Tag Archives: church leadership

Who Will Lead the End-Time Church #12

Posted on 11/11/2023 | Leave a comment

Stewarding God’s Kingdom

Luke 17:20-21 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

          The kingdom of God is in the heart of every believer. The kingdom of God is like the Garden of Eden in the Old Testament. Like the Garden of Eden, there are two trees in the kingdom of God in our hearts. The Holy Spirit represents the Tree of Life, and our sovereign, free will represents the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

          When we are born of the Spirit, the kingdom of God enters us as a seed, and it is our responsibility to guard, tend, and protect that seed, watering it, feeding it, and exposing it to the light of God’s word.

Luke 13:18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

          If we are not diligent in guarding the kingdom in our hearts, our spiritual growth is suppressed.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

          To guard our hearts is to defend God’s kingdom. Spiritual growth is reflected in our lives in direct proportion to the growth and health of the kingdom within us.

          We have far more distractions now than at any other time in history. It requires a disciplined approach to personal devotion and spiritual growth to fight against the tides of constant distractions. We have so many voices vying for our attention that it is easy to be pulled off course and compromise our relationship with the Lord.

Avoiding Itchy Ears

          Several years ago, the Lord corrected me firmly while reading a book by a famous Christian author. As I was reading, the Lord spoke to me and said, “Jack, I don’t want you to eat any more leavened bread.” Being overweight, I said, “OK, Lord,” thinking He was putting me on a diet of sorts. He immediately corrected my thinking and said, “No, what you are doing now is eating leavened bread.”

          I immediately realized that I was reading books about the Bible far more than the Bible. I have long been a voracious reader and realized my error. I was constantly looking for the latest teaching and the latest revelation. The eloquent words, profound thoughts, and statements of respected ministers seduced me. I was being an itchy-eared fool.

          While reading my Bible, I had a devotional time where I would read a chapter or two, pray, and then go about my day, but then I would spend hours reading other men’s books and teachings, watching sermons on YouTube, or watching Christian TV. This is a dangerous and common mistake that many Christians fall into and think nothing of it.

          The Lord called this leavened bread, emphasizing that the Bible alone contains the pure, unleavened bread of truth. These things have their place, but only as supplements to our reading, studying, and listening to the Bible for ourselves.

          If all we fed our bodies were vitamins and supplements, we would quickly lose weight, lose strength, and weaken until we eventually die. If all we do is have a 20-minute devotional a day, we will remain a spiritual baby.

1 Peter 2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

          No matter how far we have progressed in our spiritual growth, we should all respond to God’s word as a newborn baby. An infant needs milk every two to four hours to remain healthy and grow properly. It is no accident that God uses this analogy to teach us how desperately we need His word.

          When Moses died, and Joshua took over the leadership position over Israel, God gave Joshua this instruction.

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 

          Joshua’s instruction is just as valid for us today as it was for him. Without constant intake of, exposure to, and meditation on God’s word, we will not be able to obey the word, we will not make our way prosperous, and we will not have success.

          The book of Proverbs gives us further insight.

Proverbs 4:20-23 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

          Giving the word its proper attention and respect brings life and health to us personally, as well as those we are leading.

The Impact of Personal Relationship with the Word

          Our relationship with God will never rise above our commitment to His word.The primary way we relate to God is through the Bible. Jesus is called “the word of God” for a reason. How we revere and respect God’s written word is a direct reflection of how much we respect and value Jesus and all he has accomplished.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

          This is a powerful verse that helps us understand the impact that God’s living word has on our lives.After a few months of reading only the Bible, I began to change. I was starting to see things differently. It was like coming out of deep sleep with a foggy mind, slowly becoming aware of my surroundings. I could feel the light of God’s word at work in me, doing surgery on me, exposing darkness in my heart and mind. As the months and years passed, I became increasingly aware of some things.

