Barnabas Ministries UK

GIFT OF GOD

 

During the Spanish War the late President Roosevelt, then a colonel, commanded a regiment of rough-riders in Cuba. He became much attached to his men and was greatly concerned when a number of them fell sick.

 

Hearing that Miss Clara Barton (the lady who devoted herself to the work of nursing the wounded soldiers) had received a supply of delicacies for the invalids under her care, Colonel Roosevelt requested her to sell a portion of them for the sick men of his regiment.  His request was refused. 

The Colonel was very troubled; he cared for his men and was willing to pay for supplies out of his own

pocket.

 

How can I get these things?’ he asked. ‘I must have proper food for my sick men.’

 

‘Just ask for them, Colonel.’

 

‘Oh!’ said Roosevelt, his face breaking into a smile, ‘that’s the way, is it? Then I do ask for them.’ And he got them at once.

 

How often the Colonel’s mistake is repeated in connection with the matter of salvation. People seem to expect to receive it in exchange for something that they can offer. One brings an earnest prayer a second brings a vow or pledge to turn over a new leaf; a third brings an inwardly-made resolution to live a better and purer life; a fourth imagines that he can obtain this great blessing by religious rites.

Rev. E. Anderson

Presented to you is a Christian Leadership Course that is purposed to provoke many to embrace the call of Christ to leadership within His Church. The series will come in the form of a study each week, which will be in two parts thus covering two weeks over the site. My prayer and desire is that such will help many in the summons of Christ to serve Him in these tremendous days.

 

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP COURSE

 

Study 5                         SERVANTHOOD CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP                                        Part 1

 

 

 

This is quite a subject that ought to be fully considered by all that are to be and are involved in Christian leadership. It is one of the basic factors within the creed, concept and conduct of Christian life and service as to what it is all about, and so needs to be wholly understood. This is an aspect that must not be overlooked as being unimportant. Servanthood and service is at the heart of Christian leadership.

 

“ It is high time that the ideal of success should be replaced by the ideal of service”.

Einstein

“The world cannot always understand one’s profession of faith, but it can understand service”                                                                                                            Maclaren

 

DIVINE VOCATION: At the heart and centre of it, one is called by God to become ‘His servant’ and that is an honourable position to occupy before Him. It can be termed beyond doubt, a high, holy and heavenly calling that must not be despised or disparaged in any way. To be termed by God as ‘My servant’ is a mark of distinguished placement and preferment and involves a calling and summoning by Him to an vital relationship, office and ministry. It was such a designation as given to both Christ as a person and to Israel as a People – Isaiah 42: 1; 49:3. That choice man of God, Moses, was called ‘My servant’ – Joshua 1: 2. Paul refers to Timothy and himself as ‘servants of Jesus Christ’ – Philippians 1:1. It has to be humbly viewed as an esteemed situation.

 

DIVINE WORK: One cannot but think of being a divine servant without co-relating it to divine work and service. The major factor and feature is that it is being employed in sacred labour and ministry for the Lord in whatever He assigns and details. Servanthood does mean that God is to be served and also implies there are duties to be performed and this requires self-interest and desire to be crucified in the fulfilling of this vocation. Whilst it is an honoured calling it demands humble and lowly work to the good of all others and the glory of God.  It requires sweat, toil, getting the hands soiled and dirty, becoming wearied at times through intense labour and devotion etc.

 

(1)  THE SCRIPTURAL EMPHASES

 

Christ in His leadership gave clear and definite leads on this issue and He did it mainly through His

 

·       His example and pattern of life – He pointedly affirmed that the great reason for His coming into the world was with this in view and to what He was fully committed to – Matthew 20: 20-28; Mark 10: 45. He informed Mary, his human mother, that He had come to be busy in His Father’s business – Luke 2: 49 and it meant servitude in every sense to God and man. Paul really unveils this truth with regard to Christ in Philippians 2 where in v7 states He “took upon Him the form of a servant” with this in vision: to serve with grace and distinction in every way. In John 13 He taught His disciples by way of example and experience in the taking of a basin and towel washing and drying their feet.

·       His teaching and instruction – He certainly gave sound, constant direction on this issue – see Matthew 23: 1-12; Luke 10: 25-37; 22: 24-27. He was not afraid to speak the truth on the subject amidst problematic circumstances.  Sound tuition must be given so that no one was in doubt as to what Christian leadership and Christianity meant.

 

“Here we see how the Master flatly rejected any secular rulership pattern based on dominance over others as a possible precedent for His close companions. It stands to reason that the ‘boss approach’ of lording it over people, focused on position, power and privilege, feeds pride and ambition, and endangers the followers’ dignity and freedom. Instead, Christ advocated servanthood, service among others, and enforced His challenge by referring to the ‘servant approach’ He pursued in his life and ministry.”            Gunter Krallman

 

(2)  THE VITAL CHARACTERISTICS

 

The questions need to be asked: what makes up the true qualities of a servant? Or what are the principal features of servanthood? All the following are to be balanced out.

