june 2012 full magazine issue

7/31/2019 June 2012 Full Magazine Issue

1/24

Issue#58

A Service Network for Pastors and Ministers

this issueqTHE IMPORTANCE OF TIMING IN MINISTRY | RICK RENNER 3

qPROSPERITY 101 - FINANCIAL PLANING - PART 3 | JUNE BLUME 8qCORPORATE PRAYER - WHY DO IT?| DANA SHRADER 15

qA TRUE SIGN OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY | RICK RENNER 20 impartShared Vision for Excellence in Ministry | Mentoring | Synergy in Problem-Solving www.impartnow.com

June2012
http://www.impartnow.com/http://www.impartnow.com/


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JUNE Issue2012

3 Importance ofTiming in Ministry

RICK RENNER

In our haste, we can miss the mark,

but our wavering can cause us to miss

it too. God wants us to be accurate

both in discovering Gods will for our

lives and in discerning the right timeto move into action concerning His

will. Rick Renner shares from his own

experiences how to fulfill the will of

God by knowing when to act and when

to be still.

8 Prosperity 101

JUNE BLUMEIn this article, entrepreneur June

Blume shares how to map where

you are and where you are going

(financially) so you can reach your

desired financial destination. She

shares seven easy-to-understand

steps that can steer you in the

direction of success. These steps cant

be accomplished overnight, but you

can begin taking them today.

15 CorporatePrayer Why Do It?DANA SHRADER

So many benefits await the pastor

who leads his congregation in times

of corporate, united prayer. So dont

delegate this task to someone else.

Follow this biblical model for prayer in

the local church and grow with yourcongregation to become the portrait

image of Christ and His Church.

20 True Sign ofSpiritual MaturityRICK RENNER

Truthfulness is the foundation of

trust. Rick Renner states: If we are

to have the kind of relationships

within the Body of Christ that

God desires, it must begin with

leadership. That doesnt mean

honesty is always the easiestcourse, but its always the right one.

And its the clearest, brightest, and

most blessed and noble path we

will ever take.

RickRennerMinistries2012|

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Most believers strongly desire to dothe perfect will of God and fulfill

His plan for their lives and

wisely so, for finding and doing the will of

God is the key to success, fulfillment, and

contentment as a Christian.

But equally important to discovering

the will of God for your life is discerning

His timing. How often has Gods will

been communicated to us, but because

we misunderstood or misinterpreted the

timingof His will, we acted too fast. And inour haste, we missed the mark. At other

times, we pondered and lingered over the

will of God so long that when the divine

opportunity came for us to step out and do

something big for Him, we faltered and lost

the opportunity altogether.

God wants us to be accurate both in

discovering Gods will for our individual

livesand in discerning the right time to

move into action concerning His will. I

have learned through the years that the

role of timing knowing when to actandwhen to be still is integrally linked with

fulfilling the perfect will of God.

Gods Timing Is as Importantas Gods Will in Our Ministry

In my own ministry, I have found timing

to be extremely important. Youve probably

heard the saying, You must strike while

the iron is hot.Of course, to strike

while the iron is hot means to act whilecircumstances and events are favorable to

your position. Certainly, circumstances and

events are no substitute for the leading of

the Holy Spirit in our lives as believers, but I have found it to be true that

we need to act when Gods favor is on our side.

But Jesus used a very strange and different kind of example to

emphasize our need to take action at just theright time.

Let me begin by saying that wonderful opportunities in life often come

packaged with difficult challenges. Knowing exactly which opportunities

to take and which ones should be allowed to pass us by has been one of

my personal challenges in the former Soviet Union. One day when I wasseeking the Lord about some of these wonderful opportunities in the

former USSR, the Lord said to me, If youre going to survive and do what

Ive called you to do, you have to learn to think like a snake.

RICK RENNERGEMS FOR MINISTERS

The Importance

of Timing inMinistry

3IMPART MAGAZINE JUNE 2012


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us. This example was not my idea Jesus is the One

who chose to use a serpent to make this point!

So lets consider the behavior of serpents and see how

this relates to timing in ministryor in any area of your life.

There Is a Time to Stay Quiet, Lay Low,and Blend Into the Environment.

Rather than announce their presence, serpents stay

quiet, lay low, and blend into the environment when they

move into new territory. In fact, you can walk right past

a snake and not even know youre walking past a snake!

They have the ability to be nearly invisible.

Most serpents are designed to be camouflaged. This

camouflage serves as a protective covering. The vilest

aggressor can walk right up to a serpent and not noticeit because it has blended so well into the landscape.

This ability to be camouflaged gives the serpent latitude

to move about freely as it finds its way around new

territory and takes time to evaluate its new situation.

As serpents evaluate their new environments, they

identify places of shelter and hiding places where they

can go to protect themselves against attack. They also

observe where to find the easiest food. When all these

observances are assimilated, a serpent is ready to act.

But this settling in time is key for the serpent.

Remember Jesus said theres wisdom in a serpentsbehavior that we as believers need to learn!

When God calls us to do something new for

example, to move to a new territory or to seize a divine

opportunity its His wisdom that we move slowly

and carefully into that new phase of our lives. A

common mistake is to act too fast. Acting hastily,

before all the facts are gathered and assimilated,

often leads to erroneous decisions and actions. It

would be better for us to stay quiet, lay low, and

blend into the environment for awhile and learn

from the facts we observe.

Let me give you an example of this from my own life.When Denise and I first moved to the former USSR, we

took time to learn the customs and culture of the new

territory. We knew it would take time to understand

everything we would see and experience, so we moved

slowly and very carefully. Although we immediately

saw opportunity for ministry, we decided to first

watch and gain as much knowledge of

our new environment as possible.

Acting too quickly would have

certainly meant making poor

and regretful decisions.In the first few months

we lived in Latvia, we made

little noise and were hardly

noticed. This allowed us

At first, these words caught me off-guard, but

then, a phrase from Matthew 10:16 came to my

mind.

Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and

harmless as doves.

In this verse, Jesus commanded His disciples

and us, too to be wise as serpents.To be

honest, this verse had always perplexed me, as

I had the idea of a serpent as being evil. But as I

meditated on this verse more deeply, I began to

gain new insight about what Jesus was actually

saying here.

