Don't Run if God Has Called You to Speak - J. LEE GRADY CHARISMA NEWS

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Don't Run if God Has Called You to Speak

 7/12/2017 J. LEE GRADY  charisma news

If God has called you, don't run away. (Getty Images)

This past Sunday I stood in a pulpit, looked out over a congregation of mostly strangers, cleared the lump in my throat and preached a message that the Lord had laid on my heart from the Bible.

Thousands of men and women speak publicly like this every week. It's what preachers do. No big deal. But even though I speak often, I've found that preaching the gospel is one of the most frightening assignments anyone could attempt. I feel as if I die a thousand deaths right before I do it, and I die several more times after I go home and evaluate what happened.

After one discouraging experience in which an audience stared coldly at me with their arms folded, I determined that preaching surely must not be my calling. I shared my struggle with an older pastor.

"Sometimes I feel discouraged after I speak," I said. "Does that ever happen to you?" I was sure he would counsel me to stop preaching.

His answer shocked me. "Son, I feel that way every Monday morning," he said.

When I tell friends that I stubbornly resisted the call of God to preach because of my lack of confidence, they act surprised. They don't know how much anguish I went through. They think most people who stand in pulpits want to be there. They can't believe that I wrestled with God for months when I felt He was calling me to speak.

We assume God chooses certain people to preach because of their oratory skills. But true preaching is not a natural exercise—it is one of the most supernatural tasks anyone can ever be called to do. It requires an imperfect human vessel to yield himself or herself to speak the very words of God.

If we do this in the flesh, the results are miserable; if we wholly trust the power of the Holy Spirit, prophetic preaching unleashes supernatural anointing.

Most preachers in the Bible were reluctant. Moses made excuses about his stuttering, Gideon tried to disqualify himself because of his family background, and Jeremiah complained about the responsibility of carrying a prophetic burden. Jonah bought a one-way ticket to the other side of the Mediterranean Sea so he wouldn't have to give his unpopular sermon!

And the apostle Paul, who was a silver-tongued Pharisee before he met Christ, was stripped of his eloquence before he preached throughout the Roman Empire. He told the Corinthians: "I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (1 Cor. 2:3-5).

If Paul trembled when he spoke, I have no right to complain when I feel butterflies in my stomach for the thousandth time.

Charismatic revivalist Arthur Katz wrote about the power of true preaching in his 1999 book Apostolic Foundations: "The only one qualified to preach ... is the one who wants to run the other way, like Jonah. ... The man who sighs and groans when called upon to speak, who does not want to be there, who feels terribly uncomfortable ... is the man out of whose mouth the word of true preaching is most likely to come."

That is certainly not the way most of us view pulpit ministry in contemporary America. We celebrate the smooth and the polished. We measure the impact of a sermon not by whether hearts are slain by conviction but by how high the people jump when the preacher tells them what they want to hear.

That kind of carnal preaching may win the accolades of men, boost TV ratings, get lots of hits on social media and even build megachurches. But the kingdom is not built on hipster style or smug self-confidence. We need God's honest words, sent straight from the authentic heart of a broken vessel. The church will live in spiritual famine until reluctant, weak and trembling preachers allow His holy fire to come out of their mouths.

If you have a message from God, stop running. If you are wrestling with God like Jacob did, quit resisting, and let your Maker break your pride; He wants you to walk with a limp the rest of your life so you can lean on Him rather than on your own ability. Die to your fears, doubts and excuses, and drink the cup of suffering that accompanies the genuine call of God. 

J. Lee Grady was editor of Charisma for 11 years before he launched into full-time ministry in 2010. Today he directs The Mordecai Project, a Christian charitable organization that is taking the healing of Jesus to women and girls who suffer abuse and cultural oppression. Author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, he has just released his newest book, Set My Heart on Fire, from Charisma House. You can follow him on Twitter at @LeeGrady or go to his website, themordecaiproject.org.

