The Psalmist declares in Psa 5:12 that God will surround the righteous with favor like a shield. You see it is God's desire that you live by favor and not just by your labor. Favor is a supernatural advantage. Favor is defined as preferential treatment, something done out of goodwill, excessive kindness, and something that is freely granted.
Friend favor does not exclude you from labor. Rather God has granted favor to every believer as a supernatural advantage. He expects you to function wherever He has placed you with a consciousness of His favor. It is the favor of God that causes the efforts of a believer to be magnified. It is the favor of God that causes you to be noticed from a crowd.
However in order for you to maximize the favor of God over your life you must have the right attitude. When Jesus was on the cross, there were 2 thieves - 1 on either side of Him. One thief had the right attitude and the other did not. Jesus favored the thief to his right and granted this thief access to Paradise because of his attitude.
Your attitude qualifies you for favor. You have to have the right attitude in every situation so that you can walk in the fullness of the favor of God.
Showing posts with label patient. Show all posts
Showing posts with label patient. Show all posts
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Let Go of Your Past
According to 2 Co 5:17 if you are in Christ Jesus, you are a new creation; old things have passed away and all things have become new. This scripture refers to the rebirth that occurs once you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. You see God did not refurbish your spirit. Rather he gave you brand new spirit at the point of new birth. Your new spirit is united with Christ, it is one with Christ. As a result of this union with Christ, your new spirit is superior to your old spirit. Afterall you are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus - Eph 2:6.
Your superior positioning comes with various benefits including the restoration of the blessing and your dominion. Another benefit of your new position is that the process of rebirth resulted in all the claims against you being wiped away. God essentially wiped away all your sins. This is what the phrase 'all things have become new' refers to. You have been given a clean slate. In God it is as though all the sins you committed before you became born again did not exist.
However for you to truly live in the manifestation of the freedom which you have now be given, you must let go of the past. You can learn from the mistakes of the past but you must not focus on the past. God made all things new so that you can be free of the past as you position yourself for your glorious future. Friend don't be limited by your past, rather invest today for your outstanding future. Your world is awaiting your manifestation - Rom 8:19.
Your superior positioning comes with various benefits including the restoration of the blessing and your dominion. Another benefit of your new position is that the process of rebirth resulted in all the claims against you being wiped away. God essentially wiped away all your sins. This is what the phrase 'all things have become new' refers to. You have been given a clean slate. In God it is as though all the sins you committed before you became born again did not exist.
However for you to truly live in the manifestation of the freedom which you have now be given, you must let go of the past. You can learn from the mistakes of the past but you must not focus on the past. God made all things new so that you can be free of the past as you position yourself for your glorious future. Friend don't be limited by your past, rather invest today for your outstanding future. Your world is awaiting your manifestation - Rom 8:19.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Hold onto Your Dream
Joseph was seventeen years old when he had a dream that He will one day be a ruler. This dream did not come into manifestation until he was thirty years old - Gen 41:46. By that time thirteen years had passed.
In that thirteen year interval, Joseph was thrown into a pit and sold into slavery by his brothers. He ran his slave masters household but was eventually imprisoned for a crime that he did not commit. In prison he was given responsibilities for leading the prison. In the same prison he met the chief baker and the chief butler. He helped both of them by interpreting their dreams.
However the chief butler forgot about Joseph. The chief butler finally remembered Joseph when no one else in the kingdom could interpret Pharaoh's dream. Joseph was then invited into the presence of Pharaoh. He interpreted Pharaoh's dream and was elevated supernaturally to be Prime Minister.
Through all those years from the pit to slavery and to the prison, in the natural, it did not seem like Joseph's dream was coming to pass. However God was working things out such that Joseph was being positioned for supernatural promotion. At every stage of his life, Joseph was being prepared to become Prime Minister.
He was developing the character, tenacity, wisdom and people skills that he will need to succeed as Prime Minister. Even though it did not look like it, every step he took brought him closer to fulfilling his God-given dream. His focus remained on God and He believed that God would do what He said He would do.
