Who's Manning the Post?

Welcome to the start of the Story of David and Goliath. For years now, David has been in the fields minding the family's sheep. This was the lowest job in the household, and definitely not the easiest. Stories are told of how he has to fight of wild animals, how he sits out there all on his lonesome for days at a time. 

Finally, one day his father comes to him with a new job. He is to go to the front lines of war and deliver some bread and grains to his brothers. Not only that but to go to their commanding officer and give him  some specialty cheeses and get a report to bring back on how his brothers are doing under him. This is a pretty big deal for David who has had very little human interaction in his father's fields. 

Though this was huge, what David does first is very important. Its imperative as leaders that we dont over look the first action we should take when asked to move into something new.

1 Samuel 17:20a (The Message)

"David was up at the crack of dawn and, having arranged for someone to tend his flock, took the food and was on his way just as Jesse had directed him."

David seeks out and finds someone to man the post. Before he sets out to accomplish the commission given to him, he makes sure that the responsibilities he is leaving behind are looked after. He doesn't leave it for his dad to figure it out, or just leave a whole in the system that produces an income for his families house hold. He makes sure his post is manned in his absence.

 In our fast paced lives, we are often moving between roles. Promotions at work. Leading a connect group. Filling roles in kids church, youth, service, production, or worship teams. When we are asked to move into something bigger or different, our mind immediately goes to what that new position will look like. What it means for our future. But David is a prime example, even at a young age, what our true calling in life is. Our God given "Great Commission"... 

to make disciples! 

Matthew 28:19-20

^"19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The whole first chapter of Proverbs tells us how important it is to teach. To learn. How important it is for us to have someone growing underneath us. Its how we learn to lead. How we prepare ourselves for bigger things. We should continually growing leaders to rise up from under us. If we dont share what we learn, it just sits in us. It doesn't have room to manifest. Like the mana God gave the Israelites in the desert, it molds and decays if not utilized immediately. Its when we reach out and impart into others that things spiritually and physically start into motion. When I tell someone about a revelation or experience, when I speak it out, I am hearing and re-experiencing what I have learned. Catching even more revelation and understanding. It benefits both parties. 

So invest!

The main turning points in my life have been when I have had a leader take the time, energy, and love to invest into me. When I was younger and started leading in our youth ministry in Atlanta, I continually made choices that made me feel ineligible to lead. It was simple. My perception was so internal it made my circumstances seem to massive to come back from. My pastors at the time, Travis and Adam, gave me the outside perspective and encouragement that I needed to get past my own insecurities. They took time out of their schedules of leading hundreds of teens and young leaders to mentor me. As a result from these coffees and meetings, I grew a deep respect for these leaders. I would then encourage them as often as I could. When they needed encouragement, I would be first in line to give it. When they needed help with anything, I would rush to volunteer. So invest in those you lead. 

Luke 6:38 (The Living Bible)

"For if you give, you will get! Your gift will be returned to you in full... Whatever measure you use to give- large or small- will be used to measure what is given back to you."

Invest time and you will receive time. 

Invest your love and you will receive love. 

Invest encouragement and you will receive encouragement. 

Measuring Fruit

  Fruit is fruit, right? If I were to go into a market and select 3 apples of the same kind, would I be equally satisfied with them all? Frankly, no. Just because one fruit looks similar to another doesn't make it the same quality.

  Matthew 7:17+ talks about fruit in Kingdom living. A good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree produces bad fruit. And even if the trees do look similar , the deciding factor of good and basis the source of the nutrients, the soil and water that it absorbs. The fruit we produce is directly related to who and what we allow to influence us. 

  The funny thing about fruit that we often forget is it's meant to be consumed. The world tells us we produce fruit to admire it. To marvel at what we have created. Fruit takes many forms. From ministries, events, finances, relationships, jobs... The list goes on, but we don't want to see these things gobbled up by others. The truth is, we are meant to produce fruit for OTHERS. For others to grow from, to utilize in making their own fruit.

  There is a fish farm in the southern coastal region of Spain. My nose immediately gets turned up at the thought of a farmed fish. All the ones I've seen or heard of before are gross, manmade pools of thousands of fish tearing at one another for pellets or protein blends of chicken bones, corn,  and chemically enhanced vitamins. But this one is significantly different. 
 The farm is created by a natural canal fed by the currents between the Atlantic and Mediterranean sea. The fish live off of the natural influx of algae that rolls in fresh from the ocean. All of this evidently makes for a delicious meal, but the most amazing thing is how the farmers measure the quality of their fish. In a secluded region over 150 miles from this farm is a flamingo nesting area. Everyday, tons of these flamingos trek the distance just to feast on the fish on this farm. The farmers say that the quality of their fish is revealed in the pinkness of the bellies of these flamingos. The success of these farmer's "fruit" is measured in the success of its consumer.

  This is how we should be measuring our fruit! By quality, not the quantity that we produce. By the success of those who partake of it. The passion of the youth in our church. The riaising of worship leaders in our music team. The commitment level of our volunteers who make every service happen.

  Quality fruit produces sustainable growth and it I sustainable growth that builds long lasting, influencial churches. It's  sustainable growth that builds strong character and effectivness in our lives.

