Running the Pastors and Leaders Race

Leadership Living – 

What is leadership living?  We know that one of the definitions of leadership is the ability to influence people.  Are all of us willing to be leaders?  Or do we want to be followers?   The Bible calls us sheep.  We will come back to this theme a little later.

Being a Leader is not easy…

So if you are having a problem with people you are not alone.  As one President said running a country is a lot like running a cemetery; you’ve got a lot of people under you and nobody’s listening.

Let us list some of the leaders from the bible.  It is interesting to study the leaders of the bible, it brings out such variety.  It takes all types to make the world.

With the Scriptures we have examples of many fine leaders and many not so fine leaders.

Look at Noah.  He was leader.  He did not have many followers, only 7, but he was still a great leaders. We should realize that the greatness of a leader does not depend on the amount of followers.

Noah was a builder, a builder for God.  He did what God told him and lead his family to do the same.

Think of Moses. He was great leader.  Also an unwilling leader.  Through Moses God gave the Hebrew people the law.  Moses lead the people out of the Egypt, through the desert and to the borders of the promise land.

Joshua was another great leader of the Bible. Joshua lead the Hebrew people into the promises land.  If you read about Joshua you will see that he was a faithful leader and taught that to the people.  He called on the people to serve God.

Most are familiar with Josh. 24:15 “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.  But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

When I think of leaders I think of Nehemiah, another builder for God. If you want to learn about leadership, read the book of Nehemiah, a great book on leadership. Nehemiah was not only a leader who build but one who worked, he set goals, he showed concern, he showed he was ready to fight for what was right, Nehemiah also showed that a godly leader will succeed in the task God has given.

Ezra is another leader in sharp contrast to the style of Nehemiah. Nehemiah led by decisiveness and authority, backed by prayers.  Ezra led by self examination and self sacrifice.  Just take a look at the way in which Nehemiah and Ezra tackled the cancer of ungodly relationships which was threatening to dilute Judaism to the level of extinction.  Ezra withdrew, fasted and prayed and cried out to the Lord and made the people realise their mistake and admit the mistake.  Nehemiah on the other hand confronted the people who did this and went to extent of slapping some of them.  What contrasting styles indeed.

The New Testament also reveals great leaders.  Of course there is Paul.  As a leader Paul delegated as we see in our passage for today.  As a leader Paul was not afraid of confrontation for truths sake.  As a leader Paul had great concern and love for those who were under his authority.

Of course the greatest leader was Jesus Christ, and He still is. The greatest way in which the Lord still leads today is by example.  That is the greatest way a leader can lead, by example.

What do these Leaders have in common?

The Greats Don’t Need Hair Cuts

A young boy had just gotten his driving permit.  He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss the use of the car.  His father took him to his study and said to him, “I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your Bible a little and get your hair cut and we’ll talk about it.” After about a month the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. They again went to the father’s study where his father said, “Son, I’ve been real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you’ve studied your Bible diligently, but you didn’t get your hair cut!”

The young man waited a moment and replied, “You know Dad, I’ve been thinking about that. You know, Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair….” To which his father replied, “Yes, and they walked every where they went!”

On a more serious note.. what these leaders had in common is one thing … whenever they lead the people they followed God…. That is where we become the sheep…. These leaders followed God and lead the people.

-Mandana Kumar, Phd

8 Ways to Demonstrate Brotherly Love

 

Love is the purpose of human existence. Every human being is wired either to receive love or to give love. Many have said much about love, but very few show love. It is something tangible and not a saying. Permit me to say that love without proof is fake. So let’s see 8 practical ways to show love using biblical analogy.

 

  1. Showing love by being kind to others.  Luke 10:30-35. And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,  And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.  The story of the Good Samaritan describes in the details on how to show love by being kind to people in our speech and in deed.

 

  1. Showing love by giving. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Giving is a proof of love. We can’t afford to say we love when we do not give first to our family, the church and to those without salvation.  Besides God so loved the world and He (God) gave, we are to also rule well at home and entreat our spouses and children!

 

  1. Showing love by serving others. John 15:13. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. It’s a great privilege when we serve the less privileged as well as those that are privileged.  Jesus proved this when he washed the disciples feet without discrimination.

