The Leadership Maturity Key

August 7, 2013

God’s standard for leadership carries an awe necessitating an ongoing poise of the spirit before Him. It cannot emulate the world nor reflect a blended approach. It is a standard that roots out the precepts of men and the cleverness of the clever. It gives no place to deceit or the lust for power. It is the standard that eliminates the need for striving and ambition, because of being immersed in the flow of the Spirit. This standard applied opens the gates for a safe place where the gifts flow naturally, in unison and harmony to the benefit of all. When this norm is met, it offers the potential described by the Church at Philadelphia in Revelations: keys to open doors that no one can shut and shuts doors that no one can open. Operating with this standard requires an understanding of what distinguishes the function of leading from the gift of leadership. A lack of understanding and misapplication of the gifts creates confusion and dissatisfaction; with disorder and discord following. The requirements of leadership vary according to the uniqueness of the gifts of its leaders. Similarly, managing resources and projects is very different from leading people. The Romans 12 leadership gift flows with both influence and authority, without the need of position. On the other hand, the gift of administration in 1 Cor 12:28 specializes in the management of resources. Joseph the Patriarch operated in both. Within the function of leading are diversities of applications, again based on the gifts of those serving as the leaders. The bottom line is the issue between soul and spirit. This is the cause of much confusion within the ranks of believers. Those who try to employ the spirit to nurture their soul-longings are out of God’s order. The priorities are upside down. The standard for leadership requires raising the bar.
“The Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matt 20:28

Read the full article →

The Culture Challenge

July 19, 2013

The premise from Deuteronomy to teach these things to your children, when you lie down, when you rise up and when you walk by the way, addresses the issue that from the days of Moses, that Jews have put their biblical, cultural heritage on the front burner. This fervency has resulted, for the most part, in the Jewish community being a culture of discipline, as well as a culture within a culture with their identity in God, as a people. On the other hand, for many who have come to faith in Christendom, the biblical standard represents the need for a cultural transformation. This transformation, alluded to by Paul as “renewing your minds” takes discipline and it takes time. The challenge is constant and even when spiritual maturity comes, it takes on new levels. The Phillips translation of the New Testament captures this reality with its rendering of Romans 12:2: “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.” Within Christian organizations, this reality and the times demand reaching for the pure standard. Jesus summed up this higher standard in Matthew 28 as “these things I have taught you.” His reference was to the mandate of implanting righteous power into corrupt settings. It’s a spiritual challenge with subtle cultural hurdles. Even within secular settings, the culture war in organizations is seen in the difference between institutional approaches to leadership, versus entrepreneurial styles.

Read the full article →

Spiritual Capital

June 25, 2013

Spiritual capital is a hidden reserve of righteous power that operates in parallel in the natural and spiritual realms. It represents the God-reserve needed by spiritual leaders and advisors to righteous worldly leaders, when orchestrating God-ordained change involving confrontations with evil. It is the overriding advantage when God’s people are faced with bringing a shift to the prevailing spiritual climate. The series of faceoffs that Moses had in Pharaoh’s court demonstrated the manifestation of this advantage. Joseph demonstrated the reality of God in Potiphar’s house, while in prison, and then with Pharaoh with a targeted deployment of his spiritual capital. David cashed in on it with his confrontation against Goliath. Elijah drew from it in his encounter with the prophets of Baal and Asherah; yet soon thereafter found his spiritual capital exhausted when challenged by Jezebel. Capital is something that is accumulated as a reserve that can be withdrawn when an unusual need arises. While different from income, it can be passed down through generations. The dynamic of spiritual capital operates in a comparable fashion.

Read the full article →

Blind Guides

May 29, 2013

The tempo of the times has picked up. Knowledge has increased. The availability of instantaneous information has become global. There’s been a shift of power. Simultaneously, control of the spiritual and moral climate of nations has had the criterion reset by political, entertainment and media moguls. The standard represented by the ancient paths of God’s truth has been challenged and lowered. Still, through a remnant, God’s order will overcome. James indicated that teachers would be judged more strictly. The standard for those wielding influence with truth and authority demands more. Overcompensation is required by leaders and those reaching for spiritual maturity in these times. It carries a great need to be wary of pervasive, subtle, seducing influences. Yet, just as in the days of Jesus, the seduction has infiltrated the ranks of the religious elite; those who ought to know better. Jesus judged them. He said they were blind guides.

