September 26, 2010
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The title of
this newsletter is a little inflammatory, in light of the emphasis on
obedience
in scripture. Please hear this with grace. One person’s insight from Part
1 last week was: “Wow.
I have not heard this put this clearly. I realize I have developed a
'poverty
mindset’ over the years and I was cloaking it under the guise
of
obedience.” Servants obey
with no concept of carrying God’s initiatives in their hearts. Friends
own the
direction internal to their own hearts. “Obedience” doesn’t describe
creativity.
Truly creative artists or innovative entrepreneurs are not just
following the
directions on the package of life. They have something in their own
hearts that
is producing new and exciting concepts and progress in the Kingdom.
They are
free to express that level of initiative, and feel the full backing of
the Holy
Spirit to do it in the sense of working together with God. That “level”
of
heart engagement is what moves us from poverty to fruitfulness in the
Kingdom. Management – During one
decade of my 30 year
stint as an engineer, I was asked to manage a strategic planning group
in a
company of about 5000 people. They had assembled a dozen of the
brightest chemical
engineers in the company to evaluate the corporate direction. I
wondered if I was qualified to lead them; their engineering skills and
intelligence seemed beyond my own. To my surprise, this group of
self-starters didn’t
require much leadership. Their initiative was so high and they enjoyed
their
work so much, that they came up with a steady stream of new ideas and
new ways
to accomplish our goals. They owned the vision for our group
themselves. They
didn’t wait for me to spell out exactly what to do on a daily basis.
They were
not “dependent.” They just needed to know which mountain we were
climbing and
they would start making progress. I just had to set the course, define
our deliverables, and
occasionally
tweak the progress. I did have
some experience working with “plodding” employees who required lots of
direction,
didn’t really enjoy their work, and wished they were doing something
else. They
required lots of time and direction, and seldom got it right on the
first try. “Obedience”
for them was external to their hearts, and progress was always painful.
The
strategic planning group was totally different. No matter how difficult
the
task or how big a problem or setback we encountered, it was always a
pleasure
to work with them. I believe the Lord allowed me to see that contrast
to get a
glimpse of “Kings.” I saw the same
thing as a pastor. Some embraced their vision and ran with it. Others
had to be
courted and cajoled and counseled and catered to… and still wouldn’t
take a
step on their own. Laborers together – Kings work
with the Father, not
just for Him. Their hearts and God’s heart share the same desires.
Their
communion with the Holy Spirit is much closer than that of a servant.
Kings own
the vision and they will take responsibility to initiate actions to
build the
Kingdom. The actions that spring up out of God’s heart and our heart
are the
same. For
we are God's fellow workers… 1 Cor 3:9 NASU As
God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2
Cor
6:1-2 NIV How do I get there – Jesus’
invitation to “friend,” the
inside scoop on the Father’s plan, the honor of being “chosen,” and the
authority to ask “whatever” is the realm of Kings. . 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 Although it
sounds instantaneous, listen to the way the Lord changes our hearts
from
servant to King. I
will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will
remove
from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Ezek
11:19-20 NIV I
will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove
from you
your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my
Spirit
in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my
laws. Ezek
36:26-28 NIV (see also Heb 8:10 and 10:16) This process
can take some years and this is approximately how it goes. 1.
When
we first get saved, we have no clue what God expects from us. We read
His word
and cultivate our ability to hear His voice, and gradually get better
at
obedience with the help of pastors, teachers and mentors. It is
delightful to hear and obey God. 2. We
usually step out in some level of initiative we thought God led us
into,
experience a failure, and label it presumption. The brokenness and
wounding
from these setbacks reel us back into “obedience only.” Some never
survive this
experience, and remain at the servant level for life. They hide their
hearts
behind service, faithfulness, obedience, and humility. The pricetag
is religious poverty and drudgery; a life that is bland,
boring, introverted, unimaginative, lackluster, and
unfulfilling. They are forever
afraid
of presumption, and refuse to dream or take initiative. They are
fearful that
the future
will go badly and fearful of success at the same time. 3. Kings
realize that mid-course corrections to our and God’s plan are normal,
and don’t
count them as permanent failures – more like routine opportunities for
resurrections. Kings view themselves as stewards, responsible before
God for their personal dream. They learn to move from “glory to glory,”
and their
hearts
become increasingly engaged and excited about the Kingdom with each new
initiative.
They expect the future to “work out.” How I view my own
heart – My view of my
own heart determines
whether I can get from servant to King and make the transition from
Step 2 to Step
3. “Human depravity” is a theological heritage for nearly all of us.
Many of us
view our hearts as “desperately wicked” (Jer 17:9). We say to ourselves
“His
ways are not our ways” (Isa 55:8-9). And we say that all our
righteousness are
as filthy rags (Isa 64:6). These verses, and others like them, describe
a
specific person or group at a specific time in history. The doctrinal
mistake
we make is that we take these verses out of context and ascribe them to
everyone, everywhere, all the time. It’s not true! Read the context for
yourself – it’s easy to see when you look for it. You can read much
more on the
specifics of this topic in chapter 8 of Releasing
Kings or Precious
in His Sight by Harold Eberle. Bottom line – If my
self-concept is “fallen sinner”
then I will always see presumption in the rear view mirror. If my
self-concept
is saint, I will see a pattern for good in every circumstance (Rom
8:28). Although we
have all sinned and will continue to make some mistakes in the future
(sin), we
are best described as created in God’s image as vessels who carry His
Spirit,
His power, His glory, and accomplish his purposes. Our goal has to be
higher
than obedient servant. We are Kings who share the heart of Jesus and do
exploits that bless the heart of God, bless the nations, and build the
Kingdom.
Life is not following directions as much as an invitation to dance. You
have to
hear the music and join the party. It’s fun, it’s natural, and it’s
amazingly
fruitful in birthing ministry and wealth. God values our our personal
dreams and visions and our initiative to make them reality! That's how
the Kingdom is built. It
is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the
glory of
kings. Prov 25:2 NIV Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Eph 3:20-21 NIV In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Acts 2:17 NIV
Thought question
#1 – If I see other
people as inherently
sinful and prone to presumption, what style of leadership will I
gravitate
toward in relating to them?... “Controlling, condescending, valuing
dependence,
and emphasizing obedience.” If I see
people created in God’s image, I will value them as an equipper,
encourager their unique talents and dream,
and release their hearts to function as Kings in the Kingdom. Thought #2 – If God is
sovereign (in the sense
of controlling everything in the future) and I am inherently sinful,
then “presumption”
is the logical label for everything that goes wrong. I’m always the
problem,
and obedience to God’s voice is always the solution. If the future is open (God intervenes on some things but leaves many things for us to “steward”) and I am created in His image, then I can accept that setbacks might be from accidents, other people, the enemy, or my own shortcomings. I simply make the mid-course corrections and prevail – I take responsibility for inheriting my land and my destiny. We are more than conquerors and we manage life to overcome in every area. We know that God is working with us and empowering us beyond our own abilities to succeed because our hearts are on the same page and because He multiplies our efforts. We’re working with God and He’s working with us. Thought #3 - Kings can, and do, operate in the revelation-obedience dynamic. What is different, and much more balanced, is that they can also operate in wisdom and initiative - something God expects. Read proverbs. We don't have to play obedience against wisdom as a basis for action. We need both. ...may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Eph 1:17 NIV
PS: You may
also enjoy the video
version of this newsletter.
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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