I just finished the brand new book Right Turns: Navigational Decisions Leading Pastors Make in Growing the Church and it was a wonderful read! My friend Dick Hardy composed this work and it is the perfect sequel to his freshman project, 27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask.

Right Turns is broken down into six segments:

• Section 1: Leadership
• Section 2: Volunteer Development
• Section 3: Guest Retention
• Section 4: Personal Life
• Section 5: Staffing
• Section 6: Criticism

Dick covers “everything but preaching” which is great for pastors who don’t have [the best] administration in place, have reached an unhappy plateau, or simply want to do better—because we can always do better.

For the Non-Pastors Out There

After I concluded my reading, what I realized was that Right Turns is not just for pastors. Although it certainly stems from Dick’s many years as a ministry administrator and church growth consultant, Right Turns need not be just for ministers.

If you want advice grow growing your organization, business, or other people-based group, Right Turns is for YOU! Topics like leadership, volunteer development, customer service and hospitality (guest retention), personal life, staffing, and criticism are something we can all relate to. Here are a few examples.

• We all need to learn how to rule without dictating.
• We all need to learn how to motivate and train our staff and peers.
• We all need to learn how to maintain lives of integrity and wisdom.
• We all need to learn how to graciously deal with correct and not-so-correct criticism.

I may not presently be in ministry, but there is a wealth of relevant information to be found in Right Turns. Furthermore, because I do have an extensive background serving in various ministerial capacities, I can relate to much that is written in this book. I literally had flashbacks of many of those experiences as well as creative ideas for future ministerial endeavors.

Right Turns is also a gem because it can be read in full or consulted on a topic-specific basic. Who wants to use their washing machine to correct a tiny spill if they can just pull out their trusty Shout wipes and spot-clean? Right Turns is perfect for both situations. I find that the “spot-cleaning” ability is one of the criteria for longevity in non-fiction literature.

My family has been acquainted with Dick’s for almost twenty years; his daughter Erin and I attended junior high and college together. (Talk about full circle!) We also attended the same church in Des Moines, IA which is where we met. This is what our former pastor and awesome man of God, John Palmer, had to say of the book:

I had the privilege of serving at a great church with Dick for over 15 years. He is a godly man whose writing is practical, motivational, and biblical. You want to read and share Right Turns. (John M. Palmer; President of Emerge Ministries; Akron, Ohio)

I could not agree more!

I admonish you to order your copy of Right Turns today!

**EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT**

If you would like to learn more about Dick Hardy, his books, his business, and his experience with writing and publishing, join us for the launch of my FREE Captive No More Authors Tele-Seminar!

This FREE event will take place on Monday, May 27th at 8pm, EST and all registrants will be entered into the GIVEAWAYS! We’ll be giving away:

• 2 copies of Right Turns
• 2 copies of 27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask
• 2 copies of Identifying Absences from Dick’s Make It Happen DVD Series

I had a very disheartening—and angering—conversation with someone I love very much the other day. This person has been a mentor of sorts over the years and I respect them very much. However, as of late, the advice I’ve received from them has proven good, not godly.

This particular conversation largely consisted of this well-meaning individual telling me that what I was doing wasn’t working and I needed to entertain other options—other options that for good and godly reasons had been removed from the table a long time ago. Needless to say I was hurt, offended, and angry.

And then I had an “aha moment.”

GOOD advice is not always GOD advice. Discern the difference.

What this person had been feeding me over the past few years was just an opinion, yet it was not beneficial to my personal situation and where I am in life.

The words this person used stung so painfully because 1) we’d been down this road before and because 2) I’m still tempted from time to time to take their original advice, despite the fact that I know it’s not what God would have me do.

As I’m sure you all know, you have those moments and seasons where nothing seems to be working; you feel barren and unproductive despite all your efforts and the knowledge of why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Enter this blogpost.

