Category: Leadership

Prematurely Pulling the Plug on the Process

R. Mangold

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. 11He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. 12I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. Ecclesiastes 3:10-12

If you’re a collector, or one that loves antiques, you know that some things gain more value with a very important ingredient…TIME. Herein lies the challenge for many of us – while time may add value to antiques, for humans it’s the proverbial “kiss of death.” In a generation that wants instant gratification, the value of growing, maturing, and experience is all too often minimized in favor of a quicker result.

We’d do well to remember, God is in charge of not only the clay, but the wheel on which the clay is spinning. He has in His mind a perfect plan, a defined design, a prescribed purpose for each of our lives. While we’re spinning on the wheel we’re tempted to offer God our “recommendations” AND even go as far as to say when we feel the work is complete!

In order to maximize the “glory that shall be revealed in us” we must trust God with our future. Let God finish what He’s started in you. He’s faithful to complete it. And when given “time” He makes “everything” beautiful. Yes, “everything” – even the flaws, faults, and failures. Let’s not presume to “pull the plug” on God’s process prematurely.

“Serminutes” – Sermon in a Minute. A one minute spiritual pick-me-up for busy Christians!  Visit this POST for details on what exactly that is. Thank you for visiting today! May the Lord richly bless you. Rodger Mangold

"Timely" Advice from our Biblical Ancestors

R. Mangold

Time is priceless yet it costs us nothing.

You can do anything you want with it, but you can’t own it.

You can spend it, but you can’t keep it.

And, once you’ve lost it there’s no getting it back.

Our biblical ancestors have some “timely” advice for us…

  • David resigned himself to the fact his “times” were in God’s hands. (Psalm 31:15)
  • Queen Esther convinced she had come to the kingdom “for such a time as this,” risked execution to save her people, siting, “if I perish, I perish!” (Esther 4:14)
  • James postulates our lives are just a vapor appearing for just a “little time.” (James 4:14)
  • Paul admonished the Ephesians to “redeem the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16)

Only God occupies all space and time…we don’t! Our days are numbered. If you’re delaying your decision and postponing your purpose, remember, you’re not guaranteed tomorrow. Don’t wait any longer! God can do more with what’s left of your life than everything you’ve accomplished up to this point!

No one knows the day nor the hour of Christ’s return. We must be ready at a moment’s notice…He came for someone today!

“Serminutes” – Sermon in a Minute. A one minute spiritual pick-me-up for busy Christians!  Visit this POST for details on what exactly that is. Thank you for visiting today! May the Lord richly bless you. Rodger Mangold

Power of the "Moment"

R. Mangold

13Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. James 4:13 – 15

There is within each of our lives “that moment,” that defines us. “That moment” which forever etches into our lives, a pattern. It’s “that moment” that forever alters the direction our life will take. Our first love, first kiss, first child, and even our first encounter with God are just such moments.

Sometimes we live in anticipation of “that moment.” We feel it will be the crescendo, the climax, our arrival on the scene. Ironically, if we’re not careful we can live in such anticipation of “that moment” – our graduation, our wedding, our new home; that we dismiss those precious moments in between.

Just as important as “that moment” are those seemingly inconsequential “moments” that have just as much merit and purpose. For without those “between moments” developing the story and its character, there would be no big climactic “moment.”

For David the “between moments,” the bear, the lion, the attempts on his life by King Saul, led to his “crowning” achievement as King of Israel!

Don’t be quick to dismiss the seemingly mundane moments of life in pursuit of the glory moments. There’s life to be lived in the “between moments” that powerfully sweeten our “moment” in the spotlight!

“Serminutes” – Sermon in a Minute. A one minute spiritual pick-me-up for busy Christians!  Visit this POST for details on what exactly that is. Thank you for visiting today! May the Lord richly bless you. Rodger Mangold

STIR IT UP!

R. Mangold

In 2 Timothy 1:1-6, Paul tells Timothy, the faith that was in your Grandma, and your Mama….I now see is also in you! So this is a gift…passed down from generations. Someone said, “If you ever see a turtle on a fencepost, you know he didn’t get there by himself”.

None of us started out with our own ‘stuff’! Just like the son of Aaron the High Priest. The only anointing upon him was what soaked into the clothes he now wore…FROM HIS FATHER IN MINISTRY! Only AFTER you walk under HIS anointing, do you get your own anointing! That’s where “double portion“ comes from! Nobody can pray it on you! You receive it by manifesting as a faithful son in ministry!

There are gifts passed from generations, deep inside of you…It was there when you were born! You’ve been studying generational curses; you NEED to study generational BLESSINGS!

As you reach adulthood, all the gifting that was apparent in you as a child, has a tendency to get covered up with A LOT OF STUFF….THAT’S why Paul told Timothy…STIR UP THE GIFT!

STIR IT UP, CHILD OF GOD!

By Rev. J.S. Willoughby – To read other posts by Rev. J.S. Willoughby visit his blog at http://jswilloughby.wordpress.com

“Serminutes” – Sermon in a Minute. A one minute spiritual pick-me-up for busy Christians!  Visit this POST for details on what exactly that is. Thank you for visiting today! May the Lord richly bless you. Rodger Mangold

Limiting the ONE Without Limits

R. Mangold

Yes, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? Isaiah 43:13 (AKJV)

Despite being ALL powerful, even God has a limit. As ludicrous as it sounds, what may come as even more of a shock is what that “limit” is…YOU.

I’m not saying we’re more powerful than God. I AM saying each time we attempt to impose our plan over God’s, in essence we limit His ability to bring about a favorable outcome for us. He will not “force” Himself on us. He may through a set of very undesirable circumstances, convince you His way is superior, but the freedom to choose is yours.  

What loathsome ingredient in a man’s character would ever insist his plans are better than God’s? Pride! The very look of which God detests (Pro. 6:16-19)! To the reader of Exodus Pharaoh appears to be withstanding God by holding Israel hostage, but God allowed those circumstances to prove it was in Egypt’s best interest to let HIS people go!  

Before we limit God, insisting on our God-given right to choose, let’s humbly submit ourselves to God’s Divine Will. He knows our end from our beginning! Let’s remove our prideful limits off God, allowing Him to “work” an optimal outcome for our blessing and His Ultimate Glory!

“Serminutes” – Sermon in a Minute. A one minute spiritual pick-me-up for busy Christians!  Visit this POST for details on what exactly that is. Thank you for visiting today! May the Lord richly bless you. Rodger Mangold

Growing Down Before Growing Up

R. Mangold

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Psalm 92:12

In ancient times when a palm sprout would first stick its head above the sand, they would take a large rock and place on it. This forced the palm’s roots to grow down before the exposed tree grew up. Consequently, its roots wrapped around rocks before its branches and trunk ascended to the sky. When the winds came it was already gripping the rock and could not be blown out of the sand. Sometimes the palms would bend all the way to the ground and pop back up. Why? Because they are anchored to the rock.

How often does God do that? He places things on us we don’t understand to make us grow down before we grow up.

Tenney


Excerpt from T.F. Tenney’s Book entitled, “The Lord Said…Or Was that Me?” (Chapter Nine, Page 78, Paragraph 3)

Reverend Tenney and his wife Thetus make their home in Tioga, Louisiana. They travel nationally and internationally, ministering the message of God’s love and power of deliverance to thousands.  Check for other items by this author/group

 

“Serminutes” – Sermon in a Minute. A one minute spiritual pick-me-up for busy Christians!  Visit this POST for details on what exactly that is. Thank you for visiting today! May the Lord richly bless you. Rodger Mangold

Big Lessons in Small Packages – The Foxes

R. Mangold

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines [have] tender grapes. (Songs of Solomon 2:15)

Who isn’t fond of the little fuzzy furry puppies? Pet store windows are full of puppies toppling over each other as if to say, “Pick me!” They start out cute and cuddly, however they don’t stay small forever. That cute little habit of gnawing on your favorite shoes and couch gets worse. Soon, it’s your hand, your arm, and…well you get the picture!

As cute as they appear, small foxes cause irreparable damage to grapevines by burrowing holes around the roots, nibbling flowering buds, and eventually consuming all the grapes. “Small” seemingly harmless things can and will infringe upon our relationship with God. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life, attack the root system of our moral and spiritual fiber, stemming the flow of vital nutrients to the branches, or our areas of influence – Marriage, Family, Church, Work, etc.

Big formidable enemies are obvious. Seeing them coming, you’re immediately on guard. David had no problem taking out the “giants” in his life; the bear, the lion, and even Goliath, were all very obvious opponents. His downfall was in not recognizing the “small” innocent looking “foxes” that can literally bring a man to his knees.

“Serminute” Series – Big Lessons in Small Packages

“Serminutes” – Sermon in a Minute. A one minute spiritual pick-me-up for busy Christians!  Visit this POST for details on what exactly that is. Thank you for visiting today! May the Lord richly bless you. Rodger Mangold

Drawing the Line

R. Mangold

When GOD was about to speak to the nation of Israel at the mountain, He told them to cleanse themselves and abstain from certain tasks in preparation. Then He ordained Moses with the responsibility of determining where the line approaching the mountain began. The issue is never where Moses established the line, it is once he drew the line he never once erased it and then established it again somewhere else.

By Sis. Natalie Johnson of Frederick, MD. She attends Apostolic Lighthouse Church – Pastor Michael Mangold. Her many talents include conference and camp meeting speaker and anointed singer and signer for the hearing impaired. A video of her testimony can be found at http://youtu.be/Nxq90806oCo


A Leader Willing to be Led

R. Mangold

And he Moses said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. Ex. 33:15 – As strong of a leader as Moses was, he was also humble enough to know that unless God carried them, their travels were destined for failure. I wonder how many burdens would be lifted and cares would be released, were we to allow God to carry us and leave his proverbial footprints in the sand of our lives?

“Serminutes” – Sermon in a Minute. A one minute spiritual pick-me-up for busy Christians!  Visit this POST for details on what exactly that is. Thank you for visiting today! May the Lord richly bless you.