Jesus said serpents were wise and that we

need to take a lesson from them! As I pondered

the behavior of serpents, I began to understand

exactly why Jesus used this example and howit applies to you and me for our families,

businesses, ministries, or any opportunity God

places in front of us.

If youre squeamish about serpents

and snakes, hang on and

stay with me for the

next few moments so

you can get the full

impact of what

Jesus is telling

Most serpents are designedto be camouflaged. Thiscamouflage serves as a

protective covering.

4 IMPART MAGAZINE JUNE 2012


5/24

the ability to move about freely and

without disruption. We visited churches

unannounced. We wandered in and out

of different parts of the city to observe

and ascertain the spiritual condition of

our new environment. Before I made

any grand announcement that we were

going to go on television, I first wanted to

know something about television in that

part of the world.

Unfortunately, I also observed many

American missionaries announcing great

plans that never developed. Their ideas

were great and perhaps those ideas

were from God but because these

missionaries acted before they understood the full picture,they ruined their testimony and lost a glorious opportunity.

They were trying to take ground for the Kingdom of God

that they knew nothing about. It was utter foolishness to

start such fantastic projects without first understanding

the challenges, risks, and dangers. Many were hurt because

of acting too fast and getting in a hurry.

Denise and I knew that moving slower may take more

time, but in the end it would produce more stable and

serious results. We made the choice to move slow and

steady, to gather all the facts we could gather, put them

all together, analyze the information, listen to how theLord would speak to us through those facts, and then

make an announcement about our plans. To make our

announcement any sooner than we did would have been

a grave mistake.

Most mistakes are avoidable if well use patience and

wisdom instead of acting hastily. Thats why I strongly

advise you to take your time and be sure of the actions

youre contemplating for your ministry or personal life.

Learnthegenerallandscapeofyournewenvironment.

Locateplacesofspiritualshelterforyouandyour

family.Seewhatkindofattackscouldpotentiallycome

against you.

Taketimetoreallyunderstandtheopportunities

around you as well as the challenges.

Takeadvantageofthemomenttobeinformedofall

the facts before you announce your plans.

Serpents Are Wise Enough To KnowWhen To Seize the Moment and Strike!

Knowing when to act is as important as knowingwhen to lay low. When prey passes before a serpent,

that serpent knows its time to strike! If it waits too

long, the opportunity will pass by and put the serpent

into an irretrievable position.

Similarly, when you know its time to act, youllhave to put your emotions and feelings of fear aside

and seize the moment!

Ive seen so many young ministers pray and pray

for divine opportunities to come to them. They

fasted, prayed, and waited for a golden moment

to come. Then, at long last, that moment came!

A great door of opportunity stood directly in front

of them. It was time to act, but rather than seize

the moment and walk through that door, they

hesitated because they wanted to pray about it

just a little bit more. God brought them exactlywhat theyd prayed for, but when they finally got

around to saying yes, it was too late. Because they

paused, they lost the opportunity.

Let me give you another personal example of

knowing just the right time to act. Back in the early

1990s, I earnestly prayed and sought God to open a

certain television opportunity to our ministry. One

day I received a phone call from the top directors

of the national television network in that country.

They asked me to fly to their city to talk about my

program Good News With Rick Renner. My associate

and I took the next available flight to meet withthese two powerful men in that city.

My heart was filled with anticipation as I

wondered, Was this the opportunity I had been

praying for? Was it really happening? Was God

answering my prayer?I had a sense that something

great and awesome was about to transpire, and I

could hardly wait to arrive at the meeting to hear

their proposal.

I had already done my homework. I had studied

the statistics about the full reach of the TV channel

that was about to be offered to us for my program. Ihad spoken with pastors and churches all over that

country to see what they thought of that particular

channel. My time of laying low and blending into

the environment gave me the knowledge I needed



6/24

lost it. Just one week later, that door would have been

closed! But because we seized the opportunity at just

the right time, our program was locked into a contract

that the government had to honor! And our TV program

and ministry became one of the most power spiritual

forces in that nation!

I thank God that I had the spiritual guts and gumption

to act at the right moment. I had already prayed and

prayed. But then it became time to seize the moment

and act; it was time to strike!

The Lord has taught me over the years that there are

moments in life to lay low, and there are moments to

strike! Surely this is what Jesus meant when He toldus to be wise as serpents(Matthew 10:16).

You may be asking, But how do I know whether its

time to lay lowor time to take action and seize the

moment? The Holy Spirit will lead you in these areas if

youll be sensitive to follow His leading. And believe me,

if youll listen to Him and follow Him, He will guide you

past every obstacle, camouflage you from every attack,

and show you exactly when to take action in your family,

your home, your business, your church, or the ministry

God has given you.

Romans 8:14 says, For as many as are led by theSpirit of God, they are the sons of God. The word led

in this verse is translated from the Greek word ago,

and it means to gently lead about. Its the same word

that would be used to describe a man leading his cow

about on a rope. Using this depiction, the farmer would

wrap a rope around the cows neck and tug until the

animal began following him. When the cow cooperated

and followed that gentle tug, it could then be led where

its owner wanted it to go. The farmer was the leader

and the cow was merely the follower. The cow didnt

argue with the farmer; it simply trusted and followed.

This is how we are to follow the leading of the Holy

Spirit. He is the Leader!

However, it must also be pointed out that this word

agois also the root for the Greek word agon, which iswhere we get the word agony. Even in Greek, the word

agon describes an intense conflict, such as a struggle

in a wrestling match or a struggle of the human will.

This illustrates the fact that although the Holy Spirit

when I stepped into that meeting with those two

directors. I was thoroughly equipped to have this

long-awaited conversation.

Armed with information and supported by the

prayers of our partners, the meeting began. Almost

right away, they asked me, Would you like to

broadcast your TV program on our national channel

and penetrate every single home in the country?

This is exactly what Id for so long been praying

and waiting for! The opportunity of a lifetime was

sitting on the table in front of me in the form of a TV

contract. I held my composure, not wanting them

to know how excited I was at this chance to reach

every home in the entire country with my program.

Spiritual Discernment Helps UsDistinguish Natural ReasoningFrom Faith

I waited to hear how much this divine door

of opportunity was going to cost our ministry

each month. The cost was much more than wed

imagined, but I knew it was worth the money

because it would broadcast into every single home

in the entire nation. But when I heard the price ofthe broadcast time, I felt myself hesitate. A wave

of fear began to sweep over me that we wouldnt

be able to come up with the cash each month to

pay for the TV time. Yet I knew a door had just

opened before me that had never been opened to

anyone else before. Only God could open such an

incredible door for the Gospel. In fact, there was no

doubt in my heart that God was orchestrating the

entire event.

