Holiday Driving Tips : On the Road & In The Pulpit

If you want to know the mind of a great leader, watch what he says.

If you want to know the character of a leader, watch how he drives. ~sac

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We are in the last days of Holiday hustle and bustle. People are growing more impatient and desperate as the hour grows closer to Christmas day. Whether they are frustrated because they can't find the right size, color, toy, or can't double their coupons, this season can bring out the gripers as well as the good-hearted. Here are a few Holiday Driving Tips to help you keep your cool and your car in good order.

#1 Pretend that the persons in front of you and behind you have bad breaks. This will stop you from tailgating and making those unexpected lane shifts without your blinker.

#2 Slow DOWN unless you want to contribute to the Policeman's Holiday Fund. They would love your extra dollars without the ticket.

#3 Even if you have the right of way, take a few seconds before venturing out for that turn or crossing multiple lanes. It might save your life.

#4 Your family and friends would rather you late and alive than dead on arrival to the annual Family Christmas Party or Get Together. If you live in a metropolitan area or big city, plan an extra 45 minutes into your driving time.

#5 Winterize your tires and windshield wipers. The cost is minimal and can enhance your safety on the road.

I hope these tips were helpful. If you are a leader, then lead by showing good driving habits. Those who follow you will emulate what you do in AND out of the pulpit.

Blessings!

Vulture or Visionary?

This particluar topic is borne out of an unexpected lesson the past few days. Allow me to explain.

Yesterday, on my way driving home, I saw two vultures hovering over the carcass of a dead deer. I was a bit taken back by the sight. It was my first time ever seeing something like that. Yes, I'm a city girl with a country heart, and being new to the great outdoors, this was a wake up call to life in the country. Today, as I drove out on my way to work, that deer hadn't moved an inch (it was dead, of course) but neither had those vultures. In fact, what was yesterday only two vultures feeding on the carcass, there were now nearly a dozen. There was no fuss, no fight. They all munched peaceably on the carcass of the deer in the light of the cold morning.

Now, as a prophetic minister and pastor in the making, I had to ask, "God, what meaneth this? What is the lesson here?" This is what He had to say:

"Vultures feed on dead things. Visionaries feed on living things."

God began to share with me further on the topic:

"When you feed on dead things, things of the past, nothing around you can grow. You get stuck there. Vultures become stagnant, and soon other vultures begin to flock. They too begin to feed on those things. They begin to share in what appears to be a fellowship until there are no more dead things. Then, they begin to disband, and go their own way. Visionaries on the other hand feed off their faith. They focus on the life-giving Word of God, and seek after what God is continually saying about their vision. They continue to move forward, pressing toward the prize that God has set for them. Visionaries are not vultures."

Here are some facts about vultures:

Vultures are such efficient feeders that they can pick the body of a small animal clean in less than half an hour. Some vultures go one step further by eating the bones as well, thus making sure no part of a meal is wasted.

They bask after their meals.

They have keen eyesight.

Initially they fight and bicker over feeding spots. For the most part, many vulture species are relatively silent, but not when it comes to a prime place at the dinner table.

Many species of vultures feed together with little competition, because they do not feed on the same kind of meat within the carcass.

I said to myself, "God, what does this mean?"

"Vultures represent the spirit of the Hireling. Hirelings are looking for those who operate in dead things (works, habits, continual sin) so that they may feed there. Hirelings initially fight over the carcass (people who can be lead astray), but will become partners, realizing they can each have their own species of unregenerated folks. They will strip the easily decieved clean and leave them with nothing in the end. When the mission is complete, they may abandon the flock, start another flock, or cite "irreconcilable differences". They are only leading for their own benefit."

As a Next Generation Leader, I encourage you to do a self-check, as I continue to do. It is vital to those 0-30 that you make sure that you are operating in the capacity of Servant-Leader. If we would judge and evaluate ourselves, we would not be judged.

Let's Pray:

Lord, as we carry on this work of leadership, let us be the Visionaries you are calling for. Help us to equip the next generation so that they would not be victimized by the Vulture, the Spirit of the Hireling, in Jesus name, Amen.

Maximized Humanhood

There is a divide in Christian leadership. A divide that should not be. It's been there for a while, sometimes more pronounced than others. It's a divide over authority, and surprisingly gender. Yes, after more than 40 years, people are STILL divided over this issue that is a non-issue with God.

