When Your Pastor Is An Apostle

What do you do when you realize that your Pastor is also an Apostle? That God is now sending him to another region of the kingdom to do a work there? Do you pout? have a little fit? feel sorry for yourself? get angry? or do you thank God that you had the opportunity to learn from him and to serve along side him in the kingdom work and now continue on?

It behooves us all to realize that each of us have a job to do for God. God has given Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers in this kingdom for the equipping of the saints. When we try to hang on to folks for our own selfish reasons we are hindering the work of almighty God. All of this belongs to the Lord. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. No matter where He sends us or what He has us doing, it is all for His glory, not for our own. So let's all just get on board with one another and help fulfill this kingdom mission.

For we know that all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose. He is working it all out, in His own time. He strategically places folks in certain areas to get things done in the kingdom. This is no different than being in the military, people go to certain areas for certain seasons for a certain purpose and then they are stationed somewhere else. We understand it in the natural, so why can't we get it in the spiritual?

God owns it all and He is the Boss. If we as ministers of this gospel are to be pleasing to our God and to be obedient to Him, then we will have to start, implement, launch, build in momentum to continue and then if and when He calls us to do another assignment we can do that without hesitation or reservation. When it is time to move on, it is time to move on. I have had to do it many many times and folks wouldn't understand or they would get angry or frustrated or feel left out. Sometimes I could talk about the move and other times I had to just be quiet and move on without any explanation as to what was really going on behind the scenes. I have also been told to go and held on because I didn't want to go and like Jonah got swallowed up. Not cool, I can assure you. I hate closed in, fishy places.

I can only imagine how difficult it is for a Pastor to do this. I truly wish that God's people would begin to act like God's people and support their Pastor and be armor bearers, intercessors and supporters of the vision that their Pastor is trying to continually cast before the people. Where there is no vision, the people perish. What's even worse is when their is a clear, and concise vision that the people refuse to follow. Kind of sounds like poor Moses. He tried and tried to get those people to follow him and reach the promised land but they just would not stop their grumbling and griping and back biting and complaining and none of them got to enter in with the exception of Joshua and Caleb. How truly sad to have such a wonderful opportunity and to be a part of such an awesome vision and not see it come to fruition.

Today if your Pastor is trying to cast vision for the congregation and he is trying to shepherd the house, please allow him to do just that and when and if God re-assigns him, bless him and let him go knowing that he is following the direction of the Holy Spirit of God.

Change For A Twenty?

How many times have we said or heard someone else say, "Have you got change for a twenty?" Well, now yes indeed we do have change for a twenty. The U.S. Twenty dollar bill currency is getting a, shall we say facelift? President Andrew Jackson's image will no longer grace the bill and in his place will be Harriett Tubman, who not only was a woman but a black woman., Oh mercy me, some people are up in arms over this and I find it quite ridiculous. Harriett Tubman risked her life to bring about change, she stepped out in bravery and courage to do what she could do to be an agent of change, to see a day when slavery would be abolished and people would be equal.

 Some folks can't stand change, they fight it and rail against it and become outraged at the very idea of change. But truly the one and only thing in this life that you can be sure is coming is change.  Change is good. Without change the world would not have butterflies. Without change, lives could not be transformed by the power of the living Christ. Changing the image on the twenty in no way diminishes its value but to hear the speak of some folks you would think that the twenty was being replaced with a penny.

 Good grief! why can't people just love people? I grow so weary of ignorant, racist, statements like I will never have a twenty in my pocket every again if they are going to do this. Ok well go on and prophesy that over yourself in your ignorance, maybe the Lord will grant your desire and make sure you never have one or the equivalent of one ever again. God loves people. All people, all races, all colors, all tongues. Aren't you glad today? Aren't you glad that God loves us all the same? Aren't you glad that He brought change into your life? Aren't you glad that when He sees you, He doesn't see color or economic status or any of the things that divide us here? I sure am. I am glad and happy to serve a God that loves us all the same.

When I first heard about the change coming to the twenty I thought wow! God granted exceedingly and abundantly above all that Mrs. Tubman could have even imagined! God is the God of change, the God of dreams and visions and He is also a God of justice. Whatever He has called you to do no matter how difficult or how much opposition you find yourself up against just realize that in His time and in the right season it will come to pass. Matters not what people think or how they receive it or if they celebrate you or not. He celebrates you. Here are her own words and I quote, "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. ~Harriet Tubman~

Harriett was what I like to call a water stirrer. Like the angel in the Bible that would come down to the pool of Bethesda and stir the waters, anyone that got in would be healed. She wrote this song, how powerful are these words? 

I say today to anyone that has racism in their hearts, I have now stirred the waters for you, get in and receive your healing. It is not the will of God for people to hate each other and to be divided. I am giving honor today to whom honor is due and Harriet Tubman is due of honor.