NATURE OF MAN
INTRODUCTION
Although man is not a machine, a leader who hopes to be effective in getting work done through people must understand something about the nature of man. Humans are much more difficult to understand than machines because the different components of the body are drastically affected in so many ways both by the environment and by the body’s own chemicsl composition. Human emotions add to the complicated basic human nature as they affect leadership.
Psalm 8:4 asks, ‘‘what is man?’’ it then proceeds to answer the question by affirming that man is a special creation of God, created as man from the begining. At no stage in his history has Gos considered him to be an animal. Man was always man.
What is important for a christian leader is to look at man through God’s eyes. The bible says that God created man for His own pleasure; that in His sight man is only a little lower than the angels (Psalm8:5). Leadership then, needs to understand and be aware of the marvelous creation it is working with.
WHAT IS MAN
(A) Man is a special creation of God with a definite purpose – man was created by God as a special being. He is completely different from animals which inhabit the earth and from angels that inhabit the heavens as he consists of body, soul and spirit (Genesis 1:26-27)
(B) Man was created to have dominion over God’s creation upon the earth – (Genesis 1:26-27, hebrews 2:6-8). God purposed that he should have dominion over the rest of His creation on this earth. God implanted in him a need and desire to dominate the creation around him – animals, his envirnment, nature, e.t.c. it is also important to recognise that this nature is a source of many leadership and group problems. Most conflicts, in reality are leadership conflicts. They exist on national, regional, local, church and personal level.
Although it is natural for man to desire leadership, he is not born with its know – how and skills. He needs to learn the necessary art and skills even as he has to learn how to fulfil other natural needs such as walking, talkiing and eating. Often Christians who are not aware of this God – implanted nature in man accuse their fellow – men and brethren of carnality when they show a desire for certain positions within the church or other cghristian organisations.(1 Timothy 3:1)
(C) Man was created to be a ‘‘Doer’’ – man was created in the image of God (Genesis1:26-27) God is the Master Creator and man, made in His image, also has the need, the ability, the authority and the responsibility to recreate what God created originally in the form of raw materials. This need and skill distinguishes man from all other creatures (Genesis 1:28) states man is to ‘‘replenish the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish’’ it is the duty and responsibility of Christian leadership to live, communicate in such a manner that people will develop trust and belief in their standards and values.
A good leader must examine himself frequently to see which components of his nature are shaping his attitudes and skills and consider the results and consequences of his leadership. A good leader must recognise all the facets of human nature and have the necessary knowlege and skill under God to harmonise these complex and conflicting attributes of man into one balanced and useful personality that can make a positive contribution to his society and bring glory to God.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
leadership call
A CALL TO LEADERSHIP
God calls some of His people to be leaders. Once a Christian has received a call from God to leadership (or to full – time Christian work), it is not something to be taken lightly. In fact, such a call is a tremendous privilege and responsibility. Any person called by God to some leadership capacity or full – time Christian work should have a special inward witness to this from the Holy Spirit. No other person can invent a true call from God. It is foundational to the person’s life from then on.
To be an effcective leader in God’s church, you must be called by God to the task. In fact, all God’s leaders must bear a ‘word’ from the Lord in their heart which affirms God’s call. They need a word of assurance of who God is; they need to know what he can do and they need to know that He has called them into the work they are doing.
There is also no escape clause due to youthfulness, when it comes to a call from God to leadership (Jeremiah 1:6-10). Young people must not fear those who are older, more experienced and better educated. These factors are not to be despised, but they are not the most important consideration.
DISCERNMENT OF CALL
The call of God on a person’s life may change with time. How then does a Christian discern whether God has callled them to be a leader in His church? A major weakness in current trends in discernment of spiritual giftings and callings is the amount of responsibility which is laid at the door of the person concerned. God does not always call the most likely or even the most humanly gifted people. There is a mystery about God’s call that can only be answered in the heart of God. In fact, God often calls the unlikely into positions of authority (1 Corinthians 1:26-27)
FOUR MAJOR FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED AS FAR AS GOD GIVEN CALL TO MINISTRY OF LEADERSHIP IS CONCERNED
1. A sense of call – many people in church today mix up the wish to be a leader, with God’s call to be one. Some Christians even to try to force the issue by going to Bible college or pushing themselves into church leadership. This is never any substitute for God’s call. Of course, the scriptures tell us to desire the best gifts, but that desire should never override the reality of the call of God to a specific and unique ministry. A real call of God is like a seed planted in a field- it does not die but grows, if given half a chance.
