Amber Picota: "God is Raising Up Uncommon Leaders in Uncommon Places"
From the desk of Steve Shultz:
I know this word by Amber Picota will minister to many of you and you'll be moved, literally, to, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation," as Jesus commanded us to do.
I have high respect for people who are called to minister into the highways and byways and don't fit the mold of what we think much ministry should look like. I know ministers who go to uncommon places like New Age fairs, porn events, and minister right on the streets...and God is multiplying this in great numbers!
As Amber shares here:
We are seeing unlikely ministers who don't look, talk or act like professional preachers, who are literally just doing the work and sharing the Gospel in places that typical church-folk might be too scared to go. They are moving in power without a big flashy show, without any dramatic flair. They just do the stuff.
As you read through this article...be encouraged to just "do the stuff" right where you're at! (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
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The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News
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The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News
http://www.elijahlist.com
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"God is Raising Up Uncommon Leaders in Uncommon Places"
All throughout the world in the Body of Christ, I am seeing something very interesting take place. I heard it in my spirit before I even began to see it transpire, but only now have I really been able to put it into words.
In this season, God is promoting people into leadership in the Body of Christ that just do not fit the "churchy" ideals that we have attributed to church leaders in the past.
Once upon a time, in the not so distant past, it would have been hard to picture anything other than a preacher in a nice suit, preaching behind a pulpit (or in some outdoor tent) with a mic, when picturing a church leader.
Things are shifting and changing very rapidly right now. The Body of Christ has been in a season of great shift and transition. God has been pushing unlikely and uncommon leaders to the forefront of influencing the Church.
"The truth is that grace will meet you anywhere, in any pit of the most vile sin. "
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These are people who God Himself has promoted to a place of great influence that the religious system is often even offended by. They could be easily written off by someone with a closed mind and labeled heretics, lunatics, and zealots by the religious and legalistic. They will often challenge the status quo and they do ministry in a nontraditional way. Some are social media ministers and street ministers. Some are extremely young and some are extremely old. Some are inked and pierced up. Some are business professionals. Some are forerunners and trailblazers, doing things that have never been done before.
One thing is certain: God is promoting unlikely people into leadership positions and positions of influence within the Body of Christ.
An Indicator of What is to Come
I believe this is a strategic move by God that indicates the season that is to come. We are on the cusp of some very amazing things that are about to happen in the world. I believe there are two major "moves of God" that these "unlikely leaders" will be the forerunners of. I will share with you what God has shown me.
• Number 1:
Firstly, I believe there is a move of God that is happening far outside of the "church world". It isn't happening on Sunday mornings, nor is it even happening in a church. It's happening in bars, on the streets, in homes over dinner, and in extremely unlikely places. This is a move of God that is and will continue to bring in the Hell's angels type of people, the gang members, the drug cartels, satanists, prostitutes, junkies, and the other types of people who have been pushed away from institutionalized religion. God is using uncommon leaders to go places that many would be afraid to go to.
• Number 2:
Secondly, another move of God that I see happening is EXTREMELY INTERESTING to me and quite frankly, it was surprising to me. It was something that when God showed me what He was doing, left me shaking my head in awe for several days because quite honestly, it blew my mind.
God revealed to me that just as there is a movement happening with people who have been pushed away from the religious establishment, there is also a movement where God is sending missionaries INTO the religious and legalistic places with the Gospel of grace.
They won't go in spouting doctrine (although there's nothing wrong with good doctrine). They will go in with signs, wonders, and unfathomable love, grace, forgiveness, kindness and joy.
In these religious churches, the Gospel and the love of Christ isn't being preached well. Instead of telling people that anyone can "call upon the name of the Lord," that Jesus will receive them where they're at, no matter how big of a mess they've made, they are passing off a a gospel that says a person needs to do certain things, jump through certain hoops, stop sinning, and get their life cleaned up, etc., before God will receive them. This keeps people away and from turning to God because they don't even know that God would receive them no matter what...right where they're at!
The truth is that grace will meet you anywhere, in any pit of the most vile sin. But thank You Jesus, grace will not leave you where it finds you. Grace will transform people's lives, if we'll stop packaging it with caution tape.
Are You Ready For This?!!
Are you ready though? Because the Church as you know it is changing so rapidly! I believe the Church will look drastically different in a matter of 5 years! Both of these moves of God have already begun!
We are seeing unlikely ministers who don't look, talk or act like professional preachers, who are literally just doing the work and sharing the Gospel in places that typical church-folk might be too scared to go. They are moving in power without a big flashy show, without any dramatic flair. They just do the stuff.
"God has been pushing unlikely and uncommon leaders to the forefront of influencing the Church.""
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Already, we're seeing this type of movement where God is sending missionaries of the Gospel INTO the Church. These unlikely leaders that God is moving onto the scene are experiencing something very similar to this parable here in Matthew 20:1-16:
"For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'
"So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.' And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.
And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.' But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way.
I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?' So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen."
God is moving them into the harvest field as influential harvesters, and He has favored them just as highly as seasoned ministers. This is not due to anything they've done, and no amount of prayer and fasting buys you favor. This is just the divine choice of God in this season.
These leaders will need to be aware of the seasons that the Body of Christ is going through as a whole, so that they are clothed in humility, despite the levels of rapid promotion and acceleration that they have experienced.
I know this because my husband and me have been some of those leaders who God has quickly moved into positions of influence, unexpectedly. It can be startling and abrupt, it is a huge responsibility, but it is a joyful task that I am honored to participate with. It is also something we needed to be aware of because the enemy would do anything possible to take these people out.
If you are one of these leaders, simply know the season we are in as the Body of Christ; remain humble and identify an attack of the enemy quickly so that you can agree with God instead of some demonic lie that the enemy might try to sidetrack you with.
It is my hope that this word would be a blessing to your life, but also that it would inspire you to align with what God is doing right now in the Earth. This is an exciting time to be alive! Heaven is invading the earth! (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
Amber Picota
Co-Pastor Streams of Life Church
Email: amazingamberpicota@gmail.com
Website: www.amberpicota.com
Co-Pastor Streams of Life Church
Email: amazingamberpicota@gmail.com
Website: www.amberpicota.com
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