  1. First and foremost, I saw that many of the doctrines that I was taught and believed for decades were not even biblical. I had strongholds of wrong thinking and believing that could only be dismantled by constant exposure to the sincere milk of the word of God—the unleavened bread of truth. I was finally beginning to know the truth after almost three decades, and the truth was setting me free.
  • My relationship with the Lord changed. It was enriched in more ways than I can articulate. My understanding of God’s nature grew, and I began to understand who He was finally, and in turn, began to realize who I was in Him. He showed me things about His nature and how He thinks. I understood more about His great love for us, and my love for Him grew.
  • I saw the importance of intimacy with the Father. I understood that intimacy is where the most significant transformation takes place for a believer. My prayer life became enriched. My compassion for others who were bound by the same deceptions that I was began to increase, and I found myself spending more time praying for others than I did for myself.
  • I saw the importance and need for holiness. I asked the Lord to teach me and lead me into holiness. His answer to that prayer was to teach me the fear of the Lord. He showed me that holiness is perfected in the fear of the Lord. (2 Cor 7:1) I could see this was a missing component in most of the body of Christ.
  • Wisdom increased and became evident to me and others. The Lord would give me the right things to say and the right questions to ask, and I had the restraint to remain silent where, previously, I was often too quick to respond. My influence over others increased, and I saw the tremendous responsibility we have as teachers and leaders.
  • Obedience to God’s word became easier. My faith and trust in Him grew stronger by the day. Worry and anxiety had no place to land in my life.
  • Demonic attacks increased against me when I gave myself to only reading God’s word. Still, my understanding of spiritual warfare multiplied so much that the Lord inspired me to write a book on spiritual warfare.
  • Pride, arrogance, and bitterness were exposed in my life. As I flooded my heart and mind with truth, the darkness within me manifested and forced me to deal with it. This birthed a holy fear and humility that I had not previously known.
  • My heart became increasingly broken for the body of Christ. I realized that most Christians were trapped in the itchy-eared deception that I was, and I began to pray for the worldwide body of Christ daily.
  1. It was now easier to hear when God spoke to me personally. Many Christians say that they don’t hear God speaking to them. The truth is He has already spoken many things to us in His written word. If we are uninterested in what He has said, why would He be inclined to talk to us about anything else?

These are just a few things that changed in me after putting God’s word first.

It is easy to get trapped into depending on others to feed us and interpret God’s word. However, we have a responsibility in our relationship with God to pursue Him for ourselves.

The primary way we do that is through seeking to understand Him through what He has already said to us in the Bible. Not seeking other men’s opinions, not depending on our pastor’s interpretation, and not reading or listening to the latest book or teaching about it. We must discover what He is saying to us personally by reading, studying, and listening to it ourselves.

It takes 65-75 hours to listen to a digital recording of the entire Bible. Being a slow reader or claiming that we don’t understand the Bible is not a valid excuse to neglect God’s written word. We have so many tools that make absorbing God’s word easy that no one should be scripturally illiterate. It is an indictment against us for how little we value the written word of God.

Question: How would you describe your personal relationship with the word of God?

Question: Do you spend more time reading books and listening to teachings about the Bible than you do reading or listening to it for yourself?

Question: Can you quote Joshua 1:8?

Question: What does your daily devotional time look like?

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

Leave a comment

Posted in Christianity, Leadership

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who Will Lead the End-Time Church #10

Posted on 11/09/2023 | Leave a comment

Why Leaders Struggle with Sin

          Most Christians are familiar with the phrase, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” If this statement is accurate, and we know it is because it’s God’s holy written word, then why are so many Christians living in apparent bondage to sin? The problem is we don’t know the truth; we just know some things about it.

          Let’s look at that scripture in context.

John 8:31-32  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

          The problem here is obvious. Those who struggle with sin do not abide in God’s written word. To abide means to remain constantly, to dwell continually. We are to live our Christian lives with constant exposure to and intake of the word of God. If we do not, according to the above scripture, we are not even considered a disciple, let alone be set free.

          It has been my observation for the last 35 years that most Christians do not understand the value or importance of reading and listening to the word for themselves. They may attend church faithfully, they may read many books and listen to many teachings about the Bible, they watch Christian television and listen to Christian radio, but only read a chapter or two of the Bible for themselves daily, if that.

          Spending only fifteen to thirty minutes a day in the Bible for ourselves will cause us to remain a baby Christian all our lives.

Other passages in the Bible tell us to keep the word before our eyes, meditate on it day and night, keep it in our mouths, attend unto God’s word, and keep it in the midst of our hearts.

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Proverbs 4:20-22 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.

          It is the supernatural power in God’s word that sets us free. God’s word is alive! It imparts grace and truth to us in ways that we can’t begin to understand. Truth is the one unchangeable constant in the universe. It is the only thing in existence that can set us free and keep us free.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

          God’s word is a sharp, surgical instrument that can operate on our soul and spirit when we keep it before us. It will separate and remove anything that would keep us bound. Some surgeries take longer than others, but if we abide in God’s word, staying under the knife, so to speak, we will soon be free of the things that keep us chained.

