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Glory to Glory

Training manual for schools of

ministry
By Dave and Frances van den Berg
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Introduction

This book is a compilation of subjects that we have taught in various schools of

ministry, seminars, Bible schools and churches over the past 19 years in various
countries. These studies are as a result of our own research as well as exposure to
many books and messages that we have heard from a large variety of well known
Bible teachers and preachers. We have revised many of these topics over and over
to ensure that they are scriptural and inspiring.

The purpose of this course is for practical application and not just for theological
information. We have therefore included many testimonies and illustrations to
make the truths in this course to be easily understood. There is no copyright on
this material, so it can be copied, downloaded by all who wish to do so on
condition that it not sold to a third party. This is our fìrst draft, so we apologise for
any gramatical or spelling mistakes. This material still needs to be proof read
before we publish the final edition. We are also translating this material into
Russian, Indonesian and Armenian. We also want to translate theseinto Mandarin
Chinese.

We will make this available on the Internet. If you want to contact us for further
information, you can use the following e-mail addresses: davebxyz@hotmail.com
or daveandfran@highrange.org.

You can also contact us on whatsapp at +79169607121 [Dave] or +27764871329

[Frances]

Dave and Frances van den Berg July 2017

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INDEX
The Journey begins
1. Assurance of salvation: This study deals with the question, "How do I know that I will go to
heaven when I die." There are many who have said some sort of prayer to accept Jesus, but
they have never really been born again by the Holy Spirit. (Page 8)
2. The importance of water baptism: In this study, we will speak about the importance of
baptism, using examples from the Book of Acts. We will also speak about how this prophetic
action can change our lives and set us free. (Page 10)
3. Repentance: In this study, we want to look at what the Bible says about repentance and we
cover eight important truths about repentance that can change us and enable us to
experience the grace of God. (Page 14)
4. Three levels of forgiveness: In this study, we will look at the three levels of forgiveness. We
have included testimonies and personal experience. We have seen many lives healed,
changed and set free through this important truth. (Page 18)
5. The doctrine of the cross: This is the most powerful and life changing doctrine in the whole
Bible. We look at four ways that we can apply the truths about the cross to our own personal
lives. (Page 22)
6. How to experience the grace of God: We will look at really means to live under the grace of
God and how we can avoid some of the extremes that are taught in some Christian circles.
(Page 26)
7. The fear of the Lord: In this study, we will discuss what does the fear of the Lord mean and
how can we live under the fear of the Lord. A balance between the grace of God and the fear
of the Lord can unlock the great treasures found in the word of God. (Page 30)
8. Eternal rewards: The most important and awesome event that will ever take place in the life
of the believer will be the day he stands before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account
of his life. In this study, we look at how we can prepare ourselves for eternity and make an
eternal investment. (Page 34)
9. Between the cross and the throne: We look at the three day journey that Jesus took from the
time He was crucified, to the time He appeared to His disciples. One of the most important
events in history took place during this time. (Page 40)

Ever increasing faith

10. The laws of faith: This study is about the two pillars of faith and four ways that we can
practically live by faith. I have included experiences and various testimonies. (Page 45)
11. The power of declaration: In this study, we will look at how we can change our circumstances
and our lives through the words that we declare. Our words activate the powers in the unseen
spiritual world to impact our lives on earth. (Page 51)
12. Spiritual authority: This study speaks on how we can use our spiritual authority to change our
lives and to conquer the powers of darkness. The study concludes with the spheres of
authority that God entrusts to each of us. (Page 55)
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13. The doctrine of healing: The purpose of this study is to inspire your faith to receive your own
healing and to minister healing to others. (Page 61)
14. Four life changing values: Imagine yourself living in a room with four walls. Each wall is an
important value and if we live within the boundaries of these four walls, we will enter into our
spiritual promised lands. (Page 67 )
15. The Importance of hope: In this study, we look at the importance of hope and the four keys to
increase our hope. (Page 71)
16. The importance of joy: Joy is the very atmosphere of heaven and it is important that we are
continually filled with the joy of the Lord. In this study, we will look at how joy affects our lives
and how we can increase our level of joy. (Page74)
17. Thanksgiving and gratitude: In this study, we will look at the importance of this life changing
discipline with examples and testimonies. (Page 79)
18. Fasting: In this study, we will look at the importance of fasting and the 9 benefits of fasting.
(Page 82)
19. Principles of sowing and reaping. In this very important study we answer important questions
such as, what must we sow, where should we sow, how much should we sow, how should we
sow and when should we sow? (Page 85)

Partnership with the Holy Spirit

20. Introduction to the Holy Spirit: In this study, we give a list of the various functions of the Holy
Spirit. (Page 89)
21. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit: This study also appears in the first booklet, "The journey
begins." In this study, we give a Biblical basis for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and practical
steps we can take to receive it and to remain filled with the Holy Spirit. (Page 91)
22. The importance of speaking in tongues: This is an important gift of the Holy Spirit to enable
us to pray according to the will of God and to increase the level of the anointing and power of
God in our lives. Testimonies are included. (Page 95)
23. The anointing of the Holy Spirit: In this study we look at the importance of the anointing,
how to increase the anointing, and how to maintain the anointing. (Page 99)
24. Gifts of the Holy Spirit: This is a study of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of this
study is not to fill our minds with a lot of knowledge about these gifts but to enable us to use
the gifts. I have included a number of testimonies and examples. These gifts are very
important, and the Bible warns us not to ignore them. (Page 103)
25. How to be led by the Holy Spirit: In this study, we will look at the greatest key to success, that
is the ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. We look at examples in scriptures, and how the Holy
Spirit leads. We will also look the parameters that we need to lay down in our lives in order to
be led by the Holy Spirit. (Page 110)
26. Hunger for God: In this study, we look at the importance of spiritual hunger, symptoms of
spiritual hunger and how to develop a greater hunger for God. (Page 116)
27. Ministry to the Lord: In this study, we will look at this important and life changing discipline. I
will give my personal testimony. (Page 120)
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28. Revelation of the love of God: This study deals with our greatest need, which is to know
experientially, how much God loves us. To me this is the most life changing truth in the Bible.
(Page 128)

Reaching your goals

29. The importance of unity: There are things that we can only receive in the context of a group,
that He will not give to us individually. We will look at the principles of unity and a list of some
practical steps how we can achieve this. (Page 132)
30. Holiness and purity. In this study, we look at holiness from a grace perspective. We look at
how it affects our calling and practical steps to a life of holiness. (Page 132)
31. The principles of honor: The Bible says that God honors those who honor Him. In this study,
we look at five different scenarios of how we can show honor (Page 136)
32. How to conquer failure: In this study, we look at Biblical examples of those who failed and the
lessons we can learn from their mistakes. (Page 143)
33. How to make right decisions: In this study, we will look at the power of the will, how to avoid
making bad decisions and principles that will help us make good decisions. (Page 147)
34. Calling and vision - part one. In this study, we look at the principles of calling and vision and
the five important keys to unlock our calling. (Page 151)
35. Calling and vision - part two. In this study, we look at various ways that will enable us to know
our calling. We conclude the with how to plan our futures. (Page 157)
36. The waiting period: We will look at six important things we need to do when we find
ourselves in a waiting period. This study is one of the most important lessons the I have
received from the Lord. (Page 162)
37. Fruitfulness: Jesus said, "I have called you to go and bear fruit and that your fruit shall
remain." In this study, we answer two important questions, what fruit should we bear and
how can we bear fruit. (Page 167)
38. Principle of the first fruits: In this study, we will look at the discipline of tithing and giving.
The first fruit principle operates on many levels. It will release our faith to expect God's best,
when we give to Him our best. (Page 171)

From leadership to missions

39. Ministry gifts. In this study, we take a brief look at the five ministry gifts as laid out in
Ephesians chapter 4. We also look at the practical ways these gifts operate and how to
identify those who are really called to the ministry. (Page 175)
40. Leadership qualities. In this subject, we look at principles of leadership, levels of leadership
and qualities that God wants to develop in leaders. The study we end with a profile of a
balanced leader as found in chapter one of Ezekiel. (Page 179)
41. Time management and people skills. In this study, we will look at the principles of time
management, priorities as well as people skills. (Page 184)
42. The spirit of Jezebel. We have included this topic here because it is common for leaders to be
attacked by this demonic stronghold. In this study, we will look at how to identify this spirit as
well as its influence over us. (Page 187)
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43. Witnessing and evangelism. In this study, we will look at soul-winning techniques and how to
lead people to Christ. (Page 191)
44. Missions. In this study, we will look at important mission’s principles and the progression from
soul-winning to missions. We conclude this study with entry strategies. (Page 195)
45. Suffering and persecution. Persecution and suffering is real in many countries where there is
a need for missions. The purpose of this study to help those going through persecution and
suffering and prepare those of who will face this in the future. (Page 199)
46. Successful cell groups. There are many different methods of church growth and cell groups in
the Body of Christ. In this study, we will look at principles that will make any cell group
successful. (Page 202)

47. I will go. This short sermon concludes this section with a challenge to missions based on the
phrase "I will go" in the Bible. (Page 205)
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THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Assurance of salvation
The purpose of this study is to help you to be sure that you will go to heaven when you die. Jesus
said that, unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3). This means that
you need to experience spiritual rebirth if you want to go to heaven. Your first birth takes place
when your mother gives birth to you (a physical birth). Your second birth takes place when and if
you personally invite Jesus into your life as your Lord and Saviour. When you do this, He grants you
the right to become a child of God, and you are born into God's family (John 1:11,12). You become
an heir of eternal salvation. We call this your spiritual birth.

If you have not been born again, you will have no inner assurance of eternal life; and your eternal
destiny will not be heaven, but hell. The Bible says that hell is a place of eternal separation from
God, where you undergo unimaginable torment and suffering (2 Thess 1: 8,9). If, however, you
have been spiritually reborn, you will have an inner assurance that you are on your way to heaven.
The Bible describes heaven as a wonderful place. No eye has seen, no ear heard, nor has any
heart ever imagined the wonderful things that God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor
2:9).

What qualifies us for heaven? The Bible says that God loved the world so much that He gave up
His Son, Jesus, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but should have eternal life. For
God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it - through Him (John
3:16,17). He sent Jesus to die on the cross for us. Each one of us will face the same question when
we stand before God one day in eternity: "What did you do with Jesus and His death on the cross
for you?" We do not make it to heaven because we are good, nor do we go go to hell because we
are bad. We go to heaven if we receive by faith the gift of salvation that Jesus purchased for us on
the cross.

Let's see what does NOT qualify us for heaven.

Firstly, we do not go to heaven because we are good people. There are many good people who
are not born again. We cannot measure goodness by our human standards. Jesus stated that
“there is only one who is good, and that is God” (Matt 19:17). The Bible indicates that our good
deeds are like filthy rags in God's sight (Isaiah 64:6). God's standard of goodness is infinitely higher
than ours. If we break only one of the ten commandments, we fall short of His goodness. In
Romans 3:23 it says that "all people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God".

Secondly, we do not go to heaven because we do the things that Christians do. Many people
read their Bibles, pray, and go to church, but this does not mean that they are born again. Jesus
said, "You must be born again!" If you take a fish and throw it into a river, it will swim. That's what
fish do. If you yourself jump into the river, you may be able to duplicate the fish's actions and
swim. However, this does not make you a fish. To be a fish, you must be born a fish! We are not
Christians because we do the things Christians do. We need to be born again by the Spirit of God.
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Thirdly, we do not go to heaven just because we believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Many
people believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but not all have been born again. The Bible says that
even the devils believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and they tremble (James 2:19). Jesus warns us
that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but only those
who do the will of His Father (Matt 7).

If we want to experience spiritual rebirth, we must believe that the Bible is the word of God. The
Bible states that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is the
inspired word of God. Therefore, if we follow the directions in the Bible on how to receive eternal
life, then God will keep His word and give us eternal life. He will do what He has promised in the
Bible. It is impossible for Him to lie (Heb 6:17).

The Bible says that “by grace (undeserved favour) you have been saved through faith. And this
salvation is not of your own doing - it is the gift of God! It is not the result of your works or efforts”
(Ephesians 2:8,9). You are saved by grace through faith. Grace is what God did for us! He offered
us the free gift of salvation. Faith is what we do. We receive by faith the gift of salvation offered to
us through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

There are three requirements for being born again:

There are three requirements that you need to fulfill in order to be born again and go to heaven
when you die.

Firstly, you must repent. The Bible says that “godly sorrow produces repentance, which leads to
salvation” (2 Cor 7:10). Repentance means that you acknowledge that you are a sinner who
deserves God's judgment. You admit that you cannot save yourself so you come to Jesus to save
you. You ask Him to forgive all your sins, and you surrender your life to Him. You turn away from
your sins. The Bible says: “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and
forsakes his sins will obtain mercy” (Prov 28:13).

Secondly, you should surrender your life to Jesus and personally invite Him into your heart to be
your Lord and Saviour. “To all those who receive Him, He gives the right to become children of
God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). Make a decision to follow Jesus with all your
heart even if you have to pay a great price to do so. Jesus said: "Unless you deny yourself and
take up your cross and follow Me, you cannot be My disciple" (Luke 9:23).

Thirdly, you must confess Him to be your Lord and Saviour. “If you confess with your mouth the
Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”
(Rom 10:9). You should be willing to tell others openly that you have accepted Jesus. It should not
be a secret. Your public acknowledgment that Jesus is your Lord will secure your salvation. Jesus
said, “Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in
heaven” (Matt 10:32).

What difference should it make in your life? What are some of the changes that you can expect in
your life once you have surrendered your life to Jesus?

Firstly, you should have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit in your heart that you are born
again. The Bible says that “the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of
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God” (Rom 8:16). You will also become more aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit. "God has
sealed us, and given us the Holy Spirit as a deposit in our hearts" (2 Cor 1:22). You should also
experience an increased sensitivity to sin, causing you to feel very uncomfortable when you do
wrong. “When He (the Holy Spirit) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8).

Secondly, when you invite Jesus into your life, you become a brand new person. You are born
again. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things
have become new” (2 Cor 5:17). You should have a new desire to serve and obey God. The
Amplified Bible says that "no-one born of God deliberately, knowingly, and habitually practices sin,
for God's nature abides in him, and he cannot practice sinning because he has been born of God"
(1 John 3:9). You will have a desire to meet and have fellowship with other Christians. “We know
that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren (our fellow Christians)” (1
John 3:14).

If you have not yet received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and would like to do so, you can pray
the following prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that I deserve to go to hell. I ask You to forgive
me for all my sins and cleanse me from all my unrighteousness. I believe that You died for me and
carried my sins on the cross. By faith I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. I invite
you to come and live in my heart as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my whole life to You now. I
believe that You rose from the dead, and you are the Son of the Living God. I now confess with my
mouth that You are my Lord. I now believe that I am saved, born again, and have received the gift
of eternal life. In Jesus. name. Amen.

The importance of Water Baptism.

Now that you are Born Again and you know that you are going to heaven, what is the next
important step that you need to take as a Christian? The answer is, "you must be baptized in
water." Why is this so important? There are a number of reasons.

The first reason, Jesus commanded us to be baptized: He said in Matthew 28:19, “Go into all the
world, and make disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy
Spirit.” When I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I was attending a small Baptist church in the
city of Pietermaritzburg in South Africa. A few weeks after my wonderful Born Again experience,
the Baptist pastor approached me and asked me to consider being baptized in water. I objected
and said it was not necessary, because I am Born Again and going to heaven. He then asked me a
very pointed question, "Dave, do you love Jesus?" I replied, "off course I do!" He then referred me
to John 14:23, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word." Jesus commanded us to be baptized. I
did not have an argument and agreed to be baptized as soon as possible.
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The second reason is that it was the pattern in the early church. Every time someone received
Jesus in the book of Acts, they were immediately baptized. For example: Acts 2:41. “They who
received his word, were baptized.” This happened on the day of Pentecost. In Acts 8:36-38 We
the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch. Philip preached to him and obviously led him to Jesus. As they
were riding in the chariot they saw water, he then asked Philip, "see here is water, what hinders
me from being baptized?" Philip then answered him in verse 37, “If you believe in your heart you
may be baptized.” In verse 38 it says that they both went “into the water.”

We notice two very important truths. Firstly, he had to believe from his heart that Jesus was his
Lord. So, water baptism is only for those who believe. Therefore, a baby cannot believe, and
baptizing babies has no meaning. Secondly, they both went into the water and came out of the
water. There is the correct way to baptize new believers, they must go into the water and come
out of the water. Why is this so important? It is because water baptism is a prophetic action, a
public declaration of what happened to us when we received Jesus as Lord and Savior.

In Acts 10:31-48 we read about Peter preaching in the house of Cornelius. As he preached the
gospel, they believed in Jesus and the Holy Spirit fell on them, they spoke in tongues and
prophesized. In verse 47 he says, "can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized?
We notice here, that it was not only important for them to be baptized in water, but it was also
urgent. This pattern occurs throughout the book of Acts, those that believed were immediately
baptized. In Acts 16:33 we read how the household of the Philippian jailor could not even wait
until the following morning, they had to be immediately baptized. One of the lies of the devil is,
“You are not ready to be baptized!” The truth is that we are ready, the moment we receive Jesus
as our Lord and Savior. Philip said to the Ethiopian eunuch, "If you believe in your heart you may
be baptized."

The word baptize comes from the Greek word, “baptizo” which means to “dip” or put under the
water. It is a prophetic action that points to the cross when Jesus died, was buried and rose on
the third day. It is therefore a public confession of our faith in Jesus. We died with Him, we were
buried with Him and we rose again in newness of life. Therefore, to sprinkle babies or adults has
no meaning.

This prophetic action is a declaration not only before people, but also before the unseen spirit
realm. It is a public testimony before God, the angels, the devil and the demons and people that
we now belong to Jesus. It is not just an empty ritual, but a means for us to release of faith and
experience what it really means. We should begin to experience a greater degree of freedom
from sin and victory in Christ. I definitely noticed this in my own life after I was baptized in water. I
once heard a testimony of a former witch who had received Jesus. They prayed for her many
times to be free from demons, but the demons would leave and come back again over and over.
One day the pastor asked her if she had been baptized in water. She said 'no.' However, when she
was baptized the demons left and she was totally free.

I remember travelling to a remote village in Kyrgyzstan. I met a believer who was suffering from
torment and depression. He asked me to pray for him. I asked him if he had been baptized. He
said "no." I shared with him the importance of water baptism. We then baptized him in a bath in
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one of the apartments. As he came out of the water, he lifted his hands in joy and was free from
his oppression. We have seen many people have wonderful encounters with the Holy Spirit as
they came out of the waters of baptism. Many of them received the baptism of the Holy Spirit
after they came out of the waters of baptism. That is why Peter said in Acts 2:38, "Repent and be
baptized, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit."

As I have said before, water baptism points to what happened on the cross when we received
Jesus. Just as He died, was buried and rose again on the third day, in the same way, our old lives
died with Jesus on the cross, was buried (it no longer stinks) and we have receive new
resurrection life in Jesus. We read about this in Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with Him
through baptism into His death: that just as Christ was raised from the dead, by the glory of the
Father, even so we should walk in newness of life.” If we put our faith in God’s word through this
prophetic action, then what we declare through water baptism can become our experience.

We have another example in of this prophetic action in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 "Moreover, brethren,
I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the
sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea." It is speaking about the Children of
Israel that passed through the Red Sea. This is a type of Water Baptism. Egypt speaks about our
old lives, Pharaoh is a type of the devil and the army of pharaoh is a type of the demons that
attack us.

Just as the Red Sea cut them off from Egypt and the army of pharaoh was destroyed, so through
water baptism not only has our old sinful nature died, but we have been legally cut off from the
influence of the devil and his demons. In Colossians 1:13 we read "He has delivered us from the
power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." No wonder, church
history tells us of the terrible persecution that came upon those who were baptized in water.
Thousands died for their faith because they were baptized in water. Water Baptism is opposed by
the powers of darkness because the devil knows that once we have been baptized in water, he
has lost his legal influence over our lives.

I want to look at a verse that has confused many. In Mark 16:16 Jesus says, “He who believes and
is baptized shall be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Does this mean that
we must be baptized in order to go to heaven? We know this cannot be so because there have
been people who received Jesus and were not able to be baptized. For example, there are those
who die in hospitals and were not able to be baptized. The thief on the cross, who was also not
baptized, who received Jesus, also went straight to heaven.

To understand this verse, we must look at the second part, “he who does not believe is
condemned”, it does not say, “He who does not believe and is not baptized.” We go to heaven
because we believe and not because we are baptized. Philip said to the Eunuch, “If you believe
from your heart!” (Acts 8:37) So what does it mean, "He who believes and is baptized shall be
saved?" We get the answer from 1 Peter 3:19-21 which speaks about the days of Noah and the
flood. In verse 20 it says that, "eight souls were saved though water." In verse 21 it says "There is
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an antitype that now saves us - baptism." The word "antitype can also mean, "type, figure or
picture." What does this mean?

What did the baptism of the flood save Noah and his family from? It saved them from the world.
The world drowned beneath them. Therefore, in the same way, water baptism is a type of the
flood of Noah that saves us from the spirit and the influence of the world. That is why water
baptism is such an important step of obedience. It is not just a ritual, but a powerful prophetic
action that enables us to release our faith to be free from the influence of the world.

To summarize, we need to answer the following important four questions:

 Who should baptize us? Answer: It should be the leaders in the church or the person that
led us to Jesus. We have the example of Philip and the eunuch. Philip baptized him
because there were no leaders nearby to do so.
 How should we be baptized? Answer: We must be immersed under the water because it is
a prophetic action that points to the cross.
 Where should we be baptized? Answer: Preferably in a public place in front of witnesses.
 When should we be baptized? Answer: As soon as possible after you receive Jesus as Lord
and Savior!

Finally, Jesus is our greatest example. We read in Matthew 3:13-16. “Then Jesus came from
Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I
need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”   But Jesus answered and said to him,
“Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus lived on earth
as a man, becoming an example of how we should live (1 Peter 2:21). If it was important for Jesus
to be baptized, it should be important to us as well. Amen

The importance of repentance

Repentance is one of the most important doctrines in the Bible. It was the message of John the
Baptist as he prepared the way for the coming of Jesus. He said in Matthew 3:2 “Repent for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It was also the very first message that Jesus preached when He
said, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The word at hand means, “It is now within
your reach.” Eternal life and the benefits of the Kingdom are now within your reach!

The word repentance means: To change your mind, to be sorry for your sins or to make a
different decision. In 2 Corinthians 7.10 we read “For godly sorrow produces repentance that
leads to salvation.” Repentance is a deep sorrow for our sins that will cause us to change our
behavior and the way we think. In Luke 3:8, John the Baptist said, “Therefore bear fruits worthy of
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repentance.” Repentance produces fruit. Therefore, if there is no change in our lives, it means
that we have not repented. There must be fruit!

Repentance has three steps: Firstly, it means to acknowledge and confess our sin before God and
others. 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Secondly, it means to take steps of obedience to turn away from the sin. Proverbs 28:13. “He that
covers his sin will not prosper, but he that confesses and forsakes will have mercy.” It is not good
enough to only confess. We must confess and forsake! John the Baptist said in Luke 3:8: “Bear
fruit worthy of repentance.”

And thirdly it is important to turn to God. 1 Thessalonians 1:9: “and how ye turned to God from
idols to serve the living and true God." It is not good enough only to turn away from sin, we need
to turn to God. This will make our repentance complete. We need to surrender that area in our
lives to the Lord.

There are two types of repentance:

First of all: Repentance for salvation: Peter said in Acts 3:19. "Repent therefore and be converted
so that your sins can be blotted out." In Acts 17:30-31 Paul told the people of Athens, "… the
times of this ignorance God overlooked; but now commands all men everywhere to repent..." It is
obvious that a sinner cannot confess every sin that he has committed, but he can ask God to
forgive him for living a life of sin. Without repentance, we cannot have eternal life. Jesus warned
us in Luke 13:3, "Unless you repent, you will likewise perish."

Repentance for salvation is a once off experience. After we have repented, turned away from our
sin and received Jesus as Lord and Savior, God then forgives us all our sin. We read about this in
Colossians 2:13, "….having forgiven us all our trespasses.” In Romans 5:1 we also read that we
have been justified by faith. The word 'justified', means 'to be made righteous'. It is as if we have
never sinned and if we suddenly died, we will go to heaven. Therefore, we do not have to
continually repent and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior!

Secondly: Repentance after salvation: The question we now need to answer. "If I have repented
and received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, do I still need to repent of my sins? " Why do we still
need to repent of our sins, after we have given our lives to Jesus and He has forgiven us all our
sins? It is because repentance after salvation does not affect our eternal destiny with God but our
relationship with Him and our spiritual experience on earth. Repentance removes the legal right
that the devil can use against to rob us of God's blessing.

1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.” The word to cleanse means 'to continually cleanse." As Christians
we need to continually confess our sins so that God can continually forgive and cleanses us. Paul
writes in 2 Corinthians 7:11. "For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner:
What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what
vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! He is writing this to Christians!
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Repentance also releases God's grace to have victory in the area in which we repent. In 2
Corinthians 7:10 we read, “Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation.” The word
salvation means; eternal life, healing, deliverance and freedom.” Often spiritual breakthrough and
revival follows repentance. In Isaiah 57:15 it says that God revives the heart of the contrite
(repentant) ones. Continual regular repentance after salvation will enable us to grow spiritually
and deepen our relationship with Jesus.

The example of the Tabernacle: Whenever the children of Israel sinned in the Old Testament, they
brought continual sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins to the brazen altar at the entrance of
the Tabernacle. This is a type of our continual daily repentance, where we confess our sins and
ask God to cleanse us. However, once a year the priest took the blood of a lamb into the Holiest
of all to make atonement for the people. This was not a sacrifice for daily sins, but a sacrifice that
affected their position before God in eternity. In the same way Jesus our High Priest, went into
the Holiest of All in heaven and obtained eternal forgiveness for us. We read about this in
Hebrews 10:14. "For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified."

Important principles of repentance:

1. Difference between conviction and condemnation . The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, it is like a
“sharp word or feeling” telling us that we have sinned. When we repent, the conviction
leaves. We have an example of this in Acts 2:37; “They were cut to the heart and said, men
and brethren, what must we do to be saved.” The conviction of sin led them to repentance.
On the other hand, the devil condemns us. This usually happens after we have repented and
we continue to feel bad about our sin. The Bible makes it clear in Romans 8:1, “There is now
no condemnation for those who are in Christ…” Therefore, after we have repented and
confessed our sin, we must believe that God has completely forgiven and cleansed us from
that sin and renounce all feeling of condemnation.
2. There is a difference between the root and the fruit of a sin : In Luke 3:9, John the Baptist said,
“Now the axe must be laid to the root." The fruit of the sin is the outward manifestation, but
the root of the sin is the cause. There are a number of roots to sin such as, pride, selfishness,
fear, greed, unbelief, etc. When we repent of the root, the fruit will die. For example, if we
want a tree to die, we must kill it at the root. We can find the root by asking the question,
“Why did I do it? or What was my motive?" If we repent of our motives, our actions will
automatically change.
3. Restitution or restoration is necessary: We have the example of Zaccheas in Luke 19:9. He
made a decision to restore money that he had stolen and Jesus said to him, "Today salvation
has come to your house." The prodigal son said in Luke 15:18, "I will arise and go to my father,
and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you." Restitution is to
put right that what we have done wrong. We may need to return things what we have stolen,
pay our debts, tell the truth to those before whom we have lied and put right where we have
done wrong to people. We need to take action to make our repentance complete
Years ago, when I worked in Africa, I scratched the car of a missionary from Canada who
stayed with us. I did not tell him about it and after he left to go back to Canada, the Holy Spirit
told me to make restitution and give him $200 for the damage. About seven years later he
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visited me in South Africa. The Holy Spirit reminded me of what I had done. I confessed what I
had done and gave him the $200. He was so blessed by what I did that he gave me more than
what I had given him. It was like Zaccheas, "blessing came to my household."
4. We must take full responsibility for our sin . We must be careful not to blame other people
when we sin. We must not be like Adam who blamed Eve and like Eve who blamed the
serpent. We cannot blame the pastor or marriage partner for the things that we have done
wrong. For example, if there is conflict between two people and they both repent, in the eyes
of God, they are both 100 percent wrong. In Psalms 32:5 David said, “I acknowledged my sin
before You.” He was saying to God, “I have sinned, it is my fault.” When the Prodigal son
returned to his father, he said "I have sinned against you."
5. Repentance is not a license to sin . Romans 6:1-2: “Shall we sin that grace may abound,
certainly not…” We cannot use repentance as an excuse to sin. For example, “I can commit
adultery today because tomorrow I can repent.” We need to live under the fear of the Lord,
because He is a holy and awesome God! Deliberate, continual sin is very dangerous and can
lead to blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and the loss of our eternal salvation. If we think that we
can use repentance as an excuse to sin, we may lose the desire to repent and before long, our
hearts will be far away from God.
6. There are the consequences of sin. Repentance will result in forgiveness but not necessary set
us free from the consequences of sin. For example, God may forgive a murderer, but he will
still have to go to jail. We read about Esau in Hebrews 12:16-17. God forgave him, but he
could no longer inherit the blessing, even when he repented. We have the example of King
David. Although God forgave him for his sin with Bathsheba, his sin affected his family
relationships after that. Sin may not affect our eternal destiny but it can affect our calling and
ministry.
7. Public confession can break the power of sin : In James 5:16 we read, "Confess your faults to
one another that you may be healed." Public confession of sin is a act of humility and the Bible
says, God gives grace to the humble. I once went forward in a meeting to confess publicly to a
group of people a weak area of my life. After that, I noticed a freedom from that bondage.
However, we must be careful to whom we confess our sins, especially when we do so before
the opposite sex. We often get healed from sin in a certain area of our lives, when we confess
that sin before people.
8. It is important that our repentance is complete and deep. It is good, not only to repent of our
sins before God, but also to repent of all its consequences. For example when we sin, we have
not only disobeyed the word of God but we have also, grieved the Holy Spirit, we have given a
foothold to the devil, we have offended others, we did not fear the Lord, and our hearts have
become cold. When we consider all the consequences of our sin, it often releases great grace
to have victory over that sin.

Finally: 2 Corinthians 7:11. "For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort,
what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea,
what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have
approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." These are some of the benefits of repentance.
There is new zeal, new freedom, a new release of grace to overcome the sin and a new hunger
and desire for the things of God.
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Repentance is the doorway into the kingdom of God. It will enable us to grow spiritually and
experience more and more of God's grace and power. Jesus said, "Repent for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.’ Amen

Three levels of forgiveness:

Forgiveness is one of the highest attributes of God, the highest attribute being love. When Moses
asked God to reveal Himself, God said to him, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity and transgression and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7) The first thing that God wanted Moses to
know, is that He was a God of mercy who ready to forgive us our sins.

In Micah we read, “He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy.” (Micah
7:18) God delights to show mercy because it is so important to Him. In fact, we read in The Bible
says that “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13) God's Mercy is a higher attribute than
His judgment, therefore He would rather forgive us than judge us. If this is so important to God,
then it should also be important to us! There are many other verses that also speak about His
forgiveness and mercy.

The way we forgive and show mercy will affect our lives. Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often shall
my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”   Jesus said to him, “I do not say
to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22) Jesus also gave us a
serious warning, when He gave the parable of the master and the unforgiving servant. He said,
“so My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his
brother his trespasses.” (Matthew 18:35) This means that if we do not forgive others, God will
even give us over to the tormenters, which are the devil and his demons. When we do not
forgive, we give the enemy a legal right to torment us and influence us and we close the door to
heaven and we open the door to hell!

Jesus gave us another serious warning, “... if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses.”(Matthew 6:15) This implies that if we do not forgive, God
will not forgive us. Perhaps there are some people today who thought they would go to heaven,
but in fact they have gone to hell as a result of un-forgiveness and bitterness. Paul writes to the
Ephesians and said, "Forgive one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) We
are to forgive the way that God forgives!

Three levels of forgiveness:

Verbal level:

Forgiveness starts with words, We can all say, "I forgive you!" or if the person is not present, "I
forgive him or her." We can do this privately before God or before other people. When we speak
words of forgiveness with our mouths, the Holy Spirit will begin to change our hearts and give us
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the ability to mean what we say. In Jesus said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven
them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:23)

When we speak words of forgiveness, we need to know the following:

 Firstly, our forgiveness is not based on people's apology, repentance or restitution. It is

wonderful when people do repent or make amends, but in most cases they will not do so.
Forgiveness is given and not earned? Jesus is our greatest example. One of the last words that
He spoke on the cross was, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing."
(Luke 23:34)
We also have the example of Joseph, who forgave his brothers long before they repented and
asked him for forgiveness. King David, forgave Saul time and again. That is probably why God
loved him so much and called him a "man after My own heart." (Acts 13:22) Therefore the
best time to forgive is the moment people have sinned against us. The sooner we do it the
better for us. If they come to you and ask for forgiveness it is great, but we do so even if they
do not do so, we still forgive!
 Secondly, we must repent of our sin of un-forgiveness. As unfair as it may seem, the sin of un-
forgiveness is as serious in the sight of God, as the sin that they commit against us. When we
repent of our un-forgiveness, we often release the grace of God to set us free from the
influence of the devil.
 Thirdly, we must also forgive ourselves. If we have sinned against others and we have
repented, God forgives us. The Bible says that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us..." (1 John 1:9) If God forgives us, surely we ought to forgive ourselves as well.
 Fourthly, we may need to go back in the past and repent of any root of un-forgiveness that we
may have because of past offences and hurts. If we still feel hurt when we remember what
people have done to us in the past, it means that we may still have a root of bitterness. The
Bible says a root of bitterness can trouble and defile us. (Hebrews 12:15) It gives the devil a
legal right to torment and trouble us. We can ask the Holy Spirit to show us if this is so, and
then take steps of faith and forgive, people one by one. We will experience a great freedom if
we do so.

2. Release level:

It is not good enough to only verbally forgive people, we need to put action to our words. When
the king who forgave and cancelled the debt of his servant, he took action and did something!
(Matthew 18:25) Some people say, "I will forgive, but I will not forget!" That is not forgiveness!
We forgive and we forget! This means we do not take revenge, or desire revenge or demand an
apology from those who have offended us, we just simply, cancel their debts!

There are a number of ways that we can do this:

Firstly, we do not talk to others about what has happened and expose their sins, even if we are
tempted to do so. The Bible says in that "love covers all sins." (Proverbs 10:12) and that “as far as
the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)
When God forgives, He forgets and will never talk about it again. We are told to "be kind to one
 19

another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians
4:32) However, there is an exception. If we have been very deeply hurt, we can confide in a
spiritual counselor or leader, and tell them what had happened in order that they can pray for us
or help us. But we must not tell everyone else about it!

Secondly, when we forgive, we do not to avoid or break relationship with those whom we have
forgiven. We have the example when they angel passed the message of Jesus to the women at
the tomb, “Go and tell the disciples and Peter that I go before them to Galilee.” (Mark 16:7) Jesus
wanted to let Peter know that He had forgiven him for what He had done and did not want to
break His friendship with Peter.

We read that "If we walk in the light as He is in the light. We have fellowship with one another.” (1
John 1:7) People need to know by our actions that they are forgiven. If we withdraw from them it
is an indication that we still have something against them in our hearts. Even if it is difficult, we
can be friendly and show love to those who have offended us. If we do this we will often break
the power of bitterness and remove its sting out of our hearts. However, to forgive people does
not mean that we can trust them again, they may have to earn our trust again.

Thirdly, we make a decision not to take revenge, or that desire God would take revenge for what
they have done. We have the example of Joseph and his brothers. Instead of punishing them for
what they had done, he forgave them and blessed them. (Genesis 50:20,) Paul wrote to Timothy
and said, “All men forsook me, I pray that God would not put this to their charge.” (2 Timothy
4:16) We also have the example of David and Saul, where he could have killed Saul, but instead he
showed mercy. (1 Samuel 26:9)

3. Blessing level:

This is a decision to bless the people whom we have forgiven. When we do this, we will be totally
free from the hurt and offence that people have caused us. Jesus said, "... love your enemies,
bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use
you and persecute you,  that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;" (Matthew 5:44) These are
amazing decisions that we can take to bless those who have hurt and offended us. This is the
highest level of spiritual maturity!

We have a similar verse in Proverbs that say, “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;   For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD
will reward you." (Proverbs 25:21-22) Notice it says, "the Lord will reward you." Forgiveness,
opens the door of heaven over us. A good example is that of Joseph and his brothers, instead of
punishing them, he blessed them and gave them an inheritance in Egypt. When they felt guilty for
what they had done, he said to them in “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God
meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.   Now
therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” (Genesis 50:20-21) No
wonder God gave him such favor in Egypt! We can take some action to bless those who have
offended us and sinned against us, we can also pray for them and encourage them.
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The result of forgiveness is like a two edged sword.

Firstly, there is a great blessing that comes on the person who forgives. We have the example of
Joseph. His act of forgiveness towards his brothers was possibly the reason why God promoted
him to be a ruler in Egypt. We have the same example in the life of David, when he forgave Saul.
Therefore, forgiveness is for our sakes, and not only for those whom we forgive!

Secondly, it releases those whom we forgive from bondage of sin and the devil and gives God an
opportunity to bless them and change them. We have the example of Stephen. (Acts 7:60) Soon
after Stephen forgave Saul, Saul met with Jesus and became the great apostle Paul. We also
notice the change of attitude in the brothers of Joseph. Before they sold him as a slave they were
cruel and hard. But when he met them in Egypt many years later they were soft and humble.

Testimonies:

Testimony in Russia: A number of years ago I preached on forgiveness in one of the churches in
eastern. In my message I made this statement, "you have no other alternative, you must forgive!"
A young man hearing my message had the following testimony. "I was attacked by a group of
young people some time ago. I was so badly injured that I landed in hospital with a damaged
back. As a result I could not hold down my job. I was so angry and bitter towards these young
people. When I heard Dave's message, I decided to forgive them.

As I did so, I was immediately healed. A short while later, there was a know at my door. As I
opened, I saw the group of young people who had attacked me. They had come to apologize and
ask for forgiveness." Not only did God bless him with healing, but also moved in the hearts of
those young people to repent!

A woman's testimony: I remember reading a testimony of forgiveness in a magazine in South

Africa. A woman was raped by a young man. He was arrested and went to prison. The woman,
being a Christian decided to bless the young man and took him food every day and told him about
Jesus. After a while this young man repented and asked Jesus to come into his heart. When he
was released from prison, he had nowhere to live, so the woman and her husband invited him to
stay with them until he could find a job and rent his own apartment. Through this act of
forgiveness, this woman was completely healed of her trauma.

Forgiveness is therefore one of the greatest keys to the kingdom of God. May God bless you as
you apply this wonderful truth to your life. Amen

The Doctrine of the Cross

The most powerful and important doctrine in the whole Bible, is the Doctrine of the Cross. It is
the foundation of our Christian faith. In 1 Corinthians 1:18 we read, “That the message of the
cross is foolishness to them that are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of
God.” This message has the power to set us free from sin and completely change our lives.
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The message of the cross is based on the principle that life comes out of death. Jesus said in John
12:24, “Unless a corn falls to the ground and dies it abides alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit.”
We have many examples in the Bible. The first example of this principle is the creation of the
world. When God created the earth we read that each day started in the evening and ended in
the morning. First darkness then light. Death and darkness are often grouped together (see John
1). God moves from death and darkness into ends in life and light.

We have the example of Moses who spent forty years in the wilderness, before he could lead the
Children of Israel out of Egypt. Abraham had to be willing to offer his son as a sacrifice before he
could become the father of many nations. We have many other examples such as Joseph, David
and even Paul in the New Testament.

The greatest example is Jesus, He had to die and suffer on the cross before He could be raised
from the dead and become Savior of the world. The same is true with us. We have to die to
ourselves in order to experience the resurrection life of Jesus, we have to go down in order to go
up, we have to give in order to receive and we have to serve before we can lead.

There are four sides to the message of the cross.

The first side to the doctrine of the cross is the exchange that took place at the cross:

It is our faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross for us. Consider the following scriptures. 2
Corinthians 5:21: “For He made Him sin who knew no sin, that we may become the righteousness
of God through Him.” Jesus took our sin on the cross and gave us His righteousness. We are
righteous today, not because of our deeds, but because of our faith in what Jesus did for us on
the cross.

Galatians 3: 13-4, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for
us … that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles." Every curse that was legally
ours, because of our deeds and the deeds of our ancestors, was placed on Jesus on the cross. In
exchange all the blessings that God promised to Abraham, have now become our legally because
of the cross. In Genesis 24:1 we read that "God blessed Abraham in all things." Therefore in
Ephesians 1:3 we read that "God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in
Christ." We are blessed, not because we earned the blessing, but because we believe in what
Jesus did for us on the cross. God blessed us 2000 years ago when Jesus died on the cross for us.
Therefore we do not have to ask God to bless us, we only need to receive by faith that what Jesus
has already given to us. He therefore took our curse and gave us His blessing.

Matthew 8:17. “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” In 1 Peter 2:24 it says,
that "By His stripes we were healed." Jesus carried all our sicknesses and infirmities on the cross
and gave us His health. Therefore we do not even have to ask God to heal us. We only need to
receive by faith, that what Jesus gave us 2000 years ago on the cross. In Matthew 15:26, Jesus
said that healing is the children's bread. If we are children of God through faith in Jesus, then
healing belongs to us! He therefore took our sicknesses and gave us His healing and health.
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Ephesians 2:5. “When we were dead in our trespasses and sins, He made us alive together with
Christ.” Every aspect of our dead sinful natures was carried by Jesus on the cross. In exchange He
gave us His new resurrection life. We are spiritually alive, not because we we have done anything,
but because we believed in Jesus and what He did on the cross for us. He carried our death and
gave us His life.

There are many other exchanges that took place on the cross. He took our sorrows and gave us
His joy. He took our torment and gave us His peace. He took our rejection and gave us His
acceptance etc.

The second side to the doctrine of the cross is our identification with Jesus on the cross.

This means that what Jesus went through on the cross, becomes our experience. In Galatians 2:20
Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.”
Paul is saying here, that when Jesus died on the cross, it was as if he died with Christ. In Romans
6:6 he says “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him...” Our old nature has died
with Christ on the cross. How do we know this? It is not because we feel it or even experience it,
but because the word of God says so. Furthermore verse 7 it says, “For he who has died is free
from sin.” What a blessing! Dead people cannot sin, they are free.

Let me give you an illustration. Once upon a time there was this family, a husband and wife and
two daughters. The husband was a very evil man and used to beat up his family and swear at
them, This was even worse, when they went to church. Every time they would return from church
he would throw a temper tantrum, swear at them and beat them up. He was a drunkard, he
smoked heavily and was addicted to pornography on the television.

However, one day this completely changed. They returned from church and noticed a huge
difference. As they entered the house, everything was quiet and peaceful. They were not greeted
with swearing and insults. He did not even hit them. He was sitting quietly in his chair but was no
longer looking at pornography on the television. There was a glass of whiskey next to his chair but
he had not touched it. He had completely changed! What happened? He died! Dead people are
free from sin!

Therefore, God has provided a wonderful door of deliverance for us and if we go through this
door, we will be completely free from sin. This door is called death. That is why Paul says in
Romans 6:11 "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in
Christ Jesus our Lord." The cross is the most powerful weapon we have against sin. Every time the
devil tries to tempt us, we can just simply say, “I am dead to this, you have no power over my life.”
Paul says in Galatians 6:14 “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me and I to the world.”

The third side to the doctrine of the cross, is the revelation of what Jesus experienced on the
cross for us.
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As we appreciate how much Jesus suffered for us on the cross, our hearts will become soft and
open to God and it will increase our love and desire for Him. Mark chapter 15:15, says, “He
delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.” They tied Jesus to a pole and two
Roman soldiers whipped him. In Jewish tradition, they could only give thirty nine stripes. But
there was no limit in Roman tradition. Often the people who were whipped died. Jesus was
beaten over and over to the point of death. In 1 Peter 2:24 it says “by his stripes we were healed.”
The Greek word for stripes is the word “molopes” which means stripe. There were no stripes,
because there was no skin left on His back. There was just one big stripe! Another translation
says, “One quivering, pulsating mass of flesh.” We need to think about what happened at that
whipping post and realize that he did it for us!

Mark 15:16-19: “Then the soldiers led Him away to a hall called the Praetorium and they called
together a whole garison.(A garrison is 600 soldiers) And they clothed Him with purple; and they
twisted a crown of thorns (huge sharp thorns) and put it on His head…(Verse 19) And they struck
Him on the head. (Another translation says "They hit Him on the head over and over until they
were tired of hitting Him") and spat on Him…” Can you imagine, 600 cruel soldiers spitting on
Jesus and hitting Him? They put a crown of sharp thorns on His head and hit Him on His head,
over and over. The thorns would have gone into his scull and His head would have swollen to
double its size. In Isaiah 52:12 it says that "His visage was marred more than any man." The
people did not recognize Him. We need to stop and look at that chair, and realize that He did this
for us.

In verse 20 we read “They led Him out to crucify Him.” There is much we can say about crucifixion.
Crucifixion originated with the Persians but the Romans perfected the method of crucifixion. It
was to create the maximum pain over the longest period of time and was the cruelest and the
most painful way to die. On average, it took 2 to 4 days before the victim would die. The nails
were not driven through the palm of the hands, but through an open space in the wrists, called
the “space of destart.” The main nerve that connects our arm to our brain goes through this
space. The thick nail would pierce this nerve and cause pain beyond description, medical experts
say the pain was like lightning, hitting the brain.

They also put a nail through His feet, which is one of the most sensitive parts of the body. We
need to think about those nails! In Colossians 2:14 it says that God nailed our sins to the cross.
We need to thank Jesus for the cross. We must never forget how much He suffered for us. The
Father also placed all our sins on Him, therefore, He did not only suffer in His physical body, but
He also experienced all our horrible sins. The most unimaginable darkness and torment came over
His soul. He hung on that cross for three long hours before He died. Therefore, the revelation of
what Jesus did for us on the cross for us should change our lives and soften our hearts. If Jesus did
this for us, then there should be no price too great to pay in order to follow Jesus. The fourth side
to the cross is the continual experience of dying to self as a way of life.

This is called the way of the cross. Jesus said in Luke 9:23-26. “If anyone wants to follow Me, let
him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." What does this mean for us today?
 24

- It means we make a total surrender of our lives to Jesus. That we acknowledge Him to be Lord
over every area of our lives. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:15. “He died for all, that those who live
should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”

- It means that we are not ashamed to tell others about Jesus and bear His reproach, even if we
are rejected and persecuted for our faith. In Luke 9:26 Jesus says, "For whoever is ashamed of Me
and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His
Father’s, and of the holy angels." In Acts 5:40 we read, "So they (the apostles) departed from the
presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. "
One of the ways that we continually die to self, is that we are not ashamed to tell others about
Jesus.

- It means that we are humble enough to submit to God and to those God places over us in
authority, even if it is difficult. Submission to others is a form of dying to self. When we submit to
others, it means that we are also humble enough to take rebuke and correction. In Proverbs 1:23
we read, "Turn at my rebuke; surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known
to you."

- Dying to self also means that we have the right attitude and reaction when we go through
various trials and experiences. We have the example of Paul and Silas in prison in Acts chapter 16.
They were severely beaten for their faith and in verse 25 we read, "But at midnight Paul and Silas
were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." To die to self
means that instead of complaining we bless and praise. Instead of giving up even when it looks so
negative, we continue to hope and believe. Instead of being angry, we humble ourselves and
forgive. Instead of demanding our rights, we forgive and serve. It is not so important what
happens to us, but how we react!

Finally to die to self means that we obey God even if it is very difficult. We have the example of
Abraham who was prepared to offer up his only son Isaac. In Genesis 22:16-18 we read, "By
Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your
son, your only son - blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants ... In
your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

There is no limit to how much God will bless us and others through us if we apply the principles of
the cross to our lives. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:12, “Death is working in us, and life in you.” As
we die to self and put God first, then God will use us to influence many people through us. The
“Message of the cross, is the power of God to us who are being saved.” Amen.

How to experience the grace of God:

 25

Grace is one of the most important and the most misunderstood doctrines in the Church. In
reaction to legalism, some have taken this doctrine to the extreme and many have been deceived
and led into error. Before we study this important doctrine we need to understand some very
important truths about grace.

First of all, grace is not there to cover sin or to give us a license to sin, but it is God's ability to
empower us to live righteously. In Romans we read, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue
in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer
therein?"(Romans 6:1-2) Grace does not cover sin, but empowers righteousness!

Secondly, even though we live under grace, we do not have the right to ignore the commands in
the Bible, especially the commands given by Jesus. Even though the New Covenant commenced
when Jesus rose from the dead, He told His disciples in the Great Commission to "teach them to
observe whatsoever I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19) Obedience to the word of God will
always be important. Grace does not excuse us from the moral obligations of the law, (for
example, you shall not steal, commit adultery, etc) but from the outward actions to justify
ourselves before God. We will not go to heaven because we keep the commandments, or because
we are good people, but because we believe in Jesus and what He has done on the cross for us.

Thirdly, even though we live under grace we will still need to confess and repent of our sins. We
read, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) Some have argued that this verse is for unbelievers and not for
Christians. However, notice the word, 'we'. It does not say 'they'! in The Bible also says, Confess
your sins to one another that you may be healed." (James 5:16) Furthermore, we read that "godly
sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation."(2 Corinthians 7:10) Repentance is one of the
ways that we humble ourselves before God and the Bible says that God gives grace to the
humble. (James 4:8)

Fourthly, many argue that because of grace we cannot lose our salvation. In other words, once
saved always saved and just because we once received Jesus and prayed the sinner’s prayer, we
will go to heaven no matter how we live. However, there are many verses in the Bible that
contradict this argument. For example, we find this phrase in that Jesus said in the book of
Revelations, "He that overcomes... I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life." (Revelations
3:5) This implies that our names can be blotted out of the book of life! The Bible also says, " For if
after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with
them than the beginning." (2 Peter 2:20) There are many other verses in the Bible that warn us
that we can lose our salvation.

Two important questions about grace.

Firstly, what does grace do? Grace is God's divine ability or influence on our hearts that enables
us to live the new life in Christ. In the book of Romans it says, “Those who receive the abundance
of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life through one Christ Jesus." (Romans 5:17 )
The ability to receive "the abundance of grace," is the our greatest key to experience victory and
freedom in our lives.

Secondly, what is grace? Grace is the unmerited, undeserved and unearned favor and kindness of
God. The Bible says “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God,  not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) We notice the
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phrase, "lest anyone should boast." There will be no boasting one day when we get to heaven. We
will all realize that none of us deserved to be there. When we will see the nail scars in the hands
of Jesus, we will realize why we got there.

This does not only apply to salvation, but to every area of our lives. God heals us because of His
grace and not because we deserve it! It is all because of Jesus and what He did on the cross. We
read that we are "saved by grace through faith." Grace is what God does for us, faith is what we
do to receive that which God gives us by grace.

The principles of grace occur throughout the whole Bible and not only in the New Testament. The
word 'grace' even occurs more than 30 times in the Old Testament alone. For example, we read
that "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." (Genesis 6:8) The word 'grace' here means favor
or kindness. The first example of grace in the Bible is found in the garden of Eden. when God said
to Adam and Eve. We read, "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and
multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion ...." (Genesis 1:28) We notice
that God first blessed them, then He told them to be fruitful and multiply.

They did not have to do something to be blessed, but from a position of blessing they received
the ability to do something. This is grace! The same applies to us, we do not have to do
something in order to be blessed, for the Bible says God "has blessed us with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3) Even if we feel that we are weak and far
away from God, we can still be blessed because of God's grace. In fact, when we woke up this
morning, we woke up with God's blessing and favor. This did not depend on our prayers or our
performance!

The Bible says, "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
(Romans 3:24) Again we see that grace gives us something that is free. Therefore, if it is free, then
we cannot earn it! The word grace here in the Greek language, is the well-known word 'charis'
which has a cultural and Biblical meaning. In fact, the Biblical meaning comes from its cultural
meaning and means, 'a benevolent gift from a superior to an inferior.'

It is a gift from someone who has resources, to someone who needs resources. In the Greek
culture, there were three people involved in this transaction. First of all, the patron, the person
who supplies the goods. Then we have the client, who is the person who needs the resources.
Thirdly we have the broker, which is the person who brings the patron and the client together and
who also pays for the resources.

In the Kingdom of God, the Father is the Patron, He has all the supply. We are the client, who
have the needs. Jesus is the Broker, the One who reconciles us to the Father and who also pays
the price so that we could receive what the Father has for us, including the eternal life.
When Jesus died on the cross, His last words were, "It is finished" which in the Greek language
means, "the price has been paid in full." Therefore, if Jesus has paid the price in full, then there is
no need for us to do anything more. If we try to do something in order to receive something from
God, it means that we do not believe that what Jesus did on the cross is not good enough for us!
Therefore, the only thing that we need to do is to believe, and receive by faith, that what God has
already given to us by grace.

That is why Jesus said "My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:30) Therefore, we
do not have to live with a sense of shame, failure or condemnation anymore and feel that we
 27

have to perform. God loves us and accepts us, no matter what we do. God's heart has already
been turned towards us because of Jesus. However, we turn our hearts towards Him in gratitude
and in love when we pray, read our Bibles, worship and spend time in His presence. We do these
things in response to what He has done for us. The Bible says, "we love Him because He first loved
us." (1 John 4:10) When we live by grace we do things because we want to do them and not
because we have to do them. We do things because we delight to do them.

How to receive the grace of God:

First of all, grace is received by faith. We receive by faith, that what God has given us by grace.
Paul wrote, "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace." (Romans 4:16) We notice that what
God has given to us by grace is already in the past tense. God saved us, healed us, delivered us
and blessed us two thousand years ago when Jesus died on the cross, and rose from the dead.
With regards to our redemption and our atonement, Jesus is not saving, healing and blessing
people today. He has already done so two thousand years ago! All we have to do today is to
receive by faith, that what He has already given to us. We have been healed, (a) we have been
blessed, (b) we are already set free, (c) God already accepts us (d) and so on. (a) 1 Peter 2:24 (b) Ephesians
1:3, (c) Colossians 1:13 (d) Ephesians 1:4

Secondly, the source of our grace is the life of Christ in us. In Peter we read "Grace and peace be
multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine
power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of
him that hath called us to glory and virtue:" (2 Peter 1:2-3) As we spend time in His presence, in
prayer, worship and reading the Bible, we will experience more and more of His grace

The Bible says in John 1:14 that when Jesus came, "He was full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) He
is our source of grace. Not only that, but the Bible also says that "Christ lives in us" (Galatians
2:20) If this is so, then the greatest source of grace, is the very life of Jesus that is in us, living in
our born-again spirit man. Therefore, Jesus is not only our Lord and Savior, He is everything to us.
The Bible says in Colossians that "we are complete in Him." (Colossians 2:10) He is our Alpha and
Omega, everything we need. (Revelations 1:11) If we need peace, He is our peace, if we need joy,
He is our joy, if we are struggling with sin, He is our righteousness. If we need healing, He is our
healing, if we need deliverance, He is our deliverer. As we believe and receive this wonderful
truth, we will experience His grace working in us and through us!

I once heard the testimony of a famous pastor who had a serious heart problem. The doctors said
that he only had a few months to live. One day he read the Bible and came across the verse that
says that Jesus is the "way, the truth and the life." (John 14:6) He said to himself, "If Jesus is my
life, then I shall not die of this sickness, because life also implies healing and health." He said to
the Lord, "Many years ago I received You as my Lord and Savior, today I receive You as my Healing
and Health." He experienced the healing power of Jesus, and lived for another 20 years to preach
the gospel.

Thirdly: Grace is imparted when we have a revelation of who God the Father is. As we meditate
on what the Bible says about our Heavenly Father and on His wonderful attributes, we will be able
to receive the grace that these attributes represent. For example, the Bible says, He abounds in
kindness. (a) Therefore, as we meditate on His kindness, we will experience His kindness. The
Bible also say: He loves us with all His heart (b). He is very compassionate and very patient (c). He
is gracious, merciful and abounds in goodness. (d) He is very faithful, (e) He is delightful and
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joyful. (f) He is caring and considerate. (g) He has a tender heart (h) towards us, etc. (a) Joel 2:13, (b) 1
John 3:16, (c) Psalm 145:8, (d) Exodus. 34:6, (e) Lam 3:23, (f) Zeph. 3:17, (g) 1 Peter 5:7 (h) James 5:11

Fourthly, humility and dependence on God enables us to experience His grace. The Bible says
that “God gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5) He gives His grace to those who are humble
enough to realize that they need His grace. Therefore, the moment that we think that we can do
something for God in our own strength, without God, we lose His grace! That is why Jesus said,
“Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) In the beatitudes we read that “Blessed are the
poor in spirit” for theirs is the kingdom of God. (Matthew 5:3) The poor in spirit are those who
realize that they have a need.

We have the example of King Uzziah in the Old Testament, "as long as he sought the LORD (was
dependent on God), God made him to prosper... But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to
his destruction." (2 Chronicles 26:5&15) Many have fallen from the grace of God through pride
and self-confidence. Furthermore, it is not only our dependence on God that is important, but we
also need to be humble enough to receive from others. God often uses others to be His channel
of grace towards us!

