Category Archives: Leadership

Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #8

Posted on 11/07/2023 | Comments Off on Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #8

The Ministry of Delegation

As the ministry grows, the necessity of delegation grows as well. The need for delegation arises when we reach our natural and spiritual limitations. When a ministry becomes more complex, a point is reached where the leader is no longer able to cope with every aspect of the ministry on their own. Realizing that neither time nor their efforts are adequate to meet the needs of the people they lead. Before this point is reached, a plan for delegation should already be in place.

The inability or unwillingness to delegate to others can stall ministry growth and produce burnout in the leadership team. This is a common mistake that small ministries make, and often, it is the reason they stay small.

          An excellent analogy for delegation is “the ability to score without touching the ball.” Learning to accomplish things through others involves the skill of delegation. It is an essential part of effective leadership. Delegation should be viewed as a ministry in itself.

Self-awareness

The Ministry of Delegation begins with self-awareness and an honest assessment of our limitations. Identifying the areas where we are weak will help us target the right people with the proper graces and abilities to complement the ministry. No one likes to admit they have areas of weakness, but we all have them.

An honest self-assessment can be brutal and usually requires the input and feedback of other peers and leaders. If married, our spouse can be a tremendous asset in this department. We don’t just trust our point of view because our perspective can often be filled with blind spots. We all have blind spots, and we need others to help us see from a broader point of view. One of the most common blind spots is believing others have them and we don’t. The need for a ministry of delegation is a blind spot with many leaders that can cripple a ministry.

In Exodus 18, we see a powerful example of the need to delegate. When Moses was leading the children of Israel, he came to a point where Jethro, his father-in-law, had to point out his need to delegate responsibilities. Moses was sincere, but the need to delegate was his blind spot.

Exodus 18:13-23 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

17 So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. 18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”

Bearing the burden of ministry ourselves is never God’s plan. As individuals, we are not capable of fulfilling all He has called us to do. We are called into a community with relationships that God flows through. Every part of the body has a role to play, a function and purpose that will help edify the body as a whole.

Every leader must realize that they need to surround themselves with solid relationships that can share the ministry load. This is the only way to fulfill God’s plan.

There is a powerful truth in Ephesians 4 that will help us understand this.

Ephesians 4:16 – From whom (Christ) the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Notice in this passage that supply comes primarily from the jointsin the body, not the parts of the body.

A joint is where two parts meet together, like an elbow or a knee joint. It is the relationship between the parts that bring spiritual supply.

A healthy relationship causes the connected parts to be more mobile and more effective, increasing the ability and strength of all the connected parts. It is no coincidence that Jesus used this analogy. If you have ever had an injured joint like an ankle, knee, elbow, or wrist, you know how debilitating and restricting it can be.

          It is the relationships between the parts that bring the needed supply of the Spirit for ministry growth. If relationships are healthy and every part is in place, effectively working and doing its share, growth, and edification in love is the result.

This is why it is essential to be deliberate about who you delegate to. Maintaining a healthy relationship with those you delegate to is crucial to success.

General Guidelines for the ministry of delegation:

  • Define the responsibility to be delegated.
  • Select faithful individuals (at least two) who can carry that responsibility.
  • Assess their gifts, graces, and skills and tailor the training accordingly.
  • Give clear and precise expectations in writing.
  • Supply them with all the necessary tools and resources needed for success.
  • Develop a plan to support and communicate.
  • Provide regular feedback on results.

Delegate early

Try to delegate responsibilities early to avoid unnecessary pressure. Having a ministry of delegation in place early prevents stress on the leaders and sets up the person we are delegating to for success. Waiting until things get to the point of neglect and panic makes it difficult for everyone involved. If we want to do great things for God and have the most impact on our circle of influence, delegation must be a part of our leadership culture.

Select the Right People

Always delegate to a deacon or elder. This ensures that the person has the character to represent the ministry. Make sure they have the time to take on the responsibility. Before sending them out to tackle the new responsibility, ensure the person has all the training and resources needed to succeed. Try to delegate to people who are better than you in that specific area and let them do the work. Look for people who already have a mindset of excellence and refuse to settle for anything less than remarkable results.

