We have been taught down through the years that grace means unmerited favor, which is true, but what is unmerited favor? Unmerited favor is being able to do something or get something that would be impossible to do or get on our own ability. It is God’s ability working in you to do the impossible. Grace is being able to speak things that no one else can say and get away with. You have grace on your life when you don’t have an education, but are able to minister to kings. It is good to recognize grace so we don’t think we did it on our own. We must give God the glory when we see grace in action. If we are having a season of grace expect to see God’s ability working in you to do impossible things. The expectation brings the manefestion, we must begin to believe God to do the impossible.
We have got to get more violent in our growth, development and commitment in the things of God; it takes a mature person to do that. We have got to shake off some things in order to walk in this grace in 2008. We must be able to stand up tall and rebuke the devil with authority. We are lying to self if we think we are mature while not doing the first basic things of God such as first fruits, tithes and offerings.
The Lord has anointed me as an apostle and I must speak out. Sons and daughters can take chastisement. As an apostle, I must speak these things to you to challenge you to come up a little higher. This ministry is my first fruit to minister to the body.
We have got to embrace the word that we have been getting in this school. Don’t get knowledge just to be informed. To whom much is given, much is required. The more you know the more you are going to be held accountable for. Also, we can’t shun knowledge because those that resisted the word of God were turned over to a reprobate mind. If you want to walk into the fullness of grace, you must walk in this word. You can’t be swayed by what other people are saying or doing. Also, you can’t tell your business to everybody. Some of you get held back in the things of God because you are waiting on someone else’s approval of what God has for you to do, or you want someone else to see you doing it, but what you do secretly, He rewards openly.
God is going to break the spirit of depression off His people, so we can walk in His liberty and freedom. There are some changes coming in the earth and we must be ready, walking with God for real. When other people are perplexed and going through stuff, you will be walking in abundance, health, peace, love and joy while all hell is breaking out around you. When people see you at peace, they will see God and He gets the glory.
God spoke to me that He is loosing the spirit of Joseph on those who will walk in obedience to what they have been called to do in this ministry. God blessed Joseph in whatever situation he was in, whether the pit, prison, Potiphar’s house or Pharoah’s house. Wherever he was, God blessed him. The world calls it the Midas touch, but it is really the Joseph touch. Joseph was raised up by God to save the entire world at that time. Egypt was the only place where there was food, all the nations had to come to Egypt to get some food. When all hell is breaking out around the world, you are blessed, sitting on all type of abundance. Break it open and feed the people from your abundance.
Joseph had been trained by his father, he had skills and a strategic mind that was anointed by God. Everything Joseph touched was blessed. Wherever he went he ran things. Even the heathen know the anointing of God and will put you in charge. God wants people to be consistent, committed and ready to do whatever it takes. We must become violent. Matthew 11:12 “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” Satan will tempt you in fasting, praying, bible reading, giving and all the things of God, but we have to press through these temptations and walk in the blessing of the Lord.
The only thing that should cause you to make a decision is the word of God, not the situation and not how bad it looks. Joseph desired to be accepted and loved by his brothers, just as some of us have desired to be accepted and loved by folk that don’t love us. God has put us in this small group and we are accepted and loved, in the right place where we don’t have to seek love because God has sent it to us. What the brothers meant for evil to Joseph, God turned it around for his good and then God flipped the script on them.
A son is a matured one, we are the sons of God, no matter what our gender is. When you come to a place of maturity and can handle, carry, and be able to disperse the anointing you stop being a reservoir and become a river. God said out of our bellies shall flow rivers of living waters. People can come and get a drink from a reservoir but a river feeds reservoir, it takes a river to keep a reservoir from becoming a dead source. God made us to be spring wells that spring up, moves along, shapes, blazes trails, moving water is one of the most powerful things on the earth. We need to be a resource and impart into the lives of others. We can’t always be in need or lack. When we get something from God it is not to lock away for self, but to feed others.
We have got to be violent about our prayers, tithes, bible reading, prospering in health, finances, and all the things of God, realizing that when we get serious, God also gets serious. “I want to see some millionaires birthed out of this school”. This grace that God has placed on us is to be loosed into the Kingdom. We have not had the heart for the Kingdom of God, planting in our own ministry is not sowing. Sowing goes to someone else, for the building of kingdom business. When He called for the tithe and offering to prove Him, it is to prove to ourselves, because God already knows everything.
