Bro Gbile Akanni is an internationally acclaimed teacher of the word of God. When he analyses the scripture, you will be wondering if it was the same scripture that you have been reading. Many years ago, he came to our city for one of his in-depth teachings in the word of God. During one of his teachings and in response to a question, he wondered of what value the power for people to fall under anointing would be to him while teaching. According to him, somebody who has fallen can not listen to the message that he has from God for him. For other ministers, however, falling under anointing is so vital to them that when you refuse to fall, they will assist by pushing you! To them, people falling under anointing is the only demonstration of power in ministry, not knowing that sometimes, it may actually even be a distraction, according to Bro Gbile Akanni!
The dictionary definition of power is the ability to do work. In other words, it is something that enables you to carry out your assignment more easily. In that case, the instruments that allow a carpenter to construct a table empowers him as a carpenter. If your brother is a carpenter, and you buy automated equipments for him to carry out his trade instead of the manual ones he had been using, you would have empowered him. This is because the time he spends on the construction of tables would be significantly reduced. If we accept that meaning, then as a minister when you are praying for power you should ask yourself the work you want to use the power to do. Power in ministry is the ability or capacity to carry out the divine assignment you have been given in ministry. Therefore, when you are asking for power, it should be linked with your assignment. Let me then ask you a question, what is the assignment that God gave you that you are asking for power to carry out. If your assignment is to teach, like that of Bro Gbile Akanni, the power you need is the divine enablement that will make your assignment of teaching to be more easily done in a way that people under your ministration will contact divine impact through your teaching. Such power will make you to divinely bring out issues which will cut the heart of men in such a way that they may be crying out of conviction for their sin, while those under the ministration of the empowered deliverance minister is falling under anointing! God has so arranged it that though the empowered teacher is just exposing the word of God, deliverance is taking place through the word of God though you may not fall under anointing. So, as a teacher you will discover that for you to have impact, you may need to change your prayer points and stop being carried away by what others are praying for.
1 Corinthians 2:4. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
Several men of God who are in the power ministries in reference to the scripture above will say that teaching can be done by anybody, preaching is cheap, but not everyone can minister with signs and wonders. You must not allow such statements to make you feel empty. Spirit and power in the statement of Apostle Paul here is not just talking about such power like falling under the anointing, but is also talking about the power of the door of ministry which is divinely given to the empowered teacher for the word of God to cut through the gates of unbelief in the hearts of the unbelieving, bringing conviction that mere words of man can’t bring.
THE QUESTION OF MOTIVE. A large percentage of us ask for power just to be able to impress our congregation and others that we have spiritual power. Often, ministers pray for it because their congregation believe that if people are falling under anointing while the guest minister is praying for them, it means the guest minister is more powerful than their own pastor. Gbile Akanni also wondered in response to a question, why in many cases in many churches, it is often the same people that are falling under anointing all the time. Is it because the deliverance was not total in the first instance or someone is deceiving someone. He also wondered why deliverance sessions must be carried out every week on the same congregation. A pastor beside me could not hold it any longer, he didn’t know when he exclaimed; ‘why is this man breaking our pot of soup?’ Sincerely, I think many have turned the issue of power to pot of soup. That is why many, even when the power is not divinely forthcoming will go and seek for it from the dark world and be pretending as if they are genuine ministers of God.
