We Must Combat The Curse Of A Fatherless Generation

We must combat the curse of a fatherless generation!

There are so many sons & daughters who have not had the upbringing of a loving, committed, Christian father. The effects are devastating! It’s an epidemic, in our society!

As a result, there is a vacuum of IDENTITY. Sons & daughters resort to self-teach & self-affirm themselves in an attempt to create identity & find acceptance.

Until fatherlessness is identified & it’s negative effects reversed, through relational healing & acceptance, we will continue to have to contend with the symptoms of rebellion, distrust, pride & unteachability as we attempt to bind up the emotional wounds of this generation.

Having a faithful, faith-filled father in your life is something that should not be taken for granted. I’ve observed that the struggle is real, within the mind of many who are fatherless, to remain submitted to the covering & care of a father/spiritual father. The unfiltered cry of “control” becomes a knee-jerk response because of learned behavior.

I’m thankful for my father(s) in the natural & in the spirit. Their wisdom, correction, guidance & voice in my life has kept me on the right path. At times, like every young man, I thought I knew everything & needed to spread my own wings. But thank God I had people in my life who loved me enough to hold my feet to the fire. Of course, I had to make a decision...to listen or learn the hard way.

Some people will learn hard way because they aren’t willing to receive instruction. There must be a CONSECRATION of the flesh before there will be a LIBERATION of the spirit.

“My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” Proverbs‬ ‭23:26‬ ‭- Good wisdom from Solomon.

If you have true fathers in your life - not just positional, but relational, hold tight to them. Sit at their table. Learn from them. Watch them. Stand with them. The reciprocity will be a natural & spiritual inheritance that will overflow into your own seed line.

#FatherSon

In Alignment, Out of Alignment

When you've been down the road enough, you become aware of patterns and behaviors. I've seen just about everything you can imagine & can usually discern which way the water is flowing. Although I can't read people's minds, their behaviors are pretty predictable.

I shared this morning, in our 2020 Leadership Class, that everything we do must come under the covering of our spiritual authority. (i.e., decisions, plans, intentions, etc.) It's not that God doesn't speak to you but He will use your spiritual authority to CONFIRM what He has already spoken. UNTIL THEN...you receive counsel, remain steadfast, unmoveable & abounding in the work of The Lord. (And you keep doing that regardless.)

However, we live in a culture (sadly, even in the church world) where people do WHAT they want, WHEN they want, the WAY they want...and THEN desire a "blessing" after the fact. It DOESN'T work that way.

In EVERY move I've made, whether it was in ministry, work, family, moves, major purchases, etc., I've sought counsel from my covering BEFORE I had discussions, made decisions or put one foot in front of the other. Nothing was done in secret. That's called total transparency and it can afford you the greatest BLESSING you've ever experienced.

The reason I feel so strongly about this is because I know it works. It's in order. It's in alignment and it speaks volumes of a submitted heart. I deeply desire the blessing of my leaders. Their covering is not only sustaining it's protecting.

The Scriptures teach us that "wisdom is in a multitude of counsel." Obviously, you can get the opinion of your family & your friends. But there's nothing like the voice of your spiritual authority - the same leadership you gave the right to speak into your life...in every area. The same people who have stood with you, prayed for you, interceded on your behalf & have spiritual insight & wisdom.

The same leader I needed when I was down...I need when I'm up. I cannot disregard their voice just because it's not what I want to hear.

May you always be found in spiritual alignment.

Do You Know Your Generational Connection?

God is getting His church ready for His coming.  The church is being "BUILT" for His appearing.  One of the understandings of the Hebrew word "build" (banah) is to obtain children.

God is a builder.  He builds three ways:

1. Revelationally
2. Generationally
3. Relationally

Could it be that the method the Lord is using to build up Zion (Psalm 102:16) is the obtaining of children, or the establishing of generations? The Bible is a book of generations. (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc.)  

In the Old Testament, a history of generations was necessary for ministry in the PRIESTHOOD. Today, few people can trace their spiritual heritage through generations. Some may be able to point to a pastor, a leader or a church that was significant to their growth but not many, today, can go back through generations and list their ancestral father-to-son connections and spiritual inheritance.

It is God's plan that the church be reconnected in it's proper generational connection for the purpose of reestablishing true spiritual authority. 

Each generation should be BUILDING on the 

next so that nothing is lost in the grave.

Did Jesus have any natural children? Isaiah said He was stricken for the transgression of the people and cut off, leaving no natural children to carry on His generations. Yet the Scripture speaks of His offspring in numerous places. 

The CHURCH is His offspring and we will usher in His coming as the BODY represents the HEAD.

Notice that in Matthew's Gospel 42 generations are recorded in the lineage of Jesus.  For Jesus' right to minister as the Son of Abraham and the Son of David, He would have to show a GENERATIONAL CONNECTION.

The good news for us is that even if we cannot trace our spiritual lineage, if we are a believer, we are the seed of God and included in His family plan!

To establish GENERATIONAL CONNECTION there must be GENERATIONAL ORDER.  

God is a God of order.  Everything He does is systematic and exact.  For example, when we look at the faithfulness of Abraham, we find that he was a TITHER.  (By the way, tithing is not law.  Tithing was instituted 400 years before the law was ever given.)  Because Abraham was a tither...he was blessed.  Because we are considered Abraham's seed, we receive those same blessings when we tithe.

You obtain the PROMISE 

when you follow the PATTERN. 

Abraham only had one son of PROMISE.  He was dependent on Isaac not only to be in POSITION to receive the inheritance, but also to be able to PASS it on to other generations.

Abraham could have many promises from God but only through a lineage of SONS could they be achieved.

I believe the reason God made those promises to Abraham is because He knew that Abraham would command his children and his household after him!

Friend, the promises of God in our ministries are not dependent on our GIFTS and TALENTS but they are dependent on our willingness to put our ministries and churches in order...and that order is Spiritual Fatherhood.

When we flow in the APOSTOLIC order (the succession of spiritual authority) of Father/Son relationship we are able to trace back to the fact that somewhere in our lineage, a Spiritual Father entered into a higher relationship with God THROUGH FAITH that afforded us the opportunity to be GENERATIONALLY CONNECTED.


Do you know who YOUR spiritual father(s) is?

More to come...

Generational Leadership (Part 2)

When you look through the lens of Father/Son ministry you see a wide angled view of Kingdom order.  

Understanding this Biblical pattern provides revelation for anyone seeking IDENTITY, INHERITANCE and COMPLETION of God's purpose for their life.

There are some things only a father can give to a son.  When we follow the order of Father/Son we prepare ourselves to receive the fullness of a fatherly blessing.

Five things a Son 

will need from a Father

#1 D.N.A.

• Knowing who your father is defines your own identity. Our identity is more than our talents, giftings and associations.  Our DNA is revealed when we have an understanding of the things that God has placed IN us that make us unique through the relational order of fatherhood and sonship.
• When we are validated and affirmed by a father we won't feel it necessary to prove who we are through our works. 

#2 Design

• God designed each of us for a purpose.  We need a father to help point us towards our purpose.  Over the years, I've heard people say that their purpose is SOULS.  And that sounds very honorable.  However, SOULS isn't so much our purpose as it is the direct result of a proper order.  Without a father in ministry we will never complete our full purpose.

#3 Direction

• Fathers provide direction with the ability of connecting the dots.  When God births a vision or a dream in your spirit, that vision allows you to see future ministry that lies ahead.  Seeing it also provides definition and understanding to what you're supposed to do.  A father will recognize the components of your vision - short term & long term - and point you in the right direction.

#4 Double Portion

• In ministry there is an inheritance that can only come through father/son relationship.  Part of this inheritance involves a double portion that comes as a result of this relationship.
• Sons stand on the shoulders of their fathers. 

#5 Declaration

• A blessing is the act of declaring God's favor or excellence upon others.  As a Christian, we are richly blessed!  The blessing from fathers to sons is a blessing in ministry.  A blessing is not just spoken words for divine approval but the power of those words to bring it to pass.
• A blessing is like an inheritance and is, in many ways, even more important.  Inheritance is the bestowing of that which is prepared and comes down to the son from the past preparation of the father.  Blessing is that which speaks to our FUTURE.
• The Bible tells us that the head of each family, prior to their death, would often make a blessing upon the next generation. 

