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)

6 ^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.

³ 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.

⁴ 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.

⁵ And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord with all their might, with songs, lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

⁶ 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.

⁷ 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.

⁸ 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.

⁹ 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.

 

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~

The Word of The Lord for 2014

 This Word was delivered to me on December 26, 2013 after a time of retreat over the Christmas Break. Needless to say, it shook me. There are signs all around us that point to the imminent return of Christ. As leaders and as a Prophet of the Lord we have a responsibility to say at times what may not be popular. I know the Lord is not simply speaking to me but many other Prophets are hearing God's clarion call to prepare for the greatest days of the Church and the worst days of the lost. I have recorded this in multiple places as restrictions on free press are being brought to bear.
What does this Word require of Leaders?

1. Preparation
2. Stabilization
3. Fortification

Hebrews 12:28-29 lets us know we are receiving an unshakable Kingdom. I encourage you to set yourself in the Kingdom of God, seek the face of God and know His heart. He does not want us ignorant of what is to come. He will never fail us. We can place our trust in the unshakable Rock, Jesus Christ, as everything that can be shaken, will be. Let us remain prayerful and vigilant, praying for our country's return to Jesus Christ, not just patriotism or family values. We need the Lord and his sanctification to wash our imperfect systems. My prayer for you as a leader is that you will move with God and trust him now more than ever.

The Word of the Lord:

The line has been drawn.
You MUST pick a side.

You will begin to see the testing of Marshall Law in cities.
There will be rationing of food, energy resources, and it will be tested by cities so as to not cause widespread panic.
The presence of military in your cities will increase for what will be 'routine operations'.

There will be an unprecedented falling away from the Faith in African American assemblies.
Mainstream denominations will come out in full force false doctrine.
People will be forced to find stable ground as all they have held sacred and trusted confidently in is corrupted.

You will see the rise of the Councils of Gay Clergy and Clergy announcing that same sex is okay as they announce their own bi-sexuality.
A major Christian figure is coming out this year and it will shock the Christian World.

Another major disaster will happen this year in the USA.

You will see the Deification of Your President.

The best of times for Kingdom Mobilization is here and the worst of times for those living on the fringe of their salvation.

In order to keep jobs (state, county, federal) in 2014 you will have to accept anti-Christ orders.

There will be fluctuation and turmoil with markets. Brokers will not know whether they are coming or going.

Fasting will become a way of life. Discipline your body for denial not overindulgence

America is drinking her cup of wrath for unrepentance and yet I remain merciful because of the prayers of the righteous.

Strengthen those who remain in the Faith.

I am coming to pick up my tab for the unfaithful, unrighteous, the oppressor, the flowery false prophets, the lenient shepherds who will not teach the Truth.


- God, The Father

Pray over this Word, and ask God to make clear to you his will and your way forward in 2014.
We must position ourselves to be a beacon of truth to the next generation.

36 for 36 (Life Nuggets)

 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning 

all things that are done under heaven: 

 this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man

  to be exercised therewith.

 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: 

 I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. 

   For in much wisdom is much grief: 

and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.  

Ecclesiastes 3:13, 17-18

 ______________._______________

Reading the above passage of scripture did me good: it did me good to know that I am not the only one, neither will I be the last, that God sends on a search to know wisdom, to glean from life the good and the bad, and that some of what we learn makes us sorrowful, and some makes us truly thankful. I was prompted by the Lord on turning 36 last month to think about 36 things that I could share, life lessons if you will, of what I have learned. Some of it may be old hat to you, and some may be things you had not considered. My prayer is that these lessons will cause you to, in your own way, to give your heart to knowing what is in it, what's in God's heart, and what lessons you can deposit and treasure while sharing with the next generation. So, here goes:   

36 Lessons in 36 Years 

1. People will do to you what they see you do to yourself. 

2. Your applauders are not always your backers or your investors. Some applaud you with speech, and some will applaud you with action and investment. Don't disparage any.

3. You may run out of time, but don't run out of Faith and Patience. Time doesn't move God. God moves time.

4.Hope floats on Faith's waters. 

