Category Archives: Leadership

Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #3

Mentoring and Discipleship

Not all followers of Christ are qualified to lead, and not all emerging leaders are qualified to lead right now. Being an end-time leader will require a deep and ever-increasing understanding of God’s written word, the development of Christ-like character, and leadership skills.

The word of God is the most essential thing in any believer’s life and ministry. It is the foundation upon which all wisdom, understanding, and godly character are built. Without constant intake and exposure to God’s word, character and skills will never reach their highest expression. A deep love and respect for the things of God creates provides a sound example for others to follow. And helps keep us on a steady path of spiritual growth.

Character is developed in us as we give ourselves to understanding and obeying God’s word. However, Godly character without the needed leadership skills can cause frustration and discontent within the body and the leadership team.

In turn, having a leader who has an abundance of skills without a Christ-like character produces animosity and mistrust from the body and other leaders. Both situations can set the leaders up for failure and create an abiding tension among our followers and in relationships within the leadership team. This hinders the overall growth, development, and fruitfulness of the ministry.

Developing both character and skills ensures the leader will become a pillar in the church and not a stumbling block. Pillars are always placed squarely and solidly on the word of God.

Character

Godly character reflects God’s nature, and character is developed with maturity. Character is the nature of God being expressed in our lives. This should be every Christian’s goal, not just leaders. The character and nature of God is what we are leading others to. We can’t lead another person to a place we have never been. God’s nature must be established in us before we are qualified to lead others. Love is God’s nature. Without love, we cannot lead others into a relationship with God.

1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

According to John, love isn’t just the nature of God. Love is the embodiment of God. God IS love.

In 1 Corinthians 13, we see how God (love) behaves. These behaviors must be developed and continually strengthened in a leader so that God’s nature can be evident to all. Embracing love will bear the fruit of the Spirit. The development of this behavior doesn’t come through striving and trying to “be better.” It grows through intimacy with God and a devotion to His word.

Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

In Matthew 12:33 it tells us that a tree is known by its fruit, so let’s take a closer look at the fruit that should be hanging from the tree of a leader.

1) Love: The opposite of love is not hate; it is selfishness. A leader lays down his life for others, denying himself in favor of another. It should never be about you.

2) Joy: Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Joy not only brings strength to the leader but to those around him. A good leader enjoys what he is doing, and others want to work with them and be involved with them in other capacities.

3) Peace: Peacemakers create an atmosphere that promotes healthy relationships with God and others. They avoid unfruitful confrontations and diffuse strife and contentious situations. A leader will find common ground to build on and will magnify the positive, not the negative, creating a safe environment for learning and development of leadership skills.

4) Patience: Patience makes room for others to grow in their gifts and calling, providing an environment that makes others feel safe, allowing them to make mistakes without the danger of condemnation and shame. Patience doesn’t just see the individual but has a view of what that individual will look like when wholly submitted to God.

5) Goodness: Romans 2:4 tells us that it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. Being good to people, even when it costs you, and doing the right thing even when it is not convenient causes people to turn to God and away from self-centered living. People notice goodness because it is a characteristic of God’s nature that attracts people to Him.

6) Gentleness: 2 Timothy 2:24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient.

A leader must always be mindful of proper etiquette and understand that etiquette may be different in any given situation. Being mindful of culture, gender, age, position, and the emotional state of those we deal with is essential. Using kind words tempered with wisdom and discernment tremendously impacts the conversations. Expressing genuine concern for the individual creates a platform to minister from and provides the needed influence to speak effectively into the lives of others.

7) Faithfulness: 1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

Leadership is a stewardship from God. Being steadfast, reliable, honorable, and consistent speaks volumes about the heart and character of the leader. Faithfulness is a consistent behavior that is noticed by all, especially God.

8) Meekness: Meekness is not being a doormat or pushover but the humility of controlled strength. Numbers 12:3 says that Moses was the meekest man in all the earth, and yet he was the one used most in the earth at that time. There is a connection between humility and a vessel God can use and move through.

9) Self-control: This can’t be accomplished without a healthy prayer life and regular intake of God’s word. We can’t control ourselves without the Father’s help. The more intimate time we spend with God when no one else is looking, the more effortless self-control will be. A robust prayer life creates a constant awareness of God that makes it easier for us to resist temptation and make the right decisions. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit that helps us to die to our carnal nature more quickly.

