Christian Photographers Community

Subj: Insight for Leaders 
Date: 7/9/04 5:31:52 AM GMT Daylight Time
From: lmi@flash.net
To: tozer@litmin.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)



July 9   

The Church: The Right Kind of Leaders

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers,
not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly,
nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples
to the flock. 
--1 Peter 5:2,3

I believe that it might be accepted as a fairly reliable rule of
thumb that the man who is ambitious to lead is disqualified as a
leader. The Church of the Firstborn is no place for the demagogue or
the petty religious dictator. The true leader will have no wish to
lord it over God's heritage, but will be humble, gentle, self-
sacrificing, and altogether as ready to follow as to lead when the
Spirit makes it plain to him that a wiser and more gifted man than
himself has appeared.

It is undoubtedly true, as I have said so often, that the church is
languishing not for leaders but for the right kind of leaders; for
the wrong kind is worse than none at all. Better to stand still than
to follow a blind man over a precipice. History will show that the
church has prospered most when blessed with strong leaders and
suffered the greatest decline when her leaders were weak and time
serving. The sheep rarely go much farther than the Shepherd.  The
Warfare of the Spirit, 191,192.

"Give me the heart of a servant, Lord, that I might be the right kind
of leader. The world lauds the take-charge, aggressive driver; You
ask for humble servants. Make me Your servant today, I pray in Jesus'
name. Amen."

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Dear Sonja, be encouraged, and have patience.
Never forget that God desires the best for you but your desire is not always His!

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Prayers are not always answered immediately. This may be a bit uncomfortable statement in age that is after fastfood and everything instant. Someone said that God responds to prayer in three ways: the first is an immediate answer "yes"; the second is a definite "no"; and third is "wait." Sometime we may have to wait for months or even years for prayers to be answered. However, nobody wants to wait. It would be easier to quit on a need than wait for the prayer to be answered but the Bible has a different perspective on waiting for our prayers to be heard.
The Bible says in Isaiah 40:31,
"but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

The word translated "waiting for" is a very common Hebrew word and there is no special meaning to it. However, the historical context of this prophetic oracle gives it a very special significance. This is addressed to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. A group of people who had lost their homes, their land and their temple. They were a group of people who were going through a time of testing, which was very heavy on their faith. They needed proof that their God is still living and is able to save as he did in the times past.

The military defeat, and the losses of all sort has raised a few serious questions. These questions have divided their community as well. There were some exiles led by their prophets who believed that their God is still able to redeem them. They wanted an immediate end to the exile and wanted to go home, because they believed that their God is able to save. He is still powerful. Their mistake was that they thought a God who is mighty will not demand patience. Prophet Jeremiah had to struggle with this problem. He wrote a letter to the exiles and asked them not to think that they will return immediately. In his letter found in Jer. 29 he advises them to settle down in Babylon, to plant vineyars, to build houses, to give their daughters in marriage and to take wives for their sons. In other words, to have long term plans for their life in exile! He advised them so not because Yahweh has given them up, but he knew that it will take another seventy years for Yahweh to bring them back to their land. So he advised them to take it as it is. However people were not willing to wait. They went after prophets who prophesied an immediate return. This unrest lead to rebellion which was duly suppressed by the Babylonians. According to Babylonian sources, thousands of people were killed as the Babylonian suppressed the rebellions led by these prophets of impatience. It was their faith that God is going to act soon that led them to this misery. God is able to deliver us; but he has his own time.

On the other extreme is the group of exiles we find in the book of Ezekiel. Especially chapter 14. These exiles are well settled. They have come to terms with the reality. They had come to terms with their thinking that Yahweh is defeated, his temple is destroyed, Bel and Nebo the gods of the Babylonians have won the victory. There is no point in following a God who is defeated. So there is no point in hoping for a return. So they decided to follow gods that were available. They gave up Yahweh who as far as they are concerned has turned his face against them.

This passage in Isaiah gives here another alternative wait for the LORD. In this waiting there is faith, but it also implies patience. This is a life style that is marked with confidence and patience. Living with a heavy baggage of apparently unaswered prayers must be time of 'waitng for the Lord", a patient anticipation for the mighty arm of the Lord to be revealed.

The message of the Bible is clear. God is always powerful and there is no limit to his knowledge and power. However, he has his time and his ways as well. God knows better than anyone. The patient waiting for God to answer our prayers is founded on this basis.

The heroes of faith in the Bible are people who exhibited tremendous sense of patience. The book of James (5:11) mentions Job who though in time of pain and abuse did not give up his hope. He was not willing to give up at the advice of his wife nor when his friends condemned him. He was willing to wait and his patience was rewarded. The one who composed the beautiful Psalm 123 is another example of this patient waiting.

To thee I lift up my eyes, O thou who art enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he have mercy upon us. (Psalm 123:1-2)

The Psalmist is willing to wait on till God shows mercy upon him.

The passage from Isaiah not only demands a patient expectation but also promises that this waiting is a useful spiritual exercise. They who wait upon the Lord with hope and confidence in his mercy is surely going to be strengthened. The period of waiting and the increased confidence that the answered prayer would bring is certainly a boost to faith.

The Bible talks about how the suffering and pain that would accompany while answer to prayer is delayed can turn out to be a blessing. In the book of Romans it is an elevator to a higher degree of spirituality.





 
by Dr. Paulson Pulikkottil

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 THE LOST COIN.


   

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL.

Chris, is that a coin?  What's the value?  (I'm over here on the left of the pond, you know.    )  What do the letters D. G. and F. D.  stand for?  I do know REG. is for Regina or queen.

A quiet day today - dishes, beds, laundry, etc., etc.  plus about 4 1/2 hours working on the town website.  So no news of note from the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains.   

Soni, I'll be asking for God's perfect solution to your family problem and that you all see it as such, even if it's not at all the solution you "think" you want. 

I have been here about 4 times since I got home from work but I have not posted. I had about 3 calls from Al today and 2 while I was at work; he thought he was being a pest. Not So brother Al.Glad to help you out.

I have been doing a few letters back and forth with a Real Estate agent brother who goes to Al's church. I worked with him looking for a house before I moved up here. Yes I am thinking about buying a house if at all possible.

I have plenty of time  to make any decisions,  please pray that whatever the decision it will not be my own but the one God wants me to make. Too many times I have made wrong decisions in my life, most of them BC (Before Christ.)

Soni I am praying for your family.

Jane Yippee you get to see Bryan real soon.

TTYL

hey ya'll,
Just got back from playing basketball this evening we had the last 3 games of summer league.... the last one was our roughest..... we won all our games this week except 1 (which we played 12 games i think) right now i am kinda glad it is over as i am so sore from gut checks (elbows to the stomach) and forearms in my back and neck oh well its over til october 1st  well i'll ttyl
Sarah

Just catching up again since I will be heading to Ohio at 8 a.m. in the morning.  Hope the sun is high enough to not be setting on my hood!! 

I am praying that ya'll have a God blessed night and tomorrow.

Have a safe trip, Etta Sue.  Will you be back tomorrow too?


Time to lock the door...

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