JESUS, the LEADER #45 - #48

{My apologies that this did not publish for the last week of November. I had to draft it & forgot to click publish again. If you recall I was moving the post forward each week & adding the next week. This was the final week with JESUS, the LEADER. JESUS, the OVERCOMER #49 publishes on December 3rd}

This blog post features

Jesus,

the Leader

 for November

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Section 7 includes:
 Jesus, the Leader(weeks 45-48)and then finally Jesus, the Overcomer(weeks 49-52)

November - Section Seven: Jesus, the Leader 45. The Standard of Greatness   Nov.6-10 46. A Servant First                       Nov.13-17 47. The Victor                              Nov.20-24 48. Commander in Chief            Nov.27-Dec1 December - Section Eight: Jesus, the Overcomer 49. The Passion of the Christ—the Rest of the Story 50. His Grace, My Place 51. The Warrior Rises 52. Dead Man Walking

<>This looks incomplete, but it's not - as long as I don't forget (lol)
EACH WEEK I plan to add and fill in the missing parts for each Chapter:
JESUStheLEADER
This Week is #46

SCRIPTURE READINGS for the Weeks of Chapters 45-48:

45. Mark 9:30-35; Matthew 20:20-28; 1 Peter 4:7-11; Philippians 2:1-8; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 46. John 13:1-17; Romans 12:3-8; Mark 10:35-45; Hebrews 6:9-12; Galatians 5: 13-15 47. Matthew 4:1-11; James 4:6-8; James 1:12-15; 1 Corinthians 10:6-13; Hebrews 2:14-18 48. Luke 9:23-27; Ephesians 5:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:11-15; Romans 14:5-9;  1 Peter 2:19-23

These are the subtitles/segments of each devotional in Chapters 45-48:(listed after the title of that devotional)
November 5-10

45.The Standard of Greatness:  "Who's the Greatest?"; "A New Measure"; "Approach Serving the Right Way"; "Appreciate Serving the Right Way"; "Apply Serving the Right Way"

Approach - Appreciate - Apply
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November 13-17

46. A Servant First:  "A Surprising Reversal"; "See Opportunities"; "Serve Others"; "Same Old, Same Old"; "Surrender Ourselves"

Surprising - See - Serve - Same - Surrender
"The servant-leader is servant first" ... Robert K. Greenleaf
"Servant leadership is an approach to leadership where the leader puts the needs of others before their desires and acts as a servant first. Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of a servant leader, and His life and teachings show us how important it is to lead with love, compassion, and a servant's heart. Christians are called to follow Jesus' example and become servant leaders in our spheres of influence. We can become great leaders by showing compassion, empowering others, and creating a culture of respect and collaboration. Leading with love and humility for God’s glory makes a positive difference."from CCU
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November 20-24

47. The Victor: "Fight of the Century"; "Fierce Competitors"; "Don't Be Surprised by Temptation, Expect It"; "Don't Be Fooled by Temptation, Detect It"; "Don't Be Defeated by Temptation, Reject It"

I am so thankful for JESUS
The Victor
"Christ, the Victor"
a song from a musical
"The Victor"(Jamie Owens-Collins)

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November 27- December 1

48. Commander in Chief: "Are You All In?"; "Living Wholeheartedly"; "Deny Yourself"; "Die to Yourself"; "Devote Yourself"

Most often, I think of the Commander in Chief as our President,and he should receive the respect & authority while in Office.Currently, the uprising created in this country, sadly does not do thisand shows great disrespect & disregard for the Office of the Presidency.You need to be worthy of such a position!However, ALL Authority and our deepest Respectbelongs to the ultimate Commander in Chief our LORD JESUS & HE is Worthy!
Also, as this week points out with "D" only applies toTHE COMMANDER IN CHIEFJESUSwhere we Deny ourselves, & are willing to Die to ourselvesand be Devoted, which belongs to no human beingONLY GOD[to do so, with a human, is idolatry & blasphemous]
*these are my humble yet strong opinions
I bow only to
JESUS
now & forever
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and thePRAYERS:

45. "Lord, Give me a holy desire to be great in Your kingdom by giving my life away to others and bearing witness to Your greatness."

