Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Spirit Savvy Living ... its core of power

By Dale Shumaker

Our Spiritual connection with God and others, what the Apostle Paul referred to that we are now in relationship as one with each other, that we now on earth form the Body of Christ.

It's much like a hurricane which has an eyewall that keeps reforming. The eyewall continually replaces itself with another. It keeps reforming fresh and new, while increasing strength. In one instance, there was a powerful hurricane getting ready to buzz-saw the east coast of Florida. It had a small, tightly circulating inner wall, the eyewall. This made it very powerful. As it neared land the wall began collapsing and it became more oblong in nature, instead of the small, powerful tight circle. Its power was diffused and didn't cause anywhere near the destruction it could have with the eyewall circulating as a small perfect circle.

For the Body of Christ to have power, it needs to have a similar characteristic with tightly, relating circles of people. The more symmetrical they are, the more the Spiritual Power exists and is demonstrated. When one part pulls away to the side from the others, it's power is diminished by degrees... as it then is an oblong connection of people, instead of a tight circle of relationships.

It appears now though that we are in one of those reforming stages. People are turning away from many formal organizations, where the quality of relationships among each other varies in degrees.  More and more are turning to smaller, less formal, less organized, but where they can form higher quality relationships.
The original Body of Christ was intended to be this way anyway... small eyewalls of power, in connection with others.

Living Your Magnificent Mission guides everyone on how to live strong and mighty in Spirit... being One in Spirit with themselves and God's Spirit, and one in the power, joy, sufficiency of the Spirit among each other.
The eyewall in the Spirit has similar qualities of the eyewall in hurricanes and central cells in tornadoes. It creates a power force.

Living Your Magnificent Mission prepares the way for this to happen and each person, even with a few, who become close, houses the Super Strength of the Spirit. This course, Living Your Magnificent Mission, is free online and can guide anyone to live in the Strength of Spirit as intended... its time is coming into its own.

Click on the links above or go to the Spirit Savvy Network website, with the link above, for the link on the homepage there.


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Sunday, November 20, 2016

The Ideal Team Player ... building covenant relationships

By Dale Shumaker

The Ideal Team Player by Patrick M. Lencioni elaborates on the three virtues a person must have to be an ideal team player. All of the three qualities he defines are necessary. If even one is missing, the person will be less effective as a person as part of a team and the team will suffer as a whole. Lencioni, author of the bestseller Five Dysfunctions of a Team, creates a story around the experiences of a team, and how the personalities interacted... the problems, dilemma, drama, resolve, solutions they encountered as a team. The three virtues of an ideal team player are to be humble, have hunger, be smart. He defines each.

Humble
Great team players lack excessive ego or concerns for status. They are quick to point out the contributions of others and slow to seek attention of their own. They share success collectively rather than individually. It is the greatest most indispensable attribute of being a team player.

Hungry
Hungry people always look for more. More things to do, more to learn. They work harder on their own without being pushed by a manager, are self-motivated and diligent... always thinking about the next step.

Smart
It is not about intellectual capacity, but a person's common sense about people. They know what is happening in a group and how to deal with it. They ask questions, listen to what others are saying and stay engaged in a conversation intently.

The three virtues require the combination and combined integration of each other.

The person who is not humble will not be able to be vulnerable, build trust, and will be unable to engage in honest conflict and hold others accountable. They will have a difficult time committing to a decision that doesn't serve their own interest. A person who lacks hunger will be uncomfortable in conflict, not be accountable to peers, and not do what it takes to achieve results. They will take an easier path. A person not smart about people will create unnecessary problems in the team building process, especially when it takes tact in engaging in conflict and holding people accountable for behaviors.

This then becomes the ideal team player model. All three virtues of being humble, hungry and smart. Someone with only one or two of these qualities will show these signs:

A person who is humble only will be a pawn and others will dominate them as they live primarily for harmony and not team performance. The hungry only person is a bulldozer. They will seek to get things done but more for their own interests, and quickly destroy a team. The smart only person is a charmer. They can be entertaining and likeable for a while but have little interest in the long-term well-being of their colleagues. Their contributions are negligible and their initial likeable welcome wears thin as they don't get anything done.