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Preachers That Are Saying It Is ‘Anti-Christian’ To Get Prepared Are Being Exceedingly Irresponsible - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

Preachers That Are Saying It Is ‘Anti-Christian’ To Get Prepared Are Being Exceedingly Irresponsible Posted: 19 Apr 2016   Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG Is it “anti-faith” to prepare for the very hard times that are coming?  You would be surprised at how many Christians believe that this is true.  Recently, I have been reading a number of articles by Christian leaders that take the position that Christians should not be preppers, and not too long ago I watched two very well known ministers actually mock the idea of preparing for the future on a major Christian television show.  To me, this is exceedingly irresponsible.   If you don’t want to do anything to get prepared for the very difficult years that are coming that is your business, but don’t urge multitudes of your fellow believers to go down that road with you. In Matthew 24, Jesus describes what conditions will be like just prior to His return, and He told us that one of the things that we can expect is famine… 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. Jesus promises us that famine is coming, and if we truly are entering the period of time that the Bible refers to as “the last days”, this is one of the things that we should fully expect to see. And yet there are very prominent preachers out there that have taken the liberty to mock other preachers that are actually encouraging their flocks to store up food and supplies. Well, what are those mocking preachers going to do when things get really crazy and the people in their own congregations don’t have anything to eat? Are those preachers going to personally feed all of them? If you can see what is coming and you don’t warn the people, you are going to be responsible for what happens to them. Without a doubt, it is very clear in the Scriptures that we are not to fear and that we are not to worry.  We are repeatedly commanded to trust God with everything in our lives, but does “having faith” mean that we sit back on our couches watching television while we wait for God to do everything for us? Of course not. Radical faith almost always involves radical action.  God tells us what to do, and then He expects us to trust Him enough to do what He has instructed us to do. If faith really means doing nothing while God does everything, then why would any of us ever go to work? Why wouldn’t we just sit back and wait for God to miraculously zap the money that we need into our bank accounts for us? And why do those that are “living by faith” ever fill up their vehicles with gasoline? Why don’t they just “trust God” to fill up their tanks every time? Look, without a doubt God can do incredible supernatural things that require absolutely no participation on our part.  I know that this is true, because it has happened to me many times.  But the vast majority of the time God works with us and through us.  He requires us to take challenging steps of faith and obedience, and in the process He leads us, He guides us, He blesses us and He opens doors for us. Just look at the example of Noah.  God could have certainly built an ark for Noah, or He could have zapped Noah up to some sort of “heavenly waiting area” while the flood happened. But He didn’t do either of those things. Instead, God ordered Noah to build a boat that was approximately the size of a World War II aircraft carrier, and then He watched as Noah and his family spent years doing exactly that. Noah was the very first “prepper” in the Bible, and his radical faith resulted in radical action.  In Hebrews 11:7, Noah is commended for this… 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Unfortunately, many Christian leaders today mock this kind of effort.  They seem to believe that if God wants them to survive what is coming then He will do everything for them. Another example that we see in the Scriptures is Joseph.  In Genesis chapter 41, God showed Joseph that there would be seven good years followed by seven lean years in the land of Egypt. So how did Joseph respond? He didn’t sit back and relax knowing that seven good years were ahead.  Instead, he implemented the greatest “emergency food storage project” that the world had seen up until that time. By heeding God’s warning and taking radical action, he ended up saving the nation of Egypt and his entire family as well. I don’t get why more Christians can’t seem to understand these things.  So many of them even admit that incredibly hard times are coming, and yet they accuse me of being “anti-faith” because I am constantly urging my readers to get prepared. The following is an excerpt from one email that was sent to me by a fellow believer some time ago… “Now, although I agree with you about the things you write about the corruption of the financial system, and that there will be a collapse, yet I do not agree with you in promoting people to be self-sufficient contrary to the Lord’s teaching. If you truly have God then no provision needs to be made at all for yourself, just trust in God’s providence alone.” Just consider the implications of what this person was saying.  If “no provision needs to be made at all for yourself”, then we should all quit our jobs, empty our bank accounts, quit saving for retirement and cancel our health insurance. Personally, I want to be radical in trusting God, but trusting God almost always involves doing something. There are so many passages in the Bible that speak about working hard and preparing for the future.  For instance, the following bit of wisdom found in Proverbs 6:6-11 comes from the Modern English Version… 6 Go to the ant, you sluggard!     Consider her ways and be wise. 7 Which, having no guide,     overseer, or ruler, 8 provides her bread in the summer,     and gathers her food in the harvest. 9 How long will you sleep, O sluggard?     When will you arise out of your sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,     a little folding of the hands to sleep— 11 so will your poverty come upon you like a stalker,     and your need as an armed man. Approximately one out of every 25 verses in the New Testament is about the last days.  God obviously wants us to understand what we are going to be facing, and just like Noah and Joseph, He expects us to take appropriate action. Unfortunately, most evangelical Christians have been taught that there isn’t any need to get prepared for the future because they are going to be taken off the planet before anything really bad happens.  For the first 1800 years of the Christian era, the church did not teach this, but over the past 200 years this new doctrine has become dominant in the western world.  It is called “the pre-Tribulation rapture”, and I grew up believing it too. But you won’t find it anywhere in the Bible.  In my new book entitled “The Rapture Verdict“, I spend 37 chapters conclusively proving that Jesus does not come back and gather His bride until the Tribulation is over.  It is the clearest and most comprehensive work on the subject anywhere out there, and it is turning out to be one of the most controversial Christian books of 2016. And even if you believe that a pre-Tribulation rapture is coming, the truth is that America is going to fall before we even get to the Tribulation.  This is something that I also cover in my book. So no matter what your view on Christian eschatology is, we all need to be getting prepared to face the exceedingly difficult times that are immediately ahead of us. But just like in the days of Noah, most people are going to ignore the warnings, and the mockers are going to continue to mock until judgment begins. I always expected that unbelievers would mock, but I never expected that so many Christian leaders would gleefully join the mocking. In the end, they and their followers will pay a very great price for not listening to the warnings and not getting prepared while they still had time. *About the author: Michael Snyder is the founder and publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog. Michael’s controversial new book about Bible prophecy entitled “The Rapture Verdict” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.*