Read the full article →

Milestone Words

April 29, 2013

The heroes of faith operated in oneness with the priorities and issues of God’s heart, without any vestige of variation between Truth and what they heard from the Spirit. Their impact on history was defined by their view of things from a big-picture God perspective. They heard from God and they embraced His word, regardless the cost. That’s commitment that requires discipline. It’s also the foundation for maturity. While intimately concerned with the details impacting the lives of individuals, the Lord’s priorities are strategic. He orchestrates things from the stance of generations and the community of His people within a generation. Those at the forefront need to overcompensate for the seductive traps, whether personal, cultural or doctrinal. The bar has been raised. Imparting righteous power in corrupt, defiled settings is not possible without God. We’ve entered a season in which the Western hop-skip-halleluiah model will fall short.

Read the full article →

The Maturity Factor

March 31, 2013

When it comes to bringing change to society; Christians tend to be so short-sighted and purist in approach that the impact short-circuits the valid, long-term intent. Short-term mind-sets reach for a goal of either ALL or nothing, right NOW. The unfortunate result from short-sighted, purist approaches is the loss of ground with a LOT of nothing to show for it. ”For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.” Luke 16:8 The stumbling block is both a maturity and cultural issue. It first entails a myopic response to being right that is inbred and inflexible. Underlying this attitude is the gap in aggregate spiritual maturity. This gap is the lack of strategic vision to reach beyond our (Western) comfort zones with an applied long-term wisdom that sets in motion a key part of the mantle of Jesus: to destroy the works of the devil. What compounds this hurdle is far too many within the Body being stuck at acceptable, but immature maturity levels, passively blinded and immobilized by the precepts of men. To truly release a long-term strategy for this mantle, we need to get beyond being just hearers of the Word only, who deceive themselves, as noted in James 1. This involves a pathway into Body maturity; a pathway requiring not only the wisdom to enter, but the spiritual fortitude and unity to sustain the purpose.

Read the full article →

Spiritual Inoculation

March 17, 2013

There are many measures, both individual and community-wise, that the Lord applies when preparing His forerunners for change reflecting strategic significance. Visitations of His Spirit accompanied by deep repentance, as Isaiah had (Isaiah 6), is one. Visions, like Joseph the Patriarch experienced as a young man, is another. Angelic visitations such as Gideon had is another form of preparatory inoculation. Suffering, as in those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, is still another. Certain types of judgment to bring back straying individuals or communities is yet another. Each serve to prepare key individuals and communities for a change in season and the need for “something beyond” themselves. A recent news item described the bankruptcy of a respected ministry, as they attempt to navigate through a generational leadership vacuum after the retirement of their founder (WSJ, 10/23/10, Markets). In another instance, with parallel conditions, a ministry leader confided that their ongoing decline in revenues was due to the need for a new business model. Both are addressing changes in the times and seasons. Both are grappling with the reality for the “something more” needed for the season. Cycles in seasons are defined by change. The Body is maturing. The venues that two, three and four decades ago served to bring about the next step in Body maturity are transitioning into purpose-driven initiatives that mobilize the brethren. There’s a process involved. However, using the wrong model based on anything short of the Kingdom path will undermine fruitfulness, producing stagnation. Missing the transitions will diminish into stumbling blocks and strongholds. In short, initiatives begun in the spirit that begin declining into an imbalance of human effort initially will face erosion and then an undermining of the spiritual impact the effort might have once achieved. Snares and entanglements will produce a framework from which, apart from deep repentance, judgment will fall.
“Woe to world because of stumbling blocks [offenses], for stumbling blocks [offenses] must come; but woe to those by whom they come.” Matt 18:7