The apostolic anointing challenges you to look at self. Change will never come unless we do it now. Don’t let the devil deceive you, if you are not doing the things of God now, when God blesses you, you still will not do the things of God. Once you get serious and violent, you will do what you need to do no matter what comes and goes. There is a change, a new fruit coming forth for the mature trees; a baby tree doesn’t bring forth fruit. Mature trees bring strong fruit that remains and nourishes others. Psalms 1:3 “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
We must tighten up our game, get bold, and launch out into the deep. See yourselves as a source that God uses to impart life and prosperity to others.
If you focus on getting things to store up for self, the blessings will not come from God, but the devil may bless you and deceive you. You need to get closer to each other in this school, you have anointings that need to be shared with each other. Get closer, tighten up so there won’t be any leaks, “no leaky vessels”. Then if there are some leaks, you need to have some mending glue on you to share.
Colossians 1:10 says “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”. We are getting ready to expand our borders, so we must be serious, once you receive the word, embrace it fully and do what you have been taught.
I want the anointing of Joseph on my life and I pray that the same anointing rest upon your lives. Go back and read the story of Joseph to see the depth of this anointing. If you know God is with you, can others tell it when they are around you, does it prosper others lives? This prosperity is abundance, joy and the peace to enjoy it along with a double portion for others, for taking care of families, for cities and for nations.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
THE REASON FOR PARTICIPATION IN CHURCH
Hebrews 10:25: "Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much more as you see the day approaching." (NKJ)
The main reason that we should participate in our own church is because it's commanded by god. the writer of the book of hebrews points out that, members of the church have an obligation to one another. They are to provoke one another to live life constantly worthy of God. This can be best done within the church you've been called to, so believers are commanded not to forsake the assemblying of themselves together.
BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION IN CHURCH ACTS 2:42-47
The benefits of church participation are immediately apparent.
From the above scripture, Acts 2:42-47, there are seven benefits immediately apparent:
1. Instruction
2. Fellowship
3. Breaking of bread
4. Prayer (corporate prayer)
5. Effective outreach
6. Common cause
7. Mutual help
Plus the above seven, four more benefits are clear:
1. Worship (Acts 20:7)
2. Discipline (Matthew 18:15-17)
3. Pastoral care (1 Peter 5:1-3)
4. Obedience to God's commands (Hebrews 10:25)
Church participation is a must and gives ETERNAL benefits.
The main reason that we should participate in our own church is because it's commanded by god. the writer of the book of hebrews points out that, members of the church have an obligation to one another. They are to provoke one another to live life constantly worthy of God. This can be best done within the church you've been called to, so believers are commanded not to forsake the assemblying of themselves together.
BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION IN CHURCH ACTS 2:42-47
The benefits of church participation are immediately apparent.
From the above scripture, Acts 2:42-47, there are seven benefits immediately apparent:
1. Instruction
2. Fellowship
3. Breaking of bread
4. Prayer (corporate prayer)
5. Effective outreach
6. Common cause
7. Mutual help
Plus the above seven, four more benefits are clear:
1. Worship (Acts 20:7)
2. Discipline (Matthew 18:15-17)
3. Pastoral care (1 Peter 5:1-3)
4. Obedience to God's commands (Hebrews 10:25)
Church participation is a must and gives ETERNAL benefits.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
SOARING WITH EAGLES
“Now have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And those who have no might, He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But those who wait on the Lord, Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-41)
This verse begins talking about who God is, He is the everlasting Lord, Creator of the earth. He doesn’t faint, He doesn’t get weary, He gives power to the weak. Then the verse contrasts God with teenagers, “..even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young shall utterly fall.” Normally, when people talk about teenagers, they are seen as an example of strength, energy, and vitality. Yet, the verse uses the strong vitality of youth to contrast our limited strength and energy with His unlimited strength and energy. It’s almost like this verse is saying, “You know those youth, with boundless energy and zeal for life? Well, even the best of them will eventually wear out, but, I am the Lord, I never get weary.”
