A Shift in Leadership

Foreword

about living lives of sacrifice and embracing the apostolic office to the point of shattering the religious mind-sets which literally kill men and women of God through the overbearing demands of the sheep in the fold. Friend, realize that God is a progressive God. Whatever the shift of God's emphasis might be, we must not be fearful of the unknown or the unfamiliar. For some, it could be the moving to another geographical location, but for others it might be a change of emphasis. The moving from one mantle to the next is where the conflict lies and where many find the greatest challenge in making the transition. This could be one of the causes of strife in church leadership, financial lack, and even marital struggles. This was the case of Lot. The Lord was bringing Lot out of Sodom, and his wife wasn't willing to make the change. Many leaders will have to employ the grace of God to bring their spouses to the place of understanding the transition. It is better to obey God and finish your course, like the Apostle Paul did, with controversy, than to live without controversy, having the acceptance of men, and not finish your course. The problem is that we want to avoid controversy, whether it is with our loved ones, our spouses, our congregations, or our friends. This is where we must draw the line. We can choose to have all things appear good and not follow God, and because of the fear of controversy, watch others run the race and finish their course, without participating. Would you rather live long and have the acceptance of men, but never achieve your purpose in life? Or would you rather live and accept controversy like Jesus, Moses,

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