Inheriting The Promises Of God

February 5, 2012

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights , , , , , , 2 Comments

Hebrews 6:11-12 “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” NKJV

Do you know that inheriting the promises of God in our lives is more like a marathon race rather than a sprint race? Not sure. Well then, let me ask you to consider Noah. He didn’t build the ark in a day. It took more like 100 years to build the ark. Or what about David? He didn’t become king overnight. No, it took many years of running for his life before he became the king of Israel. Or how about Abraham? Did he become the father of many nations in a week?  No, he didn’t.  For each of these heroes of faith, it took a long time for the promises of God to be fulfilled in their respective lives.  Unfortunately, it is no different for you and I; therefore, the sobering reality is that inheriting the promises of God in our lives is definitely more like a marathon race and not a sprint race.

If you have ever run a 10k race (6.2 miles), a half marathon (13.1 miles), and a marathon (26.2 miles), you quickly discover that there is most definitely a difference between each of these races. In fact, running a marathon race versus a sprint race requires another whole level of discipline and painstaking diligence in order to successfully run the race to the end.  With that said, it’s interesting to me that the writer of Hebrews 6:11 says that we “should show the same diligence until the full assurance of hope until the end” indicating that the race of faith will require diligence to finish.

Miriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines diligence as: persevering application; being diligent is characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort : PAINSTAKING

In other words being diligent is not easy. Notice that I didn’t say doing diligence. Being diligent is not a doing work, but rather a PAINSTAKING being work in and through us as we run the race of faith and persevere in our faith to the full assurance of hope until the end. Furthermore, being diligent in a persevering application of faith requires patience. For example, constructing  a new building  takes a persevering application of faith and patience. Launching a new campus or a new business takes a persevering application of faith and patience. In fact James 1:4 states, “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” NKJV

In my devotional studies, I’ve learned from Rick Renner’s, Sparkling Gems From The Greek, that the word patience comes from the Greek word hupomeno which means “having the kind of attitude that hangs in there no matter what, never gives up, refuses to surrender to obstacles, and turns down every opportunity to quit.” So then, let me ask this question. Where do you think this kind of staying power or patience comes from?  The Bible says that it comes from the Holy Spirit and is in fact one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 states,  “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” NLT 

When we have the Holy Spirit fruit of patience operating in our lives, nothing can stop us, nothing can break us, no challenge is too difficult for us, no opposition is too fearful, and no dream is too big…because God is WITH us and He is FOR us!

As an illustration let me share how the Holy Spirit fruit of patience helped me to successfully complete the 2007 Florida Ironman triathlon. In the days leading up to the race, I have to be honest that I was a little nervous and a lot afraid, especially when two nights before the race at the kick-off dinner for the athletes, a short video was shown of the prior year race.  I’m not sure if it was meant to encourage me or what, but what it did do was scare the heck out of me.  After watching 2,500 people run into the water like penguins at the north pole and start swimming out into the deep blue ocean one on top of the other for 2.4 miles, I thought…I’m gonna die.  And if I don’t die in the water…how in the world am I going to ride my bike 112 miles and THEN run a 26.2 mile marathon.  I couldn’t help but think, WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Seriously though, I had intimidating thoughts that I might not be able to finish the race. I also had fearful thoughts that my body might just shut down and quit on me.  Did I properly count the cost in my training or was I going to look foolish by not being able to finish what I started? Did I really hear from the Lord about doing the race or was I just trying to find my identity in something outside of Him? As I was wrestling with these questions in my mind the day before the race, the Lord encouraged me that He was with me and that the whole thing was about learning to be patient in Him…learning patience in the 3 years of training that it took to properly prepare for the Ironman and learning patience during the most significant physical challenge of my life at that time.  

So early in the morning around 4 am on Race day, I got up and went on the balcony of our condo overlooking the beach to spend time with the Lord and pray for the patience and strength I would need for the day in order to finish the race. I asked the Lord to be with me throughout the day and I prayed Isaiah 40:31 for His supernatural patience and strength during the race.

“But those who wait on the Lord, Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

All through-out the race, I prayed this verse in my spirit, took my thoughts captive, and enjoyed my race with the Lord.  When I finished the swim, I was so excited that I had not actually drowned, I couldn’t stop thanking the Lord for being done with that stage and actually being alive… I finished the swim in 1 hr 18 minutes which was a great time for me.

On the bike, I was trained well and was staying disciplined to my heart rate training…no more than 78% of my maximum heart rate; however, 70 miles into the race, I experienced a sharp opposing headwind which caused me to have to drop my pace to around 15 mph instead of the 20 mph that I trained for and had set as a goal.  In fact, at mile 90, the headwind had been so persistent for 20 miles that I had to stop on side of the road to take a short break and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to get some needed strength and refreshment.

Do you know that when we are taking steps of faith and begin moving in the direction of God’s promises for our lives, it is very likely that we may experience opposition from the enemy; therefore, we must be prepared for it and respond with a continued persevering application of faith and patience. Plus, when we are in a long enduring season of faith, we have to remain disciplined in persevering applications of faith and patience if we are going to inherit the promises of God…because all seasons eventually change if we don’t give up. Daily prayer, bible reading, small group, fasting, praise, and refreshing in the Holy Spirit are all great spiritual disciplines that can help us build faith and patience on our journey towards the inheritance of God’s promises in our life. 

At mile 106, the headwind turned into an awesome tailwind and I finished the bike stage at 6 hrs and 15 min which was about 30 minutes later than my training goal.

As I started into the 26.2 mile marathon run, my wife and children along with my mother-in-law and father-in-law were all there to encourage me and cheer me on which was a huge boost for me.  And then 6.5 miles later, my parents, my sisters, my brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews were all at the other end of a 13.1 mile loop to continue cheering me on and encouraging me to finish the race.  Their encouragement and support reminded me of the great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12:1 that watch us as we run the race of faith in Christ.  Hebrews 12:1-2 states,  “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” NKJV

Having my family cheer and support me at critical stages of the race was a huge encouragement that helped me run the race with endurance.  It is the same way for each of us in our personal races of faith in Christ.  Having spiritual family there to support you in the midst of life’s challenges, obstacles, hopes, and dreams is a huge part of the endurance success factor.  As I ran and took each step towards the finish line, I continued praying in the spirit as I thanked God for my family, thanked God for the beautiful sunset, and thanked Him for the ability to actually run the race. In fact, when I crossed the finish line after a long race of 12 hrs and 53 minutes, I walked across the line with my arms raised in the air giving all praise and glory to my heavenly Father for being with me the whole way and giving me everything I needed to strongly finish the race. And lastly, it was a great joy to see my training partner also finish strong and cross the finish line fulfilling our mutual commitment to run the race of life together in the wisdom of Proverbs 27:17 which states in the New International Version of the Bible that “As iron sharpens iron, so does one man sharpen another.”  

Finishing Is Better Than Starting. Patience Is Better Than Pride

Topping it all off as God generally likes to do, later that week after the race was over, in my devotional time with the Lord, He led me to discover the scripture verse of Ecclesiastes 7:8 in the New Living Translation of the Bible which states, “Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.” How awesome is that?  As a certified finisher of the 2007 Florida Ironman, I can personally testify that finishing is certainly better than starting and patience is certainly better than pride. How much more awesome will it be when you and I inherit the fullness of the promises of God through faith and patience as we cross the finish line of our race of faith in Christ? So my prayer is that you will inherit the promises of God in your life through faith and patience by hanging in the race of faith no matter what, never giving up, refusing to surrender to obstacles, and turning down every opportunity to quit because God is with you and He is for you! Amen!

For a cool short video recap of the 2007 Florida Ironman race, Click Here.

Inheriting The Promises Of God Copyright 2012, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, Inheriting The Promises Of God, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

End Of The Spear

December 18, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Nate Saint

When Steve Saint was only five years old, his father Nate Saint, left on a plane with four other missionaries – Jim Elliott, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Pete Fleming – to reach the indigenous savage people group known as the Auca Indians.  On the day his father left, little young Steve did not know that his father and the other missionaries would all be speared to death by the Waodani tribe and he would never see his father again.  However, instead of allowing this tragic experience to mark his life with bitterness and unforgiveness, Steve learned how to forgive the men who killed his father by actually going to live with his aunt among the Waodani tribe when he was 10 years old.  Through his family’s tenacious missionary efforts and Steve’s willingness to forgive his father’s transgressors, the Waodani people became believers in Christ.  Through Steve’s outrageous act of love and forgiveness, the man who actually killed Steve’s father was transformed by God and became Steve’s brother in Christ – powerfully demonstrating the good news of the Gospel.

The Power of Forgiveness

I’ve heard it said that there is nothing more powerful in human affairs than the act of forgiving the least and even the most unforgivable offenses.  I believe this is true simply because of the reality of the Cross in my own life.  At the Cross, Jesus looked at His guilty offenders (you and I through the sin of Adam) and He forgave us by freely giving His life that we might have life.  Like Jesus, Steve Saint’s father, Nate Saint, gave his life as a martyr so that others – guilty offenders – might have an opportunity to receive the power of forgiveness through the Cross.  As a legacy to his father’s martyred life, Steve pressed through his painful loss to help complete his father’s mission by demonstrating the power of the gospel through the incontestable act of forgiving his father’s killers.  What else can the heart of a person do but melt at the foot of the Cross, when they have committed an unthinkable, unpardonable sin against another and that person chooses to forgive their offense.

Give What You Cannot Keep To Gain What You Cannot Lose

In his life, Steve Saint quotes one of the missionaries killed with his father as saying, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” From his painful life experiences, it is evident that Steve learned how to allow what the enemy meant for evil to be turned to good by giving into his heavenly Father’s hands what he could not keep – his relationship with his natural father – in return for the eternal life of his father’s killers and many others through the powerful demonstration of the gospel in his own everyday life.  In fact, it has been written about Steve that his life has been shaped by James 4:17 and other similar verses stating, “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do, but doesn’t do it, sins.” With such a powerful verse shaping Steve’s life, it is no wonder the powerful impact that he is having in his missionary efforts around the world. 

Dead Faith Is Worthless

In my opinion, Steve Saint’s everyday faith is an inspirational testament to the responsibility that all Christ followers have to fulfill the Great Commission by demonstrating our own faith through good works that God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. About the purpose and course of his life, Steve Saint states, “I have long dreaded the thought of getting to the end of life and regretting that I allowed my own timidity or other people’s expectations to determine the course of my life. I had decided at a much younger age that several of my beliefs should determine the course of my life.  I believe that Waengongi, the Creator, has an epic script into which my minute presence has been written.” For “Great Commission” works to be fulfilled and completed in each of our lives, I believe that all Christ-followers must believe as Steve Saint, that our Creator – Father God – has a good plan for each of us and He will be faithful to complete the good work He begins in us as the Author and the Finisher of our faith.  And if we dare to be so bold to believe the fullness of God’s Word for our own lives, we would have no need to be concerned with “dead faith” which Steve says “is as worthless as a 5-day old chewed up piece of gum.”  Therefore, as we live life at the end of the spear, trusting the Lord to teach us all things, lead us into all truth, and direct our steps on a daring faith adventure into eternity with Him, may our faith never be dead on the journey.

Question: As a Christ follower in the marketplace, how do you live your life at the “end of the spear”?  

End of the Spear Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, End of the Spear, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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Our Father’s Kingdom

December 3, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights , , , 2 Comments

For me, one of the most profound and exhilarating statements presented in Douglas Layton’s book, Our Father’s Kingdom, is found in the introduction where Mr. Layton frankly states,

“While righteousness in a nation undoubtedly begins with the commitment of individuals to Christ, more souls and more churches alone will not make it holy.  Godliness comes when a nation’s Christians make it their all—consuming passion to see God’s glory reflected in every domain of the land, its arts, sciences, media, government, schools, businesses, families – in every domain.  Unless they do, their salvation will benefit only them personally, and Christ’s laws and principles will not guide their nation as He intended them to do.”

Wow!  This bold statement so identifies with the Spirit of God in me that I can’t help but seriously think that this is actually the real reason why we do not see more of God’s kingdom truly reflected in every domain of our country as mentioned by Mr. Layton.  Personally, I believe this is precisely the reason our nation continues to slide farther and farther away from our Judeo Christian heritage and values in everyday marketplace life.  Unfortunately for our nation which was founded on the principles and values of the Bible, I think we have forgotten how to teach people to practically live the principles and values of our Father’s kingdom in their respective domains of influence outside of our churches and our families.  As a result, far too many Christians lack the practical knowledge and Holy Spirit inspired boldness to bring the values and principles of our Father’s kingdom to their spheres of influence in a way that facilitates real transformational change in our societal domains.

So then how do we practically do this? Personally, I believe that the only way we can effectively do this is if genuine Christ followers make an intentional effort to focus on the entirety of Jesus’ commandment in His Great Commission of His Church as stated in Matthew 28:18-20. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” As disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, when we objectively measure our effectiveness in fulfilling the entirety of the Great Commission as commanded by Him, we are without doubt effectively building churches that are adding souls to the Body of Christ and even building more churches to do so in the kingdom; however, by the condition of our society in America, it just doesn’t seem to me that we are being as effective as we need to be in teaching disciples how to observe all things that the Lord commands us in the different societal domains of our nation.  If we were effective in doing this, I believe that our news stations would be different, our movies and films would be different, our government would be different, our businesses would be different, our schools would be different; but sadly, all too significantly often, these domains of influence in our nation are not different and they do not reflect the values and principles of our Father’s kingdom.

In his book, Mr. Layton brings further clarity to our Father’s kingdom mandate, stating, “When we speak of ‘winning a nation’ or ‘turning our nation back to God,’ we are really speaking about bringing God’s influence, laws, principles, and kingdom authority into each of these spheres. Anything less is less than what God commanded His church to do.”  So if this is what it means to win a nation for the kingdom of God, then who is strategically thinking about how to equip the saints of God to effectively bring God’s influence, laws, principles, and kingdom authority to each respective domain of societal influence? In order for the values, laws, and principles of the kingdom of God to have any real transforming influence in any societal or cultural domain, the Lord’s kingdom values must be practically lived by the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority of God in the context of each respective domain.  To me, this means that spiritual leaders especially anointed by God in each respective domain have a spiritual leadership responsibility in the kingdom of God to live the values of our Father’s kingdom in their respective domain and simply teach others to do the same. Therefore, as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, when we effectively equip, engage, empower, and encourage spiritual leaders to do this in their respective domains, I believe our nation will experience real transformational change in every domain of our land.  In fact, Mr. Layton profoundly states in his book that “When the Church is doing its job, the society around it will eventually reflect God’s laws and principles as well.”

