Living a Transparent Life in Ministry

 

 

One of the most important aspects of my role in ministry is to live a transparent life.  It is to let you know that I am not perfect and that God can and does use imperfect vessel's to fulfill a perfect work in the kingdom.  I am always surprised when someone new to our ministry will say to me, wow, you just let me see that you are not perfect, you don't hide the flaws in your life. And I think to myself, how can I be real and honest and a true leader, if you don't know of the struggles, challenges and defeats that I experience in ministry and in my life in general.  I sit with those who grieve and tell them that I have grieved like them. I sit with those who have lost loved ones and I tell them I have lost loved ones.  I sit with those who are sad and tell them that I have been sad sometimes.

I hear your struggle and I understand that you are struggling because I have struggled as you have.

So many tell me that other pastors or ministers have not shared their struggles with them. That they are not perfect and that their families are not perfect.  But I ask, "How can you share the joy when you cannot share the hurt? How will the people know that there is a process to overcoming and victory if you do not lead by example and by modeling how to walk out trials?  This is an important ministry lesson and should be learned early on for the sake of the Gospel and for the Kingdom!  This is Pastor Susan Living the Everyday Prophetic life in the most transparent way possible!



Setting the Captives Free!

     One of my favorite movies of all times is the movie Braveheart. This movie is all about freedom and the quest for freedom by an entire group of people who have been in subjection to a king from a foreign land.  They go to great lengths and fight many battles to achieve the freedom that they so long for in their own lives and in the lives of our children.
      The word says that Jesus came to set us free and whom the Son has set free is free indeed. But what does that freedom look like to you?  To me it is a freedom from fear..the freedom to know that my eternal soul is secure in the hands of my God.  That my Abba, my Daddy, cares for me as His precious child and He will never leave me or forsake me and so in that I am free to live a life of trust. I can trust that He holds me in the palm of His hand and He will never leave me or forsake me.  Jesus took captivity captive and loosed the bands of wickedness from our lives.
     There is joy in freedom.  We are not chained to our destiny.  Rather we are free to run in the freedom that our destiny brings. 
     There is power in freedom.  We receive power from on high as the Holy Spirit comes to indwell our lives and we receive the freedom of the giftings of God.
     There is peace in freedom. We understand that we do not need to strive for salvation, that the price was paid on Calvary and so there is a tremendous peace in freedom!
     There is no sorrow in freedom.  The freed one does not long for his captivity any longer... sorrow is not attached to our freedom.
     Today as you begin to think about your freedom and your joy and power and peace, think about those still in bondage that have not heard the good news of Jesus... Now go and bring the good news and help set some captives free!  In Jesus name!

This is Pastor Susan..Living the Everyday Prophetic Life and walking in Freedom!
    

Releasing the Glory Anointing!

 At  Passover this year the Lord released a new church plant for our ministry.  Marc and I began PromiseChurch at 6601 NW 38th St in Bethany, OK across from the Post Office. We took the keys on May 1, 2012 and as I believed we should open doors on Shauvot we worked every night for weeks renovating the building. We did ministry of deliverance and healing while we were renovating and under construction in the building.  The water lines had collapsed and those had to be replaced as well as both air conditioning units and this week we will get a new roof.  We opened doors on May 26, 2012 and it has been a fantastic crazy journey with God. The front of the old Bethany feed and seed store (which is what we rented) is where we incubated for 10 weeks and then by Rosh Hoshanah this year we moved to the back area which has provided us a little more growing room.  God has shown up with supernatural supply on every level and we are currently in a 30 day revival with the Oklahoma Outpouring. We have a Saturday night service at 7 pm and we have a Sunday morning service at 10 am.  We have many services during the week. We are experiencing a fantastic move of God's Presence and His glory!! Please go to the facebook page and like it so you can have all the updates on this new work and when the services are being held!! This is why there have been so few blogs lately... we have been super busy BUT I FEEL A SEASON OF WRITING COMING ON NOW AND SO GET READY FOR SOME AWESOME NEW WORDS!!! This is Pastor Susan living the Everyday Prophetic Life in the Glory and at THE PROMISE!! www.facebook.com/OklahomaPromise  and like us for updates!!

Salting the Land a Prophetic Act

Jesus makes a simple statement in Mark 9:50 Salt is good:

Many times when we move into a new house or we start a new church plant, Marc and I make it a point to salt the land. We use kosher salt and we generally speaking will start at the boundaries of the land and walk the perimeter sprinkling salt as we go.  Sometimes we will salt an entire property with sprinkles of salt thrown out almost as if you were throwing seed into the ground.  Why would we do this? Salt is one of those really cool words that is both a noun and a verb, a thing and an action so to speak.  So when I use salt "to salt the land" I am doing a prophetic act that speaks about the double portion of blessing. Salt has many uses but the one use that I focus on when "salting the land" is purification. Salt has been used for purification for centuries.  This is my border and nothing unclean will cross it.  It sets aside what is within the boundary as special or holy, the Hebrew word is Chodosh.  This prophetic act makes it a set aside (Chodosh) piece of land.  This is really important especially if the place is to be used as a house of worship and also for your home.
While I am salting the land, I pray over it so that is another very good reason to walk your boundaries sprinkling salt as you go.  You are defining in space by Word making your Word declarations, action-the process of walking and deed- the act of sprinkling something on the ground, that God has set this apart to be holy unto Him.
The New American Standard Bible quotes I Chronicles 4:10 Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested.
Jabez cried out to God concerning his borders that God would enlarge them! But you have to know where they start before they can be enlarged! So let's seek the Lord for the setting in place of our borders and the enlargement thereof next! God enlarge our borders so that we might reach the nations for you! Enlarge our borders so that we can seek the expansion of Your kingdom! Thy Kingdom come and show us where my place in the Kingdom is!

I like to stake my claim both physically and spiritually where the Lord says to plant.  If I am going to plant here, then where are my borders? Lots and lots of the Old Testament is written about borders and boundaries.. it is extremely important to know where to plant. It is so important to know where your field is... (see my blog on the Field of Boaz-it is one of my favorites and helps you decide if it is time to move on....)
And now be the salt... be the salt to the world... bring the purification of Jesus Christ, our Messiah into the dark and hurting world.  The salt will help to cleanse the wounds that the nations might be healed and transformed. 
I love to use Kosher Salt that we have had on our Passover table to salt a new beginnging...a new piece of land... a new work for the Lord. I like to use that because to me it has already been set aside for God's work and God's planned times.  Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, keep on being the salt, keep on salting your boundaries and walking it all out in love! This is Pastor Susan with her pockets filled with salt and setting new and ever increasing boundaries!