When The Holy Ghost and You Ministry first emerged in my spirit, I didn't know how others would receive it.Traditionally, Believers like to follow people with squeaky-clean records. They want leaders who never fell or who never endured public persecution. They want a fairy-tale leader with magical stories of wonder and perfection. Of course, these are the kind of Believers who are about as spiritually mature as my 7-year-old daughter. So, when Ruach Elohim (the Spirit of God) placed this work in my heart, I struggled with it a bit. I knew it would require me telling my story publicly (without me feeling oppressed or depressed again). It also meant encouraging women leaders like you to take your truth and convert it into an actual ministry. One of the lessons Ruach Elohim showed me was my story -- and essentially your story -- would never be more "scandalous" than Yeshua's. Here was the Son of Elohim, living physically in a world that could not recognize its Creator. Here was the Son of Elohim, succumbing to ridicule and shame for bringing the Kingdom message to the people. Here was the Son of Elohim, dying a sinner's death when He never knew (or was intimately acquainted) with sin. It's actually mind-blowing when you truly study Yeshua's life and ministry. Put His story in our current setting, and you will see just how scandalous it is. In this empowering lesson, Beloved, I want to teach you why you have nothing to fear as you seek to launch your own ministry using your story. Nothing you have gone through compares to the immense degradation our Lord encountered. To this day, people can't stop speaking about his scandalous story; and yet, His name remains the name above all names. As you engage in this lesson, understand you're in good company. Consider your story among the heroes of faith who endured far worse situations, and yet they received their crown of righteousness because they did not count their lives unto death. They gave their testimonies, functioned in their ministries with integrity, and eventually assumed a position of honor. Let this be your witness as well. Now, let's jump into today's teaching. Born Out of Wedlock ... By Our Current Standards, At LeastSeveral months ago, I began addressing my conservative audience about our need to cease in belittling single mothers for being single mothers. I told the people, "If you want women to stop having abortions, and if you want to win more people to the conservative ideology, you need to stop condemning folks for their status in life." Well, the base didn't take my admonishment too well...so I did what I typically like to do when I need to shake people out of their tunnel vision. I made a controversial post that ignited a furry of haters: "Me: That moment when you realize Jesus was conceived in a woman not legally married to her betrothed." Oh, let me tell you! They called me all types of blasphemous names after that post. They were so enraged that I said our Lord was basically "conceived out of wedlock." Needless to say, I lost some followers because of that post; but the people most familiar with my virtual ministry understood where I was coming from. Now, I certainly don't believe Yeshua was born out of wedlock, because I'm privy to the immaculate conception. I know Mary's story; but it is quite interesting when you place her tale within our current societal context. In truth, Mary was not "legally married" to Joseph. She was betrothed or engaged to be his wife. According to Jewish customs, this "engagement" solidified their union; but Joseph had not consummated their marriage. In fact, he was forbidden to do so until after Yeshua's birth. According to Jewish traditions, Joseph had the legal right to stone Mary for her alleged "infidelity;" but the Scriptures allude to him being a righteous man, who wanted to put Mary away privately. Of course, after some time, the angel spoke to Joseph and confirmed Mary's story. From that time on, Joseph was a good "step-father" to the boy Yeshua. Now, place yourself in Mary's shoes for a minute. You're a young girl (by our current standards). You're pregnant. Joseph is NOT the baby daddy. And you're running around telling everyone that Ruach Elohim impregnated you. Enter. Scandalous. Story. Number one. Yeshua Works with the Devil ... So They SayAs time progressed, Yeshua grows in wisdom and might. The Scriptures teach us, "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52 NIV). They also illustrate that Yeshua "learned obedience from what He suffered" (Hebrews 5:8 NIV). Yeshua's work and ministry delivered countless people from spiritual and physical infirmities. But there came a point when His ministry was attacked by the religious leaders of His day. Let's take a look at one such incident. Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” (Let me go on record and say how much I adore Yeshua! His teachings and experiences are exactly why I am #TeamYeshua.) At this point in His ministry, the critics called Yeshua's work "demonic" or heavily inspired by Beelzebul, the god of demons. Their purpose wasn't to acknowledge the great work being done but to discredit the One performing the miracles. This, Beloved Sister, is what you will find as you begin delivering others using your story. Critics, especially in the virtual space, will not only mock your work; they will tell you (and others) how evil you are, despite the evidence of good coming from your ministry. I've had this happen to me plenty of times; and the solution to addressing such nonsense is to come back with a sharp word that puts those curses under subjection. (I'll teach more about how to handle situations like these in another lesson.) Don't think for once Yeshua's critics didn't know who He was or how He came about. People remembered Mary and her story. So, it doesn't seem too far-fetched to me that these religious leaders questioned Yeshua's authority, because after all, to them, He was conceived in sin. Who else would give Him such power except the devil? Enter. Scandalous. Story. Number two. Arrested on Criminal ChargesEnter. Scandalous. Story. Number three. One of the areas of ministry I've come to adore is the work I do with people caught up in the criminal "justice" system. By now, you're familiar with my story and my 2-year battle to clear my name from a criminal case I endured back in 2010. Being engulfed in that system taught me a lot about the moral corruption plaguing our system; and I realized how difficult it is for folks to build a new life after completing their prison sentence. Maybe you or someone close to you knows exactly what I'm talking about. And when it comes to people in the Body of Christ, folks look down upon "the least of these." To such people, former criminals or ex-convicts do not deserve a place in active ministry and leadership. I remember reading one such comment from one of my critics. He said to me, "I don't take advice from rapists." I responded to him, "But you take advice from murderers, terrorists, and other ex-convicts." I continued, "Sir, if you had any sense, you would have studied my case. Furthermore, you should probably stop reading the Bible, which was transcribed by the worst of the worst men in human history." He wasn't ready for my clap back and kept his comments to himself after that. This brings me back to Yeshua's life. When we consider His story, I find it fascinating that YahWeh allowed Him to endure a criminal's trial. I've often asking the Holy Spirit, "Why did Yeshua have to go this public route? You could have done all this privately. Why this type of shame?" That's when the Holy Spirit reminded me, He endured all that pain for someone like me...someone like you...for men and women who would encounter their own scandalous stories, yet had a ministry to complete despite their tales. For those of us who study His ministry, we understand that if Yeshua could go through all that, then surely we can endure our struggle for "the joy set before us." He Died a Criminal's DeathIt's one thing to be publicly ridiculed for one's beliefs and actions. It's another thing to have your entire life's work end in capital punishment. Enter. Scandalous. Story. Number four. As Believers, we often view Yeshua's criminal trial and death as one of sorrow and pity. In other words, it never occurs to us that He was guilty of any crime. We simply don't think that way. But when it comes to those who don't know YahWeh or how He operates, Yeshua's death (and the manner by which He died) signifies one of the most scandalous stories of all. There are several Scriptures that point to this:
Study those passages for yourself and you will see what I mean. To unBelievers, it's foolishness to think a loving God would allow other people to kill His only begotten Son. It's foolishness to think God finds any pleasure in "crushing" His Beloved. Yet, that's exactly what the prophets foretold. Yeshua's life became a curse; and His Kingdom reign seemed more like a failure than victory to most people. (This is probably why only 120 were in the Upper Room after His ascension. The thousands who initially followed Him simply no longer believed in Him.) Is it any wonder why so many people struggle to accept the Gospel of Yeshua as evidence of God's infinite love? Again, I want you to see how Yeshua's story appears to those who do not know Him or how YahWeh operates. To them, His tale is too scandalous, too offensive, too bloody to be accepted. Yet, we know that through His suffering, we have redemption and life eternally. No One Can Find His RemainsI would be remiss if I didn't include the final stage of Yeshua's earthly, scandalous story. After His death, His disciples testified He had risen from the dead and had ascended to Heaven weeks after the Resurrection. Now, try telling that story to people who just watched him endure a crucifixion days earlier. The fountains of blood. The torn flesh. The exposed internal organs. Surely, no ordinary human being could live after such trauma. Nobody can come back from the dead, especially after going through a death like that! You see where I'm going with this? Yeshua's life and ministry are shrouded in controversy; and had it not been for the Holy Spirit confirming Yeshua's testimony to me, even I would be a skeptic to this Truth. But this is story of our Lord. This is His tragedy and triumph. And because He has evidence (fruit) to validate the Holy Spirit's presence with Him, we who are alive today believe that which has been passed down to us for centuries. Your Story Will Never be More Scandalous Than Yeshua's ... So, Tell It!Now I come to the main point of this lesson. Beloved Sister, your story -- no matter how bleak it is -- will never be more scandalous than Yeshua's. I don't care if you've been arrested, if you've been assaulted, if your name has been in the news... Your story will never be more scandalous and controversial than His! And yet, just as Yeshua had Ruach Elohim with Him, confirming Yeshua's message with signs and wonders, even so we have the Holy Spirit to verify our calling. Your story will never be more scandalous than mine, because more than likely, your name and image will never be showcased in national headlines. But do you know why I have the confidence to publish online the works I do? It's because the Holy Spirit gives me a level of boldness that cannot be quenched. I find it ironic that the very place where my name was blasted (Internet land) is the very location where my ministry is established. No one can come up with a "clap back" like that except Ruach Elohim. And those within my ministry, those who are in-tuned with the Spirit of God, have no problem with my story or my truth. They are convinced -- just as I am about Yeshua's life -- that the works I do (and have done) are to expand my Father's Kingdom in the earth. This is why the virtual ministry continues to expand, regardless of what man has said about me. And this is why I want to encourage you to say yes to your own calling. Say yes to telling your story and using it to deliver others. Say yes to the mission and assignment given to you, no matter what your life entails. There are people assigned to your work of ministry, and they will support you. They will help protect you, because they understand that some people are called to public ministry for the purpose of delivering nations (people). With each testimony we publish, we do damage to the kingdom of darkness. With each testimony we publish, we experience healing and deliverance in our own lives. With each testimony we publish, we invite others to witness the power of the Holy Spirit and to become heirs and joint-heirs with Yeshua. Aren't you ready to take that step of faith? Is it not time for you to fully manifest the calling ABBA has given you? Yes, the work is challenging, but it is so rewarding; and if you need assistance in putting this ministry together, I invite you to join me and my team of ministry coaches inside The Holy Ghost and You Ministry Class. Together, we will help you put together your work and book so that you walk in you calling with boldness and excellence. Read below to learn more. Join Us Inside The Holy Ghost and You Ministry, Located in FKMinistries, and Receive Powerful Teachings from Our Ministry's CoachesThe Holy Ghost and You is a branch of FKMinistries, whose mission is to train and equip women to build powerful virtual ministries that bring deliverance and healing to others using their stories. Our ministry focuses on women who were despised, rejected, humiliated, and scorned; and we empower them to walk in virtue, health, strength, and might. As a member of FKMinistries and a partner in The Holy Ghost and You Movement, you will connect with other dynamic women of faith. You will also learn:
About Felecia KillingsFelecia Killings is an award-winning coach, speaker, trainer, and book-publishing expert. She is the Founder of FKMinistries, a virtual church that equips today's Believers to engage in this end-time revival and national reformation using the written and spoken word.
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