Questions to Ask Yourself

When you find yourself in a situation like this, you need to be very honest with yourself: revisit what God has told YOU—not your mama, not your daddy, not your friends, or anyone else but YOU. Contrary to what we incorrectly preach today in Church, God does not always confirm His word to you through other people’s approval. In fact, it’s often quite the opposite. So here are a few thoughts for you to keep in mind.

One-Level vs. Multi-Level Structure

What are you building?? Is it a single-level or a multi-level structure? Is what you’re doing based on a fad or other short-term endeavor or does it have the longevity to reach far into the future?

I was recently listening to an excellent sermon series by Bishop Tudor Bismark entitled “Eliminating Poverty” in which he often referred to his early days in marriage and ministry. He and his wife, ChiChi, had nothing when they were married and next to nothing shortly thereafter. He describes how they used bed sheets to cover their windows because they couldn’t afford curtains, purchased their sons first beds in a garage sale for ten Zimbabwean dollars each, and even some of their parishioners made fun of them because they had no chairs and ate their dinner sitting on their stairs.

The people looking down on them were also newly weds filling their houses with store-bought furnishings and the latest in home décor, but there was one distinction between the Tudors and “the Jones”—while the Jones were renting their house, the Bismarks owned theirs. The Bismarks understood the importance of ownership and the longevity it would bring while the other people, years later, are still renting at astronomical rates, living in homes furnished with “the same old furniture” as when they first got married!

The taller the structure you build, the deeper the foundation must be. While you may feel barren because you’re temporarily broke or frustrated because you can’t see even the sprouts of the seeds you’ve planted, harvest time always comes. 

Faith vs. Cray-Cray

You must examine whether you are truly acting in faith or being just plain “cray-cray” (crazy, insane, etc.). A lot of these people running around “naming and claiming” things, cherry-picking Scriptures are flat out cray-cray. While others are “suffering for the glory”—not just the glory of God, but glory that comes with seeing “the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

You can tell the faith-filled from the cray-cray by one distinct criterion—their adherence (or lack thereof) to the Word of God. If you left your spouse to “pursue your dreams,” are mishandling your finances and not tithing, living a dishonest life, or other ungodly actions, God is most certainly NOT going to bless your mess! True repentance is in order for you to reap the benefits of God’s hand (provision).

However, if you are living a godly lifestyle and doing all you know to do, chances are, you are right where you need to be—in the perfect will of God. And when the time is right, you will bear the fruit of your perseverance.

The Glory Factor

Many times in the Scripture, we encounter a few women who were barren: Sarah, the mother of Isaac; Manoah’s wife, the mother of Sampson; Hannah, the mother of the Prophet Samuel; and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Now, in an archaic society where barrenness was seen (and rightfully so) as a curse, I’m sure life was very humiliating for these women—especially for Sarah and Hannah whose husbands had other wives who were baby-making machines. Yet there is one powerful similarity that all of these women share—they were barren for a purpose. And while that purpose varied from situation, the ultimate end of that purpose was to bring God the maximum amount of glory!

Had the circumstances of these various women been lessened and shortened, the situation would have seemed to be solved by natural means. Maybe it’s your location like Sarah, the level of adversity like Hannah, or the divine time of deliverance like with Manoah’s wife and Elizabeth, these women—contrary to society’s opinion of them—brought forth children exactly when they were supposed to.

Some months ago, I was very frustrated about the timing of a situation asking (demanding really) God why it hadn’t happened already and this was His response:

Little time, little glory; long time, greater glory.

Despite the looks of barrenness, if you are truly in the will of God, and truly building something of worth with staying power, then you will reap a great harvest! Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your business, book, ministry, or family. “Keep on keepin’ on,” stay positive, and God will absolutely bless your endeavors and in the end!

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9)

This is a chapter from my book How to Write Fiction that Doesn't Suck. I realise that a lot of people struggling with the same thing when it comes to writing--not just fiction--and I want to encourage and motivate you to start now! No excuses! Enjoy!