5. Trust the Impossible to be exactly incorrect and adequately overwhelming. That's Impossible's JOB. Your job is to believe the Impossible.

6. Don't let persecution or praise phase you. Both could end or begin at any moment. Remain steady in Christ.

7. People hate to see their younger self in a successful you especially when their older self has not followed through. Don't let their self-condemnation be your self-reflection. Stay in the right mirror- the Word.

8. You live. You learn. You move on. You live.  You don't learn? You repeat.

9. Nothing is ever as it seems. Always ask questions.

10. Never fail to ask WHY or HOW. Those two unlock what to do with what you know.

11. The people who really like and the people who really hate you are never who you assume. Never. Refer back to #9

12. Hear what people are not saying: Eyes, Sighs, Smiles, Silences, and Laughter all speak.

13. Being ignored hurts more than outright hatred.

14. Love hard. It's one of the attributes that will be visible in heaven and countable in souls.

15. Never trust the person who promises the World and has shown you no map or compass.

16. Hard work does not guarantee excellent work, sound work, or intelligent work. Sweat does not equal quality. 

17. You can be so dumb that stupidity looks appealing. 

18. Believe it when God says it; test it when man says it.

19. The person trying to tear you down is already broken and trying to build themselves back up with another man's self worth.

20.Take time to think. Don't be afraid to be alone with God's heart concerning your thoughts. He will counsel your mind if you hand him your thoughts.

21. A person who doesn't value their own life will squander yours. 

22. You do NOT have to let people violate your spiritual space and self to prove you can be open. There are soul rapers in the spiritual world just as there are in the natural.

23. Only you can contribute you to the world. Stop waiting for someone to 'discover' you. Discover yourself and let God distribute s He wills.

24. Listen to people who did NOT accomplish their goals. Their regrets can teach you how to live a life of resilience rather than surrender. Their regret can reveal setbacks you may miss from always gleaning from successful people. There were LURES that took them into Failure that you won't find in Success.

25. Cursing people out has never gotten any permanent good accomplished. Just don't.

26. People may terrorize you (or attempt to) because they live  in a world of personal terror and it is the only time they get to inflict pain. When you let them know that you know- they will stop.

27. Calm your fears by speaking the Word of God to them. Out loud.

28. You can build a sure foundation from the bricks people throw. Learn how to catch.

29. You cannot win over someone who believes that God has called them to lose. #pick your battles

30. No matter what "hellish" problem you face, God really does hold the key to it. (Rev. 1:18) It's always wise to ask the Door (John 10) for the key out.

31. No one is really interested in how gifted you are if they cannot see how that gift connects to the human need to be loved, valued, and cared for. Your gift must be seen as a connector, transformer, or improver of life. 

32. All it takes is ONE person to obey God concerning you (Luke 6:38). Pray for the people around you to obey God concerning you.

33. This prayer changed and is changing my life: Father, let my earthly existence match my Heavenly reality. Let me be as I already am in you.

34. Nothing happens until some one changes. If nothing is happening, ask yourself, "Am I changing in the direction of God?" 

35. God will pull out of you and present you to yourself in the measure that you lay down yourself and put on Christ.

36. God will forbid you intimacy with some people because they are looking to expose you not cover you. God is jealous (protecting what he values) for you. Whatever God tells you about a human's heart, believe Him.

I trust you learned something! Leave a comment, share a # that stuck out to you, and share something God has taught you! Looking forward to hearing from you!

Apalling Leadership - Learning from Saul

Leadership begins with followship. Followship begins with knowing who is in the lead.

If God is leading, you can trust him to make you a good follower and ultimately, a great leader. 