How does this Bible verse encourage us? It’s good to learn about the nature of god, But what is the practical application for us here? Let’s consider the encouragement found in verse 31, “Those who wait on the lord shall renew their strength.” The word wait means to wait, hope for, look, expect. Psalm 63:1, “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” When many people hear the word “wait” they often think of a passive sitting back kind of waiting, but this isn’t what it says. It’s an active seeking after, looking for, expecting to meet together with the Lord.
The second meaning of wait is to collect, or bind together. This binding describes what is done when someone braids a girls hair, the two or three strands of hair are bound together. That’s what it means to wait on the Lord. To bind your self together with Him in intimately in prayer.
What will happen when we begin to wait, look for, hope, and expect the Lord in prayer? We shall renew our strength; we shall mount up with wings like eagles, we shall run and not be weary, we shall walk and not faint. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Come to Jesus in prayer, wait on the Lord, look for, hope, expect, and then bind yourself to Him. When you do you’ll find in His rest a strength that will have you soaring with the eagles.
This verse begins talking about who God is, He is the everlasting Lord, Creator of the earth. He doesn’t faint, He doesn’t get weary, He gives power to the weak. Then the verse contrasts God with teenagers, “..even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young shall utterly fall.” Normally, when people talk about teenagers, they are seen as an example of strength, energy, and vitality. Yet, the verse uses the strong vitality of youth to contrast our limited strength and energy with His unlimited strength and energy. It’s almost like this verse is saying, “You know those youth, with boundless energy and zeal for life? Well, even the best of them will eventually wear out, but, I am the Lord, I never get weary.”
How does this Bible verse encourage us? It’s good to learn about the nature of god, But what is the practical application for us here? Let’s consider the encouragement found in verse 31, “Those who wait on the lord shall renew their strength.” The word wait means to wait, hope for, look, expect. Psalm 63:1, “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” When many people hear the word “wait” they often think of a passive sitting back kind of waiting, but this isn’t what it says. It’s an active seeking after, looking for, expecting to meet together with the Lord.
The second meaning of wait is to collect, or bind together. This binding describes what is done when someone braids a girls hair, the two or three strands of hair are bound together. That’s what it means to wait on the Lord. To bind your self together with Him in intimately in prayer.
What will happen when we begin to wait, look for, hope, and expect the Lord in prayer? We shall renew our strength; we shall mount up with wings like eagles, we shall run and not be weary, we shall walk and not faint. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Come to Jesus in prayer, wait on the Lord, look for, hope, expect, and then bind yourself to Him. When you do you’ll find in His rest a strength that will have you soaring with the eagles.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
THE DIVINE PLAN
THE DIVINE PLAN
There is a divine plan for the success of the Church, a divine order God has put into place to ensure that His Bride, the church reaches full maturity and manifest Christ to the World.
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” (Eph 4:11 KJV)
We must utilize His plan to fulfill our purpose as soul winners. First, we must understand we are in warfare and that Jesus is in command.
The most important thing to remember is to be led by the Spirit of God. The Bible declares: “They that are led be the Spirit of God are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). The Holy Spirit will lead you and guide you. He will put you in a win-win situation. The Spirit of the Lord will go before you to prepare the hearts of every individual, comprising the area of evangelistic release where the Holy Spirit has strategically chosen for that particular hour.
We must go out with that confidence in Him to prepare our path and scatter the enemy!
This is why intercessory prayer is so important. We must have our prayer warriors allied with us, blazing a path, and providing air support for the ground troops. The ground troops should also be skilled in spiritual warfare and have clear communication through intercessory prayer. Each gift and part of the Body must be working together if we are to fulfill the mission God has for us!
“And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.” (Isaiah 59:16 KJV)
Under Apostolic Authority
We must have God’s wisdom to be effective.
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7 KJV)
We also need to understand authority. The soul winner can have an apostolic dimension. A dimension is a range of ability or a portion of grace.
“Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.” (Phil 1:7 KJV)
There are levels of authority and each one has a certain area of specialty.
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:11-13 KJV)
Who is an Apostle?
The word “apostle” is from the Greek word, apostolos. This means “messenger, envoy, ambassador.” Jesus Christ is the head Apostle. He is the sent one of the Father (Hebrews 3:1).
“Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” (John 8:28-29 KJV)
First, the apostle is a person who is sent by the King (Jesus Christ, the Head Apostle) with orders and provisions to advance the Kingdom in a certain territory or region. Therefore the apostle is connected to the King or in other words under authority (has been authorized). This is the apostolic dimension.