Calmly, I asked for a few minutes to speak to my

associate alone. When the two directors stepped

out of the room, I told my associate, I dont knowwhere the money is going to come from to pay for

this, but Im going to sign this contract right now

before we lose this opportunity for the Gospel.

My head said, Dont do it,but my spirit said, DO

IT NOW!In my heart, I knew it was the moment

to strike and seize this opportunity. Within a few

minutes, I picked up the pen and signed my name

on the dotted line! A divine opportunity had just

been placed before me, and Good News with Rick

Rennerwould now be broadcast into the homes of

52 million people each week!Within days of that contract signing, the

political climate rapidly changed in that country,

and I realized if I hadnt seized that television

opportunity at that exact moment, I would have

We are to follow the leadingof the Holy Spirit.He is the Leader!



7/24

ReadingtheWord.

MeditatingontheWord.

PrayingintheSpirit.

All of these things help keep our spirits sensitive

to the leading of God in our lives. If we will do whats

necessary to stay sensitive, well discern His voice

as He tells us when we need to lay lowand when we

need to move into action.

I can tell you from personal experience that timing

has been a major key to the success of our ministry.

Denise and I are not smart enough to figure out

with our own reasoning powers the right timing

for everything the Lord has asked us to do! We

give God all the glory and honor for our success inministry because the timingof the many outreaches

weve stepped out to do over the years has been

directed by the Holy Spirit, not by us. Denise and

I have depended on the Spirits leading, and as a

result, we have walked through many strategic

doors at key moments. Weve learned that when He

prompts us to wait, He intends for us to wait. And

when He urges us to move now,He means exactly

what He says!

In Matthew 10:16, Jesus commanded us to be wise

as serpents.I pray that what Ive shared with youhas provided you with fresh insight about this verse.

May this truth benefit you tremendously as you

correctly discern Gods timing in every situation and

season of your ministry and your life.

wants to lead us, our human will doesnt always like the

idea of being led. You see, its the nature of the flesh to

want to go its own way, so when we choose to walk in theSpirit and let Him dictate our lives, His leadership over us

creates a struggle of our will with our flesh. This means

the Spirit will lead us, but we must extend our hearts to

Him first, in faith and submissive trust, for without our

cooperation, He cannot guide us anywhere.

Many people are afraid to obey what the Holy Spirit

puts in their hearts to do. Fearful that theyre being

misled by some other force or that theyll make a mistake,

they sit on the sidelines and watch other people achieve

success while they remain right where theyve always

been. But let me tell you that you can confidently trust

the leading of the Holy Spirit!In John chapters 14-16, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as

the Spirit of Truthon at three occasions. It seems that

Jesus thought this was a truth worth repeating! The Holy

Spirit the Spirit of Truth will not lead you in a wrong

or false direction. He is the Spirit of Truth and One on

whom you can rely!

If the Holy Spirit is prompting you to take action

about something now, its because He sees and knows

something you may not see. So let the Holy Spirit become

your eyes and ears so that you can discern and detect

key moments and divine opportunities for your life, family,business, or ministry.

To stay spiritually sensitive so that you can discern

the Holy Spirits gentle leading in your life, youll need to

spend time:

7


8/24

Prosperity 101 Financial Planning

From theInside Out

That Anyone Can Do (Part 3)

Most people would never pack their suitcases

into their automobile and just start driving

aimlessly without having a desired or intended

destination. When we travel, we usually know

where were going, and we may even have a

route mapped out to guide us and keep us on course.

Yet many show little attention to their own future as they

travel through life without direction concerning their financial

destination. They either havent set financial goals, or theyhave dreams and desires concerning the future, but they

dontknowhowtofulfillthem.Perhapstheyrewaitingfor

some big break that will set them on a course of success.

But God requires us to be faithful in our stewardship of what we have

right now. He wants us to know where we are financially today and

where we desire to go tomorrow. And He wants us to develop a plan

for getting there. Some people refer to this as writing the vision

(Habakkuk 2:2). You cant run with a vision unless you have a vision

to begin with! And along with a vision, you need a clear route a

path that youve committed to God on which to travel toward your

desired station.

In Part Two of this article, we talked about creating a FinancialStatement to show you where you are right now in your finances. Then

we looked at writing a household budget and having a plan for tracking

spending. Having done those things, now youre ready to set out on

your path to financial prosperity and freedom.

The following are seven steps well look at that can help you

navigate that path successfully. (Well cover the first four steps in

this article and Steps Five through Seven in next months issue.) I

also recommend that you also study self-help materials on wealth-

building and wealth management by those who are proven in those

fields. I especially like Dave Ramseys materials. In fact, much of what I

share in this article can be found in one or more of his online courses.The important thing is to ask God to help you map out a plan toward

financial freedom for you and your family. And He will! God desires

that His children live free, and that includes living financially free.

JUNE BLUME | HEART ALIGNMENT



9/24

Step 1:Build Up an Emergency Fund of $1,000

Seven Steps to FinancialFreedom

1. Save $1,000 to use strictly for

emergencies.

2. Pay off all debt (except your

mortgage).

3. Save three to six months worth of

living expenses in case you lose

your job or source of income.

4. Put 15 percent of your salary into

pre-tax retirement plans and a

Roth IRA, if eligible.

5. Set aside college funding for your

children.

6. Begin to pay off your home early.

7. Continue to invest and build wealth

for yourself and others.

Many people think they cant save

money,sotheydonteventry.Perhaps

theyre not starting small enough.

Maybe they want to save a larger

percent of their income than theyreable to save at the moment, so they

just give up, and they fail to save

anything at all.

But our first step to financial

prosperity and freedom is to save

$1,000 thats designated strictly asan emergency fund. This is money

IMPART MAGAZINE JUNE 2012 9


10/24

you might need for lifes inevitables that happen

to all of us at one time or another, such as to repair

a car or major appliance that breaks down.

An emergency fund is notfor vacations;

Christmas, birthday, and anniversary gifts; and

clothes for the kids. All of those things can be

anticipated therefore, theyre not emergency

situations. Gifts and clothing expenses can be

included in your budget, which can be revised as

often as necessary.

Youll need your emergency-fund money to be

accessible, but youll also want to earn as much

interest on it as possible. A good choice for this

kind of savings would be a money-market account

with limited check-writing privileges. I dont

recommend simply keeping the extra emergency-fund money in your regular checking account,

because it can be tempting to dip into that money

for non-emergencies when you know the money is

readily available.

Some people depend on their retirement

savings or investment accounts to double as their

emergency fund. When they have to use it, they

have the best intentions of paying this money

back, but since there usually isnt the urgency to

do so, most of the time, the funds withdrawn from

these accounts are never replaced. Therefore, Idont recommend that you use long-term savings

as your emergency fund. A separate account

designated strictly as an emergency fund may

seem like more trouble at first, but in the long run,

youll be protecting your retirement savings for a

time when youll need it most.

Ive heard financial counselors advise people to

pay off all their debt before attempting to save

money. They argue that the interest you pay on

your debt is greater than the interest youd earn

on most savings accounts. That sounds logical,

but please consider this: If you get sidetracked byan emergency while youre trying to reduce your

debt, youll probably have to use credit to take care

of the emergency, which can sidetrack you from

your goal of getting out of debt. In an emergency

situation, instead of paying off debt, youre taking

care of the immediate need and youre probably

doing it on credit. This can throw you right back

into your old cycle of spending.

Without an emergency fund to fall back on when

emergency situations arise, you simply set yourself

up for failure on this seven-step plan.Someone asked, What happens if I have an

emergency while Im reducing debt? If I have to

spend five-hundred dollars from my thousand-

dollar emergency fund, do I pay that back first, or

do I continue paying extra

money toward my debt?

If you experience a

situation that requires

you to withdraw money

from your emergency

fund, you should work

to replace that first

before continuing to

pay extra toward your

debt. Once youve built

your emergency fund

back up to $1,000,

you can resume your

debt-reduction plan.

Otherwise, anotheremergency could cause

you to spiral back

into your old habits of

borrowing money or

spending beyond your means.

As youre eliminating existing debt, incurring new

debt would be counterproductive to your short

and long-term goals. The key is to have money

on hand for emergencies so that you can focus

undistracted and unhindered on the next step in

your financial plan.

Step 2: Reduce andEliminateYour Debt

Once you have your $1,000 emergency fund in

place (most people find that with a little effort, they

can put this in place within a month or so), youre

ready to go to Step Two, which is to pay off any debt

you may have.

One controversial issue regarding getting out of

debt is over the use of credit cards. Some peoplejustify their use of credit cards in various ways,

including claiming that its a smart way to borrow

money for free by taking advantage of zero-interest

offers. But credit-card companies wouldnt make such

offers if those offers didnt work in their favor. Those

companies are in business to make money, and they

are counting on the customer having a balance at the

end of the trial period, at which time interest accrues,

and the customer ends up paying big bucks on what

was supposed to be a wise financial move.

But if you dont have a credit card or you useone only as a convenience and pay your balance

in full each month you dont even have to think

about maneuvering past one of those zero-

interest offers.



11/24

I recommend not using credit cards or paying

the balance in full each month if you do use them.

But how do you stop using credit cards once youve

committed to getting out of debt and stayingout

of debt?

For most people, the quality decision to stop

using credit cards is enough. They can simply puttheir cards in a secure place and use them only as

a convenience, paying off the balance each month.

If you travel frequently, credit cards can provide a

convenient means of tracking your spending, but this

only works if you pay your balance in full at the end of

each billing cycle.

However, some people find that its too big a

challenge to stop using credit cards. For them, cutting

up their cards and using only cash or a debit card

for making purchases is a good option. One warning

about debit cards, though they require that you

diligently monitor purchases by recording everytransaction in your checkbook so you can keep the

balance current and prevent being overdrawn in

your account.

Tips for Cutting Your Budget

If youre currently in debt, the only way to get out

of debt is to increase the amount of money you apply

toward your debt. You can achieve that goal by doing

the following: (1) spending less money than youre

accustomed to and using the extra money to repaythe debt or (2) increasing your income. For example, if

you cant cut your budget sufficiently in order to apply

more money toward debt repayment, you may need

to take a second job.

When determining how you can cut your budget and

reduce your monthly expenditures, ask yourself:

Do I really need this?

Can I do this less expensively?

Obvious areas that could be reduced or eliminated in

a budget include:

Cable TV

Eating out

Entertainment

Trips or vacations

Magazine and other subscriptions

Nails and other luxury services

Allowances, gift-giving, etc.

More serious cuts in your budget might includeselling a car and buying one that you can afford

outright or with smaller monthly payments. You

can also look for items around your house that you

can sell using the proceeds to apply toward your

debt such as a boat, furniture, antiques, guns,

electronics, power tools, jewelry, etc. Lastly, if your

house payment is greater than 45 percent of your

income, you might consider selling it and buying one

that is less expensive.

If you want to cut your budget and reduce your

spending so you can reduce and eliminate your debt,youll have to change your lifestyle. I encourage

you to make this a family project and involve the

children. In asking them to be a part of the solution,

youre teaching them how to prosper financially

themselves one day when they become responsible

for managing money.

When my husband Wally and I were building our

business, we worked a lot of hours. We had a tight

budget at the time, and we determined that if our

business was going to be successful, we were going

to have to put in the hours necessary to make it

happen. At that time, we couldnt afford to hireanyone to help us, so there were many weeks that

we worked 60, 80, and even 100 hours. We did that

over a period of two or three years. Our son was in

college, and we both liked to work, so we made the

decision together to put in those long hours.

You may need to do that to get out of debt. Ask

God each step of the way to show you what He is

requiring you to do and then be obedient to that.

Only you can determine what plan of action you

will take to eliminate your debt, but regardless of the

exact method, you do need a plan! And that planshould include a Financial Statement, a budget, and

a system for tracking spending. Without some kind

of plan in place, youll continue your current spending

cycle, and you wont reach your financial goals.



12/24

Tips for Staying Motivated andFocused

One of the best ways to jumpstart your debt

reduction is to list all your debts in order, from the

smallest to the largest balances, including loans from

relatives. One of the foremost financial experts in

the United States says that interest rates are not

the issue at first. He says, in effect, This is about

behavior modification more than just math. I agree.

