Karen Presley | Transforming Lives Broadcast Episode 17 | Psalm 91

Be blessed by this word....It is a RIGHT NOW WORD for where we are. It is also God's instructions for this hour... Make the adjustment and watch what God will do.... This word takes the STRUGGLE and PRESSURE out of life. Psalm 91

The Construction Phases of God

When you hear the word “construction,” what comes to your mind?  Is it; delays, impatience, frustration, irritations, or amazement of seeing the progress every time you pass that way to work.  Whatever goes through your mind, one thing we can all agree on is that it can be a nuisance when you are in a rush to go somewhere, only to be delayed by the “road work.”

Over the last ten years, on the route I take to work, I have witnessed two different housing developments being built from scratch.  Of course the beginning stage was seeing all the bulldozers, dump trucks, and other equipment digging up the ground and taking away the dirt.  This went on for a while, and this was my route to work and I had to expect delays or take another route which would have been longer. 

Most people get stuck in the beginning phase of God’s construction process.  He shows us visions, dreams, prophetic words of what He is doing in our lives and business; but the initial stage of any new project can often be the most painful.  This is where I see so many lose hope.  Why are we still in this phase?  When are we going to move forward to something that is fun or at least doesn’t require much pressure?  Before the men can start building, they must break up the ground, turn over the soil, and tear up the existing streets around it, before they can lay down new foundation.  Everything I just mentioned requires pressure to make this happen.  That is why I see all the dump trucks and bulldozers; heavy machinery for a heavy job.  There is a major parallel to the steps of building a new development to the steps required to building a NEW YOU!

Phase 1 – Breaking up the old. When the men first start, you have no idea what they are building.  All you see is one big field that has to go through a major overhaul.  The Bible tells us that Jesus was able to endure the process because the joy that was set before Him.  Jesus saw the bigger picture, so He was able to endure the cross which was the route He had to take for becoming our great High Priest.  It was not a skip in the park process for Jesus and because He is our example, you have to know it will not be a skip in the park process for you.  Jeremiah 1 tells us that when God is the head foreman for our construction project, then He must root out, pull down, destroy, throw down before He can begin to build and plant.  Old, negative, erroneous, faulty and wounded paradigms in our soul and thinking must be eradicated before phase 2 can begin.  The ground and concrete never fight back with the construction workers, but we make this process hard because we fight what God is breaking.

Phase 2 – Repaving the road for the new.  Once the men break up the previous ground, they begin to repave the adjoining streets based on the new layout and diagrams.  As you see, not one house has been built yet, we are still working on the surrounding areas.  We may have a deep desire to work with the youth, women, abused, men, ex-offenders, etc.; or you know you are called to the ministry but before God can build that part of you; He works on all the surrounding areas.  All the roads that will lead them to what He is building.  We don’t always know what that looks like, but we have to trust the God who is the head of this construction project.  If you have a problem with trusting God, it will make phase 1 harder because that wounded paradigm hasn’t been broken yet.  Present your hurts and wounds to God as a sacrifice of surrender so what God is bringing you into won’t be corrupted by the old places in you.

Phase 3 – Laying the new foundation.  Now the men are ready to start laying the foundation for the homes in that new development.  I remember when I added a new back room in my office; I saw the layers that were required for the foundation stage.  It was only a small space, but what went underneath the ground was more important than what we admire when we see the finished product.  Today many people want to be the final product without paying the price for all the materials needed in the foundation stage.  As a prophet positioned in the marketplace that’s also a pastor, I’m called to awaken the church out of her sleep and train the army of God for Kingdom assignment.  I have seen many things.  Most people who complain about the church saying they are not teaching, or know that there is more out there other than what they have experienced are the same ones who fight phase 1. If you are ever going to be the new design that God is going to use in the Earth, you MUST go through every phase.  Fighting what God has already pre-ordained for your life, will eventually hurt you.  You can’t run from your foreman, no matter how many ways you try.