Results of Grace: (How do we know that we are living under grace?)

Firstly, we will always want to give God all the glory. No matter how much God uses us, we will
always step aside and give the glory to Jesus. We have the example of Peter when he healed the
crippled man. “Why do you marvel at this … as though by our power or godliness we made this
man walk.” (Acts 3:12)

Secondly, there will be peace and joy in our lives: The Bible says, “for the kingdom of God is not
eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)
Those who live by grace usually are relaxed and joyful. They love to sing, rejoice, laugh, smile and
be happy. On the other hand, those who live under the law are usually sad, serious and have very
little joy. Jesus prayed, "That they will have My joy fulfilled in them." (John 17:13) Joy is often the
manifestation of God's grace.

Thirdly, our lives begin to change without any effort: Jesus said, “Whoever abides in Me and I in
Him bears much fruit.” (John 15:53) We will try so hard to be spiritual, but we will grow spiritually,
automatically. Furthermore, we will not even be aware that we are growing spiritually even
though others will notice it. The Bible says that God works "in us to will and to do of His good
pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)

Fourthly, we will be motivated by the love and gratitude. We do things for Him because we love
Him. Paul said “For the love of Christ compels us.” (2 Corinthians 5:14) It is easy to do things for
those whom we love and for those whom we know love us. For example, when a boy falls in love
with a girl, he will do anything for her. In the same way, when we fall in love with Jesus, we will do
anything to please Him.

Finally, there is no limit to what God can do in us, for us and through us when we live under the
grace of God, we will be so blessed. Therefore, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of
grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebr. 4:16) Amen.
 29

The Fear of the Lord:

The fear of the Lord is very important, however, we seldom hear people preach about it. There
are more than 300 references to the fear of the Lord in the Bible. The two most important themes
that occur throughout the whole Bible is firstly, the grace of God and secondly, the fear of God. It
is like a train running on two tracks, grace and the fear of God. When we think about grace, we
also think about subjects relating to grace such as, the love of God, God's favor and God's
goodness.

If we keep a good balance between the grace of God, and the fear of God we put ourselves in a
position to experience the blessings of God. Jim Backer, a famous Christian television producer
was thrown in jail because of financial compromise in his business. When someone asked him
why he did these things he said, "my problem was not that I did not love God, but my problem
was that I did not fear Him.

We have the example of King David when he tried to bring the Ark of the Lord back to Jerusalem.
You know what happened, Uzzah touched the Ark, and God killed him. We read, “And David was
afraid of the LORD that day, and said, how shall the ark of the LORD come to me?” (2 Samuel 6: 9-
10) David always loved the Lord, but he needed learn about the fear of the Lord before he could
bring the ark back to Jerusalem. In the same way, in order to reach our spiritual goals, we must
not only love God, but we must also fear Him. The ark also speaks of the glory and the presence
of God. Therefore, this is also important if we want to experience God's presence.

In the New Testament, we read. “…and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the
Holy Ghost, were multiplied.” (Acts 9:31) The comfort of the Holy Spirit is about experiencing the
love and the grace of God. However, when they also feared the Lord, "the church was multiplied!"
There was fruitfulness in their ministry and they could achieve their goals.

What is the Fear of the Lord?

In the New Testament, the Greek word in most cases is the word "phobos" which means fear, to
be reverend, respectful, to show honor and respect etc. For example, in we read that we must
serve the Lord “with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) To the unbeliever or backslider, the
fear of the Lord means: To fear, to be frightened, to be terrified and to be afraid that God will
judge and punish him. Jesus said, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill
the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

However, to the believer and those who want to follow Jesus, the fear of the Lord means,
reverence, to show respect, to be careful and to stand in awe. It is not a fear of punishment or
hell because Jesus carried our punishment on the cross and gave us the gift of eternal life.
However, it is the fear that we can lose God's favor, His blessing and calling. Furthermore, is also a
fear that we can jeopardize our eternal rewards. Moses said in Exodus, “Do not fear (be
 30

frightened); for God has come to test you, and that His fear (reverence, fear) may be before you,
so that you may not sin.” (Exodus 20:20)

How do we know that we are living in the fear of the Lord?

Firstly, we will be serious about holiness. The Bible says "Perfecting holiness in the fear of the
Lord." (2 Corinthians 7:1) To do this means that we will not hide our sins and failures, but we will
be quick to repent and acknowledge our sins before God. We will also be careful never to grieve
and quench the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, we will be serious about obedience: Obedience is a manifestation of the fear of the
Lord. We have the example of Abraham when God appeared to him and told him to offer up his
son Isaac. We know what happened! As he was about to kill his son, the angel stopped him and
said, "for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your
only son, from Me.” (Genesis 22:12) God knows that we fear Him when we obey Him. Those that
fear the Lord will be quick to obey His word. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commands."
(John 14:15)

In Proverbs we read, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride and arrogance and the evil way
and the perverse mouth I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13) We love what God loves and we hate what He
hates. He hates pride and He hates it when we speak evil words. He also hates conflict, bitterness,
rebellion, etc. He loves obedience, forgiveness, generosity and when we tell others about Jesus.
We read in Isaiah, "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who
trembles at My word." (Isaiah 66:2) If we fear the Lord we will regard the Bible as the word of
God, as if God Himself is speaking to us. We will take every word that we read seriously.

Thirdly, we will show respect to God when we are in His presence: It does not mean that we
cannot enjoy His presence and make a noise, but in our hearts we show Him great respect. We
will be focused on Him and not distracted with other things. In Psalms read, "Serve the LORD with
fear, and rejoice with trembling." (Psalm 2:11) Even when we praise and rejoice, we realize that
we are standing before a mighty and holy God.

A very important verse says, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints and to be
held in reverence by all those who are around Him." We must not only love Him, but fear Him. If
we read further, it says, "and to be held in reverence by all those who are around Him." (Psalm
89:7) Those that want to be around Him, those that want to draw close to God must hold Him in
reverence. God wants to draw near to us, but there is a condition, He will only do so if we show
Him reverence!

In Leviticus, we read how Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of God because they offered
"profane fire". The word profane means "lack of reverence." Moses explains why this happened.
"This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy;
and before all the people I must be glorified.' "so Aaron held his peace. " (Leviticus 10:3) This not
only happened in the Old Testament, but also in Acts chapter five to Ananias and Sapphira!

Solomon gave us this important advice "Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and
draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.
Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God
 31

is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore, let your words be few." (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2) When we
worship, pray or spend time with God, we must show Him the deepest respect.

There are two things that will motivate us, or help us live in the fear of the Lord.

Firstly, we must have a correct perspective of eternity: Although we are saved by faith in Jesus,
we will be rewarded in eternity according to our works. What we do on earth will affect us for the
whole of eternity. For the Born-again believer, the issue is not where he will spend eternity, but
how he will spend eternity!

There are many scriptures that speak about the judgment seat of Christ and that we will be
judged according to our works. We read in Romans, “We must all appear before the Judgment
Seat of Christ … So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:10,12)
This will be the most important event in our lives. Notice it says "we all"! That includes you and
me!

We also read in the Corinthians, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that
each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good
or bad.   Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men...” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11)
When we realize that our actions on earth will affect our eternal existence, we will be motivated
to live in the fear of the Lord. Therefore, if we live in the fear of the Lord, we will live with purpose
and use every opportunity to make an eternal investment. Peter gave us this serious warning
when he wrote: “And as you call upon the Father, who without partiality judges each one’s work,
conduct yourselves throughout your time of sojourning here with fear;” (1 Peter 1:17)

Secondly, we must be aware that God knows everything and sees everything: The Bible says, “...
there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to
whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13) God knows all our thoughts, sees everything we do
and hears everything that we say. For example, if we traveling on a road and we are aware that a
traffic policeman is watching us, we will be careful how we drive! In the same way, God is
watching everything we do. He sees us in public, in private and knows all the thoughts that we
think! Someone is watching us!

When we are aware that everything we do and think is shown on a big screen in God’s heavenly
office, we will be very careful how we live. We read about this in Psalms, "The LORD is in His holy
temple, The LORD’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men."(Psalms
11:4) If we know that God knows everything, and we cannot hide anything from Him, we will
know that it is important that we confess our sins and repent. In the book of Acts, we read how
Ananias and Sapphira thought that they could hide things from God. They tried to impress people
and lied to the Holy Spirit and died. They did not realize that God was watching them! We read
further that “... great fear came upon all the church.... and believers were increasingly added to
the Lord.” (Acts 5:11&14) There was a revival because the Christians feared the Lord.

God listens to all the words that we speak, Jesus said, "... that for every idle word men may speak,
they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36) He not only hears our words,
but He knows our thoughts and motives. The Bible says that, "... God will judge the secrets of
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men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel." (Romans 2:16) Therefore God will not only judge
our deeds, but also our thoughts and motives.

This also has a positive side, in Malachi we read, "Then those who feared the Lord spoke (often) to
one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before
Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate (or think) on His name." (Malachi 3:16) Every
time we turn our hearts towards God in love and commitment, it will be remembered in eternity.
If we live under the fear of the Lord, we will live with the awareness that God is watching us!

To finish off this study, we need to look at the results and benefits of the fear of the Lord. In
Isaiah, we read that the "fear of the Lord is His treasure." (Isaiah 33:6) When we live in the fear of
the Lord we will discover that God has wonderful things prepared for us. It is like opening a
treasure chest. The Bible says that "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the
heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Let us look at some amazing scriptures:

 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 1:7) Wisdom will give us the
ability to make the right decisions and know the will of God. When we live under the fear of
the Lord, we will make good choices and be successful in our lives.
 “Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself
shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth." (Psalm 25:12 -13) God
not only teaches and instructs those who live under the fear of the Lord, but their lives will be
prosperous on the earth!
 “The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. ” We
can also read this verse like this:
 “The secret (intimate, sweet satisfying companionship) is with those who fear (worship and
show Him reverence). He will show him His covenant.” (Psalm 25:14) Our hunger for God and
our fear of God takes us all the way into His presence.
 "Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your
flesh, And strength to your bones." (Proverbs 3:7-8) The fear of the Lord will even affect our
health.
 “In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence.” (Proverbs 14:26) The fear of the Lord
gives us boldness. It will deliver us from all other ungodly forms of fear. When we fear the
Lord, we will have also boldness to tell others about Jesus.
 “The fear of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be
visited with evil.” (Proverbs 19:23) What a wonderful promise! Jesus said the He has come to
give us life and life abundantly.
 "He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them." (Psalm
145:19)
 "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy ." (Psalm 147:11) There
are so many more wonderful promises to those who live under the fear of the Lord.

Finally, we can “chose the fear of the Lord.” (Proverbs 1:29) As Christians we can make a choice to
fear the Lord, for "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Prov 1:7)
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Eternal Rewards

William Booth the founder of the Salvation Army had a vision where he died and went to heaven.
In heaven he was greeted by a number of people that asked him whether he had told their
relatives about Jesus. When he said that he had not, they walked away saddened. He then saw
Jesus approaching him with a group of people whom he realised were heros of the faith. These
were those who accomplished great things on earth and who were now enjoying a wonderful
relationship with Jesus in heaven.

When Jesus walked up to him, he noticed that He was not smiling but had a sad expression of His
face. Jesus told him that he had made it to heaven, but would not feel at home there because he
had not totally followed Him on earth. Jesus then said to him that he could go back to earth and
gave him another opportunity to make an eternal investment with his life. He returned to earth
and started the Salvation Army, which led thousands of people to Christ. For the remainder of his
life, he lived a life of total commitment to Jesus and became a zealous soul winner.

I heard of another pastor, who had a vision of the judgement seat of Christ. He saw a pile of wood
in font of him. Jesus came up to him with a torch and set the wood on fire. There was a sudden
blaze and when the fire had subsided, all that was left was ash. He had nothing to show for his life
on earth worthy of heavenly rewards and felt so ashamed. He was saved from hell, but he was
bankrupt in heaven.

The issue of eternal rewards is an important theme that occurs throughout the whole New
Testament. There are also references to it in the Old Testament. Jesus gave many parables about
heaven and the importance of being prepared to go there. The most important event that will
ever take place in our lives, is the day that we stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an
account of our lives on earth. For some it will be a wonderful day of rejoicing, for others it will be
a day of regret.

Our life is like a race which begins, the day when we accepted Jesus as Lord. The race track are
the opportunities that God gives us on earth. The finishing line is the day we die, and the prize
giving will take place on the day we stand before the Judgment seat of Christ in eternity. Paul
refered to that event as 'that day or the day.' This was so important to Paul that he wrote, "I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14)

We read in the New Testament, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Although we are saved by faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross, we will be rewarded
according to our works that we have done on earth. Faith will get us into heaven, but what
happens to us in heaven will depend on what we do with our lives on earth. The issue for us as
believers is not where we will spend eternity, but how we will spend our lives in eternity.

The Bible says, "... we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. So then every one of us
shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14:10,12) Notice the words "we all" and "every
one of us." The word for judgment seat is the Greek word 'bema' which is not a judgment to
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punish us for our sins, but a place where rewards are given. We will all give an account and be
rewarded according to what we have done with our opportunities, resources and talents that God
has given us. That is why it is so important to "redeem the time and make the most of every
opportunity." While we are on earth. (Ephesians 5:16)

There is another verse that says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that
every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be
good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;" (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Again, the Greek word 'bema' is used. It says in this verse, "we all" and "every one," which refers
to Christians and not to unbelievers. We will receive according to what we have done, and not
only according to what we believe while living in our bodies, on earth.

The next verse says, "Knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men..." (2 Corinthians 5:11) The
word "terror" is the Greek word "Phobus" which means fear. If we know that we will one day
stand before the judgment seat of Christ, we will live in the fear of the Lord. 1 Peter 1:17 says, "
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's
work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:"

Let's look at another important verse which is found in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 says, "For other
foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon this
foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made
manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try
every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abides which he hath built thereupon, he
shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall
be saved; yet so as by fire."

This is a frightening passage! It is possible for a Born-Again Christian who has received Jesus as
Savior, to die and suffer loss? The apostle John confirms this truth, "And now, little children, abide
in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at
his coming." (1 John 2:28) This verse implies that it is possible to be ashamed before Him at His
coming. That is why it is so important to abide in Christ, have an intimate relationship with Him
and obey His word.

I do not want to go into detail about the meaning of gold, silver and precious stones. These are
costly materials that can endure the fire. Firstly, it could speak about the price we pay to follow
Jesus. Jesus said, "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaken not all that he hath, he
cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33) It means that we have totally surrendered all to Christ and
put Him first in every area of our lives. Secondly, it speaks about doing something for Jesus that
will have a lasting value on earth. Jesus said that we should bear fruit that remains, fruit that has
eternal value. (John 15:16)

For example, when we lead people to Christ, it is an eternal investment. Paul said, "For what is
our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at
his coming?" (1 Thessalonians 2:19) Jesus also said, "... he that reaps receives wages, and gathers
fruit for eternal life..." (John 4:36) When we influence people for Christ, help the poor, or plant
 35

churches, we are making eternal investments. We need to ask ourselves the question, " what am I
doing today, that will last forever?

Six things that will affect our eternal rewards:

1) When we are not ashamed to tell others about Jesus and make a stand for Him .

There are so many verse that speak about this. We have already read in John 4:36 "And he that
reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life..." They that lead souls to Christ, make an
eternal investment. Jesus also said that if we confess Him before men He will confess us before
His Father and holy angels. (Matthew 10:31)

We must not only tell others about Jesus but also be willing to bear His reproach. We read in the
book of Mark, "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous
and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He comes in the glory
of his Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38) There are wonderful rewards for those who are
persecuted for their faith. Jesus said in Matthew 5:11-12 " Blessed are ye, when men shall revile
you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice,
and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven."

2) When we are faithful with our finances.

Jesus said in Luke 16:11, Jesus said, "If you have not been faithful in unrighteous mammon, who
will give you true riches." If we have been faithful with our finances on earth, God will reward us
with true riches in heaven. We need to be faithful with our tithes, offering and giving. Generosity
on earth will be an important issue in heaven. Jesus said to a rich young ruler, " If thou wilt be
perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:
and come and follow me." (Matthew 19:21) What we do with our possessions and money on
earth, will determine our riches in heaven! Our love for Jesus must be greater than our love for
money, for where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also.

It is important that our finances are in order. The Bible says," Owe no man anything, but to love
one another." (Romans 13:8) We must make an attempt to pay back money that we owe, pay our
taxes and return the money that we have stolen. Paul gave us a warning and wrote that " no
thieves shall inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:10)

3) When our relationships must be in order.

This is a big subject but we are commanded to love one another, receive one another and forgive
those one another. Jesus said, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15) It could be possible to enter into eternity only to find out that
God has not forgiven us! There are probably many today, who thought they were going to
heaven, but because of un-forgiveness, they landed up in hell!

Our relationships with the church are important, especially the way we relate to those in spiritual
authority. The Bible says, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they
 36

watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with
grief: for that is unprofitable for you." (Hebrews 13:17) This implies that the joyful account of
those who rule over us will be "profitable" for us in eternity.

4) When we are living in obedience and holiness:

We have a serious warning, "Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which, no man shall
see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14) If we do not take holiness and right relationships seriously on
earth, we may be in danger of not seeing the Lord in eternity. Holiness is the beautiful life of Jesus
in us and is manifested through our thoughts, words and actions. Holiness means that we are
free from sexual impurity and unclean behavior. This does not mean that we are perfect, or that
we will never sin again, but we make holiness and purity a high priority in our lives.

We are warned, "... that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind." (1 Corinthians 6:9) We cannot deliberately continue in these sins and expect to go to
heaven! Our obedience to the will of God on earth will affect our lives in heaven.

Jesus said, "Not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but
he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:22) A well-known preacher
once had a vision of a huge multitude of people who thought they were going to heaven but were
turned away at the gates of heaven. He remembered seeing the shock and dismay on their faces.
They called Him 'Lord, Lord' but did not do the will of the Father!

5) When our love for God and our relationship with Him is important :

The next verse says "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that
work iniquity." (Matthew 7:23) The word, 'know' is the word, 'to know intimately.' The degree
that we love Jesus on earth, will determine our closeness to Him in heaven. One of my favorite
verses is found in Malachi 3:16-17, "Then they that feared the LORD spoke often one to another:
and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for
them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, says the
LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels;"

Our words and thoughts of love for the Lord are recorded in a book, called the Book of
Remembrance. What is written in this book will be revealed in eternity. Notice, that God calls
these people, His jewels! Every time we pour our hearts before the Lord in worship, love and
adoration, a record is kept in eternity. Paul wrote to Timothy and said that there was a crown of
righteousness is for those who love His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:18)

6) When we have the right reaction to the trials we go through on earth.

There are many verses that speak about this in the New Testament. Paul says that "Our light
affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory;" (2 Corinthians 4:17) In other words, when we go through various trials and we have godly
reactions, we will be rewarded in eternity. Instead of being bitter, we forgive, instead of
complaining we rejoice and instead of being discouraged, we believe.
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The Bible says, "Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive
the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." (James 1:2) In the book of
Hebrews we read about those who were joyfully experiencing the plundering of their goods, who
would have a better and enduring possession in heaven. (Hebrews 10:34) If we pass the difficult
tests that we go through on earth, we will be greatly rewarded in heaven. We will one day reign
with Jesus in eternity, our training on earth is preparation for reigning.

What are the rewards in heaven?

The Bible does not give us much information about these. I suggest the following:

 We will be rewarded with levels of authority . It says in Revelations that there will be those
who reign with Jesus for a thousand years. (Revelations 20:6) Jesus spoke about those who
are faithful on earth will one-day reign over cities. (Luke 19:17)
 We will be rewarded with joy. There may be levels of joy in eternity. Jesus speaks about the
parable of the talents and said to those who were faithful, "enter into the joy of the Lord."
(Matthew 25:23) This could mean that there will be levels of joy and fulfillment in heaven.
 We will be rewarded with a wonderful relationship with Jesus. I believe that there will be
varying degree of closeness to the Lord in eternity. In Revelations that there will be those who
will follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were called the first fruits to God. (Revelations
14:4) Our relationship with Him on earth will determine our relationship with Him in eternity.
If we do not love Him here, how will we love Him there?
 We will be rewarded with privileges and benefits . These may apply to where we will live in
heaven. One man had a vision of heaven and said, God showed him that there were three
levels in heaven. These can be compared to the Tabernacle in the wilderness which the Bible
says is a pattern of heaven. (Hebrews 8:5) The outer court is the lowest level but the biggest
section of the Tabernacle. He said that this is still a wonderful place, and most people will be
going there. However, they will not experience frequent visits from the Lord. The Holy place is
even more glorious, and fewer will go there. In the Holy place there is a greater level of God's
presence. The highest level is likened unto the Holiest of all. This is where the throne of God is
found. Paul spoke about being caught up to the third heaven. (2 Corinthians 12:1)

This could be speculation, but we also read in Hebrews that there were those who chose to go
through hardship on earth so that they could have a better resurrection. (Hebrews 11:35)
Whether or not his vision was from God, or not, I firmly believe that our works on earth will affect
our standard of living in eternity.

Finally:

There may be many other issues that will be important at the judgment seat of Christ and will
affect our eternal rewards. When we read the life of Paul, we notice that his whole focus was on
eternity. He was running a race on earth to one day stand in heaven to receive a reward. His final
words to Timothy were, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the
faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
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judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his
appearing." (1 Tim 4:18)

Paul was ready to die and be with the Lord. He had finished his course and had done everything
that God called him to do. Paul writes to the Corinthians and says, "Everyone who competes for
the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an
imperishable crown. (1 Corinthians 9:25) Therefore he says in the previous verse, "run in such a
way to obtain it!" (1 Corinthians 9:24)

If we read church history, we notice that the early believers were so eternity focused that many
willingly gave their lives for Jesus. The question we need to ask ourselves is, "are we ready to die?
Or do we have some unfinished business still to do? Jesus said, "... behold, I come quickly; and my
reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." (Revelation 22:12) We
should be living in such a way, that we are ready to die at any moment, but we plan our lives as if
we will still live for another twenty years.

A famous missionary, Jim Elliot who was martyred for his faith in South America said, "He is no
fool who gives what he cannot keep, in order to receive that what he cannot lose." Therefore, let
us redeem the time and make the most of every opportunity. Amen

Between the Cross to the throne:

In this study, we want to find out what happened during the three days period after Jesus was
crucified and rose from the dead. One of the most exciting events in the history of the world took
place during this short period of time. We are going to look at the scriptures about the journey
that Jesus took from the cross to the throne.

First stage of the journey - from the Earth to Hades:

The journey starts at the cross. We read, “And crying with a loud voice, Jesus said, Father, into
Your hands I commit My spirit. And when He had said this, He breathed out the spirit.” (Luke
23:46) What the people saw on earth, was a body taken down from the cross, wrapped in grave
clothes and laid in a tomb. However, in the unseen spirit world, something very different was
happening. Jesus left His body and descended into the lower parts of the earth. We read, “Now
that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?"
(Ephesians 4:9)

The three meanings of the word 'hell':

There are three different Greek words used for the word 'hell'. (a) Hades (Luke 16:23) (or “Sheol”
(Psalm 16:10) in the Hebrew language) (b) Gehena (Matt 5:23) and (c) Tataroo (2 Peter 2:4)

What does the word 'Hades' mean? It says Jesus first descended into the lower parts of the earth,
and then He led captivity captive. He went to a place called 'Hades.' which is the 'lowest parts of
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the earth.' To understand this place called Hades, we need to read, the story about Lazarus and
the rich man in the Book of Luke:

“And it happened that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The
rich one also died and was buried. And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw
Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy
on me and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I
am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received
your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things. But now he is comforted and you are
tormented. And besides all this, there is a great chasm fixed between you and us; so that they
desiring to pass from here to you cannot, nor can they pass over to us from there.” (Luke 16:22-
26)

It is clear from what we have just read that there are two sections to the place called Hades. The
first section is called paradise or Abraham’s bosom. This was a place reserved for the righteous
who died before the resurrection of Jesus. The first occupant who went there was the righteous
Abel who was murdered by his brother Cain and the last person to enter was the thief on the
cross. As he was dying Jesus said to him “today I will see you in paradise.”(Luke 23:43) The other
section of Hades was called “hell,” a place where the un-righteous souls went to after death. We
see that those living in these two sections could communicate with each other, but they could not
cross over because there was a huge gulf between these two sections. All those who died before
the cross went to either one of these two sections.

Up to that time, no one had yet entered into heaven, because the Blood of Jesus had not yet been
given. The Bible says, "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered
the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:12) It is only
through the Blood of Jesus that one can enter into heaven. Hades was like a huge waiting room
and was only a temporary place. King David said, “For You will not leave my soul in Hades nor will
You allow Your Holy One to suffer corruption.” He was saying that he would only be in Hades
temporally and that Jesus would be there such a short time, that His body would not decay on
earth. (Acts 2:27)

After Jesus brief visit to Hades, He showed Himself to the righteous in paradise and possibly also
to those in hell. We read that Jesus "... preached to the spirits in prison.” (1 Peter 3:19) After His
brief visit to Hades, He began His upward journey from Hades to earth with all those in paradise.
The Bible says, "He ascended on high, He lead captivity captive and gave gifts to men.” (Ephesians
4:8-9) We then read, “He who has descended is also the One who ascended far above the
heavens…” (Ephesians 4:10)

However, although Jesus led the righteous out of Hades almost 2000 years ago, the unrighteous
would remain there and still would be going there until time of the “Great White Throne
Judgment” which will still take place in the future, after the millennium. (13) They would then be
transferred to another place called the Lake of fire or Gehena which is the second Greek word for
hell. This is a place that God has specially prepared for the devil and his angels. Up to this point,
 40

the devil and his angels dwell in the second heaven and have not as yet gone to hell. (I will explain
later.) (Revelation 20:7&11)

This brings us to the third word for “hell” which is the Greek word “Tartaroo.” We read, “For if
God did not spare sinning angels, but thrust them down into Hell (Tartaroo), and delivered them
into chains of darkness, being reserved to judgment.” (2 Peter 2:4) This is a temporary place
where the rebellious angels that followed Satan are being kept. They have been there before the
time of Adam. They will be taken out of this place at the end of the millennium and join the
unrighteous in the lake of fire or Gehena.

Second stage of the journey - from Hades to Earth:

Jesus would now relocate all those in paradise to a new home called “heaven,” so He begins the
second part of His journey, from Hades to Earth. When He arrives at Jerusalem, His Spirit enters
His body and His body is resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit. He then meets with Mary
Magdalene at the tomb. We read, "... she turned backward and saw Jesus standing, but she did
not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek?
Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, Sir, if you have carried Him away from here,
tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away. Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned
herself and said to Him, Rabboni! (which is to say, Master!) (15) John 20:14-16

We read that this took place early in the. (John 20:1) Jesus said to her “Don’t touch Me, I must
still ascend to My Father.” (John 20:17) However, In the evening of the same day. He returns
(John 20:19) and appears to His disciples and now they can touch Him. What happened that day?
Why could Mary not touch Him in the morning, but the disciples could touch Him in the evening?

I am going to explain this later, but first we must look at another interesting phenomenon. We
can read, "... the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were
raised;" (Matthew 27:52) The inhabitants of Jerusalem saw the graves open and many of the
saints of old walking around. It was obviously the same group that Jesus led out of Hades. While
they were waiting for Jesus to return from the tomb, they decided to pay a temporary visit to
Jerusalem. Many of the inhabitants of Jerusalem saw and recognized some of them as they made
their brief appearance.

The third stage of the journey - from Earth to the Second Heaven:

Jesus now begins the third part of His journey, from earth through the Second Heaven to the
Third Heaven. Paul speaks about being caught up to the Third Heaven. (2 Corinthians 12:2) So, if
there is a Third heaven then there must also be a First and Second heaven. I believe, with many
Bible commentators, that the Second Heaven is where Satan and his demons live, and the Third
Heaven is where God and the angels live and the First Heaven is the Earth, our natural world. The
Bible says that Jesus passed through the heavens. (Hebrews 4:14) He went from Earth, through
the Second Heaven, to the Third Heaven.

Appekduomai
 41

One of the greatest events in the history of the universe took place that day, when Jesus passed
through the Second Heaven. We read about this in Colossians, “Having stripped rulers and
authorities, He made a show of them publicly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:14) The
word in the Greek for the word “stripped” or “disarmed” is the word “apekduomai.” It is a Latin
word used in a Greek text. It is the word that was used when a Roman General conquered the
enemy signed the victory papers with the leader of the defeated army.

The tradition was that both armies would gather on the battle field and face each other after the
battle. A table was then placed between them and the Roman general and the leader of the
defeated nation would sit at opposite ends of this table to sign the terms of peace. A document
would be drawn up saying, “All the people of the defeated nation are now under the authority of
Rome. All their possessions now belonged to Rome and that they have no more privileges and
rights.” Both leaders would sign this document.

Then the Roman general would get up from his seat, walk to the other side of the table and begin
to publicly humiliate the other leader. He would tear off his medals, tear his clothes, throw his
sword on the ground and make a public spectacle of him. This was a public demonstration to all
who watched, to convince them that Rome had won the battle and was now in total authority
over the defeated nation. This tradition was called “apekduomai.”

This is exactly what Jesus did to Satan and his defeated kingdom. Though the cross, Jesus had
totally defeated the devil and his kingdom and now has all authority in heaven and on earth.
(Matthew 28:18) The Bible says "that through death He might destroy him who had the power of
death, that is, the devil."(Hebrews 2:14) In fact, Satan never knew that Jesus would actually
defeat him at the cross, for it says in the word. "... which none of the rulers of this world knew
(for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory). " (1 Corinthians 2:8)

Jesus put on such a powerful demonstration as He passed through the second heaven, that all
who were present, had no doubt that He had totally defeated the devil and his kingdom. It is now
clear to them that Jesus is now King of kings and Lord of lords, and is seated far above all
principality and power. (Ephesians 1:20)

We can imagine that Jesus walked up to Satan and said to him, “Devil, I now remove your
authority to put sickness and bondage on My people. You have no more authority over those who
belong to Me. They now belong to Me and when they declare My name and use My blood, you
and those in your kingdom will have to submit to them. You and your demons are now guilty of
murder and I now condemn you to the Lake of Fire forever and ever”.

What Jesus did that day, was for us and we need to live as though we really believe it! We are
now seated with Christ in heavenly places, (Ephesians 2:6) at the place of highest authority.
When we use the name of Jesus or the Blood of Jesus, Satan and his demons remember this
awesome event called “apkduomai” and tremble before the name of Jesus. We can now resist the
devil, and he will flee from us. (James 4:7) The Greek word to 'flee', is the word, 'to flee in terror!'

The fourth stage of the journey - from the Second Heaven to the Third Heaven:
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The final stage of the journey is to the Third heaven, the place where God dwells. Jesus leads this
huge multitude of Old Testament saints to the gates of heaven. As they approach the gates of
heaven they cry out to the angels at the gates, “Lift up your heads, O gates; even lift up, O
everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” (Psalms 24:9) Jesus now marches
victoriously into Heaven with this huge group of people to meet with His Father and to present
His blood as an atonement for our sins. We read, "nor by the blood of goats and calves, but by His
own blood He entered once for all into the Holies having obtained eternal redemption for us."
(Hebrews 9:12)

The Father accepts the sacrifice of his blood and we read, “But this Man, after He had offered one
sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right of God.” (Hebrews 10:12) The Father then says to
Jesus, “Sit down Son, Your work is complete, I accept Your sacrifice."

The fifth stage of the journey, Jesus returns to Earth for a short period of time

Jesus then returns to earth and appears to his disciples that very same day in the evening, we
read, “Then the same day at evening, when the doors were shut where the disciples were
assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, Peace to
you!” (John 20:19) They are now allowed to touch Him because He has been to the Father and His
blood had been offered for their sins.” (Luke 24:39) Jesus now tells His disciples in “As the Father
sent Me, I now send you." (John 20:21) It is your turn to go and tell others what I have done.”
After spending forty days with them, He finally ascends into heaven and is now seated at God’s
right hand having imparted His power and authority to us.

Now all those who die in Christ, will go straight to heaven and will meet with Jesus in heaven. The
first person to experience this was Stephen the martyr, as he was dying he looked up and saw
Jesus in Heaven at the right hand of His Father, "And he said, Behold, I see Heaven opened and
the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God." (Act 7:56)

At the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ all those in Hades and Tartaroo will be cast into
Gehena, the Lake of fire. "Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from
his prison ... The sea (the hell that was reserved for the angels) gave up the dead who were in it,
and Death and Hades delivered up the dead ... Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of
fire. This is the second death.  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the
lake of fire." (Revelations 20:7, 13&14)

Finally, all those whose names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life, those who had
rejected Jesus, will also be thrown into the Lake of fire. Those whose names are in the book of life
will be rejoicing in heaven and experiencing wonderful eternal life with Jesus. Amen
 43

EVER INCREASING FAITH

The laws of faith.

Faith is a very large subject and we can write volumes on this subject. It has taken me a long to
understand how faith really works and it has only been recently that I have "managed to wrap my
brain" around the subject of faith. I want to briefly share this with you and hopefully give you an
understanding of how faith works and how to apply the principles of faith to your own situations.

First of all we must realize that Faith is the language of God. Paul said, we believe, Therefore, we
speak.” (2 Corinthians 4:13) God responds to our faith and not necessary to our needs, and if we
do not exercise faith, His hands are "tied" and He can't meet our needs. If we want God to answer
our prayers, we must add the element of faith, or else our prayers will be powerless and
meaningless. It is possible to ask and ask, and receive nothing.

We must ask in faith! Jesus said, "Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray,
believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:24) In the world, resources are
moved by needs, but in the Kingdom of God, resources are only moved by faith. It is Therefore,
our responsibility to use our faith to change our circumstances. We are not blessed just because
we are holy and obedient, but we are blessed because we believe!

To begin this study, we must realize that faith stands on two very important pillars:

First of all, faith is always in the past tense:

It is based on what God has done and not what He will do or may do. Therefore, it is important to
receive it by faith that what He has already given to us.

For example: 1 Peter 2:24 says, “By His stripes we were healed.” Jesus is not healing people
today. He already healed us 2000 years ago. His last words on the cross were, "It is finished." In
the Greek this means, "The price has been paid in full." Jesus' redemptive work is complete and
He is now seated at the right hand of God the Father. It is therefore, our responsibility to receive
by faith, the healing that He has already given to us when He died for us on the cross and rose
from the dead.

In 1 John 2:2 we read, "And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for
the sins of the whole world." He has already given salvation to everyone. However, not everyone
will receive His salvation. In Ephesians 1:3, we read that “God has blessed us with every spiritual
blessing in heavenly places in Christ.” He has already blessed us 2000 years ago. We receive by
faith that what He has already done. Colossians 1:13 says, "Who hath delivered us from the
power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:" That is why we do
 44

not have to fight the devil, but stand in the victory that Jesus has already given to us. (Ephesians
6:3)

It is therefore, foolishness to ask God to give us something that He has already given to us.
Unfortunately, many are waiting for God to do something, instead of receiving by faith that what
He has already done.

Furthermore, when it comes to prayer, Jesus said in Mark 11:24. "Therefore, I say to you,
whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."
The original Greek says, "believe that you have already received it!" The moment we have prayed,
we must believe that God has already answered our prayer.

Secondly: God places our resources in the invisible spirit world:

Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “Now faith is..., the evidence of things not seen." In verse 2 we read, "... the
things which are seen were not made from the things that are visible." When God created the
world through faith, He transferred that which already existed in the invisible spirit world, into
the world that we can now see. He did so by declaring His word, "let there be light..." etc.

The Bible says that, "God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, in Christ."
(Ephesians 1:3) The invisible world that we cannot see is superior to the world that we can see
and all our spiritual blessings are located there. Therefore, all we need to do is to transfer these
by faith, into "our world" and make it our experience. In Matthew 6:10 Jesus taught us to pray by
saying “Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We can
Therefore, experience the life of heaven right now on earth, through the steps of faith we take on
earth.

Therefore, when we ask according to the word of God and the will of God, we must believe that
we receive. Just because we do not see the answer, does not mean that we have not received the
answer. In Mark 11:24 we read, "Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray,
believe that you receive them, and you will have them." The original Greek says, "Believe that you
have already received it!" The answers to our prayers may be in the invisible spirit world, and over
a period of time, will manifest in our natural worlds as we continue to believe. Jesus said in
Matthew 7:8, "Everyone who asks receives!" That verse means what it says! After we ask, it is
important to believe and exercise our faith until we see that manifestation.

The invisible spirit world is not only around us, but also in us! We are spirit, soul and body and
when we are born again, we receive the life of Jesus into our spirit man. The Bible says that
"Christ in us is the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) Paul says in Galatians 2:20, "I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me." Romans 8:11 says "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the
dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by
His Spirit that dwells in you." We have the perfect life of Jesus living is us, perfect love, perfect
holiness, perfect boldness, etc. By faith we can release this life into our souls (mind will and
emotions), as well as into our physical bodies. It is the greatest key to experience healing and
health!
 45

The important question we now face is: How do we exercise faith in order to transfer that which
God has already given to us, and that which already exists in the spirit world, into our natural
worlds?

Firstly, faith works through the words that we confess and proclaim:

When we declare God's words and His will, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, we transfer God's
resources from the invisible spirit world into the world that we can see. Jesus taught us to pray in
Matthew 6:10. “Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The
original Greek says, “Come kingdom of God, be done will of God on earth as it is in heaven!” It is
supposed to be a bold declaration and not simply a request! It is the way that God created the
heavens and the earth. We read in Genesis that He declared His word with authority and said.
"Let there be light... etc."

Jesus taught us about faith when He said, "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this
mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes
that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." (Mark 11:23) Therefore,
we do not talk to God about the mountains, but we talk to the mountains about God. It is our
responsibility to command them to go!

A number of years ago I was teaching at a Bible class in Africa on the subject of faith. I wanted to
demonstrate this principle and invited someone with a healing need to come forward. A young
man who had pain in his knees came forward. I then invited someone to pray for him, and this is
how he prayed. "Lord I ask You to heal my brothers knees in the name of Jesus. Your word says
that "by the stripes of Jesus we were healed. God, I now ask you to heal these knees in Jesus
name." This is a supposedly good prayer, but nothing happened. I then told him to speak to "the
mountain" and not to God about the mountain. He then prayed again and said, "In the name of
Jesus, by His stripes I now command the pain in his knees to go!" This brother was then
immediately healed.

We read how, “God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though
they did.”(Romans 4:17) In the same way we also call things that do not exist to our natural
senses, into existence. Therefore, our declaration is not based on what we see or hear, but on
what we believe. We declare things into existence before they manifest. Another translation says,
“He speaks of the nonexistent things as if they [already] existed.” The spirit world reacts according
to the words that we speak. Words and voice activates the spirit world.

Therefore, nothing happens in the spiritual world without a declaration in the natural world. In
Psalms we read, “Bless the Lord, you angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the
voice of His word.” (Psalms 103:20) The angels respond to the voice of God's word. God gives us
the word and we must put a voice behind the word. Jesus is our example. He said “As the Father
sends Me, I send you.” (John 20:21) He never prayed for a single miracle, but He created the
miracles by the words that He spoke. For example, He said, “Be healed, get up and walk, stretch
out your hand, etc.” When He was in a storm, He spoke to the storm and said, “Be still.” When He
was tempted by the devil in the wilderness He said, “It is written.” He just declared the word of
God.
 46

In Matthew 8 we read about the Roman Centurion, who understood the authority behind the
spoken word. He said to Jesus, "I am a man under authority and I say to this man 'come' and he
comes, and another 'go' and he goes...." He then said to Jesus in verse 8, “But only speak the
word and my servant will be healed.” Sometimes, the only way to come out of a difficult situation,
is just to speak God's word with authority. Paul said, "The word is near you, even in your mouth
and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): (Romans 10:8)

Secondly, faith works through steps of faith that we take:

The Bible says in James 2:20, "Faith without works is dead." In other word, faith needs to be
accompanied by corresponding actions to show that we believe. We have already spoken about
the importance of speaking words of faith. However, there are also other actions that we can take
to release our faith. For example: When Israel conquered Jericho, they had to shout, the shout of
victory before the walls came done. Often, we have to take a step of faith even if there is no
evidence that something has happened. It is easy to shout after the evidence of breakthrough and
victory, but that is not faith. Faith rejoices before the miracle manifests.

Another example is when the priests crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. They had to step
into a raging river, before the waters stopped flowing and the river parted. They had to take a
huge risk to do so. I heard someone once say, the word FAITH is spelt, RISK. Often, we have to
take a risk before we receive the miracle. We once had to book our plane tickets before we
received the money to do so. As we took the risk, God provided the money.

When I was a young believer, I played a game of rugby and someone kicked me in the mouth and
broke one of my back teeth. I had just heard a message on faith based on Mark 11:24 where Jesus
said, "When you ask believe that you receive, and you shall have." I placed my finger on the tooth
and proclaimed healing. Initially nothing happened, but I went around telling many people that
God had healed my tooth. I felt a bit like a hypocrite because the tooth was still broken. One day
as I was cleaning my teeth, I noticed that this tooth was healed, and I had received my miracle!

There are many examples in the Bible. In Mark 5 we read about the woman who touched the
hem of Jesus garment and was healed. She took a step of faith. I believe that if she had taken
some other step of faith she would still of being healed. I remember an amusing example in
Kyrgyzstan. A young pastor started a church in a predominantly Muslim area. He took a strange
step of faith. A few of them in the church would bake pies for the local market. They would then
lay hands on these pies and declare that if anyone would eat these pies, they would be drawn to
the church. During the next few weeks, many "pie eaters" from the city started coming to the
church and received Jesus.

We read about Jesus healing the lepers, "So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show
yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed." (Luke 17:14)
Notice, as they went they were healed! Healing often happens when we defy the symptoms and
act healed. We have often seen healings when we have challenged people to act contrary to their
symptoms. For example, if there is pain in the legs, then jump or walk around. Jesus often did
this. For example, He would say to a cripple, "get up and walk", and to the man with the withered
hand, "stretch out your hands... etc." We have the crazy example when Jehoshaphat sent out the
choir before the army. We read, "As the singers sang, the Lord sent an ambush and destroyed the
enemy. (2 Chronicles 20:22)
 47

Thirdly, faith works when we must renew our minds:

The well-known verse in Romans 10:16 says that "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the
word of God." As we fill our minds with the promises of the word of God, it will influence our
thought patterns and will cause our faith to grow. The Bible says that, all promises in Him are yes
and in Him amen.” Another translation says, “For as many as are the promises of God, they all
find their Yes in Him. For this reason, we also utter the Amen to God through to the glory of God.”
God has already given us a big YES when we read the promises. He is waiting for us to agree with
Him and say a big AMEN.

Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it
shall be done for you.” (John 15:7) There are so many promises in the Bible. Therefore, whenever
we have a need, we can find promises in the Bible and fill our minds with these promises. The
word of God will renew our minds and enable us to release our faith. It is like a seed and as we
plant it in our mind and heart it will grow into a miracle. I once heard David Yonnghi Cho from
Korea give this testimony. A young girl who had a cancerous growth on her neck asked him to
pray for her. He told her that he would do so on one condition, she had to write out a thousand
times, "by His stripes I was healed." When she returned for prayer a few days later, the growth
was completely gone.

It is not only the Bible that renews our minds, but good testimonies. In Revelations we read, "The
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Revelations 19:10) The word 'prophecy' means, 'to
do it again.' In other words when we hear testimonies of what Jesus has done, we create the
atmosphere for God to repeat the miracle. A few years ago a woman came up to my wife Frances
and asked her to pray for her. She had a serious sickness. Frances then told her how God had
healed me a few weeks earlier. Her eyes lightened up and she said, "I believe!" Frances then
prayed a simple prayer over her. We saw her two weeks later and she testified that she had been
totally healed.

Fourthly, faith works when we remove unbelief :

The key to miracles and breakthrough is not only to increase our level of faith, but also to remove
unbelief from our hearts. We have the example in the Bible when the disciples tried to cast the
demon out of the young boy, but could not do so. Jesus sent the out to heal the sick, cast out
demons and to preach the gospel. Up to that time they had great success, but when they tried to
cast out this demon, and saw the demon violently manifest, unbelief entered into their hearts.
We read in Matthew 17:19-20 "Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, “Why could we
not cast him out?” And Jesus said unto them, “Because of your unbelief: ..." Lack of faith was not
their problem, their problem was unbelief!

This can happen to us, we have strong faith, but when we look at the manifestations and the
circumstances, we allow unbelief and doubt to come into our hearts. The same thing happened to
Peter when he walked on the water. He had faith, otherwise he would not have walked on the
water, but when he saw the storm, he began to sink. Jesus said to him, "why did you doubt?"
(Matthew 14:31)
 48

Often our problem is not the lack of faith but the presence of doubt and unbelief. Just as " faith
comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God," so unbelief comes by observing negative
things that are contrary to the word of God. We can build up our faith by the word of God in the
morning, and then destroy our faith during the course of the day by filling our minds with
negative things especially from the media. The prevailing thought patterns in the world are
contrary to the word of God. When Jesus rebuked Peter He said, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are
an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." (Matthew
16:23) Therefore, it is important that we focus on what God says in His word and not on what we
see, feel or what the world thinks.

Finally, let us look at the life of Abraham. We read in Romans 4:19-21, "And being not weak in
faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old,
neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through
unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had
promised, he was able also to perform." He knew that the situation seemed hopeless but he
chose not to think about the negative symptoms and rather focus on the promises that God gave
him. Notice he did not deny the symptoms, but he denied the symptoms to influence the way he
thought.

The word 'consider' means to 'study in depth.' Sometimes too much information can cause
unbelief to enter into our minds. Instead of getting all the information from 'uncle Google' on the
Internet, let us rather just simple believe God's word. There is nothing to difficult for God. Jesus
said, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23)

Finally: Faith pleases God, for "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Hebrews
11:6) Amen

The power of declaration

A few years ago, the Lord began to lay on my heart, the importance of declaration. It is important
to realize that words can influence our lives and connect us to God's resources in the unseen
spiritual world. There are many scriptures that speak about the importance of words. In Proverbs
we read that “the power of life and death is in the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21) Our words will
influence our lives. Furthermore, in the New Testament, Peter writes and says, that “He who
would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking
guile.” (1 Peter 3:10) Our quality of life and the length that we will live, depends on the words
that we speak!

Words transfer that which is in the unseen spiritual world, into our natural seen world. The Bible
says that, "... the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things that are seen were
not made from the things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:2-3) Everything that God created,
originated in the invisible spirit world, a world that is a superior to the world that we can see.
 49

When we read about the creation story in Genesis we read that God created this world by making
decrees or declarations. When He said, "Let there be light!" There was light, etc."

Although we cannot, like God, create something out of nothing, we can however, influence our
environment by the words we speak. In fact, we too can transfer that which already exists in the
unseen spirit world by the words of faith that we declare or decree. When God created the earth,
we read that, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘let there be light.’”

In the same way, we can bring light into the darkness of our lives by speaking God’s word. The
Holy Spirit is hovering over our lives waiting for us to declare the word of the Lord. When the Holy
Spirit and the word of God come together, then miracles happen. The key is to find out what
already exists in the unseen spirit world and use our words to transfer it into the world that we
can see.

God has already placed all our resources in the spirit world. The Bible says, “He has blessed us
with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3) Therefore, we do not
have to beg and persuade God to do something for us. Jesus has already paid the price for us to
be blessed and these blessings are located in 'heavenly places' in the invisible spirit world. We
must now use our words and make them a reality in our own lives.

When Jesus taught us to pray, He said, “Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done on earth as
it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) The original Greek is in the imperative tense which says, “Come
kingdom of God, be done will of God on earth as it is in heaven!” It is not a request but a
declaration or a command! What is the Kingdom of God? It is where King Jesus has dominion. It is
a place where we experience His “righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)
It is a place where we are free from the influence of the devil. (Matthew 12:28) It is a place where
there is health, joy, peace, freedom and a wonderful relationship with God. We can Therefore,
use the power of declaration and transfer that which is in heaven to earth.

The Bible says that Jesus is our example. (1 Peter 2:21) Jesus also said, “As the Father sends Me, I
send you.” (John 20:21) Therefore, if we want to learn how to apply a truth from the Bible, we can
look at the life of Jesus and the examples He gave us. When Jesus walked on the Earth, He used
the authority of the Father and made declarations. He said, “Be healed, get up and walk, stretch
out your hand, your sins have been forgiven, etc.” He created the miracles by the words that He
spoke.

When He was in a storm, He spoke to the storm and said, “Be still.” He expects us to do the same
and speak to the storms in our lives. In fact, He would not allow us to go through storms without
giving us the 'tools' to conquer the storms. Therefore, instead of pleading and crying in the storm,
as His disciples did, we are to use our authority and speak to our storms. Also, when He was
tempted by the devil in the wilderness He simply declared the word of God and said, “It is
written.” He expects us to do the same, use our authority, resist the devil and declare the word of
God. The devil cannot resist the word of the Lord.
 50

Jesus said, “Whoever (that includes all of us) says to this mountain, ‘be removed and cast into the
sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes the things that he says shall come to pass, he
will have whatever he says.” (Mark 11:23) It is better to speak to the mountains and command
them to go than to speak to God about the mountains and ask Him to remove them.

In Matthew 8 we read about the Roman Centurion who understood the power of authority and
declaration. He said to Jesus, “But only speak the word and my servant will be healed.” (Matthew
8:8) Jesus was amazed and said, “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.” Maybe
some of us are longing for a breakthrough or a miracle. We have a wonderful promise, "to speak
only the word." We also see this in the Early Church. Peter and John met the lame man and said,
“In the name of Jesus rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6) There is power when we declare the name of
Jesus. We also read how Paul healed a lame man by saying with a loud voice, “Stand up straight
on your feet!” (Acts 14:9-10) The man leaped and walked. Paul transferred healing power from
the invisible spirit world into the body of that man by making a bold declaration.

We read an amazing verse in the book of Job, You shall declare a matter, and it shall be
established, so light will shine on your ways.” The KJV says, "You shall decree a matter..." Decrees
are the privileges of kings! When a king decrees something, it becomes the law of the land.
Therefore, when we, as kings and priests, seated in heavenly places, make decrees according to
the word and will of God, a law is established in the spirit world. We can, therefore, remove the
power of darkness and bring the light of God into our lives by the words that we speak. Nothing
happens in the spirit world without a declaration.

We once held a meeting in a church in St. Petersburg. After the meeting, they told us of a lady in
the church who had an accident and was in a coma for a long time. They could not wake her up
out of her coma. I preached this word and after the sermon I got the whole church to declare that
she would come out of this coma. About a half hour later we received the news that she had
come out of her coma. We made a decree, and it was established! We later met this lady, healthy,
alive and well.

In Psalms we read, “Bless the Lord, you angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding
the voice of His word.” (Psalms 103:20) We see how the angels respond to voice of God's word.
God gives His word but it is our responsibility to give His word a voice before the angels respond!
In the same way that angel activity is released by use speaking God's word, so demonic activity is
activated when we speak negative words that contradict the word of God. That is why, "the
power of life and death are in the tongue!"

We read in the Bible that, “God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not
exist as though they did." [Another translation says, “He speaks of the nonexistent things as if
they [already] existed."] (Romans 4:17)

In the same way, we are to do the same! Our declaration is not to be based on what we see or
hear, but on what we believe and on what God's word says no matter how negative our
circumstances seem to be. We are to declare things into existence before they manifest!
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Jesus gave us this amazing promise in the book of Matthew, “Whatever you bind on earth will be
bound in heaven. Whatever you lose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” The Amplified says,
“Whatever you forbid and declare to be unlawful and improper on earth, must be what is already
forbidden in heaven. And whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth, must be
what is already permitted in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18)

What has God forbidden in heaven? Everything that does not agree with His word, such as
sickness, oppression, fear, bondage, etc. Therefore, with the power of declaration we can forbid it
and declare it unlawful on earth, in our lives and in our circumstances. In the same way, we
release on earth through the power of declaration that what God has already released in heaven.
Through the cross of Jesus, every spiritual blessing has already been released in heaven. God has
already released healing, freedom, blessings, prosperity, joy, peace, etc. We must now transfer
these to earth by the declaration of the word of God.

A few years ago, Frances and I went to Turkey on a short holiday special from Russia. They put us
up in a hotel full of Russians. When we switched on the TV in our room, which was set to the local
channel, it showed the most horrific pornography. We turned the TV off and declared that this
was not right and not according to the kingdom of God. Therefore, we came in agreement, and
made the following declaration. "We will not allow this program to continue because it is not
allowed in heaven. We destroy the equipment producing this program and declare it will no longer
be shown in this hotel while we are staying here."

A short while later we again switched on the TV and to our surprise, it was a Christian channel
showing John Haggee preaching. For the duration of our stay we watched wonderful, upbuilding
Christian programs. Can you imagine, a Christian program in a Muslim country in a hotel full of
Russian holiday makers! I think God must have sent an angel to redirect the satellite dish.

I want to now read the well-known Aaronic blessing from the book of Numbers. God said, “Speak
unto Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel, by saying to
them, -The LORD bless you, and keep you: The LORD make his face shine upon you, and be
gracious to you: 6:26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. And they
shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:23-26)

Notice it says, "this is the way you shall bless, by speaking..." Words release the blessing! We can
bless one another by the words we speak! That is why we read in Genesis, "God blessed them and
said, 'be fruitful and multiply...'" (Genesis 1:18) How did God release the blessing? By speaking!
Therefore, we release blessings on people by declaring the word of God and the will of God in
faith over them.

There are some great declarations that we can use. In Hebrews we read, “For He Himself has
said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper, I will
not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6) We can apply this to other areas of our lives
too, for example:

The Lord said, “By His stripes I was healed” – Therefore, I may boldly say, “I am healed by the
stripes of Jesus.” The Lord said, “Greater is He who is in you.” – Therefore, I may boldly say, “I am
 52

not weak and defeated because Jesus lives in me.” The Lord said, “I will build My church.” –
Therefore, we may boldly say, “Our church will grow and be blessed and influence many people
for Christ."
Finally, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is
faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23) The word "hope" means, "a joyful anticipation of good things to
come." If we desire good things to happen, then we can begin to declare words of hope. Notice it
also says, "hold fast" or "continue" which means it is not just a once off declaration, but we need
to continue to do so until our answer manifests. Angels respond to our words but often there is a
warfare in the heaven lies and it may take time to get the breakthrough.

The power of declaration is a wonderful truth. Therefore, may God bless you by the words you
speak, for "the power of life and death are in the tongue." Amen.

Spiritual authority
Authority means, delegated power: It gives us the right to use the power that belongs to
someone else. Authority is the right to command! For example, we submit to the authority
policeman because he has is supported by power of the government of the nation. Authority has
two sources: Firstly, it is given by those who willingly submit to it. We have the example when the
people of Israel invited David to be their king, then willingly submitted to him. He was given his
authority by the people. Secondly, it is delegated by a higher authority. For example, the leaders
over us can delegate authority to us as we submit to them. We have the example of Joseph in the
Old Testament, he had authority because Pharaoh delegated it to him. A president of a country is
given his authority by those who elected him to be president. Once he is president, then he can
appoint people under him and give them authority.

The history of authority:

God has always had all authority and power and He will always have all authority and power,
because He is God. When God created man, Adam and Eve, He gave to them authority to rule the
earth, He said, “Let us make man in Our image and according to Our likeness and let them have
dominion..."” (Genesis 1:26) This included dominion over the devil, who was at that time on the
earth. This is the same authority that God wants His church to have.

However, there was a condition to that authority, Adam and Eve had to submit to the authority of
God and obey Him. We know what happened, the devil tempted them to disobey God, they
listened to his lies and lost their authority over the earth to the devil. This gave the devil the
freedom to deceive the nations and bring people under his power. That is why we read in John
12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” Jesus
called the devil the prince of this world.
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We have the example when the devil tempted Jesus and said that he would give Him all the
kingdoms of the world if Jesus would worship him. Jesus did not contradict the devil's claim
because He knew that the Kingdoms were under Satan’s domain. However, God never lost His
authority over the earth, man did and even in the Old Testament there were those who submitted
to the authority of God and had victory over the devil.

However, just as the first Adam lost his authority through disobedience, the second Adam Jesus,
came to earth as a man, and as a man in total obedience to His Father, regained the authority
that Adam lost. We read, "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and
became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly
exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,..." (Philippians 2:8) Jesus was
totally obedient, even to the death of the cross, and when rose from the dead, He conquered the
last enemy called death, and regained all the authority for man that Adam had lost.

He then delegated this authority to the Church and in the Great Commission we read, “All
authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me, go into all the world and preach the gospel
to all nations, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18)

This now implies, that if Jesus has all authority, then the devil has no authority. The devil has
been stripped of his authority by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus now has the keys of
hell and death, and He has given His authority to us, the church. We read in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I
give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power [ability] of the
enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

It is Therefore, the responsibility of the Church to use this authority and destroy the power of the
enemy. Therefore, if we do not use our authority to change things on earth, then nothing
happens. It is our responsibility because has left us in control. Therefore, we need to accept this
responsibility of being in charge! God will assist us, but He will not interfere.