 

  1. Showing love by forgiving. Luke 23:34. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. We ought to forgive one another as a true proof of love.  Many times, people offend us and at times we offend others unknowingly.

 

  1. Showing love by encouraging one another. Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Sharing our personal testimonies to others might be the miracle they need at that moment of depression or difficulty.  Also a word of God that is shared out can be the one word that can spark a positive change in one’s life.

 

  1. Showing love by praying for one another. Job 42:10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Not focusing only on your personal issue(s) but focused on interceding for others can be a true practical way of showing love. We often hear people expressing they’re praying for you when perhaps they are simply repeating a cliché.

 

  1. Showing love by been meek to others. Galatians 6: 1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  We are not to cast out but to help restore those who have fallen especially when such individual is repentant.

 

  1. Showing love by been a referral for others. Daniel 2:48 – 49. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.  Any position we find ourselves, and if/when possible, should be an avenue to recommend others.

 

Writing the Vision

CHURCH OF EXCELLENCE: Vision!

Proverbs 29:18; ; Nehemiah 2:1-18

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Prov 28:18)

God makes it very clear that we are to have a vision of what He is doing in the world.

He’s not just talking about setting goals and going after it, but he is wanting us to see through His eyes what He sees

GOD ALWAYS LOOKS THROUGH EYES OF FAITH! NOT AT WHAT IS…BUT WHAT CAN BE.

God never looks at the checking acount and says, “We can’t afford it.” Instead he looks with faith that with Him all things are possible. GOD DRIVES BEAN COUNTERS CRAZY!

VISION AND FAITH NEED TO WORK HAND IN HAND…VISION SEE’S WHAT’S POSSIBLE, FAITH MAKES IT HAPPEN

God’s story in the Bible is a constant renewal of that vision he has for His people. We have a tendancy to be lazy and become unfocused on the things he is wanting us to do.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CHURCH HAVE A VISION FROM GOD? FIRST WE LOOK AT NEHEMIAH

I. We need to hear God in a fresh way….GOD TOLD NEHEMIAH HE WAS TO REBUILD HIS TEMPLE!

A. Impossible…he is just the cup bearer to the King

B. But God made it possible by moving the heart of the king…

ILL> fresh bread from the oven is good…stale bread is hard to eat

II. Vision Encourages us….GOD’S HAND WAS ON NEHEMIAH AND THE KING GRANTED HIS REQUEST!

A. when we see God move after we’ve taken that first step of faith we are encouraged to press on!

B. When get that fresh vision from God we are encouraged to move on

III. Vision gives us direction in life on what we are to do

A. Neh knew what he had to do..but had to take action and saddle up his horse and head to Jerusalem

B. It’s not enough to know where we want to go..we have to take a step of faith to see that it happens

ILL> Radio program in Cookeville….TV show in Savannah

IV. The Vision creates momentum

A. As we begin to move and people see the move of God and hook into the vision momentum carries the vision forward

B. People want to be part of a moving, growing something

C. God is moving…God is causing growth…God is giving vision

GOD’S VISION WAS BORN ON PENTECOST WHEN HE POURED OUT HIS HOLY SPIRIT….HE’S STILL DOING THIS TODAY…HE’S STILL CALLING US TO THIS VISION…

HE GAVE US DIRECTION FOR THIS AS HE SPOKE TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA WHICH READ ABOUT IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION…

V. FIRST HE SHOWED THEM THEIR OPPORTUNITY

A. They were given the opportunity to bring in a supernatural harvest of souls

IN THE NT AN OPEN DOOR ALWAYS REFERS TO AN OCCASION OF BRINGING MANY INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

B. NOT ONLY IS DOOR OPEN, BUT GOD IS GOING TO SUPPLY THE RESOURCES THEY NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH THE TASK!

B. workers – enthusiasm for the task- give them to do whatever it took to get the job done!

ILLUS> Winner of the 2000 Little League World series came from Maracaibo, Venezula. When the team arrived for the series they only had one bat and four of the players didn’t have proper shoes. As word spread a number of American sports manufactors heard and provided them with every kind of equipment they needed to play the game. They could have said, we don’t have the right equipment and had quit early on….INSTEAD THEY WENT IN THROUGH THE DOOR THAT WAS OPENED TO THEM AND WHAT THEY NEEDED WAS SUPPLIED.

