All of this without Jesus

It is 30 A.D.

You are able to relate to Jehovah God in the following fashion: as one who sees God for who He is and yourself for who you are. In recognition, you seek the mercy of God to reunite [reconcile] yourself to Him. Positionally, you (a marred creation) are withdrawn from the presence of God. You need to be made right [justified] in relation to God to be found in His presense.

Without knowledge of Jesus or comprehension of how God will go about fairly bringing the two of you together [reconciled], you (in faith) are made right [justified] with God.

The result of this justification:

• Access to Jehovah God,
• Presence of Holy Spirit,
• Recognition as 'son of Abraham',
• Expectation of eternity with God in heaven.

All of this without Jesus.

"We have met the enemy, and he is us." - Walt Kelly

the outline is from John Maxwell's Leadership Gold (www.johnmaxwell.com/leadershipgold)

the comments are from your's truly.

Failures in Leadership:

1. "Activity does not necessarily equal accomplishment"

2. "Uncertainty and the personal changes I was dealing with... I became unfocused, and my vision for the organization became cloudy. My passion and energy also began to wane."

3. "The people were not prepared for the decisions - and I was unprepared for their response."

4. "My unwillingness to make difficult decisions cost me many dollars and some key personnel."

Observations of Human Nature:

1. "People seldom see themselves realistically."

2. "We tend to judge others according to their actions... we judge ourselves by our intentions."

Leading Your Self:

1. "Civilization is always in danger when those who have never learned to obey are given the right to command." - Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

"Good leadership requires an understanding of the world that followers live in... Arrogant leaders... alienate their followers, their colleagues, and their leaders."

So much of my life has been spent in some mode of leadership. I have not paid my dues on the low rungs of the ladder, and it limits me.

History has shown that I alienate those my age and older whom I work with/around. I hate to admit that, but it is true. I have made some efforts to change my method of interaction in recent years, but admittedly, it seems a bit of a facade, condescending.

2. "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the servant to the leader." - Solomon.

"When we are foolish, we want to conquer the world. When we are wise, we want to conquer ourselves." - John Foster

3. "Being one step ahead makes you a leader... Being fifty steps ahead could make you a martyr."

"Leaders need to remember that the point of leading is not to cross the finish line first. It's to take people across the finish line with you."

"Do not overestimate what you can do in a year, and underestimate what you can do in ten years." - Rockbrain

4. People "can't trust themselves". "Two decisions: First, I will not trust myself. Second, I will become accountable to someone other than myself."

We don't see ourselves clearly. I don't. I am humble in the macro and boastful in the micro, and blind spots surround me.

Falling away is rare. Inching away is all too common. Given enough time to degenerate, we are 'above' nothing.

Stages of Relationships:

Acceptance - meet people where they are

Affirmation - help build people up

Accountability - hold people to an agreed upon standard (few reach this stage)

Authority - give people distinct power over your actions (very few reach this stage)

We must have someone(s) in the Accountability/Authority stage to submit to. Someone we trust enough in the easy times to follow in the difficult times, when they likely see things more clearly than you do.

Stages of Development:

"We don't want advice.

We don't object to advice.

We welcome advice.

We actively seek advice.

We often follow the advice given to us."

I am at the "don't object - welcome advice" stage. My confidence precludes me from going after other's advice, with few exceptions.

Leading Yourself

"You are held responsible not onl for your own actions, but also for those of the people you lead."

Angels & Demons

We are not Angels.

We are not beyond this world, free of its state, purely obedient to God's will, righteous because we are made to be righteous. We ought not pretend we are, ought not build a shelter from the created world, re-creating an existence absent the flesh.

Tempting it may be to relinquish the five senses, to cut off a very distinct and real portion of what has been given to us by Creator God, who in turn commanded our caretaking of it. Safe it may seem, but it is a glass house built with an eye on appearances and contrary to the ways and commands of YWWH.

We are created in the image of our Maker: body, soul & spirit. Appropriately it may seem to rank these aspects, to value the body as the least of these. Yet all have been created, and none are to be abolished by any attempt on our part. We are more than Angels, and regardless of our efforts, we have bodies to not merely contend with, but rather to honor God with.

Neither are we Demons.

We are not bound to this world, purely obedient to our Flesh and its demands, righteous because there is no standard by which to allow judgment. We ought not pretend we are, ought not to feed the dark regions of our flesh in gluttony, malnourishing the remainder of our being. Tempting, tantalizing, thrilling, edgy, and continuously failing to fulfill.

We are created in the image of our Maker: body, soul & spirit. Binding our selves to the flesh, feeding the body with no concern for soul and spirit, will find us atrophied from lack of nourishment. We are more than Animals, and regardless of our efforts, we have a Soul to contend with, a mind and person within us which needs exposure to the glory of the Creator and to then naturally react in imitation. We have a Spirit to acknowledge, an identity needing the adoption of the Father of us all.

We are a Special Creation.

Not stated in arrogance, but humility. This planet is destructive and even with the greatest of victories we may claim in 'helping it', failure surrounds our lives. We imitate Angels, locking ourselves away, spiritual aristocrats. We imitate Animals, feeding on the darkness with no concern beyond the moment. And in these fashions we fall terribly short of the fullness of our created beings.