The problem with most people who consider themselves aspiring authors is that they spend the bulk of their existence, if not their entire lives aspiring to do what they never took the time to accomplish. I once had a client who asked to meet with me because she couldn’t figure out something things in her manuscript. Honestly, I wasn’t sure why we couldn’t just do it over the phone (I also presumed that a phone consultation would be much easier for her since she’s got a couple small children), yet I agreed to meet with her against my better judgment. 

We were only supposed to meet for a half an hour, yet once we got to our meeting point she managed to tell me the entire plot of her story without asking me one question. And it had most certainly been over an hour. I agreed to meet with her because she’d been previously used and thwarted by another in the area of writing so I wanted to give her some extra attention. Yet, honestly, I just found myself perturbed.

So finally, I asked her: “OK ‘Suzy,’ I’m confused; what exactly did you need my help with?” She didn’t really have a bona fide answer. (Not one that I remember or that truly answered my question anyway.) So I looked at her, further perturbed, although not visibly, and said, “Honey, you just need to sit down and write the book!”

I am sure if I asked you, you could come up with 101 excuses as to why you haven’t or can’t write your book, yet at the end of the day you just have to tell yourself you’re going to do it and stick to your guns.

Dr. Myles Munroe, one of the foremost individuals in the arenas of leadership and business, often teaches that the richest place in the world is the graveyard.

Think about it: consider all of the people who had phenomenal ideas, ingenious concepts, amazing inventions, cures to life-threatening diseases, the solution to world hunger, economic tools to eradicate systemic poverty, and more. Now ask yourself where they are? If they are dead, they are chilling in a graveyard somewhere with the wealth of their imaginations buried with them like the Egyptians monarchs of old who tried to take their temporal riches with them into an eternal realm. It doesn’t work like that! We are “endowed by our Creator” with gifts that are meant to be shared with each other and left on the earth. In the words of Dr. Munroe, we need to “die empty.”

Nike had it right when they came up with their “just do it” slogan. People everywhere (like me!) have hi-jacked it for their own purposes because that’s often the smartest motivation for a person. Just do it! Stop it with the excuses, stop telling yourself why you can’t do it and letting other people tell you the same. If you just do it, then you be able to look back on your life and in particular, your work, and see what you accomplished because you didn’t just sit around talking about what you aspire to do, you actually did it!

Earlier this week, I heard another powerful thought leader, Kyle Searcy, say this:

Some people need to just “fire” instead of saying “Ready, aim, aim, aim…” and never firing.

If this is you, stop it! Take up your pen and paper, iPad, laptop, or pc and just aim—write and stop making excuses that prevent you from doing it.

Write First, THEN Edit  

In the movie Finding Forrester, Sean Connery portrays a Scottish hermit-of-an-author who takes a young, Black inner city student with astounding writing potential under his wing. During one particular mentoring session, they both sit down at typewriters (I know, old school right?) and Connery a.k.a. Forrester commands the youth Jamal to write admonishing him with this wisdom:

Write your first draft with your heart. Rewrite with your head.

What excellent advice! I heard another professional mention that you respectively write and edit with separate halves of your brain. Therefore if you try to edit while you’re writing, you’ll likely quench your creative juices and possibly even discourage yourself from finishing the piece at all. Don’t let this happen to you. 

This past Monday, I had the opportunity to participate in my first #MentorMonday hosted by none other than Mr. Paul Carrick Brunson! It was a power-packed hour of wisdom, fun, and interaction with other like-minded individuals. If you missed it, you can watch the Spreecast playback here.  

In this #MentorMonday session, I was able to come on screen and meet my new friend Paul and ask him my question! This was my [paraphrased] query.

I had an individual that I do NOT know approach me on Facebook to mentor me. He had me sign up for an appointment which—unbeknownst to me—turned into a coaching session. This is VERY awkward. How do I deal with this??

