All posts by : cstudio

This week we have a very special privilege of hearing from one of our team members, Melissa. Hearing her heart about safety in leadership is so vital. Enjoy!

Webster’s definition of safety is: the condition of being safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury, or loss.

Safety refers to security and freedom, which in turn allows one to concentrate on the tasks at hand. A few elements of effective safety in a culture climate are, sound leadership, responsibility, accountability, clear expectations, and moral ethics.

As believers and fellow heirs in Christ, we are called to a higher standard that goes beyond man’s definition of safety. We look to the Lord’s ways of using us. Words like unity, comradery, sojourners, sacrifice and peace become action words. So it is with the word safety. 

When you “do life” together as the Sanctioned Love team does, or any team, you do a lot more than just work together. You do life; you eat, sleep, laugh, cry, pray and worship, vision-cast and strategize, and seek the will of God together. And as a team, we are constantly purposing to move as One Heart, One Mind, And One Body.

But here is where it can get complicated. So let’s get to some of the spiritual meat around this word about safety. 

1). Safety — It starts with me!

          When we are moving in a team we can and will most likely bump into our weaknesses. It is very common as humans, (and yes, EVEN as Christistians) to make our own issues revolve around how others may have affected us. I know I have, I have realized that the growth of being with the team has stretched me. And I have NOT always liked it. I have left with a host of emotions that I take home and bang out with Jesus. And of course it is always brought to the table by Holy Spirit that it is “I”. That I must believe what the word says, first and foremost. The iron that is sharpening my iron is causing sparks, and thus purposing to polish my faith, hope, and trust. It’s not actually about the team making me feel safe. It’s about overcoming the things inside myself that make me feel unsafe and then taking them to Jesus. Insecurity is just another word for feeling unsafe. It comes from WITHIN. 

John 14:27 (NIV) – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

It’s my job to believe this and to accept the peace He has left for me.

Psalm 34:3-5 (NIV)- I sought the Lord, and he answered me, he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

When we see Him, we become radiant and unashamed!!! Now that’s wonderful. I would venture that this is a common fear that affects our feelings around emotional safety.

2). Let’s get to the Heart of the Matter…Are you a David or a Saul?

David and Saul were just doing life, until they were chosen and called to be kings over God’s people. 

Saul was the first King ever chosen, so there were no examples before him to follow. But he did have a prophet of God to help him steer the ship and balance the demands of the Lord over the people and the battles of the day. King Saul took his position very seriously, perhaps too seriously! He made it more about him, instead of “the whom”. We are given this example in living color in 1 Samuel 13:7-14:

As for Saul, he [was] still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. And Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and [that] you did not come within the days appointed, and [that] the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, “then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.” And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. “But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him [to be] commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.

At first glance it seems that God is being so harsh towards Saul. Hadn’t he waited as he was first told? But then these words jumped out of the text. “I saw that the people were scattering from ME…” Saul was about Saul’s kingdom, about his popularity, about how he might and how he looked before the crowd. Saul was not feeling safe or confident because he made it all about Saul. Samuel reveals this truth in this statement. “The Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever”. Samuel is displaying here how Saul made following God’s directions all about himself rather than following God, and most definitely not according to faith or trust, but rather about his own human/flesh/self presumptions. This is never a good thing!!! 

David, however, is always about the heart of the matter, about the Lord’s kingdom. He knows that his safety comes from his intimate relationship of honor and obedience to God. He shines a completely different color in His reactions to being on God’s team. 1 Samuel 13:14 “But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart”.  What a revelation of the contrast between these two men. David did whatever God told him to do. Over and over he risked it all, even through all of his ups and downs, his personal victories and losses. Think about the kind of submission David displays in this sad and dangerous situation, where we see him always deferring his opinion and flesh to the Lord for the outcome.

 2 Samuel 16:9-12 (NKJV) –  Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!” But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ” And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now [may this] Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the LORD has ordered him. “It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day.”` 

David never took the situation into his own hands, but trusted that God had his back!

3). If you were to follow My footsteps, where would they lead you?

This is a great question to ask ourselves over and over along our journeys. In it, there is an illumination of where we end up. Are we like David on our knees before the Lord seeking His sovereignty? Or dancing the streets in our uninhibited joy before His Ark? David was a worshiper; a lover of God and family, a man who was called to rise up and slaughter men, women, and children according to the Lord’s command. The obedience and bravery to be God’s instrument could have only been between him and His Lord. The weight of warfare must have been so extreme. No wonder the Psalms he wrote are loaded with great emotions; the call so high, the call so serious, the call so narrow. He literally puts his life, his family, his heart and mind in the hands of his God. Even in his sin you could follow David’s trail to the altar.

