God's Touch

God's Word is amazing! As I read this morning in Daniel my mind began to think about the hand of God and His touch upon my life. In Daniel 10:10 it says, "And, behold, a hand touched me". When the hand of Jesus touches us we receive so much to be grateful for. His touch is a ...

Life giving touch!
Cleansing touch!
Healing touch!
Compassionate touch!
Merciful touch!

My prayer this morning is "Lord Jesus, touch me anew again today"!!

Seeking God

This morning during my devotion time I came across the following verse found in Isaiah 55:6 "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call on him while he is near" (Niv) and in the (Msg) it says, "Seek God while he's here to be found, pray to him while he's close at hand". While I have always believed it to be important to seek the Lord at the beginning of each day rather than at the end. My attention was drawn to the last words of this verse. His nearness is what we should be seeking every day and there are many benefits in including Him in our daily lives. I've listed some for you!

Those who seek the Lord...

They shall find God and live!
They shall rejoice!
They shall have understanding!
They shall not be in want!
They shall not be confounded!
They shall not be forsaken!
They shall be very blessed!
They shall be greatly rewarded!

That's just too good to pass up! Have a blessed day!

Partnership

In Numbers 27:16-17 (MSG) - Moses, a Shepherd-leader, prayed that the Lord would "set a man over this community (congregation - KJV) that would go out before them and go in before them, that the community will not be as sheep without a shepherd".

There must be a "set man" whether he be called, lead pastor, senior pastor or whatever! There must be a captain at the helm of the ship, a coach who leads the team, or a driver who figures out where to drive the bus. The "set man" takes the lead, he then begins to work in partnership with others to fulfill the vision that God has ignited within him to lead the local church.

The benefits of this kind of partnership are enormous! If Moses needed others to minister alongside him, we are foolish to attempt to accomplish the various aspects of ministry alone. No pastor can singlehandedly fulfill the call of God in a local community of believers alone - regardless of how gifted he may be. Doing church as a team . . . just makes sense!

There are few things more beautiful to God than seeing His children serving and working together. For the church to effectively reach its community every ministry and every individual within the congregation must get involved in this team ministry concept.

Every member is a minister. God loves to take plain vanilla people like you and me and through them accomplish extraordinary things! God is looking for people like you, willing to use their abilities, gifts, readiness and talents to achieve gigantic things for Him! Will you be that person??

One of the key reasons many churches today are in a slow but deadly erosion is the failure of the people to accept that the church is in trouble and that immediate changes are needed. Far too many churches are addicted to internal conflict, mediocrity and inward focus. An established church is often entrenched in traditions and therefore change is difficult and often takes longer periods of time. The wise pastor "set man" knowing that change must ultimately take place for the God given goals and vision to be attained, realizes that this process can be sped up by taking the approach of partnership and team effort. This team approach can have a profound impact upon a local community of believers. The idea of "partnership" will resonate and motivate them into action.

As a local community of believers, our main focus should always be on reaching those who are far away from God. Our vision is to be a light to our city and everything we do is to try and impact our community.

A Chinese proverbs states, "behind an able man are always other able men". The truth is that team work is at the heart of great achievement. Look closely at the following . . . . . .

~ Teams involve more people, thus affording more resources, ideas, and energy than would an individual.
~ Teams maximize a leaders potential and minimize his weaknesses. Strengths and weaknesses are more exposed in individuals.
~ Teams provide multiple prospects on how to meet a need or reach a goal, thus devising several alternatives for each situation. (Individual insight is seldom as broad and as deep as a group's when it takes on a problem).
~ Teams share the credit for victories and the blame for losses. This fosters genuine humility and authentic community. (Individuals take the credit and the blame alone.. this fosters pride and sometimes a sense a failure).
~ Teams keep leaders accountable for the goal. (Individuals connected to no one can change the goal without accountability).
~ Teams simply accomplish and do more than a single individual.

If we want to reach our potential and strive for the seemingly impossible each of us needs to become a team player. Remember . . . . individuals play the game - but teams win championships.

