Stand Tall!

As I watched one of my petite dancers minister during our praise and worship service one evening the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said . . . "You may not be able to change your physical stature but you can increase your stature and presence in the Spirit Realm."  That very statement became the inspiration for this week's blog post.

As I contemplated that statement and begin to think about not only the dancer that I was observing, but myself as well, it became very clear to me what the Spirit of God was trying to reveal.

Personally I'm a petite dancer in size and height; however I've been told at times, by those who have witnessed my ministry, that I GROW in the Spirit, while I minister. I appear to be taller and have a longer reach then I do to the natural eye.

I began to contemplate this concept. And it became very clear to me, that when you have an understanding of who you are in God and how He flows through you in the use of your gift, it does not matter how "big" you are, you will make insurmountable waves in the Spirit Realm, because God is at the center of what you are doing and you have an awareness and knowledge of His presence and His had upon your life in that moment.

As a minister of the arts, no matter the form - - music, song, dance, painting, drama, etc. - - you have to know that God uses your gift in a very unique way to impact His people.  You have to know that God has anointed you to be able to deliver a very specific message through the art form that He has graced you with the talent to deliver. Once you've settled these very important facts in within yourself, it will allow you to grow in the Spirit Realm and have a much larger impact then you could ever imagine.

I will give you this example . . . have you ever seen someone who at first seems very shy and introverted walk up to a mic stand to sing a solo? But when they open their mouths to release the song that is deep down on the inside of them you are almost knocked out of your seat, because of the anointing and the fact that you were not expecting something so "grand" to come out of someone so "small". Well that same impact can be true for you and your gift, when you are confident in the One who gave you the gift and how He operates through you when you surrender it to Him.

So I just encourage you this week to STAND TALL in your gift and under the anointing that the Father has placed on your life for the impact of His people.  There is no greater joy that I get than to be able to be in a position surrendered to God's use. The more you surrender your gift, God will reveal to you how He specifically uses you to impact the world. Know that "every joint supplies" and you and your gift are needed for a Kingdom work.

Where is the Oil?

As I sat watching a popular reality t.v. show with my beautiful Mom, this statement was made. . . "Where is the Oil?" and it struck my spirit, so here goes . . . . . 

So . . . the funny thing is . . . as Believers, often times when someone calls out "Where is the Oil?" our first reaction is to go looking for the physical anointing oil.  However, in this instance, the search for the oil is one of a spiritual outpouring that is being sought.  It is the search for that intangible deposit of the anointing of God in a person's life and the release of that anointing as they go forward in ministry.

This type of oil can only be obtained by spending time in the presence of the King of Kings, living one's life striving for the holiness that is required for a pure anointing to rest on you, surrendering and consecrating your gift for God's use, and understanding how to step out of the disguise of performance into true ministry.

Don't get me wrong, the physical oil is necessary, but it should not be a substitute for the spiritual oil. The physical oil should be a representation and a reminder, to those who anoint themselves with it, of what God has already done in those private moments of our lives.

When you can stand operating out of the purity of your ministry gift, understanding the purpose of that gift, understanding how God can use it and move through you to minister to others, and desiring nothing more than to give God glory with your gift . . . . at that very moment, you will begin to pour out the spiritual oil (anointing) that's on your life.  At that moment, people will be able to see the conviction in your heart and know that you truly believe what you are singing about.  At that moment the words of the song that you interpret through dance become alive and have a spiritual impact on those who witness the ministry.

Know that God can use your artistic gift, whatever it might be, to minister to His people.  He can use your gift to deliver every spiritual gift . . . salvation, healing, deliverance, restoration, peace, love, etc. to those who have open hearts to receive you as you flow under the anointing of God that's on your life.  

Please be encouraged today to not take the importance of the spiritual oil for granted. It is great to have a talent and to perfect and disciple that talent, but ooooh how much greater is it to have the anointing of God on your life so that your talent then becomes ministry.

Popular vs. Prophetic

As ministers of the arts, we all come to the crossroads of having to make the decision to either follow the path of being POPULAR or PROPHETIC

When selecting the songs to sing for morning worship, when pondering the lyrics to the melody you are writing, when determining which song to dance to for the next special selection, when thinking about the next priceless moment you want to capture on canvas, or when considering the next character you are going to portray on stage you will have to decide in that moment -- "Do I want to be popular or do I want be prophetic?"

Popular: The road to being popular or seeking popularity is one that seeks after the approval of man.  It is the way of looking to others to validate you and celebrate you to find your worth. It is the way of doing things in your own strength and trying to please man, so that your efforts and striving gets you noticed and promoted.  In this place, you think that it is your connections, talents, and abilities that can get you to the top, when in reality, God has a more excellent way for you to travel to your wealthy place.  Trying to be popular takes a stance of "I got to grind" versus resting in God as you walk out the plan He has for your life.

Prophetic: The road to the prophetic or to operate in and declare the prophetic is to seek after God's approval alone.  It is the way of looking only to God to validate you, celebrate you, and raise you up in your ministry.  In the realm of being prophetic you are only looking to be moved by the Spirit of God and say and do only what the Spirit of God has inspired within you.  The way of the prophetic is to rely on the strength of God to accomplish anything that you set your hand to do and when you've been given success, the only thought that you have is to give God glory. Operating in the prophetic realm requires a posture of total surrender.

I want to encourage you with this post to seek after God in your ministry of the arts.  Ask God . . . "What is it that you want to say through me?" Settle in yourself that you want to only say what God says, go only where He tells you to go, and do only what He tells you to do.  As you endeavor to surrender more of yourself and your ministry to God, for His use, I promise you that you will start to experience growth, greater anointing, and more miraculous manifestations of God's glory.

The Realm of Impossible

Over the past several weeks I've been feeling this shift in my spirit into the realm of impossible. You may ask … "What are you talking about?" … well let me explain. 

The realm of impossible is that place where all that you've dreamed about accomplishing feels a little out of your reach, but you determine within yourself that you are just going to step out on faith with God, knowing that with God all things are possible. So stepping over into the realm of impossible takes faith, courage, determination, and a desire to become all that God has destined you to be, without backing down.

Don't get it twisted … opposition will come. There will be challenges and situations to deal with in stepping out to accomplish all that you are dreaming of, but in this place of the "impossible" your faith in God has to be unshakable so that you can continue to move forward in spite of any opposition that might come. You have to believe without a shadow of a doubt that God is the only one that can manifest impossible things and you trust Him to do that in your life.

As I continue to walk out this dream of Rebirth Arts, renewing my mind with the word of God is a key part of the process.  Over the last week or so the Holy Spirit has been directly me back constantly to the Amplified version of Philippians 4:13:  I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].  I know this is just God's way of saying . . . . Trust me, I've got your back!

My prayer is that by sharing this with you, that it encourages you to believe that God can do all that He has promised to you and given you a desire for in your heart.  I hope that it gives you the push in your spirit to just . . . . jump all the way in with God.

So . . . . when you see me . . . . know that I've stepped over into the realm of impossible and I'm going after all that God has in store for me and Rebirth Arts.

A Lifestyle of Worship

"Worship Cannot be Rehearsed" ~ Co-Pastor Elena Robertson

Worship is truly about the position of our hearts toward God and not about the outward displays that we typically associate with worship.  True worship is birthed out of your relationship with God and the steps that we've taken to truly surrender ourselves to be lead by the Spirit of God.  When we truly surrender to God and His plans for our lives, worship then becomes a lifestyle.

When worship becomes just the way that we operate on a daily basis, we will begin to notice greater displays of the "fruits of the Spirit" as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) being manifested in our lives.  The deeper we take our relationship with God and desire to manifest the "fruits of the Spirit" the deeper our worship unto God will become.  

As we deepen our relationship with God, we become more and more aware of His free gift of grace and understand all the more how God steps in and makes up the difference for us in so many areas of our lives. As we gain this revelation, we can lift our hands in surrender and cry out to God in worship, because we are reminded of just how good God has been and all the things He has brought us through, shielded us from, and favored us with.

I encourage you today to take your relationship with God and your worship unto God to the next level. There is more that God desires to pour out upon your life; however, He is looking for those who want more of Him above all else.  These are the true worshipers (John 4:23-24 NLT).

Leaving A Legacy

Each of us was created with divine purpose and destiny in mind. We seek to live our lives so that we fully manifest the purpose and destiny that God ordained for us; however, have you ever stopped to think about how you are impacting the world and what legacy you are leaving behind?

When I stop to think about the legacy that I'm leaving and how my life will leave a lasting impact for many generations to come, I cannot help but to think about all the many students that I've taught over the years. As I run into some of them years later and they are now adults, it surprises me still how much their lives were impacted by those few moments that they spent in a dance class with me. 

For those students who have danced and trained with me for multiple years, the impact of the legacy is unfolding before my eyes and it is truly a wonderful thing to experience. One of my students - Miss Courtney Harvey, is truly an example of how my obedience to God is making a lasting impact. 

(Rasheeda D. Perry and Courtney Harvey - "Storm" - Dance America Competition)

(Courtney Harvey - "Caged Bird" - Dance America Competition)

Courtney has trained with me for over 10 years. I've enjoyed watching her grow and mature into a beautiful God fearing and anointed young woman and minister of dance. It gives me great joy to have watched her develop as a technically trained dancer, but it gives me even greater joy to see her becoming all that God desires for her to be.

In the past year, I've proudly watched from the sidelines as she began to teach dance as part of her internship with Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT), as well as develop her knowledge and understanding of dance as ministry.  The legacy is truly being passed on.

(Courtney Harvey and students from CHAT)

However, I was utterly speechless when she sent me a message with a picture attached of one of her students that she has been teaching at CHAT who was now continuing to carry on the legacy of dance by teaching some young dancers.

What can I saw other than GLORY TO GOD!!!! I'm truly thankful for this gift God has given me and for the vision of Rebirth Arts. 

Rebirth Arts is continuing to impact the world through the arts with a new generation. I look forward to watching all of their lives unfold as they begin to walk in their divine destinies in God.

How blessed am I to be able to have a passion and a calling for something that will impact the world for generations upon generations, long after I'm gone?

     

Stir Up the Gift . . .

The First Speaking Engagement

We were so truly blessed to be able to participate and facilitate a session at the In The Key of David - One Day Retreat with the theme of "Stir up The Gift" on Saturday - July 13, 2013.  There is no doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit showed up to speak to the people of God and to show His power.  It was truly a supernatural experience that cannot be put into words.

In preparing for this engagement, I kept seeking God on what He wanted me to say and what He wanted me to teach.  Over a period of time God continued to drop things in my spirit to speak on, but I didn't receive any dance movements or choreography to teach.  As the days grew closer and closer, I kept checking in with God to see if the movement/choreography would come.  As I stood before the group that day I confessed the choreography never came.  So I went forth speaking on the things that the Lord had laid on my heart to share.  The topics included what it means to worship God, the call of the Levite (FYI: a blog post will be coming on this soon), and the things that are hindering us from going to the next level with God in our gifting and ministries.

Here are a few pictures from the event.  Once we have a chance to edit some of the video we will post it to our YouTube channel.

 


The next day the following questions settled in my spirit . . . .

We often cry out to God saying . . . "Stir up the Gift!".  But what is He really stirring up?  Have we allowed Him to deposit enough of His Spirit and His desires in us that when we are stirred what flows out is more of Him and less of us?

As ministers of the arts (i.e. dance, mime, music, voice, acting, art, etc.) we have to understand that it is critical for us to surrender our gifts and all that we are to God, so that He can develop us into the Men and Women of God that He desires for us to be.  We can no longer afford to hold anything back from God.  We need to make ourselves available for His use, at His direction.

I would challenge anyone that is reading this post, even if you are not a minister of the arts, to take a moment to reflect on those things that the Holy Spirit has been nudging you to do in order to take your walk with God and your ministry to the next level.  Once you've done that, purpose in your heart to accomplish those things, so that your life and your ministry can give God greater glory!