(3) The success intoxicant! Success is an intoxicant, and intoxicated
people seldom have a firm grip on reality. Leaders often assume that
their core competencies are broader than they actually are. This trait
is easy to see in others, but next to impossible to see in ourselves.
Admitting weakness doesn't make you less effective, it just expresses
what everybody around you has known for a long time.
(4) Guilt! We feel guilty about delegating our weaknesses. We assume
that everybody hates to do what we hate to do. Wrong! Delegation allows
somebody else to shine. Your weakness is their opportunity.
(5) Unwillingness to develop others! Sure it's easier to do things
yourself. But leadership isn't just about getting things done right,
it's about getting things done through others. If you can't find
somebody to hand things off to, look in the mirror. Your people are
exactly where you've led them. If you've nobody to delegate things to,
guess who needs to change?

Monday, October 4, 2010

FINDING THE WILL OF GOD

"I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart." -Psalm 40:8

How would you describe the process by which you find and do God's will
in your life? For some, finding God's will is like playing bumper cars.
We keep going in one direction until we bump into an obstacle, turn, and
go in another direction. It is a constant process of elimination,
failure, or success. Is this the way God would have us find His will?
No. There is much more relationship between hearing God's voice and
living within the mystery of His omnipotence in our lives. Perhaps this
process is more like water in a streambed. The water is constantly
flowing to a final destination. As it presses against the streambed, it
gently points the water toward its final destination. There are no
abrupt head-on collisions, simply slight modifications of direction.
Occasionally, we come to a sharp turn in the contours of our life. For
those times, God allows us to stretch our normal response to change. A
popular Bible study says that we cannot go with God and stay where we
are. Finding and doing God's will always require change. What changes
are necessary in your life to join God in what He is already doing?
There is a direct connection between finding and doing God's will and
having God's law in our heart. A friend once complained that he did not
know what God wanted of him in his life. My immediate response was, "How
much time do you spend with God in Bible study, prayer, and meditation
on Scripture?" "Only a few minutes a day," he replied. How can we expect
to hear and discern God's voice if we don't spend focused time with Him?
If you have a spouse, how did you get to know him or her before you were
married? You spent time together. You got to know everything about each
other. Our walk with God is no different. It isn't enough to have a
desire to follow God; we must put our energy into getting to know Him.
His will for us flows out of our relationship, it is not an end in
itself. Commit yourself to seeking Him more in your life by spending
more time with Him. "Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great
and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jer. 33:3).

Friday, October 1, 2010

FEAR NOT

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of
love and of self-discipline." - 2 Timothy 1:7

God calls each of us to engage in spiritual warfare at times. Whenever
satan wants to come against one of God's children, he does so by trying
to intimidate through fear.
Goliath's formidable size and arrogant boasting intimidated Saul and
Israel's army. And because God's anointing had fallen from Saul, he was
unable to respond with courage to Goliath's charge. Fear paralyzes and
torments. That is why Saul could not respond.
The anointing had fallen on David, who was just a young boy, but mighty
in spirit. David did not cower at the size or shouts of the giant
Goliath. He saw Goliath through the eyes of God, who saw him as a mere
speck. David had righteous indignation for an affront to the armies of
the living God.
David did not weigh the risk of failure because his faith was resting
totally in God. That is another important factor in overcoming
fear-complete trust in God.
When the Lord began training me to confront fear, the training grounds
were a groundless lawsuit, intimidations, and calamity that confronted
my very existence. Learning that these were merely tactics of the enemy,
designed to instill fear, allowed me to stand firm in God's power to
overcome.
Do not fear sudden calamity if you are walking uprightly before God. It
may be setting the stage for a great victory that will bring praise and
honor to your heavenly Father. These battles are training grounds for
greater victories to come.