May 10, 2012

^"After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people."  Exodus 13:20-22

A really good leader is led as he leads!

He follows God, but he also points his people to the pillar.

Moses was guided by the pillar as he led God's people out of slavery into the Land of Promise. No one knows how the pillar appeared but everyone knows that it was the manifestation of God's presence guiding and guarding His people. Not only did Moses and the Israelites see the cloud and the pillar, so did all of their enemies!

What an amazing image of godly leadership! A leader standing between God and the people of God following Him and leading them while pointing them to Him at all times!

That is what good leaders do. In addition to following God, not panicking, inspiring hope, a good leader points to the pillar.

"But, Brad," you ask, "What is the pillar for leaders today?"

I'm glad you asked!

The pillar for leaders to point their people to is still God's presence. But God doesn't show up in a cloud these days or in a fire that is visible. So, what do you point them to?

My answer as a long time leader is, "Point them to the presence of God's Spirit." The Spirit shows up when there is surrender to His will. The Spirit shows up when the Scriptures are read, taught, or preached. And the Spirit shows up when His people serve Him.

I also believe another pillar is the principles of God's Word. Principles are timeless truths from God's Word that guide leader's decisions and priorities and activities. Jesus declared He is "the Way, the Truth and the Life"! So where you have truth you have Jesus!

A third pillar is sincere praise. God dwells in the midst of praise from His people. Where praise is happening, Jesus is habitating! He is there to bless and to strengthen His people.

Are you wanting to be a good leader?

Are you looking for a good leader?

Point people to the pillars of God's presence, His principles and His praise!

When looking for a leader, look one for who looks to the pillars.

May 9, 2012

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

"The Lord will fight for you"........!

I like the sound of that! That sounds hopeful!

You would expect nothing less from a great leader like Moses, because one of the traits of a good leader is - THEY INSPIRE HOPE!

This is the third installment in a study of leadership from the life of Moses. So far I have shared that a good leader FOLLOWS GOD and a good leader DOESN'T PANIC. Today I want to add that the purpose of a leader is to inspire hope in his people.

Hope is vitally important to your soul, spirit and psyche. It has been ascertained that:

Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope.

I believe that! It has been scientifically documented.

God's people found themselves in a hopeless looking situation. They were trapped against the Red Sea with a desert to their south, Egypt to their north and 600 enemy chariots bearing down on them. Put yourself in their place and see how much hope you could find! So where did they turn for hope? They looked to Moses, their leader.

Where would you look? Do you have a leader you can look to for hope? If not, you may want to consider a different leader.

Moses made a hopeful statement, "The Lord will fight for you!"

Good leaders give hope they have themselves. Moses had placed all of his hope in God and God had not disappointed him. So, when his people needed hope he share these hopeful words out of a hopeful heart.

For a contemporary illustration of the power of hope and the desire for hope, just go back four years to the last Presidential election. Our current President was swept into office on his promises of "Hope & Change". People want hope!

But a good leader, a godly leader, doesn't offer hope in slogans and sound bites. A good leader offers hope based on substance - something that is powerful and reliable. Moses did.
All good leaders do.

Are you finding yourself feeling trapped and in need of some hope? Look for a good leader to help you find hope of seeing your way out of your "trap".

Never support a leader who doesn't have hope and who doesn't present himself as hopeful and who can inspire you with the hope he offeres.

In this election year, look beyond the slogans and sound bites and try to find some spiritual and moral substance you can hope in. Don't waste your vote on someone who doesn't give you a real reason to hope!

May 8, 2012

^"Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14

A second mark of a good leader is he DOESN'T PANIC.

Moses found himself in a very difficult situation. He had led 2.2 million people, many of whom were not yet sold on his leadership, into a trap. Now his ability and authority were REALLY under attack! His critics were verbally attacking him and inciting the people against him.

As ominous as that was, it wasn't his biggest problem. The real threat was the elite Egyptian army that was riding down hard on them to force them back into captivity.

Facing simultaneous threats from within and without, it would have been easy for Moses to have panicked. But he didn't! He did what good leaders do, he led!

