These notes are from the second night of the talk.
Leadership
When you become a disciple, you become a leader. Every disciple has/should have a spirit of leadership. The spirit of leadership involves taking responsibility of other people.
Moses:
His greatest challenge was listening to the complaints of the people for 40years. Exodus 15,16,17. Listening to their complaints was the most important thing Moses did as a leader. The one time he lost his temper (Numbers 20:12) he was punished by the Lord. The best thing you can do as a leader is to listen. Listen to the people.
Elijah:
Elijah's greatest test was with discouragement, fear and depression. 1Kings 19.
What can we learn from Elijah? When you are lonely, alone, discouraged, just wait and the still and gentle voice of the Holy Spirit will speak and tell you what to do. As a follower of Jesus you will have moments when you are tired and don't want to go on. Remember Elijah, wait on the Lord and he will speak.
Don't get upset with yourself, and your ability. Its what God puts in you that makes the difference. Don't wait for other people to make you a leader, they cannot make you a leader. Only God can make a leader. "A man can receive nothing than what is given him from heaven".
Paul:
2 Timothy 1:15. Paul's friends and supporters deserted him, even opposed him. It wasn't the support the of people that made Paul the leader he was and you don't need that support too.
Jesus:
There came a moment when Jesus whose whole life was about the Father called out "Father, Father, why have you forsaken me." (Can you imagine what its like? )
We all will have moments of great weakness and despair but remember to look to him still. "Lord help me be a disciple and the kind of leader others can follow and find you".
Rebuilding the altar
"God takes final responsibility for everything we do, both good and bad" (This by the way blew my mind. Scary isn't it?) Religion is what we christians do when God doesn't show up. It becomes a show. When we do that, there will be no fire.
Altars:
An altar to the Lord is a place you went when you had a need only God could fill. You went because there had been a sickness or a failure in your business, or something only God can reconcile.
You always go with a gift, an offering and it had to be alive (those days they brought lambs, goats, bulls...)
Something that represents your livelihood.
What satisfies God with our offering is the fact that whatever we lay down, that precious thing that represents our livelihood, that offering burns, is given to God and never returns.
You want revival? Start by building an altar. A place where men and women make business with God and you've got to start offering a sacrifice that is acceptable to God, and God will come. Revival is not a mystery. Build an alter in your own life. You need a place you go when you need to do business with God. You never go empty handed. Bring God a gift; your time, your energy, your money...
...
For the past few weeks in church, setting out time to spend with God has been the main message, and reading this again is confirmation. Setting out time to be alone with God is one of those things I want to do but for whatever reason never really get around doing it. I'm not talking about the normal everyday devotions but an extra time to really be still and listen.
-ONWARD!