Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Fire The Factors

  “Don’t fall victim to what I call the ‘ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome.’ You must be willing to fire.” 
T. Boone Pickens






I want to encourage you today to fire the factors. The factors are the things that weigh against your faith. They try to smother the voice of God in your decision making. Here are the FACTORS you should fire: 

Fear that slows momentum- this type of fear rather than wise caution causes you to be paralyzed. You make no decision at all which is still a decision. 

Anxiety that stirs dust- anxiety is like a Dust Bowl, kicking up a lot of debris, and blind your vision. You need your sight for where you are headed. 

Criticism that beats down- Constructive advice is always seeking to build you up and make you better not tickle your ears. Destructive criticism has no improvement in sight or as it's end goal. It is never wrong to ask your critic, "What's your end goal? Do you want to see me better or beaten?" A life-giving critic won't hesitate to give you the truth.

Traditions that bog downThe difficulty to move forward can sometimes lie in the traditions that tie us down. Sentimentality has thwarted many a vision. You can honor without holding onto dead things. Ask God for the wisdom.

Oracles that aren't wise- Guiding your life by wives' tales, fables, and cliches is not a very good guide. Older doesn't always mean wiser. Find people who are living out and speaking the language of the Bible, and by that I mean the Principles, not necessarily Greek and Hebrew. 

Returning to the Familiar- This can often set in when our plan fails to launch, backfires, lacks support, or lacks supply. You may face opposition, but if God promised it, he will bring it to pass. Don't be so quick to throw in the towel at the first sign of difficulty. 

Stress-Driven decisions- Don't let a temporary pressure cause you to make a permanent decision that could take you years, even decades to recover from. Avoid haste at all costs. Let the Holy Spirit drive you with his Fruit Factors found in Galatians 5:22-23

I pray that you will fire these factors and improve your servant leadership starting NOW. 

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Leading While Teaching

In honor of  Teacher Appreciation Week, I wanted to thank some of the influential teachers in my life:
My 2nd grade teacher, Ms. Salzman, My 4th grade Art teacher, Mrs. Russell, who first nurtured me as an artist outside of my family's support. My 5th grade Art teachers (and later middle school): Mr. Tom Wyroba, Craig Kirk, and my lifelong Art mentor until she passed of breast cancer, Ms. Paraskevy Ralis. I'd also like to thank some of my high school teachers: My Honors English teacher, Mr. Cox, My Chemistry teacher, Mr. Smith, My AP Art teacher, Mr. Jackson, and my Economics teacher, Mrs. Lewis. Some of these teachers I was so horrible to, I actually went back to repent and find them to apologize face to face. That is what real leaders do (smile). It is no wonder I went into the teaching profession. I also have a racist teacher to thank as well (but that's for another blog). So, what has made these teachers stand out and stay with me, some 20-25 years later? What did they show forth that I try to demonstrate as a teacher? Not every teacher demonstrated all of these, but here are 10 qualities that made them stand out from the rest of my teachers:

1. They challenged me. Whether it was with an assignment, how I carried myself, how I spoke in their class, or the quality of my work, they challenged me to do better.

2. They were welcoming. In the eyes of these teachers, I was not just a number. I was an individual. I could question. Their door and ear was open. They counseled as well as taught. I never felt like I was a race or socio-economic demographic in their class, though I was bused in from (and lived in) one of the roughest neighborhoods at the time.

3. They did not play favorites. They had the same expectation of all their students. If they were biased, I could not tell. They were fair in their assessments and gave specific reasons for why they graded the way they did. There was no invisible calculation.

4. They took interest in me beyond the classroom. They sincerely cared how I was doing as a person, what extra activities I was involved in.

5. They demonstrated character in the classroom. I never saw these teachers ridicule, belittle a student, put a student on blast, or curse. I never saw or heard about them gossiping or spreading rumors about students. If they did not like a student, you didn't know it.

6. They knew their material and were active outside the classroom. All of my art teachers were amazing artists in their own right, and were not just teaching it, but getting it done, doing their own shows. I thought that showed their commitment to their field, and to staying current with their profession.

7. They encouraged me to pursue my dreams. I had wanted to be an architect since I was 9 years old. If God had not changed my course to teaching the arts, that is what I would be doing. My art mentor, Ms. Ralis, would allow me to visit her in the summer from college and work with her in the class, and speak with her students about college. It is an experience that I am still thankful for to this day.

