A mandate for change is a mandate for smart.  The world is ready for change – that much is clear.  For leaders of all kinds, this moment presents a rare opportunity.    Leaders should invest time and resources in building others to maximize their potential through mentorship.  This is inline with why we are given ministry gifts as identified in Ephesians 4:12: “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”  People are looking for real leaders to influence and mentor them.  They may find them in their family, friends and teachers.        

 Leadership has been and continues to be, the most popular topic of discussion because it is always evolving and constantly changing.  Many of the beliefs about leadership have changed recently due to the emergence of a global economy, fast paced changes in technology, and shifts in structure, strategy and culture.  The main difference is in people relationships.  A leader must set the example, set goals, inspire people, motivate, and be willing to be a change agent.     

We must focus on people because building a strong team is very critical to the success of any organization.  We must allow our people to become empowered so that they will be willing to take responsibility.   This can be achieved by building trust.  They need to trust you and see your values being exhibited in the things you do and say.  This can be seen in your caring and empathy for your people.   

In order to shape the future, leaders must be forward-thinkers who are able to envision a future state, set the direction, and then lead others toward that goal.   The best example of a leader who exhibited this was Moses.  He was given the task of leading God’s people into the Promise land.  As we read Exodus 7-14, Moses releases his potential.  This allowed Moses to forge a nation out of an undisciplined horde of mutually suspicious slaves who had forgotten their patriarchal past and lacked all sense of shared community.  In Exodus 18:15-24 we see an excellent example of delegation and Moses learning an important lesson in management.  The principle identified in these verses is that good leaders train people around them.  They hand pick potential leaders, instruct them, and then empower them to do the job.  When difficult situations arise, the key leader can act as a final arbiter.  Through proper training and delegation, a leader can multiply his or her effectiveness and satisfy the needs of those who require personal attention.   

As a leader you need to establish and maintain good, effective relationships with your ministry.   Ministries need leaders who create a positive work environment where people are excited about the contribution they can make; are inspired to be actively engaged; understand exactly what is expected of them and they know the bar is set high. These leaders value diversity and foster inclusion.   They model personal excellence, integrity and accountability. 

Are you ready to act?  Take time today to document your action plan to edify, build and inspire new leaders for the kingdom.   

Submitted by Phyllis Dogan   

 Everyday is a day of thanksgiving, and we must give God the praise. 

 God has shown us that we can depend on Him as our provider, healer, redeemer, deliverer, and protector.  Let us not take for granted each day that He gives us to seek Him, praise and worship Him.

Our opportunities to communicate with God daily should be wrapped up in praying without ceasing.   Prayers should not only be when we fall upon hard times of fear and desperation.   Fear and desperation comes when we think a family member is sick and about to die; when someone is about to lose their job or want a promotion, house, or car;  when friends or family are in accidents, killed or dies or incarcerated; and when we can’t pay our bills.  Be desperate to thank God for Jesus dying on the cross to let us see every new day, for His grace and mercy, for wisdom and knowledge of His word, and His never failing love.

Everyday is a chance to make things right with God; show Him that our hearts yearn to be faithful to Him, that we want our will to be in line with His will.  Thank God everyday for each breath you take; for giving you eyes to see and ears to hear; thank God your arms and legs can move to help someone else; thank God that your heart yearns to serve Him everyday; thank God that your brain is functioning right; thank God for the earth, its flowers, trees, fruits, vegetables and animals; and thank God that Satan has no control over your life.  There are numerous scriptures of praise in the bible.  David gave us all the reasons we should praise God in Psalm 146-150.   (Psalm 9:1; Psalm 146:1-2; Psalm 103:2: Ephesians 2:8-9 and Hebrews 13:15)    

Get your heart right daily to pray and praise Him; when things are going right and when things are going wrong.  God will take care of us in due seasons.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 The seasons are only for a period of time in our lives.  When things are going right, you are in God’s favor.  When things seem to be going wrong you are still in God’s favor.  Show God you are still faithfully trusting and believing He is going to bring you through that fire.  The scripture says weeping may endure through the night, but joy cometh in the morning.  The joy of the comforter is always with you in your heart.  Wake up in prayer and praise; go to sleep in prayer and praise.  You are challenged to meet God’s need of obedience from His people.   He is the Lord of all everyday.  Confess, testify, praise, worship, sing, shout, and dance in praise for the Lord.  (Psalm 119:27-174)

By Anna Burse      

It was the day after the time change - Daylight Savings Time - and we had lost one precious hour.  So I was rushing about trying to make sure I wasn’t behind on my schedule… and yep, I was a little late to church on Sunday.  On Monday, I had to take my mother to the doctor.  I was so proud!  With all the things I had to accomplish that day (and so little time), I still got there on time, found the perfect park, was able to walk right up to the receptionist without waiting (very important, folks) and announce that we were there to see my mother’s doctor… except, the receptionist could not find the appointment. 

Turns out, it was the correct time but the appointment had been scheduled for Tuesday, not Monday.  So everything I had experienced up to that point felt ideal… except it wasn’t.  Right time, wrong day… 

Isn’t that like life?  We think we have everything in place and suddenly we find out its all wrong.  No amount of coxing the receptionist would have changed anything.  The doctor is normally in surgery on Mondays so even if we wanted to, we could not have been seen. 

This was the theme of our annual retreat this year.  It captured the essence of why women from across the globe converged upon Charleston, SC this past April.  Praise God for His presence and going beyond meeting the expectations of the women. Truly, we had a glorious time.  Unfortunately, not everyone could attend. So the best that I can offer you is to get the DVDs.  But in the meantime, what does it really mean to pursue Him, for His presence, purpose, and power?  This is the revelation that I received.

When a woman desires to be in His presence, she will travel from as far north as
Buffalo, NY, Dallas, TX, or Columbus, Ohio to seek Him. She is a woman that is focused and is not easily distracted by the telephone, TV, work, or even the needs of her family because she has already set aside a designated time to fellowship with the Lord.  She arranges her schedule to ensure that the chores are done by a certain time and turns off her cell phone in order to spend quiet time with her heavenly Father.  She rises early in the morning to seek her Lord according to Matthew 6:33 and commands her day (Job 38:12). Why, because she is a woman in pursuit of His presence.

The more intimate a woman becomes with the Father, she starts to inquire about her purpose. She wants to know what she can do to be a blessing to the body of Christ.  Her desire is to help advance the Kingdom of God.  She wants to understand the calling that is on her life and how her gifts can be used to edify the church.  Therefore, she begins to seek the Lord about her purpose.  In doing so, she spends even more time with the Lord about her purpose; she seeks out mentors and other spiritual leaders that can speak into her life.  She studies the word of God to show herself approved according II Timothy 2:15.  She has even called a fast for herself in order to hear from God.  In doing so, she becomes more confident in whom she is as a woman of God and she begins to flow in her God given purpose.  Have you sought His face for your purpose like this?

Once you truly begin to get into His presence and begin to understand your purpose, it’s only natural to desire His power. You will need His power to stand against the wiles of the devil.  You will need His power to fulfill the mandate that is on your life.  You will need His power to break strong holds that will try to disable you. Therefore, you must seek God on how to empower the Holy Spirit in your life. This may require you to do things you have never done before.  We all have heard that “drastic times call for drastic measures.” This may mean going on a 40 day fast, if He calls you to do so.  This may mean doing a shut-in (only you and the Lord) for a few days.  It may mean turning off your TV and internet for a week.  We do what we must do, to seek His manifested power in our lives.

Now let me ask you this, “Are you a woman in pursuit of His Presence, Purpose, and Power?”  If not ask, ask God to give you the desire to pursue Him in all three areas.  Ask Him to give you the fortitude to go after (pursue) Him with every fiber of your being.  Forget the naysayers and distractions.  Set your face like flint (Isaiah 50:7) and go after Him.  If there was ever a time to pursue Him, now is the time.

Written by Sophfronia Tucker

Grace is God’s unmerited favor and love which leads Him to grant salvation to believers through the exercise of their faith in Jesus Christ.  The grace of God is necessary because of man’s inability to save himself.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).   At some point we all have  received a gift whether it was a birthday gift, a Christmas gift or a wedding gift.  Gifts are free.  There is nothing special that we have to do to receive the gift; just accept it. Perhaps one of the greatest examples of God’s grace was seen in the life of Saul whose name was later changed to Paul after his conversion on the road to Damascus.    Saul was on his way to Damascus to arrest believers when he was blinded by a bright light from heaven.  Jesus Christ said to Paul, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”  It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”  After hearing the voice of the Lord, Paul surrenders his life the Lord (Acts 9:1-9).  After his conversion, Paul began to evangelize and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  What a great gift to be given to someone so undeserving (1 Timothy 1:12-17).  Do we as believers kick against the goads like Paul?  When we resist God’s divine guidance it results in pain in our lives.  God is constantly speaking to us through His word and his people.    God’s desire is not for us to resist him but to receive his blessings (John 1:16).  Let us all grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). May the grace and peace of Jesus Christ our Lord be with you. Written by Deatra Fleming

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “Wisdom”?