Do we really love Him?

          In our minds, I think we all do. But what does Jesus have to say about it?

John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.

          That seems straightforward, doesn’t it?

John 14:21-24 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

          Loving and keeping God’s word is how we express love for God. Obedience is God’s love language. If we do not love God’s word enough to read it for ourselves and stay in it continually, then we cannot claim to love God according to scripture.

James 1:21-25 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

          In verse 21, we see the word “implanted.” Some translations read “engrafted.”

What does implanted or engrafted mean? The Greek word is “emphutos,” pronounced “em’-foo-tos,” and this word is only used once in the New Testament.

If you are familiar with a surgical implant, a skin graft, or a tree with a grafted branch, then you know what implanted means.

An implant takes living tissue and grafts it into another living tissue to make both one. If grafted properly, the thing being grafted becomes a living part of the thing it is grafted into.

Spiritually speaking, the living word of God is fastened or grafted into our spirit until the living word becomes a part of us and we become one. The word of God literally becomes flesh. Just like Jesus, the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14)

Why Jesus is Called the Word

John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Words are powerful. The Bible is full of warnings and instructions on the use and misuse of words. Have you ever considered what a word is?

A word is a verbal or written expression that carries ideas and creates images in the one who hears it. The very nature of the word shapes the image that it produces. We can implant thoughts and create images in other people’s minds.

If I say, “Black Labrador Retriever with a red collar,” I just put a specific image in your head. You took what I said, you processed it through your memory and experience, and it produced a particular thought/picture in your mind.It created an image!

Jesus didn’t die for us to remain the same and someday go to Heaven. He died so that we could be transformed into His image and God’s original purpose for mankind could be restored in you.

The written Word helps us create and maintain the image of God in us.

James 1:23-25  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

If we read the Bible and keep it before our eyes and in our thoughts, we will have a good idea of what the image of God is because Jesus was the express image of God. Jesus is the Word made flesh. The Bible is Jesus in print, the thoughts, ideas, and images of God the Father.

Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

We see in this verse that Jesus was not only the express image of God, but He upheld all things by His word. This means that, among other things, the image of the Father was upheld in Him by the power of His words.

God’s image in you is upheld by receiving the implanted, engrafted word.

To receive the implanted word, we must be doers of the word. If we are not a doer of the word, we have not received it, nor do we believe it. We have only heard it.

The self-deception James talks about in the above verse is hearing the word and thinking we know it. Until we practice what we have heard, we don’t know it, and we don’t fully understand it. Many leaders make the mistake of teaching things they have only heard and not practiced, thinking they have learned something when they have not.

Abiding in God’s word gives us the strength, faith, and courage to obey His word.

Hunger for the Word like a Baby

1 Peter 2:1-3 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

          Just so we all understand what abiding in God’s word looks like, let me expound on this passage.

          I have raised three children, and without fail, every child demanded to be fed eight to twelve times a day when they were newborns. It didn’t matter if it was the middle of the night; they would wake up crying for a meal.

          When was the last time you woke up in the middle of the night and just had to read God’s word, had to hear it, had to taste it? How many times a day do you visit the scriptures?

Spiritual hunger, unlike physical hunger, is stimulated by eating, not starving. The number one discipline Christians should establish in their lives is abiding in God’s word.

There is a reason God spent over 1500 years and used 40 different people who spoke three different languages, putting together this wonderful, recorded, historical, and anointed document called the Bible. It is our blueprint, our manual for life, our spiritual food. It is God’s thoughts, feelings, instructions, and ideas that He has made readily available to the children He so dearly loves. Let’s not take that for granted.

Leaders Can’t be Slaves

          Let’s finish this chapter with the rest of the passage we started with.

John 8:31-36 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

          When a leader struggles with sin, confidence is diminished, and faith is compromised. Our conscience must be clear to operate in complete trust and dependency on God. Living with a violated conscience produces doublemindedness.

James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Constant engagement with God’s word is the only thing that will purge us of all unrighteousness and empower us to handle the responsibility of being a vessel of God’s power.

The Path to Freedom is Being Honest with Ourselves

          Are you struggling with sin? Do you stumble and fall in the same area repeatedly? Would you like to know why? Would you like to be free?

Psalm 119:9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.

Ephesians 5:26 tells us we are cleansed “with the washing of water by the word.” There are things in our minds, strongholds, things that deal with conduct, old habits, character, and attitude that are only cleansed by the water of the Word. Jesus IS living water. He is also the living Word.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

          If you stumble continually in the same area, you need light to reveal what you are stumbling over. If you have ever walked barefoot in the dark and slammed your little toe into a piece of furniture or a child’s toy, you quickly learn to turn the light on.

