There are so many levels in growth in Christian’s lives.
There will be those who feel the call of God on their lives and attempt to make that happen before they are prepared by God. They have zeal, but don’t have the knowledge necessary to fulfill God’s will.
In our ignorance and immaturity we do all sorts of things because we want our vision to live NOW!
“…..Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil,” 1 Timothy 3:6-7 KJV.
Discipleship and leadership is a learned, walked out process of testings and trainings through times of preparation. Only God knows where we are in his purpose and when and if we are ready.
There are those who assume a place of leadership or title that only God can give. We can desire and try to make our vision live before God.
However, many of us know, we end up raising a lot of Ishmaels, due to our impatience and lack of faith. These Ishmaels end up persecuting the ministry of promise.
We want our Ishmaels to live before God! Why do we get jealous of others when we see others ministry flourish?
God gave us the only promise that comes to the child of promise; our purpose. There are a lot of things in our lives that were created by the flesh, and we hoped they would live!
However, we must die to our self will and give up our Ishmaels. We hold on to our hopes that God will make Ishmael live! Sadly it won’t work that way.
Many tears have spilt over the loss of what we held dear in hopes God would bless it. We must leave our Ishmaels and move on to the promise of God.
You cannot yoke an ox and ass together; the ox will strain to pull forward, and the ass will resist and sit; you will go nowhere. Be not unequally yoked in relationships and be yoked to Christ, for his yoke is easy his burden is light.
There are many tears spent over our relational Ishmaels; they just wouldn’t work. There are relationships of all kinds.
When we are sold out to God, we must listen to God for our friendships too. When God moves us on, we listen to Him and no turning back.
When one walks in leadership, these are not able to have regular (hangout) type relationships with people. Often leaders will have other leaders in different places where they can have fellowship and counsel for their specific needs.
For the leadership to be successful with the flock, the leader must not be too familiar with you. The leader prays for you and is used as the LORD leads them, as one who must give account to God on your behalf.
Familiarity breeds contempt. Esteem your leaders and thank them for their sacrifices on your behalf and pray for them.
When a person comes to me who desires my leadership or they want a mentor, I explain very plainly how things will be. I make it very clear right away and I don’t mince words.
I have learned to not put things off, but to deal with it right away. If I don’t address this, it makes it very hard.
I have learned by experience to be point blank honest. This is best for both, and I have learned it’s best to share the expectations.
If these want a mentor and it’s God’s will for them, they won’t stop, leave, no matter what. This person must know what this choice entails.
Elijah, a prophet of God, when he came by and saw the man Elisha plowing with yokes of oxen, he remembered what God told him about anointing Elisha as groom to himself.
Even after hearing about Elisha, Elijah tested the hook and sinker. He threw his mantle over him, and Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah.
Elisha wanted to say goodbye and kiss his parents and then he would follow him. Elijah made sure Elisha had every opportunity to choose.
Elijah’s sarcastic remark, “Go back, for what have I done to you?” Elisha was prepared for such a time and he never flinched.
Even with the hint of Elijah’s sarcastic question to try and shake his faith to doubt, it never moved him. He gave it all up to the service of the LORD.
Elisha’s epiphany met him face to face that day. This Elisha, a person chosen by God being groomed for the prophetic ministry. These things still happen today.
“So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?” 1 Kings 19:19-20 KJV.
To be mentored, you are serving the mentor as unto Jesus Christ. Training and mentoring requires surrender of your will to God’s.
God uses His mentor to care, teach, correct, discipline and train in every lesson that brings one to servanthood. We graduate to becoming a servant. The one who trains is accountable to obey God for that person.
How can we possibly think another will follow when you have never followed?
I purposely bring up correction to those who seek a mentor, and I do not compromise my stance as a mentor or spiritual mom.
In this nation I find it true with many I meet; that people are afraid to be corrected or disciplined.
God loves us and He only wants his best for us! Many see God’s methods of training, correction and discipline by leadership or mentor as harsh.
True discipline is love and care that brings stability into the life of the protege. It is a blessing and testing for holding true positions of leadership.
If the LORD never disciplined us, we wouldn’t be His disciples or His children. Being afraid of true godly discipline, is not to be feared, but revered.
If you have an issue where you were abused by authority, healing can come under a true mentor. If having discipline makes you afraid and you don’t believe it is necessary, then you and I need to read scripture and pray.
If God never taught, disciplined or showed us what’s involved in ministry, He would be negligent in His care for us.
Caring for a child is necessary so they are safe, fed, comforted, loved and also corrected. Yes correction is love too.
Elijah gave Elisha every opportunity to turn back, just as I do. When I feel that wrong motives are in action, I purposely do not let anyone latch on to me.
My job is to obey God no matter how people respond. As for hanging out, God won’t let me do that either, unless it is for His purpose.
Once people tell me they heard God tell them to come under my training, I purposely do not waste any time. I begin to share with them what will happen.
I begin asking if they are willing to be corrected pretty quick. Nearly all run away and cannot follow through with their words.
A person who is serious, has received a word from God and that is what settles the matter of them staying. It is not for me, it is for HIM. This revelation saves my time and theirs.
