Havis Gabbard

Vision or False Vision - Deceit of the Heart

2007-11-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

Vision or False Vision - Revelation from God or Deceit of the Human Heart

We need to be aware of the fact leaders can (err in vision, and stumble in judgment pp Isa. 28:7)?

Much that is passed off as vision by leaders of churches in today's religious atmosphere is little more than a human instituted pipe dream that has its source in the heart of someone who has erred in vision, and stumbled in judgment.

A pipe dream is any idea or plan whose outcome will probably never reach initial expectations. Pipe dreams are fantastic hopes or plans that are generally regarded as being nearly impossible to achieve. A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely work; a near impossibility.

Don’t get me wrong I believe that God can and will do the impossible. But in order for God to do the impossible our dreams and visions must be dreams and visions that have their roots attached to the heart of God and they must be allowed to materialize through the Spirit of God,

If a leader has dreams and visions whose roots are attached to the human heart and are dependent upon human initiative for their source of materialization then those dreams and visions are little more than a pipe dreams and distorted visions. Their source is in the heart of the dreamer and not from the heart of God.

La 2:9 PP The law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.

Leaders who violate the word of God and make human substitutions for any and all parts of their programs and declare that their vision is from God are deceived

When the Word of God is forsaken and the Law of the Lord is abandoned by a leader who feels that he has been given a mandate to substitute human reason for divine revelation then that leader has strange fire in his censor and his offering will be rejected by God.

Eze 13:7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD says it; albeit I have not spoken?

Jer 14:14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, (Hebrew Meaning: (good for nothing, worthless) and the deceit of their heart.

Jer 23:16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

Jeremiah makes some startling statements when he says the prophets prophesy lies in my name. I sent them not neither have I commanded them. Neither did I speak unto them.

He instructs us to refrain from listening to them. Jeremiah says that a vain vision spoken by a prophet of vanity makes you vain.

They speak a vision of their own heart. God has not sent them. he has not commanded them. Neither has he spoken to them.

Zec 13:4 And it shall come to pass in that day that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:

Mic 3:6 Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.

Ez.12:24 For there shall be no more any vain vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.

God will cut off from the house of Israel the vain vision of the false diviners. There are several reasons why God will eliminate the false visions of these lying prophets who speak from their deceitful hearts.

First: They prophesy unto you a false vision which has its roots in the spirit of divination. True prophets speak from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and they always seek affirmation from others to confirm that the word they speak is from God.

God warns us not to listen to these prophets who speak a false vision and divination

Second: They speak a thing of naught. They speak a vision of their own heart.

Meaning of Nought: good for nothing, worthless

Foolish diviners are the source of much of the senseless, good for nothing, worthless teachings that are so prevalent among our so called present day cutting edge churches. These diviners are blind and cannot discern the difference between the clean and the unclean. Neither do they understand the difference between the holy and the unholy. They have fire in their fire pots but it is not Divine Fire which has its origin in the Holy Spirit. It is fire of their own making and like the strange fire of Nadab and Abihu it will cause the anger of God to be stirred up at the perpetrators

Ex 30:9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.

Le 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.

Nu 3:4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.

Nu 26:61 And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.

False diviners always carry strange incense in their incense pots and strange fire in their fire pots. The mixture is always deadly; please consider what happened to Nadab and Abihu. Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD

Third: Their words are from their own deceitful hearts. Their words are not out of the mouth of the LORD.

The Message: Eze 22:26 Your priests violated my law and desecrated my holy things. They can't tell the difference between sacred and secular.

Secular or sacred you be the judge. God hates mixture. The sacred and the secular must never be blended together and offered as worship to God.

The Music and lyrics of groups such as Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Rolling Stones and others is secular and should never be mixed with true worship of God.

These leaders lead their people and coach them to participate in music that is profane and unclean. They are Leaders who don't have a clue as to what real spiritual worships is about. They put no difference between the holy and profane, the unclean and the clean, and they profane God among themselves. Their philosophy is the same as Aaron’s philosophy throw in a little Skynyrd or Zeppelin and make a strange fire as they lead their flock in an idolatrous dance around the Golden Calf of idolatry.

Eze 22:26 Her priests leaders)have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and I am profaned among them.

