Attributes of the Administrator day 2

Turn in your Bible to Nehemiah chapters 1 and 2.


1. Is highly motivated to organize for whatever he is given responsibility.

2. Expresses ideas and organization in ways that communicate clearly.

3. Prefers to be under authority in order to have authority.

4. Will not take responsibility unless delegated by those in authority.

Did you notice the above qualities in the passage in Nehemiah? The Administrator won't "borrow trouble" or snatch authority unless there is obviously no one in authority. I'm off the charts in this gift.


5. Will assume responsibilities if no specific leadership exists.

6. Especially enjoys working on long range projects.

7. Is a visionary person with a broad perspective.

8. Easily facilitates resources and people to accomplish tasks or goals.


You can find these qualities in chapter 1 and 2 as well. Nehemiah exhibits all the qualities of the Administrator.




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Always = 5
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Attributes of the Administrator

_________Attributes of the Gift of Administration

Also called the Gift of Organization

Greek word – Proistemi (pro-is'-tay-mee) - to set or place before

• 
  to set over
  to be over, to superintend, preside over
  to be a protector or guardian
  to give aid
  to care for, give attention to
  profess honest occupations
• Histemi (his’-tay-mee) word origin -- to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set
  to bid to stand by, [set up]
  in the presence of others, in the midst, before judges, before members of the Sanhedrin;
  to place
  to make firm, fix establish
  to cause a person or a thing to keep his or its place
  to stand, be kept intact (of family, a kingdom), to escape in safety
  to establish a thing, cause it to stand 1b
  to uphold or sustain the authority or force of anything
  1. to set or place in a balance
  to weigh: money to one (because in very early times before the introduction of coinage, the metals used to be weighed)
  to stand
  . to stand by or near
  a. to stop, stand still, to stand immovable of the foundation of a building
  b. to stand
  continue safe and sound, stand unharmed, to stand ready or prepared
  to be of a steadfast mind
  3. of quality, one who does not hesitate, does not waiver

Biblical example of this gift is Nehemiah.
PERSPECTIVE…

A woman hired a contractor to repaint the interior of her house.

The woman walked the man through the second floor of her home and told him what colors she wanted for each room. As they walked through the first room, the woman said, "I think I would like this room in a cream color."

The contractor wrote on his clipboard, walked to the window, opened it and yelled out, "Green side up!"

He then closed the window and continued following the woman to the next room. The woman looked confused, but proceeded with her tour.

"In this room, I was thinking of an off blue." Again, the contractor wrote this down, went to the window, opened it and yelled out, "Green side up!"

This baffled the woman, but she was hesitant to say anything.

In the next room, the woman said she would like it painted in a light rose color. And once more, the contractor opened the window and yelled, "Green side up!"

Struck with curiosity, the woman mustered up the nerve to ask, "Why do you keep yelling 'Green side up' out my window every time I tell you the color I would like the room?"

The contractor replied, "Because I have a crew of blond Texas Aggies
laying sod across the street."

____________ Characteristics Of The Gift Of Administration

People gifted with this gift have the ability to see the big picture and to visualize the final results. In fact, these folks are truly result oriented. They set goals and have a definite a sense of direction.

Another wonderful ability is they will breakdown major goals into small achievable tasks; they are never discouraged by size of task and can delegate “bite-sized” portions to get the job finished.

Whatever they are responsible for, they will organize no matter how small or large the project happens to be. They are self-starters and when faced with something they do not know how to do, they won’t sit still until they have found out how to do it.

Administrators know what resources are available and needed to meet the goal. They know what can and cannot be delegated and in general has a good idea who can handle which task. Therefore, delegation is not a problem for the Administrator as it is with the Server. The Administrator would much rather organize and assign tasks rather than be doing them. For this reason, the Administrator might be looked upon as lazy or trying to “wiggle” out of tasks. This is not true of the Administrator. Organization is the Administrator’s chief ability and he uses it without regard to “what people might think.” The Administrator just removes himself from distracting details in order to get the whole job done which is the goal.

These people have elephant hide. It is a God-given capability so that they can handle any “flack” or criticism. They will withstand any pressure and they will be a Wall to protect those working for them. This is why it is so interesting that Nehemiah’s job was to build the walls. This quality exhibits great loyalty to their fellow workers, thus having this quality, they have a need for loyalty and confidence from those whom they are serving.

An Administrator has a tremendous need for organization in the working environment. They will assume responsibility if no structured leadership exists. A noticeable lack of organization and leadership skills results in great frustration for the Administrator. They have an attitude of “leave me alone and let me do my job” when faced with having to work under poor leaders. (When in this position, the mature Administrator will lean heavily upon God’s direction and it will sometimes seem as though this person is defying earthly authority but in reality is submitting to the greater authority of God.)