Set Clear Goals and Expectations

Be clear and specific about what is expected. Give information on what, why, when, who, and where, but leave the “how” to them. Don’t be too concerned about how it gets done, but that it gets done right, with integrity, and on time. Confirm and verify goals and expectations regularly and get updates on progress. This allows you to give needed feedback and encouragement and identify any areas of further training that will help and support them.

“Don’t tell people how to do things; tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” ~ George S. Patton ~

Delegate Authority with the Responsibility

Giving people the authority to make certain decisions, use their creativity, and even recruit others to help accomplish the task allows the person to take ownership of the responsibility. It shows that we value their opinions and trust their judgment. This helps maintain a healthy relationship and grooms them for leadership in other areas.

          It is frustrating to be given a task without the authority to decide how it gets done. Micro-managing every task we delegate will run people off and prevent us from building a solid leadership team. The best leaders are the ones who have enough sense to pick good people to do what they want done and self-restraint to keep from micro-managing while they do it. When we delegate authority with responsibility, we create healthy environments that groom and encourage emerging leaders.

Evaluate and Recognize Performance

Evaluations focus on the results more than the methods. Celebrate the wins and give credit where credit is due. Analyze the cause of insufficient performance and bring corrections as necessary, but don’t be too quick to take a project away from someone. Instead, continue to work with the person and ensure they understand the project as their responsibility. Advise on ways to improve and be willing to be a resource yourself. This sends a message that you believe in them and want them to succeed. This approach inspires people to be better, empowers them to reach higher, and motivates them to try harder.

Every person we lead has God-given gifts and talents. Delegation is an excellent way for people to function and develop in their gifts and graces. This promotes growth in the individual and brings healthy challenges that stretch their faith and empower them for Kingdom use. Great leaders empower others to become all God created them to be.

Question: What are two reasons that delegation is essential?

Question: Why is self-awareness critical when delegating responsibilities?

Question: What are two areas you are weak in?

Question: Can you name some guidelines for delegation?

Question: What was Moses “blind spot” in Exodus 18?

Thank you for visiting Truth Pressure Ministries. Please share and help reach more people with the truth.

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Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #7

Posted on 11/07/2023 | Comments Off on Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #7

Communicating with Grace

Once we have given our due diligence to skillful listening, we enter the arena of communicating grace.

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Grace is one of the most significant words in the Bible. To fully understand Grace as It pertains to leadership, we need to view it as God’s etching tool, His hammer and chisel, His skillful hands expertly applied to the clay that shapes and perfects a vessel of honor for His good pleasure. For this lesson, we will define grace in the following manner.

“Grace is God’s influence upon the heart of a believer and how it is ultimately reflected in their life.”

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

The word corrupt in this passage means “worthless and of no value.” If our words are not ministering grace to the hearer, it shouldn’t be coming out of our mouths. We should constantly judge our words before we speak, asking ourselves, asking ourselves, “Is this going to edify, help, and bless? Am I truly speaking from the Lord’s perspective or just mine? Is my tone right? Are my motives pure?”

          Words are powerful. The Bible is full of scriptures that emphasize the power and significance of our words. As leaders, one of our most important responsibilities is to set the standard of good communication and the skillful stewardship of our words.

Proverbs 18:20-21 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

This reinforces the importance of being a skilled listener, but even more so, the importance of our intimate relationship with God. Our spiritual condition has a profound effect on our ability to communicate the heart of God.

          Death and life are in the power of the tongue. As leaders, we can speak words that build, strengthen, and minister God’s grace, and we can also minister words that tear down, destroy, and bring death. It is a responsibility that must be taken seriously. It requires discipline and forethought. It takes strength, patience, and wisdom. One of the most important skills we can develop as leaders is learning how to bridle our tongues.

James 3:2-8 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.

See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course ofnature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

James 1:26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.

          We must understand that our tongues cannot be tamed; they must be bridled. If we don’t keep a rein on our tongue, we become self-deceived, and our work in the ministry becomes useless.

          As a child, my neighbors had several horses. One horse was an absolute terror, biting people at every opportunity, always fighting the other horses, tearing up his stalls, and attacking any animal that got near him.