IF GOD SETS BEFORE US AN OPEN DOOR, HE WILL EQUIP US TO PLAY THE GAME. HE WILL NOT WITHHOLD ANYTHING NECESSARY FOR A CHURCH TO EVANGELIZE IT’S COMMUNITY!

C. They had to realize it wasn’t in their strength it was to be done…in fact they couldn’t UNLESS GOD WAS WITH THEM!

1. We have to realize it’s not in our streghth or wisdom it’s going to happen anyway…BUT IT WILL IN GOD’S POWER!

2. They had to learn to pray and fast and wait upon God

WE MISS MOST OF OUR DIVINE APPOINTMENTS BECAUSE WE AREN’T LOOKING FOR THEM, BECAUSE WE HAVE NO EXPERIENCE OF THE POWER OF GOD IN OUR LIVES!

We have to experience God first hand…not as a story or a just as a belief…BUT AS A GOD WHO INTIMATELY LOVES US AND DESIRES TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH US!!!

GOD IS NOT A CONCEPT…HE IS A PERSON WHO DESIRES TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH AND EVERYONE OF US!!!!!

D. They were obedient to God’s word…

1. they read God’s word, they taught God’s word, they preached God’s word, loved God’s word and stood by, upon and under God’s word

2. God always blesses people who honor his word by conforming their lives to it

3. Their outreach wasn’t to get more people in their church….but their outreach was to get more people into God’s kingdom…that translated into more folks in the church

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT MOST CHURCHES ARE ENVIOUS TO HAVE. More and more people moving in, building houses, having families in record numbers…the new school, the race track…more commercial development in our area.

We are to have a vision to reach out…not to grow our church..not so we can pay our bills…not so we can brag on our growth….but because this the vision of God for us now….to reach out with the love of God to people who need the Lord!!!!!

There was oppostion in the church in Philadelphia, and Nehemiah met with oppostion as well…but they didn’t let that deturb them…they continued anyway..for they new that oppostion to the things of God is straight from Satan

Rev. 3:9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars —I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.

He’s writing about people who are in the group…but due to their opposition to the things of God are going to be stopped after they see our faithfullness and our determination not to be stopped by discouragement, or lack of faith, or anything else the comes against them.

THE REWARD OF A CHURCH WITH A VISION THAT ACTIVELY PURSUES IT IS A CROWN FROM JESUS …OUR REWARDS MAY NOT BE HERE, BUT OUR REWARDS IN HEAVEN ARE JUST AS REAL

Let’s pray for God’s vision…let’s all get on board….let’s go through that open door he has for us RIGHT NOW!!!!

John 4:35-36 Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.

WE HAVE AN OPEN DOOR…WE HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT AT WORK IN THE WORLD…WE HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES OF GOD… Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

-James Capps

Intentional Parenting

Quality Time!

 Dear Parents,

I am noticing that our parenting priorities can be somewhat ‘lop-sided.’ We do seem to be spending decreasing amounts of time with our children.  And even when we finally do, it’s not always real quality time.
I am not insensitive or un-empathetic towards the many constraints we face as parents; and the ‘need’ for finances to help us to stay afloat.
I will say though, in our quest to “make ends meet”; that it is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich without adding sorrow! (Proverbs 10:22). If we truly live according to what we can afford – which for many of us means ‘downsizing’; this will or can significantly eradicate or at least reduce the prevalence of our absences as parents.

One common problem I see these days is not a “lack of time”, but rather parents not being intentional enough in factoring their children into their day to day plans. In most cases, we can be excused for thinking that spending hours focusing on enjoyable activities like: watching t.v., eating out, going to the movies, mall, etc is spending quality time! I don’t  want to knock that in any way, it’s great to be able to have fun with our children. But spending quality time goes beyond this.
I am learning that it must also benefit the ‘key need’ in their lives and not just help to forget it momentarily. We must be mindful that it is not so much of the quantity of time spent in having fun, but the quality of that time matters most!