Let me be the first to tell you that with one loving and supportive husband, five brothers, ten uncles, three god-sons, and numerous male cousins, and a novel series based primarily around strong, godly, male characters, I am unquestionably pro-male by providence, and then by choice. Though I have experienced abuse at the hand of a man, I have not allowed that to color my opinion on men in general. I respect the God-given purpose and destiny set forth. I encourage my husband daily by word, prayer, and deed to fulfill the complete purpose of God on his life. I can be a lioness when his ministry and profession is insulted, because I see him behind the scenes and can attest to the quality of service and excellent work ethic he abides by. So, I want to clarify that I have no interest in supporting the warped message that women are better than men or without them. It simply is NOT true. What I will say is that we are better TOGETHER in our God-given roles of dominion and co-rulership. What that rulership looks like in my home or church may look different from yours, but in the ministry, there are some strictly held notions that align in the Marriage Covenant that are not expressed in relation to ministry, particulary five-fold ministry.

Recently a prominent Pastor and Church Leader was asked, "Is it okay for a man to listen to a woman?" His response was. "He can listen to her, but it can become dangerous to make her the authority over his life as a Pastor. He would lose his masculinity." I could not believe that someone could think this way. I wondered, "What is he talking about?"  The statement was disturbing  and I continued in prayer for some days on it. As a result, I will share some things God spoke to me regarding this. You don't have to agree, but search the scriptures for yourself. I believe that we cannot afford to get this wrong if we are to minister to the next generation of leaders, which, by the way, according to population growth experts, will be women and those 18-30.

What the Lord spoke:

Maximizing Manhood at the expense of minimizing womanhood or Maximizing Womanhood at the expense of minimizing manhood is not the original order. Everyone who wants to return to the original order yet believe women are in subjection to men paint a paradise picture for men and one of subjection for women. I am coming to Maximize Humanhood. That can only be done when manhood and womanhood both submit to the Godhead (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). When the Godhead rests on your Humanhood, man or woman will begin to maximize their God potential, God purpose, and fulfill God's plan for their lives.

There is a strong notion in most traditional Reformations that a woman should not be a Pastor and God-forbid she claim to be an Apostle. I am looking for this assertion in Scripture. Ephesians 4:11-16, lays out the five-fold ministry plainly. I have seen women Teachers, Evangelists, and Prophets, and Pastors, and Apostles. I respect their ministry because I have never seen them attempting to overthrow any man. Most churches have no problem with women being teachers, or missionaries, or evangelists. But are not all these offices from God? Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." If we are all one, why are women seen as a separate class of Christians? Ephesians 5:22 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." is often quoted as basis for a woman not serving in a leadership capacity, but this is in the context of Marriage covenant. What about the widow? The single mother? The single woman? Let's look closer:

Ephesians 5: 21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. This verse is rarely mentioned

when women being in subjection is the topic of the day.

Wives and Husbands

22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing^b her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^c 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

So, can a woman really lead? I would say based on scripture, if she is married, and following the principles of the Word, she could be a really effective Pastor as she maintains her God-set role in submitting to her husband and respecting her husband in the Marriage covenant.

Well, what about the single (woman)?
1 Corinthians 7 (NIV)

32I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

Paul speaks this by permission, not by command, but the implication here is that if you can remain a virgin, and single, then devote yourself to the ministry God has given to you. Before I married, I was actively involved in ministry. I devoted myself to it. Now, I am even more devoted! I am married to a man who supports women, who supports women in ministry, who I reverence as Lord in my household happily and without reservation. He is my covering in our marriage covenant. I submit to a local church with the Senior Pastor as my covering. So, what am I saying?

The bottom line is this: If you cannot submit, you should not lead. Male or Female. Period. I asked God, "Should a man listen to a woman? Is there something wrong with her advice?What would happen to his authority? Is this assumption based on a few bad apples in the Bible (Jezebel, Eve, Delilah, Salome)? Could we not make the same assumption about "fallen" men who failed, yet are esteemed as heroes of Faith (Abraham, Jacob, David, Peter)?

This is how He answered:

Where would Barak be without Deborah who counciled him on military strategies?

Where would David be without Abigail who spoke wisdom to him regarding not killing a fool?

Where would the spies be without Rahab who gave them a plan to get out of the city in the midst of their 007 assignment?

Where would Manoah be without his wife who was approached by the angel reagarding Samson?

 Where would Zecharias had been after his mouth was closed by God and his wife had to confirm their son's name (John the Baptist)?

What about Priscilla & Aquilla?

Where would the Jews have been without Esther?

We know what happened when Pilate didn't listen to his wife: He wound up as an accomplice to the Crucifixion.

 I ask you to go back and search the scriptures through the eyes of God. He doesn't have to use a donkey to lead a man. He can and he will use a Woman, not because we are smarter, or better, but because we are all one in Christ Jesus. God is more concerned about accomplishing His plan in the earth than soothing our egos, Male or Female. He is looking not at gender, but willingness to be yielded and used for His praise, glory, and honor. The best prayer we can pray is, "Lord, use me. Do it through me. Include me in your plan." I believe He will hear you when you call.

Blessings!

Healing Begins At The House

Sin is never an easy subject. Why? All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Our sins were laid on the Lord. We were found guilty and stood deserving of the full measure of judgement...BUT GOD. As I was in prayer, the Lord began to deal with me about OUR Nation. Its amazing that when we talk about the sins of the Nation, very rarely do you hear the word "our" included. When Nehemiah prayed, when Daniel prayed, they prayed that God would deliver, but they didn't leave themselves out. After all, they were Jews, they were dealing with the effects and fallouts of the sins committed by the nation, though they may not have personally committed them. In other words, Sin affects us all. There were 9 things the Lord spoke to me about in regards to the USA. But He didn't stop there. He said, "These sins reflect what is in my House."

As I share these, I hope that you will join me in prayer for the healing of Our Nation and also for the Healing of Our churches. 2 Chronicles 7:14 gives us the secret to healing for the land: The people who belong to God must pray, and seek His face, and turn from OUR wicked ways. My local church body will enter into a time of prayer, praise, and fasting from November 7-11. I will continue on until November 30. I believe the Church is at a make or break point. We are at a precipice. We will either choose God, or choose a Form of God. Either way, a decision must be made.

9 Sins of the USA reflected in the Church

1. Abortion of the unborn- There has been a silencing of the Great Commision in many local bodies. There has been an abortion of new-born disciples.

2. Homosexuality- This is not only sexual sin, but an imbalance in ministry, an unnnatural affection. Male dominated or Female dominated, a subjection of one sex to the other . It is the denial of the opposite sex and the cleaving to of your own sexThere is neither male nor female in Christ.

3. Greed-This is not only dealing with finances, but a hoarding of the Truth. An unwillingness to release revelation that will free people and a deliberate twisting of the truth to manipulate giving.

4. Rape of the Land/Resources- Hirelings are at the forefront of many local assemblies. There is an abuse of the laity, a slave mentality bred into the believer, to live below standard.

5. Murder- Speaking ill of and assasinating the character of the leaders that God has established.

6. Predjudice- Catering only to those who look like us, think like us, grew up with us. Isolating those who don't fit the traditional mold of the local body.

7. Pride- Thinking our denomination or non-denomination, or Movement, is the only true move of God

8. Division- Not settling differences the Biblical way; involving the world in Ecclesiastical affairs.

9. Loveless- Becoming indifferent to your fellow sister or brother in Christ; Running to save the world in an escape to avoid what issues need to be dealt with in the Body. The world will know who we are by our love for one another.

One thing the Lord was very clear on: "It will get worse before it gets better."

When the children of God pray, the prophets prophesy, the Apostles mobilize, the Pastors shepherd, the Evangelists deliver the Good News, and the Teachers equip through the Spirit of God the terror of the Lord will be upon the nations.

God will deal with the Communities of Falsehood, the cities that entertain wickedness, wink at sin, and open the floodgates of His anger and wrath against the ungodly. False prophets and False Communities that allow sin to remain, tolerating, sparing, or shielding, rather than rebuking, reproving, and correcting. There is a reckoning coming between God and Man. My desire is to be found on the Lord's side.

Join me in prayer:

Lord, forgive our sins. Heal our Land. Restore us and cause us to be lights in every place. Begin with Us, your people. We repent. Bring us back to our first love. Help us to continually renounce that which is not like you. Open our eyes. You said if we were otherwise minded, You would reveal it to us. Thank you that as You reveal, we will be honest with our selves and repent. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Further Reading: Joshua 24:14-15, Deuteronomy 12, 13, 2 Peter 3:14,17,18,

The Entitlement Generation

This is a prophetic message. Let's make that clear. So, if you don't believe in prophets or the voice of God, go ahead and exit.

