Month: February 2019

GOD SANCTIONS AN OLD ADAGE:  LEADERS ARE MADE AND NOT BORN

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Blog God scantions old adage Leaders are made.jpg

News Flash:  My blog followers are growing thanks to you guys out there who remain faithful in returning each week to “Conversations With God Using Scripture” to support, ‘like’ and leave comments on various subject materials written herein.  I just want you to know how grateful I am for your steadfastness and loyalty.  And in return, it is my intent to support those of you who have websites by praying for your continued success as well.

Believe it or not, the title for this week’s blog came to me as I revisited a page in my journal which catalogued an early morning conversation I had with God around 5:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 2, 2004.

After being gently awaken, I just laid there silently.  My mind vividly recalled the stirring testimonies of the night before at our Wednesday night prayer meeting.  Passages from Ezekiel and Isaiah were read during the closing and I began to reflect on them as I lied awake.

Out of nowhere I ‘felt’ a voice say, “My Child, you have to become your title…”Board of Christian Education.”  At first, I was confused and had no idea why my mind spoke to me in that fashion.  Suddenly, my subconscious was at work and reminded me that ever since the last Board meeting on November 13th, which I was a newly elected member of, I had been asking the Lord to speak to me concerning the question put to us by our president.  Her inquiry to us was what concerted new ideas would we be bringing to the table that would foster constructive change in the turbulent operations of various departments/ministries in the church family.

During those following nineteen days after that meeting I had received nothing from on high!  Then, finally, that morning (in God’s time), He decided to answer.  

“Is that You, Lord?” I said with excitement, and immediately grabbed my Bible and turned to the book of Ezekiel.  As I read Chapter 2 in it’s entirety, the Lord spoke again.

“Ezekiel’s life was a living parable or object lesson for the people.  And, Daughter of Education, I see you as I see Ezekiel.  A representative of Who is to come.  For I call Ezekiel, Ben Adam–which is when translated, Son of Man.   Now, Daughter of Education, get up, wake up, get a pen and write.  I am sending you to the children of this church, a rebellious congregation, who have rebelled against Me.  They and their fathers, like in the days of Ezekiel, have transgressed against Me to this day.”

So when I heard Him, I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and I begin to write.  But then I said, “Oh, Lord, how have we rebelled against You?”  I did not hear or ‘feel’ anybody speak, but my spirit nudged me and caused me to have a fixation on the expression in the bible that referred to ‘eat the word.’

(From that time forward, whenever I was asked to pray for the congregation, I would always include those words…’eat the word’.  In addition, I personally began to ‘eat the word’.  I truly believed by doing so I was in training to become all that God intended for me in the household of faith,  Obviously, I was reminded spiritually, leaders are made not born.)

Then God said to me, “The Word I have for the Board of Christian Education is one of encouragement.  Persons on the Board are to see themselves as a Jeremiah and as an Ezekiel.  Both of these men’s messages to My people were proclamations.  Their preaching was laced with future event happenings.  Both of these men’s messages were warnings to the people, telling them to get ready for things to come.

So, when their prophecies did not happen in the time frame that suited the people, the people began to shut their ears and mock Ezekiel and Jeremiah and call them a bunch of names and hoped they would stumble in everything they did.

Even though both men were My appointed and ordained priests they were also human; their feelings were hurt and their personage was wounded.  Instead of getting angry at the people, they got angry with Me.  Jeremiah said, ‘I will not make mention of HIM.’

  BOARD OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION…BEWARE!!!!

Blog God Sanctions An Adage Leaders Meeting pic

My Child, you are to become Ben Christian Education–which is when translated, Daughter of Christian Education.  For like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, your words will be a stumbling block and a proverb to My people.  The captors are coming and My people will be swallowed up, but My Word will ring true.  My messengers need to be steadfast, unmovable, strong-willed and of good courage.”

To all my readers, my prayer, then and now is this:   I pray that during my entire time of service to the Lord I have rendered myself and my efforts to the teachings of the Holy Spirit and in accordance with the scripture text below.  For I, too, realize that servant leaders/managers are made (by God) and not born.

Scripture Lesson:  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!  Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable.  Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.  1 Corinthian 15:57-58   

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!   

 

God and Me and the “Baby” Makes Three

On By tgifmastermindsIn Uncategorized5 Comments

NO!  NO!   NO!    My position in life is not to become Mother Mary #2.    Not for a moment!  Nor have I miraculously conceived a god-child.  I’m just me…who truly loves the Lord and the “baby” he gave me…simply my calling as a prayer warrior!

It has also been said that I have a fetish for God’s word and an innate ability to deliver or express his word in a palatable manner which makes it easier for people to digest, understand and to apply.  Many say I missed my calling as a school teacher.  Rubbish!!!

If you have been following my blogs, you can readily see that I constantly stay in touch with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ through conversations with Him.  I allow Him to order my steps each and every day.  I lean only on His understanding for my daily tasks.  Yes, sometimes I fall short but He picks me up, brushes me off and starts me all over again.   In other words, I’m just a sinner who falls down…but I get up!

And one way that I get up is through prayer and it’s not always while on my knees.  I pray while walking, riding, exercising, fasting, lying prostrate, singing and sitting at my computer and meditating!

So this week’s blog will be about one of my “babies”, a devoted audible prayer I composed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit for a group of ladies at a prayer breakfast in March 1999.  When seriously confronting the Lord in prayer, I always initiate my A-B-C method.  Why?  Because it helps me to forget about myself and concentrate on Him.

A.  First, I like to identify by name the god to whom I’m praying.

B.  Then I give thanks and praises to Him and begin to list His wonderful attributes.

C.  Next, I ask forgiveness for my transgressions, explicitly explaining the purpose for this prayer and reminding Him of His Almighty powers to intercede in this matter.

This is not an effort to ‘teach’ you how to pray…God forbid!  The Lord has already done that for you in Matthew 6:9-13.  I just want you to think while you do the following:   Pray biblically! 

Most Holy and Everlasting Father, our Jehovah Jirah, we, the women of this congregation do thank You for all our provisions for our lives.

We praise You, Father because You are an Om-ni-scient God!  You know everything…You are infinitely wise.  Thank You.

We also magnify and adore You because You are an Om-nip-o-tent God.  All power is thine.  Thank You.

We continue in prayer by saying Hallelujah to Your Name, this morning, Father, because of Your Om-ni-pres-ence.  Yes, You are not only glorified here in this place, put You are reigning with the men of this congregation as they worship You while on their retreat in West Virginia.  Thank You.

And now Lord, we humbly ask Your forgiveness in those areas of our lives where we have failed to put You first.  For those times when we have marched to the beat of an alien drummer.  It is for these times that we say, Lord forgive.

Also, when we have failed to respond to Your call in the manner in which Your Son and our Redeemer would have responded.  It is for those times that we say, Lord forgive.

It is only because You are a forgiving God and that You have undying love for Your people that we submit to You all those things that so easily beset us:

  • Depression reigns, Father, because some child has broken their mother’s heart.
  • Despair abounds, Father, because families are experiencing grief.
  • Physical and mental stresses, Father, are taking their toll because many souls are lost to the prince of this world.
  • Suicide rates are climbing, Father, because backs are bent over under the weight of the world’s heavy burdens.

Our cry this morning is that You will surely claim us as Your own; You will rescue us from our persecutions and fears and that we will survive; that in our state of perplexities and confusion, You will lift us up where we belong and remove us out of the pits of despair.

When we find ourselves cast down and we are unable to get up You will give us the courage and strength to bind Satan, in the Name of Jesus, and thus we will not be utterly destroyed.

Now Lord, as we come to the close of this prayer, may we always be reminded that no matter how devastating the circumstances, Jesus has already overcome the world and He has also put everything under man’s feet, in the Name of Jesus.

So, armed with this holy knowledge, we endeavor to always be joyful; to pray continually; to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is Your will for our lives.

All these things we pray and ask in the Matchless Name of Jesus the Christ.  AMEN.

You may have noticed that incorporated in my prayer I mention specific trials and tribulations that the congregation is experiencing.  I have either heard these requests during weekly prayer meetings or over the pulpit or directly from individuals privately.  This method of praying is a uniting tie that binds us as sisters and brothers in the family of the Lord.  It also allows the participants at the breakfast to affirm in retrospect your prayer requests to God because the subject matter is so real to them.

More than once when I ‘thought’ I had concluded praying for a group, participants in the audience were so moved that they actually ‘continued‘ the prayer by adding their own audible prayer request to the Lord.  Talk about connecting to heaven and ‘birthing’ a  hydrogen bomb of exuberance…Glory be to God!!!

Scripture Lesson:  Let Everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!   