Phase 4 – Framing – Drywall – Rough In.   At this stage you get a little more excited because you can see it starting to come together.  You have a visual of what the rooms will look like.  You can picture it painted and decorated, but it is still many more stages that a contractor has to do to get it ready for you to move in.  You never want to get to a place where you start skipping steps because it looks like you are there.  This is why we have so many people building ministries and businesses that have that form of godliness, but got ahead of the foreman’s schedule for their life.  If we begin to skip steps in the building process, then when the climate changes and strong winds, rain or snow hits your neighborhood it could possible bring about damage because it could not withstand the pressure of the elements.  It is the same thing with what we are doing.  Many people are doing things “in the name of God” but didn’t allow God to build it the way He intended it to be built.  So eventually they fizzle out because they can no longer maintain their momentum or what they built begins to wither away.  James 1 says to let patience have her perfect work.  God knows what He is building and the many storms that will come and you need to be solid enough to withstand every season you will face.

Phase 5 – The finishing touches.  Did you realize that different people would come in with their specialties and make the home you live in complete?  You need the plumber, electrical, HVAC, flooring, carpentry, roofer, etc.  When the contractor is working, he will have to rough in different sections for the other specialties to do what they need to do and then the contractor can complete his portion.  The Bible says He that has begun a good work knows how to complete it to its fruition.  No matter what stage you are in, God knows how to get you to the final product.  Finishing touches can be things like, your character, the smell you release when you speak, and the motives being purified.  We sometimes focus so much on our gifts, talents and persona; that we often forget that God is dealing with the heart and motives and the smell you release in His presence. 

Be blessed by this word and understand God is at the helm of your life.

My #Skydiving Adventure! | Karen Presley | #DCSkyDive

Understanding "Time" Before the Harvest

As a ministry gift, coach and business owner; I am always interacting with people.  God has given me the privilege of seeing people’s lives play out over a long period of time.  I know you probably have heard that we are in a shift or transition.  Many of us God has been calling us out of the boat of familiarity and comfortability; but like Peter a lot of us begin to look at our circumstances and the conditions of the economy or our health and finances and allow what we see to throw us off and influence the decisions we begin to make. 

Transition is not always easy because you are no longer where you used to be but not fully where you desire to be.  Sometimes it is in these moments called “time” that will make us or break us.  Don’t get stuck in between seasons, but expand, learn, grow, heal and maximize who you are in the seasons of “time” so you can come into and enjoy the full harvest God has for you.

I have 5 keys below that I want to focus on when it comes to maneuvering through “time” before we get to the full harvest.

à1.  Increase requires your heart to remain pure during the process.  When we are in transition the things that lie dormant on the inside of us will begin to rise to the surface during these times.  When God is shifting us, He has to expose those things that cannot go into our next level.  Well this is where people miss it.  They let the times of pressure cause them to draw back because of the negative emotions that arise to the surface.  People have a tendency to be overcome by what they are feeling instead of understanding that God is exposing it so they can confront those things and be healed from it.  Don’t draw back, but press in and allow God to heal those areas of weaknesses that is arising to the surface.  This is not a bad thing, so keep your heart pure/clean and free from clogs during these times.

à2.  Stay focus to the vision that God gave you.  When Peter stepped out of the boat, he did it with the word “come” in mind that Jesus spoke to him.  That is great when we have the faith and courage to step out, but we must remain focus to what God spoke and not what we will begin to see after we step out.  When I moved to my storefront, I knew it was God but in 2008 when the economy shifted I had to remain focus on what God said and not what I began to experience.  I did not do what others were doing.  I had to seek God for His direction because He was the one responsible for me since He put me there.  I kept reminding Him of what He said He was going to do and not let other voices influence the decisions I made when the pressure was on.  We must rest assured that the God who told us to step out of the boat, is the same God who knows how to keep us from drowning; as long as we keep our eyes on the vision and not our circumstances.