It is also important to realize that although the devil has no authority, he does have the power of
suggestion and lies. Therefore, if he can find people to work through, then he then uses their
authority to accomplish his evil purposes. That is what happened to Adam and Eve, they
submitted to the devil's suggestions, and lost their dominion over the earth. This is also what the
devil tried to do with Jesus in the wilderness and this is what the devil tries to do with us through
the "lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life." (1 John 2:16) The devil exercises
his power through those who submit to him, through those whom he has deceived.

We read in Ephesians 2:2 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of
disobedience:” That is why there are wars, crime, people getting raped and killed and bad things
happening on the earth today. It is Therefore, our responsibility to use our authority and break
the devil’s power, and bring in the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, “I will build My church (not your
church) and the gates of hell (The power that the devil has over people) shall not prevail (or
conquer) against it.” (Matthew 16:18) God did not call the church to defend itself against the
powers of darkness, but to take the initiative and conquer the powers of darkness. The Kingdom
of God should be advancing and not defending itself, trying to survive!

In the final analysis, the church will destroy the works of the devil and will bring the bring the
kingdom of God to all nations. We read, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of
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our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.” (Revelations 11:15) Isaiah says
“Of the increase of His government there will be no end.” (Isaiah 9:7) The Bible says that Jesus,
"... sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His
footstool.” (Hebrews 10:12-13) Jesus is waiting for the church to put all His enemies under His
feet.

How do we use this authority?

Firstly we must know who we are in Christ:

The Bible says that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God in the place of highest authority
(Ephesians 1:20-21) and that we have been raised together with Christ and made to sit together
with Him in heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:6) In Christ, we are seated at God's right hand, in a
place of highest authority. That is why the Bible says "we will reign in life through One Christ
Jesus." (Romans 5:17) We are no longer just ordinary people but "He has made us kings and
priests to His God and Father." (Revelations 1:6)

Therefore, we must have the mentality of kings and priests, they do not ask and beg, but
command and use their authority. We are not on earth, asking God to give us victory over the
devil and our circumstances, but we are seated at God's right hand in Christ, in the place of
highest authority reigning in life in Christ Jesus. Jesus is our example, He said, "As the Father sent
Me, I send you!" (John 20:21) We notice that He never asked the Father to do heal the sick and to
perform miracles, He acted like a king commanded the miracles to happen.

Jesus said in Mark 11:23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed
and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says
will be done, he will have whatever he says." We are not to ask God to move the mountains, but
to use our authority and command the mountains to go. Furthermore, the Bible says, "He has
delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His
love." (Colossians 1:13) We have already been transferred out from the devil’s domain into the
Kingdom of Jesus, and in this kingdom, the devil has no authority and power over us.

Secondly, we must be under authority:

It is not only our position that is important, but our obedience and submission to God. It was the
very act of disobedience that caused Adam and Eve to lose their authority in the garden of Eden.
We have the story of the Roman Centurion who said to Jesus, "For I also am a man under
authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another,
‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it." (Matthew 8:9) Jesus
answered and said to him, "I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" (Matthew 8:10)
There is a link between faith and using authority. The centurion realized that Jesus was under the
authority of the Father, Therefore, He could take authority over the sickness of his servant.

In the book of James, we read, "Submit to God and resist the devil and he will flee for you." (James
4:7) We first submit, then we resist. Therefore, when we are submitted to God's authority, we can
have authority to resist the devil. To be submitted to God can means: Firstly, that we are
obedient to the will of God and the word of God. The Bible says, "Having a readiness to revenge
disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2Corinthians 10:6) Secondly, it means that we
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are under God's delegated authority, whether in the church, the family or in the government. We
cannot exercise authority unless we are submitted to a higher authority, and the highest authority
is the authority of God.

Thirdly, we must use the name of Jesus:

Jesus delegates authority to us through His name. The Bible says that Jesus, "has a name above
all names." (Philippians 2:10) When we use His name, we represent Him, Therefore, devil is not
afraid of us, but the One whom we represent. That is why Jesus said, "In My name they will cast
out demons..." (Mark 16:17). I read about a pastor who went to pray in his church building. While
in prayer he saw the manifestation of a large demon in the building. He commanded the demon
to go, but the demon just ignored him. He then told the demon to go in the name of Jesus. The
demon then answered and said, "I do not want to go, but I have to go." When he used the name
of Jesus the demon left the building." The greatest power we have against the powers of darkness
is the name of Jesus.

To illustrate this, imagine two little girls playing together after supper. The mother tells the older
girl, you must go to bed at nine o clock. At nine o clock the older girl says to the younger, "we
must now go to bed." The younger ignores her and continues to play and then asks her why. At
this the older girl stomps her feet and says, "mamma says so!" At this the younger girl submits
and goes to bed because the older girl spoke in the name of mamma. Therefore, when we use the
name of Jesus, it is as if we say, "Jesus says so!"

The same applies when we heal the sick. We do not ask God to heal the sick, but we use the
authority of Jesus which is released through His name and we command the sickness to go. We
have the example of Peter when he healed the lame man. he said, "silver and gold I have none,
but in the name of Jesus, rise up and walk!" (Acts 3:6) What did he have? He had authority in the
name of Jesus. When Peter later explained the miracle he said, "And His name, through faith in
His name, has made this man strong..." (Acts 3:16)

The name of Jesus does not only give us authority to heal the sick and cast out demons, but it
gives us confidence to approach God the Father in prayer. Jesus said, " “And in that day you will
ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will
give you. (John 16:23)

Fourthly: We must apply the word of God:

We have the example in Matthew 4 when the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness. At each
temptation Jesus simply just said, "It is written." God's word carries God's authority. When God
created man we read, "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;
let them have dominion..." It says that God made them in His likeness. What does that mean? We
find the answer in Genesis 2:7, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." The word living being
in the Hebrew text means, "another speaking spirit like God." The word likeness here means the
ability to speak like God speaks. Therefore, it is the ability to speak like God, that gave man
dominion. In order to speak like God, we speak His word!

The centurion, who understood the authority of Jesus, said to Him, "Speak only the word and my
servant will be healed." (Matthew 8:8) Therefore, when we speak the word of God, under the
anointing of the Holy Spirit, we release God's authority. Many are asking God to do things for
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them instead of just speaking the word of God with authority. In Psalms we read, "forever, Your
word is settled in heaven." (Psalm 119:89) God's word is His final authority.

The Bible says that the word of God is the "sword of the Spirit." (Ephesians 6:17) So when we
declare the word of God, we put a sword into the hands of the Holy Spirit to fight on our behalf.
Furthermore, the word of God releases angelic activity. We read in Psalms, "Bless the LORD, you
His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word." (Psalm
103:20) God gives us His word, but we must give a voice to His word. When we do so, angels are
mobilized to act on our behalf.

Fifthly, we must use the Blood of Jesus.

To understand how the Blood works we need to look at an Old Testament application. On the
night of the Passover, the children of Israel had to take the shed blood of a lamb and apply it to
the doors of their houses. If they did so, the 'destroyer' would pass by and not enter into that
house. In the same way, when we apply the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God to our lives, the devil
and his demons cannot touch our lives. They applied the blood by sprinkling it physically with a
plant onto the door posts of their houses. In the same way, we sprinkle the blood of Jesus by
declaring what the word of God says about the Blood of Jesus.

That is why we read in the book of Revelations, "They overcame him (the devil) by the Blood of
the Lamb, the word of their testimony, not loving their lives unto death." (Revelations 12:11) The
word of their testimony, is the testimony of the word of God. The Bible says that the Blood of
Jesus speaks. (Hebrews 12:24)

The Blood says many wonderful things, such as "your healed, you are righteous, you are forgiven,
you are reconciled to God and you have access into God's presence. But one of the most
important things that the Blood says is found in Hebrews 9:17,"For a testament is of force after
men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth." When the Testator
dies, the inheritance is released. Therefore, the Blood of Jesus declares that our Testator, Jesus
has died and we have now become "heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ."(Romans 8:17)
Everything, that belonged to Jesus, now belongs to us, that includes His authority. That is why the
Blood of Jesus is called the Blood of the Testament (Hebrews 9:20)

The Blood speaks and tells the powers of darkness that we are in covenant relationship with God,
and that because "God is for us, then no-one can be against us." (Romans 8:31) If anyone wants
to do us harm, they will have to answer to God Himself. We apply the Blood by declaring what
Jesus did for us when He died on the cross for us. For example, He justified us (Romans 5:9) and
He healed us (1 Peter 2:24)

In the same way that they protected themselves when they sprinkled the blood in the Old
Testament, we can place the protection of the Blood of Jesus over various areas of our lives by
declaring the Blood of Jesus. I heard about a farmer who was having problems with foxes that
were killing off his livestock. One day a pastor came to visit him and suggested that they placed
the protection of the Blood of Jesus around his property. They agreed together in prayer and
declared, "In Jesus name we place the protection of the blood of Jesus around this property and
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draw a bloodline around this property." The following morning the farmer found many dead foxes
lying on the boundary line of his farm.

When I was a young believer, a few of us did evangelism and led Simon, an alcoholic, to the Lord.
Unfortunately, Simon lived in a house with other alcoholics and we realized that he was in danger
of being tempted to drink again. We agreed in prayer and declared the protection of the blood of
Jesus at entrance of his room. When we saw Simon the following week, he testified that no-one
had been able to come into his room.

Levels of authority.

We need to know how much authority God will allow us to exercise? Paul said, "We, however, will
not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere
which especially includes you." (2 Corinthians 10:13) He acknowledged that there was a sphere of
influence that God had delegated to him and that he needed to operate within those limits. For
example, a pastor of one church cannot just walk into another church and start using his
authority. We cannot exercise authority over demons in those who willing submit to their
demons. We must have their consent.

Many in the past have suffered great harm from the enemy because they moved beyond the
spheres of authority that God had entrusted to them. I knew someone who used to go around
taking authority over the demons wherever this person went. This person died of an untimely
and unexplained death.

I want to suggest the following levels of authority that God has delegated to us:

Firstly, in our personal lives: We have total authority over the devil and his demons in our
personal lives. This is why the Bible says, "Submit to God and resist the devil, and he will flee from
you." (James 4:7) We can go ahead with confidence and command sickness and demonic
oppression to leave us.

Secondly, family authority: The husband as the head of the home and has authority to minister to
his wife and children and to confront the powers of darkness over his family. For example, I have
complete authority pray for my wife and to resist the devil on her behalf. Parents have authority
to protect and minister to their children. The Bible says that "The head of every man is Christ, the
head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God (the Father)" (1 Corinthians 11:3)

I have sometimes us this principle when praying for people. Once I was approach by a husband
and wife. The wife asked me to pray for her healing. I then asked the husband to give me the
authority to pray for his wife. He did so in prayer and when I prayed for her, she easily received
her healing. If children come forward for prayer in a meeting, I sometimes ask the parents to give
me the authority to pray for them.

Thirdly, church authority: The senior leaders of a church have spiritual to minister to those who
submit to them. In the context of the church, Jesus said, "Whatever you bind on earth will be
bound in heaven, and whatever you lose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 18:18) That
is why it is so important for us to be submitted to a local church. Great authority has been given
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to the elders of the church to pray for the sick in the church. We read about this in James, "Is
there any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church..." (James 5:14-15)

Fourthly, authority over cities and nations: We can all pray for our cities and for our country.
However, the authority to confront the powers of darkness over them can only be done by the
spiritual leaders, working together in unity. In the Old Testament, the leaders would sit at the
gates of the city and determine who came in and who went out of the city. In the same way,
authority has been given to the spiritual leaders of a city or a nation when there is unity and
agreement between them. This authority is not given just to any believer. I once heard of a group
of Christians who came to Moscow and walked up and down the streets binding the demons in
the city. As a result, they nearly all died, because God had not delegated to them that level of
authority

Finally, we read, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the
heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12) It is important to realize that people are not the enemy, but
the powers of darkness that operate through them. Therefore, we do not exercise authority
against people, but against the demonic spirits that control them. We cannot take authority over
people, but only the demons that control the people. We can violate a person's free will.

I once heard of a pastor who was trying to cast a demon out of a man. The demon told the pastor,
"you cannot cast me out because he wants me to be here." The pastor answered and said, "you
are right" and stopped praying for the man. He later found out that the man enjoyed his sin and
did not want the demons to go. Therefore, when it comes to people who are not willing to submit
to Jesus, we can only pray for them and ask the Holy Spirit to influence their hearts.

Jesus taught us to pray, "let Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
(Matthew 6:6) Let us Therefore, rise up and use the authority that God has given us and change
our person worlds. Amen

Doctrine of Healing:
The doctrine of healing is a large subject. There have been many books written and many
sermons preached about healing. The purpose of this study is to give you a summary of this
subjects so that you can release your faith to receive this wonderful gift from God and to help
others receive their healing. There are four ways revealed in the Bible that confirm that it is God's
will to heal us.

The first reason why we know that it is God's will to heal us, is because it is His very nature to heal
us: One of the redemptive names of God is “Jehovah Rapha” which is “The Lord your healer.”
(Exodus 15:26) The Hebrew word “Rapha” means to mend by stitching or to make completely
whole. In the Jewish tradition, there is a connection between a name and the character of a
person. Therefore, if healing is in the very name of God, then it must be His will to heal us. Can
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you imagine if someone announced, “Healer will be with us today". What would we expect? We
would expect that person to heal us!

It was not only our sins, that caused God the Father to send Jesus to die for us on the cross, but
our sicknesses as well. Therefore, just as much as God hates sin, He also hates sickness, because
sickness is from the devil. Therefore, when we realize this, our faith will increase to receive
healing.

The second reason why we know that it is God's will to heal us, is because of the atonement of
Jesus. In Matthew 8:17 it is written that Jesus carried our sickness and our pains. In 1 Peter 2:24
we read, “By the stripes of Jesus we were healed.” On the cross Jesus not only took our sins and
gave us His righteousness, He also took our sicknesses and gave us His healing and health.
Therefore, if we belong to Jesus, then we are in covenant relationship with God, and healing
belongs to us legally.

Furthermore, if we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, it also means that we have already
received His healing. It says that "by His stripes we were healed," and not "by His stripes we will
be healed." Legally, we were already healed two thousand years ago when Jesus died on the cross
for us. Therefore, we do not have to ask God to heal us, but receive the healing that He has
already given to us, by faith. If God has already given something to us, then it is His will for us to
have it!

Therefore, if Jesus was so cruelly scourged, almost to the point of death in order for us to be
healed, then there should be no doubt that it is God's will to heal us.

The third reason why we know it is God's will to heal us, is because of the ministry of Jesus : Jesus
said in John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him
who sent Me.” One of the most important things He did on earth was to heal the sick. In Acts
10:38 we read, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who
went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him .”
Not only did Jesus heal, but He healed all! Therefore, this should be our standard, everyone who
is sick can be healed!

Jesus is our example, He said in John 20:21 "As the Father sent Me, I send you.” Therefore, just as
the Father sent Jesus to heal the sick, it is our responsibility to heal the sick. If this was an
important focus in the life of Jesus, then it must be also be an important focus in our lives.!

The fourth reason, healing was the practice of the church in the book of Acts: The standard set by
the early church in the book of Acts, is the standard by which we are to live today. It is supposed
to be the normal Christian life! There are many examples of healing in the book of Acts:

In Acts 3:6 we read how Peter and John healed the lame man, “Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I
do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and
walk.” In Acts 5:15-16 we read how people were healed by the shadow of Peter. Notice in verse
16 it says, “They were all healed.” In Acts 8:7-8 we read about Philip in Samaria, “Many who were
lame and paralyzed were healed. And there was great joy in that city.”
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Many were also healed through the ministry of Paul, for example in Acts 14:9-10 we read how
Paul healed a lame man and said to him in a loud voice, " Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped
and walked." We can go on and on with more other examples. It was the healing of the sick that
opened the door for the preaching of the gospel. Paul said in Romans 15:19, "Through mighty
signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about
unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ."

Ten ways to receive and minister healing:

(1) Laying on of hands and the anointing with oil: In Mark 16:17-18, we read, “These signs shall
follow those who believe … they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.” We see that the
laying on of hands was the most common way to pray for the sick. There are many examples in
the ministry of Jesus and the ministry of the apostles in the book of Acts where they laid hands on
the sick and they were healed. The laying on of hands is a prophetic action to transfer the
anointing of the Holy Spirit into the body of the sick person to heal them.
In James 5:14-15 we read, “Is there anyone among you who is sick? Let him call for the elders of
the church, and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the
prayer of faith shall save the sick and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” The
Greek word ‘save’ here means to heal or deliver. We notice that it is the elders of the church that
pray which implies the context of a local church situation. That is why it is important for all of us
to belong to a local church. Furthermore, it says, " and if he have committed sins, they shall be
forgiven him." The laying on of hands was not only for the healing of the sick, but also for
forgiveness of sins.
(2) Take a steps of faith: Jesus often said to those whom He healed, “Your faith has made you
well." (Matthew 9:22, Mark 10:52) Often we need to take a step of faith in order to receive our
healing. We read about the woman who touched the hem of Jesus garment. In Mark 5:28 she said
to herself, “If I may touch His clothes I shall be made well.” She took the step of faith and was
healed. We have the example of the ten lepers who were healed. The Bibles says in Luke 17:14,
that "As they went they were cleansed." There are many other examples in the Bible. Sometimes
we can take a step of faith and do that which we could not do before. For example, Jesus said to
the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand!” (Matthew 12:13)
(3) Declare words of healing with authority: We see this in the life of Jesus. He often just spoke,
and people were healed. He would say, “Get up and walk,” or “Be healed” or “your faith has
made you well.” We also have an example of this when Peter and John said to the crippled man,
“Stand up and walk.” (Acts 3:6) Paul did the same when he said to a lame man in a loud voice,
"Stand upright on thy feet. (Acts 14:10)
Jesus said in Mark 11:23, Jesus said, “  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those
things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” We can use our authority in Christ and
command sickness and infirmity to depart. I have seen more miracles of healing take place when I
have used my spiritual authority and commanded sickness and infirmities to depart in the name
of Jesus.
(4) Meditating and confessing the Word of God: We read in Proverbs “My son, give attention to
my words … for they are life to all who find them and health to all their flesh. (Proverbs 4:20) The
Bible says that, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of the Lord.” (Romans 10:17)
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There are many healing promises in the Bible. Therefore, as we meditate on them and confess
them, faith will grow in our heart to receive our miracles of healing. I have heard many
testimonies of healing by those who simply meditated on scriptures of healing.
Yonnghi Cho from Korea once gave a testimony of a girl that came to him for healing. She had a
large tumor on her throat. He told her to first write out a thousand times, the scripture, " By His
stripes I was healed." (1 Peter 2:24) When she had completed writing out this scripture, the
cancer disappeared without him having to pray for her. The following short declaration can assist
you to receive your healing:
“I believe that God is the Lord my healer, and none of the diseases of this world will come on me.
(Exodus 15:16) Just as God has forgiven me all my sins, He has healed me from all my sicknesses.
(Psalms 103:3) Jesus has carried all my sickness and all my diseases on the cross two thousand
years ago (Matthew 8:17) and by his stripes I was healed (1 Peter 2:24) It is Therefore, God’s will
for me to prosper and to have good health (3 John 1:2). Therefore, by faith I lay hands on my body
right now and I command all sickness and pain to leave in the name of Jesus. (Mark 16:18) I
declare that in the name of Jesus, through faith in His name, I am healed. (Acts 3:16)

(5) We can command the demons that cause the sickness to leave: Many sicknesses are caused by
demons. We have the example of Jesus who often healed the sick by commanding the demon
behind the sickness to leave. For example, Jesus healed a woman who had an infirmity. We read
"And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed
together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and
said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and
immediately she was made straight, and glorified God." (Luke 13:11-13)

We also read how Jesus " ... healed many who were sick and cast out many demons." (Mark 1:34)
Casting out demons and healing the sick often go together. In fact, many will not be healed until
we cast out the demon behind the sickness. We have often seen people healed after we
commanded the demon behind the sickness to go. Smith Wigglesworth said that most cancers
caused by demons and we need to command them to leave in order if we want the person to be
healed.

There are many other examples where Jesus healed the sick by casting out the demons. The Bible
says "... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about
doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil..." (Acts 10:38) Therefore, we can
confront the demon behind the sickness to leave, or if we do not know the name of the demon,
we can simply command the demon that is causing the sickness to leave.

(6) We can obey a specific instruction of the Holy Spirit: Sometimes the Holy Spirit will show us
how to heal the sick. We have the example of Jesus how He sometimes laid hands on the sick,
(Matthew 8:2) or He put mud in the persons eyes, (John 9:11) or sometimes He told them to take
a step of faith. An example of this is when He told the lepers to go and show themselves to the
high priests. The Bible says, that "as they went they were healed. (Luke 17:14) It is important not
to just rush in and pray for people, but to wait and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. To be led by the
Holy Spirit is one of the most important keys to healing.

A few years ago, someone that I knew went to pray for a sick woman in Russia. He asked the Holy
Spirit, to show Him what should he do. He felt the Holy Spirit tell him to give the woman a glass of
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salt water to drink. As she drank the water, she was instantly healed. It is not only important that
we heal the sick, but also how we heal the sick.

(7) Repentance and forgiveness is often a big issue when we heal the sick : In James 5:16 it says,
“Confess your faults to one another that you may be healed.” Sometimes sickness in the soul will
result in sickness in the body and there is a link between sickness and sin. We have the example
when Jesus healed the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. After he was healed, Jesus said to him,
"Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." (John 5:14)
William Brahman, who was one of the great healing evangelists would often challenge people to
repent of their sins before he would pray for their healing.

I once spoke on the importance of forgiveness in a church in the east of Russia. There was a young
man in the service who was filled with bitterness towards a group of hooligans who beat him up
and damaged his back. When he forgave them, his back was immediately healed. Therefore, sin of
un-forgiveness can often block people receiving their healing. We once prayed for a girl who went
blind due to diabetes in the south of Kyrgyzstan. She was involved in immoral sexual relationships
and only after she repented of her sin, did her eyesight begin to return.

(8) It is important we cultivate the presence of the Holy Spirit: Many have been healed by simply
being in the presence of the Holy Spirit. In Luke 5:17 we read about Jesus, that “The power of God
was present to heal them.” We can build up the presence of God through worship and praise and
then expect miracles to happen. This is the way that Kathryn Kuhlman used to operate. She would
build up the presence of the Holy Spirit in her meetings through worship and then watch the
miracles happen. I have noticed that it is easier to pray for the sick when there is an awareness of
the presence of the Holy Spirit in the context of a church meeting.

In Genesis 1:2-3 we read, "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God
said, Let there be light: and there was light." When the Holy Spirit and the word of God came
together, creation took place. In the same way, when we have the combination of the presence of
the Holy Spirit and the declaration of the word of God, miracles of healing often take place. I once
spoke in a church on the subject of joy. After the message, when there was a considerable length
of praise and rejoicing, people began to be healed in their seats. If healing is imparted by the
anointing of the Holy Spirit, then it is often helpful to cultivate the presence and anointing of the
Holy Spirit when we heal the sick.

(9) Healing can take place through natural means: Sickness is often the result of bad habits, such
as eating unhealthy food, not enough exercise and sleep and too much stress in our lives.
Therefore, as we eat healthily, drink enough water, get enough sleep and exercise, we can heal
ourselves naturally. It is futile to believe God to heal us and still continue with bad physical habits.

(10) The importance of healing negative emotions: Negative emotions such as, anger, worry,
stress, depression and fear can cause sickness. Medical science tells us that most sickness is
caused by emotional stress and depression. That is why the Bible says, "A merry heart does good
like medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22) It is Therefore, important
that we cultivate good joyful emotional habits.

Final thoughts on healing:

We must not let the opinions of the world influence us. For example, people expect to get the flu
in winter! They also tell us that as we get older we can expect problems with arthritis and other
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age related diseases. We do not find this in the Bible. In 1 John 1:2, we read, "I would that you
prosper and be in health, just as your soul prospers." This is God's will! Therefore, we must not
settle for anything less than good health right up into old age. Moses, Abraham and others in the
Bible enjoyed good health right into their old age. When Jesus carried all our sicknesses and
diseases it was not only for those under the age of 40, but for all of us! Therefore, we must not let
advancing years have the legal right to take away our healing.
We do not always have to wait for some “spiritual person” to pray for us: Jesus said in "To them
that believe ... they shall lay hands on the sick!" (Mark 16:17-18) It says, those that believe, not
those who are super spiritual can lay hands on the sick. This is open to all of us who believe.
Furthermore, if there is no-one to lay hands on us, we can lay hands on ourselves and take steps
of faith for our own healing. I have often been healed by laying hands on myself and declaring the
word of healing over my own life.

Faith is not always required by those to whom we minister healing: Many of those whom we pray
for are not in a place to have faith,
especially if they are un-believers. If we pray for the sick, then we are responsible to believe and
have faith. Many of the people whom Jesus healed, did not have the faith to be healed. The
classic example of this, is the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. When Jesus asked him if he
wanted to be healed, he said, "Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the
pool." Jesus ignored his unbelief and said in the next verse, " Rise, take up thy bed, and walk."
(John 5:7-8)

I have seen this over and over in my own experience. I once prayed for the healing of a Muslim
man in India. I tried to persuade him to accept Christ, but he was not interested. I felt the Holy
Spirit say to me, "salvation is not a prerequisite for healing." I then prayed for him and he was
healed anyway.

We must see healing is an obligation that we owe to others: The Bible says that we have the same
power that raised Christ from the dead living in us (Ephesians 1:21) Therefore, we are under
obligation to heal the sick. Jesus said "... as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at
hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils ..." (Matthew 10:7-8) He
said, "As you go." Therefore, this should be our lifestyle. We may ask ourselves the question,
"What if they are not healed?" The answer is, "what if they are healed."

Finally, if healing is very important to God then it must be important to us. Therefore, may this
study inspire you to receive your own miracle of healing and to let God use you to heal others.
Amen

Four life changing values.

Our values, that what we believe in with all our hearts, determine our behavior and actions. For
example, if I believe that I will one day stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an
account of my life, this will motivate me to live in the fear of the Lord on earth. In this study, we
will look at four important values that will affect every area of our lives. We will look at the
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illustration of a room with four walls, and as we remain within the boundaries of these four walls,
we will experience the following:

- We will discover God's calling and destiny for our lives. Jesus said in John 15:16 "I have chosen
you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain."

- We will place ourselves in a position to experience healings and miracles. Jesus said in Matthew
10:7-8, "And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse
the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils."

- We put ourselves in a place to experience financial blessing and breakthrough: Proverbs 10:22
"The blessing of the LORD, it makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it."

- We will experience answers to our prayers. Jesus said in Matthew 7:8 " For every one that asks
receives;"

- We will experience God's blessing on our families, churches and in our jobs. A place where God
fulfills the desires of our hearts. Psalms 37:4 "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give
thee the desires of your heart."

- We are free and blessed in all our relationships. We love all, receive all and forgive all. It does
not mean that all will love, receive and forgive us, but we are free in our relationships towards
them.

- We have the boldness to preach the gospel and lead sinners to Christ. Acts 1:8, "You shall
receive power ... and you shall be My witnesses...."

- We have victory in every area of our lives. We are free from the lusts and desires of the flesh
and have victory over the devil. 2 Corinthians 2:14 " Now thanks be unto God, which always
leads us in triumph in Christ Jesus."

- We have a wonderful, satisfying relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We
experience His presence and we hear His voice. John 17:3 " And this is life eternal, that they might
know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

- We are making an investment in eternity through the works and the fruit that we bear. John
4:36 speaks about "gathering fruit for eternal life."

When we look at this list, we notice that this is the will of God for us, as written in the Bible. Jesus
said that He came to give us life, and life more abundantly. (John 10:10) However, this does not
mean that we will never have persecution and go through trials. But in everything we go through
we are "more than conquerors in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:37) and nothing separates us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:39)

Having said that, let us look at these four walls, or four values that will put us in a position to
experience these things:

The first wall: God is good and He is always good. There are many scriptures that describe the
goodness of God. Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble.” Jeremiah
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32:40-41 “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from doing
them good… (41) Yes, I will rejoice to do them good.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of
peace and not evil to give you a future and a hope.” God has good thoughts about us and wants to
give us hope for the future. Romans 8:31-32 "What shall we then say to these things? If God be
for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how
shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

We see His goodness when we look at His attributes. In Exodus 34:6 “The Lord, the Lord God,
merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.” Joel 2:13 “He is
gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness.” Psalms 86:15 “But You O Lord, are a
God full of compassion, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth." There are so many
scriptures that describe His goodness.

The second wall: Nothing is too difficult for God: God is infinite and we are finite, Therefore,
there is nothing that God cannot do and He does not limit Himself to our natural laws. We read in
Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord God, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and
Your outstretched arm. There is nothing to hard for you.” We call this the "God realm" where God
can do anything! God then invites us into this realm where Jesus says in Mark 9:23 “all things are
possible to him who believes.” If we can only believe, then He lifts us out of our natural realm into
His amazing supernatural real where all things are possible. There is no sickness He cannot heal,
no prayer that He cannot answer, and no limits to what God can do.

Jesus made an amazing statement in John 14:12 “The works I do, you shall do also, and greater
works than these because I go to be with My Father.” Therefore, we too can heal the sick, cast out
demons, preach the gospel and receive answers to our prayers. We must believe that “God is able
to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we ask or think, according to His power that is within us!”
(Ephesians 3:20)

The third wall: On the cross Jesus paid the full price for all our blessings: When Jesus said “It is
finished” He was saying “the price has been paid in full.” There is nothing more that we can do to
earn anything from God. Everything has already been given to us by grace. Therefore, it is our
responsibility to receive by faith, that what God has given to us by grace. He has healed us (1
Peter 2:24), Saved us (1 John 2:2), Blessed us (Ephesians 1:3) and given us a calling and a ministry.
(2 Timothy 1:9). Set us free (Colossians 1:13) and given us the victory (1 Corinthians 15:57) Today
all we have to do is to receive by faith, that what God has given to us by grace. The moment we
think that we have to do something to receive from God, we are moving away from this room of
blessing. All we have to do is to receive that what Jesus has already given us. In Romans 5:17 we
read, "... those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life
by One Christ Jesus." It does not say those that pray, or those that fast, or those that do
something, but those that receive!

The fourth wall: We are very precious and valuable to God: The value of something is
determined by the price that someone is willing to pay for it. We were bought and redeemed by
the precious blood of Jesus. Therefore, we are exceptionally valuable to God! Furthermore, we’re
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adopted into the family of God and we are sons and daughters of the King of Kings. We are kings
and priests unto our God. (Revelations 1:6) We are a holy, chosen and royal. (1 Peter 1:9) We are
the “apple of God’s eye” (Psalms 17:8). Our names are inscribed on the palms of God’s hands.
(Isaiah 49:16). God rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). In Colossians 3:12 God calls us
"The elect of God, holy and beloved." God loves us and is very fond of us.

When we know that God loves us, and we are so valuable and precious to Him, then there is no
limits to what God can do in us and for us. In Ephesians 3:19 Paul prays that if we can know the
love of Christ that passes knowledge, or is greater than our human understanding, we will be
filled with all the fullness of God. Wow!

Finally:

If we believe that God is good and He is always good: We will always have hope and expect Him
to do good things for us. We will know that God always has a good ending in everything that
happens, even if the journey may seem difficult. We read in James 5:11 “You have heard of the
perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord – that the Lord is very compassionate
and merciful.” God always has an “intended end" which is based on His compassion and mercy.
That is why we can always praise and thank Him in every situation. We will know that “He is
working all things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose."
(Romans 8:28)

If we believe that nothing is too difficult for God: We will take steps of faith to heal the sick and
believe for miracles and answers to our prayers. We will change our confession and the way we
speak. We will take risks and believe God for great things. We will always expect God to answer
our prayers. Furthermore, our lives will be filled with joy and we will influence many people for
Christ.

If we believe that Jesus paid the full price on the cross: We will stop trying to earn God's blessing
and just receive by faith, that what He has already given to us on the cross. We will always walk in
humility and be grateful for what Jesus did for us at the cross. This will motivate us to preach the
gospel and tell others about Jesus and God's love for them.

If we believe that we are valuable and precious to God . It will affect our relationship with Him.
We will love Him more and more because of our revelation of His love for us. 1 John 4:19 " We
love him, because he first loved us." We will find it easy to pray and draw near to God, because we
know that we have "been accepted in the Beloved" and He loves to have a relationship with us.

Therefore, to live between these walls, is our place of safety and blessing. The moment we
entertain any thought that is contrary to these four values, we begin to move away from this
room of blessing. Therefore, we must not allow any thought that contradicts these four important
values. As we live in this room and remain within the boundaries of these four values, there is no
limit to what God will do for us and through us. God said to Isaac in Genesis 26:3 "Dwell in this
land and I will bless you." Therefore, "dwell in the land marked out by these four boundaries, and
God will bless you. Jesus said, "I have come to give you life, and life more abundantly. Amen
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The Importance of Hope

One of the greatest problems that we face today is the problem of hopelessness. We are living in
a time where the world has never been in a more hopeless condition. They did a survey in the
USA a few years ago among pastors in the USA. What they found out is that about 50% of them
said that they wanted to quit the ministry but they could not because they did not have another
source of income. The greatest cause of teenage deaths in the USA is suicide. The main reason for
suicide is hopelessness.

Hope is so important, without it we cannot have faith, for faith is the substance of things hoped
for. Hope is the starting point of faith! In Proverbs 13:12 we read, "Hope deferred makes the
heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life." When we have a desire or an
expectation and it is not fulfilled we become sick, not only in our heart and emotions but also in
our physical bodies. On the other hand we read, "when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."

The first time that the tree of life is mentioned, is in the garden of Eden. God said, that if they ate
from the tree of life, they would live forever. This implies that the tree of life is equated with
eternal life, which is equated with the very resurrection life of Jesus. Hope Therefore, is the key to
the very life of Jesus, living in us and through us.

The Bible definition of the word hope is a joyful anticipation of good, or a joyful expectation that
good things will happen in the future. It is a joyful expectation that our circumstances will change
for the better. The devil wants us to believe, that if we are going through a negative situation, it
will never change. Or, if we are experiencing something good, it will not continue. God wants us
to know, that He can change any situation and give us hope.

Keys that will enable us to have hope and to increase of level of hope:

Firstly, hope comes when we have a revelation of the goodness of God:

In Romans 5:5 we read, "Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Spirit." When we really know that God loves us, will have hope and we will
never be disappointed with God. Even if we are going through a difficult time, we know that that
there is hope at the end of the road, because God is good.

God is a God of hope, we read in Romans 15:13. "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." When we
believe that God is a God of hope we will be filled with joy and peace by the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit will cause us to abound in hope! We will have an exciting
expectation of good things to come.

God loves us and adores us and has wonderful plans for our lives. God says to us in Jeremiah
29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not
of evil, to give you a future and a hope." God wants to give us a future and a hope! Our best years
lie ahead of us! We need to believe this! The Bible says in Psalm 23:6 "... surely goodness and
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mercy will follow me all the days of my life." This does not mean that we will not have difficulties
and problems, but no matter what happens, we will always find God's goodness and mercy
following us.

Secondly, hope comes as we meditate of the word of God and believe His promises.

We read in Romans 15:4, "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning,
that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." The Bible also says
that, "all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." It
is important that we focus on the word of God and the promises of God and not on our
circumstances. Whatever we focus on will grow in our minds and in our hearts. If we think about
our problems all the time, they will seem worse and worse and we will lose hope. On the other
hand when we think and meditate on the word of God, our level of hope will increase.

We have the example of Joshua and Caleb and the ten spies: The ten spies only saw the giants
and the walled cities. All they saw were the problems, so they said, "We are not able to go up
against the people, for they are stronger than we.” (Numbers 13:31) They lost their hope and
were not able to enter into the Promised Land. Joshua and Caleb on the other hand, also saw the
giants, but they focused on the promises of God and the word that God gave through Moses.
They said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." (Verse
30)

Abraham is one of the greatest examples in the Bible of a man that had hope. We read in Romans
4:18-21: "Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, (when everything seemed hopeless, he still
believed) so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall
your descendants be. And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead
(since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb." The word
'consider' in this passage, means to study in depth! Abraham knew he was old, and that Sarah
could not have children, but he chose not to think about it all the time. We read further:

"He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving
glory to God  and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform ."
He chose to focus on the word of God and the promises of God. He remembered how one day,
God took him outside and said to him, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are
able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” (Genesis 15:5)

Thirdly, hope comes through the words that we speak.

We read in Job 22:28 "You will also declare a thing and it will be established for you; so light will
shine on your ways." As we continually speak good positive words, based on the Word of God and
according to the will of God, the darkness of hopelessness will leave and the light of God's hope
will shine into our hearts. We need to speak words of hope, even if the situation looks hopeless!

We read in Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He
who promised is faithful." We can find many scriptures that give us hope and confess them. For
example, we can confess the following verse, "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did
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not spare His Own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give
us all things?" (Romans 8:31-32)

One of the best illustrations of hope is found In Ezekiel 37, it is the story of the valley of dry
bones. We read in verse 2 we read, "  Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and
behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed, they were very dry." The bones
were so dry because they have been there for such a long time! This is true of many of us today,
the negative situations have continued for such a long time, the all hope is lost. It is like the man
at the pool of Bethesda. When Jesus asked him whether he wanted to be healed, he could not
even say 'yes'. He just spoke about his hopeless situation, He did not expect anything to change,
his bones are so dry!

In verse 3 we read, "And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O
Lord GOD, You know.” He was saying to God, "I don't think they can live, but God, "You know!" In
verse 4 we read, "Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones,
hear the word of the LORD!    Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to
enter into you, and you shall live." In other words, say to these bones, "you shall live!"
Therefore, we should say to the negative situations, "hear the word of the Lord, I don't care how
bad the situation seems, this is what the Bible says, "God will give me a future and a hope. These
bones will live again and God will bless me and give me my breakthrough!" We can declare the
word of God and speak hope, where there is no hope. Paul says in Romans 10:8 "But what does it
say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart." The power to change our
circumstances is in our very mouth. The power of life and death are in the tongue!
In Ezekiel 37:7 we read that the bones began to move, something began to happen when Ezekiel
spoke the word of God over the bones. In the same way, something will begin to happen in the
unseen spiritual world when we speak the word of God. In verse 9 we read that he spoke the
word of God again and the bones became a great army. This tells us that we need to continue
speaking God's word and words of hope until we receive that what we expect.
Fourthly, hope comes when remember the good things that God has done for us in the past.
Let’s read Psalm 77:2. "In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;" So it is obvious that the
Psalmist was going through a day of trouble. He was probably discouraged and everything
seemed so hopeless. We then read in verse 6, "I call to remembrance my song in the night;" What
is his song in the night? We find the answer in verse 12, "I will remember the works of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old." His song in the night, was a song about all the
wonderful things that God had done for him in the past. It is a song that he sang when all seemed
so hopeless and dark.
We too need to have a song in the night? What is this song all about? It is about the good things
that God done for us in the past? Let us ask ourselves the question. Has he healed our bodies,
answered our prayers, blessed us, cared for us and done many wonderful things for us?
Furthermore, the greatest reason for having a song in the night, is because we remember what
Jesus did for us on the cross. Even though we are going through a night time experience, one day
we will be with Jesus in eternity!
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We read about a song in the night in Habakkuk 3:17-18 "Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice
in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Obviously, this means that we can rejoice
despite our circumstances because the Lord is the source of our joy and not our circumstances.
On the other hand, when we rejoice and have a song in the night, then maybe, "the fig tree will
blossom again, there will be fruit on the vines etc." God often restores that what we have lost and
changes our circumstances when we begin to rejoice and have a song in the night.

In Acts 16 we have the example of Paul and Silas in prison. When all seemed hopeless, at
midnight, they began to sing and praise the Lord. God sent an earthquake, the doors of the prison
opened, their chains fell off and they were free. When they had a "song in the night," God
changed their hopeless situation. God can change our hopelessness into hope when we too, have
a song in the night.

Finally we read in Zechariah 9:12 "Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I
declare That I will restore double to you." The stronghold mentioned here, is the stronghold of
hope. It is important that we return to this stronghold and live there, in a place where we never
lose our hope. We read that, "I will restore double to you." They would receive double for that
what they had lost. God is a God of hope, He is a God of restoration.
Our greatest hope however, is the hope of eternal life. Colossians 1:27 says, "Christ in you, the
hope of glory." If we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have the hope of eternal life.
We can all have this hope for "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) Jesus is our source
of hope and one day we will be with Him forever in heaven. If anyone reading this has never
received Jesus as Lord of your life, I invite you now to 'return to the stronghold of hope' and make
Jesus the Lord of your life. Amen

The importance of joy

Joy is one of the most important ingredients in the Kingdom of God. We read that “The Kingdom
of God is ... righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (1) Joy is the very atmosphere of
heaven. We read in the Book of Revelations, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed away. (2) Can you imagine living in a place with no more sorrow,
crying or tears, a place of pure joy! The good news is that we can have this experience right here
in earth today. Jesus wants His Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. (1) Romans 14:17 (2)
Revelations 21:4

What is joy. First of all we must differentiate between joy and happiness. Happiness is a result of
'happenings' and as a result of what happens to us. Joy on the other hand, is from the Lord. It is a
fruit of the Holy Spirit and does not depend on what happens to us and is not affected by our
circumstances.
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To the religious mind, holiness and spirituality is often associated with sorrow, crying and
repentance. This is not so, holiness and spirituality is associated with joy. When the Children of
Israel returned to Jerusalem, they wanted to be sorrowful, to cry and repent. We read in the Book
of Nehemiah “… Ezra the priest and scribe and the Levites who taught the people said unto all the
people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept
when they heard the words of the Law."

The next verse says, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet and send portions to those for
whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not sorrow, for the joy of
the Lord is your strength." (3) In other words, this is a holy day, it is time to rejoice and throw a
feast, "eat the fat, drink the feast!" It takes more faith to rejoice than to sit down and cry,
Therefore, one of the signs of spiritual maturity is joy. The most anointed and spiritual people that
I have met have also been the most joyful. (3) Nehemiah 8:10,11

Benefits of joy:

Firstly, joy strengthens us spiritually and increases the level of our anointing. The Bible says that,
"the joy of the Lord is your strength." (3) Joy gives us spiritual strength. Therefore, if we feel weak
and discouraged, the best thing we can do is to rejoice. It says of Jesus, "who for the joy that was
set before Him endured the cross." (4) The revelation of the joy that lay before Him in eternity,
gave Him the strength to endure the terrible suffering that He was about to experience on the
cross. Therefore, the experience of joy will also help us to go through some of the difficult tests
that life throws at us. (3) Nehemiah 8:11 (4) Hebrews 12:2

James says, "Count it all joy when you fall into various temptations or tests." (5) King David wrote
in Psalms, "And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: Therefore,
will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy..." (6) Notice, he said that he would offer a sacrifice of
joy. Often we need to rejoice even if we do not feel like doing so. Jesus prayed for His disciples
and said, "That they may have My joy fulfilled in them.” The Amplified Bible puts it this way, "That
My joy might be full and complete in them – that they may have my gladness filling their hearts."
(7) Therefore, one of the ways that we can strengthen ourselves spiritually and increase our level
of anointing, is to rejoice more and more. (5) James 1:2, (6) Psalm 27:6, (7) John 17:13

Secondly, joy is a key to victory: In the Book of Isaiah we read, ""Therefore, with joy shall you
draw water out of the wells of salvation." (8) What are the wells of salvation? The word salvation
in the Greek and Hebrew means more than eternal life, it can also mean, healing, deliverance,
prosperity and freedom. Joy is like a bucket that we let down into 'the wells of salvation' and to
draw out the wonderful life that the Holy Spirit wants to give us. Jesus said, "The waters I will give
will be like a well springing up into everlasting life." (9) Wow! Joy enables us to draw water out of
this well. (8) Isaiah 12:3, (9) John 4:14

Joy also releases angelic activity to fight on our behalf. We read about Jehoshaphat and his army.
When they were surrounded by many enemies, they began to sing and rejoice, God then sent His
mighty angel to destroy the enemy and give them a great victory. (10) We also have the example
of Paul and Silas in prison. We read, "... at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto
God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake..." (11) Angel
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activity was released to shake the prison, loosen their chains and open the prison doors. If we
want to have more victory in our personal lives and see our churches grow, we need to increase
our level of joy in the Lord. (10) 2 Chronicles 20:22 (11) Acts 16:25

Thirdly, joy enables us to be led by the Holy Spirit. We read again in the Book of Isaiah, "You shall
go out with joy (exceeding gladness) and be led forth with peace." (8) If we need direction in our
lives, then we should rejoice, for we shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace. God leads
us in an atmosphere of joy and peace. It is difficult to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit if we are
always sad and discouraged. Therefore, one of the ways for us to be led by the Holy Spirit, is to
build up our level of joy. (8) Isaiah 55:12

Fourthly, joy enables us to influence others for Christ. We read about the Children of Israel in
Psalms, “Our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with singing. Then they said among
the nations, the Lord has done great things for them.” (12) Notice, the heathen realized that God
was with them and gave them favor because of their laughter, singing and joy. The same is true
with us today, our joy can affect the unbelievers around us and even open their hearts to receive
Jesus. The Bible says, that "we sow in tears but reap in joy." (13) Joy enables us to "reap the
harvest of lost souls! If we want to reach more people for Christ, we need to increase our level of
joy. (12) Psalms 126:2 (13) Psalm 126:4

Fifthly, joy can even affect our health. We read in Proverbs “A merry heart does good, like
medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.” (Another translation says that "a merry heart
makes medicine work better.") (14) We have another Proverb that says "Pleasant (joyful or
delightful) words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." (15) It is a
medical fact, that joy and happiness releases enzymes that heal the body. It is also a medical fact
that the cause of many sicknesses and diseases is as a result of depression and sorrow. I have
heard of people being healed of incurable diseases simply by just rejoicing and building up their
level of joy. (14) Proverbs 17:22, (15) Proverbs 16:24 Amplified

How to increase our joy:

Firstly, we need to have an outward focus: We should have a high priority in meeting the needs
of others and especially reach the lost for Christ. I have noticed in my own life that when I live
intentionally to share the gospel and lead people to Christ, my level of joy increases. Jesus said,
"They that sow and they that reap will rejoice together.” (16) Although this could be speaking
about our eternal rewards, it is also applicable to us on earth. Isaiah speaks about the joy of the
harvest. (17) I grew up on a farm and one of the most exciting times of the year was when we
brought in the harvest. There was great joy, especially among the farm laborers. Jesus said,
"there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents .” (18) We pick up
the joy of angels when we lead sinners to Christ. The Bible says if we " sow in tears, we reap in
joy.” (19) If we are low on joy, it may be time to stop focusing on all our own personal needs and
to begin to focus on the needs of others and tell them about Jesus. (16) John 4:36 (17) Isaiah 9:6 (18) Luke 15:1,
(19) Psalms 126:5

Secondly, we need to make a decision to rejoice. In the world, people rejoice because they have
joy as a result of something good that has happened to them. In the Kingdom of God, we have joy
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because we rejoice. Our rejoicing does not depend on our circumstances, although our joy can
change our circumstances. A well-known verse in the book of Habakkuk says, "Though the fig tree
does not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines … Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the Lord.”
(20) This first of all means, that we rejoice, despite our negative circumstances. Secondly it
means that If we joy in the Lord, then maybe the fig tree will blossom again, maybe there will be
fruit on the vine again and maybe, and maybe God will restore that which we have lost! (20)
Habakkuk 3:17-18

We have the example of Paul and Silas in prison, (21) They could have been sad and discouraged,
but they decided to sing and rejoice. Joy is not only a decision that we take, but a command that
we must obey. The Bible commands us to “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.” (22)
This is not something that we are to experience from time to time, but a commandment that we
are to obey continually. To ignore this commandment, is to disobey the word of God! There are
also other commandments to rejoice throughout in the Bible. (21) Acts 16:25, (22) Philippians 4:4

There are many ways that we can release joy into our lives. We can dance, we can sing, we can
laugh, we can jump in the air, we can clap our hands, we can shout, etc. When we take steps of
faith to rejoice, we will begin to experience joy in our emotions.

In the Old Testament we read, "Because thou served not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and
with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore, shall thou serve your enemies.”
(23) If this is true, then the converse must also be true. We can read this as follows, " Because you
served the Lord with joyfulness and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of things given to
you, Therefore, you shall have victory over your enemies and they will serve you." Joy is a powerful
weapon against the enemy, Therefore, do not let him steal your joy! (23) Deut. 28:47-48

Thirdly, joy comes as a result of righteousness. The Bible says that the Kingdom of God is not
meat or drink but righteousness peace and joy. (1) We cannot have joy without righteousness. It
says of Jesus, "He loved righteousness and hated iniquity, Therefore, God has anointed Him with
the oil of joy above His companions." (24) Sin and compromise will rob us of the joy of the Lord.
This is especially true of the sin of pride. The Bible says that the "humble shall increase their joy in
the Lord." (25) Humble people are often very joyful people. I have noticed that joy and peace are
often linked together in the Scriptures. Therefore, one of the ways that we know that we are right
with God, is that we will have peace and joy. (1) Romans 14:17, (24) Hebrews 1:9, (25) Isaiah 29:19

Fourthly, joy comes when we actively take steps of faith. One of my favorite verses in the Bible
says, " Now may the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing...” (26) Notice, God fills us
with joy, 'in believing.' Faith creates an atmosphere of joy! A positive attitude of faith will bring
joy into our hearts. Peter writes, “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see
Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” (27)

Wow! When we believe God's word even if we do not see the answers or sense His presence, we
will then enter into the highest level of joy. Jesus encouraged us to "ask that your joy may be full.”
(28) Those who intentionally pray for the sick, believe God for miracles, expect answers to prayer
and who believe the word of God, will have joy! (26) Romans 15:13, (27) 1 Peter 1:8, (28) John 16:24
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Fifthly, generosity and giving will result in joy. The Bible says that "God loves a cheerful giver." (29)
God loves it when we give, for He Himself is a Generous Giver. Generous people are usually joyful
and happy people and on the other hand, stingy people are usually miserable and sad. We read
about the Children of Israel during the time of King David, "Then the people rejoiced, for that they
offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD. (30) In the days of
Nehemiah we have another example of joy being released because of giving. "Also that day they
offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy ... so that the
joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off” (31) There was great joy because there was great giving!
(29) 2 Corinthians 9:7, (30) 1 Chronicles 29:9 (31) Nehemiah 12:43

Finally, the presence of God gives us great joy. This is obvious for the Bible says “In His presence
there is fullness of joy.” (32) Joy is released when we spend time with God in prayer, worship and
praise. We also read in the book of Psalms, that "You have made him (the king) exceedingly glad
with Your presence." (33) The presence of God is also the atmosphere of heaven, which is pure
joy! Therefore, when we experience the manifest presence of God, we usually experience great
joy. There is much we can say about this, but if we want to experience more joy, we need to
spend more personal time with the Lord. We serve an exceptionally joyful God and His joy 'will
rub off' on us when we spend quality time in His presence. (32) Psalms 16:11, (33) Psalm 21:6

I want to finish off with ascripture from the Song of Solomon. "For lo, the winter is past, the rain is
over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of
the turtledove Is heard in our land." (34) Maybe you have been through a time of winter, of
sadness and weeping. There is a now new season in your life, a time of Summer a new season of
joy and restoration. Your weeping may have been for a night, but for you now, joy is coming in
the morning. (Psalm 30:5) Therefore, "Rejoice in the Lord!" (35) And may your joy increase more
and more. Amen (34) Song 2:11-12 (35) Philip. 3:1

Thanksgiving and gratitude:

Thanksgiving is very important keys to the kingdom that unlocks God's blessing and power. It
touches the heart of God and are very pleasing to Him.. Bible says, in Psalms 136.1: “It is a good
thing to give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever .” It does not only
please God, but it is also good for us to do so. Many problems in our lives will change in an
atmosphere of thanksgiving. For the purposes of this study, we will also connect the words
gratitude, gratefulness, thankfulness, giving thanks to the word thanksgiving. They all convey the
same thought and meaning.

The definition of thanksgiving is: A positive reaction to what has happened and are happening to
us. It can also mean a readiness to show appreciation.
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The biblical foundation of thanksgiving is an understanding that God is good and He wants to do
good things for us. We read in Jeremiah 32.41, “I rejoice over them to do them good.” It is in
God’s nature to do good things for us. In Romans 8.32 we read that “If God is for us, who can be
against us, He did not spare His Own Son but gave Him up for us, how shall He not also with Him
give us all things.”

Important principles of thanksgiving:

Firstly, it should be the reason why we obey and serve the Lord: We have the example of Joseph
when the wife of Potiphar tempted him with sexual immorality. Joseph said to her, "how then can
I do this wickedness and sin against God.” (Genesis 39.9) His thankfulness for the good things that
Potiphar had done for him prevented him from committing adultery with his wife. In the same
way, we obey God and desire to please Him because we are so thankful for Who He is and what
He has done for us.

Secondly: It should not depend on our circumstances: In the well-known verse in 1 Thessalonians
5.18 we read, “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” This
applies to all circumstances whether positive or negative. Although our circumstances should not
influence our thanksgiving, thanksgiving on the other hand can change our circumstances. We
have the example of Jonah in the belly of the whale. His circumstances were very negative. In
Jonah 2.9 he says, “I will sacrifice to You with a voice of thanksgiving.” In verse 10 we read, “And
the Lord spoke to the whale and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” When he gave thanks, God
intervened and delivered from his terrible situation. God often acts on behalf of those who give
thanks.

In Psalm 107:22 we read, "And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his
works with rejoicing." It speaks here about a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Sometimes we need to be
thankful even if we do not feel like doing so! I am sure that Jonah did not feel like thanking God in
the belly of the whale!

Many years ago, we were travelling with friends in South Africa when their car broke down. We
were stranded on a lonely road, with temperatures well below freezing and we did not have
warm enough clothing for the weather. The engine of the car had completely seized and we were
in a desperate situation. Instead of praying panic prayers, we decided to offer a sacrifice of
thanksgiving. We thanked the Lord for what had happened, and for the miracle that He was about
to do. My friend, Keith, the driver of the car, tried once more to start the car. This time the engine
sprang to life and we were able to return home. The following morning when Keith tried to start
his car, he found that the engine was completely damaged and beyond repair. We realized that
God had done a great miracle in response to our thanksgiving.

Thirdly, thanksgiving is a form of prayer: Paul writes to Timothy and says, "I exhort Therefore,
that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men."
Prayer and thanksgiving work together. In fact, thanksgiving or thankfulness is a catalyst to make
our prayers more effective. We read in Philippians 4.6: “Be careful for nothing, but in everything,
by prayers and supplications with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God and the peace
of God which passes understanding will keep (or guard) your hearts and minds through Christ
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Jesus.” In Colossians 4.2 we read, “Continue earnestly in prayer with thanksgiving.” The more we
thank God, the easier it is to pray. Even if we do not know how to pray, we can always give
thanks.

A powerful example of prayer and thanksgiving working together is when Jesus raised Lazarus
from the dead, We read in John 11:41, "And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank You
that You have heard me." Like Jesus, we can thank God for the miracle, even before it manifests.

Fourthly, praying in tongues is also a prayer of thanksgiving: In Acts 2 we read about the day of
Pentecost and how they all spoke in tongues. In verse 11 it says, “We hear them speaking … the
wonderful works of God.” They were thanking God for His wonderful works in languages that they
had never spoken before. In 1 Corinthians 14.17, Paul when wrote about praying in tongues he
said, “For indeed you give thanks well.” Often our minds are limited and we are not able to give
God the thanks that He deserves. That is why He has given us a prayer language to help us do so.

Fifthly, what has happened to us should be the motivation for us thanksgiving: We have the
example of the Children of Israel in the wilderness. Their focus was on their needs and on their
lack and not on the good things that God had done for them in the past. There was once I once a
certain businessman who supported us financially when we first came to Russia. One day he got
offended and stopped supporting us. I was tempted to be upset, but I decided rather to thank
God for all the support that he gave us in the past when we really needed it.

Giving thanks for what God and others have done for us will protect us from being offended and
will protect our relationships. It is better to be thankful for what God and others have done for us,
than to complain for what we expect them to do for us. That is why we read in Psalm 103.2:
“Bless the Lord O my soul and do not forget all His benefits.” There is so much we can thank God
for every day of our lives. We can thank Him for our health, our food, our homes, our friends and
for so many other things!

Some of the amazing benefits of thankfulness:

Let’s read Philippians 4:4-6 again. "Be careful for nothing, (do not worry about anything) but in
everything, by prayers and supplications with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God and
the peace of God which passes understanding will keep (or guard) your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.” We notice a number of benefits of thanksgiving from this verse.

1. Thanksgiving will set us free from worry: It says here, do not worry but pray with thanksgiving
and it will bring peace into our minds. The peace of God will protect our minds and hearts from
worry.

2. Thanksgiving is one of the keys to renew our minds: Thanksgiving will guard and protect our
minds from negative thoughts and demonic attack. We also read in Romans 1.21: “Because
although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in
their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened.” If lack of thankfulness caused their
minds to be darkened, then the opposite must also be true. Giving thanks will enlighten and
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renew our minds and our hearts. The Bible says that we are transformed by the renewing of our
minds. Therefore, thanksgiving, not only renews our minds by it can transform our lives.

