Coffee With The Lord

Young emerging leaders are often discovered and formed in the most unexpected places! They often do not possess the “advantages” of power, prestige and privilege that others enjoy. Their incubation often takes place in poverty, small towns, the “wrong side of the tracks” and the farm. Many great leaders got their education in one room schoolhouses, little colleges or possessed no formal education at all!
Wise seasoned leaders recognize this and are continually on the lookout for young emerging leaders with promise. Identifying young people with leadership potential and gifting, for these seasoned leaders is a life quest.
For those with Christian values, God’s calling and gifting, are key components in identifying and developing young emerging leaders. They view this critical issue as non-negotiable.
This morning my Bible reading included a case study in the identification of young emerging leaders (1 Samuel 16)…
Saul, the first king in Israel, had disqualified himself through pride and disobedience. The Bible says, “The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’”
So Samuel obeyed and went to Bethlehem. He arranged for a sacrifice and invited Jesse and his sons to attend. Eliab, the eldest – the natural choice, appeared. Samuel thought this was probably the one. God spoke however and said, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart!” (verse 7) Abinadab appeared… then Shammah… then seven other sons passed by. In each case God told Samuel, “The Lord has not chosen this one.” Finally, Samuel asked, “Are all your sons here?” And Jesse admitted, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” So young David was brought. When Samuel saw him, the Lord spoke… “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one!” The least likely in Jesse’s and Samuel’s view was chosen by God! The Bible says, “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.” (verse 13)
Over the years it has been my privilege and responsibility to identify, encourage and help develop young emerging leaders. I can tell you, some of the very best and most effective have come from the most unexpected backgrounds! At the present time I am reading Carl Sandburg’s ABRAHAM LINCOLN: The Prairie Years and the War Years. From a purely natural perspective, who would have chosen Abraham Lincoln as one of the most effective presidents the United States has known? Listen, I never want to forget this fact; “the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart!”

Custom crafted jewelry… You may have seen an exquisite ring, bracelet or pendant with the words “custom crafted for (the name of a person)…. By (and then the name of the artisan) etched into the piece of jewelry. Beautiful stuff! One of a kind! Crafted by a master artisan to the specifications of the purchaser. I was able to buy a pink sapphire ring once, crafted by a master jeweler in Santé Fe for my wife… beautiful piece! I was proud to give it to her – she proudly wears it.
I thought of that this morning as I read the following passage of Scripture…
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 ESV)
To be “sanctified” is to be set apart to God… if you please “custom crafted” for God and His purposes – set apart to the Lord. The master craftsman is at work within a Christian’s life to create a blameless work of art in our lives “inside-out” – spirit, soul and body. His skill and ability in unmatched – a exquisite finished product – in “the image of Christ”!
Apostle Paul put it another way in Ephesians 2:10… “We are His workmanship (his “work of art”) created (or “custom crafted”) in Christ Jesus for good works!”

Some of you will remember the instructions you received from your Mom as you prepared to leave for a date, or go on a trip, or when you left to go to college… One tidbit of final instructions after another (in “rapid fire”)! 

Well, I read a passage this morning written by Apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration designed to prepare us to live the way God want us to in “community” before the Lord returns… (1 Thessalonians 5:12-22) I counted 7 general instructions)…

1. Honor and esteem highly your spiritual leaders!
“Respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you! Esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”

2. Get along with each other!
“Be at peace among yourselves.”

3. Help each other along as you live the Christian life!
“And we urge you, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with them all.”

4. Don’t try to get even for wrongs you’ve experienced – instead do good to each other!
“See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another – and to everyone.”

5. Be a praying, praising, grateful Christian… all of the time!
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

6. Welcome the Holy Spirit’s activity among yourselves – test and affirm what is genuine!
“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast to what is good.”

7. Steer clear of anything and everything that would displease the Lord!
“Abstain from every form of evil.”

Good stuff it seems to me! Don’t want to do with these what I sometimes did to Mom’s advice… “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! (and then ignore what she said). I want to be ready when He comes!