For Jesus' Love 15 Leadership Traits

FOR JESUS’ LOVE 15

Leadership Traits

By

Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (October 1, 2017)

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” (St. John 21:15-17, King James Version [Christ’s charge to Peter]}

Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus,

My sisters and brothers, God loves you so much so that Jesus, HIS only begotten son, saved you from sin. Of course, simply stated saving you from sin saved you from yourselves---the self-destructive nature of man since man is responsible for the self-destruction that he wills, disobedience of the Word of God, especially the gospel teachings of Christ Jesus---biting the hand that fed you and saved you, in grace: grace for grace.

This self-destructive nature that leads us to disobedience of the Word of God makes a mockery of the peace of Christ Jesus. I found myself woven in the anger and rage of man as I watched man’s word expressed in films and writings---minority movies seemingly buried hope in struggle and the violence that came out of the struggle in which disobedience to God’s Word played the leading role---the supposedly memorable part that pulled all the smaller parts together---that which delivered meaning and purpose to the idea. I thought the idea of love and peace, coming out of God’s Word was and still is the single-most important idea known to man yet man constantly rebukes the idea of love and peace, from one day to the next, so much so until the earth and the heavens respond in-kind to the raging disobedience of mankind.

How so in God’s perfect world is man so full of the rage of disobedience? The heavens---those who read the stars and the alignments of the stars herald this time as yet a returned time to shake the earth and shake the leadership of man across the disciplines and so we watch our organizations topple over the thoughts of disobedience? We find ourselves going back to Adam and Eve to find the mystery of our

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disobedience---our destructive nature. Why did Eve separate from Adam---listening to Satan? In the perfect world of the Garden of Eden, why did not Eve leave well-enough alone, as the old folks used to say? Why did Adam cast all the blame of Eve’s disobedience on Eve, failing to not take responsibility for her---more or less telling her that she was on her own, as I hear many men say?

Interestingly enough, the truth---our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus is standing right at the place where Eve was persuaded to separate from Adam---wandering off, somehow knowing she was going right where she was forbidden to go to speak to Satan who she was forbidden to speak to. How many times must man endure the shaking---wandering off in disobedience going around in circles---generation after generation? Truth is constant---God’s plan is for a holy body of priests with Christ Jesus as the high priest under the order of Melchiseldec---for we are of the seed of Abraham and the branch that adopted us in. Most people on earth do not see their image in the image of God, for God is holy, so they do not see themselves in a holy lifestyle of instruction from God obeying the Word of God and the teachings of Christ Jesus that confirm the Word of God. The only application of such holiness in practice on earth as both a man and a God was Jesus, for God gave us Jesus as the only application---the way, the truth and the light.

Most importantly, the stories that come to your hearts and minds to strengthen your resolve to live a life of holiness must command truth. Eve ate the fruit of good and evil and in so doing, she decided to give the same fruit of good and evil to Adam. The truth of the weakness of the flesh did not reveal itself firstly, to Eve as she ate in the company of Satan but it was when she gave the fruit to Adam that their eyes opened to nakedness of flesh and the nakedness of flesh plagues man and torments man, daily---in families and social media’s representation of the families of the world, neighborhoods and communities, day and night. Man can not see as God planned---anymore. We are contaminated with evil---it is so sad that evil came in for man hardly sees good or slights good---takes good as a thief in the night that is why Christ Jesus must return to us as a thief in the night, for good was taken. Some folks call it the 50 percent or half. Imagine that---living a life half in the light of Christ Jesus and the other half in the darkness of sin.