What would an ineffective pastor look like? Here are seven habits of highly ineffective pastors and how you can avoid them.

• Be reactive. Effective people are proactive. They take responsibility for their lives and aren’t swayed by their physical or social environments. Being proactive means responding by choices and values, not by emotions or circumstances.
• Focus only on short-term results. A good habit says, “Begin with the end in mind.” This attitude will help you keep a heavenly perspective throughout your day-to-day work.
• Do the least important thing first. An effective pastor will look at all the things in his or her life and prioritize them. The people or items at the top of that list will receive the pastor’s first and best attention.
• Think win/lose. Truly effective pastors will look for win/win solutions. They find agreements that benefit and satisfy everyone involved. This principle is especially valuable with staff and volunteers.
• Seek first to be understood, then to understand. The best way to help people and run ministry effectively is by listening - actively, empathetically, and completely - before rushing to find a solution.
• Keep working until your saw is so dull it couldn’t cut butter. To be an effective pastor and person, you need to keep a balance between the physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life. Stopping occasionally to “sharpen your saw” will allow you to work more quickly and efficiently without wearing you down.
• You only need to change one area of your life. Effective people know that all of these ideas work in balance together to create a synergized life.

Problems. If you’re going to work with or minister to people, you are going to have problems. Sometimes big problems. Moses was one person in the scripture who had people problems. Millions of them. Everywhere he looked - people problems. How to feed them. How to water their livestock. How to settle their petty problems. How to settle their big problems. Where do the tents go? How about the toilets. Everywhere problems.

Surely with all these problems, the solution must be complex. Big problems should mean big, intricate, thoroughly researched and analyzed solutions - right? Not necessarily. In fact, very often, the solution to one’s problem is asymmetric to the problem itself. Big problem, small solution.

When our problem is large or complex, we too often feel that the solution has to be the same. Because of this we usually miss the obvious, simple answer. In Moses’ case, it took his shepherd father-in-law’s simple mind to figure it out. A shepherd understands that a flock can get too big. When it does, it can begin to overgraze the fields and ruin the good pastures. This simple sheepherder was not educated by the most learned teachers of Egypt as Moses was, but he did understand something about having too many sheep in one place. He knew that when you have more sheep in a field than what that field can contain, you have to hire an under-shepherd to take part of the flock to another field. With that elementary laymen’s thinking Moses was able to correct very simply, the extremely complex dilemma the nation of Israel had found herself in. Jethro told Moses to break the number of people down into smaller segments and then place leaders over these small segments. How simple.

The biggest problems that your ministry is facing today probably could very well be corrected with a simple solution. Too often however, we go shopping for the big answer: The complex answer. The expensive answer. The time consuming answer. Here’s why: We focus on the negative instead of the positive. Seriously, nearly everyone does. Did you know that in the English language, 62 percent of the “emotion” words are negative, vs 38 percent that are positive. A group of psychologists once reviewed over two hundred articles and concluded that for a wide range of human behavior and perception, a general principle holds true: “Bad is stronger than good.” Ask yourself, do you remember more of the bad that you hear about others or do you remember more of the good. A vastly larger audience of people remembers the bad instead of the good.

If we are focused on the negative, we seldom see the positive. This is a sad series of events as most often bad is not the only thing that is going on. Very often there is good going on too. Usually, much more good than there is bad. The problem however, is we humans have a tendency to only recognize and focus our energies on the bad. When we do this we fail to recognize what is going on that is right. If we could recognize the right things that are going on, then we may realize that our big problem is not that big at all. In fact, maybe it is dwarfed by the good that is going on.

Moses could only see the small picture of his big problem. He could not see the big picture of his simple solution. Israel had a lot of good going on at that moment. She had a multitude of varied talented people who were easily equipped to assist Moses however he needed. If Moses could have gotten his gaze off of his dilemma long enough to thank God for the good people who were under his leadership, he may have found his solution sooner and possibly without the help of his wife’s father. After all, who wants that hanging over their head, “Hey sonny, I fixed your problem for you.” Moses was an extremely educated man. You have to know he wanted to figure the biggest problem of his entire ministry out for himself.

There is more to celebrate in what you have than there is to grieve in what you don’t have.

When you can identify what is happening that is right you can learn to duplicate that process to bring about change and growth for your church or organization. For instance, let’s say that of the ten varied recognized ministries in your church. Seven are doing well and three of them are doing badly. Our general response to this situation is usually to focus our energies on the ministries that are doing badly in the attempt to get them up to par with the ministries that are doing well. In short, we leave off of the ones that are doing good to help the ones that are doing badly.

