"McChurch: Are we MANAGING or FATHERING the next generation of leaders?"

As I was sitting in the employee lounge of my small-town, local fast food restaurant I was thumbing through the three-inch binder of standard operating procedures and I thought to myself, “Do I really want to do this?” I was fresh out of high school, enrolled in a community college, and employed as a part-time youth pastor. I had only been employed for six months. Starting on grill duties, I worked up the nominal ladder of responsibilities, and was subsequently already looking at a management position in our little corner lot fast-food chain. I took the promotion and soon found myself being the youngest manager of fast food chain in Texas. In contrast to my job as a youth pastor, there weren't many differences.

Now fast forward.....

After many years of being in ministry, I think back to my time as a manager and realize a similarity in the pastoral practices that are arising in the church. This is not an indictment against managers, but I feel that many ministries have defaulted to training and managing people rather than fathering or truly pastoring them. Although a pastor may make a great manager in a secular job, management is not the commission Jesus gave to His apostles. 

I’ve worked for a few ministries since I began preaching. While I greatly value each pastor I've worked under, some used their ministry to advance my character while others used my gifts to advance their ministry. Let me note that I probably wasn’t the most experienced youth pastor. However, I noticed a greater sense of allegiance and faithfulness in me toward pastors who looked beyond their own ministry into developing me. I believe that my generation views modern church culture critically because they go to churches to become faithful disciples and they leave as a well-managed employee.

Genuine fathers in the faith are hard to find. So many, it seems, are flaunting the title of being a spiritual father or mother while merely managing gifted believers to build their own renown. The titles of bishop, apostle, and prophet are causally self-proclaimed in hopes of commanding a following.  Few seem to actually know how to father or pastor those who are attracted to their leadership.  

What makes the difference between a spiritual manager and a spiritual father? 

Fathers are committed to a disciple’s success in spite of their own. A manager will look at the benefit or loss one will contribute and make a cost-effective decision. 

Managers will let go of employees while fathers preserve and develop sons. 

Fathers sacrifice their revenue for the welfare of those they love; managers sacrifice employees to ensure the bottom line will not be deficient.

A good father teaches his sons to honor authority. Managers shrewdly promote their own business and compete to keep their favored workers by disparaging others.

A manager will evaluate growth by an employee's productivity. Fathers evaluate growth by recognizing a son’s development of character. Fathers don’t look for servants to work for them; they encourage sons to serve the church family.

Fathers make personal sacrifices of their time to train and impart their wisdom. A manager will only be responsible to employees during hours of operation. They relinquish responsibility when an employee leaves their place of business. A father will have a few  sons with strong character. A manager will have many disposable employees. A manager will punish failure and promote success, but a father will use failure and success to promote humility.

We are in a time where church managers are plentiful and fathers are few. The difference between the two is reflected primarily in the ones they raise up. Managers make employees who can duplicate their activity. Fathers raise sons who duplicate their nature. 

It’s easy to begin in ministry with the right motivations to father and mentor young believers, but the temptation to build a good, business-like church can redirect the motives of a leader’s heart. The temptation to have a larger attendance and financial stability can turn a good pastor into a nominal manager. The pressures of notability in a community can eventually distract one from the simple and powerful calling to make disciples.

I don’t write this as a criticism of hard working pastors. My hope is to challenge ministers to examine their motives in church relationships. Are you a follower of Jesus that is building the lives of people or are you a pastor-manager building a “McChurch”? Those who are not in a ministry position are equally responsible to seek out fathers who will equip them to do the work of ministry. We cannot settle for managers who will simply keep us busy.

Thank you pastors and leaders that are raising up the next generation. We love you and appreciate all your sacrifice. We will stand on your shoulders to extend the Kingdom, so that many disciples/sons/daughters will be raised up to honor and love Jesus Christ.

Stephen Samuel is the Director of RELEASE College Ministry and the Beaumont School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM). Stephen graduated from Lamar University in 2002 with a BBA in Economics/Finance and with his wife founded their mission’s organization, Free Life Missions in 2008. He and his wife founded RELEASE in 2005 and have led student ministry at Lamar University since then. In the fall of 2013, he launched the part-time BSSM under the oversight of Pastor Randy Feldschau at Cathedral Church in Beaumont, Texas. In the fall of 2014 the full-time BSSM track began.