It is good to know that leaders don't panic but it is better to understand why he didn't.

Moses didn't panic because he knew Who he was following. This is another advantage of having a leader who follows God. He will know that if God led him into this trouble God will also lead him out.

Moses did not panic because he knew where he was going. God had called him to lead His people from Egypt to Canaan and they weren't there yet! So, Moses knew that God had a plan to get them out. God had led them out in order to lead them in so he knew God would lead them on!

Moses didn't panic because he was tuned into the voice of God not the voices of the critics or the sound of chariots. He was well aware of the situation but was more aware of the Supernatural.

Moses didn't panic because he saw the big picture. He didn't focus on the problem but looked at the problem in the perspective of the big picture. Good leaders see all the pieces and how they fit together.

A good leader follows God and a good leader doesn't panic.

My friend, John Maxwell, says "everything rises and falls on leadership". I have found that to be true in my life experience and it certainly seems to be true with a great leader like Moses. His faith as a follower of God kept him fearless in the face of attacks from critics and from chariots.

If you are a leader, how do you measure up to these two traits? Are you following God? Are you free of panic? If not, why not?

If you are looking for a leader, these are two traits to look for.

And, if you are evaluating your leader, how does he measure up?

May 7, 2012

"After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.  By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.  Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." Exodus 13:20-22

I know that most of you who read this blog are not leaders, but even if you are not it will help you to know how to recognize a good one.

Moses was a good one and in just these couple of chapters I find eight characteristics of a good leader.

The first trait of a good leader is HE FOLLOWS GOD!

I would think that almost goes without saying that a godly leader must follow God. But, it is the place to begin identifying one.

Obviously, the purpose of a godly leader is to lead God's people in God's Way and it will be much easier to do that if he is following God.

This all sounds simple and reasonable, so how do you recognize a leader who follow's God?

Look at the example of Moses. We know he followed God because when God moved Moses moved and when God stopped Moses stopped. He never got ahead of God and He never lagged behind God - He followed God!

Another thing to look for is whether this leader is allows himself to be accountable to others leaders. A godly leader is willing to be led. He is willing to humble himself in the company of a superior leader and has confidence to lead when entrusted with leadership.

A godly leader leads only because he wants to bring people closer to God. So, by watching a leader over time you can observe whether the people who follow him become closer to God or not. That is a sure sign!

With a Presidential election just six months away, this should be one of the factors you consider in deciding which candidate to support. Prayerfully consider which potential leader most closely follows God.

You can feel confident following a leader who follows God!

May 6, 2012

"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple......" Luke 9:23

Perhaps it makes sense to define terms before we go much further in our devotional thoughts. Quite simple, "What is a disciple?' or "What does a disciple look like?" or "What does it mean to be a disciple?"

 

I am sure Jesus had a specific idea in mind when He called them to follow Him. I am sure the men he called were clear on what they were signing up for.

 

Do you consider yourself a disciple of Jesus? Are you clear on what it means to be a disciple? Don't you think that would be an important thing to know? Shouldn't you be clear on the concept?

 

Let me see if I can clarify it for you:

 

Being a disciple involves relationship - a disciple is a lover.

 

If being a disciple means anything it means being in a relationship with the one you choose to follow. You do tend to follow what you love and you grow in love as you follow.

 

To be in relationship with Jesus, or anyone for that matter, you must have constant communication with Him. For a disciple that means prayer. Recall that Jesus didn't teach His twelve disciples to preach but He did teach them to pray.

 

To be in relationship you must also be committed. Commitment requires obedience. You cannot be a disciple if you are not committed to completely obeying Jesus.

 

Being a disciple involves recognition - a disciple is a learner.

 

A disciple must learn and adapt to the beliefs of the one he is following. So, a disciple of Jesus must be a learner of Jesus' teachings and truths. And a disciple doesn't learn just to acquire knowledge and information, he learns for life-change.

 

Being a disciple involves reproduction - a disciple is a leader.

 

Thirdly, a disciple that loves his master and learns from his master will eventually live like his master. As he lives like his master he will look like his master. When you live like a leader and look like a leader, others will begin to follow you. A disciple not only conforms to the life-style of his master but he will influence others to live like Jesus.