The Ford slogan “Quality is Job One” would work well for Administrators. They desire to complete the task as soon as possible without sacrificing quality of work. They desire efficiency and orderliness in the way things work but not necessarily in what their desk looks like.

Administrators do not sit on laurels or have any particular desire for acclaim and applause. Their fulfillment is in seeing all the parts come together and the completion of the project. They have a desire to move on to new challenges when the previous task is complete. In their prayer life, they are results oriented. They have particular joy in hearing about answered prayer.

Continue the Study...

Problems with the Gift of Giver

Problems with the Gift of Giving
Misunderstandings Of The Gift Of Giving


1. The need to deal with large sums of money may seem to be a focus on temporal values


2. Desire to increase effectiveness of ministry by gift may seem an attempt to control.
The Giver needs to resist the tendency to give with a hook to the gift as well.


3. Attempt to encourage others to give may be seen as putting pressure on those who have less to give. They just don’t want anyone to miss out on the blessings of giving.


4. Lack of response to pressure may appear as a lack of generosity.


5. Personal frugality may appear as selfishness to those around them.


6. May use financial giving in place of other responsibilities.


Evident Distinctions Of The Gift Of Giving When Walking…
In the Flesh.................................. In the Spirit
...Extravagant....................................... Thrifty
...Wasteful............................................. Resourceful
...Covetous............................................ Content
...Tardy................................................. Punctual
...Prejudice............................................ Tolerant
...Rashness............................................ Cautious
...Unthankful......................................... Grateful

IMPORTANT POINT TO NOTE…

ALL Christians Need:

The wisdom to listen

The faith to believe

The courage to apply

Our motivations may be different, but the principles that are characteristic of each of the gifts remain the same.


God can change our lives to become dynamic vessels of the life of God Almighty Himself if we are only willing to make application in our own lives! The absolute worst thing that can happen to a believer is to “settle for less” than our God given potential! God is up to something BIG and He is trying to get this outfit moving! What are you doing with your Spiritual Gift?


Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Giver day 3

13. Has strong belief in tithing and in giving in addition to tithing.
We have studied this already so what Biblical reference can you put here? Do you recall any other Biblical reference to tithing? Can you relate that instance to the gift of Giving?


14. Focuses on sharing the Gospel.
Look up Genesis 18:19…in fact back up a little and read 16-19. What was the Lord’s purpose in taking care of Abraham?


15. Believes God is the Source of his supply.
Flip back a couple of pages to chapter 15. Here Abraham affirms exactly this attribute. What does Abraham tell God in verse 2?


16. Is very industrious with a tendency toward success.
What exactly does this mean? Well, if it is true about you, you'll know. I've often wondered what Katy and Don Fortune actually meant by this, then it dawned on me. The truly successful people never give up and are always doing something. We're not talking about rich people, we're talking about folks who succeed in what they start out to do... goals accomplished. They work at it. However, Abraham was rich. He was wise in settling disputes with all kinds of people including his nephew, Lot. Need we say more on this one?


17. Has natural and effective business ability.
Seems like everything thing Abraham touched multiplied into wealth. He was very wise in his endeavors.


18. Likes to get the best value for the money spent.

19. Is definitely not gullible.

20. Possesses both natural and God-given wisdom.

We cannot leave the study of Abraham without studying the sacrifice of Isaac. Today’s reading will be in Genesis 22:1-19.


This single passage is probably the most evidence of the heart of a Giver. We can see here several attributes listed for a Giver. One is listening to God, hearing Him and strict obedience to His calling. Here is a repeat of God’s first calling to Abraham. God says, “Take your son Isaac and go to a hill I will show you in the land of Moriah,” But can you imagine the constriction of the old man’s heart when he heard the Lord say, “and there you shall sacrifice him.”


Read these verses carefully and jot down some of the attributes you see Abraham exhibit.


Here Abraham takes the wood, the fire and the knife and says to his servants, "The lad and I will go up yonder to worship and we will be back." Abraham had no doubt whatsoever that he and his son would return together. He knew God is the God of life completely unlike the foreign gods. The wood, the knife, the fire. The Cross, The Nails, Judgement Redeemer. Jesus willingly gave His life so that we might live. I cannot think of any better illustration of Giver.


Never = 0
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Attributes of the Giver day 2

5. Wants to feel a part of the ministries to which he contributes.

6. Wants gift to be of high quality or craftsmanship.

7. Feels delighted when his gift is an answer to specific prayer.

8. Gives only by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Givers understand they are God’s funnel. In Genesis chapter 13, we are regaled of how God’s blessing of chapter 12 had come to full fruit. Abram had so much stuff and Lot (who went everywhere Abram went—don’t you think he recognized a good thing when he saw it?) had so much stuff and servants that they all quarreled. Read verses 6-13 and jot down a couple of things you discern about how Abram handles the trouble and see if you can find verses that exhibit attributes 5-8 above.