Let’s be real, we can become so overwhelmed with life’s fast pace, coupled with several things going on at once. Our lives are often filled with hurriedness, worries and activities that push our children down our priority list! We want to finish doing everything and then have time for them. I have discovered that we are often riddled with guilt when we finally settle down to spending time with our children. We frequently and erroneously feel that the ‘let’s have fun’ approach ‘will do the trick!’ Catching fun will not solve what intentional regular parental talks will do!

 

Our children often do appreciate this about us, but the question remains: have we really been able to communicate with their hearts and souls? Do they look at us and smile and whisper “I love you dad/mum” or “thanks for such a good time mum/dad”, but with deep issues lurking in their hearts, which they don’t share because they feel this would ‘break us’ should we find out? Are they burdened with things they would have loved to share, but never had the opportunity to do so because of our busy lifestyles? Sometimes they are out with us treasuring and enjoying ‘the moment’ but equally knowing that sharing their issue could ruin the day for us. Their issues are vast, ranging from bullying, abuse, friends (boy or girl), drugs, church, school grades, or even bad touches from people…  the list goes on! If they feel they cannot discuss these with us, or if they anticipate an angry response, they may just smile through the ‘fun time’ with distress and a heavy heart! And we (bless us), would feel so good, ticking the ‘quality time’ box in our book of parental accomplishments
I was awoken to this reality when I had a big argument with my son a while back! It was an eye opener for me, something I learnt a lot from.

We need to have deep and meaningful conversations about everything, making sacrifice to be there, talking through their days (and paying attention). Asking those crucial questions, taking every advantage to sit and ask about school, their friends, teachers, opinions about issues we know are affecting children in our society and creating an avenue for them to be willing to raise their fears, anxieties or uncertainty with us! They need air time, not to be invaded with our preaching about a messy room or tasks we want them to complete! Fellow mums and dads we must get used to sitting still and listening too!

If we have not engaged with our children from the beginning, such frank discussions may be a bit uncomfortable for them. I am learning that when our  children withhold information from us, it is not always because they don’t trust us per se;  but they fear our inability to handle things based on their past experiences with us.

Beloved parents if we are not pouring into them and shaping them, other forces are: Internet, social media, other children, ‘Miss & Sirs’ at school will! You know why? These are the ones that our children spend most time with on a daily basis.

We need to take control of our time and plan our family into our daily, monthly & yearly calendar. Nothing must take priority over this! Spending quality time requires three things from us:

1. Being intentional, 
2. Paying attention
3. Being interested. 

Please note I did not use the phrase “showing interest.” Our children know the difference!

These precious children are first and foremost gifts from God! Not just gifts, but ‘perfect’ gifts! What do we do with such gifts? We treasure them. James 1:17 says “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights…”.  We are favoured stewards that God has entrusted with their future.

They are great arrows of God intended to hit their targets! (Psalms 127:3-5). As stewards entrusted with this potent arrows, we are to “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6)“.
We cannot train (disciple) if we are hardly there for them can we?

Perhaps we have failed them at the initial stages, it is never too late to develop that relationship again. Help is always at hand. It may take a while, but we must keep at it, it is worth it! With prayer and God on our side, we can begin to mould our children according to God’s blue print again.

Remain envisioned

 

Your Church is Too Small

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are oneI in them and you in me-so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23 NIV)

As I prepared to preach on this text I had read countless times, I “could not escape the
truth of what Jesus was asking the Father. He prayed for the oneness of all his followers.” And while he had some sense of what it did mean, he was certain that it had “absolutely nothing to do with what is commonly called ecumenism” – the effort by Christian leaders and churches to create a movement of greater visible unity or cooperation. However, the Spirit of God was working in his own heart and life. Understanding and applying this call has occupied much of my life ever since.

I am, the president and founder of ACT 3 (Advancing the Christian Tradition in the Third Millennium), which has wide experience in many contexts. Having served in pastoral ministry for 20 years, and now, along with ACT 3 responsibilities, I serve as adjunct professor of evangelism at Wheaton College Graduate School. I travel extensively, speaking and consulting with leaders and organizations around the world in a quest to promote “missional-ecumenism”- to ignite a movement of “world-changing leaders who will intentionally invest their lives in the kingdom of God.”

