1-3-4-Profiles of Leaders

These profiles of the New Testament, are both good and bad, weakness and mistakes, strengths and accomplishments, and key lessons are included:

Joseph

The strength of what we believe is measured by how much we are willing to suffer for those beliefs.  Joseph was a man with strong beliefs.  He was prepared to do what was right, despite the pain he knew it would cause.  But Joseph had another trait - he not only tried to do what is right, he also tried to do it the right way.

Joseph trained his son, made sure he had good spiritual training in Nazareth.  Joseph knew Jesus was someone special from the moment he heard the angels words.  His strong belief in that fact, and his willingness to follow God's leading, empowered him to be Jesus chosen earthly father.

Strengths and accomplishments:

Lessons from his life:

Herod

Herod is remembered as a builder of cities and the lavish rebuilder of the temple.  But he also destroyed people.  He showed little greatness in either his personal actions or his character.  Herod's costly attempt to gain the loyalty of the people failed because it was superficial.  His only loyalty was to himself.

Strengths and accomplishments:

Weaknesses and Mistakes

lessons from his life:

Matthew

More than any other disciple, Matthew had a clear idea of how much it would cost to follow Jesus, yet he did not hesitate for a moment.  Two  changes happened to Matthew when he decided to follow Jesus.  First, Jesus gave him a new life.  Second, Jesus gave him a new purpose for his skills.

Matthew's experience points out that each of us, from the beginning, is one of God's works in progress.  Much of what God has for us  he gives long before we are able to consciously respond to him.  He trusts us with skills and abilities ahead of schedule.  He has made us capable of being his servant.  When we trust him with what he has given us, we begin a life of real adventure.

And God has no less meaningful a purpose for each one of us.  Have you recognized Jesus saying to you, "Follow Me"?  What has been your response?

Strengths and accomplishments

Lessons-from his Life

Mary-Lazarus's Sister

Hospitality is an art.  Making sure a guest is welcomed, warmed and well fed requires creativity, organization, and teamwork.  What kind of hospitality does Jesus receive in your life?  Are you so busy planning, and running your life that you neglect precious time with him?  Or do you respond to him by listening to his Word, then finding ways to worship him with your life?

Strengths and accomplishment:

Lessons from her life:

Peter

Jesus' first words to Simon Peter were "Come, follow me" (Mark 1:17).  His last words to him were, "You must follow me" (John 21:22).  Every step of the way between those two challenges, Peter never failed to follow-even though he often stumbled.

When Jesus entered Peter's life, this plain fisherman become a new person with new goals and new priorities.  He did not become a perfect person, however, and he never stopped being Simon Peter.  He chooses people who could be changed by his love, and then he sent them out to communicate that his acceptance was available to anyone - even those who often fail.

We may wonder what Jesus sees in us, when he calls us to follow him.  Are you willing to keep following Jesus, even when you fail.

Weaknesses and mistakes

Lessons from his life

James

James enjoyed being in the inner circle but he misunderstood Jesus purpose.  Our expectations about life will be limited if this life is all we can see.  Jesus promised eternal life to those willing to trust him.  If we believe  this promise, he will give us the courage to stand for him even during dangerous times.

Lesson from his life:

Martha

Many older brothers and sisters have an irritating tendency to take charge, a habit developed while growing up.

Martha worried about details.  She wished to please, to serve, to do the right thing.  As a result, she found it hard to relax  and enjoy her guests.  She learned that worship begins with silence  and listening.

Strengths and accomplishments:

Weaknesses and mistakes

Lessons from her life:

John the Baptist

John did not aim at uniqueness for its own sake.  Instead, he aimed at obedience.  He knew he had a specific role to play in the world and he put all his energies into this task.  John remained faithful to that calling.

People were moved by his words because he spoke the truth.  God has given each of us a purpose for living, and we can trust him to guide us.  God can use you in a way he can use no one else.  Let him know your willingness to follow him today.

Strengths and accomplishments:

Lessons from his life:

Revival

Refreshed (2 Timothy 1:16) is a word from which we derive our concept of revival.  It means "to throw open a window so fresh air can come into a closed-up, stale room."  A fresh wind from God revives His people, His church.  The effects extend for some time, giving fresh revelation from Scripture, a new commitment, and deeper experience with the Lord Jesus.  When revival comes, crucial elements often facilitate and fuel it.  God may send renewal, for example, when we admit our desperate need for it to take place.  Many are oblivious to the need, but God always has people who understand their condition and long for His renewed presence in the church.  We have seen some of then in the New Testament's time.  Are our Christian Leaders ready.

The Bible is clear about what it takes to experience life-changing, church-changing revival: humility, seeking after God, and repentance (change).

"If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin  and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

God is more willing to move on our lives when we humbly confess our emptiness than when we think we  are spiritually full.  Our admitted emptiness is a sign of humility, a confession that we are powerless to produce in ourselves and in our church the fullness of His character and grace.  It is an admission that we need something greater than we can do for ourselves.  It is a recognition that we are broken before God and  need Him to work in us through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Our admitted emptiness enables God to break out in our lives so He can break into our church and spark revival.  Our admitted emptiness recognizes our need for God's divine touch.  To experience true  revival, every church needs to know what it means to humble themselves and be broken before the Lord.

Second, a real seeking after more of God will hasten a move from God.  Many people do not have this kind of hunger.  Their relationship with God has lost intensity, and they have become satisfied snacking with God when He wants them to feast with Him.  God  has much more for us to experience if only we will seek Him with all our heart.

Seeking God means craving for Him.  What price are we willing to pay to know Him more intimately?  The cost  is laying aside our self-will and self-rule.  Seeking God with all our heart means prioritizing our schedule to spend extended times alone with Him to discover His heart.  If we want to hasten a move of God and experience him in a deeper dimension, we need to pay the price of prayer and fasting for revival to come individually and corporately.  God promised that if we seek Him wholeheartedly, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).

Third, repentance touches the heart of God unlike anything else.  Repentance is not a one-time event.  It is not just saying, "Sorry, Lord, for the things I have done wrong."  True repentance is a heartfelt conviction that my life is out of line with God's will.  It is confessing to God my wrong and turning away from the things that keep me separated in heart and soul from experiencing the deep, cleansing, life-changing power of Jesus Christ.  By virtue of who we are.  When we realize our need for a repentant heart and begin to take action, God will move mightily upon His people.

If you have ever thought the church needs revival, you are not alone!  But in observing this, we admit our need for personal revival.  A revived church is the  result of a revived people: our church will only become what we are.  God desires to move powerfully among us so we can become the culture-changing force needed to reach this generation of lost people.  What we do for Christ and the impact we make on the world around us depend directly upon whether we will allow God to revive us personally so He can revive us corporately.