8. They loved what they were doing and it showed. Every single one of these teachers taught with passion and enthusiasm. I absolutely despised Honors English. That is laughable now, because I am a writer and have developed a passion for English and communicating well. I was able to go back and thank my English teacher. He joked about how much I hated his class, and I was able to let him know that all that nagging paid off and all those rewrites and that I am now an author. He was not surprised.

9. They had no hidden agendas. The agenda was teaching. They were there to make sure we knew the material, understood it above average. They didn't try to persuade me on social issues. They didn't try to drop hints about their beliefs. You could have your own viewpoint and still pass the class. As a matter of fact, I can't remember any of these teachers giving their opinion, though they were open to class dialogue.

10. They believed that all students could succeed. Most students sought out these teachers, to be placed in their class. Why? They knew they had a shot at success with teachers that believed in them. I can't recall any student getting into serious trouble in class with them. If a student was skipping class, they could be found hiding in some of these classrooms. Sometimes it was a reprieve from a negative teacher. Because of their optimism, they were sought out.

Whenever I teach, I try to keep these principles in mind, especially when dealing with a difficult student. Some children have been so battered and beaten down by teachers who dislike the profession, show prejudice, are unconcerned, and don't know their material, that they don't want to see another teacher-ever. Why is the high school dropout rate soaring? Look at the ten principles above. Bring back effective teachers, and you'll see effective students emerge from the dust of what is passing for "teaching".

I challenge every teacher to consider the principles above. If you are going to remain a teacher, you owe it to your students to lead, and to lead them to a place of success, not despair. They will return to thank you! I am proof of that.






Wednesday, April 2, 2014

A Net Breaking Season


2 Corinthians 2:14-16

14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.


The Word of the Lord come to me today saying, 

This is your NET-Breaking Season

Your never ending triumphant season. 

Yes, you had a season where you were set at a crossroad

You were set at a place that allowed you to veer off or remain.

Because you remained,

The heavens have opened for you. 

You suffered a series of 

Loss, after loss, after loss, after loss, 
and when you did not think you could lose again
Loss occurred. 

But you are headed into a perpetual season of
Win, win, win, win, win, win, win.

Not because you were good.
Because you were grounded. 

You stayed in faith. 
You net breaking season is here. 

It's time to WIN. 

Welcome It Now. 
Write It Now.
Work It Now.

Remember, all you do 
is WIN
in this Season.

Advance the Kingdom. 

(Matthew 6:33)


Saturday, March 29, 2014

God's Representatives: A Conversation with God





Lord, what does “ Moses did not sanctify you in the sight of the people” mean?

God responds: 
Moses had experienced my presence as Friend to Friend. My face shone in his face.
I introduced myself:

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, Exodus 34:6

Moses became an image of my person among the children of Israel.  He lived a veiled life.
When Moses struck the Rock, he misrepresented My Person.
He expressed me as an impatient, quick-tempered God. I am neither.
I am the God who is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. (Numbers 14:18)
Moses did not show forth my character to the people. Because He knew my character and heart, he had no excuse for striking the rock when I said speak to it. Had he gone into the promise land physically, it would have set a bad precedence for the entire nation of Israel.
I want my people, who I call, to express me in grace and truth.
Those who do not know me will learn of me through your examples. What you say to My People and how you speak to them should not contradict what I say to My People or how I speak to them.
– God , The Father

Line Upon Line, Precept Upon Precept:

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 103:8
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Psalm 86:5
Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Joel 2:13

Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. Nehemiah 9:31

Father God, let your leaders represent you and sanctify you in the sight of the people, always. In our dry places, leading your people, let us not set an example that does not reflect who you are. Forgive us for portraying you as more or less than who you are, in Jesus Name, Amen.

Friday, March 7, 2014

The STONE that GOD would SLING


As King David took his smooth stone and loaded it into His sling, so King Jesus wants to take his STONE, His lively stones to knock out the giant that seeks to keep souls in darkness. Jesus wants to use His Church.

Who is the Stone? We know Christ is the stone which the builders rejected. The STONE that Christ uses to mature His body is the five-fold ministry. They are in a position to lead the Church to maturity, not become it's god.

                                                Seer-Apostles
                                                Teachers
                                                Oracle-Prophets
                                                Nurturing Pastors
                                                Evangelists

                  Become the Stone, placed in the SLING and hurled toward an unbelieving world.