After sharing some laughs about this individual being kinda creepy Paul went ahead to share some tips on how to actually select a mentor. Here they are!

3 Tips for Choosing a Mentor:

1) Choose a Mentor Whose Values Align with Yours.

This is personally my number one. Mentors I subscribe to share my values and spiritual beliefs. I find it difficult to connect fully with individuals whose spiritual values differ from mine.

This is also a tip that can go across the board for selecting friends, love interests, etc.

Can two walk together unless they are agreed? (Amos 3:3)

Think about it: if prayer and faith make up your belief system, then can you truthfully select a mentor who’s willing to cut corners and cheat to “succeed” in business and life? I think not.

2) Choose a Mentor Who Walks the Walk.

If you’re like me, then you’ve been approached by many who CLAIM to be “experts” in their fields. Now I believe just like the next person in constructive embellishment. However, there is a distinct difference between embellishing and lying. And honestly, you don’t want a mentor who needs to embellish: they are what they are and their fruit (i.e. clients, financial revenue, proven wisdom, etc.) reflects that.

Choose the mentor that practices what they preach. Period.

3) Choose a Mentor Who is Accessible.

Paul gave an excellent example of accessibility. If President Barack Obama offers to mentor me, that’s a lovely thought on his part, but it’s not realistic. When would the POTUS and most influential individual in the world have time to mentor anyone?? That’s a very lovely pipe-dream. Maybe we could talk when his term is up?

Choose a mentor who is readily available to you: they actually respond to your emails, they call you back, they make time for you. As wise and helpful as the person may be, if they don’t have time for you—or won’t make time for you—then they are not the right mentor for you.

BONUS TIP

You select your mentor, not the other way around.

If an individual approaches you (especially the way I was approached), that person more often than not, has an agenda not conducive to your destiny.

Only you can select your mentor because you know what you are looking for. If you follow these criteria and pray about it, then you are sure to meet the right mentors for your life!

Starting searching for the right mentor today!

I’d been working on a blogpost that I was on the fence about posting, but ultimately, I decided that “y’all ain’t ready.” (If I end up posting it, it will likely be on my personal blog.) However, there were other circumstances that arose which prompted me to write this post instead.

I may not do business like you.

I may not talk like you.

And I “dang skippy” don’t write like you.

But guess what?! THAT’S OK!

I’m very comfortable with the fact that I have an in-your-face style of communication, especially when it comes to serious matters. I’m also comfortable with the fact that I can go from business to Jesus to Lord of the Rings.

Success in life, love, ministry, and business is all about being the you that God has created you to be.

I know for me, this has a polarizing effect. So I’m going to take my life into my hands so to speak and invite you to unsubscribe from this blog if you know that I’m not your cup of tea.

I’m serious.

If you really don’t like me, the fact that I’m an authoress-entrepreneuress trying to make it in the world, or that I’m obsessed with Jesus and Lord of the Rings—whatever. If you’re on my email list, please feel free to scroll to the bottom of your last email from me and hit “Unsubscribe” at the bottom of the message.

And though this bold act may prove cringe-worthy for me, I believe that it will simultaneously welcome those who are actually interested in my message.

There will be no hard feelings against anyone who decides to say good-bye.

However, if you know that being a part of my “happy little tribe” has blessed you, then share this with someone else! Invite them to subscribe!

God Bless!

Desiree, xx

Today, I’d like to introduce you all to my friend, Kathy R. Green. She is a published author as well as a publishing consultant and she’s here to chat with us today! 

Women: NOW is your time! Rarely do you hear the Church and the world saying the same thing and even more rarely is it a good and godly thing when that happens. Yet NOW is that time. NOW is the time for the women of God to claim their inheritance!

