The Absence of Chatter

“Chatter” – (v.) to utter rapidly or purposelessly, (n.) idle or foolish talk; gossip.

A couple of months ago I was reading some world news report that was discussing the level of “chatter” that seemed to be missing from terrorist groups around the world.  Chatter here is referring to the constant information being passed back and forth between the groups.  Intelligence agencies become nervous when there is a lack of chatter. It makes them wonder if there is something big being planned by these groups.

People with extremely long tongues (gossipers) feel the same way. They thrive on the latest gossip. When the stream of the latest news dries up, they go searching for some news to manipulate. Maybe their own lives feel meaningless and boring so they put some “spice” into the mix and stir, stir, stir…

As much as I would love to eradicate the very nature of this (sinful) “chatter”, people will be people and no doubt they will talk…about the last thing that happened between…well, you get the idea.  We may not be able to totally eliminate it from our world, but we can minimize it in the atmosphere we choose to dwell in.

Just a couple of thoughts…

Change the subject – when people start gossiping, simply try to find a segue into another topic. For me personally, it becomes like a game. It’s like being on a merry go round and attempting to jump off without getting hurt. After all, gossip can be dangerous to your health.

STOP IT! - If you have a problem with “people” speaking to you about stuff – particularly about other people and their issues, kindly stop them and ask them if the info is important or if it is uplifting. If not, let them know in a nice way that you only want to hear and speak about positive things.  Talk about stopping people in their tracks. It doesn’t have to be confrontational. It’s just asking for personal respect to not spew trash all over you. People will quickly get the message. Philippians 4:8 is a great reference for being positive.  For that matter, pick just one chapter of Proverbs and I will bet you will find some good Word comparisons about what the wise speak versus what the foolish speak.

I would love to live in a perfect world where there was no al-Qaeda and terrorists; a world where intelligence agencies never heard “chatter”.  While I am dreaming, I would also love to never have to hear anyone chattering about things that 1) don’t pertain to them and 2) are many time vicious and harmful. I can choose to limit my surroundings from the existence of chatter. It is my choice…and it is your choice. Wouldn’t that be nice…a world without “chatter”? Anyway, as your mother told you, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!”

Hope you have a GREAT “chatter-less” day! 

Simple Things

Today is one of those days where the very basics of my Christianity are on the front of my mind. You know what I mean? Life gets so complicated sometimes that we simply forget to remember the basics of daily living.  As disciples of Christ our role is really simple…reflect HIM!

Do you ever feel like you make things more complicated than they actually are?  I have even know people who do but don’t realize it. ~I have been one of these people, too.~ Some things we are faced with should not be responded to immediately.  Patience is truly a virtue.  When we wait patiently, sometimes they all work out before we even need to involve ourselves…kinda like when my kids get into arguments.  If I am patient sometimes they work it out without my assistance.

Relax a little. Stop worrying. Remove all your doubts.  Your circumstances may be rough, but God DOES have your back. Just make sure to stay in tune with Him and all WILL work out for good. His Word promises it! Romans 8:28 (If you are wondering why there is no deep theological reference here, you have missed it, and may be making things too complicated with God.)

Jesus made it very clear that He was all about kids, their innocence  and their “easy” attitude of belief. Stop trying to rationalize, make sense out of, and bring common sense to everything you face. Some things in life will not make sense. Deal with it…like a kid would. – believe, laugh, enjoy the moment, don’t be too serious, …just keep it simple.

P.S. – Just got this…“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be snapped!”

The Guilty Pleasure of FIRST

Have you noticed how almost every media outlet has an unquenchable, desire to report everything FIRST?   Everyone wants to be first to report the next NEWEST thing that happens…BEFORE anyone else does.  Gossipers have always prided themselves on this premise of being first.  This approach has invaded weather reporting,  “noteworthy” news, political news, sporting events, etc.  And the pull for FIRST is so strong that many times what is presented as a first may not even be true.  Don’t believe me? Just ask Al Gore about the 2000 presidential election. I recall that night as the liberally-biased media outlets proclaimed that Mr. Gore was elected as the new president, all for the sake of being the FIRST to report it.  Almost every television news report I have seen are very unapologetic in declaring to be the best newsroom because they report FIRST.   The world of reporting has become a pool crowded by sharks in a feeding frenzy. Gone are the days of “dog eat dog”. I think they have turned to “kill or be killed” (not literally, of course).