The prophet is submitted to apostolic authority. Therefore, he is connected to an apostle. Since the apostle will esteem the prophet and make himself accountable to the prophet, he can receive ministry from the prophet. This is the prophetic dimension.
Barnabas is an example of New Testament prophet (Acts 13). In Acts 11:25-26, we read how he went to Tarsus to find Paul, an apostle, and bring him to Antioch. He accompanied the Apostle Paul to Jerusalem.
The evangelist is submitted to an apostolic and prophetic authority. The evangelist is sent by an apostle with prophetic guidance. In the following scripture, an evangelistic team is sent forth under apostolic leadership with prophetic guidance. These three dimensions work together winning souls, building churches. Then the pastoral and teaching gifts will operate in the church to continue spiritual maturity in the local body, raising up the next generation of the five-fold ministry gifts.
Study this example from Acts 21:
“And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.” (Acts 21: 8-15)
This is the inter-dependent chain; the five-fold ministry gifts. This is the Body of Christ working together. This shows that we all need each other.
We must come together to win souls at a corporate level with a corporate harvest. We must be an organized army to deploy its strength strategically, to take the regions and the world for Jesus.
There is a divine plan for the success of the Church, a divine order God has put into place to ensure that His Bride, the church reaches full maturity and manifest Christ to the World.
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” (Eph 4:11 KJV)
We must utilize His plan to fulfill our purpose as soul winners. First, we must understand we are in warfare and that Jesus is in command.
The most important thing to remember is to be led by the Spirit of God. The Bible declares: “They that are led be the Spirit of God are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). The Holy Spirit will lead you and guide you. He will put you in a win-win situation. The Spirit of the Lord will go before you to prepare the hearts of every individual, comprising the area of evangelistic release where the Holy Spirit has strategically chosen for that particular hour.
We must go out with that confidence in Him to prepare our path and scatter the enemy!
This is why intercessory prayer is so important. We must have our prayer warriors allied with us, blazing a path, and providing air support for the ground troops. The ground troops should also be skilled in spiritual warfare and have clear communication through intercessory prayer. Each gift and part of the Body must be working together if we are to fulfill the mission God has for us!
“And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.” (Isaiah 59:16 KJV)
Under Apostolic Authority
We must have God’s wisdom to be effective.
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7 KJV)
We also need to understand authority. The soul winner can have an apostolic dimension. A dimension is a range of ability or a portion of grace.
“Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.” (Phil 1:7 KJV)
There are levels of authority and each one has a certain area of specialty.
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:11-13 KJV)
Who is an Apostle?
The word “apostle” is from the Greek word, apostolos. This means “messenger, envoy, ambassador.” Jesus Christ is the head Apostle. He is the sent one of the Father (Hebrews 3:1).
“Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” (John 8:28-29 KJV)
First, the apostle is a person who is sent by the King (Jesus Christ, the Head Apostle) with orders and provisions to advance the Kingdom in a certain territory or region. Therefore the apostle is connected to the King or in other words under authority (has been authorized). This is the apostolic dimension.
The prophet is submitted to apostolic authority. Therefore, he is connected to an apostle. Since the apostle will esteem the prophet and make himself accountable to the prophet, he can receive ministry from the prophet. This is the prophetic dimension.
Barnabas is an example of New Testament prophet (Acts 13). In Acts 11:25-26, we read how he went to Tarsus to find Paul, an apostle, and bring him to Antioch. He accompanied the Apostle Paul to Jerusalem.
The evangelist is submitted to an apostolic and prophetic authority. The evangelist is sent by an apostle with prophetic guidance. In the following scripture, an evangelistic team is sent forth under apostolic leadership with prophetic guidance. These three dimensions work together winning souls, building churches. Then the pastoral and teaching gifts will operate in the church to continue spiritual maturity in the local body, raising up the next generation of the five-fold ministry gifts.
Study this example from Acts 21:
“And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.” (Acts 21: 8-15)
This is the inter-dependent chain; the five-fold ministry gifts. This is the Body of Christ working together. This shows that we all need each other.
We must come together to win souls at a corporate level with a corporate harvest. We must be an organized army to deploy its strength strategically, to take the regions and the world for Jesus.
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