Teachings

Apostolic Career Progression

2007-06-13T07:20:00.000-05:00

I’ve waited seven years to release this word. It’s time has come.

With all kindness and in the fear of God, allow me to first warn you. Once you know something, you become responsible. You can’t hear a word from God without either becoming obedient to the word or else facing judgment. It is a sin to know the truth but not act on it. God doesn’t dispense useless information.

So proceed with caution. If you are happy as a passive pew-sitter, or if you are a pastor who is fat while the sheep are kept dumb, or if you are a traditionalist who is content with the status quo, then don’t read any further. Close your Bible and go to sleep. But if you have eyes to see and ears to hear, whether you’re called to business or to the ministry of the Word, your world-view is about to change.

For instance, do you know that most of the global church is now charismatic and experiencing gifts of the Holy Spirit? Do you know that a huge percentage of believers meet in homes, not in religious buildings? That church buildings didn’t develop until after Constantine’s edict in AD 313 and then the dark ages began? Do you know there are two dozen apostles identified by name in the New Testament- not just the original Twelve? Do you know that in the New Testament pastors were all initially unpaid volunteers of house churches? Do you know that denominations were non-existent, churches formed city-wide networks, and God used teams of traveling apostles to plant and water the churches?

Do you know that war has broken out in the heavens and is affecting the earth and its people? Do you know that God is preparing an enormous transfer of wealth from the wicked to the righteous to fulfill His end-time purpose?

None of these things imply that I am attacking the church. Christ loves the church and so do I. But we need a new reformation. For example, if a pastor has a building and draws a salary, wonderful. Just don't make pastoral maintenance the primary goal: get on with your apostolic mission, make disciples, and advance the kingdom. Move beyond surviving into thriving. Go further than success and have sons as successors.

Face it: there are lots of things we don’t know. One of the most profound things I ever heard God say was, “You don’t know what you don’t know, and you’ll never know it unless I show it to you.” It is humbling to admit we may not have it right or we may not know it all. Additionally, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. In my youth I considered a career as a physician. The Hippocratic oath says “First, do no harm.” With that as a preamble, let me get on to our topic.

Before my wife and I went to Africa seven years ago, a team of ministers met with us and asked us what our mission was. They were considering partnering with us. With no forethought, I said aloud words that I had never heard nor even thought about before. “I believe I’m called to equip emerging apostles in the developing church.” That amazing confession startled me and everyone else around the table. Who was I to say such a thing?

Later that evening, some pastors from the team formed a prophetic presbytery in front of the congregation and asked a respected prophet, David Ireland, to join them to pray over us to see what the Lord would say. (1 Tim 4:14) This beloved prophet had not been present for the afternoon discussions. As we gathered and waited on the Lord, David began to prophesy. He started to describe our future ministry of assisting churches and leaders. He paused as though listening, then he said, “Ron I’m hearing a conversation. I’m hearing you say, ‘I am called to equip emerging apostles in the developing church.’ Son of man, you’ve got it right. This is your job description, says the Lord.” He went on to prophesy many other things that had great encouragement.

With that amazing experience, we went forward with our plans. We traveled to various churches across the southeast and raised funds for our support and then embarked on a year-long missionary journey that was amazing, delightful, and also quite painful.

While we were living in South Africa during 2000 to 2001, the Lord gave me a revelation regarding the cycle for emerging leaders: a pattern for making spiritual sons, training them, and releasing them. It began while we were staying in Johannesburg working with Jackson Xhosa, a Christian leader in South Africa.

During that time, I had a vivid dream of a father who had a large home and many sons. In this dream, the father of the house was adding more rooms on to his own home so that his sons were kept on the property. He provided for them, but kept them dependent. The father’s house was becoming larger and larger as the sons married and moved in, but they were never sent out to have their own home or raise their own family. It was all about the patriarch’s increase, not the son’s fulfillment. The dream carried a strong sense of frustration that the sons were being denied their right. The family farm had become a prison compound. The next generation was prevented from maturing and moving on.

Not long after this, we went to Zimbabwe for a leadership conference. This was when President Robert Mugabe began violently dismantling his nation’s once-prosperous white-owned farms. He thought the way to get the land into the hands of blacks was to rob the white settlers. It didn’t work. There is a lesson here about transitions and unexpected consequences. In the midst of this chaos and fear, as we gathered with precious, brave native pastors, the Lord gave me a startling twelve-step pattern for emerging new leaders. This revelation came quickly, arriving almost full blown. Of course, I have given much prayer and biblical study to the concept since then.

The concept is called “Apostolic Career Mapping.” It has in it a matrix for evaluating the maturity, ministry, and mindset of young apostles. So, for the first time I am releasing The Twelve Steps of Apostolic Career Progression. I’ve nursed these ideas since the Lord gave them to me. I know that I don’t see everything fully; that we all see through a glass darkly; and that other Bible teachers or prophets may have a different piece of the puzzle. Yet, it is time to act in faith, trusting God to reveal more as we walk it out.

After seven years of waiting on the Lord, I feel free for the first time to release this word. As I do so, I am aware that a majority of Christians in America hold to the erroneous view that the major or only office in the church is that of the pastor. It is not. Pastors ought to relate to apostles, who are the primary gift of Christ to the Church. (1 Cor 12:28) Many labor under the assumption that building a local church is the goal. It is not. Raising and releasing spiritual sons is the goal; the church is a by-product. (Mt 28:19) Others believe that only specially trained people can have a ministry. That is wrong. Every believer in Jesus has a ministry. (Rom 12:6) Many also believe that apostles disappeared when we got our complete Bible. That’s wrong. There is no Scripture anywhere that justifies such an argument.

These ideas are now disproved by present reality and by reputable Bible scholars. The Holy Spirit is now testifying and the Bible confirms it that God is restoring contemporary apostles and prophets in the modern church. Why? So we can finish the Great Commission in our generation! The whole church is becoming apostolic and prophetic and we are seeing this transformation occur rapidly in our generation.

Here are the main thoughts- like the rungs of a ladder- that are the markers for the concept of Apostolic Career Mapping. The core idea is that the ministry of an apostle can be measured, evaluated, and pinpointed for the various stages they all must go through.

Please take these twelve steps and understand that they need to be fleshed out, experimented with, and detailed further. These ideas also require that fences be built around them so that abuse or bad doctrines don’t occur. The worse thing that can happen is for someone to take what is birthed by the Spirit and try to reproduce it in the flesh. God makes a man or woman into His servant for the benefit of the church.

Only God can give the gifts of the Spirit to Christians. (1 Cor 12) Only Christ can give His office gifts to the church. (Eph 4:11) While mature leaders may train or ordain young future leaders and thus recognize the call of God on their lives, it is Jesus the Head of the Church who personally calls, qualifies, and equips foundational fathers- the apostles and prophets. (Eph 2:20) These are the ones who can receive orders from the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:2) These are the ones who lay foundations. (1 Cor 3:10) Ultimately, Jesus makes them who they are by His grace, not seminaries or church programs or Bible schools, although they must know the Bible and ought to know church history. Jesus takes them and trains them through fiery trials or difficult circumstances. Christ apprentices them and usually lets them fail many times. Like Joseph of old, they endure rejection. Like Saul of Tarsus, they suffer on the way to being recognized as an apostle. The Lord uses spiritual fathers as trainers, ministry or business coaches, or special educational classes. But apostles and prophets know Jesus, are from Jesus, and are sent by Jesus.

Please take these Steps of Apostolic Career Progression and consider them. God may be choosing you through a furnace of affliction in order to qualify you for the job of Pioneer. Are you a business owner? Think about partnering with an apostle or his team. Are you a believer who feels called to the ministry? Ask God to place you in relationship with a spiritual father who will go beyond preaching, who will relate to you and mentor you.

Here are the twelve steps a young apostle takes in his stages of development. The details can be enumerated in depth in personal presentations. But unless spiritual fathers begin to make spiritual sons, the whole concept is empty talk.

Personal walk with Christ is confirmed:
1. Saved
2. Sealed
3. Sanctified

Corporate experiences accrue under authority:
4. Set In
5. Set Apart
6. Sent Out

Young apostles display distinct hallmarks:
7. Signs
8. Seals
9. Sons

Mature apostles wage war in the heavens:
10. Seen
11. Suffered
12. Seated

There- I’ve sketched it out. That’s all that I can share by print. May God allow us to participate in the maturing of the Bride until the return of the Groom. May the Lord send forth laborers into His harvest. The climax of history, the end of the age is upon us. May we all move into our place in the Body of Christ, partner with our yokefellows, begin to perform our various ministries, and bear much fruit for the glory of God. May Jesus receive His rightful inheritance among the nations! May God arise and His enemies be scattered! Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Apostolic Career Progression © 2007 by Touched by Grace Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to copy granted provided byline is included and no editorial changes occur. Ron Wood is a pastor, a writer, a business owner, and a prophet. He lives in NW Arkansas. Contact him at rewood1@cox.net. Please- no spam emails!

Healing the Orphan Spirit- Part 4- The Coming Revival

2006-08-16T11:56:00.000-05:00

Healing the Orphan Spirit- Part 4
The Coming Revival
By Ron Wood

Earlier this year, I gave this prophetic word to a pastor: "Your next church is 13 years old."

When I returned to his church weeks later, the Lord had given me insight as to what that strange word meant. It meant his church was now a teenager, and he had to quit treating his followers like children. With children, you do everything for them. With teenagers, you realize they are growing up so you delegate duties in order to train them. The age of thirteen, for most teenagers, is a turning point in their lives. Raging hormones make their bodies mature. Do you remember how awkward this period was? Teenagers become able to reproduce, but don’t yet have the maturity to handle that responsibility. They are insecure in their identity and unsure of their abilities. This is when they need a father’s strong guidance even more than a mother’s gentle care. It is a transition time.

My prophetic word was an insight into that developing church’s age and stage and was intended by the Lord to help the pastor focus on his primary mission at this point in time.

Last month, I sat in another meeting where the spirit of prophecy was very strong. I pulled out pen and paper and wrote what I was hearing by the Spirit…. "I’m laying the ax to the orphan spirit that has invaded the church. I’ll no longer tolerate systems and structures that abandon my children. Grace to become a father and a mother in the faith is returning to rescue this orphaned generation. I will heal the bitter root of rejection and put in its place the certainty of acceptance. You will feel the Father’s love and see his goodness and share his glory and grace. For it pleases the Lord to bring many sons to glory in this day, and through his family, to heal the land, and to end the curse."

As I reflected on this word over the next few days, I realized that in the modern church, we have many preachers, but very few fathers. Most of the preachers, as they become successful, adopt the business model of the church rather than the family model. Just like natural dads, they can become so consumed with their work that they have no time left for personal relationships. They spend all their energy keeping the programs going but fail to invest significant time in developing the next generation. The work becomes more and more impersonal. Or, they mistakenly think teaching can replace training. A lecture in a classroom will never do the job. If that were true, school teachers could raise our kids for us. Teaching might impart more information, but it falls short of character formation or on-the-job training or discipline which is necessary for adulthood.

What is an orphan spirit? Why is God angry at this attitude; this deceptive mindset?Whatever it is, I believe it is the opposite of the spirit of adoption which comes from our Heavenly Father.

Pastors, churches, even whole denominations can be infected with this attitude of cold love. Cold love is like artificial light- it lacks the warmth of the sun and stunts growth to maturity. God’s kind of redeeming love takes spiritual orphans and places them into spiritual families-- healthy families with both mothers and fathers. It isn’t an orphanage run by a director. Even a well-run, well-organized orphanage is still an orphanage. God wants healthy communities, kinship groups, spiritual families, much more love, honesty, and real relationships than provided by the typical organizations we now call churches. He wants his family to express a spirit of adoption so that lost people can discover their identity in Christ and develop their gifts and be deployed on their mission. That identity should be reinforced by familial love guided by the truth of God’s word.

The worth of each person is validated in Christian community, not in splendid isolation. Anyone living in an orphanage knows that it isn’t an ideal family.The process God uses to heal the orphan spirit is called the spirit of adoption.

Adoption is first an attitude of unconditional love, a spiritual posture of acceptance, before it is ever verbalized or recognized. This Godly attitude manifests divine love for someone else before they are worthy, while they are still weak, before they have ever deserved it or are able to appreciate it. We love others because God first loved us. God’s love is redemptive and it is inclusive. I’ve seen it work in peoples’ lives, as I shared previously concerning my own wife who was an adopted child. "That which we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you too may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ" (3 John 1:3 NAS) (This is the original U2… the "you too" phrase of inclusion for people to whom we testify!)

The end of salvation is more than a solo experience; it is being adopted into God’s family. Our modern church methods have disembodied God’s word until we just share a word of salvation instead of sharing a way of salvation; a way that includes sharing our lives as well. The testimony of Jesus is more than an abstract truth with eternal life attached: it is a transforming power that incorporates us now into Christ’s living body.

People afflicted with an orphan spirit do not feel like they belong. Like kids left to raise themselves, they are often misfits, strangers at the table, without a spiritual home or a spiritual father. Disconnected from covenant love, they feel lost in a crowd, just another number on a list. Frustrated, they may even want fathering in the Lord, but feel neglected or rejected by those who should take them under their wing. Or, maybe normal people have run from fathers who were not normal: dictatorial, controlling, or power-hungry. Amen… get quickly away! B

ut often the church’s CEO is just too busy running the church business, preparing sermons, being distracted by the BIG picture of lofty goals. Many a man of God has worked to save the world but risked losing his own children in the process. I know… it nearly happened to me.

There is a notable reference from the last word in the Old Testament, a word spoken by the prophet Malachi. Afterwards, God was silent for three hundred years until John the Baptist, with the spirit of Elijah upon him, thundered forth, "Repent!" This last word under the Old Covenant also spoke of a curse that comes when fathers are absent. It describes the prophetic task of Elijah, using him as a symbol of the anointing upon certain prophets to restore foundations of the faith. Malachi said that God would use the Elijah anointing to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. In other words, it would repair the breach between fathers and sons and build a bridge from one generation to the next. (Malachi 4:6)

For this breach to be healed, there has to be in place identifiable fathers in the faith. God has been preparing the fathers and now he is pointing them out for all of us to see. True spiritual fathers may be any of the five-fold ministries named in Ephesians 4:11. However, Ephesians 2:20 tells us that the foundational spiritual fathers for each generation are the apostles and prophets ministering in the Body of Christ. For many folks this comes as a shock, since their dispensational bias is to think that only pastors and teachers still survive, along with a few evangelists. Not so. These offices are "set in the church" and haven’t gone away, they've just been ignored (1 Corinthians 12:28).

If all we have are pastors-- the "caring for the flock" ministries-- then the aggressive advance-the-kingdom pioneer ministries will go lacking. The family DNA and the model of Christ’s ministry will be incomplete. Just like in an ordinary home, the healthiest family unit has both male and female leaders- a father and a mother.

Yes, the church needs tender mothering care, especially young believers, but the maturing adolescent church needs fathering in the faith by masculine apostles and prophets! Their grace gift is unique. That equipping task for maturing the saints is a work that local pastors or teachers cannot accomplish by themselves. It will go unfinished apart from working with apostolic or prophetic teams who are resident in their ranks or extra-local teams who come alongside for a season.

Today we need ministries with diverse gifts teaming up to finish equipping the church at the end of the age.

How do I know that the next move of God has two stages-- the first a restoration of fathers to heal the orphan spirit rampant in the church; and the second, a wave of miraculous power?

Because Lord says so. The Spirit of God is bearing witness through many prophets about the times and season we are now living in. The Scriptures foretell significant events that help us discern the times. A year ago, I heard the Spirit of God say to me, "If you can hear it, if you can bear it, if you can receive it, the Spirit of Elijah has come." The implication was that this is not an easy anointing to welcome in most religious circles. Certainly, the Scribes and Pharisees didn’t like the anointing that was on John the Baptist when he called them a brood of vipers and urged people to repent. He required the most religious people on earth to repent in order to step into a new season in God. It is still so today.

All of my life, I’ve been fascinated with Elijah. Unlike Moses, Elijah was a prophet of God who never wrote a book for our Bible. He was brash, extreme, and probably a difficult man to be around. He had the gift of faith so as to pray down fire from heaven or to pray and stop the rain. He confronted Jezebel, rebuked Ahab, and turned Israel away from Baal worship thus saving Israel from extinction. Jesus said this "Elijah endowment" of spiritual grace was on John the Baptist and made him "more than a prophet." (Matt. 11:9) He also said this gift is coming again. (Mk. 9:12)

This refers to an unusual anointing on certain modern prophets to confront idolatry, repair the breach, and point people back to God’s ways. As I said, I believe there are two waves of revival yet to hit the church. I also believe that both are coming in our generation. They will involve God’s good ways and God’s mighty deeds. Religion as we know it will either be transformed and become potent or it will become dry as dust and barren. There will be no escaping God’s move.

The Father is serious about giving his Son Jesus his inheritance among the nations. (Ps. 2) The first wave of revival will be a restoration of God’s ways that will turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, naturally and spiritually. This will heal damaged families and will transform church structures. This requires a rediscovery of the primary purpose of God’s apostles, that is, to make spiritual sons. The second wave will be a restoration of miracles, signs, and wonders that will confirm God’s word about Christ’s kingdom, causing people to be astounded at the great power of God.

This will occur when the church learns to value and receive God’s prophets, his agents of the covenant, his fiery messengers. Sadly, most of the church will try to quickly skip over the first phase while intensely craving the second, but it won’t happen that way. Choosing God’s deeds over God’s ways, they will miss the mark and lose their blessing.

Here are Scriptures from the Bible that prophetically describes this two-stage end-time revival.
Hear these words of Jesus which he spoke soon after the Father’s anointing was manifested for the first time on his life. He said in Luke 4:25-26 that Elijah was sent to a widow, to a mother with a fatherless son (1 Kings 17:9). In this illustration, this Elijah anointing refers to providing for a fatherless generation. Later, Elijah raised this widow’s son from the dead (vs. 17-24).

What a picture of the end-time ministry of prophets carrying an Elijah anointing! But that isn’t all, the move of God wasn’t yet finished. There’s more to come. Jesus referred to the next anointing in Luke 4:27 with the story of the gift of grace that appeared on Elisha. Elisha was Elijah’s protégé, his servant, who was like a son to Elijah. He caught Elijah’s mantle, the great symbol of the anointing on the man of God.

This next-generation gift manifested in twice the power and twice the miracles as Elijah, as for example, when he healed the foreign businessman of leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14). I repeat- I see two waves of revival coming. The first has to do with character, relationships, responsibility, structure, purpose, goals, methods, and the shape of the church in our generation. The second wave has to do with charisma, gifting, power, authority, attestation to God’s word and Christ’s kingdom being supreme over all.

We can’t have the second without embracing the first. We can’t have the equipment if we don’t have the men who can use it. As one U.S. military commander said prior to the war in Iraq, "We equip the man, we don’t man the equipment." God is well able through his awesome gifts of grace to release the equipment we need to finish the work of the Great Commission, but we first have to have soldiers of the faith who are able to endure battlefield conditions, be under authority, and be men of courage and integrity.

Yes, God is an equal-opportunity-baptizer for male or female when it comes to the things of the Spirit. But in this area, "Only real men need apply."

Healing the Orphan Spirit, © 2006 by Ron Wood, President Touched by Grace Inc. Subscribe/Unsubscribe at www.touchedbygrace.org. Permission to forward or reprint with no changes to content. We are Touched by Grace to Touch the World! Mailing address- P.O. Box 12749, Wilmington, NC 28405. Your partnership is appreciated.

Healing the Orphan Spirit- Part 3- Fathers in the Church

2006-08-16T11:52:00.000-05:00

Healing the Orphan Spirit- Part 3
Fathers in the Church
By Ron Wood

Picture a dining table in a typical home. Seated around the table at dinner time are the mother, her two small children, and at the head of the table, an empty chair. The empty chair belongs to daddy, but he’s not there. Where have all the fathers gone?

In too many homes the father is either physically absent due to divorce or emotionally absent due to his own issues that have never been dealt with. So the wife feels the pain of betrayal or the struggle of poverty from being a single mom, and the kids feel abandoned or rejected from an AWOL man. The girl never feels the security of a strong man’s protection and thus falls prey to the affections of some young stud. Or the boy battles insecurity or lack of confidence since he never heard his father’s voice saying to him "You are my son!"

The personal economic cost, the vacuum of manly values, and the social chaos are perpetuated into the next generation. Fatherlessness is the primary factor in unwanted pregnancies, gang membership, and grinding poverty in American homes. Why does this happen? Because a man-- a key man for that real family-- abandoned his post and reneged on his duty. In the human situation, there is no substitute for a faithful father.

Years ago if people walked into the church you could assume they came from a two-parent home with a pretty good idea of how to live a successful life. The role models were still intact. But for pastors to say to young people today, "Receive the Lord and when you die you’ll go to heaven," is an inadequate answer to their confusion as they come from the culture of MTV, materialism, drug experimentation, biblical ignorance, dabbling in the occult, sexual promiscuity, gender blending, welfare addiction, and failed families. They need a new lifestyle based on God’s word; built on kingdom values.

If men are not masculine and emotionally whole, if they are given to insecurity or fits of anger, if they are over-controlling or abusive, they will kill romance, alienate their kids, and distort the image of our Heavenly Father they were meant to model. This is true in the home, the church, and even in business. Since so many men are damaged emotionally and never get healed, it is no wonder that so many churches led by these men are also filled with spiritual orphans; people who are saved, but still alone. These people never get adopted into the family. They carry their unhealed hearts like invisible scars.

Somehow, the version of church we’ve created and marketed in the 21st century has become anti-masculine. The virile DNA of our founding apostles and prophets has been genetically snipped out. One author* who has researched this problem writes "Western Christianity has become part of the feminine world from which men feel they must distance themselves to attain masculinity." He also says, "Men can be taught to be men only by other men, and all too many pastors are not real men."

Primarily, the modern church has been mothered but not fathered. Despite being prejudiced against women and having mostly men for leaders, the modern church has taken on a decidedly feminine culture. Manliness often seems out of place. To be a real man of God, most men think they have to become emotionally vulnerable like a TV preacher weeping into his handkerchief or like a patronizing pastor who holds your hand and says it will all be okay. Most men see this and mistakenly think, "Real men aren’t needed here."

For years I’ve declared, "The time will come when it will be more important for you to know what apostolic father adopted you than what denominational mother birthed you." I’ll say more on this subject in the next section on The Coming Revival.

It is time for fathers of families and fathers in the faith to arise and pay attention to the next generation. For too long, men have sacrificed their offspring on the altar of their success. They have lived well while their children have been left to themselves. It is the same attitude in mothers who abort their babies or in fathers who abandon their children that is anti-child, alien to God’s nature, and for which we must all repent. When my first son was born, I remember returning home that evening alone to our house, falling to my knees in awe and gratitude and crying out to God, "Father, I know how you feel!"

Real fathers invest in their children and provide an inheritance for them. It is time for fathers to lay up riches for their children, both naturally and spiritually. The only treasure you can take to heaven is your children. Apart from imparting biblical vision and kingdom values to your offspring, there is no real success in this life. To succeed without successors is in reality to fail.

If you read between the lines in the New Testament, you’ll discover spiritual bonds, fathering relationships, by mature men in Christ toward the young leaders they were mentoring. This was the case for the elders and the deacons, both men and women. It was so natural and so common-place that it was taken for granted as THE method of reproducing new leaders in the movement known as The Way, the early church.

Today we use impersonal methods to mass-produce new leaders. We send them away from their local church and trust strangers in distant seminaries or Bible colleges to finish our job. We institutionalize young leaders rather than apprentice them. Yes, biblical knowledge, sound theology, and awareness of church history are important for church leaders, but nothing can take the place of being equipped under the wings of an experienced God-called man or woman. And it shouldn’t happen for only a few paid staff members.

Paul said this about several of his spiritual protégés, "I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me." (1 Corinthians 4:14-16 NASB)

These words from Paul could lead us to ask some diagnostic questions of ourselves. First this observation: Paul did not use manipulation or religious shaming as a method of coercing their obedience. He did use clean, clear warnings or precautions to admonish them, reminders like (and I paraphrase), "If you indulge in carnal pursuits, you’ll reap the things of the flesh; if you invest in spiritual things you’ll reap what the Spirit can give." Re-read the words from Paul in the verses above then ask yourself these questions: Who is my spiritual father? Who cares enough to admonish me? Whose way of life or ministry am I attempting to imitate? What spiritual family has adopted me? Who am I being a father or mother to as they grow up in Christ?

Today, we have thousands of powerful preachers and Bible teachers, but not many genuine leaders willing to devote the time or trouble to personally equip the emerging young leaders around them. In fact, many well-established senior pastors view people with gifts or callings in their flock as a threat to their own position or security, someone to keep down, not someone to value, to recognize, to rise up, or to release. They fail to realize that the greatest thing any leader can do is multiply ministries and send them into the world.

The leaders of western Christianity have almost universally adopted a fatherless form of church structure. This method can effectively merchandise Biblical faith to crowds while leaving individuals neglected as orphans within their own house. It has the illusion of success but sacrifices goals that go beyond preaching or teaching, that is, training and equipping. It is a weakened type of Christian structure that can’t mold emerging leaders for the church, much less for business or government. Real fathers in the faith lay enduring foundations that equip the next generation so they can go further than us. Our ceiling should be their ground floor.
For decades, I’ve prayed this life-text from the Psalms. It describes my purpose: "O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare your wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come." (Psalm 71:17-18 NASB)

The next generation is vitally important to God. The church is always one generation away from graying out into retirement and declining into extinction. Christianity is multi-generational. We follow in the steps of the faith of father Abraham, who discovered that God keeps covenant from one generation to the next. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God is a covenant-keeping God.

Earlier this year, I stood with my son, Scott, as we dedicated to the Lord his third child-- our first grandson-- Israel Barak Wood. I looked at my two children and my three grandchildren and realized that the Lord had been true to His word when he first called me to preach, when He told me that the Word he had put in my mouth and the Spirit that was upon me would not depart from me, my children, nor my children’s children. I was seeing the evidence that God had kept covenant even to the third generation.

Without intending to do so, an orphan spirit in a preacher or pastor uses people rather than invests in people. It values big crowds rather than a few disciples. It sacrifices long-range results for the immediate gratification of feeling good about itself. The orphan spirit is impersonal and performance-oriented. It won’t let people get close or be real. An orphan spirit treats people as disposable; as a means to an end, rather than the end itself, which is maturing in Christ and thus bearing much fruit.

The Bible offers this promise from the Lord, found in 2 Corinthians 6.8- "I will be a Father to you…" Our Lord Jesus said, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14.18) and "…for the Father Himself loves you…" (John 16.27) What magnificent good news, that we can become God’s child simply by receiving Jesus and obtaining new birth! What a privilege to walk with God as our Heavenly Father!

But children cannot raise themselves. They are ushered into a world helpless as babies, and then go through years of childhood needing constant supervision. It takes work to raise a child. But they do grow up and the way you fulfill your role as a parent does necessarily change over time, whether you are guiding a natural child or a spiritual child, someone you are mentoring in the faith. As I said to my son when I performed his marriage, "I spent the first third of your life raising you, the next third resisting you, and this final third before your adulthood releasing you."

Most churches are filled with spiritual babies, still needing milk from the word, not meat, never being disciplined for righteousness sake, never being trained in the family business, never being put to work in the Father’s fields. It is time for the perpetual childhood of the believer to be finished and for mature sons and daughters in the faith to arise. This task requires spiritual fathers and mothers. Who are the spiritual fathers? Why don’t we see more of them fulfilling this role?

Being a father requires being present to the moment, knowing where your children are geographically and relationally. At home or in the church, daddy may live in the same space, but if he is distant in his affection or distracted in his attention, he will renege on his responsibilities. A renegade is a rebel. For that reason, Bible teacher Derek Prince used to say, "Most American men are rebels."

As we come to the fullness of time, and as the world stage is being set for the conflict of the ages and for the return of Christ, God is moving to raise up, restore, and repair the missing foundations in our lives. These foundations are not just spiritual gifts or fundamental doctrines, but they are also men with vision, virtue, and values embedded in their hearts and minds and lifestyles imparted from the Word of God. To be a man of God, first you have to be a man.

I pray with all my heart that I may play my part in turning fathers toward their children and children toward their fathers, to see genuine fathers in the faith arise and take their place to help rescue this demonized generation from despair. Amen.

*excerpts from The Church Impotent: The Feminization of Christianity by Leon Podles, thanks to Andrew Strom for circulating the article in his email newsletter.

Recommended Reading: the excellent book, Fatherpower by my brother, Don Wood. Available at his website which is: www.fatherpower.com.

Healing the Orphan Spirit- Part 2 - Real Men Aren't Religious

2006-08-16T11:46:00.001-05:00

Healing the Orphan Spirit- Part 2
Real Men Aren’t Religious
By Ron Wood

The men Jesus selected weren’t religious. They weren’t preachers, priests, or seminarians. Ordinary men captured by the extraordinary call of Christ, they became the foundation for His new kingdom culture on earth. Nothing has changed, has it?

Growing up, my Dad believed in God but wanted nothing to do with the church. He thought church was for silly women or weak men. My Dad was a man among men; he didn’t have any lace on his drawers. Despite his dislike of church, after many years of resistance, he eventually came to terms with the Lord Jesus and was wonderfully saved.

When I was pastoring a Baptist church in Florida, a man in my congregation invited me to go hunting and fishing with him. I never did get to shoot a buck, but I had some awesome experiences in the lovely wilderness woods and swamps, all familiar turf to me since I grew up in that environment as a boy. We fished on the Suwannee River and caught hundreds of bluegill.
But I had been "citified" on the big streets of Dallas, and needed to get re-oriented to the ways of the wilderness. Delton was patient with me and didn’t make fun of me as I got familiar again with the ways of the woods. Yet he knew novices with guns could be dangerous.

Delton loved his wife, Ena. She was very devoted to the Lord and to church, and Delton was devoted to her. He faithfully sat beside her every Sunday morning, but never was vocal or expressive when it came to the things of God. Delton like beer and he smoked cigarettes. But he never cheated on his wife and I never heard him take the Lord’s name in vain.

He took me hunting one Saturday morning before dawn in an area where he knew we had a good chance for a kill. "Wear your boots," he said. I wondered why he would say that.

At 5:00 am that morning, I opened the truck door, stepped down into a foot of cold black water, and shined my light around me. Our trail led us through fallen cypress trees, brackish water, and dark woods. "Look out for moccasins and alligators," Delton said.

A quarter-mile into the woods, we hit higher ground. "This is your tree," he said. "I’ll be a tenth of a mile further on." He disappeared into the woods leaving me to climb the tree with my gun and to get settled to wait for dawn and hopefully, some deer.

I prepared my two-piece tree stand so I could inch my way up the soft bark of the palm tree. As I did so, my 30.06 rifle slipped from my grasp and speared straight down into the soft wet earth. My rifle stood there like a grave marker on a battlefield. All it needed was a combat helmet to make the picture complete.

I pulled it out of the ground, saw the plug of mud, and knew it was now suicidal to try to shoot it. I broke off a branch, whittled it sharp, and tried to unplug the barrel. No luck… the stick was now broken off in the barrel.

I stood there wondering what to do. Finally, I decided to go back to the truck and get my shotgun. But Delton had the keys. So off I went, lost as a goose in a snowstorm, trying to find my hunting partner.