Consequently, Christ followers working in the business domain are not absolved from this foremost spiritual leadership responsibility to reflect Christ in the marketplace. What an extraordinary spiritual reality for business leaders called by God and anointed by Him to lead in the business domain! But God doesn’t stop there, because the Great Commission doesn’t stop there. The spiritual reality of our Father’s kingdom is that He wants to raise-up influential godly spiritual leaders in every sphere of domain influence in our nation and the nations of the world.  Personally, this gets me very excited because it affirms that God has a full-time God-ordained spiritual leadership purpose, destiny, and kingdom responsibility for all marketplace leaders who love Christ and are called by Him to build the kingdom of God in their respective spheres of influence.  With that said, as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and a minister of the Gospel, you can count me ALL IN, by His Grace, for helping marketplace leaders to make it happen in Christ!

Question: As a Christ-follower in the marketplace, do you feel engaged, equipped, empowered, and encouraged to reflect the values and principles of God’s kingdom in the marketplace?

Our Father’s Kingdom Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, Our Father’s Kingdom, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Doing Life And Leadership With Others

October 19, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights , , , 1 Comment

Long-journey

John Maxwell teaches the Leadership Gold lesson that people who start with you, seldom finish with you and I have found this to be true.  In fact, as a leader building teams and doing life with people for more than 20 years, I have learned that there are at least 3 types of people we will likely encounter on the journey of life and leadership. 

1)      People Who Are Going To Leave You No Matter What

The first type of person is someone who will start the journey with you, but decide to leave you and never return. Often times, when such a person decides to depart from us, we can feel rejected and hurt, especially if we have genuinely invested ourselves in the relationship.   In studying this type of relational dynamic within my own leadership, I have discovered that there are going to be some people who for whatever reason do not have the same vision and values that I have for building a team and doing life together. This means that their head (vision) and their heart (values) are not with me and there is nothing I can do that will be able to change that fact.  Therefore, even though their departure may hurt deeply, it is inevitable, so I must embrace it and move forward on the journey of life and leadership. For this reason, I have learned to never chase people who do not care to do life and leadership with me.  Instead, I simply trust the Lord to bring the right life partners into my life and leadership.

Among the Lord’s disciples, Judas was an example of this type of person on the journey of life and leadership with Jesus.  In John 6:64-67 the Bible records, “’But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.’ From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.”

2)      People Who Will Leave You But Decide To Come Back No Matter What

This second type of person is someone who starts the journey with you, but somewhere along the way, they become weak in their convictions and make the decision to leave you.  However, once they have departed for greener grasses and realize that the grass is not greener in their new place, they are willing to do whatever it takes to come back and complete the journey with you. When this situation happens, I believe it is a function of the person’s head (vision) for building a team and doing life together being aligned with you, but for some reason, their heart (values) are weakly aligned with you until they experience the fruit of weak values in a different place.  Once someone like this type of person realizes that they made a poor decision in leaving, they become humbled by their circumstance and are willing to do whatever it takes to build a team and do life together based on a strong foundation of aligned values with you.  Through their experience, their head and their heart become fully aligned with you; therefore, their hands will be able to build with you for the long journey.  As leaders, we would be wise to make room for people who have left us to come back with a change of heart because they could potentially come back as one of your most loyal, dedicated, life building partners. 

Among the Lord’s disciples, Peter was an example of this type of person on the journey of life and leadership with Jesus.  In John 21:17 the Bible records, “He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’”

3)      People Who Will Never Leave You And Will Remain With You No Matter What

This third type of person starts the journey with you and remains with you to the end. A person such as this fully believes in where you are going and is wholly convicted to go there with you.  Because their head (vision) and their heart (values) are completely aligned with yours from the beginning, they will faithfully build alongside you and always be there with you during the ups and downs of life. When you have people like this to build and do life together, they are like a friend that sticks closer than a brother and you can trust them with the most intimate aspects of your life.

Among the Lord’s disciples, John was an example of this type of person on the journey of life and leadership with Jesus.  In John 19:25-27 the Bible records, “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved [John] standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”

As I build teams and do life with others, my personal prayer is that I will build and do life with people just like Jesus did – as a friend that sticks closer than a brother – with my head and my heart fully aligned with other brothers and sisters in Christ for the kingdom mission at hand. May it be the same for all people who are called disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ because in John 13:35, the Lord says, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” By the grace, strength, and love of Christ in each of us, we can do it!

Thank you and have a blessed make-it-happen day!

Question:  Can you identify and describe a 4th type of person on the journey of life and leadership NOT mentioned in this post?

Doing Life And Leadership Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, Doing Life And Leadership With Others, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Discovering Treasures of Darkness

September 11, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights , , , , , 3 Comments

Ruby Falls, inside Lookout Mountain, in Chatta...

Ruby Falls

In Isaiah 45:3 the Lord says, “I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.” I’m not sure about you, but I have never really been one to think about darkness as a place to find treasure.  In fact, what happens when we find ourselves in a serious storm at night and all the power goes out?

It’s A Dark Place When The Lights Go Out

For me, it is at first a little alarming when the lights go out because I don’t normally expect for the power to suddenly turn off.  Secondly, it is a little fearful in the house because everyone is instantly in total darkness and it is difficult to find our way around. Then, it becomes an immediate search for light – a flashlight, a lighter, matches, a candle – anything that will give some light in the midst of the surrounding darkness.  If you are prepared for such a situation and know where you can find some light, it makes things a whole lot better a whole lot quicker.  Otherwise, you can do nothing except wait in the darkness until the power is restored or morning comes.  Either way, any waiting in darkness is never fun.

It’s An Even Darker Place When The Lights Go Out Spiritually

So that’s an experience in physical darkness, but what about finding yourself in the midst of a spiritual darkness? It could be a spiritual darkness that comes upon you by no fault of your own such as finding out that your child has a life threatening cancer like my parents discovered in my sister when she was 16 years old.  The uncertainty and fear of the unknown can create some dark spiritual places.  Or, what about the long journey home as a real prodigal son or daughter in the house of God?  This would be someone like me who was a legitimate blood bought son in the house of God, called by God’s name, living in the Father’s house, and then leaving one day with the Father’s inheritance and blowing it through prodigal living and personal failure away from the Father’s house. The journey home can have some dark spiritual places for a legitimate son or daughter of God turning back to the Father’s house.   

For anyone who has never found themselves in such a dark place as a prodigal child of God, they might think, “How can that be? Doesn’t God have forgiveness? You must not understand the fullness of God’s grace and His mercy.”  To such a response, I would say, yes, God does have grace and mercy, but I also know that God has truth too and we must all face the brutal truth in our lives.  For instance, a real prodigal son or daughter of God must face the brutal truth found in Luke 9:62 stating, “But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” and John 14:21 stating “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me [Jesus].” Plus, the devil knows the truth of God’s Word pretty well also and will try to use parts of it in a way to heap condemnation upon us if we don’t know the whole truth of God’s Word and allow His whole truth to search us and know us as we face the brutal truth in our lives, while never losing hope.

We Must Face The Brutal Truth Of  Life Even When It’s Dark

In Jim Collins’ book, Good to Great, his research found that “good” companies become “great” companies, when they are able to face the brutal facts of their situation, yet never lose hope. I have learned and continue to learn that genuine people of faith are able to do the same thing – face the brutal facts of their life, yet never lose hope because their hope is in Christ and the totality of His Word.  1 Corinthians 9:10 states “that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope” and Colossians 1:27 states, “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  Therefore, when the devil tell tells me that I’m not fit for the kingdom because I put my hand to the plow and once turned back, I respond to him in the spirit of truth by telling him that I am plowing and threshing in hope – Christ in me, the hope of glory – and the whole truth says that I have every right to be a partaker of this hope.

When I read and study the Word of God, I am so thankful that God recorded the truth about the lives of the heroes of faith in the Bible as I find comfort in such truth when I have to face the brutal truth in my own life.  In fact, when Peter denied the Lord three times on the night of the Lord’s trial, I’m certain when the rooster crowed twice and the brutal truth confronted Peter, he found himself in a dark spiritual place.  Luke 22:56-62 records the truth:

“And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, ‘This man was also with Him.’ But he denied Him, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know Him.’  And after a little while another saw him and said, ‘You also are of them.’ But Peter said, ‘’Man, I am not!’ Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, ‘Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.’  But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are saying.’  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.”

Afterwards, as Peter faced the brutal truth of his failure, I believe the devil could have very well been heaping loads of condemnation upon Peter by telling him, “If you loved Jesus, you would have been there for Him.  If you loved Jesus, you wouldn’t have denied Him three times. If you really loved Jesus, you would have kept His commands.”  However, isn’t it interesting that when Jesus meets Peter after His resurrection, He calls Peter, Simon – son of Jonah – and asks him three times:  “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?”

So let me ask you this question: In the biblical story of Jonah, where did Jonah find himself?  It was in the belly of a whale which most definitely had to be a dark spiritual place.  Therefore, by Jesus calling Peter, Simon – son of Jonah, He was in essence saying: “Peter, son of God in a dark spiritual place, do you love me? Peter, son of God in a dark spiritual place, do you love me? Peter, son of God in a dark spiritual place, do you love me?”  And each time, Peter said, “Yes, Lord, I love You” including the third time when Peter says, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”  With Peter’s third response, I believe he was quite possibly intimating, “Lord, You know all things. Your truth has painfully searched me and you know me – the good, the bad, and the ugly truth about me.  Yes, Lord, I love You because You first loved me to the point of giving Your life for me even though I don’t deserve it.”  In that place of painful truth, the Lord called Peter out of spiritual darkness and into his spiritual destiny where Peter also found the treasures of the Lord’s faithfulness that reaches to the clouds, His mercy that endures forever, and His grace that is sufficient.

God And His Treasures Can Be Found In The Dark Places Of Life

When we allow the truth of God’s Living Word to fully search us, know us, and do a work in us, no matter how painful the truth of our lives may be, we truly can find treasures of darkness that can be found no other way in our relationship with the Lord.  In fact, I like to relate such personal spiritual discovery to the personal discovery of Ruby Falls by Mr. Leo Lambert on December 30, 1928.  Following his discovery of the falls nestled deep into the Lookout Mountain Caves in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he shared the following sentiment as written on a plaque hanging on a wall at the Ruby Falls tour site:

“Discovering Ruby Falls was like discovering God. At first, it is very dark, scary, and uncertain.  You don’t know what lies ahead. You bump into things you didn’t even realize were there and you suffer injuries, bumps, and bruises. You fall down in sticky mud and mire and feel like you cannot go on.  But you get up with a feeling that somewhere ahead lies something more wonderful than you can ever imagine.  As you add light to what you discovered, you find that the things that caused you suffering and injury were wonderful God made things put there for you to witness and give you joy.  It is all more than you ever imagined you could witness. It is God, and Ruby Falls and the Lookout Mountain Cave are God’s creations, made for man to enjoy. I am just a little proud that He used me [to discover it].”

Sometimes on our journey of life, we can find ourselves like Mr. Lambert, crawling through some tight dark places where we may suffer some bumps, bruises, and pain; however, if we keep on going with the light of God’s Word to light our path in those dark places of life (Psalm 119:105), we can rest assured that the Lord will lead us to His treasures of darkness that we could not find any other way than to go through the darkness with Him. Just like Mr. Lambert’s surprising discovery of the magnificently beautiful Ruby Falls in the deep dark caves of Lookout Mountain, we too will find unimaginable treasures of spiritual growth and maturity as we trust the Lord to faithfully lead and guide us through the darkest places of our lives.

In fact, no matter how dark the situation may be in our own lives, we can find great encouragement from David who was no stranger to finding the Lord’s treasures of darkness in his own life.  There is no better example of this than Psalms 23:4 where David states, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Furthermore, in Psalm 139:7-12, David writes, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.”  I take great comfort knowing that God is always with us (Matthew 28:20), even in the dark places of life, and He promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). May all glory, blessing, and honor be to the Lord for He is good, He is faithful, and His Word is true!

Discovering Treasures Of Darkness Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, Discovering Treasures Of Darkness, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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The Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey

July 3, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights , , , 1 Comment

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Dr. Sam Chand, world-renowned leadership guru, teaches that “a toxic culture will eat vision for lunch” meaning that any unhealthy culture in an organization will destroy the vision of an organization before it ever has the chance to be fulfilled. If this is true, and I believe it is, it is crucial for leaders to be able to assess and determine the strength of their organizational team culture to make it happen with wisdom and excellence serving others and solving problems that make a real difference in life. Teams that consistently make it happen in life for one another and their customers create a strong team culture where vision can flourish.   However, unless leaders have a simple tool to assess their team’s make it happen culture, many leaders can be like the captain of the Titanic – looking at the tip of the iceberg without really knowing what danger lurks under the surface.  The Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey is specifically designed to help equip leaders with a simple tool to assess and determine a team’s make it happen culture with each question being derived from the faith-based Make It Happen Team Values highlighted in The Make It Happen Journey written by Gary J. Borgstede, the President and Founder of The Make It Happen Learning Institute.

In his book, Good To Great, Jim Collins found in his research that “All good-to-great companies began the process of finding a path to greatness by confronting the brutal facts of their current reality.” Having the courage to take the Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey and honestly answer each question is the first step in confronting the brutal facts of your team culture and beginning the process of growing from good to great without losing hope for a better and brighter future for you and your team.  Unfortunately, without knowing the truthful state of your team’s culture to make it happen for others, it will be difficult to implement intentional strategies for building a make it happen team culture. However, with your leadership, your faith, and the Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey tool, you can help make it happen with your team!

To take the survey, please honestly answer the 12 questions below to assess your team’s Make It Happen Factor which will help indicate the faith-based strength of your team’s culture to make it happen with wisdom and excellence serving others and solving problems that make a real difference in life.  

You can also take the survey electronically by Clicking Here; however, you will need to circle your answers below in order to manually calculate your team’s overall Make It Happen Factor Score per the survey scoring instructions. (Note that individual survey responses will remain confidential) 

Team Culture Survey Questions

1.     The members of my team possess a positive attitude every day.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

2.     The leaders on my team serve the members of my team with the greatest care and concern.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

3.     Each person on my team serves our customers with great enthusiasm at all times.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

4.     Each person on my team is committed to working hard and having fun at work.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

5.     In the last month, the people on my team have abundantly celebrated the accomplishments of other individuals and teams.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

6.     In the last week, each person on my team was able to learn and grow as a professional.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

7.     The leaders and the people on my team are not afraid to take risks in the pursuit of excellence and innovation.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

8.     The leaders and the people on my team create a safe environment of teamwork and mutual respect of differences.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

9.     Each person on my team performs their work with the highest degree of professionalism.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

Individual Faith Survey Questions

10.   I consistently read the Word of God on a daily basis.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

11.   I pray for my leaders and my team members every day.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

12.  I attend a church service and / or a church small group once each week.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

Survey Scoring

No.  of Strongly Agree Answers:               ________  X  5  = ________

No.  of Agree Answers:                             ________  X  4  = ________

No.  of Neither Agree or Disagree:           ________  X  3  = ________

No.  of Disagree Answers:                        ________  X  2  = ________

No. of Strongly Disagree Answers:           ________  X  1  = ________

 

                              Add Totals To Get Grand Total:            ________

                              Divide Grand Total by 12 To Get

Your Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey Score:  ________

Understanding Your Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey Score

Ken Blanchard, best-selling author of One-Minute Manager and High Five Team, teaches that “Values are to be lived; not framed”, but unfortunately, far too many organizations just frame their values and never intentionally create a team culture where team members actually live their values.  The 12 questions of The Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey are specifically designed to assess the faith-based strength of a team’s culture to make it happen with wisdom and excellence by genuinely serving others and solving problems that make a real difference in life. This is done by assessing the strength of agreement within a team regarding specific questions related to faith perspective, servant leadership, and teamwork commitment. Regardless of the actual Make It Happen Factor score, the important thing for leaders to remember is that the score only serves as a barometer of the faith-based strength of a team’s make it happen culture which can always be strengthened when individual team member’s intentionally work together to foster, support, and live Make It Happen Team Values on a daily basis and improve their individual scores for each question.

Because the Word of God says in Mark 9:23 that “All things are possible to him who believes” and in Daniel 11:32 that “The people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits”, The Make It Happen Factor Survey Questions 1, 7, 10, and 12 are specifically designed to assess the level of faith perspective on a team. The higher the level of faith perspective on a team; the stronger the culture of the team to make it happen with a spirit of wisdom and excellence.  Additionally, Questions 10, 11, and 12 are specifically designed to assess each individual’s faith perspective because one person of faith can make a huge difference in helping a team to foster, support, and live the make-it-happen “can do” values of the kingdom of God as can be seen in the lives of many heroes of faith such as Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Joshua, Caleb, David, Nehemiah, Daniel, Esther, the apostle Paul, and many others.

Because the Word of God says in Matthew 23:11 that “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant”, The Make It Happen Factor Survey Questions 2, 3, 5, and 6 are specifically designed to assess the level of genuine servant leadership on a team.  The greater the level of genuine servant leadership on a team; the stronger the culture of the team to make it happen with a spirit of wisdom and excellence.

Because the Word of God states in Ecclesiastes 4:12 that “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” and also states in Leviticus 26:8 that “Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight”, The Make It Happen Factor Survey Questions 4, 8, 9, and 11 are specifically designed to assess the level of teamwork commitment on a team. The greater the level of teamwork commitment on a team; the stronger the culture of the team to make it happen with a spirit of wisdom and excellence.

In conclusion, teams that score the highest on The Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey in faith perspective, servant leadership, and teamwork commitment will have a stronger team culture to make it happen with wisdom and excellence than other teams because teams comprised of people with faith who genuinely serve others through committed teamwork will consistently make it happen serving others and solving problems that make a real difference in life!

If you have taken the Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey, please let me know by posting a comment below and I will enter your name for the chance to win a personal signed copy of The Make It Happen Journey for each member of your team (up to 12 members). Many blessings!  

The Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Who Am I

May 7, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights Leave a comment

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In 1 Chronicles 17:16, King David, contemplating the greatness of God, declares “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house that You have brought me this far?”  At one time, King David was only a little shepherd boy tending sheep in the mountains, and if not for the greatness and faithfulness of God, he would have never become the king of Israel. Only God could take a small unknown shepherd boy and make him king.  In fact, in verse 20 of the same chapter in 1 Chronicles 17, King David says, “O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You.” In this place of humble spirit and personal reflection, David declares how BIG God is, how little he is, and how GOOD God is to make a little man into a big man in Him.

Leadership Principle #1: If We Don’t Spend Time with God, We Can Forget Who We Really Are In Him

How unfortunate it is that each of us can so easily forget who we really are in Christ as we go through life on a daily basis. Personally, I think it is because we all have 4 different areas of life identity that we are constantly faced with each day.  These four life identities are best represented by the Johari Window model which defines the 4 identities as follows: the ARENA identity, the FACADE identity, the BLIND identity, and the UNKNOWN identity.

  •  The ARENA identity is that part of our life identity that is KNOWN TO OTHERS and is also KNOWN TO OURSELVES. It represents the definitions of our life where we work, play, and live life openly and publicly at home, work, and the community and everyone knows about that part of our life. For instance, most people who know me, also know that I am a husband, father, pastor, business leader, speaker, and writer – such life identities for me represent my ARENA identity.
  • The BLIND identity is that part of our life identity that is KNOWN TO OTHERS, but is NOT KNOWN TO OURSELVES. It represents the definitions of our life that are very clear and seen by others; however, this part of our life will go undetected to us until something or someone exposes these blind spots to us. For instance, TV shows like Candid Camera, Undercover Boss, and even American Idol are all great examples of people having their potential blind spots in life – which everyone else can plainly see – finally exposed to them on a personally uncensored basis.
  •  The FAÇADE identity is that part of our life identity that is NOT KNOWN TO OTHERS, but is KNOWN TO OURSELVES. It represents the definitions of our life that we mask in front of others because we don’t want anyone to know about that secret part of our life.  For instance, if someone were to take a look at our check book, credit card transactions, and internet history, they would potentially discover some things about our FACADE life identity that very few people, if any at all, would know about, especially if we live life without any accountability partners who sincerely care about us.
  • And lastly, the UNKNOWN identity is that part of our life identity that is NOT KNOWN TO OTHERS and is NOT KNOWN TO OURSELVES. It represents the definitions of our life identity which have not yet been discovered or defined because they reside in the deepest part of our life identity that only God knows about and can reveal.  This is the place of life identity represented in Jeremiah 1:5 which states, “Before I [God] formed you in the womb I knew you” and Jeremiah 29:11 which states, “For I [God] know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” The only way we will ever be able to discover this part of our life identity is if we submit ourselves before God, like King David, reflecting on how great God is and asking Him the humble personal reflective question found in Psalms 144:3 “Lord, what is man [who am I], that You take knowledge of him [me]? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him [me]?”

Leadership Principle #2: If We Forget Who We Are In Christ, We Also Forget Christ

In his book titled, Soulprint, I like what Mark Batterson has to say about discovering our UNKNOWN identity quoted as follows: “Until you see yourself through the All-Seeing Eyes of God, you will never get a vision of who you can become.” In reading this, I am also reminded of the scene in The Lion King where Simba has been running from his life and Raifiki brings him to a water pool where Simba sees his father in his reflection upon the water. In a moment of Simba’s despair, Raifiki encourages him to look deeper.  In going deeper into the place of his unknown identity, Simba finds his father, Mufasa, who says:

“Simba, you have forgotten me.  You have forgotten who you are and so you have forgotten me. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the circle of life. Remember who you are!” Click here to watch this scene.

So then let me ask this question. Have we become like Simba, forgetting who we are in the Lord and so forgetting our heavenly Father?  As believers in Christ, you and I are children of the King of kings and Lord of lords, joint heirs with Christ in the kingdom of God. We are royalty!  May we never forget who we are and whose we are because it matters in the kingdom of God and it matters to the world around us. Not sure…then just take a look at the recent Royal Wedding and contemplate the significance of our Royal Wedding with Christ.  If it matters for the son of Prince Charles, it most certainly matters for the sons and daughters of the Most High King!

Leadership Principle #3:  No Matter What, We Can Always Remember Who We Are In Christ

Therefore, let me emphatically remind you from the Word of God of who we are in Christ as taken from the chapter headings in Neal T. Anderson’s book titled, Who I Am In Christ.  Unfortunately, I did not know the author of this material when I shared this leadership message in our staff Chapel service earlier this week; however, my wife has just pointed out to me that the little reference card that I’ve been keeping in my Bible for so many years was in fact given to me by her and taken from Neale Anderson’s book. I am happy to share it with you knowing that freely I have received this little reminder card of Who I Am In Christ and freely do I share it with you to help you remember who you are in Christ as well.

WHO I AM IN CHRIST (Authored by Neal T. Anderson)

I Am Accepted In Christ

I am God’s child.  (John 1:12)                        

I am Christ’s friend. (John 15:15)                      

I have been justified.  (Romans 5:1)     

I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17)      

I have been bought with a price; I belong to God. (1 Corinthians 6:20)  

I am a member of Christ’s body. (1 Corinthians 12:27)    

I am a saint. (Ephesians 1:1)           

I have been adopted as God’s child. (Ephesians 1:5)         

I have direct access to Good through the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18)              

I have been redeemed and forgiven off all my sins. (Colossians 1:14)          

I am complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)            

I Am Secure In Christ

I am free forever from condemnation. (Romans 8:1, 2)            

I am assured that all things work together for good. (Romans 8:28)              

I am free from any condemning charges against me. (Romans 8:33, 34)        

I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Romans 8:35)               

I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God. (2 Corinthians 1:21)      

I am hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)          

I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected. (Philippians 1:6)           

I am a citizen of heaven. (Philippians 3:20) 

I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound [saved] mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)            

I can find grace and mercy in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)             

I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. (1 John 5:18)            

I Am Significant In Christ

I am the salt and light of the earth. (Matthew 5:13, 14)   

I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life. (John 15:1, 5)                

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. (John 15:16)                  

I am a personal witness of Christ’s. (Acts 1:8)                       

I am God’s temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16)    

I am a minister of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)

I am God’s coworker. (2 Corinthians 6:1)        

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. (Ephesians 2:6)               

I am God’s workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)             

I may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)            

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)         

Have a blessed Make It Happen day!

Who Am I Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, Who Am I, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Vision I See In Faith

April 13, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights 2 Comments

The Vision I See In Faith For Building The Kingdom Of God In The Marketplace And The Strategic Plan To Make It Happen

Vision:          

To Reach People In The Marketplace And Unleash Their Extraordinary God-Given Potential To Make A Real Difference In Life!

Mission:      

To Practically Engage, Equip, Empower, and Encourage Marketplace Leaders To Build The Kingdom Of God In The Marketplace.

Strategic Objectives:

To Build The Kingdom Of God In The Marketplace Through 1) Local Advance Initiatives, 2) Global Advance Initiatives, 3) Marketplace Prayer Initiatives, And 4) Marketplace Coaching Initiatives

  1. Local Advance Initiatives focus on the development of marketplace leaders through weekly faith-based leadership development meetings, exclusive leadership development retreats, and annual leadership development conferences for marketplace leaders in the community.
  2. Global Advance Initiatives focus on business missions outreach and leadership development of business leaders in the marketplace around the world through Make It Happen business seminars and leadership conferences.
  3. Marketplace Prayer Initiatives focus on the grass-roots establishment of a national prayer movement in the marketplace called See You At The Office for 2 days during the week of July 14th where marketplace leaders will unite in prayer for their teams, company, and our nation at their respective offices in response to God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14.
  4. Marketplace Coaching Initiatives focus on developing faith-based marketplace coaches to walk alongside marketplace leaders and provide leadership coaching in building the kingdom of God in the marketplace through a practical 4-step organizational development strategy to make it happen with marketplace leaders and build the kingdom of God in the marketplace. 

Kingdom Mandate For The Marketplace:

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20

Kingdom Promise For The Marketplace:

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Kingdom Inspiration For The Marketplace:

“While righteousness in a nation undoubtedly begins with the commitment of individuals to Christ, more souls and more churches alone will not make it holy. Godliness comes when a nation’s Christians make it their all-consuming passion to see God’s glory reflected in every domain of the land, its arts, sciences, media, government, schools, businesses, families-in every domain. Unless they do, their salvation will benefit only them personally, and Christ’s laws and principles will not guide their nation as He intended them to do.” - Douglas Layton, author of Our Father’s Kingdom 

Symbolically, we are seated with Christ on His throne (Ephesians 1:20; 2:6), told to reign in life (Romans 5:17), we are instructed to extend His scepter (Psalm 110) and are given keys of kingdom authority with which to bind and loose, forbid and allow (Matthew 16:19). We are kings and queens—royalty. And whereas priests “offer up” to heaven [through priestly intercessory prayer], kings “proclaim” [the kingdom rule and will of God] downward to earth [through kingly intercessory prayer].  – Dutch Sheets, author of Authority In Prayer

Kingdom Values For The Marketplace:        

Make It Happen Team Values provide a practical leadership framework to build the kingdom of God in the marketplace by creating a culture of empowerment that unleashes the extraordinary God-given potential of “make it happen” people in the kingdom of God to make a real difference in life. “The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” Daniel 11:32.

