Jesus is 5-Fold Ministry

We went on Retreat last week and I know I didn't write about that. I just had a lot going on and, this blog is more of an overflow spot, Retreat was mostly just for me, to fill me up for me.

Anyway, from the "overflow", I thought to write this post. Chris Cruz spoke our first night there, we were in Chico, CA at the YWAM Base out there. He said something that stuck with me. He said, sometimes we listen to his stories or people known for their evangelistic passions, like Chris Overstreet or Ben Fitzgerald and we're like, "Oh great testimony, that's just them, that's who they are" We don't think about it, but what we're doing is we're subconsciously excusing our own fears or ineffectiveness by saying, it's just not our "gift".

Jesus was both evangelist and pastor. He could command the attention of thousands and turn around and minister deeply to the heart of one. He was both healer and apostle. He healed everyone He met and He knew His identity and a Son and God as Father. He was a prophet and He revealed the mysteries and secrets of God to man and spoke of what was to come.

I'm not the boldest person in the room. When I'm sitting in a theater watching Son of God next to Ben Fitzgerald and the Spirit of God is in the room, and God tells me, "Hey, Joanne, I'd like you to get up and speak about me." Everything in me will revert to, "God, not me, Ben's the evangelist." Or to bring it closer home, if I'm on the ministry team and a 1st year comes to me for prayer and God tells me what's going on, but there's a 3rd year next to me and I revert to him because my insecurity says he can pray better. Or if I'm encouraging someone and Kris Vallotton or Ben Armstrong or Dave Ward or anyone comes up behind me and I'm scared to say what God put on my heart to say a minute earlier. There's a place for honoring the point - the leader, but I can't allow myself to confuse honor with insecurity because right then I've shown God the value I have for the one line He put in my heart.

Honestly, I've been hurt in the past so I get so offended by evangelist types who are more concerned by the numbers than connecting to the heart of the one; because that's who I am, I'm more "pastoral" by nature. I just realized, evangelists have as much right to be offended by me for not standing in the boldness of the Lion living inside of me and telling the world who He is.

I always hesitate to put the epistles on the chopping block, but Jesus didn't actually make these distinctions, at least, not modeled by His own life. He was all things because He was one thing, a Son, a reflection of God. We are invited to be sons and daughters, reflections of God. I feel like our pastors are doing a great job of modeling that, or maybe God's just doing something new this season, but getting to see the pastoral side of Chris, Kris and Ben F is leading me to ask myself, where's my wild side?

I'm not there yet, so I'm preaching to myself. I can't hide behind the pulpit or whatever the mantle of my ministry looks like and act like everything else is up to everybody else. I need to hear God, it needs to be real. I need to let Him speak to me as Himself not change it to what suits me or looks best like me. Until I get that, I'm not there yet.

What does that look like? It looks like risk and not knowing what to do in the moment apart from listening to Him.

Honor & Inheritance

The message on my heart this week has been on living from inheritance. I read this quote from Andy Mason's book, God With You at Work and at first it didn't sit right with me. Our world is very "self-made millionaires" or "started from the bottom now we're here" attitude driven. This statement could offend a lot of people. But this sentence was really just highlighted to me.

Fast forward to sitting in class the next day and Kris Vallotton begins speaking about how one of the smartest tactics the devil has used has been in creating the generation gap. You see, if the younger generation are isolated from the older, they miss out on every lesson and every process the older went through to get to where they are and essentially, end up starting from rock bottom, re-inventing the wheel instead of building a new floor on their ceiling.


God didn't create us to start over after every generation, He created us to build upon inheritance. This is why laying on of hands, inheritance and impartation was such a big deal. Laying on of hands isn't just for healing, that's only instructed once in the Bible in James. James even recognized that it was the elders that were to impart healing. Elders.

It's actually a physical act to show a transfer of what one person has to another person. In Genesis 27, we see all the lengths Jacob went through to get Isaac to lay hands on him and bless him at his deathbed. Later, we see Joseph asking his dad to bless his sons before they died. The laying on of hands wasn't an exchange of property in the physical sense, but these men recognized it had a value far above material goods in the spirit. If we don't recognize value in the spirit, we end up missing out, like the king who struck the ground 3 times instead of more missed out on Elisha's mantle. (2 Kings 13)
That's a good selah right there. Just stop and think about it.  

Recognize that what is happening in the Spirit has far more value than any material goods.

If it was just about stuff, Isaac would have easily taken it back and given it to Esau, but he couldn't, essentially, he said, "what's done is done, I've already given my all to your brother, I can't take it back." It wasn't about cattle or fields, it was something deeper.

So, Kris ties it in to present day, how we hold no value for those who have gone before us and we "retire" people and call them out of date and useless and we lose out on all that they have fought for, so we end up fighting things we could have avoided.

He used the analogy of track runners. How when you run a relay, the person waiting to be handed the baton has to start moving, show the 1st runner he can get up to speed, he can't just sit there and do nothing. If we're gonna win, we have to honor the run of the person who ran before us.

So I dug this out, an old relay race that Kenya won ;-)

You see, the 2nd runner wasn't just sitting around doing nothing, he was up and rearing to go.