Is it a grand parent or great grand parent or the old lady sitting on the porch in her rocker watching and speaking to everyone who passes by? Or is it some parrable that you have read in the Bible?

Let’s start by defining “Wisdom”; to have good sense, be skillful, be wise (in mind, word, and action), common sense, good judgment and understanding of what is true, right, or lasting, as defined in Hebrew, Greek, and American Heritage dictionaries.

True “Wisdom” comes from the Lord. As we know “Wisdom” begins with the fear of the LORD:” and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov. 9:10).  If we do not receive our “Wisdom” from the Lord, then we are not operating in true “Wisdom”.  James 3:13 – 18 describes what false and true “Wisdom” looks like.  True “Wisdom” (v.17-18) that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace”.

“Wisdom’s” value is better than rubies (Prov. 8:11), and above gold (Prov. 16:16).  There are many benefits of embracing “Wisdom”, according to Prov. 4:5-10 “Get “Wisdom”, get understanding: forget it not: neither decline from the word of my mouth, Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.  “Wisdom” is the principal thing: therefore get “Wisdom”: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.  She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my saying; and the years of thy life shall be many”.  These scriptures point out only 7 of many benefits 1.) Being preserved, 2.) Being kept, 3.) Being promoted, 4.) Being honored, 5.) Receiving grace, 6.) Crown of glory delivered, and 7) long life if sayings are received. What more do we need?  All are true, right, and lasting.

February has been traditionally known as the love month and many of you are getting ready to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  This is when we focus on expressing our love for each other with cards, flowers, and candy.  Although this is a good start, the love we need to focus on is the agape-love of God or Christ for mankind.  We want to demonstrate that unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, and thoughtful love.  Understanding, that it was God’s intention that we love one another not just for a designated day but for eternity

God demonstrated his unconditional love for mankind by sending the most precious gift that He had, His only begotten Son into the world that we may live through him.  Jesus showed the epitome of love and gave us friendship by dying on the cross for our sins so that we may have life and have it more abundantly.  It is through this offering of great sacrifice that God demonstrated his unconditional love for us. 

Therefore, as saints we must also demonstrate unconditional love for others through our actions and thoughts daily.  It is by our actions that we demonstrate that we are children of God, who know him and love him.  When we reach out to one another during good and bad times, we demonstrate that the Holy One is living on the inside of us.  He is looking for us to do those greater works in the lives that we get the opportunity touch.  Are you ready to touch a life and get on the love train?  Don’t worry, no ticket is required. We may be in an economic downturn but you don’t need any money to get onboard.  Just join hands with your neighbor (anyone that you come in contact with) who doesn’t know the Lord and share the Salvation prayer below with them:                                                                                                                                                           “Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have seperated me from you.  I am truly sorry and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you.  Please forgive me, and help me to avoid sinning again.  I believe that your son, Jesus Christ who died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.  I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule, and reign in my heart from this day forward.  Holy Spirit fill me and help me to obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               When When they make this confession, God will dwell in them and they will dwell in Him.  You will have demonstrated your love for God by keeping his commandment “Love thy neighbor as thyself”.  You are demonstrating your love is mature because you made this bold step in these end days letting everyone know that you are born of God.  Continue to aid in helping your neighbor overcome all the adversity that is present in this time with the agape love and your unyielding faith.  Start a love train wherever you are.  Don’t let our love ones miss the train and go to hell.  It is God’s desire that everyone get aboard the love train.  Written by Phyllis Dogan.

Happy New Year Saints!  Let me begin by saying that you can be excited about your future because God’s thoughts toward us are of peace and not evil, ones that gives us hope for our future (my version of Jeremiah 29:11).  In the same context, he also goes on to say that we are to seek Him and search for Him with all of our hearts, (vs. 13).  Anyway, back to the excitement.  It’s the time of the year when we say goodbye to the past and welcome in the new.  We look forward to an even greater and more rewarding year than the past.  We have new hopes and dreams that we would love to see into fruition. 