Read the full article →

The Precepts of Men

February 19, 2013

God never intended nor does He intend for us to live our lives passively. We’ve been chosen to make a difference; that each of us in our own spheres would wisely grasp His heart, avoid the snares and precepts of men, and bring about realignment and His order. “You are My witnesses and My servant whom I have chosen, to understand that I am God.” Isaiah 43:10 The high road on this narrow corridor we are navigating between life and death is not about us. That’s why Jesus said “He who finds his life will lose it and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.” That’s a hard word, but one that should be bedrock for those who are chosen to align with His heart. In a world where political correctness likes to erase and deny the existence of the sin factor, we’re called to face that sin and establish His will. The issue we’ve been tackling has been how we can avoid the subtle deceptions of the enemy that keep us majoring in minors and minoring in the essential things? How can we avoid the snares and entrapments that Jesus warned us were incorporated in the precepts of men? The strategy, in a word, is as it has been for ages past: in confronting sin; not foolishly, recklessly or impetuously, but with wisdom and God’s order. This strategy begins by growing up. It begins by maturing with the discipline to deny ourselves and then refusing the snares from within enticed by the precepts of men.

Read the full article →

Strategic Holiness (Part 2)

February 11, 2013

Lord God, in the Name of Jesus, we bow our hearts before You. For Yours O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty. Indeed, everything that is in the heavens and earth is Yours. YOURS is the dominion O Lord; and You do exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You and You do rule over all. In Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to strengthen and to make great. So we thank You O Lord and we glorify Your awesome, holy Name. And Lord we thank You for preparing us for a pathway purified by fire, that we might walk blameless before You. Lord, we bless You and we praise You. You are awesome and worthy to be praised. Lord, give us the grace we pray, to rule our own spirits. We thank You Lord, for giving us a heart to repent and a heart to forgive. Lord, we resist and renounce all forms of unholy dependencies and blindnesses. We likewise repent, and renounce and resist impatience and the sin of Saul to force issues that go contrary to your plan and timing, as well as the bitterness and fear and jealousy that so marked his tragic life. Lord, bring us into Your flow. Sensitize us to the issues central to Your heart. Enable and equip us afresh as able instruments of Your purpose; as Your ambassadors. Lord, may we be strong in You and do exploits. O Lord, the thunder of Your power; who can understand? Lord, up until this point, we have only heard the small whispers of Your power; despite these “whispers” being awesome. May our hearts be prepared for the time in which we will witness the thunder of Your power. Grant us the wisdom to recognize and flow in the authority you’ve given us each within our spheres. Lord, we thank you for the incredible opportunity in these times we have entered. Help us to better understand the unfolding of these times and to know what to do. These are the times spoken of by so many who have come before us. They are the times spoken of by Daniel when he said that many will be purified and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. Lord may we flow in that type of wisdom. Lord, these are the times spoken of by Ezekiel, when every vision will be fulfilled and the accomplishment of Your word will not be delayed. Lord, may we operate in the level of strategic holiness, authority and faith that releases that type of impact.

Read the full article →

Strategic Holiness (Part 1)

February 1, 2013

Joseph and Daniel operated uniquely and consistently in strategic holiness. It didn’t matter whether they were in prison, the lion’s den or in the king’s palace. Their priorities, goals and responses to circumstances were consistent regardless of their position. They knew Who they belonged to and they were about His business. They were stable, steadfast and faithful at each juncture. They knew who they were in the Lord and how to operate in the sphere and authority they had been entrusted with. Joseph and Daniel each disciplined their hearts to give single-minded focus to the big picture of the Lord’s purposes and their part in it. This focus released authority; an authority that changed the spiritual climate around them. They faced the realities and paid the cost. They were not swayed by threats, pressures or what appeared as the outlook of things in the natural. Their orientation came from their time with the Lord. Their hearts were fixed, abiding and trusting in the Lord, as they fearlessly took the initiative, when they knew the timing was right, to accomplish God’s purposes in their spheres. For these uncertain times, this strategic dimension will mean being connected. Lone rangers and the fear of authority that goes with it will experience undue hardships. Rebellion, as in Saul’s misfires will result in sad, untimely forfeitures of what may have been significant callings. We have moved from the tactical to the strategic. The Body has long been fragmented. Yet, from this point, unity will no longer be something nice to talk about and strive toward. It is going to be the foundation for survival.

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →