Parting Ways

One day I was on the way to work reflecting on what God had been speaking to me that morning.  As I was reflecting, I heard God say, “Parting Ways.”  Departing can bring about different levels emotions.  All of it would be based on your attachment to it.

If you have ever been in a relationship or married, you know that after years of disagreements and conflicts; parting ways is one alternative that will bring peace in the home.  Have you ever had a job that you loved and you were forced to quit because of obligations that were demanding your time at home or loved ones you had to take care of?  If God is orchestrating the parting of ways for your life, then it will carry a greater level of discomfort because you may not know why He is requiring you to move on.  This is where many people get stuck.

God requires us to move and flow with Him like how water flows downstream.  It is not until God requires it from you that you begin to realize how attached to that position, title, function, business and/or ministry you became.  We find ourselves feeling a sense of loss in our identity, because all of who we are got lost in that position.  Have you ever lost a loved one?  When a spouse, sibling or parent dies, the loss can hurt greater because whatever you did with that person every day, you can no longer do.  You think about how they made you laugh, or what you all did for each other or those intimate times together that now is gone.  Parting ways carries a sense of lost because no matter the level of importance that is attached to that position, business, ministry, title and/or function – it is now over.

I remember my last job when God spoke, “Make this your last school year.”  I was gun hoe until someone said, “You should pay your bills off and save money in the bank.”  All that made sense, so that is what I began to do.  Needless to say, I never made enough money to do that, so when the end of the school year came; I did not leave.  August was the beginning of the next school year and God showed me a vision that I was leaving that year.  I told God, “No I’m not, because I don’t live with my mother and I didn’t have any money saved and had bills.  This now became my argument of why I didn’t obey God.  By September, a prophetic word came forth and the spirit of God was on me like a coat.  My mind could not compute leaving my job when I had NO MONEY.  Long story short, after I prayed and asked God to help me, He showed me I was going to get fired for something I didn’t do.  I told God I did not want to go out like that.  He said, “I gave you 3 opportunities to leave and you would not.”  Two days later, I was fired.

When God requires something from us, it requires parting ways with what you have right now to get to what He is bringing you into.  If you were pursuing a new job, you would have no problem leaving your current job because you want out.  If you are mad or don’t like going to your current church, then you would start pursuing another church and leave because you found better.  The difference is that YOU pursued the reason why you left these places.  When God requires you to PART WAYS, it is because He is positioning you for your next assignment and it has nothing to do with you being tired or not liking that current position, business, ministry, title and/or function.

If you are ever going to increase in ALL that God wants to bring you into, it will require a death before the increase.  The parting of ways or death is designed to remove the dross in our lives that has built up from time in our positions; before God can release the next increase.  Hurts, disappointments, fear, a sense of identity and importance (pride) can start to form and lodge in our soul and we not realize it until God requires us to part from it.  Do you find it difficult to do what God has been urging you to do, or maybe you are second guessing or compromising and have justifying thoughts going through your head?  Start looking within and see what the real issue is.  Like myself, I have to divorce myself from all of what God has done in my life, so I can prepare for the next thing that God has already released, but hasn’t shown up in the natural yet.

Many missed moments occur right here.  When you feel like where you are isn’t working anymore – but you don’t see anything else opened yet; then that is God positioning you for what He has already prepared for you.  When God speaks, He speaks from the realm of what IS; but in the natural it hasn’t manifested yet.  If you do not know how to prepare yourself based on what He is saying and not what you are seeing; then you will miss moments and begin to wander in the wilderness.

When God calls you to part ways, it will cause you to go into a place of mourning.  Trust me, I am there with you.  Mourning and grief are natural emotions that brings an inner release from the thing you were attached to.  If you are going to obey God and stay in sync with Him, you must mourn the thing He wants you to give up.  He is not trying to punish you, but prepare and position you for the next increase and wave of blessings that is being released to you.  You can’t hold so tight to a title, business, ministry, friends, positions or title; that God can’t get you to release it.  If that is the case, now you are dealing with a demonic hold on your soul AND God saw it before you are feeling it.

You must mourn all the things that were familiar in that season; like your routine, friends and patterns.  You will be amazed of things that we subconsciously attach our self-worth to.  If you need to cry, then cry.  If you need to be quiet, then be quiet; but when it is all said and done, PART WAYS from what God said is now OVER!

I love you all and know that I’m the first partaker of every word God has called me to release.  These are not just blogs, but prophetic utterances from God’s blueprints that becomes the road maps to position you for what the Father is releasing.

Karen Presley | CEO | Pastor | Author

Books by Karen will Inspire you to LIVE and Challenge you to CHANGE | Amazon

Last 3 workshops for the year – click link to view | EventBrite

Metamorphosis Coaching Program – click HERE to see how we can assist YOU

Five Words that Will Change Your Life

The world is forever changing because the systems of the world keep changing. In many conversations, I’ve heard people’s desperate attempts to stay above waters which have in some cases back fired on them. There are “5” words that we are very familiar with their meaning, but if implemented in our lives, and in this following order, it will begin to bring us into a greater level of living that’s full of God’s grace. Our lives do not have to be tossed around by what the economy is doing and the government decides. Understand what God is looking for and He will cause you to catapult even in dry places.

ORDER – is the foundation to anything that God is going to do in your life. God showed me years ago of a picture image of how people are living. Imagine this: you can wake up in the middle of the night, go to the bathroom, get something to drink and go back to bed and never turn on the light. Why? Because it’s your own house. You are familiar with where everything is and it’s a comfortable place. Well, that is how people do life – in the dark. You know how to maneuver, get around, respond and function in this familiar yet comfortable place. If we ever turn on the light – it only exposes the dirt, it doesn’t remove it.

Whenever God is going to do something new in your life, He must first bring order. You may be starting a new business, a ministry, write a book, a speaking/coaching career, etc. No matter what is burning in you to do, you must begin to bring order in those “out of order” areas. As the owner of Anointed Press Graphics, I see so many people who are starting a NEW JOURNEY, (although they don’t know it) and then shortly fizzle out. What that mean is; they are excited about the business, ministry and/or book they are releasing. The sales are great, people are supporting them and they are on this new journey high; but, some people fizzle out and others have been so overwhelmed that they started making decisions that started to sabotage there new journey.

Order relates to the foundation of a house. Depending on the height of the building, will determine the depth of the foundation. God finds us where we are. When I started Anointed Press Graphics, Inc., in 2003; God found me in sin. I was fooling around with this guy, but slowly things were coming to an end. My business started in my mother’s basement, but in 9 months God moved me into my own place because the business grew fast. It was at that moment, I knew I could NOT take this so-called relationship to my new place. God was bringing ORDER in my life and that was one of the things that could not go with me in this new journey.

Order is something that will begin to change your life. Most people FIGHT change; because we live in a place called familiar and comfortable. If you are reading this, you must learn how to be comfortable in the uncomfortable places that God will begin to lead you, so He can bring you into the next level of living. God releases His best in your life when things are in order. Resources of God are attracted to order; even money will begin to locate you, when it finds – order. The opposite of order is confusion; everything is present, but in the wrong place. Unclutter your life and move forward.

POWER –The source of all power is always in its creation. If you are a Christian then God is the source of your power. You must realize that God’s power is greater than your education, those who endorse you, and who you are affiliated with. God’s power will supersede anything that man can do for you. We must learn to look to God, who is the CEO of your business, ministry and book launch. The One who open the doors is the same One who can keep the doors open and foot the bill. When we take God out of our religious routine or formula and learn how to walk with God in a daily relationships; then we will begin to unlock the unlimited force of power that is already in our born-again spirits.

VISION – Without a vision, people perish because vision is what keeps you going even in the winter seasons of your life. Every business and ministry goes through four (4) seasons; summer, spring, winter and fall. If you do not understand the seasons as they shift in your life, then it is easy to get disturbed and frustrated along the journey. Vision keeps you goal-oriented and focus to the bigger picture and why the adjustments you’re making is necessary and mandatory if you are going to reach this NEW place in your journey. When you have a vision, it will expand your view and cause you to make decisions that will benefit you in the long run. Many people make decisions based off of what they see in front of them; but vision will cause you to see down the road. Vision also release the power from within.

GOALS – is the process of creating habits that will bring about the vision. Nothing God brings you into will fall out of the sky. It will take you first bringing order into your life; understand God is the source of your power for this new journey, allow Him to show you the vision and you must start implementing habits to facilitate this new journey. A person who is goal-oriented will begin to put regiments and constraints into their life. What do you want to accomplish on a daily, weekly, monthly, and/or quarterly basis. Once you determine what you want to accomplish; then decide what you need to do in order to accomplish that. This would be in the area of your finances, home, relationships, business, ministry, books, etc. If you want to make a certain amount of money on a monthly basis, then decided what you need to do on a daily and weekly basis to facilitate this goal. Don’t forget that you accomplishing these goals will force you to put order in your life. 

FOCUS – is what enables you to not get thrown off by distractions that will come up. The Bible ensures us that we have an enemy, adversary that only comes to kill, steal, destroy, sabotage, distract, delay and abort our dreams. The Bibles also ensures that if you are a believer, then your victory has already been purchased – so we win! However, why does it feel like we are not winning, if the Bible says we won? Focus would be one of the reasons why many people don’t see the full manifestations of the dream sustaining though there journey. Peter stepped out of the boat on the word “come” spoken by Jesus. When a storm started to brew, Peter began looking at the winds and the waves, which means he took his eyes off of Jesus and then he started to sink. He became distracted by what was going on around him. Distractions is the opposite to focus. Many people look at the news and everything that is going on in our society and economy, which only brings about bad feelings and steals your focus.

When I moved into my storefront 12 years ago, it was from a spoken word where God said, “Go get your own place.” In 2005, my business tripled its income, but in 2008 was the beginning of a declining economy. I never looked at what was going on around me. I didn’t allow other people’s good suggestion to deter me from what God spoke to me. I stayed FOCUS to God’s word to me and my conversation with my CEO was, “You bought me here and You are obligated to keep me. You knew about the failing economy before I knew, so give me the instructions I need for this season.” I knew God was my CEO and the source of my power, so I never focused on the MANY things that has happened over the 12 years. I wasn’t oblivious to them; I just didn’t nurture it. God has been faithful and I have NEVER missed a bill or been without work.  God is no respecter of persons, so if you are reading this, know that He is confirming His plans for your life. Get before your CEO and trust Him no matter how it looks.

I have been, where you are going. Allow me to assist you on this new journey and I have 3 ways to do that:  

·        My latest book “Kingdom Entrepreneurship” available on Amazon and Kindle. Click HERE

·        Next and last business workshop for the year is October 14, 2017, Branding Your Business From Inside Out. (Kingdom Entrepreneurship comes w/ workshop) You don’t want to miss this. Click HERE to register

·        Metamorphosis Coaching Program – Kingdom book comes with this program. Click HERE for more info and to register

Pastor Karen | CEO | Author | Coach

The Spirit of Elijah & Elisha: Mandate

Introduction

There are three distinct mentor-mentee pairings in the Bible; only one of these is God’s model, the model that Jesus himself employed with his Disciples. This is the Elijah and Elisha relationship, which is God’s mandate for the proper training and release of a ministry gift into ministry. Let’s examine these relationships as I share my testimony, as an Elisha, to help you understand why this model is so important to God.

At the beginning of my journey into a relationship with God, I knew very little about anything. I had no understanding about prophets, prophesying, or much else. I was simply zealous for God and hungry for serving Him. Besides my call to entrepreneurship, I had no clue that there was a specific purpose for my life – a mandate to impact lives. I wasn’t newly saved, I had just determined that I was going to live my life God’s way. My understanding of serving God was to serve in church or in ministries, as they walk out the mission and vision that God has given them to accomplish. This has led me to serve in a few places since I began my journey in 2013, but only one of these proved to be who God had predestined for me.

Moses and Joshua

In 2013, I began to serve someone with a parachurch ministry. Let’s call her Nancy. The ministry she had was to at-risk youth and it was to provide one-on-one mentorship, on-the-job training in a skilled trade and so much more. The assignment was indeed a great one, and she was very passionate about it. I began serving the organization by performing website services since I operated a web development business. However, as time went on, I realized that there were many other ways that I could be an asset to the organization. Therefore, I assisted with writing the business plan, creating presentations, forms and other things that would help with improving the marketability of the organization and its programs.

Throughout our time together, I learned a lot from Nancy. She taught me great lessons of faith by telling me her testimonies. Nancy’s testimonies of faith inspired me, even more, to believe that absolutely nothing is impossible with God. I learned about prayer, as well, we would pray together often. Eventually, the organization was able to acquire a facility from which to operate.

This facility needed a lot of work to become what it was supposed to be. Nancy would have fundraisers and tell me about how God would be doing this or that. I believed her, but more importantly, I believed that God was able to bring it to pass. One day, she compared us to Moses and Joshua, because she had been carrying her vision for a long time and this would be the first time that the organization owned a place to operate from – it was the proverbial Promise Land.

As time when on, however, I began to notice that the things which she was led by God to do, were not coming to pass or not successful; this led me to begin to seek God in prayer as to why the results were not as favorable as I believed they should be. Instead of getting a direct answer, I was led to ask, “If God provided this property, don’t you think He will also provide all of the resources to renovate and maintain it?” She agreed but informed me that God will use people to bring what you need. 

While this was true, it was not the point of the question and so I left the subject alone. Eventually, I entered a season of transition, which resulted in the end of my service to her organization and other’s that I would assist on a limited basis.

Saul and David

By now, I had grown in revelation of the Word and understanding of spiritual things; but I was definitely not 100%. I had also expanded my business to offer graphic design services. I still had no idea as to what I was called to do, whom I was called to serve (as it relates to ministry) or what my destiny was. I met this leader, who I’ll call Diane, at a fundraiser that Nancy held. Diane had a mentorship program and I joined because I had a burning desire to grow more than I had to date and to learn what my destiny in Christ was.

Diane arranged a business meeting with me to discuss branding her ministry. Our meeting was successful and a deeper connection occurred in the spiritual realm. I’d later come to learn that Diane prayed to have someone like me serving in her ministry, as I had come to her attention while presenting at Nancy’s fundraiser. Even though I began to serve Diane, she would still mentor me and I was a regular on her Monday noon prayer calls. By this point, I was no longer with my church because it had dissolved and, though I would attend services at another church, I no longer had a home. Therefore, her prayer calls were a great help, if not a lifeline, to me at the time.

I served in the branding and marketing of the ministry initially and as time went on, I began to learn about serving in intercession. The ministry would host events where Diane would teach a biblical or spiritual lesson and everyone would fellowship. By the spirit of God, I knew that I should attend each event. On occasion, someone would request prayer and it was during these moments that Holy Spirit began to teach me how to intercede and gird someone else up in prayer. By now, Diane graduated me from the mentorship program. Nevertheless, I still did not know my purpose.

The more I served, the more I grew. I learned many things by observation, revelation, checking things with Holy Spirit, praying, and studying in my personal life. Diane did not train me one-on-one or discuss my service to her, outside of giving me direction in serving her in what God was telling her to do. We would discuss the vision for the ministry and the plans for it, but that was about it. It was as if it could go unsaid as to my role within the organization. I would accompany her to ministry events and speaking engagements and serve in branding and marketing of the ministry. As we went out, I began to have encounters with prophetic gifts that began to speak destiny into my life.

One particular time, I received a prophecy that I was an Elisha serving an Elijah. The prophecy stated that I would receive a double portion anointing because of my heart to see God’s will done in the earth and my faithfulness to serve. The instructions that I received were the same as those issued to Elisha, I had to be present when my “Elijah” went up and the mantle would fall upon me. Diane was present when this prophecy was released. Naturally, we assumed that it was about our relationship. We were both aware that an important milestone for her was approaching in less than six months. The day came and went and …. nothing happened except my season for serving there ended and I began to transition onward.

Elijah and Elisha

After I received that prophecy of being an Elisha, I sought God as to what this truly meant. Holy Spirit began to teach me about the relationship between an Elijah and Elisha. I learned that the perfect model in Elijah and Elisha is that the service is mutual, a two-way street. Yes, Elisha’s requirement was to faithfully serve Elijah, but Elijah had accountability for training and mentoring Elisha. Elisha was not simply with Elijah to help him out, but he was to secede him as a prophet (1 Kings 19:16, 19-21). Operating as a prophet in the spirit of Elijah was not a light thing or something that comes simply through observation. Elisha was accountable to grow as he served Elijah.

During my time with Diane, I had taken a course on speaking. One that was marketed as being designed to unmute your voice and empower you to tell your story. God used that course to reveal a lot to me about my life and myself. I began to see the strands of God throughout my life and how His hand was on me, even when I was not saved. I began to discover what my real purpose in life is. It was here that I would cross paths with and spiritually connect to my Elijah.

After my service with Diane, I wandered briefly. I knew the season was over, yet I had not been released by Diane, and I did not know where to go or what to do next. I diligently sought God about my next season, knowing that there was more ahead and I still believed that prophecy. The Spirit bore witness with the prophecy and there were many confirmations afterward. Prophecy speaks future and destiny. So, I knew that it is my destiny to serve as an Elisha and receive promotion and a double portion anointing. The prophecy was true, it meant was that I had not served my Elijah yet.

Shortly afterward, I went to dinner with Pastor Karen and a couple other ladies that I had met on my journey. One-by-one they began to leave until Pastor Karen and I was the only two left. I began to share with her that I was in transition, not sure of where to go. She confirmed some things that God had spoken to me and invited me to Church of Zion Deliverance Ministries (ZDM) that Sunday. Little did I know that my Elijah was throwing her mantle over me.

One of the marks of an Elijah is a prophet in need of a successor – a successor and not simply a servant. I began attending Kingdom Training at ZDM, and Pastor Karen began to truly equip me for Kingdom assignment. I had found my home. During a fast, Holy Spirit led me to begin to bring meals

to Pastor Karen and said that I was serving Elijah. I didn’t fully understand and I did not even connect this to the prophecy I received, but I did it anyway. I cook regularly, so each time I cooked a meal, I was to take a portion to Pastor Karen.

Pastor Karen owns and operates a printing business – Anointed Press Graphics, Inc. (APGI). I am a freelance graphic designer and branding & marketing strategist. A couple weeks after I began providing meals, I was led to serve once a week at APGI. Again, I had no understanding of what I was doing; I was simply obeying the promptings of Holy Spirit. Eventually, I began serving twice a week, and one morning, Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance a Word from the Lord that I had received in August 2015 – “there is no print job that you cannot fulfill”. Pastor Karen was confirmed as my Elijah in that moment.

Conclusion

When Pastor Karen ministered to me after dinner that night, one of the things she said to me was that her mandate is to “train and equip God’s people for Kingdom Assignment and properly release them” (emphasis mine). Those last three words are a crucial and mandatory element to the Elijah-Elisha relationship. God’s mandate for the Elijah-Elisha relationship is this: (1) Elisha is someone that God has chosen for Elijah to train (1 Kings 19:16); (2) Faithful service to Elijah is a requirement (2 Kings 2:1-10), in fact, Elisha became known for his service to Elijah (2 Kings 3:11); (3) Elijah was to mentor Elisha and prepare him for release into his next level (2 Kings 2:9,10); (4) Elisha’s next level was released upon him when God took Elijah up (2 Kings 2:12-15).

As God takes the Elijah up – not in physical death, but in spiritual promotion – there should occur a changing of the guards, so to speak. Elijah and Elisha were both prophets, but Elisha was not an exact replica of Elijah. Jesus taught his Disciples to do as he did and said, “greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12). From Elijah and Elisha to Jesus and the Disciples, God desires the proper training and release of those that are faithful to serve and follow. This is not to say that there comes a time where one no longer serves a ministry. Release does not mean that one no longer serves where they are, or that one must leave. However, there should be a time when one is released into what God has called them to do.

There are plenty of Moses & Joshua’s, Saul & David’s, and Elijah & Elijah’s in the earth. Most of them began as Elijah & Elisha’s that turned into Moses & Joshua’s or Saul & David’s when the leader began to go astray in disobedience or unbelief, or began building their own kingdom. There are Elisha’s that should be in development right now, but they are on the run, like David from the spirit of Saul. There are Elisha’s that are ready for release right now, but have to tarry in the wilderness a little longer, like Joshua due to the disobedience of Moses.