Spiritually Blind Leaders who fail to discern the difference between the holy and the profane and between the clean and the unclean cannot have a vision from Lord. God's word is as Eternal as God himself is. Once God calls something unclean or profane it is forever unclean or profane.

Those who would to mix the sacred with secular are violating the law of God and desecrating His holy things. They are self styled visionaries and their vision is not only vain it is a stench in the nostrils of God.

17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp."

The Message: Ex 32:18 Moses replied:
"It is not the sound of victory,
It is not the sound of defeat;
"It is the sound of singing that I hear."
19-20 And that's what it was. When Moses came near to the camp and saw the calf and the people dancing, his anger flared. He threw down the tablets and smashed them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf that they had made, melted it down with fire, pulverized it to powder, then scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.
21 Moses said to Aaron, "What on Earth did these people ever do to you that you involved them in this huge sin?"

Two men Joshua and Moses hear the same sound. Joshua thinks its holy. Moses thinks it stinks in the nostrils of God. Joshua says its war against the enemies of God. Moses says its strange worship. Listen to Moses "It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; "it is the sound of singing (worship) that I hear."

Exodus Chapter 32 is the story of a Godly leader Aaron who allows himself to be influenced by people who had little if any spiritual vision. These malcontent's were unable to wait for a real heaven birthed move of God so they like many in today's misinformed church decided that they needed to add a few things to God's divine program and the results were disastrous.

Fourth: God says that I did not send them. They are running without a message.

I Samuel 18 Tells the story of two runners on is commissioned to deliver a message the other is running for the sake of running. We must choose whether we are pursuing the message that brings us into the true will and vision of the church. Watch that you don’t get sidetracked and end up chasing false vision and divination.

Fifth: God says they do not have my words in their mouth.

Every true vision is backed up by strong biblical evidence and is witnessed by others. If a person tells you that he and he alone has the vision of God for a church that person is not speaking the truth. God always uses this fool proof way of determining whether a person is speaking the truth. Here is the test “one witness shall not stand by the mouth of two or more witnesses ever word and vision shall be established.

Finally: God says that he will eliminate the false diviners from the house of Israel.

He says that these false diviners make you vain (strongs 01891 habal {haw-bal'}
they fill you vain hopes)

Vision casting demands biblical theological perspective. A vision caster cannot work in a vacuum. Vision casters must look deeply into heir heritage before the chart a course in pursuit of their destiny. Casting vision outside of real biblical theology will lead followers into emptiness as they tread the shallow waters of despair.

Any leader who seeks to cast vision before he has fully surrendered his life at the foot of Calvary, by taking up his cross to follow Jesus, will be doomed to utter failure. Vision casting that comes from an un-surrendered heart always takes the same path of arrogance, self centered carnality, which seeks to manifest human creativity as a substitute for Holy Spirit direction. All of these will lead to failure because they are birthed in the human heart which is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things.

Pr 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

NIV Pr 29:18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.

Leaders who follow in the path of Aaron who cause the people they to cast off restraint by introducing he profane into the holy and mixing the sacred with secular are blind and they also blinding those whom they lead. When the blind lead the blind the only thing that awaits them is the ditch.

Mt 15:9 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.

Joh 4:22 Ye worship that which ye know not: we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the
Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

God is a Spirit that can only be worshipped in the Spirit and in the Truth. In my humble opinion I do not think that the Music and lyrics of groups such as Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Rolling Stones and other secular groups are either Spirit or Truth.

Any leader who thinks that God can be worshipped by mixing the profane and the holy or by inserting the secular into the sacred needs only to ponder the above 4 scriptural references. If he is so blind as to ignore these scriptural references as too who God is and how God is worshipped my prayer is for mercy on him and his followers. The following scripture would then apply to that leader and the people who follow his false teachings and his vain pipe dreams and visions

1Co 14:38 But if any man is ignorant, let him be ignorant.

A. False visionaries offer (strange) music and singing
B. False visionaries offer (strange) worship
C. False visionaries offer (strange) incense
D. False visionaries offer (strange) fire
E. False visionaries created their own (strange) god
F. False visionaries attract control and manipulate the helpless, the hopeless, and the thoughtless blinding them to the real truth of God’s word

HM!!!!!!!!!!! My conclusion.

A Strange god,
Approached through Strange music
Creating Strange worship
Associated with Strange incense
Attracted to Strange fire
Results: Strange People

People who are unable to discriminate between the clean and the unclean and the holy and the unholy truly are a strange people.

One Man’s Opinion

The Integrity Crisis

2007-09-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

Eze 22:24. Son of man, say unto her, thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.
25. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
26. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
27. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
28. And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken.
29. The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
30. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

Conspiracy of prophets, treachery, violating the law, priests profaning the holy, placing no difference between the clean and the unclean, violating the sabbath
Her princes(leaders)in the midst thereof ravening the prey, destroying souls, taken the treasure and precious things

Ez 22:26 Finally in exaspiration God says I(God)am profaned among them.

A crisis of integrity !!!!!!!! You bet!!!!!!!!!

When God himself is profaned by his leadership "Integrity Crisis In Gargantuan Way"

Question: How are integrity crisis created in the church?

Answer: Integrity crisis are created in the church by uncaring, insensitive, and brutal leaders who seek their own well being at the expense of the well being of God's flock.

Question: Who can assist in dispelling the integrity crisis?

Answer: You, as a Godly leader, can.

If you will consent to becoming one of those whom God is calling upon to stand in the "integrity gap and to make up the "integrity hedge"

Yes, Yes I am saying "Integrity Gap and Integrity Hedge"

We have in the church of conspiring prophets, treacherous leaders, violators of God's laws, priests who are profaning the holy, those who have taken the treasure and precious things, ministers who place no disorientation between the clean and the unclean, leaders who are shedding blood and destroying souls, leaders who get dishonest gain. How cane we have anything but a catastrophic in crisis of integrity? See 1Sa 1 Observe the behavior of the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas

I think I am putting it mildly when I say that the conduct of many of our present day ministers is creating a catastrophic integrity crisis which is resulting in a volcanic explosion of resentment against the ministry and against the church

Eze 22:30. And I(God)sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

I sought for a man among them. Among whom among those conspiring prophets, treacherous leaders, the violators of God's laws, the profaning priest who cannot discern between the holy and the unholy, the ministers who place no difference between the clean and the unclean, the leaders who shed blood and destroy souls.

Seeking a man of integrity to fill the gap and make up the hedge among those ruthless leaders was a task that even God himself could not accomplish.

God is once again calling upon the ministry to step forth and to stand in the
"Integrity Gap and to make up the Integrity Hedge". If you and I are not willing to stand in "Integrity Gap and to make up the Integrity Hedge" then we like the proverbial ostrich need to stick our heads in the sand and get out of God's way.

1Sa 17:22-51 This scriptural passage is one of the most amazing stories of the dedication and power of a Godly Shepherd in the word of God. David was only a shepherd boy but he live by the shepherd principle which was to offer himself for the sheep(the people of God) He was more than willing to put his life on the line at any given moment for the sheep.

1Sa 17:48. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

1Sa 17:40 And he (David)took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling (means of delivery) was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

David:

A. David: Chose 5 smooth stones well rounded and balanced) See Eph 4:11 5 ministerial gifting for the perfecting of his sheep (God's people)
B. David: Placed the stones in his shepherds bag (not his warriors bag) Again I reference Eph 4:11 the 5 ministerial gifting are the weapons of deliverance in the Shepherd's bag to defend and protect the sheep (God's People)
C. David: Took his sling (means of delivery) For the third time I reference Eph 4:11 the 5 ministerial gifts are the means of delivering the death blow to the enemy of the sheep (God's People)

If we desire to be on of Davids 5 smooth stones in the "The Good Shepherd's bag" and commit ourselves to standing in the "Integrity Gap and Making up the integrity Hedge" we need to understand and manifest the principle of integrity.

Integrity is best defined as the ability to influence. Another word that helps define integrity is believability. A person who has influence and believability is a person of integrity. Integrity requires that you do and say nothing that deceives others.

2Co 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

2Co 6:3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: (AV)
4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God,

Our ministry gift is given to us by God. It is our God given responsibility to live a life of integrity in order to preserve the Character an the nature of the gift.