God Speaks Truth To Power-less Mortals

On By tgifmastermindsIn Uncategorized3 Comments

For this week’s blog, I wish to pay tribute to the entire 28 days of February 2019 in celebration of Black History Month.  The title and theme was inspired by one of Dr. Martin Luther King’s favorite quotes.  But the meat and potatoes of the body of this blog is actually a message I received from God when I sought his wisdom, understanding  and knowledge as I prepared to conduct a workshop for a group of women at my church in 1983.

Many of these ladies were wives of pastors, assistant ministers, deacons, trustees, elders,  and other male officials of the church.  Privately, the women had often shared with me how they were at a loss on how to communicate with their spouses in certain circumstances.  For example, should their spouse be interrupted or disturbed if their office door was closed.  Or if dinner was ready.  Or if an unannounced visitor showed up on their door step and wanted an audience with their husband, should they be permitted to do so if he was in seclusion.  Honestly, one wife even confided in me that she wanted another child but was afraid to discuss the subject with her highly successful husband in the ministry.  She felt that a ‘new addition’ would somehow hinder his advancement and place additional demands on him and his quiet time ‘with the Lord’.

As you can imagine, my preparation for the workshop message/activities for this seminar would be daunting.  So my first position on this was to go to God in prayer and fasting.  Don’t laugh…but the first thing I heard from heaven was the title for the workshop.  The Lord said, here’s what you call it; “What every housewife wants to know about her role as a ‘helpmate’ but is afraid to ask.”                                                                                                      Blog God Speaks Truth to the Power-less

How cleaver I thought.  God, you’re the Greatest…What’s next?

His divine response (in so many words) was for me to remind the ladies just how he communicates to us when we don’t wont to be bothered: through action, through scriptures and by the incorporation of the ritual for the Lord’s Supper.  God even gave me my Scripture verse from Hebrews 13:8:  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever.”   Just as the Father visually communicated to the Hebrew children in the wilderness, He is visually speaking to the wives (and us) today and also for posterity .

And that’s where Dr. King’s famous quote comes in (with a few revisions) as it mirrors and affirms Scripture:  “[Ladies,] Whatever your life’s work, do it well.  A [wo] man should do [her] his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.”

So, I reminded the ladies of the following 3 things:

1.  How God Communicated Yesterday

In the olden days, God communicated with the Children of Israel by a cloud.  They all saw it, they all followed it, and they all knew it was God! (Exodus 13:21)

Another way God communicated with them was to supply their groceries.  He quenched their thirst with cool water from the rocks.  He fed them quail meat that dropped from the sky. He gave them a freshly baked loaf of bread every morning.  (Duet. 8:15-16; Exodus 176:8)

(So, a workshop activity could be for the women to brain storm ways to be creative to subtly get their messages across to their spouses.)

2.  How God Communicates Today

Now, today, God still openly and visually communicates with us. How?  He has written us a Love Letter…the Holy Bible…telling us all about his Son, Jesus, and extending an invitation to dine and to celebrate with Him.  He wrote the Letters for posterity…for all those who were not there.  Take eat, ye, all of it.

In other words, God wanted to speak TRUTH to the powerless…Us Mortals!

He instructed us that after we have read the Letters, digested the Letters, believe in the Letters, and obey the Letters, that we perform a spiritual ritual on a periodic basis.  As often as you do this…

Namely, he asked us to be fed by taking the Cup and when we drink from it to remember the blood his Son shed and allow this demonstration to be used to reflect His death and His resurrection.  In our thought process (by thinking on these things) we are in communication with God.  (Sometimes, speaking audibly is overrated.)

He further asked us to be fed by taking the Bread, break it and eat it.  The Bread, as we know, represents Jesus’ body.  We ask ourselves (or we should think about) what does Jesus’ body represent (not withstanding the Church):  Of course, the answer is FREEDOM!!!  Freedom from sickness; freedom from sin; freedom from strife, freedom from financial problems; freedom from hatred; freedom from lustfulness; freedom from fear; freedom from want; etc.

So we eat the Bread with great expectation of overcoming our infirmities both in the home and in our churches, just like Jesus.  And we drink the Cup in anticipation of dying (resting, sleeping) and being raised up again eternally unto our Heavenly Father, just like Jesus.

(The conference activity was for the ladies to take a very soiled penny, some Q-tips and a dollop of silver polish and slowly clean only the ‘Lincoln head’ side of the penny.  The ladies were instructed to pretend that it was their own head image on the penny being cleansed by Jesus.  They were to realize that they were in Good Hands of the Almighty.  The other soiled side of the penny represented their past life, which they were forbade to polish.)