An Open Letter to Justin Bieber About Living Like Jesus

f Justin Bieber really wanted to live like Christ, Dr. Michael Brown has a few suggestions. (Reuters)

An Open Letter to Justin Bieber About Living Like Jesus

9/30/2015 MICHAEL BROWN  charisma news

Justin,

I read excerpts of your new interview in Complex magazine, and like many others, what jumped to my attention was that you want to live like Jesus—and you weren't ashamed to say it.

Those are powerful words, and I believe you sincerely mean it.

I'm just wondering, though, if you understand what it really means to live like Jesus.

Can I take a moment and share some of my personal story? You might find it helpful on your own journey.

I became a follower of Jesus at the age of 16 in 1971.

At that time I was a long-haired, LSD-using, heroin-shooting, hippie rock drummer (hey, we're both drummers!), and Jesus completely rocked my world.

It wasn't just a matter of getting rid of drugs and drinking.

It wasn't just a matter of cleaning up my filthy mouth and saying no to fleshly desires.

The old Mike Brown died—not just my outward sins but me myself—and from that moment on, Jesus was my Lord and Master and I lived to do His will.

That was almost 44 years ago, and I've never regretted it for a split second. What an incredible adventure! What an amazing life!

You see, when you find Jesus—I mean really find Him—everything changes.

You just don't add Him in to make things better.

You just don't follow His example and try to be nice to people.

You yourself are transformed.

The old Justin Bieber dies and a new Justin Bieber lives, and the new version of you is so much different than the old one that it's hard to believe you were ever that other person.

Not only so, but there's a change in ownership too.

You are no longer your own; you have been bought with a price; you now belong to God, and you live to please Him.

Unfortunately, a lot of preachers in America have this all wrong.

The way they preach you'd think that God is here to please us. They've turned the whole thing upside down.

We are here to please Him, and I can tell you based on 44 years of experience that there is no greater joy, no greater inner harmony, no greater fulfillment, no greater peace than living to please God.