Along with these duties, Stephen is the Mission's Pastor at Cathedral Church and travels throughout the world ministering the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Stephen and his wife, Jenilee, live in Beaumont, Texas and have four boys, Judah (8), Levi (6), Benjamin (5) and Shiloh (2).

BLOG by Pastor Jan Anderson

So privileged to have one of my spiritual moms to write this month's BLOG.  Here is a little background: Jan Anderson and her husband Zane pastor Victory Worship Center in Tucson, AZ. She is the Prayer Pastor and a dynamic speaker. She is one of the kindness, beautiful inside and out women I know. She is a wonderful pastor's wife, mom and grandmother. She loves and cares for those that God has put around her.  

This summer I had the privilege to tag-team preach with her at her women's event at Victory. We sat down one day for lunch and she started telling me her story. I had no idea. I would have never guessed she had been through so much hurt, she is one of the most loving people I know. I fought tears listening to her tell her story.

I hope you enjoy reading her BLOG and see that if God can changed her broken life he can change any life. If you have "father wounds" may God of all comfort heal those broken places and make you a trophy of God's grace like my Momma Jan Anderson.

-Elizabeth Tiam-Fook

“Dad-less, but not Father-less”

By: Pastor Jan Anderson (Prayer Pastor-Victory Worship Center, Tucson, AZ)

I realize “Dad-less” is not a word, but I have found sometimes I did not have words to describe what it was like not having my dad in my life.

Here’s my story: My parents were bible-believing Christians, who attended church on a regular basis. My dad was also an elder in the church that we attended and my grandfather was once the superintendent of the Assemblies of God for the state we lived in. My dad had an affair with a lady he worked with and divorced my mom. I was 3 years old, number 5 of 6 children.  I don’t really remember details that year, but our lives completely changed. I didn’t know my dad’s choices had immediate and long-lasting effects upon our lives. We moved to another state where my mother’s sister lived in order for her to escape the shame, even the shame in our church. My mother was such a woman of prayer and faith. She trusted God in the midst of the devastation she was experiencing and believed in miracles.

We were constantly praying for miracles. Whether it was praying for enough money to pay our rent, buy groceries, pay utilities, fix our car or to go to a doctor, the list always seemed endless. We moved numerous times because my mother had to go wherever she could find work, working six days a week trying to provide for all of us. I saw many supernatural provisions from God that has made me who I am today, and for that I am forever grateful to God.

Ann Ortland said, “Children are wet cement”. Parents leave an imprint in their children’s lives. At times growing up, I thought I was better off NOT having my dad in my life. I didn’t realize he was leaving an imprint in me with his absence. It was so hard not to have a dad to help me learn how to hit the ball in softball like the other girls or never to hold me at night when I was scared. I was even called a ‘bastard child’ and didn’t even know what that meant, but definitely knew it was bad. These are just a few examples to the daily struggles.

Here are some of the main imprints that my dad left in my life: rejection, abandonment, fear, fractured identity, poverty mindset, false image of God, self-hatred.

Dads and moms are to give their child three main expressions that determine that child’s life. Here are the 3 healthy and if not received, the negative expressions: meaningful touch (rejection), spoken words of affirmation (withdrawal), commitment (insecurity).

My dad’s actions or non-actions in my life left me emotionally chained, unable to genuinely establish lasting relationships with God or others, BUT GOD!

My mother taught us and believed the scripture “God will be a Father to the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5).  The model of my mother’s life, her prayers, the intercession of Christ and the faithful love of Father God brought healing, freedom and redemption into my emotions, heart and life. No longer do the “imprints” of my dad’s choices have control of who I am. By God’s grace He helped me to forgive, love and pray for my dad. As a result, I have a strong relationship with my husband and family, blessed relationships/friendships in the body of Christ and healthy relationships with the male gender.

I was denied the blessing from my dad and where there is not a blessing a curse fills the void, but Jesus takes every curse upon himself so I can be blessed (Galatians 3:13). I am a testimony of the redeeming power of God, take my testimony as a prophetic word for your life!