Who can forget this “ME FIRST!” moment? (Click here) It wasn’t about him, but yet he was going to be heard FIRST. Jerk!

In the religious world this same thing seems to have taken hold of many in the last couple of decades. Many want to be recognized as the FIRST to do something revolutionary.  Me first, please.  I am particularly fond of new ways, new ideas, new plans, new anything…well, as long as it doesn’t degrade or diminish the truths of the Word of God.

The danger I see is the desire to be recognized as the first, the front runner.  God’s people are to possess a spirit of true humility. In fact, the Word tells us that we should “defer to others”, basically, stop trying to be first in line.  Jesus’ own words were “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.”  You just can’t ignore those passages in RED!

I believe honor is due to those who are or who were pioneers blazing the way in ministry. A caution would be that the religious world begins to idolize those who are or were pioneers, recognizing the good they have done, but forgetting it is GOD who gave them everything they have. In that sense, many times they become the “go to” people for perceived expertise on a certain subject which they may or may not know anything about.

We must all recognize that without Him we are completely lost and ignorant.  He should be our #1 focus, not our own dreams, goals and desires. No more “me first”s.

Certainly you have seen the “I Am Second” campaign? If not, just click HERE.  May this be the approach we all take.

The Jolt of REAL Java

Java, java, java…I love Java!

It was a dark, chilly and wet morning. The air was filled with a gray mist, denying the sun from fully welcoming the day.  This was a day that “deserved” of a good cup of fresh, hot, strong coffee.  After a short morning devotion and prayer for daily guidance, the aroma of the freshly ground beans was a welcome friend adding to the positive tone of good things to come, in spite of the weather.

As is the normal routine, the beautiful black juice was just waiting to be released into the stainless steel mug. As it filled the mug, I was looking forward to the flavored nectar on my 40 minute drive to work.  Closing the lid and taking it to my vehicle to place it in the cup holder, I could get a little hint of the incredible aroma.  As I pulled out of the garage, around the first block to the traffic signal, I picked up the mug to consume the first taste of coffee. I used extreme caution not to burn my taste buds. Happy thoughts filled my mind as the warmth of the black juice began to flow. Until…

What is this? Huh? How did…? YUCK! I was quickly returned to reality as I did NOT taste the beautiful flavor of the beans, but merely a hint of dirty water with creamer and a little sweetener. Blah! How this happened, I really don’t know. I just knew that something was terribly wrong…no taste of coffee to be found at all. I must have still been asleep as I put the grounds in the filter. I was certain I went through my normal morning routine of coffee preparation. But this day did NOT begin as I thought it would have.

My blog today was birthed from this REAL event today. As I was sipping the exceptionally weak but hot, mug of sweetened water, I wondered why I was continuing to consume it. I mean, it was NOT what I wanted to be drinking. In fact, it was completely unappealing to my taste buds and definitely NOT providing the anticipated JOLT of real Java.

Then came that familiar small voice invading my thoughts. These trails of inspirational thought are why I am writing today. I just hope it provides you the same JOLT that it gave me…

Do God’s people approach their spiritual life this same way, going through the daily routine satisfied to think all is well as long as it is “normal”?  – Lord, I do not want to simply go through the motions. Every day is a golden opportunity to experience incredible things through God’s presence in my life.  I must treat each new day with a new perspective void of the prejudices of yesterday’s events and attitudes.

I consider myself to be a coffee lover, maybe even a connoisseur of sorts.  My desire for coffee is NOT based solely upon the “rush” of caffeine, it is mainly about taste and flavor. When I first started drinking coffee, I could not handle strong flavor or strong coffee. I was a coffee novice. I had to have lots of sweetener and maybe even flavored coffee. But as I have experienced years of coffee drinking, my “tolerance” for stronger coffee has grown and so has my love of non-flavored coffee. (I hope you see where this is going…)

The same thing applies in our spiritual lives…When we are new in our relationship with God, we cannot handle the deep things of the Spirit. It takes experience, patience, consistency, commitment, patience, tolerance, patience, and determination (did I mention “patience”?) to reach a higher or deeper level of spiritual maturity. This is the meaning of the difference between the MILK of the Word and the MEAT of the Word (Hebrews 5:11-13 NIV and I Corinthians 3:1-3 NIV). A newborn cannot handle meat, but is restricted to milk and soft foods. However, as the child grows, it begins eating more and more meat (unless the child’s parents are vegetarian – LOL).  If the child does not move on past drinking milk only, then the growth of the child will be stunted or restricted. Milk only provides so much energy and nutrients, not providing what meat can. SO it is with spiritual babies – they must grow up into the deeper truths of the Word of God.