Now compare verses 13 and 15. Lot chose the way of man and Abram received God’s blessing. Why do you think God waited until after Lot chose his land to give Abram his land?
Abram knew God was the Giver and the Taker. There was no question in Abram’s mind that all he had came from the Lord. He trusted God to take care of him and all that he possessed since what he possessed was God’s anyway. (We know this because Abram learned this lesson between the verses 12:9 and 12:20.)


9. Views hospitality as an opportunity to give. (Greek word for hospitality is filocenia pronounced fil-ox-en-ee'-ah which means love to strangers.)

10. Quickly volunteers to help where a need is seen.

11. Handles finances with frugality and wisdom.


12. Seeks confirmation on the amount to give.

Take a look at Genesis 18:1-9. Here is an example of tremendous hospitality. Notice a few things here...It was the heat of the day, Abraham was a very rich man, he was 99 years old and yet—
a. Abraham ran to the three Men and bowed low—

b. He offered water to wash their feet—

c. He offered rest—

d. He offered a meal—

e. He waited upon them himself—
Can you see why each point above is evidence of hospitality?




Never = 0
Seldom = 1
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Mostly = 4
Always = 5
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Continue the Study...

Thank you

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Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery.

If for any reason you want to cancel this order, please email me at GL Burgess at gmail dot com.

Attributes of the Giver

_________________ Attributes of the GIVER


Please note from the definition that this gift is not limited to people with large sums of money and is not limited to the giving of money. This gift includes time, talent, and any resource God gives you.


Greek word – Metadidomi (met-ad-id'-o-mee)
comes from meta – afterward, after the fact Didomi –


1. to give
2. to give something to someone of one's own accord to give one something, to his advantage
to bestow a gift
to grant, give to one asking, let have
to supply, furnish, necessary things
to give over, deliver
to reach out, extend, present
of a writing
to give over to one's care, intrust, commit
something to be administered
to give or commit to some one something to be religiously observed
to give what is due or obligatory, to pay: wages or reward
to furnish, endue
3. to give
to cause, profuse, give forth from one's self
to give, hand out lots
to appoint to an office
to cause to come forth, i.e. as the sea, death and Hell are said to give up the dead who have been engulfed or received by them
to give one to someone as his own
as an object of his saving care
to give one to someone, to follow him as a leader and master
to give one to someone to care for his interests to give one to someone to whom he already belonged, to return


The Biblical example of any of the Spiritual gifts will always be Jesus. Several persons exhibit some of the attributes of this gift such as Paul, Philemon and James. However, the person that displays most of the attributes of the Giver is Abraham.




PERSPECTIVE…
The following were reported to be actually taken from newspapers:
· Amana washer $100. Owned by clean bachelor who seldom washed.
· Snow blower for sale ... only used on snowy days
· 2 wire mesh butchering gloves: 1 five-finger, 1 three-finger, pair $15
· Tickle me Elmo, still in box, comes with its own 1988 Mustang, 5L, auto, excellent condition $6800
· German Shepard 85 lbs. Neutered. Speaks German. Free.
· Nordic Track $300. Hardly used. Call Chubbie.
· Found: Dirty white dog. Looks like rat. Been out awhile. Better be
reward.
· Tired of working for only $9.75 per hour? We offer profit sharing and flexible hours. Starting pay -- $7-9 per hour



"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights....." (James 1:17) Everything these days seems to have a cost attached except the German Shepard above…and even the dog’s food will probably cost a fortune.


Those with this Spiritual Gift are so closely related to Servers that it is often difficult to tell them apart. These two gifts are like twins, or more appropriately like two sides of a single coin and yet, they are very distinct and separate gifts. Therefore before you read any further…

STOP! PRAY! Ask God for His guidance this week.

You do not want to confuse what you have been taught with your actual tendencies and feelings. It is well to remember that we are all taught to tithe…to give of our talents… to give ourselves as living sacrifices to the work God has planned for us from the foundation of the world. The day the Christian is born again and endowed by the Holy Spirit the Spiritual Gift of Giving these things become a natural driving force within him.


The Giver has a keen ability to make wise purchases and investments in order to have resources to give away. They live to give. Usually their desire is to give quietly without public notice or approval. Man’s praise is not their goal, therefore these people will have a tendency to back away from giving to things that will promote recognition for giving and the amount of giving. The Giver enjoys meeting needs without pressures or appeals. The mature Giver will resist the obvious pulling of heartstrings and want to know more specific facts about the program. Their desire is to know where and to whom their gift is going. The Giver always listens to the Holy Spirit’s promptings for giving. Sometimes this leads to a seeming erratic pattern of giving and often times drives their partner crazy unless their partner also shares the gift of giving.