Question: As a leader, are you stronger in your character or skillset?

Question: Do you, or did you have strong leaders to mentor you and help you develop as a leader?

Question: What are you a steward over right now, and what would you like to be a steward over in the future?

Question: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank your faithfulness?

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Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #1

Introduction

          As we get closer to the end of the Church age and life becomes increasingly more complicated, the persecution that the Church experiences will increase exponentially. We are not prepared for what is coming on the Earth, and contrary to popular belief, the Church is certainly not prepared for Christ’s return.

The body of Christ has become weak, soft, and comfortable. With more Christian denominations globally than can be counted, the Church has become divided and vulnerable, especially in America. Most of the body of Christ has become an itchy-eared, self-serving, scripturally illiterate people with no fear of God.

Just like Israel in the wilderness, we have become far too familiar with a God we barely know.

What led us to this place? Who, or what, is responsible? Are we mindlessly following leaders to our destruction? Have we become so distracted with the entertainment culture that we barely give God the time of day? Are we so scripturally illiterate that we can’t discern the lies we are being taught?

We need strong Christian leaders and prophetic teachers to lead us forward into the most extraordinary and most difficult times the world has ever known. The wrath of Satan and the wrath of man will be increased against God’s people, and the body of Christ needs to grow a spine to stand up to the coming onslaught of evil. True faith is revealed in adversity. Great adversity is looming against all humanity, and the Church must strengthen herself lest she faints.

Proverbs 24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.

Lesson  #1

Leadership is a Perspective.

Many teachings on Christian leadership focus on church growth, how to be culturally relevant, and how to build an organization that is appealing to the masses. However, this teaching will focus on the essentials for a solid and successful leadership culture modeled by the Lord Jesus Christ. If we don’t follow His example, we will never become all He has paid for.

The health of the Church is dependent on its leaders, and this writing aims to challenge individuals to answer the high call to end-time leadership and restore the faith that was initially delivered to the Saints.

Leadership is not a position as much as it is a perspective that dictates how we think, speak, behave, believe, and make decisions. We must raise our leadership expectations, maintain a proper leadership perspective, and create a stable and safe environment for emerging leaders, setting the Church up for success in the trying times ahead.

Qualifications for Leadership

The New Testament has established guidelines for choosing leaders, and if we don’t hold to these standards, we undermine our entire leadership culture from the very start. How leaders are chosen is the number one area where most ministries develop problems with their leadership team, ministries, and local assemblies. If the leadership is not biblically sound, neither will the followers be.

Many churches will hold their senior leaders accountable to a high standard of character and moral behavior, but they have very low standards when choosing other leaders. It is not fair to put a person in a position of leadership that requires spiritual maturity and strong moral character when they are immature and have not yet been adequately developed. It is unfair to the person, the people they are asked to lead, and the ministry. Followers will rarely rise above the level of their leadership in any area. This makes character and spiritual maturity some of the most important qualities when choosing Christian leaders.

Promoting a person to a leadership position is common practice simply because of availability, evident giftings, or, even worse, because of their financial contributions to the ministry.

With no consideration of character or maturity, we randomly place people in positions of authority over God’s people, and we wonder why we don’t see the power and demonstration of the Spirit that is promised to us in scripture. It is a recipe for disappointment and disaster. This ungodly practice has hindered ministries from reaching their full potential for over two thousand years.

Scriptural Guidelines for Choosing Leaders

I’m so thankful God took out the guesswork in qualifying church leadership. The Bible lays out specific guidelines for choosing leaders that are foundational for proper discipleship, mentoring, and ministry success.

We must acknowledge that God has a predetermined method of choosing leaders. It is His way of determining who is and is not qualified to lead. Being mindful of this and honoring His process inspires faith, produces strength, promotes success, prevents problems, and establishes structure and boundaries within the leadership culture.

Suppose we adopt any other method of vetting leaders. In that case, we subvert God’s plan and set ourselves up for unwanted challenges, severely limiting the ministry’s effectiveness and our overall witness for Christ. One of the main reasons that the Church is in its current weakened condition is that we have not adhered to these simple guidelines.