Mantles Matter

In the American culture, we view independence as an accomplishment. But when you get into the Kingdom of God, God is BIG on learning dependency.  Dependence on Him and on the Body of Christ.  How can we say, “We have no need of you?” (1 Corinthians 12:21)

When I was growing up I would tell my mom, “Mom, you can teach me this once, but after that I will do it myself”. I loved learning from my parents, family and others, but never wanted them to do everything for me.

Teach me once and I got it….was my motto.

When I became “born-again” and received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Jesus starting working on me and telling me, “Elizabeth, you have the Body of Christ, you have to start leaning on them’’.  Different times I knew the Lord would want me to ask others to help me with something. Oh, I hated doing that, but I knew the Lord wanted me to.  What the Lord was teaching me was I had a FAMILY, and as the apostles did in the Book of Acts,they gave to each other as each had need. I needed someone else’s spiritual gift to help me in an area or I needed help with projects.

These lessons through the years thought me to be a giver. Not just with my money, but with my time, my spiritual gifts, my ear to listen and my possessions.

As the years have gone on, I find so much value in others and see them as this BIG team that Jesus is the Head Coach.  Everyone playing their part and we depend on each other to fulfill the GREAT work for the Kingdom.

To this day, I still don’t get why people are jealous of each other. We each have a part and a lot of work goes along with that part. Anointing only comes when you are fulfilling your own assignment from God.

With such an independent spirit in our culture, which one of its roots comes from fatherlessness, we have learned to do church without God(Father). We have become social clubs. We have youth sitting on one side of the building on Sundays adding to the division that is already in the churches. We don’t need mothers and fathers in the Body of Christ, so we have some youth movements, churches and ministries with orphan spirits leading them.

I understand that there has been abuses in the church to people from leaders, but that does not mean that we don’t need each other. One of the greatest things to come out of a young persons mouth is, “ I need you” to the older generation.  We need fathers and mothers to rise up and “run” with the next generation. 

To tell an older leader, “I need you” is one of the most liberating things a young leader/person can do.

For the older leader, learning to trust a young leader and give that leader UNCONDITIONAL love will cause that young leader to want to serve you with a full heart. Today we have leaders that like to “micro-manage” the next generation and so gifts are not formed and risks are not taken.

For Elisha to receive the mantle from Elijah, he had to endure and persevere. What if Elisha had a bad attitude or an independent spirit?  He could of said, “I don’t need Elijah, God can give me MY own mantle.”  This is true, but what if God wants to give you a double-portion of Elijahs?

As I am studying Elijah and Elisha I asked 2 men of God this question, “Why do you think that Elijah asked Elisha “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”

Both of them responded that they felt like Elijah wanted Elisha to ASK for it, to see how bad Elisha wanted the mantle.

Now, after all these years, my response is not that I can do it. My response to God EVERY TIME is “Lord, if you don’t come I can’t do this.” Dependence is a beautiful thing.

My advice to an Elisha Generation: Elisha you have to endure to get your reward. You have to get that independent spirit out of your life. You have to HUNGER for God and thethings of God to receive the mantle. Go after your Elijahs and don’t stop until you get their mantle. Tell them I want a “double portion of your spirit”.

Let’s run together Elijah and Elisha because MANTLES MATTER!

The Life of Elisha: Tests and Double Mantles

Written By: Barbie L. Breathitt Ph.D.
Breath of the Spirit Ministries
 (www.myonar.com)

Tests and a Double Mantle

After Elijah trained his servant Elisha to look and see, listen and hear, and prophesy the word of the Lord, it was time for him to return to Heaven. The heavenly chariot of God carried Elijah away from Elisha into the spiritual expanse of Heaven's eternity outside of time. Elisha was told by Elijah, "If you see me when I am taken from you, [you will receive a double portion of my spirit]..."

Elisha had to pass many tests and persevere in order to walk in Elijah's double mantle (see 2 Kings 2:1-18). Elijah asked Elisha to stay in Gilgal, the place of cutting, circumcision, and the rolling away of reproach, but he refused. This is a picture for us that when God removes our past failures and reproach, we must walk through the gates of authority into the new place with God; and so Elijah then moved on to Bethel, the place or house of God, the gates of Heaven. Bethel was a place where people went to seek counsel from God. Elisha followed Elijah to Bethel to learn how to obtain God's counsel.

