God's Eyes
I Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
God doesn't evaluate like people do. He sees more. He is the Father, and we are the children. Children see less about life, so children naturally elevate ones who seem to be the best in the moment. The choices of children are fickle. One wrong move and group moves on to the next who seems to have what they want that moment.
I have watched groups of boys play in my front yard for years...depending on the game being played, the one most suited to be the best in the moment will be king for an hour with kids...but that king almost always ends up getting tossed aside when his head gets bigger than his skill...or when the game changes...this is the way of the human heart:
Hosea 10:2-4 The hearts of the people are fickle; they are guilty and must be punished. The lord will break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Then they will say, “We have no king because we didn’t fear the lord . But even if we had a king, what could he do for us anyway?” They spout empty words and make covenants they don’t intend to keep. So injustice springs up among them like poisonous weeds in a farmer’s field.
The NKJV of that passage reads the hearts of the people are "divided." Mankind is continually tempted with a divided heart: trust in the strength of man AND the strength of God. This is what it means to have a divided heart. Mostly the Bible is about God's people (unbelievers don't receive the word), and the Bible says God's people need to be wary of their own slippery hearts:
Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord , search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
The Father's heart is stable. He is unchanging. His heart is undivided, but instead is fixed solidly on truth.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
A father sees more. A father judges quality differently. When I used to watch the little kids in my yard, I saw more than they did. I knew the arrogant ones wouldn't last long when real pressure came into their lives. I knew one or two of the timid ones, if they were given the right opportunity, would rise to the occasion. Perspective...time....changes the way you see things.
God has been around longer than anyone else. He formed every molecule. He wrote the dreams of every heart and then in love allows each heart to chose how to satisfy the dreams He put there. Few choose the Father to satisfy the dream He wrote on their hearts, but all can. Because God not only has wisdom simply gained from His ownership of all things, but also knows the nuances of the human heart, He sees differently. He evaluates differently. He understands the motivation and desire of my heart even better than I do.
God has a dream in His heart, too. Joining my dreams to His leadership here on earth is what He called "very good" in Genesis 1:31. God desires a family that trusts in HIS leadership! You will never get His presence without His leadership. He will never come to occupy 2nd place. God desires hearts that are loyal to this truth:
II Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”
In this well known passage, Asa, who started out as a great king because he trusted God, fell into rebellion, because when the pressure was on he turned to man. This is considered rebellion by God. Trusting in man's strength is considered rebellion. Even trusting in the strength of human Christian leaders is considered rebellion.
Jeremiah 17:5-8 Thus says the Lord : “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord . For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord , And whose hope is the Lord . For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
We are supposed to make God our source and reward. The heart of man naturally desires to find a king...to find a strong personality who might take responsibility for us, or maybe elevate us to their side. But God says this is a foolish way to live. The self-centered heart of man will always fail others. A true leader in agreement with God seeks to serve...to become less so Jesus can become more.
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Jesus said a true leader in His organization will actually actively resist elevation in the hearts and minds of others, even what they allow themselves to be called by the other children...always taking the posture of a child...realizing that they could not possibly meet the expectations of the labels people put on them and still be in agreement with God:
Matthew 23:5-12. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Right now we are coming into a time when this truth will be revealed. The game is changing. Testing...pressure...fire is coming. The fire will reveal truth in full. Anointing does not reveal true leaders...having power in your ministry, charisma in your words, wisdom in your teaching, or a reputation...even signs and wonders marking your meetings...none of these reveal true leadership. There is only one way to evaluate whether or not someone is operating in agreement with Jesus:
Matthew 7:20-23 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Paul said that the Bride...the Church...is not a top-down organization. One of the greatest attacks against the Church right now is an attempt by the enemy to separate...to elevate...leaders above the "people." This is unBiblical. There are not two classes of Christians. There are not "leaders" and "people." This is the tradition of men, not the teaching of the Bible. The Bible describes the Bride of Jesus as a Body. Every part of my body is a leader in the thing it was designed to do.
I Corinthians 12:14-31 For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.
There is no part of my body I want to go without. Every part of my body is responsible for some act of service and some act of leadership. A whole body grows together. Jesus is the only head of this body, and those who know their true identity in Him don't try to replace Him, they look for the lowest place, elevating others by speaking truth and encouragement into their calling and gifting, that they might bring everyone into an understanding of leadership.
Satan's kingdom trades power for loyalty. Satan is always attempting to infiltrate Jesus' body with a "top down" mentality in order to divide and conquer.
Jesus has shown us the nature of true power. He, the head, set all power aside and became a servant as an example.
Philippians 2:5-9 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges ; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
Jesus' body should reflect His leadership.
Luke 14:10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.
