Leadership Summits

By: Steve Hill

It has been interesting to read several glowing reports from different streams about New Year Leadership Summits.  The reported characteristic of the summits has been to gather without an agenda except to wait on God.  The reports talk about participants laying down their identity in gifting,  ministry,  success,  position and how refreshing it was to simply be humble before each other and before God as brothers and sisters in Christ.  

Wonderful!
Wonderful?

This is following Jesus 101.  
This should be normal.

The first step of discipleship is to lay down our right to ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus.  The Jesus we follow could say, "I only do those things I see my Father doing."  "I only say those things that I hear my Father saying."   "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father."

Contemporary Christendom is such a culture of self-expression, success and  celebrity that a little bit of normal New Testament reality is seen as a breakthrough?   We have baptized the pride of life and naked ambition as God giving us the desires of our hearts.    We have baptized the lust of the eyes and unrestrained materialism as the blessing of God.  We have baptized the lust of the flesh as the desire of God to make us happy and blessed serial polygamy as a result.  

Jesus did not teach that following Him would give you your best life now.  He taught that following Him would cause you suffering now.  He taught that following Him was a narrow way and a difficult way.  

Have we met Jesus?
Have we wrestled with His commands!

For a weekly jolt of reality you may wish to subscribe to the free email newsletter from the Voice of the Martyrs.  Visit them at       www.persecution.com/           A regular exposure to the suffering church will help you see the gospel of western materialism, self expression and success for what it really is-  heresy!

As Oswald Chambers said so well, "The satanically managed man is not the man in the gutter.  That man has lost all control of his life.  He knows he needs help.  Satan's ideal man is the self made man.  He has no need for God."

The gospel of success takes that one step further and claims to show us how to use God to get what we want!  If you do this, God must do that!  You are in control!  God is your servant!  You can have your own personal heaven here on earth!    

Why do so many follow the preachers of this heresy and make them wealthy?
The materialism of the leaders excuses, condones and blesses the pursuit of the same in their followers.  

We are blessed to be a blessing.
All is His and given to us in trust.
How are we fulfilling His trust?
We will give an account for our stewardship.
Will that be with joy or with shame?

Steve & Marilyn