We must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to the next place of testing to progress spiritually. We cannot remain complacent or stagnant; the river of God always flows.

Next, the sons of the prophets came to Elisha in Bethel and said, "Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?' And Elisha said, "Yes I know; be still!" Elijah told Elisha to remain in Bethel while he went on to Jericho. But Elisha said, "I will not leave you" (2 Kings 2:3 NASB).

The sons of the prophets in Jericho, a place of fragrance and warfare, had also been shown that Elijah was going to be taken away from Elisha that day.

From Jericho, Elijah and Elisha traveled on to Jordan, a place of flowing down or descending, where fifty men of the sons of the prophets stood opposite them at the Jordan River. Elijah took his mantle, folded it together, and struck the waters of the Jordan, which divided, allowing both prophets to cross over on dry ground.

When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." He said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to Heaven. Elisha saw it [the chariot] and cried out, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 2 Kings 2:9-12 NASB

However, Elijah did not hand his mantle onto Elisha; Elisha had to pick it up after Elijah was taken into Heaven.

What Was the Significance of Elijah's Mantle For Elisha?

The word mantle in Hebrew is addereth; its root word being adar, which is also the word for the last month on the Hebrew calendar. The month of Adar is the best time to remove any personal barriers to holiness, thus it is a time to create the potential for the greatest joy. Adar is the final month of the year, i.e. it completes the year, and hence it is a time of completion. The root meaning of adar is glorious, splendid, marvelous, and mighty. In a noun form it is rendered as a cloak or mantle.

He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over. 2 Kings 2:13-14 NASB

Jewish traditions indicate that the mantle that fell from Elijah was a tallith or prayer shawl. The tallith of a prophet or master teacher would have dark purple-blue threads in the corner tassel. People believed that the purple thread contained miracle power. This is why the woman with the issue of blood wanted to touch the hem of Jesus' tallith or garment. When she was healed, Jesus said, "Who touched Me?...I felt virtue leave Me." Then He told her, "Your faith has made you whole," not a purple thread (see Matthew 9:20-22 and Luke 8:43-48).

Elijah's tallith, mantle, or "adar" symbolized that Elisha had removed any barriers to his relationship with God. He was no longer the servant but now stepped into the place of the prophet he had served. Elijah's mantle was a doorway to God's power. Elijah told Elisha that if he saw him taken, he would have his desire to carry on the prophetic ministry with a double portion of his spirit.

The mantle is a symbol of joy and completion. Elijah left his mantle as a sign that he had completed his assignment. Elisha picked up Elijah's mantle indicating the start of a new year; he was picking up where Elijah left off and beginning his own ministry as a prophet. Elijah's mantle was a symbol of an agreement of power and authority between Elijah and God. Elisha's picking up Elijah's mantle symbolized that he was entering into the same agreement with God. When Elisha used Elijah's mantle to part the Jordan River, God established His agreement or covenant with Elisha.

What The Double Portion Looks Like

Everyone is at a different level of hearing and seeing in their spiritual understanding. Elisha had walked and been personally trained by Elijah for years. He had been tested and tried in spiritual disciplines. The sons of the prophets had been through training as well, yet they did not possess the level of seeing that Elisha had developed. Elisha saw the chariot of fire and the horses come to separate him from Elijah. He cried out, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" (2 Kings 2:12 NASB).

The sons of the prophets only saw the whirlwind the chariot created. The sons of the prophets were left wondering if Elijah had been translated to Heaven or if he had possibly been transported to another geographic location. They had to search for three days in the natural to come into peace. Elisha knew Elijah had been taken to Heaven because he saw beyond the natural into the invisible realm of the Spirit.

Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. They said to him, "Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men, please let them go and search for your master; perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley." And he said, "You shall not send." But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, "Send." They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched three days but did not find him. They returned to him while he was staying at Jericho; and he said to them, "Did I not say to you, 'Do not go'?" 2 Kings 2:15-18 NASB

The New Testament shares an example of the audible voice of God speaking from Heaven when Jesus foretold of His death. Some that stood by didn't hear anything. Others who were present in the crowd heard God's voice manifested in thunder, while still others thought it was an angel.

So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, "An angel has spoken to Him." Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes." John 12:29-30 NASB

The names of both Elijah (meaning "the Lord is my God" or spiritual champion) and Elisha (meaning "God will save me" or protected) carries the record of what they represent, but not necessarily how they saw, if they are thought to be seers. Elijah's name means God is Jehovah or YHVH is my God. He functioned as the Father's recorder on earth.

In the case of God's servant Elijah, the chariot was a trans-dimensional carrier of God's servant. The chariot of God transported Elijah out of time into the eternal realm where Elijah had always existed in heavenly places. When the fullness of time came, God reached down to retrieve the recording of Himself He had placed within Elijah.

Elijah came to restore all things back to God. He was called to turn the hearts of the Fathers back to the sons, and to turn the sons' hearts back to the fathers', to make ready a people for God lest God curse the earth (see Malachi 4). Elijah's anointing was to restore righteousness and protect the earthly realm from being struck with a curse caused by sin.

Elisha's name means "GOD is salvation" or "My God is salvation." He functioned under a double portion of Elijah's spirit.

Walk Like the Prophet Elisha

Elisha's eyes saw beyond the veil of the natural into the supernatural realm where God's army of fiery angels and chariots reside. His eyes were not limited by situations or hard facts. He knew to look beyond the natural to see God's provision. He trusted more in the realm of faith than what seemed to appear in the natural.

When fear blinded Elisha's servant, the prophet's prayer was able to open the attendant's spiritually blind eyes to see the coexisting spiritual realms of angels. Knowing that there are more for us than against us brings a peace beyond our present understanding.

Prayer delivers us from fear. Prayer opens our eyes to see God's ever-present answer, while at the same time prophetic decree will blind our enemies and place them at our mercy. For God to trust us at this level, it requires us to develop greater levels of obedience of compassion. God wants to trust us with the lives of our enemies. God tests and tries us until He knows that we will not execute our own judgment or harm people in any way.

When God delivers our enemies into our hands, we must return good for evil, blessing for cursing, and lovingkindness for abuse. The Lord is the only one who should ever move in judgment. He said, "Vengeance is Mine." We have no right to be vengeful. It is God's place to vindicate us.

We are called to love our enemies, to be kind to those who persecute, use, and abuse our kindness. We should lead our enemies to salvation, and their eyes will be opened to God's saving word, loving spirit, and grace. It is time to love like God loves; see like God sees; obey what God's Word says, and then do what God does.

Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha prayed and said, "O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And the Lord opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:15-17 NASB

When Elisha's enemies came down off the mountain to pursue him, Elisha prayed. We should follow his example. Elisha's prayers struck his enemies with blindness. This removed the enemy's power and control. They were forced into a vulnerable place, wandering in darkness and confusion. The army had come to do the prophet great harm, but God protected him. The prophet placed his trust in God. In this new state of total dependence and humiliation, the enemy had to trust and blindly follow Elisha to Samaria. Elisha said, "Follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek" (2 Kings 6:19 NASB).

When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, "Strike this people with blindness, I pray." So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. Then Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." And he brought them to Samaria. 2 Kings 6:18-19 NASB

Elisha's enemies had to walk through the process of trusting the one they were sent to destroy. Once they arrived at the promised location, Elisha prayed that God would reopen their blind eyes. Their vision was restored. New vision was given in the midst of their enemies.

When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, "O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 2 Kings 6:20 NASB

Many of us have been wounded by an enemy or betrayed by a close friend, but we are to respond to them with God's lovingkindness and compassion.

Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, "My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?" He answered, "You shall not kill them. Would you kill those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow?... 2 Kings 6:21-22 NASB

Elisha told the King of Israel to respond according to the greatness of God's loving-kindness, to make his enemies the objects of compassion in the presence of all their captors. Elisha encouraged the king to feed the Arameans, to provide for and care for his enemies instead of killing them. The king prepared a feast for the enemy soldiers and they ate to their fill.