  • Make It Happen People Possess A Positive Make-It-Happen Attitude. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24. “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20. “These things I have spoken, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
  • Make It Happen People Are Led by Servant Leaders. “But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.’” Matthew 20:25-26. “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12.
  • Make It Happen People Are Service Enthusiasts. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:12-13. “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13.
  • Make It Happen People Take Calculated Risks in the Pursuit of Excellence. “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:16. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” 1 John 5:4.
  • Make It Happen People Work Extremely Hard and Have Lots of Fun. “And also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 3:13. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” Ecclesiastes 9:10.
  • Make It Happen People Invest and Participate in Training and Development. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6. “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2.
  • Make It Happen People Celebrate Individual and Team Accomplishments with an Abundance Mentality. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15.
  • Make It Happen People Foster an Environment of Teamwork and Mutual Respect. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17. “And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19 20.
  • Make It Happen People Are Professionals. “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds.” Proverbs 27:23. “Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalms 37:5

Four Step Organizational Development Strategy To Make It Happen With Marketplace Leaders And Build The Kingdom Of God In The Marketplace

1)      Cultural Development

The culture of an organization, intentional or unintentional, reflects the values of the organization and will drive everything in the organization.  Emphasizing the organizational strength and power of culture, Dr. Sam Chand, author of Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code, says “Culture will eat vision for lunch!”  To build an organizational culture that reflects the values of the kingdom of God in the marketplace, leaders must intentionally develop the culture with practical faith-based values communicated in the make-it-happen language of the marketplace. Make It Happen Team Values practically equip and empower marketplace leaders with a simple and effective team values framework to intentionally develop the culture of a team and organization where vision flourishes, people are empowered, and the kingdom of God is built in the marketplace. The cultural development step includes leadership training in the areas of vision casting, values definition, values training and certification, and corporate communication.

2)      Chemistry Development

While the culture of an organization reflects the values of an organization, the chemistry of an organization reflects the unity of the organization. When an organization is unified in values and purpose, teamwork is built and enhanced for the greatest good of all stakeholders.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 states, “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken”, therefore, it is clear from the Bible that a unified team cannot be easily broken or destroyed. The chemistry development step includes leadership training in the areas of employee engagement, employee recruitment, employee recognition, and employee ambassadorship.

3)      Competency Development

The strength of an organization is established on the foundation of its people. If the people in the organization are strong and competent, the organization will be strong and competent.  Therefore, it is imperative that an organization develop an effective process to continually build strong and competent people in the organization. The competency development step includes leadership training in the areas of goal setting, performance evaluation, leadership coaching, and employee development.

4)      Character Development

The influence of an organization rises and falls on the influence of its leaders and the influence of leaders rises and falls on the character of leaders. Therefore, to develop an organization with great influence, an organization must develop great leaders with great character. The character development step includes leadership training in the areas of leadership thinking, leadership ethics, leadership principles, and leadership practices.

The Vision I See In Faith Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, The Vision I See In Faith, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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Thy Kingdom Come In Business

March 18, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights 1 Comment

In Matthew 6:10, Jesus prayed, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” With that said, I believe that God’s kingdom can actually come and reign in every domain of our society in earth as it is in heaven.  If it’s too hard to believe, perhaps it is so because of how little we actually see of God’s kingdom reflected around us in the different domains of our world.  Nevertheless, God’s kingdom does reign and I believe we can reflect His glory and His kingdom in every domain of our land - including the domain of business!

Leadership Question: Do You Believe The Kingdom Of God Can Be Reflected In Every Domain Of Our Nation?

For me personally, one of the most profound and exhilarating ideas presented in the book, Our Father’s Kingdom, written by Mr. Douglas Layton which identified with the spirit of God in me is found in his introduction.  In the book’s introduction, Mr. Layton frankly states “While righteousness in a nation undoubtedly begins with the commitment of individuals to Christ, more souls and more churches alone will not make it holy.  Godliness comes when a nation’s Christians make it their all-consuming passion to see God’s glory reflected in every domain of the land, its arts, sciences, media, government, schools, businesses, families – in every domain.  Unless they do, their salvation will benefit only them personally, and Christ’s laws and principles will not guide their nation as He intended them to do.”  Wow!  Could it be that this is the reason we do not see the kingdom of God truly reflected in every domain of our country as mentioned by Mr. Layton?  Personally, I believe it is exactly the reason that our nation continues to slide farther and farther away from our Judeo Christian heritage and values.  I think we have unfortunately forgotten how to effectively teach people to practically live the principles and values of our Father’s kingdom in their respective domains of influence outside of our churches and our families.  As a result, far too many Christians lack the practical knowledge and Holy Spirit inspired boldness to bring the values and principles of our Father’s kingdom to their domains of influence in a way that facilitates real transformational change that reflects our Father’s kingdom and His glory in their domain of influence.

Leadership Question: How Do You Reflect The Values And Principles Of The Kingdom Of God In Your Respective Domain Of Influence?

So then how do we practically do this? Personally, I believe that the only way we can do this is if genuine Christ followers make an intentional effort to focus on the entirety of Jesus’ commandment in His Great Commission of His Church as stated in Matthew 28:18-20. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things [the principles and values of our Father's kingdom] that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” When we objectively measure how well we are doing as Christians in fulfilling the entirety of the Great Commission, we no doubt have some very effective churches that are adding souls to the Body of Christ and building more churches to do so in the kingdom; however, by the condition of our society in America, it just doesn’t seem that we are being effective in teaching disciples how to observe all things that the Lord commands us in the respective societal domains of our nation.  If we were effective in doing so, I believe our news stories would be different, our movies and films would be different, our government politics would be different, our business practices would be different, our school educations would be different; but sadly, all too significantly often, these domains of influence are not different and they do not reflect the values and principles of our Father’s kingdom nor His glory.  Mr. Layton further states in his book that “When we speak of ‘winning a nation’ or ‘turning our nation back to God,’ we are really speaking about bringing God’s influence, laws, principles, and kingdom authority into each of these spheres. Anything less is less than what God commanded His church to do.” 

Leadership Question: What Are You Doing To Strategically Equip People To Live The Principles And Values Of God’s Kingdom In Your Domain Of Influence?

So if this is what it means to win a nation for the kingdom of God, and I for one most definitely believe it is what it means to win a nation for the kingdom of God, who then is strategically thinking about how to effectively equip the saints of God to practically bring God’s influence, laws, principles, and kingdom authority to each respective domain of societal influence? In order for the values, laws, and principles of the kingdom of God to have real transforming influence in any societal domain, they must be practically lived by the power and authority of God in the context of each respective domain.  To me, this means that apostles especially anointed by God in each respective domain have a spiritual leadership responsibility in the kingdom of God to live the values of our Father’s kingdom in their respective domain and simply teach others to do the same. When the Church effectively equips, engages, empowers, and encourages these apostles to do this in their respective domains, our nation will experience real transformational change in every domain of our land.  In fact, Mr. Layton states that “When the Church is doing its job, the society around it will eventually reflect God’s laws and principles as well.”

Leadership Question: Will You Be Counted With Me In Helping To Reflect And Build The Kingdom Of God In The Marketplace?

Therefore, this means that if you are a Christ follower and you are in business, Mr. Layton says, and I agree, that it is your foremost job to reflect Christ in the marketplace. In Mr. Layton’s other words, he also states that God wants to raise you up as an apostle to the business world! What an extraordinary spiritual reality for people called by God and anointed by Him to lead in the business domain! But God doesn’t stop there, because the Great Commission doesn’t stop there. The spiritual reality of our Father’s kingdom is that He wants to raise up apostles to every sphere of domain influence in our nation and the nations of the world.  Personally, this gets me very excited because it affirms that God has a full-time God-ordained spiritual leadership purpose, destiny, and kingdom responsibility for people in every domain of our nation to build the kingdom of God in their respective domains.  With that said, you can count me all in to help reflect the values and the principles of the kingdom of God in the marketplace.  And I personally invite you to join me to do the same in three simple ways:

  1. Read Kings Come Forth and The Make It Happen Journey written to encourage, engage, equip, and empower business leaders to build the kingdom of God in the business domain.
  2. Help start an annual national prayer movement in business called See You At The Office by coordinating two days of prayer at your office with your colleagues for 2 days during the week of July 14th in response to God’s promise in 2  Chronicles 7:14.
  3. Personally connect with me on LinkedIn and / or Facebook at www.linkedin.com/in/garyborgstede and www.facebook.com/garyborgstede

Together, we can make it happen in Christ and build  God’s kingdom in the business domain! I will look forward to seeing you at the office!