In the Book of Numbers, we are introduced to the Daughters of Zelophehad. (Say that five times quickly! Lol)

Then came the daughters of Zelophehad… and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: “Our father died in the wilderness…and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.” So Moses brought their case before the Lord. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.  And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’” And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the Lord commanded Moses. (Numbers 27:1-11 emphasis mine)

Now skip ahead to the Book of Job where we meet his daughters.

Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; He also had seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. (Job 42:12-15 emphasis mine)

Now, theologians over the years have come to place the time of Moses and Job around the same time frame which means that something phenomenal was released at that time—women for the first time in biblical history rose up RESPECTFULLY and claimed their inheritance!

Back during the times of the Exodus, it truly was a man’s world. Yet that did not stop Zelophehad’s daughters from claiming what they knew was theirs. Also, God blessed Job with the wisdom to give his beautiful daughters an inheritance along with their brothers! What an awesome time for women!

These days, we may not be suffering wondering whether or not our fathers will leave us an inheritance due to the law, yet we can apply this principle to our professional lives.

Most women work for someone else making their boss’ dream happen instead of their own. These women are restricted by someone else’s schedule, someone who says they can and cannot get off, someone who decides how much they get paid, and so forth and so on. That doesn’t sound like freedom to me.

Yet being able to choose what you do, choose your schedule, choose if you can “take off” to care for a sick child or spouse is freedom.

Being an entrepreneur is the most liberating career choice a woman can choose.

She can handle home and her career without lacking. And NOW is the time, the best time of all to leap for it!

Here’s some proof.

…American women are starting about 550 new businesses a day, opening more than 200,000 new enterprises in the past year. The rate of startup activity by women leaped 54 percent and far outstripped the overall business creation growth rate of 37 percent. 

First is the growth of women's networking activity, which has flourished in recent years. Groups such as Ladies Who Launch and Wild Women Entrepreneurs are attracting younger women, as well as women looking to grow big, national companies. Having a support group of other women peers who are serious about entrepreneurship can make a big difference, giving women more resources and simply the belief that they can grow a big company.

(Source: Entrepreneur.com “I Am Woman…See Me Grow My $1 Million Business")

Now, you may be saying to yourself, “This is great! But what does it have to do with me??” Great question!

I believe that prophetically, this is the season for women to step out and claim what is theirs by divine right!

When Zelophedad and Job’s daughters stepped up to claim what they knew was theirs, the laws of the nation came into alignment with what the Word of the Lord stated. This is where we are.

So if you’re a woman, get on your face, keep your ears open, and hear what the Spirit is saying! Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and also, faith without works is dead so:

Step 1: Hear!
Step 2: Have Faith!
Step 3: Act on It!

Men, don’t act you didn’t just read this post! Take this opportunity to encourage the women in your own life to do what God has gifted them to do! You’d be surprised how far your words of affirmation can go!

NOW is the time women!! Rise up and claim what is yours!!

Most of you have probably heard the uproar by now, but in case you’ve been under a very large and heavy rock, you know that “Bow Down” is Mrs. Carter a.k.a. Beyonce’s new single for her new album and new Mrs. Carter World Tour.

As someone who vocally respects Bey and is obsessed with all things royal (authentic or otherwise) I have to say I was a bit excited about her new project with all of its royal allures.

And then I started seeing the words “bow down” showing up everywhere. Facebook…Twitter…Tumblr….

And then she released the song.

Can we say career killer?!?!

You can think what you want about Beyonce, secular music, etc. but one thing I can tell you is that down through the years, women have been excited by the empowering songs Bey has put out over the years.

“Independent Women” for the Charlie’s Angels Soundtrack.

“All the Single Ladies.”

“Who Run the World?”

And now, “Bow Down.”

Sounds kinda schizo if you ask me.

How do you go from lifting up our entire sex to smashing them under your stiletto and demanding them to “bow down” AND call them b*tches—multiple times?? (View the lyrics here.)  

Schizo I say!!

That’s one theory. Here’s the second.

