A paramount need is for Christian leaders to listen to what the world is saying and doing. John Stott strongly advocated a “double listening”. We first listen to what God is saying in His Word.
In order to communicate this Word effectively we must seek to understand what our contemporaries are thinking and disseminating. Hence, in Notes and Quotes, I draw attention to current trends and also ideas/values that leadership coaches are imparting to their trainees.
As a believer in common grace, I’ve learnt that we have much to learn from the world of leadership and management.
YEAR OF WILD ADVENTURES
It was night. We were in a mini-bus travelling back to our villa. Our minds were reeling with excitement having spent an afternoon with six elephants in their jungle sanctuary.
As the bus careered through the dimly lit streets, I realised that 2018 was swiftly coming to an end.
I whispered a grateful “Thank You” to the Lord for His provision and protection.
I paused to ask, “What will 2019 hold for me?”
I was somewhat taken aback when I received in my spirit an almost instant reply. “A year of wild adventures”.
Wild adventures? Yes Lord, more!
The Lord marvellously brought physical healing to one and deep emotional release from a deeply traumatic incident for the other.
I sensed Him saying, “That’s for starters.” Wild adventures indeed.
I’ve learnt over the years, that the Lord treats our adjectives and nouns often different from our understanding.
The next wild adventure was a daring dream to link two wonderful sisters in Christ.
The first “A.“ is a business woman and has recently been asked by her pastor to co-ordinate prayer in her growing congregation. In five years, that church has grown from a handful of believers to nearly 1,200.
But only 20 to 25 people attend the somewhat “traditional” church prayer meeting.
Close to them, was another church and I was preaching at their four services on 5 & 6 January.
Five years ago, I was present when a raft of cells planted this satellite church. Within five years, their numbers increased to 1,500. They had recently bought their own building and are supporting a sizeable staff team.
Their members are prayer warriors! A few hundred participate at their monthly prayer gathering.
Throughout the week, especially in their cells, prayers ascend to God’s throne. Faith, passion, vibrancy and expectation characterize their corporate prayers.
So, my adventurous dream was to connect “A.“ the new Prayer Coordinator of the first church to the second.
With the pastor’s permission, she was assigned to “P.“ the pastor responsible for prayer.
From experience, I know that prayer is caught rather than taught.
I believe as “A.“ joins them and with Pastor “P.“ encouraging her, she will bring the fire of vibrant prayer to her congregation.
When I was in Chiang Mai, I met two extraordinary Christian workers.
Both were living in this same city, but they have never met.
The first “BM.” is from Switzerland and he and his fellow workers have planted a few hundred churches in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand. These are all house churches.
The second servant is “GA.” whom I have known for almost 60 years.
At the Lord’s bidding he and his wife “P.“ had gone to establish a settlement for Karen Christians in North Thailand. This is about four hours’ drive from Chiang Mai.
They run a Bible school training 75 pastors and evangelists. As part of a holistic mission they operate a farm and run an orphanage.
For years, I had kept a warm spot in my heart for the Karen’s.
I was intrigued reading the mighty people movement of the Spirit leading this large tribal group in Burma (now Myanmar) to Christ in the late 19th Century.
When God brings “BM.“ and “GA.“ together will there be a fresh synergy of the Word and the Spirit?
Will there be a dynamic thrust and partnership in discipling the Karen’s?
Wild adventures? Yes Lord, more!
QUOTES FOR NEW YEAR AND NEW SEASON:
Pearls of Pooh
“What day is it?” asked Pooh. It’s today” squeaked Piglet. “My favourite day” said Pooh
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God does not change us in order to love us. He loves us in order to change us.
Two words that will change your life…..Yes Lord
Something to Ponder
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Forecast
In an interview with The Daily Mail[1]see article Will an AI take YOUR job in 2019? China’s leading expert warns it will take over HALF of jobs within 15 years (and reveals the most at risk careers) URL dailymail.co.uk on 3 January 2019, Kai-Fu Lee, author of [BOOK] AI Superpower, China, Silicon Valley and the New Order and formerly Chairman of Google in China, predicted that half our current jobs will be taken over by AI within 15 years.
In his book, he listed the ten most endangered jobs:
1.Telemarketing/telesales
2. Customer Support
3. Warehouse workers
4. Clerks and Operational Staff
5. Telephone Operators
6. Tellers/Cashiers
7. Dish Washers
8. Fast Food Workers
9. Assembly Line Inspectors
10. Couriers
“AI is powerful and adaptable, but it can’t do everything that humans do. It cannot create, conceptualise, do complex strategic planning, complex work that requires precise hand-eyes co-ordination. It is poor in dealing with the unknown and with unstructured plans.” Kai-Fu Lee[2]see article AI Will Replace Over Half Of These Jobs Within 15 Years URL lopscoop.com
Those unlikely to lose their jobs include psychiatrists, social workers, marriage counsellors, AI researchers and scientists”.