Youll want to achieve some quick victories while at

the same time change the old patterns that landed

you in debt in the first place. After youve paid off

a debt or two very quickly, you will likely be very

motivated to continue executing your new plan.

Once you list your debts and start paying extra onthe smallest one, continue to make the minimum

payment on the others so that you stay current

on those. If you were paying more than what was

required, use that extra money as well as the

money you cut from your budget and the money

you made on the sale of selected household

items to apply to your smallest debt. Then

each time you pay off a debt, take what you were

spending each month on that debt and apply it to

the next one until it, too, is paid off.

By the time youve paid off the first three orfour of your smallest debts, you should have

a fairly substantial sum to apply to the next

debt. With each debt thats repaid, your

snowball effect increases with which

you can wipe out your remaining debt.

How long it takes you to pay off your

credit-card debt will depend on the

size of your debt and the

size of your income. For

most people who are

diligent, it can usually be

accomplished in 18-24months.

Its important to remain

completely focused on

reducing your debt until it

is finally eliminated. You

need to continually talk

about and reinforce in

your heart and mind the

fact that youre going to

be debt-free. Doing this

will strengthen your spiritand your resolve so that

after you pay off one debt,

you wont go out on a

spending spree!

What Im sharing with you will work if youll stay

with it. So continue doing whats right, and before

long, youll experience the rightness of living

debt-free! You will be tested along the way and be

tempted to spend money beyond the boundaries

that youve set in place for yourself. But choose

to trust God and stick with your plan. Make a

determination to never borrow again and then stay

with that determination and mindset.

Step 3: Fully Fund YourEmergency AccountWith Three to Six Months

of Living ExpensesAfter youve paid off all your debt except your

mortgage, youre ready to move on to Step Three

fully funding your emergency account with three to

six months worth of living expenses. So for a family

that lives on $5,000 per month, they would need

$15,000 to $30,000 in their

emergency savings.

This is important

to have in the

event yousuddenly

lose your

source

of



13/24

income. Remember, all your debts are paid

except your mortgage, so this money can keep

a family afloat and cover their basic living

expenses during your transition into finding

other work or regular income.Just as you did with your initial $1,000

emergency fund, youll also have to make sure

you dont fall into the trap of rationalizing about

using your emergency money for something

other than a real emergency. A true emergency

might include:

Paying the deductible on a large medical bill

Loss of a job or a decrease in work hours

Replacing your automobiles transmission

Anything unforeseen that could have a major

impact on your family

Non-emergencies would include:

Repairing your boat (unless you live on it)

Starting a business

Buying furniture

Going on a vacation

How much you set aside in this fund

whether three or six months of your living

expenses might depend on your line of work.

For example, if youre in sales and work on

commission, you may want to have six monthsworth of expenses. Women tend to value

financial security more than men, so a wife

might simply choose to have six months worth

of expenses set aside while her husband might

think three months worth is just fine. If youre

married, youll need to decide together and come

into agreement concerning the amount youll save

for emergencies.

Step 4: Pay 15 Percent ofYour Gross Income Into aRetirement Plan

Now that youre debt-free except for your

mortgage, and you have three to six months worth

of living expenses tucked away in your emergency

savings account, youre ready to take the next step

and begin putting 15 percent of your gross income

into a pre-tax retirement plan.

At this point, you might be tempted to savemore than 15 percent for retirement, but keep in

mind the next three steps, which entail saving for

your childrens college expenses, paying off your

mortgage, and doing additional investing.

Some people are also tempted to set less than

15 percent aside toward a retirement plan, because

theyre counting on Social Security to help fund their

retirement years. But if our volatile economy has

taught us anything, its taught us not to depend on

federal programs, as some of them appear to be on

the verge of bankruptcy.I ask people to look at it this way. If Social Security

is still solvent when the time comes for you to

retire, youll have more than you planned for. But

if it isnt, you wont miss a beat, and you and your



14/24

June Blume and her husband

Wally are the founders and

owners of Denali Ingredients

(www.denaliingredients.com)

and Denali Flavors, the makers of

Moose Tracks ice cream (www.

moosetracks.com). June has held

finance, business analysis, and

sales positions in the company

since 1994. Currently, she works with her husband inthe overall guidance and management of the Denali

companies as well as their newly formed company

Brandi Renee Designs (www.brandireneedesigns.

com). Highly successful in the realm of business, the

Blumes are also committed givers, who demonstrate

their hearts for the Kingdom of God by the way they

invest in Gods work worldwide. They also engage in

a full-time lifestyle of evangelizing and mentoring as

they yield their unique gifts to the Lord of the harvest

in the workplace, at home, and wherever life takes

them.

spouse wont suffer as you maintain the lifestyle

youve enjoyed in the past. Many who depend

solely on their Social Security benefits to sustain

them today can barely afford the necessities of

life, including the medications they need to stay

healthy. Theyre also forced to live very frugally

toward their children and grandchildren at a time

when they might want to be the most generous.

Which Plans Are Best forInvesting?

Many pre-tax retirement plans offer options

in terms of the types of long-term accounts

you can put your money in. Many experts

recommend that you use growth-stock mutual

funds for long-term investing. These same funds

are lousy short-term investments because they

go up and down in value. So keep in mind that

youll need to leave the money in this type offund longer than five years.

Another tip for investing is to always begin

where you have the promise of a match. In other

words, if your company 401k matches the first 3

percent you contribute, you should contribute 3

percent to that 401K. Then check into investing

the remaining 12 percent in Roth IRAs. With a

Roth IRA, youre allowed to invest approximately

$5,000 $6,000 per person per year. The interest

on this type of account grows tax-freeprovided

there are no withdrawals before the seasoningperiod, or within a specified amount of time.

This information about investing isnt

comprehensive, so I strongly counsel you to

research long-term investing for yourself. With

the continual changes and fluctuation in the

financial market, research is essential. There

are many financial advisors available who

can help you in this area. I also recommend

that you consider taking classes or that youfind information online on these topics. One

course I highly recommend is Dave Ramseys

FinancialPeaceUniversity(learnmoreat

daveramsey.com).

As youre doing your research, pray about

where to put your money that will bring you

the most benefit in your retirement years.

The important thing is to systematically and

consistently follow your plan over time so that

youll remain on target and reach your desired

destination of financial freedom.

