THE ESSENCE OF THE SALT LIFE

This is Chapter 6 of my book "The Salt Factor."  Get it HERE.

“KINGDOM KEYS TO THE DISCIPLESHIP OF NATIONS”

Salt is used for its ability to bring change. It contains the
power to make something that is unappealing become full
of flavor. Saltiness flavors food by suppressing other taste
responses such as sweet, sour, and bitter. Its value, therefore,
is in its power and not in its color. When salt loses its power
to effect change, it loses its value and becomes worthless.
In the same way, the church loses her value when she lacks
transformational ability. The essence of the salt life, therefore,
is found in its power to transform nations. The transformation of
nations is the primary assignment of the Church as well as the
fundamental requirement of the Great Commission given by the
Lord Jesus Himself.

THE GREAT COMMISSION DEFINED

“All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth
has been given to Me. Go then and make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to
observe everything that I have commanded you, and
behold, I am with you all the days…to the very close and
consummation of the age. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20
AMP)

Most Christians have been taught a one-dimensional view
of the Great Commission. Even in my own life I had difficulty
understanding it as an adolescent growing up in Africa. The
reason is that the Great Commission was taught solely in the
context of soul winning and evangelism. At the early age of
12, I was the evangelism coordinator for the Scripture Union
organization in my village. This organization was deeply rooted
in the belief that the Great Commission meant going from
house to house, knocking on doors, giving tracts, and telling
the good-news. I was also taught that this mandate included
holding open-air crusades with the sole intent of bringing
people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Because this
concept was wrong, it limited my effectiveness, yet I grew,
and so did my understanding. It was several years ago that a
new understanding of the Great Commission took hold of my
heart. It is more than soul winning or evangelism. It is more than
open-air crusades. There is so much more substance to this
mandate.

To understand the discipling of nations it must be properly
defined. This will help lift the veil and cause the body of Christ
to see the truth. It is paramount that the church understands the
intent of Jesus’ statement so she can accomplish it accordingly.
The Great Commission, according to Matthew 28:18-20,
includes two main characteristics 1) The Discipleship of Nations
and 2) The Baptism of Nations. It is the call to transform the
systems and structures of this world with the character of the
King and the values of His Kingdom.

THE DISCIPLESHIP OF NATIONS

The discipleship of Nations not only deals with the salvation
of a person’s soul, it also includes the transformation of ones
environment. Nations like Guatemala, Romania, Armenia, and
Nigeria strongly validate this point. These nations have as many
as 90-95% of their population professing Christianity. Some
have even had Christian presidents, heads of state, senators
and other top members of parliament. Yet, systemic corruption
and poverty exists so rampantly in these nations. The social,
political, educational and economic structures are some of the
weakest in the world and as a result, citizens are suffering at
an alarming rate. In many parts of Africa there are very vibrant
churches. Nigeria, for example, has a reputation for pulling
in the largest crowds in evangelistic campaigns, some even
numbering in the millions for single, one-night events. It is a
great achievement for any country to cross such thresholds in
the history of Christianity, but the gospel is meant to transform
not only mankind, but also the very structures upon which
nations are built.

Take for example, a man who has lived under a bridge for
25 years in a community infested with drugs, prostitution and
crime. For someone like this to come to Christ is a tremendous
victory, but if he is returned to the same environment it will be
but a temporal change. The gospel must transform not only
him, but his environment as well. The gospel is designed to
affect both the person and the society where he or she lives. As
previously stated in this book, the Great Commission addresses
structures and value-systems of any given society. This is
what Jesus meant when He gave the mandate to disciple the
nations of the world. It is displacing the values of this world and
replacing them with the values of the Kingdom of God. Every
nation is built on seven structures and these structures must
be built and established on kingdom values in order to have
sustenance and lasting prosperity.

THE BAPTISM OF NATIONS

When Jesus said to baptize them into the name of the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, it means to immerse the values of this
world into a three-fold baptism. It is a baptism into the life,
nature and character of the Godhead. Nations are to be
fully immersed through this baptism until all of its structures,
systems, values and culture are transformed. The government
of Christ must permeate and dominate the kingdoms of this
world. Every fiber of a nation’s life and operation must be seen
reflecting from within it the very values of Christ. Just as the
taking on of Christ’s nature and character reflects Christ in
every way, so must nations take on the values of the kingdom
to reflect God’s rule in every way. The values and virtues of
Christ are to be stamped into the very DNA of every nation until
it becomes the culture and standard of that nation (Gal 3:27).

THE POWER OF THE SALTED LIFE

Salt is only as useful as its ability to bring about change. Its
relevance lies solely in its power to transform. The outward
color, as beautiful as it looks, is of no value without its functional
abilities. The church, as the body of Christ, should measure
true evangelical success not only by the number of people
who commit their lives to Christ, but also by the wealth of
the values and virtues of the kingdom that are represented
in their communities, cities, state and nation. The Great
Commission requires the transformation of every nation into a
kingdom culture and a baptism of its values into the character
of Christ. The relevance of the New Testament church is in
her ability to transform nations. She is to be known for her
works and not her religious clichés. “If I do not the works of
my Father, believe me not.” (John 10:37 KJV) Every Christian
needs a fresh understanding of the Great Commission. The
ability to effectively reach the world for Christ lies within this
understanding. Remember that wisdom is better than strength
and wisdom is better than weapons of war (Eccl 9:16, 18).
Often, the church has little measurement of success as it relates
to the Great Commission and this ignorance has cost her
wasted efforts, energy, time, and resources. Furthermore, it will
take humility, a teachable spirit and a willingness to adjust ones
mindset and shift the old concept of the Great Commission to a
more complete view of this heavenly mandate.

THE POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD

“Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine
inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy
possession.” (Psalms 2:8 KJV)

God has literally given His church the power needed to change
the world. In the Great Commission, Jesus said that all authority
has been given to Him and to go into the world and make
disciples of all the nations. Christians are to go forth with the
authority of Jesus, which is His royal and legal right to rule
the world. Through His death and resurrection, He conquered
Satan, hell and death. He paid the price for the salvation of
man and for the redemption of creation. In the fall, Adam lost
both himself and his God-given authority over the earth, but
Jesus, in the Great Commission, restored that authority back to
the church. Believers are now the managers of the earth and
have a responsibility to exercise dominion, meaning the right to
rule and the power to execute God’s justice and righteousness
throughout the earth. God has given to every child the right and
power to reign in any and all spheres of life.

KINGDOM KEYS TO TRANSFORMING THE WORLD

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease
among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion
on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no
shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the
laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth
laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38 KJV)

“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? Behold, I say
unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”
(John 4:35 KJV) Until a person puts on the eyes of God, they cannot see as He sees.

God gave His children the ability to see the true condition of the world. Every believer,
every church, must lift up their eyes beyond self and see the multitudes, see the widow,
the fatherless, and millions of orphans with shattered dreams. See the sick and afflicted
and millions who won’t live to see another year. They must see the world, the Muslim
world, the Hindu world, the New-Age world, the Buddhist world, and the Arab world.
The eyes of the church must be opened. The world is destitute when millions are living
in bondage to the power of sin. Take a look at the depth of systemic corruption and
poverty, injustice and lawlessness in the world. If people could see as He sees, they
would understand the true value of a soul. They are God’s only treasure and they
are priceless. It took God’s very own Son to pay for them. Listed below are the keys
needed for every believer to be an agent of change. 

The heart must be moved: “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit
was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry” (Acts 17:16
KJV). Something moved in the heart of Paul when he saw the godless condition
of the land. Likewise, the believer’s heart must be moved at the condition of
humanity today and their value-system. It is important for believers’s to guard
themselves against hardness of heart and to become sensitive to the needs of
others. “For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.

For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s” (Phil 2:20-21
KJV). The Christian life can be summarized as loving God and loving people.

The truth is that the church needs a heart transplant; she needs to receive the
heart that Jesus had for people. It was a love so strong that He offered His very
life for it. This is what living is truly all about and those who have experienced
it understand the joy and power that comes from a Christ-centered life. For a
person’s heart to move, their eyes must be able to see. Pray that God would
open your eyes to see the true condition of what is going on all around you.

Be moved with compassion: Compassion is more than feeling sorry for someone
or having pity for someone. Compassion is always accompanied by action. The
actions of compassion go beyond providing temporary relief; it strives to deal with
root causes. It contains a strong desire to make life-changing differences in one’s
life. It is easy to measure the difference that can be made in a person’s life by the
amount of money one has, but what is even more important is the size of one’s
heart and the size of his or her faith. The Bible is full of people who changed
the world through their faith in God. A good place to start is to take on the
burdens of others in prayer. As a strong and disciplined prayer life is cultivated,
the Holy Spirit will deposit His emotions for the lost in ones heart. They will
able to feel what He feels and sees what He sees. The Holy Spirit will teach
a person how to co-labor with Christ, the great Intercessor, over the condition
of humanity and creation as a whole. Christians will discover a new power in
prayer and will accomplish great things as they gain new levels of authority in
the spirit. Furthermore, this prayer will compel one to action. Remember that true
compassion must transcend mere emotion of the soul. It has to be imparted by
the Holy Spirit, into the human spirit, with tangible deeds that transform.

Understand the gospel of the kingdom: “And Jesus went about all the cities
and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the
kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people”
(Matt 9:35 KJV). The gospel of the kingdom involves the healing of all sickness
and disease. It is easy to think only in terms of bodily ailments such as cancer,
diabetes, etc. However, it also includes political and educational diseases, social
and economic diseases, systemic corruption and systemic poverty. It includes all
human and societal ills, everything affecting people and society at large. In-fact,
all social diseases either directly or indirectly affecting mankind needs the healing
touch of Jesus. This is why Jesus went to different villages and cities, preaching
the gospel of the kingdom. He didn’t choose which sicknesses to heal; He healed
all manner of diseases among the people. By healing the sick, Jesus destroyed
and displaced the works of darkness that came upon humanity as a result of the
fall (Rom 5:12). So the gospel of the kingdom enthrones the rule of Christ in man
and in society. Just as the lordship of Christ should have full sway in man’s spirit,
soul and body, so also should the government of God have full sway in every
sphere of society.

Pray to the Lord of the harvest: “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that
he will send forth laborers into his harvest” (Matt 9:38 KJV). This statement,
when understood, contains a very powerful truth that will shake kingdom of
darkness at its core. The word “Lord” actually means “Owner.” As believer’s pray
for the lost, they must pray with the understanding the Jesus is the Lord of the
harvest. He is the owner of the harvest. Why? He paid for the salvation of man
and for the redemption of creation. Remember, He bought the field and the field
is the world. He bought the field and the treasure in the field (Matt 13:44, 38).
The field represents the cosmos and the structures upon which a nation is built,
while the treasure represents the people who live in the world. The blood of
Christ is the price that was paid and the ground on which creation shall be
delivered into the liberty of the sons of God (Rom 8:21). The same price that paid
for the soul of man paid for his environment; therefore God places equal
emphasis on both. The former governs the latter. So Christians should pray with
a fresh revelation that because of the blood of Christ, all souls potentially belong
to Christ. He died for all, and therefore, all should live for Him (2 Co. 5:14-15).
Imagine knowing that the forces of darkness no longer determine the harvesting
of souls, although people may be under their spell (1John 5:19). Imagine
knowing that God determines the harvest of souls based on the prayer and the
labor of the saints. The prayer is for laborers to be sent out into the harvest field,
while the laborers work and reap the harvest. It is a labor in a field that belongs
to Christ. Begin to see the unsaved in God’s harvest field and not in the hand of
Satan. Ask the owner of the harvest to give you the harvest. They belong to Him
because the price has been paid.

KINGDOM KEYS TO THE DISCIPESHIP OF NATIONS

• Understand that every nation is built on seven structures
• Understand that to transform a nation, every structure must be transformed
• Understand that the local church is to raise saviors to bring change
• Individuals must pursue Christ-likeness
• They must discover their specific assignment
• It must translate into a specific area of influence
• This influence must be a platform to bring the Kingdom of God
• This area of influence must be related to one of the seven structures of the nation
• Their assignment must address and transform a specific societal ill
• They must understand the specific structure they want to change
• They must access the wisdom of God for the specific blueprint on how to bring about transformation
• They must find a like-minded team to work together
• They must work hard at executing the plan
• They must set up kingdom structures and value systems to sustain godliness and lasting prosperity
• They must set up ancient landmarks for the next generation

You can purchase this book HERE.

THE BEAUTY OF HIS HOLINESS REVEALED IN THE SONG OF SOLOMON

Song of Solomon 4:1, “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair.” (KJV)

Song of Solomon 4:1, “Look at you! You are beautiful, my love. Look at you! You are so beautiful, my love.” (GWT)

God calls you the beautiful one. He calls you His love. He says to look at yourself in the light of His love for you. You must accept His verdict of you. He declares that you are the beautiful one… “Thou art fair; you are beautiful.” Have you taken a look at yourself lately through the eyes of God’s love for you? Can you see what He sees, O beautiful bride of Christ? In this passage, He speaks of the beauty of the inner-man. He is referring to the totality of the beauty of His holiness in your innermost being. This is the beauty of your inward appearance clothed in the very righteousness of God. The Psalmist said, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Why?

Because, sin mars the nature of man but holiness is the beauty of the Spirit. Again, I ask, “How beautiful are you in God’s eyes?” “You are beautiful from head to toe, my dear love, beautiful beyond compare, absolutely flawless.” (S.O.S 4:7 Message) Is this hard for you to believe and accept? Listen to what the Psalms declare: “The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.” (Ps. 45:13 KJV) Say with me, I am all glorious within. Listen to what Colossians says, “So you also are complete through your union with Christ.” (Col. 2:10 NLT) His beauty has become your beauty and you are flawless in His flawlessness, O beautiful bride of Christ! May the Holy Spirit reveal this to you as He floods your innermost being with light. Notice that this chapter begins with an overall introduction of the beauty of the Spirit in your inward appearance and you will now see how the love of Christ in the Song of Solomon speaks of the “Law of Noticeability.” When two people are in love, they notice the peculiar features of each other. Often, these features are veiled from all others but themselves.

The first aspect of your being that Christ took notice of is the EYES.
“Thou has doves eyes within thy locks.” (S.O.S 4:1 KJV)
“Your eyes are like doves behind your veil.” (S.O.S 4:1 NLT)

Doves’ eyes speak of the purity of the Spirit of God. “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness.” (Rom. 1:4 KJV) Your eyes are the doorways into your soul, and through those eyes Christ as the groom of the bride, sees straight into her being. In there, He sees the purity of her inward man and what an attractive scene to behold.

The second aspect of your being is the HAIR.
“Thy hair is as a flock of goats.” (S.O.S 4:1 KJV)
“Your hair dances like a flock of goats.” (S.O.S 4:1 GNT)

The hair speaks of the glory of God. In Judges 16:17, it states, “That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” (KJV)
1 Corinthians 11: 6 and 14, speak of the hair of the woman as her glory. The woman is symbolic of the bride of Christ. The glory of God is a direct result of His presence. When the ark of God went missing, the Israelites said, “The glory has departed.”

“And she named the child I-chabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken.” (1 Sam. 4:21 KJV)
What beautifies you? In your eyes, it’s His purity and on your hair, it’s His presence. These are the noble qualities of the true bride of Christ. His glory on you flows from His presence and, without His presence, you are absolutely bankrupt. Listen, child of God, His presence is your beauty.

The third aspect of your being is your TEETH.
“Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn.” (S.O.S 4:2 KJV)
“Your teeth are as white as sheep, recently shorn and freshly washed.” (NLT)

The teeth here speaks of the reception and assimilation of the Word of God. The clean teeth represent the washing of the Word – Ephesians 5:26-27. It is the impact of the Word on the human spirit that empowers one to take on the character of the Word. Jeremiah ate the Word – Jer. 15:16. You see, O bride of Christ, that the Word of God beautifies your spirit and your life. Imagine a life void of God’s Word – how empty! How shallow! So far, you see how the holiness, the presence and the Word of God beautifies your inward appearance.

The fourth aspect of your being is your lips.
“Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely.” (S.O.S 4:3 KJV)
“Your red lips are like a bright thread.” (BBE) “How lovely they are when you speak.” (GNT)

The lips like a thread of scarlet speak of both the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ and the purifying fire of the Spirit of God. See Isaiah 6:1-6. The tongue is the most powerful organ of the human body – James 3:1-6, and must be constantly kept under the blood and fire of God. This purification of the tongue is what makes your speech comely. Again, you see how the sprinkling of the blood (1Jn 1:7) and the fire of the Spirit beautifies your inwardness – (Isaiah 4:4).

The fifth aspect of your being is your cheek.
“Thy temples are like a piece of pomegranate within thy locks.” (S.O.S 4:3 KJV)
“ Your cheeks behind your veil are like slices of a pomegranate.” (NCV)

When a pomegranate is sliced in half, it reveals pellucid seeds like crystal tangent with red, typifying the heart adornment of a meek and quiet spirit – 1 Peter 3:4. These represent the attributes of Christ and the values of His kingdom. Remember that the cheeks are parts of the face and the “face” speaks of the heart. “… A veil over his face.” (2 Co. 3:13 KJV), and “a veil upon their heart.” (2 Co. 3:15 KJV)
The heart is adorned or beautified with the values of meekness and quietness, which are the values of Christ himself.

The sixth aspect of your being is your NECK
“Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armory, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.” (S.O.S 4:4 KJV)

“Your neck is like David’s beautifully-designed tower. A thousand round shields belonging to soldiers are hung on it.” (GWT)

Proverbs 3:22 says, “And grace to thy neck.” See also Pr. 1:9, …Ornament of grace and chains about your neck. The Israelites had a stiffed neck. They were given to mischief and disobedience – Ex.32: 22. However, God gives grace to the humble and the teachable. Humility, therefore, is another value of the kingdom of God, a quality of the Spirit that beautifies the inward-man. God sets Himself against the proud but supplies grace to the humble. Imagine a life without God’s grace. It is a life that God Himself opposes and a life like that doesn’t stand a chance.

CREATED FOR THE FELLOWSHIP OF GOD’S LOVE
“How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices. Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honey comb: … and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.” (S.O.S 4:10 KJV)

Here, it speaks of the fellowship of the Groom and His bride. He calls her, “my sister”, because He Christ took on the seed of Abraham and is now the firstborn among many brethren. He speaks of a love better than wine because it intoxicates. He speaks of lips dropping honey symbolizing the kisses or exchange of life.  Notice that this fellowship with Christ has resulted in the smell of her ointments and the smell of her garments, which speaks of the fragrances of the inner workings of the Spirit of God out-flowing from her heart. These fragrances include:
1) The Spirit of holiness symbolizing the “doves’ eyes.”
2) The Glory of God provoked by the His presence symbolizing the “hair.”
3) The living Word of God symbolized by the “teeth.”
4) The blood of Jesus that cleanses and the purifying fire of the Spirit symbolized by the “lips like scarlet thread.”
5) The value of a meek and quiet spirit symbolized by “Cheeks like slices of a pomegranate.”
6) The value of humility as a means to enjoying a continued flow of grace or supernatural enablement and is symbolized by the “neck.”

GOD COMPARES HIS GLORIOUS BRIDE CLOTHED IN BEAUTIFUL GARMENTS OF THE HOLINESS OF THE SPIRIT TO A GARDEN

“You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride, a secluded spring, a hidden fountain.” (S.O.S 4:12 NTL) Notice that she has now become His private garden, a secluded spring filled with never-before-seen fountains. This means that no one else has access to this garden but Christ. This garden speaks of your heart and nothing in this world is to compete with the total lordship of Christ over your heart. He alone must dwell in it and nothing else must be allowed access to Christ’s throne-room.

“You are a paradise that produces pomegranates and the best fruits, henna flowers and nard, nard and saffron, calamus, cinnamon, and all kinds of incense, myrrh, aloes and all the best spices. You are a spring of gardens, a well of living water flowing from Lebanon.” (S.O.S 4:13-15 MESSAGE)

Please, understand the language of God’s spirit in the above passage. This garden, like the garden of Eden, produces two fundamental things:
1) All manner of precious fruits delightful for the groom and His friends and
2) All manner of precious fragrances symbolizing the beauty of the spirit-life out-flowing from within her.
You’ll also notice that this Garden is sourced by a well of living water revealing that the very source of its life and growth and nourishment comes only from the life of the Spirit of God as its force and centre.

“Awake, O north wind; and come thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits.” (S.O.S 4:16 KJV)

And now, the wind of the Spirit can work mighty wonders in the earth with a vessel or Garden filled with the BEAUTY OF HIS HOLINESS WHICH IS THE CHARACTER OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND THE VERY ATTRIBUTES OF CHRIST. The wind can send these precious fragrances to the very ends of the earth.

“I am come into “my garden”, “my sister”, “my spouse:” I have gathered “my myrrh” …”my spice”…”my honey comb” …”my honey” …”my wine” …”my milk”  …Eat O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.” (Song of Solomon 5:1 KJV)

Finally, you see how Christ takes full possession of His garden, His bride, His Love. Everything in the garden is His. It was created for Him and His pleasure. The Garden exists to serve only Him and His purposes. Now the bride can say, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine – (S.O.S 6:3 KJV). It is His life at work in the Garden that is producing precious fruits and scented trees. Only His life in you can produce His virtues and character in you. He wants you so filled with His fullness, so that, the fruits of His work in and through you can be fed to the lost souls of this world. He wants to say to all of His lost friends, eat and drink abundantly from my beloved Garden. By the mighty work of His Spirit, the fruits and fragrance of my Garden can now be sent to all the nations of the earth. Come O wind and fill the earth with the fragrance of heaven. Blow upon His Garden and send out the aroma of His presence to the ends of the earth. That fragrance is the very life of Jesus Christ flowing in and through you. Only His fruits can satisfy the longing heart for the fruit is the meat of the nations. May God ignite a fresh hunger for fellowship in you. May you behold the very wonders of His person. May you encounter Him in newness of power. May your entire spirit, soul and body be completely possessed by Him. May your heart break in longing for Him. May your whole life become God’s precious Garden bearing fruits and scented trees, Amen!

HOW TO HAVE A GREAT QUIET TIME WITH GOD

Now for years, you’ve heard of quiet times with God - a time in the day when Christians read their bibles and pray and fellowship with God. However, I want us to re-evaluate how we do our quiet-times or rather take another look at the essence of quiet times with God. I believe that one must transcend mere or superficial quiet-times to having a real and authentic encounter with God and that these encounters should result into specific and tangible outcomes. The key to daily victories is daily encounters, life changing encounters of spirit to Spirit contact.

WHY HAVE DAILY AUTHENTIC ENCOUNTERS?

1) TO RULE THE DAY AND TO RULE THE NIGHT

“And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven TO GIVE LIGHT upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the GREATER LIGHT TO RULE THE DAY, and the LESSER LIGHT TO RULE THE NIGHT.” (Gen. 1:15-16)

The earth possesses no light of its own. The light it receives comes from the light of the heavens. To exercise real dominion in the earth, we need light from the heavens. It takes light to rule all our daily and nightly activities. This light must come from the light of the Holy Spirit that shines through our born-again spirit. However, this light is dependent on the quality of contact of our human spirit with the Spirit of God.

Again, God calls us to rule the day and to rule the night. The quality of your morning encounter with God will place you in absolute control of the day and the quality of your evening encounter with God will position you in total control of the night. Control the day through your morning encounters and your night with your nightly encounters. This is the simple secret to everyday victory to living in God.

2) LIVING IN THE PRESENT BY VISIONS OF THE FUTURE

“You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!” (Ps. 139:16 LB)

Just imagine knowing that your entire life had already been planned, programmed, pre-arranged and precisely laid out before you were conceived. God has placed that blueprint of your life in His book and you can daily access that information.

“… And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, …” You noticed that it was written of him. “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will O God. (Heb. 10: 7)

Our quiet times or rather daily authentic encounters with God should result into downloading the blueprints of your purpose and destiny so that you can order your steps appropriately. What a life Christianity is! If we will only take this walk with Jesus serious and our daily encounters with him also, you will be able to see far ahead of time what you ought to do and how you ought to do it. You can see as far into the future as a day, a week, a month, a year or even a decade. You can accurately download the divine schedules of your life as pre-arranged by God. This is why you should never approach quiet times religiously but authentically.

3) Extraordinary Expression of Wisdom

There is an extraordinary wisdom that tends to function at 100% efficiency in those who daily experience glorious encounters with the Holy Spirit. Their thoughts tend to possess greater focus and clarity. This is due to a high concentrated spiritually mindedness – (the subservience of the mind under the lordship of the activities of the Holy Spirit in the human spirit). We shouldn’t just have quiet times for quiet times sake, but let us make real contact with the Holy Spirit resulting in downloading God’s wisdom and creative solutions to solving real problems. Wisdom on how to change things and how to further advance the Kingdom of God. Take a paper and a pen when you pray because you are expecting to write down some things that you are going to be applying in your daily life.

Solomon’s wisdom was extraordinary and now see a few of the results of his wisdom. Solomon had real encounters with God and his encounter came with authentic fellowship with God. “And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father… the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there … a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer … In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon …” (1kings 3:3-5).

a) All the earth sought to Solomon’s wisdom – 1 kings 10:24.

b) Solomon controlled all the seaports – 1Kings 10:15.

c) Solomon dealt on a global level in business – 1Kings 10: 15.

d) Solomon made more than a quarter of a billion dollars annually – 1Kings 10:14.

e) Solomon possessed an understanding heart – the science on how things work – 1kings 3:9, 12.

f) Solomon functioned at the highest level of excellence – queens and kings of other nations were dumbfounded at the acts of his excellence – 1kings 10:4-5.

g) No nation or King could match Solomon’s wisdom – 1Kings 4: 29-31.

h) Solomon wrote and spoke 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs – 1Kings 4: 32.

I) Solomon’s clientele involved all the nations of the earth and his market reach was global and all of that, without the technology of today –1Kings 10:34.

4) A CONQUERING AND ROBUST FAITH

“The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd” – Heb. 11: 2 MSG.

Encounters with God should always produce a conquering and robust faith. Someone once said that fellowship with God is the mother of faith. A living and active faith always overcomes the world. A living faith will put the shout of a king in your mouth. Faith will make you laugh at obstacles because faith is the operation of the “dominance of your born-again spirit over all the circumstances of this world.” In faith, you introduce problems to the God you serve rather than tell God about your problems – Mark 11: 22-23, 1 Jn. 5:4.

5) DISCOVERING CHRIST, HIS CHARACTER AND HIS CAUSE

Encounters with God result in the discovery of His nature and character. A desire grows in you to take on the be-attitudes or beautiful attitudes of Christ. You become transformed by His glorious presence and clothed in Him; you become a living epistle of Christ. It helps you discover his mind concerning all things that pertain to your calling, purpose and destiny and also to His kingdom. At this level, the taking on of His character and the cause of His kingdom becomes your primary goal and all of your life starts to revolve around these two fundamental causes.

Let’s all renew our minds in reference to how to have a healthy and profitable quiet time. Learn to move in God as the constellations of the stars move in their orbits. Live in living contact with God. I call this spirit to Spirit contact – 1 Co. 6:17. Live it daily. Live it in unceasing communion with God. Stay-in full of the Spirit and function at all times in the power of the Spirit – Lk. 4:1, 14.

May all your quiet times this year translate into authentic encounters with God. May all your encounters with God, result in personal, co-operate and societal transformation, Amen!

30 Reasons why we should PRAISE GOD

There is always a reason why you should praise God and give Him thanks. When we make praising God a part of everyday, then we will see victories come in rapid succession.

1. God made you
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you before were born I sanctified you". Jeremiah 1:5

2. There is only one true God
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent".
John 17:3

3. There is no power, on heaven or earth that is greater
"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And you are exalted as head over all".  1 Chronicles 29:11

4. God will always be God
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End", says the LORD, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty".  Revelation 1:8

5. God is love
"God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God is in him".
1 John 4:16

6. God is justice
"He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He".  Deuteronomy 32:4

7. God is mercy
"Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!" Psalms 66:20

8. God is goodness
"… the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" Romans 2:4

9. God is faithful
"Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;"  Deuteronomy 7:9

10. God is strength
"The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him…"
Exodus 15:2

11. God is protection
"In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God". Psalm 62:7

12. God is longsuffering
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering, towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance"
2 Peter 3:9

13. God is hope
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit". Romans 15:13

14. God is salvation
"For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Thessalonians 5:9 

"God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth"
2 Thessalonians 2:13

15. God is holy
"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" Revelations 4:8

16. God is personal
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you" John 15:16

17. God is generous
"Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit". Psalms 51:12

18. God is provision
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have abundance for every good work".  2 Corinthians 9:8

19. God is liberty
"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty".
2 Corinthians 3:17

20. God is guidance
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake".
Psalm 23:1-3

21. God is truth
"God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth".
John 4:24

22. God is victory
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith". 1 John 5:4

23. God is peace
"…His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace".  Isaiah 9:6

24. God is healing
"For I am the LORD who heals you". Exodus 15:26

25. God is compassion
"But you, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth".
Psalms 86:15

26. God is joy
"For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight". Ecclesiastes 2:26

27. God is forgiveness
"… turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me"
Acts 26:18

28. God is the source of miracles
"God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own wil". Hebrews 2:4

29. God is God
"God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it". Numbers 23:19

30. God answers prayer
"It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear". Isaiah 65:24
"The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous". Proverbs 15:29

WHAT DOES JESUS CONSIDER AS TRUE MINISTRY?

“And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go and do thou likewise.” (LK 10:30-37)

The parable above has deeply touched me in ways beyond description and I would consider it a crime to keep the truths that I’ve learnt from it to myself. It truly reveals the heart of Jesus on what real ministry is in the sight of God: it is about people. Ministry is not about building a church or running an organization nor is it about all the accolades that accompany the so-called success of externalities of life. We can run, successfully run a mega ministry and yet be so disconnected from what Jesus considers true ministry. Let this parable speak to your heart and in a way remind of your very first passion towards what matters most to Christ.


QUALITY 1: SEE A SOUL FOR THE SOUL’S SAKE

“A CERTAIN MAN WENT DOWN…” LK: 10:30. 

 The bible never reveals the true identity of this man. We are not told if he was rich or poor, educated or uneducated, a great citizen or a criminal, black or white, single or married, a saint or sinner. It simply says a “certain man.” God does not want us labeling anyone but to see the soul for the sake of the soul. The essence of man is his soul and nothing can be given in exchange for man’s soul – LK 9:25. We pastors and believers must be motivated to ministry by the value of a soul and not by anything else other than a soul. See the soul, not the soul’s name or fame or wealth or achievements, or influence, or the lack of any of these external labels. Often, these externalities control the quality of our relationship and ministry to people. Can you see beyond all of that and see a soul only for the sake of a soul? Real ministry, therefore, is ministry motivated by the value of a soul.

QUALITY 2: SEE ALL LOST SOULS AS DEAD MEN WALKING

“THIEVES… STRIPPED…WOUNDED… LEAVING HIM HALF DEAD” – LK 10:30.

All without Christ are stripped, wounded and dead souls, who have no chance of eternity unless they are reconciled to God. If every believer could see correctly, they would see not only the soul’s value but also the soul’s destiny. No-matter the external label; all without Christ will live eternally in hell. Think of all society’s despicable outcasts as well as all of the world’s nobles, all will go to hell without Christ because they are only defined by their soul and not by their accolades or the lack thereof. The true worth of a man is solely based on the value of his soul. In other words, “the true worth of a man is the worth of his soul.” Has the Lord opened your eyes to see their eternal destination? How has that opening of your eyes change your actions towards the lost? How important is reaching a lost soul to you? Is it a small or a big part of your life’s schedule? Is a consuming or a casual thought to you? The Lord told me, “All of life is to be centered on it and be motivated by it.”
Real ministry, therefore, is ministry motivated by the destiny of a soul.

QUALITY 3: ALL ROADS IN LIFE LEADS TO THE SAVING OF A SOUL

“A CERTAIN PRIEST AND LEVITE … CAME, AND SAW AND PASSED BY”– LK: 9:31-32

The Priest and Levite in this parable refer to church folks who are so busy doing church and a lot of other “wonderful” things except that, which truly matters, to God. They can’t seem to see the bigger picture or the plight and condition of humanity. They have eyes but they can’t really see because if the saw, their vision of lost souls will change them for life. Most Christians can see through the eyes of their own souls but not through the eyes of Christ. You can’t see a lost soul through the eyes of Christ and remain indifferent and unengaged and unmoved – not ever again!!!

In the above parable, the Priest and the Levite had something more important to do. Maybe, they were on their way to a preaching engagement or heading home from one and had to get home for a birthday celebration. It could be that they were heading to a conference to receive a prestigious award or heading to a church program. Apparently, the “half-dead stranger” wasn’t important enough to them to suspend all their other activities. Again, it could be because there was no one around to witness their good deeds. I believe that God presented real ministry to both the Priest and the Levite, but they couldn’t recognize it when they saw it. The saw a wounded and naked man, beating half to death and nothing moved their hearts – nothing!!!

Until now, we see a “certain Samaritan” – LK 10:33. Samaritans were considered as non-Jews and therefore, strangers to the Abrahamic Covenant. They were the offspring of racial marriages between the Jews and other idolatrous nations. They would refer to the unlikely Christian by today’s external standards. This Samaritan too had no labeling but was known for displaying the works of true Christianity. He walked his faith not talk it. Here in this parable, we see so many Christ-like qualities in the “Good Samaritan.”

QUALITY 4: THE QUALITY OF COMPASSION

“BUT A CERTAIN SAMARITAN…CAME, SAW AND HAD COMPASSION ON HIM” LK: 10:33. 

His eyes moved his heart, because he saw as God sees the lost, wounded and broken. Compassion always constitutes an action. It doesn’t end with feeling sorry or pity. Compassion doesn’t just feel bad about something but acts to change it for good. Real ministry, therefore, must involve compassion.

QUALITY 5: THE QUALITY OF CONNECTING

“HE HAD COMPASSION ON HIM, AND WENT TO HIM” – LK 10:34

The Samaritan came to the wounded soul and identified with him. He saw a soul, a precious soul and that was all that mattered to him. He stooped down to reveal his care and his touch. He brought himself in close proximity and made contact with the soul before him. We will make no little impact, if we Christians made real contact with people. Jesus became like us to fully identify with us so that He could be a merciful high priest and be touched by the feeling of our infirmities.

QUALITY 6: THE QUALITY OF CARE

“AND BOUND UP HIS WOUNDS” – LK 10:34

Often, we are so quick to shove the bible down someone’s throat and in so many ways become so impersonal with people. To be compassionate means to care without any strings attached. “So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because we were dear unto us” – 1 The. 2:8. True ministry is caring for people. It is meeting people where there at and ministering God’s love in a tangible and measurable way. It is putting the care and interest of others before yours. It is the desire to want to make a life-transforming difference in peoples lives. Real ministry must include a heartfelt care for each individual soul.

QUALITY 7: THE QUALITY OF THE SPIRIT

“POURING IN OIL AND WINE” – LK 10: 34

It cost to touch lives. This is why we must pay the price for His presence. Only the life-giving Spirit of God can produce transformation in a person’s heart. Oil and wine are clear symbols of the Holy Spirit and real ministry is ministry in the power of the Spirit. Always function under a strong influence of God’s presence.

QUALITY 8: THE QUALITY OF SACRIFICE

“AND SET HIM ON HIS OWN BEAST” – LK 10:34

Imagine trying to lift someone on a horse all by yourself. We were never told how many pounds this wounded soul weighed and how much effort and time was exerted in lifting him up on to a horse.

QUALITY 9: THE QUALITY OF INCONVENIENCE

“ AND BROUGHT HIM TO AN INN” – LK 10:34

Again, we see that we cannot make much impact in the kingdom without being inconvenienced. No one lives within a comfort zone and makes an impact for the kingdom of Christ. This Samaritan was willing to walk on foot while the wounded soul rode on his horse. We were not told if it was raining or blazing hot or how many miles he had to walk to get the wounded soul to a hospital. He could have walked ten or twenty hours, we really can’t tell, but it reveals that no sacrifice is too high in the saving of a soul.

QUALITY 10: THE QUALITY OF TIME

“AND BROUGHT HIM TO AN INN, AND TOOK CARE OF HIM. AND ON THE MORROW…” – LK 10:34-35.

It takes time to make an indelible mark in somebody’s life. Patience must be exercised in ministering to the lost and nurturing them in the things of God. We all must make out quality time for the business of souls. Simply put, the saving of lives must cost you your time. The Samaritan did not just attend to him and left. He spent the entire night caring and watching over him. We were told he was coming back from a journey and maybe his wife and kids have been anticipating his return. It is possible that he had a timeline to meet or a very important meeting to attend to. But the Samaritan understood that no other business could be more important than ministering to a lost and wounded soul. He recognized real ministry. He knew that this was what his true purpose in life meant. Touching and transforming people were real ministry to him. Often, I have seen an attitude among Pastors where they lose a real and genuine touch with the people. The people seem to be there just to serve the pastor’s ego and to fulfill his God-given vision. He may not fully realize that he is beginning to see the people as tools to achieving an end rather than seeing himself as the one called to serve the people and if need be, lay down his very life for them. Sit with the people and spend time with them and be accessible to them and show them that you care. Jesus walked among the people and met them where they were. It reminds me of why Princess Diana was so loved by many that the world mourned for her when she died. Unlike the Queen and her entire household who hid behind the palace walls and had no contact with the common masses. I truly love this attitude in Pastor Sunday Adelaja of the God embassy Ukraine. You need to see how his love for his people is displayed – it will literally shock some so-called mega pastors of today’s church. He listens and longs to hear their deepest desires and allows them to publicly express themselves. He actually listens to them more than he talks to them.

QUALITY 11: THE QUALITY OF COST

“HE TOOK OUT TWO PENCE AND GAVE… AND WHATSOEVER THOU SPENDEST MORE…I WILL REPAY THEE.”

Yes, changing lives will cost you money – your money. Essentially, this is the primary reason God entrusts money to people. It takes finance to transform lives, cities and nations.

In conclusion, we see that reaching a soul will cost us our lives, our time, our resources. All efforts in life are an effort in souls. All jobs in life are a job of souls. We need to see people as God’s greatest treasure and priced possession. Have eyes for people and let your heart be moved for humanity. Reaching and touching people for Christ is what Jesus considers as true ministry.

7 QUALITIES OF A DYNAMIC CHURCH

"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest" - (Matt 9:35-38 KJV).

This is not just another article, but it is letter written from a heart deeply concerned about every Pastor seeking to establish a dynamic New-testament church. If your heart is burning with a passion to see the body of Christ in your local area or under your leadership blossom for God's glory, then, prayerfully consider these kingdom principles; understand them and get them into your DNA and the DNA of your church members. Now set yourself up for a powerful transformation and a life changing experience. I will be drawing on all 7 qualities of a dynamic church from the above scripture quotations but it will be up to you to make them take on material expression. God bless and God's best as you apply these principles in your church and ministry.

QUALITY I: GET THE CHURCH OUTSIDE THE FOUR WALLS

"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages."

Remember what Pastor Sunday use to say that ministry is not what we do inside the four walls of the church but what we do outside of it. Use a saltshaker for an example, the true impact and relevance of salt is when it is poured out, not kept in. You only leave it in to temporary preserve it but its true power works outside of it. Likewise, the true effect of your local church will work outside of its four walls not on the inside.

Often, we think conferences or seminars or special church events will draw people to the church but am sure it hasn’t worked for you because it never works that way. We expect people to come to us instead of going to where they are. Jesus went out to meet the people and not have the people come to Him. He told us to "GO INTO ALL THE WORLD" and not the other way around. "If you want to get fish, then, you must go to the sea." Remember that Jesus said that we needed to pray that He would send forth laborers into His harvest field.

The original Greek language for "send forth" means to force and thrust-out. Get the people involved in the life of the community. Your church should be seen as the heart and soul of your city and not just another church on the block. In order to do this effectively, you must change an old-traditional concept that so many pastors are unwilling to let go of. The concept that everyone in your local church is to serve your God given vision is erroneous. Why?

Because each child of God has a God-given vision for his or her life and it is your responsibility as their Pastor, to train and release them to carryout their God-given assignments outside the four walls of the church. What will gain by keeping all the salt within the saltshaker? Nothing! I am aware of churches that has a large follower-ship but have no relevance outside of its four walls and that are still farther away from fulfilling the Great Commission. While they are having a great party inside their respective denominations, the devil is having a field day in the nation as a whole.

The gospel they preach has not transformed their cities or the nation. There are still high levels of unemployment, and crime, and lawlessness, and a complete deterioration of value-systems within its political, educational, judicial, and socio-economic structures. The heart beat of God for the 21st century church is to understand the Great Commission. The Pastor is sent to serve the people, not the other way around. I know this is a hard pill for some to swallow but most of us treat the church of the Lord Jesus Christ just like a corporation where the Pastor is the CEO and your children are the heirs to it. God gave each child of His a vision, which needs to be develop and used primarily for Christ and His Kingdom. You exist to serve their vision, so that they can carryout the work of the ministry. But ministry is not what you do inside the four walls but outside the four walls. Ministry lies in understanding the Great Commission and the Great Commission is known as the discipleship of nations.

Discipleship of nations has to do with displacing the value-systems of this world and replacing them with the value-systems of the kingdom of God. These value-systems are the 7 structures upon which every society is built and they must be replaced with those of the kingdom of God.

QUALITY II: YOUR LOCAL CHURCH MUST HAVE EYES FOR PEOPLE

"But when he SAW the multitudes."

Life is about God and His people. Until, People mean as much to you as they mean to God, you will not be build a dynamic church. What is the value of one soul to God? What price tag have you set on a human soul?

The Pastor is to take on the eyes of God and see all humanity through those eyes. See through the eyes of love. Love only sees the need. Love is neither prejudiced nor judgmental. Most Pastors are looking for people they will use to achieve their selfish ambitions but truly have no heart for the people. You are never to ignore the "least of these." The eyes of love always see the best in the worst. It sees what they could be through the eyes of faith. This is why Jesus called them sheep and not goats.

QUALITY III: YOUR LOCAL CHURCH MUST HAVE COMPASSION FOR PEOPLE

"He was moved with compassion."

Compassion is not feeling sorry or pity for people but is always accompanied by actions (Luke 10:30-37).

When Jesus went into the cities and villages, He brought with Him, gifts of mercy and justice. "Healing every sickness and disease among the people." As the salt of the earth and the light of the world, we are to look for meaningful ways to bring the healing touch of Jesus to our communities. Often, we limit sicknesses and diseases to physical conditions of the body, but it includes, Political diseases, social diseases, educational diseases, economic diseases, relational diseases, financial diseases and the structural diseases of a nation’s life. In-fact, anything that affects mankind negatively is a disease. Your eyes need to see the condition and plight of humanity but your heart needs to get personally involved.

"So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us" (1Thess 2:8 KJV).

 
Pastors must not only give the word, but they must give their hearts to the people also. They must be willing to spend and to be spent for the people (2 Cor 12:15).

People must know that you really care about them. They must feel it, sense it, and know it. There is a principle that I like to draw out here, from Mark 1: 41; "And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean."

Jesus was moved in His heart but He touched the leper first, and then, healed him. Your local church must be an asset to the community and not a liability. It must reach with acts of mercy and justice without any strings attached. Do it, not to grow the church, but to show the love of Christ. Until, your church becomes an asset to the community, it will remain irrelevant.

QUALITY IV: BUILD A CHURCH FULL OF SHEPHERDS
 

"Because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."

Shepherds are leaders who take responsibility for lives. " I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep" (John 10:11-12 KJV).

These kinds of shepherds are selfless and sacrificial. They know that the condition of the sheep depends on the shepherds and they are willing to put their lives in harms way for the sheep (Phil 2:17, 20-21, 30).

Train your people to understand that they are shepherds of the city and that they are to take responsibility for their entire communities. They are to understand that they were born for a people and they are to commit theirs lives to serving humanity. With the eyes of faith, see every member as a savior (Obadiah 1:21). These saviors are to reign as kings in their respective area of influence. They must understand kingdom responsibility and lay down their lives for it.

QUALITY V: BUILD A HOUSE OF PRAYER

"PRAY TO THE LORD OF THE HARVEST" God's house is a house of prayer for all people and, therefore, your local church must be a praying church.

Prayer is the force that causes your ministry to move at the speed of spirit. Its spiritual fortitude lies in its power and stamina to pray. The best ideas without the power to realize them are all futile. The power of a church lies in its prayer life. Your prayer-life is your lifeline. Don't just raise a selected few to pray but raise the entire church to pray. When your prayer meetings are as large as your Sunday services, know you are doing a good job. Prayer is not an option; it is the vital prerequisite o the health of your church. The body of Christ should return to the primitive tradition of praying and fasting as a way of life. Effectiveness in the kingdom is impossible without a praying church.

QUALITY VI: BUILD A HOUSE OF SERVANTS

"THAT HE WILL SEND FORTH LABORERS INTO HIS HARVEST" The culture of the kingdom is that of service. Service is the key to bridging the gap between the church and the community. To accomplish this, your church members must take on the character of servant-hood. Their leadership abilities must be defined by service and not by titles.

"If any man desire to be the first, the same shall be the last of all, and the servant of all" (Mark 9:35 KJV).

As Pastors, we are to create a kingdom of servants and a kingdom culture of selfless and sacrificial people who live to serve the kingdom first. They must understand that "we live to serve and serve to live." Did you know that the washing of feet was a job reserved for slaves? And yet, Jesus set that up as a standard for the kingdom. This beatitude of Christ's humility must permeate every cellular structure of your entire membership and must be reflected in the very life of the church. Teach your leaders and especially your key leaders to serve the people. But you as the head pastor must be the chief servant. I have been to churches where the Pastors function with such an air of self-importance. They are unapproachable and inaccessible to the people. They want you to believe that your calling is to serve their own ego. That they are superior and you are inferior and, therefore, they deserve to be treated like kings, almost entitled to be served. It is dangerous for your members to treat you as though you are infallible. Your duty as a Pastor is to treat and celebrate the "least of the brethren" as kings. (1 Cor 12:22-24) However, once this culture is built, then, go out and serve the people in the community. Serving the people with the love of Jesus Christ will open the door to reach their hearts with the gospel. Our greatness in this life is in serving humanity. It is in the difference we bring to other people's lives. Teach your people to use their lives and abilities to serve the community by enhancing the overall life of that community. Make the church an asset to your community and watch God's favor come over your people.


QUALITY VII: BUILD A HARVEST HOUSE

"Pray to the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest."
This is a powerful statement Jesus made and if understood, it would shake the kingdom of darkness to its core. The word, "Lord," means "Owner" and, therefore, it means that the Lord Jesus is the true owner of the harvest. This should change how we pray about harvesting souls and nations for Christ. Jesus is the rightful heir to every single soul on the planet, because He died for the whole world. His shed blood is the price for all humanity and that means; all humanity potentially belongs to Him. So, when we pray and labor in the harvest field, we should, through the eyes of faith, based on the finished work of the cross, see every soul in the hands of Jesus. Remember, He owns the harvest not Satan. See your entire neighborhood, community, and state in His hands. Again, He not only owns the harvest, but He owns the harvest field. The field is the world and Jesus bought the world (Matt 13:38,44).

The world is divided into nations and nations are built on seven structures, namely: Government/Politics, Business/Economy, Arts/Entertainment, Mass media, Education, Religion and Family. However, these structures are built on the value-systems of this world, under the rule of the spirit of this world. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ must transform both the man and his environment. The rule of Christ comes into a man's soul by displacing Satan's rule and value-systems and replacing them with Christ and His value-system. On the same principle, the rule of Christ must come into all seven structures of a nation's life, by displacing Satanic and worldly value-systems and replacing it with the value-systems of the kingdom of God. This displacing and replacing of value-systems is known as "the Discipleship of Nations."

This is precisely what Jesus meant by the Great Commission. Just winning souls could be compared to fishing with a fishing pole, where one fish is caught at a time. However, the discipleship of nations could be compared to fishing with nets. In Luke 5, Jesus told Peter to let down the nets and bring in a draught. The nets represent kingdom systems and kingdom structures set into the systems of this world, just as nets are set into the sea. Dear Pastor, transforming your city to bring in a net breaking and boat-sinking miracle harvest would require more than just soul-winning. It would require the wisdom of God in setting up a strategic structure to fulfilling the Great Commission.

Finally, you should notice that the harvest is dependent on two factors, namely: 1) Those who pray and, 2) Those who labor. Satan does not determine the harvest, and strongholds do not determine it, either. It is solely based on those who pray and those who work. Those who pray should pray that the owner of the harvest should thrust out the workers and the workers should go in to harvest the field for Christ.

THE UNKOWN AND MOST NEGLECTED MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Recently, I have felt compelled to write a book on this aspect of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit and will commit to writing it in the year 2010. The church at large has failed to tap into this vital work of the Holy Spirit because she is blinded by her understanding of revival works of old such as the ones at Welsh Revival, Azusa Street Revival and the Pensacola Revival. We have held on to these types of the move of God and unknowingly, veiled our self from what could be “other” moves of God. It comes from the belief, though traditional, that God is bound to always move in the same mold of past revivals. First, I by no means make light of past moves of God, for they are truly the works of God and equally scriptural and have resulted in untold millions coming to Christ through a most profound manifestation of God to humanity. However, an understanding of the Great Commission spoken of in Matthew 28:18-20 strongly reveals that God is shifting, not revival, but the “mode” of revival that will usher in a new relevance for the church in the 21^st century.

Let me present two scenarios:  first, the world now believes that there are different ways to win a war from the methods of the old cold wars. It seems that China may be winning the economic warfare over the U.S.A, since the U.S, owes them billions of dollars. It gives them the power to bargain or threaten or pull their muscles to benefit their aims and goals. Whole nations in Africa are being mortgaged because of debt, and therefore, are forced to submit to a modified style of slavery. My point is, the world constantly explores new ways of winning, and they understand that there are other ways to win besides guns and bullets. Secondly, the scripture speaks of how the same Serpent of bronze of Numbers 21:6-9, which brought a mighty deliverance to the Israelites, later destroyed them because they made an idol out of it. They were not aware that God had shifted. I am not saying that we completely abandon the revival of old but that we embrace the whole counsel of God and not part of it. Besides, maintaining and growing in our “First love and First works”, should be the norm of Christian living. Revivals die because of several reasons and one of those reasons is that we want to enjoy what God is doing, but are not willing to truly conform into His likeness. In other words, we lack the character and lifestyle it takes to sustain a move of God. The sole objective of all works of God is to make us more like Christ in practice, so as to reveal Him to the world around us. The term, “Revival”, means that something is dying and needs to be resuscitated and we start dying when we loose our first love and first works – (Rev 2:4-6). If growing into our first love and first works were a lifestyle in the church, we would never have the revivals of old, because we won’t need to. Revivals of old tend to have a predictable trend, which is, “What supernaturally comes; supernaturally goes”, because it is based or rather birthed by the labor of the few and not all are as hungry or as disciplined as the few. Moreover, our motives at times may not be pure because we long to reveal to the world a living Christ via means of a move; instead of a lifestyle – a way of life as true followers of Jesus Christ. We want God to fix the church and the world through a move, rather than through sustained discipleship. The believers were first called Christians at Antioch because they lived like Christ. Apparently, the outpouring of Acts 2, had translated into a way of life. Paul’s conversion did not start in Acts 9, but in Acts 7 where he saw Christ’s lamb nature in Stephen the martyr and God used that experience to plow the soil of Paul’s heart. Now, let me get to my main point on the theme of this article.

I would like to introduce another aspect of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit in building and transforming nations. Let us look at the following scripture:

“And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD” – (Isaiah 11:2).

 This is known as the 7 features or the 7 distinct manifestations of the Holy Spirit and all of these were manifested in Christ. For far too long, we’ve majored on just one of them: “the spirit of might.” It is also known as the “spirit of power or the spirit of strength.” This is the aspect of the Holy Spirit that we mostly see in all of our revival meetings and healing conventions. Some actually call these types of meetings, “power services.” The spirit of might, as in all other aspects of the Holy Spirit, is vitally important, but it is just 1/7^th of His features. What about the other aspects and have you noticed that 4 of them in particular, have to do with the operation of the mind? We’ve embraced 1/7^th and neglected 4/7^th of His manifestations. Our relevance in the 21^st century will depend on our understanding of these four distinct features of the Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of counsel and the spirit of knowledge. All have to do with the mind. Let’s use some examples to explain how this works.

First, we see this operation of the Spirit in the life of Bezaleel in Exodus 35:30-35. In verse 31, it states, “And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.” This is the work of the Holy Spirit manifesting Himself in wisdom, understanding and knowledge and skills of craftsmanship. In verse 32 and 33, it states, “And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.” God empowered Bezaleel to build the tabernacle of Moses. Therefore, there exist an anointing for building, even the building of nations. We see a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in tangible works, in skills for construction etc! Wisdom, counsel, understanding and knowledge are all functions of the Holy Spirit. These functions, however, operate within the shrine of man’s born again spirit, impacting, influencing and illuminating the mind. Their sole objective is to impact our thinking out of which creative concepts are born to enhance life.  An example of this would be a miraculous healing of cancer where the prayer of faith was prayed over someone or the gifts of healings were in full operation. The church at large would rejoice over a work of God like this and rightfully so. But how come we’ve never believed God for the operation of the same Spirit in the area of science and medicine to find a cure for cancer? Because of our traditional views on healing, we’ve limited God and His manifestations in other fields. Can you imagine if the cure for cancer, both supernaturally and scientifically were in the hands of the church? It would restore her relevance overnight. It is undeniable that wisdom rules the world and is the principal thing. Where is God’s power, revealing itself in Wisdom and creative ideas that addresses global issues? It amazes me sometimes, how childish we’ve become even in spiritual matters. Our understanding of the anointing is mostly falling under the power, shaking, screaming, shouting and all other bodily sensations. Look at some nations in the world where there seems to be a strong emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit and yet, they lack basic infrastructure. Most African nations would qualify as an example for the above illustration and yet, there exist in most African nations: systemic corruption and systemic poverty on every level imaginable. The anointing they exhibit within their four walls apparently has not done anything to improve their environment and social-economic and political structures. Singapore is a nation of many religions, and yet they have law and order and one of the best infrastructures in the world. They achieved this through vision, ethics, character, ideas, concepts, laws of fairness and equity, discipline and faith in the impossible, considering that they were a third world nation just 20years ago. To remain relevant, we must embrace a paradigm shift in our understanding of the anointing. It is the manifestation of God in providing cures for societal ills and enhancing the value of life in a nation as a whole. Remember that scripture again, “And he hath filled him with the spirit of God in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in understanding, and in all manner of workmanship” – Ex 35:31.

The second example would be Joseph, the son of Jacob. The scripture states, ”And Pharaoh said unto his servants, can we find such a one as this in whom the Spirit of God is” – Gen 41:38? In what specific way, did Pharoah, a heathen king, observe the operation of the Spirit through Joseph? He saw God’s Spirit at work in Joseph through both the interpretation of his dream and through Joseph’s ability to provide creative solutions to national crisis – Gen 41:33-36. The question we should all ask still is, how was Joseph able to build storages to hold perishable food for 14years in a land known for hot seasons and without any refrigeration? He did it through the anointing manifesting in wisdom, understanding and knowledge, resulting in creative ideas and concepts for national transformation.

In conclusion, we should learn from Israel of old whom through their ignorance of God and His works, failed to enter into their promised land, in spite of all the miracles they saw and experienced. They had become so dependent on their view of the miraculous, that their minds never developed. Like babies, they constantly waited for manna from heaven daily and refused to develop life skills – a necessity for life on earth. God never meant for the gifts of the Spirit to substitute the cultivation of skills and this was the sole reason why the miracles had to cease when they got to Canaan. God told to apply themselves to working the fields and in the process develop skills. In today’s church, our views of the anointing should embrace the whole counsel of God, and especially the fourfold anointing of the Spirit relative to the functions of the mind. Thinkers rule the world and workers will always remain slaves to thinkers. Allow God to move in your mind and illuminate it with ideas for transforming your world. Have you noticed that in Most African churches, the things we constantly ask God for, the world without God have them? Why? Because the earth is made up of laws and those laws are unwavering and unchanging and knows no race, creed, color, gender or religion. Those laws are not prejudiced or biased and they show no favoritism. In all of our getting, it’s time to acquire understanding and seeking God’s ways instead of His acts is always greater wisdom – Ps. 103:7. Since the economic crisis of 2008, what solutions, and I mean precise and applicable ones, has the body of Christ provided to governmental leaders? Has the world felt our influence and impact in this area? Where are the Josephs of this generation? May the Lord bless you as you think on this message.