à3.  Stay connected to God and keep your channel free so you can hear what God is speaking to you.  This can be a doozy if we have not come to a place called “rest.”  If our minds are all over the place because of the pressure we may be experiencing in this transition; then it will be hard to stay connected to God.  The foundation of anything that is being built must be solid in order for the building to withstand the elements that it may face.  The roots under the ground of a tree must be strong in order to withstand the elements of wind, tornadoes, hurricanes etc.  Likewise our foundation in who God is through His word and not thru religion, tradition and doctrine, must be solid so we too can withstand the pressure that comes from a broken economy.  When we find our rest in God, then it keeps our channel/spirit open so we can hear His voice.  He has a way of escape in every phase of our lives.  When we stay open, we will always hear His direction for the way of escape He has for us.  I am a living witness of this.

à4.  Enjoy the process and rest in His faithfulness for your life.  Embrace change and the times of stretching.  This goes hand in hand with step number 3.  When we keep our spirits clear from offense even in the times of pressure; we will begin to rest in His faithfulness for our lives.  This is where you have to remind yourself of the things He has already done for you.  You must remind yourself of how God always had your back, even when you didn’t think.  He has always been working behind the scenes of your life protecting and guarding you from our own mistakes.  When He begins to change you, it requires stretching you because He has a bigger plan than the one you can visualize right now.  He knows where He is stretching you to, so let Him and embrace your metamorphosis process.  You are changing from a caterpillar to a butterfly that is colorful and ready to mount up and fly.  Your Father sees more than the business you are doing right now.  He sees you in your place of purpose and destiny.  Let Him walk you there by embracing the changes while being stretched.  You are growing.

à5. Celebrate who God is and what He is doing in and through you.  Celebration, praise and worship will keep you above the waters instead of drowning in the times of adversity, change and pressure.  Celebrating what God is doing in your life, behind the scenes will cause you to be catapulted because you have passed the test and remained true to the process of God.  You must begin to see beyond what you literally see, so you can keep making momentum in the spirit.  Keep making strides and leaps and bounds toward your destiny and purpose.  Don’t stop because you ran into a wall or hit a bump in the road.  Celebrate God and know that He knew there was wall and a bump before you got there.  Celebrating God will cause the journey of becoming a lot easier.   

Blessings to you and I pray this word has encouraged you.  For more empowerment messages go to:  www.youtube.com/karenpresleymin or www.blogtalkradio.com/karenpresleymin

If you are looking for a coach that can assist you in the times of transition, check out my website: www.karenpresley.org – we get great reviews.

This broadcast will also air on BlogTalkRadio.com/KarenPresleyMin on Saturday August 6th 

Spotlight - Facing Truth

At the end of last year, I stumbled upon the movie Spotlight through my Fandango app.  It was about a team of journalist called Spotlight that was inside the Boston Globe that investigated allegations against a priest in 2001. It was a powerful movie that showed how these journalists were willing to go beyond the norm to expose truth.  It was a story that was previously told on a surface level until Spotlight was willing to go deeper, and in going deeper they uncovered not only kids being molested by priest, but a system that was corrupted. 

As the movie was playing, God was speaking to me.  We live in a world where many people do not like to rock the boat, so we cover up or ignore what we see for the sake of being comfortable or keeping the peace.  As it relates to the movie, it took an outside man to shake up the people in that company, in the Catholic Church, and in that very Catholic town which caused the truth to be revealed, not just in Boston, but ultimately it was a worldwide epidemic.  When Spotlight began to investigate, they realized that everyone who had previously been questioned was just passed over.  When the story initially came out, people didn’t believe or they watered down and brushed over the truth because it involved the church.

Today abuse is no longer taboo, because it is something that many of us had to overcome and still overcoming.  Many of us have experienced emotional, sexual, physical, mental and spiritual abuse and some of us do not know it.  Some of us have experience abuse from family members, extended family members, on the jobs, in friend’s homes and in church.  Abuse is even in our political system and government.  God sees all and He knows all and just like Spotlight, the movie, God is shining His spotlight into the churches, marketplaces, inside the homes and government to expose the things He has seen all along.

As a pastor, who is also a deliverance minister (in training), that has been strategically positioned in the marketplace, I have seen God shine the spotlight in the lives of His people.  The reason why God is exposing is so He can deliver His people from things in their past that is hindering their mobility and advancement today.  It is never to bring shame.  However, I have witness so many people run, withdraw from me and/or just stop dealing with me, because it is easier to be around people who think we are wonderful.  It is easier to keep pretending instead of facing truth.  Facing truth is the first step to being liberated from the lies that keep us perpetuating the mask we wear.  Along our journey, mostly our childhood, we develop fake personalities where we are an accepted person – the mask.

You can’t get free from anything in the kingdom of darkness without receiving truth and if you refuse to accept truth, then you remain bound to the lie of the enemy.  Only truth can heal you, that is why the enemy will always lie to you to keep you in his control, but the moment you begin to reject what you tell yourself and receive truth then you become free and start your healing process.

That lying spirit never works alone, but fear is right behind him.  The lying spirit puts the thought in your head, either a lie or some negative truth or something fabricated.  Then the FEAR spirit waits to see if you are going to accept that spirit as your own.  Once you receive it as your own, then the FEAR demon attacks your soul which causes you to have negative emotions and now the lie feels true.  If you take the lie in as yours then we open the door to the enemy to attack us.  If we learn how to reject the lie from the beginning, then fear and lust can’t rule our lives.

Can you see why it is important to really begin to deal with your thought life?  Can you see why God is bringing the spotlight to our lives?  It is time to take off the mask and expose the fake personalities we have become so accustomed to.  God is exposing because He is bringing healing, not shame.  When God exposes, it won’t be on your time frame, but His time frame.  He will allow things to happen, to expose a deeper truth.  It was never about the incident, but what was in us.  For example:  Why did you respond like that?  Why did you go over or blow up?  Why did you withdraw?  Why is it that a week later and it still stays on your mind?  Why do you ignore that person, their phone calls and emails?

God is using me, like He used the guy who came into a company and shook up that environment.  As a ministry gift that God is raising up, I had to learn how to be comfortable in the assignment God has given me.  I did not choose it, but it was bestowed upon me from the Father.  No matter what platform I’m on; Anointed Press Graphics, Inc., Karen Presley Ministries, Daughters of Zion Empowerment Center or Church of Zion Deliverance Ministries, the oil on my life will be speaking even when I am not.  I know what it is like to look one way on the outside and be something else on the inside.  I know what it is like to be anointed and gifted, but yet still deal with inner struggles.  I am the first partaker of every message I deliver and that is why God is using me because many people are still in the stage of running or hiding behind their talents and titles.  Now is the time for change.

If any area of this blog has spoken to you, contact me so we can discuss how one of our many services or products can assist you in this journey of becoming.  – www.karenpresley.org | kpm@karenpresley.org.  Also stay tuned to Blog Talk Radio message on Spotlight.  www.blogtalkradio.com/karenpresleymin

Upcoming Workshops:

April 23, 2016 – Branding Your Business From Inside Out – www.karenpresley.org/calendar-of-events 

May 7, 2016 – Finding Greatness after Rejection – www.dzec.org/calendar.asp

May 21, 2016 – Birthing Your Dreams – www.karenpresley.org/calender-of-events

Intercessors in the Marketplace

The common denominator in business and ministry is people.  People are the ones we minister to and they are our customers.  People are the ones that serve on the helps ministry, adjutants, board of directors and they are our employees, volunteers, suppliers and vendors.  The world is made up of people, all shapes, sizes and personalities.  Our government is run by people, the stores are filled with people and every interaction we have to live in our homes involves people.  Even our family is made up of people.

Now, with that being said, God allows our lives to intersect for a reason.  We touch each other lives in ways that we can’t always comprehend at the time.  We bless each other and strangers with a smile, kind gesture or even a word that may be simple to us, but it was what the other person needed.  If we are open to God, we are used daily to be the answer or solution to other people’s questions and problems. 

I am the owner of Anointed Press Graphics, where we do graphics, printing, book publishing and websites.  When I moved into my storefront 11 years ago, I heard God say, “Karen, I called you to bring order, but how do you know what is out of order?”  It was in my storefront location, that I began to meet so many people in business, starting a business, five-fold ministry gifts, aspiring authors and people who had a dream, purpose and ready to step into their destiny. 