Editors Note: In next months issue, Mrs.Blume covers the last three steps in the

financial-freedom plan and offers insightful

tips from her experiences that will inspire you

and help ensure your own success.

if your company 401kmatches the first 3percent you contribute,you should contribute 3percent to that 401K .

http://www.denaliingredients.com/http://www.moosetracks.com/http://www.moosetracks.com/http://www.moosetracks.com/http://www.moosetracks.com/http://www.daveramsey.com/http://www.daveramsey.com/http://www.moosetracks.com/http://www.moosetracks.com/http://www.moosetracks.com/http://www.moosetracks.com/http://www.denaliingredients.com/


15/24

Corporate prayer why do it?Why do Ias the pastor needto lead my church

in united prayer?Why not just havesomeone else lead itwhos more giventoprayer?

Have you ever asked yourself these

or similar questions regarding church-

wide prayer? You probably like to prayalone, anyway. You may not even feel

like you know howto lead corporate

prayer. And, God knows, you have

enough to do as it is!

by Dana Shrader | Prayer Principles

All these feelings and objections areunderstandable. However:

0So many benefits await you if youlltake the step to initiate and lead united,

corporate prayer with your church

members.

0There are so many answersandbreakthroughson the horizon if youll

simply launch out into the deep,

trusting God to help you as you lead your

church in prayer.

0Theres a unityand an intimate bondingwith your congregation that youve

perhaps never experienced before if

youll venture into this scriptural model

of prayer in the local church.

0And, oh, the safetyyoull afford yourpeople as their shepherd, guarding

them with the staff of prayer instead

of entrusting them to the oversight of

another.

Corporate Prayer Why Do It?


16/24

Dear pastor, you can lead corporate prayer!

In fact, you were builtto lead it. Certainly, you

will delegate the oversight of various prayer

groups to others, especially if you pastor a large

church. But Ive observed over the years that

where a pastor oversees a church-wide prayer

meeting at least once per month, congregations

thrive, even in situations where strife and

discord existed previously.

In an upcoming article, Ill share with you a

simple format that can easily be implemented

to begin a corporate prayer meeting if you

dont already hold such prayer meetings in

your church. But in this article, well look at the

great benefits afforded in leading your people in

corporate prayer.

Examples and Benefits ofPraying With the Saints

As we look at the book of Acts, we see

multiple examples of leadership praying

together with the saints. Just the fact that

we see example after example is proof enough

that its a pastors scriptural responsibility to

lead his or her church in prayer.

But within the scriptural examplesthemselves, we see the exact blessing they

promise.

Acts 1 and 2

Jesus had told the disciples to go and tarry

in that upper room until they were endued

with power. We know that the disciples were

up there with more than 100 people. We then

see the Holy Ghost poured out and suddenly,

under this corporate anointing, the disciples

and the saints who were with them were

almost instantly changedand thrust forth

into the spiritual harvest. The saints and the

disciples themselves became the signs and

wonders. This was the first endowment of theHoly Ghost, but it was also a corporate prayer

meeting.

Andinthatmeeting,weseePeter

transformed from a timid onlooker a

wannabe to a bold leader, a fire-brand

representative who didnt mince words in the

preaching of the Gospel. For example, we see

PetergrabJoelchapter2anddaretopullit

into present-day fulfillment in front of a Jewish

crowd. We see him interpret it with heavenly

boldness and insight. Then we see 3,000 people

get saved as a result of his preaching!

We also see the ministers and the saints

leaders and laity receiving revelation and

being bonded together in unity by it and

portraying a true picture of the Head of the

Church and His Body.

Oh, the blessings untold of corporate prayer!

The corporate anointing is the strongest

anointing the Body of Christ will ever know.Lets get about learning how to understand it,

recognize and move with it, and utilizeit! And

just as a side note: After this time of united

prayer, there was a tremendous wave of

financial giving and further signs and wonders.

Acts 4

As soon as they were freed, Peter and

John returned to the other believers and

told them what the leading priests andelders had said. When they heard the

report, all the believers lifted their voices

together in prayer to God. And now, O

Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your

servants, great boldness in preaching

your word. Stretch out your hand with

healing power; may miraculous signs and

wonders be done through the name of

your holy servant Jesus. After this prayer,

the meeting place shook, and they were

all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they

preached the word of God with boldness.Acts 4:23,24,29-31 NLT

We see here that in a world of increasing

persecution, leaders found it vital to pray with

their own company of believers. After a time

persecution, they returned to pray with the

saints. It was in this time of prayer that the

apostles were endued with power to preach.

Everyone present, both laity and leader

alike, were filled again with the power of the

Most High. The building physically, literallyshook because of this corporately manifested

power. Then the apostles went out with signs,

wonders, miracles, and bold preaching. (There

was also another wave of financial giving.)

The corporate anointing is thestrongest anointing the

Body of Christ will ever know.



17/24

I want to call your attention to a precious

statement: ...They returned to their own

company (v. 23). As you begin to foster united

prayer in your church, you will see a company

of believers form. Your company. As you trustGod as to how to lead them in prayer, you will

find a spiritual oasis of love, faith, and unity. Like

receiving a cup of cool water in a thirsty land, you

will all be refreshed and ready to serve anew.

Acts 12

Peter was therefore kept in prison, but

constant prayer was offered to God for him

by the church. And when Herod was about

to bring him out, that night Peter was

sleeping, bound with two chains betweentwo soldiers; and the guards before the

door were keeping the prison.

Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by

him, and a light shone in the prison; and he

struck Peter on the side and raised him up,

saying, Arise quickly! And his chains fell

off his hands. Then the angel said to him,

Gird yourself and tie on your sandals;

and so he did. And he said to him, Put on

your garment and follow me.

So he went out and followed him, and did not

know that what was done by the angel was

real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

When they were past the first and the

second guard posts, they came to the iron

gate that leads to the city, which opened

to them of its own accord; and they

went out and went down one street, andimmediately the angel departed from him.

And when Peter had come to himself, he

said, Now I know for certain that the Lord

has sent His angel, and has delivered me

from the hand of Herod and from all the

expectation of the Jewish people.

So, when he had considered this, he came

to the house of Mary, the mother of John

whose surname was Mark, where many

were gathered together praying.

Acts 12:5-12 NKJV

This is a very powerful passage of truth!

Persecutionofchurchleaderswasflaring

greatly. Herod had taken James and killed him.

When Herod saw that it pleased the Jews, he

tookPeterandwasreadytokillhimtoo.But

instantand constantprayer was made for

Peterbythesaints!

Whos Holding the Ropes?

You see, those dear saints were accustomed

to praying with and for their leader. They were


18/24

not a renegade bunch under the leadership of

a prayer lady with her own agenda, separate

from the true shepherd of the fold. No, this

fellowship of saints was vitally linked with their

leader as they were continually with him in the

divine fellowship that only united prayer can

afford. To take him was like someone taking

their very father.

God desires the saints to learn that it is their

responsibility to uphold their leaders. They are

accountable to scripturally and lovingly hold their

leaders up in prayer. The saints are not to pray in

a manipulative way by yielding to machinations

or motivations of the soul. Rather, they are to

assist to make tremendous power available in

prayer that the shepherd not be struck andthus disperse the sheep.

Sometimes I wonder about leaders who fall.

Who was holding the ropes for those men and

women, and how were they holding them?

In Acts chapter 12, we see that instant,

earnest, and effectual prayer was made for

Peter,anddeliverancewaswroughtforhimas

a result. We can also learn that great peace was

made available to the man of God he was

sound asleep the night before his scheduled

execution! Through united prayer, visions and

revelations were granted. An angel appeared. A

prison door was opened. Saints received their

leader again.

My personal favorite is found in Acts 12:10

(NKJV), where it says, They came to the iron

gate that leads to the city, which opened to

them of its own accord.

There are massive doors to cities that await

pastors and ministers as they begin to praywith their people.

Acts 13

Now there were in the church that was

at Antioch certain prophets and teachers;

as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called

Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen,

which had been brought up with Herod the

tetrarch, and Saul.

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted,

the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas

and Saul for the work whereunto I have

called them. And when they had fasted and

prayed, and laid their hands on them, they

sent them away.

So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost,

departed unto Seleucia; and from thence

they sailed to Cyprus.

Acts 13:1-4

This chapter shows a different gathering

of saints ministers praying together.

However, the power element of a corporate

anointing is still in effect. We see that

these ministers received further revelation

concerning the call of God on their lives. We

see enduementas hands were laid upon those

to be sent out. We see the first missionary

journeys happening as a result, as laborers

were thrust forth.

In the midst of corporate prayer, we see theworld reached.

Our ministry is called to help churches

cultivate this glorious exercise and experience,

and weve seen so many things happen in



19/24

Dana Shrader is a 1990 graduate

of RHEMA Bible Training Center

and was involved in the Prayer

and Healing Centers Prayer

Groups program at RHEMA

for six years. Dana moved to

Palermo, Italy, in 1994 to serve in a helps

capacity under RHEMA Italydirectors Tonyand Patsy Cameneti. She then returned

to Tulsa to become Prayer Coordinator for

Mark Brazee Ministries. During this time,

Dana managed all facets of corporate

prayer as well as pioneered the Prayer

Partner program, which consisted of 70

prayer groups. Dana entered full-time

itinerant ministry in January 2000. Since

that time, she has traveled and taught

on the subject of individual and united

prayer to churches and Bible schools

both nationally and internationally. Dana

is also the author of the books You Can

Prayand The Prayer Partner Groups

ManualA Guide To Raising Up Prayer

Groups in the Local Church. With simple

precepts, demonstration, and even humor,

Dana helps people instantly take a step

up in their prayer life. At the same time,

doctrine safely secures the congregation

under the office of the pastor. In 2005, Dana

and her husband, Lonnie Shrader, were

married. They both teach on the subjectof prayer, emphasizing the message that

biblical prayer unifies the church rather than

dividing it. The Shraders base their ministry

in Thousand Oaks, California.

united, corporate prayer among local-church

congregations.

Here are just a few testimonies of miraculous

occurrences weve personally seen over the

years.

0Ive personally seen a church that was almostdevoured by a divisive prayer-group leader in

the church. But as the pastor dared to begin

leading united prayer meetings in the church,

the church was gloriously healed and is now

a thriving, effectual work. And that work is

solely hooked up with the pastor and his

vision with not a hint of division!

0A woman was blind in one eye. Her eyeopened during a corporate prayer service.

0Ive witnessed a church congregation beginto pray for the finances of their church. As

they called in finances for that work, the Lord

caused many in that congregation to find

their places in business!

0In the late 1980s, I saw a church-sanctioned prayer group be consistently

led in corporate prayer to pray for thesame group of communist nations. Over

and over, they would continually pray for

that region of the world. In 1989, the Berlin

Wall came down, and the world watched in

subsequent months and years as the reign

of communism ceased in several nations

of the world.

0I saw a church congregation double in sizefrom 500 to 1,000 members in just a short

period of time after united prayer was set in

place by the pastor.

0In the church I attended years ago, I myselfknew I had a call on my life to preach. But

it was the power of united prayer that

caused light to shine in my heart and mind

until I began to see my steps and seasons

in great detail. Vision for my God-ordained

future began to burn deep within me in an

atmosphere of corporate prayer. That light

branded me and then it sent me, spring-

boarding me into ministry.

The benefits of corporate prayer to

your church congregation are truly rich

and vital. Theyre not optional, but, rather,

essential. And corporate prayer will affect your

own life as a pastor and minister of the Gospel.

In this setting of united prayer, more of the gifts

of God will be activated inside you. Answers

and confirmations will come more easily.

Revisions to your vision and a keen sense of

times and seasons will propel you forward in

your calling. Momentum will spring forth and

grow. Your people will become invigorated by

your vision as they begin to clearly see what

you see. And you and your church congregation

will become a living, portrait image of Christ and

His Church.

http://www.rhema.org/http://cameneti.net/site/http://cameneti.net/site/http://cameneti.net/site/http://www.prayerskool.com/http://www.prayerskool.com/http://cameneti.net/site/http://cameneti.net/site/http://www.rhema.org/


20/24

A True Sign ofSpiritual Maturity

Being truthful with people is one

of the most important things God

has taught me through the years

in my spiritual walk. Truthfulness

in every situation is not always the

easiest route, but it is the rightroute. And,

let me tell you, the highest level of spiritualmaturity is required for you and me to walk in

truthfulness.

But speaking the truth in love, may grow

up into him in all things, which is the head,

even Christ.

Ephesians 4:15

Ephesians 4:15 says, Speaking the truth

in love.This passage in Ephesians chapter 4

teaches that spiritual maturity is measured by

how truthfully and honestly we carry ourselvesinourrelationships.Prophesyingorgivinga

word from the Lord may sound like a mark

of spiritual maturity, but true spirituality is

measured in the way we connect with and

relate to other people. Being able to be direct

and honest is one of the greatest character

traits to attain in life and it is a trait that

MUST be attained.

Let me give you an example from an

experience that Denise once had with a dear

Rick RennerLast Word

friend in the ministry. Denise was invited to

sing at this womans meeting, and afterwardDenise and this minister had lunch together.

Denise wanted to do something special to bless

her friend because she loved her so much, so

she took her favorite earrings and intended to

give them as a gift at this lunch meeting.

When this minister opened her gift, she

said, Denise, I really appreciate your wanting

to show me your love, but I dont like these

earrings. I know how much you treasure them.

It would be better for you to keep them or give

them to someone else who will wear them. I

dont want to be dishonest and tell you I likethem when I know Ill never wear them.Denise

and I laughed and laughed at this womans

honesty. It was so refreshing!

Think for a moment about how were trained

to be politely dishonest when we receive a

gift we dont like. Even though we know well

never use it, were trained to say, Oh, thank

you so much. Its just beautiful I love it!

Certainly, its appropriate to say thank you

when someone thinks enough of you to give

you a gift. But its very inappropriate to say itsbeautiful and you love it when, in fact, you dont

think its beautiful and you dontlove it.

This is a very small example of how

dishonesty is a part of the fabric of our lives.



21/24

Being direct and to the point is difficult for

most people to do and its equally difficultfor most people to receive. But if we want to

grow up into Christ in all things(Ephesians

4:15), we must not be afraid to tell the truth!

Silent Disagreement Can BeMisleading

Naturally speaking, human beings avoid the

truth, skirt the truth, and skate all around an

issue to keep from having to say what they

really think and believe. But agreeing just for

the sake of agreeing when you dont reallyagree is wrong and will come back on you

every time.

For example, how many wives have gone

along with their husband in some deal

appearing to be in agreement when, in

fact, they are in total disagreement. The

wife says something like, Youre the leader,

Honey. Whatever you say is okay with me.

Then when the deal doesnt come through

as planned, and it costs the family money

and hardship, she lets him know that shewas never in agreement from the start! But

thats notwhat her husband remembers. He

remembers her saying that it was all right for

him to make the deal.

A wife who does this sort of thing probably

doesnt intendto be dishonest. Most likely, shesimply wants to be in submission to her husband,

mistakenly thinking that silence is the way a godly

wife should respond. But being quiet about what

you think doesnt make anyone submissive. It

often just makes him or her quietly disagreeable!

In this hypothetical scenario, had the wife been

honest with her husband, it could have saved

him from a poor decision and the family from the

problems they faced as a result, especially if he

values his wifes insights. In a case like this, her

lack of honesty might be partially to blame for the

problem.

A Pastor Must Require HonestyFrom His or Her Leadership and Then Be Open to Their Honesty

As a leader of a ministry, I expect my fellow

team members to be honest with me. Even if I

dont agree what they say or think, their honesty

guarantees a clear and truthful relationship

between us. The day someone starts telling me

one thing and then turns around and tells a fellowemployee something else altogether is the day

distrust is created between me and that staff

member because I dont know if I can really count

on that person to be honest with me. This is



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precisely what the Bible is talking about when it

says that those chosen to be deacons cannot be

doubletongued(1 Timothy 3:8).

Likewise must the deacons be grave, not

doubletongued.

The Greek word for doubletongued is dilogos,and it means two-worded. This word depicts a

man or woman who says one thing to one person

but a different thing entirely to the next. In other

words, the person is inconsistentor just outright

dishonestin what he or she tells people.

Sometimes this indicates that the person is

a people-pleaser. He wants everyone to like

him, so he agrees with whomever he is with at

the moment. If he takes an opinion contrary to

those in his immediate company, he may fear

hell lose influence with them. So again and

again, this person finds himself violating his ownconscience because he knows his opinion

changes like the wind, depending on whom hes

with at the time.

You might feel compassion for a person like

this, but let me be very clear about it this is a

serious character flaw. In fact, the Bible is very

strong to tell us that this kind of person should

not be used in leadership. Anytime you have

church leaders telling the pastor, I agree with

you and then telling other church members,

The pastor is wrong; hes missing God, you haveconfusion and suspicion brewing. A leader who

does this is not a blessing to the pastor.

When I can always count on a person to tell me

exactly what he thinks, this kind of truthfulness

builds a foundation of trust between us

thats very important if were building a long-

term relationship together in the ministry.

Its a blessing to always know where you

stand with a person, and you never have to

wonder if he really means what he says.

Truthfulness Is the Foundationof Trust

The members of my pastoral staff are very

honest with me. Because they are honest

with me, I am incredibly confident in them. I

know I can depend on their straightforward,

truthful response to me. Denise and I are

tremendous idea people, but we sometimesneed the balance that comes from hearing

other peoples perspective. Those people help

us see all the detail that must go along with

a vision. They know what it will take to see

a vision come to fruition, and I desperately

need their input in my life. Thats why God

sent those people to Denise and me to

help us. So we encourage honesty among

our staff members. They cant help us if they

dont feel comfortable being straightforward

with us.Certainly our staff has many areas where

we need to grow in this area, but we are

sincerely attempting to walk in honesty and

openness with each other at all times. I need

what they have to impart to me, and they

need what I have to impart to them! And

isnt it true that we as the Body of Christ are

naturally dependent upon each others gifts,

insights, and input? I personally count these

things very valuable in my life and ministry,

and I know you do too.

It takes great maturity to confront someonewith the truth and in an attitude of love (see

Ephesians 4:25). In the same way, it takes

maturity to know how to receive confrontation

as well. Many leaders are unable to receive

the truth spoken in love to them by those

who are closest to them and who have their

best interests at heart. This attitude actually

sets a wrong example for the flock. If we are

to have the kind of relationships within the

Body of Christ that God desires, it must begin

with leadership.That doesnt mean honestywill always be the easiest course. In fact, its

often the most difficult. But its the clearest,

brightest, and most blessed and noble path

youll ever take.



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