Here is the $1M question…Are you experiencing a steady flow of WORD INDUCED RUSH in your spiritual life? (Milk cannot provide the kind of rush that the meat of the Word can.)  If you are not, maybe you need to try something a little stronger than what you have been accustomed to. Isn’t that where the issue really lies anyway…in our personal comfort, what we are accustomed to? I don’t think God really cares about our comfort. Yes, He wants us blessed and happy, but those things are NOT contingent upon our personal comfort level. I feel blessed and happy because I have been through some tough stuff. God loves me enough to bring me THROUGH those things.

In the same way that you can tell an experienced coffee drinker by the strength of coffee, you can also spot the experienced disciple of Christ by their strength you possess in difficult times. Hard times and tough love do NOT discourage them. In fact, they sometimes thrive on it.  It is said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going.  The Word says it a little differently.  John the Baptist (Jesus’ first cousin) had to be reminded that even in the midst of his imprisonment, the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead are raised…but Jesus was not going to deliver John out of prison. With that understanding Jesus sent word to John…”blessed is he who is not offended in me…” (Luke 7:20-23 NKJV) Tough stuff REQUIRES maturity!

Stop consuming weak coffee, weak Word, and weak experiences. Don’t settle for a word and experience that does not move you to action nor maturity.  It’s time to turn it up a notch and get growing. After all, I was told as a kid that drinking coffee would bring about certain mature physical qualities.

Bring on the JAVA!  Give me the real MEAT of the WORD!!!

“Who In Here Is Not An EXPERT?”

Ladies and gentlemen, from the fast paces of media and technology, to the ever growing populace of bloggers and technology socialites, I present to you, “THE EXPERTS”!…

I believe (opinion) that most people comment or state opinions as if they are facts; experts on the subject. With all the information that is so easily accessible, it is difficult to keep track of it all. Knowledge is advancing at an incredibly quick pace. However, this doesn’t mean that WISDOM is advancing in the same way.

The next statement you read is NOT my opinion, it is fact…

Just because you believe something to be true does NOT make it true.

You can stand in front of your mirror, telling yourself that you can fly just like a bird and even believe it, but I would highly recommend that you DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME from your 2nd story window! Better yet, if someone you knew simply decided they knew a lot about the medical field and claimed to be a doctor but never went to school, would you trust your personal care to them? …after all, they know a few things, right?

Believing something does NOT make it true. What are you using as a basis for the opinion that you state? Is there evidence to back it up? Have you personally experienced the thing you are “weighing in” on?

In the same way, NOT believing something does not necessarily make it false or a lie.

I am not saying we should never state our opinions. But I am saying that if it is your opinion, you should KNOW it is opinion and it would be wise to preface your comments clarifying it as opinion.  I personally believe in some absolutes in life, so some things opinion cannot touch. Believe or not, opinion does not even get a uniform to play the game. Fact ALWAYS wins over opinion – bar none!

I have been guilty of believing things just because a certain person stated it as fact, or just because I “felt” it was the truth. Authors who write articles or books are people, too and need to be checked on the statements they make in written form. Being a published author does NOT make you an expert.  Question is, did I check it out to see if the statement was actually true? Did I fact check it? Without checking for accuracy, we allow ourselves to be blindly lead down a path of lies while believing it to be truth. It’s a simple case of “…blind leading the blind…”.

Lord, HELP US! (He knows we need it…and He will.) In John 16:12-15 (The Message), Jesus told His followers that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide into all wisdom and knowledge. …that is if you want to be lead there.  This is why we have the Holy Ghost.  God desires to lead us through His Spirit into all truth. The treasure of Truth is so vast that no human can hold all of it at once. This gives us reason to search out truth in every area of our lives, especially in the spiritual realm.

