Growing up with six brothers and some uncles, has taught me how to strategically fight against an opponent!

One in particular was my uncle Jerome who is now deceased, but he taught me so much from his days as a marine. He was the one who let me practice with his Volkswagen, on how to drive a stick shift and when I started preaching, he would come hear me when nobody else would.

He always told me to study my opposition very carefully, and to learn how the person moves.

They showed me how to effectively win a fight with minimal fighting. They showed me how to hit, where to hit and how to outpace the person. They showed me how to hit to just wound, stagger, knock out and even to kill when necessary.

They said even when you’re fighting, learn their movements and their flow. Find their pattern they use and then beat them with their own fight strategy. They said when you learn them while in the fight. You will then know how they are going to swing, when they do certain swings and how far they can go in a fight, their method of throwing blows.

My older brother Henry Ray was in the army for twenty years, but when he got out, I stayed with him for a while and he would sit and teach me military ways so that I could be mentally and physically fit and disciplined.

I remember he got up every morning at 5:00 a.m. and would command everybody’s feet to hit the floor, to start the day.

He taught me a greater dimension of structure and focus, and how to remain steadfast in what I do.

The reason why people hear me equate warfare and authority to the military structure a lot, is because I learned about rank, unity, teamwork, dedication, commitment, focus through the natural military structure.

I use the military methods in building a organization, a team, a administrative structure and teaching and training disciples!

The skills, knowledge and wisdom connected to it is so helpful. We all know that the titles of General, Sargent and Private are not in the word, but when I begin to study the lives and get understanding of the five-fold, I beginning to understand rank authority by the comparison of the two.

It is how God gave me revelation of each five-fold title and their operation in the Body of Christ! I love the parables and illustrations God uses when He is teaching me.

I have learned that God will often use what you can relate to in order to give you clear understanding of some things. Each of us He knows what He needs to do as a Father to teach us.

Just as a natural parent knows the attitude and character of each of their children so does the Father and He deals with us in that manner. Some of us need tough love some need cuddling some need more attention and time were others don’t want to be smothered.

Some of us grasp things easily. Some He need to use a different method for us to grasp what is being said or done. But in the end, we will all arrive at the same conclusion, just in different ways.

I love the people of God, from the good to the bad to the ugly – all of these personalities hold something we can learn.

I thank God for the men and women of God whom I have encountered and met through the years. Sometimes we didn’t see eye to eye about things. Sometimes we misunderstood each other, but eighty percent of those whom I have met, have learned how to disagree and yet remain respectful and honorable toward each other.

Some we have fallen out with and come back together to complete our assignment.

You see, social media to me is just an outreach. It’s a place to expand the gospel and help those who need extra help in certain areas.

I’m not there [Facebook] for likes or to collect people. I’m there because God told me to. In fact I never liked social media sites, because I thought it created too much drama until the LORD let me know it’s the people that create the drama and to fulfill my assignment only.

God is doing great things people and we need to embrace what He is doing.

I love you and I’m praying that you will continue to grow and learn and not allow anybody to interfere with your growth or destiny!

 

~ Apostle Barbara R. Thomas

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Apostle Barbara R. Thomas is founder of I Come to Heal Ministries, A Woman’s touch Ministry, The Next Dimension Global Outreach Ministries and Spoken Word School of Ministry and is on a mission, traveling the world, proclaiming the Gospel, for souls to be won to the Kingdom of God. She has life mandate to help bring others to their divine purpose.

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