Whatever God has promised you, He will do. God is not man that He will lie - Num 23:19. He is faithful to do what He said He would do - Isa 55:11 and 1 Th 5:24. Your life may not look like your dream right now. But be encouraged and stay steadfast. Prioritize your relationship with God and believe in His word. You are merely going through a phase on the way to your manifestation. What God said about you will truly come to pass.
In that thirteen year interval, Joseph was thrown into a pit and sold into slavery by his brothers. He ran his slave masters household but was eventually imprisoned for a crime that he did not commit. In prison he was given responsibilities for leading the prison. In the same prison he met the chief baker and the chief butler. He helped both of them by interpreting their dreams.
However the chief butler forgot about Joseph. The chief butler finally remembered Joseph when no one else in the kingdom could interpret Pharaoh's dream. Joseph was then invited into the presence of Pharaoh. He interpreted Pharaoh's dream and was elevated supernaturally to be Prime Minister.
Through all those years from the pit to slavery and to the prison, in the natural, it did not seem like Joseph's dream was coming to pass. However God was working things out such that Joseph was being positioned for supernatural promotion. At every stage of his life, Joseph was being prepared to become Prime Minister.
He was developing the character, tenacity, wisdom and people skills that he will need to succeed as Prime Minister. Even though it did not look like it, every step he took brought him closer to fulfilling his God-given dream. His focus remained on God and He believed that God would do what He said He would do.
Whatever God has promised you, He will do. God is not man that He will lie - Num 23:19. He is faithful to do what He said He would do - Isa 55:11 and 1 Th 5:24. Your life may not look like your dream right now. But be encouraged and stay steadfast. Prioritize your relationship with God and believe in His word. You are merely going through a phase on the way to your manifestation. What God said about you will truly come to pass.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The Word is the source of Wisdom
Psa 51:6.
"Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom." NKJV.
God desires that you place the His Word, which is the truth, in your inner man, i.e. in your spirit. You do this by reading, hearing, and meditating on the Word of God until you get to the point of revelation.
Then when you face a situation, God will stir up wisdom based on the planted Word in your spirit man. Therefore your manifestation of wisdom is determined by the amount of God's Word that you have deposited in your spirit.
So plant the Word in your heart and you will walk in wisdom at the appointed time.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
The Shepherd's Model of Leadership
One of the most fascinating models of leadership that I have come across is the shepherd's model. When you think of examples of leadership, the shepherd rarely comes out at the top of the list. However there is much that we can learn as leaders from the leadership model of the shepherd.
When I think of a shepherd the following attributes come to mind: loving, patient, sacrificial, skillful, wise, caring, courageous, guide, strategic thinker, diligent and faithful. These are all attributes that a truly great leader should possess. The dictionary defines the word shepherd as "A person who protects, guides or watches over another person or a group of people". Synonyms of the word shepherd include: coach, counsel, lead, mentor, pilot, guide, and tutor. It is clear that when you dig into the true meaning of the word shepherd you will see several desirable traits of truly great leadership.
One of the greatest examples of a shepherd-leader was King David. The Bible tells us that David was a shepherd before he became king over Israel. David trained to become king by first becoming a shepherd. It was in those days tending sheep that David developed the heart to become a truly great leader. Even though David had the capacity to lead, as we all do, he had to develop his gifts before he could deploy them.
The biblical account of David's life in 1 Sam 17:34-37 describes some of the training that David underwent as a shepherd.
1 Sam 17:34-37 NKJV
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a zlion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”
37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
David's account of some of his experiences as a shepherd illustrates some of the leadership attributes that he had to develop and display in the execution of his role. As a shepherd David had to be a guide and a pilot in order to lead the sheep away from danger and to green pastures where the sheep could feed and be nourished (v34). It took love and courage for him to risk his life in order to protect his sheep (v35). It took strategic thinking for him, to devise tactics for defeating the bear and the lion (v35). David then acted as a coach and mentor to the rest of the army by illustrating to them the link between his successes as a shepherd and the impending defeat of the Philistine - Goliath (v37).