2. A heart for the work – God usually gives us a desire for the work after He called us to do it. This may not be evident at first, but as we move into our call in God, there will be nowhere else we would want to go and nothing else we would rather do – it will be burning in our bones (Jeremaih 20:9). Even in the most traumatic situations, we will desire to serve the Lord. We must remember though that there is a distinction between desiring and lliking or enjoying. A heart for the work does not mean that we will enjoy every experience we will have in our ministry for God. Often the burden for the work will lie so heavily upon us that it will seem as though it will break us.
3. Exercise of gift - a man’s ministry makes room for itself. A real call of God will manifest itself in exercise. God does not appoint and annoint into inertia. There is an in built dynamic in the call of God through which it will continually find expression in practice. A call from God operates a sort of spiritual ambition within the heart: not an ambition of the flesh or self – interest, but a desire that comes from God to be going on in the work and to find the means and outlets for what is inside us to be fulfilled in practice.
4. Fruitfulness – so many people lay claim to ministry in advance of fruitfulness, when, in fact, fruitfulness is the real sign of ministry. ‘‘do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.’’
FULL- TIME OR NOT
There are certain callings to leadership in God’s church that require full- time attention. Others, however, are ’10 hours’ callings, e.g. worship leading or Sunday school teaching. We need to decide whether or not the calling we have can be carried on in a full –time capacity. Can our calling fill in sufficient hours of the week and can it support our needs? God chooses the people He will call into leadership and He chooses the way in which they will be called. Every Christian leader wii receive their call from God in a different way, God is a God of huge variety and creativity.God’s people do not need any other type of call than the one they received from Him. We should never be jealous of another person’s call or the way they received it; and we certainily should not feel condemned because our call was not as spectacular as someone’s else’s.
GOD’S TIMING
Many Christians run ahead of God and step out into their call before it is His time to do so. We need to wait on the Lord and move into our calling only when the Lord so directs. The anointing from God we will need to fulfil our call will then be evident. Trying to step into a call outside of God’s timing necessitates striving, because we will have to work at a job in our own strenght. Some people may try and push you forward before your time. Do not yield to this! It is important to follow God’s leading alone, because very often His timing is contrary to man’s wisdom. As we progress in our Christian walk, one lesson we should learn quickly is that God’s timing is perfect. Take care never to rush ahead of God (Psalm 37:23-24, Proverbs 3:5-6).
The Bible abounds with people who were called by God, but who underwent a period of preparation and waiting before God brought them into their place of call, e.g. Jesus was 30 before He entered His ministry, David was a shepherd and then a leader in exile before ascending to the throne of israel. We need to learn to wait on God (Psalm 27:14).
Nobody can make up a call from God. A call to ministry is like a seed: it has the shape, essence and colour of the ministry within it. When we are called by God to a ministry, He places within us all we need to operate fruitfully and successfully within that call.
Many leaders fail because they attempt to enter into leadership without a divine call from God. If God does not back up our claim to a call, we are doomed from the start, no matter how noble our reasons for entering leadership. Without God, we will never be sufficiently equipped to fulfil any task in His kingdom and therefore, if we attempt a task without a God – given call to work, we will have to operate and function in our own strenght. This is one of the resons that church leadership todayis no ineffective.
A person in a position of leadership needs the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the anointing of God in order to fulfil their role. If they do not have these things, they are in grave danger of falling flat on their faces.never be tempted to invent a word from the Lord to back up a desire to o something for God.
God will not let His name be ridiculed and He will not let His word fail to accomplish that for which it was sent (Isaiah 55:11). God will back up His name and honour His word with whatever power is necessary and that means that nothing can stop it from coming to pass (Titus 1:2).the fact of being divinely commissioned makes the difference in the spiritual productivity of a ministry, self – sent, self – made or self – empowered ministries, who are commissioned by the Lord, are sure to fail.