And living to please God is where you'll find your real purpose, which is not to be famous or have beautiful girls throwing themselves at you or having access to the world's best drugs or putting out another viral video or lighting up social media with your latest post.

No, God's purpose for you is to be a world-changer, to use the gifts and talents He has given you and to really live like Jesus, which means a radical, revolutionary, holy lifestyle.

Of course, you could try to live like the contemporary version of Jesus—a really nice guy who loved everybody (except the religious people) and who was super "tolerant" and "inclusive."

Or you could take out your Bible and spend a few months reading through the gospels over and over again. Talk about a radical leader!

You'd hear Him say, "Enter at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who are going through it, because small is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matt. 7:13-14).

(I know this might sound narrow, but I'll give you an example. You mention wanting to live like Jesus, which, you say, would mean you wouldn't cheat on your girlfriend. It would also mean you wouldn't sleep with your girlfriend either—did you realize that?—and she wouldn't even be your girlfriend if she didn't love Jesus too.)

You'd hear Jesus say, "If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matt. 16:24-25).

That's pretty extreme too, since the person who took up His cross was never coming back.

Are you ready to take that one-way trip, never to return to the old life, living that radically new life in Him?

From the outside, it looks like drudgery—a bunch of religious traditions put together by religious people who just want to make everybody else as miserable as themselves.

I hate that form of religion too.

But from the inside—when you really come to know the Lord—you're exploding with life. Love so amazing you want to pinch yourself to see if it's real. Joy so intense you feel like you're going to burst. And a sense of purpose and destiny beyond anything you've ever known.

Have you ever experienced what I'm talking about?

Have you ever known beyond any possible doubt that your sins are forgiven because of what Jesus did on the cross—the guilt is totally gone!—and you stand absolutely clean in God's sight?

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by God's love that all you can do is love Him back with tears of gratitude?

Justin, I'm sure you have a lot of yes-men surrounding you—after all, you're one of the most famous people in the world—and you probably have some "Christians" who will tell you what you want to hear.

But a real Christian will tell you the truth even if it hurts.

That's what love does, and that's what you need to hear more than anything: the truth.

So let me leave you with this (if you're actually reading this letter, that will be a miracle already).

Get alone one day when no one is around.

Turn off your cell phone and every other distraction.

And say this prayer to God from the depths of your heart: "Heavenly Father, whatever it takes, whatever it means, whatever the cost or consequence, I want to be your son and live like Jesus all the days of my life. If you show me the way, I will follow."

If you really mean it, you'll never be the same, and you'll never look back.

Michael Brown is the host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show The Line of Fire and is the president of FIRE School of Ministry. His newest book is Outlasting the Gay Revolution: Where Homosexual Activism Is Really Going and How to Turn the Tide. Connect with him on Facebook at AskDrBrown or on Twitter @drmichaellbrown.

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Kathie Walters - "Put up your sail and catch the wind." Or "Getting in and out of boats." (Identity Network)

Kathie Walthers

"Put up your sail and catch the wind."  

Or "Getting in and out of boats." 

Have you ever thought of something you would like to do, but you couldn't figure out how it would work or how it would succeed? So you dropped the idea "until later." 

What about the book or booklet you were going to write, but never got around to it? What about the art classes you wanted to take? What about the place you promised yourself to go? Or the person or ministry you really wanted to hang out with? 

You know we only have one life to live down here. You may as well have some adventures. I tell the older people, the grandpas and grandmas - this is the best opportunity you've ever had to get up and do something adventurous.

 

How do you know if it is going to work? Well sometimes you don't know, you have to "give it a go," as they say in NZ or as Janice's husband, David says to her, "Put your sail up and see if the wind will catch it." 

Take the Opportunities 

You have to take opportunities - doors can open and close, windows of opportunity can open and close.  If you don't have your spiritual antenna up you can miss those doors, because you are "busy."  Did you know you can be so busy working for Jesus you can totally miss a God opportunity?  Jesus doesn't require you to work for Him; He wants you to yield to Him so that He can work THROUGH you. Much easier that way.

