A Few Things I've Learned

As we come to the end of another year, I've been reflecting on all the lessons I learned. It has been a year of tremendous growth! That growth came much like the struggle of the butterfly out of its cocoon and now my family and the ministry have emerged into this thing of beauty.

I wanted to share two things Holy Spirit revealed this year in regard to ministry.

The first is to realize that a move of God occurs in many different ways. I know sometimes God will move among us in such a profound way that that particular movement becomes the pinnacle and we box God into moving that way everytime. I remember reading once that many worship the form or idea of worship and lose sight of the Savior in the process. I know this much, that God is a God of variety! So what He desires from one Sunday to the next is certain to vary. And if God's people collectively worship in Spirit and Truth, then you have had a move of God! Don't box God in...period! Remember we are not looking for sensationalism but a worship experience that honors the Holy One and changes us in the process!

The second thing God revealed was in regard to counseling. There are certain behaviors that are textbook. Meaning the thought process of an abusive spouse, the mindset of the abused have been thoroughly noted in books, articles, research papers and so on. Even though some things are textbook, each situation is different and must be dealt with accordingly. There are no cookie-cutter solutions. You must take the time to truly listen and hear Holy Spirit for direction. To presuppose and dispense instruction without fully understanding the particulars for that case leads to error and disappointment. So while some of the symptoms may indeed be textbook, how you respond and give counsel should vary from person to person. It's so easy to get caught up in the fact that we've seen this before and here's how to handle it. Give each situation the prayer and wisdom of the Holy Spirit called for.

I hope you benefit from the lessons I learned this year and feel free to share your own in the comments section below.

Stay encouraged men and women of God!

Pastor Lisa

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The Gift of Time Off

Man and woman of God, did you know that the nation recognizes and appreciates you during the month of October?

I didn't either! I discovered this fact about two years ago.

A good friend of mine recently blogged that being a pastor was the second most stressful job a person could have. Dentistry topped the list if you were curious.

So if you have not heard it already, let me say that I appreciate your allowing God to use you to serve His people. I appreciate you as a co-laborer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For all you have endured, all you go through, for standing for holiness and righteousness, for all you pour out, and for all you sacrifice, I appreciate you!

This same friend of mine is currently running a blog series entitled, Just Say It. It's all the things pastors wish they could say to their congregation but wait for out-of-town evangelist to do so. You can read the series at www.deannashrodes.com.

One of the best ways a congregation can appreciate their leaders and their families is with time off. Yes, rest! It is so true that unless one is a leader, people have no idea of what you go through and endure on a daily basis. That is why rest and time away is the gift that keeps on giving.

My husband and I have served as pastors for four years and we have not taken time off, yet. Understand that for the church plant, the ministry with 30 people or less, this is difficult to do. Not impossible, just challenging.

Time off is not optional, it is a requirement and preferably outside the city you serve!

You need time with your spouse!

You need time with your family!

And then you need time for you.

I realized this as my body began to revolt from the stress of it all.

Downtime is needed for your health and sanity. And if you are like me and the other millions of Americans who have trouble sleeping because the mind refuses to shut down; you really need to unplug.

I could run down a list of pastors who in their prime, 30s and 40s, died suddenly because they didn't take care of themselves.

Jesus and the disciples even took a moment or two to rest. Mimic your elder brother Jesus Christ and take a moment to exhale!

With October being the month to appreciate clergy, I have the perfect suggestion for those scouring the Internet trying to find the perfect gift for their leaders -- paid time off! Put the family up in a hotel for a weekend outside the city! Do it frequently so that the man and woman of God can continue to pour.

Pastors, bishops, apostles, prophets, evangelists, elders; you are appreciated today. My prayer is that peace overtake you, favor find you and rest restores you.

You deserve it.

Love you much,

Pastor Lisa

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What's with the Long-Handled Spoon?

Moses was responsible for leading some three million people upon their exodus from Egypt. No doubt this was a daunting task. Moses would spend his day hearing the matters of all the people and consulting God on their behalf. His father-in-law Jethro told him that it was not good nor was it healthy to continue to lead the people in that manner. According to Exodus 18, Jethro instructed Moses to do the following:

1. Teach the people the ordinances and statutes of God; in other words, show them how to walk.
2. After teaching the people, Moses was to appoint men, not just anyone but men who 1) fear God, 2) are truthful and 3) are not covetous or who take bribes to assist him in governing the people.