A man of Integrity will act in the following manner:

A. he will renounced the hidden things of dishonesty
B. he will not walk in craftiness
C. he will not handle the word of God deceitfully
D. he will manifest the truth
E. he will not violate the conscience of others
F. he will not offend in any thing so that the ministry is not blame ed

A person of integrity is one who takes his call to the ministry seriously. When an individual fails in the ministry his failure is past on to the entire ministry of the Body of Christ and all ministers are blamed for his failure.

LVD Eph.4:15. Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all times--speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly --and so become more and more in every way like Christ who is the Head of his body, the Church. Under his direction the whole body is fitted together perfectly, and each part in its own special way helps the other parts, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

There are three absolute principles that every minister is obligated to make sure that he adheres to regardless of his life situations.

A man of Integrity will commit to the following principles:

First: A man of integrity who cars about the sheep and his ministry gift that God has entrusted to will seek to lovingly follow the truth at all times. Our credibility will be much less suspect if we focus our efforts on speaking truly. Not only must we be committed to speaking the truth, we must make absolutely sure that we saturate and inundate our words with love for those to whom we are speaking.

Truth can only be found in the word of God. As ministers our verbal conversation must be thoroughly lace with the word of God. By this I do not mean that a minister should be a "bible thumping nut" but his conversational content must have roots in the scriptures. As minister we must be totally committed to speaking the truth in love? If we are not committed to speaking the truth in love we would do well to refrain from speaking.

Pr 6:2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

1. This scripture says that individuals are snared by the words of their mouth therefore those of us who involved in ministry must be acutely aware of what we say. Our words will come back to haunt us. If we fail to bridle our tongues we will be forced to live with the situations we create by using our unbridled tongues.

2. We are also taken by the words of our mouth. What is being said here is that people will hold us accountable for what we say. Have you ever felt like others were casting you words back into your teeth. There could be good reason for why this is happening. We need to check your conversation. Are we lovingly expressing the truth by speaking truly?

Secondly: A man of integrity will be keenly aware of the fact that our actions are continually scrutinised and the the eyes of both the world and the church are always fixed upon us. Men of integrity must learn the responsibility of living the truth. We must never forget that accepting the call to engage ourselves in our ministry gifting dooms us to live in a glass house forever. We can run but here is no place for us to hide.

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

The human heart(psyche,soul mind,intellect)is desperately wicked and only God can know it. In the following passage of scripture God makes his request for access to our hearts.

Pr 23:26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

Men of integrity are aware that their thoughts must be captivated by the awesome truth that God has ask us to give him full and unreserved access to our hearts. Unreserved access to a heart is the means that God uses to initiate transformation.

Ro 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The Message Ro 12:2 Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

A transformed mind is a mind acutely aware of the fact that we must be totally dedicated and committed to living truly. Walking in truth is our only option anything else will result in our demise and cause problems for the ministry.

Men of integrity are acutely aware that they must not live in a way that causes offence.

2Co 6:3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: (AV)
4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God,

Finally: Men of integrity must deal truly. When we speaks one way and then act another we bring disgrace upon ourselves and dishonor to the office that we hold. It is our God ordained responsibility to make sure that we will lovingly follow the truth at all times. We must speak truly, deal truly, and live truly. If we commit ourselves to lovingly follow the truth we will be men of integrity. Men who represent the nature and character of Jesus Christ in what we say,in how we live and in how we treat others.

If we have failed in our efforts to lovingly follow the truth and we have not spoken, lived or dealt truly we are not without hope. God's has not abandoned us he is standing by ready to embrace us and to help us renew our life purpose and to seek our destiny. He will do this if we will obey the word of God

Men of Integrity who have failed ( Yes Yes Yes hear me clearly Men of integrity who have failed) can rebuild their integrity that has been compromised and renew their character that has been blemished by transgression against God's commandment's.

In order to have their integrity restored and to regain their Godly character men of integrity who have fallen will initiate the the process of restoration in their lives by initiating the principles of restoration mentioned in Eze 18:31.

Eze 18:31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Men of Integrity:

A. Cast away from you all your transgressions
B. make you a new heart
C. make you a new spirit

I conjunction with you efforts to regain your integrity and to restore you character
God will act partnership with you in your efforts to be restored.

If we commit to casting away all of our transgressions and make efforts to renew our heart and Spirit Of God will come near and join us in our efforts of transformation.