WHAT POWER WILL DO FOR YOU IN MINISTRY. Empowerment in ministry will make you to experience the following in ministry; * Recognition of your assignment – Recognizing your assignment in ministry is an empowerment, without which you may not fulfill your divine purpose in life. If the Holy Spirit did not sit me down to impress it upon me that I am to teach write and teach, I would not have likely experienced relevance. * Development of your capacity to carry out your assignment – Your empowerment in ministry is specific to your assignment. As an empowered deliverance minister, your presence may make the demon in someone to scream, but as a teacher, your own empowerment brings out gems in the word of God may set the stage for self deliverance of the same person that screamed. * Remaining focused – Your empowerment may help you to remain focused in ministry as you see yourself making impact through what you have been assigned to do. * Carrying out specific assignments – As a missionary or an evangelist sent to an unbelieving environment, your empowerment may make you to successfully confront the principalities and powers that have been standing as obstacles to the advancement of the gospel in that land. * Ability to touch lives through your ministry – Your empowerment may make you to impact lives through your ministry. You may just discover people giving testimonies of what has happened to them through you. * Ability to meet the needs of those you are sent to. * Ability to expand the kingdom of God through your assignment – Your empowerment will make your ministry to in one way or the other expand the kingdom of God.
Conclusion Power is the ability to carry out the assignment that you have been given in ministry, and it is specific to your assignment. When you are praying for power therefore you must be conscious of the assignment you are given. It is only when you are empowered for the assignment you are given that you may have relevance in ministry.
Episode One. DISCOVERING MY OWN ASSIGNMENT. Sometime in 2011, I watched a man of God ministering on the television. He was telling of his exploits in ministry, how he had done tremendous things such as waking up the dead and so many other miracles that he had done. He was everything that I wasn’t, demonstrating through a lot of activities so much that I got so carried away and I wished to become like him. Later on that night too, I remembered the spectacular story of the late Bishop Benson Idahosa. He was a phenomenon in the history of the Nigerian church. He went church on a Sunday and his pastor preached on I think Matthew 10:8;
‘Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons…’
The preaching of the day really caught his attention, so much that he went to his pastor after the service to expatiate on the scripture. When the pastor confirmed to him that the scripture is for everyone including Benson himself, he asked the pastor if he had woken up a dead person before, but the pastor responded that he had not. However, the pastor assured him that anyone could do so. He consequently went to town looking for dead bodies to raise up from the dead. He went everywhere asking if there was anyone who just died, so that he could raise the dead. Finally at 4. O’clock in the evening, he got one that just died. He prayed and the dead girl came back to life, and that was the beginning of a spectacular ministry that impacted the whole world with miraculous exploits that is difficult to rival.
Friends, with a combination of the story of the man of God on the television and the story of late Bishop Benson Idahosa, a desire was aroused in me so much that I decided not to sleep until God would give me the power to do some of those powerful things that they had done or were doing. I started praying earnestly at some minutes before 12 midnight. I prayed until about one hour later when I suddenly heard a voice, GO AND SIT DOWN! I knew it was Holy Spirit calling my attention, so I went towards a chair. As I sat down, I heard the same voice again, TAKE YOUR WRITING MATERIALS! I obediently took my iPad, and then I heard that same voice for the third time, WRITE! Though it was never my intention to write anything that night, but to pray, I nevertheless started typing. It was as if I was being dictated to, as I typed what was later tilted Twelve Laws For a Successful Marriage. As I continued typing, the second page was The Able Minister. That night, the Holy Spirit was undoubtedly telling me that my own main assignment in ministry would be teaching with literature playing major role while my area of focus would be in marriage and leadership. Instead of focusing on the grace of the man of God on the television, (though God might make any of them to happen through me) I should focus on the area of gifting that I have been endowed with. I never knew how powerful the experience of that night was, until I started developing those points that were written down. I have not finished writing since then, to the glory of God! Twelve laws for a successful marriage was about those unfailing principles that if you observe them, you are most likely to experience success in your marriage; Law 1- The law of departure. Law 2- The law of cleaving. Law 3- The law of mutual love. Law 4- The law of mutual submission and sacrifice Law 5- The law of almighty sex. Law 6- The law of nakedness. Law 7- The law of communication. Law 8- The law of forgiveness. Law 9- The law of deadly alternative. Law 10- The law of imperfection. Law 11- The law of challenge. Law 12- The law of agreement.
On the other hand, The Able Minister was about what makes a man an able minister of God. The jottings were developed into two small books. The books gradually became the centre around which a prominent writing ministry has developed over the years.
As result of the encounter and subsequent focus on marriage and leadership, several things happened; * I kept developing those content that I started with as each of the principles which I started with kept expanding into different books on their own. In addition to the original content being developed, the Holy Spirit also continued to use what others will see as inconsequential in marital relationships to have significance to me, thereby leading to an expansion of the content that I started with into an almost limitless content that keep expanding. The result is that several books have been written and more are being worked upon. * I became more comfortable ministering in the area of marriage. Gradually, I became more keen and interested in matters relating to marriage to such an extent that I became ever ready and comfortable in discussing marital issues. * Churches, ministries and others took notice of the grace I have in those areas and started inviting me to minister on marriage and leadership, further expanding my capacity in that area. If I am invited to minister on marriage and it appears as if I have not written much on the theme, it became an area for me to develop materials on. * A radio ministry emerged through which a lot of hurting homes have been healed and a lot of separated spouses have been reconciled. * I became comfortable ministering to pastors on the significance of their homes to ministry and how to make their spouses to run with the vision that God has given the ministers in different countries of the world that I have visited. * My writing kept improving as a result of practice. Generally speaking, the more I wrote on marriage, the more my writing skills improved to a level that I could develop any tiny theme on marriage to become a notable matter. * The tiny book for the minister gradually spilled over into other writings which later grew into Matters Arising In Ministry. * My writing skills spilled over into other areas of experience. My writings on marriage and leadership spilled into other areas. For instance, I was able to put my experience of close to four decades in school administration together and write a highly successful book titled, Lessons In School Proprietorship.
Conclusion. As much as it is a good thing to desire the gift of others, your relevance in ministry will really be highly dependent on discovering your own assignment, focusing on it and developing your capacity in that area. It is when that centre is holding firmly that you can have genuine relevance in ministry. There are many ministers of God that have been on fruitless search for power since they were called into ministry, without actually understanding what power is actually meant for. Sometimes we become so overwhelmed by the achievement of others that we erroneously feel useless, failing to know that God has different assignment for individuals. The woman whose story was written in 2Kings 4:1-7, felt that her case was hopeless until prophet Elisha asked her the question in verse 4… ‘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 any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.’ By the time she was led to make use of that oil, the story of her life changed. You may be missing out a lot in life and ministry if you fail to recognize that little pot of oil in your hand, not discerning, that, it is really from that little one that your relevance in life and ministry will come. Receive the grace to recognize your assignment in Jesus name.
(Look out for episode two tomorrow: THE REAL DEFINITION OF POWER AND IT’S USE IN MINISTRY)
The first building that we ever built was our first residence. It was to be a four bedroom bungalow. When the documents of the land was brought, the title read ‘Mr. & Mrs. Michael Adeleke Oluniyi,’ it became a big problem. My wife wanted to know why her name was not clearly written on it, and on my own part, I was wondering if she was suspecting me of any foul play. It became a real issue which we were able to resolve later by writing out the names individually. However, problems like this have been known to destroy the home of many proprietors who are not selfless enough to empathize with their spouse and compromise where necessary to maintain peace at home. The truth is that the stability of your home is so important that it is even more important than the school itself. When I look back at the above and realize that the building is now just the administrative block for our school, I pity those who allow matters arising from the school to break their home. Such proprietors are like a child who threw away a bag of money just for a few sweets or biscuits. Some of the challenges emanating from the school that often threaten the proprietor’s home are:
THE CHALLENGE OF THE MANAGEMENT OF SUCCESS. Many proprietors find it difficult to manage success in the school along with their marriage. As a woman whom God has blessed her school, you may gradually become arrogant and unmanageable at home. You may for instance not see any reason why you should submit to your husband any longer. Even to cook and serve your husband may become a big task that you delegate to maids or your grown up children. If you are a man, when success comes, you may look at your wife that she is not good enough to actually be your wife. Your home becomes a battle ground because your school has grown. Should we now blame God for blessing you? Please note that whatever success you achieve at the expense of your home is not good success. When any matter from your school is competing with the peace of your home, it is better you resolve it in favour of your home because what you, your spouse and children will eventually lose if that home breaks will be more than the success you may achieve in the school.
THE CHALLENGE OF THE MANAGEMENT OF CRISES. Another challenge that affects the home of many proprietors is that of management of crises. There are so many issues in the school that place many proprietors under stress. If you bring the challenges in the school back home, you may create problems at home. For instance as a woman it may so much affect you that you may not be useful for your husband in the ‘other room’. As a man too, you may start reacting to your spouse in a way that will make your home to become a hell on earth for your family.
THE CHALLENGE OF ALTERNATIVE ATTRACTION. The challenge of alternative attraction is the problem that comes when you are enjoying part of what you are supposed to be enjoying with your spouse from another member of the opposite sex. What you are enjoying in your alternative attraction may be food, quality time, money or intimacy. As a male proprietor, probably about 70% of your staff are female, some of whom may be craving your attention for various reasons ranging from loneliness, to the desire for favour. You may also discover that one of them is so efficient at her work that you start getting interested in her, making you to think that she would have been better as your wife. Some proprietors on the other hand are just the playboy type. They like sleeping around with their staff, not knowing that doing that may be putting a limit on the school. As a female proprietor too, there may be a man somewhere that assisted you by providing money or other forms of assistance when you needed it most. Especially when the help is consistent, emotional affairs may develop between you and such a man which may ultimately lead to full blown adultery. One basic fact which you must know is that once there is an alternative attraction, your spouse becomes less attractive to you. You will start seeing faults that you were not previously seeing in your spouse, and problems will gradually creep in which if care is not taken may effectively destroy your home.
THE CHALLENGE OF JOINT OWNERSHIP OF VISION. Sometimes, the area of challenge is ownership of the vision. As the school is growing, you are drumming it into the ears of your spouse that the vision belongs to you. You might have forgotten that you and your spouse are actually one. In such a situation, your spouse withdraws the support which he or she has been giving to you since you are the owner of the vision. From my experience in the school management, you need the input of your spouse in the success of your school. God in His wisdom has gifted us differently. Consequently, you will need your spouse in the area of your own weakness.
THE CHALLENGE OF NAKEDNESS In many homes, it is the problem of transparency. You are hiding what you have from your spouse. There are many women that will buy land and build without the knowledge of their husband. By the time he discovers, it becomes a big problem which makes the husband to find it difficult to trust her again. In such a situation, he makes the home to become uncomfortable for his wife and the problem multiplies from that point. Even if you are the breadwinner of the home, never forget that God might have been blessing you to perform those roles because your husband is unemployed. In case your husband is the type that is not accountable with money, you may need to pray for wisdom to handle the situation. You don’t really need to allow your marriage to collapse because of any of such problems.
THE CHALLENGE OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF SPOUSE’S IMPERFECTION. Every human being, including you, has an imperfection or weakness. If you can’t accept the imperfection of your spouse, you will find it difficult to manage a home. As a male proprietor, you should not start resenting your spouse because she can’t teach in your school. Don’t start telling her that she is good for nothing. If she is uneducated, don’t forget that it did not just start now, she was like that when you proposed to her in those days. The fact that you have advanced in your education might have been as a result of her sacrifice to keep the home going while you improved yourself academically. Ditto for the female proprietor, don’t start comparing your husband with another man somewhere. You are just privileged to be the proprietor of a school.
THE CHALLENGE OF VISITING THE FRUSTRATIONS FROM THE SCHOOL ON YOUR SPOUSE. Often, the proprietor makes his or her home unbearable for other members of the family by visiting the frustrations from school on everyone. Learn to leave those frustrations in the school and put up a smiling face at home because you are not the only one experiencing those frustrations!