Within these when a person has two out of three you then get the accidental mess makers, the lovable slackers and the skillful politicians. If a person is lacking in one of these three virtues these characteristics surface.

More about
Patrick M. Lencioni at The Table Group.


All these characteristics are in the Scriptures. The Spirit responds to the humble heart; we are to seek God's direction in our lives and can discern what is the motive behind all men. In the Spirit we form covenant relationships. Here's an except from Cultivating Covenant Connections:

In Ephesians and Colossians, the Apostle Paul guides us in the Spiritual ingredients that build up and strengthen the Covenant Connection.

He says be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving in the same manner Christ has forgiven you. Replace your old nature with His Spirit. Do not tell lies, but the truth. Don't steal, but be productive so you can contribute to those in need. Avoid using foul or abusive language, instead let everything you say be helpful and for the good of others. Always encourage people, so your words lift them up and don't put them down. Get rid of all bitterness, anger, harsh words and slander. Be a joyful and inspiring person to be around. (see Ephesians 4)

As this is cultivated, blended into how we relate, the relationship welds into a bond that can't be severed. Faith with love is the power. This is love in action. What you set out to do will get done... only as our relationships are enriched through love, being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving of each other.

The Apostle Paul exhorts the Colossians to eliminate from our lives what destroys relationships. Live out what boosts relationships. He compares the two. Some things lurk in you that you get from the world's self-destructing practices. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality and impurities of life, lust and evil desires. Don't be greedy and crave the things of the world. Subdue anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander and vulgar talk. Tell the truth, and don't make up things just to make you look good.

Instead, be a person who is kind and considerate, merciful, humble, gentle with gracious speech. Be patient with others and tolerant of another person's faults. Forgive others and above all live in love. Love is what binds us together and builds the bond that nourishes a covenant relationship. Live in peace, and settle disagreements quickly. Don't sacrifice a relationship just to win an argument and be right. It is better to win in binding a relationship, than to win in making your point (especially when something is not that important).

When we live with these principles intertwined in our lives and all of our relationships, and others do it too, we have a strong, unbending bond. Then we will do remarkable things.

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Wednesday, October 19, 2016

A Magnificent Mission vision ... why it's invaluable

by Dale Shumaker

What if the world crumbles around you? What if we don't have liberties to meet freely as a Believer in Jesus or hold a Bible study? What if even now you just don't feel the Spirit of Christ exists in your life and you don't feel its strength and power?

For questions as these I created this guideline on how to live in Spirit and its power, and for it to be a real functioning part of your life. Even today with the freedoms we have, many say they don't see the Spirit of God as a real power in their lives. And many wonder how does all this really work?

There is a Spiritual formula that outlines how. It's in the New Testament of the Bible, explained by Jesus and elaborated on by His Apostles. And it is not that hard to do. Here's a short version...

it just takes you living your life as a mission,
living stubbornly in Faith in God,
renewing your mind through constant exposure and digesting His Scriptures,
and maturing in attaining His Spiritual Intelligence through conversing, interacting with His Spirit (which we commonly call prayer).
Then connecting with someone else who does the same.
Staying in collaboration, constant contact with another person sharing what God is showing, inspiring in each of you, and directing you to do. When you get His answers and direction, then move in a confident faith in His Power with you.
This simple process grows, matures, expands... and it can start with only one other person.

As each person connects with another, then another and it grows out like a web, a Spirit Savvy Network.

The Spirit Savvy Network is another way of identifying what the Bible refers to as the Body of Christ, The Church, The Way, The Believers.
Whether in good times, challenging times, devastating perilous times, what was laid out by Jesus and the Apostles works in any situation, condition and climate of the times a person is living in.

To go into more detail, the course and guidelines on how to do this is at Living Your Magnificent Mission, a free online resource.

How may it play out in the marketplace, in our lifestyles?

Christ in Spirit is not limited. Those in relationship will experience His Presence and His companionship in a walking-the-streets way. Every day activities will have His Presence within it. Compassion and unselfish interests will be prominent. Kindness to others will flourish, and Love will have a natural foothold on everyone's life. ... the blocking and tackling of Spirit.  The Bible speaks, answers from Prayer materialize, friends as one are Spirit empowered, honesty in life prevails. It's simple, but dynamic when practiced daily. Life joys blossom. Stress is less. We all can do it... rich, poor, smart, slow... we all can do it.