Let’s start with qualifications for Elders and Deacons and define their roles. Elders and Deacons encompass all the qualified leadership positions within the church. Almost all others should be viewed as emerging leaders in a position of being groomed and mentored for these positions. Making this known to the congregation gives them a strong sense of belonging and a healthy respect for each other and the leadership team. It instills built-in accountability within the ranks of followers that encourages spiritual growth and corporate progress.

Elders:

            Elders are the spiritual leaders of the church. They provide general oversight on all spiritual, organizational, and financial matters. Elders have matured in their giftings and have proven themselves faithful in ministry, serving under the authority of other leaders.

Elders are not limited to the 5-fold ministry gifts but should live a life in such submission and devotion to Christ that they can effortlessly embody the expression of the 5-fold ministry at any moment. They understand that Christ represents the 5-fold ministry, and if Christ chooses to move through them as a Pastor, a Prophet, an Evangelist, or any other gift, they readily yield to that expression.

I remember talking to a lady on the phone years ago. She was looking for my wife, an associate pastor in our church. I politely explained to her that this was my phone number and would gladly give her my wife’s number. She then asked me if I was a pastor, thinking I could help her.

I had turned down the offer to be ordained as a pastor a few years before because I was uncomfortable with the expectations put on associate pastors, and quite frankly, I was not crazy about titles.

I told the lady, “No, I am not a Pastor.” When I said that, God spoke clearly in my heart, saying, “But I am a Pastor Jack, and if you deny me that expression in your life, I cannot answer your prayer to live through you in fullness.”

I immediately saw that my wrong thinking and speaking had been hindering God’s desire to move through me in a Pastoral capacity.

We should understand that all believers have a measure of the 5-fold ministry gifts residing in them. As mature leaders, one of our responsibilities is to identify people’s strengths, graces, and giftings and help them mature in those areas. This helps emerging leaders embrace their unique identity in Christ and be more productive in ministry.

To be clear, leaders must not find their identity in their office or position but in Christ alone. In other words, an Apostle, Prophet, Deacon, Bishop, Pastor, or Teacher is not who we are. It is how we are created to serve.

A seasoned Elder will wake up every day and be willing to serve others in whatever capacity God chooses. An Elder understands that they exist to love and serve others, that their life is not their own, and selfishness is never an option. They are a vessel that God can choose to move through however He sees fit.

Deacons:

The biblical requirements of deacons are very similar to that of elders, but there is a clear distinction between the two and how they function. A deacon’s role may include various expressions within the ministry. Deacons generally work as servants, ministering to the body in practical ways. They may serve as a lead usher, oversee the benevolence outreach, lead a home group, or lead the cleaning team or the hospitality department.

No matter how they serve, scripture is clear that the office of a deacon is a rewarding and honorable calling in the church and a necessary role for elders to be able to function in their role. The ministry of deacons is vital to the success of the elders. It frees them up to focus on things like prayer, studying God’s word, and pastoral care. It is an excellent example of how one body part depends on another. Deacons may also be emerging Elders in training.

Suppose Elders are constantly resolving disputes, dealing with strife, and putting out fires that arise amongst the Deacons. In that case, they cannot give themselves entirely to the role of Elder, which significantly hurts the ministry. A Deacon must not be a novice but mature in the faith.

Leadership requirements for Elders:

Titus 1:5-9 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

1Timothy 3:1-7 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

          If we take an honest look at ourselves and see that we don’t qualify to lead according to these guidelines, we are far more likely to put leaders in a position of authority without considering these requirements for them either. This is a pattern that is often repeated in the body of Christ.

          Far too many Pastors and Bishops leading ministries have a grace for administration, are gifted in business, and are charismatic enough to attract followers who should not be senior leaders in the body of Christ. They deceive themselves and those they lead.

          If you are already in a senior leadership position, looking at these qualifications and honestly seeing that you don’t meet the requirements, the best way to deal with it is to meet with some of the other leaders and elders and be open and honest about it. Have some hard conversations and express your desire to live up to what the word of God requires of you and ask for their help. It will garner more respect from the other leaders and inspire them to be honest and open about their qualifications.

