Leadership in Transition by Rick Joyner www.morningstarministries.org

The church is going through a transition right now. The form of the church that has evolved through the last few centuries will not be able to survive the coming times. Like John the Baptist was honored by the Lord, we should honor the church of the past for all that it has accomplished. But another type of leadership is being raised up that we must now follow. One will decrease and one will increase.

As we have discussed, leadership in a transition is different from the type of leadership that may be effective in other times. The leader in transition must discern the times and know how to respond to them. The Lord had a severe rebuke for those who knew the signs of the weather better than they understood the signs of the times. In recent times, weather forecasting has become increasingly accurate, but, in general, the church's discernment of the times does not seem to have kept up, but it will. How?

In I Chronicles 12:32, we are told about "...the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do...." Issachar was one of the twelve sons of Jacob which became one of the twelve tribes of Israel. How did this one tribe understand the times and have the wisdom to know what to do? We are given the answer in Genesis 49:14-15, when Jacob is prophesying over his sons. He says this concerning Issachar: "Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds."When he saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, he bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, and became a slave at forced labor."

Issachar saw that the resting place was good, and he saw the land was pleasant, but he gave himself to doing the hard, practical work, even becoming a slave. This servant's heart enabled the Lord to trust the sons of Issachar with what will be the most valuable gift of all in the times to come—the knowledge of the times and the wisdom to know what to do in them.

It has been said that in the present information age, information is the most valuable commodity, but accurate information about the future and the wisdom to know what to do with it will soon be many times more valuable than all other forms of information combined. It was this combination of being able to interpret Pharaoh's dream about the future, with a word of wisdom to know what to do about it that enabled Joseph to be promoted to be the Prime Minister of Egypt in his time. Those who combine these gifts will soon find themselves likewise elevated to high places of influence.

Many people seem to feel called to Joseph's ministry, as I am quite often told by people, but it is rare to find anyone who wants to go through the preparation for this like Joseph did. Not only was he rejected by his brothers, but he was sold into slavery by them. Then, being a slave was not enough discipline—he had to be falsely accused by his master's wife and thrown into the dungeon. Still interested in this type of ministry?

As I have shared often, I have watched many very gifted people go on to bear little fruit in their lives, mostly because they refuse to go through the discipline required to be trusted with high level authority, which is influence. As a general principle, the easier something is to attain, or the quicker, the more insignificant it is. If we really want a significant ministry, it will not likely happen fast or easily. That's why we are told to emulate those who through faith and patience inherited the promises. The more significant the ministry, the more faith and patience it will likely take to attain it.

It is for this reason that most people, even very gifted people, usually live lives of frustration and regret because they only wanted to do the fun part, often considering themselves above the hard work required to actually bear fruit. These are the ones who may shine brightly for a moment, but then quickly flame out like a meteorite. They simply do not have the substance, the depth of character, knowledge, wisdom, and devotion to work hard to keep the fire burning for long. These usually pass their later years in bitter frustration, living in the past because their present is so shallow and their future so dim.

It requires hard work to be a "son of Issachar," and not many are willing to do it. It was for this reason that the Apostle Paul was actually required to make tents. We may think this was a tragic waste of the great apostle's time, but the Lord would not have trusted him with the great revelations that he was given if he had not been willing to stay moored to the practical, even the mundane, and turn it into worship to the Lord. What we teach, we also have to live if we are true.

Having a vision is the fun part, but there are few who are willing to do the practical and usually hard work that it takes to make the vision a reality. It is also easy to start losing your vision as you get into the details. Don Potter once shared an insight that I thought was very important about King David. David was a prophet, and if he had focused just on that he might have been the greatest prophet of all. He was also a musician and psalmist, and had he just concentrated on that, he might have been the greatest ever, but he was called to be a king and administrator, and that is where he really left his greatest mark. Being a prophet and musician served his ultimate calling, but he kept the main thing the main thing.

Now most who have never held a position of leadership want to be a king or the top leader, not realizing that the ultimate hard work it takes. There is an unending stream of maddening details that every leader of a significant work must attend to. The glory of human recognition wears off fast, though that seems incomprehensible for those who have not experienced it. Even so, the power can be like a drug, very addictive, and one that will sap your life, which happens to anyone except remain Christ's slave.

Although servant leadership is talked about a lot, it is truly rare, and may only be truly found in the church, but it is actually hard to find there too. Even so, before the end of this age, it will be the only kind found in the church. True leadership is a burden; it is a cross, and not many are willing to take it up. The leadership of the world is self-seeking and self-serving, and is by far the most common leadership found today, even in the church.