Diligence

Dr. Mark Rutland, former President of Southeastern University (my Alma mater) stated the following regarding the subject of "diligence".

* Diligence means constancy. Temporary obedience is disobedience.
* Diligence is instant. Delayed obedience is disobedience.
* Diligence is exactitude. Partial obedience is disobedience.
* Diligence is observant care. Careless obedience is disobedience.

Diligence is a true character shaping virtue to do things now. Procrastination is a sin and a sign of spiritual weakness. It seems that we all know someone who has mastered the art of procrastination. When God asks us to do something for him, we must do it now and do it exactly as He instructs us. An individual without diligence will soon prove himself to be unfit and useless. Diligence is an absolutely essential ingredient for a leader to possess. Diligence is a key to prosperous and successful ministry. If this is an area that needs improvement take heart God wants you to become a finisher!

Spiritual Roots

One of my best decisions ever, was when I intentionally disciplined myself and reserved early mornings ( the best part of my day ) to spend time with God and just listen to Him speak through our prayer conversations and scripture reading moments. Early on, as I began in the ministry I decided this was the most important part of my life..I must hear God's voice daily and stay connected with Him always!

The spiritual disciplines of scripture reading and prayer have served me well in my personal walk with Christ. Their combined impact and influence upon the decisions and direction of my life are immeasurable. I cannot imagine trying to function without having heard from the Lord each morning and surrounding myself with His presence and power!

This morning was a powerful reminder to me that as I seek the Lord early and often in my life, God has astounding things to reveal to me. I'm grateful that He desires to include me in His plans and purposes. His Word is always beneficial, life-sustaining, and filled with possibilities! Investing time with God is always time well spent and invigorating. Personally I've found that time with God is never draining but rather it's always uplifting and energizing!

Developing a deep and strong "root system" is a must for every Christ-follower. Because when the winds of adversity come, you don't need to be seized with alarm and struck with fear. Our God is able to remove anything that causes anxiousness, suspense or unsteadiness to occur in our lives. Grow deep my friends! You'll be glad that you did.

Defective Habits

Recently I read another pastors blog and found that he too is a fan of John Maxwell's leadership materials. It is always interesting to see what someone else's take is on the subject of leadership. Here's what he observed regarding "Habit's of Highly Defective People" from John Maxwell.

*They have a losing attitude. People generally get what they expect out of life. Expect the worst, and that's what you will get.
*They quit growing. People are what they are, and they are where they are because of what has gone into their minds.
*They have no game plan for life. As William Feather, author of "The Business of Life" says, "there are two kinds of failures: Those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought".
*They are unwilling to change. Some people would rather cling to what they have rather than embrace what might be better because they are afraid of getting something worse.
*They fail in relationships with others. People who can't get along with others will never get ahead in life.
*They are unwilling to pay the price for success. The road to success is uphill all the way. Anyone who wants to accomplish much must sacrifice much.

Defective people contribute greatly to a climate of negativity wherever they find themselves. Effective leadership at times will be required to deliberately and intentionally confront these defective individuals and possibly remove them. By ignoring their influence the church or organization is at greater risk of experiencing tremendous damage. Thus immobilizing and suppressing the effectiveness, productivity, reputation and success of the church/organization.

Sure there are challenges all around. Yet people are screaming for leaders today. Leaders who will step up and do what's right. You can be one, and it may not take as much as you think. It means taking the first step out of that line to nowhere. Sure you'll raise some eyebrows. But then a few may follow, then a few more. And before you know it, people will be following your lead. The alternative is waiting and hoping for change to occur. Waiting and hoping that someone will finally stand up to the defective attitudes, actions and attitudes of those who spread the poison of negativity. I encourage you..take that first step and become an "indispensable leader"! I dare you!

