Lessons from the Field: Guest Blogger Sharon Liebowitz

Guest Blogger & Missionary, Sharon Liebowitz, is posting today about lessons she has learned from the Mission Field. For more on Sharon's ministry, check it out at www.majesticdestiny.org

After spending seven years in Brazil I could probably write a novel in answer about what the Lord has taught me, but I will share just a couple.  

First, and foremost – you have to be willing to SERVE.  

I think more than anything else the Lord has given me a servant’s heart.  I have learned that I (all of us really) exist to serve Him.  We are not here (contrary to popular “Christian” belief) to say to the Lord "Give me, Give me, my name is Jimmy!"

 Once you are willing to serve, the Lord will provide countless opportunities for you to do so. 

You have to have the measure of faith to serve where ever, when ever, doing whatever He calls you to do.  

If you pray Jer. 42:3 – you have to be willing to follow His call.  That is an act of faith in the midst of often unspeakable fear.  You have to truly trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not unto your own understanding because nothing that He tells you to do will necessarily make sense to you.  But, you have to take that first step of faith.  The road map will never be laid out for you.  Most of the time, the Lord will only show you one step at a time and often He will only place the rock under your feet as you lift your foot to take the next step.

Next, even when all HELL rages war against you as you follow Christ’s lead, remember: "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."

He who started a good work in you is faithful and just to complete it.  He will give us the ability to do what He has called us to do.  He will not allow us to be ashamed.  He is still SOVERIGN, FAITHFUL, JUST, HOLY, and RIGHTEOUS over every situation. The truth is that if all of HELL is not raging war against you, you better seek the Lord because you are probably not doing what God wants you to be doing!

Finally, when you have done all you can do and you can barely stand, STAND FIRM!  

Remember you are not here because you want to be here.  You are here because God has called you to be here.  You didn’t come because you wanted to come.  You CAME IN OBEDIENCE – So when the going gets tough (and IT WILL), you need to STAY in OBEDIENCE!  I would love to say that you should stay because your deliverance draweth nigh.  That might be what happens, BUT it might not!  If you are going to be a missionary for Christ anywhere, you need to reach the point that you say, YEAH THOUGH HE SLAY ME, I WILL STILL SERVE HIM!

Once you can say that, then you are ready!  Let us be like Nehemiah, unwilling to come down until the wall was completed. There is a harvest that is ripe out there, and we who are the laborers are few.  So let us get to work for there is much work to be done.  Let the Battle Begin!  AMEN!

Where would you like to go on a mission's trip?

Go! Influence the World

The gifts of the Spirit aren't little trophies to show everyone how spiritual we are.  They are tools for getting the job done and if your not on the job then why do you need the tools? 

Maybe that explains why we don't see a lot of the power of God in some church services, or in our personal lives. You know that supernatural power of God, that distinguishes us from the rest of the world. The love that never fails, the compassion that addresses the needs, the resurrection power to bring life wherever we go. 

Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

I love this verse, if you were wondering what your suppose to be doing, well here it is. 

First and foremost GO!

You know the word "go" is mention 1544(kjv) times in the bible.  That’s a lot.  Faith is only mentioned 247 times. Love a 311 times.  Sometimes it feels like we are on the starting line waiting for the gun to go off so we can start the race.  Hey guess what the gun  has gone off - GO! 

Go do what? Make disciples of all the nations.  

It says we are to make learners of the nations.  Hold the phone! Are we reading that right? We are commanded to go and make disciples of nations!  In other words, Jesus tells us that we are to go out and live in such a way a Nation will call us and ask us "how do you do that?" Well that takes the evangelism course to whole new level? Not to mention the life group for business owners?  Sometimes we think way too small. 

Well how are we suppose to do that? 

No matter what your vocation may be, you could be a school teacher, a plumber, a mechanic, a janitor, a doctor, a lawyer and even a politician you can live this life with the power of the Holy Spirit. You will live in such a way nations will want you to come to their country and show them how you do it. God gets incredible amount of glory and honor with this. 

Where do you start?

Hang out with people doing it! Come alongside  people that are "going and influencing." Get some "influencers in your circle of friends." 

Are there people like that?  

Here is a walking talking example of this. 

Let me introduce you to Sharon Liebowitz from Majestic Destiny ministries. 