I was just about to give up when I heard a voice over my head say, "What do you want?" I looked up and saw Delton. "I need the keys. I’ll tell you why later." Without saying a word, he dropped the truck keys to me. "If you go that way," he pointed, "you’ll hit a tram and if you turn right at the corner you’ll see the truck."

I turned and headed for the old logging trail he had indicated. After a while, I saw it, but it was guarded by water along the side of the road. A log had fallen across it and I thought I could make it. Stepping on the wet log, I slipped and landed waste deep in icy water. Determined, I hiked ahead until I saw the truck and retrieved my shotgun. Grimly determined now, I forged ahead. Entering the woods, I miraculously found our original trail and in a few minutes arrived back at the base of the tree where my gear and rifle were waiting.

How to get safely up the tree while carrying my gun?

I hit upon a solution. I tied a cord around the shotgun and left it lying on the ground while I slithered up the tree on my tree stand to about ten feet above the ground, then secured my position, turned around and sat down, and hauled my shotgun up and laid it across my lap.
Finally, I was set. I relaxed, looked around, and saw dawn’s early light starting to break. Leaves drifted down from tall trees in the shaded forest. It felt like a sanctuary, so still, so pristine, so peaceful. I glanced down at the shotgun lying across my lap and saw that the safety was still on. I wondered, How loud is the click if I take it off safety now? Better to do it now before any deer might hear it. So I snicked the safety button off.

BOOM!!! It blasted a load of buckshot and the recoil jetted the gun horizontally six feet out and ten feet down, lying fully loaded on the ground with the safety off, the cord still tied around the trigger guard where I had forgotten to remove it.

I was shocked, scared, embarrassed, and instantly angry! If I had been any good at cussing, I would have done it. I knew I had spoiled the hunt for Delton and myself. The only deer we would see that morning would have to be totally deaf. At that precise moment of utter humiliation and discomfort, God clearly spoke to me: "You’ve been mad a lot lately, haven’t you?"

I instantly became meek from His reproof. I responded, "Yes Sir… I have." That was all He said about that, as though just observing it was enough to help me repent, and it was. Then, as though I could see His face turn toward the direction where Delton was, the Lord asked me, "Do you know how uncomfortable you are in this hunting environment? Delton is just as uncomfortable in your church environment."

I sat there amazed. Immediately, I got it. I realized that the woods are full of men who love God, but are not comfortable with the feminized church world we’ve offered them. We’ve expected them to change their culture in order to adapt to the church. Maybe it’s our religious traditions that need to adapt so men can fit in and follow a manly Savior.

If this is true, then we need to ask ourselves: In our religious structures, what encourages transformation among men? What activities waste our time and energy?

Healing the Orphan Spirit- Part 1- Men and Marriage

2006-08-16T11:41:00.000-05:00

Healing the Orphan Spirit- Part I
Men and Marriage
By Ron Wood

My wife and I watched the video, An Unfinished Life, starring Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, and Morgan Freeman. This film portrayed the agony of a man who had lost his beloved son, then had to overcome the anger in his heart so that he could again become the kind of man who was able to show love to his family. He was a good man but eaten up inside. Like a wild bear, anger can devour us.

A missing element in many families is a good man. A good man with integrity can provide a stable environment as he fulfills the role of faithful husband and loving father. His presence in the home provides something that is irreplaceable. Just like the Marines, the Lord is looking for a few good men to recruit into his kingdom.

I grew up in a home where the only emotion my Dad displayed was anger. He had a violent temper that raged out of control when he was drunk. He was a brilliant leader at work and could handle any crisis, but at home he was tormented by his own demons.

On one side of the living room, Dad sat forward in his recliner with a lit cigarette sending a slow plume of smoke toward the ceiling from his nicotine-stained fingers. His right index finger was short by one knuckle, having been cut off in an accident. Beside him was a hotel-sized ash tray with an open carton of Salems on the table beneath the lamp. Directly across from him was the big color television that was always turned on. At most meal times, Dad wanted food brought to him on a TV tray. Later, when I was newly married and my wife set the table for a lovely meal for us, I was impressed!

Across the room my mother sat on her sofa with several Bibles stacked up beside her along with some Oral Roberts commentaries. Mom was a deeply committed Christian. The Lord had healed her of TB. She had started the prayer chain at her church that eventually saw thousands of answers to prayers. Stretched across the back of the sofa was her five-foot long white sign with twelve-inch tall letters from the Red Cross where she was an instructor. It read, "Thank You for Not Smoking!" They were quite a pair.

I caught some things from my parents, some good and some bad. Most of us do. Without realizing it, I grew up with a smoldering anger laced with embedded shame. In addition to that quick temper, I also developed a very deep love for the Lord and for His word.

The anger inside me came from two sources. One was ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder. God gave me a great intellect but a short attention span. I kept feeling constant frustration with myself over my inability to finish projects due to being easily distracted. I could make straight A’s at school anytime I set my mind to it, but I had too many interests. Later as an adult, I was diagnosed and learned coping skills and accepted medical treatment (see Random Notes on ADD available on my website).

But most of my anger and low-level depression came from being shamed as a child. You must understand that shaming a child always produces low self-esteem and self-hatred. Shaming and blaming are never good discipline tools, just forms of verbal abuse.

My shame was not from his words toward me but from his life lived in front of me. What I saw made me feel ashamed. I grew up with a constant dread of his explosive temper, and a continual question of what kind of Daddy would I see when I came home from school? Would I see the capable leader who could manage hundreds of men as he supervised a complex mining operation? A self-educated man who could intelligently discuss any current news topic? Or a brilliant man who could skillfully write poetry at the drop of a hat? Or would I find my Dad disheveled, lying drunken in a stupor, filthy with his own vomit? Would he be the dad we had to help stagger from the bar and carry home to his bed? It was never safe for me to bring friends over to my house.

Until I got healed of shame by Father-God’s agape kind of abba love, until I faced and got rid of the fear of my father’s anger, I wasn’t a whole man. Part of me was locked up inside. Despite being a Christian and a pastor, this emotional pain affected all of my relationships at home and at church. I had to learn through my experiences, by God’s grace, about being a whole man and about becoming a good father.

God is in the business of turning unsaved, carnal, selfish men into Christian men worthy of his kingdom; into Godly followers of Christ, faithful husbands, and effective fathers. God loves men and wants their dignity restored so they can earn and deserve respect. God loves women and children and wants every woman to know a representation of his husbanding care and every child to know a representation of his fatherly love.

I know a woman who lived in New Orleans years ago. She ran away from an abusive husband with her small son and was divorced. In her distress, she fell in with the wrong crowd, got careless in her behavior, and became pregnant by another man. What should she do? This was years ago when the stigma of having a baby out of wedlock was a great scandal. When the young man heard she was pregnant, he hopped on a plane and flew home to Arizona. She followed him, confronted him, and said "This baby will have a father and will not be illegitimate!" They were married, she returned to New Orleans where she gave birth to the baby, and then filed for divorce. At least her baby was not a bastard.

Her sister in Mississippi, married for two years but still childless, heard of her plight. She and her husband agreed to take the baby and adopt it. They gave her a new name, Lana, and raised her as their own in a new home with a father who happened to be a preacher and a mother who was his hard-working partner. God’s redemptive love kept that little girl from being raised without a daddy and instead gave her exceptional poise and self-confidence. I know… I’ve been her husband for thirty-seven years!

Real fatherhood is a spiritual connection-- a deliberate relationship-- even more than it is a biological event. I honor Lana’s adoptive father, Rev. Douglas Stone, for raising a lovely woman who loves Christ and who is my partner in life and in the Lord’s work.

Lana grew up knowing she was adopted. Her parents had prepared her with information that became more complete over time. She always felt she was special because she was selected on purpose. She has never felt the need for tracking down her biological father. Lana says, "I have a Daddy and I know who he is." It’s the same way with God. "The spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God." (Romans 8.16) To our Heavenly Father, each of his children is his favorite! We are not an accident, but are chosen, wanted, dearly loved, and especially adopted by our Father in heaven.

God's Transition Teams

2005-12-14T20:28:00.000-05:00

God’s Transition Teams
By Ron Wood

When I was first hired at Verizon Wireless they used a technique to orient me into the business. They put my class under the care of a Transition Team. That team’s job was very specific: they were to prepare us with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in our new environment. Much of my success can be attributed to the job they did of training me. They gave me the tools to succeed and I put those tools to work.

In today’s complex world, any business recruiting and training people for a new job might use a transition period. This stage is embarrassing for new-hires as they make mistakes and feel lost. Trainers handling new recruits during this transition period have to be patient. They also must thoroughly know the company’s business, its products, and especially, its core Values and Vision. These “2-V’s” underscore everything else.

Ideally, the greatest enterprise on planet earth, the billion-member Body of Christ (aka the Church) will utilize skilled teams to transition people out of their old way of thinking into the new values and vision of Christ’s kingdom. Using a business analogy The HR department screening, recruiting and hiring new recruits could be evangelists or local pastors but the Transition Team ought to be veteran apostles and prophets. They alone have the wisdom, insight, calling, and gifting to transition people out of their old worldview, identify their gifts, and deploy them into their work in the kingdom of God.

Traveling Teams
In the New Testament these traveling teams of apostles and prophets had the huge task of converting people from paganism and idolatry to faith in God or, in the case of Jews, lifting them out of religious traditions. When their task was completed local pastors, teachers, and evangelists could take over the care of the flock. Biblical history showed us these teams succeeded admirably. Today something seems to be missing in the church. We have congregations full of people but empty of ministry. If these transition teams remain missing, or if they don’t do their job properly, then the corporate culture of the modern church will deteriorate further and we will fail at our vital mission.

Who are these Transition Teams? How do we recognize them and relate to them?

Let me flash back to a few years ago. In a hotel room in Ft. Worth, Texas, while ministering at a large Christian family camp I awoke one morning to hear a voice speaking to me from beside my bed. I saw no one but I distinctly heard these words: “I want you to re-write your personal mission statement. Every where you go I want you to bear witness to three things- Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone of the Church; The Scriptures are the Word the Holy Spirit confirms with signs and wonders; and The Restoration of contemporary Apostles and Prophets.”

Since that event several years ago I’ve been on a journey of discovery. It has required experiencing hardship for the Lord’s sake and also involved seeing the best of people and the worst of people as they tried and frequently failed to walk out the implications of changes in their paradigm regarding the ministry. Although I’ve spent most of my career as a pastor of various churches I’ve been known as a prophet with an apostolic anointing. I can’t explain it but I know it’s true. Prophets are forerunners of change. They stir us and they point to the path. Apostles are the pioneers who blaze the trail and take us there.