                                                         ~ Shantae A. Charles ~

As I was heading off to sleep, and dialing down for the day, God began to speak to me. This is our regular routine. I agreed in 1997, that if God would speak to me, I would listen. I did not say, I would listen between the hours of 9 to 5, so God chooses when he decides to invade my space and my sleep. I notice that as we settle ourselves, God speaks into our heart timeless truths. I found it very striking that in this day and age God still wants to talk to leaders about leadership. It's important to God where His people are headed and who is leading them towards him as well as away from him. But he spoke these words: Saul's Apalling Leadership. Yes, even now, Saul is forever remembered in the sight of the Lord as a leader who failed to fully carry out and fulifll his purpose in life. So, I rolled myself out of that comfortable state of quiet time, and wrote down what the Lord wanted to highlight. I won't give you a full study lesson, but if you want to study the life of Saul, read 1 Samuel 9-13.

An excellent background article on Saul can also be found here: http://groundreport.com/theres-a-lesson-people-can-learn-from-the-life-of-king-saul/

Here are the facts that the Lord wanted to highlight concerning Saul's Appalling example:

1. People pleasing- Saul's concern for pleasing people overrode his devotion to the will of God- this was a key in his downfall

2. Half obedience- Saul's refusal to wipe out two enemies of Israel later plagued the Kings that cam after him and almost led to the extermination of the Jews (see the Book of Esther); Haman was a descendant of the King Saul was ordered to kill.

3. Unfinished work- Saul constantly made excuses as to why he had not fully obeyed the Lord. This pattern of "not finishing" was seen throughout his life.

4. Murdering the Priest- Rather than honoring spiritual God-ordained leadership, Saul had them executed. Anyone who went against his brand of being and doing was dealt with. Interesting enough, Saul never pursued fully the actual enemies of God and Israel.

5. Baiting & Switching (daughter)- Saul promised many things but did not deliver on them, and partially because of his disobedience to the Lord. He also promised King David a wife with the intention and hope that he would be murdered in the process.

6. Warring without God - Saul was very concerned with 'saving face', wanting Samuel the prophet to bless him and act as though nothing had changed in Saul's leadership position with God (and really, if God no longer approves your leadership, you may as well hang it up).

7. Skulking &Sulking- Saul turned into a very temperamental, sulking man, on many occaisions due to his demonic oppression. Having been rejected by God from the position of King, he never sought to restore his position relationally with God. This brought on feelings of envy and murderous jealousy when he realized he had lost the benefit of God's anointing on His life. He became a King in title only, lacking the authority, personal drive, and the Hosts of Army of God to really back his War Campaigns.

8. Consulting witches- Seeking power from any other source, seeking out any other source but God for counsel, even if it is your dead mentor, is unholy. God does not treat this as a light thing. He sees it as idolatry, judgement has come upon many leaders for looking to vodoo, gurus, and 'spiritual guides' rather than God.

9. Hunting, not helping the Next Generation- Saul is known mainly not for his leadership skill, but for his relentless pursuit of David, future King of Israel: a younger, skilled, gifted, and good looking man that God had been grooming in his father's fields to be the next King of Israel. Saul began to look at David differently, the moment the attention for military skill and prowess was shifted away from him and onto David. After David had proven he could and would take on giants, rather than Saul seeing him as a successor, he saw him as a threat. Why? Saul had already been deposed by God spiritually. It was only a matter of time before it was revealed naturally. Saul wanted no exposures to his private dethroning. With David publicly winning military battles and doing exploits, this would shed light on Saul's lack of ability.

10. Fighting losing battles- Saul was notorious for attempting war campaigns without God, and focusing on the wrong battles. His fight should not have been with David, yet Saul spent his entire life fighting a losing battle. God had chosen David. There was nothing he could do about that.

11. Only seeking God as last resort- A scripture every leader should have ingrained in their heart? "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Mt.6:33 Saul chose not to recognize God as preimminent, first, only, or even as his priority

12. Impetuous & Hasty Decision Making- Saul was not known for his patience. When it appeared that Samuel was late in coming, Saul stepped into the role of Priest (not his office) and tried to offer God a sacrifice. He did it for the people, not even in obedience to God. Leaders have to be careful of moving for the people rather than moving because God commissioned it.

13. Treating people as commodity- To Saul, people were expendable. One example of this, is his use of his daughter Michal as a bargaining tool to bring David into his household. Anything that could not be of use to Saul for his plans, was not worth anything, including his own heir apparent, Jonathan.