4). The Buck stops here!!! John chapters 14 and 15.

If you’re ever in an identity crisis; feeling unsafe or alone, or overwhelmed amidst the team or crowd: STOP. Run to the word like David did. Run to position yourself with Jesus “The Living Word”! The book of John chapters 14 and 15, will remind you of the “Who’s” you are, and the “Whom” that Jesus is!  This passage is a banquet of truths to keep your identity steadfast in Him. Words like Dwell, Believe, Assuredly, Keeps, Manifest, Peace, Abide, Fruit, Joy, Friends, Helper, Truth, Remain…..These words right here, should be sufficient enough to encourage us to settle it!!! To let the Buck Stop Here.

5). Be a David and choose like a Mary.

King David was called and chosen in the old testament, as was Mary, who was called and chosen before time in the New Testament. We can see in the above passages the similarities of these two hearts. Both display the humble and contrite heart of a servant. Both David and Mary reveal a heart that is willing to risk self image in order to walk in faith and in their trust relationship with the Lord.  Both hearts are incredibly brave, showing off their positions before the KING OF KINGS. 

It is my firm passion to have a heart that reads like these two heroes. I pray often with tears in my eyes to be a woman who chooses this kind of resolve. How does all this play out in team dynamics? To have this kind of bravery in Christ, and to bring to a team? I believe that when we are healthy we don’t become entangled as easily. We already feel safe, which in turn helps others feel safe.

Luke 1:26-38, 45-55 (NKJV) Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name [was] Mary. and having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored [one], the Lord [is] with you; blessed [are] you among women!” But when she saw [him], she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “[The] Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. “For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. … 

“Blessed [is] she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy [is] His name. And His mercy [is] on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered [the] proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from [their] thrones, And exalted [the] lowly. He has filled [the] hungry with good things, And [the] rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of [His] mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

—I John 1:9

I smelled her before I saw her.  Cooper was home and had obviously been on some raucaus outing indulging her lower nature.  Like most dogs, Cooper had a penchant for dead things.  She loved to sniff them, rub them, and roll in them.  The habit greatly hindered our friendship. She couldn’t ride in the cab of the pick up with me in that condition, and she certainly wasn’t going to sleep in the house, much less at the foot of the bed as was normal.  Petting was also out of the question

The snow-flecked winds of winter made an outside bath impossible.  I muttered something about her taste in entertainment, held my breath and pushed her inside.  Through the living room we went, and into the tiny bathroom. I opened the window, turned on the fan, and locked her in while I went  to the kitchen for a large can of tomato juice, which cuts all kinds of dog-acquired smells.  Back in the bathroom, I forced a suspicious and reluctant cow dog into the shower where I dumped the juice over her.  The baptism of red, semi-thick liquid seemed to seal her humiliation.  At one point, while I gasped and panted for air at the window, she slithered out of the shower and into the nearest corner.  Humiliation had turned to defiance.  She never growled, but she stared at me with angry eyes and kicked the wall like a horse.  Sorry, Cooper.  Your sin has found you out.

I rinsed off the juice and worked a sweet smelling shampoo into her shiny black coat.  She wasn’t perfect, but she was better. Eventually, she forgave me, and that night she slept at the foot of the bed. Our fellowship was restored.

Sin is a bad smelling substance to God. He loves us dearly and there’s nothing he wants more than to have us riding by his side all day long, enjoying the sights and sounds of life as they pass by.  He wants us to rest in His presence, too, asleep at the foot of his bed. 

But alas. We are born with a nature that draws us to spiritually dead things–bitterness, wrath, gpssip, unforgiveness, lying, cheating and lust, only start the list and we smell bad after rolling in them. Because God wants our friendship so much, he comes to bathe us. Unlike my dealings with Cooper, though, he won’t force us into the process, we must choose it.  It begins when we  simply confess our wrongs and believe  by faith that the blood His son Jesus shed on the cross washes away our stench. It continues as we stay close to him by, delighting in His word, staying in touch trough prayer. He always accepts us just the way we are, but loves us too much to leave us that way. 

Jesus, when I sin, help me to remember how much you love me and that You died to be close me. Thank you for your promise of forgiveness. I so love living life with you. Thanks for letting me ride around with you and thanks for letting me rest in Your Presence. 

© 1998 Jean Nelsen

If the Lord delights in a man’s way, He makes his steps firm—Psalm 37:23

The pick-up and gooseneck crunched to a stop on the bumpy quilt of snow covering my ranch, bringing an end to the longest trailer ride of Cecil’s short life. The old gelding, Zip, kept the yearling colt company during the long trip to town and back, providing comfort during a new adventure.  That morning, I saw the gratifying fruit of my trailer training—he hopped in like he’d been hauled a million miles. Now we were home and the sun had long ago cast winter’s last shadow. 

In the dark, I unlatched the trailer door and discovered a wrinkle in Cecil’s training. When I tried to lead him out, he balked and put on the brakes at the door. Coaxing, cajoling and tapping his hind end did no good, nor did shining a light on the trailer’s edge. Apparently, the 5-inch drop from trailer to dirt looked like the gaping jaws of a colt-eating abyss. 

So, I decided to put his natural herd instincts to work. I led Zip out first, thinking little Cecil might follow his pal because horses—especially colts– hate to be left alone.  The result was pitiful. He wanted to be with Zip so bad, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to make the leap. He stuck one foot out and tapped the air like a hesitant swimmer testing new waters with his toe. Not immediately finding the ground, he jerked it back in and pawed the trailer floor in frustration. Time after time he repeated the process, but he found nothing soon enough to reassure him that solid earth would meet his foot. Pitying his plight, I pulled the trailer into a natural dip so that the ground would be closer. It didn’t work. 

Again, I attempted [to] urge him out. I wished with all my heart he would just trust me, and I told him so. Out of options, I finally just left him there with the door open. “I’m sorry Cecil but you and God are going to have to figure this one out,” I said, leaving him trembling in the trailer’s doorway. “I just don’t know what else to do for you.” 

Hungry and tired, I trudged toward the warm light of the old ranch house. My hands put away groceries and cooked dinner, but my heart was busy with prayers for a bewildered sorrel colt looking for courage on a cold dark night. About an hour later, I went out to check. A smile and a whisper of thanks crossed my lips when my flashlight found two horses–one young, one old—enjoying a dinner of hay together. 

Ambling back to the house, relief lightened my load and revelation dawned. How many times has God done that with me? Put me in situations where I had to take a step of faith, uncertain that something solid would reward my risk?  Oh how my Lord’s heart must melt with compassion when I stand there trembling, afraid to do what He asks of me just because I can’t see how it will work out. Often I start to step out but I get scared when it seems like solid answers are too far away to touch. Unlike me with Cecil, God is patient, wise, and full of understanding about what it takes to motivate his little children. Because of His masterful skill, I have often obeyed His urgings. And every time, I have landed safely in the arms of Him who loves me and always has my best in mind. 

And, unlike me, God will never leave or forsake me as I try, falter, and try again.  He will always be there, encouraging me, holding my hand, promising me success if I will just leap. He is our good Shepherd, and concerned about our every step, every graduation to new levels of faith and trust. So, though I cannot see, and though everything around me screams panic, I will find my courage and leap to the solid ground of His promises. After all, I may only be five inches from God’s best for my life and I don’t want to miss it. 

Copyright October 2010 Jean Nelsen

Last weekend Sanctioned Love had a powerful night of worship. I was honored to be able to do a prophetic painting and I’d like to share it with you today.

The colors in this painting have special meanings, and I felt that they represented the move of God that we are now in. God showed me the different colors and they came in waves.

Blue – cleansing, refreshing, revelation, renewal

Turquoise – deep things of God, mysteries

Pink – healing balm

Gold – anointing, honey, oil of joy, sealing of God’s work

White – Holy Spirit, breath of heaven

Pearlescent – God’s covering, ‘propellent’, his angels propel us forward, favor

The first wave I saw was blue. It represents a cleansing river that is being poured out. The Bride is looking up as the water of refreshing is poured over us. When we see Him with unveiled eyes, we know Him for who he is. He is revealing Himself to us in a greater way. He shows us who we are, who we were created to be!

Dive deep into the things of God, ask Him to reveal mysteries. That’s the deeper levels that turquoise represents.

Then I saw a bright pink layer. I t moved in between the blue to bring healing, to make hearts of stone into hearts of flesh again. I believe that this also represents God’s people awakening out of complacency.

White is mixed throughout the painting, representing Holy Spirit. The breath of God is carrying this Move all over the earth.

Then I saw spots of gold. I saw this as His anointing coating His people. It is His seal of the work He is doing inside of us! His seal of approval. It also represents the oil of joy for the move ahead.

The last color I saw was pearlescent white. When you view the painting up close, these strokes shimmer in the light. This represents God’s covering. What He began, no one can stop. It is Holy Spirit propelling us forward!

I had a dream several nights ago that I was on my way to work. I dreamt that I was working at Sky Lakes Medical Center (which I don’t) and construction workers had us pulling off the road to wait until it was safe to pass. (It must have been some major road work). They had us go into a building where we could sit down and wait. 

In the waiting room, I took a seat next to Lynda Renne. I was telling her that I was worried I was going to be late for work. She was quiet for a long time and when she did start talking, she was praying in the spirit. I immediately felt these words jump in my spirit as an interpretation “Freedom is coming, and it will sweep across this land like a tidal wave.” 

I have had the subject of freedom on my heart for a few weeks now, and it seems that Christians all over the world have had it on their hearts as well. We need to be ready for the tidal wave of God’s freedom to sweep across this nation. And boy, do we need it! 

The thing about tidal waves in the natural world is that they rarely leave what is weakly structured. They sweep everything away that is cheaply built or loose. But I did not get the sense that God was talking about a destructive tidal wave. This tidal wave of the spirit was one of cleansing. As it swept across the nation, it cleansed “all defilements of flesh and spirit” as it talks about in 2 Corinthians 7:1. This tidal wave of cleansing is making way for a second wave – that of revival. 

Now, this was not the end of the dream. In the second part, I finally did make it to the hospital. But instead of sitting at a reception desk to work, I was sitting in the waiting room with my husband and our two children. Now, Kaleb, my son, is a three-year-old ball of energy and he was making a ruckus in the waiting room. And then Kallie started following him around, laughing at the top of her lungs. Most in the waiting room were having fun and smiling at them. But there was a gentleman waiting who was anything but pleased about my kids’ shenanigans. He had just sent back his teenage son with down syndrome for a procedure that I got the feeling he might not come out of alive. The man was clearly under a lot of stress and grief. 

Well, he and my husband had an altercation after he said that we needed to rein in our kids. He continued to say that he was out of control because we were bad parents, so on and so forth. My husband started yelling at him and I joined in after he insulted Kaleb, saying he would probably be in and out of jail all his life. 

But as I was mid-yell, Holy Spirit stopped me, convicting me. I heard him say that I needed to humble myself, ask the man to forgive us, and then ask if I could pray for him. He revealed some things his family was going through, as well as some struggles he and his wife were going through. 

He broke down as I asked for forgiveness and proceeded to give him the word of knowledge. He let me pray for him and then I turned and started preaching the Gospel to everyone in the waiting room. 

That was the end of the dream. It was very out of character for my husband and I to be yelling at someone. But I felt that this was a ploy of the enemy to keep us from our mission, which was to minister to the man and then preach to the rest of the waiting room. We could have missed a great opportunity to minister to this man if we had continued to allow ourselves to lash out in anger. 

In the last few months, Satan has been throwing up so many distractions, things that quite frankly, are angering. 

To be honest, I have been struggling with anger over the last few months. Like I said before, my son is a ball of energy and it can be exhausting being cooped up in the house with him all day. It was very difficult, especially during the peak of quarantine. I’m sure there’s some Mama’s and Daddy’s who can relate to me. 

Last Sunday I was able to go to church again, as the nursery had been opened, and it was like God planned the sermon just for me. Pastor Jim (Refuge City Church) was talking about faith and how he healed the woman who had been afflicted with the issue of blood for twelve years and then resurrected the twelve-year-old girl who had died. (Luke 8) (I thought it was interesting that both healings had the number twelve interlaced through them, but that’s a blog post for another day.) 

Worship was powerful and I felt His presence so heavily, like I hadn’t felt in a long time. At the altar call, Pastor was talking about people who had been distracted by the events going on in the world and being angry with what was happening. 

We have become so distracted with what the government is doing, walking around in a rage. We know that these things have to happen in order for the end to come and for Jesus to return for his Bride. So why are we getting angry about it? We should be humbling ourselves and asking God to heal our land. I don’t believe that this has to be the end of America. We were founded on the Word of God. It’s time we return to our first love. 

Pastor Jim also said that the events going on in the world was like God had taken the earth in between his fingers and was shaking it. That shaking is bringing everything to the surface, everything that is not of Him. Now is the time to humble ourselves and repent. Now is the time to look up, for your redemption draws nigh! 

“Lord, today I repent for allowing anger to rule me. Cleanse me, Father, of every wicked way and fill me afresh with your Spirit and your love. The Spirit and the Bride say come!”

In His Love,

The Sanctioned Love Team

Written by: Natalie Davenport

It had been a long night of tossing and turning: trying anything to fall asleep. I just couldn’t shake the unsettled feeling inside that something had to change, and it needed to change fast. I had been messing around with this masquerade of keeping sin hidden for a long time. I wondered if I had screwed up too bad for God to ever really use me again. If I talked about my hidden sin, would people reject and shun me? Would I ever really be effective in ministry again? I lived a secret life, thinking as long as no one else found out, was I really causing any harm? I thought the only person I could possibly harm, was myself.

In reality, I knew deep down inside that I was harming others. Living in deep darkness was affecting my ministry. And it was affecting my relationships with the people I was closest to. All I wanted to do was hide and be left alone.

Life around me seemed great. I had a good job and family and friends that loved me. I was traveling and leading worship like I always knew I would, but I learned how to smile and hide my true feelings. I had become severely depressed, anxious, and Pride was telling me that I had to find freedom on my own. But I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed help. I couldn’t live a double life any longer.

This began a journey of healing and restoration for my life. At the beginning of this year, Lynda, our fearless leader, had asked the Sanctioned Love Team for a season of fasting and consecration. How many of you know when you’re in a season of fasting and consecration, hidden things aren’t so easy to keep hidden anymore?

The next morning, after a night of restlessness, I felt a strong urging of the Holy Spirit to open up to the team. Lynda had messaged the team on our private chat group to be vulnerable and ask if anyone needed prayer in any area. To be honest, I began to feel very uneasy, knowing that if I didn’t cry out for help now, I probably never would. It was the perfect opportunity. At that moment, I bared my heart wide open to the team. I left no rock unturned and brought to light everything that had been secreted. What seemed like what would have been the scariest thing in my life, actually turned out to be the moment I felt most accepted. I wasn’t shunned. I wasn’t belittled. They didn’t call me a sinner. I wasn’t rejected. Instead, I was lovingly embraced. The team spoke over me how God sees me. I’m a daughter of the King, and there was nothing I could do to make God love me less. There was nothing I could do to make the team love me less. It was my chain-breaking moment, my starting point in becoming free.

Shame is a weird deal. Shame tells you that you are worthless. Shame causes you to hide and feel undeserving of love. But guilt cannot live in the light. When you bring darkness into the light, the light wins every time! Light dispels the darkness. Light removes the shame and leaves no place for it to survive.

I had found that I needed a great deal of accountability in walking into my freedom. As I said, the bearing of my heart was just the starting point for me. God can bring complete deliverance in a blink of an eye. Other times, He asks us to walk through a process with Him, to build character and perseverance for things He has for us in the future. I wouldn’t trade the process of walking into my freedom for an easier way out. Yes, it was hard to stay accountable and fess up when I messed up. But I was always met with love and a calling-up to who God created me to be. Now I see how far I’ve come. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’ve walked into my deliverance, and there’s no going back. God has delivered me from shame and feelings of unworthiness. I’m living in the light, and darkness has no hold on me!

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “ No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.” MSG

To me, this verse is so encouraging. Yes, there isn’t any way to get around tests and temptations. But, if you invite God into the moment of testing or temptation, he promises to guide you through the process and bring you out. He will never give you more than you can handle. So for this, I am grateful: I’ve invited God into every detail of my journey, big and small, and he’s walked with me every single time. He’s been faithful to bring inner healing and restoration to the parts of my heart I felt were lost forever. My great moment of courage has led me through an amazingly hard but rewarding journey to find wholeness and freedom.

“Unity and Peace”

 As we wrap up this series on honor, there are two things that are paramount to walking in honor. We need to go after unity and a bond of peace as Paul talks about in Ephesians 4, specifically in the area of leading a team. (Of course, this applies with anyone you are leading, not just your team). 

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4: 1-6 (NIV)

Being unified and at peace with one another is a sign of maturity. We need to cultivate a spirit of unity and peace with each other. Living from this place is both honoring to each other and the Lord. 

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5

When you are building a house, you have to place the stones together in a certain pattern and form. Just because you have a pile of rocks, doesn’t mean you have a house. When each person on your team takes their place and you all work together in unity, then you have a structure that is meant to accomplish a specific purpose. There is a difference between assembling and gathering. 

Assemble definition: to bring together or gather into one place, company, body, or whole.

to put or fit together; put together the parts of:

Gather definition: to bring together into one group, collection, or place:

You can be gathered together with others, but if you are not purposing to work together in unity, you’re likely just a pile of rocks. Honor and unity gives your team the structure to assemble and actually accomplish what God has called you to do. 

God has appointed all of us for greatness. We have all been born with this innate sense that we were created for something amazing, to do something truly outstanding with our lives. And when we accomplish that call with grace and honor, God gets the glory!

We need to care about what God cares about. And He cares about each team member who is under you. He cares about each hard day and each happy day. Rejoice with your team members when they have a win! And mourn with them when your team mourns. You are a family. As a leader over your team, you need to be an encouragement to them. Always speak positively about your team, consistently building them up. Refuse to listen to gossip about our team member and be quick to cut that off. Gossip will bring discord and disunity quicker than you can blink an eye. 

Call out the gold in your team members. Motivating people through talking down to them is NEVER a good strategy. That’s called manipulation. Call them up higher through encouragement and love. Your team will respond far better to encouragement than to manipulation. And people can sense the difference!

What is the BENT of your team? We talked a little bit about bent in the last post. Learn what the natural talents and giftings your team has collectively. Help each other to thrive in what you are called and gifted to do. Honoring each other is one way that these giftings are pulled to the surface. It feels good to be used and appreciated for something that you excel at, right? So encourage each other in those things and watch your team grow and thrive!

And finally, ask God to use your team in new ways, inspiring them with new thoughts and new revelations. Seek God with all your heart and you will find Him. 

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

Constantly be asking God what is next. Keep your eyes on Him, and he will lead you!

What’s Standing In Your Way?  

This week , as we continue our Culture of Honor series, we are going to discuss what is getting in the way of leading with honor. And this is not just for Church Leaders. We have all been called to lead others to Christ and in order to do that effectively, we need to lead with honor. 

Here are three things that may be getting in the way of you being able to lead with honor: 

1. Not knowing your core identity in Christ. 

When you don’t know your identity in Christ, you will in turn live inauthentically before and those within your inner-circle. All leadership flows from the heart. All issues flow out of the heart. Because of this, we have to keep our hearts clear. That’s why it says in 2 Corinthians: 

We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. Since we are armed with such dynamic weaponry, we stand ready to punish any trace of rebellion, as soon as you choose complete obedience.

What are you feeding your heart through your thought process? We limit ourselves by negative self-talk, when we give voice to our insecurities. Don’t downgrade your dream to match your reality, but upgrade your faith to match His vision for you, especially when you are building something you don’t understand. (That’s why we need faith). 

Noah never knew anything about rain when God told him to build the ark. He honored the word of the Lord through the storm in true obedience and sailed through. And when Noah built an altar after the waters had dissipated and they went out on dry land, it was an honor offering. God smelled honor and it was sweet to His nostrils.

The goal isn’t perfect leadership, but it is agreeing that we all want to authentically lead with honor, character, courage, and commitment. Leadership must begin with self-awareness, before the King of kings. We must know and pursue who we are in Him and be willing to be vulnerable and authentic, defeating mindsets that keep us within the boundaries of limitation. A limited mindset challenges our true commitments. They will weaken our courage, defeat us in our purpose, and lie about our true God-given character as a leader. We need to recognize cycles or patterns that are not honoring to ourselves and the intimacy relationship we share with the Father. Entertaining doubt is a luxury we cannot afford!

If you find yourself struggling in these cycles of insecurity, self-doubt, or living inauthentically, then it comes down to who you think you are. Ask Father God to show you who He created you to be. And then silence and discard anything that does not align with that!

2. What you are capable of accomplishing is not necessarily what you are called to do!

Philippians 2:16 – holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

Who is the man or woman of honor you want to be? Who are you really? There should be no conformity to the ways of the world. When ambition and capability meet, it can cause you to take on things you shouldn’t. Just because we’re capable of accomplishing something, doesn’t mean we should. Many doors will open to us. But not every door that is open is meant for us to walk through. That is why we have to rely on Holy Spirit to lead us. Time is one of the first things God created. There is importance in using your time wisely and effectively. Be sure that what you are walking into is actually what God has for you. 

When you are getting to walk through an open door, you have to know your core convictions. What are the things that move you?

Conviction definition – a firmly held belief or opinion.

Your level of confidence is tied to conviction when you are not threatened by another leader who operates in great power and anointing. 

