Rom 3:21-31.
Eph 2:12...in the fallen state you were aliens to the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenant of promise. Fallen man has no citizenship and no legal right.
As a foreign national there is less confidence at border immigration and customs than a citizen. However as a citizen of the USA if you don't know your rights then you will have the same level of confidence as an immigrant.
Gal 4:1.
If you don't know your rights then you are like a baby who doesn't yet qualify for his inheritance; he is no different than a servant in this regard.
If you have a revelation of who you are are and your rights as a child of God then you will walk in dominion.
"You are more than a conqueror" will become a reality to you irrespective of what you face.
You must act in boldness based on your status as the righteous. You have God living on your inside with access to all of His power and ability.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Patience and Endurance
Heb 10:36.
The word patience/endurance is from the Greek: ὑπομονή* which means to wait on God, to cleave to God, to stand fast, expect, persevere, etc. it speaks of the capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances, "waiting endurance," or "enduring perseverance" (JFB), and endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
I must be patient to obtain the promise of God after doing His will.
There is a time gap between when I have done what God instructed and when I receive the reward. Patience is active, and bridges that gap no matter how small or large.
The word patience/endurance is from the Greek: ὑπομονή* which means to wait on God, to cleave to God, to stand fast, expect, persevere, etc. it speaks of the capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances, "waiting endurance," or "enduring perseverance" (JFB), and endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
I must be patient to obtain the promise of God after doing His will.
There is a time gap between when I have done what God instructed and when I receive the reward. Patience is active, and bridges that gap no matter how small or large.
Supernatural Victories
Rom 8:6.
If you are God-inside minded and conscious of the life of God inside you then it will reflect is your words and actions. There will be no room for carnality.
When you are carnally minded then your results will tend to death, corruption and in the direction of the curse. This is why many lives appear to be stagnant devoid of progress.
God intended that you and I live in victory every day of our lives.
If you are God-inside minded and conscious of the life of God inside you then it will reflect is your words and actions. There will be no room for carnality.
When you are carnally minded then your results will tend to death, corruption and in the direction of the curse. This is why many lives appear to be stagnant devoid of progress.
God intended that you and I live in victory every day of our lives.
Sudden and Immediate Manifestation of God
Acts 16:25-26.
There are situations that require the sudden and immediate manifestation of God's power.
The power of God was brought to bear in Paul and Silas' situation in response to their praise and worship of God, and their expectations. They chose to praise and worship in the face of a seemingly impossible situation.
When God's presence fills you and your environment up nothing can contain it. The foundations of the issues will be shaken up suddenly. And immediately great doors will be opened and all of the things holding you down/chained will be loosed. All by the supernatural power that accompanies His presence.
There are situations that require the sudden and immediate manifestation of God's power.
The power of God was brought to bear in Paul and Silas' situation in response to their praise and worship of God, and their expectations. They chose to praise and worship in the face of a seemingly impossible situation.
When God's presence fills you and your environment up nothing can contain it. The foundations of the issues will be shaken up suddenly. And immediately great doors will be opened and all of the things holding you down/chained will be loosed. All by the supernatural power that accompanies His presence.
Supernatural Living
Psa 82:6.
God created man in His own image. Man was created with the creative power of God to function by this supernatural power of God. Just like a child resembles his father likewise as children of God we resemble God.
You must live a supernatural life. It is your heritage.
God created man in His own image. Man was created with the creative power of God to function by this supernatural power of God. Just like a child resembles his father likewise as children of God we resemble God.
You must live a supernatural life. It is your heritage.
Friday, January 20, 2012
A Lifestyle of Worship
Worship is a frequently practiced activity. The Bible lets me know that
you and I were created for the purpose of worshiping God. You see it was
always God's intention that man should live through worshiping Him.
Worship is more than just songs; worship is a lifestyle; a lifestyle continually submitted to God. The dictionary defines worship as 'adoring and reverent honor, and homage paid to God'. God's desire is that you adore Him, honor Him and pay homage to Him continually.
Worship is laying aside your life and bowing your desires down to God so that His will can be done in your life. Your seed, service, dressing, speech, actions, etc. can be acts of worship to God.
Worship does not change God. Rather worship benefits the worshiper. God promises in His word that if you dedicate your life to worshiping Him, He will promote you.