Men of integrity who are seeking God according to the principles of Eze 18:31 will enjoy the tremendous promise of blessing found in Eze 36:26 A

Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

A. he will give you a new heart
B. he will give you a new spirit
C. he will remove your heart of stone
D. he will give you a heart of flesh

After he has a accomplished his wonderful work of transformation God will work in you to initiate his will.

2Co 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Your challenge is to allow God to inscribe his divine nature on the tables of Your heart so that you can truly become a man of integrity.

God bless and may the Lord Jesus Christ grant you grace, strength, and the fortitude you meed to become a man who can stand in the integrity gap and make up the integrity hedge.

Shepherds where are your sheep:

Mt 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Isa 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Are they scattered abroad and shepardless? Are they wrapped in the arms and drawn close to the bosom of a loving shepherd? It your choice since you are the shepherd.

Danger and Opportunity: the Chinese Expression for "Crisis"

You may have heard people say that the Chinese expression for “crisis consists of two characters, one meaning "danger" the other “opportunity". The two Chinese characters in question are most likely Wei Ji. Wei does have the meaning of danger and Ji implies chance, a pivot, or a crucial point in time. So, the expression seems to signify the dual nature of a crisis - peril and potential.

Shepherds are you forgetting your potential could be locked in the storm of your present peril? Please call a time out and step aside for a moment and realize that your Great God and Savior Jesus Christ will never leave or forsake you regardless of your present peril.

According to the Chinese characters Wei & Ji your opportunity awaits you even in the storm of your crisis. Cease the moment and recapture you destiny. The opportunity is present in the chinese characters Wei & Ji. Your situation has confonted you with both danger and opportunity. Which will you choose? My sincere prayer is that you will choose oportunity.

God bless and may this posting bring encouragement to your heart and restoration to your soul and spirit.

One man's opinion & thought on the integrity gap and the integrity hedge crisis. !!!!!!!!!!

Please feel free to express your thoughts on the issue.

A Crisis of Leadership - Uncaring Shepherds

2007-09-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

The church as a whole and many specific congregations are suffering from a crisis of leadership. Many church leaders have abandoned the biblical role model of the shepherding pastor and have substituted the secular view of executive pastoral leadership.

These so called executive pastors no longer know what it is like to have the smell of sheep on them. They are so far removed from the biblical principle of shepherding that the term hireling better fits their leadership style.

The drumbeat of God has been sounded against these false shepherds of old and the present day executive shepherds whose leadership styles are a carbon copy of the false shepherds of Israel.

Jer 50:6 My people hath been lost sheep: their (executive) shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.

Isa 56:10 His (God's)watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

Jer 23:1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you (False shepherds)the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.

God's indictment:

Their shepherds have caused them to go astray. Why? They (The Shepherds) are blind,ignorant,dumb,sleeping,slumbering,greedy dogs which can never have enough.
They are shepherds that cannot understand. they all look to their own way, every one to his own gain from his quarter (location) Woe to the pastors that destroy and scatter and drive away my(God's)the flock.

This is the most pathetic and disgusting description of unbiblical leadership found in the word of God. If this were the end of the story all would be in vain.
But there is a second chapter.

Jer 23:3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.

There is a promise of deliverance from the hands of these cruel and uncaring shepherds.

Hear God Speak:

A. I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them
B. They(The Sheep)shall fear no more
C. Neither shall they (The Sheep)be lacking

Eze 34:1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to ! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.
5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

Non shepherding executive pastor are further indicted:

The shepherds of Israel feed themselves
They clothe with wool
They kill,they feed not
They have the shepherd not strengthened the
Neither have they healed the sick,
Neither have they bound up the broken
Neither have they brought back those they have driven away
Neither have they sought the lost

But they have ruled with force and cruelty
Their flocks were scattered because they refuse to shepherd
They refused to search for the scattered flock.

One of the most demeaning terms a pastor or shepherd can apply to himself is the term "boss". Any pastoring shepherd who ever refers to himself as boss doesn't have a clue concerning the biblical principles of Godly Spiritual Leadership.

American Heritage Dictionary defines boss as: Someone who gives orders to another in an arrogant or domineering manner.

Anyone who conducts themselves toward gods people in this manner wishes to lord over God's heritage

1Pe 5: 1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight [thereof], not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; (AV)
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Godly leadership is one of oversight not one of arrogance and dominance.

If your leadership style is one of arrogance and dominance you are on your way out unless you change your leadership style.

Ez 34:9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.
16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

God's resolve is to deliver his sheep from the hands of those who seek to lord over them and to place them in the hands of feeding shepherds who love having the smell of sheep on them. God Says I will deliver my flock from their (the bossy executive shepherds who lord over God's heritage sheep) mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

God will not allow his sheep to be battered, bruised and broken by someone who has modeled his leadership style after Attila the Hun.

God's promise to his flock: After the shepherds who seek to lord over God's heritage are removed he will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. (Jer. 23:4)

We have a choice we can choose to follow the example below and become shepherds that cause the sheep to stray.

We can be shepherds that are blind,ignorant,dumb,sleeping,slumbering,greedy dogs which can never have enough. Shepherds that cannot understand. Shepherds that look to our own way. Shepherds who our own gain from our quarter (location). Shepherds pastors that destroy and scatter and drive away my(God's)the flock.

Or we can become like the Good Shepherd

Isa 40:10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

The Good Shepherd has the lambs in his arms and the smell of sheep is all over him.

Good Shepherd, Bad Shepherd the choice is ours.

This is one man's opinion.
Do we have another?

2007-09-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

A Leadership Crisis most often results in a Crisis of Confidence

Leadership crisis are created when leaders fail to deliver as promised and or they promise more than their gifting and or character can deliver.

Example: As Much as I dislike saying it George W. Bush and the republican party

We are all painfully aware of the Leadership crisis in our present political arena. A far greater crises of confidence looms on the horizon. A crisis that negatively affects the body Body of Christ, the church. This crisis of confidence is being brought on by leaders who are driven by narrow minded pettiness. Leaders who desire to exercise unscriptural control over the lives of those under their leadership.

I am out and about bumping elbows with both leaders and laity and there is a ground swell of resentment building against those leaders who are committed to unbiblical leadership principles. In many congregations the crisis of confidence has reached the boiling point. Godly leaders and lay persons alike are seething and frothing with anger and disgust toward those leaders who are seeking excessive control over their congregations. Leaders who are undisciplined and void in their understanding of leadership principles spend much of their time trying to cover up their small time pettiness. They are never satisfied with either the lifestyle or the performance of those around them. They are constantly placing others under a microscope while they themselves live in glass houses. The rumblings of discontentment against unbiblical leadership styles are being heard through the church of Jesus Christ. Who do we blame for these rumblings of discontentment.

Leaders who practice and promote unbiblical leadership styles built upon unbiblical leadership principles are constantly pointing the finger at those around them. Some leaders have mastered the art of blame shifting in an attempt to hide behind the fig leaf aprons of unbiblical leadership styles and their failure to model the gospel to those who they are attempting to lead.

We as leaders must face up to the issue of the crisis of confidence we have created. We must not, no we cannot blame others for our failure to maintain our integrity by deviating from biblical leadership principles. We are the leaders and we are responsible for any and all crisis of confidence that are being manifest throughout the church world. We, as leaders have only ourselves to blame because we have blundered through our leadership responsibilities under the guise of being led by the Spirit. But we have forgotten that God's Spirit and God's Word are one and the same. We are not being Spirit led in our leadership roles when our leadership styles are in clear violation of the Word of God.

An insightful educator once said, "More is caught than taught." It's certainly true for those in leadership. Those who we attempt to lead "catch" our example and attitudes much quicker than what we teach and tell them. Put simply, as biblical leaders, we are a models whether we like it or not. The responsibility to model biblical leadership principles comes with the call to leadership. Followers watch how leaders act or react and then follow their examples.

Leaders who are accusing those around them of being disloyal, undisciplined, rebellious and sinful should probably take a long insightful look into the mirror of the word of God. What we see in others is often a good indicator of what God is seeing in us.

Isa 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

There are three indicators in this scripture that bear comment

A. They which lead you cause you to err
B. Children are their oppressors. Children represent:(immature leaders who are unaware of biblical leadership principles)

Eze 45:8 In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes (leaders) shall no more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes.