Letting Go

We have this internal desire in us to hold onto things. Whether it has to do with our jobs, our relationships, our finances... it doesn't matter. We see it as "ours."

Somehow we determine in our minds that the produce of what we have worked toward is our possession. Its our "baby". We grow attachments that can become possessive. And possessiveness blinds us from what we COULD have.

In the early NT church, the believers came together and began selling what they had to give to the building of the church. Acts 4:34 even says that "none among them that were lacking". God provided for them when they showed faith that He was in control of their possessions. Then there was Ananias and his wife who sold their property, but gave only some of the money they received from their sale. Ananias held back from God what He could have used to bless him! Thinking he was being safe, he ends up losing a whole lot more than what he was hoarding... his life.

Today, we are faced with the problem of becoming attached to material. We even become attached to relationships, success, and ministries. All of our time and efforts put in, we think that when its time to cash out, the winnings are sacred. We have to realize that the doors and entry points into where we are or what we have become, were opened by God himself. When we realize that we are part of a plan bigger than our own, we can start to release. We can start laying things down at God's feet, trusting in the one who made it all happen. "Let go, and let God"

Serve Low= Serve High

Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

It is a fact. God Places people into power and authority over us. Whether we believe in their policies, their ethics, or their causes, God has an eternal plan. In the book of Daniel, He places Nebecanezzar as king. It was no surprise to God when he was able to take over the people of Isreale. Most would see one of only two options: one being to fight, to resist. The second would be to give in. To convert their way of living to the way the Babylonians did things. But Daniel saw a different way. He chose to hold his faith in his God and his people, while submitting to the authority that was placed over him.

Sometimes we find it hard to just fall under our bosses, teachers, or pastors. We could come up with reasons why not to trust them. Reasons why not to follow their lead, but that does not change the fact that we are called to serve. As part of a functioning body, it is our job to support the head no matter what. When we put our own selfish desires sown, when we allow the Holy Spirit to cover us, giving us protection and a "God" perspective, the friction we might have had between ourselves and our leaders are now relieved. It acts as the oil that lubricates the cogs and gears that make the body a functioning organism.

When Daniel decided to trust God's plan, not forgetting where his allegiance was, he was able to see! God let him stand out among those who the king trusted, giving him reigns to help make important decisions for the Kingdom.

Ps. Phil Pringle has said that "You serve high (God) by serving low (your leaders)". Your immediate leader is serving your associate pastors, who are serving the senior pastors, who are serving global leaders, who are all serving Christ together. When we step back and allow our vision to grow, when we stretch our capacities to see past our own agendas, we in-turn grow our perception. When we have a better perception of God's larger plan, it makes serving "small", so much BIGGER.

Ephesians 3

The secret is out! All the mysteries of God's plan is now made known. How often have we questioned God's purposes? Through the Holy Spirit living in us, God reveals the true, underlining reason for everything He does. This doesn't mean we understand the ends and outs of every decision, disaster, or triumph here on earth, but we can know the whole picture. The final result that is being orchestrated... That every man, woman, and child... every sinner, saint, slave, and master... every muslim, hindu, jew, and gentile has the opportunity to know Christ and His love and give it in return.

Paul says, "When I think of all this, I fall to my knees.." How fortunate are we to know this mystery! The Greek translation for mystery used in this chapter is "mysterion" which he uses to describe something that was formerly hidden or obscure, but now now revealed by God for ALL to know. To know His Love, and to know that we must be rooted in Him and this love so that we can then understand it fully!

Ephesians 2

Oneness...Unity!.
No matter the circumstance in a point in time we will feel like we don't belong. The devil loves this opportunity. He knows that there is strength and power when we join together so he takes every chance to capitalize on our division. He wants to convince us that we are in the wrong place. That we dont belong.
But God has called us to walk a certain path and He can and will use us in whatever circumstance. There is always a place for us with in the body. Imagine a church of ONLY creatives... there would be plenty of brilliant ideas, but without the more articulate, business minded, the idea would be much more difficult to come into fruition. There also needs to be those who are in between, who can convey what each side needs to the other, creating balance. We all have different backgrounds, gifts, and dreams, but one God. One spirit that works through us all. If we just all align to Him and His will, there is no stopping the Body we are apart of!

Ephesians 1

A few months ago, I did a study on Ephesians. It has quickly become one of my favorite books due to its incredible amount of insite jammed into 6 simple chapters! Cant get much better than that. So here are some breakdowns of what i received in each of these books.
Chapter 1.
We are in! God made a way, through his Son, that we might be with Him. We are now viewed blameless because of what Christ has done for us. The Ephesian's pre-christian life style was completely ruled by immorality. They needed to hear this very fact, that there was no need for shame or guilt, because Christ stood between us and what we actually deserve.
How often do we feel unworthy or unclean? Verse 4 tells us God had, from the beginning, planned to see us without fault in His eyes! So when God looks at us, He sees His son. Jesus lives with in us and takes away any fault, any flaw, any thing that would keep us from the blessings of heaven. He no longer sees what we were but what the blood of Christ has made us!