Part 1
From A Pastoral Perspective......
Title: The Next Emerging Leader
At any moment now we are all going to hear what we have been waiting for, the election of Prime Minister. I have been waiting for this announcement with excitement for the sole reason that we need leadership and direction. As a nation we have been lacking direction. There is no question we need change, but who is the right person for the job? I believe many Canadians are confused about who will lead us for the next 4 years. It is a concern of mine that many Canadians don’t know what a leader looks like today. We haven’t seen the emergence of a leader who is willing to serve the public and not there own self interests.
So what should we be looking for when we go to vote for our next Prime Minister? I have been reading a book called, “The Next Generation Leader” by Andy Stanley. He gives us some helpful tips about leadership in today’s world. I would like to give you those 5 points from his book to help you and I in the next election chose a leader we can all be proud of. They are: (Information given from Andy Stanley’s book - The Next Generation Leader)
1. Competence - Don’t chose a politician that can be all things to all people, chose someone that will channel their energies toward areas which they are mostly likely to excel. Don’t be nervous if they say they can’t do all things or they can’t be all things to all, rather rejoice!
2. Courage - Look for a leader that has the courage to initiate or set things in motion, to move us ahead. A leader must be a person that has the courage to delegate, not hoard all the responsibility.
3. Clarity - Uncertain times require clear directives from those in leadership. I like a leader that is to the point, clear and will bring us direction. Not someone who doesn’t know what to say, or where we should go.
4. Coaching - Look for a leader who is willing to learn. The candidates may be good, but they could always be better. I look for someone who is willing to grow and learn from others.
5. Character - You can lead without character, but you won’t be a leader worth following. We have leaders today that aren’t worth following. We need someone first that will bring Canada together morally and spiritually and that simply won’t happen without character.
Our next Prime Minister must have all 5 of these qualities in order to lead effectively. If he does not, we are not going to get the direction this nation needs to be the best we can be. Just don’t vote for the sake of voting but look to each candidate and see if all 5 qualities are there and being worked on. It is my desire to see us all prosper and excel, but we need a leader to lead us now, not tomorrow.
By Rev Dana Visneskie
Bethel Pentecostal Tabernacle
Shawville, Quebec
Any questions or comments can be sent to dvisneskie@personainternet.com
Part 2:
Pastoral Perspective......
Title: The Emerging Leader (Part 2)
Last week I wrote an article that described and showed what a leader looks like. I gave 5 perspectives from Andy Stanley’s book, “The Next Generation Leader” that were:
1. Competence 2. Courage 3. Clarity 4. Coaching 5. Character. These leadership qualities need to be in the next emerging leader that Canada chooses for it’s Prime Minister in the coming election. Now lets look at part 2 this week and focus on Godly principals in a leader.
As a Pastor and Canadian citizen I look for a leader with Godly principals. I am not threatened with someone who is running for leadership that has Godly principals, it’s time Canada had such leadership. The reason this nation is great today is not only from the leaders in the past, but more importantly, it was founded upon Godly principals. The Canadian Charter Of Rights And Freedoms first line states, “Whereas Canada is founded upon the principals that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law” This is simply not the case in Canada anymore, because we try to become all things to all people. There needs to be an absolute right and an absolute wrong in governing this nation.
As parents we have rules that our children must follow, principals that we govern our house with. It’s not a free fall for our children, but yet we have adopted this philosophy in our nation, WHY? If we as Canadians don’t wake up to the Spiritual and Moral sewer we are in as a nation, our children our going to suffer and pay heavy consequences. My suggestion is that we govern our nation according to the principals of God’s Word and strive to live by them, not according what feels good. It’s time to get back to what has worked, and have the leaders who recognize the real reason why we are blessed as a nation. The Bible says in Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” We are blessed today because Godly leaders in the past wrote our laws according to God’s Word. So what happens when we forsake our Godly principals and do what feels good rather then what’s right? The Bible says in Isa 60:12, “For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, and the nations will be utterly ruined.” A nation that forgets God will come under judgement. Have you ever asked yourself why we are seeing so many diseases in our people, animals and crops? Are we coming under God’s judgement? The purpose of God’s judgement is not to condemn us, but to bring us back to Himself. In our next election look for someone who has Godly principals and don’t be threatened by there stand.
Part 3:
Title: The Emerging Leader (Part 3)
In my last article I established the need for the next leader to have Godly principals, expressing that our country was founded upon such principals as stated in the Charter Of Rights And Freedoms. This week I want to talk about those very issues that are being threatened and express my concern regarding one, same sex marriage. If God had an opinion before with establishing this nation why doesn’t He now. What does God think about same sex marriage and where does all 4 parties stand on the issue? My purpose in this article is not to condemn anyone or any group but simply to bring out the Bible’s perspective.
Let me start off by saying each political party has great ideas for this country. It is safe for me to say that some of the top priorities for each party is to ensure there is a future for our kids, great health care system, a balanced budget, great education and clean air to breath and water to drink. And yes we can’t forget tax cuts. These are some of the issues that I am sure will be taken care of, come our next election by any party that gets in. But what about the moral issues? My question to each party is simply this: What is your view on same sex marriage? I could guess that two out of the 4 parties are for same sex marriage. Simply because it was introduced by one MP, Svend Robinson of the NDP government and also passed by a majority of the Liberal government. But most importantly what does the Bible say concerning this subject? Canadians need to be looking for a candidate that is going to hold God’s standard concerning morality and not there own personal view. I know that it is hard to mix church and state, but certainly we can have high morals as a nation, and where better to look then the Bible, the inspired Word of God that formed this country in the beginning.
This is what the Bible says concerning homosexuality:
Leviticus 18:22 says, “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.”
Leviticus 20:13 says, “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.”
I Cor 6:9-10 says, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters not adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexuals offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanders nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God.”
Having a homosexual lifestyle is not supported in the Bible, just like greed is not supported by in the Bible. So if God being the auther of the Bible, does not support a person living a homosexual lifestyle, why is our country trying to legalize it in marriage? And further why are some denominations or churches blessing homosexual marriages. Something to think about and ponder for next weeks article.