A “gospel-focused and Scripture-based” approach to Christian unity centered within the framework of ministry. Without question early Christians had disagreements as any New Testament reader readily recognizes, and yet, the defining identity for the disciples of Jesus is their genuine love for one another. I have embraced the spirit of Christ’s prayer for unity and am on a quest to convince all believers of its vital importance. In the words of Jesus:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.   (John 13:34-35 ESV)

The Unity Factor: One Lord, One Church, One Mission

The Christ-spoken appeal:

What distinctly marks those who belong to Christ? What truly distinguishes them from those who are not the church in this present age? It is not a cluster of doctrinal beliefs, as important as beliefs and doctrines are for healthy religious life. It is not a label or a particular social marker. Rather, is not the true mark of the church love? Furthermore, is not this love both Christ’s love for his flock?

Love for Christ is, in a profound way, the defining mark of true Christians (1 John 3:11,14,16-18, 23). We can ask a myriad of questions about our own profession of faith in Christ. However, at the end of the day, it comes down to the same question Jesus asked Peter: ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’     (John 21:15-17). And as John’s epistle clearly notes, genuine love for Jesus will be seen in our love for one another. …and their love for their shepherd and one another?

I believe the only way Christians will adequately respond to the call for unity is to recognize three foundational truths – “three ones” – one Lord, one Church, and one Mission.

Following his study of the “three ones”, I will answer the question, “What does the unity factor look like?” You will see glimpses of my personal journey toward this understanding of “missional-ecumenism.”

One must pursue the unity factor. “The vision we need to grasp is one of visible unity in reconciled diversity. For churches and mission organizations taking seriously the biblical mandate to unity, there are six practical steps toward missional-ecumenism.

This is not a call to dismiss doctrinal convictions, nor is it an attempt to pretend that we do not have real differences. It is, however, a challenge to recognize that every person truly believing in the Lord Jesus Christ belongs to Christ and so to one another. And as such, we are one Church universal, and we have one mission to proclaim the gospel of this one Lord.

Timothy George, founding dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University (Birmingham, Alabama), in his Foreword to the book, reminds readers of English Baptist pastor William Carey’s (1761-1834) call for a coordinated approach to world evangelization in 1810. Though nothing much came of Carey’s call, Timothy George notes that 100 years later the International Missionary Conference convened in Edinburgh, and 200 years later the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization was held in Cape Town, South Africa. He observes:

The modem quest for Christian unity was born on the mission field. Its aim was not the building of a supra-ecclesiastical bureaucracy but rather the unhindered declaration of Jesus Christ, the sole and sufficient Savior of the World.

-John Armstrong

Purpose & Power of Men

 