I remember when they would go horseback riding, the owner’s son would always saddle up this mean horse. Everyone would gather around to see the show because they knew that there was going to be a fight. The owner’s son would mount this horse, and as soon as he hit the saddle, that horse would go berserk trying to buck him off. This would go on for 20 about minutes until the horse was frothing at the mouth, dripping with sweat, and shaking all over from the sheer hatred of the person on his back.

Finally, shaking his head and contorting his mouth from the presence of the bridle and bit, the horse would settle down and allow the owner’s son to guide him anywhere he wanted. This horse could never be tamed, but it could be bridled and made to obey against its will.

Our tongue is just like this mean horse. It will never be tamed entirely and does not want to be bridled. It will resist the restrictions we try to put on it and will always look for opportunities to lash out.

Leaders must remember that grace is God’s influence, not necessarily ours. Remember that God’s influence should be palpable in our speech, which will help us to bridle our tongues and remain humble, gentle, and conscious of what is being imparted in our conversations.

God uses leaders as a mouthpiece to speak to others. God does not take this lightly, and neither should we. What we say and how we say it can be ministering death or life to a person.

Love is the License to Speak the Truth.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Many times, this scripture is used to justify the Bible bashing, finger-pointing, and judgmental approach to correcting people in the name of God. Usually, it is a self-centered, self-righteous assault on people that comes from not understanding their identity in Christ and opens one up to the influence of religious spirits.

Notice that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God.” God IS love according to 1 John 4:8. So, we can conclude that if our delivery of truth isn’t inspired and motivated by Love, it may NOT profitable for doctrine, it may NOT reprove, it may NOT correct, it may NOT instruct, it may NOT complete, and it may NOT equip. It just cuts, and it cuts deep. Love is the license to speak the truth. If we don’t have genuine love and compassion in our hearts toward the ones we are talking to, we have lost our license to speak on God’s behalf.

An area in which I see emerging leaders often make mistakes is in their delivery of truth. Truth is received in the manner it is delivered. The Word of God is truth. It is also a double-edged sword. Truth should never be delivered with the intention of “straightening someone out” or “putting them in their place.” Let me explain:

Let’s say you love a perfectly cooked rib-eye steak. It may be your favorite food in the world, but if I serve it to you wrapped in a dirty diaper, you aren’t going to eat it. It’s the same with delivering the truth. The word of God is so powerful it can change a life, but it must be palatable, seasoned with salt, full of grace, and delivered in sincere love for it to be received.

If we are not imparting God’s grace, communicating God’s heart, and being a vessel of God’s love, we should remain silent. If we can’t correct that on the spot, we may need to stop and reschedule a time to finish the conversation, giving us time to pray or seek counsel from another leader. Don’t be pressured into speaking when you know your heart isn’t right.

Remember the simple rule from the last chapter: it will keep us from many problems if we apply it.

“When we speak, be sure it’s an improvement on silence.”

            Following this rule does a few things,

  • It slows the conversation and keeps us mindful of the power and purpose of our words.
  • It diffuses conflict that arises from elevated emotions.
  • It teaches us the value and power of silence.
  • It gives us greater control over ourselves and the entire situation.
  • It allows us time to hear from our heart what the Holy Spirit says about the situation.

I believe this is what was happening in John 8:1-11 when Jesus was writing in the sand with His finger while everyone pressed Him for an answer to judge the woman caught in adultery. I think Jesus gave His heart time to hear from the Father and tell Him what to say.

Not being willing to speak until He hears from the Father is a lesson every leader should take to heart. There are few worse feelings than knowing we have hurt one of God’s children with our words.

As leaders, we must think before we speak, selecting words that nurture and build up rather than tear down and destroy. When faced with hostility, we speak gently to diffuse anger and emotions rather than feed them. When faced with uncertainty, we are slow to speak, letting silence speak to the person and God talk to us.

“Godly communication isn’t merely a skill; it is a holy discipline.”

Question: What is the definition of grace as it pertains to communication?

Question: What defines a “corrupt” word in Ephesians 4:29?

Question: What are three things to keep in mind before we speak?

Question: Before we speak, what should our words be an improvement on?

Question: What license must you have before speaking on God’s behalf?

Thank you for visiting Truth Pressure Ministries. Please share and help reach more people with the truth.

