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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