Great, now we can move on.

This is the "Entitlement Generation", the Lord told me. Knowing God is Omniscient, I asked him to break that down for me and put it in layman's terms.

Entitlement means a guarantee of access to benefits based on established "rights" or by legislation. Yes, we live in the time where everyone is asserting their rights and very few are tuned into the Creator's Rights to define and shape and mold the destiny of His Creation.

We are living in the "I deserve it, it's my due, it's my time, it's my season" generation. Well, there's a few problems with this sort of manifesto: What happens when the benefits you have been guaranteed access to are not available, or better yet, simply don't exist, and won't exist for another 10-20 generations? The other issue is many think they "deserve" benefits

• without any effort on their part
• without any work input
• without any character to maintain what they recieve
• without any permission or authority obtained

Much like the prodigal son who sqandered his inheritance, we find a generation who "do what is right in their own eyes." This type of thinking is not new under the sun, but the intensity at which we see this attitude and the behaviors associated with it has increased and become unprecedented. We have breastfed a generation on "B's & H's" , "thug life", and "do what thou wilt". The Just Do It slogan has rapidly morphed into Just Take It. If we dig into the sciptures, we will find a young prophet in training, who had fallen into this Entitled Mindset:

20 Gehazi was the servant of Elisha, the man of God. Gehazi said to himself, "My master was too easy on Naaman from Aram. He should have accepted the gift he brought. I'm going to run after Naaman. I'm going to get something from him. And that's just as sure as the LORD is alive."  

21 Gehazi hurried after Naaman. Naaman saw him running toward him. So he got down from the chariot to greet him. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

22 "Everything is all right," Gehazi answered. "My master sent me to say, 'Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me. They've come from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothes.'

23 "I wish you would take twice as much silver," said Naaman. He begged Gehazi to accept it. Then Naaman tied up 150 pounds of silver in two bags. He also gave Gehazi two sets of clothes. He gave all of it to two of his own servants. They carried it ahead of Gehazi.

24 Gehazi came to the hill where Elisha lived. Then the servants handed the things over to Gehazi. He put them away in Elisha's house. He sent the men away, and they left.  

25 Then he went back inside the house. He stood in front of his master Elisha. "Gehazi, where have you been?" Elisha asked. "I didn't go anywhere," Gehazi answered.  

26 But Elisha said to him, "Didn't my spirit (heart) go with you? I know that the man got down from his chariot to greet you. Is this the time for you to accept money or clothes? Is it the time to take olive groves, vineyards, flocks or herds? Is it the time to accept male and female servants?  

27 You and your children after you will have Naaman's skin disease forever." Then Gehazi left Elisha. And he had Naaman's skin disease. His skin was as white as snow.   (2 Kings 5)

What got Gehazi into trouble? His false sense of entitlement. I won't go into great detail because there is much to pull out of the text, I'd like to mention a few things God told me:

• What you think internally about what you deserve will determine your outward actions
• Blessings are supposed to run you down, not the other way around
• Name dropping can get you cursed or killed; if you are name dropping to get what you want, that may be an indication that your gift hasn't made room for you to recieve it
• Don't disguise your greed as benevolence; Gehazi invented a need to gain access to gifts illegally
• Just because it is offered to you, doesn't mean you have a right to it, especially if you used deciet & manipulation
• Those who are connected to you know what's in your heart, whether it be good or evil
• Recieving out of time what God has promised can curse you and your future generations

Gehazi, as Elisha's successor stood to recieve the mantle passed down by Elijah. Instead of the mantle, he and his future generations recieved a malady, an illness that was passed down due to sin. Aren't you glad that God doesn't give us what we deserve? Through the blood of Christ, we can be set free from the curse of sin, not just our own, but those committed by our previous generations!

There are three major things plaguing the Entitlement Generation. Many are Directionless, which leads to Hopelessness, which brings forth Lawlessness. But, praise God, who has given us the Spiritual weapons to combat all three.

