Tag: wisdom

Many Prophets and Kings Longed to See What You See

When I was reflecting on these scriptures, I was reminded about of the urgent need for a deeper level of leadership development for these turbulent times. As leaders, multiplying our effectiveness is in direct proportion to our ability to recognize, prayerfully select and enter into covenant relationships with others.

By granting this access or being granted this access, there is a level of trust that, if broken, can really be catastrophic and cause significant pain.

The relationship can include giving a part of our or receiving a part of someone else’s anointing, reputation and good name, so covenant relationships should not be viewed lightly.

The size and magnitude of the commission determines the model chosen from those revealed in scriptures. There are at least four:

⁃ The 70 Appointed: “Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them out ahead of Him, two by two, into every city and place where He was about to go. He was saying to them, “The harvest is abundant [for there are many who need to hear the good news about salvation], but the workers [those available to proclaim the message of salvation] are few. Therefore, [prayerfully] ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. Go your way; listen carefully: I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” Luke 10:1-3 AMP

⁃ The 12 disciples: “Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority and power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them: “Do not go among the Gentiles, and do not go into a city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Matthew 10:1, 5-7 AMP

⁃ The 3 disciples: “Then they went to a place called Gethsemane; and Jesus said to His disciples, “Sit down here until I have prayed.” He took Peter and James and John with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled [extremely anguished at the prospect of what was to come]. And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved and overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.”” Mark 14:32-34 AMP

⁃ Joseph: “Now the plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all of his servants. So Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this [a man equal to Joseph], in whom is the divine spirit [of God]?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since [your] God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and clear-headed and wise as you are. You shall have charge over my house, and all my people shall be governed according to your word and pay respect [to you with reverence, submission, and obedience]; only in [matters of] the throne will I be greater than you [in Egypt].” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you [in charge] over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and dressed him in [official] vestments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in his second chariot; and runners proclaimed before him, “[Attention,] bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission shall no man raise his hand [to do anything] or set his foot [to go anywhere] in all the land of Egypt [all classes of people shall submit to your authority].”” Genesis 41:37-44 AMP

We should not despise, discount or cheapen the value of “access” for “Blessed [joyful, spiritually enlightened, and favored by God] are the eyes which see what you see”. These relationships can be one of the greatest source of growth and maturity resulting in our ability to think and plan at a greater level of depth. Often, access is granted to rooms, conversations and experiences that are sacred and private – exponentially propelling our growth, understanding, influence, power and authority.

A warning: we must use discernment and wisdom in choosing relationships for many desire the benefit but have not yet developed their character to thrive well in a covenant relationship. If they are not tested and prayerfully vetted, things can go wrong rather quickly.

Be Blessed!

Be a Blessing!

Choose well!

“Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you. Nevertheless do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

In that very hour He was overjoyed and rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and He said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things [relating to salvation] from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants [the childlike and untaught].

Yes, Father, for this way was [Your gracious will and choice, and was] well-pleasing in Your sight.

All things have been transferred and turned over to Me by My Father and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.”

Then turning to His disciples, Jesus said privately, “Blessed [joyful, spiritually enlightened, and favored by God] are the eyes which see what you see, for I say to you that many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, and they did not see it; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.””

Luke 10:19-24 AMP

https://bible.com/bible/1588/luk.10.21-24.AMP

Moses Had Laid His Hands Upon Him

I was reflecting this morning on these scriptures and the idea concerning the importance of succession planning, building our leadership pipeline as a priority and obeying god.

We see in this passage, one of the greatest prophets, Moses, coming to the end of his time as the leader of Israel – a forty year burden. He has had many successes and many failures over the span of his life.

Though his leadership imprint did not begin until he was eighty (Acts 7:22, 30)’, he accomplished so much:

⁃ At the advice of his father in law, he created the judicial system to be able to meet the growing needs of Israel. Exodus 18:25-26

⁃ In Numbers 11:16, he had 70 men anointed with his wisdom to be able to multiply his effectiveness in leading and taking care of a whole nation of 600,000 men (not including women and children) after having left Egypt.

As a leader, Moses is known for being a master builder of leadership systems.

Equally if not more importantly, Moses had an intimate relationship with god where they met and talked on many occasions throughout the scriptures starting in Exodus through Deuteronomy.

Despite all of these successes, the thing that grieves me the most is that Moses’ decision, made out of anger and frustration, caused him to not obey god and follow his instructions when God was trying to take him to another level. The scripture says “I have let you see it [the promised land] with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” Decisions matter.

If we recall, the story in Numbers 20 goes as this:

“And the Lord said to Moses, Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.

So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock and Moses said to them, Hear now, you rebels; must we bring you water out of this rock?

And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.

And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in (rely on, cling to) Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Israelites, you therefore shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.” Numbers 20:7-12 AMPC

This disobedience or demonstrated inability to grow (in previous times, the guidance from god was to smote the rock) and perform at the next level, cause Moses to be placed on the exit ramp concerning Gods purpose and mission.

The scripture states that “Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eye was not dim nor his natural force abated.” So he was not feeble and was well able physically to lead the people. There just was a lapse in judgement that cost him his position.

It was time to pass the mantle on to the leader who would take the children of Israel to the promised land, Joshua.

The lesson for us as leaders is to do our best to hear from God and to lead well- everyday. Our very existence and success as leaders depend on it.

Yes it is true, that the very people we are charged with leading may be stiff-necked, rebellious, struggle with change, and have old limiting beliefs and behaviors; but despite all of that, the responsibility of leadership still falls on us and we must and will be held accountable. The scripture reminds us that whom He sends, He qualifies.