Much has been said about on-going changes in the Body of Christ. We can’t ignore the release of radical new ideas emerging from the Scriptures which are causing us to re-think the infrastructure of the church. Rapid changes have made us feel like the word “transition” is almost worn out. Change feels uncomfortable to all of us. All change at first seems like heresy or revolt. But it may be a reformation, not rebellion (ie.-Luther’s courageous stand). At some point we have to decide what we believe, take a stand for it, and start walking our talk.

I appreciate the Bible teachers who have wrestled with some of these major issues and have given us new terminology to discuss them. One such Bible scholar is Dr. Peter Wagner, formerly of Fuller Theological Seminary where, along with Dr. John Wimber, he specialized in missions and church growth. Dr. Wagner coined the phrase “The Second Apostolic Reformation.” I like this descriptive term and believe it to be accurate.

Are We There Yet?
As an avid student of church history in Bible College I developed a sense of the progressive restoration of the church through the ages. The Lord’s revelation of His ways and the rekindling of His gifts have taken centuries to progress to this point. We still can’t say that we’ve arrived at the glory and power of the church in Acts but we’re a lot further along than we were decades ago. Many of the great truths of the Bible are now common: justification by faith, the new birth, the priesthood of believers, sanctification, Holy Spirit baptism, spiritual gifts, expelling evil spirits, intercessory prayer, and spiritual warfare. These are kingdom pearls worth paying for.

But there is more ahead! Yet to be fully discussed or implemented are the profound adjustments to our thinking and our ways which are occurring from one phase of the restoration, that is, the reappearance of apostles and prophets today in the Body of Christ. More than anything else, this particular move of God is making us reconsider our basic assumptions regarding how we do church. Up until this point, almost all of the waves of renewal were personal and could nicely fit into our old wineskins. Not so with this aspect of God’s kingdom, the two foundation gifts, apostles and prophets.

Two Critical Issues
In this short article I won’t try to justify these two offices or deal with their function in the church. That has been written about and taught about in other places both by myself and others. Instead I want to address two issues that are emerging based on the present reality that God is sending these vital ministries among us. Two practical issues for today are: How do we receive them? How do we do financially support them? To put it another way, the two questions before us are: How do we connect? What do we do with tithes and offerings?

Understand, whenever God says something to the church, He already knows the way to walk it out. It isn’t wise to invent some new method and then think that we’re smarter than God! The Lord gave us a pattern in Jesus and He expects us to follow it. This same pattern was repeated by the early apostles. That pattern is in the Scriptures if we will take the time to remove the glasses of tradition and see with new eyes.

For example the modern notion of church in today’s language usually refers to a building on a certain street corner with a label on it: Baptist, Methodist, Assembly of God, etc. In the New Testament Greek language, this was not so. Instead, the word church (ecclesia) has to do with an assembly (Acts 19:41). It always referred to the people, not to the place they met. In secular usage it meant an assembly of citizens in a city called out to corporately decide a matter. It had governmental implications. In the kingdom of God, this is still true today (Mt 16:18; & Mt 18:19-20). The Church is an assembly of called out ones, the living Body of Christ, united under Christ’s headship (Eph 1:22-23). The church is not a building. A church is always the people.

The Church is a Living Body
After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70, Christ’s followers met mostly in homes. The Church transitioned from being Jewish and having priests to being a multi-ethnic kingdom of priests with every believer exercising authority under Christ. The Lord deposited within each believing community people who had differing gifts of grace. These gifts were for healing, delivering and edifying one another (1 Cor 12-14), serving and blessing others in the community (Rom 12:1-13), and reproducing Christ’s ministry in others (Eph 4:11-16). There wasn’t a hierarchy of priests over laymen, or of males over females, or an elite leadership over common believers. They all stood on level ground. They all had varieties of gifts of grace that made them distinct. There was no room for pride due to position or authority.

We are all the same at the foot of the cross. This does not mean that everyone is equal in ability. By God’s choice and endowment, certain ones are given special abilities by grace in order to fulfill unique job descriptions.

Let me pause here and explain a fundamental difference in ministries. There are two differing roles which leaders can occupy in serving the Body of Christ. Those two vital positions are either local or trans-local. Local means non-mobile; that is stationary. They don’t move around a lot. Their sphere of influence is within their own house and not much beyond it. “Local ministries” refers to local elders. Usually local elders have secular jobs, earn a living, are tied to the land, and don’t always need to draw a salary from the church. This is especially true for house church leaders.

Trans-local refers to mobile ministries. These ministries are larger than any single house. Perhaps they touch several houses, or impact a whole city or region or nation. They are set apart for the work (Acts 13:2) and not tied down to a single area. They are free to travel as the Lord directs. In fact, their work requires that they be supported by the church so they can be mobile. They may stay awhile to do their work but should remain un-entangled. Otherwise, they would be unfaithful to their employers every time they relocated for the work of the ministry. They need to be devoted to the Word of God rather than to other legitimate but worldly pursuits. This job description more aptly fits apostles and prophets, not local pastors. Pastors by the nature of their work are strongly connected to their flock in a certain area and thus usually stay close to home. Many good pastors today are bi-vocational and still very successful in their ministry.

The Ephesus Church as a Pattern
When the apostle Paul was passing by Ephesus where previously he had finished the work of planting a network of house churches, he called for the elders of the church in the city to come meet with him. This is fascinating insight into church growth! This happened in Acts 20:17. They knew who they were and they responded to his call. This shows us that house church leaders should not be independent, but should network with a spiritual father (or his team). When these elders gathered, Paul gave them final instructions for carrying out their pastoral ministry (see Acts 20:20). These were all laymen, not religious professionals, not seminary graduates, not men with clerical collars who stood behind pulpits, but ordinary people with real jobs and real families who happened to be serving portions of the Body of Christ who were meeting in their homes.

Who were these local elders in the city? They were, in a word, pastors. They were men and women chosen by the Holy Spirit to shepherd portions of the Lord’s flock.

They had been trained by Paul but they were now on their own yet still accountable. This shows the principle of apostolic release. Whenever an apostle (think, spiritual father or mother) fails to release his sons (or daughters) into their sphere, he is like a farmer standing on top of his seed. The ground can’t produce while his weight is still pressing down. Failure to hand-off from one generation to the next is a major reason for a slow harvest. This can be due to a spirit of control, or to pride, or to wrong thinking about how church functions or how leaders develop. Regardless, it needs to be cured or we will keep undermining our own success.

A Title May Be Real or Phony
A word of warning about ministry titles: Titles may become substitutes for genuine character, gifts, or achievements- artificial badges of unearned honor. Paul wasn’t afraid to call himself an apostle. Eventually he had the signs, the sons, and the seals (and scars) to prove who he was. Immature or ambitious people tend to forget their gifts are by grace and are for the benefit of the church. Deceived, they think their popularity entitles them to privileges. They begin to accept adulation and start to wear a ministry mask. Paul said we as believers are not to tolerate this misuse of power (2 Cor 11:20)!

False fathers use their followers to grow their own ministry while true leaders will spend and be spent to see their sons sent out and succeed (2 Cor 12:14-15). Never follow someone who uses their office or title to enlarge their sphere at your expense. To quote my brother Don (author of Fatherpower), “False fathers reduce their sons to keep them; true fathers enlarge their sons to release them.” Preening peacocks or pompous jackasses make poor servant-leaders and eventually show their true nature. That was the story of Saul and David. In fact, the more anyone increases in grace, revelation, and glory in their union with Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, the less they use authority on people and the more they use it against spiritual powers.

Back to the major questions: How do we link up with apostles or prophets? How do we honor God with our tithes and offerings in a non-institutional way?

In the current religious culture we think that we ought to meet on Sunday to worship and to hear preaching. This is good, but it isn’t the biblical picture. The Bible shows the pattern for New Testament gatherings as being a simple meeting, mostly in small groups, with ministry open to anyone who had a gift or insight to share. That’s quite different from the order of service of most churches today. A quick study of Acts 2:42-47 shows the pattern of church activity that transformed a whole city. How did they do it? They met in homes- houses of prayer scattered all over the city. They did easy, natural things that were fun and social and satisfying. It was naturally appealing to lost people. Miracles happened in homes!

Every Member Has a Ministry
Another study of the operation of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14 shows that the Holy Spirit wants to use every believer, not just the clergymen behind the pulpit (1 Cor 12:7, 11; 1 Cor 14:26). Only in the context of informal small groups in homes is this kind of liberty with order truly possible. It is natural church, organic, not organized to the point of artificiality or sterility.

Yet leadership is necessary and is established by the Lord. In this same context, notice the apostle Paul makes a distinction in gifts and some would say, in rank among ministries. He says in 1 Cor 12:28 that God has set in the church “first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles…” This is the only place in the New Testament where an order of importance or degree of authority is presented. A similar thought is introduced in Ephesians 2:20 where Paul states that the church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets (not on pastors or teachers), with Jesus as the Cornerstone, the carefully placed foundation stone to which everything else has to line up. So there is the idea of more importance being given to two mobile ministries in the church, apostles and prophets. They are foundational to all that God does in the Body of Christ in all ages.

Modern Christians think that to serve God we need to affiliate with a certain group that meets in a certain building that has a certain historic denominational creed. That used to be the case and for many believers it is still acceptable and good. We “joined the church.” In the new order of renewal, more spontaneity and originality is allowed. We don’t relate to the church per se, we relate to the ministry which oversees it. We are joined to the church by new birth, already part of the Body of Christ. We find ourselves easily meeting together for prayer and instruction in one another’s homes or rented halls. We can network with an apostle or his team and become part of their developing sphere. The church is in transition! The day will come when it will be more important to know what spiritual father adopted you than what denominational mother birthed you. Theses new relationships are personal and practical, not institutional. There is mutual edification and teaming up for tasks. It is not a passive classroom model.

Money Matters- to God!
In the same manner we might handle finances in a fresh way. In the old order we gave tithes (the first ten per cent of our increase) or offerings (gifts beyond the tithe) to the church treasury. It was counted, put in a bank account, and used to pay the mortgage and the church staff. We related to the building or to the group and supported the church program. In the new order our tithes still show honor to God (Prov 3:9-10) and should be removed from our house to avoid a curse and to receive a blessing (Mal 3:8-12). This Biblical principle is unchanging. Jesus still receives tithes (Heb 7:8). The idea is sowing and reaping, spiritually and naturally (Gal 6:6). Everyone has something to give. No one comes to the Lord empty-handed. Jesus is worthy of praise, honor, and riches.

Tithes are a special category, holy unto the Lord (Lev 27:28-30). Additionally, tithes are devoted; that is they are designated for supporting workers, those who forfeit careers to be servants of the Word. If that’s so, then how do we give offerings for their support?