We must instill

The Word of God which brings Direction

The Life of Prayer which fuels our Hope & Faith in God

The Life of Self-Discipline which  establishes Boundaries

Please join me in prayer:

Father, thank you for speaking this Word. I pray for those who are without direction, without hope, and without boundaries. I pray Father that you will give them vision, clarity, direction and purpose. I thank you that they will operate through Your Empowerment rather than entitlement. I thank you now, that this is the generation that seeks Your face, humbles themselves, casts their anger and frustration at Your feet, and allow you to place in their hands, hearts, minds, and mouths, the Word of Faith, Life, and Peace. May those who have sat back rise up and Empower their generation beyond a movement or a moment, beyond murmuring and complaining. May they occupy themselves in knowing You so that Your will can be done in the Earth. Amen & So Be It!

Unmasking Jezebel & Ahab

 The first thing you should be aware of is that where there are true prophets, love, faith, service, and perseverance, you will find Jezebel and her counterpart, Ahab working to counterfeit God’s presence and turn people away from the living God to serve the god of flesh. The next thing you should be aware of is that this is an ancient spirit, operating for thousands of years and has more experience with human nature than you do. The third thing you should know is that Jezebel and Ahab spirit can operate in a man or woman.  They operate as a team to the detriment of peoples, nations, kingdoms, and churches. See Rev. 2:18 Church at Thyatira. So, this team can take the form of two men, two females, or male & female in a leadership capacity.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Comparison/Contrast Jezebel & Ahab Here are some characteristics of each taken from 1Kings 16-21, 2Kings 9-10, and Revelation 2. These characteristics are in no particular order and are by no means exhaustive.

Jezebel	Ahab
Manipulating people, circumstances	Manipulated by people; moved by circumstances
Controlling people, circumstances, outcomes	Controlled by people, circumstances, and outcomes
Sensual and seducing spirit	Easily enticed; will build monuments to whatever entices
Spiritual hit man- hit woman	Operates with a sense of false entitlement
Hedonistic; lover of pleasure	Covetous; lusts for another’s inheritance
Devoid of a moral compass	Inconsistent moral compass; can be led or misled
Master planner & organizer (works through letters and messengers	Poor planner; does not organize or take heed to warning
Behind the scenes operator of schemes &devices	Passive in leadership ; operates as a figurehead
Planter of false evidence & accusations in minds	Complainer; fault finder
Mass murderer	Acquiesces to evil plots
Operates in sabotage & legislated hate campaigns	Thinks everything and everyone has a price
Excellent writer and communicator of evil deeds	Poor communicator; internalizes issues; shuts down
Hates truth; the law of God or any truth bearer	At odds with righteousness and the messengers of it
Is generous and lavish with those who don’t question her authority & support evil causes	Wants what is not rightfully his at any cost; wants what is convenient and appeases vanity
Embodies the spirit of revenge & retaliation	Embodies the spirit of passivity and carnal appetite
The spirit of Ahab reports to it, submits and passively yields to its demands	Reports to the Spirit of Jezebel; gives away authority; does not do good when in his power to do
Seeks to kill/assassinate the messengers of truth	Allows the assassination of innocent people
Seeks to steal the  inheritance of God’s people	Pushed by the spirit of Jezebel to open defiance of God
Seeks to destroy the impact of the Word of God in any generation	Capable of repenting but will not live a sustained life of godliness or faithfulness
Takes authority given by default or passivity	Hands over any semblance of responsibility
Uses sensuality as a means of persuasion or to get off the hook for breaking covenant with God	Obtains through murder and force what is not theirs
Uses religion as a means to assassinate /sabotage	Fasts only because lusts are denied, not to crucify them
Gains by lying & assassinating (physically or spirit)	Allows others to prostitute his authority and abuse their leadership position
Instigates and initiates open defiance of God	Uses religion to get mercy for himself then returns to ungodliness
Emasculates men (priests were eunuchs dressed in women’s clothing)	Takes possession/ownership illegally

Other Facts to Note:

Ø  Jezebel means unmarried. This spirit is only in union with itself and serves its own purposes.

Ø  Ahab means father’s brother. It could denote that the wicked practice was his father sleeping with his own mother. This would make Ahab both son and brother to the former King. This would not be uncommon in the practice of idol worship and cold explain why God thought his father was detestable and why Ahab went on to perform worse and was noted as the wickedest king in Israel.

Ø  Jezebel was steeped in idol worship through her Father Ethbaal, King of Sidon.

Ø  Under Ahab’s rule Jericho was refortified (something God cursed in Josh 6:22) by Hiel, who sacrificed his first and lastborn sons to do so

Ø  Elijah hid out for 3 years in Zarephath,  in Sidon, right under her nose.

Ø  The drought was the worst in Samaria, Ahab’s headquarters, founded by his wicked father, and center of Baal and Ashteroth worship.

Ø  100 prophets were in hidden by 50 in caves and fed bread and water by Obadiah, Ahab’s servant who feared God

Ø  God said 7,000 had not bowed their knee and kissed Baal even though Elijah felt alone

Ø  The showdown at Mt. Carmel was pretty audacious that he would drench an altar in the time of drought. He had to believe that rain was on the way. God wants a saturated worship!

Ø  Prophets can get wearied by the war even after they’ve won a battle; watch out for depression and suicide and the woe is me blues due to revenge and retaliation they face

Ø  God will protect, provide for, strengthen, encourage, speak to, and give you a plan if you are his to keep you. LISTEN for His still small voice. You aren’t the only one serving

Ø  Prophets anoint kings and their own prophetic successors. They foretell and forth tell.

Ø  Jezebel was thrown to her death by what she was once empowered by: emasculated men (authority)

Ø  Jezebel spirit only gives a seat of honor if planning to target you for assassination

Ø  Sex is used as a means of ritual worship for Jezebel spirit.

Ø  Jezebel rebuked Ahab for not abusing his kingship authority and leadership role

Ø  David set this spirit in motion by operating in it before Kingdom split with his son (2 Sam 11:14-15) when he used sabotage, letters, and plotted to have Uriah killed so he could unlawfully possess Bathsheba as wife. Even in the New Testament, in Jesus’ lineage, she is still listed as Uriah’s wife, not David’s.

About the Idol Worship of the Day (Baal &Ashtoreth)

v  Baal – lord, possessor; sun god of Phoenicia; seen as lord of heaven; supreme deity of the Canaanites, equal to the Greek god Zeus. Human sacrifices were offered to appease Baal, particularly male children.

v  Ashtoreth; Asherah – totem pole god; female idol; worshipped in Sidon; wife  of Baal; queen of heaven; her priests were eunuchs dressed in women’s attire; they were responsible for regulating the ritualistic sex acts so they had to be sexless

v  Women devotees were prostitutes for male devotees whose orgies formed the main part of the worship carried on in temples, gardens, and high places- this was the beginning of the cult of the goddesses

v  This came from Babylon where Ishtar was worshipped with immoral rites by bands of men and women

v  Jezebel &Ahab saw themselves as Baal and Ashtoreth in bodily form most likely

v  Jehu came and completely wiped out all the followers of Baal left after Jezebel and Ahab’s death, but he did not turn back from following all other idols.

Lesson: As Next Generation Leaders we must utterly eradicate what God says and what offends God or it  will continue and strengthen and refortify itself in the next generation.

Blessings to you, and keep speaking the truth to the next generation!

The Plumbline Of Leadership

Leadership. Everybody wants to be one or be under a good leader. So, what exactly defines a good leader? Titus 1: 5-9 gives a simple picture into the qualities of a good leader.

The first thing Paul admonishes Titus to do is to appoint leaders in every town.
Leadership is appointed authority. It is not appointed dictatorship. Leading has to do with the art of delegating responsibilites, not dropping them and never providing any insight.

Leaders are committed to their families. This is a huge point that cannot be stressed enough. The Lord told me that Family is the first model of the Church. It is the picture of The Bridegroom (Christ) and the Bride (Church) and the fruit that is produced out of Oneness (More Children of God).

The Lord posed this question to me: If the spouses and children of leaders were the determining factor in whether they would be licensed for minstry work or appointed to a position, would the leaders we now have in place still be there? Good question. I believe you are no greater in your ministry life than you are in your family life.

Will children go their own way? Certainly. But the Word of God says it is the responsibility to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord. There are many who simply give their families leftover time, prayer, fellowship and pour themselves out to the detriment of the family unit. The nation of Israel's strength was not determined by the size of their army but by the number of families. Families show the strength of a community. We must as leaders recognize that family time is just as important as sermon preparation.