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Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #5

Posted on 11/06/2023 | Comments Off on Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #5

Leadership Culture of Jesus

Culture is defined as the shared values, goals, attitudes, and practices that characterize any organized group of people. A well-defined leadership culture promotes momentum, creates unity, and provides identity and stability within the ranks.

First, we must define and understand the culture that Christ established throughout the gospels. He is our model. His life and His practices are perfect theology. Our leadership culture can and should have its unique expression, but it should stay within the ministry culture that Jesus modeled. If we embody the culture that Jesus established in the early Church, we can then tailor it to fit the specific emphasis and work that God has called us to.

When Jesus burst onto the scene in full-blown ministry, He immediately chose a diverse group of 12 followers to invest in and develop as emerging leaders. Jesus inspired His followers to leave everything behind to follow him. He taught them from the beginning the importance of laying down their lives and denying themselves. 

From the start, Jesus boldly challenged the current religious culture by teaching and preaching the kingdom of God and demonstrating kingdom power and authority. The mark of a believer is that signs and wonders will follow them. The gospel must be seen and experienced, not just heard.

Mark 16:15-18 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

What are we teaching others if our doctrines are only heard and not experienced? Power and demonstration will always accompany true believers and validate the true message of the gospel. If we are missing the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s power and demonstration in our gatherings, then we have a problem. This is not the Church culture that Jesus or His disciples modeled.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 And I, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

          In this passage, the apostle Paul admits to being weak and scared. It is OK to be weak and trembling; that’s why God gave us a comforter called the Holy Spirit. God shows up well in our weakness.

We also see that Paul didn’t come to them with a well-thought-out, three-point sermon with just the right amount of scripture, humor, wisdom, and persuasive language. He came in the demonstration of the Spirit and power. Why? So that their faith would not be in his eloquent teaching and human wisdom but in the power of God.

It is the power of God demonstrated through yielded vessels that causes people to follow Christ. Not just a well-crafted sermon that convinces people to pray a short prayer to get their ticket to Heaven. That was never modeled in scripture, yet it has become a common thing in the global Church culture.

It will take courage to challenge the current Church culture. End-time leaders must maintain an intimate personal relationship with the Father through personal devotion and prayer, focusing on the written word and guarding their hearts against all evil influence.

We cannot lead others to a place we have not been. So, the first order of business is to take an honest self-assessment and ask some pointed questions.

  • Do I function in the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit?
  • Does my team?
  • If not, what are we doing to rectify this problem?
  • Are we crying out to God in prayer for the correction and instruction needed to facilitate change?
  • Are we watering down the word of God to match our limited experience, or are we praying that God elevates our experience to match His word?
  • Are we earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the Saints? (Jude 3)
  • If so, are we seeing measurable progress in this area?

Culture identifies what is essential to a body of believers, reflecting the vision, values, and purpose. Every local assembly will have its unique expression in the body of Christ, and it is the leadership’s responsibility to identify and steward this expression.

If we don’t base our culture on the patterns and practices established by Jesus and His disciples, we will continue to stray from the truth and be subject to the bondage of men’s religious ideas.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

To change the current culture of leadership, the values of the leaders must first align, which means the beliefs of the leaders must first align.

People have deeply ingrained assumptions and beliefs about Christ and the gospel. These can be strongholds that can take time to dismantle. The most effective way of addressing people’s deeply held assumptions and wrong beliefs is to teach God’s word with demonstration and power. People will not change what they believe simply because we believe it. They must be shown why they need to change.

Great leaders consistently demonstrate to the people that the proposed change is rooted in scripture. This helps the emerging leaders and the congregation recognize the need for change and see that the authority to demand that change goes beyond the influence and desires of the leaders and comes directly from God.

Developing a culture where the Word of God is final authority is the only solid foundation to build upon. Taking time with your leaders regularly to help define and reaffirm the culture will produce much fruit in the future.

Don’t be rushed into defining your culture. Have leadership meetings to discuss ideas and hold them up as a prayer target. Allowing emerging leaders to have a voice develops and maintains influence. You don’t necessarily have to follow their suggestions. However, allowing them input gives them a sense of belonging and importance that makes them feel like they are valuable, a part of the process, and an essential part of the ministry.