Why? Have you ever asked yourself, “Maybe that broken down ministry in your church is not the will of God in the first place. Maybe, it should have been dissolved years ago?” In any event, what you are missing is that something fantastic is happening in a few areas of your church that are worth exploring and replicating. If you could find out what those ministries are that are doing well, you may find what will help the struggling ministries of your church. Could an answer to all the bad that is in your church be as simple as finding, identifying and exploiting the good that is happening? What could happen if we spent all the valuable time that we do focusing on and encouraging the good that is happening in our church instead of getting caught up in the mess of all the bad?

Begin to study, survey and dissect the ministries of your church where good positive growth is happening and you will probably find the answers to the problems that plague the ones that are not doing so well. Focus on your church’s strengths rather than obsessing over its weaknesses. ]]> http://www.preachit.org/blog/church-helps/your-solution-is-not-as-big-as-your-problem/feed/ http://www.preachit.org/blog/church-helps/somethings-broke-in-the-church/ http://www.preachit.org/blog/church-helps/somethings-broke-in-the-church/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:20:12 +0000 Michael McFarland http://www.preachit.org/blog/?p=876

No, it’s not a water pipe or a window. But it’s making lots of noise and spilling a big mess everywhere. “Bang Bang Clang Clang. Do you hear it?” What’s broke in many churches today is the Brotherly Love that Jesus said would be the identifier to the world that we are His.

I’m trying to understand Mark 9. I have been examining every word spoken by the disciples and our Lord. We know that the disciples wanted with everything that was in them to be able to deliver the boy. Why else would they later risk criticism and His strong rebuke to ask why they had failed. We know that the Lord wanted them to be able to do the miracle because of the rebuke. So what went wrong? Why a prayer and no miracle.

I’ve been praying for the answer to that. I have always thought that if I prayed enough or fasted enough, the prayer would be answered. If I could somehow earn enough points by fasting, then a miracle was sure to come. But then I read IS 58. Here we find that it’s not the fact that you are fasting, but rather the intent or purpose for which you are fasting. And so I have been praying and fasting with Isa 58 in my heart and mind. Lord help me to fast for the right reasons, to provoke Love.

Beyond Isa 58 though, I have found what I believe is a key to what I am searching for. “Compassion”

When I read the account of Mark 9, I was looking at what the Lord said. How could we not hear Him. “O faithless and Perverse generation, how long shall I suffer you?” Then I was looking at what the disciples asked when they desired to know why they had failed. But what I had totally overlooked was what the little boy’s father said to the Lord. Did you get it? “If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us”!

COMPASSION

As a father, I have felt that man’s compassion. I have held my sick children up to the Lord with tears of compassion for a sick baby. So, I think I understand the pleading and hunger he had in his heart when he asked the Lord to have compassion on them. When I read that I began a search on the word compassion.

It is in the Bible 41 times in 39 verses. The Old Testament is full of verses which tell how the Lord is “Full of Compassion”.

• Mat 9:36 Compassion on the multitude…of lost people.
• Mat 14:14 Compassion caused Him to heal the sick of the multitude there.
• Mat 15:32 Compassion caused Him to feed the multitude with a few loaves and fishes.
• Mat 18:27 It was the lack of compassion which caused the servant to be given to the tormentors.
• Mat 20:34 Compassion caused Him to heal blinded eyes.
• Mat 1:41 Compassion moved Him to heal the Leper.
• Luke 7:13 Compassion made Him raise the widow’s son.
• Luke 15:20 With compassion the father received the prodigal son.
• COMPASSION!

Lord help me to have compassion on people! I believe that you cannot truly love someone until you have had compassion on them.

• Compassion will cause you to pray for someone.
• It will drive you to fast for them!
• It will bring about a change in your priorities to the point that nothing else matters to you but meeting the need in that person’s life!

The Lord asked me the other day, “When have I answered your prayers for the sick?” Now folks, I have seen God raise people up off of death beds on several occasions. I have seen him heal all kinds of sicknesses. He has opened closed ears. You name it I have seen God do it through prayer. However, there was one ingredient that was present with every one of those answered prayers. And it was not there in the unanswered prayers, no matter how much I claimed it, pled the Blood, or called on His name. It was Compassion!

• Yes I loved the other people that I prayed for, but never saw them healed. Or at least I thought I loved them. I wanted to, but I really cannot say that for sure. But when I prayed for people with compassion in my heart and a sincere desperation for their need, God always met that need. Every Time! Every Single Time!

