For Jesus' Love 7 Leadership Traits

FOR JESUS’ LOVE 7

Leadership Traits

By

Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (July 23, 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, faith leads us on for all things are indeed possible, just believe to receive. In the Name of Jesus, we pray for the saving of our souls and we pray for the gift of everlasting life. Many of us are at temptations’ door, lest we faint not and become a stumbling block unto ourselves constantly falling but getting back up and spinning our wheels, going nowhere. How many of you driving in your vehicle of choice found yourselves stuck in mud trying to move forward with your wheels spinning---trying to back up out of the mud to go around the place where you became bound, trying to swerve to the left or swerve over to the right, manipulating the power of the vehicle for release but all that you received was your wheels spinning, fruitless efforts? It was a pitiful shame when you struggled like that trying to bear fruit yet your yield was null and void and the people of your circle no longer regarded you as a valid member of their inner circle even more so of the congregation and frustration set in---burdening you down.

Of course, the story would be just wonderful if a goodly Samaritan came by and helped you with resources to pull you up out of the mud so that your wheels could resume its course and you could continue to run your course. Don’t we all pray for a goodly Samaritan to come along when we find ourselves stuck in the mud with our wheels spinning, frustrated? For Christ’s sake---just know that feeling frustrated was not a new feeling for man and spinning your wheels without bearing fruit was not a new revelation of man? Well, we know whomsoever Christ Jesus freed is free indeed yet we find ourselves stuck in mud spinning our wheels, in fruitless efforts waiting for the promised breakthrough, maybe a prophet of God prophesied over you that you were entering in your season to bear fruits. Quite naturally, you blamed leadership because the problem is always leadership. You began questioning your leaders, seeking out the leaders who have the power to change or transform your reality---saying in prayer:

2

Where is my Jesus, where is my Lord? Heavenly Father, I pray in the Name of your only begotten Son, for relief from my situation, my circumstance that which binds me day in and day out without delivering me to my season of promise, for I do believe so why do I not receive. Lord save me from the darkness of my thoughts, dwelling there, please bring me back to your marvelous light, to the light of Jesus, so that my witnessing will not be in vain--- use me to be a testimony for the people for it is far better for me to stand as an example before the people than to be ignored by my brethren and by the leadership of the church. Lord save me, in Jesus Name. Amen.

Most importantly, the Jewish exiles after more than a half-century of bondage in Babylon and the subsequent restoration of the temple and the walls of Jerusalem felt frustration as Ezra witnessed an endeavor to hinder work after the people of Judah would not let the people of the land join in with them to get the work done; “And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia” [Ezra 4:4-5, KJV]. Therefore, the people said the Jews were rebellious and would not pay toll, tribute, and custom to the king’s revenue, once they rebuilt their city and set up their walls again [4:13]. Hence, the building of the temple was delayed---made them cease by force and power until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia [Ezra 4:23-24]. Now, the skill of negotiations for some involved give and take, for others compromise and for the Jews autonomy because they wanted to stand alone with their God in their city within their walls and worship their God in their temple.