"...Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master." So he prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel. 2 Kings 6:22-23 NASB

Elisha's mercy triumphed over judgment. Great grace leads us to victory. The King of Israel's enemies were delivered into his hands. The King was eager to execute judgment and destroy his enemies, but the prophet carefully redirected his focus to blessing and not destruction.

Good will always triumph over evil. Love will also bring forth a better result than hate. Never greet your enemy in the same malignant spirit. Never return evil for evil but learn to bless instead of curse. We are not of this world, so we cannot respond in the spirit of this world. God is love so we must respond in the power of His might.

What Ever Happened to the Power of God?

When I was 20 years old I gave my life to Jesus Christ.  My boss at that time had been sharing with me about how much Jesus loved me, I knew my parents and family loved me, but when I heard that Jesus Christ loved me, the Holy Spirit began to transform my life. We all think we know what love is, until we encounter the Lover of our Soul.  I was so AMAZED that Jesus Christ loved ME. Every break at work I would ask her to share with me about this "love".  As she was sharing, there was so much peace that was invading my hectic life. 

Then one day she invited me to a "revival" at her local church in Tallahassee.  When I went there the first thing I felt when I walked in the door was peace.  I loved being there. As the service started the music was wonderful, then the evangelist got up to speak and he was sharing on the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit".  All I knew was I need what he is talking about and to be honest I wanted him to stop talking so I can come receive. When he finally called all those that were wanting to receive the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit", I ran up to the front.  Now remember, I did not grow up in a pentecostal church, I had no idea what he was talking about, but the Spirit of God was drawing me. As I got up to the front, the evangelist came by and prayed for me, then a lady came and stood with me and explained what was going to happen. Who would of ever thought my life would never be the same again.  Some other language started to come out of my mouth and I hit the floor.  The Power of God swept through my body and Jesus started to take away all the depression that I had battled the last couple of years as a teenager. For 2.5 hours I was on the floor and God was shaking everything out of my life that did not need to be there. When I finally got up my life had totally changed.

The changes in my life could not have been changed through positive thinking, or some 10 step program. I needed the Power of the Holy Spirit. I am so glad that the church I was visiting did not preach a sweet message and then say, Goodnight, see you tomorrow." They gave me a chance to experience the Jesus that the Bible talks about.  

I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and there are some of the most amazing ministries that are here.  The problem with some of this is that we are having multiple services where we are getting in and out of the services.  Some churches don't even give altar calls.  It is also very rare for me to hear someone giving a call for the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit".  

My question is: If we have taken out the Power of the Holy Spirit, why are we gathering each week?  I can read and study the Word of God at my house.

I do know this, if I was a teenager today having to face the pressure of the secular school system and attended church I would definitely need the Power of God to stay pure, live holy and be used in my school to make a difference.  We as ministers/christians need to have a normal lifestyle of the Power of God, so the next generation sees and knows that their God is greater than anything that they see in front of them.  

When I look at the condition of the youth groups and how many young people that are shacking up, the holiness level of churches and ministries, we are no better than the world.  No wonder we have a generation that looks at us and decides that the world looks better.

We need some power and demonstration of the power back in the local church.  Sometimes it seems that the "high calling" of the Sunday morning service is to make sure we get out at 12noon.  I would love to interview some young people after Church and ask them if what they experienced in that service would draw their friends to Christ. 

Just a thought:  What if we as leaders would come in and ask the Holy Spirit what He wants to accomplish in church today. It would probably SHOCK ministers to really hear people share about their encounter with visiting churches. People are so hungry for the supernatural, if we don't demonstrate it we will see a generation be drawn to New Age and other religions. Wait, I think that is already happening.

I love Jesus Christ with all of my heart. I am so grateful for people in my life that when I am going through a lot that I can ask them to pray for me and they have the Power of God on their life.  I can't imagine my life without them. 

I am sharing my heart, because I know it is the will of God to have power encounters with His people and the people that do not know Him yet as Savior and Lord.

Prayer for today:  Lord, please start in me that I be a person that walks in the demonstration of power.  And I would release it wherever I go to show others the love of Christ.