The Heavenly Host: Supernatural help for leaders

To kick off our 19th annual Treasures of Hope Christmas Store, we're profiling individuals who played a role in the story of Jesus' birth in #12DaystoTreasures.

In the Christmas story, leaders on earth and in heaven played a role in the unfolding drama of the birth of Jesus.  We've talked about Mary, Joseph, Anna, Simeon and others, but Heaven was also a part of God's long-promised plan to bring men and women back to Himself through His Son Jesus.

In Luke 2 we read about an unnamed angel who stands with the shepherds while they guard their sheep in the fields of Bethlehem. This heavenly representative announces the birth of Christ and where He was born. The Scriptures also express clearly that the magnificent glory of God was present:

Wikipedia

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

  When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us" (Luke 2: 8-15). 

The reference to the heavenly host reminds us that supernatural help surrounds the people of God. As God's leaders, as His kingdom ambassadors, we shouldn't hesitate to rely on Him to provide the strength and heavenly reinforcements we need to confirm and accomplish the tasks He has given us to complete. Joshua learned this when God revealed one of His names to Him: Lord Sabaoth (Lord of Hosts), the God of the armies. According to Easton's Dictionary,  the military term refers to either the armies on earth, the armies of stars, the armies of angels, or all three. In other words, Jesus' birth was an opportunity for a joyous military gathering for the King of Kings.

At Dallas Leadership Foundation, we rest in His peace because we know that the Lord surrounds us with supernatural strength and power. We're thrilled when we observe donors committing a portion of their resources to others through the Treasures of Hope Christmas Store because of their trust inn an Almighty God. We rejoice in His faithfulness when families receive the help they need because God moved on their behalf.

When do you experience the supernatural power of God surrounding you as a leader in God's kingdom? When do you sit back and realize that the Lord and His armies stand ready to fight for you?

If you want to donate toys and other items to Treasures of Hope so that we can make Christmas special for hundreds of Dallas families, please visit our online store at dlftx.org.

Herod: a case study of a failed leader

To kick off our 19th annual Treasures of Hope Christmas Store, we're profiling individuals who played a role in the story of Jesus' birth in #12DaystoTreasures.

Not every leader is one to emulate. King Herod the Great is one of them. His role in the Christmas story couldn't be more infamous. When the Wise Men or Magi came looking for the Messiah after spotting a strange star in the East, Herod invited them to let him know if they found Jesus.

When they didn't return but took another route back home, Herod started murdering male children about Jesus' age. Even Joseph was warned to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt because of Herod:

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son’ (Matt. 2:7-15).

Controlling and murderous leadership traits like Herod's thread human history, but poor leaders also can beget dramatic revivals and civic movements. Poor

Herod the Great: Wikipedia

leadership creates fertile soil where God can intervene with power. The Lord can enable people to lead in a God-directed fashion so that the higher causes of heaven can be implemented. As the Matthew 2 passage shows, the Wise Men and Joseph countered the evil machinations of Herod by following the voice of God.

Over the years, Dallas Leadership Foundation has relied on the voice of God to navigate challenging times and situations. As we've learned, focusing on what God wants ushers in an unforgettable chance to watch Him move on our behalf.

God's direction guides us when we minister to Dallas families through outreaches such as the Treasures of Hope Christmas Store. The store provides an answer for many families who need help during Christmas time -- and a counter step of hope during difficult economic times.

If you want to donate toys and other items to Treasures of Hope so that we can make Christmas special for hundreds of Dallas families, please visit our online store at dlftx.org.

David, a leader who sought God's heart

To kick off our 19th annual Treasures of Hope Christmas Store, we're profiling individuals who played a role in the story of Jesus' birth in #12DaystoTreasures.

David was beloved by the Lord. In the Christmas story, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David, his mother and adopted father were descendants of David, one of Jesus' messianic titles is Son of David.

A man after God's heart, David saw strength where others felt weakness and experienced God's presence where others imagined His absence. David wasn't a perfect man, but he stood as one who sought God. Heaven honored David's life, giving us a timeless picture of how flawed men and women still can seek out the Father -- in loss, victory, shame, disappointment, and joy.

One of the David's greatest leadership moments was when he faced the Philistine champion, Goliath. David was prepared for this moment, having learned to meditate on the ways of God and having won battles with a lion and bear by the power of the Lord. By the time David faced Goliath, he didn't cower in fear:

David and Goliath: Wikipedia

And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand” (1 Samuel 17:42-47).

At Dallas Leadership Foundation, we've seen how our history with God has helped us in the present and positioned us for the future. Each time we've faced an adversary - our Goliaths, if you will -- we've seen how good God is!

Through the Treasures of Hope Christmas Store, we share what we've learned about God's faithfulness, and we allow ourselves to express His love in any way we can. This year, we're trying to make Christmas special for about 600 families and 1,800 children at Treasures of Hope.

What is your leadership moment? How has God strengthened you in the past so that you can trust Him in the present? What has He given you that He wants you to share with others?

If you want to donate toys and other items to Treasures of Hope so that we can make Christmas special for hundreds of Dallas families, please visit  our online store at dlftx.org.