Courage leads to confidence. Capitalize on your strengths, but don’t overuse them. This sounds like an oxymoron, but here is what we mean by this. You need to minimize your struggles by developing new behavioral skills and delegating to others. Being busy is not a bragging right. Understand the way you are wired, understand your teammates and how their strengths and weaknesses work with your strengths and weaknesses. Trying to do everything in your own strength and ability will stunt the growth of your ministry. Bringing in others who can work alongside you will ensure that your vision and passion goes beyond just you. God loves to see his people working together in unity towards a common goal to see the Kingdom advanced. 

If you don’t know what you need to work on as a leader, ask the people around you. And if you don’t know where to start, ask God for wisdom and courage to step out. 

James 1:5-7 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.”

Believe and don’t doubt. Faith is heaven’s calling card of honor in your life. God’s favor is attracted to honor. Acknowledge Him and don’t lean on your own understanding. Lead from the portion that God has assigned to you and know your season! 

3. Unwillingness to have honest, healthy communication will stifle a culture of honor. 

When we value our relationships with those we are running with, we make it a priority to keep open lines of honest communication. When we lead with honor, we create a safe place for people to bloom. Those we lead should feel that they are safe to take risks and have hard conversations. 

As a leader we must have compassion on those who fall short but we should love people enough to call them up to a higher standard and have accountability. Essentially we are saying, “You are way too awesome to be acting like this.” 

As a leader, we must allow those we are leading alongside to keep us accountable for our actions in this culture of honor. It is our responsibility to show up 100% in every situation. We are leading people into the unknown and success comes with intentionality and being present. Assess your heart and ask God to reveal the triggers that would cause you to pull back from hard conversations. 

Have systems in place when making decisions: remember communication is 80% non-verbal and 20% verbal. It is very easy to misunderstand what someone is actually saying. We all bring our own presumptions and lenses that we see the world through base don past experiences. 

    When communicating with other team members always listen to understand and not to formulate your next response. 

Here are a few statements that you can use to help the person you’re having a hard conversation with to feel heard and understood: 

    “What I’m hearing you say is…?”

    “Did I hear you say this…?”

    “What I’m understanding you say is…?”

These questions can help to clear up any miscommunications and give the speaker an opportunity to further explain, if needed. This can also help someone to de-escalate if they are feeling overwhelmed or upset. People need to know you care about what they are going through and that you are willing to get in the trenches with them to guard the intimacy of your relationship with them. 

You can only expect results to the degree that you communicate. The amount of value you place on something will determine the fullness you walk in. The point is, no one is born with great communication skills. It has to be learned. 

In summary, know who you are, know what God has called you to be and do, and learn how to do courageous communication. All three of these points are paramount when developing our character as leaders. 

HOW TO LEAD IT

I believe very strongly that there are remnant leaders for this time. But what do these leaders look like? 

The definition of remnant is “a small minority of people who will remain faithful to God and so be saved.”

Honor is at the core of what a true leader must look like. It’s completely counterintuitive to what the world teaches. But it’s what Jesus taught throughout his whole ministry, through what Holy Spirit continues to speak to us. True leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders. Jesus showed this example of creating more leaders in the most beautiful way. He didn’t micromanage the disciples. He let them watch, let them blunder, just like he does for us. And he did it with grace. So many amazing leaders were raised up through his ministry here on earth. And we are called to do the same. 

Another mark of a great leader is that they are positioned with clear direction. They are instructed in the ways of the kingdom and they instruct others in that way. Leaders make disciples. 

As leaders, we must be under the leadership of the Holy Spirit: 

We become what we behold. Our life is moving in the direction of our strongest thought. Know the Who, then get the what. 

And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:18 (AMP)

We must have courage to step into perfect love, as Christ has loved us, and it will cast out all fear. 

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. – I John 4:18 (NIV)

As leaders, we do not always have the power to control the situations we find ourselves in, but we will always have the power to surrender. We can’t always control our relationships, our health, the future or the church. Surrender is a daily choice that we can make. 

Jesus teaches us the principle of respecting those who sat in Moses’ seat, even hypocritical Pharisees. 

Matthew 23:2-3 

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So, you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” 

As Paul suggests in 1 Timothy 5:17, “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.” When we see people, who are truly faithful and hard-working, who correctly teach God’s word, we should honor them twice as much. 

We must first humble ourselves, then we give honor and respect. That’s why it is counterintuitive. Because the way of the world is to put oneself before others. To claw our way to the top on the backs of our fellow man. But Jesus taught us a different way, a better way. 