When God truly sends a protege, they come on their own and no one will be able to shake them loose, for they heard from God.
These are there until God says it is done! They will be there through the corrections, the blessings, the training and the rewards of benefits.
When being trained under a blessed leader, that blessing will transfer to them as they continue until finished. These shall carry within them the rewards and benefits for their future and for those they will train.
Elijah walked alone a lot. He understood the cost of peoples lives and how serious it is.
By the way, it is not smart to try and walk with a prophet while having wrong motives. This type of motive is made manifest and there will be no sort of manipulative or controlling benefit. False motives are exposed by the light.
There are those, when they see the gifts in action, a powerful word, a miracle or testimony; they may not understand what they are witnessing, but it can inspire them to seek God.
Then there are those who become so hungry for God and want to experience Him.
Then there are others; these are those who come deceptively, who are attracted to that anointing that rest on you.
Motives are made manifest through those that come and seem sincere, until it comes to whom or what is the focus. Like Simon the sorcerer, they are seeking to grasp that gift for personal gain.
“And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the LORD for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me,” Acts 8:18-24 KJV.
Only God knows the true motives. I see this quite often with people who had some sort of ministry experience years ago.
These don’t realize fully, but they are trying to relive past experiences and memories, hoping to bring them into the mix now.
They want to recapture those years when God was moving so big in their lives, but time has moved on. We must move when the Glory cloud moves.
I counsel these to put to death the past ministry and seek Him NOW for what He wants. Some so live and identify with the past glory days, that they stubbornly hold on to the past when God wants to take them into their future.
They seem to want to learn from the man or woman of God and seemingly may be humble for awhile, but the truth will manifest.
These see themselves and measure themselves against you. They make a point to tell you of all the works they have done that gives them the right to be in your status and rank.
They begin to rise up thinking they are more mature and totally disregard the person you are and what authority you carry; In this they disrespect God.
They measure themselves against you and the words spoken. They cannot understand internally why you are moving with God and they are not.
So they carry seeds of envy and jealousy that begins to motivate the conversation. Once they gain access to you, they will want to keep access to you.
They will seek to ride on your anointing and in their mind, they begin to think it is their anointing. You must understand that they will try and turn the conversation over to them and it becomes a very dangerous place they are in with manipulation and control.
Jezebel has left many littered along life’s highway this way.
These love the anointing you flow in and they try to bask themselves in it as much as possible. In the light of the anointing they like to stick around until they can gain some sort of advantage from the prophets anointing.
If they can’t have it, no one can, so like King Saul went after David to destroy him, these people react the same way. They will seek to divide and conquer. They will try to assassinate your character.
These people go “oooh…. ahhh…., we just love that anointing,” and they act like they want to be with you in support.
Then suddenly the tables turn to them and they compare themselves to you, and self promote, meaning that they don’t need you, since they got what they came for. Not realizing what they have is a Jezebel spirit.
If you allow these type of people to come and suck on the anointing they will deplete you and all for their own selfish purposes. Then they cannot figure out why it doesn’t work with them. Do not ignore these types of behaviors, they are dangerous to the soul!
Keep healthy boundaries and do not deviate from them. These type of people will continue to cross over into your space and try to take over your time.
Prostituting the anointing is a serious thing! It means they will manipulate, pay, use, misuse or steal to gain some sort of privilege, prestige of knowing your name and personally knowing who you are.
They try to daily keep your attention using all sorts of ministry purposes and to somehow make you feel obligated to help them. Always keep God first and his time foremost. Let no person invade that time with the LORD.
As they gain access to you and you begin to believe them, they drop names, titles and previous works they have done, to change the focus off of you and onto themselves.
The mission is to destroy the true prophets message. It is the time for you to PULL back and refocus on the LORD! Give no more access to them.
If they think you have figured out their scheme, they will send you manipulative messages that are sent to be poison for the mind.
The person will become fearful of losing your time and access and become desperate, not understanding why they feel that way. To bait and switch tactics, they will rely on you to feel sorry for them!
There goal is to get you to doubt that you didn’t hear correctly from God. All the while this is happening, that spirit is gaining more access time with the prophet AND if the prophet doesn’t pull back to refocus on God, that demonic spirit will bombard the true prophet to shake his or her faith and it breaks down defenses to gain access to the mind.
Once the mind is compromised it gains control. Your mind is not yours anymore. Truly our battlefield is in our mind.
In these last days and moments, satan is pulling out all the stops and is targeting leadership and especially prophets to bring about spiritual blindness.
Evil spirits are at work to a greater degree deluding as many people as possible. These spirits are not just doing thing haphazardly but they have been planning to take out as many as possible.
If they cannot take them out they will hold onto as many as possible that are in bondage and spiritual darkness.
Beware and pray concerning these tactics. If you are part of the flock, pray for your leaders.
Watch and pray. I hold the ministry of the intercessor/ warrior to the highest regards and most important gift sent into my life. Nothing is won or advanced without them.
It is my hope and prayer that this information will equip you to a greater degree and spark that fire again to do war. We all have a job to do and we need to get it done!
In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey
New Beginning Christian Ministries International 