3. Giving thanks makes it easier for us to bring our requests to God: It says in this verse, "... with
thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God." Prayer and thanksgiving work together. In fact,
thanksgiving or thankfulness is a catalyst to make our prayers more effective. Giving thanks will
get our focus off our needs and help us to focus on God who is bigger than our needs. Paul writes
in Colossians 4.2, “Continue earnestly in prayer with thanksgiving.” The more we thank God, the
easier it is to pray. Therefore, if we do not know how to pray, we can spend time just thanking
God for who He is and for all the wonderful things He has done for us.

One of the most powerful examples of prayer and thanksgiving working together is when Jesus
raised Lazarus from the dead. In John 11:41 we read, "And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
Father, I thank You that You have heard me." In the same way, we can thank God for the answers
to our prayers even before we see them manifest.

There are a number of others benefits that we will also receive from the practice of giving thanks.

4. When we give thanks, we usually receive more from God: We have the example of Jesus and
the ten lepers. In Luke 15-16 we read, “And one of them when he saw that he was healed,
returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him
thanks.” In verse 19 Jesus responds to him and said, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you
well.” What we notice here, is that the other nine lepers only received healing, but this man who
gave thanks, was made whole. He not only received healing in his body, but was made completely
whole.

In John 6:11 we read, "And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, He distributed to
the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; ..." When Jesus gave thanks for the
few loaves and fishes, they increased and became many. In the same way, when we thank God
for the small things He does for us, He will often give us more in the future. That is why it is a
good practice to always testify of what God does for us, even if it is something small. It may lead
to larger miracles in the future.

5. Thanksgiving will make us aware of God's presence: In Psalm 100:4 we read, "Enter into his
gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his
name." The correct way to approach God in prayer is to first give thanks. It is like the high priest
entering into the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle. He firsts goes into the Holy Place before He
enters into the Holy of Holies, which is the manifest presence of God. Thanksgiving is like passing
through the Holy Place into the presence of God.

6. Thanksgiving will enable us to be filled with the Holy Spirit: The Bible says in Ephesians 5:18,
"...be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." In verse 20 we read,
"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
This is a very powerful verse! We should we always give thanks and not only when we feel like
doing so! Furthermore, we give thanks for all things because God is good and He can turn bad
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things into good things. When Jonah gave thanks in the belly of the whale, God delivered him
from that terrible situation.

7. Thanksgiving will strengthen our faith: When the leper gave thanks to Jesus for his healing,
Jesus said to him in Luke 17:19, "your faith has made you whole." There is a link between faith
and thankfulness. In fact, thankfulness will strengthen our faith and enables us to focus on God
who is much bigger than our problems. It also enables us to see our miracles even before they
manifest.

The word 'whole' in this sentence can also mean to 'protect or preserve'. Not only did Jesus heal
him, but his healing was protected. There are many who receive healings and after a period of
time they it. Thanksgiving is one of the ways that will enable us to protect and keep our miracles.

Finally, we read in Revelations 11:1, “We give thanks to You O God.” The atmosphere in heaven is
filled with thanksgiving and gratitude. We will spend eternity thanking Jesus for what He has done
for us and for who He is. When we give thanks on earth, we are creating the atmosphere of
heaven right here on earth. Therefore, “It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord." Amen

Fasting:
In Matthew 6 we read about 3 important disciplines: Giving, praying and fasting. These are not
laws that we have to obey but powerful tools to experience the power of God. We want to look at
fasting.

Notice it says: “When you fast” not “if you fast.” This means that fasting is important. When we
do all three disciplines, then we lay the foundation for blessing and breakthrough. When have the
example of Cornelius in Acts chapter 10. He gave to the poor, he fasted and prayed and an angel
appeared to him and told him to send for Peter. Fasting can open our hearts and prepare us for
new encounters with God.

Reasons why we should fast:

1. Fasting improves our health: When we fast and drink a lot of water, our body converts the fat
in our bodies to energy. Most of us have enough fat too fast for many days. It also removes
harmful chemicals and poisons from the body. Usually after a long fast we will feel healthier.
There was a man who had white hair when he started fasting. After 21 days, his hair turned black
again. When we fast, our metabolism slows down and our body develops a greater capacity to
absorb food. This means that we eat less to receive the same nourishment. In Isaiah 58, it speaks
about the fast that God has chosen, It says in verse 10? “Your health shall spring forth speedily.”
Fasting is healthy.
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We read about the “Daniel fast” in Daniel chapter 1. He and his three friends decided to eat
vegetables for 10 days and the Bible says they were healthier than the others. Too much animal
fat and sugar is unhealthy and feeds cancer and various diseases in our bodies. (One can of Pepsi
Cola or Coca Cola has 16 teaspoons of sugar!) it is good for us to go on a water or a vegetable
fast from time to time.

2. Guidance: Fasting makes us sensitive to the Holy Spirit and will help us to hear from God. In
Acts 13:2 it says, “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said…” The Holy Spirit
spoke to them while they were fasting. Let us read Ezra 8:21 “Then I proclaimed a fast … to seek
the Lord, to seek Him, the right way for us, our little ones and our possessions.” Fasting can make
us sensitive to know the right way to go, what to do with our families and our possessions. We
should never make important decisions without fasting and prayer. A three day fast is
recommended.

3. Closeness to the Lord: Let us look at the same verses we read in the previous section. In Ezra
we read, “The fasted to seek the Lord.” They did it to have a fresh revelation of the Lord. In Acts
13:2 we read of how the Holy Spirit spoke after they fasted. When we fast, we are saying to God,
we desire You more than food. It is putting God first. This is the best motive for fasting and it
pleases God.

4. Revival and breakthrough: Many revivals started after the church fasted and prayed. In Daniel
10 we read how Daniel fasted and prayed for 21 days. While he was doing so, the angels fought
the powers of darkness. There are demons controlling people, towns and nations and even
people. When we fast, we weaken their power and it becomes easier for people to respond to
the Lord. There are many examples in history.

5. Deliverance: In Matthew 17:21 Jesus said, “This kind does not go out but by prayer and
fasting.” Fasting can increase the level of anointing in us to cast out demons. In Isaiah 58:6 we
read that the fast God chooses is to “break every yoke and let the oppressed go free.” Fasting will
also help us to break sinful habits in our own lives. For example: Lust, pornography, gossip,
criticism, etc. It is often easier to cast out demons after we have fasted.

6. Favour: We have the example of Queen Esther in Esther chapter 4. After she and the children
of Israel fasted for three days, they received great favour from the king. If we are in a difficult
situation and we need favour with the government, favour in our job, favour in our family, fasting
can open the hearts of people to give us favour.

7. Compassion: In Isaiah 58:6-7 we read, “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: 7 Is it not to share
your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;” Fasting
will make us more sensitive to the needs of others. In the life of Jesus, He often had compassion
before he performed a miracle.

8. To experience the power of God: In Luke 4:1, Jesus was led into the wilderness where He
fasted for 40 days. In verse 14, “He came out of the wilderness in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
We need God’s power for miracles and healing and preaching. Charles Finney, the great
evangelist, who lived about 200 years ago. He preached and led thousands to Christ. Whenever
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he felt the lack of the anointing, he would stop preaching and fast for three days. Jesus said, in
Matthew 17:21 “This kind does not go out but by prayer and fasting.”

9. Fasting is a form of repentance and humility: When Jonah preached to city of Nineveh, he told
them that God was going to destroy their city. In Jonah 3:5 we read, “When they heard, they
believed God and fasted. (Verse 10) And God turned away from destroying them.” When we fast,
it is a good time to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and let Him show us if there are areas in our
life that we need to repent of. After a time of fasting, we are often more sensitive to the
conviction of the Holy Spirit.

10. Fasting helps us in a time of crisis: In 2 Chronicles 20:1 we read how many enemies came
against Israel. Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast (verse 3) God spoke to him through a prophet
(verse 14) and told him what to do. We may be in a financial, marriage or health crisis in our life.
Fasting can open our hearts to hear a word from the Lord that will help us through our crisis.

Finally: Fasting is a good discipline. It is not a commandment but it is a wonderful gift from God.
He has given us this gift to deepen our relationship with Him and to experience more of His
blessing on our lives. It may not be pleasant at the time, but there are great rewards from fasting.

We also notice that in most of the references to fasting in the Bible, fasting was done corporately.
People fasted together. It is good when a church, a cell group, or even a family fast together. It is
also important to combine fasting with prayer. If we are very busy during your time of fasting, we
may lose the benefits from fasting.

How often should we fast and for how long? Jesus said, “When you fast” and not “if you fast.” A
good guideline is to (1) fast one day a week. (2) A three day fast every 3 months. (3) A longer fast
once a year. Many churches chose January as a good time for time of fasting and prayer. This is a
wonderful and powerful discipline. Amen.

Principles of Sowing and reaping

One of the most important principles in the Bible, is the principle of sowing and reaping. Let us
read Galatians 6:7-9. "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he
will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to
the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

What we are experiencing today is as a result of the seeds that we have sown in the past. Our
future depends on the seeds that we sow today. Therefore, we can direct our lives into God's
blessing by sowing the right seeds. It is like steering a big ship. If we want to go in a certain
direction, we can ask ourselves the question, "what seeds do I need to sow?" We can climb out of
our negative situations step by step if we sow the right seeds.

Let us read 2 Corinthians 9:10, "Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food,
supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness," We
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notice here, that God multiplies the seed that we sow and we will always reap more than we sow!
Secondly, God only multiplies that what we place into His hands. If we place money in His hands,
He multiplies money. If we place nothing in His hands, He multiplies nothing!

Sometimes it is futile to expect anything if we do not sow! If we want God to do something for us,
we need to also ask the question, "What must I place into His hands?" We have the example of
Jesus when He multiplied the five loaves and two fish. Fish were multiplied into fish, and bread
into bread. It must be placed into His hands. It is there that He blesses it. We need to give it to
Him!

We have the illustration of the farmer who sows his seed in a field. In order to have a harvest, he
needs rain and he needs to plant seeds. If there are no seeds and it rains, there will be no harvest,
and visa versa, if he plants seeds and there is no rain, there will be no harvest. The rain is like our
prayers. It is asking God to do something for us. The seeds, are actions or steps of faith that we
need to take. It is useless to pray and pray and not to sow! Jesus said in Mark 11:24, "Therefore, I
say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will
have them." To receive answers, must pray and believe!

Furthermore, when we talk about seed, we are not only speaking about money. Our seed can be
finances, time, love, honor and kindness. One of the most important seeds that we sow, are our
words. When we continually sow good words, these words will produce a good harvest. We can
change our circumstances by the words we speak.

I heard of a woman who had a rebellious son. He drank a lot and would not follow Jesus. He made
her life very difficult. She prayed much, and nothing happened. One day she decided to speak
good words over his life. She would say, "I love my son. He will one day serve God. He will turn
away from his sins..." She did this for nearly two years. One day her son came home drunk and
said to his mother, "Ma, tomorrow I want to go to church with you." He went to church, gave his
life to Jesus, was filled with the Holy Spirit and decided to go into the ministry. His life totally
changed and he became a pastor.

Some important questions about sowing and reaping:

1. What seed should we sow?

First of all, we need to determine the harvest that we expect. We reap what we sow! If we want
to reap tomatoes, we must sow tomato seeds and not carrot seeds! Many people expect God to
do things for them without planting the right seeds. I was once asking God to bless my marriege. I
felt that the Holy Spirit said to me, "If you plant the right seeds, your marriege will automatically
be blessed."

For example, a pastor wants God to bless his church, he needs to first determine, what seeds he
needs to sow! It may be words of faith, acts of kindness or steps of faith. Charles Finney, who
experienced many revivals said that any church can have a revival if they sow the right seeds. The
harvest depends on the seeds. We can apply this to our homes, our jobs and our relationships.

2. How much seed should we sow?

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The answer is, we must sow much and be generous in our sowing. In 2 Corinthians 9:6 we read,
"But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will
also reap bountifully." Proverbs 11:25 says, "The generous soul will be made rich, And he who
waters will also be watered himself." Jesus said in Mathew 7:2 "with the measure you use, it will
be measured back to you."

If we sow with a teaspoon, God will use a teaspoon to measure it back to us. If we use a cup, He
will use a cup. If we use a spade, He will use a spade. It is stupid to give a few dollars and expect a
million dollars! If we sow a seed, we reap a plant, if we sow many seeds, we reap a harvest.

It is not only important how much we sow, but how much is left over after we have sown. We
read about Jesus and the poor woman who gave two small coins. Jesus said, "She has given more
than the rich people because she gave all that she had." God does not measure our generosity by
the amount that we give, but by how much it cost us to give. A poor person who gives a little, will
often reap more than a rich person who gives much! Therefore, one of the best things poor
people can do, is to give!

We read about Isaac in Genesis 26. In verse 1 we read that, "There was famine in the land..."
Then in verse 12 we read, "Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a
hundredfold." When we have a little, and we sow, we then reap the greatest harvest!

We do not only sow money or possessions, but we can also be generous in our praise and worship
to God. Sowing and reaping will always give us quality and quantity in life. Furthermore, we do
not only reap the benefits on earth, but we can also receive great rewards in heaven. Jesus said to
the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:21, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

3. Where should we sow our seed?

The answer is in good soil. We read about the parable of the sower who sowed his seed in good
soil and received a good harvest. The best soil to sow our seed is into the Kingdom of God. When
our seed produces the salvation of souls and an increase of God's kingdom, then we are sowing
into the best soil. We read in Galatians 6:10, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good
to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."

It is often a waste of money to give to worldly organizations that do not increase the Kingdom of
God! In the parable of the talents, the man with the one talent had to give his talent to the man
who had ten. God often gives His resources to those who produce the most fruit, and not to those
who have the greatest needs!

4. How should we sow?

There are a number of ways to sow our seeds:

(a) With joy. 2 Corinthians 9:7 the Bible says that God loves a cheerful giver. This is because God
is a cheerful giver. Our attitude is just as important than the amount that we give. We should give
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with a joyful heart. If giving makes us sad, or someone tries to force us to give, it is better that we
do not give!

(b) With faith. We must expect a harvest when we sow. We read in James 5:7, "See how the
farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early
and latter rain." It is stupid if we do not expect a harvest when we sow. Can you imagine a farmer
sowing seed in a field that does not expect a harvest!

(c) With patience: Galatians 6:9 "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season
we shall reap if we do not lose heart." There is always a period of time between sowing and
reaping. We often have to do the right thing for a long time before we see the harvest. It takes
time for the seed to produce the fruits. Therefore, it is important that we never give up and
continue to sow our good seeds until we have the expected harvest.

(d) Sow in secret. Matthew 6:4 says, "your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you
openly." This applies to our giving, our praying and our good deeds. The greatest harvest comes
when no one knows what we do in secret. Jesus said that our left hand should not know what our
right hand does!

5. When should we sow?

It is obvious that a farmer cannot sow his seed whenever he wants to. The season must be
correct! Usually, wheat seed is sown in winter, and the harvest is in summer. To answer this
question, firstly, we should have a regular discipline of sowing. Secondly, ee should have peace in
our hearts when we sow. In Isaiah 55:12, it says, you will be led forth with peace. In other words,
we do not sow when it causes us to lose our peace. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says that we should not
give grudgingly or be compelled to give.

Furthermore, we sometimes need to sow, when our circumstances are unfavourable or

inconvenient. We read in Proverbs 20:4 "The lazy man will not plow because of winter; He will
beg during harvest and have nothing." Although it speaks about plowing, usually we sow at the
same time that we plow. We notice that he had to plow in winter, a time which is often cold and
inconvenient. Often it is a good time to sow when there is not much evidence of blessing and
breakthrough. For example, when when there are few opportunities to preach, it is a good time
to prepare new sermons. We read in Ecclesiates 11:4 "He who observes the wind will not sow and
he who regards the clouds will not reap."

We must sow our seed and eat our bread.

We read in 2 Corinthians 9:10 that God provides seed for the sower and bread for food. It is
important to know what is seed, and what is bread. So, when we receive something from God, we
need to ask ourselves the question, "how much of this is seed, that what I must sow, and how
much is bread, that which is for me?" If a farmer receives a bag of seed and eats all his seed, he
will not have seed for the next season.

Also, God gives us things to bless us and these things are not to be given to others. It is like a
father who buys a doll for his daughter. If his daughter immediately gives the doll away to
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someone else, the father will be hurt. Sometimes God gives us things because He loves us and it
gives Him great joy when we are blessed with that which He gives us. I heard of a man who
prayed for a car. God gave him a car. He then wanted a better car so he gave his car away. God
did not give him another car, because, "he sowed his bread instead of eating it!

Finally, the principle of sowing and reaping is the principle of increase. It is the means that God
used to bless us and meet our needs. Often, we are waiting for God to bless us. But He is waiting
for us to put something in His hands, so He can multiply it and bless us. May God richly bless us as
we apply this wonderful principle of sowing and reaping. Amen.

PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOLY

SPIRIT

Introduction to the Holy Spirit

 In the New Testament, there are many verses which show that God is Triune (consists of 3
people). Matthew 28:19: “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” 1 John
5:7: “There are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word (who is Jesus - see John
1:1) and the Holy Spirit.”

 The Holy Spirit is a person and not an influence. He makes His appearance in Genesis 1:2,
“And the Spirit of the Lord was hovering over the face of the waters.” He appears many times in
the Old Testament. David said in Psalms 51:11 "Take not Your Holy Spirit from me." In Daniel 4:18
we read, "The Spirit of the Holy God is in you." In Exodus 31:3 it speaks about Bezeleel. "I have
filled him with the Spirit of God."

 1 Cor. 8:6. “There is one God, the Father, from whom are all things; and one Lord Jesus Christ,
through / by whom are all things.” In the Godhead, The Father is the Decision Maker and the
Initiator. Things are from the Father and through the Lord Jesus. The Father is the Source, while
Jesus is the Means. The Father makes the decision and the Lord Jesus Christ carries it out. But
the Holy Spirit is the power to carry out the decisions. Matthew 12:28 "But if I cast out devils by
the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you."

 God is on earth today, mainly in the person of the Holy Spirit. God the Father is in Heaven,
Jesus is at His right hand while the Holy Spirit is right here with us today on earth.
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 After Jesus ascended to His Father, the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son to the
earth. Jesus said in John 16:7. “It is to your advantage that I go away…” He was saying: “It is
better for you to have the Holy Spirit than to have Me!”

WHY IS THIS TRUE? (1) Jesus was with them but not in them. John 14:17. " the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him,
for He dwells with you and will be in you." (2) Jesus could only be in one place at a time in His
body on earth. (3) Jesus taught them the word of God, but the Holy Spirit enabled them to do the
word of God.

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 He is the Comforter (John 16:7). In Isaiah 61:1 It says that the anointing (Holy Spirit) heals the
broken heart. In the NKJ version
 He is called the Helper. He puts into us what God wants out of us. We can always pray to Him
and ask Him to help us. Romans 8:26 says that He helps us with our infirmities (weaknesses). We
can do nothing without the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus said, Luke 24:49 "Wait in Jerusalem until
you are endued with power from on high." Unfortunately, there are many who are in missions and
ministry who are not qualified to do so because they are not filled with the Holy Spirit.
 The Father and the Son communicate with us through the Holy Spi rit. John 16:13 "He will not
speak of His own, what He hears He will speak and tell you of things to come."
 He is the One who convicts us (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit convicts, but the devil condemns.
His purpose in doing this is to lead us to repentance so that our relationship with the Godhead
can be maintained.
 He is our Teacher: John 14:26. He can teach us through the Word of God, through His
relationship with us and through the experiences that He takes us through.
 He is our guide (John 16:13). It says in this verse that He guides us into all truth. He guides us
when we read or hear the words of the Bible. He guides also us by the inner voice in our hearts.
In Galatians 5:18 it speaks about being led by the Spirit.
 He makes Jesus real to us (John 15:26). He does this by imparting His presence and His joy to
us. He makes our fellowship with Jesus and the Father real to us.
 He makes the Father real to us : Romans 8:15. "but you have received the Spirit of adoption by
which you cry 'Abba Father." Ephesians 2:18 "For through Him (Jesus) we have access by one
Spirit to the Father."
 He shows us all the wonderful things that God wants to do for us and through us . But as it is
written: 1 Corinthians 2:9 -10 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of
man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."   But God has revealed them to
us through His Spirit."
 He gives us power (Acts 1:8). He gives us the power to be effective for God., “You shall
receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you..” Not only power for miracles and
witnessing, but also to live the Christian life! Galatians 5:16 "Walk in the Spirit and you shall not
fulfill the desires of the flesh."
 He is our Friend. We can know an intimacy and friendship with Him that will cause us to be
fruitful and effective for God. In 2 Corinthians 13:14 “And may the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you..” In the Book of Acts especially in chapter 15, we see the strong partnership
between the Holy Spirit and the disciples.
 He heals our physical bodies: Romans 8:11. "The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead,
quickens our mortal bodies."
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 He fill us with great pleasure and joy : Psalms 16:11 "In You presence there is fullness of joy, at
your right hand there are pleasures for ever more." Joy and peace are fruits of the Holy Spirit.
 He is our guarantee of eternal life : 1 Corinthians 1:22 "Who has sealed us and given the Holy
Spirit in our hearts as a deposit." It is a deposit of eternal life. It is a taste of life that we will one
day enjoy in heaven.
 He changes us to become like Jesus : We have a list of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians
5:22-23, which is the nature of Jesus. Romans 15:16 "...being sanctified (made holy) by the Holy
Spirit."

HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT OPERATE? We receive the Holy Spirit into our human spirits when
we give our lives to Jesus. That is the guarantee, that we will one day receive resurrected bodies.
The more we yield our lives Him, the more He changes us to become like Jesus. The Holy Spirit not
only changes us to become like Jesus, but He gives us the power to do the works of Jesus.

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is one of the greatest needs in the church and often the most
neglected doctrine. It was so important to Jesus that He commanded His disciples to "... tarry in
the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (1) He would not allow them
to preach and do anything for Him until they received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Today, many
think that because they have been to Bible School and know the Bible, that they are ready to do
the work of the Lord. The truth is that without the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, we are not ready
to do anything for God. (1) Luke 24:49

The reason why there are so many casualties on the mission field and in ministry is that many
have tried to go out and do the work of the Lord without the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. On the
other hand, if everyone in the church was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, there would be
such blessing and breakthrough! One of the last words that Jesus spoke before ascending to
heaven was "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall
be witnesses to Me, in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(2) Acts 1:8

If we have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it is important to know that the Holy Spirit
dwells in us. The Bible says God “…. has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a
guarantee.” We have an inward witness that we are God's children. (3) In the book of Roman’s we
read, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”. (4) We cannot
be born again without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit imparts the life of Jesus into our human
spirits and we are born again. However, it is not enough to only have the Holy Spirit in us; we
must also have His power. In order to have this power we must be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
(3) 2 Corinthians 1:22, (4) Romans 8:16

The term, "the baptism with the Holy Spirit" come from a number of scriptures. John the Baptist
said: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier
than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
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(5) Peter said: “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with
water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (6) (5) Matt3:11, (6) Acts 11:16

Imagine pouring water into a bottle, we would then say, the "water is in the bottle." Then if we
throw the bottle into a river, we would then say, "The bottle is in the water." This is an analogy of
the difference of having the Holy Spirit in us, and being baptized with the Holy Spirit. When we
are Born Again, the Holy Spirit comes into us. But when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit, the
Holy Spirit comes upon us. We are immersed into the Holy Spirit. We see this pattern in the
examples in the Book of Acts.

My testimony: When I was born again, I joined a Baptist Church. Two years later I began to realize
that there was another experience called the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. I read books about it,
heard testimonies about it and saw it in the Bible. I approached my godly Baptist pastor and asked
him how I could be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Although he did not believe in speaking in
tongues, he leant me a book by Andrew Murray to help me. In this book I found the key that
enabled me to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, that key was faith. In Galatians we read, ".... Did
you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"(7) We read further in
the chapter “…that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we
might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (8) Everything we receive from God is by
faith. (7) Galatians 3:2, (8) Galatians 3:14

I then prayed the following prayer, "Lord, I believe that from reading the Book of Acts, that the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit, is scriptural. Furthermore, I believe that You are no respecter of
persons, and because you did this for others, You will do so for me. By faith I now receive the
baptism of the Holy Spirit and by faith I will now speak with other tongues. For You said, "These
signs shall follow those who believe, ... they would speak with new tongues." (9) Mark 16:15

I then raised my hands, took a step of faith and spoke in tongues. I did this by faith! A thought
then came to my mind, "this is not tongues but gibberish." I silenced that thought and said, "I am
doing this by faith, and by faith I am being baptized with the Holy Spirit." The following morning as
I woke up I found myself speaking in a new language. This was not a dramatic experience, but a
simple step of faith. What I did notice that in the weeks that followed, it began to be easier for me
to lead people to Christ and I began to see miracles as I prayed for people. I also noticed that the
more I spoke in tongues, the profound this language became.

Let us look at some examples from the Book of Acts:

Acts Chapter 2: 2-4: “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.   Then there appeared to them divided
tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Notice the Holy Spirit came upon them and the room was filled. This implies that they were
immersed in the Spirit. (Remember the water in the water illustration). They also began to speak
with other tongues as they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They spoke in tongues but the Spirit
gave them the ability to do so. Jesus referred to this as being baptized with the Holy Spirit in Acts
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1:5 "For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many
days hence."

Acts Chapter 8 verse 14-18: We read, “…who, when they had come down, prayed for them that
they might receive the Holy Spirit.   For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only
been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the
Holy Spirit.   And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit
was given…” The Baptism with the Holy Spirit was imparted to them by the laying on of hands of
the apostles.

The word "receive" can also mean "come upon" (Strong’s). There was visible evidence that the
disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit when Peter and John laid hands on them. It does not say
that they spoke in tongues, but it implies that something happened and they knew that the new
believers had been baptized with the Holy Spirit. Possibly it was the same manifestation that they
saw on the day of Pentecost.

Acts Chapter 9 verse 17: “And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands
on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has
sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Paul was filled with the
Holy Spirit when Ananias laid his hands on him. It does not say here that Paul spoke in tongues,
but we do know that Paul did so, for in 1 Corinthians 14:18 we read, “I thank my God I speak with
tongues more than you all.”

Acts Chapter 10 verses 44-46: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell
upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished,
as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the
Gentiles also.  For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.”

The Holy Spirit fell upon them and they spoke with tongues and magnified the Lord. Peter
referred to this as the Baptism with the Holy Spirit in Chapter 11:15-16. “Then I remembered the
word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with
the Holy Spirit.”

Acts Chapter 19 verse 6: We read, “And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came
upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” When Paul laid his hands on the
believers in Corinth; they received the Holy Spirit and began to speak with tongues. Therefore,
the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is often received by the laying on of hands.

In three out of the five examples from the book of Acts, the believers spoke with tongues when
they were baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit. The other two examples imply this. In fact, in
Acts chapter 10, Peter recognized that Cornelius and his friends had received the gift of the Holy
Spirit because he heard them speaking with tongues.

In order for us to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, we must first of all be convinced that it
is scriptural, for the Bible says that, "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." (10)
Secondly, we must be sure that we are Born Again and have received Jesus as our Lord and
Savior. (10) Romans 10:17
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Although there are many ways that God can use, following steps can enable you to receive the
Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

(1) We must confess and repent of any known sin in our lives. It is true that the Holy Spirit can fill
us even if we do not confess and repent, For example, in Acts chapter 10. However, un-confessed
sin can hinder us from receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is especially true with
regards to un-forgiveness and bitterness. I have noticed in some cases, those who repented of un-
forgiveness and bitterness were able to speak in tongues with greater ease.

(3) We can ask Jesus to baptize us with the Holy Spirit: The Bible says, “... He will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit and fire.” (11) The Bible also says, "that if we ask anything according to His will, He
hears us," (12) Therefore, we can ask Jesus to Baptize us with the Holy Spirit, which is His will for
us. And if we ask anything according to God's will, He hears us! (11) Matthew 3:11, (12) 1 John 5:14

(4) We can take a step of faith and speak in tongues: Jesus said, "If any man thirst, let him come
unto Me, and drink. ... this He spoke concerning the Holy Spirit." (13) This is a step of faith! Just as
we lay hands upon the sick as a step of faith to heal the sick, so we speak in tongues as a step of
faith to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it is helpful to worship in our own
language for a few minutes, then stop, and then by faith begin worship Him in tongues. (13) John 7:37

(5) We can get others to lay hands on us: Often, when those who are filled with the Holy Spirit, lay
hands on us, we receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This happened in Acts when Paul laid his
hands on the disciples in Ephesus, (14) they we filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
tongues. (14) Acts 19:6

It is our decision to speak in tongues. Paul wrote “I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray
with the understanding”. (15) The Holy Spirit will not speak for us but give us the words so that
we can words in tongues. These words do not come from our minds, but from our spirit. The
regular practice of speaking with tongues will enable us to be continually filled with the Holy
Spirit. The Bible says, “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself”. (16) Paul was an example of
this; he boasted that he spoke in tongues more than anyone else. (17) (16) 1 Corinthians 14:15, (16) 1
Corinthians 14:4, (17) 1 Corin 14:18

Finally: The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the initial experience to receive the power of God.
However, we need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 4:31 we read “And when
they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” Many of these were
the same disciples who were baptized in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

The Bible says, "be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be (continually) filled with the
Spirit." (18) Therefore, it is very important to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and thereafter to be
continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Amen. (18) Ephesians 5:18
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The importance of speaking in tongues

I want to talk about one of the most wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit, the gift of speaking in
tongues. Unfortunately it is also one of the most neglected gifts of the Holy Spirit. For the
purpose of this study, I want to focus more on a practical and personal application. I also take it
for granted that you have been baptized with the Holy Spirit with the ability to speak in tongues.
Furthermore, you have also overcome any difficulty to speak or pray in tongues. Therefore, the
purpose of this study is not to help you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit or to speak in
tongues. With that in mind we can proceed.

There are various uses for the gift of tongues:

Firstly, tongues together with the gift of interpretation of tongues is used to edify the Body of
Christ. This is the public application of the gift. For the purposes of this study, I will not cover this
point in depth.

Secondly, tongues can be used to communicate with others in a language the we have not learnt.
We have an example of this in the book of Acts chapter two. On the day of Pentecost, we read
how the people of Jerusalem were astonished and said "... we hear them speaking in our own
tongues the wonderful works of God." (1) Acts 2:11

When I was at university, my landlady gave me this amazing testimony. "One day I was preaching
the gospel to a group of Zulus living near the city of Durban in South Africa. They could not
understand English and I could not understand their Zulu tongue. I spoke in English and what they
heard was me speaking in Zulu. When they spoke back to me in Zulu, I heard was them speaking
in English." I have heard many similar testimonies. This gift can help us preach the Gospel in
languages that we do not understand!

The third use of this gift, is for our personal edification and anointing. This is what I want to focus
on In this study,. Paul writes in the book of Corinthians "He who speaks in a tongue edifies
himself. (2) The word 'edify' means to 'build oneself up.' It is a wonderful gift that God has given
to us, to enable us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Evidently Paul practiced what he taught when
he said, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all.” (3) If it was important for Paul,
then it must be important for us. (2) 1 Corinthians 14:4, (3) 1 Corinthians 14:18

Smith Wigglesworth, that great man of faith who lived in the previous century was greatly used
by God. He healed thousands of people and raised twenty-three people from the dead. He was so
anointed that people travelling on the same train as he would come under the conviction of sin
and cry out to God for mercy, without him saying a word. He was once arrested in Sweden
because so many people were healed in his meetings, that he almost put medical profession out
of business. When he was asked about the secret of his great anointing, he simply answered, "I
speak in tongues a lot."

I have witnessed this in my own life. Whenever I have spoken in tongues a lot, I have experienced
an increase of God's presence and anointing. I remember once when I preached in Eastern Siberia
a number of years ago. My interpreter and I had to wait for an hour and a half for the meeting to
begin. We decided to speak in tongues before the meeting.
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That evening there was a wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit. After the message, many came
forward testifying that God had healed them. We did not even pray for them but just sat in the
front row and watched the miracles. In the book of Jude, we read, "Building up yourselves on your
most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (4) Jude 1:20

The fourth use of this gift, is it enables us to pray according to the will of God. Paul wrote in the
book of Romans, “Likewise the Spirit helps our infirmities. For we know not what we should pray
for as we ought: but the Spirit itself [Himself] make intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered” (5) [Another translation says; "with words that cannot be put into a known
language." (5) Romans 8:26

Praying in tongues enables the Holy Spirit to pray through us. Paul writes and says, “For if I pray in
an unknown tongue, MY SPIRIT PRAYS, but my understanding is unfruitful.” Notice he said, “My
spirit prays.” (6) The Amplified Bible reads, “My spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays . . . ."
When we pray in tongues, our spirit is in direct contact with God, Who is a Spirit. To explain this,
let’s look at some scriptures. (6) 1 Corinthians 14:14

I suppose we are all aware that we consist of spirit, soul and body. Paul prays and says " may your
whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (7)
We are spirit, who have a soul which lives in a body. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and
Savior, the life Jesus comes into our human spirit and we are born again. In Galatians we read,
"...Christ lives in me." (8) We have the perfect life of Jesus living in us! That is why the Bible says,
"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, all things have
become new." (9) (7) 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (8) Galatians 2:20 (9) Corinthians 5:17

Now what happens when we pray in tongues? To understand this, lets read what Paul says: “For
what man knows the things of man except the spirit of man that is in Him? Even so no one knows
the things of God except the Spirit of God.” (10) There is an interaction between the Holy Spirit
and our human spirit. Firstly, our human spirit knows exactly what we need. Proverbs says, "The
spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, (11) searching the inner depths of his heart.” (10) 1 Corinthians 2:11,
(11) Proverbs 20:27

Secondly, Holy Spirit knows exactly what the will of God is and what God wants to do. So when
we pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit together with our human spirit form a prayer partnership and
pray according to the will of God. That is why Jesus said, "Whatever He (The Holy Spirit) hears; He
will speak and tell you of things to come.” (12) When we pray in tongues we often pray about this
even hidden from our minds. We read in Corinthians, “He that speaks in a tongue does not speak
to men, but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” (13)
(12) John 16:13, (13) 1 Corinthians 14:2

Let me give you examples in my own life. Earlier this year, I went on a prayer walk and spoke in
tongues a lot. That morning I experienced a strong burden of prayer as I was praying in tongues.
As I walked past a certain restaurant the burden suddenly lifted. A few hours later I met with a
missionary in that restaurant. The waitress who served us was unusually open to the gospel and
we had a wonderful opportunity to lead her to Christ. I believe that when I prayed in tongues, the
Holy Spirit together with my spirit prayed for her.

I can give many other testimonies. Before we moved to Russia in 1999, I used to go on morning
prayer walks in Pretoria and prayed a lot in tongues. When we moved to Russia, we were aware
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that God had prepared something for us that was beyond our natural expectation. We
experienced what the Scripture says, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the
heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed
them to us through His Spirit." (14) 1 Corin. 2:10-11)

In Ephesians, Paul writes and says, "God is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask
or think, according to the power that is in you." (15) What is this power? It is the life of Jesus in us!
Therefore, as we pray in the spirit, or pray in tongues, we release the power that is in us for God
to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we ask or think. (15) Ephesians 3:20

The fifth use of this gift, is that it enables us to worship and praise the Lord. We do not only speak
in tongues, but we can also sing in tongues. We read " I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing
with the understanding." (16) There is a place for singing in tongues or singing in the Holy Spirit.
Whenwe do so, we give to God the most beautiful adoration and worship that even goes beyond
our natural abilities. (16) 1 Corinthians 14:15

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would glorify Him (17) In the book of Acts we read “... we hear them
speaking in own tongues the wonderful works of God.” (18) When we speak in tongues, we are
often speaking about the wonderful works of God! That is why the devil does not like it when we
speak in tongues! I have often experienced a greater level of worship and praise in my own
language after I have sung in the Spirit. (17) John 16:15, (18) Acts 2:11

It is important that we are intentional when we speak in tongues. When we do so, we should have
in mind to worship or pray or build ourselves up, lest we become like a "clanging symbol." (19)
We can do so together or alone. (19) 1 Corinthians 13:1

The sixth use of this gift is to enable us to be led by the Spirit and walk in the Spirit. The Bible says,
"Those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God." (20) We read that "With men of other tongues
and other lips I will speak to this people..." (21) Speaking in tongues a lot helps us to be sensitive
to the leading of the Holy Spirit. It quietens our flesh, especially our carnal thoughts and enables
us to pick up the leading of the Holy Spirit. It enables our human spirit to have dominance over
our minds and emotions. (20) Romans 8:14, (21) 1 Corinthians 14:21

Furthermore, we can believe for the Holy Spirit to give us an interpretation of the tongues that we
speak. Although the gift of interpretation is used in the context of a church meeting, we can
believe God to give us the interpretation in our personal use of this gift. We can speak in tongues
then take a step of faith and interpret our tongues. It says in Corinthians, "Therefore, let him who
speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret." (22) 1 Corinthians 14:13

The seventh use of this gift, is to help us grow spiritually. The Bible says that if we can control our
tongue, we will be perfect. (23) If the Holy Spirit has control of our tongue, He will also begin to
control the rest of our lives. Tongues is the means by which our human spirit influences our soul
or personality. If Christ dwells in our spirit by the Holy Spirit, then that life will also influence our
behavior. The Bible says, "Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfil the desires of the flesh." (24)
When we speak in tongues a lot, the life of Jesus in us, 'oozes' out of our spirit and influences our
soul and body. I once heard of a lady who had an incurable sickness. When she prayed in tongues
a lot, she was healed. (23) James 3:2, (24) Galatians 5:16

To conclude here are two questions that we need to answer.

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Firstly, when or how often should we speak in tongues. The answer is, as much as possible, even
when we do not feel like doing so. Speaking in tongues is a decision of the will and not just a
stirring of our emotions. The Bible says in Corinthians "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray
with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”
(26) Paul boasted that he spoke in tongues more than all. The more we use this gift, the more it
will develop. (26) 1 Corinthians 14:15

Secondly: How long should we speak in tongues? The answer to this question, we should speak
long enough until we sense something happening in our minds and emotions. There should be an
increased level of peace and joy. We may even experience our tongues language becoming
deeper and more profound. When Paul wrote about tongues in first Corinthians, he quoted a
verse in Isaiah which says, "This is the rest, this is the refreshing... "(28) We should feel spiritually
an emotionally refreshed after we have spoken in tongues a lot. (27) 1 Corinthians 14:21, (28) Isaiah 28:11

We have an illustration of a submarine. Imagine a submarine lying at the bottom of the ocean. In
order to rise to the surface it must pump air into the tank. At first nothing seems to happen, but
when there is enough air, the submarine will float. Sometimes we feel weighed down and dull in
our spirits. It is like the submarine at the bottom of the ocean. Speaking in tongues is like pumping
spiritual air into our spiritual tank. When there is enough air we 'will float.' We will feel light and
refreshed. Sometimes we speak in tongues and nothing seems to happen and our thoughts
wander all over. The best thing we can do is just continue until we have the breakthrough. This
can take quite a considerable amount of time, especially if it has not been a regular practice in our
lives.

Finally, tongues is often the doorway to the other gifts of the Holy Spirit. After I began to speak in
tongues I also began to experience other gifts such as healing, prophecy, discernment of spirits,
etc and the word of knowledge. Paul wrote "do not forbid the speaking with tongues." (29) 1
Corinthians 14:39

Not only is speaking in tongues the entrance to the other gifts of the Holy Spirit, but it connects us
with the supernatural spirit world. It is called the language of angels in the Bible (30) Often,
angelic activity is released when we speak in tongues a lot. We will notice that things begin to
happen in our lives such as divine appointments and amazing opportunities. (30) 1 Corinthians 13:2

Paul said, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all." (31) Jesus said, “These signs
will follow those who believe ... they will speak in new tongues.” (32) I hope this brief study has
inspired you to explore and tap into the wonderful benefits of this amazing gift. Amen (31) 1
Corinthians 14:18, Mark 16:17

The anointing of the Holy Spirit

The anointing of the Holy Spirit is the most important key for the growth of the church, the
salvation of souls and for healings and miracles. It is the only way that we will influence this world
for Christ. When we are born again we receive a deposit of the anointing in our lives, for the Bible
says "we have an anointing and we know all things." (1 John 2:20) However, the anointing can be
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increased and there is no limit to level of anointing that we can receive. For example, Smith
Wigglesworth raised 23 people from the dead and was so anointed that people travelling on the
same train as he would repent and receive Jesus without him having to speak a word. Charles
Finney was so anointed that the conviction of sin would come upon those to whom he came in
contact with. The apostle Peter was so anointed that his shadow would heal the sick.

What is the anointing? We can define this as the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit that
enables us to do the work of Jesus. We can feel and sense the anointing. There is also a link
between the anointing and the glory of God. The word 'glory' in the Hebrew language is the word
'kabod' which means weight. That is why some people fall under the power of the Holy Spirit
when they receive the anointing. (3 Kings 8:11)

Why is the anointing so important?

Firstly, the anointing is the power that gives us the ability to preach the gospel and draw sinners
to Christ. Jesus said of Himself, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor; ..." (Luke 4:18) He then told the disciples, But ye shall receive
power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses..." (Acts 1:8) God
does not anoint us to sit and do nothing.

Secondly, the anointing is given to heal the sick and set the oppressed free. We read in the book
of Acts "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went
about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." (Acts
10:38) The same is true of us today for Jesus said, "As the Father sent Me, I send you." (John
20:21) He is our example! Paul said in the book of Romans, "Through mighty signs and wonders,
by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have
fully preached the gospel of Christ." (Romans 15:19) Without signs, wonders and miracles we do
not fully preach the gospel of Jesus. If God anoints us, then we are under obligation to heal the
sick and to perform miracles. Every sick person we meet is a 'legal target' for the anointing!

Thirdly the anointing is give so that we can fulfill our calling and ministry. When God calls us and
tells us to do something, He will anoint us. We read about the calling of king David in the Old
Testament, "Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and
the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward." (1 Samuel 16:13) In the New
Testament, Paul says, "Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the
letter, but of the spirit:" (2 Cor. 3:6) In fact, the anointing of the Holy Spirit is the only
qualification that God acknowledges for ministry.

This is not to say that Bible training is not important, but without the anointing of the Holy Spirit,
all our degrees and diplomas are useless! It says in the Book of Acts. " And God, who knows the
hearts, bare them witness, (acknowledged them) giving them the Holy Ghost..." (Acts 15:8) When
God anoints someone, it means that He acknowledges them! Therefore, we must be very careful
not "to touch God's anointed." (Psalm 105:15) This does not mean that we always have to agree
or submit to anointed people, but we need to be careful how we treat them!
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How to increase the anointing:

Firstly, through the laying on of hands and prayer: The anointing often increases when anointed
people pray for us and lay their hands on us. Paul said to the Roman church, "For I long to see
you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established." (Romans
1:11) Paul said to Timothy, " Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of
God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." (2 Tim 1:6) There are many other examples
in the Bible where the anointing was imparted through the laying on of hands.

This is also true of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, which we often receive when anointed people
lay hands on us. However, we are personally responsible to maintain our own anointing. When
others pray for us, there is a 'surge' of anointing imparted, but we must continue to walk in the
Spirit and yield to the Holy Spirit if we want to maintain that anointing.

Secondly, the corporate anointing can also influence our personal anointing. In Psalms we read,
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the
precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went
down to the skirts of his garments;" (Psalms 133:1-2) The oil, here being a type of the anointing.
When brethren dwell together in unity, the oil flows from the head, from the leaders right down
to skirts, to everyone else. This was especially true on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was
poured out on all those who were gathered in the upper room and not only on those who were
super spiritual. (Acts 2:4)

That is why it is so important to be connected to an anointed group of people. The 'fire' of the
Holy Spirit on others, can impart the 'fire' of the Holy Spirit to us. What I have noticed is that it is
often easier to pray for the sick in the context of a church meeting, than to do so individually. The
corporate anointing is often much stronger than our individual anointing. However, this being so,
we still individually have to walk in Spirit and obedience in order to maintain our anointing!

Thirdly, obedience to the Holy Spirit is important. In the Book of Acts, we read, "The Holy Spirit to
whom God has given to those that obey Him." That is why it is so important to always be sensitive
to what the Holy Spirit wants us to do. I have found this especially true when it comes to
preaching and teaching. It is more important to find out what God wants to say in a given
situation than to preach a good sermon. Some of my best sermons have been some of my most
un-anointed sermons because I was not sensitive to what the Lord wanted me to say in that
specific situation. I have also experienced that speaking a very simple word that the Holy Spirit
lays on my heart has often been an anointed word. For example, if I am told to speak about
bananas, even though I have a better message about tomatoes, God will anoint my message on
bananas and not anoint my message on tomatoes.

This is also true to all forms of ministry. I had a friend in Russia who went to pray for a sick
woman. Many had prayed for her but she could not receive her healing. He asked the Lord what
he should do and how he should pray for her. The Holy Spirit prompted him to take a glass of
water, add some salt and give it to her. As she drunk the salty water she was immediately healed.
Jesus links obedience to His commands, to the receiving of the Holy Spirit. (John 14:15-16) When
some of the great healing revivalists of the past were asked, "what is the greatest key to your
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anointing?" Many replied, "I would sit still in God's presence, listen to His voice, then do what He
tells me to do."

Fourthly, good stewardship of the anointing that we have already received: The anointing
increases when we use the anointing that we already have. The problem with many, is that they
do not use the anointing that they have received. We read about Jesus, "The Spirit of the Lord
GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings ..." (Isaiah 61:1) God
does no anoint us to do nothing!

We have the example of the Elisha and the needy woman. We read, "And Elisha said unto her,
What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid
hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil." (2 Kings 4:2) As she poured oil into empty
vessels that she had borrowed from her neighbors, the amount of oil increased. In the same way,
when we use the 'little bit' that we have, and pour it into the needs (empty vessels) of others, our
anointing will often increase! I have often had the experience of feeling so spiritually dry and
empty, but when I begin to share the word of God or pray for the sick, I have noticed a fresh surge
of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if we do not use the anointing, we will lose the
anointing!

Fifthly, the anointing increases through healthy spiritual disciplines. This is obvious, so I won't say
much about this. There are many scriptures that confirm this. Paul writes, “Do not be drunk with
wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit! Speak to yourselves in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs
making melody in your heart … giving thanks … submitting to one another.” (Eph. 5:18-19)
Worship, prayer, reading the Bible, praise and thanksgiving are all disciplines that will enable us to
increase the anointing level in our lives.

One of the most important disciplines that increases the anointing is fasting. Our best example is
that of Jesus. In the book of Luke, we read that "Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy
Spirit." (Luke 4:1) A few verses later it says, "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy
Spirit." (Luke 4:14) What happened in the wilderness? He fasted for forty days! That was the
reason why He, in the likeness of a man, was able to do so many wonderful miracles.

One day His disciples were trying to cast a demon out of a young boy but were not able to do so.
Jesus said to them, "This kind only goes out by prayer and fasting." (Matthew 17:21) He was
telling them, "Hey guys, you do not have the anointing, you need to fast and pray!" We do not fast
and pray every time we pray for the sick or cast out demons, but a lifestyle of prayer and fasting
will help us to increase and maintain the anointing to do so! Charles Finney, one of the great
evangelists of the past used to regularly spend times of fasting and prayer to maintain his
anointing. He led more than a hundred thousand people to Christ!

Sixthly, The anointing is increased through brokenness and dying to self. This is called the way of
the cross which is based on the principle, "out of death comes life." There are many verses that
confirm this. Peter writes and say, "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for
the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you:" (1 Peter 4:14) We will often experience an
increased level of anointing when we go through persecution and suffering. It all depends on our
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reaction! Instead of complaining, we rejoice, instead of being in despair, we have hope, instead
of being bitter, we forgive and instead of hating people and being offended, we chose to love.

We read about the experience of Paul, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" Although this is speaking about our
eternal rewards, it can also speak about the anointing, the "weight of glory." Watchman Nee, the
great Chinese teacher said, "The greatest key to the anointing is brokenness." Paul said in
Corinthians, "Death works in us, but life in you." (2 Corinthians 4:12) When 'death' works in us,
life is released to others.

The seventh key the importance of speaking in tongues. Paul writes and says, “He that speaks in a
tongue edifies himself.” (1 Corinthians 14.4) There is much we can say about speaking in tongues,
but I firmly believe, that the main reason why God has given us this gift is so that we can
continually be filled with the Holy Spirit. That is why Paul said, "I thank God that I speak in
tongues more than you all." (1 Corinthians 14:18)

I have found this true in my own life, after a period of speaking much in tongues, I have
experienced an increase in the anointing and presence of the Holy Spirit. Smith Wigglesworth,
one of the most anointed preachers that has ever lived, who raised twenty-three people from the
dead and performed thousands of miracles, was once asked, "what is the key to your anointing?"
He simply said, "I speak in tongues a lot."

How can we maintain the anointing?

There have been countless, who were once anointed, but after a period of time have lost their
anointing and have become powerless and useless in their calling and ministry. I would suggest
the following:

Firstly, we must never lose our hunger for God and always desire to receive more and more. The
Bible says in the book of Psalms, "For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with
goodness." (Psalm 107:9) The anointing of the Holy Spirit must be a high priority in our lives. If we
value the anointing, we will keep the anointing.

Secondly, it is important to be committed to the local church and be accountable to others. Many
of the great revivalists and men of God in the past, lost their anointing because they were not
willing to submit to others and be accountable to the church. We read in the Book of Ephesians
"... be filled with the Spirit; (verse:21) Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."
(Ephesians 5:18,21) Notice, one of the ways to be filled with the Holy Spirit, is to submit to
others! If we do not have the protection of the Body of Christ, the enemy will steal our anointing!

Thirdly, it is important that we continue to grow and mature spiritually. The 'fruit' of the Holy
Spirit will protect the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We may be enjoy the anointing for a period of
time, but to continue with the anointing over the 'long haul' we must grow spiritually. We cannot
maintain the anointing and live carnal lives! In 2 Peter chapter 1 we have a list of the fruit of the
Holy Spirit. In verse 8 we read, "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye
shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." You will always
be anointed and fruitful!
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Finally: The Bible commands us to be filled with the Spirit. God uses people who are filled with the
Holy Spirit. It is the only way that we will influence the world for Jesus. We have the example of
Barnabas "For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was
added unto the Lord." (Acts 11:24) Notice, he was good and filled! He was spiritually mature and
filled with the Holy Spirit. Can we imagine what would happen if everyone in your church was
anointed and filled with the Holy Spirit? There would be automatic revival and breakthrough!

Therefore, "It is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord." (Zechariah 4:6) May
God bless you as you make it your highest goal to be filled and anointed with the Holy Spirit.
Amen

Gifts of Holy Spirit:

This is a huge subject and we could write volumes about each of these gifts. However, for the
purposes of this study, we will not go into great detail or theory, but look at these gifts from a
practical point of view. To start off with this study, I want to look at some important verses in the
Bible: concerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

- 1 Corinthians 12:1. “Now concerning Spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant.”
To be ignorant of Spiritual Gifts and to ignore them is Therefore, disobedience to the Word of
God!

- 1 Corinthians 14:1. “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts!" The word ‘desire’ means ‘to strongly
desire.’ Love and the gifts of the Spirit work are supposed to work together. Furthermore, we
demonstrate our love through the gifts. For example, if you were lying, critically ill in hospital and
I came to visit you and said, "I just want to tell you that I love you, mamma also loves you and God
loves you, die in peace!" That is not love! It would be better if I would demonstrate my love for
you, by using the gift of healing and healing you!

- 1 Corinthians 1:7. “So that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our
Lord Jesus Christ.” Some people say that the gifts petered out when Peter petered out. That is not
true, they are to increase more and more as we approach the return of the Lord. In fact, the gifts
of the Holy Spirit should be taken into the market place and not be confined within church
buildings!

- Romans 15:19. “In mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from
Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” The preaching
of the Gospel should be accompanied by the gifts of the Spirit. The Gospel is not good news
unless we demonstrate its power through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in Mark 16:15-17,
that “These signs shall follow those who believe…they shall cast out demons,... they shall lay
hands on the sick, etc.”
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The list of the gifts of the Spirit:

1 Corinthians 12:6-8 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge
through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the
same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of
spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.”

1. Word of Wisdom:

The word of wisdom is: (1) The ability to apply a revelation from the Lord. (2) It is supernatural
wisdom given to us in difficult situations to know what to do. (3) It is wisdom that is greater than
our maturity or our experience.

We also have the example of how Solomon used the word of wisdom to solve the dispute
between the two prostitutes and the baby in 1 King 3:22. In John 4:16, we have the example
where Jesus was speaking to a woman at the well, He said to her, "Go, call your husband, and
come here.” When she said that she had no husband, He then used the word of knowledge to
open her up to receive the revelation that He was the Messiah.

In Mark 13:11, Jesus told His disciples, “... when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry
beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak
that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” He was saying to them that the church will
be given supernatural wisdom in times of persecution. Many years ago there was a young
Christian girl who lived in Russia during a time of severe persecution. On the way to church, she
was stopped by a policeman who asked her where she was going? She prayed for wisdom and
answered them, "My Elder Brother has died and I am going to meet with my family to discuss the
inheritance." After the meeting, on her way home she was stopped by the same policeman who
asked her, "what happened?" She answered and said to them, "I am so happy, I received
everything."

In Colossians 3:16 we read, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” The more we
read and meditate on the word of God, the more we will be able to operate in this gift.

2. Word of knowledge;

The word of knowledge is the supernatural knowledge given to us about a person or situation
without receiving any prior information about it. It is information that we receive that does not
come from our natural senses.

We have the example of the woman at the well when Jesus said to her, "You have had five
husbands and the man that you are living with now is not your husband." (John 4:16). We have
the example of Jesus and Zaccheas, when Jesus passed under the tree and said, "Zaccheas, come
down..." (Luke 19:5) We have the example of Elisha in the Old Testament who had a word of
knowledge about the movements of the King of Syria. When the king of Syria asked, who gave
information to the king of Israel, his servants said to him, “Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells
the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” (2 Kings 6:12)
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This gift is a powerful tool to help us preach the gospel and to stir up faith for people to believe
for miracles. A number of years ago we were doing an outreach on the streets of Moscow. A
young Russian girl approached me and began talking to me to practice her English. I tried to share
the gospel with her but she was not open to what I had to say. Suddenly a thought came into my
mind and I said to her, "Your boyfriend has just left you and your heart is very broken about it."
She stared at me with wide eyes and said, "How did you know?" I said to her, "God told me
because He loves you so much, He wants to heal your broken heart." After that she was wide open
and asked Jesus into her heart to become her Lord and Savior.

We must also bear in mind, that this gift is not to expose people and reveal all their 'dirty linen.'
The Bible says that the "... manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.” (1
Corinthians 12:7) This gift is often activated when we pray for people from a heart of compassion
and love. It can operate in a number of ways such as: (1) An impression or though that comes in
to our minds. (2) A feeling or sensation in our bodies, especially when it operates together with
the gift of healings. (3) An inner voice or a vision.

3. Faith

There is a difference between faith and the gift of faith. The gift of faith is defined as a
supernatural surge of confidence in God's ability to do something supernatural or impossible. In
other words, it is a sudden increase in the level of our faith. It can be likened to a hospital
monitor. The normal fluctuation of the waves on the monitor is like our normal level of faith. But
from time to time there is a sudden peak, that is like the gift of faith.

We have examples from the book of Acts. For example, when Peter and John healed the lame
man in Acts 3:6 they said to him, “Silver and gold have I none but such that I have I give unto you,
in the name of Jesus, rise up and walk.” As they walked passed him, there was a sudden surge of
faith to heal the lame man. We also have the example of Paul in Acts 14:9-10, when he healed the
lame man. We read, “Paul observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed said
with a loud voice, ‘stand up straight on your feet.”

Years ago we had a house meeting in the city of Durban. The room was full of people and I did not
know that there was a woman in the meeting, who was practically crippled, propped up in a chair.
The meeting was fairly dull and I asked someone to close in prayer. As he prayed, I felt a presence
of the Holy Spirit and said to the group that God wanted to do miracles. One Baptist girl was
immediately baptized with the Holy Spirit, fell to the floor and began to speak in tongues. Then
someone said, "Let's pray for June" (the crippled lady). We held hands and just said, "Lord, heal
June!" With that the crippled lady jumped out of her chair, ran around and began to hug
everyone. That was a definite manifestation of the word of faith. Our faith level before then, was
'below zero!'

We stimulate this gift when we use our natural faith and take risks. This gift is often accompanied
with a bold declaration of the word of God. For example, when Jesus stilled the storm, He spoke
with authority, "Be still!"

4. Gifts of healings
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This gift is the ability to release the anointing to heal the sick and gives us the understanding how
to pray for the sick. The gift is plural and Therefore, it means there are various ways we can use
this gift - we can lay hands on the sick, anoint them with oil, or declare a word of faith over the
sick, etc. This gift is often called, 'The dinner bell' of the gospel. It calls people to believe in Jesus.
It is a powerful tool to bring people to Christ when accompanied with the preaching of the gospel.