CONCLUSION. The above seven challenges are some of the most prominent ones that may affect the relationship between the proprietor and his or her spouse. The major mindset that will help you to ensure that you don’t sacrifice your marital relationship for the school is for you to place the right value on the two. Your home comes first before the school. Let me close by counseling you to be wise to keep your home while your school succeeds. May you have the grace to achieve it in Jesus name.
(Culled from LESSONS IN SCHOOL PROPRIETORSHIP by Dr. Mike Oluniyi)
ABIDING Grace Publications In the last One year, two new books were published by the ministry. The books are STRICTLY FOR THẺ PASTOR’S WIFE and MATTERS ARISING IN MINISTRY. The first book which came as an inspiration from God to deal with issues that are commonly faced by the ministers’ wives as they strive to support their husbands in ministry was presented to the public on the 29th of April 2021. MATTERS ARISING IN MINISTRY is a compendium that may serve as reference material for ministers of God on matters that determine success or failure in ministry. The two books were authored by the set man of the ministry, Revd. Dr. Mike Oluniyi. ABIDING GRACE TRACTS. God continued to touch lives with the Abiding Grace Tracts. The ministry has continued to make the titles available for personal and group evangelism free of charge. Various churches and ministries have been actively requesting for tracts as Abiding Grace has become well known for the provision of tracts for evangelism. ABIDING GRACE CHAPEL To the glory of God, Abiding Grace Chapel continues to be an effective base for the ministry. Members of the church continue to contribute to the improvement of church facilities. During the women anniversary in November 2020, the women group rugged the altar. some members also decided to give the altar a face lift as such added a 3D back drop to beautify the altar. Also during the twelfth anniversary of the church .in June 2021, a family donated a bigger generator to further enhance worship in the church. Along with the 12th anniversary of the church, an ordination service was held, during which seven individuals were ordained as deacons and deaconesses in the church.
THE PERILS OF CRISTIAN MINISTRY. Rev’d. Dr. Mike Oluniyi.
Preamble. It is not everyone that starts the race of ministry that finish strong. Many fall by the wayside because there are traps on the way which you may easily fall into. Fortunately for us, we have so many examples in the scriptures of those who we may pattern our lives after or those we should avoid. Despite the warning signs unfortunately, many of those who ran the race before us were still destroyed by those dangers. If you want to excel in ministry and finish as a champion, you need to be aware of the following dangers which no minister of God will avoid facing at one time or the other in ministry.
THE PERIL OF DISOBEDIENCE. 1 Samuel 15:22-23 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
One of the greatest areas of danger for children of God is that of disobedience. Many of us find it rather difficult to be in the will of God because the alternative to the will of God appears more attractive or is more convenient for us. We must however be aware as youths that desire s to serve God is that disobedience to the Will of God is one of the greatest disservice that you may do yourself in your journey with God. Even in a situation where you have received great promises from God or you have started greatly in ministry, disobedience has the potential of cutting you short. The following are some of the perils that you must be aware of as you read THE PERIL OF SUCCESS. Solomon started well as the king of Israel that God gave him a blank cheque to ask for anything he wished;
1 Kings 3:3-5 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
Despite the blank cheque, Solomon in humility asked neither for riches, fame nor victory over his enemies but simply asked for wisdom which God gave him in abundance. In addition to wisdom, God gave him wealth and unprecedented fame, to the extent that people came from all over the world to be identified with him. However, when wealth and fame came in abundance, Solomon became something else. We are told that he fell in love with many strange women and ended having seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines only! You don’t need to be told that he could not have finished strong with God. You may not really be sure that a man is faithful to God until God blesses his life with riches. There are many who started well in ministry but when success came, they forgot the source,of riches and deviated from God. When success comes, will you still be upright?