God calls some of His people to be leaders. Once a Christian has received a call from God to leadership (or to full – time Christian work), it is not something to be taken lightly. In fact, such a call is a tremendous privilege and responsibility. Any person called by God to some leadership capacity or full – time Christian work should have a special inward witness to this from the Holy Spirit. No other person can invent a true call from God. It is foundational to the person’s life from then on.
To be an effcective leader in God’s church, you must be called by God to the task. In fact, all God’s leaders must bear a ‘word’ from the Lord in their heart which affirms God’s call. They need a word of assurance of who God is; they need to know what he can do and they need to know that He has called them into the work they are doing.
There is also no escape clause due to youthfulness, when it comes to a call from God to leadership (Jeremiah 1:6-10). Young people must not fear those who are older, more experienced and better educated. These factors are not to be despised, but they are not the most important consideration.
DISCERNMENT OF CALL
The call of God on a person’s life may change with time. How then does a Christian discern whether God has callled them to be a leader in His church? A major weakness in current trends in discernment of spiritual giftings and callings is the amount of responsibility which is laid at the door of the person concerned. God does not always call the most likely or even the most humanly gifted people. There is a mystery about God’s call that can only be answered in the heart of God. In fact, God often calls the unlikely into positions of authority (1 Corinthians 1:26-27)
FOUR MAJOR FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED AS FAR AS GOD GIVEN CALL TO MINISTRY OF LEADERSHIP IS CONCERNED
1. A sense of call – many people in church today mix up the wish to be a leader, with God’s call to be one. Some Christians even to try to force the issue by going to Bible college or pushing themselves into church leadership. This is never any substitute for God’s call. Of course, the scriptures tell us to desire the best gifts, but that desire should never override the reality of the call of God to a specific and unique ministry. A real call of God is like a seed planted in a field- it does not die but grows, if given half a chance.
2. A heart for the work – God usually gives us a desire for the work after He called us to do it. This may not be evident at first, but as we move into our call in God, there will be nowhere else we would want to go and nothing else we would rather do – it will be burning in our bones (Jeremaih 20:9). Even in the most traumatic situations, we will desire to serve the Lord. We must remember though that there is a distinction between desiring and lliking or enjoying. A heart for the work does not mean that we will enjoy every experience we will have in our ministry for God. Often the burden for the work will lie so heavily upon us that it will seem as though it will break us.
3. Exercise of gift - a man’s ministry makes room for itself. A real call of God will manifest itself in exercise. God does not appoint and annoint into inertia. There is an in built dynamic in the call of God through which it will continually find expression in practice. A call from God operates a sort of spiritual ambition within the heart: not an ambition of the flesh or self – interest, but a desire that comes from God to be going on in the work and to find the means and outlets for what is inside us to be fulfilled in practice.
4. Fruitfulness – so many people lay claim to ministry in advance of fruitfulness, when, in fact, fruitfulness is the real sign of ministry. ‘‘do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.’’
FULL- TIME OR NOT
There are certain callings to leadership in God’s church that require full- time attention. Others, however, are ’10 hours’ callings, e.g. worship leading or Sunday school teaching. We need to decide whether or not the calling we have can be carried on in a full –time capacity. Can our calling fill in sufficient hours of the week and can it support our needs? God chooses the people He will call into leadership and He chooses the way in which they will be called. Every Christian leader wii receive their call from God in a different way, God is a God of huge variety and creativity.God’s people do not need any other type of call than the one they received from Him. We should never be jealous of another person’s call or the way they received it; and we certainily should not feel condemned because our call was not as spectacular as someone’s else’s.
GOD’S TIMING
Many Christians run ahead of God and step out into their call before it is His time to do so. We need to wait on the Lord and move into our calling only when the Lord so directs. The anointing from God we will need to fulfil our call will then be evident. Trying to step into a call outside of God’s timing necessitates striving, because we will have to work at a job in our own strenght. Some people may try and push you forward before your time. Do not yield to this! It is important to follow God’s leading alone, because very often His timing is contrary to man’s wisdom. As we progress in our Christian walk, one lesson we should learn quickly is that God’s timing is perfect. Take care never to rush ahead of God (Psalm 37:23-24, Proverbs 3:5-6).