 

So, what is a disciple of Jesus? One who loves Jesus and learns from Jesus until he looks and lives like Jesus. A disciple follows until he leads.

 

Let me ask you, do you love Jesus? How well are you obeying Him? How much are you committed to Him? Are you in regular communication with Him?

 

Are you learning from Jesus? Are you reading His Word and meditating on it? Is your thinking guided by His truths?

 

Are you leading others to Jesus? Are others following Him because of you?

 

If you consider youself a disciple and if you call yourself by that name - love Him, learn of Him, and lead others to Him.

May 5, 2012

"Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again." Exodus 14:13

Here is another expectation you can have of God. If He leads you into a difficult situation, He will make a way to bring you out. Moses proves it as do many of the great heroes of faith!

Another giant of faith, Paul, affirmed this truth when he wrote, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." I Corinthians 10:13

If you REALLY know that and if your REALLY believe that, you will be able to do what Moses told God's people to do as they became aware of the gravity of their situation. They were trapped between the viscious Egyptians and the Red Sea. When they felt like fleeing in panic he told them to stand pat and wait on the Lord!

Waiting on anybody or anything goes against the grain for us. This is the microwave, instant access, immediate gratification generation and waiting does not work for us. Yet, if you want God to bring you out of what He's led you into the first thing to do is wait.

While waiting is hard for us, it appears in the Bible some 135 times! So, it must be quite important to the Lord. Here are a few samples:

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psa. 27:14

“We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.” Psa. 33:20

“but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.” Isa. 40:31

“I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Lam. 3:24

“Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” Jude 1:21

Most of the time the word for "wait" is closely akin to "hope". Waiting for God is not a passive activity. It is hoping in God while you fellowship with Him and continue steadfastly in prayer. Waiting shows your confidence that God is working in your behalf even if you cannot perceive it yet. Waiting is allowing Him to do a work in you while you await what He will do for you.

Waiting for God demonstrates your faith in Him because faith believes in what it can't yet see.

Waiting for God demonstrates your hope in Him because hope can develop patience.

Waiting for God demonstrates your love for Him because love always waits for the best.

Will you wait for God?

May 4, 2012

^"As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses,“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Exodus 14:10-12

If I asked you to put yourself in the place of the Israelites, I bet you could do it. Not that you have ever stood between a charging army and a sea with no way of escape. But you know the sense of vulnerability they felt. Panic was setting in as they heard the approaching hooves and the rattling chariots growing ever louder. As the volume increased so did their sense of helplessness - and hopelessness.

Maybe it was that rebellious out of control teen-ager that made you feel powerless. Perhaps it was the catastrophic health issue that stole your strength and threatened your future. It could have been that unwanted divorce despite your best efforts to salvage the marriage that left you feeling powerless. Or, possibly it was the ordeal of losing your house because you couldn't keep up the mortgage when your hours were cut at work.

There are so many things in life that make you feel vulnerable. No one likes feeling vulnerable. You despise weakness. You want to feel strong and in control. These moments in life that force upon you unwanted situations, remind you of just how vulnerable you are.

In this familiar and beloved story of Moses at the Red Sea there is a lesson to the people often missed by Sunday School teachers and preachers. I want to zero in on that truth. For the people of God vulnerability leads to victory!

Think about it! Name for me one miracle or one great victory in the Bible that did not arise out of a vulnerable situation. I can't think of one, can you?

Abraham and Sarah couldn't have a son - but they did!

David couldn't kill a giant like Goliath - but he did!

Here are several more who were weak and vulnerable but won great victories: Gideon, Elijah, Noah, Three Hebrew Children, Daniel, the little boy with the lunch and most of all - Jesus on the Cross.

People of God must thing like kingdom people! In His kingdom life comes out of death and strength comes out of weakness and victory comes out of vulnerability.

One of the strong messages that comes out of this powerful story is God's strength works best through your weakness! Don't fear weakness! Don't despise vulnerability! Let God be your strength. Walk in His will and He will always make a way through your difficulties!