3.  How God Communicates With Tomorrow

Jesus communicates His future actions (judgements) towards us based on our present knowledge, discernment and attitudes as partakers of Holy Communion.  (See 1 Corinthians 11:26-31 below.)

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.  27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.  29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.  30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.  31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

At this point, I would like to give you an example of how I would counsel one of the housewives mentioned above especially if she harbored any resentment towards her husband’s desire for long periods of solitude.  More specifically, if the housewife’s query to me would be…”Should I not partake of the Supper when I’m not feeling right towards someone, lest damnation come upon me.”

Based on my own experience, one interpretation revealed to me by the Holy Spirit was to ‘partake’, because I had confessed that I discerned and believed that by Christ’s stripes (His broken body [Bread] and spilled blood [Wine]), I am healed and Christ will set everything else in order when He comes (a future event).  The wife would then have to search her own soul and measure of faith.

So in closing, we should all live the best life we can as it is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.  We should participate often in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper as a reminder of the price freely paid for our salvation.  It also behooves us to always abide in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  The rest, He will set in order when He comes.

(The final workshop activity was to serve The Lord’s Supper and to allow each attendant an opportunity to share a short confession of their faith, if they so desired.  By that time, the Holy Spirit was alive and well…in the atmosphere!  HALLELUJAH!!!)

Scripture Lesson:     Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  John 15:4-6

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!   

 

 

God Understands And Says Well Done

On By tgifmastermindsIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Just before reading my blog for this week, I invite you to click the face of Tennessee Ernie Ford and listen to a short version of the Christian hymn, “He’ll Understand and Say Well Done”.  Then come back to my blog.

This will help you to understand how God often converses with me in three dimension when he really wants me to understand the true meaning of certain scripture passages, especially when I have been asked to teach them to others.

To be perfectly honest with you, I never felt special or even looked upon this method of Bible study as being a privilege from God until he recently revealed it to me while preparing this week’s blog.  I naively thought that was how The Holy Spirit conversed with everybody.

During my prayer-prep time for entering into the Master’s mind/presence for preparing this week’s blog, I discretely heard the Lord say that He does not work with every biblical writer as He does with me.

My child, He said, you are continually asking Me questions all the while you are researching My Word and looking for validation and confirmation in other areas of scripture.  So since you are imparting information about the role of a Deaconess in the church, all I have to say to you through the Apostle Paul is the following:

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”  Ephesians 4:1-6 KJV

Back in the day, when I was a Deaconess (*), I actually presented the following bible study teaching at the Deaconess Workshop, Saturday, March 5, 1983 at my Baptist church in Rockville, Maryland.  God empowered me to use his Scriptures from Saint John, Chapter 15 (KJV), Webster’s word definitions and a hymn to bring the message.  (The ‘red‘ letters spell out Deaconesses; Webster defined the conduct of a Deaconess; and the hymn describes the reward that will be bestowed on a faithful Deaconess.)

15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches:  He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:  for without me ye can do nothing. Devoted Very Loyal, Very Faithful

If when you give the best of your service,
15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:  that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

 Evangelize Proclaim the Good News

Telling the world…..
15:4  Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except ye abide in me.

15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

 Abide To Remain

…..is come
15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Christ The Expected Deliverer

The Savior…..
15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own:  but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

15:21  But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

 Offended To Hurt The Feelings Of

Be not dismay…..
15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I  have spoken unto you,

15:24  If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin:  but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

 Negative Expressing Denial

When Friends don’t believe you…..
15:9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:  continue ye in my love.

15:17  These things I command you, that ye love one another.

 Empathy The Capacity for participation in or infusion of another’s feelings (The highest of intellect)

He’ll understand and say Well Done.
15:20  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.  If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. Sojourner To live somewhere temporarily

Oh, when I come, to the end of my journey…..
15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Sacrifice An offering of a life or object to a deity

Weary of life and the battle is won!…..

 
15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. Eternal Without Beginning or End

Carrying the Staff and the Cross of Redemption…..
15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. Spirit of Truth Supernatural Being

He’ll understand and say Well Done.

 

I forgot to mention, when God wants me to be serious, he requires that I use the King James Version of Scripture because the words are more poetic and easier to memorize.

Blog He Understands and says Well Done

Speak, Lord, thy servant is listening.

(*) Note:  The ministry of a deaconess is, in modern times, a non-ordained ministry for women in some Protestant churches to provide pastoral care, especially for other women. The term is also applied to some women deacons in the early church.

Scripture Lesson:  Ephesians 4:1-6 KJV (See above.)

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!