Jesus spent much of His time healing sick (Acts 10:38). This should also be the pattern of our lives.
Jesus said in John 20:21. “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” Healing the sick should be
our lifestyle. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10:7-8 "And as ye go, preach, saying, The
kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils:
freely you have received, freely give." Notice it says, "as you go!" It is the normal Christian life.

Although there are certain people who have a special anointing to heal the sick, it is open for all
of us who believe. Jesus said in Mark 16:17, "These signs shall follow those who believe. ... they
shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover." This gift is to 'all' who believe! That
includes all of us! Therefore, the more we use this gift, the stronger it will become. This gift can
also be imparted when anointed people pray for us.

5. Working of miracles:

This gift of the working of miracles, is the Holy Spirit's supernatural power to change a natural
situation. It is usually a great miracle of healing. (healing the blind, deaf and crippled) It is to
create something that was not there in the first place. For example, when we pray for a blind
person, the Holy Spirit can create a new retina or optic nerve. This gift is not limited to the healing
of the body, but also the changing of natural circumstances. For example, when Jesus stilled the
storm, walked on water and multiplied five loaves and two fishes, He was using the gift of the
'working of miracles'.

It is one of the greatest keys to revival. Paul said in Romans 15:18-19 “In mighty signs and
wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I
have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” We 'fully' preach the gospel when we perform signs,
wonders and miracles. Jesus gave us an amazing promise in John 14:12. “Truly I say to you, the
works I do you will do and greater works than these because I go to be with My Father .” This is the
normal Christian life! Without miracles, the gospel is not good news, and one miracle can do more
than 100 sermons.

I challenge you to pray the prayer in Acts 4:29. “… grant unto Your servants, (Dave) that with all
boldness they (I) may speak the word by stretching out Your hand to heal, that that signs and
wonders may be done through Your Holy Servant Jesus.” I

6. Discerning spirits:

This gift is the ability to identify the motivating spirits behind a word, an action or an event. There
are four spirits that we can discern:

(1) Human spirit. John 1:47 "Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, Behold an
Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" Jesus discerned the heart and spirit of Nathanial. We can
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discern whether or not people are open to God or not. We can also discern the needs and
attitudes of people.

(2) Angels: Act 27:23 "For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I
serve." Paul discerned an angel with him in the boat. The Bible says we can entertain angels
without even knowing about it.

(3) The Holy Spirit: Acts 15:28 "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you
no greater burden than these necessary things;" They discerned the mind of the Holy Spirit in the
decision they took in this meeting. A number of years ago, a well-known preacher from Canada
was preaching in our church in Pretoria. During the meeting, a young girl fell to the floor and
began screaming. Those around her thought it was a demon and tried to drive it out of her.
However, the preacher had discernment and said, "This is the Holy Spirit." When he asked the girl,
why she screamed, she said, that she saw a vision of Jesus dying for her on the cross, and she
began to scream in horror.

(4) Demon spirits: (Acts 16 verses 16-18. : “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain
damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, ... cried, saying, These men are the servants of
the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. ... But Paul, being grieved, turned
and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came
out the same hour.”) To those around Paul this must have sounded like this woman was spiritual
and sent by God. But Paul discerned a demon and cast it out.

The gift of discerning of spirits is primarily used to set people free from demonic oppression. In
my own experience, I have noticed that it is easier to cast out a demon once it has been
discerned. It is important to realize that this gift is not given to embarrass people but to set the
free. This gift only works in atmosphere of love, or else we will judge and hurt the people we want
to help Philippians 1:9-10. “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in
knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent.” As our love
abounds more and more, we will have more discernment. Furthermore, this gift operates in the
atmosphere of purity and cleanliness. It will not operate if our minds are filled with unclean
thoughts.

There are two ways that demons manifest. Firstly, we can sense the presence of a demon, we
often feel like a pressure or an uneasiness on us, and secondly, we can notice a demon through
various facial expressions and manifestations in the body.

7. Prophecy

This gift is The Holy Spirit's message to a person. It is to build up, comfort and encourage people
and not given for admonition and personal direction. (That is the responsibility of a prophet) In 1
Corinthians 14:3 we read, “But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort
to men.” It is available to everyone in the church. We read 1 Corinthians 14:31 “For you can all
prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.” However, it should take
place in a church where there are committed relationships. Furthermore, there should be enough
love in the church to cover the mistakes of those who want to move in the gift of prophecy
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1 Corinthians 14:32 we read, that"... the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets." We
are in full control when we use this gift, Therefore, we should be as natural as possible and avoid
any super spiritual tones of voice when we prophesy. It is also advisable to avoid the words, "thus
says the Lord" and give people the freedom to tell us whether or not the prophecy was from God
or not.

This gift usually comes from an impression in our minds, a vision, or a certain thought pattern. As
we take a step of faith and speak the words that we have received, then more words come to the
mind and we speak them out. We can also use this gift when we council people. Sometimes we
prophesy without even realizing it.

8. Kind of tongues:

This gift is The Holy Spirit's words given to us in a language we have never learnt, that do not
come from our minds but from our human spirits. There are three uses of the gift of tongues:

(1) For personal edification: We read in 1Corinthians 14:4 "He that speaks in a tongue, edifies
himself."

(2) If this gift is accompanied by the gift of interpretation in the church, then this gift acts as a gift
of prophesy. We read in 1 Corinthians 14:27 "If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by
two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret."

(3) It enables us to speak in language you have never learnt before. In Acts 2:8 we read, "And
how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born." The people heard them
speaking in known languages on the day of Pentecost.

When I was at university, my landlady gave me this amazing testimony. "One day I was preaching
the gospel to a group of Zulus living near the city of Durban in South Africa. They could not
understand English and I could not understand their Zulu tongue. I spoke in English and what they
heard was me speaking in Zulu. When they spoke back to me in Zulu, I heard was them speaking
in English." I have heard many similar testimonies. This gift can help us preach the Gospel in
languages that we do not understand!

One of the controversies around this gift is that some say, it is not for everyone. They quote a
verse in 1 Corinthians 12:30 where it says, "Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with
tongues? do all interpret?" The answer is obviously NO, but this is referring to the public use of
tongues in the context of a church meeting. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:15, "I would that you all
spoke with tongues..." He then goes on to say in verse 18, that he speaks in tongues more than
all. This is referring to our private use of this gift, which is available to all of us!

There is much more we can say about the gift of tongues. I have gone into more detail in the
study called, "The importance of speaking in tongues."

9. Interpretation of tongues.

This gift is the Holy Spirits revelation of the message behind an utterance given in tongues.
Tongues and interpretation together operate as the gift of prophecy. We must note that it is an
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interpretation and not a translation. A translation is done word for word, but an interpretation
takes an idea and puts it into its own words. That is why there is often a difference in the amount
of words given in tongues and the amount of words given in the interpretation.

In the context of a meeting, someone will give an utterance in tongue, then it will be interpreted
into a known language by someone else or by the same person. We read about this in 1
Corinthians 14:27 "If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by
three, and that by course; and let one interpret." However, if we give a message in tongues and
no one interprets, we are then responsible to interpret own tongue. The Bible says in 1
Corinthians 14:13, "Therefore, let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret."

Finally:

1 Corinthians 12:7. “... the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all” The
use of the gifts of the Spirit bring great benefit to the local church and will enhance our own
spiritual lives. In Proverbs 18:16, we read, “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him
before great men.” Wonderful opportunities will open for us when we become serious about
using the gifts of the Spirit. Therefore, as we have read before in 1 Corinthians 12:1. “Now
concerning Spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant.” Amen

How to be led by the Holy Spirit:

Being led by the Holy Spirit is one of the most important keys to God's blessing and success in
ministry. As we obey the small promptings of the Holy Spirit, and are led by the Holy Spirit, we will
have profound experiences with God. Jesus is our greatest example said, "The Son can do nothing
of Himself but by what He sees the Father doing." (1) He was continually led by the Holy Spirit,
that is why He was so successful and anointed in His ministry and calling. They interviewed a
number of the great healing evangelists of the previous century and asked them, the key to their
anointing and success. Many of them said, "We learnt to be quiet before God and listen to the
Holy Spirit." They knew what it was to be led by the Holy Spirit.

I once heard a testimony of a very successful and wealthy businessman, who was a multi-
millionaire. He was asked why he was so successful. He said that he has a special room in his
house and whenever he has to make an important business decision, he would go into this room,
become quiet before God and listen to the Holy Spirit. He said, that because of this practice, he
has not made a wrong decision for the past thirty years.

Not only is it important for our ministry and calling, but also for our protection. I have read about
those whom God has greatly used in China. Many testified of God's protection from the
authorities, because they were continually led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would warn them
in advance if they were in danger. We are living in the last days, where persecution will increase
against the church. The safest place for us to be is in the centre of God's will, and in order to live
there, we must be led by the Holy Spirit. (1) John 5:19
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The Bible says a lot about being led by the Holy Spirit, For example, in the Book of Romans we
read, "... as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (2) The word 'son'
implies fully grown son, those that are mature. Therefore, one of the signs of spiritual maturity, is
the ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. In Galatians we read, "But if you are led by the Spirit, you
are not under the law." (3) Children live by rules, but mature Christians have a relationship with
God and are led by the Holy Spirit. (2) Romans 8:14, (3) Galatians 5:18

There are conditions to being led by the Holy Spirit:

Firstly: Our relationship with God is important: In Psalms we read, "Thou wilt show me the path
of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore ." (5)
There is not only fullness of joy in God's presence, but it is there we also find the path of life. A
well-known verse in the book of Proverbs says, "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall
direct thy paths." (6) The word, 'acknowledge' is the same Hebrew word that is used in Genesis,
when it says that "Adam knew Eve." (7) The word acknowledge, means intimacy! As we develop
our intimacy and relationship with God in all our decisions, He will direct our paths, He will lead us
by the Holy Spirit. The more we spend time in prayer, reading the Bible and worship, the more
sensitive we will become to the leading of the Holy Spirit. (5) Psalm 16:11, (6) Proverbs 3:6, (7) Genesis 4:1

Secondly: We must be filled with the Holy Spirit: It says of Jesus, “And Jesus being full of the Holy
Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,” (4) Jesus was led by
the Holy Spirit, because He was filled with the Holy Spirit. This is very important if we want to be
led by the Holy Spirit. There are many ways in which we can be filled with the Holy Spirit, such as
prayer, worship, spending time in God's presence, speaking in tongues, the laying on of hands,
etc. (4) Luke 4:1

Thirdly: We must be committed to the local church: In Acts we read, "As they ministered to the
Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I
have called them." (8) In the context of unity and relationships with other Christians, the Holy
Spirit led them. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit often leads us through other people. We see this
over and over again in the Bible, For example, of Agabus and Paul in the book of Acts. That is why
we should be committed to the local church and live in unity with other believers. Jesus said, "the
sheep hear His voice." (9) Sheep are usually together in a flock, on the other hand, those that
stray away from the flock, who are not committed to other believers and who wander from
church to church, are seldom led by the Holy Spirit. (8) Acts 13:2, (9) John 10:3

Fourthly: Holiness and purity are important: The Holy Spirit is a "Holy Spirit." If we grieve the Holy
Spirit through sin and compromise, it will be difficult to be led by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says,
" ... walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." (10) Although the Holy Spirit
gives us the victory over the flesh, we cannot walk in the Spirit and fulfill the desires of the flesh at
the same time. In Romans that we must be transformed through the renewing of our minds so
that we can know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. (11) A renewed, pure mind had
the ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we cannot fill our hearts and our minds with
junk and expect to be led by the Holy Spirit. (10) Galatians 5:16, (11) Romans 12:2-3

Fifthly: Obedience to what God has already told us to do: Continual deliberate disobedience in
what God has already told us to do will make it difficult for us to be led by the Holy Spirit. We read
about King Saul in the Old Testament, "And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered
him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets." (12) Because of his continual
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disobedience to God's commands, he lost the ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. We have the
contrast of King David, who continually enquired of the Lord and was led by the Holy Spirit
because of his obedience. (12) 1 Samuel 28:6

It is important that we not only obey the convictions and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, but
also to the obvious commands in the word of God. In the book of Isaiah, it says that God looks
upon those that "tremble" at His word, (13) those that take God's word seriously and obey it. God
obviously ignores those who don't do so. Therefore, if we find it difficult to be led by the Holy
Spirit, we should ask God to show us if there is not perhaps some area of disobedience in our
lives. If we are serious about obeying the Holy Spirit, He will lead us! (13) Isaiah 66:2

The Holy Spirit can lead us in the following ways:

Without going into too much detail, I want to give a summary of how the Holy Spirit leads us. I
want to look at a number of examples from the book of Acts.

Firstly, the Holy Spirit leads us through an inner voice in our minds or our hearts: We have the
example of Philip. “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” (Acts
8:29) We also have the example of Peter, “While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto
him, Behold, three men seek thee.” (Acts 10:19)

Secondly, though an impression in our minds: A thought comes into our minds and we know that
it is what the Holy Spirit wants us to do: We have the example of the church leaders in Antioch. It
says, as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and
Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. (Acts 13:2) I do not think that they heard any
voice, but just knew deep in their hearts, what the Holy Spirit wanted to do. This is the most
common way that the Holy Spirit leads us. We just know, in our hearts what He wants to do.

3.The Holy Spirit can speak to us in an audible voice: This happens very seldom, but there are
examples in the Book of Acts. We read about Peter, “And there came a voice to him (Peter), Rise,
Peter; kill, and eat…” (Acts 10:19)

4 The Holy Spirit can speak to us through visions: There are many examples in the Bible. We read
about the experience of Ananias in the book of Acts, "And there was a certain disciple at
Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I
am here, Lord." (Acts 9:10)

5. The Holy Spirit can speak to us through dreams: God often led people in the Bible through
dreams. We have the example how God led Joseph the husband of Mary through dreams (14) to
go to Egypt and then to return to Israel. We read about Paul in Acts 16, how a man from
Macedonia appeared to him in a night vision, or a dream.

This is an important way that God leads us by the Holy Spirit. If we have a dream and it is very
clear, it is often from the Holy Spirit. Many times, our dreams are symbolic, so we need to ask the
Holy Spirit to show us what our dreams mean. It is a good practice to write down our dreams and
ask God what he wants to show us. When we sleep at night, our bodies and soul rests, but our
spirit man is wide awake. Our spirit is connected to our heart. In the Song of Solomon, we read, " I
sleep, but my heart IS awake: it is the voice of my beloved that knocks..." (15)
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In the book of Job we read, "For God speaks once, yea twice, yet man perceives it not. In a dream,
in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then He
opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction," (16) God not only leads us through our
dreams, but He can also heal us and minister to the deep needs of our lives. (14) Matt. 2:13, (15) Song 5:2,
(16) Job 33:14-16

6. The Holy Spirit can speak to us through the Bible: The Holy Spirit can highlight a certain verse or
convict us of something in the Bible when we read it. In Jeremiah we read, “Your words were
found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.” (17)
The more we read and the Word of God, the more opportunity we give the Holy Spirit to lead us.
(17) Jeremiah 15:16

8. The Holy Spirit can speak to us through the release of peace and joy: In the Book of Isaiah we
read, “For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace:” (18) In the new Testament we
read, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…” (19) Often we know the leading of the Holy
Spirit, by the experience of peace in our hearts. The word 'rule' hear means to arbitrate, or be the
umpire. It is like an umpire blowing his whistle when we do something wrong. In the same way,
the Holy Spirit blows his whistle by removing our peace. (18) Isaiah 55:12 (19) Colossians 3:15

Two important principles:

I want to share two important principles that enables us to be led by the Holy Spirit. We read
about two trees in the Garden of Eden, "And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every
tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden,
and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." (20) These two trees represent two spiritual
principles, the principle of life and the principle of right and wrong. (20) Genesis 2:9

Under the Old Covenant they lived according to the principle of right and wrong, which is called
the law. Under the New Covenant, we live according to the principle of life and death, which is
called, being led by the Spirit. We read earlier in Galatians, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you
are not under the law.” (3) Therefore, the Holy Spirit, does not operate according to what seems
right or wrong, but according to the presence or absence of spiritual life. (3) Galatians 5:18

For example, we can ask the following questions: Is it right or wrong to listen to secular music? Is
it right or wrong to watch movies? Can I wear these clothes? Can I drink wine? There are no right
or wrong answers to these questions. The only answer is that we must be led by the Holy Spirit. If
it does not affect the 'life of the Spirit' in us, the answer is YES. On the other hand, if we do these
things and we feel a spiritual dryness coming over us, the answer is NO. We are led by the
experience of the presence or the absence of spiritual life.

When I was newly saved and newly baptized with the Holy Spirit I was invited by an old school
friend to go to a party. He told me that there would be dancing and drinking and we would have a
good time. My first reaction was NO! I told him I would let him know so I prayed about it. I felt
'life' in my spirit, so I went to the party. To cut a long story short, I had a wonderful opportunity to
witness for the Lord Jesus and tell them what Jesus did for me. This would not have happened if I
legalistically followed the principle of right and wrong, good and evil.

We may ask the following question, "What is spiritual life and how can I experience it?" The Bible
says, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the
Holy Ghost." (21) Romans 14:17

Spiritual life is: The reality of righteousness, we do not feel guilty. The reality of peace, we feel
relaxed and we are free from tension, stress and fear. The reality of joy, we feel joy and gladness
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when we think about making the decision. For the sake of this study, let us call it our RPJ, our
righteousness, peace and joy. There is also a scripture that says, "For to be carnally minded is
death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” We also read earlier on in the Book of Isaiah,
“For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace:” (18) Isaiah 55:12, (22) Romans 8:6

It is important how our decisions affect our R P J? If our RPJ is not affected or increases, then the
Holy Spirit is saying YES. If our RPJ decreases or we feel a dryness coming over us, then the Holy
Spirit is saying NO or STOP! We have the example of Paul in the Book of Acts. “After they were
come to Mysia, they wanted to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.” (23) It seemed
the right thing for them to go to Asia, but they lost their RPJ. (23) Acts 16:7

When I was at university, we started a home group in the city where I lived. Each semester I
would go home to be with my parents who lived on a farm about 800 kilometers away. It was
always the right thing to do. One semester as I was travelling home I began to notice my RPJ
becoming less and less. I ignored this feeling until it became so obvious. After travelling a
considerable distance, I decided to turn around and go back to the university.

Suddenly my RPJ returned and when I go to the next town I phoned my mother and told her of
my decision. She said, "I am so glad that you are not coming, we have a house full of people and I
do not know where to put you." Furthermore, when I arrived back in Durban I found out that the
believers in the group had been praying and asking God to send me back. I have seen this
principle work throughout my life and have also made some serious mistakes in the past because
I ignored my RPJ's.

It is important that we sharpen and maintain our level of RPJ. We can do so by continually being
filled with the Holy Spirit, through worship and praise and spending time in God's presence. Often
when I experience a lack of RPJ, it is a sign that I have grieved the Holy Spirit and that I should
repent. Therefore, it is better to build up and increase our level of RPJ than to get all stressed out,
trying to get a word from the Lord. The Holy Spirit leads us in an atmosphere of peace and joy.

There are some guidelines that will help us to be led by the Spirit:

(1) The importance of love and compassion. When we are motivated by love and compassion, we
are usually being led by the Holy Spirit. We have the example of Jesus, “And Jesus went forth, and
saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.”
To be led by the Spirit, is to be led by love. (24) Matthew 14:14

(2) The importance of humility: If we find it difficult to be led by the Spirit in a certain situation,
we can ask ourselves the question, “What is the humblest thing I can do in this situation?”
Anything motivated by pride is always out of the Spirit!

(3) The importance of self-denial: Jesus said “... If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (25) We cannot follow Jesus with selfish
motives! Our willingness to do whatever God calls us to do, will open us up to be led by the Holy
Spirit. (25) Luke 9:23

(4) Our involvement in leading people to Christ: When it is our intention to tell others about Jesus,
and lead people to Christ, we will experience the leading of the Holy Spirit in a greater degree.
This is because it is so important for the Holy Spirit is to gather people to Christ. Jesus said in
Matthew 28:18-19 “Go ye Therefore, and teach all nations,… and, lo, I am with you always, even
unto the end of the world.” (26) As we go, we will often experience Jesus being with us by the
presence of the Holy Spirit! (26) Acts 1:8
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(5) The importance of ministry to the Lord and fasting: We read in the book of Acts, "As they
ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the
work whereunto I have called them." (26) Fasting often enables us to be led by the Holy Spirit. We
become more sensitive to the Spirit and less influenced by the desires of the flesh when we fast.
Ministry to the Lord is drawing near to God and spending time with Him in worship. (26) Acts 13:2

(6) The importance of praying in tongues a lot: As we edify ourselves, by speaking in tongues, (27)
we become more aware of the Holy Spirit and His presence. Paul quotes a passage in the Book of
Isaiah that says, "...With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people." (28) I
often experience the Holy Spirit leading me when I pray a lot in tongues. (27) 1 Cor. 14:4, (28) 1 Cor. 14.21

Finally:

- The Holy Spirit will never force us to do anything. If we feel forced or controlled, or that we have
to do something and it is very urgent, it is usually not the Holy Spirit, but another spirit. He leads
us and gives us the freedom to say 'yes or no.' I have made so many bad decisions, lost so much
money, because I was forced to make quick decisions. If we need to make an important decision,
the best thing to do is to become quiet before God and let the Holy Spirit lead us with His peace.

- The Holy Spirit will also never lead us to do something that violates God’s moral laws, for
example, committing adultery or compromising with sin! He will always lead us on the path of
integrity and truth. He is a Holy Spirit, and leads us in an atmosphere of purity and holiness.

- The Holy Spirit will never lead us in fear. If we are ever motivated by fear, then it is probably not
the leading of the Holy Spirit. For example, "I must not do this because I am afraid of what others
will think! The Bible says " ... God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind."(28) God does not lead us in fear, He leads us in victory and confidence. We
read in the Bible, that "God always leads us in triumph in Christ Jesus..." (29) The Holy Spirit is not
timid, He is bold. (28) 2 Timothy 1:7, (29) 2 Corinthians 2:14

- The Holy Spirit does not only want to lead us in our big decisions, but also in the small decisions
that we need to make all day long. He does not only want to show us the way we should go, but
He also wants to direct our steps! (6) For example, how we should spend our time, what foods we
should eat, which relationships are important, etc. I once heard a testimony of someone who
wanted to lose weight and tried many different diets, but to no avail. He then committed his
eating habits to the Holy Spirit and in a short time he lost a lot of weight. (6) Proverbs 3:6

- The final thing that I want to mention is the importance of the desires of our heart. The Bible
says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. (30) He not only
wants to give us what we desire, but also place in our hearts, His desires. Therefore, if we need
direction in some area of our lives, we can delight in the Lord. We can spend time in praise,
worship and adoration. As we do so, godly desires will come into our hearts and we will know
what the Holy Spirit wants us to do. (30) Psalm 37:4

I trust that this study has been a blessing to you and will motivate you to make it a high priority to
always be led by the Holy Spirit. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God." (Romans 8:14) Amen.
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Hunger for God:

Hunger is usually a sign of good health. When a person recovers from an illness, the first thing
they want to do is eat. The same is true with spiritual hunger. When we have a strong hunger for
the things of God, it is a sign that we are spiritually healthy. Spiritual hunger is one of the most
important keys to the blessing and presence of God. It also brings great delight to the heart of
God and is the most important quality that God looks for in our lives. The Bible says “For the eyes
of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of
them whose heart is perfect (loyal, undivided) toward him.” (1) 2 Chronicles 16:9

What is spiritual hunger?

Firstly It is a strong desire for God's presence and power . We see an example of this in the life of
Moses. When God told him that an angel would go before them and cause them to possess the
Promised Land, Moses told God that he was not interested unless God went with him. (2) The
presence of God was more important to him than the blessings of God. (2) Exodus 33:15

Secondly, it is manifested by our dependence on God. Moses said to the Children of Israel, "So He
humbled you, allowed you to hunger … that He might make you know that man shall not live by
bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord." (3) God
allowed them to suffer physical hunger so that they would develop a hunger for a relationship
with Him. That is why God sometimes may remove some of the natural things that distract us
from Him so that we can learn to be dependent on Him. However, God wants us to have a hunger
for Him even when we experience His blessing. David, who was the possibly the richest and most
blessed person alive at that time said, “I am poor and needy!” He had a hunger for God, in an
atmosphere of blessing. (3) Deuteronomy 8:2 (4) Psalms 40:17

(3) Thirdly, spiritual hunger is manifested by our openness to the Holy Spirit and the word of God.
Jesus said that man shall live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (5) If we have
a hunger for God, then we will also have a hunger for His word. We love to read the Bible and
meditate on His word. (5) Luke 4:4

The benefits of Spiritual hunger:

1. Hungry people will be satisfied and fulfilled: There are many scriptures that speak about the
benefits of spiritual hunger. We read in the book of Psalms, “He satisfies the longing soul and fills
the hungry heart with goodness. (6) Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they shall be filled." (7) The word 'filled' can also mean to be satisfied or
fulfilled. Hungry people are contented people. Mary the mother of Jesus said in Luke, that God "...
fills the hungry with good things but sends the rich away empty." (7) When we are hungry for
God, we always want to receive more from Him, but the rich, those who think they do not need
God and have everything they need, do not receive anything from God. (6) Psalms 107:9, (7) Luke 1:53

2. Hungry people will experience the refreshing and the power of the Holy Spirit. We read in the
book of Psalms, that “He turns the wilderness into pools of water, and dry land into water springs.
There he makes the hungry to dwell that they may establish a city for a dwelling place.” It says
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here, "they may establish a city for a dwelling place." (8) When we hunger for God, we establish a
place for the presence of God, for He dwells among those who are hungry. They have a wonderful
intimate relationship with God! Jesus also said, "Whoever is thirsty come unto Me and drink and
out of your heart shall flow rivers of living water.” (9) (8) Psalms 107:35-36, 38, (9) John 7:37-39

3. Hungry people will influence others for Jesus: We read in the same Psalm, “He blesses them
(the hungry) and they multiply greatly.” (10) There is great blessing for those who are hungry for
God. They influence others for Christ and their churches grow. (10) Psalms 107:38

How do we know that we are hungry for God?

1. We will do anything go anywhere to meet with God: In the natural, hungry people are
desperate people, they will do anything and go anywhere to receive something to eat. Hunger is
one of the strongest motivations of a man. In some countries, they will stand in long queues all
day long just to receive some bread. In the same way, if we are spiritually hungry, we will do
anything, even if it costs us money and it is inconvenient, to meet with God and to have His reality
in our lives. Sometimes we will even fast and pray, because we are hungry for God's presence and
blessing. That is why people all over the world, will fly to places, even at great cost to experience
the move of the Holy Spirit.

2. We love to spend time in God’s presence: If we are hungry of God then it is not difficult for us
to pray, read the Bible and worship God. We experience the reality of that verse that says, "deep
calls unto deep. (11) Something in us, yearns for something in God. However, If we feel we do not
have this hunger, we can begin to draw near to God today by faith and our hunger for God will
begin to increase. James says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (12) If we take
the first step, God will do the rest and give us the grace to draw near. (11) Psalm 42:7, (12) James 4:8

3. We have a desire to meet with other Christians: John writes and says that "We know that we
have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother
abides in death." (13) Those that withdraw from fellowship and from relationships with other
believers are those who have usually lost their hunger for God. I have heard so many tell me, "I
love Jesus, I read my Bible and I pray, but I do not see the necessity of going to church ." The truth
of the matter, is that they are spiritually dead and have lost their hunger for God. (13) 1 John 3:14

One of my favorite Psalms says that “Those that are be planted in the house of the LORD shall
flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and
flourishing;”(14) Hungry people are “planted in the house of the Lord” They are committed to a
local church! (13) 1 John 3:14, (14) Psalms 92:13-14

4. We lose our appetite for the things of the world: Although many things we do and watch are
not sinful, they should not control our lives. Our love and hunger for God is often measured by
our lack of desire for the things of the world. The Bible says, “Love not the world, nor the things of
the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (15) We will often find
that worldly entertainment becomes boring to us because we have experienced something so
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much better, our relationship with God. When we love the world and the things of the world, we
lose our love for the Father. On the other hand, when we develop our love for the Father, we will
lose our desire for the things of the world. (15) 1 John 2:15.

5. We are joyful and excited about the things of God: The Bible says that "the Kingdom of God is
not meet and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (16) When our Christian
lives become boring, it means we may be losing our hunger for God. Hungry people are always
excited and enthusiastic about the things of God and about following Jesus. They love to talk
about the Lord and what he is doing. (16) Romans 14:17

6. We easily receive the blessings of God: The book of Proverbs says, “A full soul loathes the
honeycomb, but to the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.” (17) In the natural, hungry people
are not fussy what they eat, they will even eat a dry piece of bread, they will eat anything! Even
"bitter things seem sweet to them!" In the same way, those who are hungry for God are easily
edified and blessed. Even a boring sermon will bless them. They will always find something that
blesses them. They are humble enough to receive from anyone whom God chooses. They are
usually the ones that take notes during the sermons, and have an open and teachable attitude.
We have had the privilege to minister to those in countries who are so spiritually hungry. Even
simple truths bless them. Humility is Therefore, a sign of spiritual hunger. (17) Proverbs 27:7

How do we become hungry for God?

1. Feed ourselves with God's word: In the natural world, we lose our hunger when we eat. It the
spiritual world, the opposite is true, we increase our hunger when we eat. The more we read and
meditate on the Bible, the more our hunger for God's word will increase. We will be like Jeremiah
who said, "Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing
of my heart." (18) The word of God, the Bible, produces spiritual hunger. The more we read it, the
more we want to read it. In Hebrews it says, "For the word of God is living and powerful..." (19)
The word 'powerful' is the Greek word, "energes". Spiritual energy and hunger automatically is
imparted to us when we read and meditate on the word of God. (18) Jeremiah 15:16, (19) Hebrew 4:12.

2. Repentance: If we acknowledge and repent from our lack of hunger for God, the Holy Spirit will
do something in our hearts. In the book of Corinthians we read how their repentance produced a
supernatural zeal and hunger in their hearts for God. We read, "For observe this very thing, that
you sorrowed after a godly manner, what diligence it produced in you ... what zeal, what
vehement desire..." (20) They noticed that after they repented they had a new desire and hunger
for God. (20) 2 Corinthians 7:11

3. We can ask God to give us the gift of hunger: The Bible says that if “we ask anything according
to the will of God, God will hear us, and if he hears us, we have the petition that we have asked
for.” (21) Hunger is the will of God for our lives so we can ask God to give us that hunger. We
cannot work up a natural hunger for God, we can only receive it by grace. (21) 1 John 5:14

4. Expose ourselves to the move of the Holy Spirit: We can meet with those who are hungry for
God, and where the Holy Spirit is moving. We are like a coal in the fire, when it is in the fire it will
glow, but if we remove it from the fire, it will stop glowing. Those that are hungry for God will
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help us to increase our hunger for God. The Bible says that we should ".... consider one another in
order to stir up love and good works". (22) Sometimes we need to go to places where the Spirit of
God is moving in order to increase our hunger for God. (22) Hebrews 10:24

5. We can expose ourselves to those who have had encounters with God and who have been
greatly used by God. We can listen to their messages, listen to their testimonies and read their
books. One of the things that my wife and I do, is to watch Sid Roth's supernatural program each
week where he interviews those who are greatly used by God and have had amazing experiences
with Him. We read in Revelations that "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (23) The
word prophecy means 'to do it again'. When we read the stories of those who were hungry for
God, it will also increase our hunger for Him. (23) Revelations 19.10

6. We can stop feeding ourselves with that that takes away our spiritual hunger. For example, if
we eat junk food before eating a delicious meal, we will lose our appetite for the meal. In the
same way, there are things that we are feeding our minds and hearts with that can take away our
spiritual hunger for God. There are no laws against watching TV, spending time on the Internet,
watching sport and other types of entertainment. But we need to be careful that these things do
not cause us to lose our hunger for God. I have found in my own life, that there are things that are
not considered sinful that takes away my hunger for God. Paul says, "All things are lawful for me,
but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.” (24) Often it is
not what we watch or read, but the spirit behind it that grieves the Holy Spirit. (24) 1 Cor 10:23

7. The importance of fasting: When we become hungry for natural food, we often stir up our
hunger for spiritual food. When we fast, the influence of the flesh is weakened which makes us
more aware of the influence of the Holy Spirit. I have often experienced a greater awareness of
God's presence when I fast. The best motive for fasting should be to deepen our desire for
spiritual things and our relationship with Jesus. Jesus said “... but the days will come, when the
bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.” (25 When Jesus, our Heavenly
Bridegroom seems far away, we can fast because we desire His presence. (25) Matthew 9:15

8. Do something for Jesus: When we are actively doing something for Jesus such as praying for the
sick, encouraging people or teaching the Bible, our hunger for God will increase. Our active
involvement in spiritual things, keeps us spiritually alert and hungry for God. Paul said to
Timothy, "... stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands." (26) If we feel
that we are losing our hunger for God, then one of the best things we can do is to tell others
about Jesus and heal the sick. (26) 2 Timothy 1:6

Finally: Jesus is the “Bread of Life.” said, “... I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall
never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (27) Our relationship with Jesus and
our commitment to Him will cause us to lose our appetite for the things of the world and fulfill
the hunger in our souls. Amen (27) John 6:35
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Ministry to the Lord

In this study, I want to share with you the importance of ministering to the Lord. As important
that ministering to people is, our highest calling is to minister to the Lord. We read in the book of
Acts we read, "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me
Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." (1) The greatest missionary
movement in the world was as a result of a small group of people ministering to the Lord. To
minister to the Lord, is to draw near to God, to worship Him and to do some that gives Him joy
and pleasure. (1) Acts 13:2

This was the reason why God created man. We read in the book of Revelations, using the King
James version that "for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were
created." (2) God created us so that He could enjoy us! God is love and love needs to be
expressed. So He created us to love us and to receive love from us. In Genesis we read that God
used to walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day in the garden of Eden. (3) Why did He do
so? It was because He enjoyed spending time with Adam and Eve. In the New Testament, we read
that all things were made for Jesus and by Jesus. (4) We were created for Him! (2) Revelations 4:11, (3)
Genesis 3:8 , (4) Colossians 1:16

In the Book of Ezekiel, we read about two group of priests. The first group was the Levites. It says,
"... and they (The Levites) shall stand before them (the people), to minister unto them because
they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity ...
And they shall not come near unto me ..." (5) They lost the privilege of drawing near to God
because their hearts turned away from God when the Children of Israel turned to idols. However,
they were allowed to continue to minister to the people. (5) Ezekiel 44:11-13

The second group was called the sons of Zadok, which was a clan within the tribe of Levi. We
read, "But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when
the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and
they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, says the Lord GOD: They shall
enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall
keep my charge." (6) Ezekiel 44:15-16

It says that they shall come near to God to minister to Him. Therefore, to minister to God is to
draw near to Him and to stand before Him in worship and praise. They were to offer the fat and
the blood. The blood speaks about the blood of Jesus, and that through the Blood we can come
into His presence. (7) The fat speaks about giving God the very best that we have. We read how
Abel brought the "firstlings of the flock and the fat thereof and God accepted his offering." (8) He
gave God his very best. When ministering to the Lord and drawing near to God is our highest
priority, then we are bringing to Him the "blood and the fat." Food cooked with fat is very tasty,
Therefore, when we minister to the Lord, we are giving Him something that is very tasty! (7) Hebrews
10:19 (8) Genesis 4:4

We read about Paul and Silas in prison in the book of Acts. We know what happened, at midnight
they praised the Lord, God sent an earthquake, their chains fell off and the prison doors were
opened. There were wonderful miracles as well, but what really amazes us, is that they and the
other prisoners remained in the prison and did not flee. This tell us that their motive for singing
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praises was not to receive something from God, but because they loved God and wanted to
minister to Him. They had no other agenda!

However, God, being who He is, has a great heart to bless us and will always give us more than He
receives. Therefore, there are many wonderful things that can happen to us when we minister to
Him:

Firstly, we become like the one whom we worship. For example, if we worship some celebrity or
sports star, we will eventually begin to act like them. The more we worship God, the more we will
begin to act like Him and become more like Jesus. Paul writes the following, "But we all, with
open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord (through worship), are changed into the
same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (9) This is the quickest way to
grow and mature spiritually, is to worship God! (9) 2 Corinthians 3:18

Secondly, When we minister to the Lord, we will find that it becomes easier to minister to people.
We read about the sons of Zadok, " ... they shall not gird themselves with anything that causes
sweat." (10) They did not sweat! When we minister to the Lord, we will not sweat, it will be easy
to serve and follow Jesus! Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light." I want to give a
personal testimony. (10) Ezekiel 44:18

Many years ago wanted to start a missions organization in the city of Windhoek in Namibia. I
rented a building but it was difficult to get others to join the vision. I read in Acts how the Holy
Spirit spoke to Paul and Barnabas after they had fasted and ministered to the Lord. I decided to
do the same, believing that the Holy Spirit would also speak to me. Therefore, each day after
work, I would go to this building to do just that.

At first I would spend time in praise, worship and thanksgiving. I then learnt how to minister to
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit separately. I would minister to the Father with thanksgiving and
praise. I then began to declare His wonderful attributes. For example, His goodness, kindness,
love, compassion, faithfulness, patience and forgiveness, etc. I imagined myself as a waiter in a
restaurant, feeding the Father with wonderful words from the Bible. As I did this, I often
experienced His wonderful presence and I could sense His pleasure.

I did the same for Jesus. I would first thank Him for what He did on the cross for me and then
praise Him as the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega, the Lamb upon the
throne, etc. I would then tell Him how much I love Him and would express my desire to please
and follow Him. I then would minister to the Holy Spirit by thanking Him for what He does for me.
He dwells in me, He inspires me, He sanctifies me, He fills us with joy and peace, He empowers
me, leads me, comforts me, etc. After I ministered to the Lord this way, I would then would then
bring my requests to the Lord.

I did this for quite a considerable time. At first nothing seemed to happen, but one day, thirty-four
people from fourteen different countries walked into the building and said that they wanted to be
part of the vision. My dream had come true with no sweat! After that, doors began to open for us
to minister in the university, the training college, the police academy and in a number of
churches.
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Many accepted Christ and we saw many miracles. We had the privilege of lead more than a
hundred police students to the Lord and disciple them. After this we started a weekly prayer
meeting for the nation on a nearby mountain overlooking the city. The prayer meeting continued
for a number of years, even after we left the country. Out of this prayer meeting, came those who
supported us as missionaries, which led us eventually to live in Russia.

I once heard a testimony of a youth leader who took a group of young people on a mission to
Hong Kong. At first it was very difficult for them to find affordable accommodation. They decided
not to only pray about this need, but to spend more time just worshiping the Lord. After doing
this for a while, they one day received a phone call for the mayor who offered them an old
hospital building with 28 rooms. They could rent this building for just one dollar a month. Without
any sweat, they had the accommodation that they needed.

Thirdly, ministering to the Lord can make us sensitive to the leading and the voice of the Holy
Spirit. In Acts it says "as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said..." (1) It
enabled them to hear what the Holy Spirit wanted them to do. God often speaks to us when we
minister to Him. This is one of the ways we can find our destiny and calling. The greatest
missionary movement was started after a small group of people ministered to the Lord. We have
a similar example in the Old Testament with Samuel. (11) It says that he ministered to the Lord as
a young child and soon after that God spoke to him and told him about what was going to happen
to Eli the priest and the nation of Israel. (1) Acts 13:2, (11) 1 Samuel 3:1 and 4

Finally, there are many other benefits when we minister to the Lord. It will increase our level of
anointing in our lives. As we minister to Him, He in turn will minister to us and we will experience
a divine flow of the Holy Spirit. Ministering to the Lord is also enjoyable and enables us to be
aware of the goodness and the love of God.

Since I have made this a regular practice in my life, I have become so much more aware of the
love of the Father for me. The greatest blessing of all is that, when we minister to the Lord, it
blesses and gives Him great delight and joy. The final question we need to ask, is how do we
minister to the Lord? I have already shared my experience.

We can minister to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit separately. We can thank God for who He is
and what He has done and doing for us. We can praise and worship Him with songs. We can sing
in the Spirit. We can declare His wonderful attributes.

When it comes to Jesus, we can thank Him for what He did at the cross for us. We can praise His
Him for who He is and His exalted position in heaven. He is the King of kings, the Alpha and
Omega, the glorious risen Christ, the One to whom all knees shall bow and all tongues confess
that He is Lord. We can express our love and adoration for Him. We can also worship Him in the
Spirit.

When it comes to the Holy Spirit, we can thank Him for His wonderful functions. He fills us,
inspires us, empowers us, teaches us, sanctifies us, fills us with abounding hope, imparts to us
righteousness peace and joy, etc. We can yield our lives to Him and ask Him to fill us with His
power and love. (I have attached a short declaration that will enable you to minister to the Lord)
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There any many ways we can minister to the Lord. My wife and I have been doing this regularly
for more than twenty years and we have seen such amazing results. There is no set formula, the
best is just to open our hearts to the Lord and let the Holy Spirit lead us. It is great to do it in a
group and with music. However, I have discovered that the highest level of blessing comes when I
do it alone and without musical accompaniment.

It is important that we minister to the Lord by faith, even if we do not feel His presence.
Remember, we are doing this for Him! Our one and only goal, is to do something for Him and to
bless Him. After we minister to the Lord we can pray and bring our requests before the Lord. In
Psalms it says, "Delight yourself also in the LORD; and He shall give you the desires of your
heart.”(12) I have noticed that when I minister to the Lord, He often does things for me without
me even having to pray about it. It also becomes easier to pray after I have ministered to the
Lord. Therefore, may God bless you, as you make this the high priority in your life. Amen. (12) Psalm
37:4
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Crafted prayers to minister to the Lord

Ministry to the Father:

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus. I come to worship You, to praise You
and to adore You. You are an awesome God who is glorious in holiness and fearful in praises, a
God who does wonders. (Exodus 15:11). You are wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance,
(Isaiah 28:29) I honor You and worship You.

Thank You for Your wonderful attributes. You abound towards me in goodness and truth, You are
merciful and gracious forgiving and longsuffering (Exodus 34:6). I thank You, are very, very kind.
(Joel 2:13). You are a God of love who is full of compassion, tenderhearted (Psalms 145:8-9) and
You care for me (1 Peter 5:7) I declare that You are a faithful God whose mercies are new to me,
every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23) Above all, I want to thank You that You are My Heavenly
Father, You have adopted me into Your family, and that I am Your child. (1 John 3:1)

Thank You for loving me so much that You sent Jesus to die on the cross for me. (John 3:16) You
are the God of hope who fills me with all joy and peace, (Romans 15:13) and You have a
wonderful plan for my life.

Finally, I put my trust in You, and I believe in You. You are my dear Heavenly Father, and I love
You with all my heart and want to please You in all I that I do. Amen

Ministry to Jesus:

Dear Lord Jesus, I want to thank you, that You loved me so much, that You laid down Your life and
died on the cross for me. Thank you for redeeming me and giving me the gift of eternal life. Jesus,
You are my Lord and my Savior, my hope of eternal life.

I declare that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead and is seated in heavenly places, at the
right hand of God the Father, far above all principality and power and every name that is named.
(Ephesians 1:18). He is highly exalted and has a name above all names, to whom every knee shall
bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord. (Philippians 2:9-10) He is the King of Kings and
the Lord of Lords, (1 Timothy 6:15) the "Alpha and Omega," (Revelations 1:8) the Lamb upon the
throne and the glorious and the mighty Son of God.

You have destroyed all principalities and powers, (Colossians 2:13) and him who had power over
death, the devil. (Hebrews 2:14) You now have the keys of hell and death (Revelations 1:18) and
all authority in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18

Jesus, You are the resurrection and the life (John 11:25) You are the "bread of life," who satisfies
the hunger of my heart (John 6:35) and You are the "giver of living water" which quenches the
thirsting of my soul. (John 4:14). You are my righteousness, my holiness, my wisdom and my
redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30-31) You are my peace, my joy, my healing and health. You are
everything I need (Colossians 2:10)
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You are worthy, to receive all honor, all praise, all glory, all dominion, all power and all the
blessings and riches. (Revelations 5:12) Jesus, You are wonderful, (Isaiah 9:6) precious, (1 Peter
2:6) and altogether lovely. (Song 5:16) You are the love of my life, the desire of my heart. I adore
You and love You with all my heart and I want to follow You and please You in everything I do.
Amen

Ministry to the Holy Spirit:

Holy Spirit, You are the glorious and mighty God who lives in me and who is with me. (John 14:17)
You are the Witness in me that I am a child of God and have received the gift of eternal life
(Romans 8:16, Ephesians 1:13) Thank You, precious Holy Spirit for Your wonderful presence and
anointing. You inspire me and show me the wonderful things that have been given to me. (1
Corinthians 2:9-10)

Thank you for Your power and the ability to tell others about Jesus and to do His wonderful
works. (Acts 1:8, Romans 15:19) Holy Spirit, You give me the grace to overcome the desires of the
flesh (Galatians 5:16) and victory over the works of the devil. (1 John 4:4)

You enable me to have a relationship with the Father and the Son and to glorify Jesus. (John
16:13-15, Ephesians 2:18) You guide me into all truth, You comfort me, You teach me, You convict
me and You lead me. (Galatians 5:18)

My body is Your temple, (1 Corinthians 6:19) I am not my own, I belong to you. Come and fill me,
sanctify me (Romans 15:16) and change me to become more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Holy Spirit, thank you for Your love, Your faithfulness and Your commitment to me. I love You,
appreciate You and I will always depend on You. I yield my life to You and ask you to fill me with
Your presence, You power, Your gifts and Your love, in Jesus name. Amen.

The revelation of Gods' Love

Love is the greatest force in the world, it was the force that it caused the Father to send His Son
to die on the cross for us. (1) It was the power of love that enabled Jesus to die on the cross for
us. Jesus said, "No greater love has a man than to lay down his life for his friends." (2) Love is our
strongest weapon against the enemy. Jesus often used this weapon when He healed the sick. We
often read that He was moved with compassion and healed the sick. The compassion and love
that He had for people released the power of the Holy Spirit to heal the sick and perform
miracles. When we use this weapon of love, we will often release the anointing and the power of
the Holy Spirit. It is the greatest key to influence people for Jesus. (1) John 3:16, (2) John 15:13

The Bible teaches us to love God and to love one another. It is a theme that occurs throughout
the Bible. It is demonstrating the very nature of God, it is heaven invading earth! The way we love
God and one another will be a very important issue when we one day stand before the judgment
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seat of Christ to receive our eternal rewards. However, our greatest need is not to love God and
to love one another! Our greatest need is to know that God loves us. If we are able to understand
just how much God loves us, our lives will radically change forever. We read, "  In this is love, not
that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (3)
Our love for God is a response to His love for us, so we love Him because we know that He loves
us.
(3) 1 John 4:10

However, many of us only know this in our minds and not in our hearts. We know that God loves
us, because we read about it in the Bible and we know that, two thousand years ago, Jesus loved
us so much that died on the cross for us. Therefore, our greatest need is not only to know
historically and from the Bible that God loves us, it must become a reality in our hearts! Possibly
the most powerful verse that confirms this is found in the Book of Ephesians. Paul writes, "For
this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ....   may be able to comprehend
with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—    to know the love of
Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (4) Ephesians 3:18-19

He prays that we will know something that is beyond our human ability to know. It is a
supernatural knowledge, to know how deeply God loves us. It is a work of the Holy Spirit. This is
our greatest need! If the love of Christ become a reality in our hearts, then it goes on to say, "...
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Our only response to this verse should be
'wow'. This is not only speaking about the fullness of the Holy Spirit, but the fullness of God, the
fullness of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

Words cannot explain this, but one thing is certain, when we experience the fullness of God, then
everything in our lives will be in order! When we know that God real loves us, we will experience
the fullness of everything that God wants to give us. We will have the fullness of joy, peace, of His
presence, etc. We will experience His dynamic life living through us. If we have the fullness of His
live, then there is no place for anything else.

The following verse is an amazing promise, it says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us..." (5) This
verse implies that there is no limit to what God can do through us or for us according to the
power that works in us. What is this power? It is the power of His love as defined in the previous
verse. If we know deep in our hearts that God really loves us, we will have the ability to believe
that God will do exceedingly, abundantly and above all we ask or think. The revelation of His love
for us, gives us the ability to receive from Him! (5) Ephesians 3:20

Paul writes in the book of Romans, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has
been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (6) The Amplified Bible
says, "Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out
in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us." The word 'hope' in the Bible
means, 'a joyful anticipation for something good. When we know that God loves us, we will
always have hope. We will always expect God to do something good for us and fulfill that which
He has promised. We will always know that there is something good at the end of the road even if
we do not understand what is happening along the way. In the Book of James we read "You have
heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of
tender mercy." (7) (6) Romans 5:5, (7) James 5:11
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The most important question we now need to ask is, "how can I experience this love? How can I
know deep in my heart that God really loves me?

First of all, it ise us this revelation, in the same way that Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers.
However, it is so much on God's heart to do so for us, that He would gladly respond to this
request, if only we would ask! He is a faithful God, Therefore, if we ask and we will receive. Not
only can we pray for ourselves, but we can also pray for others. I often pray Paul's prayer in
Ephesians chapter 3 for myself and for others.

Secondly, to help us understand God's love, we can meditate on His wonderful attributes. For
example, the Bible says that He is gracious, mercy and abounds in goodness and truth. (8) He is
slow to anger and of great kindness (9) He is full of compassion and great in mercy (10 ) There are
many other verses. He is caring, loving, tenderhearted, faithful, delightful and awesome. As we
read these verses and meditate on them, they will become more and more real to us. (8) Exodus 34:6,
(9) Joel 2:13, (10) Psalm 145:8

Thirdly, we can declare the wonderful things that God says about us in the Bible. For example, we
can say, "I am valuable and precious because I have been redeemed by the precious blood of
Jesus. (11) I am the apple of His eye (12) He rejoices over me with singing (13) God adores and
loves me. My name is written on the palms of His hands. (14) He is always thinking about me. (15)
(11)1 Peter 1:18, (12) Psalm 15:8, (13) Zephaniah 3:17, (14) Isaiah 49:16, (15) Psalm 139:17

When we really know that God loves us, our lives will change. The love of God will heal our hearts
and set us free from rejection. We will have a desire to follow and obey the Lord Jesus. This is our
greatest need. Therefore, the main tactic of the devil is to tell us that God does not love us. But if
we know that God loves us, then the devil will have no more influence over us. In Roman’s it says
that "If God is for us, who can be against us!" (16) God is for us, He is always for us. He is for us
when we pray, He is for us when we do not pray. He is for us when we do things right, He is for us
when we make mistakes. He is always for us, He will never change His mind because he loves us
with all His heart. His love for us, does not depend on our performance, but on who He is! The
Bible says that His "kindness will not depart from us." (17) (16) Romans 8:31, (17) Isaiah 54:10

Finally, Paul says in "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities
nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created
thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord ." (18) And
in response to His love, "We love Him, because He first loved us!" (19) For God is love! Amen.
(18) Romans 8:38-39, (19) 1 John 4:19
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REACHING OUR GOALS

The importance of Unity.

Unity is one of the most important keys in the Kingdom of God to blessing and breakthrough.
Therefore, the enemy's greatest tactic is to destroy our unity, especially in the church and in the
family. Unity is a universal law, for where there is unity, there is strength. We can see this
principle at work in the story of the Tower of Babel. We read in Genesis, " And the LORD said,
“Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now
nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them." (Genesis 11:6)

Because of their unity, there was no limit to what they could achieve. Therefore, God brought
confusion by giving them different languages to destroy their unity. If this is true in this negative
situation, how much more is it true when there is unity among us in the Kingdom of God. In Psalm
133, we read, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! ...
For there the LORD commanded the blessing - Life forevermore." When there is unity in the
church, there is a commanded blessing. Even though we are blessed, because we are in Christ,
unity puts us in a position to experience His blessing. When there is unity in a family, especially
between a husband and a wife, there is a commanded blessing. This can apply to any team
situation.

There are some things that God will only give us in the context of a team and not as individuals. In
Psalm 36:8 we read, "They will be abundantly satisfied by the fullness of Your house." It is in the
house of God, the church, that God blesses us. That is where His resources are located. Those that
cut themselves off from the living church cut themselves off from God's provision! In Genesis
28:17 we read that the "house of God" is also the "gate of heaven." Therefore, when there is unity
in God's house, we open up a portal to heaven to experience the presence, of God, the anointing
of the Holy Spirit and angelic activity.

In Acts 2:1, we read that "they were all with one accord in one place" when God poured out His
Spirit on the day of Pentecost. We have the same situation re-occurring in Acts 2:44-47 we read,
'Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common... So continuing daily with one
accord in the temple, ... And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."
Furthermore, we read In Acts 4:32-33 we read that "the multitude that believed, were of one
heart and one soul.... And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all."

Many revivals were started as the result of unity. For example, the revival in the Hebrides Islands
in 1940's. A number of people came together to pray for revival. After praying for a long time,
nothing happened. They then asked God why He had not answered their prayers. The Lord said to
them that they first had to repent of their disunity and un-forgiveness. When they did so, God
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told them to send for a man called Duncan Campbell from Scotland. When Duncan Campbell
arrived, a revival broke out and practically the whole island was saved. People were lining up at
police stations confessing their sins because there were not enough pastors to help them. This
revival broke out, because of their unity.

When there is unity in the church, there will be a manifestation of blessing and favor. On the
other hand, many churches destroyed and weakened by disunity and conflict. I have often noticed
that when contentious people leave a church, the church will grow and be blessed. In 2
Corinthians 2:10 Paul says, "we are not ignorant of the Satan's tactics". In the context of this
chapter, the tactic he was referring to, was un-forgiveness that caused disunity in the church.

Jesus prayed in John 17:21, "... that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You;
that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me." Notice it says,
"One in us." It is unity in Christ and not in a man or a doctrine. Unity outside of Christ does not
release the blessing of God. However, unity among Christians is the greatest key we have to
affect nations for Jesus.

Ephesians 4:3, “Keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” In the Amplified Bible we read,
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit.” Notice, first of all it says, "the unity of the
Spirit." It is not because we all agree together or we all have to submit to some leader. It is a unity
that comes when we submit to the Holy Spirit! Secondly it says "in the bond of peace." This
means that we have right relationships that are free from strife and conflict. Even if we do not all
agree, we can maintain peace in our relationships.

Unity is a manifestation of corporate humility! In Philippians 2:2-4 we read, "Therefore, if there is

any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and
mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem
others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the
interests of others."

Humility, which is to put others first, is a condition to have "fellowship of the Spirit." Therefore,
the root cause of all disunity is pride and selfishness. In Proverbs 13:10 we read that "only by
pride, comes contention." Therefore, only through humility we can be free from strife and disunity
and if we want to have unity, we must have humility!

List of practical steps to build unity in a team:

(1) Commit yourself to be part of a team: In order to do so, we must put the interests of others
first. The Bible says in Philippians 2:4, "Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an
interest in others, too." (NLT) For example, we do not just go to church, we are involved in the
church. Many years ago, I was praying and asking God to bless my life. I heard the Holy Spirit
saying to me, that I would never enter into the full blessing of God until I was part of a team. The
Bible says in Psalm 92:13-14 that we must be "planted in the house of the Lord." If a tree is
planted, it does not move when the winds blow. When we are part of a team, we stay there even
when we go through 'storms.'
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(2) Pray for one another: It is better to pray than to criticize! Through prayer the grace of God is
often released to bring about unity. We cannot continue in disunity and strife if we continue to
pray for one another. Praying for one another, brings the unity of the Spirit!

(3) It is important to resolve conflict as soon as possible. The longer we allow conflict to continue,
the worse it will become. Proverbs 17:14 "Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop
before a dispute breaks out." (NLT) If we do not quickly deal with conflict, it can have catastrophic
consequences later.

(4) Speak directly to people and not behind their backs. In Matthew 18:15 we read, "Moreover if
thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: "
Therefore, we make a commitment, never to receive or give an evil report about another team
member. In Titus 3:2 it says, "Speak evil of no man!"

(5) Make a commitment to receive loving correction from one another. This will require great
humility, which is the foundation of unity. In Proverbs 9:8 "Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate
thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee." The ability to receive rebuke or reproof is one of
the quickest ways to grow spiritually.

(6) Forgive one another. Forgiveness is not earned but given. We do not forgive people because
they deserve it. It is given as a gift. The Bible sayы, "forgive one another as God in Christ forgave
you." (Ephesians 4:32) Forgiveness destroys the demonic strongholds that cause disunity.
Statistics show that the greatest cause of divorce is not adultery, or financial problems, but un-
forgiveness. In order to have unity, we have to continually forgive one another. Forgiveness,
releases the grace for us to have unity.

(7) Be loyal to the team leaders. It does not mean that we agree with everything they say or do,
but they know that we are there to always support them. In Luke 16:12 we read, that "And if ye
have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own ?"
If we have to find a new team leader, then we must do so with a humble attitude. It is wrong to
just get up and leave without telling your leaders why you did so. We don't just "leave" without
telling anyone! That is a lack of the fear of the Lord!