Culture is an expression of our faith, a reflection of our beliefs. What we do and don’t do, from missions to local outreach, how we embrace first-time guests to discipleship, and developing emerging leaders, all play a significant role in shaping our leadership culture. We don’t need to tell visitors what our culture is. They will experience it. 

Excellence in Leadership

Colossians 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

This has a massive impact on culture. Excellence, as with most things, begins and ends with leadership. Leaders should regularly be asking themselves, “Can we do better?” As more staff and volunteers are added and more resources become available, the level of excellence should evolve and become more apparent. Excellence in ministry is a ministry by itself.

The mentality of excellence requires constant training, emphasis, and maintenance. We can easily slip into the “it’s good enough” mentality. This shows a lack of understanding about what we are doing and why we are doing it. A ministry will never rise above the level of excellence its leaders portray, so our responsibility is to model excellence in everything we do.

When leadership culture is healthy and well-defined, it prepares us for growth and success in ministry.

Three things will happen with a well-defined leadership culture:

1) Evangelism will increase.

People will love being involved, and they will talk to others about the amazing ministry they are involved with. It creates a desire within the body to invite others to get involved. The ministry will become attractive to the community and make it easier to fulfill its vision.

2) Spiritual growth increases throughout the body.

People flourish in the place of their God-given assignment. A strong culture creates a sense of belonging and inspires people to get involved, taking ownership of some portion of the ministry. This allows people to develop and use their gifts and talents, causing growth and strength in the individual. In turn, this creates strong, healthy relationships and edifies the body as a whole. One of the most rewarding things for leaders is to witness the growth, development, and healthy progress of their followers. This is what makes leadership exciting and rewarding.

3) It attracts great leaders.

Up-and-coming leaders will join themselves to the ministry. This creates a pool of leaders to mentor and disciple, preparing the ministry for future growth and additional outreach.

Question: Can we define our leadership culture right now?

Question: Who sets the culture of a ministry?

Question: What is happening right now in our ministry that does not reflect our leadership culture?

Question: Is excellence in ministry a focus of the leadership team?

Question: What areas of ministry can we do better with minimal effort, and why aren’t we doing it?

Question: What changes need to occur within your leadership team to embrace the leadership culture of Jesus better?

Thank you for visiting Truth Pressure Ministries. Please share and help reach more people with the truth.

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Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #4

Posted on 11/06/2023 | Comments Off on Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #4

Jesus is Not an Invalid

          As I was praying one day on my long drive to work, I began to pray some things out by divine revelation. I was overcome with a deep sense of gratitude, so I began to thank God for different things that would come up in my heart, things I would never typically think about. After a few minutes of this, I uttered these words by the Spirit, “I thank you, Father, for the body of Christ that validates You to the world.”

          As soon as I made that statement, I saw a vision of an Arab-looking fellow of middle age, dressed in a Kittel, sitting in a wheelchair with his head bowed down. He was facing almost directly to my right, and I could only see his profile. He was crippled in his arms and legs. As I stared at him, wondering what this meant, the word “INVALID” appeared above his head in all capital letters.

          My grandmother was a nurse, and I had heard her use that word many times about my aunt Alice, her daughter, who was stricken with polio. Alice could do almost nothing herself. She had little to no use of her arms and legs and needed full-time time care.

          As I continued to watch, the word changed from “INVALID” to “NOT VALID.” At that moment, the man looked up at me, and I saw that it was Jesus! The expression on His face was one of profound sadness. As soon as I realized who it was, the vision ended. The whole thing only lasted about 15 seconds. My heart went from overflowing with gratitude to being grief-stricken in a moment. The Lord gave me an instant understanding of what I had just seen.

          The Church has done a poor job of validating Jesus Christ to the world. We are His body; we are his hands and feet; we are the ones called to demonstrate His kingdom to the world. Through this brief vision, He was showing me the current condition of the Church.

His body is weak and crippled because of the poison we have been feeding it—the poison of false doctrines of men and doctrines of devils. We have left our first love and not represented Christ well. To the world, Christ was becoming increasingly invalid. I cried profusely.