In Closing: God, in his infinite wisdom and love, still provided for the children of Israel and provided them with a leader to carry the mantle forward – Joshua. God was not slack on fulfilling his promises to Israel in that he ensured that their new leader had a sure and solid foundation. The Bible states that “ Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands upon him…” Moses had poured so much of himself into Joshua while they walked the leadership journey together.

Joshua learned from the best and was sensitive to hear and to obey the words of God. So much so that the Bible states the new generation of “Israelites listened to him and did as the Lord commanded Moses.”

Be Blessed!

Be a Blessing!

Lead well!

“And the Lord said to him, This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, I will give it to your descendants.

I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.

So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, And He buried him in the valley of the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor, but no man knows where his tomb is to this day.

Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eye was not dim nor his natural force abated. [Deut. 31:2.]

And the Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.

And Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands upon him; so the Israelites listened to him and did as the Lord commanded Moses.

And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, [None equal to him] in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt–to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, And in all the mighty power and all the great and terrible deeds which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel.”

Deuteronomy 34:4-12 AMPC

https://bible.com/bible/8/deu.34.4-12.AMPC

Be Careful therefore How You Listen

I was reflecting on these passages and what really stuck with me is how we as leaders, must continue to prepare and nurture our soil if we want to continue to grow with God.

Nothing stands still and we must show continuous engagement with actions to continue to grow with Christ.

Since we desire the unlimited wisdom supply that comes from above, there is a demand of meaningful engagement and willful change – on our behalf.

As leaders, we desire an unlimited harvest but do we invest daily the time, energy and attention to study, ponder and meditate on the seeds of the Word while sowing them into our soil: our minds, wills, emotions and spirit?

Quality time invested in shaping our faith visions brings tangible clarity and is time well spent.

Our visions are becoming so real that we already see and possess them in our minds and hearts?

This relationship requires engagement, communication, patience, tenderness, listening, hearing, empathy, and connection to grow and thrive.

So true this is in the spiritual realm that “For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given; and from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and guesses and supposes that he has will be taken away.”

There is a risk of deterioration and loss of ground.

Not for us as I decree that the blood of Jesus covers us, our households and our visions. In Jesus Name Amen

Be Blessed!

Be a Blessing!

“For there is nothing hidden that shall not be disclosed, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come out into the open.

Be careful therefore how you listen. For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given; and from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and guesses and supposes that he has will be taken away.”

Luke 8:17-18 AMPC

https://bible.com/bible/8/luk.8.18.AMPC

You will be a blessing

I was reflecting on this scripture as my thoughts kept coming back to the importance of having a “more than enough” vs. a “just enough” mindset.

As leaders, we must always look for opportunities to be “change agents” with adding value to others as the foundation premise for success.

Our impact flows when we focus on being a blessing to or the burden remover for someone else, each day.

Yes, we have our own issues and needs but, our solutions are our seeds of service.

Remember:

⁃ When we feel stuck, we should focus on serving.

⁃ When we are not sure what to do, we should serve (teach, pray, build, enhance, intercede, sow- give of ourself).

Scripture reminds us that: “The liberal person shall be enriched, and he who waters shall himself be watered. [II Cor. 9:6-10.]” Proverbs 11:25 AMPC

Our blessings and rewards come as a result of how well we succeed in serving others. The truth is that “he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings.”

2 Corinthians 9:6 AMPC

Lastly, “God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to us in abundance, so that we may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].”

2 Corinthians 9:8 AMPC

Trust the process and be intentional about sowing seeds of blessings into others.

Do not become weary as we proceed in faith knowing that what we do matters. “For the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song or instrument of praise.”

Isaiah 51:3 AMPC

My prayer is that we will be faithful in words and deeds for the glory of Gods Kingdom.

“Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]– To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).”

Ephesians 3:20-21 AMPC

Be Blessed!

Be a Blessing!

“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].”

Genesis 12:2 AMPC

https://bible.com/bible/8/gen.12.2.AMPC

How is it That You We’re Not Afraid

I was reading this passage this morning and was just amazed at how “good intentions” may have serious consequences because of ignorance.

We have the example of an Amalekite who, it appears, thought he was acting in obedience to kill Saul when Saul, the King, asked to be killed.

Maybe the Amalekite thought he was just “being obedient”, but what is clear is that when the Amalekite presented before King David, he underestimated King David’s response.

Unknowingly, perhaps, the Amalekite had violated a higher principle, ““Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.””

As leaders, we must remember that decisions always have consequences (favorable or unfavorable) and we must understand that strategic principles (the invisible/ spiritual ) always override operational decisions (the visible/ natural).

This can be a hard lesson to understand but it is a vital lesson to grasp.

Daily, we are being challenged to evaluate each decision through the lens of strategic principles set by Christ and his Word. Ignorance of these principles do not negate their presence.

Even if our actions seem to be right, if they don’t align with the Word, it is misguided energy and effort.

There is always a higher guiding principle or principality that we need to understand and to which to adjust our thoughts and actions for long term success.

It is my prayer that we strive daily to learn of and understand the spiritual law and principles against which all operational decisions shall be judged. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Be Blessed!

Be a Blessing!

“He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ He said to me, ‘Stand up facing me and kill me, for [terrible] agony has come over me, yet I still live [and I will be taken alive].’

So I stood facing him and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. Then I took the crown which was on his head and the band which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my Lord.”

David said to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” So he struck the Amalekite and he died.

David said to the [fallen] man, “Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’ ””

2 Samuel 1:8-10, 14-16 AMP

https://bible.com/bible/1588/2sa.1.14.AMP