(8) Make a commitment to purity and holiness. In Jude 1:19 it says that "Sensual persons cause
divisions, not having the Spirit!" Sin and compromise gives the devil the legal right to destroy our
unity and will destroy the church. Therefore, it is important to strive towards holiness and purity
in our own hearts and minds. It is a fact that those who cause disunity often have moral issues.

(9) The importance off the Holy Spirit. Just as those who do not have the Holy Spirit cause
divisions, (Jude 1:19) those who are spiritual will have unity. Furthermore we read in John 17:22,
"And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one."
The glory is the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit. Those who are continually filled with the
Holy Spirit, will walk in unity. The Holy Spirit eill break down walls of divisions and enable us to
live in unity. We see an example of this in Acts chapter 2.
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(10) Have goals in your life. We have the example of Nehemiah. There was unity because there
was a common goal to build the wall of Jerusalem. We will never have unity if our goal is unity.
For unity is not a goal, but a means to reach that goal! For example, we can reach people for
Christ or do something together for God. Just stagnant water breeds diseases, so a stagnant life
will breed strife and sin and cause disunity.

In Johannesburg, South Africa, it was the custom for the miners to gather in a field on Sundays for
fellowship and to take their dogs for a walk. One day a certain man noticed something interesting.
While the miners were just talking and nothing else was happening, the dogs began to fight and
bark at one another. Suddenly, a rabbit jumped out of a hole, all the dogs stopped fighting and
began to chase the rabbit. There was automatic unity, because they had a common goal. We all
need "rabbits to chase", we need to have a common goal!

Degrees of Unity: The principle of the wall, the fence and the garden.

(a) The principle of the wall: There is a wall between us and those who deny the foundation
truths of God’s word. For example, the new birth, the cross, the divinity of Jesus, life after death
and the Trinity. So it is impossible to have proper unity with those who have serious doctrinal
differences. In 1 John 1:3, we read, “our fellowship is with the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ." The main source of our unity is God Himself, and not some good cause! In 1 Corinthians
3:11 we read, “For no other foundation can anyone lay … which is Christ." We can love them,
bless them, but we cannot have spiritual fellowship with them!

(b) The principal of the fence: There is a fence between us and those who believe in the
fundamental doctrines but have different values from us. For example, they believe in the divinity
of Christ, the New Birth and eternal life through faith in Christ, etc. However, they have
differences in doctrines that do not affect our salvation such as, water baptism, the baptism in the
Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, healings, miracles etc). We can have fellowship, "over the
fence," we can go to their churches, pray together, work together but we cannot enjoy close
spiritual fellowship with them, our fellowship will be limited. It will be difficult for us to worship
together and enjoy the anointing and presence of the Holy Spirit together.

(3) Principle of the garden: We can invite those into our spiritual gardens who believe in the
same fundamental doctrines and have our same values. We have a kindred spirit with them, we
can worship together, pray together and work together with them. Our unity is in the Spirit! With
these we make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
We can meet together in our gardens and enjoy the presence and the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit.

Finally: Jesus prayed in John 17:21-23 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I
in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. When we
live in unity, we will bring glory to God and influence this world for Jesus. Therefore, let us “keep
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Amen
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Holiness and purity

Holiness is one of the most important attributes of God and is the very atmosphere of heaven. We
read in the book of Revelations that "they (the angels) rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy,
holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." (Revelations 4:8) Many of those who
have had living encounters with God, said that they were over-whelmed by the awareness of His
holiness when they met with the Lord. Not only is God a holy God, but holiness is a very
important for all of us who want to know God and walk in His ways. The Bible commands us to be
holy, we read " But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:15-16) The definition of
holiness is simply, the beautiful life of Jesus manifested in us. To be holy, is to be like God.
Holiness can also mean to be separated unto the Lord.

There are some important truths we need to know about holiness:

Firstly, when we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we received the gift of holiness. We read
Hebrews 10:10. “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the Body of Christ,
once and for all.” All our sins have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and the Father now sees
us through the blood of Jesus, holy and pure. That is why we can freely enter into His presence.
Furthermore, we have the holy life of Jesus living inside of us. In Galatians 2:20 it says “Christ
lives in me.” and in 1 Corinthians 1:30, it says that “Christ has become for us … sanctification (or
holiness).” Therefore, Jesus is not only my Lord, He is also my Holiness. As we let the life of Jesus
live through us, then we will manifest the fruit of holiness. Therefore, the manifestation of
holiness is the fruit of our relationship with Jesus.

Secondly, holiness is also the positive force that lives in me, that changes my life and the lives of
those around me. Under the Old covenant, God's people had to withdraw from the world because
they could be contaminated. For example, if they touched a leper they became unclean, for their
surroundings would influence them. However, under the New Covenant we influence our
surroundings. We go into the world (to where the non-Christians are) and contaminate it with the
life of Jesus. Jesus told us to go into all the world and not withdraw from the world. For example,
when Jesus touched a leper, the leper became clean. Therefore, we as are the salt of the earth,
must influence the world for Jesus. 1 John 4:4 says, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in
the world.” Therefore, we do not have to fear the influence of the world (those who do not know
Jesus) because the Greater One lives in us. Jesus did not withdraw from sinners, but sat with them
and influenced them.

Thirdly, holiness is not a list of things that we cannot do : It is not, “I do not smoke, drink, rob
banks, etc. But it means to be separated unto God. Holiness is living a life that pleases God. It is a
decision to love Him, obey Him and serve Him with all our hearts. It means that we do not want to
do anything that grieves the Holy Spirit. We read that “The Kingdom of God is not meat of drink,
but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17) Notice that it is not what we
eat or drink, but the manifestation of righteousness, peace and joy! It is not what we must not
do, but the life of Jesus, manifesting through us.

Fourthly, holiness manifests itself in purity, clean thoughts, clean motives and clean actions. It is
the beautiful life of Jesus that is free from sexual lust, unclean appetites and desires. It begins
with an inner desire to please God out of gratitude for who He is and what he has done for us. It is
primarily a heart condition and Therefore, cannot be only measured by outward actions. God said
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to the prophet Samuel, “for the Lord does not see as man sees, man looks at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Fifthly, holiness is a process or a journey. It is not the goal, but a path to take us to the goal. Our
goal is to have a wonderful relationship with God and influence this world for Jesus. We should
grow in holiness for the rest of our lives and will never reach a point where we are holy enough.
Our experience of holiness will be complete one day when we see Jesus in eternity. We read,
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know
that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that
hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3:2-3)

Why is holiness important?

First of all, holiness is the will of God for our lives. We read in 1 Thessalonians 4:3. “For this is the
will of God, your sanctification.” We are commanded in 1 Peter 1:14-15, “As obedient children,
not conforming yourselves to your former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as he who has called you
is holy, also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” If we want to
find the will of God, then we must grow in holiness! The will of God is not only what we can do for
God, but it is also to become like Jesus. In Romans 12:2 it says that “we must be transformed by
the renewing of our minds so that we can know the good and acceptable will of God.” His will is
revealed to a renewed mind. Many times, we ask God, “Show me Your will!” He may be saying to
us, “Renew your mind and you will automatically know My will.”

Secondly, holiness makes us fruitful and useful to God. God will use us more when we walk the
path of holiness. We read in 2 Timothy 2:20-21: “If anyone cleanses himself from the latter
(things that dishonor God) he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified (holy or separated to God) and
useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” As we cleanse our hearts, we become
useful to God, for He uses holy vessels. A holy and pure lifestyle will enable us to flow and
maintain in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Thirdly, holiness affects our relationship with God. Matthew 5:8. “Blessed are the pure in heart
for they shall see God.” The word, ‘see’ in the original Greek can also mean to perceive God. In
other words, God becomes real to those who have a pure heart. Unclean thoughts and actions
causes are hearts to be darkened we lose the desire for the things of God. We have a very
important warning in Hebrews 12:14: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which,
no one will see the Lord:” Holiness will also affect our eternal destiny, and our relationship with
Jesus in heaven.

Fourthly, holiness makes us more effective in our prayers . In Psalms 66:18 it says, “If I regard
iniquity in my heart, God will not hear.” In 1 John 3:22 we read, “And whatever we ask we receive
because we obey His commands and do those things which are well pleasing in His sight.” When
our lifestyle pleases God, we will be more effective in our prayers. However, we do not receive
answers to prayer because we are holy, but because we believe. However, holiness Therefore,
makes it easier for us to believe.

Fifthly, holiness gives us victory over the devil. We read in Romans 16:19-20: “... be wise in what
is good and simple concerning evil and the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet.”
Holiness Therefore, is a form of protection against the devil and the powers of darkness. Paul says
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in Romans 13:12 that we should put on “the armor of light. The armor of light is a lifestyle where
we walk in holiness and purity. Jesus said of Himself, that the devil comes to Him and finds
nothing in Him. The devil had no handle on Jesus, because of His holiness and purity. Holiness
Therefore, removes the devil’s legal right to influence our lives.

How can we be holy – what is the process?

We must realize that Jesus is our holiness, but when His life is manifested through us, it is the fruit
of holiness. So, when we speak about holiness, we are talking about the manifestation of holiness
in our lives.

We must believe what the Bible says about us: We read in Hebrews 10:10. “By that will we have
been sanctified through the offering of the Body of Christ, once and for all.” As we begin to see
ourselves through the eyes of the word of God, we will experience what the word of God says
about us. The Bible also says in Hebrews 13:12 that we are "sanctified by the Blood of Jesus." So,
when we received Jesus, we were made holy by the Blood of Jesus. In Romans 1:7 it says "we are
called to be saints." We are not sinners saved by grace, but saints that used to be sinners, desiring
to live like saints by the grace of God! Therefore, in order to manifest the fruit of holiness, we
need to be free from a sinner complex!

2. Regular repentance produces the fruit of holiness: Deep, sincere repentance releases God’s
grace and ability for us to live holy lives. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, God is faithful to
forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Notice, He does not only forgive us, but He
cleanses us. Every time we repent from our hearts, the grace of God is released to enable us to
live holy lives. This is confirmed in 2 Corinthians 7:10:  “For godly sorrow produces repentance
leading to salvation …   What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves.” Godly
sorrow leading to repentance, releases the grace to be holy!

3. When we read and meditate on God’s word, our lives begin to change: We read in Hebrews
4:12 “The word of God is living and powerful …” The word "powerful” comes from the Greek word
“energes” from which we get the word energy. When we read the word of God, spiritual energy
flows into our lives and God's holy longings and desires are imparted to us. Not only does this
energy flow into us, but the Holy Spirit will convict us of sin and lead us to repentance when we
read the Bible.

4. Prayer and spending time in God’s presence: Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 26:41 “Pray
lest you fall into temptation.” Prayer and spending times in God's presence will impart God's
presence to us and enable us to have the victory over temptation and sinful desires. The more we
pray, the more the fruits of holiness will manifest in our lives and the easier it will be to live a holy
life.

5. Fellowship with other Christians: God has put other believers around us to protect us and
inspire us. The life of the Holy Spirit often flows to us through other believers. In Hebrews 3:12 it
says, “Exhort one another daily … lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
Commitment to and fellowship with other believers is essential if we want to live holy lives. As we
worship, pray and have fellowship together with other Christians, the life of the Spirit imparts the
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fruit of holiness to our lives. Also in fellowship with others, we receive correction and help to
follow Jesus and to live holy lives.

6. Be involved in our calling: Flowing in our calling and purpose will motivate us to live a holy
lifestyle. We have the example of King David, whose calling was to lead the army of Israel and
destroy the enemies of Israel. However, one day, he took a break from his calling and decided to
stay at home. It was then that he was tempted and fell into adultery. He was at the wrong place
at the wrong time, if he had been in the army, he would have not fallen into compromise. (2
Samuel 11:1) Focusing on what God has called us to do it will Therefore, protect us from being
distracted by the things of the flesh.

Finally, we must beware of legalistic holiness. There has been a lot of misunderstanding with
regards to the subject of holiness. Many Christian groups started out with a genuine desire to
please God through a holy lifestyle. God then blessed them with His presence and with revival.
However, they tried to maintain the move of the Holy Spirit through legalistic rules and what was
once a blessing became dead legalism. A genuine desire to please God can develop into legalism!
This in turn caused them to lose their joy and brought them into heaviness and bondage. The
problem is that they took their eyes of Jesus, the source of holiness and put them on outward
rules and regulations.

The highway of holiness: Isaiah 35:8-10: “A highway shall be there, it shall be called a Highway of
Holiness (easy access into God’s presence) – whoever walks on the road, although a fool, shall not
go astray (holiness will give you direction in your life) … No lion shall be there nor shall any
ravenous beast go up on it (victory over the devil). …Verse 10 But the ransomed of the Lord shall
return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads … and sorrow and
sadness will flee away. (There is great joy as we develop the fruit of holiness in our lives)

Finally: Holiness is the beautiful life of Jesus, manifested through us. This is God's will for our lives
for Romans 8:29 says that “we have been called to be conformed to the image of His Son.” Let us
pursue the purposes of God in our lives as we walk on the beautiful highway of holiness into
God's presence and blessing. Amen

The principle of honor:

Honour is a very important principal in the Kingdom of God. In the New Testament, the word for
honour comes from the Greek word “time” which means, to give value, to appreciate and to show
respect and dignity. Honour originates from the heart and is shown through our actions and
deeds. The foundation of honor is humility, which means putting others first! One of the most
important verses with regards to honor is found in the Book of Samuel. It says, “Those who
honour Me, I will honour.” (1 Samual 2:30) To give God honour, is one of the greatest keys to the
blessing of God.
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With regards to honor we need to answer the following questions: Firstly, Who must we honor,
secondly, how do we honor them and thirdly, what can we expect when we show honor?

1. Civil and governmental authorities:

Paul writes in the book of Romans and says, "“Let every soul be subject to the governing
authorities ... whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God ... For he is God’s minister
to you for good... Render Therefore, to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due ... honour to
whom honour.” (Romans 13:1-7)

Although we may not like them or agree with them, we can still honor them! We are not honoring
the person but the position that they occupy!

How do we honor them?

- First of all, we must pray for them: Paul writes to Timothy and says, “Therefore, I exhort you first
of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving thanks be made for all men, for kings
and all who are in authority, thast we may live a quiet and peaceable life.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2) It is
better to pray for them than to criticise them. God is the highest governing authority and He has
the ability to change the hearts of leaders or remove them. We read in Proverbs " The king's
heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turns it whithersoever He will.
(Proverbs 12:34)

Notice it says that the "king's heart is in the hand of the Lord." (Proverbs 21:1) If we pray for them
we put the heart of the leader into the hand of the Lord. It the heart of the leader cannot be
changed, then God can remove them. History has shown that some persecution could have been
avoided if Christians prayed for their leaders instead of speaking evil about them.

- Secondly we can show then respect: Lack of respect towards a leader is very offensive to God.
even if we do not like them or agree with them, we can still show them respect! Lack of respect is
sin! We read about how Paul showed respect to governing authorities in the book of Acts. when
he stood before evil government leaders. In Acts 24 when they rebuked Paul for reviling the high
priest, Paul apologised. This does not mean that we should never protest, or speak out against the
wrongs that they do, but we can do so with a respectful Christian attitude.

- Thirdly we must have an obedient attitude towards them: "Render Therefore, to all their due:
taxes to whom taxes are due ... honour to whom honour.” (Romans 13:7) This means that we
obey the laws of the country and pay our taxes. This does not mean that we have to always do
what they tell us to do. Sometimes their laws are not according to the Bible, Therefore, if there
laws contradict the word of God, we obey the word of God! We read in Acts, “But Peter and John
answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to
God, you judge.” (Acts 4:19) We do not have to obey, but we can show them respect and honor.

- Fourthly, we do not speak evil of them: The Bible says “You shall not speak evil of the ruler of the
people.” (Acts 23:6) We do not honour people because of their character, or because we agree
with them, but because of their position. Therefore, we must be careful how we treat our leaders.
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We notice this in the life of David. He never spoke evil of king Saul, even though king Saul was
trying to kill him. He called Saul, 'the Lord's anointed' (1 Samuel 1:14) even though Saul was not
anointed. It was his position that was anointed, not his character!
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What happens when we honor them?

We read earler in Timothy, "Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,  2  for kings and all who are in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  3  For this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,  4  who desires all men to be saved and to come to the
knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-5)

What can we expect?

Firstly, it will improve our quality of life! maybe there will be less crime and bigger financial
blessing! Secondly, it pleases God! If it pleases God, then the church will be blessed. Thirdly, it will
create an atmosphere that is conducive for people to be saved! We read, "God desires all men to
be saved." I read about a certain church in the USA that was in a town which had bad mayor. The
members of this church kept on complaining and criticizing the mayor. One day, God convicted
the pastor of this and the church repented. They then collected finances and gave it to the mayor
to bless the tow. Within a short time, God had so blessed that church that it trebled in size!

2. Social authority:

This includes our employers, our teachers, our sports team leaders and those who have social
authority over us.

How do we honor them?

In Colossians we read, "Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not
with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.  And whatever you do, do
it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,    knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward
of the inheritance; for[a] you serve the Lord Christ.    But he who does wrong will be repaid for what
he has done, and there is no partiality." (Colossians 3:22-24)

First of all, we honor them by doing what they tell us to do. Secondly, whatever we do, we do it to
the best of our ability. If we work in a shop, be the best shop attendant. If you are a student in a
school, be the best student, do your work with diligence. Thirdly, do it as unto the Lord! He is the
One who is the top CEO! Even if you do not like your employer, do it for Jesus! We have the
example of Joseph in the house of Potiphar. Even as a slave, he gave his very best. Fourthly, we
honor them by having integrity. We do not steal from them, we are on time for work, our
meetings and appointments.

What can we expect?

It says that the "Lord will reward us." It could be a spiritual reward, a financial reward, or even a
promotion. God can give us favor with our employers and we may even get a promotion, or else
He may give us a better job somewhere else. We have the example of Joseph, he served Potiphar
well as a slave and God promoted him to be the administrator of Egypt.
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3. Family authority.

How do we honor family authority?

Children must honor their parents: “Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Honour your mothert and father, which is the first commandment with a promise. ‘That it may be
well with you and you may live long on the earth’” (Ephesians 6:1-3)

Wives must honor ther husbands: “and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
(Ephesians 5:33) They do not respect their husbands because they are good husbands, but
because of their position. This does not means that they always have to obey their husbands, but
they can treat their husbands with respect.

Men must honor the weaker vessels: This can apply to husbands honoring their wives and those
in the opposite sex. It can apply to all men honoring women, especially, young unmarried men
honoring unmarried women. The Bible says to husbands, “Giving honour to the wife as the
weaker vessel ... being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”
(1 Peter 3:7) The husband should treat the wife, with dignity and respect. She is of course, the
'daughter of the King! Single unmarried men also honor the opposite sex, by showing them
honor by serving them, letting them go ahead through doors and by being polite and respectful.

Some may object and say, 'this is not in our culture'! The fact is, that if we are born again, we now
live in Kingdom culture and no longer in African, European or Asian culture! The devil has been
trying to degrade women, since the time of Adam and Eve, because of what happened in the
garden of Eden. Therefore, more men abuse and mistreat women, the more they are under the
influence of the devil. The spiritual maturity of a church can often be measured by the way they
treat women.

What can we expect?

First of all, we can expect more answers to our prayers. We read how Peter speaks to husbands
and tells them to honor the weaker vessels, so their prayers will not be hindered. Secondly, wives
can expect a greater level of protection from the devil when they respect and submit to their
husbands. Thirdly, Children can expect a healthy and a long life on earth if they honor their
parents. We read in Ephesians, "that they may live long on the earth!" Fourthly, when young men
honor 'the weaker sex', God may give them wonderful marriege partners. Finally, good family
relationships will influence our society and draw many people to Christ!

4. Spiritual authority:

This applies to the leaders in the church, in house groups and to those in the five fold ministry.

How do we honor them?

Paul writes to Timothy and says, “  Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double
honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.    For the Scripture says, “You shall not
muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” Do not
receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses." (1 Timothy 5:17-19)
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Firstly, we honour them by supporting them financially. It says that "a laberor is worth of his
wages." Paul wrote to the Philippians and told them in response to their financial support to him,
that "God will supply all their needs according to His riches in Christ." (Philippians 4:19)

Secondly, we also honor them by not criticising and speaking evil of our spiritual leaders. The
Bible says, "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm!" (Psalm 105:15) It is a very
serious offence before God and a lack of the fear of God when we speak evil of those in spiritual
authority.

Thirdly, we have a submissive attitude towards them: The Bible says, “Obey those who rule over
you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give an account. Let
them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17)
This does not necessary mean that we must do everything they tell us to do, and to control us,
but we have a humble and a submissive attitude towards them. If we disagree, we do so
respectfully!

Fourthly, what about titles and respect? Do we have to call them pastor, prophet or 'man of God',
bishop, first lady etc. We do not see this in the Bible, especially in the book of Acts. For example,
when Paul writes, about himself, he refers to himself as Paul, but he refers to his ministry as that
of an apostle. Furthermore, Jesus said, "... be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even
Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father,
which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is
greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23:9-11)

Today we have two extremes: On the one hand their are churches that have gone to the extreme
with regards to titles. They demand that their leaders be called by some title such as Bishop,
Prophet, Pastor, Firstlady etc. One the other hand we also have churches that are to casual and
treat their leaders with total lack respect and call everyone by their first names.

There is a balance. First of all we must be sensitive to the type of person that we are speaking to.
If the leader is highly regarded and older than us, we can show him honor by calling him by some
title, For example, pastor. Secondly, it also depends on whether we address them privately or
publically. If example, if I speak to my senior pastor privately I will call him by his first name. But if
I refer to him publically, I will put the title 'pastor' in front of his name to honor his position.

What can we expect if we honor those in spiritual authority?

Firstly, it says that it will be profitable for us if we do so. It may be the key to receiving a financial
blessing, healing for our bodies, protection from the enemy and God’s blessing on our family. It
could even affect our eternal destiny when we one day have to stand before the judgment seat of
Christ.
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Secondly, it could be the key to finding our calling, increase our anointing and even influence our
relationsip with God. Jesus said, "He who receives a prophet in the name of the prophet shall
receive a prophets reward." (Matthew 10:41) This can also apply to all those in the ministry. For
example, if we honor someone who has a healing anointing, we may reap the benifit of good
health. God may even impart their anointing to us. For example, Joshua honored Moses and
became the leader of Israel.

5. Honoring one another:

How do we honor one another?

Paul writes, “From now on, we regard no one according to the flesh ... If anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creation.” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17) Paul is saying that we no longer see each other according
to our natural distinctions, rich or poor, black or white, male or female, young or old, etc. but as a
new creations in Christ. We are kings and queens, princes and princesses, anointed and beloved
children of God, seated at His right hand in heavenly places.

Furthermore, we no longer focus on our natural weakeness but on our spiritual potential. Paul
says, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians
2:20) We see, one another as God sees us! He sees His Son Jesus living in us! Therefore, we are all
valuable and precious to Him.

There are some practical ways to show honor to one another:

We will be on time for our appointments and meetings. For example, we arrive on time for
church to show honor to the pastor and the other church members!

We will be polite to one another. We can do so by letting them go through doors ahead of us, by
opening car doors for them and by using polite language when we talk to them.

We honor people by the way we dress. This does not mean that we wear a suite and tie wherever
we go, but our clothes are neat and clean. It depends on the occasion, if the occasion is casual,
then dress casually. When we have to meet with someone, we ask our selves the question, "how
much honor do I need to show them", then dress accordingly. It is a good rule to dress a little bit
smarter than the average person in the group.

We will listen more than we speak. The Bible says, “By slow to speak and quick to listen.” (James
1:19) God has given us two ears and one mouth, Therefore, we should listen twice as much as we
talk! To talk all the time and not allow allow others to speak is rude and lack of honor.

When we keep our appointments and our promises. If we make an appointment to be

somewhere at a certain time, we should aim to be there on time or even a little bit earlier. If we
agree to meet at 7 p.m, it is lack of honor to come 10 minutes late. If we cannot be on time, then
we must let the other party know well in advance that we will be late. This also applies to Church
meetings. If church starts at 10 a.m. then we should be there at 10 am. It often disrupts the
program when we are late
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Finally we honor one another by serving one another. Look for opportunities to serve, help, wash
dishes, pour the tea, help clean up afterwards. It says in Colossians that when we serve one
another it is as if we are serving Jesus. (Colossians 3:23)
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What can we expect if we honor one another?

Firstly, if we believe that Christ is in them, we will be able to draw from that life. We will not
always have to wait for some man of faith and power to come to town to pray for us, we can
receive our miracle from the weakest person in the group if we honor them. Secondly, we will
reap what we sow. (Galatians 6:7) If we sow honor, one day we will reap honor. Furthermore, we
always reap more than we sow! Thirdly, when we honor one another, we honor the Christ in
them. If we do so, we will receive God's honor.

6. Honoring God:

How do we honor God?

We honor God when we give to Him our best: We read in the book of Malachi, “A son honors his
father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honor? … You offer polluted
bread upon mine altar; …. and you offer lame and sick.” (Malachi 1:6-7) We also read in
Colossians, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that
from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
(Colossians 3:23) We honor God when we serve Him with all of our hearts and give to Him the
best part of our time, our resources and our talents. That is why it is good to give to God the first
part of our day, when we spend time with Him in prayer and reading the Bible.

We honor God with our worship. Jesus said, "They that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit
and in truth." (John 4:24) The Greek word for truth here means 'to be genuine'. It means that we
mean what we say and don't just say empty words. When we worship God, we do so with all of
our hearts. Just as we bow down to honor a king or a leader, so we 'bow down in our hearts'
before God when we worship Him.

We honor God through our tithes and offerings. The Bible says, “Honor the LORD with thy
substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and
thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10) Our tithes are the first fruits of our
finances, which are the best part of our finances. Therefore, we honor God by giving. By giving
generously we are saying to God, "I am willing to let go of this money, because You are my
source." This is honoring to God!

We honor God when we believe His word. When we believe His word, we declare that He is
faithful. The Bible says, "Without faith it is impossible to lease God. They that come to Him must
believe that he is and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6) Therefore,
when we believe His word, we are honoring His character.

What can we expect if we honor God?

Firstly, honor creates an atmosphere for miracles to take place. It is one of the keys to have strong
faith. For example, the Roman Centurian honored Jesus when he said, “Lord I am not worthy that
you should come under my roof, just speak the word and my servant wil be healed.” (Matthew
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8:8) He was actually saying, “I cannot give to you the honor that you deserve.” Jesus said to him,
“I have not found so great faith, not even in Israel” and He healed his servant." (Matthew 8:10)
He had a humble attitude and gave honor to Jesus and Therefore, received a great miracle.

We read about the lack of honor of the people of Nazareth. "Is not this the carpenter, the son of
Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Judah, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with
us?" And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, but
in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no
mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them." (Mark 6:3-5) It
does not say, “He would not do no mighty work there, but “He could not.” Therefore, honor is a
key that releases the power and the blessing of the Lord.

- Secondly, we receive His honor: God says, “Those who honour Me, I will honour.” (1 Samual
2:30) Receiving honor from God can mean a lot of things. We receive God's favor and things begin
to happen to us that we do not deserve. It could mean promotion in our ministry and calling. It
could mean an increase of God's power and anointing and finally, the enjoyment of a wonderful
intimate relationship with Him.

Giving and receing honor is one of the greatest keys to the kingdom of God. Therefore, we can
expect great blessing an breakthroughs as we use this wonderful key. Amen

How to conquer failure:

Failure is common to all of us because we are human. Therefore, if we want to serve God and be
in the ministry we need to know how to conquer failure. There are many people that are no
longer in the ministry because they have failed in some area of their lives. Therefore, one of the
devil’s weapons against us is the weapon of discouragement. He often attacks us with this when
we have failed, when we have tried to do something that did not work. There are many pastors
who once had strong churches, but have failed in some area, become discouraged and want to
leave the ministry.

Failure is common to all of us, there are even people in the Bible who failed. Some overcame their
failures, and others not. For example, Moses failed when he killed an Egyptian, but God restored
him and he became a mighty leader. Can you imagine that God restored a murderer! David failed
when he fell in adultery with Bathsheba, but God restored him. Peter failed when he denied
Jesus, but became the most anointed apostle. There are many other examples.

There are some important things you need to know about failure:

Firstly, God wants us to succeed: We read in the book of Micah, “Rejoice not against me, O my
enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me. ” (Micah
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7:8) In Proverbs we read, "For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again." (Proverbs
24:16) However, God does want us to succeed, even if we have failed in the past. In Revelations
we read, “To him that overcomes (succeeds) I will give to eat of the tree of life." (Revelations 2:7)
Therefore, It is God’s will for us to succeed and not His will for us to fail.

We read about Jesus and the man who had been trying for thirty-eight years to get into the pool
of Bethesda to be healed. However, one day he met Jesus, and his failure turned into a success
and he was healed. Therefore, one of the greatest keys for success, is to bring Jesus into the
equation, no matter how often we have failed for God is a God of restoration! God says in the
Book of Joel, "I will restore." (Joel 2:25) In the New Testament we read these awesome words,
"God always, leads us in victory in Christ..." (2 Corinthians 2:14) God does not lead us in failure,
but in victory. Therefore, if we follow Jesus, and we led the Holy Spirit lead us, we will always
succeed and win!

Secondly, God is able to restore us quickly: God can give us a word, a dream or a vision and can
turn our situation around over a short period of time. We may be one day, or prayer or one step
of obedience away from our breakthrough. In the Old Testament, we read about Gideon. He was
such a failure that he had to hide from the enemy. One day an angel appeared to him, gave him a
word and he suddenly became a very successful leader. (Judges 6) We have the example of Peter,
who failed so terribly when he denied Jesus at the cross. Jesus restored him suddenly and he
became a great apostle.

Thirdly, It is not so important what happens to us, but how we react to it: We can learn from our
failures and mistakes and make good decisions in the future. When David sinned with Bathsheba
and she gave birth to a sick baby. He prayed, the baby died and he failed. Instead of crying and
being discouraged, he went into the temple and worshiped the Lord. The Lord then gave him
another baby, and that baby’s name was Solomon. (2 Samuel 12) One of the best things we can
do after we have failed is to worship and praise the Lord. When we have a positive reaction to our
failures and mistakes, then God can turn our failures into stepping stones to greater successes in
the future. We can learn from our failures and make wiser decisions in the future.

Fourthly failure is not final: When we fail it does not mean that we are a failure, but that we have
not yet succeeded. God said to the children of Israel, “I know the thoughts I have towards you,
says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
God is a God of hope! The word hope means, “joyful expectation of things to come.” No matter
how many times we have failed, God always has a future for us. There is always hope, because
God is a God of hope. Failure does not mean that God has abandoned you, but that He has a
better plan. The Bible says that, “God is able to do exceedingly above all we ask or think.”
(Ephesians 3:20)

Fifthly, if we have failed, it is important that we try again: We read how David tried to bring the
ark back to Jerusalem. The first time he tried he failed, but he studied the word of God and learnt
how to do it properly. He tried again and the ark was brought back to Jerusalem with success. (2
Samuel 6) In the New Testament we read, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due
season we will reap if we do not give up.” (Galatians 5:9) Therefore, we must never give up even if
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it seems so difficult. There are many other examples in the Bible of those that failed and tried
again. For example, God gave Jonah another opportunity to preach after he failed the first time.
Joshua conquered the city of Ai when he tried again. In Hebrews, we have an important
instruction: “Therefore, strengthen the hands that hang down and the feeble knees…” (Hebrews
12.12) Therefore, get up and try again!

Sixthly, it is important how we react to the failures of others: We have a warning in the Book of
Proverbs, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he
stumbles; lest the Lord see it, and it displeases Him, and He turn away His wrath from him .”
(Proverbs 24:17-18) It displeases God when we are glad when others fail. It is easy to feel good
when someone who we do not like or who is in competition to us fails. This is especially true
when men of God fail. We have the example of David. When King Saul, his enemy, failed and died
in battle, he honored him and did not have one negative word to say about him. (1 Kings 1)

Keys to conquer failure:

We must not hate ourselves when we fail: When we fail it does not mean that we are inferior but
it means that we are not yet perfect. It does not mean that we are failures, but we have not yet
succeeded! God loves us, His thoughts towards us are good... (Jeremiah 29:11) We are valuable
and precious in His sight because He has redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus. and because
of that, we should love and accept ourselves.

We must keep a positive confession: The Bible says, “He that would love life and see good days,
let him refrain his tongue from speaking evil.” (1 Peter 3:10) In Proverbs we read that the power
of life and death are in the tongue. (Proverbs 18:21) Therefore, we should not speak negative
words about ourselves and curse ourselves. In Joshua we read, “The word of the law shall not
depart out of your mouth … then you shall make your way prosperous and have good success .”
(Joshua 1:18) In other words, instead of speaking negative words, we must can God’s word over
our lives. It is one of the key to overcome failure and have success. We can say, “ If God is for me,
who can be against me.” (Romans 8:31) "God always leads me in victory, and spreads the
fragrance of the knowledge of Christ through me in every place. (2 Cor. 2:14) We can say, "I am
more than a conqueror through Him who loved us..." (Romans 8:37) How can we be failures when
God is for us, He is with us and Jesus lives in us! Therefore, “Let us hold fast the confession of our
hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebr. 10:23) We can turn our failures
into successes by changing the way we speak.

Repentance is important: Repentance is more than asking God to forgive us, it is also a decision to
do the right thing. For example, when David failed to bring the ark into Jerusalem, he studied the
word of God and found out the correct way to do it. When he so, his failure was turned into
success. We often fail because of pride for the Bible says, “Pride goes before destruction and a
haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16.18) Therefore, the root of failure is often pride! The
more we humble ourselves and repent, the less we will fail in the future.

We must not always blame ourselves when we fail: Often it is not always our fault when things go
wrong, but the mistakes of others or circumstances that were not under our control. For example,
the reason why you lost money was not because you failed, but because of the world-wide
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financial crisis. Therefore, we must not allow the enemy to make us feel guilty when we are not
guilty. The devil is “the accuser of the brethren.” (Revelations 12:10) and knows how to make us
feel guilty, when we are not really guilty!

We must not focus on our failures: We must not yield to the temptation to think about our
failures all the time! For example, when David's baby died, he turned his attention away from the
dead baby, went into the temple, and worshiped the Lord. (2 Samuel 12:20) We have the
example of the prodigal son, he made a decision to leave the pigs, get up and return to his father.
many of us need "to leave the pigs behind!" God said to the children of Israel, “You have dwelt
long enough at this mountain!” (Deuteronomy 1:6) Some of us have dwelt long enough at the
mountains of our failures and need to get up and leave our failures behind. Paul said that we
need to, “Forget the things that are behind!” (Philippians 3:13)

Let the Holy Spirit lead us: The Bible says, “As many as are led by the Holy Spirit, they are the sons
of God. (Romans 8:14) If we let the Holy Spirit lead us, He will always lead us into victory. (2 Cor.
2:14) Therefore, it is important to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and listen to His voice. It is
important to, “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” (Colossians 3:15) When we have the
peace of the Holy Spirit in our hearts we usually make right decisions. For example, in the book of
Acts the Holy Spirit said to the leaders in Antioch, “Now separate Paul and Barnabas unto the
work to which I have called them!” (Acts 13:2) As a result of their obedience, Paul and Barnabas
were successful in their ministry.

It is important to do the things that we are good at doing: We need to ask ourselves the question,
“What are my gifts and talents?” Usually we will succeed when we do things that we are good at
doing. I find this in ministry. When I preach messages that are real and alive to me, it is usually
successful. For example, we must not teach about prayer when we do not know how to pray! The
Bible says, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given us, let us use them.”
(Romans 12:6) We should not not use the gifts that God has not given us! For example, if God has
not given us a gift to preach, then we should not preach!

We must do that which God has called us to do: Some people fail because they do things that God
did not tell them to do. There are many people that are failures in the ministry because God did
not call them into the ministry. This can apply to any area in our lives. If God has called us to be a
teacher, then we must not become a doctor, just because of the financial issue! God said to Isaac,
“Dwell in this land and I will be with you and bless you.” (Genesis 26:3) When we do what God has
told us to do, the blessing will be automatic, There are many people doing things for God because
of financial gain or because they want a good image and not because God called them to do it.

Finally: If we have failed in any area of our lives, in ministry, our marriages, our jobs or in our
family, God wants to give us a second chance. God is a God of hope and a God of restoration! He
that gave Peter and Jonah a second chance, will also give us another opportunity! Therefore, “...
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) Amen
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How to make the right decisions.

We have the ability to make the right decisions

Deuteronomy 30:19-20, "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set
before you, life and death, blessing and cursing; Therefore, choose life, that both you and your
descendants may live; "

Life and death, blessing and cursing are a result of the decisions we make. We are a product of
our decisions and not our backgrounds or circumstances. Many people who came out of a terrible
background are blessed today because of the decisions they have made.

The most powerful gift that God has given to us, is our free will. It is so powerful, that neither
God, nor the devil can over-ride or stop us from making decisions. We have the example of Adam
and Eve, they chose to disobey God in the garden of Eden, and God could not stop them! God and
the devil can influence the decisions we make, but the final decision to say, yes or no still belongs
to us.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we read, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to
man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with
the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.." God will never
allow you us be tempted above our ability to stand against the temptation of the devil. If He
knows that we are too weak, He will not allow us to be tempted. He will either give us the power
to stand against the temptation, or He will give us a way out.

Firstly, we can pray when we are tempted. Prayer gives us the power to say "no" to temptation!
Jesus said to Peter and the disciples on the night before His crucifixion, "pray lest you fall into
temptation." (Matthew 26:41) Unfortunately, Peter slept instead of praying and he denied Jesus.
If he had prayed, maybe he would not have denied Jesus.

Secondly, we can resist the devil. In 1 Peter 5:8-9, we read, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him,
steadfast in the faith..." This is what Jesus fid in the wilderness when the devil tempted Him. He
said, "away with you satan!" (Matthew 4:10)

Thirdly, we can walk away from the temptation. Paul said to Timothy, in 2 Timothy 2:22, "Flee
youthful lusts!" This is good advice especially to young people. Not only should we walk away
from those who tempt us, but we can "walk away" and switch off the temptation that comes from
the electronic media.

Fourthly, we can apply the principles of the cross and recon ourselves dead to sin. In Romans
6:11 we read, "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in
Christ Jesus our Lord." We can believe and declare that sin no longer has power over us because
we have died in Christ. When the devil tempts us, we can simply say, "This has no power over
me, because I am dead to sin, and dead people are free from sin!
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The is no demon in hell that can force us to do things against our will, because the power of
decision is more powerful than the power of temptation. There was once a famous witch by the
name of Doreen Irvine, who lived in England. She was a prostitute and a witch. She became the
most powerful witch in the world and was called, the queen of the black witches. She could set
building a light with her words and even kill the birds in the air with a curse. She had a close
relationship with the devil and used to walk through fires, holding the devil's hand.

One day she walked past a church and read on a notice that a famous evangelist was preaching.
She decided to go into the church and listen to the message. When the evangelist invited people
to come forward and receive Jesus, she decided to give her life to Jesus. She said the demons in
her were screaming, "no, no, no," but they could not stop her. She gave her life to Jesus and
became a preacher. If the demons could not stop her, they cannot stop us either! The best
example in the Bible is the Gadarine demoniac. Six thousand demons could not stop him coming
to Jesus, falling at His feet, and following Jesus. He became the first missionary in the New
Testament. Therefore, there is nothing that can stop us making the right decisions.

God also influences our decisions by His grace. We read in Titus 2:11-12, "For the grace of God
that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and
worldly lus9ts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age." The Bible also
says in Philippians 2:13 that "God works in us to will and to do of His good will." The grace of God
can influence our hearts and make it easier for us to say "yes" to Jesus, but the final decision still
belongs to us. This is what happens when we pray for people, God will influence their hearts by
His grace, but He will not force them to say "yes." That is why some people will never turn to God,
because they have made their decision to turn away from Him.

Every temptation we face is an opportunity for blessing and breakthrough, if we make the tight
decisions. We read in James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has
been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love
Him." Not only will we be blessed on earth, but also in eternity. In verse 2 of the same chapter,
we are given very good advice, "count it all joy when you fall into various trials." Therefore, we
rejoice, in a time of temptation, we will receive the power to conquer the temptation.

Some things that will help us make the right decisions:

1. The Bible. We read in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of
God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." The more we read the Bible,
the easier it becomes to make the right decisions. In Joshua 1:8 we read, "This Book of the Law
shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may
observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous,
and then you will have good success."

2. The Holy Spirit. We read in John 16:13, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He
will guide you into all truth." As we let the Holy Spirit lead us, we will always make good choices.
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3. Godly advice: Proverbs 11:14, " Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude
of counselors there is safety." God has put wise spiritual people in the church to help us make the
right decisions. Therefore, we should never make an important decision without discussing it with
our spiritual leaders.

4. Fasting. We read in Acts 13:2, "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said..."
We have another example in Ezra 8:21, "Then I proclaimed a fast, to humble ourselves before our
God, to seek from Him the right way..." In verse 23 we read, "... and He answered our prayers." It
is wise to fast before we make any very important decision.

5. The importance of the first impression. If we have to make a decision, and we have a few
options, we can ask ourselves the question, "what was the first thing that came into my mind."
We have the example of the young prophet in 1 Kings 13:9. God told the young man not to eat
bread or drink water. He then met with old prophet who gave him a different instruction. He
disobeyed the first instruction and was killed by a lion. Often when we ask God to lead us, the
first thought that comes into our mind is usually from God, the next thoughts are often from the
enemy. For example, I pray and ask God what message I should preach on Sunday. I receive a
thought or a desire. Then after that many other options come to my mind. It has been my
experience, that the first impression is often the right impression.

We should be careful not to make decisions when...

1. When the decision is based on a negative emotions: For example, anger, offence, frustration,
jealousy or depression. If we are experiencing any of these negative emotions, we should be
careful and wait till we have peace. We have the example of Naaman in 2 Kings 5. He nearly lost
his miracle and made a bad decision, because he was offended with Elisha. We have the example
how David nearly murdered innocent people because he was angry with the husband of Abigail.
We should first get healed, or rid of negative emotions before we make important decisions. For
example, we get angry with our motor car, so we decide to sell it. Or a wife is offended with her
husband and decides to divorce him. Or someone gets offended with someone in the church and
decides to leave the church.

2. When the decision is motivated by fear. The Bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear.
(2 Timothy 1:7) Fear is from the devil, and fear will cause us to make bad decisions. We should
only make decisions, because we believe it is God's will. For example, we want to live in another
country because we are afraid of the economic situation in our country. One of the worst fears
that cause us to make bad decisions, is the fear of people. We are afraid of our relatives, our
parents and what people will think. Some people are afraid to leave the church, because they are
afraid of the pastor. We have the example of how Saul, made a bad decision and disobeyed God,
because he was afraid of the people in his army.

3. We should never be motivated by the expectation of people. We have the example of Jesus.
They told Him that Lazarus was sick and they expected Him to come immediately. However, He
waited two more days because He knew it was not the Father's will for Him to go immediately.
We need to be especially careful when it comes to the expectation of our family and relatives.
Jesus is our Lord, and it is what He wants that should influence our decisions.
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4. We should never make a decision when we are under pressure: Sometimes people try to force
us to make fast decisions. "I need money right now, if you don't give me money I will lose my car. I
promise that I will return it in a week!" Whenever I have been forced to make a quick decision, it
has always been the wrong decision. It is better to wait, pray about it and make the decision when
we have peace in our hearts. This sometimes happens when certain preachers force people to
give. Paul says, we must not give grudgingly but from a willing heart. (2 Corinthians 9:7) This can
happen in a shop, there is some bargain, and if we do not buy it now, we will lose the bargain. My
experience is, that there is often a better bargain later! In Isaiah 55:12 it says, we shall be led out
with peace.

Further thoughts on decisions

One or two good decisions can cancel out a lot of bad decisions in the past. We have the example
of the Prodigal son. He made many bad decisions when he left his father. Then one day he made
one very good decision, he said, "I will go and return to my father..." (Luke 15:18) When he made
that one decision, everything came right in his life. There are a few life changing decisions that
will cancel many bad decisions that we have made in the past. For example, we can go to church,
we can forgive, we can repent, we can tithe or we can just simply obey the word of God.

Great grace is released when we make clear radical decisions. We have the example of Joshua.
On the last day of Joshua's life, he said, "Chose this day who you will serve. As for me and my
house we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15) The people of Israel responded with the same
decision, "We will also serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:24) That decision was so strong, that the
Children of Israel served God for the next forty years. I have seen this in my own life. The strong
radical decisions that I have taken in the past, have released God's grace to have victory in certain
areas in my life. Even if we fail a few times, we will have the grace to carry out our decisions.
Therefore, we can make a strong decisions to repent, obey Jesus, forgive, love and obey God, etc.

Finally, God can restore us even if we have made bad decisions in the past. If we have made bad
decisions in the past, it is not the end of the road. We have the example of David and Bathsheba.
He made a terrible mistake when he sinned with Bathsheba. He repented with all his heart, God
forgave him and restored him. God is a God of restoration, and if we have made bad mistakes in
the past, we can try again, and make good decisions in the future.

Therefore, we can be blessed today and have God's abundant life if we make good decisions
today. The Bible says, "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; Therefore,
choose life." Amen.
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Calling and vision part one

Our book of destiny:

Years ago I heard a message by Bob Mumford where he quoted a verse in the book of Philippians
where Paul writes and says, "That I may lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me." (1)
He said, that everyone has a "that" to accomplish in life. This message started me on a journey to
find out my "that" in life. I began to ask myself, "what am I doing on earth for heaven's sake?"
This study is as a result of many years of research to find out my own calling and plan for my life
from the Lord. (1) Philippians 3:12

I have taught this for the past eighteen years in the many schools of ministry that we have held in
many different countries. However, I have noticed that most of my subjects that I teach are
continuously evolving as the Holy Spirit has given me new insights. One of my latest and most
exciting discoveries that I have recently made is, that there is a book of destiny written about us in
heaven. We read about this book in the book of Psalms, "Your eyes saw my substance being yet
unformed. And in Your book they are all written. The days fashioned for me, when as there were
yet none of them." (2) This means that God wrote His plan for our lives in a book, even before we
were born. This plan is called our "that". (2) Psalm 139:16

Even Jesus, who is our example, had a book of destiny written about Him. "Behold I have come in
the volume of the book it is written of Me - to do Your will O God." (3) God has a wonderful and
exciting plan for each of our lives. This plan is called our calling. This plan was drawn up even
before we were born and the day we surrendered our lives to Jesus, this plan came into effect.
Paul writes about this to Timothy, “(God) saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according
to our words but according to His own purpose and grace given to us in Christ Jesus before time
began.” (4) Notice the phrase, "given in Christ before time began." This means that our calling was
given to us before time began, He wrote it in a book. (3) Hebrews 10:7 (4) 2 Timothy 1:9

We also read in the Book of Ephesians, "In Him we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the council of His
will.” (5) The word predestined can also mean, to set the limits beforehand. From time to time
God gives us a glimpse of what is written in His amazing book through the visions and prophesies
that we have received. There are also two other books also written about us in heaven that we
will not cover In this study,, the Book of Remembrance (6) and the Book of Life. (7) This study is to
help us to discover what God has written in our Book and to help us to fulfill that calling. (5) Ephesians
1:11 (6) Malachi 3:16 (7) Revelations 20:12

What is our calling?

Our calling is simply, "the understanding of the path we must take through life." When we
understand this path it will affect the way we live, influence our decisions we take and affect our
relationships. It will give us confidence, dignity and a goal to live for. This goal will motivate us to
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obey the Word of God and to discipline our lives. The Bible says, "W here there is no revelation,
(or a goal) the people cast off restraint.” (Proverbs 29:13)

For example, if an athlete has an opportunity to participate at the Olympic Games and win a gold
medal, this goal will motivate him to train and discipline himself. He will not need to be told to
exercise, eat the right foods and to take care of his physical body all the time. He will be
motivated by his goal. The same is true with our spiritual goals. We will not need to be told over
and over to read our Bibles, pray, live holy lives, tell others about Jesus, etc. We will automatically
want to do so because we have a goal in life. One of the greatest tragedies in the Church is lack of
vision and spiritual goals. There are so many who do not have a sense of calling and destiny!

One of the examples in the Old Testament of a man who was affected by his calling and destiny,
was king David. He was called to be a warrior king and subdue the enemies of Israel. While he was
involved in his calling, he was disciplined and obedient to God. However, we read that one day he
took a break from his calling and decided to rest. During this break he was tempted with
Bathsheba and fell into adultery. However, if he had gone out to war where he belonged, this
would have never happened. Being involved in our calling and vision is one of the strongest
protections that we have against the enemy.

I have seen this in my own life. When I am busy with my calling and ministry, I automatically want
to read my Bible, spend time with God and discipline myself. However, I have also noticed that
when there have been slack times in my life, I have been the most vulnerable to the attacks of the
enemy. Therefore, the most vulnerable times are when we are idle.

Calling does not necessarily mean that we all have to become pastors or missionaries, or enter
into some sort of full time Christian ministry. God can call us to do many other things as well. For
example, in the Bible, Amos was a farmer, Joseph was a politician, Erastus in the New Testament
was the town treasurer, Luke was a doctor, etc. There are also many other examples. However,
no matter what God calls us to do, we should have one common goal, that is to bring sinners to
Christ and to expand the Kingdom of God.

The very reason why Jesus came to earth was to save the lost. He said, "The Son of man came to
seek and save those who are lost.” (9) Paul write to Timothy and said, "Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners..." (10) He is our example and He has passed this calling on to His followers
when He said, “As the Father had sent Me, I send you." (11) If we want to follow Jesus, then we
should have this same focus, to lead sinners to Christ and expand His kingdom. If we lose this
focus, then whatever else we do will be useless in the eyes of God. For example, if God has called
us into secular work, His goal will always be to bring sinners to Christ, whether He uses us there to
do it personally, or releases our resources to do so. (9) Luke 19:10 (10) 1 Timothy 1:15 (11) John 20:21

Four important truths with regards to our calling

Firstly, our calling bigger than we think. The Bible says that God is "able to do exceedingly,
abundantly, above all we ask or think according to His power that works in us." (12) It also says,
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things that God has
prepared for those that love Him." (13) He wants to use us and do things through us, more than
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we can imagine or think! For example, when God showed Abraham his calling, He told him that
his descendants will be as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sands of the sea. (14) (12)
Ephesians 3:20 (13) 1 Corinthians 2:9 (14) Genesis 15:5

Just as He had a huge plan for Abraham, so He also has huge plan for every one of us. It is so
huge, it will overwhelm us, that is why we will always need God's grace and supernatural ability to
do what He has called us to do. If we think we can accomplish anything in our own strength and
with own natural resources, then we are probably not doing what God has called us to do!

Secondly, our calling will give us great satisfaction and joy. I have heard people teach that the will
of God is something that is totally contrary to what we want to do! For example, if I really do not
want to be a missionary, then being a missionary is the will of God for our me. This is a lie from
the devil! Actually the opposite is true, God's calling is often something that we really want to do.
It is something deep in our hearts.

Soon after I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I had such a desire to teach and preach the
word of God even though I had to wait a long time for this desire to be fulfilled. Jesus said, " My
food, (that which brings Me satisfaction) is to do the will of Him who sent Me.. ."(15) Jesus was so
fulfilled by ministering to the woman at the well, that He did not even want to eat the food that
the disciples had brought Him. The Bible says that, "God works in us to will and to do of His good
pleasure." (16) If He calls us to do something, He will give us the desire and willingness to do so. If
God created us for His good pleasure, (17) then surely, as a good Father, He will also want us to
experience pleasure and satisfaction. (15) John 4:34 (16) Philippians 2:13 (17) Revelations 4:11

When I was younger, I enjoyed playing tennis and golf. However, there is nothing that gives me
more pleasure and joy than what I am doing now, teaching and preaching His word and
ministering to the needs of others. It is even better than playing golf! The Bible says, "You O Lord
has made me glad through your work.” Doing the work of God is not a heavy obligation but it is a
delight and a joy. (18) Psalm 92:4

Thirdly, our calling is given by grace. We cannot earn our calling, it is given to us by His grace. Our
calling was actually given to us even before we were born, so there is nothing we have ever done
to earn it. (19) Furthermore, God does not call us because we have some great ability, He often
uses us because we are weak and we lack natural abilities. The Bible also says that God has
"chosen the foolish things ... the weak things of the world ..." (20) Our calling is a gift from God,
given to us 'in Christ.' Therefore, no matter how much God uses us, it is all by His grace, and if you
are greatly used by God, then all the glory goes to Him. (19) 2 Timothy 1:9 (20) 1 Corinthians 1:27

Fourthly, we will be held accountable for what we have done with our calling. The Bible says that
we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of what we have done
with our lives while on earth. (23) Therefore, even though we have been saved by grace, our
rewards in eternity will be according to our works. That is why we have to be serious about God's
calling and do everything to accomplish that what He has called us to do. Paul writes and says,
"One thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind and reaching forward to those things
which are ahead, I press towards the goal of the upwards call of God in Christ." (21) Philippians 3:13, (23) 2
Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10,12
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He had one main goal in life, that was to always be in the centre of God's will. When He came to
the end of His life he said, "I have finished my course." (22) Therefore, doing God's will and
fulfilling our calling should be the highest priority in our lives. Our life on earth is like a race we
run, the race is on earth, the finishing line is the day we pass into eternity, the prize giving will be
when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Although we are saved by grace, we will
rewarded by works (23) (22) 2 Timothy 4:8 (23) 2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10,12

Keys to our calling:

Although we cannot earn our calling, there are certain keys that will help us to discover our
calling. It is like a door with a number of locks. In order to walk through this door, we need the
keys to all the locks to unlock the door. I want to suggest the following five keys:

Key number one: The importance of obedience and commitment:

We must be willing to do anything God that God tells us to do. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to
come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. …” (24) We need
to we die to what we want to do, and say yes to what God wants us to do. Often we have to let go
of what we have been doing in order to enter into something new that God wants us to do. We
have the example of Abraham. God said to him, "Get out of your country, from your family and
from your father’s house, to a land that I will show

you.” (25) He had to let go of what he was used to do and leave his comfort zone in order to find
God's calling for his life. We have to give God our YES, even before He shows us what He wants us
to do. (24) Luke 9:23 (25) Genesis 12:1

Many years ago Frances and I knew that God was calling us into missions but we did not know
where God wanted us to go and what He wanted us to do. So we prayed this simple prayer over
and over, "Lord wherever you want to send us, we will go, whatever You want us to do we will
do." We knew that we could not make this type of commitment in our own strength but asked
that God would give us the grace to do so. After praying this prayer for a number of months,
doors began to open which eventually led us into the mission field. I later discovered this prayer
in the book of Joshua, and I would suggest this prayer for all of us. "All that you command us we
will do, and wherever you send us we will go.” (26) Our calling starts at the cross, where we are
willing to do anything that God calls us to do. (26) Joshua 1:17

Key number two; The importance of right attitudes.

This is especially true when it comes to humility. The Bible says, “Humble yourselves in the sight
of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (27) Pride is often our greatest obstacle to find our calling and
destiny. If we can be free from the desire to impress people and be willing to be hidden from the
praise and honor of people, then there are no limits to what God will do through us. We are told
in the Bible, “Have the attitude that was in Christ… who humbled Himself even to the death of the
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cross, Therefore, God highly exalted Him." (28) Humility and obedience are very important if we
want God to 'lift us up' into our calling. (27) James 4:10 (28) Philippians 2:5-7

There many bad attitudes that can hinder us from entering into our calling. For example, the
attitude of anger kept Moses out of the Promised Land. The complaining, critical attitude of the
Children of Israel caused them to wander in the wilderness for forty years. Negative attitudes
such as bitterness, jealousy and unbelief can also hinder us from finding our calling. Therefore, it
is always important to have a joyful, positive, faith filled attitude.

Key number three: Faithfulness is important.

We can say a lot about faithfulness, but it is an important key to our calling. The Bible says, "He
who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much." (29) Faithfulness in the small things that
God gives us to do now, are the keys to unlock the bigger plans that God has for us in the future.
For example, David was faithful looking after his father’s sheep before he became a shepherd to
the nation of Israel. Joseph was faithful in the house of Potiphar before he could become a ruler
in Egypt. Jesus served His father Joseph in the carpenter shop before He was released into His
public ministry. There are many other examples as well. (29) Luke 16:10

Faithfulness with finances is very important. The Bible also says "if you have not been faithful in
the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? "(30) Therefore, it is
important that we tithe and give generously if we want to receive God's true riches, which
includes our calling. We read about Barnabas in the book of Acts. (31). After he laid all his
possessions at the feet of the apostles, God called him to be an apostle. I have noticed over the
years that God opens wonderful doors and powerfully uses those who are exceptional generous.
(30) Luke 16:11 (31) Acts 4:36-37

We must also be faithful in our relationships. We read in Luke, "And if ye have not been faithful in
that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? (32) This is referring to
the importance of being faithful to those in the ministry, For example, Moses served his father-in-
law Jethro, Joshua served Moses, Timothy served Paul, Elisha served Elijah, etc. It is important
that we are faithful to the local church. In Book of Psalms we read, "He that is planted in the
house of the Lord, will flourish in the courts of our God, ... he will bear fruit, even into old age ."(33)
To be planted in the house of the Lord, means to have committed relationships and to be involved
in the local church. (32) Luke 16:12 (33) Psalm 92:13-14

I have never known anyone who wanders from church to church and refuses to be submitted and
accountable to others ever find their calling. In Romans we read, "And how shall they preach,
except they be sent?" (34) It is not only important to go, but to be sent! From time to time on the
mission field, we receive requests from people who want to people come to minister with us. The
first thing that I want to find out about them, - who is sending them?