Paul gives some defining qualities of Leaders. Check them out:

• able to be a model
• not pushy
• not short-tempered or impatient
• not addicted to substances
• not a bully
• not in it for the money
• welcoming to people
• helpful and willing to help
• wise
• fair and doesn't play favorites
• can't be bribed or brown-nosed
• respects God's house, presence, and values human life and creation
• sober-minded
• sound in Bible doctrine
• knows how to oppose false teaching without losing true seekers
• knows how to speak out on what makes for sound doctrine
• demonstrates love
• joy is evident
• expresses peace in difficulty
• patience with others
• kindness and speech and behavior
• goodness towards others
• faithfulness to promises and tasks
• gentleness with others
• self-control in actions and words

Well, how did you measure up to the Word? I encourage you as a leader, to do self-checks as often as you groom. Spiritual grooming allows us to be ready to face a Hope-Hostile World. The plumbline is not the one we set but it is what will settle every argument and silence nay-sayers. It is set by God and
is the plumbline that will remain when all else fails!

Blessings!

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

One of the major challenges to any next generation leader is staying...staying...what was I saying? Ah...Staying focused. You get the point. In the techno-savvy, high speed, fast paced society in which we live where it appears as if you must be doing soemthing important if you are in a hurry, there is the need to keep the main thing the main thing. I am of course referring to the thing that holds our very existence and faith together: the Gospel or as Eugene Peterson aptly coined, The Message.

If you are new to this thing called minstry, or launching a church, or overseeing an area of ministry, it can be a daunting task. I am so glad that the Bible was written for next generation church leaders and continues to speak to us. I return to Titus, which is fast becoming one of my favorite books in the Bible. Titus is a user-friendly look into church leadership and organization. I love the fact that it begins by first helping you to know who is instructing and then what the goals and objectives are. Sounds like a crash course in Vision Casting. In verses 1-4, there are four main objectives laid out if you dig a little.

Four Main Objectives to Promote The Main Man (Jesus):

1. You are called to promote the faith among God's chosen people. Public service announcement here: yes, the Jews, the LGBT community, the Republicans, the Democrats, in short, every demographic in every sphere should be presented with the truth of God's Word and His Son, Jesus Christ. No one should be considered "off limits". God took the limits off when he tore the veil of the temple and completed the requirements of the law with the blood of Christ. It opened the way for the Message of Grace. God chooses those who accept Him.

2. You are called to publish and get out the Accurate Word on God. Notice the key word is accurate. There is a lot of things being said about God that doesn't reflect God's complete work or His character. The only way we can be sure about what we publish is to study what the Author and Finisher of Our Faith wrote. Many times young leaders look to pop culture to guide the way, rather than getting into the Word for themselves. Sermonfinder.com and Quicksermon.net (not real sites that I know of )are resources, not an excuse for not seeking God or His revelatory truth for your personal growth. Don't get into the habit of quoting something before you know that it has its foundation in truth. It can come back to bite you.

3. You are called to teach how to rightly respond to the Word. There are a variety of ways to do this, but one of the most effective ways is by living out the truth yourself. If you treat the things of God irreverently, those you lead and those who look up to you will do the same. If you give more time to Facebook than to putting your face in The Book, those who fellowship with you will do the same. If you treat the presence of God as a casual observance, your ministry team will too. If you don't think being on time for prayer, for serving, for meetings, for events (You can tell this is a pet peeve, right?) matters, then don't expect your team members to make it priority( By the way, slothfulness is a sin). We are creatures of pattern and habit. Just look at any child; their behaviors, more than anything mirror what is modeled before them.

4. You are entrusted to build the Hope Life of the Believer by pointing the way to life without end. It is hard to build hope if you live in the land of  Paranoia, off in Pessimistic Valley on Doubter's Drive. The words you speak, the message you share in your small group, life group, Sunday service, mid-week worship may be the only lifesaver some will reach for all week. Don't give them a rope and then drop it. Don't throw out a lifesaver with a hole in it. Provide sound doctrine through the Word of God. Here's one: Jesus promised that if we believe in Him, He will never make us ashamed. That's hope in times of economic uncertainty. Not only is it hope, but it's the TRUTH. Many who are unemployed or underemployed can leave your presence knowing you gave them TRUTH to stand on, not just a catchy phrase or vain philosophy.