People are experts in their field because they go BEYOND what everyone else knows. Graduating from college does not make you an expert in the field. “Book smarts” are not the same as “street smarts”.

Bottom line – it is important to educate yourself in all areas of life.  From time to time I still find myself “sounding like I know what I am talking about” only to be convicted later by my own words.  If you don’t know, say so!  It actually makes you seem smarter than if you act like you “know it all”.  Well, at least that is my OPINION!

Thanks for reading this, but I’m no expert.  Where did you get your EXPERT certificate?

Fruitful again…

Seasons come; seasons go. Some seasons we love; others we simply endure. You can probably hear your co-workers and friends praying to God that winter will quickly pass away.  After all, Snowmaggedon of 2011 has just passed and many will deal with the lasting effects of the storm for days and weeks to come. However, they can find peace in the fact that in 2 months, it will only be a memory. “Whew! Thank God!” In life, we all deal with extremes through marital issues, good times with friends & family, troubles, excitement, etc…causing our emotions to tip the scales in the extreme in every direction. We love some event and despise others. Wishing some to stay; praying some to leave. Either way, most of the time we have no control over those events.

I am not humored by Groundhog Day. Let me just state…using a “tame” groundhog is just silly. And, let me see…all the cameras and lighting for the “perfect” photo op. Really? You think that is necessary? Either way, eventually spring WILL show up.

In many ways, this blog has been a “victim” of life events. MANY times I have started and stopped ideas for new blog posts only to feel “dried up”. No matter what some may think the reasoning is, I believe the Lord is simply leading me through some very trying yet exciting times. And no, all is not perfect in my little world. But no matter what, I am CONFIDENT that God is in control of it all, even when I don’t like it or understand it. He knows why and He knows best.  Even as I am writing this, I am humored to think of the irony of the feeling that this will not make it to the “final cut” of being posted to UPward Thinking. Nevertheless, here it is!

I have been reading history lessons from the Word. There are several occasions where the Lord would shut the womb of a woman. These were not necessarily due to some sin in their lives, but merely due to the sovereign rule of a God who always knows best.  Here are a couple references to the Lord causing women to become “unfruitful”. Genesis 20 (women in Abimelech’s house), Genesis 29 (Leah was unloved so God opened her womb), Genesis 30 (God remembered Rachel and opened her womb), and I Samuel 1 (Hannah’s prayer for a son).  Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all had wives that were unable to bear children because the Lord “shut the womb”.  The unproductive womb of a woman was viewed as being incapable. No woman wanted to be barren. In almost every case I find in the Bible of the womb of a woman being opened (or re-opened) was after seeking the face of God to intervene on the woman’s behalf (or at least it seems to be implied). In the spiritual sense, we should possess this same craving to reproduce spiritual fruit in our lives.

Jesus taught about spiritual reproduction this way…John 12:24 The Message – “Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over.”

God sometimes will stop the reproductive flow (physically and spiritually) in our lives. He has His reasons. You can always trust that God does know what is best in our lives. I believe our personal spiritual growth is more important than the production others see.  Yes, producing spiritual fruit is critical, but remember there are seasons. You don’t harvest in the winter and you should not rest during planting season.

If we get out of tune with the Lord, prayer is a powerful tool that moves us back into an accurate spiritual posture with Him. In fact, without it, it would be impossible to regain a right standing with God.

Hold on! Your season is changing. The things that are taking place right now in your spiritual winter are necessary for you to become fruitful again. In fact, the “waiting” season you are in right now is actually producing the fruits of patience and temperance in your life.

Spring is almost here. If you keep trusting and believing, you will be fruitful again…

Get Out Your Planner!

Many times we make plans to do things, but we end up forgetting or re-prioritizing things in our lives. Sometimes we intentionally prioritize. Other times we re-prioritize due to emotions or “something better came along”. This may be okay for some things, but when it comes to your relationship with God and people, I think we need to write down our priorities in permanent marker.

When I was young and in school, we did NOT have planners. Nowadays, my kids get “docked” if they don’t have their planner or don’t have it up to date and signed daily.