Givers have a desire to use giving to motivate others to give. Their vision includes seeing the potential results of giving. They know the value of getting into the cycle of giving. Givers also have a keen ability to see financial needs that others often do not see and they seek ways to be used by God through giving.


They often test the faithfulness and wisdom of others by observing the way in which they handle their finances. Since they have the ability to be frugal and content with the basic necessities of life, they feel everyone should be motivated the same way. Their motive for frugality is not to gain more and to accumulate for the sake of accumulating but to give it away and to be in a position so God can pour His resources through them. They will often rejoice when God sends an extra “boon” their way because they know God is going to use it in a special way.


The Giver rejoices when their gift is an answer to specific prayer. It is so encouraging to him when he “reads” God right. Although the Giver has a special ear for the Holy Spirit’s prompting, he will be dependent on his partner’s counsel to confirm the amount of the gift. He values his partner’s advice and the mature giver will wait for full agreement.


Whatever the gift, you can be certain it will be of high quality, not necessarily expensive but very valuable. They want to give the best.

_________________ Characteristics Of The Gift Of Giving Day One

1. Gives freely of money, possessions, time, energy and love.

2. Loves to give without others knowing about it.

3. Gives to support and bless others or to advance a ministry.

4. Intercedes for needs and the salvation of souls.

Today we dive into Genesis and take a close look at Abram—better known as Abraham. Open your Bible to Genesis chapter 12 and read verses 1-7.

Circle the correct statement.


Abram heard the LORD and instantly obeyed His command to leave his country.

Abram asked God “Why, do You wish me to leave?”

Abram was to be a blessing to all the families of the earth.

The LORD said, “I will give this land to your children.”
It is interesting to note that Abram set out instantly in obedience to God’s command. So what has that to do with Giving? A lot.

He didn’t ask “Why?” nor did he drag his feet. Paul uses this example in his letter to the Romans and tells us that God counted Abram’s obedience as righteousness. The Giver hears the voice of the Lord and understands that all the earth and all that is in it belongs to Him and is His to give. God says in verse 7; “I give this land to your descendants.” Abram recognized Who God is immediately. He recognized that He was the Great Provider and the Great Giver. When we give to others, then we are closest to God’s own nature and Abram acknowledged this in his actions.

Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________

Just keep on Trucking. You should be seeing that light at the end of the tunnel. That light is Jesus smiling because He will be using you to your full potential.

Continue the Study...

Online Bible studies that are terrific...

I am really excited. I have been accepted as a Lifeway Affiliate in order to promote some online Bible studies. I want to encourage anyone to dig deep into the Bible. These online studies are great! These studies dig deep into God's Word and help to see how God's principles can be applied to our everyday lifestyle. What a blessing!

Study the Bible Online with interactive video and print lessons...

Learn God's will for your life...

Experience the Bible in a whole new way...


Experiencing God This online, interactive study allows you to study the essence of the Seven Realities of Experiencing God, as introduced by Henry Blackaby in the original Experiencing God - Member Book. Each of the seven lessons will only take you about 30 minutes to complete!
Learn more and enroll...

Living Beyond Yourself Through her passionate writing and teaching, Beth provides biblical instruction from the Book of Galatians, emphasizing Galatians 5:22-23. Through personal study, teaching sessions, and other online features, you will be equipped and empowered to live by the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit and be filled with the Spirit.
Learn more about this terrific study from Beth Moore and enroll...

Believing God

You may believe in God, but do you 'believe' God? And, do you want to know Him and His plan for your life? Join Christian author and Bible teacher Beth Moore and an online community of women for a journey into radical faith in God.

Seriously, if you are not into Bible study and you are a Christian, it is never too late to start and it is always the right time to study God's love letter to His children.

A Family Forever by Brenda Coulter

What a Treat!

This is one of the most delicious reads in a long time. It is truly a real treat if you like romance in a Christian view.

"Words fell out of her mouth like corn from an air popper..."

Descriptions like that pepper this book and I loved it because they were such neat surprises. Brenda Coulter can make a tear or two squeeze out and then laughter bubble up a couple of pages later. It is simply my cup of tea.

I asked her my questions:

Gina: When you were writing A Family Forever, what did you learn about yourself and God? How has that impacted your life since?