14. Unrepentant and prideful- These two characteristics describe Saul's personality, how he handled his personal and public life, and ultimately what led to his death.

15. Paralyzed by Fear yet moved by Popular vote- Saul spent most of his life as a fearful man:
* Fearful of People
*Fearful of Perceptions
*Fearful of other Leaders
*Fearful of losing His Status

There is much more to learn from Saul. I encourage you to dig in further. Finally, we must examine ourselves, our leadership styles and see if we are in alignment with God and Jesus as Lord over our leading.
We can have good graphics no Grace, a charming personality, and no Charisma (anointing) for what we are leading. We can have a super marketing and media team, yet no spine to say no to ungodliness. I don't want to be that kind of leader. Let us learn from Saul's appalling leadership, and more importantly, let's not be the ones to repeat it.

Entreprenuers: False Assumptions People Make About Business Owners and "Work From Home"

                   

What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence.

~Samuel Johnson~

I believe in business. I believe in small business. I believe in the Mom & Pop business. I believe in 'start-ups' that start anywhere. I am a small business owner and entreprenuer myself and I find great joy in what I do. I also find great encouragement from fellow small business owners. Until you are in business for yourself, leading yourself, guiding and directing and organizing people and schedules, you may not realize some of the challenges that entreprenuers face...and some of the false assumptions that can be quite frankly, insulting to someone's goals, purpose in life, motivation and drive. In talking to some fellow entreprenuers and through a few lack luster experiences of my own, let me share a few of the false assumptions that many of us have faced, are facing, and are also overcoming as we continue to make impact in our chosen fields. Our diligence and determination, our "stick-to-it-ness" are mowing down these assumptions. Hopefully after reading, you will have re-thought your own impressions if you work for someone else, and as an entreprenuer, you can share this article to enlighten 9-5 ers. Although, with the economic policies rolling out, a whole new class of "work-at-home" businesses may need this boost. In this life, you might come to realize that some people see kindness as a doormat in business, not a courtesy. Here we go!

False Assumptions People Make About Entreprenuers and those who Work from Home:

1. That you are not "really working"- We love what we do, but if we have chosen to do it we are working often times 200% percent at our craft.

2. That you have "flexible time" or "time on your hands"- Most entreprenuers are spending time working, networking, researching, or gaining further knowledge in their field.

3. That you can afford to do "free work" and "quite frequently"- If time is money, and we do every project for free as a for-profit company, how can you expect us to earn money or increase earning or hire additional staff?

4. That you have no overhead costs to consider- There are always overhead costs to consider. If you work from home, you may not have the overhead cost of a building, but there are soft costs involved with keeping a business running.

5. That you're not "really busy" so their "small project" can fill time for you- This can be seen as insulting to a small business owner. Time is money.

6. That your time does not cost. Again, time is money. If a business volunteers Pro-Bono work, sign off on their in-kind work, time, and man-hours, as well as materials they are donating to you. This helps that business during tax time.

7. That you should be willing to be late with paying clients to "fit them in" or "do favors" for family and friends - If you are not willing to compensate for services rendered, do  not demand to be first in line.

8. That you have no social life or any other obligations- We work hard and we need time away to spend with family, go to trainings and conferences to stay current in the field, and simply regroup.

9. That you spend a lot of time sleeping (true entreprenuers will LAUGH at this one)- Just don't insinuate this to any business owner you want to remain friends with. Period.

10. That you're not a "real Business" or a "true" Professional.- Most entreprenuers carry a degree or certfication in the services they provide and have gone through proper legal channels. If there is a question about qualifications, ask. You might be surprised how qualified they really are, and that could be the reason they struck out on  their own. Ask Bill Gates and Warren Buffet (who worked from home for years, according to his interview).

11. That you are available at the beck and call of any "emergency service need"- Assuming that anytime you want something done, your friend or family member who has a business can drop everything and do it, is not good. Treat them like the professional they are.