1) VISONARY AND LEADER
God took man and put him in the garden of Eden to take care of it and the lord God commanded the man(Gen 2:15-16)
Whom did the lord command The male-man.  The male being first received all information.  The female wasn’t formed until instructions where given the male. The male was given the charge to be the visionary and leader.  The male is to be responsible for everything under his jurisdiction, this doesn’t mean women don’t have the capacity, but it was entrusted to the male. You don’t canvas for votes in the family to become the head.  You are responsible, God made it so not the family.  A man shouldn’t get married and say to his wife what are we going to do? Well, we will just wait on the Lord, we’ll see where we are going when we get there.  That’s ridiculous!!!.  A man is giving vision, while the woman is there to make sure he accomplish it.  He knows exactly where he is going.  He makes plans, he sees the future, the woman is a help in achieving it.
2)TEACHER
God told Adam, do not eat of the tree, but he didn’t tell Eve.  Which means it was Adams responsibility to teach Eve and guide her.  If you were the first one to discover something and someone else shows up at the scene needing to know something, what does that make you?  Primarily God made men responsible for teaching his ways, not that women are unable to teach.The male must be responsible for godly instructions to their family.  May not be the way things are, but the way it supposed to.  God expect males to reveal his will and word to females.
Paul told Timothy in 1Tim3.  If a man wants to be a leader in the church let him first get his house in order.
3)CULTIVATOR
God gave male an assignment of cultivating the garden Gen2:15. One of males responsibility is to cultivate. Means to make something grow, and produce greater yield.You as a man is supposed to cultivate and develop everything around you. Make both people and things better. So if you as a man marries a wife and she is looking Haggard, after months of marriage,then you’ve not cultivated her. Every part of the society should be developing if there are real men. Unmarried men what are you cultivating?? Young girls When a young girl comes into your presence she should leave a better person than she came.When she is leaving and someone ask what happened to you, she should be able to say i met a man who told me he wouldn’t sleep with me. Cultivate this young ladies, make them better don’t drag them down.
4)PROVIDER
Primarily, it is very simple. You don’t have to be a batman as a man or compete with Arnold Schwarzenegger. You dont have to develop big muscles, to fulfil that purpose. Don’t be mad at Adam, he is not the reason why you have to work, before the fall in Genesis2 work was ordained. Work is not a curse.Gen2:2-3. God worked. What is the significance of work It exposes your potentials. God gave male work not only because it exposes his potentials but enables him provide for those whom he is responsible in his position as a visionary and leader. Provide comes from a latin word meaning to ‘see ahead’. The Male should be a visionary, he should have a vision for his life and he should work to see it accomplished, both for him, his family and others under his Care. Before a man needs a woman in his life, he needs work. God never told the woman to work. Now don’t get nervous, its just a societal demands. God gave man and not the woman the responsibility to provide for the home. A woman is supposed to marry someone who is already able to provide. A man is to supply the needs of his family.
He is build physically stronger than the female, particularly in his upper body because of God’s command for work
5)PROTECTOR
The lord God took man and put him in the garden to take care of it. Another responsibility of man is to ‘take care’. He was to take care of everything, the woman, plants, animals, everything. God never told the woman to take care but the man. Why Because the woman is one of the things we are supposed to protect. God designed the male to protect everything under his care and covering. A male is a natural protector. His physical frame is an evidence of that but also his mental capacity. The way he is structured psychologically is designed to protect. Any woman should feel safe with you. But you see some men raise up their hands on women they were meant to protect… To protect, God gave men
Physical strength
Logical thinking
A sense of territorial protectiveness
A drive to excel “EGO”

 

God’s Health Plan

Do you think knowing your blood type is only important in the event of a transfusion? Think again! Research indicates that your blood type is a key genetic factor that influences many areas of health and well-being. 

Throughout your life, you’ve probably observed that some people tend to lose weight more easily, while for others, their weight is an ongoing battle. Or wondered why some people are plagued by chronic illness while others stay healthy and vital well into their advanced years. Very simply, the answer is in your blood type. 

Knowing your blood type is an important tool for understanding how your body reacts to food, your susceptibility to disease, your natural reaction to stress, and so much more. A single drop of blood contains a biochemical makeup as unique to you as your fingerprint. 

 

Below are five facts about your blood type that could change your life: 

Your blood type may predict your susceptibility for certain diseases. 

Research has found that individuals of certain blood types may be at a higher risk for certain diseases; studies have found that people with blood type O have a lower risk for heart disease, but a higher risk for developing stomach ulcers. People who are blood type A have higher risks of microbial infections, but Type A women experience a higher rate of fertility. Other research has found that people with type AB and B blood have a much higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. 

People of different blood types react differently to stress. 

Type A people naturally have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their bodies and produce more in response to stressful situations. On the other hand, people with type O blood, have a ‘fight or flight’ reaction to stress which results in the overproduction of adrenaline. It takes type O’s longer to recover from stress because it is more difficult for them to clear the adrenaline from their bodies. 

Your blood type antigens are not just in your blood! 

They are everywhere in your body, particularly in the surfaces that interact with the environment. These include your digestive tract, from your mouth to your large intestine, as well as your nasal passages and lungs. Because these blood type antigens are everywhere, they influence how your body reacts to the food you eat through several factors. For example: the lectins in certain foods bind to your blood type antigen and cause your blood to agglutinate (stick together), resulting in feelings of fatigue, headaches, digestive issues, skin problems and a host of other health issues. 