          Why is it so hard to grasp our need for continuous light? We walk in a world of darkness, and WE are supposed to be the light of the world. How can we BE the light if we are not flooded with light?

          It takes less than 100 hours for a slow reader to read the Bible cover to cover and only 65-75 hours to listen to the entire Bible on an app like BibleGateway. That means if we would read or listen only one hour a day, we would be going through the Bible a minimum of 3-6 times a year. It reveals how little God’s people respect and value His Word. There will be no excuses when we stand before Him.

          Darkness cannot remain where the light is constantly shining. Freedom from sin will require us to walk in and stay in the light. How badly do we want freedom from sin?

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 5:18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

          We can live in a place where the devil can’t touch us. The closer we are to God, the less influence the devil can have in our lives.

          Right now, you and I are as close to God as we desire to be. Almost no Christian agrees with that statement at first, but God draws close to us as we take the initiative to draw close to Him.

To be closer to God, be less of a target for the enemy, and struggle less with the carnal nature, we must take the first steps toward God. We do this by flooding ourselves with the light and life of God’s word until His very nature is engrafted into our being.

James 4:7-10 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Question: What is the number one reason Christians struggle with sin?

Question: What does receiving the engrafted word look like?

Question: What does it mean to love God according to scripture?

Question: What does it mean to desire the sincere milk of the word like a newborn babe?

Question: How often do you listen to or read the Bible in a year, and can you increase that?

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

Leave a comment

Posted in Christianity, Leadership

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #9

Posted on 11/08/2023 | Leave a comment

The Ministry of Empowerment

          As Christian leaders, we should always seek to empower others to find and fulfill their God-given purpose. Providing opportunities for people to function in their giftings and helping them understand the graces that are evident in their lives will encourage and add strength to the individual. In turn, it strengthens the ministry and reinforces the idea that we are committed to the growth and success of those following us. The ministry of empowerment should be a part of every leadership culture.

Don’t confuse encouragement with empowerment

Encouragement stimulates confidence and hope by stirring people with a higher and more positive perspective. Empowerment helps a person function in their ministry gifts and graces in a safe environment while they get much-needed experience.

Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

          In this passage, we see correction brought to immature Christians, not for being immature, but because they remained immature from not having used their gifts and graces, developing their judgment of right and wrong. They were not being pushed and empowered to grow spiritually because of the weakness of the leadership.

          The ministry of empowerment can be viewed as advanced discipleship. It is like a doctor’s residency that provides on-the-job training where newly graduated MD or DO physicians begin their specialized training to become a specific type of doctor. A doctor’s residency empowers them to thrive in their field of endeavor.

          Empowerment for leaders happens when the person has proven themselves faithful, and they take on responsibilities that make a greater draw on their gifts and graces. This allows people to be challenged in their faith, experience God in a greater capacity, and connect with Him on another level while learning new skills and being pushed to grow as a leader.

          The empowerment stage of discipleship allows a person to experience some fiery trials that come with full-time ministry and tends to expose any weaknesses or flaws in their character. Virtually everything that qualifies a person for leadership is tied to their character. Mistakes will likely be made, and correction will be required. This is a natural and needed stage of development for all leaders, and these things should be addressed clearly and openly.

This is where encouragement is vital in the empowering process. While bringing correction, help them understand this is normal and assure them you are committed to walking with them through the process. This prevents relationships from being strained, strengthening the individual and helping them quickly make any needed adjustments without condemnation.

The biggest asset to any leader is the people they are leading. Empowerment is a way to make deep investments in the lives of others that will bear lasting fruit in the individual and pay huge dividends to the ministry in the long run.

Question: What is the difference between encouragement and empowerment?

Question: How does empowering others help them?

Question: How does it help the ministry?

Question: What are some things you can do to empower those you lead?

Question: What happens when people are not empowered to use their gifts and graces?

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

Leave a comment

Posted in Christianity, Leadership

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #5

Posted on 11/06/2023 | Leave a comment

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.

Leave a comment

Posted in Christianity, Leadership

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Key to All Leadership Ministry

Posted on 10/24/2023 | Leave a comment

          Our impact and effectiveness as leaders will largely be determined by the level of our own spiritual progress.