Without being sons in right order we will walk in ministry never being empowered by our father's blessing.  

In Apostle Paul's day, 2000 years ago, the Corinthian church was out of order.  They were seeking their identity from their favorite gifts and ministries.  The answer THEN and NOW is  for the church to come into father/son order.  Without it, the church will have disorder and a lack of identity.

Generational Leadership (Part 1)

A face-to-face meeting with God trumps any other meeting you'll ever have.  I wonder what Moses was thinking as he was hearing God speak?  

God was giving Moses specific instructions on how to lead His people through a difficult time.  

• Exodus 17:6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.  And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Distinct hearing is required in Difficult times.

If Moses had listened to the negative voices of the people they would have drowned out the positive voice of God.

• People will always have an opinion.  
• Opinions, ideas, strategies, etc; can be good but when God speaks in your ear...you'll know it...above the voices of others.

Expect Confirmation.

When God speaks to you, He will surround you with CONFIRMATION.  He will place fathers and elders in your life who will confirm what God has already spoken to you.

• After confirmation, you'll enter into PREPARATION.  
• Just because you've heard a "word from the Lord" today doesn't mean you run out and do it tomorrow.
• The TIMING of God and the DIRECTION of God have to come together to form the INTERSECTION of OPPORTUNITY.  This can take months and years.
• Rest assured, in the middle of your preparation there will also come a season of SANCTIFICATION and ISOLATION.

In my own life I've discovered that when I've been to the mountain and heard from the Lord, I won't be intimidated by what those in the valley are saying or better yet...mumbling under their breath.

• However, I must leave my heart open with a TEACHABLE SPIRIT for my fathers to confirm, correct and coincide a unified direction for my life.
• Paul tells us that although we've had 10,000 instructors...YET...we have not many fathers. (1 Corinthians 4:15)
• In essence, the fathers that God has given you are there for a purpose.  
• If you bypass them, you directly bypass delegated authority over your life.  On this side of the cross, God has instituted the blueprint of delegated authority as a pattern to follow.
• Again, Paul writes about this in Hebrews 13:7 as he deals with the submissive heart every leader and leader in training must continually possess.

Avoid getting ahead of God.

• God has given you what it takes to accomplish what He sent you to do.
• Moses PRACTICED his ministry on the backside of the dessert.
• Sometimes God puts you in a small setting so you can practice your gift.
• A place to practice in ISOLATION before He exposes you to the whole world.
• Moses had to have his desert experience...it was there he was practicing.

The Change Begins In Me.

• Change takes time.  However, change can come faster when we allow God to SHIFT our INSIDES.
• When God begins to change us on the inside, we will visibly see an outward manifestation of growth as well.  It will even show up in our temperament and the choices we make.
• As our leadership grows, positive change will occur in multiple dimensions of our life.

When our CHARACTER catches up
to our CALLING...then we can expect greater CLARIFICATION for the next step.

• However, if our character doesn't change or grow...then it doesn't matter how many prophesies are spoken over us, how many prayer lines we've stood in, how many moves we make, new environments we create or how many dreams we may have...we will delay the process.
• God is more concerned about our character than He is our position, title or placement.
• He knows what we can handle.
• He knows the timing of our ministry.
• He has charted our course and is fully aware of the bends in the road ahead of us.
  
  

Fruitfulness is an outflow of faithfulness.  

• However, you can be faithful to something without bearing any fruit.  Jesus addressed this in the parables.
• This can happen when we're distracted from our purpose.  
• Remember...everything you're doing right now is preparing you for your destiny.  The good news is that your destiny is not some far off place...you're already walking in it.  Realizing this will help you focus on the HERE and NOW...not the THERE and LATER.
• Another way to view your present assignment is...IF I CAN'T DO IT HERE...HOW DO I EXPECT TO DO IT THERE?

Promotion isn't based on fruitless entitlement
...it's based on fruitful endurance.

• The key to fulfilling GENERATIONAL LEADERSHIP is allowing God to have the reigns of your life...NOW.

Leaders don't whimper, cry, play the victim or place blame....leaders make internal changes so that external growth can be measured...with the hope of making a GENERATIONAL IMPACT in this lifetime.