 

Some opportunities mean that you are in the boat. But you have to push off from the shore. You have to leave familiar territory - your comfort zone and launch out, not exactly knowing all the details on the map either. 

Sometimes you have to get OUT of the boat if the boat has become your comfort zone. Remember Peter, he got out of his comfort zone didn't he?  A boat - that's his territory -  he was comfortable there. He was a fisherman and guess what?  Fishermen practically live in boats. A very familiar place for him he had probably managed to keep safe in all kinds of weather before now. But suddenly! Peter saw Jesus walking on the water. Do you know just like you, Peter had never actually seen anyone do that before. 

I'm sure he had eyes like saucers. "Whaaaat?"  But before he knew it, he realized this was an opportunity, and he leapt into an unknown sphere of faith. He couldn't wait for Jesus to get in the boat, because that particular  opportunity would pass.  He leapt into action, didn't he? 

Next thing - there he is walking on the water. Whhoooa amazing.  Of course we all know he got His eyes off Jesus and had to get back in the boat, but at least he had a go.  At least he knew in future that's a possibility. 

Sometimes You Can't Wait 

You know sometimes there isn't six months for you to debate about how to respond to an open door.  You have an idea of something but that's not enough - you have to push out from the shore, you, have to raise the sail. You have to let the wind catch the sail. 

Do you know that in Ireland in the 5th century and 6th century there were many preachers in the monasteries. During that Celtic revival the monasteries would have about 4,000 young men and women. They were like our Bible colleges. They healed the sick, preached the Gospel and raised the dead.  Some of them, called the Peregrini, would get into a boat off the shores of Ireland. The boat had no engine, no oars and no rudder. They hoisted the sail and trusted God to send the winds to take them where they were meant to go.  Brendan, the navigator, had many miraculous adventures that way. He even sailed to America (the land of promise he called it.) 

So, what about you?  You can stay in your comfort zone - in your familiar boat, or you can raise the sail and let the winds take you out and into the purposes of God.  It's so easy to get settled, isn't it? Now is not that time. We all have heard and seen the prophesies about the move of God and about the CHANGES. 

Follow Me 

Peter was probably quite successful as a fisherman. He was comfortable there - it's what he knew. But He met Jesus and Jesus really turned his boat upside down. There he was in his comfort zone life and suddenly he met a man unlike any other man he had ever met. One day Jesus said, "Hey Peter, leave all that fishing, get out of your boat, I have some other fish to fry."  Kathie's interpretation, but it's good (and scriptural). 

Peter had to make a decision didn't he? Jesus didn't say, "I will give you six months to think it over and if you feel so inclined, well you can come with me."  He just said to Peter, "Follow me," and probably carried on walking. 

Are you ready to hoist the sail?  Are you going to push away from the shore?  If you want things to change you have to do something different. I don't believe it's the will of God that you are in a job that you hate, or a ministry or church you can hardly stand; That's immoral really as you will never give it your best. He puts His desires in your heart so that when you serve Him, it's delightful, because it's in your heart. What really is in your heart?  Keep your antenna up.  Hoist the sail, let the wind come and take you where He wants you to go. 

Read my Celtic Book, Celtic Flames, and read about the great adventures those 6th century Fathers of the faith had - Patrick and Brendan and Brigid and Cuthbert and Comgall, who founded the famous Bangor Monastery. They all raised the dead, healed the sick and preached the Gospel. You can find it on www.identitynetwork.net. 

Kathie Walters

www.kathiewaltersministry.com

kathiewalters@mindspring.com

 

 

 

 

 

Columba -The Celtic Dove

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By Kathie Walters
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FIRE IN MY BONES - J. Lee Grady - "8 Qualities We Need in Today's Leaders"

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8 Qualities We Need in Today’s Leaders

10/9/2013 J. LEE GRADY, Charisma magazine

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The book of Nehemiah begins and ends with a prayer.

Five years ago, I had a birthday with a zero in it—and it scared me! But instead of fighting the aging process, I made an important decision: From now on, regardless of what else I do, my main priority is tomentor the next generation. That’s why I spend a lot of my time investing my time in young leaders.