          End-time leaders must judge themselves and others with sober, righteous judgment, surrounding themselves with people who are passionate about the kingdom of God and disciplined in pursuing their spiritual progress.

There can be no lone wolf leaders anymore. No single person or couple should call all the shots and make all the critical decisions. Leaders are far more effective in operating in teams and surrounding themselves with godly counsel. There is built-in accountability in this dynamic that protects the leaders and followers.

Leadership requirements for Deacons:

1 Timothy 3:8-13 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11 Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

          As stated before, if we place unqualified Deacons in leadership roles, we undermine God’s plan, deviate from His prescribed structure, and make it difficult for the Elders to fulfill their roles.

These scriptures are not overly complicated. They are very straightforward and leave no room for misinterpretation. I believe God made it simple for us so we wouldn’t mess it up, yet here we are, plagued with Churches and ministries with a dysfunctional and unbiblical leadership culture.

We must first stop undermining our entire leadership culture by straying from God’s established structure of Church government. These positions should be held in high esteem, and the people in them should be honorable, above reproach, worthy of respect, and mature in the faith.

This creates structure and boundaries within the body of Christ that are clearly defined and easily understood. It shows people that there is a structure of authority from God and sends a clear message that the leadership is serious about their roles and is here for the benefit of all.

Here are some things to consider when choosing leaders.  These are also questions we should ask ourselves if we are currently in a leadership role.

  • Is the individual a devoted disciple of Christ and not just a regular church attender?
  • Have they proven themselves faithful in ministry, or are they a relatively new disciple?
  • Do they pursue God passionately and have an apparent intimate relationship with Him?
  • Do they have a healthy, robust prayer life?
  • Does the individual have an excellent working knowledge of God’s Word?
  • Do they consistently encourage people to pursue their spiritual maturity?
  • Do they possess self-control?  
  • Are they gentle, hospitable, upright, holy, and disciplined?
  • Does their life set an example for others to follow?

Question: What is one thing you could change right now to make you a more effective leader?

Question: Do you hold your leadership team to a higher standard than what you are living yourself?

Question: How much time do you spend with the Lord in prayer daily?

Question: How often do you spend time in prayer waiting and listening to God?

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Spiritual Warfare #17 ~ Exposing the Itchy Ear

John 8:31-32 So, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

          Freedom comes from knowing the truth, and that comes from abiding in a relationship with God through the truth of His written word. It does not come from abiding in the teachings of men, the sermons of men, the doctrines of men, the interpretations of men, the latest revelations of our favorite bible teachers, or any other way that seems right to man. (Proverbs 14:12) This only comes from a personal, intimate relationship with the Father and constant exposure to His written word.

Listening to other teachers is important, but this should be a supplement to our spiritual diet. Our primary nourishment should come from the Bible alone. Through reading, study, and meditation on the Bible for ourselves, we consume the unleavened bread of Christ, the pure living word. If we primarily listen to others teach about the Bible and read very little ourselves, it is like taking vitamins and supplements and eating almost no real food. This is not healthy. It makes Christians weak and vulnerable to false doctrines and doctrines of devils.

We MUST pursue Him through His word for ourselves.

2 Timothy 4:3-5 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

          The time isn’t coming folks, the time is NOW!

Like it or not, we have become the church with the itchy ears.

There are almost 300 Christian denominations in the U.S.A. alone and all are arrogant enough to believe they have it right. The lack of humility is mind-boggling.

It is very easy to slip into an itchy-eared mindset. All we have to do is pick all the scriptures, teachers, and doctrines that make us happy, and gravitate toward those while neglecting the ones that challenge us and demand change.

Consider this; It only takes a slow reader approximately 90 hours to read the Bible from cover to cover, and yet few Christians have ever read the entire Bible, even leaders in the Church who have been saved for decades. Furthermore, it only takes about 75 hours to listen to the Bible by audio recording. Currently, we have resources available like Biblegateway that we can read, or listen to God’s word in almost any translation we choose and in multiple languages as well.

There are 1189 chapters in the Bible. Reading an average of 3.25 chapters a day will take you through the entire Bible in one year. Read 10 a day and you will have read it three times in a year.

This reveals two important things to us.