More Leadership Thoughts

There has never been a lack of difficulties or challenges within the church. And it has always been possible to overcome each crisis because the goals and attitudes of those in leadership are able to aim their efforts at the well-being of the church and the needs of the people within their community. Great challenges have always represented great possibilities. The church needs more good leaders, humble servants who not concerned with self-promotion or stuck on vested interests and old habits. Good leaders are scarce, there are plenty of openings but fewer and fewer good candidates.

Change has become a characteristic of our times. Keeping pace with these trends is one of the greatest challenges facing church leaders today. While many practices of the past were certainly correct and useful for their time, they are unusable and outdated today. An incorrect understanding of tradition, the tendency to insist on cherished habits, the reluctance to learn new things are all significant obstacles to development and relevance. We should not needlessly give up tried and true habits and practices, but we must also exhibit the courage to recognize the times in which we live and the change that is absolutely necessary to stay current and effective. Rigidity in thinking and an adherence to old habits invoke failure and can be very dangerous to the future well being and health of the church.

Good leaders aren't wedded to what they did yesterday. They remain open to new ideas. Neither are they afraid to make mistakes, because they know that "much learning" occurs in the process.

Good leadership is demonstrated by:

*Setting real priorities and real commitments.
*Grabbing hold of tough problems and not delegating them.
*Not allowing the guy "below" to make the hard decisions.
*Setting and demanding standards of excellence.
*Creating urgency..its always better to do something than to do nothing at all.
*Paying attention to the details (getting all the facts is the key to good decision making).
*Being committed and showing it.
*Being able to see failure as a stepping-stone to success.
*Last but not least..Play! You can't accomplish much of anything unless you're having fun!

Here are some additional outstanding resources that you will find very helpful.

"The Next Generation Leader" by Andy Stanley
"The Present Future" by Reggie McNeal
"Shift! Are you Relevant or just Recent?" by Bret L. Allen
"Dying for Change" by Leith Anderson
"Leading Change" by John P. Kotter

Leadership Thoughts

Through out the scriptures there are numerous biblical examples of leading. These examples provide us with simple but powerful lessons that will help you become the leader you want to be. These individuals offer extraordinary stories, valuable guidance and practical wisdom essential for success in our present day challenges.

Here are some of those I discovered.

Moses-became a servant-leader when he obeyed God's call to go to Pharaoh and deliver a message "The Lord says, let my people go!"
Joseph-became a leader after God placed a vision in his heart to preserve His covenant people.
Gideon-never would have been a leader if he had not followed God's mission to deliver the tribes of Israel from the Midianites.
David-became a king when God, through Samuel anointed him king. He humbly followed God's plan and assumed the throne of Israel. He did not ask for it.
Isaiah-became a prophet/leader when God called him to take the message of hope and judgement to the people of Israel.
Nehemiah-became a remarkable leader when God commissioned him to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem.
Esther-became a leader when God through Mordecai called her to stand before the king to protect the remnant of God's people.
Peter-became a leader in the early Church after Jesus commissioned him and the other Apostle's to make disciple's of all people.
Paul-led a clear mission to extend the boundaries of God's grace to those outside the Jewish faith.

As an avid reader I possess numerous books on the topic of "Leadership". Each one provides valuable insights, practical wisdom and powerful lessons that have enabled me to expand my capabilities in this critical area. There are several that I consider as must-read books that I would suggest you add to your own collection. You'll find them beneficial to you as you involve yourself in leadership within the church, your workplace, or in your own home.

"Developing the Leader Within You" by John Maxwell
"Lead Like Jesus" by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges
"You the Leader" by Phil Pringle
"The Leadership Challenge" by James Kouzes and Barry Posner
"You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader" by Mark Sanborn

Here are some leadership thoughts that I've observed.
*Leading is very likely the most costly thing you will ever do.
*The key to becoming a great leader is "servant hood" you can't lead without making sacrifices.
*Leaders anticipate "collisions" and they prepare to meet them head-on, no one can avoid them.
*The job of a good leader is to articulate a vision that others are inspired to follow.
*It's the leaders job to be the energy source that others feed from.
*It's through leading that I've known the greatest need for a deep, personal and abiding relationship with Jesus.