StrategicallY Prophetic

Look, I am one to try to keep it "real".  Keeping it real, not in the sense of keeping it, as they say, "hood", but in maintaining a mindset to maintain, keep, and communicate the truth.  On this blogpost, I want to discuss the reality of having a "famous" name in the realm of the church.

     The issue that motivated me to write this post, has happened over and over again in the body of Christ. I have seen it throughout my travels and journeying and it still is a pet peeve of mine, as well as of God's.  I would go to cities and places all over the world, and those cities would be full of their own prophets, apostles, pastors, teachers and evangelists, yet when a pastor or leader wanted to have a conference, let's say an apostolic or prophetic conference, or even a seminar, they always tended to bring someone from without in, to discuss issues, or to impart that which they have.  This is not the will of God in most cases. 

     God has set gifts in the body as he wills it.  There are gifts in certain cities because God knows that that city needs that gift.  The answers for a lot of churches in cities all across the world are right there in their own backyard, but because they choose to bring in sensationalism, someone with a "name", and someone with a "title/gift", they fail to receive the necessary promotion or impartation that God has provided.  I have been places in ministry and have had the chance to minister or sit under the ministry and receive from some mighty heavyweights in the anointing, as they say.  Suffice it to say, that when others may regard one as great and high, I might regard them as needful and not so great due to my knowing information about them, or due to my understanding of how they, "operate" in their gift.  With prophets, we to beware of the Okie Doke. The Okie Doke? Glad you asked.

    What I call the Okie Doke, concerning prophecy, is when I go to these "prophetic" meetings, and the prophet follows this formula:

1. They give a testimony (to cause the people to believe in their gifting)

2. They then have others give a testimony to the same (to encourage people to believe in them further and then to prepare them to be more apt to sow a seed)

3. Then they ask for  a "seed from God", which ultimately gets bigger and bigger.

     Now I am not of those who do not believe in giving and sowing, because I do, but congregations around the world are getting the Okie Doke pulled on them, because they are so into names, titles, notoriety, and church growth.  How about we give the body what it needs - true, authentic, and free impartation and anointing.  This however, requires using those who might not have a big name, but they may have a big calling and a big anointing.

   We tend to connect with people with a big name, instead of people with an authentic anointing.  See, here’s the thing……lol

    Anybody can speak and use, what I call, kingdom terminologies, vocabulary, rhetoric and jargon.  They can sound deep all day long.  We are in an age where you  have access to many  books that people can read to be able to help them sound and look the part, but we need to focus on, is whether their integrity and character in the anointing measures up. Pastors, do not bring people to your church in hopes that they will invite you to come preach for them or give you access to who they know. This is futility, and this is what a lot of pastors are doing and do.  They want notoriety, a title, and a bid church. These intentions are hid under the auspices of our own “humility”.  This is why for men and women of God, we need to be able to crucify this flesh daily in seeking the Lord.   Fasting and prayer is a part of it,  but it also takes a conscious decision to choose to live a life based on the Word of God and based on kingdom principles, not worldly principles. The church cannot grow using worldly principles, but godly principles.  And it is the will of God for the talents that he has set up in a city to be used for the betterment of that city. Though this seems like common sense, it is definitely not.  This is one of the major issues in the church.  One that same wise, the African American church needs to be delivered from a mindset and social paradigm that “White is Right”. This is so fully expressed in the church Just as well as it is in the world. 

     Have you noticed how White Americans are less prone to attend a church with an African American Pastor as compared to an African American? Additionally, more  African Americans will readily attend a church where the Pastor is White under the illusional auspice that “White is Right”.

     The reality is that there are those African American Christians who need to be delivered from a “White is Right” attitude, as well as those White Christians who need to be delivered from subconscious ethnicism/racism.  Additionally, the whole church needs to be wholly delivered from a, “Spirit of the Famous Name”. LOL. They have that, “Famous Name” spirit upon them, trying to ride the backs of the famous   to bring in visitors to the church to display your church and what it is doing, with the hopes of expanding your church and becoming bigger – when true evangelism is the key.