In the earlier years of my ministry, one of my favorite messages to preach was “The Power of Good Intentions”. The crux of the message was that intentions do absolutely nothing for us. Actions are the real deal. Basically, it was a challenge to “get out your planner” and write out your plan in permanent marker! Don’t allow emotions or distractions to change the plans.  And in the spirit of being transparent…I still struggle with this at times. I’m just glad God is patient with me.

We recently did a series at Life Church Marion called, “Disciple”.  It is all about intentionally becoming a disciple of Christ. Saying a prayer of forgiveness, confession and salvation are just not enough. Getting your spiritual “feel good” experience at church is insufficient at best.  It will not make you a disciple. Becoming a disciple is NOT for wanderers nor bystanders waiting on something to inspire you to action. Being a disciple requires constant action on our part, like keeping your planner updated on a regular basis. You must be intentional in your plans.

Proverbs 28:19 – “Where there is no vision…” Ok, how many of you have heard this scriptural reference from the book of Proverbs before? Most of you? All of you? …powerful words of godly wisdom. In addition, the same book of Proverbs also reveals in chapter 16 verse 9 “In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the LORD establishes their steps.” Matthew Henry’s commentary of this scripture relays it this way…“If men make God’s glory their end, and his will their rule, he will direct their steps by his Spirit and grace.” Point? We intentionally chart out our course in light of the Godly vision we have been given and God will bring it to pass “…if we faint not.”

Plan today to be intentional with making God your daily planner. He will get you to your appointments on time.

“…because she needed me to be.”

Recently, a friend posted this FB status…

“Love my job! I entered a room tonight and the woman, who is 86, thought I was her mother, I sat on her bedside and talked for awhile about things I knew nothing about while gently combing her hair back from her face; repositioned her and kissed her goodnight on the cheek, as I left the room another CNA asked, ‘why didn’t you tell her you weren’t her mom?’ I said, ‘because she needed me to be.’ ♥ Give of yourself”

WOW! I was moved (emotionally and spiritually) by this strange act of kindness.  I want that to be the kind of attitude I have in my walk with God. I am not completely there yet, but the Lord is definitely working on me.  I want to give myself away…

I Corinthians 9:19-23 (NIV) – “¹⁹Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

God sometimes leads us to do very unorthodox things in ministry. I should know. I have been in an unorthodox season (or should say decade). It is not always easy nor comfortable, but God is definitely in control. It’s like Daniel when he went to King Nebuchadnezzar’s court. He was a Jew but if he wanted to remain alive and be successful in what God brought him there for, he would do as the others in the court did.  This was a set-up by God. Daniel was certainly not comfortable with everything he “had” to do. But God saw his faithfulness and blessed it.  I believe Daniel not only wanted to pray 3 times a day because of his religious training, but just as much because he had to pray that much to stay saved. (I’ve been there, too.)

I have been studying the book of James lately. Faith and works are to go hand in hand. We are saved through faith, and faith leads us to produce works.  “…faith without works is dead…” I think this is exactly what my friend was referring to in her status update. It was not just “…because she needed me to…” but also, “…because HE needed me to…”. She became Jesus (and mother) for that 86 yr old woman.

God needs us to be flexible. Life situations sometimes require that our “likes” and “dislikes” are tossed to the side. As a true ambassador of the Kingdom of God, we are mandated to speak only what is spoken in the Kingdom realm.  Only those willing to surrender their personal “preferences” for the sake of the Kingdom can really call themselves ambassadors for Christ.

Even I sometimes don’t always understand why God would ask certain sacrifices or why he would nudge us in certain directions, I know this one thing – GOD IS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING and He has His reasons!  I simply have to trust Him…because He needs me to…

What areas do you need to be more flexible in…because He needs you to be???

Undying Love

The news of my friend John losing his brother to cancer came to me today.  As I sat to type a note to my friend, tears welled up in my eyes and I could only stare at the screen, reminiscing of the loss of my big brother several years ago to the same evil disease, and feeling compassion for my friend and his family.

Through my own experience, prayers and words of encouragement and compassion are welcomed and desired…but they are also very blurry.  I cannot really tell you anything that anyone said to me as I was dealing with my loss.  But a couple of things I do remember – condolences and and compassion, LOVE from friends and family, and the loving arms of God. I imagine Him wrapping His arms around those in sorrow and even shedding tears with us.  After all, He is that kind of loving God.