Being faithful to those in authority does not mean that we always have to do everything that they
want us to do, and agree with everything they say, but we can have a humble and submissive
attitude towards them. Faithfulness in relationships has a broad application, it can also mean
faithfulness to our spouses, our parents, our employers and in our relationships with the opposite
sex. (34) Romans 10:15
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Key number four: The importance of prayer and our relationship with God:

This is the foundation of all ministry and calling and should be a high priority in our lives. It is
often in times of prayer and spending time in God's presence, that we discover God's calling. For
example, Paul received his calling during a time of prayer, worship and fasting. (35) King David
said in Psalms, "You have made known to me the path of life, in Your presence there is fullness of
joy, at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (35) In the 'presence of God' we will often find
the 'path of life.' (36) (35) Acts 13:2 (36) Psalm 16:11

We read in Genesis. "Cain went from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in Nod." (37) The word
Nod means "wandering." Just as Cain began to 'wander' aimlessly when he departed from the
presence of God, in the same way, when our personal relationship with God is a high priority, we
will have direction and purpose in our lives! If we really want to find God's calling and purpose,
one of the best things we can do is to spend more time in prayer and in the presence of God.

Furthermore, without going into detail, I would also recommend fasting as a regular practice. It
was during a time of fasting, that Paul received his calling. (35) fasting makes us more sensitive to
the Holy Spirit and His voice. We read in the Book of Ezra. "Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the
river of Ahava, so that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him, the right
way for to go, and for our little ones, and for all our substance... So we fasted and besought our
God for this: and He answered our prayer. (38) Notice, they wanted to find out the "right way to
go." I have heard many testimonies of those who found their calling during a time of fasting. We
should never make any major decision without fasting and prayer. (35) Acts 13:2 (37) Genesis 4:16 (38) Ezra
8:21-23

Key number five: The importance of holiness and purity.

The Bible says, "This is the will of God - your sanctification (holiness)." (39) When we pay
attention to what God wants us to be, He will show us what we should do! Paul tells Timothy,
"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of
earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man Therefore, purge himself from these, he
shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and useful for the master's use, and prepared unto every
good work."(40) Holiness will prepare us to be useful and ready for God to use. (39) 1 Thess 4:3 (40) 2
Timothy 2:20

The Bible says in Romans, "... be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God." (41) If we want to know the will of God, then we need to renew our minds with the word of
God and remove all the ungodly clutter from our minds. It is Therefore, important what we watch,
read and think about. A renewed mind is able to discern the will of God. (41) Rom12:2
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Calling and vision part two:

How to enter into our calling:

We have spoken about the five keys to unlock the door to our calling. Imagine that the door is
now open. We now need to know, how to go through this door? In order to do so we need to
answer three important questions:

Firstly, what has God already said to us about our calling and destiny?

What dreams, visions, scriptures have we already received? God said to Habakkuk, “Write the
vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.” (42) It is a good practice to
write down and meditate on what have already received. Frances and I have over the years,
written down the prophetic words and visions that we have received and from time to time we
read these, meditate on them and pray about them. We are amazed at how many prophetic
words have already come to pass. (42) Habakkuk 2:1-3

Just because we have received a prophecy, does not automatically mean that it would come to
pass. Many prophecies are conditional to our faith and prayers. Paul wrote to Timothy and told
him to "wage a good warfare according to the prophecies that he had received. (43) For example,
when Daniel read the prophecy in the book of Jeremiah (44) he began to pray and fast about it. If
he had not done so, then nothing would have happened. In the same way, if we are passive and
do nothing about the prophetic words we have received, then usually nothing happens. The Bible
says that the angels do the voice of God's word. (45) God gives to us His word, but we must give
the word that we receive a voice through prayer and declaration. If we do so, the angels are
mobilized to bring that word to pass (43) 1 Timothy 1:18 (44) Daniel 9:2 (45) Psalms 103:20

Secondly, what are the deep desires of our hearts?

We have already mentioned this earlier. If our hearts are right with God, and he is working in us
to will and to do of His good pleasure, (16) then many of our desires will be God's desires.
Nehemiah said, "I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem."(46) God put
something in His heart to do! Paul said to the Roman Church, "For I long to see you, that I may
impart unto you some spiritual gift, ..." (47) That longing in his heart was something that God had
placed there! Sometimes we can find God's will by often asking the simple question, “What is on
really on my heart.” (16) Philip. 2:13 (46) Neh. 2:12 (47) Romans 1:11

Thirdly, what initiative can we need to take right now?

The Bible says that we are laborers together with God. (48) We do not only work for God, but
with Him. Many are waiting for God to tell them what to do, while God is waiting for them to take
the initiative and do something for Him. In the book of Proverbs, we read, "A man's heart plans
his way, but the Lord directs his steps." (49) As we do the planning, God will do the directing. It is
often in the context of movement, that God gives us direction. (48) 1 Corinthians 3:9 (49) Proverbs 16:9

We need to take the initiative but also be open for the Holy Spirit to change our plans. For
example, God gave Paul his general direction in life, to be a light to the Gentiles. But Paul in turn
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had to take the initiative and plan his missionary trips. In doing so, he had to be sensitive to the
Holy Spirit. He once planned to go to Asia but God redirected him to go to Macedonia. (50) Acts 16:9

Many years ago, I lived in a certain town in South Africa, I asked God what He wanted me to do
there. I felt God answered my question with a question, "Dave, what do you want to do here?" I
replied, "I want to start a church." To cut a long story short, myself and a few others started a cell
group which eventually became a church and that church is alive and well thirty years later today.
I have often seen this principle in the mission field. God called us to Russia, but we have had to
use our own initiatives to do what was on our hearts. God blessed many of our initiatives, and
today looking back, we have seen God do many wonderful things. We are to dream with God and
not act like robots, waiting for our next instruction.

I want to give you a parable. Five birds sat in a tree, four wanted to fly south, how many birds
were left in the tree. The answer is five, not one! It did not say they decided to fly south, but they
only wanted to fly south. We do not accomplish the things we want to do, but we accomplish the
things that chose to do! We can begin to do what the Bible has already told us to do, and that
which is on our hearts. Even if we have not receive a clear instruction, we can preach the gospel,
share our faith, pray for the sick, etc. Jesus told His disciples, "As you go, preach saying, ‘the
Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons,
freely you have received, freely give.” (51) Matthew 10.7-8

Notice that it says, "as you go" and not "as you wait for something to happen!" Jesus also said
"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,” (52) It is as we go, we bear fruit. We have the humorous story of
Moses leading the Children of Israel through the Red sea. We read in Exodus, "And Moses said to
the people, stand still and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord..." (52) This sounds so
spiritual, but God answers and tells Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to
go forward!" (53) Many of us are standing still, crying and waiting for God to do something
instead of going forward and taking the initiative. (52) John 15:16 (53) Exodus 14:14-15

How do we know that it is the will of God?

In order to answer this question, I want to give a simple illustration. Imagine that we are in a car
and there are five traffic lights in front of us. In order to go we need all the traffic lights to turn
green at the same time. These traffic lights are like five questions we need to answer.

Firstly, does the desire in our hearts stay constant? If our desires fluctuate then it is likely that it is
not the will of God for us. For example, today I want to become a pastor, a few weeks later I want
to start my own business and a few months later, I want to be a missionary in China. God's desires
usually remain in our hearts over a long period of time.

Secondly, are we excited about it? The Bible says “You shall go out with joy and be led forth with
peace.” (54) When we think about our calling and God's plan for our lives, we should be excited
about it. If it makes us sad and heavy hearted, we should seriously question whether it is from
God or not. (54) Isaiah 55:12
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Thirdly, do we have some kind of strategy? We may not know the whole plan, but we should have
some idea what we are going to do! For example, if someone says to me, "I believe God has called
me to China." I would then ask the question, "what are you going to do there?" If he answers and
says to me, "I dunno, God knows." I would serious question his calling. Jesus had a strategy, Paul
had a strategy, Nehemiah had a strategy, and if God calls us to do something, we too, will also
have some sort strategy, even if the strategy changes later on.

Fourthly, Do others witness with our calling? The Bible says “Where there is no counsel, the
people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” (55) This does not mean that all
spiritual leaders will agree, for some may have their own agenda to keep us from going. However,
if everyone has a check in their hearts about our calling, then maybe we should reconsider
whether or not it is from God. (55) Proverbs 11:14

Fifthly, do we have peace in our hearts? We read earlier, "you shall go out with peace and be led
forth with joy. (54). When we think about our calling we should be relaxed and have peace in our
hearts. If we are all stressed out about it and we are all tense about it, then maybe what we feel is
not from the Lord. (54) Isaiah 55:12

What about finances?

Lack of finances does not necessarily mean that it is not the will of God for us to go or do that
what we believe God wants us to do. We either have to find the money, earn the money or
believe for the money. Usually when God calls us to do something, we will not have sufficient
resources to do so and there will be an element of trusting Him for our finances. When we
obeyed the call to move to Russia, many years ago, we did not initially have sufficient finances to
do so. However, when we decided to go and put our plans in place, our support base began to
increase. Therefore, our final authority is not money, but God's call! Often God provides as we
take steps to obey.

What about timing?

There are many examples in the Bible. For example, Moses knew his calling when he was in Egypt,
but he had to wait forty years in the wilderness for God's timing. The same was true with Joseph,
Paul and many others in the Bible. A delay in our calling can be as a result of us not being ready or
the circumstances not being ready. This is a huge topic which I will cover in another study called
the "waiting period."

How to maintain our calling.

It is easy to start a race, but it is more important to finish it. Paul said at the end of his life, " I have
run the race and finished my course." (56) An interesting statistic from the USA is that only 10
percent of those who go to Bible college enter into the ministry and only 10 percent of those who
enter the ministry will continue in the ministry. That means that only 1 percent of those who
decide to go into the ministry, will actually complete their ministry. I have known so many who
were once powerfully used by God, fall away and are no longer doing what God had called them
to do. Therefore, how do we endure to the end? (56) 2 Timothy 4:8
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Firstly, we must highly value our calling: If we highly value something, we will protect it and not
trade it with something that is inferior. For example, Esau traded his calling and calling for food.
Samson traded his calling for sex, the rich young ruler traded his calling for money, etc. There are
many inferior things that the devil can tempt us with to trade our calling, such as sex, pleasure,
security, money, fame, comfort, safety, family, children, grandchildren etc. Therefore, our calling
is like a precious gift that God has given us.

One of the things that has helped me keep the right perspective with regards to my calling, is the
perspective of eternity. One day I will all have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ and
give an account of my life to God (23) and what I do on earth will have eternal consequences. (23) 2
Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10,12

Secondly, the importance of continual repentance: We must keep short accounts of un-confessed
sins before God and ask the Holy Spirit to continue to convict us of anything that jeopardizes our
calling. It can be a compromising sin, or a bad attitude, unresolved conflict or a bad habit. It is like
shooting at a target. A few millimeters error in our aim can result in missing the target by many
meters. We need to continually adjust our aim through repentance. David prayed in Psalms.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any
wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (57) Psalm 139:23-24

Thirdly, accountability is important: One of the main reasons why so many of the 'mighty have
fallen' is that they were not accountable and submissive to anyone. Our commitment to the Body
of Christ is very important, as we read before, "Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.   They shall still bear fruit in old age.” (33) We must be
planted in the house of the Lord, the local church if we want to continually bear fruit. God has
given to us brothers and sisters in the church to protect us, pray for us and encourage us. Lone
ranger Christians very seldom are able to finish the race. (33) Psalm 92:13-14 (56) Psalm 139:23-24

How to plan our future:

There are three things we need in order to step into our callings and to do what God wants us to
do.

The first is we must have a goal. We must know what God wants us to do. In order to achieve a
goal, we need to have the following: The abilities to accomplish the goal. These can be developed
through training and experience. Secondly, we need to have opportunities. We need the right
contacts and the right conditions. The Bible calls this, "open doors." Thirdly we need the
resources. We need financial, material and people resources. As we increase in these three areas,
abilities, opportunities and resources, we increase the scope of our calling.

Secondly, we must have a strategy. These are the practical steps we need to take in order to fulfill
our goals. Strategy breaks the goal into smaller achievable steps. For example, "How can you eat
an elephant?" The answer is, "bit by bit." The strategy is how to accomplish a goal.

Thirdly, we need a program. This puts a time frame to our goals. Every vision must have a final
destination. In order to have a final destination, we must put our plans in a time frame. For
example, "I want to start a church." The question I would ask you is, "When do you want to do it
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and how much time do you need to do this. It is a good practice to draw up a program for our
goals. I would suggest that six months at a time. In other words, what do you want to accomplish
in the next six months? This is called, planning your future. It is my experience that as I make my
plans, God helps me to fulfil my plans. In Proverbs 16:9 we read, "Man's heart plans his ways, but
God directs his steps." If we do not plan, God won't direct!

Finally:

I want to finish with a wonderful verse found in the Book of Esther. " ... who knows whether you
have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (57) God has called us to such a time as this
and we are living the most exciting time in history. There is no limit to what God wants to do
through us and for us. Amen (57) Esther 4:14

The waiting period:

This message was birthed many years ago, while I was seeking God for direction in my life. I was
going through a difficult time and I was confused about God's will and calling on my life. As I was
praying one morning, for God to show me what to do, I felt that the Holy Spirit downloaded
thoughts into my mind in answer to the questions that I was asking. I immediately typed these
thoughts into my computer and as a result, this message was born. I have since had the
opportunity to share this message in many countries, to many different types of people. No
matter where I have shared this, many have identified with the same issues that I will share in this
message and have found direction and encouragement.

The waiting test is one of the most important tests in the Christian life. Most of us are waiting for
something to happen, for doors to open, for prayers to be answered, for miracles to happen and
for breakthroughs to come. Many Bible characters also went through this test. Abraham waited
twenty-five years for a son, Joseph waited for thirteen years before his dream came true, Moses
waited forty years in the wilderness, Paul waited fourteen years in Arabia, and so we can go on
and on. Even Jesus had to wait eighteen years before He could enter into His public ministry. At
the age of twelve He said that He must be about His Father's business, but only entered into His
public ministry at the age of thirty.

The waiting test is not only important, but it can be very difficult. If someone said to us, "climb the
mountain!" We would do so. But if they said, "sit at the foot of the mountain and wait!" We
would find this quite difficult. However, there is a great blessing when we are able to wait for
God's timing. The best things come to those who are able to wait!

I have already mentioned how the Holy Spirit downloaded answers into my mind many years ago
while I was praying and seeking God. That morning I received five things that I had to do during
the waiting period. I have since added one more, so I want to now share these six things with you.
They have helped me during my various waiting periods for more than twenty years.
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Firstly, we must not try to force things to happen. (Trust)

There is a great temptation to try to help God and do things in the flesh during the waiting period.
One of the best examples, is that of Abraham, when God promised to give him a son. He must
have been so excited and probably expected his wife to fall pregnant a few weeks later. However,
the years passed by and nothing happened. After twelve years they could not wait any longer and
decided to help God to speed things up. We all know what happened, he slept with his servant
Hagar and had a son called Ishmael. However, it was not the right son, so he had to wait another
thirteen years! After twenty-five long years, when he and his wife Sarah could no longer have
children, they were now ready for their miracle, and Isaac was born. There are two important
lessons we can learn from this:

The first lesson is that God often waits for us to come to the end of our own strength, efforts and
our clever ideas before He acts. He wants us to know that everything we receive is because of His
grace and when the breakthrough comes, all the glory goes to Him. This is called the 'way of the
cross' which means, 'out of death comes life,' or death before resurrection. I have noticed this
principle throughout the Bible and also in the experiences of many. Many have had to go through
a 'death' or 'valley' experience, before their breakthrough came.

We have already looked at Abraham. Moses had to spend forty years in the wilderness before he
could enter into his calling. The Children of Israel had to wait in the wilderness before they could
enter into the Promised Land. Joseph had to sit in prison before he was promoted to be a leader.
David had to flee from Saul for thirteen years like a vagabond, before he became king. The are
many other examples as well. I have seen this principle repeated over and over in the lives of
those whom God has called into the ministry and are greatly used by God today. Many can testify
that there was once a 'death' experience before they entered into their dreams and desires.

The second lesson, is that we can make terrible mistakes if we do not wait. The birth of Ishmael
was a big mistake! It was the seed of Ishmael that has resisted God's purposes and persecuted
God’s children for thousands of years. For example, king Saul: He was not able to wait for the
arrival of Samuel, and his mistake eventually caused him to lose his kingdom. Another example is
that of the Children of Israel. They could not wait for Moses to return from the mountain. They
turned away from God and worshipped the golden calf.

I have seen this happen over and over. We have had many go through our various schools of
ministry. We have seen how many young Christian girls who were once called by God and so
anointed, lose their anointing and calling because they could not wait for God to give them the
right husband. They married unbelievers and today they are frustrated and unfulfilled. However,
we have also seen others who waited, and God gave them amazing marriage partners. Today they
are so happy and fulfilled. This can also apply to our finances. There have been those who could
not wait for God to provide for their financial needs, who left the ministry and went into secular
work, and are no longer serving the Lord like they used to.

I have learnt over the years, that God often moves like a tortoise. We usually have to wait longer
than we think. However, I also notice, in my own life and the lives of others that when God begins
to move, He moves like lightning. We wait for a long time for something to happen, and when it
does happen, it is so fast that we can hardly keep up with it. It is as if everything falls into place at
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once. Joseph in the Old Testament is a good example of this. He waited a long time, but when he
received his breakthrough, everything happened so fast.

Secondly, we must not give up: (Perseverance)

We have the example of Israelites in wilderness. Instead of persevering in the wilderness, they
became impatient and discouraged and “gave up.” A journey that was supposed to last for a few
weeks became a forty year “nightmare”. If they would have just persevered and kept on believing
God, the 'next hill' could have been the Promised Land! Many come so close to their
breakthroughs, and then they give up. If only they continued to pray or believe or do what God
told them to do, they would have received their miracle.

One of the most important words we need to know when we are in the waiting period is the word
continue! There are many 'continues' in the Bible. Continue steadfastly in prayer, continue in
faith, continue in the grace of God, continue in My word and many others. One of the most
famous speeches ever made, was by Winston Churchill, the prime minister of England during the
war. He was speaking to a large group of young men. They were expecting one of his profound
speeches, but instead, Churchill stood and said these few words. "Young people, I say to you,
never give up, never, never give up!" He then sat down, and that was the end of his speech. Let
these words of Churchill ring in our ears, "never, never, never give up!" Those that do not quit will
win!

I can imagine what was going through the minds of the disciples after Jesus was crucified and
buried. After a few days of not seeing Jesus around, they decided, 'to go fishing again.' It was only
three and a half years earlier that Jesus called them to leave their nets and follow Him. They
wanted to go back to that from which the Lord had called them. This can so easily happen to us. If
we do see evidence of God's hand and experience His presence, we want to give up and go back
to what we previously did.

In the book of Hebrews, we read, “For you have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will
of God, ye might receive the promise.” (1) It is so important that we just keep doing what we
believe God has told us to do, even if we do not see and immediate breakthrough. The apostle
Peter quotes from the book of Isaiah and says, “he who believes in Him will not be ashamed.” (2)
No matter what we go through, God is faithful, He will not tease us, He will always come through
for us. Paul writes to the Galatians and says, "Do not become wary in well doing, for in due season
we will reap if we do not give up." (3) We will not be forever in the waiting period, there will be a
'due season'! Therefore, keep praying, keep believing, keep obeying and keep confessing God's
word.
(1) Hebrews 10:36, (2) 1 Peter 2:6 (3) Galatians 6:9

Thirdly, we must do our best (faithfulness)

One of the quickest ways out of the waiting period, is to do our very best in the small things that
God wants us to do right now. The best example in the Old testament is that of Joseph. God gave
him a wonderful promise that he would one day be a great leader. After he received this promise,
he had to spend the next thirteen years as a slave and a prisoner in Egypt. What we do notice
about Joseph, is that whatever he did, he did it well. In the house of Potiphar, he was the best
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slave. When he was thrown into prison, he was the best prisoner. Whatever responsibility he was
given, he did it well.

As a result of his faithfulness and his excellent spirit, he came out of his waiting period and was
promoted to become a leader in Egypt. We also notice that the skills he learnt as an administrator
in the house of Potiphar and in prison, he probably used in his new leadership position. He learnt
to lead a nation in the house of Potiphar. It was God's prophetic gift that caused him to stand
before Pharaoh, but it was his knowledge and wisdom that got him promoted to be a leader!
Therefore, we should use our waiting periods well, to develop our skills and to study, for one day
we are going to use them when we receive our promotion. Our waiting period is a preparation
time for something great in the future.

We also notice that Joseph made the correct contacts during his waiting period. He met the right
person in prison that introduced him to Pharaoh. Therefore, we often feel that nothing is
happening during our waiting periods, but God is like a Divine Chess Player who is moving all the
pieces around, lining us up for our calling and destiny. The people whom I met during my waiting
period, are the very people that are helping me today with my calling and ministry.

Paul said to the Colossian church, "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to
men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the
Lord Christ.” (4) Therefore, if we want to know what we should do right now, is just continue to
do what we are doing and do it well. We can pray well, we can worship well and do what we are
doing now with all our hearts. (4) Colossians 3:23 - 24

Fourthly, we must pass our tests:

Our Christian lives is like a school, it is called the school of the Spirit. In order to progress in school
we have to write exams and pass them. The same is true in the Kingdom of God. Often God will
put us through various tests before He promotes us or releases us into our calling. We read how
God tested the Children of Israel, “God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you,
and to test, to know what was in your heart.” (5) In the same way God may put us through various
tests to see what is in our hearts. (5) Deuteronomy 8:2

The reason why God took them through the wilderness was so that He could prepare them to
possess the Promised Land. He wanted take the “spirit of Egypt” out of their hearts and teach
them to trust in Him. He wanted to increase their faith so that they could use that faith to possess
their Promised Land. But they failed their tests and wandered around and around the mountains
in the wilderness for forty years. There are many like that today, who spend their whole lives
going around the same mountains of problems over and over. They are wanting to come out of
their waiting periods, but God is waiting for them to pass their tests and change their attitudes.

There are many other examples those who were tested in the Bible. David said in Psalms, “You
tested my heart.” (6) Joseph was tested in Egypt before God promoted him into his calling. He had
to first forgive his brothers, humble himself and put his trust entirely in the Lord. We read, " And
Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace." (7)
He did not say, "I can interpret your dream." He was totally dependent on God. A few verses later
when Pharaoh asked him what they should do, Joseph answered, "Now Therefore, let Pharaoh
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look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt." (8) He did not say, "chose
me to do the job!" He did not try to promote himself! (6) Psalm 17:3, (7) Genesis 41:16, (8) Genesis 41:33

Moses was tested in the wilderness for forty years, David was tested for thirteen years fleeing
from King Saul. Jesus was tested in the wilderness for forty days before He entered into His public
ministry. In the New Testament we read, "Blessed is the man that endures temptation (testing):
for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that
love him." (9) Not only will our tests affect our calling on earth, but it will also affect our rewards
in heaven. (9) James 1:12

Fifthly, we must be careful how we speak during the waiting period:

We have the example of the Children of Israel in the wilderness. They murmured and complained
and had to wander in the wilderness for forty years. Many are in a spiritual wilderness today,
stuck in their waiting periods because of their negative words. The Bible says, “... he that will love
life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile.” (10)
It is Therefore, so important to, "...hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He
who promised is faithful.” (11) It says here, 'the profession of our hope'. Hope in the Bible means,
a joyful anticipation of good things to come. We need to continual speak good words over our
calling and our future (10) 1 Peter 3:10 (11) Hebrews 10:23

It is also important that we do not talk too much while we are in our waiting period. Sometimes
God shows us personal things and if we talk too much about them, we may lose the blessing that
God wanted to give us. Mary, the mother of Jesus is a good example. The angel appeared to her
and gave her the promise about Jesus. She did not go out and tell everyone what the angel said,
not even to Joseph her husband, but kept this promise in her heart. That is why God chose her,
He could trust her! Sadly to say, there have been times where I talked too much about some of
the personal things that God showed me and I lost the blessing that God wanted to give me. The
Bible says, that we should be "quick to hear and slow to speak." (12) Therefore, our words can
affect our waiting periods. (12) James 1:19

Sixthly, it is important to rejoice:

Rejoicing is the one of the quickest routes through the waiting period. Paul said, "Rejoice in Lord
always and again I say rejoice.” (13) King David said, “His praise shall be continually in mouth.”
(14) Praise is an expression of faith and will help us to conquer unbelief, which is often the reason
why we are stuck in our waiting periods. (13) Psalm 34:1, (14) Philippians 4:4

In the Old Testament we read, "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the
vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off
from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the
God of my salvation." (15) One of the meanings of this verse is that our rejoicing and joy, is a
decision of the will and does not depend on our circumstances. However, there is another way to
look at this verse. If we rejoice in the Lord, then maybe, the fig tree will blossom again, the flocks
will come back to fold, etc. Our joy should not be affected by our circumstances but our joy can
change our circumstances! (15) Hab. 3:17-18
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When Paul and Silas decided to rejoice and sing praises in prison, God sent an earthquake and
delivered them out of their terrible situation. (16) We read about Abraham, that "He did not
waver but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; knowing that He who promised is able to bring
it to pass.” (17) During his waiting period, he gave glory to God and became strong in faith. (16) Acts
16:25-26, (17) Romans 4:20

Finally, we may not understand our journey through life, but the Bible says, that God always has a
good end for us. (18) He is working things out for our good (19) and wants to give us a wonderful
future and a hope (20) Therefore, the waiting period can be one of the most fruitful times of our
lives as we, do not force things to happen, do not give up, do our best, pass our tests, be careful
how we speak and as we rejoice in the Lord. (18) James 5:11, (19) Romans 8:28, (20) Jer. 29:11

“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.” (21) Romans 15:13 Amen

Fruitfulness
Fruitfulness is a very important subject in the Kingdom of God. It is important that we produce
fruit. In Genesis 1:18 we read about the first commandment given to man. "And God said to
them, 'be fruitful and multiply.'" For them it meant, "to have children." For us today, it would have
a number of meanings but the most important meaning, would be to "have spiritual children or to
influence people for Christ."

Fruitfulness is the will of God for our lives. In Colossians 1:9-10 we read, "... that you may be filled
with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk
worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the
knowledge of God;"

It is God's will that we bear fruit. Jesus said in John 15:16, "You did not choose Me, but I chose
you, that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask
the Father in My name He would give it unto you." Jesus called us to "Go, and bear fruit!" This is
our calling! We do not bear fruit by sitting and waiting for something to happen. If we do nothing,
nothing will happen.

It is important that we pray and spend time with God. But this must not be an excuse to do
nothing. Jesus has already commanded us to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel..." In
fact, when we bear fruit, it will affect our prayer life. There is a connection between bearing fruit
and God answering our prayers. God has already told us to preach the gospel and tell others
about Christ. It is our responsibility to take initiative and use the opportunities that we have.

It says that "our fruit should remain." Firstly, it means that our fruit should continue over a period
of time. Secondly it means that our fruit should affect our eternal existence. John 4:36 "He who
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reaps receives a reward and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that he who sows and he who reaps
will rejoice together." Our fruit on earth will affect the rewards that we will receive in heaven.

John 15:8 "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples ."
When we bear fruit, we not only do the will of the Father, but we bring Him glory and honor. We
reveal the goodness of God to people and they in turn give Him praise and honor. It brings Him
great pleasure when we bear fruit. Furthermore, it is a sign that we are disciples of Jesus. When
we bear fruit, we become part of what He is doing on the earth and He recognizes us as His
disciples. We cannot claim to be a disciple of Jesus if we do not bear fruit.

John 15:2 "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away:" He is the Vine, we are the
branches. There are serious consequences if we do not bear fruit, we will die spiritually! On the
other hand we read, "Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." When
we bear fruit, He will work in us so that we will bear more fruit. Whenever God prunes us, and
cuts things out of our lives, He is preparing us to bear more fruit in the next season.

What does it mean to bear fruit?

First of all it means the fruit of the Holy Spirit : In Galatians 5:22 we read about the fruit of the
Holy Spirit. (Love, joy, peace...) This is the nature of Jesus. God has called us to be conformed to
the image of Christ. (Romans 8:26). To be fruitful, is to grow spiritually and become more like
Jesus.

The character of Christ in us, produces fruit through us. We read in 2 Peter 1:4-7 about the fruit of
the about the fruit of the Holy Spirit. In verse 8 it says, " For if these things are yours and abound,
you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Secondly, it means to influence people for Christ: When we lead people to Christ, make disciples,
plant churches, heal the sick, set people free, we are bearing fruit. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-
19, "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations..." It means that through us, the
Kingdom of God should and the kingdom of satan will decrease in the earth. Jesus taught us to
pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Thirdly, it means to make an investment in eternity: Romans 6:13 "you have your fruit to holiness,
and the end, everlasting life." The Bible says that we will be rewarded according to our works.
There are certain things we do on earth, that will affect our eternal inheritance. Such as our
commitment to Jesus, our obedience, our giving and our faithfulness to do the will of God.

How can we bear fruit?

The greatest key to fruitfulness is the principle of the cross: In John 12:24 we read, "Most
assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but
if it dies, it produces much grain (fruit)." This is obviously speaking about Jesus death on the cross
for us. As result of His death, many sons have been born into the kingdom. The principle of the
cross, is that "out of death comes life." This principle is found throughout the Bible. It is even
found in creation and in nature itself. A seed has to die before it can grow and bear fruit.
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As we deny ourselves and let Jesus be Lord over every area of our lives, we will begin to become
fruitful. Paul said, "Death works in me, and life in you." Sometimes God will do a work in us, so
that He can do something through us. It is called "pruning." In John 15:2 we read, "and every
branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." We see the example of Abraham,
when he offered up his son Isaac, he became the father of many nations. The more we die to self,
the more we will experience the life of Jesus manifesting in us and through us, and the more fruit
we will bear.

Secondly: Our relationship with Jesus produces fruit: John 15:5 "I am the Vine, you are the
branches, whoever abides in Me and I in Him produces much fruit." As we develop our personal
relationship with Jesus, we bear fruit. In Romans 7:4 we read "that ye should be married to
another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Just
as intimacy between a man and a woman produces fruit, so intimacy between us and Jesus
produces spiritual fruit.

This speaks about prayer, worship, reading the Bible and spending time in His presence. The more
we focus on Jesus the more we bear fruit. In 2 Kings 19:30 we read, "They shall take root
downwards and bear fruit upwards." The root is that part of the tree that no-one can see. It is our
private time with God. We have the example of Jesus in Luke 5:15-17. "And he withdrew himself
into the wilderness, and prayed. And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, ... the
power of the Lord was present to heal them. Prayer should be a high priority in our lives if we
want to be fruitful.

The word of God sown into our lives produces fruit. As we read His word, meditate on the word,
believe the word and apply the word to our lives we become fruitful. When our lives are based on
what God says in His Bible and not what our circumstances tell us. We have a wonderful scripture
in the first Psalm. Psalm 1:2-3 " his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he
meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth
his fruit in his season." The word of God sown into our hearts will automatically make us fruitful.

Thirdly: We must remove things from our lives that prevent us from bearing fruit: In John 15:2 we
read about pruning of the branches. "every branch that bear fruit, he prunes it, that it may bring
forth more fruit." God will continually remove things from our lives that prevent us from being
fruitful. He works in us to make us more fruitful. He cuts away areas of compromise, wrong
relationships and priorities. The further we travel with Jesus, the less we can take with us.

In Mark 4:18-19 we read about the parable of the Sower and the seed that fell among the thorns.
"And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this
world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word,
and it becomes unfruitful." We notice that "it chokes the word." It is possible to fill our hearts with
His word and then fill our hearts and our minds with things that "choke" the word. If we plant
seed in our gardens, we must also remove the weeds that prevent the seed from growing.

In Hebrews 12:2 we read, "let us lay aside every weight, and the sin so easily ensnares us." There
are certain things we do that are not sinful, but they are like "weights", they hinder us from
bearing fruit. It could be the media, relationships and things that wastes our time. The Holy Spirit
will from time to time show us these things if we have a desire to bear much fruit.
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Fourthly: Our relationship with the church makes us fruitful. Relationships are important. Jesus is
the Vine, we are the branches. Branches are connected to other branches. As we are connected
to one another and have committed relationships we will bear fruit. Psalms 91:13-14 " Those that
be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring
forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;" God wants us to be planted in His house
which is the local church. We cannot bear fruit without our brothers and sisters. To be planted,
means that we are committed. We meet together, submit to one another, worship together, pray
together, etc. We cannot bear fruit on our own!

In Psalms 133 it says, "How beautiful it is when brothers dwell together in unity ... there God
commands the blessing." Where there is unity, love and commitment, there will be fruit! Acts
2:44 we read, "Now all who believed were together and had all things common." Acts 2:47 says,
"And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Fifthly: Praise worship and thanksgiving makes us fruitful: In Habakkuk 3:17-18. "Though the fig
tree does not blossom, though there be no fruit of the vine.... yet will I rejoice in the Lord."
Obviously this means that despite our circumstances, we must always rejoice in the Lord.
However, when we rejoice in the Lord, maybe the fig tree will blossom again, there will be fruit on
the vine again ... etc. Our circumstances should not affect our joy, but our joy can change our
circumstances. A joyful praising attitude will be a fruitful attitude.

Psalms 67:5-6 "Let all the peoples praise You o Lord. Let all the peoples praise You. Then the earth
shall yield her increase. God our own God will bless us. Our praise and worship affects the spiritual
atmosphere around us and mobilizes the angelic forces to help us bear fruit. The best thing we
can do if our lives are fruitless, is to praise God more and more.

Finally: We need to take active steps to preach the gospel and tell others about Jesus: In John
15:16 Jesus said, "I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit..." We "go" and
bear fruit. We need to be intentional about witnessing and leading people to Christ. Mark 16:20
says, "They went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, confirming the word
with accompanying signs." The preaching and proclaiming of the word produces fruit. The fruit is
in the seed. The seed is the word of God.

In Colossians 1:5-6 it says that the word of the gospel of truth is "bringing forth fruit." The word
gospel means "good news". When we tell people about the good news of salvation and the love
of God, the words we speak will produce fruit in the hearts of those who hear the word. Paul said
to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 "preach the word, be instant, in season and out of season." As we
take active step to do this, we will begin to produce more and more fruit.

Jesus said, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples ." He
also said, " You did not choose Me, but I chose you, that you should go and bear fruit and that
your fruit should remain." We must bear fruit for one day we will stand before God and give an
account of our lives. We will be rewarded in eternity for the fruit that we have born on earth
especially fruit that remains. In the parable of the talents, the man who produced the greatest
fruit, received the greatest reward in eternity.
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Finally, we read in Genesis 50:22 "Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well; his
branches run over the wall." The reason why we are fruitful, is that we are by a well. The
anointing and presence of the Holy Spirit. It says that his branches run over the wall. Even when
we are confined, in our jobs, our families, there is nothing to prevent us from being fruitful and
influencing others for Christ. God will give us opportunities and "our branches will also run over
the wall." As we make this the strongest desire in our lives, the Holy Spirit will work through us to
make us fruitful. Amen

The principle of the first fruits:

What is the first fruit?

First of all, it is the first born: This applies to children and animals. Exodus 13:2: “Then the LORD
spoke to Moses, saying, “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the
children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”

It is the first ten percent of their crops each year: Leviticus 27:30 we read, “And all the tithe of the
land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s. It is holy to the LORD.”
This is a type of the tithe that we bring to the Lord. It is the first ten percent of our income or our
increase.

Some important principles concerning the first fruits:

First of all, the first fruit belongs to God:

The first fruit belongs to the Lord.

(1) If it was a child, he was dedicated to the Lord. We have the example of Abraham and Isaac.
When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, it was like bringing his first fruits to the Lord. We
also have the example of Hannah dedicating Samuel to the Lord.

(2) If it was an animal, it had to be sacrificed to the Lord.

(3) If was the produce of the land, then ten percent had to be brought to the temple of the Lord.

(4) If it was money, then ten percent had to be brought to the house of the Lord.

Exodus 23:19: “The first of the first fruits of thy land thou shall bring into the house of the LORD
thy God.” The house of the Lord is the local church. In Malachi 3:10 it says bring the tithes to the
storehouse. In 1 Timothy 3:15 it says that the house of the Lord is the local church.

We have the example of the city of Jericho. It was the first city that God gave them in the
Promised Land. God told them that everything in that city belonged to the Lord and that if anyone
took anything in that city, they would be under a curse. (Joshua 6:17-19) They could have all the
other cities, but Jericho belonged to the Lord.
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Therefore, we do not give our tithes, but we bring our tithes to the Lord: We do not give our
tithes, because the tithe already belongs to the Lord. Malachi 3:10: “Bring your tithes to the store
house!” We cannot give that what does not belong to us. (Motor car example). [Also Nehemiah
10:8]. If we do not bring our tithes, we are literally robbing God! In Malachi 3:9 its says “You have
robbed Me”. That is why they could not take anything from Jericho because the first fruits or the
tithe belongs to the Lord.

Secondly: The first fruit redeems the rest!

We have the example of the city of Jericho. It was the first city that God gave them in the
Promised Land. God told them that everything in that city belonged to the Lord and that if anyone
took anything in that city, they would be under a curse. (Joshua 6:17-19) They could have all the
other cities, but Jericho belonged to the Lord. We know what happened. Achan took that what
belonged to the Lord. He was killed and the Children of Israel were defeated before their
enemies. Therefore, when we take that which belongs to God, we give the devil the right to steal
from us, that which belongs to us.

Concerning animals, if they would sacrifice the first lamb, then a blessing would come on all the
other lambs that were born. The same was true of the crops. The first fruit protected and blessed
the rest of the crop.

The First Fruit is the tithe. Malachi 3:10: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, (Mal 3:11) and I
will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground ;” The
ten percent protected the ninety percent! It is better to have ninety percent with God’s blessing,
than one hundred percent without His blessing.

Thirdly, the first fruit is our very best:

The most expensive fruit and vegetables in the market are the first fruits. This means that when
we give to God our first fruits, we give to Him the best part of our lives. We have the example of
Cain and Abel. Genesis 4:3-5: “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the
fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. (Gen 4:4) And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings
of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (Gen
4:5) But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.” Abel gave his best offering but Cain
brought any offering at anytime. His heart was not in it.

It is more important how we give than what we give! Abel had an attitude of faith. He gave his
best offering and expected God to bless him. Hebrews 11:4: “By faith Abel offered a better
offering than Cain.” Jesus was the first fruit of the Father. In Colossians 1:18 we read that Jesus
was the firstborn from the dead that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. When the
Father gave Jesus to die on the cross for us, He gave to us His very best.

Fourthly, our first fruit or our tithes is a reminder of what God has done for us:

Exodus 13:14: “And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, what is this? You
shall say unto him, by strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of
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bondage:” The tithe reminded them that God delivered them from the bondage of Egypt. In the
same way, when we give our tithes, it is an act of gratitude for what Jesus has done on the cross
for us. It was om the cross that Jesus delivered us from the bondage of sin and death. Therefore,
tithing is not a legalistic ritual but an act of thanksgiving! When we bring our first-fruits to the
Lord or our tithe, we are saying, “Thank you Jesus for redeeming us from sin (our spiritual Egypt)
and for giving us the gift of eternal life.”

Fifthly, the first fruit is a proclamation of faith that we expect a harvest:

When the Father offered up Jesus, He did it in faith, expecting a harvest of many sons and
daughters. It was like a seed that He planted. John 12:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a
grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much
grain.” We also have the example of Abram; he gave his first fruits, Isaac and reaped a harvest of
many children. In the same way, when we bring our first fruits to God, we must do so in faith, and
believe that God will give us a big harvest of blessings.

Sixthly: The first fruit is not only our money, but also our priorities:

The first fruit is not only our money, but also our time and our relationships. We notice that Jesus
usually prayed early in the morning. (Mark 1:35 “Now in the morning, having risen a long while
before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”) He was our
example! As we give to God, the first fruit of our time, then the blessing of God comes upon the
time that belongs to us! We will be more productive and fruitful in the time that belongs to us. It
may be a good discipline to give to God the best part of our time every day.

When we give our first fruits, it is a prophetic action that we give God the first place in our lives
and we have a desire to please Him. We read in Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you."

We notice in 1 Corinthians 16:2, we read, " Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay
by him in store, as God hath prospered him." The church met on the first day of the week, on
Sundays. They also brought their offering and gifts to the Lord on Sundays. This is not a legalistic
requirement, but when we to give to God this day of the week, we are giving to Him the first-fruit
of our week to the Lord.

Finally: The first fruit is a proclamation that Jesus has redeemed us at the cross:

Exodus13:13, “But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not
redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall
redeem.” Clean animals could redeem unclean animals: In other words, a lamb or a kid could be
substituted for donkeys, horses and cattle. A clean animal was offered for an unclean animal. This
is a type that one day, Jesus the spotless Lamb of God would be offered up for unclean sinners
like us.

We also read, "If you will not redeem it, you shall break its neck." Those that do not receive the
sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross, would die eternally and go to hell. However, "God so loved
the world that he gave His only begotten Son...." (John 3:16)
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We receive a great blessing when we give our first fruits to the Lord. Proverbs 3:9: “Honor the
LORD with your substance, and with the first-fruits of all your increase: (3:10) So your barns will be
filled with plenty, and you presses shall burst out with new wine.” When we bring our first fruits to
God, we are showing Him honor. It will result in great blessing and increase. Therefore, we must
let God have first place in every area of our lives, which is the first fruits. Amen.
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FROM LEADERSHIP TO
MISSIONS
Ministry Gifts
Purpose for the ministry gifts:

Ephesians 4:11-13: “ 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:”

1. Equip saints for work of ministry. It is not God’s will that the ministry in the church is only
performed by one or two special people. We are all called into the ministry. Ephesians 4:16:
“From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint
supplies.” 1 Corinthians 14.26: “How is it then, brethren? when you come together, every one
of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, hath a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let
all things be done unto edifying.” These gifts are to prepare the members of the church for
ministry. For example the teacher teaches us to teach. The apostle teaches us to plant
churches etc.

2. To edify body of Christ. It is important to these ministries spend more time encouraging and
strengthen the church than rebuking and challenging the church. We read about the ministry
of Paul in the book of Acts, “He strengthened and encouraged the believers.” 2 Corinthians
10.8: “For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given
us for edification, and not for your destruction.” Although rebuke is sometimes necessary, the
highest priority should be to encourage and edify the church. Titus 2.15: “These things speak,
and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.”

3. They are to lead by example and not control and dominate the church. 1 Peter 5.3: “Neither as
being Lords over the church but examples to the flock.”

4. Not all are called to these ministry gifts: It is important to note that although not all are called
to these gifts, it is good to desire them. 1 Timothy 3.1: “If a man desires a position of a bishop
(pastor), he desires a good work.” If we have a desire for the ministry gifts, then we are
probably called to them. God may still have to take some of us through a period of training
before we are ready to function in these gifts. It is important to note that a diploma or a
degree from a Bible school does not necessarily qualify us for these ministries, but the
anointing of the Holy Spirit and the fruitfulness of our gift. Daniel 4.18: “You are able, for the
Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”
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6. How do we know that someone is called to these gifts? By their fruits! If we are teachers, we
should have students. If we are apostles, we should plant churches! If we are evangelists we
should regularly lead people to Jesus. If we are pastors, then we should have flocks.

7. What about titles? There is no sign of any titles in the New Testament. Paul referred to an
office of an apostle. Peter referred to his office as a teacher and elder. The church is a family.
When Paul writes to the church, he calls himself Paul. However, for the sake of respect we can
call someone by the title “pastor” or “bishop.” But this in turn should not put a gap between
us and our leaders.

8. How should we treat these ministry gifts? With respect! We honor the Lord by honoring their
position. 1Timothy 5.17: “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor,
especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.”

A brief description of these gifts:

(a) Apostle:

The word apostle first occurred among the Romans. It was the ship that led a fleet of ships to
establish a Roman government into a country that they had conquered. Therefore, the ministry of
an apostle is not only to plant churches, but establish “church government” in a new area. This is
what Paul did when he visited the churches that He had planted. He appointed pastors and
elders.

It also comes from the Greek word “apostalos” which means “someone that is sent.” Therefore,
an apostle can be someone who plants churches in a new area, or a pioneer missionary. However,
not everyone who starts a church is an apostle! It is usually someone who starts a movement of
new churches. In Mark 3:14 we read, “He appointed the twelve that they might be with Him and
that He might send them out to preach.”

There are more than 12 apostles mentioned in the Bible. Timothy, Paul, Silas and Apollos were
also apostles. In fact there are about 20 apostles mentioned in New Testament. It is also possible
for women to also be apostles. For example, Priscilla (Romans 16:3) and Junia (Romans 16:7)
were also apostles. We have modern day examples such as Heidi Baker who has planted more
than 10 000 churches and Aimee McPherson who planted more than 500 churches and started a
movement that has 4 000 churches in the USA.

An apostle is also a ‘father’ ministry that leads other ministries. These are often mature leaders
that trains and leads many leaders under them. (1 Corinthians 4:15) Furthermore, an apostle
usually has a strong anointing to perform signs, wonder and miracles. 2 Corinthians 12.12: “Truly
the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you … in signs, wonders and mighty deeds.”

The gift of an apostle is the highest of the ministry gifts. It is possible for someone to grow into
this gift. He can start off as a pastor and later become an apostle. We have the example of Paul. In
Acts 13:2 he was first a teacher and a prophet. Afterwards he became an apostle when he was
sent out by the church. Therefore, an apostle can usually operate in all the other ministry gifts.
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(b) Prophet:

A prophet is someone who gives prophetic direction to the church. We have definition of a
prophet in Numbers 12.6: “If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord will make Myself known to
him in a vision, I will speak to him in a dream.” It is a person that often has dreams and visions
from the Lord.

The ministry of a prophet is a recognized leadership gift and is more than someone who give
prophesies. In Ephesians 2:20 it says we are built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets.
The prophet often helps the apostle with prophetic direction and confirmation. We have the
example of Agabus (Acts 22:10)

A prophet is recognized by the validation of his prophesies. What He prophesies comes to pass!
Jeremiah 28.9: “When the word of the prophet comes to pass, then the prophet shall be known as
one whom the Lord has truly sent.”

(c) Evangelist:

There are not many evangelists mentioned in the Book of Acts. Philip was an evangelist (Acts
21:8) and Stephen who was martyred was probably also an evangelist. An evangelist has an
unusual anointing to lead people to salvation in Christ. He or she also has an anointing to perform
miracles and healings. Mark 16.15-16: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel … these signs
shall follow those who believe…”

However, although this is the scarcest of all ministry gifts, we are all called to do the work of an
evangelist. (2 Tim 4:5). Evangelism adds the ‘spark’ to all the other ministry gifts. For example, a
good pastor is one who leads people to Christ. Leading people to Christ should always be our
highest priority. The evangelist should work in a team. For example, of Philip, he preached in
Samaria but invited Peter and John to come and establish the church (Acts 8)

(d) Pastor.

This is the most common of the ministry gifts. The word pastor comes from the word ‘pasture’.
Therefore, he or she is a shepherd to the sheep. Therefore, one of the ways to identify the
anointing of the pastor is that people like to gather around them. They have a gift of hospitality
and are people that love to be with people.

It is important that a pastor does not neglect his personal relationship with the Lord. Jeremiah
10:21 “The shepherds have become dull hearted and have not sought the Lord, Therefore, they
shall not prosper and their flocks shall be scattered.”

A good pastor should be able to feed the flock and have the ability to teach and preach. Jeremiah
3:15, “I will give you shepherds according to my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge
and understanding.” 1Timothy 5.17: “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double
honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.”
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Acts 20.28: (This is Paul’s instructions to the pastors at Ephesus.) “Take heed to yourselves and
the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God
which He purchased with His own blood.”

1. They must take heed to themselves. They must pay attention to their own spiritual lives as
well as the flock. A pastor should have a strong personal relationship with the Lord.
2. The ministry of the pastor is given by the Holy Spirit, and is a high calling.
3. The flock belongs to God. A pastor must realize that he does not own the sheep, and that
he has been given the responsibility to look after God’s sheep.

Proverbs 27:23-27. “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks. (Verse 26) The lambs will provide
your clothing, and the goats the price of a field (Verse 27) You shall have enough goats milk for
you food, for the food of your household….” To be a pastor is a calling and not just a job,
Therefore, he is not motivated by money. However, if the pastor cares for sheep well, they will
care for him.

1 Peter 5:2-4: “Shepherd the flock, serving as overseers, not by compulsion, but willingly. Not for
dishonest gain, but eagerly; not being lords over those whom the Lord has entrusted to you, but
being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of
glory that does not fade away.” There are special rewards in heaven for pastors.

(e) Teachers

We have example of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:1) and Apollos in Acts 18:26-28 in the book of
Acts. For example, Appolos was "sharp in the word." A teacher loves the word and people enjoy
listening to him. He has the ability to make complicated truths simple. We read in Nehemiah 8.8:
“So they (the teachers) read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense,
and helped them to understand the reading.” A teacher has the ability to help people understand
God’s word.

Finally: The ministry gifts described in Ephesians 4 is a quote from Psalm 68:18 where we read,
"You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men,
Even from the rebellious, That the Lord God might dwell there." The last phrase says, "that the
Lord might dwell there." The highest purpose of these gifts, is to reveal God to people and bring
His presence on earth. Amen

Leadership Qualities
The definition of leadership is as follows: Firstly it is the ability to gain followers. Secondly, it is the
ability to motivate people towards a certain goal. Thirdly, it is the ability to influence people.
We read about king David, “So he (David) swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah..." (2 Samuel
19:14) The qualities within leaders motivates others to follow them. We also read in the book of
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Judges, “When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the LORD!”
(Judges 5:2)
This does not mean that all leaders are good. There have been many very evil leaders that have
had strong leadership qualities, for example Hitler, who had strong leadership qualities, but he
was evil. However, for the sake of this study, we are going to look at qualities from a Christian
perspective, and the purpose of this study is to encourage us to develop godly leadership
qualities.
Leadership is open to all of us and will improve our quality of life and our fruitfulness in the
Kingdom of God. There are those who have been born with leadership qualities and are natural
leaders, but these are in the minority. Most leaders, are leaders because they have developed
leadership skills. We have the example of David’s mighty men. When David met them, they were
a group of defeated people. They were in distress, in debt and discontented, (1 Samuel 22:2).
However, after spending time with David, they became mighty leaders in Israel. (2 Samuel 23:8)
The same is true of Jesus and His disciples. When He found them they were ordinary fishermen,
but after spending three and a half years with them, they became anointed apostles.

It is also true that the condition of the people, depends on the condition of the leaders. In the Old
Testament, the Children of Israel were blessed when they had good kings and suffered when they
had bad kings. The condition of the kings affected the condition of the people. When the kings
turned to idolatry, the people fell into idolatry. The same is true of a church or a Christian
organization. The spiritual health of the people will depend on the spiritual health of the leaders.
People rise or fall on the qualities of their leaders! The Bible says, "When the righteous are in
authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked rule, the people groan." (Proverbs 29:2)

Different degrees of leadership:

Now there are different degrees of leadership. The first level of leadership is someone who is
appointed into that position. This is what we will call, appointed leadership. These are those that
have been appointed by other leaders. For example, a pastor can choose a youth leader, and the
reason why the youth leader is a leader, is because of his position and not because of his ability.
However, this does not mean that he does not have the ability to lead. Many political
appointments fall into this category. If the top leader is corrupt, the leaders under him are usually
weak.
The second level of leadership is when a person has a relationship with those whom he leads. We
will call this, relationship leadership. People will follow a person because they like or love that
person. An example of this is a good loving pastor. People follow him because they love him!
Cornelius in the Bible is in this category. (Acts 10)
The third level of leadership is when people follow the leader because of his abilities and
performance. We call this level, performance leadership. This is an example of an anointed pastor
or apostle. The people now go beyond just loving the leader, they now begin to admire the
leader. Miracles begin to happen, souls get saved and the pastor preaches dynamic sermons that
bless the people.
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The highest and fourth level of leadership is when people follow the leader because the leader
has made an investment into their lives. This type of leader reproduces his leadership qualities in
the lives of those he leads. We call this level of leadership, reproductive leadership. Our best
example is that of Jesus. He made an investment into a small group of followers and they in turn
became mighty leaders. Therefore, the highest goal of leadership is to raise up other leaders. For
example, a good pastor is someone that raises up other pastors!
Furthermore, the higher the level of leadership, the easier it becomes to lead and the more
willing the people will be to follow that leader. For example, there may be a lot of rebellion under
someone that has been appointed, but very seldom under someone who has made an investment
in the lives of others.
Important qualities of leadership.
We are now going to look at some of the qualities that we need to develop in our lives to become
good leaders. I want to give a summary of these qualities and comment briefly on each of them.
Firstly the importance of humility:

One of the best examples in the Bible was that of Moses. We read in Numbers 12:3, “Now the
man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.”

This is the greatest quality that God look for in our lives. Jesus said, " whoever desires to become
great among you, let him be your servant." (Matthew 20:26) As we said before, it is a good desire
to be a leader, but we must serve! In the book of James we read, “Humble yourselves in the sight
of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10) Notice, as we do the humbling, God will do the
raising up. If we try to exalt ourselves, then God will do the humbling for us!

Often, we can "catch the spirit of a leader" when we humbly serve them. For example, Elisha
served Elijah and caught the 'spirit of Elijah.' Timothy served Paul, and also became an apostle.
We have the instruction that the old advisors gave to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, “If you be a
servant to these people today and serve them and answer them and speak good words to them,
then they shall be your servants forever.” (1 Kings 12:7) If we want people to serve us, we must be
willing to serve. We serve our way to leadership!

Secondly, the importance of faithfulness: Faithfulness is a big subject so we will only look briefly
at what it means to be faithful. We read in the parable of the talents, "His lord said to him, ‘Well
done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler
over many things.” (Matthew 25:21) Notice again, if we are faithful, God will make us rulers, He
will lift us up into leadership.

Paul spoke about how God put him into the ministry, "“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has
enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” (1 Tim. 1:12) Notice
the order here, firstly he was faithful and because of that, God enabled him and then God put him
into the ministry. Paul also gives Timothy this very important instruction, "And the things that you
have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to
teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2) Paul was saying to Timothy, that those whom he had to train
for ministry and put in leadership had to be faithful.
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Faithfulness Therefore, gives us a platform to influence and teach others. For example, if I had to
teach on giving, I need to be faithful in giving. Jesus said, "If you have not been faithful in what is
another man's, who will give you your own? (Luke 16:12) If we are not faithful to our leaders,
God will not allow us to lead others. It is more important for us to reach for responsibility than for
authority!

We have a wonderful promise in the book of Proverbs, “Do you see a man who excels in his work?
He will stand before kings.” (Proverbs 22:29) God will open up wonderful and important
opportunities for us if we are faithful with our responsibilities. We will stand before important
people!

Thirdly, the importance of vision:

A leader is someone who has goals and is able to motivate others to reach his goals. If the leader
does not know where he is going, no one will follow him. Therefore, people will only follow us if
we are going somewhere! For example, Nehemiah; his vision was to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.
Therefore, it was easy for him to motivate people to do so. He said to the people, “Come and let
us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” They answered him and
said, “Let us rise up and build.” (Neh. 2:17-18)
There is much we can say about vision, but this is covered extensively in the study called, vision
and calling. It is important also that the vision of the leader should be big enough to include the
visions and the goals of those who he leads. For example, if I want to be a missionary, then my
leader should also have a vision for missions!
Fourthly, the importance of commitment:

A leader must be serious in his commitment to the Lord if he wants to lead others. In fact his
level of commitment should be higher than the commitment of those he leads. He prays more,
studies more and gives more! We notice that Jesus only focused on committed people and
ignored those who were not serious about following after Him.

Therefore, a good leader should have a clear understanding of authority and submission. He
knows the importance of being under authority in order to have authority. For example the
Roman centurion said to Jesus, “For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me, I say
to this one ‘go’ and he goes and to another ‘come’ and he comes.” (Matthew 8:9) We cannot lead
effectively unless we are under authority of other leaders and the church. Even though the senior
leader of a church may not have anyone to submit to, but he can still be open and accountable to
those whom he leads and have a submissive attitude to listen to others.

Fifthly, the importance of spiritual discipline:

This especially applies to the discipline of prayer. It is the price that we have to pay if we want to
be leaders. We read about Daniel who was a disciplined leader, " Daniel distinguished himself
above the satraps and governors, because an excellent spirit was in him." (Daniel 6:4) He had an
excellent spirit that distinguished himself above the other leaders because of his personal
discipline of praying three times a day. (Daniel 6:10)
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Jesus was our best example. We read that "He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and
prayed.” (Luke 5:15) As we become busy in the ministry, we need to be more disciplined in
prayer. Those that have a good quality relationship with God will be able to lead others. Many of
the great leaders in the Bible were people who spent much time in prayer. We can see this
especially in the life of Paul when we read his epistles.