We have seen a few men and women throughout history who have given themselves in complete surrender to Christ. These individuals demonstrated kingdom authority by signs and wonders, operating in the supernatural power of God, but they have been very few.

Maybe God allowed this to remind us that it is still possible, to encourage us to go deeper, to pursue Him more aggressively. This level of complete surrender must become the norm for end-time leaders. We must develop a culture that reproduces completely surrendered disciples.

John 14:12-14 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

          I don’t think anyone can argue against the fact that the Church has not lived up to these powerful words Jesus spoke. Not even close. And yet He said them nonetheless, which means they will be fulfilled.

Leaders of the end-time Church must lead with demonstration and power, not just eloquent teachings and entertainment-focused ministry. Signs and wonders must be present to maintain influence over people who are being persecuted for their faith. Demonstrating kingdom power and authority will be needed to give people hope and keep them moving forward and pursuing God during the greatest tribulation the world has ever known.

There are inherent dangers that come with God’s power and authority. This is why we don’t see it much in Church today. God loves us too much to trust His power to irresponsible babes. We must be mature enough spiritually to maintain a servant’s perspective while operating in His divine power. If we don’t, we will likely fall into pride and spiritual abuse, thinking more highly of ourselves than we should, destroying ourselves, our witness, and forfeiting any rewards we may have in eternity.

Matthew 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” 

The best leaders in any capacity are, without fail, the best of servants to those they are leading. When we hear the word “servant,” we tend to think of a slave, a hired hand, or someone in the helps ministry. In the case of end-time leadership, this takes on a much higher and nobler meaning. A servant leader is devoted to meeting the legitimate needs of those he is leading so that they are better equipped to fulfill their roles and grow as leaders themselves. He serves others with the hope of them finding and fulfilling their God-given purpose and destiny. He inspires others to lay down their life completely while modeling the process.

“If we are not willing to serve others, we are not qualified to lead them.”

The Snare of Management

One of the things that cripples the Church is mistaking management for leadership. We lead people; we should never manage them. We manage things like logistics, resources, assets, plans, vision, etc., but never people.

Managing people is a worldly view of leadership. It uses the power and authority of position or title to demand compliance and compel people to follow your lead. This type of leadership strains relationships and compromises godly influence. Continued use of management type of leadership will cripple a ministry.

When it comes to operating in the supernatural, we must resist the temptation to manage the anointing as well. It is easy for a leader with true power manifesting in his life to micro-manage others’ behavior and put unneeded restrictions on them in the name of “guarding the anointing.”

The best way for a leader to guard the anointing is to maintain personal intimacy and humility with the Lord. If we manage ourselves, our devotion to the Word, our actions, our words, our prayer life, etc. Will abide in an ever-increasing power that comes from God. It helps to have committed leaders around us who are qualified Elders and Deacons, according to scripture. God will take care of the rest.

The power that comes from God can be given and taken away. The power of God in our lives is dependent on our complete submission to Christ and obedience to His word, not how we manage the people around us. If we are disciplined and diligent in our pursuit of God, the laws of the Spirit will take care of the rest.

Growing in Influence

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV) Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

This passage is a goldmine of revelation for leaders. Follow God’s example and walk in love. Understanding that God has given us as a gift to others will keep our role in the proper perspective.

How we live our daily lives determines the amount of influence we have on those following us. When we are examples in speech, conduct, and character, we become salt and light to those around us, building confidence in others to follow us and creating a desire within them to help fulfill God’s vision and purpose for the Church.

Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

Ministry leaders must be skillful in leading with authority because using power will drive people away. Authority grows as respect for the individual grows. Once you have earned respect, your influence will increase if you are consistent.

The power of position or title can be handed from one person to another. It can be given and taken away. Authority must be developed and maintained. When worldly power is used consistently, resentment, division, strife, and discord will surely follow.

Developing and maintaining influence builds a faithful following and a dynamic leadership team. It is also the foundation for developing an end-time leadership culture among your followers.

To validate Jesus in the world, we must first validate Him in our personal lives.

Question: What is the difference between power and authority?

Question: What three areas can you improve to increase your influence with others?

Question: Can influence be delegated?

Question: In your opinion, what three qualifications for leadership are the most important?

Question: How do you define influence?

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