Thy Kingdom Come In Business Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, Thy Kingdom Come In Business, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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Grace For Grace

February 20, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights Leave a comment

Cover of "Sparkling Gems From The Greek: ...

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In a personal trial that I’ve been facing for some time, I have come to learn an even greater dependency on the sufficiency of God’s grace and power to sustain me in any life struggle.  As I have prayed to the Lord about this personal matter, I have heard His still small voice whisper to me that “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)  Furthermore, I’ve been led to re-read and further study some devotional messages written by Rick Renner in his Sparkling Gems From The Greek daily devotional book to find comfort from the Word of God during this tough time.  I am so thankful for people in the body of Christ like Rick Renner and even our very own Lee Costello who can translate languages such as Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and maybe some of the Jewish Bible Code…  While I am obviously being playful about Mr. Renner and Lee being able to translate the Jewish Bible Code, please know that I am sincerely most grateful for people like Mr. Renner and Lee because about the only thing I can translate is the word “funga” which means “frown” in Italian.  As a kid when I didn’t get my way about something, I would frown in disappointment and my mom would say just like her Italian grandmother would say, “Don’t give me that funga…”  True story!

Faith Principle #1: God’s Grace And Strength Is Sufficient In Any Situation

Unfortunately, as adults, when things are not going our way, I think we can actually – perhaps without even fully realizing it – give God the “funga face” as we plead with Him about our situation while in reality the Lord has grace that is sufficient for us to remove our “funga” face and even provide the joy of the Lord as strength in the middle of the situation.  So when you and I find ourselves pleading with the Lord and saying things like, “Lord, please take this thing away” or “ I don’t want to deal with this situation” or “I don’t have the strength to deal with this anymore”, we can trust that God’s grace can be sufficient to get us through.  And when this happens, I think it helps to be reminded that we aren’t the only ones who have ever felt like this.  In fact, based on the Bible, we are in some very good company because the apostle Paul and even Jesus faced the same kind of trying situations in their lives.  And the good news is that when Paul and Jesus were at the breaking points in their own real life situations, mentally and emotionally, they found that God’s grace and power was available to sustain them.  

Faith Principle #2: God’s Grace And Strength Is So Powerful That It Holds Everything Together

In fact, do you know that God’s grace holds everything in our world together even when everything seems to be breaking loose around us. The truth is that God’s grace is so powerful that it holds all things together in complete sustainable order including the earth, the planets, the stars, and everything in the universe, down to the tiniest little detail. If not for God’s grace, I believe the whole world would instantly disintegrate into nothing; therefore, we can take great comfort in knowing that God’s grace is so much more powerful than we can ever even imagine and according to the Bible, His grace is totally and completely available to you and me in every life situation, including our weakest life moments.

Faith Principle #3: God’s Grace And Strength Is Always Available

As mentioned earlier, there were indeed times in the apostle Paul’s life when he was weak and he needed the fullness of God’s grace to sustain him.  In 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, Paul writes, “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” According to Rick Renner, the original Greek words for “pleaded or besought” in this passage was the words “para kaleo” which means “one who comes alongside someone, as close as he can get, and then begins to passionately call out, plead, beckon, beg, and beseech that other person to do something on his behalf.”  Therefore, whatever situation Paul had going on in his life, the Bible tells us in this verse that he desperately pleaded with the Lord to remove it from his life and the Lord’s response was an astounding, “My grace is sufficient for you and My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  In the fullness of the Greek, Rick Renner writes in his devotional book that the Lord’s response can be more fully understood as “My grace is more than enough for you. If you will receive it, you will find it will sufficiently endow you with more strength than you need to deal with any situation. My power is always on hand, and available to help you in moments when you are weak and needy.” Wow!  What a wonderful promise from God.

Faith Principle #4:: God’s Grace and Strength Can Be Found Through Prayerful Solitude And Personal Fellowship With God

So then, if God says that this kind of grace and power from Him is available to us when we need it, if we will receive it, then what must we do to receive it.  As I have contemplated this in my personal need for God’s grace and power in my life situations, I believe the Lord has shown me that the way I can best receive His grace and power is in fact the same way that the Lord Himself received the sufficiency of God’s grace and power in His intense time of personal need in the garden of Gethsemane – through prayerful solitude and personal fellowship with the Heavenly Father.  In preparing to go to the Cross, the Lord’s situation was so intense and His flesh was so weak that He actually sweated drops of blood.  However, in His prayerful solitude with His Heavenly Father, He found the grace and power of God to deal with the situation in the power and strength of God and not His own human strength. Furthermore, I am reminded of the verse in Psalm 46:10 which states, “Be still and know that I am God.”  Think about it! Our Heavenly Father says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Frankly, I don’t think there is a more appropriate time to do this than when we are in the middle of a major trial and we need God’s grace and strength to sustain us.  Jesus did this when He needed His Heavenly Father’s grace and strength in His time of need; therefore, we should do the same when we need the sufficiency of God’s grace and strength in the times of our need.  In fact, when Moses encountered God in the burning bush, God identified Himself as the Great I Am That I Am; therefore, I believe in difficult times of intense trial and tribulation, we can find the Lord’s strength in being still and personally knowing the Great I Am That I Am just like Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane. 

Faith Principle #5: God’s Grace And Strength Is A Powerful Fruit Of The Holy Spirit

In fact, after Jesus finished spending some prayerful solitude and fellowship with His Heavenly Father in the garden, 300 to 600 elite fighting soldiers came to find and arrest Him. When they showed up, Jesus asked them, “Who do you seek?” And when they said Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus responded and said, “I Am (He)”, the same words in Greek that God used to identify Himself to Moses in the burning bush as the Great I Am That I Am.  And at that instant, a force so powerful exploded in the garden that every one of the elite soldiers was knocked down to the ground so hard that they fell as if they were dead.  Therefore, make no mistake about it, Jesus was not dragged off like some weak and powerless man.  To the contrary, He made it very clear to everyone in the garden that no one was taking Him to the Cross, but He was rather choosing of His free will to go to the Cross in the strength and power of God’s grace.  Plus, it was the power of the more than sufficient grace of God that kept Him on the Cross to the end.  His staying on the Cross for the salvation of mankind is the ultimate expression of God’s grace and power under control.  And it is amazing to think that that same grace and power under control is available to us through the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  Make no mistake about it, when we submit ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit through prayerful solitude and personal fellowship with the Lord, our weakness is turned to meekness – a powerful fruit of the Holy Spirit – which strengthens us with God’s grace and power under control, even in our most trying times of life.  With this kind of grace and power from God available to us through His Holy Spirit, we can rest assured that there is no situation in life that we cannot handle in Christ.  In closing, I leave you with this final thought from the Bible found in John 1:16, “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” Amen!

Grace For Grace Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, Grace For Grace, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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