THE PERIL OF UNCOOPERATIVE SPOUSE. An uncooperative spouse is one of the greatest instrument that the devil has used in truncation many ministries. Your spouse in the hands of the Holy Spirit is one of the greatest helps that your life and ministry may receive from God. However, the same spouse in the hands of the devil is the most potent instrument that the devil may use to destroy your ministry. Consequently, it depends on the one that is controlling your spouse. An uncooperative spouse has the potential to either frustrate you out of ministry or make you to forget the vision that God has given you. In the book of 1 Samuel 6:20-23, we are shown the picture of David’s wife, Michal making jest of him as he was dancing in a way that appears to be undignifying of a king. Your spouse may either encourage you or discourage you from going all out for God. As a youth, you really need to be fully aware of this before you make your choice of a spouse as so much depends on it in ministry. Always remember, your spouse may effectively serve as the fire extinguisher that effectively put out the fire of the Holy Ghost that is burning in your life. MIT is a question of who you marry!
What Are You Doing Now To Prevent Your Spouse From Working against Your Ministry In The Future?
THE PERIL OF LUST OF THE FLESH. In 2Kings 11:2-5, we are told one of the saddest stories in the Bible when the man after God’s heart, the man who had done so many exploits for God, the man who defeated Goliath and brought victory to the nation Israel from Phillistines got himself got his reputation messed up because of a naked woman. David like most of us that fall into temptation never bargained for that encounter. He never planned to go and look for a naked woman, just like most of those that fell into temptation never planned for it. But the error of David was that he kept looking. The problem with looking at what you are not supposed to keep looking at is that it will lead you to take the next step. David took the next step of making enquiry of who the lady was and he kept on taking the next steps until he committed murder! Lust of the flesh has proved to be the undoing of numerous ministers of God. In fact records say that it is the number one source of fall for ministers of God. You have to make a covenant with God now like Job.
Job 31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
It was a matter so serious to Job that he had to make a covenant; and if you want to succeed in ministry, you can’t do less!
How Can We Overcome This Ever Present Temptation To Go Into Immorality?
THE PERIL OF LUST OF THE EYES.
2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. Often, ministers of God get distracted from the assignment that God has given them because of lust of the eyes, which are inordinate desire for things we are seeing physically, in other words possessions. The scripture above makes it plain to us that the things we are seeing prevents us from seeing eternal things which should really matter to us. If you buy the latest car in town today, you will discover that within a short time, a more recent model will arrive in the market. When we built our first house, it was a bungalow which looked so beautiful with a well structured extensive terrace which made the house unique. Twice I arrived there and met someone taking the picture of the building. Today, the building is the administrative block for our school and has lost its former value because there are now more modern structures around which are far better than it. What appears to be the best today will soon lose its value to more current ones, but unknowingly, we are allowing those temporal things to shift our gave from eternity. Run away fro the lust of the eyes because it won’t help your walk with God. It is a major danger that you have to avoid.
How Can We Overcome The Desire For these Beautiful Things That Are Preventing Us From Seeing The Invisible?
THE PERIL OF UNTRUTHFULNESS. What is wrong with telling small lies? A lot are wrong! One day, I arrived at my usual place of weekly retreat and I heard the Holy Spirit giving me an instruction; “Promise me that you will never tell a lie”. Sincerely, I was surprised and consequently asked a question, ‘am I a liar?’ I quickly cautioned myself however and promised that I would never tell a lie but also started observing myself as from then. Guess what! I discovered that I was telling small, small lies. For instance, if you are about leaving your home for appointment with someone and he asks you where you are, it is almost natural to respond that you are on your way. As far as the Holy Ghost is concerned, that is a lie! In as much as you are yet to be on the road, you are actually not yet on your way. The experience taught me a lesson that there is no small lie. Every lie is an abomination to God. Sometimes a pastor is preaching and decides to add something to the truth to make it more interesting, you are a liar. As a minister of God, is it everything that you told people that God said that God actually said? What of the housewife that took money from the husband’s pocket but denied when he asked, she is a liar. Remember that no liar has a place in heaven. Secondly, while you are telling lies, you are weakening your protective armor against the devil; and that exposes you to the arrows of the enemy, the aim of which is to destroy your ministry. Never forget that Ananias and Saphira earned death because of little lie. After all, they declared part of the proceeds of the sale of the land and only kept some for their own financial security. The story would not have been so, if they had declared that they were donating the amount submitted and keeping the balance!