Tradition says we wait for a bag to pass in front of us while a song is sung or perhaps we drop a check in a box by the door as we exit. It is all very polite and anonymous. But what if we’re in a house church? Why not hand your offering to an apostle or a prophet? Or mail it. Or send it electronically. Or collect it and then give it when your teacher arrives, as Paul did. If our relationships are personal, why not let our giving be personal as well? In the new order, we team up by giving and receiving and thus we relate to the Five-Fold leaders, not to the building or to the organization. It is perfectly alright to use non-profit corporations for tax purposes but it is not necessary for the Lord.

Paul showed us in the New Testament that several churches in different cities partnered with him again and again to support his ministry (Phil 4:10-19). Since most of the early converts were Jewish, it is logical to assume they were using tithes to support Paul. It is also quite clear from the Scriptures that the grace of God was manifested in the New Testament by abundant giving beyond the minimum of the tithe (see 2 Cor 9:6-15 & Acts 2:45). Giving and receiving were vital aspects of God’s order in both old and new covenants. Paul reminded Timothy that workers in the field were just as worthy of support as builders in the house (2 Tim 2:6-7). The idea is that laborers are never to be defrauded of what they deserve for their work (Prov 3:27, Mal 3:5).

These many verses add up to HUGE sections of Bible devoted to supporting Jesus’ workers. Jesus said in Luke 10:7, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” We say, “He’s worth his salt.” At one time in history, salt was a form of wage. We get the word “salary” from it. We recognize someone’s worth when we give them an honorable wage or an honorarium. Christ said that a blessing of peace (well-being, prosperity, & favor) would rest on the house of anyone who helped sponsor the laborers He sent. Beyond wages, the Lord wants us to respect and esteem those who represent the Lord and do His work, especially anyone laboring in the Word (Rom 12:8-10, 1 Tim 5:17-18).

Honoring the Past; Embrace Present Truth
In addressing both these critical issues (church structures, apostolic relationships, and supporting non-local ministry teams) we should always be careful to “build fences” to avoid inadvertently promoting bad things. So let me say that I know many excellent traditional pastors with wonderful congregations who live from their ministry and who are doing the will of God. I know also that any doctrine, even a good one, can be pushed too far until it becomes, if not an error, at least a deviation or a wrong emphasis. For example, I don’t believe the New Testament divine order for the saints is “believe, be baptized, and tithe.” In some churches that celebrate giving, you’d think those were the fundamentals of the faith! Idolatry due to greed can infect anyone. The best antidote for greed is generosity by honoring God, giving to help the poor, and supporting worthy ministries. In our walk with God, we all will eventually come to a place where financial obedience is a major fork in the road if we are to continue further in doing God’s will.

What is the bottom line to these practical questions? It starts with relationships! Get to know the workers the Lord is raising up in your area, especially those with apostolic or prophetic grace. Partner with them by prayer and by giving. Spend time with them hearing what the Spirit is saying. Gather with other believers who are like minded and start to pray for God’s kingdom to come to your family, your church, and your city. Even if two or three assemble in Jesus’ name, become a temple of the Spirit!

Small gatherings can be impromptu or planned but they should be orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. Meet informally in homes or rented halls; edify one another; pray for laborers for your city; network with local apostles or prophets by honoring and receiving them. The Lord wants an apostolic team in every city! Freely contribute from your income with these apostles or prophets as you have the ability, systematically, in faith and love. Help empower God’s Transition Teams! Support people whom the Lord is preparing and setting apart so they can be available to equip new leaders, able to travel to new assignments, and be fully devoted to the ministry of the Word.

© 2005 God’s Transition Teams by Ron Wood
More material available at www.touchedbygrace.org
We are touched by grace to touch the world!

Random Notes on ADD

2002-09-14T08:12:00.000-05:00

For years I wondered why walking through a busy shopping mall was unpleasant and disorienting. There was too much visual stimulation. Too much input felt overwhelming. It made me feel uneasy, almost nauseous like I had mild motion sickness. So I would walk with my eyes down and try to avoid scanning all the neat images and pretty colors, so I could keep focused on why I was there and what I came to purchase. Then I learned that I had symptoms of ADD.

ADD is an abbreviation for Attention Deficit Disorder. It can include Hyper-Activity Disorder, especially in children, then it is called ADHD. There is a lot of controversy about its diagnosis and its treatment. This is because the usual treatment for school children is Ritalin, a drug that stimulates certain portions of the brain thus making the part of it that monitors outside stimulus work better. This helps to control restlessness and impulsivity. Children with ADHD have shown dramatic improvement in their education when properly diagnosed and treated. It is generally the over-use of prescriptions or reactions to the idea of the drug itself that causes the controversy. Prescriptions that benefit adults with ADD are similar. They make part of the brain more alert.

My perspective on this subject comes from two viewpoints: 1) Seeing my own children (now grown adults) struggle with ADD and thus by observation discovering I had it also; 2) Fitting this problem into my understanding of what it means to live as a Christian with shortcomings.

These notes on ADD (random because they were written by someone with ADD!) are a digest of thoughts and opinions and experiences from various writers and from my own life. They are not intended for medical advice and should not replace your own consultation with a physician. I believe we should be on the way toward becoming whole people in body, mind, and soul to the fullest degree humanly possible. That wholeness or wellness or mature integration of self includes freedom from addictions, healthy emotions, physical fitness, right thinking, and a vital spiritual connection with God. Jesus said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.” (Matthew 9:12) He said this in the context of urging compassion, not criticism. All of us have some disorder that needs curing, whether by medicine or counseling or by prayer. All of us have some disease (dis-ease means lack of ease or lack of rest) that needs to be brought to peace. Rather than judge those who are weak, let’s show mercy. Let’s find out how to help our self and others along the way.

Tom Hartmann is a writer who has led thousands of hours of discussion groups on ADD on Compuserve’s online forums. In his book, Think Fast, he says the human race is divided into two camps: Hunters, and Farmers. The hunters (picture a tiger) are constantly monitoring every movement and capable of short bursts of incredible energy. The farmers move steadily and slowly and plow straight lines and wait for grain to grow. The hunters live among the farmers. The hunters are people with ADD while the farmers represent normal people. Which are you?

What’s it like to have ADD? If you always have your checkbook balanced, if you are able to sit still in a chair, if you never speak out of turn, then you don’t know. A Psychotherapist MD who himself has ADD says this: “It is like driving in a hard rain with bad windshield wipers, constantly straining to see clearly.” Isn’t that an amazing description? Can you picture what that is like? He goes on to say, “You get an idea and you have to act on it immediately, before you lose it. Your head is buzzing, spinning, and your body is tapping, moving. The definition of time is, ‘…the thing that keeps everything from happening at once.’ With ADD, time collapses.”

He also says, “You fight inner turmoil, panic, loss of control. Your brain rhythm is either full speed ahead, or full stop, with no in between. You have a constant quest for stimulation for your mind but you have to withdraw from people due to over-stimulation. You are always either under-focused or over-focused. Either your body or your mind is racing all the time.”

Knowing this, you can see why to someone with ADD, boredom is actually painful. The structured American school classroom, moving at the snail’s pace of the slowest child, feels like a prison, a torture trap to be escaped from at all cost. Most ADD kids don’t do well in school.

While too much rigid structure seems like a cage, some structure is exactly what ADD adults like me need in order to harness creativity, reduce distractions, and stay on track to completion of goals. For me, the discovery that I had ADD was a relief. My years of self-recrimination and frustration for dropping important dates, forgetting things, losing track of figures, getting lost in a project, putting trivial things at the same priority as urgent tasks, searching for my keys only to find them in my hand, etc, came to an end. I could forgive myself and recognize that I had a handicap. At least now I could identify it as an attribute like being tall or short or near-sighted and learn to cope with it in a realistic way.

My major symptoms have been three-fold: easy distractibility, especially visual distractions; crowded thinking, with floods of thoughts rushing in simultaneously; and what I call compacted time, where clocks and calendars become a blur and everything seems to happen concurrently with no sequence or space in between. In addition, numbers don’t communicate to me like words. Words are fluent, marvels of revelation, while numbers are a maddening mystery. Numbers lie to me! But I have found that putting things on paper in a visual form greatly aids my comprehension of numbers-- whether handling finances or budgeting time for a project. Then of course, I have the challenge of handling the paper I have produced, which for ADD-afflicted people like me can become a flurry of drifting white stuff spilling over the edge of my desk.

If you discover you have ADD, there are usually stages you go through. 1. Denial. 2. Anger. 3. Bargaining. “If I take my medications, the problem will go away.” 4. Depression. “Depression is a serious (and common) problem for people with ADD,” says Susan Roberts. 5. Acceptance. You decide you will take your meds & cope, just like people wear glasses to correct their vision.

ADD has been described as a disorder, but with “positive attachments.” ADDers are usually very creative, highly intuitive, usually intelligent. Adders are typically Global Thinkers. They think “outside the box” and are able to leap to correct conclusions that logical thinkers have no way of understanding. When included as part of a team that appreciates their value and also understands their limitations, they can move from being simply unique to being extraordinarily gifted.

“Sustained attention is expensive for an ADDer,” says Thomas Whiteman, PhD, in his book, Adult ADD. “The mental energy expended is enormous and taxing. ADDers fight forgetfulness all the time. They have severe self-recrimination for their inability to stay focused. Failure in relationships makes them retreat from emotional intimacy. Then they often deceive themselves and pretend they have no problem. Anger is another common problem, due to frequent battles with frustration. They can be accused of being self-focused and may indeed have a poor self-image. They often have a running internal dialogue of habitual self-criticism.” Constant self-criticism is not a characteristic of true biblical humility. It is just a bad habit.
ADD is NOT a moral shortcoming. It is a condition at birth of unknown origin, a certain way that a person’s brain is wired, a permanent situation that can be moderated but not eliminated. Here is a checklist that helps identify people who might have ADD (not all these will apply, and symptoms improve with self-awareness):

Do things impulsively
Always on the go
Need help handling emotions, fight frustrations
Need to build your self-image
Hard to control your temper
A substance abuser
Can’t organize a schedule
Can’t put tasks in order or do important things first
Trouble managing finances; Start without finishing
Difficulty planning time and following through
Forget things easily
Difficulty in school classes
Trouble communicating
Not a good listener
Relationships often in crisis, constant turmoil
Can’t focus on one thing at a time (easily distracted)

Medically, ADD-afflicted individuals have been termed “minimally brain damaged.” It appears first in childhood, often with hyperactivity, and usually persists into adulthood. Dr. Ratep says in “Living with ADD- a Workbook for Adults”, that “ADD is a problem of the frontal lobes (of the brain) where information is sorted out and acted upon.” He calls ADD an “impairment.”

