Five great points on Christian Leadership:
1. Pray and Coordinate with God
2. Dream big but find a small niche you can be number one
3. Build a great team of people
4. Never give up, at least don’t give up too soon
5. Inspire the people on your team
Christian Leadership
Martin Luther and the Bible
We all want to change the world, but in the 1500’s there were many men and women who helped to change the world, but none as much as the German monk-turned-professor Martin Luther. He helped reform Christian ways and tradition by speaking against the many errors of his day and comparing them to what the Bible actually teaches.
Justification by Faith
Let’s start with the most important New Testament doctrine that Luther help correct. So very important is the doctrine of justification by faith. Luther taught that the Scriptures, the Bible, declare a sinner is justified by faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) and not by works of penance or anything we could do. It is by grace alone that a believer is saved, plus nothing. That gracious salvation would lead to a changed life of good deeds, not the other way around. So its grace alone plus nothing that I could add. Good deeds come out of God’s love and grace bestowed on us.
Martin Luther and Prayer
At one point Martin Luther wrote a letter to his wife expressing his concern over some issues. Remember, Luther was a religious and somewhat a political lighting rod in his day. That stirred up some controversy. In the midst of this trouble Luther wrote to his wife and in the latter a phrase was mentioned “Pray and Let God Worry”. In other words we pray and God has to take it from here on. So Pray and Let God Worry. Enjoy a short devotional video on “Pray, Let God Worry”
Here is a portion of one of Martine Luther’s prayers: “Heavenly Father, dear God, I am not worthy that I should lift up mine eyes or my hands to thee in prayer, but since thou hast commanded us to pray and has taught us how through Jesus Christ our Lord, I will say, ‘Give us this day our daily bread”. Luther was a man of prayer. He loved God, loved the Bible and loved prayer.
Money Does not Work, Only God’s Grace
Another problem that Luther wanted to fix was the medieval view of indulgences… a document Christians could buy which was supposed to pardon a person from the sins they had committed. Money can be a problem if our heart is not right toward it. Luther criticized this teaching because he believed it replaced the Biblical doctrine of repentance (1 John 1:9-10). The Bible talks of “confession” not trying to pay God.
The Authority of the Bible
Another tradition Luther objected to was denying the authority of the Bible, by elevating religious traditions above the Old and New Testaments. Luther saw the Bible as the top faith document and higher than anyone else’s thought or feelings. Luther faithfully preached that the Bible, not the church, is the ultimate authority over matters of faith and life (Acts 5:29). Because the Bible was only allowed in Latin, an academic language, Luther chose to translate the Word of God into the German tongue so that any literate person in his land could read the Bible and learn its glorious message.
Every Believer is a Priest of the Most Holy God
Luther and his fellow Reformers also helped restore congregational singing, lay leadership, the sanctity of common work for the glory of God, and a renewed focus on the centrality of the gospel in every area of a Christian’s life. While Luther had real flaws, he played an undeniably important role in the development of theology and the church in the 16th century. Yes, like the rest of us, Luther was not perfect, but God used him just as he was with the help of God’s grace and love.
Conclusion
Martin Luther loved God, loved the Bible and loved prayer. God used such a poor sinner, and so God can use us, also poor sinners, but its all by His love and grace.
Pray and Let God Worry
Jesus says “God is Spirit and to worship God, we must do so in spirit and in reality” This is a statement recorded by John in chapter 4. So to worship God we must do so in spirit and in reality. Jesus was so clear about how the Father wants us to worship Him. Enjoy a short devotional video on “Help Me Worship God”
Here is John 4:21-24
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what:we know what we worship:for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth:for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit:and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Yes, Drew has started another web site called CreateBuz.com on Creativity, Innovation, Technology, Leadership and Marketing. Drew has learned much (and still much more to learn) in starting and running Olive Tree Bible Software and AnimatedFaith. So check it out….
First and Last Mentions of “Spirit” in Bible
Let’s look at the first mention of the word, “Spirit” in the entire Bible, and then let’s look at the last mention. The first mention of the word, “Spirit” should be in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. Sure enough, in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, in the second verse, we have the first mention of “spirit” in the Bible. The first verse of Genesis talks about creation, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Verse 2 begins with the words, “And the earth was without form and void…” It seems like something was wrong on the earth or it was just ready for creation at that point. Then it says that the Spirit of God brooded or hovered over the face of the waters. Here you have the first mention of the Spirit in the Bible. This is a very unique passage. Here was God with the Heavens and the earth. God wanted to do something. The earth needed something. Bible scholars look at Genesis one in different ways. Many scholars say that Genesis 1:1ff is talking about the original creation. Others say, “No, the original creation was described in Genesis 1:1, and then what follows in Genesis 1:2ff is a restoration.” I really don’t want to get into that point right now because Bible scholars who love the Lord and who handle the Bible properly come to two different conclusions about that point. I don’t believe either viewpoint dishonors the Word of God. Both viewpoints could be argued.