Why Is It Convenient To Say “God Said” When He Has Not Actually Spoken?
THE PERIL OF PREMATURE FINANCIAL DEPENDENCE ON MINISTRY. It is a good thing to be a full time minister but not being one does not stop you from being fruitful for God. Many ministers are being having a lot of issues bothering on integrity because the ministries on which they are full time ministers does not yet have the capacity to support them and the family. Often when you depend financially too early on the ministry, it stagnates the development of the ministry and puts you under sometimes unbearable pressure. Before you become a full time minister, ensure that you are either forbidden by God not to do any secular work, in which case one of the evidences of such call is divine provision; or the ministry has grown in strength to be able to financially support you fully.
THE PERIL OF LACK OR LOSS OF VISION.. When God calls you into ministry, there is an assignment that He must have given you. In fact there are a million different assignments that He may give us as individuals. When you don’t know the vision that God has given you or you lost it as a result of coveting the vision of others and losing your own, you may either easily crash out of ministry, stagnate or not finish strong. Your vision is your life, when you lose it, you simply don’t exist in ministry.
Habakkuk 2:1-3 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
What Is The Assignment That God Gave You In Ministry?
THE PERIL OF GOODY GOODY CHRISTIANITY. No one prays to suffer in any area of life, but one fact of life is that it is not always a bed of roses. The reality of life is that there will be challenges, no matter your level in the faith. There are a variety of reasons why it happens, but in the journey of faith, it is not whether or not some ugly things happen that matters but how you respond to it. These days, one,of the songs we sing is: Me I no go suffer, I no go beg for bread etc. There is nothing wrong with the song, but you must always remember what Jesus said in John 16:33, what is written in Isaiah 43:2 and what Job said in Job 13:15. The perspective of having you think that as a Christian there will be no problem is making many Christians to misbehave when the challenges of life come. Many wives, even those of ministers of God desert their husbands, many deny their faith, many go into immorality because we were trained to believe that it will always be good. When you believe that every challenge is a curse and not a problem which has expiry date, you will misbehave even as a pastor at a juncture in your journey of faith. What you will do may be so serious that you may never be able to find your feet again in ministry.
Job said “even though He slay me, yet I will I trust Him…”. The three Hebrew boys told the king that instead of denying their faith, they wouldn’t mind being thrown into the furnace of fire. Jesu told Peter that the devil wanted to deal with him but He has prayed for him that his faith will not fail:
How Long Will You Be Able To Hold On Before Your Faith Fails You When The Challenges Of Life Come?
THE PERIL OF PREMATURE INDEPENDENCE. The cause problem in the life of many ministers of God is that of premature independence from the ministry where they served. There are too many general overseers that are still supposed to be under the tutelage of their senior pastors. Many of us go out to early and is creating such a problem for their lives, family and their congregation. Never forget;
“…A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven”. (Jn.3:27)
THE PERIL OF COMPLACENCY IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH. Often, many ministers of God has the erroneous be,Ife that they have become so experienced in spiritual matters that they don’t need tp grow any longer. The day you start having that feeling is the day you gradually start dying in ministry. You must keep growing because there is still so much to learn from your master Jesus. Spiritual complacency will make you to lose your guard in the spirit. Apostle Paul said;
1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
How Seriously Do You Take The Spiritual Disciplines?
CONCLUSION. I always look forward to being able to make the statement that Paul made, close to the end of his life in 2Tim.4:7&8:
2 Timothy 4:7-8 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 judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
That is the testimony of someone that finished strong. What would you love to be your own testimony? May we all have the grace to finish strong in Jesus name.