The Bible abounds with people who were called by God, but who underwent a period of preparation and waiting before God brought them into their place of call, e.g. Jesus was 30 before He entered His ministry, David was a shepherd and then a leader in exile before ascending to the throne of israel. We need to learn to wait on God (Psalm 27:14).
Nobody can make up a call from God. A call to ministry is like a seed: it has the shape, essence and colour of the ministry within it. When we are called by God to a ministry, He places within us all we need to operate fruitfully and successfully within that call.
Many leaders fail because they attempt to enter into leadership without a divine call from God. If God does not back up our claim to a call, we are doomed from the start, no matter how noble our reasons for entering leadership. Without God, we will never be sufficiently equipped to fulfil any task in His kingdom and therefore, if we attempt a task without a God – given call to work, we will have to operate and function in our own strenght. This is one of the resons that church leadership todayis no ineffective.
A person in a position of leadership needs the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the anointing of God in order to fulfil their role. If they do not have these things, they are in grave danger of falling flat on their faces.never be tempted to invent a word from the Lord to back up a desire to o something for God.
God will not let His name be ridiculed and He will not let His word fail to accomplish that for which it was sent (Isaiah 55:11). God will back up His name and honour His word with whatever power is necessary and that means that nothing can stop it from coming to pass (Titus 1:2).the fact of being divinely commissioned makes the difference in the spiritual productivity of a ministry, self – sent, self – made or self – empowered ministries, who are commissioned by the Lord, are sure to fail.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Effective leadership
HEARING GOD’S VOICE; key to effective spiritual leadership
Is hearing God’s voice normal Christianity?
Are God’s thoughts attainable?
What is a witness of the spirit?
Is there creative power in the proceeding word of God?
Hearing the Holy Spirit is the greatest adventure known the man. Yet many Christians live obvious to the awesome that they can live in live in an active engagement of conversation and communication with Him. Hearing from God is not an option, nor is it a phenomenon, reserved for a special few. Knowing the voice of the spirit is a necessity, more in this day than in any other day.
OBJECTIVE OF THIS DAY LECTURE
Hearing the voice of God should be the most basic foundational thing we learn in our walk with Christ as Christians. (John 6:63):-
· Practical instruction on how to stir up the Holy Spirit and begin to hear His voice daily.
· To feed and equip you for the service of the master
· And the desire to hear the master’s voice and do His will.
There is a divine desire kindled a fresh in the hearts of many believers everywhere to know the mind of the spirit, and to expand energy only on that to which He has called them. Hearing God is encountering life. Yes’ it is possible to hear God and that daily. Hearing from the throne is normal Christianity.
Heb 1:1,2 compares it with John 10:16; 18:38. Jesus here didn’t say that His sheep listen or read books in matters of hearing His voice (though these are good in our Christian growth) but they hear and know His voice and follow Him. Sincerely, all Christians do hear God, b4t 0any d6n’t even 2n6w 5t, 6r d6n’t cred5t H50 when He 5s s-ea25ng. 64r eyes are clogged by many things. Those who hear God are capable of knowing the mind of the spirit and receiving strategies in prayer. Which will expose the enemies’ tactics (2 Kings 6:8-23)? Yet we can’t solely blame the devil, for it is really lack of proper direction that has robbed us. Hearing from God is not a spiritual gift – all of us (believers in Christ) should and do hear from God, every child of God is a candidate for the gift of the Spirit. To function effectively in our areas of calling.
THE WRITTEN WORD AND THE PROCEEDING WORD
We don’t grow in God until we begin to hear (Deut8:3; John16:12,3).
There is no question that God speaks to us through His written word (the logos) which is the mind of God and the will of God. The scriptures are gold mines of treasures that cover every aspect of life. But it is one thin g ton read a book, and quite another thing to know the author. Until the author, the Holy Spirit makes the word come alive; it is only ink on paper. Without the help of the Holy Spirit will not experience the flow of Life that comes through the written word.