Psa 78:70-72 is another account of David's time as a shepherd.
Psa 78:70-72 NIV
70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;
71 from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance.
72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.
It is interesting to note that in Psa 78:71 the word shepherd was used to describe David's kingship over Israel. The scripture in Psa 78:72 leads us to believe that David developed great skill as a shepherd; David's leadership of the nation of Israel was described as skillful. He had to have developed these skills in his previous role as a shepherd. God allowed David to serve in the role of a shepherd over sheep in preparation for his role as shepherd over Israel. God guided David to develop the skills and display the attributes needed to eventually become king.
David was one of the greatest leaders that ever lived. He oversaw the expansion of Israel and the defeat of numerous enemies. However his apprenticeship began as a shepherd. In your journey to becoming a truly great leader you can look unto David's leadership development as a shepherd, as an example of what it will take to develop into a truly great leader. Also note that God's guidance and David's relationship with God (1 Sam 17:37, Acts 13:22) were instrumental in David's emergence as a truly great king. David ultimately accomplished everything that he was created to do (Acts 13:36). Likewise, you can become the great leader that God created you to be.
I look forward to reading your comments and questions.
When I think of a shepherd the following attributes come to mind: loving, patient, sacrificial, skillful, wise, caring, courageous, guide, strategic thinker, diligent and faithful. These are all attributes that a truly great leader should possess. The dictionary defines the word shepherd as "A person who protects, guides or watches over another person or a group of people". Synonyms of the word shepherd include: coach, counsel, lead, mentor, pilot, guide, and tutor. It is clear that when you dig into the true meaning of the word shepherd you will see several desirable traits of truly great leadership.
One of the greatest examples of a shepherd-leader was King David. The Bible tells us that David was a shepherd before he became king over Israel. David trained to become king by first becoming a shepherd. It was in those days tending sheep that David developed the heart to become a truly great leader. Even though David had the capacity to lead, as we all do, he had to develop his gifts before he could deploy them.
The biblical account of David's life in 1 Sam 17:34-37 describes some of the training that David underwent as a shepherd.
1 Sam 17:34-37 NKJV
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a zlion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”
37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
David's account of some of his experiences as a shepherd illustrates some of the leadership attributes that he had to develop and display in the execution of his role. As a shepherd David had to be a guide and a pilot in order to lead the sheep away from danger and to green pastures where the sheep could feed and be nourished (v34). It took love and courage for him to risk his life in order to protect his sheep (v35). It took strategic thinking for him, to devise tactics for defeating the bear and the lion (v35). David then acted as a coach and mentor to the rest of the army by illustrating to them the link between his successes as a shepherd and the impending defeat of the Philistine - Goliath (v37).
Psa 78:70-72 is another account of David's time as a shepherd.
Psa 78:70-72 NIV
70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;
71 from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance.
72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.
It is interesting to note that in Psa 78:71 the word shepherd was used to describe David's kingship over Israel. The scripture in Psa 78:72 leads us to believe that David developed great skill as a shepherd; David's leadership of the nation of Israel was described as skillful. He had to have developed these skills in his previous role as a shepherd. God allowed David to serve in the role of a shepherd over sheep in preparation for his role as shepherd over Israel. God guided David to develop the skills and display the attributes needed to eventually become king.
David was one of the greatest leaders that ever lived. He oversaw the expansion of Israel and the defeat of numerous enemies. However his apprenticeship began as a shepherd. In your journey to becoming a truly great leader you can look unto David's leadership development as a shepherd, as an example of what it will take to develop into a truly great leader. Also note that God's guidance and David's relationship with God (1 Sam 17:37, Acts 13:22) were instrumental in David's emergence as a truly great king. David ultimately accomplished everything that he was created to do (Acts 13:36). Likewise, you can become the great leader that God created you to be.
I look forward to reading your comments and questions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)