I encourage you to be bold, to be strong, to stay focused. The Word of God, as one pastor said, will make its own gravy. Dish out the Word in it's original flavor, and watch it add life to the hearers.

Blessings!

Knowing Who You Are

There seems to be a rampant disease infecting the Body of Christ right now. It's called identity crisis. This disease affects nearly everything about a believer and more seriously, it affects how they will lead. When you don't know who you are in Christ as a leader, you will lead from a place of fear, and not faith, from a place of paranoia, and not power, from a place of suspicion, and not trust, from a place of insecurity, and not from a place of assurance in Christ.

I became a minister at the seemingly tender age of 19, and I can honestly say, very little has changed about how people react to a young woman doing ministry under 40. As a next generation leader, you cannot afford to lead by the seat of your pants. You can't afford to lead based on how people feel. As a poet said, "your playing small doesn't serve the world." I agree. We have a real enemy that is out to use anyone who is open to be used. Often times the way he enters the church is through another sister or brother who is not quite sure of their own place in the Body of Christ. Insecurity, envy, and jealousy can set in, which opens them up to whispering, gossiping, malice, and sowing discord amongst the bretheren, all in an effort to discredit their brother or sister to take the emphasis off the real issue: lack of self-esteem or God confidence.

I can point out three men in the Bible who experienced what I call "legislated hate campaigns". Daniel, David, and Mordecai were men of prominence, who were operating under God's power and authority, and people took issue with it. Let me make clear that none of these men were seeking a position of prominence. They were gifted with certain skills and abilities, and that alone made them the target.

Some, right now, are finding themselves the target of smear campaigns, hate campaigns, simply for being who you are. Cheer up! If you are following God, He is with you, as he was with Joseph. Your hiding your gifts and skills are not going to stop the attacks. I encourage you to submit yourself to God and let Him defend you. The attacks against you are only meant to lure you into a place of bitternes, anger, pride, or retaliation, which would render your effectiveness null and void.

There are five things you should understand about who you are, especially if you are a young leader:

1. You are Christ's agent. You carry out God's plan and not your own. You don't have to justify God's agenda. He has a way of making known his will to those who would come against it. Time and again in scripture God spoke directly to those who opposed Him or His people.

2. You are a legitimate Son in the Faith. Why is this important? If no one ever mentors you physically, takes you under their wing, or validates you, God has accepted you as His. He is Father God, and nothing can surpass his rulership. I've seen leaders abuse this title as a means of control and abuse, and manipulation. Know that your Sonship has to do with your right relationship with God. Yes, he sends wonderful men of God to shepherd us, but ultimately God is the head of every true church. A true Father in the ministry will want to see you do greater works. They will not discredit you, harm you, abuse you, or take advantage of your serving in ministry.

3. You are entrusted to proclaim the message of the Gospel. Your responsibility is to deliver the Gospel. Not pop culture. Not the latest political news. The Gospel. A relevant message shouldn't leave out the Gospel truth. As young leaders, there is a temptation to pull away from the foundational teaching of God's Word. We must not only stick to the facts, we must stick to the faith, and not assume that everyone has heard the Truth.

4. You are proclaiming under God's orders. God has called every Christian into the ministry of reconciliation, of gathering souls back to Him. No one is exempt. He has given us tools to do it. Whether you are a writer, dancer, runner, nurse-- whatever gifts and skills you have, they can be used to play a part in bringing a soul to Christ, to share the love of God through helping another, caring for someone, participating in a marathon for a cure, etc. If you must have a title, let it be Ambassador of God, Reconciler of God, Good News Specialist (felt that in my spirit!)!

5. You are to recieve all that Jesus, God the Father, and The Holy Spirit give you to do. From personal experience, I can tell you I used to think a lot, not speak. I was terrified of getting in front of anyone. I had stage fright. But when I gave my heart to Jesus, he gave me boldness and confidence

and now, some of my friends couldn't even picture me like that. I was so thankful to be free of fear that I promised God I would take however many gifts he wanted to give me. At one point the Holy Spirit told me, "you have more because some are not using what they have been given." I determined to never be a person that sat on my gifts, skills, and abilities. I am still determined, and God is still adding.

I encourage you to really begin to ask God who you are in Him. You will be surprised what He is calling YOU to be, do, and accomplish for His Glory.

 Blessings!

For further study, check out Titus 1:1-4