Her Illuminati-loving husband who’s spit the lyrics:

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

That’s the anthem get’cha d*mn hands up

(Source: AZLyrics.com)

Has officially gotten into her head—and her music. Her spouse has officially become a career liability.

(If you can’t spell, H + O + V + A = Hova. Her husband’s stage name is “Jay Z” also known as “Jay” which means Jay + H + O + V + A = Jehovah. This man thinks he’s actually god.

And guess what the Bible says about marriage:

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5 emphasis mine)

Which means that Beyonce has joined herself in every aspect to “Mr. I Think I’m God” and is now publicly reaping the benefits of that.

God help poor little Blue Ivy Carter!!

My third theory is that maybe this was her plan all along. I know I’m reaching here. But if it’s not the fault of being schizophrenic (which I joke about, but the Bible speaks severely of being double-minded—it’s a SPIRIT not a stage name!) and if it’s not the fault of her heathen hubby’s influence, then what else could it be?

Did Beyonce purposely raise up women as a whole boost our egos only so she could smack us all down to pay her homage once she has effectively “gained the whole world”?

It looks to me as if this diva’s taken one step too far and lost her soul. Or should I say “sold it”?

Some of you may think that the entire concept of selling one’s soul is impossible, a concept thought up by over-zealous, deeply drowning Christians. I have biblical proof that you are incorrect.

Satan was so crazed, so bold, and so off his rocker that he tried to get Jesus Himself—the very Son of God—to sell him His soul.

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”  Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” (Matthew 4:8-10 emphasis mine)

There you have it. Jesus, of course, made the right decision. It would appear that “Queen Bey” did not.

She has effectively been given the whole world and given up her soul.

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (Matthew 16:26)

I say “given up her soul” instead of “lost her soul” because I believe there is hope. As long as there is breath in her body, Beyonce still has a chance to change her allegiance and “bow down” and worship the God of Gods, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Either way Bey will bow.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 emphasis mine)

Bey will bow voluntarily or involuntarily. Let’s hope that she makes the choice willingly while she is yet alive to accept Christ as her Lord and Saviour, while she can win her husband to the Lord, while she can raise little “B.I.C.” in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and while the masses can still be influenced by her undeniably God-given gifts.

Yet for the time being, tell Bey I ain’t bowin’! Now run tell THAT! 

This is the season of Easter and Passover. In the Scripture we learn that the traditions, beliefs, practices, etc. of the Old Testament were filtered through the Cross of Christ and into the dispensation we now live in. This results in three possible outcomes:

• Practices that Are Eradicated: Such as daily washings and cleansings, not eating shellfish, etc. have been completely done away with. (And thank God because I LOVE shrimp!)
• Practices that Are Revised: Such as Animal Sacrifice. We no longer sacrifice animals because when Christ gave His life on the cross, He became the Ultimate, eternal sacrifice.
• Practices that Are the Same: We yet gather together in unity because whether Old or New Testament, the commandment remains the same. The location may have changed from a temple to a church or synagogue, yet our unity remains the same.

The celebration of Passover and Easter is another example of a practice that has been revised. And although I will not pretend to be a Jewish expert, I do know the Scripture and it paints a clear enough picture.

God did not send Christ to earth haphazardly. Neither did Christ act haphazardly once He reached the earth. Therefore the fact that Christ’s apprehension, trial, death, and resurrection all happened during the feast of Passover was not a coincidence.

In the Book of Exodus, the blood of the Passover lamb allowed the Spirit of Death to “pass over” the Children of Israel.

When Christ allowed Himself to be crucified and descended into the depths of the earth to give Satan the biggest surprise of his life to date, Christ conquered death and captivity.

When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. (Ephesians 4:8)

He confirmed the completion of that quest when He resurrected from the grave.

Now here’s my point. Those “gifts” referred to in Ephesians are your talents and skills. And these gifts indicate your purpose and your destiny.