Because Moses followed the instruction of his father-in-law, he was able to concentrate on weightier matters and hear from God. Moses had to delegate or outsource his tasks. He needed able bodies to help carry the vision. So he taught the people and sent them out to carry out the business of governing the people of Israel. It was near impossible for Moses to have personal contact with approximately three million people.

Elijah and Elisha - Elisha left his family to become Elijah’s servant and attend to his needs. He watched his teacher, learned from him and when we see Elijah taken up to heaven, Elisha calls him, “My father, my father.” This speaks of more than just teacher-student relationship. Their relationship evolved into that of father and son like we see in the New Testament.

Jesus and the Apostles - Jesus hand selected 12 men to be his disciples. He ate with them, taught them, empowered them, sent them out, got frustrated with them, and encouraged them. This type of leadership is very hands on. It’s the kind of relationship you have with those who will succeed you. You pour into them, you teach, you correct, and in the end, you have people who are committed and passionate about the God-inspired vision and purpose.

Paul and his sons Timothy and Titus - The Apostle Paul was a father figure to Timothy and Titus. He instructed them, prayed for them, spent time with them and eventually sent them out to take care of Kingdom business.

Jonathon and David - These two men were friends and brothers. Jonathon knew David would eventually take the throne one day from his father Saul so he prepared David for the palace. Again this was an intimate relationship. This wasn’t David paying Jonathon $1500 for a Learn How To Be King One Day course.

Wondering where I am going with this?

In the examples cited, the nature of the relationships was hands on. The teacher was involved in the life of his pupil. Paul knew Timothy’s mother and grandmother; he knew that Timothy was struggling as a leader because of his age and so on. Timothy and Titus were Paul’s spiritual sons and they interacted as such.

What I do not understand is how today’s spiritual leaders think they can teach and impart into spiritual sons and daughters and not be close or hands on if you will. I truly do not understand this. They want to lead this intimate group as if they are Moses dealing with millions. They have all kinds of buffers in place and levels of bureaucracy for a group of people with whom they are supposed to disciple, teach, and impart into. It makes about as much sense as me trying to rear my children while living on the moon.

It is a phenomenon that leaves many sons and daughters a bit lost and confused. They serve faithfully in a ministry, the call of God on their lives is evident and they are ignored by leadership or are fed with a long-handled spoon. Now these are not people who want to simply get what you have and are gone tomorrow; these are true sons and daughters.

If I had to speculate as to why this is so, I would guess unresolved hurt and insecurity to be the main enemies. Maybe they have no idea how to be a spiritual parent and so they avoid anything that would expose this perceived weakness. But what first time parent knows what they are doing? Some leaders surround themselves with an air of grandeur and self-importance even with their spiritual sons and daughters. It would be easier to call a meeting with the Secretary of State than to schedule face time with these leaders. Then some leaders have no intention of training a successor because the ministry is all about them anyway.

The biblical examples stated above were based on love. There was no abuse. Fathers and teachers poured into willing sons and students. They gave of themselves because they knew the call was bigger than their personal ministry. It really was about advancing the Kingdom of God; His purpose and His agenda. The passing of this Great Message from one generation to the next must continue and it is up to leaders to impart and empower those who will succeed them. And you can’t do that with a long-handled spoon.

Man and woman of God, don't be afraid of these God-ordained relationships that require high levels of intimacy. Will you get frustrated in the process? Yes. (Read about it here.) Will you always have the right answer? Probably not. But by pouring into those God has ordained to you, the Kingdom of God advances and in the end, that's all it's truly about.

Continue the good fight man and woman of God.

You're taking territory!

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The Church of Hophni and Phinehas

Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.

The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt. - 1 Samuel 2:12-17, New Living Translation

What has happened to the worship aspect of the offering in the House of God?

What is this thing that has become the norm?

Scripture tells us plainly how to bring our offering.

