The modern Church must rediscover the mind-set of thinking generationally. First, no one but the Father knows when Jesus will return – it could be today, tomorrow, or many years from now – and second, God Himself always thinks and acts generationally. For too long, too many members of the Body of Christ have considered themselves part of a terminal generation. It is time to change that way of thinking. Each generation of Christians needs to see itself as a bridge generation that builds on the past, lives in the present, and plans for the future. It is important to live each day as if Christ is coming back today, yet plan for tomorrow as if He will not return for years.

Part of the mind-set of a bridge generation is recognizing and taking seriously the responsibility of passing on to the next generation a solid legacy of faith and godly values. Just how important is this “generational transfer”? Long ago someone observed that the Church is never more than one generation away from paganism. All it takes to lose everything is for one generation to fail in transferring its beliefs and principles to the next.

One of the most critical needs of the Church today is to renew its commitment to “generational transfer”: passing on to the next generation not just principles, theology, and doctrinal beliefs, but also passionate heart affection. Each generation must learn to love God for themselves, and it is the responsibility of the preceding generation to teach them by modeling that love. This is the Biblical pattern, not only in God’s dealings with man, but also in the patriarchs’ dealings with their children. It is a fundamental principle known as mentoring – spiritual fathering and mothering.

Spiritual Mentoring

The principles of both spiritual mentoring and generational transfer are firmly grounded in Scripture. For the ancient Israelites they were foundational concepts of the Mosaic Law. The first Scripture Jewish children are taught as they begin their spiritual education is: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” In Matthew 22:38 Jesus identified this as the “great and foremost commandment.” Nothing is of greater importance than hearing, knowing, loving, and fearing God.

On the heels of the commandment to love God is the command to pass on that love, as well as the knowledge and love of all God’s law, to the next generation. “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). The fathers (and mothers) were to use every walk and circumstance of life as an opportunity to transfer the legacy of faith to their children.

Generational transfer does not happen overnight. There are no shortcuts, no pat formulas, no “25-words-or-less” summary statements for imparting faith and values. There is no manual called Spiritual Multiplication for Dummies. Success comes only with commitment, discipline, diligence, and patience.

Many Believers are spiritually impatient, preferring the quick touch of the Lord and the hot blaze of revival to the slower and less dramatic but more demanding pace of discipline and mentoring. In truth, the fast burn of revival and the slow burn of spiritual mentoring are both critical to God’s strategy for reaching the nations. Revival releases faith and changes individual lives while spiritual mentoring transforms culture.

Elijah set the stage by his faithfulness as a spiritual father, but it is the next generation under Elisha and Jehu that destroys Jezebel, who represents the domination of culture by the powers of darkness, and brings transformation to the land.

A Synergy of Generations

Synergy is defined as the condition where distinct groups work together in a cooperative arrangement in such a way that the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual effects. In other words, the group accomplishes more working together than the individual members could achieve working independently.

One of the things that the Elijah Revolution represents is God’s desire to link multiple generations into a synergistic relationship once again. The Church has long suffered from a “generation gap” where there is little genuine appreciation, understanding, or cooperation between the older, middle, and younger generations of Believers. God wants to bring these generations back together – to infuse them with a common vision, a unified sense of purpose, and recognition of their mutual interdependence. Three generations moving together toward a shared goal can accomplish more than the sum of what each generation could achieve separately. This synergy of the generations is something that God promised He would bring about in the last days. I refer to this as the “convergence of the ages.”

A “convergence of the ages” will come upon us. The falling of pentecostal fire, healing and deliverance crusades, the latter rain presence, the evangelical burden for the lost, the charismatic giftings, the zeal of the Jesus people movement, the credibility of the third wave, the revelation of the prophetic movement, and the relational networking of the apostolic reformation – all will swell into a tidal wave greater than the impact of the Reformation 500 years ago and create what could be called the great revolution.

Before Christ returns, God will release an explosion of His Holy Spirit that will shatter paradigms in people’s minds and cause the whole Church to begin thinking generationally rather than selfishly. A whole generation will begin to give themselves to their “Elishas,” to raise up “double portion” sons and daughters who will dominate their culture in the power of the Holy Spirit.

God is generational by nature. Even His self-revelation to humanity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – one God in three Persons – reflects a generational perspective. God the Father gave His only begotten Son to redeem lost humanity and make salvation possible for everyone who believes. God the Son gave Himself to a small band of spiritual sons and imparted to them the Holy Spirit to dwell within them continually. God the Holy Spirit empowers and enables Believers to carry out the Father’s redemptive plan on a global scale. Completion of the plan requires that all “generations” work together as one. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are co-equal, co-existent, and co-eternal in nature but generational in relationship to mankind.

When God describes Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He is not just identifying Himself by name; He is describing His very being and how His purposes proceed throughout history. God told Abraham that his children would be as the stars in the sky or the sand on the seashore, yet Abraham had only one son of promise: Isaac. Isaac passed the promise on to his son, Jacob, who passed it on to his 12 sons, one of whom was Joseph, who rose to prominence in Egypt. After a small beginning, in the fourth generation one appeared who ruled an entire nation. All of Jacob’s sons were fruitful, their descendants multiplying across many generations to become the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel.

Running With the Vision

This is God’s plan for every person in every generation. God wants to do in each of us that which He did in His own Son. This is the process: A child born becomes through character testing the son (or daughter) given; these children given become parents who multiply themselves over and over and over again by raising up and nurturing spiritual sons and daughters. The parents pour their unconditional love into their children until they come to maturity, and then they release those children onto the stage of history.

The Father’s great desire is to fill the earth with His spiritual children. This will happen not through a crash course in holiness, but through one generation patiently and faithfully passing on to the next not just information and knowledge, but wisdom, passion, integrity, faith, heart affection, and vision.