This time for John’s family is difficult but also relieving. His little brother, Joshua was close to the Lord and is certainly experiencing the rush of tears of  joy, wonder and amazement at being in the glory of the Lord.  This knowledge alone has made his temporary pain well worth it. Hallelujah! No more sickness, sorrow, pain, trouble, etc. I can only imagine the wonder and awe of this place; well beyond explanation of words.

Joshua has found his permanent home. We are still here with purpose to fulfill what we were created for. So through tears, we carry on without loved ones.

Our flesh is temporary.  Life is but a fleeting moment compared to eternity.  Love never dies. Love is never ending; eternal.  Whether you refer to the love of family and friends or the love of Jehovah God, love is forever.  This is why you can say even when physically absent, your loved one is not completely gone. “I can feel them right here with me.” Love never dies.  One day you will “see” love again.

The years have assisted in glazing over the pain and sorrow I feel in the loss of my brother. And as the days roll on, John and his family will experience the same comfort of a God with undying love and compassion.  Great comfort can be taken in the fact that John and his family spent quality time with Joshua in his last few months.  (My regret is not spending enough time with my brother.)

So, we send our love and our prayers for the entire Ragsdale family and those close to Joshua.

Without real love, we are dead. Lord, help to love in the true meaning of the word. I want to possess undying love.

Rest in peace, Joshua Ragsdale. You will be sorely missed by many.  …oh, and don’t wear yourself out too much dancing around the throne!  http://wp.me/p6xXr-qf

Permission Granted

Have you heard the statement, “Getting forgiveness is easier than getting permission.”?  This may be true for some things.  But if you are thinking it is easier to get forgiveness for digging up that natural gas line in your front yard than it was to get permission beforehand, you might need to rethink this one.  Sure that statement probably isn’t meant to be used for situations like that.

However, in the same way, there are areas of our lives that we MUST give permission to others and things BEFOREHAND.  Otherwise, there could be a hefty fine (or heartache) to pay.

There is nothing like a person who prides themselves (and this is not good pride) on making other people’s lives their business. It seems to me that most people I have come across with this strange believe is that they are lacking for real value in their own lives or they are simply unhappy with the way things are. I have seen people who are miserable with their lives try to make themselves feel a little better by attempting to make those around them miserable. “If I can’t be happy, they should not be happy.” Any access granted to them of your life is sure to be exploited. This is just like those pesky viruses that can sneak into your computer, gaining access through some rogue file which attempts to spread across your entire network.  If you do not have proper anti-virus software (placed on computer beforehand), it will surely violate the integrity of all your data. (If you’ve ever had a serious computer virus, you already know how destructive and frustrating they can be.)

Here’s the problem…I will NOT grant these kinds of people permission to make my life a miserable wreck. I choose joy and the peace only God gives! Excuse me, but do you even know me? ACCESS DENIED! You must be prepared for the violent attacks of the enemy to violate every area of your life.  Scripture reveals that the enemy prances around like a roaming lion in search of someone to devour.  The armor of God serves as the ANTI-VIRUS software to protect you from the intrusive onslaught of the enemy against your soul. In particular, you must have on the helmet of salvation which displays a made up mind.  I know who I am and I know who’s I am!

There is One that I pray never faces a closed door to my life.  Good friends and family will be granted access but even their involvement can only go so far.  You have to predetermine the access rights to everyone and everything.  Does this mean there are things we are hiding? Absolutely not!…I pray daily there are not.  (“Search me, O God…”)

Our openness to God is critical for spiritual survival.  Unfortunately, there are people who get confused and fooled by the tricks of the enemy of the soul into thinking they can hide who they are behind a label of Christianity, their role of leadership, or through what they believe to be the power (actually abusive power) of the “prophetic”. Oh, YES, I believe in the TRUE prophetic anointing.   Spiritual leaders especially need to exercise extreme openness to God so that pride and arrogance and the Pharisaical attitude are not allowed access into their hearts, minds, words and actions.

Prayer: “God, I grant to You the right to search every area of my life and to test and to poke and to prod me whenever and wherever You choose. I will not allow external things or people to control my actions; only the Holy Spirit. Search me, O God. Permission granted!”

“My critics will not determine my destiny nor my direction. Only God is given that permission in my life.” ~KDE (Prov. 12:5; 19:21)