While several types of ADD have been identified, three major areas are categorized socially by one counselor who herself has ADD. These three are:
The Active Entertainer - expressive, outgoing, a risk-taker, a salesman.
The Restless Dreamer - who fights frustration. He is inward focused. This kind of ADD person is often misdiagnosed. They can battle severe depression due to stuffing their real feelings. Both of these first two ADDers need structure in order to succeed. The Restless Dreamer also needs encouragement.
The Conscientious Controller – compensates by extreme control, rigid rituals and excessive structure, requiring constant perfectionism. Makes a good accountant.

Many ADD individuals battle feelings of anxiety, irritability, and depression. Some have a strong “startle reflex” or they battle panic disorder. Those who suffered repeated failures from undiagnosed ADD also battle low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence.

Many ADDers hyper-focus in order to achieve success, then suffer an emotional letdown afterwards. Everyone has this experience for example, when reading or concentrating. But for ADDers, it is much more intense. Hyper-focus means to be so intent and so deep in thought that it is painful to be jerked away from it. Periods of time spent hyper-focusing can be emotionally draining. For ADDers, Mood swings are common. Mood control can be improved by:

Become aware of your moods (ADDers are notoriously poor self-observers!)
Deep breathing from the diaphragm (the Yielded Breath, a prayer of surrender, of peace)
Meditation (stilling your mental storm, practicing “Be still and know that I am God!”)
Physical exercise- aerobic is best. Move your body- still your mind. Exercise every day!
Visualization (ex- see yourself on a peaceful desert island)
Music (soothes the brain and harmonizes the thoughts in a powerful way)
Laughter (a healthy release of pent-up emotions. “Does good like a medicine!”
A Good Night’s Sleep (very important for the body and the brain, restores functionality)

ADD adults have been diagnosed with impulsivity. “Impulsivity is born of a low tolerance for frustration.” Says Susan Roberts, PhD. “Impulsivity is the tendency to act too quickly and without thinking.” These impulsive actions are independent of reason. They occur before you think. They are “not based on knowing what to do, but doing what you know,” says Russell Barkley. Quick thoughts, quick feelings, quick actions. This characteristic can be moderated by self-discipline or medication but not totally eliminated. Not everyone is designed to think the same way. Some attributes of personality we must live with and indeed, should celebrate.

Anger is often a component of ADD, yet is often disguised as another emotion. With ADDers, anger quickly escalates. It is important to stop anger before it builds. Anger can be checked. Unchecked, with impulsivity, it can lead to rage and do harm. My counselor says, “Own your emotions. Anger is what it is. Be honest about it. Don’t deny it or stuff it. Deal with it rightly.”

Treatment does not make ADD go away. But treatment “turns down the noise of self-recrimination.” If you have ADD, do this-

Seek treatment.
Accept yourself. (If you have a history of failure, realize there is real hope for you!)
Decide to be honest. Tell trusted people about your issues.
Give gifts of attention to other people. (Excellent idea!) Realize, a lifetime of distraction has taught you bad habits. Your attention costs you- give it away to those you love.
Practice active listening. Repeat and clarify. Ask, ‘What happened next?’ ‘How did that make you feel?’
Make contracts with others. Put it in writing so you are accountable.
Establish a system together so you have structure.
Use reminders (NO guilt or shame) like whiteboards, beepers, DayTimers, PDAs, etc.

Admit to yourself and others that sometimes “I need space.” Eliminate stress from your life even if it restricts your lifestyle. Understand and accept your limitations.

Since ADDers are unable to set priorities, they need help coping. First things First is more than a motto, it is something they desperately need but cannot manage without considerable effort and/or help. Here are some coping skills for Time Management:

Adopt a Daily Routine. Every morning make a list of 3 things to do (no more!). Rank them in order of importance. (ADDers cannot handle longs lists or easily prioritize tasks.) Weekly Habits. Choose the same day of each week to do certain tasks. For example, shop for groceries on Saturday. Routinely pay bills on the same day or date. Time Management will always be a challenge, so organize your day the prior evening. Break tasks into small steps. Work in short bursts. Organize three “S” areas: Space, Self, and Stuff. Space- Everything must be in its place and there must be a place for everything. Ex- a hook for your car keys. Get into the habit of placing them there. Use files, boxes, labels. Use color codes for different stuff. Simplify! Take ten minutes to toss out clutter on a daily basis. (Pay me now or pay me later!) Self- Reduce reading material, distractions, visual clutter, wasted time. Ex- magazines. You’ll try to clip and save everything! Make lists before you shop. Don’t carry credit cards, checkbook, or too much cash. Stuff- Handle paper only twice, once to scan it; then again to “ftd”-it: file it, toss it, or delegate it. Stacks of papers on your desk are a sure sign of ADD, or of information overload.

Other healthy ADD adjustments and coping skills include these lifestyle areas:

DIETARY CHANGES-
- High Protein-Low Carbohydrate diet - perfect for ADDers.
Eat three meals a day plus two snacks. Include protein (lean meats, eggs, nuts, protein powder, cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese) in all your meals (has amino acids needed for neurotransmitters in the brain).
- More complex carbohydrates, not white bread, pasta or potatoes. Use oatmeal, whole grain bread or bagels.
- Watch out for juices and candy. Sugar is not good for ADDers.
- Reduce or eliminate simple carbohydrates (bread, pasta, white rice, potatoes, sugar, corn syrup, honey, candy).
- Increase omega-3 fatty acids - tuna, salmon, walnuts, brazil nuts.
EXERCISE -is essential! Increases blood flow to brain, raises serotonin levels. Exercise five times a week for 30-45 minutes each time. Walk fast to elevate your heart rate. A regular sex life with your spouse is also very healthy and therapeutic for ADDers.
MEDICATION- is helpful for many but should not be the sole treatment (Ritalin, Adderal, plus other drugs that deal with depression or anxiety). Medication does help the majority (about 75%). Also should have counseling and coaching.
COACHING- Have someone who agrees to help train you to deal with your disability. Help you to develop good internal supervision skills. Set personal goals, learn skills of organizing, planning. Monitor you for consistent performance; be there to encourage you.
COPING- Get real about you! Use visual reminders, practice active listening, enlist the family or team. Control your environment so you are not overwhelmed with input or drop the ball.
ANTS- eliminate Automatic Negative Thoughts. (Critical self-talk, negative mental programming) These tend toward depression, isolation, & self-hatred. For ANT killers, I recommend using the prescription of quoting the Scriptures. See Philippians 4:6-8.
STRUCTURE- ADDers need structure. Organize your space, your self, your stuff. Establish priorities after discussion with family, team. Write it down. Hold yourself to it.
EMOTIONAL TRAUMA- Very common. Anxiety may be present to the point of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Deal with it using spiritual, familial, and professional help.
ERRONEOUS BELIEFS- Is your sabotage success by repetitive bad habits? Have you failed so often you now believe the lie that you are a failure? (In debt again? Divorced again? Fired again?) Why does this happen? Your beliefs drive your behavior! Change your beliefs, change your thoughts, change your ways, and thus, change your destiny! Remember this and say it aloud to yourself- The Good News is that the Bad News is wrong! You can change your life, and with God’s help and a little helpful insight and honesty, all things are possible for you!

Recommended Reading: Find these at your local bookstore or your favorite on-line bookseller.

Think Fast- The ADD Experience by Tom Hartmann and Janie Bowman
Living with ADD- A Workbook for Adults by Susan Roberts (practical, very good)
Attention Deficit Disorder- A Different Perspective by Tom Hartmann
Healing ADD by Daniel Amen, MD (Dr, Amen has done extensive original medical research with brain scans showing defined physiological brain images common to those with ADD.
Adult ADD by Thomas Whiteman and Michelle Novotini (my favorite if I had only one book)
Honey Are You Listening? (my wife’s favorite!) (I can’t remember the author’s name, but we read it years ago and I still remember how very helpful it was.)
A. D. D. Wandering Minds and Wired Bodies, a booklet by Edward T. Welch (especially helpful for Christian parents.)

Finally, from a Christian perspective, I have some personal observations: I believe God’s grace grows stronger when we acknowledge our weakness. The power of God is especially drawn toward the humble. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Honestly facing our limitations is a form of humility. Faith can then focus on God’s power, not our abilities. We all need help in different ways. We are not created equal, at least not in talent and abilities. We can’t expel a built-in weakness like we can drive out an evil spirit. But we can take carnality to the cross, and we can learn to cope with our deficiencies.

There is transforming power available to followers of Christ. But, we need to admit our need of it. The Lord said to the apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) As the Holy Spirit indwells us and as we allow God’s Word to adjust our way of thinking, we take on more of God’s nature, thus becoming the very best we can ever be. But what if we discover we have ADD? We are not immune to flaws and afflictions just because we know Jesus. In fact, Christians are ultimate realists, facing the human situation with no illusions. Sin is real and we are powerless to save ourselves from it, therefore, we need a Savior. Jesus proved His love when He died on the cross to bring us to God. He proved His power to save us when He rose from the dead with eternal life as a free gift for who receive Him.

As a Christian, with all this help available to me, I have no excuse for staying angry or frustrated or depressed or impatient. Yes, I have ADD. No, I won’t use it to justify irresponsible behavior. I will not say, “But that’s the way I am!” Instead, I will rely on God for help. I take the practical steps of making lifestyle choices to moderate my weakness. For example, I worship God every day, sometimes several times a day. I know from experience that time spent in prayer, in quiet adoration, in respecting His presence and contemplating His Word, softly singing praises or choruses from my heart to the Lord, is as soothing to my mind as oil poured on troubled water. It has a lingering affect on me for hours afterward. Wow!

There is no “exception clause” in the list of “Fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 6 that exempts ADDers from showing Christ-likeness, such as patience, gentleness, forbearance, self-control, etc. These things are hard for ADDers! I conclude after much consideration and after my own wrestling with this ailment, that the solution (for me) is increased dependence on the Lord. I must abide in Christ, walk in the Spirit, meditate on the Scriptures, humble myself and admit my weakness, draw on others’ strengths and team up with those around me, take my carnal tendencies and traits to the cross, and ask God for His grace and power to manifest the uplifting life of Jesus in my body, in my ways, and in my personality.

Christians have the privilege of relying on God’s Word rather than changeable feelings. The Bible says we are created in God’s image, that we were redeemed from sin by the sacrifice of God’s Son on the cross. Therefore we are uniquely loved and valued for who we are despite any of our individual weaknesses or handicaps. That is good news! Facing reality, we should resist self-condemnation (read Romans 8) and instead live by faith in the awareness of God’s great love, including a healthy love and respect of our own self as a human being and as a child of God. Indeed, our Heavenly Father is delighted to show His mercy to us in the midst of our daily struggles, giving us His peace and His power to overcome.