As a leader today, I challenge you to pray like Esther, Prophesy like Samuel, preach like John the Baptist, worship like David, and be as unrelenting in your pursuit as the Apostle Paul to love like Jesus.

Let's be the STONE that God himself would SLING, even as the world would laugh. Let the STONE do the talking. As long as we are being launched from God's SLING, we shall have the Victory that has already been FINISHED!


Tuesday, February 4, 2014

The Priestly and the Profane


Here I am to Worship.
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that--
Say What?

2 Samuel 6

The Message (MSG)
1-2 David mustered the pick of the troops of Israel—thirty divisions of them. Together with his soldiers, David headed for Baalah to recover the Chest of God, which was called by the Name God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who was enthroned over the pair of angels on the Chest.
3-7 They placed the Chest of God on a brand-new oxcart and removed it from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were driving the new cart loaded with the Chest of God, Ahio in the lead and Uzzah alongside the Chest. David and the whole company of Israel were in the parade, singing at the top of their lungs and playing mandolins, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, so Uzzah reached out and grabbed the Chest of God.

 God blazed in anger against Uzzah and struck him hard because he had profaned the Chest. Uzzah died on the spot, right alongside the Chest.

8-11 Then David got angry because of God’s deadly outburst against Uzzah. That place is still called Perez Uzzah (The-Explosion-Against-Uzzah). David became fearful of God that day and said, “This Chest is too hot to handle. How can I ever get it back to the City of David?” He refused to take the Chest of God a step farther. Instead, David removed it off the road and to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The Chest of God stayed at the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. And God prospered Obed-Edom and his entire household.
12-16 It was reported to King David that God had prospered Obed-Edom and his entire household because of the Chest of God. So David thought, “I’ll get that blessing for myself,” and went and brought up the Chest of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David, celebrating extravagantly all the way, with frequent sacrifices of choice bulls. David, ceremonially dressed in priest’s linen, danced with great abandon before God.
 
Read, one more time.

And they set the ark of God upon a new cart and brought it [a]out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.

And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, with the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark.
And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord with all their might, with songs, lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.
And when they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled and shook it.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for touching the ark, and he died there by the ark of God.
David was grieved and offended because the Lord had broken forth upon Uzzah, and that place is called Perez-uzzah [the breaking forth upon Uzzah] to this day.
David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, How can the ark of the Lord come to me?
10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to him into the City of David; but he took it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
11 And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
12 And it was told King David, The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing;
13 And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might, clad in a linen ephod [a priest’s upper garment].
15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.
 
 As leaders, we CANNOT allow the profane to contaminate the priestly responsibility to carry WORSHIP and the PRESENCE of GOD with utmost Reverence.

Notice. God did not blame Uzzah for his death. Uzzah died, GRABBING onto a PRIESTLY responsibility in a CARNAL fashion. Why didn't  the previous handlers die? Because they had no knowledge of how God's presence was to be CARRIED on the shoulders of the priests by poles. But David knew proper procedure and in HASTE to gain and recapture the symbol of God's presence, the VERY MANIFEST PRESENCE responded to the way HE was being carried.

Can I help us? We cannot BEAR God to the people any ole way, with any ole method, and any ole platform. God requires us to know HOW HE desires to be worshipped.

Let us not mix the priestly and the profane lest someone perish on our account. When the Lord breaks forth we want to see him in pleasure, not displeasure.

I encourage you to root out the profane thing in your worship and let God's heart be what is presented in its purest state.





 

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Led By Prayer

As I began to seek the Lord on yesterday, he began to speak some very profound and pointed things.

It has been outlawed.
It has been despised.
It has caused the death of some.
It has caused the resurrection of others.
It promotes healing.
It is public and private.
It is controversial.
It has been banned.
It has redeemed.
It has sealed.
It has sentenced men. 
It has released men.
It has opened heaven.
It has shut hell.

PRAYER.

Prayer is eternal.
It cannot be killed
It cannot be silenced.
Many have tried to exterminate it 
Only to find it rising again 
in another soul.
Prayer is the transmitted mind of God 
speaking out of the spirit of man to the soul of man.
Prayer did not begin with man
so it can not end with man.
It started with a conversation in heaven
LET US MAKE MAN. 

Prayer made man
so man can be made by prayer. 

When a man is led by prayer
success will follow. 

~A Holy Ghost Exhortation~