Each generation must learn to honor those who have gone before, the “pioneers” of the Church who have followed their vision and forged a path for their descendants to walk. Many spiritual parents and grandparents are alive today who ache inside because they have not yet seen the fullness of what God spoke to them 20, 30, or even 50 or more years ago. They long to see their vision fulfilled in their children. I know that is the case with my life.

Mature Plants and Corner Pillars

As the children honor their parents and grandparents, the synergy of the generations begins to become reality. Thus honor becomes a relational bridge that allows the generational transference to occur. The Lord takes the wisdom of the older generation, combines it with the resources of the middle generation, then mingles it with the zeal of the younger generation. As the younger generation moves out in action, the older ones cheer them on, saying, “Go, go, go! Run with the vision! We will speak counsel, we will speak wisdom, we will speak out of our experience. We will back you with our resources and with our prayers. Run with the vision!”

If this kind of transgenerational harmony and unity is to be fully realized, the modern Church must undergo a paradigm shift of major proportions. The younger generation must learn once again to hold their elders in high honor and respect, no longer dismissing their ideas, values, and counsel as quaint and outmoded relics of the past. For their part, the middle and older generations must be willing to see the younger ones through a different lens: to stop viewing them simply as immature children with little or nothing to offer and recognize both their giftedness and their usefulness in the Kingdom of God. The hearts of the fathers must turn to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers in recognition of mutual respect and interdependence.

Psalm 144:12 says, “Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants, and our daughters as corner pillars fashioned as for a palace.” A “grown-up plant” is one that has reached maturity and is ready for full fruitfulness and productivity. Corner pillars are critical structural supports; tear them down and the entire building will collapse.

Usefulness in the Kingdom of God is not gender exclusive. Nor is it an issue of age. It is rather a matter of maturity and calling. Members of the middle and older generations need to recognize that sons and daughters in their youth should be treated with grown-up privileges, not just in the world but in the Church as well. These spiritual children should be equipped, encouraged, and empowered, according to their giftings, to lay hands on the sick, serve as leaders in the Church, preach, teach, lead worship, baptize new Believers, serve communion, cast out demons, and operate in other areas of ministry and service. Many, because of their ability to think “out of the box,” would be very useful in helping to come up with creative strategies for outreach and any number of other issues – strategies that would connect and resonate with members of their own generation who might not be reached any other way.

Want a Harvest?

“Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields.” Psalm 144:13 NIV

The need of the hour is great. Where are the spiritual fathers and mothers who will pray in the spirit of Elijah, “God, give me a spiritual son or daughter”? Where are the “elders” who will bless those children with their time, knowledge, and every good thing that God has given them? Where are the mentors who will share their life with those children, knowing that generational transfer is about life impartation and not just information? Where will the sons and daughters find spiritual parents who will dream with them and for them, help them tap into their God-given passions and destiny, encourage them and intercede for them?

Responsibility fosters maturity, while maturity leads to greater responsibility and the promise of the fathers and mothers to treat their sons as grown-up plants and their daughters as corner pillars in the palace of the king. It means the commitment of spiritual parents to speak wisdom and strength and vision into the lives of their “children.” It means imparting blessing by a spoken word or a meaningful touch, by giving them a high appraisal of their value, by helping them envision their future in the family of God. It means helping with practical steps, providing necessary resources, and releasing authority to them to accomplish their God-given commission.

Who will rise to the challenge?

This week in our Global Prayer Storm we are going to intercede in each of our cities and nations for a move of the Holy Spirit for the Joining of the Generations. Let’s move forward together and see the wisdom of the older, the resources of the middle and the zeal of the younger come together for such a time as this!

I can’t say I was surprised by Rex Huppke’s Dec. 1, 2010 front-page Chicago Tribune story on the passage of the “civil union” bill, but I was certainly disappointed by its lack of objectivity. His sources were exclusively pro-homosexual, and there was nary a word about opposition to this bill. He evidently didn’t solicit so much as a comment from anyone who finds this bill troubling.

Not only was there no discussion of the controversial nature of the bill or its potentially harmful implications, but there was also no mention of any strong arm tactics that may have been responsible for conservative lawmakers reversing their commitments to oppose the bill.

Huppke more than once introduced the hospital visit red herring, without once mentioning President Obama’s April 15 executive order mandating that any hospital that receives Medicaid or Medicare funds allow hospital visits for same-sex partners.

And there was a curious discussion at the end of this article regarding the economic impact of this bill. Huppke quotes Brad Sears who claims that any increase in health care costs will be negligible “because the LGBT population is small and the same-sex couple population is even smaller.” And yet, this very small population of same sex couples will potentially save “tens of millions” of state dollars because once same-sex partners are joined in a civil union, their combined income may make them ineligible for social services.

Doesn’t it seem odd that due to its teeny tiny size this segment of the population will not noticeably increase health care costs, but this same teeny tiny group may potentially save social services tens of millions of dollars? I guess if the entirety of this teeny tiny group of same sex couples is on Medicaid, it could account for this huge savings.

On Dec. 3, Huppke’s next advertisement for civil unions appeared in the Trib.

Advocate Huppke gave one paragraph to homosexual activist Rick Garcia, three paragraphs to attorney Camilla Taylor who works for the homosexual advocacy law firm Lambda Legal, three paragraphs to pro-homosexual law professor Andrew Koppelman, and only one to Catholic Conference director Robert Gilligan.

It was especially troubling that Huppke chose to showcase these ignorant and smug words from Koppelman in the concluding paragraph:
The big picture is that the people that think homosexual conduct is intrinsically immoral have been spectacularly unsuccessful at passing on their views to their children….I got news for you. You’re already on the slippery slope.
It would have been both fair and illuminating to solicit a response from a conservative scholar on the issue of the apparent increasing support among the nation’s youth for all things homosexual. Koppelman (and perhaps Huppke) is either deceitful or spectacularly ignorant of the reasons for such apparent increasing support.