1 Peter 5:6 (NKJV)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.
Exodus 8:1 (NKJV)
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
God does not just desire any type of worship, He desires sincere worship. There are numerous conditions that are necessary for true worship. In this article I will address 3 of these things.
3 Things that must be Present for true Worship
1. State of your heart.
The state of your heart is important for true worship. Your heart must be set on the love of God. You must have a revelation of God's love in order to truly worship Him. This revelation will cause you to love Him in return. And when you love God, you will desire to worship Him sincerely.
Matthew 22:37 (NKJV)
37 Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
2. Reverence.
Hebrews 12:28 (NKJV)
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
Serve as it is used in the scripture above is from the Greek word 'latreuō' which means worship. In this scripture the Bible specifically qualifies your worship with the words reverence and godly fear. This is not a reference to fear as we commonly define it but rather it is a reference to deep respect. There can be no sincere worship of God without a deep respect of Him.
Your reverence for God is borne out of a revelation of who God is to you.
Who is He to you? Who has He been to you? Has He healed you? Has He delivered you? Has His presence is your life resulted in peace? God has been all these to us. The least we can do is to acknowledge Him through our worship.
3. Consecration.
You must be consecrated to God in order to truly worship Him.
John 4:24 (NKJV)
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
God wants your whole life: spirit, soul & body, to be consecrated to Him in worship. You cannot do this unless you are consecrated to God.
Matthew 4:8-10 (NKJV)
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
Jesus illustrated consecration to us. He was consecrated to God and laid down his flesh in order to accomplish His God-given assignment. This was an act of worship.
In order to really worship God you must be committed to a life of worship. There cannot be true worship until the state of your heart is right, you have a deep respect for God, and you are consecrated to Him.
This is not meant to be an exhaustive article on worship. Rather it is meant to start you on the path to discovery on the topic of worship. I trust that you have been stirred up in the area of worshiping God. I believe that as you commit yourselves to a life of worship, God will show up on your behalf like never before.
Worship is more than just songs; worship is a lifestyle; a lifestyle continually submitted to God. The dictionary defines worship as 'adoring and reverent honor, and homage paid to God'. God's desire is that you adore Him, honor Him and pay homage to Him continually.
Worship is laying aside your life and bowing your desires down to God so that His will can be done in your life. Your seed, service, dressing, speech, actions, etc. can be acts of worship to God.
Worship does not change God. Rather worship benefits the worshiper. God promises in His word that if you dedicate your life to worshiping Him, He will promote you.
1 Peter 5:6 (NKJV)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.
Exodus 8:1 (NKJV)
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
God does not just desire any type of worship, He desires sincere worship. There are numerous conditions that are necessary for true worship. In this article I will address 3 of these things.
3 Things that must be Present for true Worship
1. State of your heart.
The state of your heart is important for true worship. Your heart must be set on the love of God. You must have a revelation of God's love in order to truly worship Him. This revelation will cause you to love Him in return. And when you love God, you will desire to worship Him sincerely.
Matthew 22:37 (NKJV)
37 Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
2. Reverence.
Hebrews 12:28 (NKJV)
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
Serve as it is used in the scripture above is from the Greek word 'latreuō' which means worship. In this scripture the Bible specifically qualifies your worship with the words reverence and godly fear. This is not a reference to fear as we commonly define it but rather it is a reference to deep respect. There can be no sincere worship of God without a deep respect of Him.
Your reverence for God is borne out of a revelation of who God is to you.
Who is He to you? Who has He been to you? Has He healed you? Has He delivered you? Has His presence is your life resulted in peace? God has been all these to us. The least we can do is to acknowledge Him through our worship.
3. Consecration.
You must be consecrated to God in order to truly worship Him.
John 4:24 (NKJV)
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
God wants your whole life: spirit, soul & body, to be consecrated to Him in worship. You cannot do this unless you are consecrated to God.
Matthew 4:8-10 (NKJV)
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
Jesus illustrated consecration to us. He was consecrated to God and laid down his flesh in order to accomplish His God-given assignment. This was an act of worship.
In order to really worship God you must be committed to a life of worship. There cannot be true worship until the state of your heart is right, you have a deep respect for God, and you are consecrated to Him.
This is not meant to be an exhaustive article on worship. Rather it is meant to start you on the path to discovery on the topic of worship. I trust that you have been stirred up in the area of worshiping God. I believe that as you commit yourselves to a life of worship, God will show up on your behalf like never before.
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.
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