She is orginally one of those corporate Human Resource gurus, that God told to “Go! Influence Bolivia."  She went and over the past decade has been doing Foster Care God’s way.  She had done it in such a way another country got wind of it. Chili has called up Sharon and has asked her to come and teach this Foster Care to them! She is living and breathing the “GO” in such a way that nations want her to teach them.  What an inspiration.  

She is definitely a THUG (a sister Totally Humble Unto God). Connect with her on Facebook here.  

She is our Bolivian Connection, in the Salvation Syndicate.  

It is a privilege and honor for her to come alongside "Sisterhood" and share her wisdom with us on how to be influencers.  The best part is tomorrow she will be posting an article for us!! 

What vision has God given you that seems overwhelming?

God's Justice is Not for Sale

We can’t bribe God! 

We can’t buy His favor. 

There is nothing we can do to make God love us more.  His love is unconditional.  I love that about Him. I don't have to work harder, I don't have give more, I don't have to really do anything to gain His favor.  He isn't a respecter of people. He puts everyone on a even playing field. That's justice. That's grace. 

We can't bribe God to overlook our wrongs either. 


   When Jesus went to the Cross,  He wasn't bribing God to look the other way on our behalf. Jesus didn't pay a bribe, He paid a debt. We aren't being overlooked at the Cross, we are being justified.  That's justice, that's mercy. When we intercede or confront an injustice in the world, like "Rape as a Weapon of War" in the Congo, we aren't asking God to overlook the rape (that's just silly) we are asking God to stop them. The same goes for us, we aren't asking God to overlook our sins, we are asking God to stop them in our lives. That's justice. I'm glad Jesus didn't take the bribe to stay home.

May we not be bribed to overlook injustice.


I'm not talking about pointing out everyone's faults, we are told to pay them no mind, let God sort them out. We are  told to defend the defenseless, to reach out with mercy to the unfortunate, the afflicted, the raped, the exploited, the sick, the helpless, the homeless, the lost.  We are told to reach out of ourselves and be God's hands and feet. Reaching out to our neighbors whether we like them or not is a God thing. Bribes make a person blind to justice. 


May our favor not be for sale.


One of the biggest tragedies I see in the church is a leader working for the applause of man. We all have this deep God given need to be accepted.  However, when we look to man instead of God to fill that need doesn't that make us idolators. 


God has given us gifts, talents and favor to do the things He has asked us to do.  May those gifts be invested for His kingdom and not ours. May we be good stewards of the things God has given us.  It's not about our giftings going to the highest bidder.  I get a little ticked when I hear of women speakers that will change their message when only 10 people show up. If their message was good for 200 it is good for 10.   


Sometimes we put our favor on the market by demanding preachers, teachers and even worship leaders to perform for us, instead of minister.  We want them to preach a certain way, sing like a rock star, and don't get me started on the dress code going past common sense.  If we can be bought, we can be sold.  If we do it to our leaders, then guess what you will feel the pressure to perform as well. 










What are some injustices that you would like to see your ministry address?

Bases

Bases

A great women's ministry is like a cheerleading squad it has flyers and bases. Check out "What do they call you" post. Normally the younger and lighter girls are the flyers and the older stronger girls are the bases. 


When we are training up the younger women we are really training them to fly! We become a base for them.  Remember your beginnings?  What is disheartening to a lot of young believers they aren't trained what to do when they fly, and they aren't caught when they come down. We can help them identify their gifting and talents, we can encourage them keep their spark to love. 


Mutual trust is the glue that holds the team together.  As older believers it is up to us to show them on the ground what to do when that inevitable moment we call "such a time as this" comes up.  It's up to us to propel them, to toss them up and let them do their stuff. We can cheer for them. Then they need to trust we will be there when their thing is done, even if they fail. We become a safe place for them to grow and become stronger.  We become a safe place for them to be restored and readied for their next leap of faith.  

What is really messed up is when we, the leaders are trying to always be the flyers and never the base, wanting to be tossed and caught.  This isn't your show you know.  This is their time to fly, their time to shine and it's up to us to be there to not only toss them but to catch them as well.  Your flying days aren't done, you train up enough flyers God will move you to another team where you will be the rookie, the younger one, the lightest.  

The lightest on the team

All flyers including us leaders need to shed the spiritual, emotional and intellectual baggage.  Through the grace of the Cross we can be the leanest and greenest on the team.  Leave the baggage and be ready to fly!

Who are you tossing and cheering for?