Gut bacteria is related to blood type. 

People of different blood types have different gut bacteria, in fact, certain bacteria are 50,000 more likely to turn up in people with one blood type or the other. This originated from our ancestors whose digestive tracts developed to accommodate one type of diet over another. For example, the microbiome of certain people developed to break down carbohydrates much more efficiently (blood type A). People lacking this ability (blood type O) tend to store carbs as fat. 

A one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition does not work. 

Food fads come and go, but the facts are clear: everyone does not have the same basic nutritional needs. We all know someone who is a strict vegetarian and thrives on that diet, while others swear by Atkins or similar low-carb plans. I’ve found that your nutritional needs can be determined by your blood type. Take a look at the food lists in Eat Right 4 Your Type; they are a guide for choosing the foods that will allow you to lose weight, reduce inflammation, increase energy and lead a longer, healthier life. 

As you’ve learned, your blood type affects more than just the type of blood you’d need in the event of a transfusion – your blood type is a genetic factor that plays many roles in the human body. Choosing low-lectin, non-agglutinating foods that create a hospitable environment for your “good” intestinal flora and selecting foods that combat your disease risks are two good first steps in creating an individualized nutritional program just for you. 

Parts Excerpted From: mindbodygreen.com 


 

One of the hallmarks of alternative medicine is the recognition of the biochemical uniqueness of each individual and the need to tailor treatments and prescriptions to match that individual variability. While a person’s genetic code, ultimately, is the basis of this individuality, basing treatments on genetic factors is too broad an approach and not consistent with alternative medicine. 

According to naturopathic physician Peter J. D’Adamo, N.D., in his book Eat Right 4 Your Type, the missing link might be the four basic blood types: O, A, B, and AB. “There had to be a reason why there were so many paradoxes in dietary studies and disease survival,” why some people lose weight and others do not on the same diet or why some people keep their vitality as they age, and others do not, says Dr. D’Adamo. 

His research into anthropology, medical history, and genetics led him to conclude that blood type is “the key that unlocks the door to the mysteries of health, disease, longevity, physical vitality, and emotional strength.” Dr. D’Adamo explains that the practical application of the blood type “key” is that it enables you to make informed choices about your dietary, exercise, supplement, and even medical treatment plans. With the blood type “road map,” these plans can now “correspond to your exact biological profile” and “the dynamic natural forces within your own body.” 

Type O-People with type O blood fare best on intense physical exercise and animal proteins and less well on dairy products and grains, says Dr. D’Adamo. The leading reason for weight gain among Type O’s is the gluten found in wheat products and, to a lesser extent, lentils, corn, kidney beans, and cabbage, Dr. D’Adamo explains. Ideal exercises for Type O’s include aerobics, martial arts, contact sports, and running. 

Type A-Those with blood type A, however, are more naturally suited to a vegetarian diet and foods that are fresh, pure, and organic. As Type A’s are predisposed to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, “I can’t emphasize how critical this dietary adjustment can be to the sensitive immune system of Type A,” says Dr. D’Adamo. Type A’s can derive significant benefit from calming, centering exercise, such as yoga and tai chi. 

Type B-Type B’s have a robust immune system and a tolerant digestive system and tend to resist many of the severe chronic degenerative illnesses, or at least survive them better than the other blood types. Type B’s do best with moderate physical exercise requiring mental balance, such as hiking, cycling, tennis, and swimming. 

Type AB-Blood type AB, the most recent, in terms of evolution, of the four groups and an amalgam of types A and B, is the most biologically complex. For this group, a combination of the exercises for types A and B works best, says Dr. D’Adamo. 

Blood type, with its digestive and immune specificity, is a window on a person’s probable susceptibility to or power over disease, according to Dr. D’Adamo. For example, Type O’s are the most likely to suffer from asthma, hay fever, and other allergies, while Type B’s have a high allergy threshold, and will react allergically only if they eat the wrong foods. Type B’s are also especially susceptible to autoimmune disorders, such as chronic fatigue, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Type AB’s tend to have the fewest problems with allergies, while heart disease, cancer, and anemia are medical risks for them. 