Brenda: I write for my own entertainment, but also in the hope that my stories will give others a few hours of wholesome reading pleasure. I am neither searching for nor trying to teach spiritual lessons in my stories. In my mind, writing romance is simply good, clean fun. So you might as well ask what I learned about myself and God when I completed a Sunday crossword puzzle or went for a walk or baked a birthday cake for a friend. Sure, we can find spiritual lessons everywhere. But the act of writing this book wasn't a unique opportunity for spiritual growth.

I've been exploring her blog at http://brendacoulter.blogspot.com go take a few minutes and visit her. It's halarious. I found some Qs & As that are gems and she gave me permission to post them...

What's a smart woman like you doing writing romance novels?

Brenda: I'm afraid my hands aren't steady enough for brain surgery. And although I'd love to do rocket science, I don't want to leave my family and move to California, which is where The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is located. So I just content myself with writing romance novels.

Why do you call your husband your hunka burnin' love?

Brenda: That's "hunk o' burnin' love." Don't you remember Elvis? Actually, I never cared for that song, but one day I was kidding around and addressed a birthday card to "My Hunk o' Burnin' Love." Soon he was signing notes and cards to me, "Your HBL." Our boys were teenagers when they caught on. They would often answer the phone and then bellow, "Mom! It's your hunk o' burnin' love!"

When is your next book coming out?

Brenda: A Family Forever, my second inspirational romance novel, will be a March '06 release from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. You should see it in stores by the tail-end of February. Check my website for details.

Do you believe there is EVER a situation when chocolate is not called for?

Brenda: I can't think of one.

Why are you still reading this post??? Click on the title and go to Amazon.com and order her book! You cannot have mine because mine is autographed and has a little sticker on the front that says Autographed Copy.

Okay... I forgot to tell you what the book is about. A damsel in distress (of course) and a knight in a shining bicycle helmet. Tucker Sharpe wants to marry Shelby because his brother was her fiance' and was killed in a biking accident just 3 weeks before they were to wed. On top of that, she's pregnant. Oh, it's gets better and better, just go buy the book and find out for yourself... you won't be sorry, I promise!

Christian books
Christian Romance novels

Beth Moore in Birmingham, AL

If you didn't know already.... Beth Moore is a grandmother at last. Her grandson was a week old on Friday when we sat in the Civic Arena in Birmingham, AL gazing at sweet pictures of him. Being a grandparent must be the grandest thing in the world!

I did a Google for blogs about Beth Moore's Living Proof in Birmingham this weekend and came up with zilch. So, I thought I'd share with you all how great this weekend was and the jewels of wisdom that Beth imparted. We'll pick back up with the rest of the Motivational Spiritual Gifts tomorrow. Today, let's soak in some wisdom from Psalms and from Paul. Her teaching is in bold print and my comments are in regular. I have also posted the Bible verses she used where applicable. Note that she started with Psalms 78; 145; 102:18 and 71:18 (With Beth, we never stay at a single place in the Bible for more than a pair of minutes).


1Th 2:8 Even so, being full of loving desire for you, we took delight in giving you not only God's good news, but even our lives, because you were dear to us. Is how Beth introduced pictures of her new grandson. Even in sharing her personal life, she brings in the Bible. This is one reason why I just plain like her so much.

Hope for change is entirely in God.
Hope for our future after our past is entirely in God.


Isa 41:10 Have no fear, for I am with you; do not be looking about in trouble, for I am your God; I will give you strength, yes, I will be your helper; yes, my true right hand will be your support.

We are called to be profoundly effective on the world. We are the light of the world and that is a heavy responsibility. This is where our satisfaction comes from, when we are doing what God called us to do.

This past weekend, 18,000 women made a pact for high impact on the world. That is a huge responsibility. How does one person have the gall to think that she might have a high impact on the world? Well, she can't... not without Jesus. The whole weekend was geared around how God has an adjective for each generation. God planned each age, each generation and when who would be born into what generation. Had you ever thought about that before? I had not. But since God planned everything, it certainly makes sense.

The Greek word Genea means a multitude of contemporaries...in the NT genea literally means space of time, circle of time in the sense of affinity of communion based on the sameness of stock.

Wickedness is not strong enough to keep us from having revival. Why is it that so many in our generation profess Jesus but do not practice Jesus?

God is faithful to every generation. Psalms 100:5
For the Lord is good, and his mercy is never-ending; his faith is unchanging through all generations.

Generations are altered when collective individuals are altered. Imagine what can happen when we are summoned by God!

Genea comes from the Greek word ginomai which means to begin to come into existence as in imply origin, result in change of state or place etc. (either from natural causes or special agencies.

Will we turn out to be that which is evolved from natural causes or supernatural causes?

Simply put, because Christ resides in us, we should be the product of supernatural causes... but, how many truly are? I thought that was an excellent question. We have settled for so little when we are promised so much. God is so huge! He always finishes what He starts.

