March 13, 2010
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Sue
and I had a long plane ride this week, so I grabbed
some CD’s to break up the monotony. One was Warren
Buffett’s Management Secrets. Warren has several hundred
thousand people
working with him, and credits much of his success to mangers who run
the
various companies. One of the chapters discussed how he chose managers.
His
answer was that he sought people who had an attitude, “I’m in control.”
He
wanted to distance himself from people who would blame circumstances or
other
people, seeing themselves as “victims.” He was looking for “victors.”
The Lord
is looking for the same thing right now. Listen to the tone: No,
in all these things we
are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Rom 8:37 NIV I
can do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil 4:13 KJV But those who
hope in the
Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will
run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isa 40:31 NIV Jesus
take the wheel
– We’ve all heard that God is in control,
He drives the bus, He’s the pilot, we’re the co-pilot. I’m suggesting
it’s a
theology that is good for new believers; Jesus is Lord. But, he is also
the
Lord of lords and the King of kings. As we mature, God teaches us to
inherit
our land and become responsible for it. In reality, I’m in control of
my life.
I determine what my life looks like. I’m responsible for failures and I
learn
from my mistakes. If I think theologically that I shouldn’t be in
control, then
I surrender to circumstances and people. I blame things and people for
what is
wrong in my life. It’s a way to excuse myself from responsibility… I
may even
blame God. I become a victim instead of a victor. Intercession
–
If I really believe that God is in control and responsible for my life,
then
intercession becomes my attempt to convince God to change things. In
fact, much
of what we call intercession has roots in passive Christian theology.
God does
miraculously answer prayer. However, if I try to make intercession for
miracles
the norm, I set myself up for a continuing series of failures. I’m all
for
prayer, but it will never replace responsibility and initiative and
wisdom. God
is calling us to use wisdom and to take control of our lives and our
circumstances. In fact, miracles occur most frequently when we are
committed to
taking control of our lives. The
secret of authority
– Servants have a bureaucratic mentality.
They are consumed with implementing their perception of what someone
else
wants. As servants, we feel particularly spiritual doing what we
believe God
wants. Servants don’t pretend to have authority (they don’t even want
it); they
simply carry the authority of someone else. If something goes wrong,
they
reason, “I was just doing what I was told”… the gas chamber defense! To
be
honest, servants are typically wrong in their perception of what God
wants. It
may be obedience; it may be sincere; but it’s still not quite God. I no longer
call you
servants, because a servant does not know his master's business.
Instead, I
have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I
have
made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and
appointed you
to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give
you
whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
John
15:15-17 NIV Real
maturity is something different. God works through
Kings who not only take control of their lives, but they do things they
enjoy.
They are motivated out of the desires of their own heart to build the
Kingdom;
they love their work. They will not tolerate a life of mediocrity or
monotony
for money or obedience or perceptions of what others want. Servants and
Kings both
can take direction, but only Kings will take responsibility. When
something
goes wrong they will not play the victim and place blame. Kings simply
find a
solution because the problem belongs to him or her. Owning the problem
is what
releases the authority to find an answer and the power to receive (or
give) a
miracle. Taking control doesn’t leave God out – quite the opposite. Our
willingness to take responsibility is the key that releases the power
of God to
add a miraculous ingredient. Example
-
If you’ve ever been around people who get consistent results praying
for the
sick, you’ll notice something different about the way they pray. They
don’t ask
God to heal the disease; they take authority over it themselves and
command it
to leave. Listen to the way Jesus explained “who” had authority: I
have given you authority
to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the
enemy;
nothing will harm you. Luke 10:19-20 NIV When Jesus had
called the
Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all
demons and
to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God
and to
heal the sick. Luke 9:1-3 NIV Leadership
styles
- What kind of managers does Warren Buffett look for? 1.
love
what they do, 2.
take
control of their lives and responsibilities,
and 3.
learn
from their own mistakes instead of
making excuses and placing blame. What
is God looking for? The exact same three things. Can
you see that Warren didn’t invent this list? If a servant becomes a manager, he or she will manage through control. That’s all they know – making people do things they don’t want to do. If a King becomes a leader the people rejoice. Kings help people find their true calling by exploring their heart’s desire to find areas of self-motivation. They release people to do what they enjoy. For Kings, accountability is helping people attain their own dreams. It’s an amazing difference with an entirely different level of authority.
Desire to Destiny is available now at our store along with reviews. Not sure what your dream is? This book will help you pull the curtain back on your future. Newsletter - If your newsletter comes incomplete (filtered), you can always catch the latest version in our archive along with 200 others. 1800+ people from around the world get Kingly encouragement from our weekly newsletter. Invite a friend to subscribe - they will be blessed. How to Start a Small Group - Kings are increasingly getting involved in Bible study or mentoring groups to facilitate their "Release." Here are some helpful suggestions www.Releasing-Kings.com/Starting-a-Group.html. We've also updated our Vision Brochure with graphics to show how to become a King and how you can help Release Kings. Lastly we've created a guideline to help you take your dream to the next level by considering the elements of a business plan. See Write Your Business Plan. French Translation - Releasing Kings is now available in French thanks to the efforts of Cees Bakker and Support Ministries in the Netherlands. In France, copies can be obtained from Editions Menor or Librairie Chretienne CLC. The Title in French is “Libération des Rois pour le ministère dans le monde du travail”. Cees is also the guy who made the Dutch translation possible - available through his website. He can be contacted for Releasing Kings conferences in France and throughout Europe. Facebook - I'm posting more information on Face book at http://www.facebook.com/john.garfield1
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