 

·          Availability – always being ready to respond to the voice and word of the Lord – Isaiah 6: 8; Luke 1:19

·          Credibility – a life and work of wholesome character that provides the basis of witness that is received – 2 Kings 5: 2,3

·          Sensitivity – perfect attunement; to be a listening position to hear clearly what is required – 1 Samuel 3

·          Fidelity – to carry through the wishes and commands of the directives – Genesis 24  Eliezer

·          Sympathy – having a heart of love that moves to act with compassion – Luke 10 - the Good Samaritan

·          Stickability – the will to see the task performed with diligence to the end – 2 Timothy 4:6-8

·          Opportunity – seizing the situation to perform with enterprise, excellence and profit – Matthew 25: 14-30

·          Humility – a freedom from arrogance and pride and the disposition of lowliness much in view – Acts 20: 19.

 

Someone was once introducing the renowned Hudson Taylor in Australia with regard to the enormous amount of work he had accomplished for the Lord. As he rose to speak he simply and sincerely said: “I am the humble servant of a great Master.” He knew both his and the Lord’s place!

 

·          Industry – readiness to work and toil at every level as required with might in the most demanding situations – Nehemiah 4:6

·          Liberty – acting with a sense of freedom and delight and not under a sense of stress and strain

·          Martha got herself and her service all twisted and tied up. Service is intended to be a boon and blessing to the server and those served. With good will – Colossians 3:23

·          Accountability – there is in the ultimate responsibility to give  report and account – Matthew 25: 19; 2 Corinthians 5: 10

·          Alacrity – as seen in the case of Abraham under divine direction – Genesis 22: 3

 

 

 

                                                      

DRUG ADDICT BECOMES PREACHER

 

FORMER £100-a-day drug addict and criminal Clyde Thomas has become a PREACHERI

 

And Clyde, 26, told New Life that he hadn’t touched drugs since being converted to Christianity while in prison.

 

Five years on, the Leamington Spa young­ster is at Bible college and is preaching around the UK.

 

Clyde became hooked on drugs at 15 when he started smoking cannabis. But the addic­tion  developed into a life of hard drugs, crime and prison.

 

He said: “Nothing in my upbringing sug­gested I should have taken drugs, but one day I was offered cannabis and said ‘yes’. That decision changed my life

 

l got into ecstasy, cocaine and before I knew it, I was smoking heroin. If I had the money, I’d be spending up to £100 per day To get that kind of money I had to commit crime.

 

“I got into debt by blowing my money on drugs. I would steal from shops, from my family and pickpocket people. All my morals disappeared I did anything I could to get my hands on drugs.

 

Clyde’s exploits eventually got him into trouble with the police, and while still a teenager, he served a three month sentence at the Glen Parva Young Offenders’ Institute in Leicester.

 

And being banged up for 23 hours a day in a’ horrible’ atmosphere shocked Clyde into realising he needed something in his life

 

Clyde said “It was dreadful. There were lots of young lads all trying to prove themselves, and it  was a horrible atmosphere. l vowed never to sell drugs and get myself into a situation like that again

 

But, despite determination and grit, Clyde’s vow lasted a mere two days. He was soon tak­ing drugs again and this time it had even worse consequences Clyde remembered: “My family booted me out, and I had to leave the area, so I moved down to Bournemouth.

 

“Life had become so bad, I Just got in the car and drove down there to try and get away from it all.

 

“I checked into a hotel with a fraudulent credit card, but after five days I was home­less.”

 

Despite being at an all-time low, it was around this time Clyde began to search for a new meaning in his life.

 

He had been kicked off a Alpha course - which gives an insight into the Christian faith for taking drugs. But he still felt he needed a spiritual change thinking that this world had nothing to of­fer me. Clyde explained: “I heard the Salvation Army band playing on the streets of Bournemouth, and made a decision to attend their service on Sunday. God was starting to break into my life.

 

“I turned up, and started chatting to the minister. He got me a flat, but my drug taking was at an all-time high. In fact, it was costing up to £50 per day for cocaine alone.”        

 

Before long, Clyde was on the wrong side of the law once more, and was on his way to prison.

 

But this prison experience worked out for the better: “I remember being in Dorchester Prison and looking out of the window  and  thinking of this world had nothing to offer me. My prison chaplain came to see me and gave some books and a Bible, which I started reading.

 

“Two days into reading the Bible, I began to experience a real change. I suddenly realised that this life did have something to offer me. I honestly believed that this Bible could save my life.

 

“I read about Jesus and how he changed people’s lives. He gave people a new start and healed their pain. I remember thinking that God actually loved me and that he had a plan for my life.

 

“I read Psalm 40, which says, ‘He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.’

 

“I knew then God was calling me. He said that ‘many will see it’. He was calling me to evangelism, to preach his Gospel. I said a sim­ple prayer and accepted Jesus into my life.”

 

It was then that Clyde’s remarkable journey with Christ began. Just two weeks after leaving prison, he was baptised and he spent two years living in South Wales with Victory Outreach, a Christian home for former addicts.

 

Clyde recognised the call of God was on his life, and in 2005 he started a theology degree at Mattersey Hall Bible College. . He also attends the New Life Christian Centre in Wakefield, and has recently been married to Rebekah.

 

Clyde said he was still amazed at God’s grace.

 

He added: “When I look back over the five years I just can’t believe it. God has been there all through my life, even when I was a drug addict. He can use anyone, anywhere, at any time to outwork His purposes.

 

 I’ve enjoyed Mattersey, although I’m a very practical Christian. My walk with God has been to read  my Bible, believe it and then see it happen. My character has grown as a result and Iv’e seen some great things”.