My release has not happened yet, but Pastor Karen is rightly equipping me for Kingdom Assignment day-by-day. Until then, I will serve my Elijah in expectancy of seeing her go up with God into her greater destiny, knowing that my release is imminent.

Katrina Yancey

Prophetic Watchman

Church of Zion Deliverance Ministries

Grace - The Power Within

Grace is a word that is so misunderstood in the body of Christ.  Grace is a word that is known in the body of Christ, but not fully understood in the life of the believer.  Many people talk about the grace of God, but don’t know how to rest and live their life in that grace. 

Ephesians 4:7 says we have received a measure of grace according to the assignment that we’re to fulfil.  Grace is unmerited favor.  What does that mean?  It’s God’s divine influence and the ability that enables us to be what He wants us to be, have what He wants us to have and do what He wants us to do.

Grace is the power of God to assist us… His divine ability to get us to do the job sweatlessly.  Whatever position God puts you in, He gives you the grace to carry it out.  Whatever comes your way, know that grace is sufficient to carry you through.

Partaker of one’s grace…. Means we are the recipient of this reward.  So grace is NOT something you have to work for.  It is not something you have to earn or be good enough for or do everything right to get it.  You are already the partaker of the grace once you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. 

Grace is what you rest in that enables you to do what you can’t do and do the things with ease that you already know how to do.  You must ENTER into the REST where the GRACE is for your life.  How do you do this?  By faith.  Faith in grace is what causes you to REST in God’s power to get ANY job done.  We can do nothing with Him, but His grace enables us to do everything He puts in front of us to do.  Phil 1:7 tells us that we can be partaker of another man’s grace through our prayer life, giving and partnership with another ministry or ministry gift.

You never have to FEAR life, any assignment or stepping into those new endeavors, when you have a revelation of His grace that’s on your life.  Galatians 2:20 tells us NOT to frustrate the grace by being out of order or out of place.

Grace does no good, until you know how to tap into it.  We frustrate the grace when we get out of place, position and/or sync with God.  A highway is designed for ALL of us to drive on it at the same time.  A dump truck, 18 wheeler, Honda and Mercedes Benz can all drive on the same highway at the same time as long as they all stay in their lanes. 

For so long, grace has been defined as God’s unmerited favor; however, I’ve come to know that grace is much more than favor.  Grace is used in two different ways.  Grace is the heart attitude of God that moves Him toward His people and causes Him to willingly get involve with you and me.  Grace causes God to look past our sins and to give His love and resources freely because He sees us in the light of forgiveness. 

The second part of grace, which is the power that is active within the heart of a believer, working in Him empowering him to do God’s will and fulfill what God has designed.  It’s an impartation of His ability.  The bottom line is grace is God’s ability in ME to do what I can’t do by myself.  Therefore, I say like the Apostle Paul, I am what I am by the grace of God.  Ephesians 4:8 says, we all have been given a measure of grace according to our assignment.  Whatever God calls us to do, I can rest knowing that He’s given me grace to carry it out.

It is important to see God’s grace as a power in your life, because it is the very power within the believer that brings change.  The difference between grace and faith; is faith changes things and circumstances around you, but grace changes the believer from the inside.  Just like our faith can increase by hearing the word, so can grace increase.  The Bible tells us to grow in grace as well as be strong in grace.  Likewise the difference between anointing and grace; is the anointing is the burden removing, yoke destroying power of God.  It is His power smeared on you; but grace as I said before is power within.

Let’s look at Jesus when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  He knew it was time to be delivered into the hand of Judas.  Even though His spirit was willing to be obedient to God, His flesh was weak.  Through prayer, even though it took Him going back 3xs, it was through prayer that He was growing in grace.  Jesus prayed until His will came into alignment with God’s will.  Simultaneously, God was imparting more grace to Jesus for Him to carry out the next phase of His assignment. 

Jesus went into prayer sorrowful, but when He came out He knew God’s grace was on Him to carry Him through and empower Him to endure til the end.  – That’s Grace, now move with fervency and reverence into your next level assignment.

Pastor Karen Presley

God's Servant in the Marketplace