Study that word Compassion. It will blow your mind how important it was throughout the Bible. Every time you see the word Compassion, a miracle took place. It was even Compassion which preserved the baby Moses in his day of death.

So then, how do I get compassion for people? That’s what I am after right now. Because I suppose there are some people along the way that I find it hard to have compassion for. Come on admit it, You’re the same way!

Whenever I am asked to speak at another church where I do not know someone, often times the Pastor will ask me to help him pray for a sick person. In the 20 seconds I am praying for them, I barely have time to say all the spiritual mumbo jumbo that I am used to saying. Much less, just stand there and try to feel the pain or hurt the person I am praying for feels.

Is it possible to effectively pray for someone without compassion? No matter what our relationship is with them, I’m not sure we can touch Heaven until we have Compassion working in our heart for them. Real Compassion!

• The kind of Compassion that would cause a father to run into a burning building for his children.
• The kind of Compassion that would cause someone to jump into a flooded river to save someone’s life.
• The kind of compassion that will cause us to set everything aside and Pray and Fast until God meets the need in someone’s life.

God give me that kind of Compassion for people! ]]> http://www.preachit.org/blog/leadership/compassion-2/feed/ http://www.preachit.org/blog/leadership/the-role-of-a-mentor/ http://www.preachit.org/blog/leadership/the-role-of-a-mentor/#comments Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:55:40 +0000 Michael McFarland http://www.preachit.org/blog/?p=866

As common as the word mentor is in society, and in the business culture in general, when it comes to many religious organizations and the individuals that comprise them, mentoris often still a mysterious term. Confusion and misperceptions abound, and yet mentoring has been around since the dawn of man.

There are many different ways to lead God’s people.  

• Visionary leader - These leaders have a crystal-clear picture of what they want to happen. They cast visions powerfully and possess indefatigable enthusiasm to pursue the mission.

• Directional leader - The directional leader can carefully assess the values, mission, strengths, weaknesses, resources, personnel, and openness to change of an organization - then point that organization in the right direction.

• Strategic leader - A strategic leader forms a game plan everyone can understand and is able to get various departments synchronized and focused toward the goal.

• Managing leader - These leaders possess the unique ability to establish mile markers on the road to the destination, then organize and monitor people, processes, systems, and resources for mission achievement.

• Motivational leader - These leaders possess insight into who needs a fresh challenge, additional training, public recognition, and an encouraging word or a day off.

• Shepherding leader - This man or woman loves team members so deeply, nurtures them so gently, supports them so consistently, listens to them so patiently, and prays for them so diligently that the mission of the team gets achieved.

• Team-building leader - This person has supernatural insight into people to find or develop leaders with the right abilities, character, and chemistry with other team members.

• Re-engineering leader - This kind of leader loves to tune up, heal, and revitalize hurting organizations.

• Bridge-building leader - This leader brings a wide variety of constituencies together under a single umbrella of leadership so that a complex organization can achieve its mission.

13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to takebread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. 16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. 17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

INTRO:

Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse code operator.

Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. A sign on the receptionist’s counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office. The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in.

Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet.  They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified.

Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, “Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled.”

The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, “Wait a minute, I don’t understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair!”

The employer said, “I’m sorry, but all the time you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse code: ‘If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.’

None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Are our ears tuned to His voice??

Now, there are some things that interest me about this story!

1.)   This young man was not the FIRST one there!

2.)   There were probably men with higher qualifications!

3.)   There may have been men who were better dressed.

4.)   Maybe they were comparing themselves among themselves, and touting their own qualifications!

5.)   Maybe each one was telling the other why he deserved the job!

6.)   Maybe they were arguing about who was right and who was wrong for the position!

But, while they sat there this young man waltzed right in and got the job!

But, the reason this young man got the job was because he was listening for the right voice!

Somehow he had eliminated all distractions, all outside influences!

While others were pre-occupied with other conversations, although worthwhile they may have been, they missed the main message!

While others were talking among themselves, the small, unobtrusive voice of the telegraph machine went unnoticed! Even though the quietest sound, it was the most important sound in the room, and the one who heard it was the one who eliminated all outside influences and distractions!

I.)            THE ONES WHO WILL HEAR THE STILL, SMALL VOICE OF JESUS IN THIS GENERATION ARE THE ONES WHO ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS!

The ones who block out all outside influences and concentrate on what God is saying amid the clutter, and hubbub of every day life!

WE HAVE ALL HAD PEOPLE SAY SOMETHING TO US AND WE WERE DAYDREAMING, OR OTHERWISE PRE-OCCUPIED.

