Ministry 101 Stop and Listen

 When growing in ministry there are some simple principles that each of us needs to learn and apply on an everyday basis.  Some of these lessons are just ministry 101.  Here is an example or Rule 1: Just Listen.    
        The other day I was washing my hands at the sink in the washroom.  A woman that I did not know well asked how I was doing and I responded with my usual response at work, "I am here." At that moment I usually forget to ask how the other person is doing, but I am teaching myself to remember to ask them how THEY are doing.  It's not because I don't care but I am usually very busy and seconds usually count.  So I stopped looked over and purposefully said, "How are you?" At which time she told me that she had just gotten out of the hospital with a severe asthma attack. And now she was on blood pressure medication and was having trouble with her eyesight.  So I paid attention and listened to her story. It wasn't a long story but she was sad and scared. We walked out together and as I was turning to go to my desk, she smiled and said, "You are always so kind to listen". And I froze in my tracks, because I know that I am often not kind to listen. That I have to make myself stop and listen. So I walked back to where she was standing and I said, "I believe in healing, and I know that you believe in it too. And I want you to know that I will be praying. And just because things are like this today doesn't mean that they will be like this tomorrow. This is not the end of your story." At which point she started crying, grabbed me and hugged me and said, "I needed to hear that. I am sure that's why our paths crossed in the washroom". There is a time for speaking and teaching and a  time to just listen!

Let the Lord teach you both in His timing!
    
This is Pastor Susan Living the Everyday Prophetic Life by just listening.

New Year (Gentile Year 2013) New Look

It's a New Year and  time for a new look for the blog. After 4 years of blogging, it seems like time to freshen up the place and I am very excited for the new wind of the Holy Spirit that is going to bring a renewed vision to this blog... So let's start something new and let's take this journey together!

Did you notice the beautiful rose pink color of the blog? The pink color is for the white of the priests robes that was splattered with the blood of the offering of the lambs in the temple and created the pink color of sacrifice. Pink is not necessarily just a girly color for babies.  It is a powerful statement that God loves us and sacrificed His son for us so that we may have eternal life. It is the color for the Bride of Christ.  And the Bride is powerful because she is covered in the King's authority. She stands in His authority in the Kingdom of Christ. All that He has He has given to her and for her.  

I love the hummingbirds on this blog.  They drink the nectar of the flowers. They seem to be suspended in mid-air as if flying in place and doing the impossible.  But they are enjoying the most beautiful perfumed honey of the flowers. That is like us as Christians.  We are suspended between heaven and earth with one foot in the natural and one foot in the spiritual. We are drinking the perfume of His fragrant love as we do the seemingly impossible.

Thank you for stopping by and be blessed in this year of God's provision and peace.   Let's be suspended in the heavenlies and learn of Him this year!

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!