If you want to know one sign of the times that marks the fact that the end of this age is near, it will be the church becoming a radical and effective force in the earth. This will begin with a new breed of leadership. The church will become an army that eclipses any other army in history for power and effectiveness, but to save lives, not take them. We will also see the church specializing in the way that different departments of the military specialize, while working together like the military instead of competing with each other.

At the same time the church becomes such a radical force, she will become a bride without spot or wrinkle. Just as Solomon prophetically foresaw the bride in Song 6:10: "Who is this that grows like the dawn, as beautiful as the full moon, as pure as the sun, as awesome as an army with banners?" She will be beautiful and as awesome as an army at the same time. We are about to see both of these characteristics become increasingly manifest. The church is going to be something beautiful to see, and she is going to be more awesome than any army has ever been.

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Modern Day Apostles

"A Church with an apostolic vision will train people up and send them out to work in the business world. The Kingdom of God expands as Christians extend the rule of God into areas of life where they have authority. Authority is an essential aspect of any kingdom. This means that Christians should seek positions of authority to help the Kingdom to expand. The idea has developed that politics and business are improper activities for Christians. These two very important areas of authority have been handed over to the devil. Even where Christians are involved in politics or business, there has been no serious attempt to apply biblical principles to these activities. This has severely weakened the Kingdom of God. As the church has retreated from the world, the belief has developed that the Kingdom will not be established until Jesus returns. This is a false doctrine, that has caused Christians to sit around and wait for Jesus to come, while leaving the world in the hands of Satan."

"This "Out-of-church" phenomenon has now grown so large that books are being written about it. In fact, several years ago I heard an estimate that there are TENS OF THOUSANDS of such Christians just in our largest city (Auckland, New Zealand) alone. And I believe it is the same right across the Western nations. I have personally come into contact with literally hundreds of such people. The surprising thing is that they are often the most committed kind of Christians - praying, insightful, deep- thinking. Yet they have grown tired of "playing the game" inside our church system and have opted out. Often their involvement goes back many years. In fact, they had commonly been leaders of various kinds. Most of these people have not given up on Christianity at all. It is today's church system that they have given up on. And many feel like they are "waiting" for something. Some of these people have started up home-fellowships. Or they meet with other couples on a casual basis.

"The marketplace is the place the Lord has always desired to influence with His presence. It is not a surprise to see His people rise up in many jurisdictions in the marketplace. The gatekeepers of the community are those areas of service and productivity for the people of that community. The Lord desires to have His servants serve and lead the way in each of these jurisdictions. For much of our church history, His people have had a dualistic mindset that basically presented two choices, serve God in the church, and/or, be a Christian in these other area's but falling short of looking at it as your calling or ministry the Lord had led you into. We are seeing many of these lies and deceptions becoming exposed as His children are hearing His voice."

Apostolic Councils Arise!

Although the states of Tennessee and Alabama have apostolic councils, many of those sitting on these councils, including myself, do not have city-wide or region-wide councils that are in place and operating. I have been a part of local movements in the past that have focused on prayer and fellowship, but they never evolved into what they were supposed to become--an apostolic council of pastors, leaders, businessmen, etc., that would convene to sit in the presence of the Lord and hear what He is saying and strategizing over their area. This entails much more than social action, although that is a part of the strategy. Whether it was fear of what others might think, false humility, or something else, many were not willing to take the step to become a "voice" of strategic input into a region. Some thought this would appear to be "arrogant." Was the apostle Paul arrogant when he referred to himself as an apostle? That term meant something much different than it does today.

Many think of apostles as some holy man or woman who walks four feet off the ground and glows in the dark! Apostles are foundational to the body of Christ, both in ministry and person. The word "apostle" was the only one of the five-fold ministry that was not taken from a "religious" terminology. The etymology of the word "apostle" goes back thousands of years before the first advent, and it meant a "general" who led an army or armada into battle.

The word "ecclesia," translated "Church," came from a classic Greek word that described elected magistrates who made and decided on the policy of a city or locality. They declared war and made peace, treaties, and alliances. They were responsible for military actions and raising finances to support the work. The Church and its leadership is supposed to be ruling and reigning through intimacy, worship, and prayer (priestly function), hearing strategy (prophetic function), then training, equipping, mobilizing, and supplying the carrying out of the strategies (apostolic function).

Apostles, apostolic ministries, and councils are arising, which means the Lord is calling the body of Christ to war. And this is not a war we will lose, but win, if we get in place, submit to God's order, and obey the strategies He will release as He takes His seat as Judge over cities, regions, and nations. The power of the enemy will be broken and transformation will quickly come! (Luke 18:8).
Acts 13:1-4 gives a Biblical precedent and model for apostolic councils operating. As the elders (recognized leaders by the Holy Spirit) came together to fellowship, worship (minister to the Lord), pray, and fast, the Lord gave clear, implicit direction and strategy. This model for apostolic councils should be embraced, but there should be much room left for allowing the Holy Spirit to adjust meeting times. Many leader's meetings that I have been a part of majored on fellowship and "backslapping." These are great and very necessary for the unity of the Spirit, but they must move on! It is time to come together with the expressed purpose of seeking the heart and mind of the Lord. The Church must receive key strategies to execute a winning war over the souls and regions to which the Lord will call us to account.
The traditional model of THE pastor in a local church with duties centered around man must come to an end. Although each local fellowship needs strong pastoral guidance and ministry, we must recognize that there are many apostolic men and women who cannot fulfill their callings because of the demands placed on them. This needs to change and "old wineskins" must be broken off of the minds and hearts of God's people. Many are being called to leave the comfort of the old to be released to fulfill the calling of the Lord, not only on their lives, but also on their cities and regions.

Apostolic councils are to begin convening, seeking the Lord as in Acts 13, and then releasing the decrees and strategies the Lord gives. Many with a traditional mindset will reject it, and will probably even mock and persecute it. Regardless, these apostolic councils must have the will to see this happen, because our lives and regions will increasingly depend upon it as we near the end of the age. The Army must be gathered!

Joel 3:9-13 is a passage of Scripture that is pertinent to the time we have entered. The prophet admonishes the leaders to "Proclaim this among the nations: 'Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up'" (verse 9). As these apostolic councils begin to arise and seek the Lord together, warfare will be engaged as the Lord begins to seat Himself and His authority over their cities, states, and regions. This WILL mobilize the body of Christ as the army of God. MANY of the saints are WAITING for strategy and orders! If the leaders will get into proper place and alignment, the rest of the true body of Christ will also. As we do this, resources will begin to be released by the Lord to establish what needs to happen.

One of the things Chuck Pierce is admonishing the body of Christ to do is "ask the Holy Spirit to reveal new supply lines." There is a multitude of resources yet untapped that the Lord is waiting to release to those who are desiring to see His Kingdom advance! What happens on earth governs what of Heaven flows into this realm (see Matthew 18:18-20). Because the Lord has given the earth to men (Psalm 115:16), He is waiting on us to come into alignment with Him and His purposes. As we do, what is in Heaven will break into the earth realm. The Lord is ready to be seated over entire cities, regions, and nations if the saints will adjust and align themselves.

If His leaders will step out, and not be afraid to come together Biblically, say what they hear Him say, and then together mobilize to see His will be done, the court of Heaven will quickly be seated to release restorative justice into their regions. May it happen now!    Mike McClung, Director Lionheart ACTS Ministries / IHOP Knoxville

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Are you a Pioneer or a Homesteader?

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” 1Cor 3:6-7

I was listening to a teaching by Brian Sauder the other day and it really stirred me to write. I mean this is quite simple yet very profound… and every leader needs to know it. There are those who are called to be pioneers (extenders) and others are called to be homesteaders (maintainers). Paul states it another way in 1Cor 3:6-7; “I planted, Apollos watered…” Do you know what I mean? Let me explain:

Pioneers initiate; they like to start things. They go where others will not and clear the ground. They fight off the enemy intruders; build something, plant the crops and then move on. The homesteader, on the other hand, comes in after them, develops what was already started and brings the increase. They raise up sons and daughters and send them out to develop more ground. One is not better than the other, just different.

Dear Church, these diverse giftings are given by God according to His purposes, for the extension of His kingdom. They are not learned behaviors but inherent, a part of our personality. A wise leader can detect which type of person they are discipling and will deal with them accordingly. If not, they will surely minimize the effectiveness of that servant.

Consider the policies of denominations that move their pastors from church to church every few years. I suppose that some can’t wait to get out of their current assignment, but what about the pastor who is a homesteader? They are forced to pull up roots just as they begin to come into their destiny. Their joy and fulfillment are cut short every time. How tragic! I realize that those who adhere to this policy feel they have good reason, but I believe the Lord would have you reconsider this mandatory practice. In some cases it has truly hindered God’s purposes.

Nevertheless, the converse is just as destructive. A pioneer should not be made to stay in one setting for too long. Of course they must learn submission and loyalty, but often times their desire to start something new is seen as independence, disloyalty or a lack of commitment. Please know that if you tie a pioneer down you may break his or her spirit, causing them to loose heart… or even worse.

I sense that I am writing this specifically for leaders who need to freely release their pioneers, and sons and daughters who need to understand why they feel the desire to pioneer. Some must stay put, others should move on.    Peter Whitehouse

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Women in Ministry

“Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.” 1Cor 14:34-35 “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.” 1Tim 2:11-15

It would seem that this topic should have been played out by now, but if you are anything like me there may still be a need to discuss it. And you know that I’m willing to touch on the controversial things… so here it goes. I hope I won’t loose any friends over this, but even more, I hope you are willing to learn something. After all, some have drawn a line in the sand and refuse to go there. We must hold our peripheral doctrines loosely so that we can continue to grow:

Women in Ministry: We have seen them, admired their gifts and have been blessed by their ministry, but what about the prohibition passages found in 1Corintians 14: 34-35 and 1 Timothy 2: 11-15? I have been stumbling over these for years. I asked the Lord, read various authors, and still there was a lingering doubt. I did make progress though, mostly because my spirit was resonating with God’s Spirit and He was teaching me.

Some years ago I believed that a woman should not be a pastor. It was fine for her to be a prophetess or an evangelist but not a pastor who had authority over a man. As time went on, however, I began to embrace the concept of delegated authority. Do you know what I mean? I felt it was OK as long as she was under the authority of a man. Interesting how we grow, isn’t it? I mean, I knew godly women, anointed and filled with truth. They told me with all honesty that GOD had called them to be a pastor… and I wanted to believe them. In addition, many female missionaries, apostles as it were, have gone to the nations to bring the gospel and disciple the nationals… men, women and children. No one seemed to mind women doing that, but how did this line-up with scripture?

I was well aware that throughout history there have been many who strictly adhered to what they believed to be scriptural truth only to find that they had missed it…the Pharisees being a blatant example. So I did not judge. Many anointed male leaders had already heard from the Lord in this matter including Peter Wagner and Jack Hayford but I wanted to hear too. And it seemed that this process was moving at a glacial pace. Well, thank God for my assistant, a godly, submitted woman, who knew of my struggle and gently offered me an article written by Dr. Gary Greig, "Biblical Foundations for Women Alongside Men in Ministry." Apart from the fact that his presentation was intelligent, logical and believable, it was also Spirit-life giving. In addition, and perhaps most convincing, Gary is an expert in Bible languages. This makes his interpretation of the aforementioned “prohibition” passages most palatable. Please hear what he says:

“1Cor 14:33-35 appears to forbid women from speaking in public worship. But a close reading of the Greek text shows that this passage forbids wives, not women in general from speaking out disruptively in the context of their husbands judging prophecy. Greek gune can be translated “woman” or “wife.” It requires the translation “wife” in this passage because husbands are mentioned in 14:35. The sense “wife” is the clear connotation of the Greek gune in 14:35. So we are talking about husbands and wives in this passage and not women in general. The picture we get in 1Cor 14:29-39 concerns judging prophecy. These wives were apparently speaking disruptively over their husbands who were the recognized authorities to judge prophecy. This certainly could not be referring to Philip’s daughters who were prophets in the church of Caesaria Acts 21:9. They would be crazy if they didn’t allow them to judge prophecy because they were prophetesses themselves. What we are talking about here are women who were not recognized with this authority speaking disruptively. It is a matter of order, not gender. It is a matter of respecting their husbands.”

In 1Tim 2:12 Paul says literally “I am not permitting.” Many translations translate the Greek present active indicative verb as if it were gnomic aorist “I do not permit (ever)…” It is not. The Greek present active indicative is a primarily progressive tense – it denotes action in progress now…not forever and ever.
“I am not permitting a woman/wife (gune) to teach or to domineer a man/husband.” The Greek word aner can be translated “man” or “husband.” “To have authority over” is not what the Greek verb authentein means. If we turn to the standard NT Greek-English Lexicon of Bauer, Ardnt, Gingrich and Danker Pg. 121 we will find good evidence for the fact that authentein means domineer. It does not mean simply exercising authority. Paul could hardly say that women were not permitted (to teach) or exercise authority over men if he was aware of Priscilla with Aquilla teaching Apollos and if he was commending Phoebe as a diakonos minister that exercised a certain amount of authority in the church of Cenchrea. What we are talking about in 1Tim 2:12 is domination. The use of authentein refers to a domineering spirit that these women had.