12. That you are recieving support, encouragement, or supplemental income.- This is an area that rubs raw with a few. Most entreprenuers are not recieving supplemental income unless they hold a full-time or part-time job. Some are blessed enough to get small biz loans or have private investors, but most do not gain that until 3-5 years into their business or more. A lot of personal income goes into starting a business. This makes it bittersweet to be celebrated on the tail end, and have people wanting to borrow money from what they never invested in.

13. That you are paid on time or at a fair rate for contracts. - Many entreprenuers give initial discounts as a way to get in the door or network, so they many times may be working for less.

14. That you must be "rolling in the dough" now that you work for yourself (another Laughable Point)- Self explanatory.

15. That you have no "real bills" or responsibilities with your business. - Every one has bills and people they need to pay on-time. The greatest favor you can do an entreprenuer is pay them fairly and on-time for services rendered.

16. That volunteering a service demands that you should offer the same level of time you would a paying client.- Entreprenuers may have to scale down what they are offering you simply to avoid cost that you as a volunteer cannot afford.

As an Entreprenuer

What I learned and re-learned recently:

1. Never volunteer for what you do not have time to give your best to.

2. Never repeat volunteer service for those who are ungrateful.

3. Never repeat volunteer service with people who do not respect your time, your boundaries, the word NO, your deadlines, or the fact that they are recieving FREE what costs you time and money to produce.

As Les Brown would say, You Deserve! (so much more than that)

You probably have more to add. I would love to hear your thoughts! Post a comment below.

UNgreat Expectations

Today, I had to do something that I have not had to do since last year. In school time, that's pretty long. I had to pull a young male to the side. I had seen this gentleman  before and he always seemed to be doing the same thing. He was horseplaying, walking with a cool "limp", mishandling materials, and acting unseemly. Society had already formed an opinion about him and he was completely unaware. So, why did I feel compelled to speak to him? He was African-American.

Yes, that's right. I pulled him to the side and asked him one question: "You know the perception that exists about Young African American Males, right?" He did have the temerity to look ashamed as he nodded his head. I told him: "Don't fulfill a negative expectation. You can do better." That was it. he immediately straightened up, walked back into his class and responded differently.

You see, sometimes that is what it takes. Addressing the behavior before it becomes something that is addressed by the wrong person who has already formed an opinion about you. I called him to the carpet on the behavior. Maybe he doesn't behave that way at home. Maybe he does. But what has been planted as seed in his mind today, is that someone noticed how he was getting his attention and encouraged him to take an alternate route.

I'm not a parent, but if I were, I would want someone to encourage my son or daughter to not fulfill the stereotypes and negatives perceptions that surround them.

Here are some startling statistics compiled by Tavis Smiley Reports:

These stats show the impact that structural inequality has had on Black men and boys in America.

-  54% of African Americans graduate from high school, compared to more than three quarters of white
and Asian students.

-  Nationally, African American male students in grades K-12 were nearly 2½ times as likely to be suspended from school in 2000 as white students.

-  In 2007, nearly 6.2 million young people were high school dropouts. Every student who does not complete high school costs our society an estimated $260,000 in lost earnings, taxes, and productivity.

-  On average, African American twelfth-grade students read at the same level as white
eighth-grade students.

-  The twelfth-grade reading scores of African American males were significantly lower than
those for men and women across every other racial and ethnic group.

-  Only 14% of African American eighth graders score at or above the proficient level. These results reveal that millions of young people cannot understand or evaluate text, provide relevant details, or support inferences about the written documents they read.

-  The majority of the 2.3 million people incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails are people of
color, people with mental health issues and drug addiction, people with low levels of
educational attainment, and people with a history of unemployment or underemployment.

Young Black men — across the board — score below their counterparts in other racial and ethnic groups when it comes to graduation rates, literacy rates and college preparedness. And many African American men, in turn, are virtually locked out of employment and are filling up the nation’s prisons in disproportionate numbers.

We can step up to the plate as leaders now or we can continue to let these statistics be the norm. They don't have to be. It takes one person at a time to make a difference. Let's be the difference makers!