Paul tells us to give cheerfully and not grudgingly and not out of necessity. (2 Cor. 9:6-8)

Jesus even tells us that when we do good deeds, we should do so in secret. (Matt. 6:1-4)

So what is this auction style, public display style of giving that has entered God’s house?

God says, “I see and I am not pleased.”

For those unaware of this event it occurs like this. A minister will finish ministering and lift an offering; it could be the second offering of the service.

The minister will ask for a specific seed offering and ask those who will stand with him in giving this amount to either stand or lineup in the aisles. I have seen ministers give prophetic word to people as they come and bring this seed which really sends up red flags and gives the appearance that one is somehow paying for a prophetic word which is no different from paying the psychic to tell one’s future. We are commanded to abstain from the very appearance of evil! (I Thess. 5:19-22)

I have seen people bring their offering to the minister; they look at the amount, cross it out, and write a different offering amount on their envelope and the giver was told to bring that amount next time.

Then there is the guilt offering; completely different from the one in the book of Leviticus. This offering has everything to do with making you feel guilty because you are not in the $200 seed offering line. I was at an event and I had x amount of dollars to give. Way below the asking price of the traveling minister but I truly wanted to give and it was all I had. The minister went on to say that the price of wearing a clergy collar in his church was $100 in any offering he was lifting. Never mind if this was the first, second, or third service in a conference or revival. If he called for a $100 seed offering, those ministers were expected be in line; check in hand. He went on to say that he wanted everybody to give no less than $20 in that offering. The whole while he was talking, Holy Spirit and I were having a tug a war with the check I had written. He said, “Put it [the check] back in your purse.” Again, I was so blessed and wanted to give and went for my puny check and Holy Spirit very adamantly said, “Leave it in your purse!” So I didn’t give in that offering. I wanted too, but sensed Holy Spirit was truly offended.

It never ceases to amaze me how we can have such an awesome move of God and then immediately experience Ichabod – the glory departed – when it is time for offering. Why? Because the Church of Hophni and Phinehas is open and ready for business.

These sons of Eli made the Lord’s offering detestable. They demanded how they wanted the offering and in some instances took the offering by force and the bible says these two men caused the people to sin.

I fear the people of God have become immune to this behavior and that it is not an offering unless you have been coerced into giving which again goes against scripture. This behavior has taught believers not to even seek God beforehand on what to give in these special services. The demands will be made upon you when you get there. The flip side is that if these demands are not placed the offerings suffer; the people usually do not give. Why? Because the people of God have not been taught how to truly give, how to seek God and hear Him about giving and receive the benefits of giving as the word of God has commanded. We have a habit in our house of discussing the offering before we even leave for a service and we allow Holy Spirit to direct us. As ministers we have to teach people how to give, how to seek Holy Spirit for direction in their giving.

If a ministry is hosting a conference or revival, be honest with the people and make them aware of the costs of hosting the event. Tell them their financial support will ensure the event’s success and don’t tie their giving into their breakthrough, next level or deliverance. It is deceitful to do so. If the funds are not there, maybe the event has to be scaled down or that local Body of Believers seeks God for the miraculous.

Holy Spirit is demanding change because judgment is sure to fall.

It is time to bring the worship aspect back to our giving. It’s time to restore a holy reverence to this part of our worship experience.

It is time for ministers to truly teach the people of God what it means to give.

It is time to close down the Church of Hophni and Phinehas once and for all.

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The proper response to, "Oh my God you're so anointed!"

I won't let you make an idol out of me

It is a very awkward moment for some of us. You have just finished ministering when someone will inevitably track you down and declare these words, oh my God, you are SO anointed! And no, they just don't stop there, they keep hurling these accolades upon you and all the while you wish they would just stop. There are heart-felt thank yous from the people of God whose lives have been touched by your obedience. That's not what this blog is about. This blog is about the shift from thank you to all out worship.

The apostles Peter, Paul and Barnabus found themselves in similar situations. In the book of Acts, Cornelius went out to greet Peter and fell at his feet and worshiped him. (10:25-26) Peter corrected Cornelius by telling him to get up because he was a man just as he was.

Holy Spirit had just used Paul and Barnabus to heal a crippled man when pure mayhem ensued. The people so awestruck with the power of God using the two men, declared them gods and began to offer sacrifices to them. (14:8-19) What was their response? Paul and Barnabus tore their clothes and tried to disuade the people from idolizing them. Paul told them just as Peter told Cornelius, we are men just like you.