God doesn't evaluate like people do. He sees more. He is the Father, and we are the children. Children see less about life, so children naturally elevate ones who seem to be the best in the moment. The choices of children are fickle. One wrong move and group moves on to the next who seems to have what they want that moment.
I have watched groups of boys play in my front yard for years...depending on the game being played, the one most suited to be the best in the moment will be king for an hour with kids...but that king almost always ends up getting tossed aside when his head gets bigger than his skill...or when the game changes...this is the way of the human heart:
Hosea 10:2-4 The hearts of the people are fickle; they are guilty and must be punished. The lord will break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Then they will say, “We have no king because we didn’t fear the lord . But even if we had a king, what could he do for us anyway?” They spout empty words and make covenants they don’t intend to keep. So injustice springs up among them like poisonous weeds in a farmer’s field.
The NKJV of that passage reads the hearts of the people are "divided." Mankind is continually tempted with a divided heart: trust in the strength of man AND the strength of God. This is what it means to have a divided heart. Mostly the Bible is about God's people (unbelievers don't receive the word), and the Bible says God's people need to be wary of their own slippery hearts:
Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord , search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
The Father's heart is stable. He is unchanging. His heart is undivided, but instead is fixed solidly on truth.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
A father sees more. A father judges quality differently. When I used to watch the little kids in my yard, I saw more than they did. I knew the arrogant ones wouldn't last long when real pressure came into their lives. I knew one or two of the timid ones, if they were given the right opportunity, would rise to the occasion. Perspective...time....changes the way you see things.
God has been around longer than anyone else. He formed every molecule. He wrote the dreams of every heart and then in love allows each heart to chose how to satisfy the dreams He put there. Few choose the Father to satisfy the dream He wrote on their hearts, but all can. Because God not only has wisdom simply gained from His ownership of all things, but also knows the nuances of the human heart, He sees differently. He evaluates differently. He understands the motivation and desire of my heart even better than I do.
God has a dream in His heart, too. Joining my dreams to His leadership here on earth is what He called "very good" in Genesis 1:31. God desires a family that trusts in HIS leadership! You will never get His presence without His leadership. He will never come to occupy 2nd place. God desires hearts that are loyal to this truth:
II Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”
In this well known passage, Asa, who started out as a great king because he trusted God, fell into rebellion, because when the pressure was on he turned to man. This is considered rebellion by God. Trusting in man's strength is considered rebellion. Even trusting in the strength of human Christian leaders is considered rebellion.
Jeremiah 17:5-8 Thus says the Lord : “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord . For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord , And whose hope is the Lord . For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
We are supposed to make God our source and reward. The heart of man naturally desires to find a king...to find a strong personality who might take responsibility for us, or maybe elevate us to their side. But God says this is a foolish way to live. The self-centered heart of man will always fail others. A true leader in agreement with God seeks to serve...to become less so Jesus can become more.
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Jesus said a true leader in His organization will actually actively resist elevation in the hearts and minds of others, even what they allow themselves to be called by the other children...always taking the posture of a child...realizing that they could not possibly meet the expectations of the labels people put on them and still be in agreement with God:
Matthew 23:5-12. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Right now we are coming into a time when this truth will be revealed. The game is changing. Testing...pressure...fire is coming. The fire will reveal truth in full. Anointing does not reveal true leaders...having power in your ministry, charisma in your words, wisdom in your teaching, or a reputation...even signs and wonders marking your meetings...none of these reveal true leadership. There is only one way to evaluate whether or not someone is operating in agreement with Jesus:
Matthew 7:20-23 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Paul said that the Bride...the Church...is not a top-down organization. One of the greatest attacks against the Church right now is an attempt by the enemy to separate...to elevate...leaders above the "people." This is unBiblical. There are not two classes of Christians. There are not "leaders" and "people." This is the tradition of men, not the teaching of the Bible. The Bible describes the Bride of Jesus as a Body. Every part of my body is a leader in the thing it was designed to do.
I Corinthians 12:14-31 For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.
There is no part of my body I want to go without. Every part of my body is responsible for some act of service and some act of leadership. A whole body grows together. Jesus is the only head of this body, and those who know their true identity in Him don't try to replace Him, they look for the lowest place, elevating others by speaking truth and encouragement into their calling and gifting, that they might bring everyone into an understanding of leadership.
Satan's kingdom trades power for loyalty. Satan is always attempting to infiltrate Jesus' body with a "top down" mentality in order to divide and conquer.
Jesus has shown us the nature of true power. He, the head, set all power aside and became a servant as an example.
Philippians 2:5-9 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges ; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
Jesus' body should reflect His leadership.
Luke 14:10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.
Comments
Post a Comment
I appreciate your comments.