John 12:26 

If anyone serves me, let him follow me: and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, Him, my father will honor. 

Hebrews 3:3-5 

“Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future.” 

You see, it’s God’s job to build the Church. It’s our job to spread the good news of the Kingdom. Get it? He is the one building. We are the messengers. We are the ones who have been called to spread the good news of His kingdom, of His righteousness. It takes a lot of the striving out of our everyday lives, doesn’t it? He’s painting the masterpiece that is the Church. Yes, we get to be a part of that. But we are here to simply be his heartbeat on the earth. And we do that through honor. 

Hebrews 5:4 

“And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.” 

1 Peter 1:7 “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 

1 Corinthians 12:26 

“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 

2 Timothy 2:20-21 ESV – 

“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” 

We get to decide what kind of vessels we want to be by the way we live our lives. Are you going to choose to live your life for yourself? Or for God, surrendered to all that he has for you? 

1 Thessalonians 5:13 

“Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” 

1 Corinthians 4:10 

“We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!” 

1 Corinthians 12:23-26 

“and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 

Luke 14:7-10 

“When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

As we have been reading in the many scriptures about honor today, you probably noticed that honor and humility go hand in hand. When we seek honor for ourselves, we get humbled. But when we humble ourselves, when we serve – God honors us.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “it’s an honor,” “we need to honor,” and so on. But what does it really mean to honor someone? What does it look like in our everyday lives to honor those around us? In a culture where honor is very much lacking at times, how do we establish a culture of honor in our own lives? 

Jesus was obviously the prime example of what it looks like to show honor. Honor is a mark of respect. But we can see from scripture that Jesus didn’t just honor the people who “deserved” it. He honored everyone he came in contact with. 

It helps me to define a word as I’m studying out. Here’s what the word honor means in both English and Hebrew. 

Definition of Honor – To regard or treat with honor, esteem, to respect, to revere; to treat with deference and submission; when used with a supreme being – to reverence, adore, to worship. 

Webster’s Dictionary defines honor – esteem, high estimation, respect, consideration, reverence.

The Hebrew word for honor is Kabad: it means to have honor and glory, to be heavy, weighty, or burdensome. The usage of this word means achieving honor, becoming fierce, becoming heavy, boasting. 

Sometimes it also helps to see the opposite meaning of the word I’m studying out. 

Definition of Dishonor – to disgrace, shame, or reproach. 

So what does it mean to dishonor? Dishonor is withholding honor where honor is due and shows a lack of respect. In many ways, it means to bring history forward. To remind people of who they were, how they deserve to be treated apart from the blood of Christ. But even Jesus does not treat us as our past deserves. 

2 Corinthians 5:19 – For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

Psalm 103:10 – He does not punish us for all our sins: he does not deal harshly with us, as our sins deserve.  

Jesus does not look at us as we used to be at our old man. He has made us into new creations! In the same way, we cannot look at people and keep them in the past of their mistakes. This brings dishonor to those we are called to honor. Instead, we need to ask Holy Spirit to give us revelation in how to bring honor to those we may have a difficult time loving. Our first commandment is to love God and love others. We cannot love one another without first honoring one another. 

Everyone has a culture that they live by, whether it is by design or accident. If we ignore the building of our own culture, the culture we live in will be made for us. And we may not like it! If we are not cultivating a culture of honor, then what culture are we living in? 

One who is worthy of honor is esteemed and regarded. Another definition of honor is to assign value. What we honor we place value on. We must value others highly. If you are having a hard time honoring, it may be time to ask what lens you are viewing people through. Are you seeing them through your own lens – a lens filled with our own hurts and opinions? Or are we viewing people through the lens of Holy Spirit? Through the lens of love? 

Recently, I started going out rock hunting so I could find semi-precious stones to use in my jewelry. I was so excited to find crystals and agates and all sorts of pretty stones. But there was A LOT of dirt. There were a lot of rocks that were just regular old rocks. It took time and energy to find the semi-precious stones I was looking for. It took some digging. It took getting down into the river bed and searching for the stones I wanted to find. 

It’s the same with people. You will see what you are looking for. It’s easy to find dirt! You have to dig to find the gold in people. But that is what Jesus did for us. He brings the gold to the surface. We need to bring the golf forward when we are viewing others. We need to dig down deep and bring the treasure out of people. Because in the end, that’s what it’s all about. Jesus is all about PEOPLE! And so should we be as His followers. 

In His Love, 

The Sanctioned Love Team