  1. How diligently Satan has worked to keep us out of God’s word.
  2. How little we esteem God’s word.

We must stop trusting the opinions of men and allow them to spoon-feed us their opinions. We are in a very dangerous season in the history of the Church. The end of this age is upon us and we don’t have a clue who we are, what we believe, or why we believe it.

I know there are men and women of God that have not fallen into this deception, but I would venture to say that they are very few. It is time that these few stand up and begin to lead others into a relationship with the Father that births a hunger and desire for the manifestation of the kingdom of God.

The Parable of Revealed Light

Luke 8:16-18 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. 18 Therefore take heed how you hearFor whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”

Most of us are familiar with the first part of this parable, but verse 18 has the word “Therefore” that ties hiding the light that is in us with how, and what we hear. When we are constantly exposed to wrong doctrine, the result is that strongholds of wrong thinking and wrong believing increase, (we get more added) and our light gets progressively hidden. (what we seem to have is taken away) No one intentionally does this, it comes from the deception of the enemy and catering to selfish desires.

We must all ask ourselves this question; What is the primary way that I learn about God and His word? Through the teachings of other believers, (leavened bread) or through reading and listening to the Bible for ourselves? (unleavened bread)

Only by the two-edged sword of the living word can we rightly discern and divide truth. If we avoid the portions of God’s word that cuts, pierces, prunes and separates, we quickly slip into error and deception. Our light gets hidden and our witness to the world becomes diminished.

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Many would say, “It is hard to read the Bible, I don’t understand it.” I would say to those people, “walking and talking was hard too, until we learned how to do it. Now it comes natural.” Our pastors, or favorite teachers cannot walk or talk for us. Neither can they feed us anything more than leavened bread. We need the unleavened bread, and the sincere milk of God’s word. and we need to learn to feed ourselves.

1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Notice that Peter said, “as new born babes?” He isn’t pointing out baby Christians, he is saying that our hunger and desire for the word of God should be like an infant that cries for the life giving milk every few hours. Mature and immature Christians alike.

Ask yourself, “what am I hungry for? Am I hungry for God’s holy word, or for the latest preaching and teaching from my favorite ministers?” They are not even close to being the same.

Matthew 23:9-10 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 

That may seem to be a contradiction since the Lord Jesus Himself gave us teachers in the form of the “five-fold ministry gifts” mentioned in Ephesians 4, but it is not. All of the five-fold ministry gifts have one purpose, to equip the saints for the work of ministry. All five teach and equip in different ways, but those teachings must be filtered through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and our personal relationship with God and His written word. God is telling us to lean heavily on the Holy Spirit within us to rightly divide His word.

1 John 2:26-27  These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

The Lord showed me recently that if we abide in false doctrine, even out of ignorance, we partner with the adversary, building strongholds of wrong thinking and wrong believing in our own hearts and minds. We actually assist the enemy in his plan of deception by building the strongholds that bind us. Unfortunately, it is an evil deception that most of us fall for at one time or another.

These strongholds are not just reinforced belief systems, they are encampments in our mind that the enemy hides behind. As we speak about, and act on the things we believe we reveal to Satan the best strategies to keep us in our deception. One of the ways he does this is to keep us running in the same circle of believers and despising the beliefs of other denominations. We know from 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 that denominational divisions are considered sin, and were never God’s plan. Now it is an effective tool that the enemy uses against us.

To live truly free, we must be very selective about what we are hearing and what are we beholding, who we are listening to, and how much we are doing it. Without the filter of our own personal relationship with God and a love for the truth of His word, we cannot properly discern sound doctrine. Truth becomes obscured with the leaven of religious doctrine that appeases the carnal mind and satisfies our selfish desires. Self is the very thing we need to be freed from and freedom from self will not come until we die to it by renewing our minds to the holiness of God’s word.

Again, are we really abiding in Him? Are we adding in His word or just reading the latest books and listening to the latest sermons? Do we really desire the sincere milk of the word, or do we lust for the next teaching, the next revelation, or the next great sermon?

Itchy ears blind us from the truth. There is a reason the apostle James wrote, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment..” (James 3:1)

Let us abide in His word, seek Him when no one is looking, and cultivate a love for truth and the sincere milk of God’s word. It is the only way we become everything the blood of Christ has paid for us to be.

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