We had homework for Friday night. We were supposed to answer 3 questions:

What is keeping me from being what I am supposed to be? Who do I want to be in my Senior years?

I want to be that friend of God to whom He says, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!" I want to please Him and I want to settle into that ministry which He prepared from me from before the foundation of the world. I wonder how many of us Christians slog along without ever fulfilling that ministry God had planned for us simply because we just do not lean on the hugeness of God, but rely on our own strength.

In my heart of hearts, how much of who I am now is from natural causes and how much is from supernatural causes?

Whoa! I look back on my history and I just cannot fathom how come I am not bitter with anger and why I am not clogged with unforgiveness. I tell you, my friends, I am who I am right now from 100% supernatural causes.

How could God begin right now to cause me to be that person I want to be in my Senior years?

I believe He has been working on me for the past 50 years to be that person I want to be... or rather--and this is crucial--the person He wants me to be. I do not believe God ever lets go of a Believer. When we are willing to let Him work us like clay, then we become mighty, supernatural works of godly art. When we are controllers and do not make our whole hearts and bodies available to Him... we become sadly misshapen. That doesn't mean God can't use a misshapen vessel. He can. The vessel just isn't what it potentially could be.

Day 2

We are bowed down to our past, but our past should bow down.

We are headed for disaster if we do not pursue God's way which is right. To entirely serve God's purpose, we must use our past for God's purpose. Our battle is not against flesh and blood. We have been assigned to this generation to make an impact for God's way; to be relevant to God's purposes... to not close in upon ourselves... to not let the World in, but to be out in the world.

Every title of God is in perfect context with the text. Every title means something. Isaiah 28:15, God forced Jacob to come out into the truth. Jacob means Deceiver. God wrestled with Jacob to force him into Truth. One touch to his hip displayed how God could have devestated Jacob, but Jacob persevered... he lasted through the night... he didn't give up and wouldn't let go until he had his blessing. This is how we should be as Christians in this world. Face to face with God, never giving up, never trading one addiction for another.

Give up the posing, the pretending we are one thing in hopes that God will love us. God knows the pain that causes us to sin and to act ungodly. Some people think they are invisible to God and this is just not true.

We have to stand in the river of fear just as the Priests stood in the Jordan River before the waters will part. Stepping out on faith in order for our huge God to work His miracles.

The best thing I received from this weekend was this boost: God uses our experiences to further His glory and to reach out to Light the world. He turns my pain into passion so that I may pour healing balm on my hurting siblings or so that I may reach out to the lost who are suffering the same things I have suffered. That is a huge responsibility... but, hey... My God is HUGE! Amen.

Attributes of the Exhorter day 5 -- problems

Two posts today because Friday and Saturday I will be worshiping and praising with Travis Cottrell and Beth Moore! WooWhee!


Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________


Add up all your totals for Exhorter... How much of that gift do you have? Do you understand yourself a bit better? Do you know someone like this and can now understand them better? I deeply pray so. This is why I'm taking the time to do this study because I so strongly believe that we need to understand our siblings in Christ for a more unifying relationship with each other.


__________________ Problems with the Gift of Exhortation




Misunderstandings Of The Gift Of Exhortation


1. Emphasis on “steps of action” may appear to oversimplify the real problem of a person they are trying to help.
a. seems more interested in “steps” than the feelings of those involved.


2. Urgency in presenting steps of action may seem to others to be overconfidence. They realize that in God’s economy there is no release until there is a willingness to deal with the real issues honestly. They may seem nosey at times but that is the desire to get to the underlying problem and to deal with that, recognizes the need to not treat the surface symptoms.
3. Desire to win non-Christians by personal example may be seen as no interest in evangelism.
a. their main motivation is in discipling the already saved


4. The use of Scripture for personal application may be seen as taking Scripture out of context.
a. they know that God’s principles work no matter what and have a tendency to insist upon the authority of principles rather than specific passages. The Exhorter needs to resist taking a verse out of context to prove a point.


5. Emphasis on steps of action may appear to disregard feelings of others.
a. they know that the only way to true freedom is to take a step…one step at a time. No steps = no growth!


6. Have a tendency to become frustrated when no growth is evident.
a. will quit helping a person when that person exhibits no attempts to follow the steps but will work forever with someone as long as that person is showing that they are trying to grow.




