Pastor Rob Rutherford

The Gideon Principles

2012-02-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

The Gideon principles

1. When things go badly that does not mean that God has cast you off.
Things went badly for Jesus and it was a part of God’s plan.Things went badly for Abraham and it was a part of God’s plan. Things will go badly for you, but God has a plan for you.

2. Before you make a commitment clarify
If the will of God is not clear, then 1) live inside God's plan 2) apply the doctrine that you know and 3) use the principles of divine guidance.

Some steps in the process for clarifying God's will.
A. Let God have Control
B. Pray about it.
C. Seek others wiser than you in your field for wisdom
D. Remind yourself of God’s promises
Total Recall: 4 vital truths for bad times·
GOD is still the God of wonders, and a way maker. ·
GOD + you = A MAJORITY!·
God’s presence means you have nothing to fear·
Meeting with God is vital to changing everything.

E. Consult your teammates
F. Fast
G. Fleece
H. Make a decision

3. Check out what God is doing in the other person’s camp

4. Be confident in the army God gives you!

5. The Conquest is God’s!
Your arsenal is of no concern
Your army’s size is of no concern
Your military arrangement is of no concern
Your availability & not your ability is God’s only concern!

What to do.
Be still and watch God fight for you! Write down everything that God does for you in the several weeks to remind yourself of God’s work in your life. Keep that log and share it each and every day

CROAK

2012-01-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

Cry out

Rescue Me

Oh Lord from...

All those deceptive people and things that ...

Keep me far off from you.

Croaking is what Ravens do to call their family's to assist them, to help them, to be near them, to help feel secure. When a Raven is croaking he is taking his troubles to those who can help. A raven's croak can be heard by his pack and family from over a mile away!

So The Lord hears us when we are afar off, surrounded by deceptive people, and distracting circumstances. He comes to our rescue because we cry out!

Wear your feelings on your sleeve

2011-08-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

Wear your feelings on your sleeve.

In the days of the Knights these soldiers would joust. Riding their horses with their long lances held forward they would attempt to knock each other off the horse they were riding. It was violent. It was dangerous. It was festive. Honor and dignity and often the hand of a fair maiden were at stake. These Knights would often be asked to attach something from a maiden to their armor. It was said that such warriors “wore their feelings on their sleeves.”

Jesus showed his emotions, and he wore his feelings on his sleeve. There are 6 Primary emotions all men experience: Love, Joy, Surprise, Anger, Sadness, and Fear!

Love:

Jesus demonstrated love often. He touched the suffering and sick. He came to seek and to save sinners. He prayed and walked with God daily. He was full of it. Lovingly, he set his face to go to Jerusalem to die for the sins of all mankind. He accepted God’s cup of suffering for all of us.

Joy:

The scriptures teach us that Jesus endured the cross and despised its shame for the “joy that was set before him.” The scriptures tell us of a man who had a zest and a desire for others to enjoy their lives. He saved the day changing water to wine. He theatrically calmed the storm. He scared his disciples out of their minds walking on the water. He did life with 12 other guys. He open his arms, and lap to little children.

Surprise:

The scriptures reveal a complex person who was amazed by great feats of faith. The scriptures reveal a person who was astonished by the ignorance of those who claimed to know God’s law, but didn’t act upon what they knew. He healed a man because he was amazed at the faith of the guys who brought him. He healed a soldier’s daughter because he was amazed at that soldier’s grasp of who he was.

Anger:

Jesus was zealous for how things should be in the place of worship. He wanted His Father’s house to be a house of prayer. He took up a whip in anger and drove the money changers out, tipping over their table. He got angry about how the Pharisees abused people in the name of God’s law and called them tombs full of bones.

Sadness:

Jesus wept in the garden begging God to remove the cup of suffering. Jesus wept at Lazarus’s tomb and then called him back into life. Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Jesus wept when he was beaten, punched, and brutalized for us. No two words are more fixed in our hearts as that fact that God himself shed tears for us, for his friends, and for the places he loved knowing they would all be lost.

Fear:

Jesus demonstrated all of these emotions except fear. Jesus never faced fear. What I mean by this is that as Deity he could not experience fear. He is love and perfect love casts out fear. He had “no fear”. He did not fear dying, but he laid down his life. He didn’t fear the Devil, but he faced him. He didn’t fear the dignified Pharisees, rather he faced them. The only thing close to fear Jesus may have experienced was when his mother realized he had stayed behind in Jerusalem when he was young. It behooves us all as men to notify those that love us of where we are.

So what is the point? Jesus demonstrated for us how to lead when we are emoting.

