Time travel has captured people attention for a long time. I remember when we lived in Australia, flying back to the US, we would leave Sydney at 11:00 am, and 15 hours later arrive in California at 7:30 am on the same date. Trust me, time travel can wear you out! (crossing the international date line)
God lives in a multi-dimensional time frame. We live with a horizontal view of time; past, present and future. God sees time in more of a spherical perspective; he sees all of it all at once.
In Isa. 42:9 God says, “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” This is a dimension of faith. To see what God sees and to begin to declare it, and live in that reality.
There is an appointed time for God’s purposes. We tend to think that during the dormant time nothing is happening. Yet Philippians 1:6 gives us a perspective that God’s works on a continuum of time. “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
So while things are being worked out on the surface, we can live in the future, by living out the plans of God. Be the person now that you see in the future. Live future tense. Live the blessing of God today just like it will be when the appointed time unfolds. Walk in the life of God today and let the future catch up to you!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Appointment with Destiny
Thinking a lot lately about the concept of an appointed time. An appointment with destiny if you will. Habakkuk 2:2-3 from the Message translation states this: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming.It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time.
The encouragement I draw from this is not found in the word 'wait', but from the idea that a time is appointed-planned. That planned timing is perfect.
As a friend of mine said once, "I love it when a plan comes together."
The encouragement I draw from this is not found in the word 'wait', but from the idea that a time is appointed-planned. That planned timing is perfect.
As a friend of mine said once, "I love it when a plan comes together."
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Prepare The Way
Talking a walk: leisurely, relaxing, stress relieving; sounds enticing. But let’s get real. Who has time or energy for that? Arrival is preference. The words expressed in a song say it all, “I don’t care how you get here, just get here.”
One of the great truths of life and leadership is the discovery that the treasure is in the journey, not the destination. “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord” are the words of Isa. 40:3 NIV). It’s a picture like the movie ‘Field of Dreams’. Just build it, and they will come. While still in the desert prepare. Prepare the way for the Lord. Make the desert a God-Place. Act like He is there, and He will be. He will come.
Next question is ‘when’? ‘At the appointed time’ is a phrase from the Bible that is running around in my head lately. God’s timing is perfect, everything in sync, in rhythm. It’s all about a faith that the future is not dependant or defined by the present. It is dependant upon God and His design. So prepare now for the way of the Lord.
One of the great truths of life and leadership is the discovery that the treasure is in the journey, not the destination. “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord” are the words of Isa. 40:3 NIV). It’s a picture like the movie ‘Field of Dreams’. Just build it, and they will come. While still in the desert prepare. Prepare the way for the Lord. Make the desert a God-Place. Act like He is there, and He will be. He will come.
Next question is ‘when’? ‘At the appointed time’ is a phrase from the Bible that is running around in my head lately. God’s timing is perfect, everything in sync, in rhythm. It’s all about a faith that the future is not dependant or defined by the present. It is dependant upon God and His design. So prepare now for the way of the Lord.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Walking With New Strength
Life is filled with paradoxes, many, if not most, clearly I have not figured out yet. So while I believe that 'great leaders walk with a limp'*, I also believe that renewal comes to those who wait and trust God. (Let me digress for just a moment to say that in our world lately, 'wait' has been identified as a four letter word!)
Isa. 40:31 from The Message reads, "But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles,They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind."
So there it is, great leaders walk with a limp, but run in the strength of God.
*(see 'Great Leaders Walk With A Limp' article below)
Isa. 40:31 from The Message reads, "But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles,They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind."
So there it is, great leaders walk with a limp, but run in the strength of God.
*(see 'Great Leaders Walk With A Limp' article below)
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Going Forward Is The Best Option
I recently spent considerable time studying the life of Joseph as found in the Bible. Many interesting incites from his life surfaced; here are a few thoughts.
I wonder if Joseph had ever wished he could go back to the way things were. I'm sure he did, we all do; its human nature. From the pit where his brothers had thrown him, he may have wished to go home again. Unfortunately however, home was a place of tension, strife and ridicule. Certainly not an environment for growth. Whatever the future held, it would have to be better than the constant demeaning of character he experienced from his brothers.
From the pit into slavery. As bad as that potentially could have been, at least he was not constantly put down and ridiculed. In fact he was recognized as a man with potential. He was given responsibility and trust. Life does not stand still however. Falsely accused he found himself in prison. Going back may have been better than a prison cell, but it still would have been a life of slavery.
Each phase of Joseph's life presented greater hardships. Going back may have been easier in some respects, but certainly it did not measure up to his potential. Joseph would never have gone to the palace, had it not been for the prison. Each hardship he faced introduced him to the next opportunity. Opportunities cannot be measured by the level of comfort, but rather by the level of influence and the next open door. Going back may be familiar and comfortable, but probably will not take you to your palace opprotunity. Going forward is the best option!