Therefore, on New Years many of us make New Years resolutions.  Some of us attempt to write out a plan for our lives.  Others seek new jobs or make plans to change careers.  Others plan for retirement or relocation.  We commit to reading our bibles everyday.  While some are determined to find Mr.or Mrs. Right for their lives. And of course, we all vow to get out debt and save more.  Lastly, I cannot forget about getting in shape and eat healthier.

Unfortunately, despite our greatest efforts, we often fall short somewhere.  As humans we tend to lose focus with so many objectives to focus on.  We often lose our fervor with distractions, the routine of things, slow results or just time.  But what if we could meet just some of our desires and all of our needs, in just one quest?  I’m convinced that it can be done, if we made that quest our greatest need and primary focus.

 Then consider this, what would happen if you made Jesus your greatest need?  Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek him first and all those other needs would be met. John 15:7 states that if we abide in him and he in us, that what ever we ask for, it shall be done.  It seems like keeping him in the forefront of everything we do sets the tone for achieving everything else that we desire in life,according to his will.  There is a connection with seeking and getting the answers we need from God.  Consider Jeremiah 29: 11-13.  He promises that in everything that we attempt to do, to acknowledge him and he would direct our paths, Proverbs 3:6.                                                                                                                                                                           Hence, my friends, it makes sense to me to keep it simple and resolve to just seek Jesus first. Make him your greatest need in 2010.  I’m not opposed to making New Years resolutions or coming up with a plan for life, but it must start with seeking him first. You must be willing to go after him with greater passion and desire than ever before.  Don’t be afraid, lazy or even allow the past to hinder you from launching out into the deep to find the things of God.  Remember what Simon caught when he obeyed, a find so big he couldn’t contain it (Luke 5: 3-6). So go deeper with your prayers, your fasting, your worship, and your desire for just knowing him.  Allow your faith, to be the catalyst that takes you into your destiny in this new decade.  Remember it is our faith in him that pleases him and he promises to reward those that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).  Therefore, I encourage you to make Him your greatest need and become a woman (or man) in pursuit of his presence, power, and plans for your life in 2010. And see the blessings that he rewards. Be encouraged, you can do this (Phil. 4:13).  HAVE A BLESSED, PROSPEROUS, AND SAFE NEW YEAR!                                                Written by Sophfronia Tucker

During this time of the year, we often hear the saying that “Jesus, Is the Reason for the Season”. Well, I want to remind you that Jesus is the Reason for all Seasons; the Easter Season, your Season of Lack; your Season of Plenty; the Fall Season, the Winter Season, the Spring Season and the Summer Season.   I think about all the songs with the lyrics of “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.”  And Christians often recite the phrase “Jesus is the Reason for the Season,” to remind us to keep Christ in Christmas.  But I have to remind myself that I need to keep Christ in my life everyday.  I need to pray, “In Jesus Name” everyday.     During these hard economic times and during President Obama’s term, we all need Jesus. Having Jesus in my life keeps me sane and keeps me alive.  I wake up in the morning and tell God, thank you for this day.  When I just miss that accident, I call out the name of “Jesus”.  Even when I find myself in tight situations like speeding; I call on his name, and that can be often.  Jesus, like each of us was born for a Reason, and that Reason was so that He could die for our sins and save us.  Just like Jesus, each of us has a purpose\reason to fulfill while we are on this earth; and we need Jesus in our life to find this purpose\reason and to complete this purpose\reason.Wow, my mind is blown away at the mere fact that I need Jesus in my life to find my purpose in life, to find my reason for being; I love it.  It gives me hope, it keeps me praying and I am excited.  I’m praying to God, in Jesus name; how about that for reasons for Jesus in my life.  Then we have to be reminded that when Jesus was born, He was called Emanuel, which means “God be with us.”  So we are back to Jesus was born to die for our sins, then he was called a name that meant “God be with us” so his mere presence is reason enough for Jesus to be with us in all seasons.  I can’t list all the reasons and all the seasons that I need Jesus in my life.  I just know that I don’t want to have a season without Jesus.  So the reasons for Jesus in our life are plentiful; and we need Jesus for all the seasons.  So let’s be mindful that Jesus is the reason for all our seasons in our life journey, and to especially keep him at the forefront of our minds as we engage in the normal traditions of this holiday season.  See the scriptures references below: Scripture Reading:Matthew 1: 18 - 23¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.    ¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.    ²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.    ²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.    ²²Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,    ²³Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.      Submitted by the Atlanta Fellowship