With arthritis, Type O’s, again, are the predominant sufferers because their immune systems are “environmentally intolerant,” especially to foods such as grains and potatoes which can produce inflammatory reactions in their joints, says Dr. D’Adamo. Types A and B are the most susceptible to diabetes, while types A and AB have an overall higher rate of cancer and poorer survival odds than the other types. 

Lectins and Blood Type 

A chemical reaction occurs between your blood and the foods you eat. This reaction is part of your genetic inheritance. It is amazing but true that today, in the twenty first century, your immune and digestive systems still maintain favoritism for foods that your blood type ancestors ate.

We know this because of a factor called lectins. Lectins, abundant and diverse proteins found in foods, have agglutinating properties that affect your blood and the lining of your digestive tract. Lectins are a powerful way for organisms in nature to attach themselves to other organisms in nature. Lots of germs, and even our own immune systems, use this super glue to their benefit. For example, cells in our liver’s bile ducts have lectins on their surfaces to help snatch up bacteria and parasites. Bacteria and other microbes have lectins on their surfaces as well, which work rather like suction cups, so that they can attach to the slippery mucosal linings of the body. Often the lectins used by viruses or bacteria can be blood type specific, making them a stickier pest for people of that blood type.

So, too, with the lectins in food. Simply put, when you eat a food containing protein lectins that are incompatible with your blood type antigen, the lectins target an organ or bodily system (kidneys, liver, gut, stomach, etc.) and can begin to interact with the tissues in that area.
While you cannot change your blood type, you can use knowledge about its nature to implement a dietary plan biologically suited to your makeup, says Dr. D’Adamo, who supplies copious details on eating plans for all four types. “Most of my patients experience some results [within two weeks of starting the diet plan]-increased energy, weight loss, a lessening of digestive complaints, and improvement of chronic conditions such as asthma, headaches, and heartburn.”

Mentoring Millennials

By many measures of religious commitment, Millennials are less religious than older Americans. Why do you think this is?

Most age differences at any given time are the legacy of the times people grew up in. Many Millennials have parents who are Baby Boomers and Boomers expressed to their children that it’s important to think for themselves – that they find their own moral compass. Also, they rejected the idea that a good kid is an obedient kid. That’s at odds with organizations, like churches, that have a long tradition of official teaching and obedience. And more than any other group, Millennials have been and are still being formed in this cultural context. As a result, they are more likely to have a “do-it-yourself” attitude toward religion.

Is what we’re seeing with Millennials part of a broader rejection of traditional institutions or is organized religion the only institution being affected?

Oh, it is widespread. It’s just easier to quantify religious change because we have such good data on it. But Millennials’ faith in nonreligious institutions also is weaker than they used to be. You see evidence of their lack of trust in the labor market, with government, in marriage and in other aspects of life. General Social Survey data on confidence in the leadership of major institutions show that younger people particularly are not as confident as older adults when it comes to institutions like the press, government and churches. But I think trust is not the whole story.

For one thing, there has been a long list of scandals in recent decades, such as Watergate, that have undone the reputations of major institutions the Greatest Generation trusted. Millennials didn’t grow up trusting these institutions and then had that trust betrayed like older Americans might have. They didn’t trust them to begin with. And these institutions have let people, particularly young people, down.

November 18th 2017 Fellowship Meeting

Come join the Men of Faith Network monthly fellowship meeting in a safe, encouraging environment to process God’s word, His promises and this thing called life.

Theme:  Power of Mentoring.  

If ever there were a time for God’s people to be with one accord, NOW is that time! Life, ministry, politics, spirituality, family (the list goes on) are all intricate pieces of the day-to-day journey we each walk. Amidst all that is happening around us, we need a PLACE and a COMMUNITY that allows us to unwind, breathe, take it all in and be ourselves!

Time:         10:00am – 1:00pm

Date:          Saturday, November 18th 2017

Place:        Trinity College

Address:  3801 W. College Dr. | Palos Heights, IL | 60463

Building:  Devos Athletic Center Rom 136/138

Come and be refreshed in the presence of God.  Be blessed in Jesus Name!!

The Great Coming

Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’
So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return. ~ Matthew 25:1-6,13 (NLT)