I can honestly say; I enjoy being a part of people giving birth to what is on the inside of them and launching into greater dimensions of what they have already been doing.  But on the flipside, it has also saddened me on how many gifted and anointed people operating in their business or ministry, but yet ignoring the wounded person part of them.  I have seen so many people cut relationships, stop talking to me, disconnect and pretty much erase me if something didn’t go their way. 

In the beginning I used to just put if off to God showing me what His people look like, what His leaders look like and what the church looks like and I would pray for people in general.  I was in training, being groomed by God for the assignment that is on my life and the platform He was using was my business.

Toward the end of 2015 and right into 2016, I felt like the training went to another level.  I encountered some things with different customers that really began to puzzle me.  I had this one situation where I was scratching my head saying, “How did this happen?  I have never done this before?  Out of all the people I have dealt with, how did I mess up on this person?”  I heard God say, “Karen I allowed her to touch your life so that you would intercede.”

I have several stories I could share, but it is really not about the stories, but how God’s people are reacting in and to life.  God also allows our lives to intersect, to expose those hidden things that lie dormant in us.  I call them “awe ha moments.”  We see each other’s gifts, talents, and anointing, but God knows the whole man and in this hour it is about coming to a place of recognition.  Not hiding behind your gifts, title, responsibilities or talents, but confronting the person part of you.  Well I realize that everyone is not ready to do that, so what people do is cut whatever level of relationship and disconnect from the person entirely.  People move on like you have the issue or you wronged them.

Well this is why God has need of Intercessors in the Marketplace.  I have seen people literally shut down emotionally and unable to function with me.  Of course they are still functioning in their environment that does not cause them any pressure.  I have people who are tied to me through my services they have purchased and instead of asking me for help, they are wasting money on a service that is not fully up.  Now let me explain, it is not because I cussed them out, didn’t perform a service, or I didn’t reach out to them; but it is because whatever the issue was at that time became the hoe that God used to go into the ground of their soul and begin to expose and shine light on a deficit that was already there.

So what happens, this pain point isn’t the first time it has reared its ugly head, but because we have become accustomed to “Keeping it moving,” we learned how to do life with these deficit’s in our soul.  We go our entire lives, starting families, doing business, doing ministry and having church; all awhile dismissing and not taking responsibility for our own actions, but always seeing someone else at fault.

I have an apostolic-prophetic call on my life, I’m a deliverance minister and I have a healing anointing; so my assignment will speak even when I’m not physically speaking.  People will back up and not realize why.  My oil and assignment is speaking in the realm of the spirit because it knows more than what I know.  So when God spoke that He has need for Intercessors in the Marketplace that means He has need of YOU.

You may say, I don’t walk in that same calling, but if you are a believer, it is your responsibility to intercede on behalf of God’s people and leaders once something is revealed.  If you are reading this blog, you can no longer just write people off, talk about them or their issues, or move on with your life because they moved on.  Now you become their intercessor.  Your prayer should be God bring them to a place where they begin to see what you are showing them.  Uncover those hidden things and open their understanding to see they are in need of healing and help.  Bring them to the place where they are ready to receive love from you and divinely arrange the vessel you will use for their healing. In Jesus Name.  Keep praying until you get a release to stop.

God has need of you, beloved.  You were strategically positioned in that business, organization or ministry for more than just making money.  You are in the marketplace at this appointed time, because your customers need more than just what you are offering on your website.  Will you accept the assignment?

My latest book, “Kingdom Entrepreneurship” is a MUST READ.  I was writing a blog and when I read it, God said, this is the intro to your book.  In 30 days, God downloaded this prophetic mandate that every believer, ministry gift and entrepreneur need to have in their arsenal.  Click HERE to purchase this book.  Also available on Amazon | Kindle

For more on this blog, listen to the segment where I go more in detail on Intercessors in the Marketplace.  www.blogtalkradio.com/karenpresleymin

Anointed Press Graphics Inc | Celebrating 13 yrs in Business

For APGI, January not only marks a new year, but it also marks another year in business to serve those we are assigned to.  We are celebrating 13 years in business.  I look forward to serving you this year. - www.anointedpressgraphics.com