46."Lord, I thank You that You have cleansed me from head to toe. Teach me to humble myself, as You have, by serving others in Your Name."

47."Lord, I trust that You've prepared me to fight the good fight. Fill me with Your Spirit and gird me with Your Word to resist the temptations of the enemy."

48. "Lord, because of the work and witness of Jesus Christ, I'm convinced that You are worth ("betting the ranch on"). Give me courage every week to be all in."

The term "bet the ranch" came from the Wild West and was used in the first devotion:And to be "All In" happens to be a gambling phrase in a poker game.
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I am only ALL IN when it comes to JESUS CHRIST as my Commander In Chief.But I do respect & trust our current President as this country's Commander In ChiefI pray every day that our President receives Godly wisdom & all that he needs to govern our nation and maintain a positive influence in the world.I write this with the courage & conviction given to me by God.No matter what party you belong to or support,as a citizen in this country you should respect, pray & support your LeaderJESUSfirstalwaysthen who HE appoints to be in authorityfor the time appointed<>
God bless the United States of America!
and our Commander In Chief
in Jesus' name

"Few words are batted about by managers, pastors, {*educators}, entrepreneurs, and politicians more than leadership. When we want to learn how to lead, we often look to those whose names emblazon book covers and fancy business cards. But what about the leader who claims more followers than any person in history? What made Jesus such a great leader? The answer has the power to transform us into people of influence and impact." James Merritt, "52 Weeks..."

* I added my own: 
In my opinion, we are either a leader, or a follower waiting to blossom.Some of us, just need more encouragement and perhaps training in how to lead.
There is no better Teacher, Helper or Exampleof a Leader than 
JESUS
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"6 Characteristic Traits of Jesus as a Leader"
"Ten Traits of Jesus as Transformational Leader"
"The Leadership Strategy of Jesus"
[Just a few links given above plus the video below but there are much more]
"A Leader Worth Following"You Tube video of the Church teaching the series of 52 Weeks with their Pastor Chip Bernhard
Truly, JESUS, is the Leader Worth Following!

NOVEMBER ... with JESUS (6) PRESENCE

(In case you've chosen to do this with me)

for
"30 Days with Jesus"
Experiencing His PresenceThroughout the Old and New Testament

by Lysa TerKeurst and Dr. Joel Muddamalle

WEEK 1 is PORTRAITS           Nov. 1-5    WEEK 2     PROPHECIES        Nov. 6-10    WEEK 3     PATTERNS             Nov. 11-15    WEEK 4     PROVISIONS         Nov. 16-20    WEEK 5     PROTECTIONS     Nov. 21-25    WEEK 6     PRESENCE           Nov. 26-30

During these 30 days "we'll look for and discover JESUS using 6 different lenses":
November 26 -30
we'll be looking through the lens of
PRESENSE

"We see God’s desire to be near His people since creation, and the ultimate invitation to be with Him is in Jesus."

I know I will enjoy being in His
PRESENCE

this final week of the 30 days!
Again I found key statements that connect with me, in just the intro to this(but I'm only sharing the following):

"... A significant takeaway from this whole study for us has been the reality that if we can SEE JESUS' PRESENCE in the Old Testament, beyond a PROPHECY of the Messiah's coming, then we can have deeper conviction He is present in our lives right now, too."["Because He always has been."](from previous paragraph)

OK, one more:

"JESUS is not merely patterned, pointed to, and promised in the Old Testament, He is present."

As indicated previous to that statement, 

"... the New Testament authors (explicitly show)  Jesus' Presence in the Old Testament" {and some examples given are in John 8:56-58; Hebrews 11:26; Jude 5; 1 Corinthians 10:4; John 12:40-41}

Days 26-30

11/26 "The Tabernacle and The Temple" (Exodus 25:1-9; Ephesians 2:19-22) John 1:14 11/27 "Jacob's Ladder" (Genesis 28:10-15; John 1:51) John 17:24 11/28 "Pillar of Fire and Cloud of Smoke" (Exodus 13; John 8:12-30) John 8:12 11/29 "Angel of the Lord" (Exodus 3:1-6; John 14:15-27) John 14:23 (NIV) 11/30 "The Incarnation" (Luke 2) Luke 2:10-11

PRAYER

"God, thank You that Your Word is so applicable. Lord, help us to remember the Truth we’ve discovered in Your Word together. We love You so much, God. We make a commitment today to start really paying attention and looking for Jesus in the unexpected places of our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."

I thank You Lord for Your Presence, Your Protection, Your Provision.
I'm so grateful for the Patterns, the Prophecies and the Portraits
provided in Your Word and through JESUS.
I give thanks for 
"30 Days with Jesus"
that
"We are held safe in  the embrace of a God who promises the comfort of
His PRESENCE
from the Garden to Glory."
And that
JESUS
is returning soon.
(Revelation 22:12-20)
For this,
believers can be
eternally
THANKFUL
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I hope all of you enjoyed a wonderful
THANKSGIVING
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🦃
I give thanks for you, too!
Thanking God
for some other important answers to prayer

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Looking forward to this last week of the 30 Days in
HIS PRESENCE

NOVEMBER ... with JESUS (5) PROTECTIONS

(In case you've chosen to do this with me)

for
"30 Days with Jesus"
Experiencing His PresenceThroughout the Old and New Testament

by Lysa TerKeurst and Dr. Joel Muddamalle

WEEK 1 is PORTRAITS           Nov. 1-5    WEEK 2     PROPHECIES        Nov. 6-10    WEEK 3     PATTERNS             Nov. 11-15    WEEK 4     PROVISIONS         Nov. 16-20    WEEK 5     PROTECTIONS     Nov. 21-25    WEEK 6     PRESENCE           Nov. 26-30

During these 30 days "we'll look for and discover JESUS using 6 different lenses":
PROTECTIONS

"We see Jesus through God’s protection of His people, as we start to discover the ultimate protection we have in Him."

As I began reading the intro to this part, I'm finding that once again,
this one pertains to me (and not in a good way either)
it reveals that I too struggle with
"... trusting God as my ultimate Protector"
because I constantly find myself "collecting" or thinking about
worst-case scenarios, as if that will protect me or prepare me better
for when or if "they" might occur
... endless nights/early morning hours ...
wondering, praying, mind & heart racing
depends on what is going on or going to be happening, well in advance (sigh)
So supposedly these next few days will be very helpful ...
as we look at God, the Protector
and "the ultimate Protection we have
in JESUS Christ"
{my head says it knows this, but I don't too often find myself or the ones I'm praying for -protected}
I do believe this, Lord - help me with any unbelief!
{part of my struggle is that in my life, there have been times that I specifically was trusting God for my Protection, even prayed & put on the "full armor of God" but found myself very unprotected & subjected to being a victim (let's say) of the enemy - in broad daylight, which tends to lend itself to the insecurity, doubt, wondering, lack of trust, unbelief? etc. so I've been there & don't want to be (caught off-guard) again. It's from this place that I'm learning to trust.}
AND OH, HOW I CLING TO YOU, JESUS and RELY ON YOU!
I am so grateful for the
PROTECTIONS
I've been given by God
and the ultimate Protection I have in JESUS

11/21 "Protection of Joseph" (Genesis 40; Galatians 4:3-7) Genesis 50:20 11/22 "Protection in the Red Sea" (Exodus 14; Mark 4:35-41) Mark 4: 39-40 11/23 "Protection in Jonah"(Jonah 1; Matthew 8:23-27) Matthew 8:27 11/24 "Protection of the Torah"(Leviticus 26; Hebrews 8:1-5) Luke 24: 27 11/25 "Protection by the Divine Warrior"(Isaiah 59:1-20; Ephesians 6: 10-17) Ephesians 6:10-11

"Lord, thank You that You sent Jesus, who deeply understands how hard it can be to process fear inside these frail, hurting, human hearts of ours. Thank You for the hope that Jesus has ​​overcome​​ the world. Now help me overcome what I’m facing today. Thank You for the grace that I don’t have to do it perfectly. I just have to make progress. I love You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."

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11/25 raises many questions I have about the injustices happening in the world currently

{so I may have more on this later}

meanwhile

please pray as the Spirit moves you

for our nation

Israel, Gaza civilians, Ukraine

and so many others

🙏👐🙏

🕊

PROTECT ALL of US

NOVEMBER ... with JESUS (4) PROVISIONS

(In case you've chosen to do this with me)

for
"30 Days with Jesus"
Experiencing His PresenceThroughout the Old and New Testament

by Lysa TerKeurst and Dr. Joel Muddamalle

WEEK 1 is PORTRAITS           Nov. 1-5    WEEK 2     PROPHECIES       Nov. 6-10    WEEK 3     PATTERNS            Nov. 11-15    WEEK 4     PROVISIONS        Nov. 16-20    WEEK 5     PROTECTIONS     Nov. 21-25    WEEK 6     PRESENCE           Nov. 26-30

During these 30 days "we'll look for and discover JESUS using 6 different lenses".

        PROVISIONS        

"We see Jesus in God’s physical, emotional, and spiritual provision for the people of the Old Testament as Jesus is our perfect provision for all our needs."

I am so thankful for thePROVISIONofJESUSand all the PROVISIONSfromGod, the Father
[a very vulnerable but truthful opening statement to this]
"I know what it feels like to beg for God's mighty intervention. I also know what it feels like after an extended period with no change ..."
{I can't even wrap my head around the 400 years without hearing anything from God in the Bible, between the end of the Old Testament & the New Testament; when I can't usually go a day or a week, with this silence or absence, believing I've hit a brick wall or something I did.}
The book continues: 
"... When we're in this place our hearts ache. Our minds race ..."
{I recently have visited this place so my heart & mind are captured with these opening words, which made me think about the 400 years of silence that I wrote above. And as I read, I will hold on to God's promises of PROVISION through JESUS, being thankful we have JESUS!}

11/16 "Priests" (Exodus 19; Hebrews 2:14-18) 1 Peter 2:9 11/17 "Prophets" (1 Kings18:16-1 Kings 19:9; Luke 4: 1-15) 1 Kings 18:21 11/18 "Provision in Kings" (1 Samuel 8; Ephesians 1) 1 Samuel 8:7 11/19 "Provision in Bread" (Exodus 16; John 6:31-35) John 6:33 11/20 "Provision in Water" (Exodus 17:1-6; John 7:37 -52) John 7:37-38

"Father God, thank You so much for sending Your Son, Jesus, as the ultimate Prophet, Priest, King, Bread of Life, and Living Water. Seeing Him so active and evident in Scripture brings me such ​​comfort​​ in places of my heart that feel empty today. Thank You for listening to my prayers for all the things I desire, need, want, and ask for. I pray, in the meantime, You sustain my faith by reminding me of Your past faithfulness to always keep Your promises. Thank You for the perfect provision of Jesus that paved the way for a relationship with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."

* Half way through these 30 days, and I finally figure out that since I post at 6pm, I should have been posting the eve before, so I've done that today. I certainly hope that Lysa & Dr. Joel plan to do this as an online study! I know I would sign up and probably will re-do this book again, where I can spend more than 30 days.{I did catch up doing PATTERNS on the right day, so I hope I do again with PROVISIONS.}

NOVEMBER ... with JESUS (3) PATTERNS

(In case you've chosen to do this with me)

for
"30 Days with Jesus"
Experiencing His PresenceThroughout the Old and New Testament

by Lysa TerKeurst and Dr. Joel Muddamalle

WEEK 1 is PORTRAITS         Nov. 1-5    WEEK 2     PROPHECIES      Nov. 6-10    WEEK 3     PATTERNS           Nov.11-15    WEEK 4     PROVISIONS        Nov.16-20    WEEK 5     PROTECTIONS    Nov. 21-25    WEEK 6     PRESENCE          Nov. 26-30

Truthfully, each week, is becoming a bit more challenging to keep up with this becuase the content is more intense - or maybe that's just because the past 5 days was on PROPHECIES (or through the lens of PROPHECY). I was quite pleased when I made it through PORTRAITS on time and was ready to begin PROPHECIES on November 6th. But I can't believe it's November 11th & already time to move forward to the next one: PATTERNS. One of the "patterns" that I noticed right away is that all of these "lenses" begin with the letter "P" (on Purpose) which is easy for me since my name begins with "P" that makes me more aware and it's a good teaching tool.

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  During these 30 days "we'll look for and discover JESUS using 6 different lenses"
November 11th - 15thwe're looking through
PATTERNS

"We see Jesus in alternating patterns in the Bible like famine and rain, or wilderness and promised land that help us connect to the consistent reality of the presence of Jesus."

"This week, we are diving into how we can see Jesus throughout the Bible in Patterns."
"PATTERNS
are everywhere in Scripture."

11/11 "Famine & Rain"(Amos 8:John 7:37-43) Psalm 63:1 11/12 "Rising & Falling" (Genesis 37; Philippians2:5-11) Romans 8:28 11/13 "Wilderness & Promised Land" (Deuteronomy 32:10-11; Matthew 4:1-11) Deuteronomy 8:3 NIV 11/14 "Less-Than & Greater-Than" (Exodus 4:1-17; Matthew 5:1-11 and 43-48) Matthew 5:44 11/15 "Chaos & Order" (Genesis 4; John 1:1-18) Isaiah 11:6

I'm pretty sure that you've noticed by now but in case you have not:each day there is Old Testament & New Testament readingsto demonstrate JESUS in both (the contrast)

"GOD, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO REVEAL YOURSELF TO ME THROUGH SCRIPTURE. Through everything I continue to study, I pray I would see more of Jesus and it would drive me into an even deeper relationship with Him. I thank You today for Your everlasting faithfulness. ​​I trust You​​ through every situation I am facing right now. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."

Looking at the 

PATTERNS

and

Giving Thanks

to

JESUS

for

connecting us to the consistent

reality of

His Presence

in each pattern

we can see God's hand

NOVEMBER ... with JESUS (2) PROPHECIES

(In case you've chosen to do this with me)

for
"30 Days with Jesus"
Experiencing His PresenceThroughout the Old and New Testament

by Lysa TerKeurst and Dr. Joel Muddamalle

WEEK 1 is PORTRAITS           Nov. 1-5    WEEK 2     PROPHECIES        Nov. 6-10    WEEK 3     PATTERNS             Nov. 11-15    WEEK 4     PROVISIONS         Nov. 16-20    WEEK 5     PROTECTIONS     Nov. 21-25    WEEK 6     PRESENCE           Nov. 26-30

During these 30 days "we'll look for and discover JESUS using 6 different lenses."
This is the 2nd lens - "each one will show us something surprising and encouraging, and confirm God's good plan for us."

PROPHECIES

"We see Jesus through the prophecies that tell of His coming in the flesh."

We are given quite a thorough definition of Prophecy and other terms to help us understandProphecy in the introduction to this week.

11/6 "Prophecy in the Beginning" (Genesis 3; Luke 1) 1 John 5:4-5 11/7 "Prayers and Praise" (1 Samuel 1; Ephesians 6:10-20) 1 Samuel 2:1 11/8 "Poetry" (Psalm 2; Matthew 3:13-17) Psalm 2:6 NLT 11/9 "Minor Prophets" (Micah 5; John 10:22-42) Micah 5:2 11/10 "Messiah" (Isaiah 9:1-7; Matthew 18:1-8) Isaiah 9:6

Every section ends with a beautiful prayer like this one at the end of PROPHECIES:
"Father God, thank You for the truths we unpacked this week in Your Word. I praise You for these revelations You are showing me while I find myself in my own waiting place. I pray right now that You would strengthen my faith today. Show me ​​more of You.​​ And thank You for Your Son, Jesus. He is evidence that reminds me You always keep Your promises. Continue to show me more of Him in the coming weeks of this study. In Jesus’ Name, Amen." Glory 🙌🏼
I am thankful for the
PROPHECIES
completed in
JESUS
and
yet
to be fulfilled
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