(Could we add pastors? CWH)
NEW WORD IN THE NEW OXFORD DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH:
NOMOPHOBIA = NO+MOBILE+PHONE+PHOBIA
This is now a new word in the New Oxford Dictionary of English. It is the fear of being without your mobile phone or the irrational fear of your inability to use it.
INNOVATION and INVENTION
People love to romanticize the role of the lone genius, the hero that single handedly against all odds, transforms the world. The truth is that great innovations don’t happen in a vacuum. They are all the culmination of all the work that precede them…… If you examine the life of any great innovator, you’ll see a deep level of collaboration and exchange of ideas. Thomas Edison, who took credit for a ceaseless stream of inventions, actually collaborated intensely with others. Many of his patents have the names of his co-workers on them, which means they
did most of the work.
Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Mozart and Sigmund Freud also worked closely with others. Although they tend to get all the credit their ideas were part of a collaborative process, where they exchanged, modified, stole and built upon existing thought and scientific research.
Whether it takes the form of collaboration, co-operation, or thievery, most geniuses don’t come up with their best ideas alone.
Look at the iPhone. We think of it as a technological marvel, but the real genius is its design innovation. Steve Jobs understood the power of creating a unique and compelling user experience. The technology in the iPhone isn’t that special. Most of it isn’t even made by Apple. The hardware and chips tend to come from third parties including Apple’s competitors like Samsung. What Apple brings to the table is a deep understanding of the customers and what they need and want out of a product. Apple’s major innovation was in the design of the user experience and its app ecosystem.
INVENTORS WHO DIED PENNILESS!
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was an amazing inventor. He invented fluorescent bulbs, radio, remote control, electric motor, wireless communications and laser.
Despite his earth-shattering inventions, he died penniless. He had no one to promote or market his products. He was not alone.
Inventors who died without a cent to their names included:
• Johanness Guthenberg – the printing press;
• Antonio Meucci – the telephone;
• Rudolf Diesel – the diesel engine;
• Geoffrey Dummer – the integrated circuit;
• Charles Goodyear – Vulcanization. (ibid p.12)
Lesson? Good things in business are never done by one person, they are done by a team of people. Steve Jobs
HIGH EXPECTATIONS = HIGH STANDARDS + ASSURANCE[3]exert from The Power of Moments pp 122/3
Psychologist Scott Yeager described a study in a High School where 44 students were asked to write an essay about their personal hero. Their teachers marked the essays, providing written feedback’s.
The researchers collected the papers and split the essays in two random piles. They appended a generic note in the teacher’s hand writing.
To each essay in the first pile it said, “I’m giving you these comments so that you’ll have feedback on your paper.”
The essays in the second pile got a note reflecting what the researchers call “wise criticism”. It said, “I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know you can reach them.” (High Standards + Assurance)
After the papers were returned, the students had the option to return and re-submit their essays in the hope of getting a better grade. About 40% of students who received the generic note in the first pile chose to revise their papers.
Almost 80% of the wise criticism students revised their paper and made more than twice the number of corrections than the others.
What makes the second note so powerful is that it rewires the ways students process criticism. When they get their paper back, so full of suggestions and corrections, their natural reaction might be defensiveness or even mistrust….
But the wise criticism note carries a different message.
It says, I know you are capable of great things if you just put in the hard work.
The marked-up essay is not a personal judgment. It’s a push to stretch.
From Chip Heath and Dan Heath The Power of Moments pp 122/3[4]refer https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Power-of-Moments/Chip-Heath/9781501147760
No man is greater than his prayer life.
The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying.
We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers but few pray-ers; any singers, few clingers; lots of preachers, few wrestlers; many hears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, few fighters.
Failing here, we fall everywhere. “Leonard Ravenhill”
References
| ↑1 | see article Will an AI take YOUR job in 2019? China’s leading expert warns it will take over HALF of jobs within 15 years (and reveals the most at risk careers) URL dailymail.co.uk |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | see article AI Will Replace Over Half Of These Jobs Within 15 Years URL lopscoop.com |
| ↑3 | exert from The Power of Moments pp 122/3 |
| ↑4 | refer https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Power-of-Moments/Chip-Heath/9781501147760 |