The context in this speaks of Adam and Eve, the first husband and wife. This fact should condition our translation of Greek gune and aner to be translated “wife” and “husband” rather than “woman” and “man” in this passage. I think the sole translation of 1Tim 2:12 required by the context is “I am not permitting a wife to teach or to domineer a husband. She must be silent.” Paul could not have meant all women in Ephesus since Priscilla had been his co-worker along with Aquilla, and Paul certainly knew Priscilla and Aquilla had taught Apollos. Also Paul cannot be referring to all women in Ephesus or in the church in general because he is no longer speaking of women in the plural as he was earlier in the chapter in verses 9 and 10.” (Mentioning Priscilla before Aquilla probably meant that she was the primary teacher. Remember in that day it was not “ladies before gentleman.”)

“The language of the prohibition then reflects the original problem. A woman or a restricted number of women in the church of Ephesus were being contentious and argumentative. The woman/women were also domineering her/their husband(s). This scenario and Paul’s correction of it is a far cry from the idea that Paul was issuing a blanket prohibition against all women everywhere teaching or exercising godly authority to which God is calling them to in the Body of Christ.”

Just one more point for you to consider: “Paul mentions Junia and Andronicus in Romans 16:7. He says they are prominent among the apostles. “Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles and they were in Christ before I was.” Junia was a common Latin female name in the Roman Empire! That Junia as a woman was recognized among the apostles is understandable. They had Deborah as a prophet, senior judge and a mother of Israel and Miriam as a prophetic leader under Moses and alongside Aaron. Huldah was a prophetic leader and advisor under King Josiah and Esther, a leader in the late period. This wouldn’t have been a problem in the New Testament Church with this history of women in leadership in the Old Testament.”

Dear Church, it is time to accept the obvious - the evidence is quite clear. God has called women to serve alongside men in every aspect of ministry… including apostles.   Peter Whitehouse

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Opposition

“For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” 1Cor 16:9

Have you considered this scripture recently? The Lord just brought it to my attention this morning… I think for my encouragement and I suspect for yours as well. How easily we can become discouraged in the midst of opposition. Sometimes we may even begin to believe the lie that maybe God is not in this thing...whatever that is. Do you know what I mean? Paul was shipwrecked, beaten with rods, stoned and left for dead, imprisoned… and the list goes on. Where would we be today if Paul said “Whoa! Hold everything. God must not be in this.” Dear saint, don’t waist time listening to your critics or responding to your opposition, be it man or devil. You don’t have time to come down; you have a wall to build (Neh. 4:14-20). Review what God has told you. Remember His confirmations and press on. Press on!

In this hour there will be much opposition to radical Christianity and much of that will come from the church. This has happened throughout church history. I’m sure you are aware of the local church’s response to Whitfield, Edwards, Wesley and Finney. These now revered men of God were reviled and called disrupters of unity. The anointed revivalists preached correction to the church and the need for holiness. They did not preach from a pulpit of self-righteousness and pride but humility and servanthood. They clearly spoke the truth under the anointing of the Holy Spirit… and were persecuted for it. (Sounds like Jesus to me.)

There are many great men and women in our day who suffer the same plight. Just google Rick Joyner’s or Peter Wagner's name online or the many others that God is using in this hour… those through whom revelatory truth exudes, and you will find pages of so called Christian websites filled with criticisms and accusations of heresy. Perhaps those naysayers have forgotten the scripture that says, “Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls...” Romans 14:4

Some of your opposition will come from those who have been offended and burned and upset over the past years and they are now unwilling to go any farther… unwilling to change or try new things, unwilling to rock the boat. They are tired and fear any further loss. As a result of criticism and hurtful comments they have become fearful of the opinions of men, thinking it best to maintain unity. Where are the courageous young lions, those who will take a stand and not shrink back?

Thousands of on-fire youth and young adults are now emerging.  I pray that well meaning church leaders will not quench that fire by telling them to sit down and be quiet. “Just wait a few more years and then you will be ready to do ministry.” This may sound wise to some but it is deadly! Please allow them to minister and make mistakes; the Kingdom of God will not be shaken.

Remember this: Those who actually accomplish great things are willing to take risks and go against the tide. Yes, they make mistakes; they may even fail several times, but they get up and keep moving forward. And the cautious ones? They stay in the boat. These fearful servants are very careful with their finances and where they go and what they do. They also worry what others will think. And it is all under the self deception of what they consider to be wisdom. Don’t imitate these. Of course you need wisdom but wisdom with boldness, not caution.

One more point: Those who press on and accomplish what the Lord has asked them to do despite adversity are finally honored by God and sometimes by men. But the critics - no one remembers their name. And by the way, if you presently don’t have any critics perhaps you are not wholeheartedly fulfilling God’s purposes… just something to think about.      Peter Whitehouse

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