These components create the Spiritual apparatus for a "Re-freshed, God-freshed" Spiritual Community with Jesus Christ Himself, In Spirit Among Us, to guide the whole thing. The truth of the Scripture comes true... we can do all things through Christ, with His Strength. With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. (Philippians 4:13, Matthew 19:26)

What may seem as impossible will through faith, Scriptural transformation, directives through prayer, and connection, will turn the impossible to possible.

When cells form and are in Spiritual harmony in business and the community, the Spirit lights up.
When this happens, we will see America revitalized, become a Spirit-driven nation like never before. It will energize the magnificent Mission God has assigned to you.

In whatever you do, if you meet with at least one other person, even by phone, and pray before you start the day, get God's direction and keep each other in prayer during the day, and communicate back and forth throughout the day, a power goes to work beyond yourself. You will see the power of the Spirit working around you and each other.

When applied within a business, it may go like this:

Meet for prayer and God's direction first,
then share with each other what you see His Spirit directing you,
lay out your plans as Inspired by the Spirit,
communicate and support by praying for each other throughout the day.
This will ignite a keener manifestation of God's power.

Those established to build up the saints as expressed in Ephesians 4:11-12 will be transplanted into the business day-to-day operation:

"And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,  for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-12)
... to reach the stature of the fullness of Christ.

In applying this to the business world,
the biz leader, who trains and mentors others, is like a pastor,
the entrepreneur is prophetically gifted. ... seeing what could be.
Those with sales skills are evangelists,
and managers are teachers. ... who can counsel and redirect lives.
It's all there, described in the New Testament which can be reproduced in the marketplace, within an organization, through a business core and other day-to-day activities.

With Spirit as the core emphasis, all you do is develop these Spiritual skills in lifestyle, and work...be a mission, build faith, renew the mind, seek Spiritual Intelligence, connect with another and cultivate a Spiritual relationship.
As you do, you will see the Spirit drive, mobilize and empower everything. So with Spirit as the core it creates a new dynamic that makes everything function at a Super-High level, with greater depth and stamina.

So then,
a Spirit Savvy Network is functional in every life circumstance... everyday living, an organization, a business. It happens when the principles in the New Testament are put in motion as described by Jesus and the Apostles. It's a life functional system. Even though the world does not practice this hardly at all, it is the greatest power on earth for all who use it. And it only takes a few to start... one, two, three who are One in Spirit, principle and mission.

When things are bad, it's how you survive. When things are good, it's how you thrive in living life in your Magnificent Mission.

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Monday, September 26, 2016

The Power Factor behind Living Your Magnificent Mission

by Dale Shumaker

In Living Your Magnificent Mission I strongly propose that we have three disciplines... first to have a strong focus on what our God's created mission is, wrapped sternly in faith,
Then practice these three disciplines...
being astute in the Spiritual principles in the Bible,
versatile in all aspects of prayer,
constant interaction in God's Presence with a
close tie to a personal prayer network.
This is the power cell of living in Spirit in all we do.

"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." (Eph. 4:29)
This Scripture is the core of what I am about. It is what we may call a core value. All I do has this as its center. It's the Spirit behind the Spirit Savvy Network and Living Your Magnificent Mission.

We live to encourage others in what God has called them out for. We live to spur on those of faith around us. I help to equip, train, spur on those who live to build the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven through their lives in what they do.

When the Scriptures say "when two or three are gathered together, I (Jesus) am in your midst" one author points out the true Greek meaning of gathered together is "led together". It reflects Romans 8:14 that as many are led by the Spirit are Sons of God.

Two or three in agreement (Matt. 18:19, 20) gathered or led by the Spirit as One is the key to Spiritual power in prayer, mission, purpose. Spirit is not limited by geographical location, it extends beyond natural physical location.

Two or three who agree in Spirit is a nucleus of Spiritual Power. As two or three come closer, become One in Spirit, all that can be created is created.
Harmony, love, intimacy of mind and Spirit produces the exceptional. ...the Two or Three Agreement Principle.

That's what makes the two or three agreement principle so important in Living Your Magnificent Mission...
We are born for His Mission... live it and we change the world.


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