The Ministering of the Holy Spirit and our Selfless Attitude

I am reminded of Stephen the martyr who was beaten by a group of men until he went to be with the Lord.  Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit!  He was also filled with Selflessness.  His first focus was to remain faithful to his Savior and God.  His second focus was to remain faithful to his Savior and God!  His third focus was to remain faithful to his Savior and God!

At no time did Stephen state, "Dear God, I don't deserve this!"  Stephen is one of our examples to learn from when we experience bad things from people; even those who may claim to be Christian. 

Certainly, depending on the circumstances, and if we're led by the Holy Spirit to point out to them the error or wrongness of their behavior, we can express our concerns.  However, even more critical than this is to adopt Stephen's words, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" 

In our humanness, this is difficult to do.  However, we must recognize that it is in our weakness that God's power and strength is best experienced.  Let us acknowledge to God that we are weak, and ask Him to give us His strength to carry us forward according to His will, not our will.  This focus on selflessness is healthy.  If we focus on our hurts, we will not forgive easily, or may not forgive at all.  God tells us in His Word that vengeance is His!  He will deal with unfair situations that we experience according to His timing. 

We may never know what God does to take care of the "wrongs" we experience.  He wants us to focus on Him, giving Him praise and worship for his goodness, grace, and holiness.  Will you take some time right now to praise Him for who He is and what He has done for us through His Son and His Holy Spirit?  Let's also praise Him for what is yet to come for us as believers; eternity in heaven!

Selflessness = Godliness

How many times do we hear a Christian say, "That was unfair," or "How could they do that to me?"

Maybe, we've expressed these very words at one time.  You see, as believers, we're often faced with challenging situations that trigger our own hurt as a result of what someone does or says.  Sadly, this may even involve someone whom we may have trusted as a friend, or a family member.  God's Word has answers and provides guidance for us in times like these. 

As you await the next blog that goes deeper into answers and guidelines we may use when encountering these difficult experiences, meditate on God's Word in Psalm 23 which states:

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

Are Christian Leaders Leading By God's Spirit or Their Fleshly Desires

Christian Leaders have a tremendous responsibility to lead, not only with servant leadership, but also through a mature, Spirit led, mandate; not according to their own desires and/or preferences, but through saturated prayer, Bible study, and Spiritual guidance.

Christian Leadership must not be clothed with those secular tools and sometimes ruthless strategies that are so often seen in the world. Christian leaders must set an example to the world, they must model our Savior, and God-fearing men of God in their leading and leadership styles.

In Biblical times, the leaders of the period when Jesus taught conspired how they would "catch" him. They used worldly tactics, came to arrest him under the veil of night time, and with weapons. Jesus asked them why did they have to do this when they were all in the temple!

Sadly, some leaders do the same thing today. They plan in secret, build a case against the person they simply dislike, and cunningly sway the minds of their flock against the truth.

As a leader, you must remain true to God's Word, and you must be led by His Holy Spirit. If you are uncertain what that really means, then you must not hold the office of a Christian Leader. Prayer, Bible study, and more prayer must be the constant occupation of any leader as well as every believer. We see examples of this demonstrated non other than the Lord, Jesus Christ. Read His word to learn what we as leaders and christians need to do.

As leaders, we will be judged on how we lead other believers and how we act toward others in general. Have we ever hardened our hearts against the Leading of the Holy Spirit, or have we ever sinned against a fellow leader by implying doubt about his Christian character in the eyes of others? Were these acts of selfishness or control?

Let's face it, Satan seeks to use our focus on self to break-down Christian harmony and destroy the good fellowship of believers with each other. If you are ever in doubt as to whether you are being used by another leader to bring harm to the fellowship of believers, never act or present anything as a surprise to others. This is not the way of God, but the way of selfish man. God is not pleased when men act in cunning ways of human wisdom.

In my next blog, we will see what God's word has to say about the things I have shared in this latest commentary, including the powerful work of God's Holy Spirit in a Spirit led environment for Leaders.

My Most Important Steps in 2010

For the year 2010, my most important steps will be to focus on our Savior, Jesus Christ, in Praise, Adoration, and Worship. These steps are fundamental to Christian growth. If I had to identify a single action or purpose for my life, it would be to Worship God!

This single action, however, has some significant challenges. If we try to accomplish this in our own strength, we will be a miserable failure.

God in His wisdom has made provision for us as Believers to maintain an "unhindered" relationship with Him through His Son, the Lord Jesus, and the ministering to us of His Holy Spirit. If we exclude the Holy Spirit from efforts to draw closer to a Holy God, not only will our relationship with Him be "lame," but we won't experience His precious Spiritual Blessings upon our lives.

In future blog postings, I will share about applying the ministry of the Holy Spirit to our lives.