Now let’s visit the Book of Isaiah.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me…
TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND THE OPENING OF THE PRISON TO THOSE WHO ARE BOUND;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
(Isaiah 61:1-2 emphasis mine)

We see here (and Jesus quotes this passage in the Gospel of Luke and fulfills it) that Christ was specifically anointed to “proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” It also declares that NOW is the acceptable or favourable year of the Lord. 

So what are you waiting for??

Your freedom to fulfill your purpose was already purchased, your gifts already given. Now all you have to do is accept it and walk in it.

This is what Release the Captive Voice is all about. Allowing your voice and your message—your gifts—to be unchained and released into the world!

What is the good of a present that goes unopened? Or a gift card that remains unredeemed?

You have been given a magnificent gift card and NOW is the time to make good on it by redeeming it to the benefit of yourself, your career, your ministry, and the world.

You have until Sunday, March 31st at 11:59pm, EST to register for Release the Captive Voice Online Course.

I can’t wait to start this #captivenomore journey with you next week!

To learn more about Release the Captive Voice Online Course, see here.  

With the world and social media up in arms over the push for marriage equality by homosexuals, the like, and their supporters everywhere, it’s time to discuss something unpopular: the truth.

A lovely friend of mine who is a student of the law approached me asking for empirical evidence of whether or not a person is born homosexual. This was my response to him.

…I must be very honest with you in stating that if we cannot use the Bible as our sole foundation for a thing, then what good does it do?

It is a humanist, godless society that demands proof. Yet we who know the Bible also know that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things NOT SEEN.” Society wants us to have “proof” in a temporal realm to support something that was set, framed, and spoken from the reality of eternity. Faith isn’t just for the fuzzy things, it’s our access point to believe in and experience EVERYTHING that God said—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

So yes, as you said, I have no “empirical evidence” that would persuade a court in this land. What I confess is the substance and truth of the highest law in the highest court in the universe. That is my basis for my argument.

In Jesus’ time, the Pharisees wanted a sign to confirm that what He taught was true. Today society demands a sign or “proof” as well. Now I am not by any means calling my friend a Pharisee, yet I feel that this is an excellent time to show what the Scriptures truly say.

A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Matthew 16:4)

Now why is a generation seeking proof and signs wicked and adulterous? Because the Bible teaches us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).  

Now let’s take it a step further.

Faith is not only necessary to please God, it is the currency of heaven; your access point to the things of God.

Therefore anyone who does not accept the things of God as He states them in His Word is NOT a Christian. Furthermore, if you do not present the Gospel as is—adding to it or taking from it—then you place yourself under a curse. This is not a judgment or indictment against anyone but a simple truth.

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. (Galatians 1:6-10)

If you are busy denying God’s Word or even seeking for an outside source to prove it, you got it wrong “Honey Boo Boo Chile”! God’s Word is meant to be the foundation for your beliefs, values, and more.

Don’t buy into the lie that you can’t uphold God’s Word in society because it’s not a Christian society. That’s like saying a teacher doesn’t have the right to fairly grade all of the students’ tests because some of the students don’t believe in the teacher’s authority. Now that’s some mess right there!

In The Reformation Manifesto, one of my absolute favourite books, Cindy Jacobs states:

…We as Christians are more influenced by our culture than we are by our Bibles.

This is so sadly true.

The humanist machine that drives society, especially government and education, demands temporal evidence to prove an eternal truth. It wants facts over truth.

You have a choice to make. You can either accept God’s Word by faith as the Word teaches or you can spend your life seeking for proof and allowing yourself to become more and more deceived. Take a deep introspective look inside and ask yourself the real reason you do not rely on God and His Word. If it’s a lack of faith, you can easily repent and ask God to increase it (Luke 17:5)! If it’s a worldly mindset you suffer from, ask God to renew your mind—daily. Whatever the issue, repent and be encouraged! Let God be true and everyman a liar (Romans 3:3-4)!

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)