There are some great resources on the market today about discipleship, but one of my favorites has been around a long time: the book of Nehemiah. I find in his story the best leadership principles recorded anywhere. And I love to share these with anyone who feels called to build something for God. 

At a time when many Christian leaders today are failing, we need to reclaim these eight vital qualities:

1. You must have a sure calling. Nehemiah said to the king: “Send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it” (Neh. 2:5, NASB, emphasis added). Nehemiah was a “sent one.” He was called by God, and he surrendered. You must be convinced that you are called. You may have great preaching skills, a powerful anointing or a magnetic personality, but human abilities and God-given talents alone will not make you successful. You must know that you know that you know that God has sent you.

2. You need a heavenly burden. When Nehemiah heard that Jerusalem’s walls were destroyed and that the Jews were displaced, he wept (1:4). His call to leadership flowed out of true compassion for people. The most successful leaders step into their assignments not because they want to make a name for themselves or because they want a paycheck from a church, but because they want to help others. If love is not your motivation, do us all a favor and wait until God’s compassion grips you. The church today does not need any more leaders with personal agendas or selfish ambitions.  

3. Your life must be saturated in prayer. The book of Nehemiah begins and ends with a prayer—reminding us that any successful leader must live a life of intercession if he wants to build successfully. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Prayer has become as essential to me as the heaving of my lungs and the beating of my pulse.” Phrases such as “So I prayed ...” or “But we prayed ...” (2:4; 4:9) are inserted often in Nehemiah’s narrative. Any successful leader will experience the same rhythm of heartfelt prayers and joyful answers.

4. You must be a team player. Nehemiah was consumed by a great vision, but he did not attempt it alone. He went to the people and said, “Come, let us rebuild” (2:17, emphasis added). He was also willing for the members of his team to get credit. About 40 key men and women who repaired the gates and walls of the city are mentioned in the third chapter. Like the apostle Paul—who bragged incessantly about his co-workers—Nehemiah was not afraid to share the spotlight. You must make a habit of empowering and praising the people God has called to serve with you.

5. You must be humble. The governors prior to Nehemiah were oppressive and greedy. They demanded feasts and royal treatment, but Nehemiah set a new example by living frugally (5:14-19). Leaders today must reject the attitude of entitlement that has been practiced by many of our predecessors who thought Christian leadership was about limousines, tailored suits and luxury accommodations. Nehemiah set a new trend when he said, “I did not demand the governor’s food allowance” (5:18). Let’s model servanthood.

6. You must have a practical plan. When the king asked Nehemiah what he wanted to do about Jerusalem, he didn’t hesitate to whip out his blueprint. He needed money, specific building supplies and official letters of authorization. And when Nehemiah got to Jerusalem, he did a detailed assessment of the damages. He knew how much work was required. If God has called you to build a church, a ministry or a business, a heavenly burden isn’t enough. Count the cost, make a budget and plan your steps.

7. You must be a fighter. As soon as Nehemiah set foot on Jerusalem’s soil, Sanballat and Tobiah began their demonic campaign to stop him. When you volunteer for any spiritual assignment, you automatically become a target. If you want a life without trials, difficulties and spiritual warfare, don’t attempt something big for God. The warfare was so intense for Nehemiah that the people had to carry swords in one hand and tools in the other (4:15-17). Good leaders are multitaskers: They know how to fight and build at the same time.

8. You must be committed to God’s Word. Nehemiah 8:4 is the only reference in the Bible to a pulpit—and it was built so that the regathered Jews could hear God’s Word read aloud in the restored city. Good leaders give the Word the platform it deserves—and they don’t rewrite the message to fit their culture or distract people from the Word with religious sideshows. Always make God’s truth the main event—and discipleship your primary mandate.

God, give us leaders like Nehemiah! In this crazy season of apostate denominations, backslidden preachers and clueless Christians, let’s commit ourselves to build God’s way.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of the Mordecai Project (themordecaiproject.org). You can follow him on Twitter at @leegrady. He is the author of The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale and other books.

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