And, so when we finally come back to ourselves, we say. “What did you say? I didn’t HEAR you!”

When, what we really mean is, I heard, but didn’t understand you!

I heard you speaking, but what you said didn’t register with me.

I knew you were talking to me, but my mind was preoccupied with other things, and I didn’t understand what it was that you wanted me to hear.

• I was riding in the truck with my father-in-law the other day and said something to him and he said, “Mike, I didn’t understand what you said, the doctor has told me I have lost 50% of my hearing. I can HEAR, but I don’t UNDERSTAND sometimes what has been said.”

And then he said this, which really stuck with me, “The only way I can really understand what someone says is if I am looking directly at them when they speak!”

II.)          IN ORDER TO HEAR WHAT GOD IS SAYING, WE MUST REMOVE ALL DISTRACTIONS AND KEEP OUR EYES ON HIM!

Isaiah 6:1-10

In the year that king Uzziah died I SAW also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.   4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.  6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:  7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

King Uzziah had become a distractioin to Isaiah, and it was only when he died that Isaiah saw the Lord!

Uzziah - a contracted form of Azari’ah the Lord is my strength. (1.) One of Amaziah’s sons, whom the people made king of Judah in his father’s stead (2 Kings 14:21; 2 Chr. 26:1). His long reign of about fifty-two years was “the most prosperous except that of Jehosaphat since the time of Solomon.” He was a vigorous and able ruler, and “his name spread abroad, even to the entering in of Egypt” (2 Chr. 26:8, 14). In the earlier part of his reign, under the influence of Zechariah, he was faithful to Jehovah, and “did that which was right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 15:3; 2 Chr. 26:4, 5); but toward the close of his long life “his heart was lifted up to his destruction,” and he wantonly invaded the priest’s office (2 Chr. 26:16), and entering the sanctuary proceeded to offer incense on the golden altar. Azariah the high priest saw the tendency of such a daring act on the part of the king, and with a band of eighty priests he withstood him (2 Chr. 26:17), saying, “It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense.” Uzziah was suddenly struck with leprosy while in the act of offering incense (26:19-21), and he was driven from the temple and compelled to reside in “a several house” to the day of his death (2 Kings 15:5, 27; 2 Chr. 26:3). He was buried in a separate grave “in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings” (2 Kings 15:7; 2 Chr. 26:23).

Isaiah learned that position was not what he should be seeking!

Uzziah gave him a position, and when he got his position, he lost sight of God!

I want you to notice Isaiah’s 3-fold vision:

1.) When the man who had taken care of him died, Isaiah turned again to the Lord, and it was then that he received his vision!

In the year that king Uzziah died I SAW also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Isaiah said, when my distractions were eliminated, then I saw the Lord!

When I stopped looking to the arm of the flesh, I saw the Lord!

When I got my focus off of the things that man could do for me and to me, I saw the Lord!

2.) After Isaiah saw the Lord, he saw himself!

5 Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah realized how far he had drifted away from God when he finally saw God again! He realized how unclean he was after he got a vision of God! And, immediately he began to repent!

3.) And, finally, after he saw God and himself, he got a vision of the world that he was sent to witness to.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

I am saying to this church tonight, God has a job for someone to do!

There is a work to be done, and the position is open, who will fill it?

Who will go and do the work of God in this generation?

III.)        THE JOB POSITION IS OPEN, AND THE ADVERTISEMENT HAS GONE FORTH!

Matthew 28:19

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  

Mark 16:15-16

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Matthew 9:37-38

37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Acts 1:8

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

The job?

Reach the lost at any cost!

The Pay?

Matthew 16:26-27

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

The benefits?

Romans 14:17

17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

And a life insurance policy that is out of this world!

And, the applicants have come from near and far, and are sitting in the interview room, waiting for their turn!

But, I would say to you today, that it is not the most qualified, not the most well-dressed, not the first on the scene, or not the ones with the most ability that will get the job, but the ones that will get the nod from the Lord of the Harvest are those who will hear his still, small, voice and understand what the purpose of the church is in this day!

Those whose attention is not diverted by the other sounds that clamor all around, those who don’t think that they have already arrived and deserve the job because of their superior qualifications, but those who are listening and understanding the voice of God!

We can argue all day long amongst ourselves, and use scripture to back up why we are right, and everyone else is wrong, but while we are crossing theological swords, people are dying and going to hell!

IV.)        THE ONES WHOM GOD WILL WORK THROUGH IN THIS GENERATION ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE ELIMINATED THE DISTRACTIONS IN THEIR LIVES.