C. Women(Perverted leadership)rule over them.
American Heritage Dictionary definition of perverted: Perverted is Deviation from what is considered right and correct

As a general principle: When people fail to follow it is a good indication that someone is failing to lead.

The best definition of Leadership I have ever run across is as follows.
Leadership is defined best as the ability to influence.

Before we attempt to lead we should make sure that we have influence with the ones we are trying to lead.

Good leaders are developed not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an biblical principled leader. Good biblical principled leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience.

To inspire those whom we seek to lead into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things we must be, know, and, do.

These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study. Good biblical principled leaders are continually working and studying the Word of God to improve their leadership skills; they are NOT resting on their laurels.

Good Biblical Principled Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership
attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills.

Although our leadership positions gives us the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in our churches and organizations, this power does not make us leaders...it simply makes us bosses.

Godly Leadership principles differ in that they induce the followers to want to achieve high goals, rather than simply being bossed around by those who do not understand the principles of real biblical spiritual leadership.

As a Biblical Principled Leader, we need to interact with our followers, peers, seniors, and others, whose support we need in order to accomplish our objectives.

To gain their support, we must be able to understand and motivate them.

To understand and motivate people, we must know human nature. Human nature is the common qualities of all human beings. People behave according to certain principles of human nature. These principles govern our behavior.

Good biblical principled leaders are able to get people to trust them. When someone trust's us they are more apt to buy into our vision.

Using biblically principled leadership tools described in the Word of God and above all being honest and fair in all we do will provide us with the ammo we need to gain the trust of those we seek to lead.

To sell others on our vision, we need to possess energy and display a positive attitude that is contagious. People want a strong vision of where they are going. No one wants to be stuck in a dead-end church going nowhere...or a church headed in the wrong direction. People want to be involved with the vision of a Godly leader.

Involved people are the ones who will get us to the goals we aspire to achieve. We cannot fulfill our dreams and bring our vision to reality alone, we must involve others!

Crisis of confidence are created by leaders who abandon biblical leadership principles. These leaders have lost sight of the big picture and have condescended to the level of engaging themselves in petty arguments with individuals who are applying single brush strokes in the formation of the big picture.

Biblical principled Leaders do not and must not command excellence. They nurture and build excellence. Excellence is "being all you can be" within the bounds of doing what is right for our churches and organizations.

To achieve excellence we must first be a leader of good character. We must do everything we are supposed to do. An organizations will not achieve excellence by figuring out where it wants to go, then having unprincipled leaders do whatever they have to in order to get the job done, and then hope their leaders acted with good character.

This type of thinking is backwards. Pursuing excellence should not be confused with accomplishing a job or task. Leaders who are undisciplined in biblical principles are often forced to do what is called backward planning. Backward planning is the implementation of some preventative measure because of past failure. Excellence cannot be achieved by backwards planning.

Excellence starts with the determination to be the best biblical principled leader possible. Leaders who seek to develop and to maintain a biblical standard of excellence which engages them in the entire process of leadership. And the first step in the process is being and or becoming a person of impeccable character.

A leader's a man who commands much respect, But due to the natures of all,
He's only as good as the image he casts. In the mirror that hangs on the wall.
He usually sees what he wants, and no more, He's afraid to look deep in his soul.
He doesn't consider himself as at fault, But wants others to help reach his goal.
When failures arise he blames it on all Who failed to help or take part,
"They never did what they were told," he would say,"they haven't the skill or the art."
What kind of a leader are you going to be - the kind who thinks he is the best?
Or will you be one of the very few greats Who attributes success to the rest.

If you are feeling like people are backing off and losing interest in the vision you have cast for your church or organization take a long deep and insightful look in the mirror that hangs on the wall. Are you seeing what you want to see or are you looking deep in the soul. Will you consider that you are likely at fault or will you pass the buck and say "They never did what they were told,"

Crisis of Confidence in your leadership, enjoy it, after all it is your creation.

One man's opinion

Are there other opinions on this subject? Lets hear them.

Portions of this article are taken from the following
Ridley, M. (2003). Nature Via Nurture New York: Harper Collins.
U.S. Army Handbook (1973). Military Leadership.
[Tags: character values beliefs ]