Herod while giving a speech in Acts 12:22-23, was struck down immediately because he did nothing when the people declared that his voice, was the voice of a god.

And practically unheard of today is the prophet Elijah refusing a lavish gift from Naaman after being healed of leprosy. (2 Kings 5:16)

What happens when we do not deflect these praises? We might actually believe our own hype. And the flesh only craves more attention, more praise; it is never satisfied. It is at this point the Gospel could be compromised and God's entire truth is neglected because men's praise become more important and we'll do whatever we must to get it.

Paul made it quite clear that he could have cared less about man's approval and was not out to please men. (Gal 1:10; 1 Thes 2:6) That would compromise the Gospel.

God help us as leaders not to be men pleasers but to bodly declare God's truths to His people no matter the cost.

So the proper response to, oh my God you are so anointed and mens worship is to deflect that worship back to the Father. Ask Holy Spirit for wisdom on how to stop it in the moment. Herod's refusal to act caused his demise. And scripture tells us that pride certainly comes before a fall. Refuse to become an idol because those same people who praised you will certainly stone you. It happened to Paul. They were sacrificing to him one minute and hurling rocks the next.

Refuse to become an idol so that the Gospel of Christ is not compromised.

Be encouraged beloved.

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Church Growth Simplified

Marketing Plan Summarized

Heavily push, promote Jesus Christ
Keep Him in heavy rotation
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
John 12:32

Vision Statement

It is our desire to see none perish
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
I Peter 3: 9

Mission Statement
Preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, minister to the hurting
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Luke 4:18-19

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Some words leave a bad taste in your mouth

For some in leadership, nothing causes an immediate knee-jerk reaction quite like bringing up the subject of spiritual covering. I have heard the many reasons why one should submit to a covering and then I have also heard from the wounded as to why one should not even bother. Some organizations unfortunately do little to spiritually cover yet have no problem cashing members’ monthly contribution. These wounded ones complain that there is no support through prayer, no personal interaction, no wisdom being dispensed, and flesh runs a muck at convocations across the country. Stories of control and manipulation are often shared and worn as badges of honor. And certainly not helping the spiritual pandemic is the rising number of high profile moral failures among those dubbed spiritual mothers and fathers. It is enough to send the newly called running declaring, “God cover me!” I should know. I was one of them.

Will you allow me to share what Holy Spirit revealed to me? In the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 12 Paul speaks of Holy Spirit giving gifts to men in order to perfect the church. So yes, your gift came from on High. The gift, calling and the power you pack are indeed real. But it takes the impartation from spiritual parents to establish you. Paul says in Romans 1:11, “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established.” The Greek word used here for established is sterizo which means to make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix. It also means to strengthen, make firm or to render constant, confirm. Beloved you cannot establish yourself; that work is done by spiritual mothers and fathers, spiritual coverings.

For some leaders, the hurt inflicted runs deep and their refusal to submit to leadership can turn into rebellion. They cannot take correction, they believe they do not have to be accountable to anyone but God and often find themselves leading a group of people much like themselves – rebellious and stiff-necked! They are not rearing true spiritual sons and daughters because they themselves have not submitted to sonship.

In these last times, spiritual parents are being restored to the body of Christ. Apostolic men and women who may not have all the answers but are willing to get in the trenches with you and are willing to give of themselves are being called to the front lines. This covering will not look like anything you have seen or experienced in the past. It is truly a God-thing and it will bless your life and your ministry.

Man and woman of God, I urge you to seek the Father in regard to your spiritual covering in this season of decreed restoration. I know He is faithful to direct you. Then I pray that the spirit of a son overtake you and your heart be made ready to receive this good thing, this God-thing into your life. I pray that you would allow Holy Spirit to heal your hurt places and that oil and wine be poured out upon you. I pray that the hurt and disappointments of the past be made whole. In allowing Holy Spirit to do so, you allow yourself to become established and then you can at last birth true sons and daughters into the Kingdom. I promise what God is doing will bless you. It truly is a good thing.

Many blessings,

Pastor Lisa

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