Might the exploitation of public education have something to do with the transmogrification of children’s moral and political views? There is absolute censorship of all writing by conservative scholars in public schools even as students are exposed to essays, articles, plays, novels, films, speakers, and “enumerated” anti-bullying resources that espouse unproven, non-factual “progressive” beliefs about the nature and morality of homosexuality. Public school libraries carry anywhere from 50-150 resources that affirm “progressive” assumptions about homosexuality and 0 that affirm conservative views. Why doesn’t Huppke do a story on that astonishing manifestation of censorship–censorship that should trouble all educators, civil libertarians, and defenders of diversity?

I am on occasion interviewed by high school and college students. I have learned that many are spectacularly ignorant:
They believe without evidence that homosexuality is ontologically equivalent to race. They and anyone else who employs arguments based on the flawed analogy between homosexuality and race should be asked to provide justifications for this analogy. For example, all public educators who use such an analogy should be required to explain the ways they believe homosexuality is like race and that they explain to students the weaknesses of and challenges to this analogy.

They believe that laws prohibiting same-sex “marriage” are analogous to laws prohibiting interracial marriage. This reveals that they don’t understand the difference between homosexuality and race/skin color. They don’t understand that anti-miscegenation laws were based on the erroneous belief that black men and white men are ontologically different, whereas laws prohibiting same-sex marriage are based on the true belief that men and women are ontologically different. These young people also don’t understand that when a black man seeks to marry a white woman, he is seeking to do the same thing that a white man is doing, so the discrimination inherent in anti-miscegenation laws is discrimination based on race or skin color. In the case of same sex “marriage,” however, the discrimination is based on behavior, which is legitimate. In the case of same sex “marriage,” a man is seeking to marry a man, which is an utterly different act that a man marrying a woman. Laws prohibiting same-sex marriage are not discriminating between people based on immutable, morally neutral conditions; these laws make rational distinctions between behaviors or acts.

They believe that marriage is solely a private relationship.

They have no understanding of the reasons why the government is involved with marriage.

They believe that disapproval of homosexual acts constitutes hatred of persons, and yet curiously they don’t apply that principle consistently. They don’t assert that their moral disapproval of particular beliefs or volitional acts constitutes hatred of persons.

They believe that to demonstrate love, one has to affirm all beliefs and all behavioral choices of others, and yet they don’t apply that principle consistently. They believe that it’s possible for them to love those whose moral beliefs and behavioral choices they do not affirm.

They have no idea that until the late 20th Century, there were no Catholic or Protestant theologians who embraced “gay” theology.

They believe that homosexuals constitute 10% of the population (a long-discredited figure).

They believe that science has proved that homosexuality is 100% heritable even though they can’t produce even one study to prove that claim.

They have no idea that “Queer Theory” argues that homosexuality is mutable and fluid.

They have no understanding of church-state relations. They would be stunned to read what Martin Luther King Jr. said about law in “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” I’m often asked if my opposition to legalized same-sex marriage violates the Constitution. Because students have such a lousy understanding of the First Amendment, they have trouble answering this question: If someone attends a church that affirms homosexuality, should they be prohibited from imposing their religious beliefs in law through support for legalized same-sex marriage?
Perhaps their ignorance is facilitated by the failure of public schools to have students study the work of the best scholars on both sides of the debates surrounding homosexuality. Perhaps their ignorance is facilitated by biased reporting like that of Huppke. And perhaps their ignorance contributes to their adoption of myopic, specious Leftist assumptions.

Now factor in the entertainment and advertising industries that promote through language and images the same unproven Leftist assumptions. Finally, throw into this toxic mix the use of invective to scorn and humiliate anyone who dares to publicly assert the belief that homosexual acts are immoral, and even Koppelman might be able to understand why the younger generation appears to be embracing the ontological and moral views of the Left.

I have been called “c**t,” “b**ch,” and “a****le”–multiple times. I have been told that I’m a “f***ing idiot” who should die–multiple times. I was recently threatened with “schoolyard” violence. And the Southern Poverty Law Center has added IFI to their “hate groups” list. Might this kind of vitriolic bullying contribute to the transformation of the moral views of young people or at least to their silence?

Neither I nor anyone affiliated with IFI has ever advocated hatred or violence. In fact, we have advocated against both. We neither express hatred nor feel hatred, but that’s irrelevant to the contemporary promoters of diversity and tolerance. If anyone dares to express his conservative moral claims with as much boldness and conviction as “progressives” do theirs, he will be on the receiving end of shocking hostility, lies, and invective.

It might have served both the cause of journalistic integrity and enlightened discourse if Huppke had bothered to explore the propagandistic tools that are shaping the public debate on homosexuality.

I have a question for the powers-that-be at the Chicago Tribune: Do you believe that Rex Huppke is covering the homosexual issue in general and the civil unions issue in particular fairly and objectively?

Perhaps Mr. Huppke could be reassigned to the editorial page and leave reporting to someone with the professional integrity to write objectively.

I was watching the finish of the Patriots-Jets game last night. The Patriots were smashing their opponent 45-3. The broadcasters kept referring to the ability of Coach Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady to pay attention to the details. They were describing what Brady sees when he steps up to the line of scrimmage. They were describing how Belichick prepares for every detail in the flow of a game.

As I was hearing this I kept thinking about how important it is for us church leaders to pay attention to the details. It seems to me that a lot of unnecessary negative things happen in our churches because we are not paying attention to the details. However, we are also taught to see the overall, broad vision of our assignment. I’m sure that as good as Belichick is on managing the details of a given game, he is also good at seeing the overall vision of what he wants the Patriots to accomplish in any given game; and what his team will accomplish over stages of the football season.