You can separate the voice, revelation and the dreams God gives or speaks from His written word. The rhema must confirm with the logos (Isaiah8:20)
EXAMPLES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT EVENTS
1. SAMUEL – an audible voice (Samuel 3:1 - 21). The account of Samuel quick response to what he thought to be the voice of Eli, and Eli’s recognition that God was speaking to Samuel (a young Christian worker), “And Samuel did not yet know the Lord”
To know means more than intellectual knowledge. It implies personal acquaintance.
It was at the; lord’s fourth call, that he responded. At this point we see human readiness to hear as a condition to further word from God. (Acts 26:14 - 18)
Hearing the call of God- the major truths are:-
· God is silent when His word is not know
· God’s call may be mistaken as in the case of Samuel
· God’s word comes through when His servants listen.
2. ELIJAH – A still small voice (1 Kings 19:8 - 18)
In this instance the usual means which God had previously used to reveal Himself were rejected. On this occasion there was only a still small voice. Speaking to Elijah through the still small voice was God’ way of showing him that His designs are promoted also by patience and long-suffering.
Over zealousness was the problem of the prophet. Fine he had passion for God. A man like every one else –he (James5:17) withdraw to be alone in order to hear from God. In times like this, God understands better than the servant Himself what is needed, (Psalm 46:10). This is often a difficult lesson for man (servants) of God to learn (Isaiah 30:15; 32:17).
For this common human experience, God had a threefold remedy:-
· Proper care for the physical body.
· A fresh revelation from God, hearing from heaven a still small voice.
· A renewed mission.
DESIRE TO HEAR GOD’ VOICE.
IS God still speaking today? Is it possible to hear the voice of God? Many believers in Christ are confused about this issue. Sincerely speaking, few individuals Christians really know and discern the voice of the Holy Spirit. God is always willing to speak to His people, but His voice is always undiscerned and unrecognized, but we fail to understand the way of the Spirit.
To learn to hear from God is the greatest ability any Christian can posses. Well-intentioned Christians make kingdom decisions which are derived from man’s perspective and not God’s. These decisions are frequently made from information and logic and not based on the knowledge given by the Holy Spirit to believers. Certainly many of us have been misuse and abuse but those who claim to have heard God. In many assemblies, what is common today is “the lord spoke to me”- this is an abuse when in reality God had not spoken. We should be careful to differentiate and filter the many voices (human Satan’s voice, demon’s voice) from God’s voice. (Jere 5:30, 31).
I believe that God still speaks to us today by His Holy Spirit just as he did in the bible day’s we need to hear the voice of God. We can only live (have the life and blessing of the Lord in our churches today) by hearing word that continues to proceed from God’s mouth tom our hearts, (Matt 4:4). The word “proceeded” speaks of a present- continuing function. That means something that happened in the past, is happening in the present, will happen in the future.
Is hearing God’s voice normal Christianity?
Are God’s thoughts attainable?
What is a witness of the spirit?
Is there creative power in the proceeding word of God?
Hearing the Holy Spirit is the greatest adventure known the man. Yet many Christians live obvious to the awesome that they can live in live in an active engagement of conversation and communication with Him. Hearing from God is not an option, nor is it a phenomenon, reserved for a special few. Knowing the voice of the spirit is a necessity, more in this day than in any other day.
OBJECTIVE OF THIS DAY LECTURE
Hearing the voice of God should be the most basic foundational thing we learn in our walk with Christ as Christians. (John 6:63):-
· Practical instruction on how to stir up the Holy Spirit and begin to hear His voice daily.
· To feed and equip you for the service of the master
· And the desire to hear the master’s voice and do His will.
There is a divine desire kindled a fresh in the hearts of many believers everywhere to know the mind of the spirit, and to expand energy only on that to which He has called them. Hearing God is encountering life. Yes’ it is possible to hear God and that daily. Hearing from the throne is normal Christianity.