EVIDENT DISTINCTIONS OF THE GIFT OF EXHORTATION WHEN WALKING…


In the Flesh…........................................ In the Spirit…Carnal inclination ............................................... Wisdom
Judgmental ......................................................... Discernment
Presumes ............................................................ Faith
Simple Minded ................................................... Discretion
Selfish .................................................................. Loving
Underachievement ............................................ Creative
Apathy ................................................................ Enthusiastic

Continue the Study... The Attributes of the Giver

Attributes of the Exhorter day 4

13. Accepts people as they are without judging them.
Do you know anyone like this? I adore people like this. These guys will meet anyone exactly where they are with no judgments, and offer their hand in friendship and help. They'll ask questions to determine where a person is, but no stinging judgment. For them, it is a commitment almost as strong as marriage because this is what God has called them to do... help Spiritual growth though encouragement.


14. Is greatly loved because of his positive attitude.

15. Prefers to witness with life rather than verbal witnessing.
No knocking on doors for this guy. But he'll bring a book to a depressed friend, or teach a lesson by example because to him, actions speak louder than words every time.


Exhorters believe that to be credible in their verbal witnessing, they must be living what they are preaching. Paul gives his personal testimony in writing in Galatians chapter 1. He has not only witnessed verbally to the Galatians, but he recounts to them how he has lived his own message. What is the message he is preaching in Galatians? Read verses 15-16 in chapter 6. The question of circumcision is what invoked this letter, but the message has several points. The major point is all about Jesus Christ and Paul certainly lived Jesus Christ.


16. Makes decisions easily.
There is no “flip-flop” with an Exhorter. They believe God will correct any mistakes or wrong decisions as the Psalmist said in 33:10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The fact is, life is too short to be floundering about decisions. The Exhorter will decide and get on with life, trusting God to guide the way.


17. Always completes what is started.

18. Wants to clear up problems with others quickly.

19. Expects a lot from self and from others.
If I can do it, so can you--is the thought process.


20. Needs a “sounding board” for bouncing off ideas and thoughts.
Paul triumphantly tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4 that he has “fought the good fight and “finished the race” and “held firmly the faith”. He uses so much imagery here and he is so much the encourager even when we find out a few verses further that everyone except Luke had forsaken him. I would probably sit down and have a good cry because I was in prison and living the very last few days/months of my life and all my close brothers had left me. I would be eternally grateful to Luke, but still, it would be very disheartening to be left alone especially when all hope of deliverance from prison was gone. But Paul is all encouragement. We also see that Paul asks for Timothy to bring Mark with him to Rome because “he is very helpful to me in ministry”. Remember, Mark is the one that Paul got so angry with for leaving them in the middle of one of their mission trips. Paul exhibited two attributes of the Exhorter here. Take a moment and write them down.


I hope you wrote expects a lot from self and others and accepts others as they are without judging them. It would seem these two attributes would be at war with each other. They are. When an Exhorter accepts others without judging them, this predominantly means that no matter where a Christian is in Spiritual growth or Spiritual inaction, the Exhorter will never judge a person for being “where they are today”. The Exhorter will always expect a Christian to want to grow and to always be taking steps to grow Spiritually especially when the Exhorter has given that person a guideline for growth. The Exhorter can spot a Christian in Spiritual hibernation and will attempt to stimulate that person into wanting to correct that stagnation into growth. He will gently persuade and then encourage with stepping stones to growth with a plan of action. What is interesting about an Exhorter walking in the Spirit is this person will understand instantly if a person needs an entire outline of steps to take for a more mature level of growth or if that person needs to be given baby steps.


Paul uses this technique when he writes to the Corinthians that they should by now be “eating meat” instead of still needing the “milk” like babies. The mature Exhorter instinctively knows when the person they are mentoring should move up to the next level and will push for this to happen. Sometimes it will seem to the person being mentored that their mentor is way too pushy and expects far too much. That isn’t so. 


The mature Exhorter has Biblical principles embedded into every fiber of their being—even though the Exhorter prefers Life Applications over Biblical Applications, that does not mean the Exhorter does not know the importance of Bible study—therefore the mature Exhorter knows when a person has finally mastered a principle and is ready for the next higher level. It is disheartening to the Exhorters when no growth is seen and when their few, simple steps are not attempted. They will back up and try different tactics, but the Encourager is sensitive to the Holy Spirit and will not waste time with a person that has no intention to change. We only have to look as far as Galatians 1:9 and Titus 1:16 to see this.


Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Exhorter day 3

We're in Galatians this week. Paul is such an excellent example of Exhorter. His letters are full of encouragement, instruction, Biblical principles with practical applications. Today is a long day, so savor Galatians chapter 1 first.




9. Loves to do personal counseling.
This is one on one... the Exhorter preference. The Exhorter will counsel a group, but the first love is one on one coaching and encouragement. It is easier to measure results when the counseling is one on one and that is a must fuel for the Exhorter--results. (When I learned this, I finally understood why is was so necessary for me to find out results of my prayers. It took a while for me to understand that prayers don't always have immediate results. God uses prayer to draw us into His plan as well as a way to test our hearts. After I learned that, it was okay not to have an immediate result to a prayer. I no longer got depressed when I prayed and prayed with no evident answer. God was in control and His will be done regardless of a result. Results are not answers, results are evidence, but not answers.)


