Leading From Courage

I just returned from a conference with several hundred spiritually like-minded people . One thing that continued to resonate in my ear were words spoken a couple days before I went to that conference by a friend of mine.

Leaders must always lead from courage.

Now that may not rattle your cage. It did mine. I've never been accused of being a wallflower (Much). But it is still resonating in my head.

My concern is what happens spiritually when we fail to walk in courage and confidence in the purposes placed in us. I can tell you; we miss our destiny. We fail to accomplish the mission God invested in our DNA when we were formed in our mothers womb. We fiddle around the edges and eventually take to the grave the undone things God expected us to do.

WHY?

Lack of courage, lack of conviction, lack of willingness to be a fool for Jesus when he calls you to step out. Fear, get alongism, don't push the envelope, just relax maybe no one will be offended, those are the attitudes that become the spiritual castration stopping the purposes of God you were meant to accomplish. I don't see as much courage as I wish I did in the Church of Jesus today.

It's easy to be a sideline sniper. I am trying to be one less than I have been in the past. I know what God has called me to do. I know he is faithful to accomplish his purposes if I am faithful to do what he asks without fearing what men say.

The fear of man is the greatest demonic oppression of men and women of God rendering them inert holding the dreams God gave them captive.

So, to those who I got notes from, and for those who were disdaining of the prophetic gift of the word of the Lord for 2006 in comments, I have this message:

1. I will pay the price to hear from God again for 2007. You don't have to read or heed it, but you should.

2. I will publish it and allow it to stand on it's own. It's not about me.

3. God will do or not do what he chooses. If I'm embarrassed, its ok. It's not about me.

4. I have read and heard many nationally recognized prophet's issuances. The fact that I am more precise than some who use fuzzy words and vagaries to cover their prophetic rear ends means I am more subject to criticism. The purpose of the prophetic is to demonstrate to unbelievers and those who walk in nominal Christianity the existence and omniscience of God as a sign and a wonder. If not this method, what would you suggest? This is the call and purpose for me. If you have another, you should pursue it.

5. I always hold out the challenge to those who disregard the prophetic gift or criticize it, OK, show me how you can from reason or science make a set of statements more accurate than what comes thru the prophetic.

It can't be done. The challenge still stands.

6. To my good friend Karma, who actually in my opinion walks out the purposes of God in her own life in her passion for the prairie and the arts (although she would deny they are God's purposes), I couldn't disagree more with your evaluation of what did or did not come to pass. It is as I said. Your evaluation is done with blinders on. You are NOT famililiar with the vocabulary of the prophetic. A careful reading of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the "Minor" prophets will give you a flavor of how prophetic utterances have layers of meaning and fulfillment. God isn't doing anything different today. Without spiritual eyes to see and discern you will miss what was said and how it manifested in the light of the prophetic. It's not your fault. You don't speak or understand the language of the spirit.

7. To the others who were disdaining of all this: if you are not a Christian or make no pretense to being one, what you say has little meaning. Sorry, see above. You have no idea what you are saying.

8. If you are a Christian (or think you are one), you are in deep weeds. You don't have to believe me or not. You only have to do as Mary did and ponder on them in your heart. But, your attitude toward prophecy demonstrates a lack of understanding and a profound lack of spiritual depth that will be a direct limiting factor for you ever being used of God.

If He can't speak to you thru his prophets, even ones who don't get everything right, He can't speak to you at all and you will drift into spiritual oblivion, shipwrecked and alone. God will use his prophets to warn, encourage, correct and guide. Ignore them at your peril.

So, if not from me, seek to hear the word of the Lord, and ponder them.

Or ignore and laugh them off as so much mumbo jumbo and be cast aside (or even destroyed).

Most gifted leaders in the Body of Christ on a personal level are decidedly flawed and human. I have known many, I could write a book on them. Some of the most anointed powerful gifted men of God I have ever known were terribly flawed and vulnerable in the humanity they carried. But when they stepped into the gift God placed in them, they became another man. My hope for you is that you would become another man or woman as you walk out the purposes of God in your life and disregard the flawed vessel of clay He choose to place it in.

That is truly leading from courage. It's not about you.

One more thing, some prophetic instruction is purposely masked, there is some above for YOU if you have ears to hear. As my good friend Harold Hein said to me, "A prophet is assigned to say what God says."

I just did. Read and heed.