          Spiritual growth is like physical growth with one exception. Physically, we are born as infants and progress through various stages of development until growth slows down in our late teens and we eventually reach our physical prime around the age of 30-35 years old. Then, because of the curse that is on the Earth, we begin to decline physically until we eventually die.

Spiritually, we should never slow down in our growth or reach a peak from which we begin to decline.

The greatest thing we can do for ourselves, and others is to pursue God with all our heart and give ourselves entirely to our own Spiritual progress and development. We should always be growing in Him. increasing in the knowledge of His word and cultivating a more intimate relationship with Him. Spiritual growth and progress must always remain our most important ministry. The closer we get to God the more helpful we will be to others.

2 Peter 3:17b-18 …beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-16 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom 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.

Paul and Peter are telling us about the importance of growing in the grace and knowledge of God. However, there’s something else going on here too. In both passages, we see an effort to convince readers not to fall prey to false teachers and false doctrines so that their spiritual growth would not be hindered.

Believing a false doctrine will not only stunt our spiritual growth but cause us to grow in ways that create strongholds of wrong thinking and wrong believing that cause us harm as well as those that follow our teachings.

To grow in our faith, we must be able to discern, and tune out any voices that add to, or take away from the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can’t grow spiritually if we allow ourselves to be poisoned by false teachings and doctrines of men and devils. These days, false teachers and false doctrines are more numerous than ever. Steady spiritual growth will require us to be spiritually discerning, focused on truth, and guard our hearts from all evil influence. 

          The first and most important discipline we must have in place is putting God’s word first in our lives.

1 Peter 2:1-3 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

          Here we see two more requirements for continued spiritual growth. Laying aside selfish and self-seeking behavior and desiring the sincere milk of the word.

          Selfishness is an anti-Christ spirit. This is why we are commanded to die to self. Envy, jealousy, selfish ambition, malicious thoughts and actions, evil speaking, and corrupt communication, are all birthed from a self-centered wellspring. Look at what James has to say about this.

James 3:14-17 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 

          When we engage in self-seeking behavior, we are feeding the carnal man. We then cause confusion and become a landing strip for demonic activity. In this environment, spiritual growth stops and we become weakened and vulnerable to more demonic influence.

Stewarding God’s Kingdom

Luke 17:20-21 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say,  ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

          The kingdom of God is in the heart of every believer. The kingdom of God is like the Garden of Eden in the Old Testament. Just like the Garden of Eden, there are two trees in the kingdom of God in our hearts. The Holy Spirit represents the Tree of Life, and our sovereign, free will represents the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

          When we are born of the Spirit, the kingdom of God enters us as a seed and it is our responsibility to guard, tend, and protect that seed, watering it, feeding it, and exposing it to the light of God’s word.

Luke 13:18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

          If we are not diligent in guarding the kingdom in our hearts, our spiritual growth is compromised.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

          To guard our hearts is to guard God’s kingdom. Spiritual growth is reflected in our lives in direct proportion to the growth and health of the kingdom within us.

          We have far more distractions now than at any other time in history. It requires a disciplined approach to personal devotion and spiritual growth to fight against the tides of constant distractions. We have so many voices vying for our attention that is easy to be pulled off course and compromise our relationship with the Lord.

Avoiding Itchy Ears

          Several years ago, the Lord corrected me strongly while reading a book by a popular Christian author. As I was reading, the Lord spoke to me and said, “Jack, I don’t want you to eat any more leavened bread.” Being overweight, I said, “OK Lord,” thinking He was putting me on a diet of sorts. He immediately corrected my thinking and said, “No, what you are doing now is eating leavened bread.”

          I had this immediate revelation that I was reading books about the Bible far more than I was reading the Bible. I have long been a voracious reader and realized my error. I was constantly looking for the latest teaching and the latest revelation. I was seduced by the eloquent words, profound thoughts, and statements of respected ministers. I was being an itchy-eared fool.

          I was reading my Bible, I had a devotional time where I would read a chapter or two, pray, and then go about my day, but then I would spend hours reading other men’s books, and teachings, watching sermons on YouTube, or watching Christian TV. This is a dangerous and common mistake that many Christians fall into and think nothing of it.

          The Lord called this leavened bread, emphasizing that the Bible alone contains the pure, unleavened bread of truth. These things have their place, but only as supplements to our personal reading, studying, and listening to the Bible for ourselves.

          If all we fed our bodies were vitamins and supplements, we would quickly lose weight, lose strength, and weaken until we eventually die. If all we do is have a 20-minute devotional a day, we will remain a spiritual baby.