1. Let love guide you when you encounter the suffering, the sick, and those who are seeking God. Love especially those who are followers of Jesus. A leader loves.

2. Live life fully with the understanding that there are no wasted experiences. Drink and enjoy the life you have been given. Savor today and each day, love others, enjoy the experiences you are given, and open your arms and laps to children. A leader has joy for living.

3. Be amazed at the faith others have and be astonished by those who take advantage of what is good in others and do wrong. A leader believes the best about others.

4. Get angry about things that offend your heavenly Father. Be angry at the wrong, the sin, the brokenness, and injustice in the world. A leader gets angry at what God gets angry about.

5. Weep with those that are weeping. We should sorrow over the loss of things that you love, but don’t let sorrow become depression. A leader identifies with what is saddening to others.

6. Unlike Jesus you will never live without fear. You have limits. You will face enemies and have fear. However, Jesus taught us to face it. Courage is not the absence of fear, but taking action in spite of fear. A leader faces his fears and acts demonstrating his courage and character.

So, dear Knight of God’s Round Table wear your feelings on your sleeve.

Pinnacle Moments

2011-05-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

A pinnacle moment is when you are tempted to do something foolish and you use God's word, and the character of our loving God to justify it.

When we do this we test God. Jesus said, "we should not test God."

Pinnacle moments are usually scary places where you feel like jumping, leaping to your death, being destructive is your only recourse. To test God rather than to stay firm and grow deeper in your trust of God is a great temptation.

Don't Jump! Take a knee, get back from the edge, breathe deeply, and know God does not reward foolishness, but faithfulness!

No murmuring, No arguing with God, and He is not to blame for the wilderness you are in. This is a test, it is only a test.

God's purpose is to see if you truly mean to follow Him and His way!

Lama Up!

2011-05-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Lama has no fear. It is aggressive when it sees movement. God has designed the Lama in such a way that it is either just not afraid or too ignorant of the fear it should have. When it sees movement it puts it long neck and head up and then moves toward the motion. Too it's enemies this is just enough to keep them from attacking. They resist because they have no fear.

Believer's Lama up when we move toward the enemy by praying, learning the scriptures, and loving especially those of the family of believers.

The Devil wants nothing to do with us when we are engaged in that way.

Lama Up!

Get up!

2011-04-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

The resurrection is God's promise that he hasn't given up on you and I.

The resurrection power is in you and I.

Jarius' daughter was ill, and the skeptic laughed. However, Jesus touched her and she "got up."

Lazarus was in the tomb for 4 days, and Jesus called him out. He said, "Come out." So Laz got up!

The Lame man at the pool was unable till he met Jesus. Jesus didn't give him an option. Instead, he told him to "get up."

Jonah was in a whale. He was having a whale experience. He fell like his life was slipping away, but he remembered God. He cried out. God order the whale to spit him out!

The same spirit that raised Jesus is in you and I and that is the guarantee that nothing that this uses to enslave us, entomb us, to bind us, or to control us can keep us from getting up!

The gift of submission

2011-03-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

Submission is a great gift you can give to each other.

A wife loves by submitting, being subject to her man.

A man submits by loving, making his woman a queen, caring for, providing, and making her happy, laying down his life for her.

Jesus is our example. The the ladies he is their Lord, and to the men He is your example to follow.

Give the gift that grows you together, submission.

Leadership Influence

2010-11-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

It is possible to wear out your leadership style. If this happens make an adjustment to your leadership style in the process! Leading any organization for a long period of time may require changing your leadership style to maintain your leadership influence.

When we began the View it required that I be a strong leader, personality driven. However, I have learned lately a weakness of that sytle. Strong personality leaders lose influence with others over past decisions (taking risks, moving too quickly, too slowly, being a lone wolf) which may have hurt them or the ministry. Change leadership styles and become a delegater. You have to give others greater influence to lead.

This is a difficult task as it requires that I grow, know, and show it, and that they grow, and trust that I know what they need to lead in their area.

I had thought rather arrogantly that I could just show up and by personality win the day. I was wrong. When you lose momentum for your organization because of the way you make decisions you weaken your influence as the leader.

Rebuild the trust by changing your leadership style and approach. Delegate. Apologize. Rebuild.

Systems

2010-10-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Saves You STRESS, TIME, ENERGY,AND MONEY!

Discovering God again

2010-09-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

I am discovering God again.

What I mean by that is this; He is giving me a fresh confidence, and assurance in Him. I realize that He will provide, and He will honor the work we are doing. He was here before us, and I know that He is doing through us what he wants done. Though I am not sure we will endure it, God is trustworthy showing up time and time again to meet our needs.

I declare today, that I trust Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord...