Exercising Leadership

The Bible has a lot to say about leadership.  Let's take a look at a couple of things I've come across recently.

If God has bestowed leadership on you then don't be afraid to exercise it, God's got your back.

Exodus 8:8-13(NKJV)

8Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.”

9And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.”

10So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 

11And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.”

12Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. 

13So the Lord did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. 

Did you catch that?  The Lord did according to the word of Moses!  God had bestowed leadership on Moses.  Moses was in a situation and made a decision and then asked God to enforce it  and God did!  So if God has given you leadership then lead.  Be a strong and decisive leader!

Here is the next principal.  Beware weak leadership

Exodus 32:1-6(NKJV)

1Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

2And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 

3So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 

4And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

5So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” 

6Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Look how quickly Aaron, the Chief Priest chosen by God, folded.  He was essentially the second in command after Moses and he abandoned God at the drop of a hat.  Now pay attention to this next part because it is another classic of weak leadership.

Exodus 32:21-23(NKJV)

21And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”

22So Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 

23For they said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 

The "it wasn't my fault" defense  of weak leadership.  Don’t be a weak leader.  If God has given you a leadership role He did it for a reason, so that you would lead, not follow!

Will a man rob God?

As many of you know, this is one of my favorite parts of scripture.  I've written about it in the past.  It's one of the scriptural subjects that I am very passionate about. 

I've highlighted the relevant parts but let me summarize.  We steal from God by not tithing (not only tithing our money but our time as well!).  God dares us to tithe and He tells us that if we tithe He will bless us beyond measure.  God even goes so far as to say "try Me now in this".  It's like God is saying I dare you, I double dog dare you!

One of the things that I just love about studying God's Word is that you get new meanings all of the time.  As I read over this chapter today, a chapter I've read dozens of times, I got something new out of it and I'd like to share that with you.

Malachi 3:8-10(NKJV)

8    “Will a man rob God?      Yet you have robbed Me!     But you say,     ‘In what way have we robbed You?’     In tithes and offerings.

9    You are cursed with a curse,     For you have robbed Me,     Even this whole nation.

10    Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,     That there may be food in My house,     And try Me now in this,”     Says the Lord of hosts,     “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven     And pour out for you such blessing     That there will not be room enough to receive it.

Why exactly are we to bring the tithes into the storehouse?  "That there may be food in my house,".  I had never noticed this before.  What is God's house?  The church.  And what food is God talking about?  How about God's Word?

There are many places in the Bible that equates God's Word to food and nourishment.  So not only does God dare us to tithe but He tells us why it is so important that we tithe.  It is so the church has the resources to spread God's Word far and wide to provide spiritual nourishment.  Pretty cool!

Now let's take a look at another verse from chapter 3.

Malachi 3:12(NKJV)

12    And all nations will call you blessed,     For you will be a delightful land,”     Says the Lord of hosts.

Not only will we be blessed individually by tithing but we will be blessed as a nation the more we tithe.  "For you will be a delightful land".  Just think what it would be like if our whole country was so giving oriented that they all tithed.      Let's pray for that to occur!

You shall discern between the righteous and the wicked. Isn't that judgmental?

Malachi 3:18(NKJV)

18    Then you shall again discern     Between the righteous and the wicked,     Between one who serves God      And one who does not serve Him.

One of the most misunderstood quotes in the Bible is "Thou shall not judge".  You hear people use this all the time to try and excuse bad or evil behavior.  But is that what it really means?

Well as I've written many times, the Bible is a book of balance.  Sometimes we have to search for the true meaning of things.  God doesn't always spell things out for us.  Sometimes we have to read between the lines so to speak.  God even warned us that it would be this way.

Exodus 34:27(NKJV)

27Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”

The verse above from Malachi tells us to discern between the righteous and the wicked.  Well what exactly does discern mean?

dis·cern

[dih-surn, -zurn] Show IPA

verb (used with object)

1. to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend: They discerned a sail on the horizon.
2. to distinguish mentally; recognize as distinct or different; discriminate: He is incapable of discerning right from wrong.

verb (used without object)

3. to distinguish or discriminate.

Pasted from <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/discern?s=t>

If we are to discern between the righteous and the wicked, doesn't that require us to make a judgment?  Of course it does. 

Let's look at another verse.

John 7:21-24(NKJV)

21Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 

22Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 

23If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 

24Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

In other places Jesus talks about good fruit verses bad fruit.  Again, doesn't that require a judgment?  Of course it does.

So the next time someone tries to intimidate you by telling you not to judge them, ask them to explain what  these two verses mean and sit back and enjoy the show!

"And none shall appear before Me empty-handed"

Exodus 34:19-20(NKJV)

19“All that open the womb are Mine, and every male firstborn among your livestock, whether ox or sheep. 

20But the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you will not redeem him, then you shall break his neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. “And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. "

Here's a question.  How often do we appear before God empty handed?

I've written many times in the past about the importance of giving God our first fruits.  The first fruits of our time.  The first fruits of our efforts.  The first fruits of brainpower, and the first fruits of our finances.  Why is the first fruits so important?  I think this verse from Malachi gives as good an explanation as any.

Malachi 1:8(NKJV)

8    And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice,     Is it not evil?     And when you offer the lame and sick,     Is it not evil?     Offer it then to your governor!     Would he be pleased with you?     Would he accept you favorably?”     Says the Lord of hosts.

(Please note that He is referring to blind and lame animals, not people)

Ok, so I think we are clear on the first fruits aspect.

But what about this second concept?  "And none shall appear before me empty-handed".  God is telling us that He expects all of us to contribute.  Unlike the US tax code which has reached the point where 49% of the people don't even pay taxes, God says "Oh no, all of you are required to have some skin in the game". 