1 Peter 2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

          No matter how far we have progressed in our spiritual growth, we should all respond to God’s word as a newborn baby. A newborn needs milk every two to four hours to remain healthy and grow properly. It is no accident that God uses this analogy to teach us how desperately we need His word.

          When Moses died and Joshua took over the leadership position in Israel, God gave Joshua this instruction.

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 

          Joshua’s instruction is just as valid for us today as it was for him. Without constant intake of, exposure to, and meditation on God’s word, we will not be able to obey the word, we will not make our way prosperous, and we will not have good success.

          The book of Proverbs gives us further insight.

Proverbs 4:20-23 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

          Giving the word its proper attention and respect brings life and health to us personally, as well as those we are leading.

The Impact of Personal Relationship with the Word.

          The primary way we relate to God is through His written word. Jesus is called “the word of God” for a reason. How we revere and respect God’s written word is a direct reflection of how much we respect and value Jesus and all he has accomplished.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

          This is a powerful verse that helps us understand the impact that God’s living word has on our lives. After a few months of reading only the Bible, I began to change. I was starting to see things differently. It was like coming out of deep sleep with a foggy mind, slowly becoming aware of my surroundings. I could feel the light of God’s word at work in me, doing surgery on me, exposing darkness in my heart and mind. As the months and years passed, I became increasingly aware of some things.

  • First and foremost, I saw that many of the doctrines that I was taught and believed for decades were not even biblical. I had strongholds of wrong thinking and wrong believing that could only be dismantled by constant exposure to the sincere milk of the word of God. The unleavened bread of truth. I was finally beginning to know the truth after almost three decades, and the truth was setting me free.
  • My relationship with the Lord changed. It was enriched in more ways than I can articulate. My understanding of God’s nature grew, and I began to finally understand who He was, and in turn, began to understand who I was in Him. He showed me things about His nature and how He thinks. I understood more about His great love for us and my love for Him grew.
  • I saw the importance of intimacy with the Father. I understood that intimacy is where the greatest transformation takes place for a believer. My prayer life became enriched. My compassion for others who were bound by the same deceptions that I was began to increase, and I found myself spending more time praying for others than I did for myself.
  • I saw the importance and need for holiness. I asked the Lord to teach me and lead me into holiness. His answer to that prayer was to teach me the fear of the Lord. He showed me that holiness is perfected in the fear of the Lord. (2 Cor 7:1) I could see that this was a missing component in most of the body of Christ.
  • Wisdom increased and became evident to me and others. The Lord would give me the right things to say, and the right questions to ask, and I had the restraint to remain silent where previously I was often too quick to respond. My influence over others increased and I saw clearly the tremendous responsibility we have as teachers and leaders.
  • Obedience to God’s word became easier. My faith and trust in Him grew stronger by the day. Worry and anxiety had no place to land in my life.
  • Demonic attacks increased against me when I gave myself to only reading God’s word, but my understanding of spiritual warfare increased rapidly as well. So much so that the Lord inspired me to write a book on spiritual warfare.
  • Pride, arrogance, and bitterness were exposed in my life. As I flooded my heart and mind with truth, the darkness within me was manifest and forced me to deal with it. This birthed a holy fear and humility in me that I had not previously known.
  • My heart became increasingly broken for the body of Christ. I realized that most Christians were trapped in the itchy-eared deception that I was and I began to pray for the worldwide body of Christ daily.
  • It was now easier to hear when God spoke to me personally. Many Christians say that they don’t hear God speaking to them. The truth is, that He has already spoken many things to us in His written word. If we are not interested in what He has already recorded, why would He be inclined to speak to us about anything else?

These are just a few of the things that changed in me, and for me after putting God’s word first in my life.

It is easy to get trapped into depending on others to feed us and interpret God’s word for us. However, we have a responsibility in our relationship with God to pursue Him for ourselves.

The primary way we do that is through seeking to understand Him through what He has already said to us in His written word. Not seeking other men’s opinions on it, not depending on our pastor’s interpretation of it, and not reading or listening to the latest book or teaching about it. We must discover what He is saying to us personally by reading it and listening to it for ourselves?

It takes less than 80 hours to listen to a digital recording of the entire Bible being read to us. Being a slow reader is not a valid excuse. We have so many tools available to us now to make absorbing God’s word easy that no one should be scripturally illiterate. It is an indictment against us for how little we value the written word of God.

Leave a comment

Posted in Christianity

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,