Joseph Mattera
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7 Powerful Traits of the Joshua Generation
As our congregation has been praying for the past few months, we sense that the next several years are a time for the true church to regain the ground it has lost in culture and blessings. Now, more than in the past decade, the Spirit seems to be saying that it is a time of …
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Top 10 Traits of Narcissistic Leaders
By definition, a narcissist is a person who believes the world revolves around them to such an extent their desires blind them to relational reality, which makes them insensitive to the needs and perspectives of others. One of the sad realities in our consumer-driven, hedonistic culture is that we are producing millions of narcissistic people, …
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The Ruthless Rise of the Demigod Leader
The church has seen the rise of celebrity cult-status leaders who act like spiritual divas. In this article, I define “demigods” as those who act as little gods and believe they are above everyone else. There are some social and psychological reasons for this aberrant behavior, both from the vantage point of these leaders and …
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How You Can Avoid the Top 5 Regrets of an 80-Year-Old Minister
After many decades of serving in ecclesiastical circles, I have often been around many older ministers. I have noticed that only very few seem satisfied with the way they prioritize their time in regard to their lives and ministries. I have made the following observations for myself, looking ahead so that I will not live …
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Is the Modern Prophetic Movement Duplicating These Ancient Heresies?
The focus of this article is that, in my opinion, the modern prophetic movement has often repeated the heresies of the early Montanist movement. What Was Montanism? Montanism was a Christian movement that emerged in the second century, around the middle of the second century A.D, in Phrygia, a region in modern-day Turkey. It is …
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12 Signs of Abusive Leaders
Lately, there have been many articles in the media about leaders who take advantage of other people. This is a common pattern of abuse, in which leaders use their positions of authority to take advantage of their subordinates or those looking to them for help. Many signs of abusive leadership relate to leadership in the …
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6 Signs of Power Hungry Leaders
God-ordained public service should never be about a person’s desire for power but should arise out of a servant’s heart to meet the needs of the people they represent. Jesus modeled this when He washed the feet of His disciples and when He said that the greatest in the kingdom of God are those who …
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10 Absurd Practices in the Contemporary Apostolic Movement
The apostolic movement is considered by many to be the fastest-growing expression within the church in the world today. My book, “The Global Apostolic Movement and the Progress of the Gospel,” is among several I wrote and is considered a must-read. In some of my writings, the blessings and abuses of this movement are covered …
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7 Typical Prophetic Buzzwords Given to Hype Crowds
Every year, many prophetic words are given to start the new year. Many prophetic words are just repetitive rewordings of previously hyped-up words. However, are they really prophetic words? With all the prophetic lunacy in much of the charismatic church over the last few years, we need to revisit the prophetic standards statement as a …
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10 Biblical Promises for a Blessed 2024
The Scriptures provide us with numerous conditional promises and commands that, if followed, will ultimately ensure a blessed future. This doesn’t imply that walking with God will shield us from all challenges or suffering. It pertains to the rewarding outcomes of specific actions and lifestyles. As we step into 2024, adhering to Scripture’s teachings is …
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10 Essential Qualities for the Jesus-Driven Church
In Romans 8:29, the Word of God teaches us that believers were predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Since the book of Romans was written to the church in Rome, we understand the subject of the verse as the corporate body of Christ. Hence, local congregations are called to become Christlike …
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Has God Called the Church to Rule the World?
Over the last two decades, I’ve been hearing more and more people equate the New Testament term for church, also called the ekklesia, primarily with influencing secular politics (like instituting a Christian theocracy). This is because the etymology of this word had to do with the way the Greek citizens would assemble to make public …
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Beware These 10 Heretical Views Regarding Jesus
Having a biblical view of Jesus during this Christmas season is essential. Unfortunately, many people in Christianity have erroneous concepts: Some think He was a created being, some think He was just a good teacher, some think He was fully divine and not human and some believe He was fully human and not God. Jesus …
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10 Examples of How the Story of Jesus Has Universal Appeal
Jesus, as the Creator, has his DNA embedded in the fabric of reality. As the logos or divine template, He is the cosmic archetype imprinted on all living and nonliving entities. An archetype is a universal pattern manifesting across cultures in symbols, themes and characters. The following are 10 examples of how the story of …
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