Not the most educated,

Not the best dressed,

Not the ones with the most impressive pedigree or heritage,

But, those who have eliminated distractions!

Psalm 24:3-6

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.  5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

It’s interesting to note that one of the meanings of both of the words used here, CLEAN and PURE, is CLEAR!

Not muddled or double-minded, but a clear, unhindered direction.

Matthew 6:22

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

One of the definitions for SINGLE in this passage is SIMPLE, or CLEAR!

I truly believe that what God is looking for in this generation is not talent, ability, pedigree, heritage, etc.

I BELIEVE THAT GOD IS SIMPLY LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WILL ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS!

PEOPLE WHO WILL KEEP THEIR PURPOSE CLEAR, THEIR LIVES UNCLUTTERED, AND FREE FROM THE THINGS OF THE WORLD THAT WILL DIVERT OUR ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE STILL, SMALL VOICE OF GOD!

People that will not only hear, but understand what God is saying.

CONCLUSION

How do I hear and understand the voice of God?

It’s not enough to hear the voice of God; I must understand what God is saying.

SAMUEL HEARD THE VOICE OF GOD, BUT RAN TO ELI TO ASK HIM WHAT HE WANTED!

It’s one thing to hear the voice, but another to know from where it is coming and what it is saying.

John 10:27

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

The way that I can hear the voice of God is only through prayer, fasting, spending time in the Word and eliminating distractions.

We are going to work on ELIMINATING DISTRACTIONS.

Easton, M. G., M. A. D. D., Easton’s Bible Dictionary, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1996.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I live about forty miles from Chicago and I drive the Chicago highways quite frequently. What a horrible mess they are. Often it takes two hours or more to get from one side of the city to the other. Many times I have sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic wondering what the problem is and promising myself that I will never drive that highway again. Yet, when I fly over the city I can see all of the highways at the same time. I can point out all of the trouble spots in just a few moments. I can see the bottlenecks, I can see the accidents. New perspective is gained.

If you have been through Chicago more than once, you have probably heard of the ‘Hillside Strangler’. It is a notorious section of highway near the town of Hillside where two interstates and a road merge into a single lane to enter the Eisenhower Expressway. It has long been dubbed one of the worst traffic bottlenecks in the world. It will literally stop you dead in your tracks where you won’t be able to move for a long, long time. A few years ago they spent over a 100 million dollars to fix the problem. They widened the entrance to three lanes. However, after all of the time and money they spent to fix this, the traffic flow is only slightly better. People are just as frustrated as before. When you see this area from above, you can see that the congestion has only been pushed further east. The problem is easily seen from the sky, three lanes are not enough for this traffic merger, and they need more lanes stretched out over more distance. The estimated cost to rebuild this section of highway is now well over one billion dollars.

It is amazing how crystal clear the answers are when seen from above. The perspective one can receive from the skies is like receiving new revelation.

During a time of terrible persecution and uncertainty, the Apostle John was banished to the Isle of Patmos. There was no way out. Facing the darkest hours of his life, John had many questions on his heart. He couldn’t think his way out. He couldn’t see his way out. Though he lived to an old age there, he didn’t know he would do so at the time.

However, Jesus knew some things John didn’t know. Jesus was about to invite John up into the heavens. Jesus wanted to give John some new perspective and some fresh insight.

Revelation 4:1

4 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

What an amazing and comforting Scripture; “John, come on up, and I will show you all the things that must happen.”

Jesus proceeded to show John some things that are answering eternally important questions 2000 years later. John didn’t need deliverance, he needed new perspective and that is what Jesus gave him. When John gained a new perspective he received answers, he received direction and he received revelation. I believe Jesus still does the same for us today.

For most of us the real problem isn’t the lack of answers or the lack of direction it is simply that we are stuck bumper to bumper in the middle of our own ‘Hillside Strangler’. From our vantage point all we can see is our problem staring us in the face. The simple fact is if we remain where we are spiritually, our ‘Hillside Strangler’ may soon ’strangle’ the life out of us. It is imperative that we position ourselves in a place with Christ where He can give us new perspective.

Whether you are seeking direction in your ministry or answers for your problems you need to get down on your knees and get where Jesus is.It is critical to your survival. If you can get where Jesus is, you’ll be able to see what Jesus sees. When you can see what Jesus sees you can know what Jesus knows. New perspective will be gained. New direction will be given. Revelation will be received. Then, you will be able to launch an aerial assault on your own ‘Hillside Strangler’ with the divine confidence you have received from above.