Every time we appear before God we need to have something to offer Him.  What are you going to offer God today?

Thank You Warriors on this Memorial Day Weekend!

I first wrote this on Veterans Day 2011 but it is just as applicable as ever.

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On this 2012 Memorial  Day Weekend I would like to salute all of our military service people, past and present and thank you and your families for the sacrifices you make on our behalf.  There are many in this country who still value and honor your service.

I hope you know that according to God's word, you hold a special place in His heart as well.         If you look through the Bible, God has accomplished many great things though His use of warriors.  Let's take a look at some of God's favorite warriors .

Joshua - After Moses had led the Jewish people through the desert for 40 years, who did God choose to lead His people to take possession of the land God had promised them?  Joshua.  Why?  Because they were going to have to go in and take the land that God had promised them and Joshua was one of only two people that  actually thought they could do it because God had promised them that they would succeed.

Here is what God had to say about Joshua.

Numbers 27:18(NKJV)

18And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 

God saw Joshua, a warrior, as a man in whom is the Spirit.

Gideon - Gideon was another warrior who found favor with God.  Although reluctant at first, once he was convinced that he was indeed called by God, Gideon threw himself into serving God as a warrior.  Gideon went on to win many victories for God.

One of the other great things about Gideon is that he never lost his focus on God.  Even though Gideon had achieved great success on the battlefield he didn't let it go to his head.  When the men of Israel tried to convince Gideon to rule over them, he told them no and that they needed to look to God.

Judges 8:22-23(NKJV)

22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”

23But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.” 

King David - King David started out as a simple shepherd boy who had the audacity to actually believe that God would help David defeat the Philistine giant Goliath, in order to uphold God's honor. 

Here is what God had to say about King David. 

1 Samuel 13:14(NKJV)

14But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

That's right, God called David - a warrior, a man after God's own heart.

I particularly love the way David looks to God for his strength, guidance and safety. 

Psalms 18:1-3(NKJV)

1    I will love You, O Lord, my strength.

2    The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;     My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;     My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3    I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;     So shall I be saved from my enemies.

Psalms 18:17-19(NKJV)

17    He delivered me from my strong enemy,     From those who hated me,     For they were too strong for me.

18    They confronted me in the day of my calamity,     But the Lord was my support.

19    He also brought me out into a broad place;     He delivered me because He delighted in me.

Psalms 18:29-35(NKJV)

29    For by You I can run against a troop,     By my God I can leap over a wall.

30    As for God, His way is perfect;     The word of the Lord is proven;     He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

31    For who is God, except the Lord?      And who is a rock, except our God?

32    It is God who arms me with strength,     And makes my way perfect.

33    He makes my feet like the feet of deer,     And sets me on my high places.

34    He teaches my hands to make war,     So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35    You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;      Your right hand has held me up,     Your gentleness has made me great.

Psalms 18:50(NKJV)

50    Great deliverance He gives to His king,      And shows mercy to His anointed,     To David and his descendants forevermore.

Even though King David had many faults and weaknesses, God thought so highly of this warrior King  that God's ultimate plan of salvation through Jesus Christ was descended from King David's lineage.

So warriors, you stand in good stead in God's plan.  My prayer is that God will continue to wrap His protective arms around you.  Thank you again for your service!

Moses told them to do what?!

Exodus 32:26-29(NKJV)

26then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’S side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. 

27And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’” 

28So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 

29Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.”

What the heck?  Didn't Moses just come down off of the mountain with the 10 Commandments inscribed on tablets?  And what was one of the ten?  Thou shall not murder! 

Now Moses did nothing more than relay an order from God.  So God told the sons of Levi to go kill these people for the sin that they had committed.  They had worshipped other gods.  Then after they were done God blessed them for doing it!

Now did God just contradict himself here?  Did He just order all of these people murdered?  Did God just reward them for doing evil?  Or is there a distinction here that we need to understand?      Unless you think God condones and blesses evil then there has to be another explanation.

I think that the difference is killing carried out as part of righteous judgment from God is not considered murder or evil in His eyes.  In other words there is a distinct difference between murder and punishment in God's Word.

Oh but that is just the OT, it's different now.  Is it?

Matthew 10:34-37(NKJV)

34“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 

35For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 

36and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ £ 

37He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 

Notice the similarities?  In both cases it was about choosing sides.  Are you on God's side or not? 

Dude, I can't do that!

Has God called you to do something that is just really really beyond your comprehension as to how you will accomplish it?  You don't have the know how.  You don't have the skills.  You don't like to speak and organize things.  You don't…….you fill in the reasons.

Here's the deal.   Doesn't matter.  What have I written over and over and over again?  When God calls, ANSWER THE CALL! 

If you do, here is one of the promises that God makes to you.

1 Corinthians 1:5-7(NKJV)

5that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 

6even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 

7so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, as heirs with Christ you are able to tap into some mighty promises from God.  As you can see above, "you are enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge" and "so that you come short in no gift". 

How cool is that?  If God calls and you answer the call, you can absolutely count on the fact that God will provide you with all of the knowledge, utterances, and gifts (skills) that you need to successfully answer His call.

Don't know where to start?  God will provide you the knowledge.  Don't have the gifts?  God will provide them.  Don't like to speak?  God will provide the utterances.  What other excuses did you fill in above?  Based on this Scripture do you think God has that covered as well?

Now does God promise this to everyone?  Nope.  Only those who have accepted Jesus Christ, God's son, as their personal Lord and Savior.  Listen to your heart.  Is God calling you?  Then answer the call.  You can start by asking Jesus to become the Lord of your life.  It's easy to do.  Just close your eyes and talk to Jesus.  "Dear Jesus, …….."