I wonder if Joseph had ever wished he could go back to the way things were. I'm sure he did, we all do; its human nature. From the pit where his brothers had thrown him, he may have wished to go home again. Unfortunately however, home was a place of tension, strife and ridicule. Certainly not an environment for growth. Whatever the future held, it would have to be better than the constant demeaning of character he experienced from his brothers.
From the pit into slavery. As bad as that potentially could have been, at least he was not constantly put down and ridiculed. In fact he was recognized as a man with potential. He was given responsibility and trust. Life does not stand still however. Falsely accused he found himself in prison. Going back may have been better than a prison cell, but it still would have been a life of slavery.
Each phase of Joseph's life presented greater hardships. Going back may have been easier in some respects, but certainly it did not measure up to his potential. Joseph would never have gone to the palace, had it not been for the prison. Each hardship he faced introduced him to the next opportunity. Opportunities cannot be measured by the level of comfort, but rather by the level of influence and the next open door. Going back may be familiar and comfortable, but probably will not take you to your palace opprotunity. Going forward is the best option!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Great Leaders Walk With A Limp
Great leaders walk with a limp. This thought comes from the story of Jacob, as found in the book of Genesis. Here we read of a man who was cunning, scheming, always looking out for himself. You may not have known Jacob, but perhaps some of his relatives have crossed your path. This is a person that when you get to know him you wished you had not. And yet we see God giving special interest to him. In fact, in his later life, he became known as the ‘friend of God’. He was a flawed man, like all of us, and yet God chose to identify Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. By today’s standards his parenting skills would have earned him the label ‘dysfunctional’. God calls him His friend!
We like to put leaders on a pedestal. Certainly there is a facet of leadership where life’s lessons have been proved in the leader and they lead out of their experience. We like to follow one who has been this way before and knows what they are doing, and where they are going. But leaders are flawed people because they are human. We like the hero, but we get disillusioned with the human element in leaders.
It helps to see how God viewed Jacob. Why Jacob, and not a better candidate? One of the assignments Jacob had was to raise a son who would become the leader of the largest populated nation of that day. Should this be entrusted to a schemer like Jacob? Some may speculate the likes of Jacob was all that God had to work with. That view however paints God into a corner leaving Him without options. Rather, I think God deliberately looked for the least likely candidate to work His purpose in. Jacob became a trophy of God’s grace.
So what does this have to do with me, and my life, you ask? Well Jacob, it has a lot to do with you. Life unpacks the unexpected to all of us. Powering along, checking off the goals, accumulating the nest egg, and then life happens; an unexpected crisis arrives on your doorstep. Something beyond the scope of your control occurs. You watch helplessly as this unfolds in your life, as if you were viewing it on a TV screen. You wonder, ‘how did I get here’, ‘why is this happening to me’?
Somebody said, ‘it does not matter whether these are the best of times or the worst of times. These are the only times you have’. We burn so much energy trying to justify and get back to where we were. But perhaps we need to accept that change has come, life is different. Not worse, just different. Perhaps even better! Just maybe God is taking you to a new level of influence. Its been said that ‘those God uses greatly, He wounds deeply’.
So while you may be walking with a limp these days, your level of influence increases. And leadership is all about influence. Understanding that God works His purpose to the randomness of life, gives perspective. Limping along, we help others on their journey.
We like to put leaders on a pedestal. Certainly there is a facet of leadership where life’s lessons have been proved in the leader and they lead out of their experience. We like to follow one who has been this way before and knows what they are doing, and where they are going. But leaders are flawed people because they are human. We like the hero, but we get disillusioned with the human element in leaders.
It helps to see how God viewed Jacob. Why Jacob, and not a better candidate? One of the assignments Jacob had was to raise a son who would become the leader of the largest populated nation of that day. Should this be entrusted to a schemer like Jacob? Some may speculate the likes of Jacob was all that God had to work with. That view however paints God into a corner leaving Him without options. Rather, I think God deliberately looked for the least likely candidate to work His purpose in. Jacob became a trophy of God’s grace.
So what does this have to do with me, and my life, you ask? Well Jacob, it has a lot to do with you. Life unpacks the unexpected to all of us. Powering along, checking off the goals, accumulating the nest egg, and then life happens; an unexpected crisis arrives on your doorstep. Something beyond the scope of your control occurs. You watch helplessly as this unfolds in your life, as if you were viewing it on a TV screen. You wonder, ‘how did I get here’, ‘why is this happening to me’?
Somebody said, ‘it does not matter whether these are the best of times or the worst of times. These are the only times you have’. We burn so much energy trying to justify and get back to where we were. But perhaps we need to accept that change has come, life is different. Not worse, just different. Perhaps even better! Just maybe God is taking you to a new level of influence. Its been said that ‘those God uses greatly, He wounds deeply’.
So while you may be walking with a limp these days, your level of influence increases. And leadership is all about influence. Understanding that God works His purpose to the randomness of life, gives perspective. Limping along, we help others on their journey.
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