Annointed Leadership

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLYxnrtBAVs

Watch the link above. Desert Song by Hillsong

Matthew 9:35-38 NIV. The Workers Are Few!

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

God is looking for a few good men and women to take their place in leadership and move the church forward. Do you have what it takes to go forward with God?
Here are a few things to ask yourself
1. Is there anything or anyone that I am holding anger or bitterness against?
2. Am I willing to risk everything for Jesus Christ?
3. Do I know what it means to be in Christ?

Have you ever carried hurt or confusion? I have. Sometimes things just are not settled in our spirits. We recognize an imbalance. Our first response is to get rid of what is hurting us. We live in a society that says everything should always be quick and painless. If something hurts, get something to get rid of it! Take a pill, take a drink and be merry. It’s all about your happiness and your comfort level.

Being a woman, sometimes I just jump to conclusions. I went through a period where my perception of conversations seemed short or shallow. People I used to have a connection with seemed to have changed. I felt cut off.

I realized the problem. I had put too much faith into this connection and not into Jesus himself. I questioned my faith, how did I get to this point? When did it happen?

The enemy wants us staying confused and not able to have peace. God never brings fear or confusion. That comes straight from the pit of hell. Why are so many of us hung up on this?
Life is full of seasons and some seasons are harder to let go of than others. Especially when God is growing and moving you ahead into something else. It means there will be pain and suffering ahead and trials that will test your faith.

Sometimes when God is moving us into these seasons He gives us a glimpse into the plans He has for us but leaves out the details.

This is frustrating as we want to know what is ahead and what we need to do to get there.
My human feminine instinct is to share and talk things through. What I have found though is sometimes God gives us information that should only stay between us and Him. I certainly am not qualified for the things God has called me to do, but after years of following His plan I can see how He is equipping me and qualifying me. It has nothing to do with learning a skill, but more of a receiving of a skill. Yes there is some learning, some hands on training going on but it is a supernatural transformation that is taking place.
We do need people to come along side us, mentor us, encourage us in our God given dreams.
Ask God to put someone in your life as this person.

People do not understand, even people who are close to you or think they know you. When you start talking about the things God is calling you to do all they can see is you. They see or have seen your failures, and they see the unfinished product. But God sees us differently.

He sees what we will become. He loves us as we are. He says come as you are. Not try and do everything right, clean yourself up and come to me, no He says come as you are with your dirt, drama and all. The church can’t do it for you; no one can do it for you. Only Christ can satisfy, cleanse, and heal. It’s most of the time a gradual change where God grows us into spiritual maturity. He has to walk us through things to purify our hearts and our motives.

So what do we do when people we are close to or people we trust hurt us? Bitterness causes a wall between us and God. We cannot hold any wrong thoughts about anyone and expect to be anointed to do the work God has called us to do. Everyone will not think or believe like us and it’s not our job to try and make them.

We may ask why do I have to walk through this?
I believe God lets things happen for a reason and I believe He is working it out for our good. Sometimes we get so comfortable that we have no desire to move ahead with God. We reach peaceful place and have no desire to revisit challenge and pain. This is when God must shake things up a bit.

Spiritually, I have learned from all this too…Be careful who you trust and who you share your dreams with and don’t talk until you know what you are talking about. I wish there was an emergency stop button to my mouth sometimes. I have also learned that being betrayed and hurt is inevitable.

The root of the problem is this: Where is your identity, is it in Jesus Christ alone? When we let the opinions of others keep us from doing what God calls us to do because it hurts, because it is hard, because it is embarrassing we are not fully embracing Christ.
Think about how God told Noah to build an ark and it had never rained. Here he is miles away from water building this huge thing, collecting animals and preparing for a flood. This was crazy. This was something that was unheard of, yet he obeyed. Despite ridicule.
You do not need a someone to tell you it’s okay to do what God calls you to do. You just need confirmation through scripture. Remember to wait on God, and when He is asking you to do it, be quick about obeying.

Your qualifications have absolutely nothing to do with God using you. God’s ladder is not a corporate ladder. He decides which step you are on and not those around you. There is no comparing yourself on this ladder or scoring up. It’s just a lot of grace and favor.
People are at all levels of spiritual maturity and we need to be sensitive to that. We should not take offense when people say or do hurtful things. God is our vindicator. We reap what we sow.

You can control your thoughts. Negative thoughts come from the enemy. When I let one negative thought in I am planting a seed. If I continue to water it and feed it, my garden will be filled with weeds of negativity.
If you catch a thought and ask God to change it then you plant seeds of power that overcome the enemy and help you bear fruit. Being close to God does not make us immune to deception and defeat.

Staying close to God however helps us recognize that it is happening. Correction hurts. God disciplines those He loves. Talk everything over with God even anger and little things because He knows anyway.
Just a few words of wisdom to leaders
You can’t give away something you don’t have. God is love, forgiveness, mercy, peace and hope. All that is in me, any good comes from God is in me. Nothing can separate me from God’s love.

Walking in obedience brings peace, fighting and questioning brings restlessness, confusion and doom. There is no place for sin in the life of a believer.

If you aspire to lead you must accept responsibility of your actions, your emotions, and realize everything you do may affect the life of someone else. We need godly mentors.
My purpose is to love God, love others and teach them about Him. Every day is a gift and I’m not guaranteed tomorrow. I am a steward of everything because everything comes from God. I am a steward of my talents. I should not procrastinate and daydream about where, when, and how but start doing.

It’s not my problem if someone else has a problem with talents God has given me. I am God’s and not my own therefore I should not care about anything else except serving Him to the fullest. I am not always right. I too have offended others.
Pride is a dangerous thing. Stay humble before God or He will help you. Believe me I know.
Listen to the first warning, the third might be too late.

God is no respecter of persons I am equal to everyone but gifted differently.
Do not judge, stop the thought when it enters. Stand up and fight for truth.
Jesus isn’t a wimp and there are times to be strong and firm about things. Jesus didn’t have to defend himself; He always stayed under the authority of God the Father.
If you see a need don’t wait for someone else to take care of it. Do it yourself!
I am part of the church and when I complain about it I am complaining about me. Step up to the plate, God has my back.

Bathe everything in prayer.

I would also like you to read the entire chapter of Matthew 5 and ask God to speak and move in your heart as you do. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5&version=NIV