Heb 1:1,2 compares it with John 10:16; 18:38. Jesus here didn’t say that His sheep listen or read books in matters of hearing His voice (though these are good in our Christian growth) but they hear and know His voice and follow Him. Sincerely, all Christians do hear God, b4t 0any d6n’t even 2n6w 5t, 6r d6n’t cred5t H50 when He 5s s-ea25ng. 64r eyes are clogged by many things. Those who hear God are capable of knowing the mind of the spirit and receiving strategies in prayer. Which will expose the enemies’ tactics (2 Kings 6:8-23)? Yet we can’t solely blame the devil, for it is really lack of proper direction that has robbed us. Hearing from God is not a spiritual gift – all of us (believers in Christ) should and do hear from God, every child of God is a candidate for the gift of the Spirit. To function effectively in our areas of calling.
THE WRITTEN WORD AND THE PROCEEDING WORD
We don’t grow in God until we begin to hear (Deut8:3; John16:12,3).
There is no question that God speaks to us through His written word (the logos) which is the mind of God and the will of God. The scriptures are gold mines of treasures that cover every aspect of life. But it is one thin g ton read a book, and quite another thing to know the author. Until the author, the Holy Spirit makes the word come alive; it is only ink on paper. Without the help of the Holy Spirit will not experience the flow of Life that comes through the written word.
You can separate the voice, revelation and the dreams God gives or speaks from His written word. The rhema must confirm with the logos (Isaiah8:20)
EXAMPLES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT EVENTS
1. SAMUEL – an audible voice (Samuel 3:1 - 21). The account of Samuel quick response to what he thought to be the voice of Eli, and Eli’s recognition that God was speaking to Samuel (a young Christian worker), “And Samuel did not yet know the Lord”
To know means more than intellectual knowledge. It implies personal acquaintance.
It was at the; lord’s fourth call, that he responded. At this point we see human readiness to hear as a condition to further word from God. (Acts 26:14 - 18)
Hearing the call of God- the major truths are:-
· God is silent when His word is not know
· God’s call may be mistaken as in the case of Samuel
· God’s word comes through when His servants listen.
2. ELIJAH – A still small voice (1 Kings 19:8 - 18)
In this instance the usual means which God had previously used to reveal Himself were rejected. On this occasion there was only a still small voice. Speaking to Elijah through the still small voice was God’ way of showing him that His designs are promoted also by patience and long-suffering.
Over zealousness was the problem of the prophet. Fine he had passion for God. A man like every one else –he (James5:17) withdraw to be alone in order to hear from God. In times like this, God understands better than the servant Himself what is needed, (Psalm 46:10). This is often a difficult lesson for man (servants) of God to learn (Isaiah 30:15; 32:17).
For this common human experience, God had a threefold remedy:-
· Proper care for the physical body.
· A fresh revelation from God, hearing from heaven a still small voice.
· A renewed mission.
DESIRE TO HEAR GOD’ VOICE.
IS God still speaking today? Is it possible to hear the voice of God? Many believers in Christ are confused about this issue. Sincerely speaking, few individuals Christians really know and discern the voice of the Holy Spirit. God is always willing to speak to His people, but His voice is always undiscerned and unrecognized, but we fail to understand the way of the Spirit.
To learn to hear from God is the greatest ability any Christian can posses. Well-intentioned Christians make kingdom decisions which are derived from man’s perspective and not God’s. These decisions are frequently made from information and logic and not based on the knowledge given by the Holy Spirit to believers. Certainly many of us have been misuse and abuse but those who claim to have heard God. In many assemblies, what is common today is “the lord spoke to me”- this is an abuse when in reality God had not spoken. We should be careful to differentiate and filter the many voices (human Satan’s voice, demon’s voice) from God’s voice. (Jere 5:30, 31).
I believe that God still speaks to us today by His Holy Spirit just as he did in the bible day’s we need to hear the voice of God. We can only live (have the life and blessing of the Lord in our churches today) by hearing word that continues to proceed from God’s mouth tom our hearts, (Matt 4:4). The word “proceeded” speaks of a present- continuing function. That means something that happened in the past, is happening in the present, will happen in the future.
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