Sixthly, the importance of a strong vibrant faith:

In Hebrews chapter 11, we have a list of leaders, the heroes of the faith. A good leader must be a
person of faith and have a positive victory mentality. Paul writes, “Now thanks be to God who
always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in
every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14) God does not lead us in defeat and failure; He leads us in
triumph and victory. Therefore, if want to lead others, we must have a victory mentality. People
will not follow defeated and discouraged leaders! A leader must also have victory in his own
personal life.
We see this in the life of Caleb. He was a great leader and also a man of faith. When everyone else
was negative and discouraged about entering the promised land he said, “Let us go up at once
and take possessions for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13.30) The people said “we
cannot” but Caleb said “yes we can!” Therefore, a good leader is not influenced by circumstances
or people, but by his faith in the word of God. They are people of faith! When everyone says, "we
cannot", he says "we can!" When everyone says, "the problem is too big", he says, "God is bigger
than the problem!"

Jesus said, “I will build My church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (Matthew
16:18) Jesus, our best example of leadership, is building a powerful, dynamic church that will
destroy the powers of darkness. Therefore, He expects a high level of faith from those who aspire
to be leaders. Smith Wigglesworth said, "How can we say, 'we can't, when the great I CAN lives in
us!"

Seventhly, leaders must be filled with the Holy Spirit:

In the book of Acts, we read how they had to choose seven leaders who were filled with the Holy
Spirit. (Acts 6:3) The anointing of the Holy Spirit qualifies us to be leader. We read about Barnabas
one of the apostles. It says that, “He was a good man, full of faith and the Holy Spirit.” (Acts
11:24) Some of us may feel today that we will never be promoted and God will never use us. Well,
one thing we can all do, is to increase our anointing and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Great
spiritual leaders are those who are full of the Holy Spirit!
Finally, good leaders are those that love the Lord and love the people they lead:

One of the greatest leaders in the Bible was King David and his greatest quality was that he loved
God. God says about him, " ... I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart,
who will do all My will." (Acts 13:22) Great leaders are great lovers of God!

Jesus says to Peter three times after the resurrection, “Do you love Me? When Peter answered
yes, Jesus said, “Feed my sheep, tend My sheep and feed My lambs.” In other words, "if you love
me, I will let you lead and feed My sheep." (John 21:15-17) Jesus was our example. He was the
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Good Shepherd that laid down His life for His sheep. If we develop our love for God, we will
increase in the ability to lead people.

Not only is our love for God important, but our love for the people that we lead. People will
follow us when we love and care for them. We need to lay down our lives for the people we lead.
The husband's most important quality as the head of his wife, is to love her. Finally Jesus said,
“Love one another as I have loved you.”
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The man, lion, ox and eagle - the profile of a balanced leader

In Ezekiel we read about a vision that Ezekiel had. “As for the likeness of their faces, they each had
a face of a man, each of the four had a face of lion on the right side. Each of the four had a face
of an ox and each of the four had the face of an eagle on the left side.” (Ezekiel 1:10) There can be
a number of interpretations to this vision. I want to use this as a profile for a balanced leader.

We notice that on the one side we have the face of a man, and the face of a lion. The man speaks
about the human side of the leader. He is friendly, approachable, friendly and kind. He is not
some supernatural monster! We see this in the life of Jesus. He was the son of God, but He was so
approachable and human. He played with children, he sat with sinners, He was loving and kind.

Then we have the profile of the lion. The lion speaks about the authoritative side of the leader. He
is bold, dynamic, not afraid to confront people, he leads with power and authority. Jesus was like
this, especially when He was with the Pharisees. He was not afraid to rebuke them. He also
confronted Peter and said, "Get behind Me satan!" Therefore, a good leader is a balance between
a man and a lion. He must have both these qualities in his life.

On the other side we have the face of an ox and the face of an eagle. The ox speaks about hard
work and serving others. A good leader is not too super spiritual. He is not afraid to work hard
and get his hands dirty! We see this in the life of Jesus, how He served people and washed the
feet of His disciples. Then we also have the face of the eagle. This speaks about the spirituality of
the leader. Just as the eagle flies in the sky, a good leader lives in the anointing, he prays and
worships God and has a personal relationship with God. Jesus was obviously a good example of
this. He regularly prayed and moved in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, a good leader
has the balance between the ox and the eagle. He works hard, but he is also spiritual!

Therefore, as we aspire to these qualities, we will not only be good leaders, but there will be great
rewards in eternity. The greatest joy will be to hear the words of Jesus one day, when He says to
us, "Well done faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord." (Matthew 25:21) Amen

Time management and people skills

Time management:
Ephesians 5:16 “Redeem the time, for the days are evil (hungry)” Leaders think ahead and their lives
are influenced by their plans. They usually have a planner or a calendar to keep track of their
appointments and commitments. They know the importance of time management and they live
their lives according to priorities. Followers on the other hand live day to day and their lives are
influenced by people and circumstances. They often waist a lot of time on worthless activities.
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If we want to be leaders, it will be wise to write down our plans and goals as well as our
commitments. Our plans should include:

1) Appointments: People that we should see and things that we should do

2) Our personal disciplines. Prayer, reading your Bible, preparing ministry, physical exercise etc.
3) Things we should neglect. T V, Internet etc. make plans that they are switched off certain
times of the day.
4) Relaxation and time with family. Jesus suggested this to His disciples. Mark 6:31. “Come
apart and rest awhile.”
5) Emergency time. There should be allowances made for unexpected commitments. (Hospital
visit, family crisis, an important visitor, etc.) We must not fill up all our time in the diary or
planner.

How to prioritize our time

There are four things we need to consider. Things that are: (a) Important (b) urgent (c) not
important (d) not urgent. For example, our personal time with God should be our highest priority.
We can try to follow this pattern:

 First priority: Things that are important and urgent.

 Second priority: Things that are Important and not urgent
 Third priority: Things that are urgent and not important.

Fourth priority: Things that are not important and not urgent.

This is a useful guideline if we want to maximize our time management. Sometimes we have to say
no to what is good in order to say yes to that which is best.

A good leader will spend more time training leaders than helping followers. We have the example of
Jesus. He spent more time training His disciples than ministering to the multitudes. We have the
principle of 80/20: That means we spend 80% of our time with 20% of the most productive people
that we lead and 20% of our time with the other 80%. For example, Jesus never wasted His time with
people that were not serious and committed.

We can use our travelling time and waiting time well . Much of our time is spent travelling and
waiting. It is a good place to do something productive and useful. We can use the time to pray, read
or study. (For example, we can use the travelling time on the metro, or on a bus to study a language)

2. People skills:
There are three types of people when we think about leadership: Leaders, managers and followers.
Leaders influence people, managers monitor or control people and followers follow or work for
other people. Followers work better with people. In other words they work better in an environment
of a team. Managers will help people work better. They control the efficiency of the people. Leaders
produce better people to work. They influence and train people to work better.
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Leaders invest time with people (e.g. Jesus and David). They do not just casually spend time with
people but they have a goal to influence and help people become more mature and spiritual. On the
other hand, followers just spend time with people. There are no goals only relationships.

Leaders give people ownership of their ideas to those they lead: A good leader has the ability to
make the followers feel that it is their project. They include other people in their planning and
ministry. They do not just get up and say, "this is what we are going to do." For example, a good
pastor gets the whole church involved in his vision. Once people take ownership of the vision, they
will support the vision.

A good leader is also interested in the plans of his followers : He will also find out what are the
dreams, desires and the plans of the people that he leads and will help them reach their personal
goals. He makes a commitment to help people.

A good leader does not only solve problems but he helps people solve their own problems. He gets
them involved in solving the problem. For example if a woman has a problem with her husband. A
good leader won’t just tell her what to do, but show her scriptures and ask her, “what do you think
you should do?"

A good leader must recognize the ability levels of the people that he or she leads . We should not
give stupid jobs to clever people. We should also recognize the level of maturity of the people that
we lead. We give mature people mature jobs. A good leader knows that mature people need
motivation and immature people need direct leadership. Galatians 4:1-2 “Now I say, That the heir,
as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, … 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until
the time appointed of the father.” A good leader does not treat an adult like a child or a child like an
adult. He allows mature people to take initiative and make decisions.

A good leader should respect the authority structure under him . This is also true in business. We
should not treat everyone the same. When it comes to discussing the vision and direction of the
church or cell group, we should first discuss it with our leaders before we discuss it with the rest of
the group. It is also important that we do not criticize our leaders publically. If we have to confront a
leader, we must do it in front of other leaders.

A good leader will keep his followers informed of what he is doing. He will report back to the
people that he leads. It is advisable to first report back to the leaders under him, then to the
whole group. We have the example of Paul and Barnabas in Act 14:27 “And when they (Paul and
Barnabas) were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had
done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.” Report back makes
the followers feel part of the team

A good leader should avoid destructive criticism . Whenever he criticizes, he does it in a way to
help the person improve. It is important that people always know that we respect them.

A good leader listens to those whom he leads: We should be humble enough to receive advice
from anyone, even if they do not seem to be important. We have the example where the wise
councilors said to Reoboam, Solomon's son, "If you will be a servant to these people today, and
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serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants
forever.” (2 Kings 11:7)

How to confront people:

 We must do it privately, and not talk to others about it before we confront them.
 We must it as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more difficult it will become.
 We must deal with one issue at a time. We do not tell them all the mistakes at the same
time.
 We must on issues that they can change and not make unrealistic demands on the person
that we are confronting. If they do not have the ability to do something, we should do not
force him to do it.
 We should never use the word “always” and “never”. For example :“ You are always late
or you never do what I tell you.” It is better to mention when they were late and what
specifically they did not do.
 Compliments are important: We must also talk to them about the good things they have
done and the good qualities that they have.
 We must never apologize for confronting people for example, “I do not want to do this but
I had to do it!” “I am sorry that I had to tell you this!”
 We must use the confrontation to help them. We see this in the life of Jesus. Whenever
His disciples did something stupid, He confronted them then He taught them the proper
way to do it!

Finally: We should lead by example: 1 Peter 5:2 “Do not be lords (dictators) over Gods people, but
be examples to them.” If we want them to pray, we must pray. Etc. Paul said, “Follow me as I
follow Christ.”

The spirit of Jezebel

The reason why we have included this topic in the leadership section is that it affects leaders.
Leaders need to be free from this spirit if they want to be effective leaders. We will look at three
examples in the Bible of a Jezebel Spirit.

1. 1 Kings 16:30-31 we read about queen Jezebel the wife of king Ahab . Jezebel was the daughter
of the high priest of Sidon. She worshiped the idols of Baal and Ashtoreth. The worship of these
gods was linked to sexual perversion and lust. She lived in an atmosphere where sex was used to
gain influence and authority. She controlled and manipulated her husband Ahab to introduce Baal
worship to Israel. She was so effective that she turned all the men of Israel away from God except
for a small group of 7000 that would not come under her influence. The spirit called Jezebel
existed long before queen Jezebel, but was given her name because she was so completely
controlled by this demon. This same demon is evident today in the church and in society.
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2. The example of Herodias in the New Testament. We read about her in Matthew 14:1-12. She
was the wife of Philip the brother of King Herod. She was obviously involved in an adulterous
relationship with Herod. When John the Baptist rebuked the king about this relationship, he was
put in prison and later executed at the request of Herodias. There are many similarities between
Herodias and Jezebel in the Old Testament. One of the main characteristics is that they opposed
spiritual authority. Just as Jezebel was against Elijah in the Old testament, Herodias was against
John the Baptist, who came in the spirit of Elijah.

3. Jezebel in the Book of Revelations 2:20-22. "Nevertheless I have a few things against you,
because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce  My
servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to
repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.   Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and
those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds."

We will look at three important aspects of the spirit of Jezebel. Firstly, how can we know whether
or not we have this spirit. Secondly, how we can know whether or not we are under the control of
this spirit coming from others. And thirdly, how to destroy the influence of this spirit over our
lives.

The characteristics of the spirit of Jezebel:

- Control and manipulation: Jezebel in the Old Testament manipulated and controlled her weak
husband Ahab. In 1 Kings 21:8 we read, "And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with
his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with
Naboth.  She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among
the people; and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, “You
have blasphemed God and the king.” Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die." She
used the authority of the king and manipulated the men of Israel to kill the innocent Naboth and
steal his vineyard. Herodias manipulated Herod to kill John the Baptist.

This spirit is evident today in the church where spiritual leaders manipulate and control those
under them. Just as Jezebel misused the authority of the king, so these leader misuse spiritual
authority and control and threaten the people that they lead. They often manipulate people to
give money. This spirit can also manifest in the family, where a wife will dominate and control her
husband. Although this spirit can influence both men and women, it likes to control and
manipulate people without force, Therefore, it is more frequently manifested in women than in
men. However, there are many men who also have a spirit of Jezebel. This spirit is very prevalent
in certain religions where the women are totally controlled and dominated by men, especially by
their husbands.

The spirit of Jezebel does not like to be under spiritual authority and will only have relationships
where it can control people. If it cannot control people, it withdraws from people. The word
"Jezebel" means, "without "co habilitation." In other words, a person with a Jezebel spirit, has an
independent spirit and does not like to be part of a team. He or she will often withdraw from
fellowship with other Christians.

- Intimidation: We read how Jezebel intimidated Elijah and threatened to kill him. The day before,
Elijah was so bold that he called down fire from heaven and killed the prophets of Baal. However,
when Jezebel threatened him, he was so filled him with fear that he fled into the wilderness.
When we become afraid of spiritual leaders, it is often a sign that they have a spirit of Jezebel. A
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spiritual leader may use this phrase, "If you leave this church you will go to hell." A wife with a
Jezebel spirit may say to her husband, "If you do this I will divorce you."

- Pride and arrogance: Jezebel always wants to be in first place. In Revelations 2:20 we read, that,
"She calls herself a prophetess." People with this spirit often like to convince others that they have
a ministry and a calling. They will try to promote their ministry and force themselves into
positions of authority. As a result they often criticize other leaders. A pastor with a Jezebel spirit,
criticizes other pastors. This spirit hates authority and tries to destroy those who have spiritual
authority.

- Sexual compromise and impurity: Just a Jezebel used sex to gain control of the men of Israel, so
those with Jezebel spirit, often use sexual seduction to control and destroy people. A woman with
this spirit will often seduce married men and destroy their marriages. In Revelations 2:20 we
read, ""Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow [a that woman Jezebel,
who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce  My servants to commit sexual immorality..."
They like to draw close to spiritual leaders and use their influence to achieve their own goals.
There are many cases where younger women with this spirit, have used sex to destroy the
ministry and marriages of older spiritual leaders.

This is the same spirit that influences many of the films in Hollywood. In a survey, it was found
that about 90 percent of sexual relationships shown in films were between people outside of a
marriage covenant. The fact that the word Jezebel means, "without co habilitation" those who
have this spirit are often not able to stay in healthy marriage relationship.

How we can know that we are under the influence of the spirit of Jezebel:

We will look at how this spirit influenced others, especially in the life of Elijah.

1. Fear: After the victory that Elijah has on mount Carmel, he receives a threat from Jezebel and
flees into the wilderness in fear. The powerful demonic influence of this spirit, often sows fear in
the lives of God's children. That is why some Christians are afraid of their spiritual leaders,
because their leaders move in a spirit of Jezebel. People with a Jezebel spirit often react violently
when they are confronted or challenged. Therefore, if we have any type of fear, without any
reason, it may be an attack of a Jezebel spirit.

2. Depression: 1 Kings 19:4. " But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came
and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die,..." This has been the
experience of many spiritual leaders. For no reason, they want to give up the ministry and even
want to die. This is often because they have been attacked by the spirit of Jezebel. Therefore, if
we are depressed for no valid reason, and we begin to worry about things that are not important,
it may be a sign that we have been influenced by a spirit of Jezebel. Often we just want to give up
even although God wants to bless us and use us.

3. Unclean sexual thoughts: Revelations 2:20-22. "Nevertheless I have a few things against you,
because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce  My
servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. Jezebel in the Old
Testament was brought up in an atmosphere where sex was used to gain authority and influence
people. Many who are addicted to the pornography and lust, are under the influence of this spirit.
This spirit tempts many who were formerly anointed and used by God, to waist a lot of their time
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in front of the television and looking at pornography on the internet. These are those who have
lost their anointing and continually feel condemned and useless and cannot do anything for God.

4. Isolation: 1 Kings 19:3. "And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life..." Elijah went
away from everyone. When we have an unnatural desire to withdraw from people and be on our
own, it can be an attack from this spirit. Even although it is good to withdraw from people and
spend time with God, these people withdraw from people and spend their time doing worthless
things such as watching movies and reading magazines all day.

5. Tiredness and exhaustion: 1 Kings 19:5. "Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree,..." The
moment he got away from the influence of Jezebel, he slept and slept. He was obviously very
tired. If we are always tired and have no energy to do anything, it can be the influence of a
Jezebel spirit. Our ministry should strengthen us and revive us and not make us tired. Jesus said in
Matthew 11:30, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Therefore, if we have problems with
sleep, it may be an attack of a spirit of Jezebel. In Psalms 127:2 the Bible says, that "God gives His
beloved sleep." The further we get away from Jezebel, the better we should be able to sleep.

6. Strange and continual sickness: Revelations 2:21-22. And I gave her time to repent of her
sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who
commit adultery with her." If there is no reason for a sickness and we cannot get well through
medicine or prayer, it may be an attack from the spirit of Jezebel. Also if the sickness continues for
a long time, it may be an attack from this spirit. When we break the influence of this spirit, we
often receive our healing. In Proverbs 18:14 we read, "The spirit of a man will sustain him in
sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?"

How to break the influence of the spirit of Jezebel

In the Old Testament, God chose Jehu, to destroy Jezebel and house of Ahab. He was radical and
ruthless. He destroyed all Ahab's family and also killed Jezebel. We too must have the spirit of
Jehu if we want to have victory over this spirit. In Revelations 2:20, Jesus says to this church, "You
tolerate that woman Jezebel!" In other words, we must be radical and not tolerate the spirit at all
in our lives!

The following steps can help us break the influence of the spirit of Jezebel in our lives:

Firstly we must repent and turn away from the sins of Jezebel: Revelations 2:21. " And I gave her
time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent." There are a number of important
things that we need to repent of if we want to be free from the influence of the spirit of Jezebel:

1. The sins of controlling, manipulating or intimidating others.

2. The sins of pride, arrogance and our critical attitudes towards others.

3. The sins of lust, pornography and sexual compromise.

4. The sins of sin of rebellion, of an independent spirit and lack of submission to spiritual
authority.
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If we have withdrawn from people, we need to get back into fellowship and make a commitment
to a local church. Once we have done these things, we can then take authority of the spirit of
Jezebel in our own lives and command it to leave. We must have the spirit of Jehu and have
nothing to do with Jezebel.

Secondly: We must not tolerate the influence Jezebel in our lives. We may need to break off
relationships with or confront those who have a Jezebel spirit. Get away from them if you can.
Some people may need to find another church if their leader are controlling them through this
spirit. We need to "kill" this spirit, just as Jehu, killed Jezebel in the Old Testament. ( 2 Kings
9:22."So he answered, “What peace, as long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her
witchcraft are so many?”)

Thirdly, we must break the control of this spirit: If we have the spirit of Jezebel, we must cast it
out. We can do this ourselves or we can ask others to pray for us. It will be useful to confess this
sin to others so that we can be free (James 5:18) If we have been under the influence of this
spirit, we must use our spiritual authority and break its influence. In James 4:7, it says, "Submit to
God, resist the devil and he will flee from you!"

Finally: There is great blessing when we are free from this spirit. We will experience a new level of
joy and freedom. We will have more energy and anointing to do the work of God. May God bless
you as you completely destroy the power and influence of Jezebel in your life. Amen

Witnessing and evangelism:

The importance of public confession:

Public confession of Christ is necessary for salvation: Romans 10:9; ”If you confess with your
mouthy the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be
saved.”, This is one of the important steps for people to receive Jesus. In order to receive the gift
of eternal life, we must make a public confession of our faith in Christ before people. We receive
Jesus as our Lord by a simple prayer of faith. We repent of our sins, invite Him to be Lord of our
lives and then confess with our mouths that He is our Lord. The next important step is to make a
strong pubic confession before people through Water Baptism. Water baptism is a visible
demonstration of what has happened in our hearts. It is a pubic confession before people and the
spirit world that we belong to Jesus.

Confessing Christ before people sets us free from the influence of the world; Romans 10:10: “For
with the mouth, confession is made to salvation.” The word salvation means: Eternal life, healing,
deliverance and freedom. When we publically confess Christ before people it sets us free from the
influence of the world and defines our position before non Christians. It will save you from
temptations and protect us from sin. Confessing Christ before people, put a boundary line
between us and them. They will be less inclined to tempt us, if they know that we belong to Jesus.
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It is only through our confession of Christ that people can believe in Him : Romans 10:17: “Faith
comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Some people think that if they live a good
Christian life, they will influence people for Christ. But the Bible does not say, "Faith comes by
seeing.” If we do not tell others about Christ, they will not believe. The more we tell people about
Jesus, the more assurance we will have that we are Christians. In 2 Timothy 1:8, Paul warns
Timothy, “Do not be ashamed of the witness of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Pubic confession of Christ on earth will affect the way we spend our lives in eternity. Matthew
10:32-33: “Whoever confesses Me before men, him will I confess before My Father who is in
heaven. But he who denies Me before men, him will I will I deny before My Father who is in
heaven.” The confession of Jesus on earth, will affect our relationship with Him in heaven. John
4:36, “He who reaps, receives wages for eternal life.” There is a great reward in eternity if we lead
people to Christ on earth.

The level of our commitment to Jesus is measured by the level of our confession of Him before
people. John 12:42-43: “Nevertheless, even among the rulers, many believed in Him, but because
if the Pharisees they did not confess Him openly lest they be put out of the synagogue. For they
loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” The reason that they did not tell others
about Jesus is that they wanted the Non Christians to accept them and speak well about them.
We cannot have the praises of God and the praises of men. Jesus said, «You must take up your
cross and follow Me». We do so when we tell others about Jesus.

Public confession should be made as soon as someone accepts Christ. The longer they wait, the
more difficult it will be to tell others about Jesus. We have the example of Paul, the moment he
received Jesus, he bagan to preach the gospel. The woman of Samaria returned immediately into
the city and told people about jesus and the whole city believed in Jesus. The are other example
as well. If we find it difficult to tell peole about Jesus, we must take a step of faith, go through ‘the
pain barrier and do it. If we do the things we fear, it breaks the power of fear over our lives.

Some keys to help you tell others about Christ:

Develop your personal relationshiop with Jesus. Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:12: “I am not ashamed
for I know Him whom I have believed.” Paul had an intimate relationship with Jesus and
Therefore, it was easy for him to tell people about Jesus. For example, if you are a young girl and
you meet a wonderful young man and you love one another, it will be easy to tell your friends
about him.

The Holy Spirit will help us to tell otherts about Jesus: Acts 1:8: “For you shall receive power after
the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be My witnesses…” It is important that we are
continually filled with the Holy Spirit. We remain filled with the Holy Spirit through prayer, praying
in the Spirit, and fellowship with other Christians. If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will be so
bold to tell others about Jesus. (We have the example of Peter.)

Prepare our testimony: Proverbs 11:20: “He who wins souls is wise.” To lead people to Jesus is a
skill that we can learn. We can prepare a good testimony. Tell others what God has done for you.
Acts 22:15: “For you shall bear witness before all men what you have seen and heard.” A man
with an experience has an advantage over a man with an argument. We have a wonderful
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example in John 9:25 «The man replied, "Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know, but one
thing I know, I was blind and now I see.”

Jesus told the man who was demon possessed in Mark 5:19-20. "... Go home to thy friends, and
tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he
departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men
did marvel." Tell people about answers to prayer, healing miracles and your experiences with
Jesus. Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:2: “Preach the word, be ready in season (when it is convenient)
and out of season (when it is not convenient).” Always be ready to tell people about Jesus.

Prayer: Prayer is the foundation of our public confession. Jesus said in John 6:44: “No one can
come to Me unless the Father draws him.” When we talk to Jesus about people, it will be easier to
talk to people about Jesus. Pray for your friends and family. The more we pray, the more we will
see people receive Jesus. We can believe that God will save everyone we pray for. 1 Timothy 2:4:
“Who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” We can ask God to
open their hearts and minds to the gospel. We can ask God to draw them to Jesus. We can ask
God to send positive influences into their lives. We can ask god to remove the negative influences
from their lives

Look for people with needs and pray for them or help them: Jesus was our example, he healed
the sick and preached the gospel. In Luke 9:2: “He sent them to preach the gospel of the kingdom
and to heal the sick.” Jesus prayed for Peter's mother-in-law. Mark 1:30-31 "But Simon’s wife’s
mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  31  So He came and took her by
the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them." People are
not always open to immediately receive Jesus, but they are always open for prayer. It says here in
that verse, "And she served them." Her heart was now open to Jesus.

Whenever someone shares a need or a problem with us, we can use this as an opportunity to
pray for them or help them. This can in turn open their hearts to receive Jesus. Verse 32 says, At
evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were
demon-possessed.  33  And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Due to that one
simply miracle, a revival started and it influenced the whole city. The same thing happened in Acts
3. Peter and John healed a lame man and after that 5000 people received Jesus. People are
usually very open to receive Jesus after they have seen a miracle. If it is difficult to tell people
about Jesus, ask them if you can pray for them.

Ask God for divine appointments and opportunities. Every time us meet with someone, believe
that it is an appointment that God has given us. We can expect the Holy Spirit to open an
opportunity for us to tell them about Jesus. We need sensitive to the needs of people. Many
people have a lot of inward pain and emotional problems. A few kind words can open the door for
you to tell them about Jesus. If people resist the gospel, we can ask them why they do not want to
receive Jesus. It may give us an opportunity to help them remove the obstacles that prevent them
from receiving Jesus.
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Jesus said, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men." Mark 1:17. He said to them, "I will
teach you how to catch people". We notice that Jesus focused on 3 groups of people. Firstly, those
with needs such as the sick, the demonized the poor, the rejected and the oppressed. Secondly,
those who had no hope. For example, the man at the pool. Thirdly, those who were open to Him
such us Nicodemus, The Roman centurion, Matthew, and Zaccheus.

Teamwork is important: We notice that Jesus sent His disciples to preach in groups of two. This is
necessary when we go on the streets or in the villages. Paul always had a team of people with
him. It is always easier to confess Jesus before people if we are in a group. We can also try «two-
man fishing». We speak loudly to one another what the Lord has done in the presence of non-
Christians
Follow-up plan is essential: It is important to have a follow up plan. New Christians must become
part of a church or a cell group. It is important that we try to establish regular contact with those
that we lead to Christ. It is always good have some literature or a New Testament to give those
who receive Jesus. We should try to put them in contact with a Christian group or a church as
soon as possible. Jesus told us to make disciples, and not just converts.

We must focus on the correct topics if we want to lead people to Christ: We need to talk about
eternity, the new birth, what Jesus did for them on the cross, the love of God and the judgment of
God. We see an example of this when Jesus witnessed to Nicodemus. We can use these topics to
ask them some pointed questions such us:
1. "Do you know where you will go when you die?
2. Do you know that there is life after death?
3. Do you remember any time that you surrendered your life to Jesus and were born again?
4. Have you ever thought why Jesus had to die on the cross?
5. Do you know that God loves you and wants to be your Father?
6. Do you know that God has a wonderful plan for your life?
7. What will you say to God one day when you stand before Him in judgment.
8. Don't you think it is better to believe in Jesus now on earth than in hell when it is too late?

Prayer for salvation: "Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that I deserve God's judgment
upon my life. Jesus I now ask You to forgive me for all my sins. I believe that You died on the cross
for me. I place all my sins on the cross and receive your gift of forgiveness. I chose to turn away
from my sins and follow You. I surrender my life to You and ask you to become my Lord and
Savior. Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God and that You have risen from the dead. I
Therefore, confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and that I am saved, forgiven and have
received the gift of eternal life. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God.
Amen

Finally: Jesus said in John 4:36: " And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal
life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together." Leading people to Christ will
bring us great joy and it will influence our lives in eternity. Amen

Missions
Why is important to bring people to Christ?
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1. It is because the fields are already ripe unto harvest. There are many people ready to receive
Jesus as Lord. John 4:35 “Do not say there are yet four months and then the harvest, but I say to
you, lift up your eyes, the fields are already ripe for the harvest.” Who are the people that are
ripe? (a) People with needs. These are sick people, poor people and hopeless people. Matthew
11:5: “The poor have the gospel preached to them.” (b) People that are open. God has already
opened the hearts of many people, we need to find them and ask God to lead us to them.
Nicodemus (John 3), Cornelius (Acts 10), The Philippian jailor in Acts 16. Lydia (Acts 16:14.
“Whose heart God had already opened”)

2. It is because the laborers are few. Matthew 9:37 “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are
few.” One of the reasons why the laborers are few is because many workers are focusing on the
people who have already heard about Jesus. Much money and effort is being spent on people
who have already accepted Christ. Only a small percentage of the income of many churches is
spent on bringing sinners to Christ. 90% of Christian workers are preaching to only 10% people
who have already accepted Christ. Therefore, we should focus on people who have never heard.
(Illustration of Jesus feeding the 5000: If He only gave bread to the front rows, the people in the
back rows would never eat.) It often takes a lot of effort and money to preach the gospel to
people who have never heard. But this is where the greatest harvest lies. (Example of the people
in Mexican jungle)

3. It is the purpose for which Holy Spirit was given. Acts 1.8: “For you shall receive power, after
the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and unto the
ends of the earth.” The Holy Spirit is mainly given to gather people to Christ.

4. The end will not come until the gospel has been preached to every nation; Matthew 24.14:
“This gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations and then
the end shall come.” The word “nation” comes from the Greek word ‘ethnos’ which means tribe
and nor political nations. There are about 24 000 tribes in the world. Jesus will not return until
every tribe has had an opportunity to hear the gospel of the kingdom. If we believe that the
return of Jesus is near, then the preaching of the gospel to those who have never heard must be
the highest priority on God’s agenda.

5. Because Jesus commanded us to do so: In Matthew 28:18-19 we have the great commission.
Great Commission: “All authority (ability and power) has been given to Me in heaven and on
earth. Go Therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, Go
(travel) into all (whole) the world (all inhabitants – in an orderly way. This implies we must plan
it), and preach (Speak it out loudly. Publish it or use every means such as handing out literature)
the gospel (Good news, focus on the good things that God wants to do for them. Give them hope.
Heal them, bless them) to every (Do not exclude anyone) creature. (People and groups of people)

6. The purpose why Jesus came to the earth was to save the lost: Luke 19:10 "The Son of man
came to seek and save those who are lost.” 1 Timothy 1:15: “Jesus came into this world to save
sinners.” This was the main purpose why God the Father sent Jesus to the earth. Jesus then said
to His disciples: “As the Father has sent Me, I send you.” (John 20:21).

Are all Lost? We need to ask ourselves 3 questions:

(a) “Are all those who have never had an opportunity to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior lost?”
If the answer is “no” then we put all sinners at risk of going to hell. In other words, if they have
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not had an opportunity to be saved they would automatically all go to heaven. But let us look
what the Bible says.

John 3:36: “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that does not believe on the
Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, I am the
way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.” Acts 4:12: “Neither is there
salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved.” Acts 17:30-31 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now He
commands all men everywhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will
judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained…”

The answer is “yes”. All who have never received Jesus as Lord and Savior are lost and going to
hell. The only opportunity that some people may have to receive Jesus is through you and I. If we
do not tell them about Jesus, then who will do so?

Second question: Is it God’s will for everyone to be saved?

1Timothy 2:4: “(God) who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the
truth.” 2 Peter 2:9: “The Lord is .., not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.” John 3:16: “God so loved the world…” The answer is “yes”, it is the will of God for
everyone to receive Jesus.

Third question: Will everyone be saved? The answer is obviously “no”. God has given all men a
free will. Most people will probably not receive Christ but they should have an opportunity to say
“yes” or “no” to Jesus. We are call to evangelize the world and not to Christianize it. We should
waste too much time with those who refuse to receive Jesus over and over. Jesus is our example,
He preached the good news, and not everyone received it. We have the same example in the life
of Paul. In Athens, he preached to a large group of people, only a few responded.

There are five stages to missions.

Stage 1: Presence: This is when we influence people through our lifestyle. Through our Christian
example they respond to the gospel. Although this is important, the Bible says that “faith comes
by “hearing” and not by “observing.” We are commanded to “preach” the gospel. That takes us to
the next stage.

Stage 2: Preaching and witnessing: We must tell people about Jesus. But this is not good enough!
People can hear the gospel and still not respond to the gospel. We must go to the next stage:

Stage 3: Challenge people to receive Jesus: We must give people an opportunity to receive Jesus.
Luke 14:23: “Go … and compel them to come in.” Stages 1 – 3 is what we call evangelism. But this
is not enough. It is like a woman giving birth to a baby and leaving the baby on the street, We
must go to the fourth stage.

Stage 4: Planting: After people have received Jesus as Lord we plant them in a church or a house
group where they can grow spiritually. However, this is not good enough because we need to go
to the fifth stage if we want the gospel to spread and the church to grow.
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Stage 5: Reproduction: We train the new converts to bring others to Christ and teach them to
lead others to Christ. This is called missions. Missions is not only bringing sinners to repentance
but planting churches. If we do not plant churches, then our missionary efforts are wasted. When
we do all 5 steps, we are making disciples (Matthew 28:19)
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Entry strategies:

What is a strategy: A strategy is an overall approach, plan or way to achieve a goal or solving a
problem. Its concern is not with the small details. Paul’s ultimate goal was to preach Christ where
there were no communities of Christians. His day to day plans would differ but his overall strategy
remained the same. A goal is the final target, but a strategy is the means by which we get to a
goal. For example, Paul’s goal was to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. But his strategy was to
go to a major city, preach in the synagogue to the Jews and and then in the market place where
the Gentiles gathered. He would then start house groups, return later, appoint leaders and
establish the churches.

Jesus’ strategy: Jesus goal in His earthly ministry was to reach Israel with the Gospel. His strategy
was to take His disciples with Him and demonstrate to them how to do it. He then sent them out
to do the same. His final goal was to bring salvation to the whole world. His strategy was to
reproduce Himself by the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers si that they would go out and
accomplish His goal. He said, “As the Father sent me I send you.” We are all part of that big
strategy!

Two extremes we must avoid:

God in a box strategy: Have a fixed strategy to how we should do things and use it in every
situation. The problem is that God has the habit of jumping out of the box from time to time, he
is bigger than our box.

In the way strategy: This comes from Abram’s servant. “God led me in the way.” In other words
we don’t plan or form a strategy but just depend on the Holy Spirit to work things out as we
move. (The problem here is that is that we not always in tune with the Holy Spirit and can make
some mistakes)

The balanced strategy: We must use our common sense and God given wisdom, make our plans
but be open to the Holy Spirit to change our plans. (Example of Paul going to Macedonia)

In order to penetrate certain communities, cities and towns we need to ask the following
questions:

What are some of the important values of these people and whether we can use some of these
to bring the gospel to them. For example: “Reading is very important to Russians, Therefore, if
we can put good quality stuff in their hands, it may be a very effective way to bring the gospel to
them. CBN television realized that TV was a common way of communication in the former Soviet
Union and Therefore, they broadcast gospel on TV. As a result, 11 million people accepted Christ
in a few years from the TV broadcasts in Kiev. In Africa, people are very open to the spirit world
through ancestral and spirit worship, so the most effective strategy in Africa is to proclaim the
gospel through signs wonder and miracles. Power evangelism is a key in Africa but not necessarily
a key in France.

Is there a key in their tradition that I can use: In Acts 17, Paul came across, the alter to the
“Unknown God.” He studied this tradition and used it as a strategy to preach the gospel to them.
(Eg: Don Richardson with “Peace Child”. He found a tradition where tribes offered up a "peace
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child" to bring peace between waring factions. He told them that God offered up His "Peace
Child" Jesus to reconcile man to God. They understood this concept and received the Gospel)

How will this fit in with their lifestyle? For example, it no use trying to get a building for people
that wander around on camels. You must put a church on the back of the camel! If people live in
apartments, the most effective way to reach them is through other people in apartments, that is
why the cell church is working so well in many places in the world today. If the young people like
a certain style of music, then use the same style to reach them.

What are some of the strongholds keeping these people from God: This will enable us to pray
effectively for them. For example many missions efforts we used to reach the people in the
Solomon Islands, but no success. When the missionaries identified the demonic strongholds and
bounty them, many received Jesus.

Are there perhaps key people that we could target: By getting for example; a witch doctor saved
or a priest converted, it may open doors to easily reach others.

The important goal is not just to get converts but to plant churches or cells.

Finally:

Telling others about Jesus is often the first step to find God’s plan for your life: John 15:16: “You
did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit and that your fruit shall
remain.” He did not choose us to sit but to go! When we do what he has told us to do, He will
show us things that we do not know yet.

God works with us when we tell others about Jesus: We work with God and not only for Him. He
said “Go into all the World!” We do not always need to have clear instructions! In Mark 16:20:
“And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the
word with signs following.” (The example of Paul going to Asia) Jesus said in Matthew 28:19: “I
will be with you, even to the end of the age.”

John 4:36: “And he who reaps receives wages," (We are employed! We are now working for God!
Wages will be in eternity and on earth) that both he who sows and he who reaps (not only those
who lead people to Christ, but to those who tell people about Jesus) may rejoice (source of joy,
now and in heaven) together (team effort) Amen

Suffering and persecution

Read Philippians 1:29 “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on
Him, but to suffer for His sake.” Suffering and persecution is not just a doctrine that we teach, but
it is a reality of what is happening in the world around us. More Christians are being martyred for
their faith than ever before. It is estimated that between 500 to 1000 Christians are killed every
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day because of their faith in Jesus. In addition to this there are millions who are at present
suffering in some way or another because they have believed in Jesus. In China alone, thousands
of Christians are at present languishing in a prisons or in labour camps.

If one looks at the fate of the apostles: Peter was crucified upside down. Paul was beheaded in
Rome. Andrew was crucified. Thomas was killed by a spear near India. And all the others were
either beaten, killed, crucified or tortured to death. In John 21: 18 Jesus talks about the way
Peter would die, indicating that he would be crucified. Jesus gave the warning to His disciples, “If
they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you, if they have kept My word they will keep yours
also.” (John 15:20)If one look at the life of Paul in the Book of Acts we find that he was either on
his way to prison, in prison or on his way out of prison. He seemed to be continually in chains.

With the overwhelming evidence that suffering and persecution has been the lot of many
Christians today and the lot of many of the saints of old. In fact Paul makes a statement in 2
Timothy 3:12 “Yes, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” If we do
not suffer some form of persecution, we need to ask ourselves the question whether we are living
a life that is worthy of the Lord Jesus Christ or not. In the light of all these scriptures, we need to
ask ourselves some important questions: 1. Why does God allow it? 2. What causes it. 3. How
can I endure it

Why does God allow it?

1. It tests my devotion to Christ: Often the love and devotion of Christians are put to the test
through suffering. In the case of Jesus, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…”
Jesus said that there is no greater love than to lay down ones life for another.”(John 15:13) [eg of
Russian soldier]

2. It can often deal a death blow to sin: In 1 Peter 4:1-2 we read, “Therefore, since Christ has
suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same mind, that he who has suffered in the
flesh has ceased from sin. That he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts
of men, but to the will of God.” Many who have suffered for their faith have experienced a death
to the flesh and a purity in their lives. It is as if the fires of persecution and suffering have often
had a purging effect on them. We must note however that it is not the suffering that purges us,
but obedience and yielding to God in the suffering. Furthermore, we do not have to wait for
suffering before we yield and obey God. It should be a daily experience for all of us.

3. Suffering and persecution often releases more power through us to influence people. Jesus
said, “If they persecute me they will persecute you, If they have kept My word they will keep your
also..” (John 15:20) In 1 Peter 4:14 we read, “If you are reproached for the name of Christ,
blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of Christ rests upon you.” Many who undergo suffering
and persecution find an increase of Gods power on their lives. Many of the dynamic ministries in
China have been trained in the school of suffering and persecution.
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4. It has great eternal reward. 1 Peter 4:13 “But to the extent that you partake of Christ
sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may be glad with exceeding joy.” Paul says in
Corinthians 4:17 “Our light affliction, which is for a moment, is working in us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory…” Jesus said in Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when they
revile and persecute you for My name sake … for great is your reward in heaven.” Could suffering
and persecution be allowed by God to work in us the qualities we would one day need to reign
with Christ in the millennium and with God forever and ever.

5. It encourages other Christians to stand firm for Jesus. Philippians 1:12-13. “Most of the
brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains are much more bold to speak the
word without fear”. When certain Christians go through suffering and persecution it often
challenges others to make a bold stand for Jesus. Years ago in Russia, the martyrdom of a young
soldier called “Vanya” inspired many Christians to make a strong stand for Christ.

6. Suffering and persecution is often form of spiritual warfare that releases God’s angelic forces to
fight against the powers of darkness. It was after the suffering of Paul and Silas in prison (Acts
16:25-31) that the prison keeper was saved with his household. A great breakthrough in Philippi
occurred after this event. Great revivals have often followed times of persecution, for example in
China. In a mysterious way, God’s angels are sometimes released in the spirit realm after
Christians have been through persecution to do warfare against the powers of darkness.

Someone once said that the “blood of the martyrs are the seeds of revival.”

7. It brings glory to Jesus: In John 21:19 We read "Signifying the death by which he (Peter) would
glorify Jesus." Jesus was telling Peter that that his martyrdom would bring glory to Him.

2. What causes persecution and suffering

The attacks of the devil: 1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil
walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith
knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brother-hood in the world.” Many times
the powers of darkness react to those that challenge them. It is like a bees-nest. The bees will
not trouble you until you throw a stone at it. We need to be led by the Spirit with regards to
warfare in the spirit realm. Sometimes we will be instructed to attack. Sometimes we will be
instructed to “flee…” as Paul often did in the book of Acts. However, he was eventually led by the
Spirit to go to Jerusalem, straight into the “lions den of religious demonic activity” and suffered
great persecution for it. Some martyrdom happens in the will of God, while sometimes it can
happen out of stupidity and carelessness.

God allows it. Acts 8:1 and 8:1 analogy. Sometimes it happens so that God can get us to the
place where He wants us to be.

Sin and stupidity can cause suffering. (1 Peter 4:15-16) We are not supposed to suffer for sin. The
Bible says we must suffer as a Christian and not an evil-doer. Suffering for sin does not bring any
glory to God but a reproach on His name. Sometimes plain stupidity and ignorance results in
unnecessary suffering. If you join the JW sect and go from door to door, you will suffer but not in
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God’s will. God sometimes allows suffering to purify the church, but it would be better that
willing obedience is the means to purity and not suffering.

Christians sometimes suffer because of lack of prayer. Read 2 Thess. 3:1,2 “Finally brethren
pray for us … that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men..” Romans 15:30,31
“Strive together with me in prayers .. That I may be delivered from those in Judea." Protection
from the devil is not automatic. We have an enemy and it is our responsibility to build walls of
protection around us through prayer and spiritual warfare. Many have suffered and even died
from their faith because of lack of prayer. If e go into the enemies territory without the covering
of prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit, we are being careless and will suffer unnecessarily for
it.

How do I endure suffering?

Rejoice in the Lord. In Romans 8:3 we read that we are to “Glory in tribulation.” Jesus said in
Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you … rejoice and be
exceeding glad..” We have the example of Paul and Silas in prison in Acts 16. After been badly
beaten up, they sang songs at midnight. In China, one of the wonderful characteristics of the
suffering church is how they rejoice and sing under severe suffering. Praising God is often like a
spiritual anaesthetic that enables one to endure the pain.

Commit the situation to God. 1 Peter 2:23 “Who when He was reviled, He did not revile in return
… but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.” We are not to react in a negative way to
those who persecute us but we are to “overcome evil with good.”(Rom 12:21)

Look for opportunities. Many times persecution and suffering can open doors for us to be greatly
effective for Jesus. We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and use those opportunities. Paul
says in Philippians 1:12. “The things that have happened to me have actually turned out for the
furtherance of the gospel.” There are many testimonies of “prison revivals” in China.

Keep your attitude right. Don’t react negatively. Matthew 5:44”Love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you, pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

Finally, We should not go out and look for suffering and persecution. It may from time to time
cross our path as God allows. I saw a note written by a Chinese Christian. “We serve Jesus out of
gratitude for what He has done for us. No price is too great to pay. If in the process we suffer or
are martyred, it is a great privilege to do it for Him.” The famous missionary, Jim Elliot once
wrote, “He is no fool to give what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose.” AMEN

Keys to successful cell groups:

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Why cells? Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build My church and the gates of hell will not
stand against it.” It is His responsibility to build the church and not ours. However, as we
cooperate with Jesus, He will build a church that is victorious and blessed. The basic building block
of the church is the cell group.

The concept of cell groups started many years before Jesus made this statement. In Exodus 18 we
read about the advice that Jethro, gave to Moses. As he saw Moses leading this huge group of
people all by himself, he said, “The thing that you are doing is not good.” (verse 17). He then gave
Moses advice to break the people up into groups of ten and the responsibility was now
distributed among many leaders. Jethro’s parting advice in verse 23 was, “If you do this thing, and
God so commands, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their place in
peace.” Three important reasons were given:

1. “So that you can endure.” It will be much easier to lead these people.
2. “God so commands” it is a God given principle of success. I believe it is a God-given command
to the church today. In fact we see this throughout the New Testament. (Acts 2:26, Acts 5:42,
Acts 20:20, Romans 16:5). They met publicly and from house to house. It is not an option, it is the
way that Jesus builds His church.
3. “The people will go to their place in peace.” A good cell structure will bring satisfaction to the
people. Many people can now be involved in the ministry.

- A cell group is a small group of people belonging to the same local church that gather together in
the same location on a regular basis. It is led by a cell group leader and an assistant cell group
leader that are able to encourage the members, council them and pray for the needs. The
purpose of the cell is fourfold: (1) Caring, (2) fellowship, (3) spiritual growth and (4) evangelism.
The format of a cell meeting is: (1) Having a time of fellowship, (2) worship, (3) sharing the word
with each other, (4) praying for one another and finally, (5) the leader should finish by sharing his
vision with the cell. As the cell grows in numbers, it can divide into more cells or start other cells

Advantages of having cell groups:

First of all is accelerates the growth of the church. Instead of growth being by addition, it is now
by multiplication. The reason for the growth of most large churches in the world today is because
of the importance they place on cells. The cell takes to church to the people. Jesus said, “Go into
the world…” It is easier to invite non-Christians to a cell meeting than a traditional church
meeting.

Secondly, it meets the need of fellowship: Large meetings cannot meet the need for fellowship
because it is very difficult to relate to more than a small group. Jesus started the first New
Testament cell with only twelve disciples. Therefore, a small group is able to care for our needs
much better than a big group. When Jesus chose His twelve disciples, it says “That they might be
with Him and that He might send them out to preach.” (Mark 3:14) The first reason why Jesus
chose twelve disciples, because He needed twelve friends! Church is not just worshiping God, but
also meeting with friends.

Thirdly, cell groups releases ministry and satisfies the need for ministry. In 1 Corinthians 14:26 we
read, “When you come together, each of you has a psalm … a teaching … a tongue … a
revelation…” This cannot take place in a large public meeting. Every one of us has a ministry and a
calling, and this can be developed in a cell.
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Fourthly, it is the way that we can make disciples. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18. “Go into all the
world and make disciples.” It is easy to train people in a cell and to grow spiritually, because we
can be accountable to one another.

Fifthly, cells are God’s unique way to protect the church in times of persecution. If persecution
comes against the church and it is impossible to meet in public buildings, it can continue to meet
unnoticed in cell groups. This happened in the early church during the Roman persecution.

Sixthly the cell system reduces transport costs and makes it easy for people to attend . Often, non-
Christian will find it easier to go to the cell meeting than to travel across the city to a church
meeting. However, this is not always the case where it is not in the culture of the people to meet
in homes.

In order for cell to work in the local church, the church must have four important values:

First of all, the Church must have a vision for missions. Jesus said, “Go into all the world…”
(Matthew 28:18). It is important that the church has a vision to reach the lost, not only in its
particular city or town, but also further afield. Jesus said, "go into all the world! Therefore,
missions is not just a part of a church, but it is the very reason why a church exists. We read that
Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). and set us an example to do likewise. If the
church has this passion, it will develop healthy cells.

Secondly, the importance of prayer. Jesus said, “My house will be a house of prayer (not a house
of sermons)” (Matthew 21:13). Unless prayer is a high priority, the church and the cells will be
weak. Everything that is blessed and effective in the kingdom of God is birthed in prayer. Prayer is
the number one key to the success of the cell group.

Thirdly meeting in small groups should be a high priority in the church: Paul says in Ephesians
4:16 that the church “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint
supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of
the body for the edifying of itself in love.” It does not grow by one big part doing everything, but
by what every little part does. The cell church enables this to happen.

Fourthly, the church should consider the cell meeting just as important as the main Sunday
meeting: When we go to a cell meeting, we in fact are going to church. The cell group is not just a
part of the church. It is just as important as or maybe even more important than the large public
meeting.

Finally, The cells do not always have to meet in a house! Some houses are not suitable because of
neighbors and unsaved family members. They can meet in a restaurant or in a public place or
meet at the church after the Sunday meeting.

Keys to a successful cell group.

- Everyone must be involved. In 1 Corinthians 14:26 we read that when we come together,
everyone will have something to give. In Ephesians 4:16 it is written that the “body grows when
each member functions.” The leaders must encourage everyone to participate. Therefore, it is
important that the cell leader or one or two people do not dominate the meeting.
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- The cell must have an evangelistic vision. Its primary goal is to bring sinners to Christ. It must be
careful not to make fellowship a goal. If it is “too spiritual” it will drive the non-Christians away.
Food is a good way to attract non-Christians. You can also use special events such as birthdays,
wedding anniversaries etc.

- There must be a balance between teaching and sharing. The main teaching input should not be
done in the cell but in the bigger public meeting of the local church. Teaching and sharing should
be similar to what God is saying to the whole local church through the senior pastor and the
church leadership. It the main church we hear the message. In the cell, “we apply the message.”

- Relationships in the cell are more important than ministry. Everyone must be welcome and
there should be no lonely people in the cell. Members should visit, pray and care for one another
on a regular basis. From time to time the cell should do things together as a group such as having
a meal together, evangelism having a picnic, etc. Friendship is a key to a successful cell.

- Prayer is important: Leaders of the cell must pray for the members and encourage others to pray
for one another. Prayer is the foundation of a successful cell group. Prayer releases the grace and
the anointing to make the cell group successful

- Leaders should be well trained by the leadership of the church and should be diligent in
preparing their lessons for the cell. Healthy leaders produce healthy followers.

-We should be open to, and desire the move to the Holy Spirit. We should have a high priority to
pray for miracles and healings. We should encourage the gifts of the Holy Spirit to operate in the
cells. We read before In 1 Corinthians 14:26 “When you come together have a tongue, an
interpretation, a revelation etc.

-We should do things that create a relaxed and joyful atmosphere: If the cell meeting is too
"heavy" people will not come back. It is not the place for deep heavy preaching. Share things that
encourage people and do some fun things together and do not be too super spiritual.

-It is important to have variety: It is important not just to do the same things every week, we
need variety or else the cell meeting will become boring. We can go on prayer walks, do
evangelism together, visit people in need, have a meal together, play games, etc.

Finally: Jesus said in John 20:31. “As the Father has sent Me, I send you.” He is our example. One
of the most important things He did on earth was to disciple a small group of twelve people who
then turned the world upside down. Therefore, we can not only influence our town or suburb for
the Lord but we can influence the world through our cells. Amen

I will go.
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This is a short sermon that God gave me many years ago. Through this message, many have
responded to the call of missions. Missions is the most important mandate to the church, and is
not supposed to be one of the programs of the church, but the very reason why the church exists.

Secondly, the call to missions is not to meet some need in the world, but an invitation from God
to be part of His wonderful program to reach this world for Christ. Missions was never to be a
boring obligation, but an exciting adventure that God invites us to participate it. It is the very
reason why we were born! I want to look at a very important phrase that is found in a few places
in the Bible. The phrase is "I will go!" Connected to this phrase are some of the most important
principles of missions.

The first place where we find this phrase is when Abraham sent his servant Eliezar to find a wife
for His son Isaac. Abraham is a type God the Father. Isaac is a type of Jesus, who was also offered
as a sacrifice. The servant, Eliezar, is the type of the Holy Spirit. Just as Abtaham sent Eliezar to a
far country, to find a bride for Isaac, so the Holy Spirit has been sent to earth to find and prepare
a bride for Jesus. Rebecca is a type of the church, which is the bride of Christ.

We read in Genesis 24:58. "And they called Rebecca, and said unto her,' Will you go with this
man?' And she said, 'I will go.'" She made this decision with mixed emotions. First of all, there was
the cost. She was part of a wealthy family, she had a nice home and many friends. She realized
that she would have to leave everything that was precious to her, never see her family again, go
to a far country and marry a man that she had never met. On the other hand, there was an
excitement in her because she had discovered her destiny and calling and realized, that it was for
this reason she was born. To enter into this wonderful calling depended on a little phrase called,
"I will go."

We read about her calling, in verse 60 we read, "And they blessed Rebecca, and said unto her, you
are our sister, be the mother of thousands of millions, and let your seed possess the gate of those
which hate them." From her would come the nation of Israel, the seed of Jesus and eventually
salvation to all the nations of the world. When she said, "I will go", that decision would influence
the whole world. In the same way, we have a great calling, our calling is to win this world for Jesus
and to eventually destroy the works of the devil. God has called all of us to influence cities and
nations for Jesus.

The second place where this phrase occurs is in the story of queen Esther. Through her, the whole
nation of Israel was saved from destruction and the evil plans of Haman. In Esther 4:16 we read
how Esther responds to the call to save her nation, "I will go to the king, which is against the law;
and if I perish, I perish!”

When she said, "I will go" she knew that this decision could cost her everything, and even cost
her, her life. But because she said, "I will go" a whole nation was saved. Therefore, the little
phrase "I will go" can be very costly, but it could save nations and open the door to the wonderful
calling that God has on your life. In verse 14 Mordecai says to Esther, "Who knows whether you
have come to the kingdom for such a time as this as this." Who knows the incredible things that
God has in mind for you! It could all hinge on the little phrase, "I will go!"

The third place where this phrase is found is in Isaiah 6:8-9. "Also I heard the voice of the Lord,
saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”9 And He
said, “Go, and tell this people..." He was saying to God, "I will go..." We notice that he did not
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have a direct call to missions, but heard a conversation in heaven. He cried out to God, "If you
are looking for someone to go, here I am please use me, send me!"

That is how many of us are called to missions. Often, we do not have a direct calling, but we hear
a conversation "in heaven." It may come to us at a missions conference or from a book that we
read. On the other hand we read the Bible and see the importance of missions and a desire
comes into our hearts to go. We have the illustration of Peter walking on the water. He saw Jesus
doing that, and a desire came into his heart to do the same thing. In the same we see something
and a desire comes into our hearts. In the case of Isaiah, God responded to his desire to go.

We can imagine the following: Jesus and the Father look over balcony of heaven and see their
creation with great sadness in their hearts. Everyone is lost in darkness and sin. A great
compassion comes into their hearts and the say to one another, "how we love them so much but
they are so lost. They are like sheep that have gone with no hope and all going to hell. We must
do something to save them!"

There is a moment of holy silence, and the Father looks at the Son and says, " there is only one
thing do. You will have to go and live among them, be born like any baby boy, and grow up like a
Child among them. You must become a human and experience everything that they experience.
You will be hungry, cold and tired just like them. You must tell them about Me and My love for
them. Some of them will listen to your message and believe in You. But many will reject you and
mock you and even want to kill you."

Then with tears in His eyes the Father says, "Do you see that city over there, it is called Jerusalem.
There they will arrest you. You will be falsely accused and condemned to death. You will
experience the most unimaginable pain as they scourge you, beat you and abuse you. You will
then suffer the most painful death known to man, crucifixion. A great darkness will come upon
you as you carry the sins of the world in your soul. You will even experience separation from Me.
You will die and shed your blood to redeem them.!

The Father then continues to say, "On the third day, I will raise you up from the dead and in doing
so, we will destroy the powers of darkness that have kept them in bondage for so long. A door of
hope will be opened and millions and millions of them will receive the gift of eternal life and be
adopted into our family. This is the only way."

There was a moment of silence, the Father turned to Jesus with tears in His eyes and said, "Will
you go?" Jesus thought for a moment, just as Rebecca, with mixed emotions of sorrow and joy.
Realizing the huge price that He would have to pay. He then thought about the joy of seeing
millions and millions redeemed and going to heaven. He turned to His Father, and with deep
emotion gave His answer, Yes Father, "I will go." What about you? WILL YOU GO?
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