10. Will discontinue personal counseling if no effort to change is seen.

11. Is fluent in communication.

12. Views trials as opportunities to produce growth.


Now that you have read the whole book of Galatians, it should be easier for you to identify chapter and verses to illustrate the different aspects of an Exhorter. Also, by now, if you are strong in the gift of Exhortation, you should be extremely frustrated because there have not been Life Lessons in this week. You are asking yourself, “Yes, I understand these principles already; where are the Life applications? How is anyone to know how to apply this to their life? Where is the 1—2—3, step-by-step?” In fact you may have already jumped ahead and read this page because of your frustration.


In order to satisfy that need in the Exhorters taking this study and also to satisfy the teachers taking this study, we will focus on two things. The first is this: Write down a few of the different illustrations that Paul used in his writings to the churches. Galatians is full of them. I’ll start you off with one.


1.Last Will and Testament Gal 2:15


I just love Galatians because we find out lot of personal information about Paul. It is here we find out that Paul studied under Jesus Christ for three years in Arabia. It is here we find out that Paul met first with Peter and stayed with him for two weeks only seeing one other apostle, James— Jesus’ brother, when he went up to Jerusalem. We also find out he waited another fourteen years before meeting with the Christians in Jerusalem.


Paul did not need any authority from any of the apostles to spread the Gospel. He only recognized the authority from Jesus, Himself (Gal 1:11- 2:8). I am pointing this out because I want you to recognize this is not a quality or attribute of an Exhorter. It is a strong attribute of an Administrator. This is important because in Galatians we see Paul exhibit several attributes of the other gifts, too. This is very important because all we Christians have all the gifts, just in different proportions. The least of my gifts is Service, the greatest is Administrator.


This is a crucial point in our study. The reason is because we all are strong in one particular gift and we all have several attributes of other gifts. This is what makes us unique and uniquely fitted specifically for God’s purposes and His plan for our life. Look how God molded and taught Paul. God uniquely fitted Paul for his ministry to the Gentiles. Only Paul could fit perfectly into the work that God had prepared for him. And Paul understood motivational Spiritual gifts and his own ministry very clearly. He also understood why he was gifted with the attributes he had. No one can say Paul was a clear and straight forward writer. Some of his sentences do wander around a bit before getting to the point, however, Paul always had a strong point. He consistently used imagery and illustrations as did Jesus. Paul was “running the race” or “harvesting the harvest” or “being a slave for Jesus”. I hope you recognize these as life applications for Biblical principles. An excellent example of this is Paul’s recognition of God’s own allegory in Genesis. 


Read Galatians 4:21-5:1 This is a most excellent example of real life depicting God’s principle except it actually happened about 4500 years ago. This story that Paul retells along with his explanation should satisfy the teacher’s interest in accuracy and history, the Perceiver’s interest in God’s Word and the Exhorter’s interest in real life applications.


Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________


Continue the Study...

Attributes of the Exhorter day 2

_____________________ Characteristics of the Exhorter


Day One
We will be hearing a lot from Paul this week because he is our Biblical example of an Exhorter.


For the rest of the week we will walk through Galatians, so put a marker there in your Bible or take a few moments today and read the book of Galatians. It is only 6 chapters long, but rich in exhortation.


Today we will focus on Galatians chapter 4. Read that chapter first, then put the verse numbers beside the statement that proves the statements as true.


1. Loves to encourage others to live victoriously.

2. Wants a visible response when teaching or speaking.

3. Prefers to apply truth rather than research it.

4. Prefers systems of information that have practical application.


What that actually means is that an Exhorter will listen all day to someone teaching principles using everyday, practical examples. This would be like Jesus when he used parables to teach. A person with the gift of teaching would much rather listen to facts with Biblical examples for emphasis. The Exhorter would rather hear a speaker preaching the Bible and the Teacher would rather have a Biblical encyclopedia; both are excellent “systems of information”.


Read Galatians chapter 5 and identify verses that prove the truth of the statements below.




5. Loves to prescribe precise steps of action to aid personal growth.

6. Focuses on working with people.


7. Encourages others to develop in their personal ministries.

8. Finds truth in experience and then validates it with Scripture


Never = 0
Seldom = 1
Sometimes = 2
Usually = 3
Mostly = 4
Always = 5
Total _______________


Grade yourself on how true each statement is about you then at the end of the week add up your totals. That will show you how much of the gift of Exhorter you have.


Continue the Study...