Negotiation.. to Build the Uncommon Dream

I want to thank my brother Michael McCormack for inspiring me to write this short post. His article "Negotiating with God" Isaiah 38:1-5 in which he talked about Hezekiah  being payed a visit from the prophet who tells him he is going to die. Hezekiah then seeks God who then adds fifteen years to his life

Negotiation involves a conflict of interest. and take place in a place of uncertainty. Negotiation usually starts off with the seeker or the buyer stating his desire to purchase a particular property. The seller then produces a proposal and so negotiation commences. During negotiation each side should be prepared to move from a position in order to come to an agreement that benefits both parties. In bargaining you can even get your opponents to modify their initial demands by convincing them of the strength of your own position. 

Is your destiny so real in you that you would negotiate with God over it? Show him the reasons why you should go to that mission field, or build that ministry in that city.

What about negotiating with other brothers, pastors and leaders? If your Dream is so big how come the brother alongside you, online knows nothing about it? Negotiating is not what you have but rather what others have from you that you have communicated to them. Negotiate, share it in writing, ask for feedback, take a risk and invite others to partner in it. Allow room for negotiation, the views, and insight from others then build together what you may never do alone. Negotiating is after all allowing the dreamer to live while you yourself may have lost a partner!

My Yoke is to Heavy and My Vision too small

Come unto me all ye that labor and heavy laden and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for your soul (Matt 11:28-30).

The bigger the load the smaller the yoke.

How can Jesus give me rest if I am to lay down my yoke only to take up his? He said, “Take my yoke!” How can taking up God’s yoke give me rest from the one I’m already carrying? Could the answer lay in the fact that we are often found carrying a yoke of ministry that doesn’t match our capability. Maybe the yoke that’s holding you down is the result of chasing a dream that’s too small. A dream too small will produce a burden too heavy. According to Jesus the bigger the cause, the less of a burden you’ll have bear. Your load is heavy because you made a ministry to match your ability. God however made you to match his. 

Pastor, preacher, believer, your under pressure because your dream has produced a yoke that doesn’t fit and a burden that’s way too heavy. Maybe you’re avoiding Gods high calling for you! You’re going to have to submit to God's big adventure, where the road is unknown and the way demands faith. So don’t pray for God to remove the burden just get involved in his bigger cause, world missions! Bigger is better, the bigger the load the smaller the yoke.

Pastors are now Missionary Pastors

Pastoral ministry has shifted since the availability of mass information through the internet and the rapid urbanization of the world forces unique challenges on the Pastor. City Pastors are often caught up in the change. Peoples ideas are molded by mass media and our challenge to influence and convert is great.

Churches are centers of global communication and pastors have to see themselves as Pastors of cities rather than just Pastors of congregations. They have to develop a missions strategy to reach a multicultural people by holding a multicultural church. What a Pastor had to learn about tribes and foreign missions overseas years ago, he now has to learn in order to reach his foreign mission field right at his front door. The Pastor is a missionary whether or not he chooses to go overseas or not. His success depends on his mission strategy to the global community. On his doorstep!