Watch out for the fake.

It is time for the prophets and the men and women of God to wake up and begin to declare the word of the Lord. We need to prepare the people of God for the coming destruction and judgement by teaching them and reviving them from the doctrines of this world that have seduced and programmed them. You are not like the world, you were meant to be different, and you are consecrated and sanctified. These are the days, that even if it were possible that even the elect might be deceived.

You know, there are some that say that God only wants the practical. That all you really need in life is the practical. Well, I was woken up at around one something in the morning, and decided to do some work. I began to clean house and vacuum my floor. As I finished washing the dishes and straightening up some things, I began to grab my Shark vacuum cleaner and vacuum.  Then something dropped into my spirit, "The Lord jsut doesn't want the practical".

     The church is full of those that are satisfied with going to somebody's church where they feel accepted, give their money, and enjoy the benefits of a social atmosphere and even that of a social club, and stay there for years. These are they who have forgotten the call of the church and their own personal, first calling - which is to Christ, not to organization, denomination, or pastoral personhood. They are blind, and cannot se far off. God just doe not want practicality.

     People need to understand the word of God, but for those who preach and teach that the Bible is "not that deep" and that it " Doesn't take all that..", they cripple the body of Christ by perpetuating an ideology that manifests itself as a church without purpose, a church without power, and a church without a God who is feared among the heathen and among the nations of the earth.

     Furthermore, if God just wanted all things to be kept simple, he would not have had need for the Jewish and Christian sages, scholars, prophets, seers, theologians, professors, and doctors.  They teach the law, philosophy, and theology in depth so that the richness and depth of who God is can be preserved. Practicality is for those who cannot see afar off, and can only see what the little faith that they do have, will allow them to grasp - a good house, a wife or a husband, a good job, a family, a good position in the ministry or in a local church, a little money, their basic needs met, and a fellowship of brothers and sisters. I posit to you, that though this is great, this is not "It". There is more to life, more to living, and ultimately, there is more to God than this.

     Thos who do not accept practicality, pragmatism, and the simple in life, have a greater future in store for themselves. They are those who believe that there life has more purpose, destiny, power, and legacy-producing effects than what their colleagues, family, friends, and co-workers can see. These are they that read the Bible, get inspired, and then work out their faith and their salvation - for faith without works is dead.

     The church is full of people who are supposedly "great in faith", but in reality they are deficient in works. I am a part of those who exclaim, "I will show you my faith, by my works". Not just produce and take part in liturgical lip service never t o produce anything out of my life but minimalistic leadership influence in a local church or community. I posit to you who believe that your life has purpose, destiny, and legacy-producing power to keep on pressing on.  There is more to life, more than that, the Christian life, than just "church as usual". There is more culture, philosophy, and depth to life than just the ghetto, the African American experience, church music, gospel music, liturgy, and the writing of books and becoming famous.

     Those who claim to "keep it real", are really "keeping it simple", and to keep it simple is to really, keep it       dumbed -down.  Those who keep it real and simple are those who need to read, research and get cultured. This world that we live in is full of God-expression and as such needs to be considered when considering the God-Kind of life and the God-Experience. Many Christians are closed minded, haven't even left the United States, and are not cultured enough to become relevant in the world to effect and have long lasting change.

     I urge you not to take this post personally as it is not meant to be taken personally, but it is meant to be informative and inspirational in encouraging you to keep on thinking, reading, preaching, teaching, growing, traveling, and manifesting the power of God in the earth realm with legacy-producing effects, and "keeping it real" is not going to get you there. It is time for "keeping it real" to be redefined.