If you think you may have ADD, my informed but by no means professional advice is this: Don’t jump to conclusions. Don’t diagnose yourself. Don’t start using ADD as an excuse for irresponsibility. Do talk it over with your spouse, a trusted pastor, or a qualified health care provider. Read more on the subject so you can be armed with good information. Pray and ask God to help you truly and honestly know yourself. If you conclude you might have ADD, evaluate its affect on yourself and those around you. Consider obtaining professional counseling with someone who specializes in this disorder in order to deal with the emotional damage you have suffered if you have been affected in your work, your education, or your marriage.

---------------------------------------------------

Random Notes on ADD was compiled and written 2002 by Ron Wood.

My gratitude to the many writers whom I freely quoted for their valuable insights. Read the books I have listed to learn more! I also want to thank Dr. Daniel Patterson (clinical psychiatrist) and Ms. Ann Foltrauer (counselor and LCSW), both of Wilmington, NC, for their friendship and for their many helpful comments.

Special heartfelt thanks goes to my lovely wife, Lana, who knows first-hand the trials and tribulations of living with ADD in her family. She is a champion mother and wife, and a true straight-line thinker!

For copies of this booklet, please write to us at Ron and Lana Wood, P.O. Box 12749, Wilmington, NC 28405. We also supply training materials to young leaders in struggling nations. To see a list of resources or to learn more, visit our website at HYPERLINK "http://www.touchedbygrace.org" www.touchedbygrace.org.

Team Integrity

2001-09-13T16:53:00.000-05:00

When God put Adam and Eve in the garden, a paradise of heaven on earth was his goal. Unfortunately, an evil interloper interfered with God’s ultimate intentions. Satan slithered into camp, caused a disruption in the harmony of God’s team, and cost mankind our inheritance. Thankfully, God’s grace has appeared in the person of Jesus Christ to repair the breach, restore our relationship, and return us to our rightful inheritance.

How did Satan succeed in infiltrating God’s first apostolic team? If we can understand this, then we can uncover his tactics today, because Satan hasn’t changed. He is still attempting to disrupt harmony and disqualify headship. He uses one basic tactic: lying accusations. His lies provoke sinful reactions which in turn dissolve our unity and erode our vision. Divided we always fall, and the devil knows it. So, doubting God, we fall from grace. We no longer experience the grace of God helping us overcome and achieve. Absent God’s blessing and presence, w are on our own and it isn’t easy. The way of the transgressor is hard. God means it to be. He wants us to repent.

If Satan can insinuate his doubts, then he can divide our team (marriage, company, church, etc.), divert us our direction, delay our mission, and destroy our effectiveness. Satan did this with Eve and then with Adam when he distorted God’s word and caused them to doubt God’s motives.

Satan kissed up to this Primary Couple, our progenitors on planet earth. The Master of Deceit led humanity down a trail of tears and sorrows that have caused untold suffering for six thousand years. It is time we learned how to live in the light of God’s word rather than the darkness of deception. We need to decide if God is true so we can stay in agreement with God’s word (and with each other) so that we can possess our inheritance and enjoy God’s blessings.

The components of the fall are these: Eve was deceived; Adam was disobedient. On this First Team, Adam represented headship; Eve represented the heart of their relationship. Both head and heart need to be guarded from deceit. They momentarily turned away from the words of their loving Creator who had been walking and talking with them every day. They listened to the lies of a fallen angel. His whispers seduced them into unfaithfulness by means of independent action, rebellion against the rules of Eden, and ultimately, a fall from life into death.

Team integrity disintegrated due to doubting the words of their Leader, God. They allowed seeds of doubt to take root. Discord, deception, and disaster ensued. Did this fall begin with a thought subtly sowed into someone’s mind? At what point could Eve have taken every thought captive and confessed God’s word instead of Satan’s lie? How far did she go before there was no turning back? When did the insanity of sin control her thinking? When did Adam disbelieve the warnings of His Eternal Father? At what point did he forfeit his leadership and abdicate his responsibility to husband Eve to guard Eden? Could he have said something to stop the downward spiral? Who he listened to eventually affected what he believed.

Never forget, the words you incubate today will be the words you are controlled by tomorrow. Your future circumstances are being forged in the furnace of your beliefs today. What you believe is critical, but who you believe is just as important. Adam and Eve didn’t need to know everything in order to be safe. They just needed to know the One they were believing, their Savior. By turning away from Him, they chose soulish knowledge rather than spiritual life, pride rather than humility, self-government rather than holy headship. We have all been on a long road trying to find our way back from confusion ever since. It will take the return of Christ to finally put back everything that was lost. But look at the price we have paid in the souls that have been damned and the damage that has been inflicted. Sin extracts a terrible price.

The integrity of this husband-wife team under God’s headship could have been preserved. Unlike Adam and Eve, we are no longer naive concerning evil. We now have something they didn’t have: a Savior, God manifest in the flesh, and a Bible, God’s infallible word, to give us wisdom and power to overcome Satan’s campaign of discord and deception. We also have a decisive edge only possible since Christ’s death and resurrection: the new birth, whereby we are given a new nature, one that is empowered to freely choose to do God’s will. By God’s grace and indwelling presence, we can, if we want to, walk our talk and maintain our integrity.

Our Lord is the ultimate realist. He knows that sin will enter in, that confession will need to be made, that reconciliation will have to occur. God has already made provision for us to be restored to Himself and to one another into righteous relationships. God wants the "tie that binds" to remain intact. When it fails, He wants us to repent so we can be "super-glued" back together.

In the gospels, it seems to me there are three primary directives from our Lord. Jesus gave us very few commands, but the few He gave us are crucial. Here are three I consider most vital: 1) Follow Me. Nothing else works if Jesus isn’t front and center in our faith and conduct. 2) Love one another. Perhaps the hardest of all His commands, this one requires building bridges of trust and community under the watchful eye of our Chief Shepherd. 3) Go with the gospel to every creature. This is our great Commission, to preach the good news to the whole world. Three basic things: Follow Jesus. Love each other. Go with the gospel. If we do these things, we can be saved, we can serve one another, and we can send out workers and be faithful witnesses. These three things are also the basic ingredients for the success of an apostolic team.

Jesus fulfilled his mission by calling together disciples whom he built into a functioning team. Team-building enables a leader to multiply his efforts. Jesus used the "principle of twelve" to reproduce his ministry. He gave away everything he had to 12 trusted followers, then told them to go do what he had done. The purpose of Pentecost was to empower them to obey that command. Pentecost did not occur in a vacuum. It did not happen to super individualistic ego-driven loners. It happened to an Upper Room community, a team that had come into unity and prayed through to power, together. God has all power and can repeat the outpouring of the Spirit anytime and in any place. The question is: where is the upper room community? Can we get our act together?

Togetherness is not a fancy word for a "touchy-feely" group hug. It is the secret ingredient of supernatural power to defeat Satan. So, how do we keep our team together?

King David sought togetherness with his band of followers. God had anointed him. Saul was pursuing him. Pressure was forming them into a team. Loyalties were being decided. In the midst of this sorting out process, men of valor joined themselves to David. They saw the favor of God on him and were drawn to swear allegiance. The Bible says they "helped David with an undivided heart." (1 Chron. 12:33). An undivided heart is the opposite of being double minded. A double minded person is unstable. Leadership teams can’t be composed of unstable individuals without disastrous consequences. God builds his kingdom based on covenant love from commitments made by stable people.

Sorting out relationships sometimes requires sifting through our commitments. Often we find that we really are "our brother’s keeper." And sometimes only loving confrontation will rescue our brother from the error of his ways (James 5:19-20). What do you do when you see someone self-destructing? What do you do when you see unity disintegrating due to sin? Does cordiality make us cower behind a facade of politeness, or does covenant love compel us to speak out in love? Biblically, we have no choice: Love covers ((1 Pet. 4:8) and love confronts (Gal. 6:1-3).

We are to speak the truth but only in love, not harshly. The Apostle Paul said his ministry to the Thessalonians included aspects as gentle as a nursing mother (1 Thess. 2:7) and as firm as a forceful father (2:11). Both are appropriate at different times in a person’s life. A friend will risk the relationship by speaking the truth. True friends can tell each other the truth without destroying the friendship. In fact, real friendship can’t exist without truthfulness, otherwise it is an illusion built on shifting sand.

Here is a key I believe God has shown me to undergird honest mutual commitments. Realize that God is watching between us. He is the author of righteous relationships. He superintends our fellowship so that God’s light, love, and honor are reflected in our links with one another. This works best in community, where we "know no man after the flesh." We don’t follow leaders or love our brothers because of worldly reasons, but because of God’s grace and purpose. In Christ, we order our relationships around the joints and ligaments the Holy Spirit creates (Eph. 4:16).

Fellowship together as maturing Christians naturally progresses from superficial contact to affection enjoyment to covenant love to functioning together as a team. Part of the process involves permitting others to speak honestly into your life without recoiling in rejection. Wholesome fellowship, free of co-dependency or any spirit of control, has a wonderful sanctifying effect on us. We don’t lose our individuality, but we begin to enjoy our diversity. We distinguish the differing grace gifts and find that we are stronger togther than we are apart. This is the miracle of Christ Incorporated, the Living Church.

Proverbs 27:5-6 provides a pattern for integrity in relationships. "Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy." The Lord wants us to ask ourselves these questions: Do you want friendship or enmity? Do you want faithfulness or deception? Do you want wounds or kisses. The open rebuke can be manifestation of great love, while cordial concealment of true feelings may be great treachery.

Team building is not a social experiment invented by corporate presidents. It is an intrinsic part of the kingdom of God modeled by Christ and urged by the apostles. A New Testament team can build a New Testament church. But New Testament churches can only be constructed of materials that measure up, believers who are refined in the fellowship-furnace of truth and love, not pampered in splendid isolation.

© 2001 by Ron Wood. Ron and his wife, Lana, have been pastors more than 30 years. He has served as a State Coordinator for the U. S. Strategic Prayer Network. Ron is best known for his prophetic writing ministry. Ron & Lana are a ministry team. They are members of Reconciliation Ministries International led by Bishop Joseph Garlington. Ron & Lana were sent to Africa to help equip emerging apostolic leaders in the developing church. If you wish to copy this article for free distribution, permission is hereby granted to duplicate it provided there are no changes or omissions made to this article and this byline is included. The author asserts his moral rights of ownership. For more information or helpful literature, visit our web site at touchedbygrace.org, or e-mail us at ron@touchedbygrace.org.