In Genesis 1:2, you have the Spirit of God coming on the scene. Here, in Genesis 1:2, God is about to do something. God is about to do the original creation or He is about to restore things. What happens first? Verse 2 says the Spirit of God was hovering or brooding over the situation. In our experience as Christians, many times, when God is about to do something, the Spirit of God will come in and prepare our hearts for what God wants to do. God was going to do some very dramatic things on earth by creating plant and animal life, as well as man. The Spirit of God comes on the scene. This is the first mention in the entire Bible of the word, “Spirit”. This Spirit, here, is referring to the divine Spirit, the Holy Spirit, or he Spirit of God.
The Spirit and The Bride saying, “Come”
Let’s go to the end of the Bible. The last book of the Bible is the book of Revelation. In the last chapter of that book, chapter 22, we have several mentions of the word, “Spirit”. I believe that the last verse that mentions the Spirit of God is verse 17 and it says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” This is the last mention of the word, “Spirit” in the Bible. Here, actually, it is a call or a cry, or an invitation to come. It is not just the Spirit, but the Spirit and the Bride saying, “Come.” Come to what? Come to the living waters. This is the last mention of the term, “Spirit” in the Bible, and we find it in the last chapter of the last book, the book of Revelation. In Genesis 1:2 we saw that the Spirit of God was brooding over the situation before God created. We also looked at the last verse that mentions the Spirit in the Bible in the book of Revelation. There the Spirit and Bride say, “Come.” So we have covered the first and the last.
Life is full of Worries and Anxiety, So Pray and Let God Worry. Enjoy a short devotional video on “Pray, Let God Worry”
Martin Luther, a 16th century monk was worried about things, so in a letter said to his wife – “Pray, and let God worry”. He did not want her to worry too much.
Pray and Let God Worry
See Philippians 4:6 where Paul says: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”
Sunrise near the Columbia River
Life is crazy, we need to work harder and pray more.
Sometimes when we pray, it is hard to know who is initiating the prayer. Is it us or God. In Romans 8:26, Paul says the Spirit help us to pray. But sometimes we are seeing a need and start praying. Other times it seems we sense a need for prayer for someone or something. And then there is times we are with others and they initiate the prayer.
Sunset over the Columbia River
We are praying and asking God for the prayer of God. Consider what Jesus talks about in John 15:7. If you are one with the Lord, you are obeying the Lord, you are abiding in the Lord, and His Word is dwelling in you, then you are one with the Lord, and what the Lord wants to pray, you want to pray, what the Lord wants to ask the Father through your prayer, you want to ask the Father. So who is really praying here? Is it us praying or is it God praying? It is kind of hard to understand.
Mount Hood, Oregon
The Example of Elijah in the book of James
James was a man of prayer. In fact, James 5 talks about a similar principle. The last part of verse 16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Then James goes on to talk about Elijah. Verse 17, “Elijah was a man subject to like passions…” He was a man, just like we are. He had feelings just like you and I have. Then it says, “And he prayed earnestly” or the literal Greek is, “He prayed in prayer” or, “He prayed in his prayer”. It is kind of a strange construction in the English. “He was a man of like passions as we are, and he prayed in prayer that it might not rain”. In other words, Elijah had an experience, here, of not praying his own prayer, but praying the prayer of God. You could say he prayed the prayer that God put on his heart, or prayed the prayer that God burdened him with. Here Elijah was praying the prayer of God.
Columbia River, Oregon and Washington
The Prayer Example of Young Samuel in the Old Testament
We have another prayer example of Samuel in the Old Testament. This is the story of Samuel as a young boy. He was learning how to serve God and how to do the things of God. He was just beginning, or barely beginning to hear the voice of God. At one point, he thought Eli, the priest, was calling him, but he eventually learned that it was the Lord who was speaking to him. The phrase that Samuel repeated back to the Lord at this point was, “Speak Lord, for your servant hears.” In other words, Samuel had the attitude that whatever God would speak, he would hear, and whatever God asked him to do, he would do.
Columbia River, Oregon and Washington
Many times we get low, and God really cares. God does not condemn us when we are low or even depressed. He loves us and cares for us. We need to bring our troubles to God. God is gracious to us when we fail.
Here is a short devotional video on “Does God Still Love us When We are Depressed?”
In the Bible, God, the author does not hide the fact that many people get low or depressed. Consider Elijah, who had a great victory and wonderful miracle at Mount Carmel. Then soon after he was harassed by someone and hid because he was low and depressed. God did not make him feel bad, but instead God found a way to get Elijah some bread to lift him up. I am really not sure why Elijah got so low and almost panicked.
Then there is King David in the Old Testament who many times got low and depressed. When we read the Psalms, the writers many times, especially David, how they were depressed, despondent and just low. David in the Psalms does not hide his feelings, but confesses them to God and brings them to God. David learned how to bring his troubles to God.
Sometimes we are so low we almost (or do) panic. God is very gracious to us when we fail. So just bring your troubles and depression to God. God still loves us when we are low or depressed.
God and Depression
Psalm 18:6 In my distress I called upon the Lord,
and cried unto my God:
he heard my voice out of his temple,
and my cry came before him, even into his ears
God and Depression
God still loves us.
We need to bring our troubles and depression to God.