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We’re
Not Wasting Away In Margaritaville! By Pastor Tim Hodge I am not impressed with people's experiences or events. I am past being impressed by how many run, shout, or fall out. Complimentary drops do nothing for me. I am only impressed by the results of God's process in a person's life. You can walk away from an experience or an event unchanged. However, a true encounter with the God of process Who has placed you on the Potter's wheel shall cause you to walk differently. If I may say anything of the five-fold ministry in this aspect it is that we are to be a facilitator of "process" in people's lives. Just a few weeks ago I had a “father-to-church” chat with Restoration Ministries (RM). The reason for that gathering was the fact that the Holy Spirit was issuing us a command to tighten our spiritual belts a little to arrive at the next level (place) of our destiny in Him as a corporate body. We were discombobulated as a corporate body with too many putting too high a priority on their individual destinies at the sake of the corporate. This was in direct opposition to the Corporate Body Principle of Joshua 1:12-15. In this principle each individual’s priority is to be for the thrusting forth of the corporate body’s fulfillment of its promise. In Joshua it was the nation… all twelve tribes not just the two and one-half tribes that wanted a quick inheritance. To us today, this is in reference to the Church Body and not just the individual. Therefore, God gave the corporate body of RM a mandate: “Lay your dreams on the altar for three months.” The Lord spoke to me and said that everyone who considers his or herself to be a part of this ministry has to attend the Sunday Corporate Celebration and ‘at least one’ of the two services during the week (i.e. Bible Study on Tuesday or Intercessory Prayer on Thursday). There is no excommunication factor for those who don’t pursue this mandate, but I do believe there is a special something in store for those who will. If this ministry is to fulfill its destiny it must do so supernaturally. We cannot accomplish our God-given task to impact this city with only the intellect and programs of man. We must experience and manifest the supernatural of God. If this were to be done in the confines of normal “American Churchianity” I submit to you that America would not be in the shape she is in today, but would already be experiencing a reformation from Almighty God. No beloved, there must be a group of believers, a corporate body, that is ready to hear from God and willing to obey His every command. I am persuaded that RM will be one of these corporate groups! Another reason for this mandate was so we would shake ourselves free from the Charleston curse of LETHARGY (laziness or an unmotivated lifestyle).
LETHARGY (defined): 1 a. an abnormal drowsiness; great lack of energy. b. a prolonged unnatural sleep. 2. total indifference; apathy, lack of interest, lack of concern. It is innate to human nature to be fickle. It is programmed in our fibers to be excited about something new and then shortly thereafter to toss it aside when it has lost its luster. Look in the closets and yards of children around the end of January. What they just received for Christmas and could not wait for Santa to deliver is not collecting dust in a corner or rusting under a bush. It doesn’t stop with childhood. Watch someone get a new vehicle. The first few weeks that car may get a daily washing and cleaning. Several months later there are fries growing bacteria on the floorboard. The “newness” of the car has worn off. Why does this happen? It is because of the fickleness of humanity. The child of God must on a constant guard not to submit to fickleness or the lethargy that evolves from it. To the child of God this must be viewed as a CHARACTER ISSUE! To the child of God this must be understood as a need to discern what is “holy” and “unholy”. We cannot allow ourselves to become lethargic about the things of God! Nadab & Abihu – Leviticus 10:1-11; Ezekiel 44:22,23. STRANGE FIRE! Don’t become too familiar with HOLY things.
Uzzah and the ark… he had been around it for 20 years. Abraham was God’s friend (Isa 41:8; 2 Chronicles 20:7; James 2:23), but he still remained God’s servant (Genesis 26:24; Psalms 105:6,42). The friend is relational
(intimacy). The servant is occupational
(obedience) Jesus was the Son of God, but
became the Father’s Servant and was obedient even to the point of death
(Philippians 2:7,8).
The Charleston-Metro area is cursed with laziness.
This area is greatly characterized by the following: This LETHARGY is a STRONGHOLD! Many people attribute this to the fact that we are a coastal city. I refute that! It is a stronghold that must be pulled down. In our meeting I addressed this subject. I proceeded to share, what I believe to be, some historical fact and insight into this stronghold. I believe the cycles of lethargy that I have seen in the people of Charleston are more than natural. I believe this is supernatural. NOTE THESE PASSAGES ON SPIRIT-INSPIRED SLEEP: Genesis 2:21; 1 Samuel 26:6-12; Isaiah 29:9,10 Satan can also cause this spiritual LETHARGY! He only knows how to imitate God! That’s why he wanted to be God! MARGARITAVILLE!?! The University of Margaritaville!?! These terms have come to characterize Charleston. These are the words from Jimmy Buffets’ song that describes this “lethargic spirit”: “Wasting away again in Margaritaville.
Searching for my lost shaker of salt.
Some people claim that there’s a woman to blame, but I know, it’s my
own *&#@ fault.” I submit to you that slavery was a demonically inspired attack against the blacks that were enslaved and whites that did the enslaving. How do I dare say this? The white men were destroying the forefathers of the blacks, but cursing generations of their own seed through the unrepentant sins they committed! This may be hard for some of you to understand, but slaves were largely desensitized to their abilities to survive on their own when brought into this country. On Sullivan’s Island the slaves were brought in and checked for disease. However, it is also there that they were beaten into submission. They were stripped of their pride, dignity, and much of their understanding of their own humanity. There were huts and houses there where the slaves were “kept” while they were introduced to their new way of life. To those who possessed a strong will there were cages where they were chained, starved, and regularly beaten until they were “broken” and submitted to their white masters. The children were taken from their parents, husbands from wives, and wives from husbands. It is hard for us to fathom the anguish these people went through. In South Carolina it was recorded law that a Negro was only 30% human (if my memory serves me correct on this percentage). I don’t know that our imaginations are extensive enough to comprehend what life was like to the blacks during slavery. There were great men and women of color who excelled because they refused to be pressed into this diabolical mold that was crushing the will to surpass the limitations placed upon them by the whites. Yet these were the minority. The slaves were basically told what to do from sun up to sun down. When slavery ended many of the slaves seized the opportunity to pursue great achievements in life. They took the unction to acquire land in this area, on the islands, or to relocate to the north or the west. The learned trades and fought against the tyranny of racism to try and better their lives and the lives of their families. However, for the majority they had no clue what to do. They were now without employment, food, shelter, and clothes. They had their freedom but little to no opportunity. These former slaves had lived in a system that literally “thought for them” and now all of a sudden they were given back their freedom, their dignity, and their ability to decide what they wanted to do in life. If their previous masters were going to pay someone they were more likely to pay a white man. So the blacks were still in a miserable quandary. It was in this atmosphere of hope-filled freedom that a sense of hopelessness began to supernaturally permeate the atmosphere of this region. I would probably label it “despair”. Slums (ghettos) began to be built (or rather thrown together) where the blacks would live. It would be a horror to any whites in the area if these slums would be built near their land. Today, we still have this problem. In the real estate market it is known as “white-flight”. It is when blacks begin to move into or close to a mainly white populated area and the whites will eventually be more ready to sell and re-locate to another part of town. In this poverty stricken despair many blacks would not have work and would simply congregate on the streets to socialize. The whites would see this and began to categorize them as “lazy” because it would be mid-day and these men would not be out working. Eventually, this hopeless carousing became a way of life. Generations later it is still evident in the project / ghetto areas. In the inner cities these meandering congregations are now called “gangs.” Their reaction to the hopelessness and despair they so hate comes out in a negative sense that stems from the pain felt by their forefathers. These people are prey to a mindset that CAN BE BROKEN! I believe the despair experienced during the transition from slavery to freedom did indeed open the Charleston area up to a new arena of demonic influence. I believe that the negative, death-filled speech of the whites (Proverbs 12:18; 18:21) there were curses that came upon the people… not only black, but of all persuasions. I am persuaded that a dark, sinister plot of lethargy was established that, up to this point, no one has dared to attack. However, beloved, today I dare peg it right between the eyes. This stronghold must come down!
We are a multi-cultural ministry. Our church family
is around 70% black. There are certain times that I must address, as the
shepherd, cultural issues. Are blacks lazy? Certainly not! In no way am I suggesting that. I am saying that everyone under the canopy of the
Charleston Metro area is susceptible to a higher degree of lethargy than
anywhere else in this region because of the way the blacks were treated. Some individuals misunderstood me as I attempted
to orally explain this topic at our ministry meeting. If it was due to my miscommunication I apologize.
A couple spoke with me for greater clarification because they thought I
was implying that blacks are lazy. Let
me say, “Thank You” to those of you who had the heart to come to me and
inquire into this matter. When I
used this subject to speak to the body of RM I had not intention to imply that
blacks are lazy. I meant to imply
that Charleston is a lazy city in which it inhabitants must guard themselves
against a spiritual attack of lethargy. Beloved, if the adversary ever attempts to use division to disrupt the purpose of this body you may rest assured that I will not stand for it. If anyone attempts to point any type of racial finger in RM I will see to it that my character is placed against his or hers and shall the greater of the two be heard above all. I cherish the responsibility to be watchman of your souls. Never would I say anything that would diminish or condemn any of you. Neither will I allow anyone to do so. I see a facet of this ministry is to experience God RESTORE our brothers and sisters of color into a place of dignity, purpose, hope, and destiny that slavery attempted to rob them of. Many of you who are my accomplished brothers and sisters of color understand and join hands with me to reach out to generations who have been robbed of their purpose. Thank you for helping me in this quest of faith! |