Here’s my question: As church leaders, how do we effectively manage the details of our churches while also keeping our eyes lifted to the overall vision of our assignment?

For over two years now, the Lord has been speaking to me about transition. One of the ways He’s done this has been through the number “11.” I’ve lost track of the dozens, even hundreds of times I’ve seen “elevens” – on clocks and thermometers, in dreams and visions, while reading the Bible, on the Internet and TV news, and even in the daily newspaper! God has used the number 11 to communicate to me that His promises are in the process of being fulfilled; in other words, “almost to completion” or “in transition.”

Early in November (another “11″ – the eleventh month), I sought the Lord about what He might want to say to and through me about the coming year, 2011. I heard, “2011 will be a season of transition, not just for individuals, but also transition in ministries and in churches. I will move My people to the next level. This will involve a relinquishment of expectations you have set for yourself. Be open to receive My expectations and directions for you!”

Increase of Prophetic Activity, Passing of Mantles of Authority, and Linking of Generations

God also indicated to me that in this coming transitional season, prophetic words and activity will increase and take on more importance in the life of His Church. Along with this, I feel urged to include a reminder that any Believer can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, not just those with the gift of prophecy or office of prophet. The Lord can and does speak to all His people; we just don’t always know how to recognize it, perhaps dismissing His leading as mere coincidence.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice” (John 10:27). He is gracious and will confirm what He has spoken to us through His Word, other Believers, circumstances, and a myriad of other ways. We are encouraged in Scripture to not quench the Holy Spirit or despise prophetic words, but to test them, and hold on to what is good and “on target” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22).

In this next season, many will be passing mantles of authority and leadership on to others. If the Lord calls you to do this, do not assume He’s done with you yet! We will see an increasing linking of the generations to bring about a multiplication of God’s Kingdom and His work on the earth. He wants to work through individuals of all ages, as recounted in the Bible.

Samuel was a child prophet. Jesus astounded teachers in the Temple with God-given wisdom and insight at the age of twelve. Joseph, David, Esther, Daniel, and Mary were all youth when the Lord called them; they continued to follow Him through their mid-life years and beyond. Moses stepped into leadership and ministry at the age of eighty, and served the Lord with vigor for forty more years.

“Obey Me, Then Rest in Me for the Results”

The Lord has also been showing me that times of rest are critically important during transitional seasons when we are anticipating the fulfillment of His promises to us. On July 13, 2010, He gave me a vision having to do with fruitfulness and harvest, and instructed me that spiritual harvest would be greater when He is allowed to prepare the soil where we will labor.

He said, “Ask, and I will show you strategies. I am preparing soil in order to produce great fruitfulness; your times of resting in Me are part of the preparation. Yes, I will bring a full harvest! You will eat the fruits of your labor and rejoice in Me. Look to Me, believe Me, trust Me, and guiltlessly give yourself ‘space’ to rest when it is needed! Trust Me that much will be gained, not lost, as you rest in obedience to Me.

“I will bring the full harvest I promised you. Your job is to obey Me, then rest in Me for the results. You can plant seed, but you can’t make it grow. You can’t provide nutrients for the soil, sunlight to cause growth, or rain to water the crops. I am preparing and nourishing the soil to bring the fullest harvest possible. Trust Me during this time of rest and transition!”

How To Persevere During Seasons of Transition

Several weeks ago I was studying in the book of Ecclesiastes, and the Lord gave me additional instructions about how to persevere during seasons of transition: “Do your work as to Me (Ecclesiastes 1:3). What I have done will stand forever (Ecclesiastes 3:14); I have a time for every matter and deed (Ecclesiastes 3:17). Rest in Me, and cease striving (Ecclesiastes 4:6). Receive My instruction (Ecclesiastes 4:13).

“Enjoy the tasks I have assigned you to, and the work I have given you to do. Know that your work and your call are not in vain, and that I will reward you (Isaiah 49:4). Receive My joy (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20).

“Learn My wisdom; do not dwell on the former things (Isaiah 43:18). I have new things for you now (Isaiah 42:9; 48:6). I will show you how to proceed at the proper time (Ecclesiastes 8:5).

“I hold you, along with your past, present and future, in My hand (Ecclesiastes 9:1). Dwell in My joy, and be confident in My acceptance and approval of you (Ecclesiastes 9:7). Be mighty in word and deed (Ecclesiastes 9:10). You do not know everything your future holds; only I do (Ecclesiastes 10:14). Sow seeds of faith and righteousness in the fields I direct you to, and trust Me for the results (Ecclesiastes 11:6). You shall reap in due time (Galatians 6:9), for your labor is not in vain in Me. My words shall not return to Me empty, but will accomplish My purpose” (Isaiah 55:11).

Prayer:

Lord God, we come before You during this season of transition and new beginnings. We submit our plans and expectations to You, asking for Your guidance, Your direction, and for Your Kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10). Help us to be faithful in the work You have given us to do.

Enlarge our vision; show us where our thinking has been too limited (2 Kings 6:1). We look to You to inspire us, to lead us, to teach us. We desire the heart of Mary, who took time to sit at Your feet, but we live amidst Martha-like distractions (Luke 10:38-42). Bring our scattered thoughts back to You, for You are the center of our lives and the core of our being. You are both our destiny and our destination.

Thank You for accompanying us on our journey, for You promised to never leave or forsake us (Joshua 1:5; Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Hebrews 13:5). We seek You, asking for Your balance in every area of our lives. Where we have gone off-track, redirect and reroute us. Take us in a new direction; confirm the steps of obedience we have already taken. Open up new paths of opportunity, and unlock new doors of influence. For You told us to ask, and it will be given to us; to seek, and we will find; to knock, and the door will open to us (Matthew 7:7-8).

Be lifted up and glorified in and through our lives. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen, so be it, Lord!

Carol Kelley
Email: opendoor2010@gmail.com

I want to share a couple of articles I recently came across that, I believe, speak to the core of what ails America today but is too little discussed. The first was in Newsweek under the ironic headline “We’re No. 11!” The piece, by Michael Hirsh, went on to say: “Has the United States lost its oomph as a superpower? Even President Obama isn’t immune from the gloom. ‘Americans won’t settle for No. 2!’ Obama shouted at one political rally in early August. How about No. 11? That’s where the U.S.A. ranks in Newsweek’s list of the 100 best countries in the world, not even in the top 10.”

The second piece, which could have been called “Why We’re No. 11,” was by the Washington Post economics columnist Robert Samuelson. Why, he asked, have we spent so much money on school reform in America and have so little to show for it in terms of scalable solutions that produce better student test scores? Maybe, he answered, it is not just because of bad teachers, weak principals or selfish unions.

“The larger cause of failure is almost unmentionable: shrunken student motivation,” wrote Samuelson. “Students, after all, have to do the work. If they aren’t motivated, even capable teachers may fail. Motivation comes from many sources: curiosity and ambition; parental expectations; the desire to get into a ‘good’ college; inspiring or intimidating teachers; peer pressure. The unstated assumption of much school ‘reform’ is that if students aren’t motivated, it’s mainly the fault of schools and teachers.” Wrong, he said. “Motivation is weak because more students (of all races and economic classes, let it be added) don’t like school, don’t work hard and don’t do well. In a 2008 survey of public high school teachers, 21 percent judged student absenteeism a serious problem; 29 percent cited ‘student apathy.’ ”

There is a lot to Samuelson’s point — and it is a microcosm of a larger problem we have not faced honestly as we have dug out of this recession: We had a values breakdown — a national epidemic of get-rich-quickism and something-for-nothingism. Wall Street may have been dealing the dope, but our lawmakers encouraged it. And far too many of us were happy to buy the dot-com and subprime crack for quick prosperity highs.

Ask yourself: What made our Greatest Generation great? First, the problems they faced were huge, merciless and inescapable: the Depression, Nazism and Soviet Communism. Second, the Greatest Generation’s leaders were never afraid to ask Americans to sacrifice. Third, that generation was ready to sacrifice, and pull together, for the good of the country. And fourth, because they were ready to do hard things, they earned global leadership the only way you can, by saying: “Follow me.”

Contrast that with the Baby Boomer Generation. Our big problems are unfolding incrementally — the decline in U.S. education, competitiveness and infrastructure, as well as oil addiction and climate change. Our generation’s leaders never dare utter the word “sacrifice.” All solutions must be painless. Which drug would you like? A stimulus from Democrats or a tax cut from Republicans? A national energy policy? Too hard. For a decade we sent our best minds not to make computer chips in Silicon Valley but to make poker chips on Wall Street, while telling ourselves we could have the American dream — a home — without saving and investing, for nothing down and nothing to pay for two years. Our leadership message to the world (except for our brave soldiers): “After you.”

So much of today’s debate between the two parties, notes David Rothkopf, a Carnegie Endowment visiting scholar, “is about assigning blame rather than assuming responsibility. It’s a contest to see who can give away more at precisely the time they should be asking more of the American people.”

Rothkopf and I agreed that we would get excited about U.S. politics when our national debate is between Democrats and Republicans who start by acknowledging that we can’t cut deficits without both tax increases and spending cuts — and then debate which ones and when — who acknowledge that we can’t compete unless we demand more of our students — and then debate longer school days versus school years — who acknowledge that bad parents who don’t read to their kids and do indulge them with video games are as responsible for poor test scores as bad teachers — and debate what to do about that.

Who will tell the people? China and India have been catching up to America not only via cheap labor and currencies. They are catching us because they now have free markets like we do, education like we do, access to capital and technology like we do, but, most importantly, values like our Greatest Generation had. That is, a willingness to postpone gratification, invest for the future, work harder than the next guy and hold their kids to the highest expectations.

In a flat world where everyone has access to everything, values matter more than ever. Right now the Hindus and Confucians have more Protestant ethics than we do, and as long as that is the case we’ll be No. 11!

My declaration is simple.  My seven-month-long battle with breast cancer is over.  Finished, done and completed.  The enemy could not kill me.  Just as the Old Testament people of God built an altar to remember what the Lord had done, I have built an altar of thanksgiving to the Lord for what He has done in my life.

Three years ago, after many years of debilitating arthritis, the Spirit of the Lord spoke to me and said, “Walk in water.”  I had missed physical exercise after being very active most of my life, so I was very happy to begin an exercise program in the local lap pool of our village. The Lord was right, and after two years of daily water-jogging, I was in better health than I had been in fifteen years. 

Then came the late night phone call from the surgeon, and I heard the words that all women fear and dread.  I had breast cancer.  It was at that very moment that I was faced with a decision – lay down and be overtaken, or just keep moving and power through.  I decided to power through in the power of the Lord, and my own sheer will not to give in to cancer.  And so began a walk through an experience that has changed me forever. 

My first experience was with a very persistent, Christian woman who is a doctor of Radiology.  She discovered the mass, overlooked for years, hidden under an old scar.  She persisted in pushing me to see a surgeon, setting into motion the physical aspects of my treatment for breast cancer.  So began all the biopsies, tests and more tests, two major surgeries, and seven weeks of daily radiation.  I was left with cuts, scars, incisions, and skin burned to a crisp.  Even though all the medical people were wonderful to me, I felt mutilated, violated, and humiliated.  I lost all sense of personal modesty as I was splayed out, uncovered, in front of what seemed like thousands of eyes.  I was forbidden from going into the lap pool until everything was completely healed.  The lack of exercise caused my overall health to deteriorate, which made everything more difficult. 

I did not, however, have the luxury of lying down and quitting, because I am a very busy woman.  Like most women, I have many responsibilities in many areas.  Also, I am a caretaker.  My elderly mother-in-law lives with us and we take care of her, and for twenty-nine years we have taken care of our son, who was born with Down Syndrome.  So I understood the urge to ask, “Why?”  But the whole cancer thing took me beyond a simple “why.”   It was more like a “whoa” or “just wait a minute, here.”  I had thoughts that needed explanation.  I think that these thoughts apply to any Christian who is going through difficult situations.  I have served God most of my life.  I have been faithful as a senior pastor’s wife for 32 years.  I have gone through many trials, but this one just seemed like too much. What was the deal here?  I didn’t get angry, but I knew that my spirit was wounded.  I just did not understand. 

In spite of my questions, during those seven months God gave me unusual opportunities to witness and minister to people.  He gave me glimpses into the reasons for this particular battle.  Even though I believed my body would heal, I didn’t know how to get my spirit healed from the disappointment and questions.  But the Word of God was the rock to stand on, and all through the seven months I gathered a collection of scriptures, words, articles, and anything else that had meaning to me for this battle, and I read through them once a day. .  The Word of God has the answers when we face the hard things of life.  The Lord also gave me a song to take me through.  It is a song titled, “Didn’t You Know” by Donnie McClurkin.  I saturated my spirit with that song, and it stayed with me through the entire ordeal.

Finally the day came when I was able to return to the lap pool.  I was very nervous about returning to what had once been very familiar.  Mustering up courage, I walked to the stairs of the pool and stepped in.  At that moment God began a miracle in me.  As I immersed myself in the shoulder-high water, with my song playing on an MP3 player, I could feel my spirit begin to heal.  Ephesians 5:26 speaks about the washing with water through the Word, and at that moment I had an overwhelming sense of healing as the water washed over me.   I made my way over to the edge of the pool, looked up to the sky, raised my arms, and built an altar of thanksgiving for what the Lord had done.  As I listened to the words of my song, I thanked my Heavenly Father, because He had walked with me, and talked with me, and wrapped His loving arms around me every moment of the last seven months.  He never left me alone.  Now each day as I do my laps and pass by my altar of thanksgiving, I know that forever I will praise Him.

Ephesians 5:26

The Sharpening Stone 2010 Spring Conference: The Mandate begins on Wednesday evening, April 28. We run through April 30 with daytime and evening sessions on Thursday and Friday. Our speaking team includes Matthew Stevenson, Dan Caldwell, Esperanza Morphis, Kevin Leal, Michelle McClain, Marqus Beaver, Mary Sanfratello, Andrae Ambrose, and Michael Posey. The theme is “The Time Is Now.”

Get registered today!

Good Friday brought Cornerstone an awesome time of worship with Trent Cory and band leading. What a tremendous time we had in the presence of God. I am impressed with Trent’s spirit and anointing for prophetic worship.

Today we had a great turn out for our children’s outreach inspite of the rain. The children had a wonderful time. there was a long line for photos with Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

Tomorrow we celebrate the resurrection with LIVE AGAIN. It’s going to be powerful, and many lives will be changed. We have a couple of surprises in store for the Easter crowd.

Lastly, I am believing for many churches to experience increase tomorrow.

When Apostle Howse asked me to chronicle the events that have taken place at Cornerstone Christian Center since 2010, I must say, I panicked bit. How could I put into words the most extraordinary sights and feelings I have ever experienced in my life? How could I explain the things that God have been whispering to me in our quiet time together? Who would believe the miracles that have been taking place by His mighty hand and outstretched arm? Every word I have ever read and understood in the Bible has new meaning for me. It feels like I was reading it in the dark and hoping in its truth by faith, and then… He cut on the lights. I am so filled with joy that the words that have felt cliché to me so many times before, are now manifesting before my eyes. Let me take you back to where it all began. “Get Ready, Get Set, GO!”
Even as early as September, God was preparing us for revival. The message entitled “Make Your Mark” (Howse, 2009), reflected on how the Lord was with Gideon as he worked with a purpose (Judges 6:11, 12). Apostle Howse encouraged us to “receive the calling and gifts the Lord placed in our lives, embrace what is unique about us, and break out of our fear!” He taught that to make our mark we must “discover our passion and the impact we are to make on the world with it, find mentors to help cultivate that passion, pray for strategies of illustration, and then release the passion into our work.” The rest of the message dealt with the heart. “Keep it with all diligence… everything flows from it…all kingdom engagement is connected to it…;” basically, continually nurture our hearts with God’s truth (Proverbs 4:23). Even then, God was showing us how to be an answer to the human condition with His heart, the gifts and passions He gave us, and the strategy He would give us each personally. Other messages like “The Process That Leads to Joy”, and “CPR for Relationships”, also dealt with the heart. Mathew 9:35-37 was our example of being the voice of acceptance and hope. In correlation with revival, the desperation of the times we live in caused us to cry out to Him for a supernatural movement, to bring healing and restoration. The teachings of “Revival, Our desire for 2010- part 1”, made relation to this in, “CHARACTERISTICS INVOLVED IN MAJOR REVIVALS” (Howse, 12-27-09)
Psalm 119:126 It is time for You to act, O Lord, for they have regarded Your law as void.
• 1. Deep moral darkness
• 2. National depression
• 3. It only takes one person to ignite a fire
• 4. Based in the Word of God
• 5. True worship and fervent prayer
• 6. Breaking the power of false religion and idolatry
• 7. Repentance and turning away from sin
• 8. Restoration of joy
• 9. Supernatural power & extraordinary testimonies
• 10. Producing a period of national prosperity

New Year’s Eve we declared that in 2010…
10 =
The fullness of whatever is being considered / the perfection of divine order / nothing will be lacking
The messages on “God Encounters” prepared us for what was coming in 2010!

When God comes… Habakkuk 2:3-4 SIGNS of Gods Manifested presence Isaiah 64:1-7
-God becomes known -God shakes immovable obstacles
-There is a sense of awe or reverence -God removes the dead areas from our lives
-God revives his work in our time -God restores our zeal
-God releases His mercy -God brings victory
-God comes -Vision is enlarged
-The heavens and earth are affected -The impossible becomes reality (tangible results)
-God extends His hand of power -God moves for those who are willing to wait

As we fasted together with great expectation, God revealed THREE KEYS to crossing over into our destiny…
1. The key of prayer / clothing
2. The key of surrender / brokenness
3. The key of intimacy / secret private place / the heart of God

LEAVING THE PAST . . .
Cut off the enemies of the past. These enemies are attached to us through our thoughts and emotions.
Emotional cycles / Curses / Devils
1. Cut off the enemies of the past by the blood of the covenant . . . Passover (Ex. 12:6-8, 23). Apply the blood over what has been.
2. Cut off the enemies of the past by the authoritative Word . . . the Rod (Ex. 14:15, 16). Extend the Word of God over the future.
Wednesdays, January 13 and 20, Marqus Beaver and Kevin Leal came to help us cut off the old and declare and promote the fresh new Word of God over our CCC family. Revival is NOW and we must keep momentum by “discerning the atmosphere and building a platform around what God is doing in the spirit” (Leal, 2010).

ENTERING DESTINY . . .
1. The method of sustaining the people . . .
NEW PRODUCTIVITY / NEW PROFITABILITY NEW OPPORTUNITY. It is what we do – Own – Build – Where we go – Relationships we build
2. The method of being led . . .
Illumination – Revealing truth / Revealing duties or assignments / Showing mystery
Through the prayer and brokenness of heart, God is able to and has been giving His people revelation in our INTIMATE time with Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9-11 says eyes have not seen nor have ears heard the things God has prepared for us who love Him but He reveals the deep things to us by His spirit. 12 “NOW we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from GOD, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God”… (NKJV). “Faith begins when the will of God is known… receiving begins when the way of God is known” (Leal, 2010).

God began to deal with our hearts about keeping MOMENTUM as we go forth in revival.
MOMENTUM – The force that keeps a person or an organization moving forward after movement has been initiated.
-A series of sequential and interconnected God moments and decisions.
-Everything in creation has sequence built into it.
-If we get out of sequence, momentum slows down or it stops.
-Momentum is maintained and builds by continuously considering what is next in sequence.
As we flow with God’s impelling force and strength, our times of worship have been prophetically astonishing! Miracles signs and wonders have been taking place in our services more consistently in 2010. God has been healing cancer, diabetes, and many other ailments in the body; He has also been making us whole from past hurts in our mind and spirit for the time that is before us. There have been reports of the sound of trumpets and visible angels in the sanctuary; I have seen more teenagers, pre-teens, and children at the altar than ever before; and God’s fire fills the room when the flow turns to warfare. I can hear Him speak to me as if He’s standing right beside me and I find myself racing to get to church on Wednesdays and Sundays, in anticipation of what God will do NEXT.

These extreme GOD ENCOUNTERS enabled us to:
Exercise supremacy over kingdoms of infirmity.
Exercise supremacy over kingdoms of occult practice.

Three Main Strategies:
1. The strategy of faith, coupled with expectancy
2. The strategy of prayer . . . the engine that drives every move of God . . . strong prayer that breaks through
3. The strategy of celebration . . . strong praise & amp; rejoicing

Hebrews 11:1
NOW FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
EXPECTANCY is the fuel for faith
When Art Tiggs spoke, he confirmed that we must have understanding to keep momentum. To be effective and cause revolution we must understand the seasons, what God is saying to us, and what He is doing in the land. He reflected on the many events of the previous decade that are significant to the time we are now in, and the times of preparation we have experienced in the past. “What is this decade going to bring? 2010, something new is on the horizon; 11 brings transferring of power” (Tiggs, 2010).
NOW: The release of heaven’s strategy in order to take back territory on earth. Men carrying the presence of God . . . OBEDIENCE (Josh. 3:11-13). A warrior-commander . . . WARFARE (Josh.5:13-6:5).

January 31, Judy Shaw spoke about the mandate on Cornerstone; God promised to be with us, rescue us, and give us everything we need to fulfill destiny (“do as the occasion demands”…1 Samuel 10:7 (Howse, 2009) . Her prophetic revelation for our assignment was about strategy for the days to come. She confirmed that we should trust the head of our house as we are thrust into change and quickly move to higher levels. In correlation with Jeremiah 1 …
“This day God is launching Cornerstone because of His timing and the preparation of the people!” (Shaw, 2010). God will uncover what the enemy is doing and give us strategy to stop him in his tracks! We WILL go to war for the Chicago region.

All night prayer took place February 5, 2010; we gathered together with other churches and senior leaders to pray for the city of Chicago until 5:00 a.m.

ACTIONS THAT MAKE DESTINY
Step into the substance of where you are going . . . actions of faith.
Joshua 1:3
Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
1. WILL TREAD UPON: Every place you will be as you walk into your future.
2. I HAVE GIVEN: God has already been where you are going, and He has already
acted to provide total victory for you.
You go! . . . God meets you!
Deuteronomy 11:22-28
22 For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do—to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him…
1. Obedience
Love God . . . Walk in His ways . . . Hold fast to Him
2. The Lord works for us
3. We dispossess enemies that have already been defeated
4. Our territory is expanded
5. No enemy shall be able to successfully oppose you
6. Choose the blessing / Reject the curse

Throughout this season of revival, God has personally given me great insight to many things concerning the heart. I see Him answering prayers one after another, and with every revelation, He has sent me instant confirmation. In the midst of my scholarly studies, the Lord spoke to me through my required text, combined with a song. I wasn’t sure why I wanted to listen to the song repeatedly, or why I kept reading the same text over and over again. As I began to type these words, I received revelation.
“Against my deception, I’ve always been a fool and I fear this love reaction- just like You said I would. A rose can never lie about the love it brings –I can never promise to be any I of those things”…
My thoughts were scattered, as I had gone over the same paragraph in “Media Messages” several times and felt a connection, but could not find the words to correlate the two. We are so blinded by misinformation from pop culture and past experiences, that our thoughts, speech, and relationships reflect emotional and mental limitations. He began to show me how these limitations hinder our mind-set and growth as I continued typing:
If I was not so weak/ if I was not so cold/ if I was not so scared of being broke and growing old, I would be frail…” (Jars of Clay, 1997).
FRAIL- not having a strong structure or not made of robust (firmness and determination / refusal to make concessions or compromise) materials, therefore easily broken or damaged / yielding (give or bend under pressure)/ SURRENDER…
We cover up our imperfections with acquired things and a concrete exterior that only seem to be sufficient on the surface, appearing grand to our deception. The text confirmed my meditations stating, “You are not measured according to the heights you attain in your field, nor by the money and objects you accumulate, but rather by the kind of person you choose to be” (Holtzman, 2000). The song went on…
“Blessed are the shallow for depth they’ll never find –there seems to be some comfort in rooms I try to hide. Expose beyond the shadows, but take the cup from me –your dirt removes my blindness, your pain becomes my peace.”
Building barriers based on emotional turmoil is our human nature. As a defense, we bind ourselves with fear, strife, insecurity, and vanity, but God desires for us to be broken in our hearts. To not let our struggles and negative experiences set the standard by which we measure our successes, but allow our frailty to yearn for his grace and through revelation, embrace our freedom with great expectation and certainty.
BROKEN- lacking parts necessary to be complete; not continuous
When we surrender our own will to that of Christ’s, He is made perfect and therefore, able to perfect those issues of life that flow from our hearts. By revealing HIS TRUTH in these issues we gain peace and understanding. He suffered the cross so we would be made whole but we are born into deception and have to choose to let Him pick up the pieces and mend our broken hearts with His love and truth. Instead of letting life’s bitter moments harden our hearts and create barriers of pain, strife, and fear, we should allow those moments to humble us into submission. For in our weakness He is made strong; with His strength we are made whole (complete).

Cornerstone has been chosen as a house for God to begin His work in! In every way God has taken over my life personally and restructured my thinking to completely align with what He is doing in this season and at Cornerstone Christian Center. I sit here reflecting in tears because today, I am free of every hindrance of my past and am living these words daily. I am honored to be chosen and humbled by the tasks ahead of me. I am truly grateful to be a part of this house and I am ready to move where God is taking us… Selah

(Kim Amorio is a member of Cornerstone Christian Center.)

Catholic Charities in Washington, D.C., has announced changes to its employees’ health care benefits. Normally, this wouldn’t be big news. But this story isn’t only about deductibles and co-pays—it’s about the increasingly fragile state of religious freedom in the America.

Employees were told that starting March 2, Catholic Charities would “not offer benefits to spouses of new employees or to spouses of current employees not already enrolled” in the health plan. Spouses currently covered under the plan would still be covered.

The timing of the changes wasn’t a coincidence. On March 3, same-sex “marriage” became legal in the District of Columbia. In connection with the new law, the D.C. Council insisted that, as a city contractor, Catholic Charities had to offer the same benefits to same-sex couples that it did to heterosexual ones.

In other words, Catholic Charities had to choose between church teaching and ministering to the city’s neediest residents.

To put it mildly, the Council wasn’t sympathetic to the Archdiocese’s concerns. One Council member called them “childish.”

It’s also no surprise that the D.C. Archdiocese is being portrayed as the villain. The Washington City Paper’s headline ran “To Avoid Funding Gay Marrieds, Catholic Charities Denies Benefits to All Spouses,” with the emphasis on “all.” In case the reader didn’t get it, the City Paper added a visual reminder: a picture of a rosary.

There’s no recognition that what the Washington Post called a “bitter debate” between the District and the Archdiocese was, in fact, a profound infringement of religious freedom–an infringement done at the behest of a tiny minority within a tiny minority.

Nor was there any acknowledgment that these kinds of infringements aren’t limited to government contractors. Ordinary people are being asked to choose between their livelihood and obedience to their faith—like photographers, landlords, and caterers.

You will also search in vain for mainstream media coverage of the indispensible role played by Christian institutions in caring for the vulnerable and marginalized. Almost 25 percent of the world’s AIDS patients are cared for in Catholic institutions alone. Christian hospitals in the U.S. serve a disproportionate percentage of the urban poor.

All we read about, however, is the Catholic Church’s “stubbornness” or “recalcitrance.”

But it’s not just Catholics. All faithful Christians engaged in charitable work increasingly are being told to choose between serving their neighbors or following the dictates of their faith.

This threat to religious freedom was one of the driving concerns behind the Manhattan Declaration. Interestingly enough, one of the original signers was Archbishop Wuerl of D.C., who refused to bend to the District’s demand. More than 425,000 people have now pledged not to “comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions” to do that which God has forbidden.

Christians no longer have the luxury of sitting idly by while religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and the institution of marriage come under more assault.

Please join us—Christians must stand together. Go to ManhattanDeclaration.org, read the document, and sign it today. Get your friends to do the same.