I got the full impact of this today in my Bible class with Mike Tesauro. Mike is my new Bible instructor. I've seen him around and heard his name a few times. So I sat in his class not really expecting anything crazy. It's just a Bible class. Theology, facts, etc. A few minutes into the lesson, Mike and his wife start off telling us their history. How they got saved, how their passion for the Word began, how it brought them together, how they've practically, radically applied the Word, how it's led them through bad times in their 33 years of marriage, their ministry and where they are now. Then he goes back to teaching the lesson plan.

My attitude pre-history and after was 180 degrees different. Now, essentially, I knew what they were building and what I could build upon. I felt it in my heart through their story, them handing me the baton, giving me access to their 2nd floor to start building my own passion for the word and the treasures it holds. Like, you could feel the shift in the room. I felt like, what took them 33 years to build, I don't have to fight that hard, for that long. Do I still have to go through process and build my own history, yes. But, it's going to be different for me. I've seen what can be done, I have their testimony, I know what I can do.

I can't put a price tag on what I'm getting from BSSM. It's hard to explain, it's hard for anyone outside of this to understand, (which is why I get the internet talk/criticism) it sounds crazy, but, what I'm getting is an inheritance from people with the deepest histories. I have access to their history. I have legal precedence to pass through the roads they forged. I've seen them live their lives and seen the impact of who they are and I get to be part of their story. How can you put a price tag on that?

Anyway, I'll end it here. Blog etiquette states that I've gone a little word-overboard, but I'm just so excited about this and I hope you catch that!

How to Enjoy Life in The In-Between

I'm great at having a vision for the outcome of things. That would be my gift - I get a picture, I can see it and that picture influences my spirit and mind and basically my life. The problem with visionaries though is since we have a picture of what God's going to do in say, 10 years, we have a hard time accepting other people's opinions because we've seen it! Also, it's easy to grow weary in the waiting, like, "argh, God, that felt so real! When is it going to happen!!!" so we end up not valuing the present or the small things.

Paul says in Hebrews 12:2 everything that Jesus put up with, He did because He had a goal set before Him - the joy of finishing in and with God. That's how we survive. It's how we wake up everyday and go to work because we have our paycheck in mind. It's how we hold our tongue and keep our love on, because we want to have good relationships. It's how we pay bills upon bills every month, because we want to have hot showers, use the internet and charge our cell phones.

It's easy to do a hard thing when you can see the great reward at the end of the tunnel. I remember once being involved in a project at work. It was after hours so of course I was picturing the over time check in the mail. At the end of the assignment though, my boss said, "great, thanks for the help!" as he packed up and left me open-mouthed gaping at his back. I was livid and frustrated and couldn't believe how hard I had worked even when nobody was watching.

The question God put on my heart, is, would I have worked any less or performed below my ability had I known the outcome? Would I still do it; live my life the way I do, if there was no earthly reward at the end of it. If the reality doesn't match my expectations and all I get is a divine pat on the back at the end of my life. Where would my heart be then?

Today's "How To" is a simple one. How do I enjoy life in the in-between, where I'm past the past, hopeful for the future, but in reality, only have a vague idea of what it looks like and all I feel like I'm doing right now is fumbling around trying to get there. How?

1. By making God the joy set before you.
Sad to say but, money lasts but a second, relationships can fade away, life is fleeting, jobs come and go, the economy is a constant ebb and flow. Even with our best intentions, decisions are made by other people everyday that make any joy we aim for in this world shifting sand.

Don't get me wrong, expect great things and chances are you will get them. The whole message of my life is to know and have people know the reality of living heaven on earth, the power of testimonies and the living, active power of God to fulfill our hopes and the dreams He's placed in our hearts.

All truth is held in tension, so as we hope and dream big extravagant dreams, we need to remember that "there's far more than meets the eye, the things we see are here today and gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever."
(2 Corinthians 4:18 MSG)

To be fully intimate with Him is the most extravagant dream of all.

How to Own Your Singleness - Part 2

Yesterday, I introduced the topic on how to enjoy your single life. Truth be told, I can probably add 10 more points to this list - proof that there is great joy to be found in this season of life. Here's part 2, let me know in the comments or #lifestartsnow if you do one of these.

6. Travel
Even if it's just a 30 minute road trip to see a waterfall in a neighboring town. Roll the windows down, turn the music up and go. I'm lucky to have traveled quite a bit over the past year and I remember my first night ever in a hotel room by myself in Dubai. I've never felt more exhilarated in my life. I explored and got lost in my hotel and laughed trying to find my way back to my room, I ate a bunch of food, I took a long bath, I sat out in the balcony and breathed in a new city...it felt good, I felt free. Anyway, point is do some exploring! It's great to share experiences with someone but it's also really exhilarating to do some things on your own.

7. Let Go of Desperation & TRUST God's Timing
It's easy to be desperate and clutch onto every word and every glance, every introduction and every coffee date thinking it will lead you to the one. Learn to let go and trust God's timing. Statistically, you will get married at some point. Forget statistics because they don't really know the heart. God knows the heart and exactly what our hopes and desires are. For example, mine is to be pursued from the very beginning. I know it's against the whole, "millennial independent woman" thought process and I've seen the skeleton "waiting for the perfect man" memes; but I also know He knows it's a big deal to me and it's what I personally need. In order to be pursued though, I have to let go of the desperation and stand on God's timing.

8. "I Love You" is way better than "I Want You" in the long run
In other words, love feels better and lasts longer than lust does. I want to meet someone who will see me and want to know me and fall in love with the person I am. I want to meet someone, know them and grow in love with them. Wanting them should come as a result of loving them. If I want someone before I know enough to fall in love with  them, then I'll want a lot of people in my lifetime. All attractiveness aside, I want to trust that their "I Love You" is sure and unwavering because that is a beautiful thing.

How to Own Your Singleness! - Part 1

At a recent Young Adults meeting at my Church, I learned that "people who love their lives are characterized or marked by ownership. We can't gain any traction in life until we become owners." (Quoted from Jeremy Riddle) I am definitely guilty of waiting for the next season so my life can begin. So I started thinking, what can I do to maximize and own my life where it's at right now? I came up with a list of things and here's a few of them.

1. Have a Big Yes
As you should know by now, this is my go to advice to any problem. Have a big yes in your heart because a strong yes is your best no. I can't be in 2 places at the same time. In saying yes to owning my life in this season, I'm saying no to moping around and feeling sorry for myself because I have no one to watch 24 reruns on Netflix on a Saturday night with.

2. Realize That Your Life is Marked by a Lot More Than Your Relationship Status
Steven Furtick put it best this past Sunday, "Singleness and marriage are both gifts but they are not The Gift; the real gift is Grace. It's gonna take grace for our selflessness, faithfulness, commitments, relationships, all of it to work. The same grace God gives people for marriage is the same grace He gives to single people. Some of you are so focused on the gift you want from God that you're missing the grace He's giving you right now." That's the gift we should be contending for: a life marked by grace.

 
3. Become The Person You've Always Wanted to Be
I want to be a woman marked by God's Grace, I want to live in confidence of Him and who He is in my life, I want to be generous and kind when no one's looking, I want to go above and beyond for strangers without expectation, I want to be focused and determined to bring to pass what He put on my heart - that's a girl I'd wanna not make single, haha. So, who do you want to see when you look at yourself in a mirror in a month or a year or 10 years?


4. Sort Through Your Past
This is the best time to find out what makes you tick and get some counseling or inner healing if you need it. True, some issues will only become apparent after you're in a relationship or in certain situations, but most things, you can deal with right now and make life that much easier when you move to the next season whether that's dating, marriage or staying single.

5. Be Fully Present in Your Current Relationships
Develop deep family connections where you are right now. Move beyond the surface and let yourself be fully known and seen by a group of people who love you and want the best for you. The older you get, the more family you should have because family isn't just the people you share blood with, it's the people you love and that love you back. Pray for God to set you up with some spiritual parents, sisters and brothers, people who'll have your back.

Be sure to check in tomorrow for part 2 of this post!

How to Fight Fair

The world is unprincipled. It's a dog eat dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way - never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected around the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (The Message)

Kris Vallotton said something really funny on his Facebook page this week. He was talking about how he always believed that the people who didn't like him didn't like him because they simply didn't understand him. This week though, he came to the realization that some people do understand him, they just can't stand him.

I guess we all come to that point growing up. The point where we realize that God loves us, we love ourselves, we are worthy of love and some people love us, but not everyone will like us. Not everyone who used to love us will end up liking us, for example, that childhood BFF you used to have until you quickly found out forever meant your first year of college (o-0)

I read a lot of books. One book that really put into words what I believe about connection, communication and boundaries is Danny Silk's Keep Your Love On*. We all have to pick our own core values and life rarely allows us to disagree with someone we hold the same core values with, so how do we handle it?

1. Have a Big Yes
As you should know by now, this is my go to advice to any problem. Have a big yes in your heart because a strong yes is your best no. I can't be in 2 places at the same time. In saying yes to my desire to maintain a healthy connection, or at worst to break the connection in the least hurtful way, I'm saying no to my desire to prove I'm right and they are wrong.

2. Stick To Your Core Values
Just because someone else (it's always someone else ;-) ) doesn't fight fair doesn't mean we should follow suit. The moment you step out of your values is the moment you lose credibility in front of yourself and the other person. Honor and value. "we don't live or fight our battles that way - never have and never will"

3. Always Remain Humble and Peaceable
The tools you derive from your values should not make you feel superior or better than another person. It's not about being right and the other person being wrong. We never grow that way. It's not about you being a doormat either and letting people walk all over you. Aim to take what you can use for growth and run with it while at the same time, not letting the other person rob you of your joy or (God-given) identity.

The goal is restoring the relationship and rebuilding trust, not making the other person believe what you believe about the situation, about who (you think) they are or about you. "The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation"

Hope this helps!


*You can find Danny's book at the Bethel Store, Barnes and Noble or on Amazon