    Charles Darwin is best noted for his work, "Origin of Species", as most people know it to be.  However, few people ever research or find out that the complete name of that text was entitled, " The Origin of Species or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life".  Yep, that's the whole title. Now it never bothered anybody why scientific research was being done, which already had determined that there were favored races in existence before any experiments or research had been done? Yep. This text had some ethnocentric undertones to it, or better put - racist intentions in addition to its scientific motivations.

    Moving along, Darwin gives us an evolutionary backdrop upon which all species are struggling against one another with a "survival of the fittest" mindset, and additionally, with no order, but just a universe of chance.  This non- idyllic reality places the universe and all that is in it in an unorganized, never ending war against itself. This, as we know, is directly opposed to unity and cooperation, and cannot lead to future preservation of any kind.  Accordingly, it should be Jean Baptist Lamarck who should be given credit for establishing evolution as fact, not Darwin.

   That was said to say this: that science has recently proved that it is not the gene that is responsible for controlling life, but it is the environment that the cell is in. What this means is that we can no longer blame characteristics, mannerisms, personality and like traits to inheritance, nor can we anymore, accept certain diseases as genetically finite. This new discovery, made popular and discussed in depth by Bruce H. Lipton, Ph. D, noted and world renown medical professor from the University of Wisconsin, proves scientifically that all energies in the environment, including positive and negative thoughts, where the cell is involved, can and does affect what genes get activated or created at the cellular level.  Since genes are just memory carriers of an organisms’ experiences that carry blueprints for cellular production, they are controlled by outside stimuli that activate them. This is awesome stuff. What does that mean for you? Glad you asked!

     What that means for you is that the Bible was true all along when its states that, "As a man thinketh, so is he."  The metaphysical and spiritual community has known and taught for years that the spiritual, recreated inner man is responsible for physical manifestation, and that more so on an individual level. It is also understanding the fact that man can use religion and spirituality to better themselves, change themselves, and ultimately change the world!  So AS YOU THINK, SO ARE YOU!  Its not only Bible now, IT'S SCIENCE!

     I recently finished the biography of Steve Jobs and found it to be one of the most informational and inspirational books I have ever read. It allows me to look into the mirror and reflect on my own leadership and managerial style and paradigm pertaining to business endeavors. I think it is a must read! He was a quasi-religious man indeed, but nevertheless, there are many, many lessons that can be gleaned from his life. I personally believe that this man would not have been able to tap into the innovation and creativity that he manifested through his company had he not tapped or become acquainted with some aspect of his spiritual self - the spiritual aspect of his human experience. It is key that we partake of all knowledge and information this world has to offer, for it all comes from God, the originating source.

    I learned so much after reading this text. It inspired me in addition to educating me by giving me an inside look at a genius CEO who changed the face of the world through innovation, technology, and passion. Oh that we all had the passion of Steve Jobs concerning the things that motivate and inspire us in life.  This book gave me an intimate look at the life of a trail blazing CEO so that I could reflect my own managerial and philosophical leadership paradigms off of the mirror of his experiences, failures, and successes.  We can learn a whole lot in life in we desire, by building on the ideas of others. As the book states, Steve Jobs did not create mathematics, but he surely used in building his company.  He was worth millions in his twenties, had built a thriving business, and had continued to be innovative and one step ahead of the game - in conjunction with being rude and ruthless about his subjective and objective opinions concerning his staff, the future of the company and his business decisions.

     Another nugget to glean from the book is that it is necessary at times when starting a work, business, or an organization, to be micro-managerial in scope and application in order to assure that the original vision of the company or organization is intricately kept by ensuring that there is a systematic infrastructure at the core that can promulgate the original vision. This is crucial for a business and is the main job of the CEO as the visionary of the organization. Though scrutinized heavily for some of his decisions and actions, the fact still remains that out of all the rivalry and similar companies, Apple superseded Microsoft in earnings and notoriety and therefore every other technology company as well in addition to changing the way the world uses, looks at, and applies technology to their everyday life.

Kudos to Steve Jobs –

THE BIOGRAPHY OF STEVE JOBS!