Genesis 1:28 says, ‘And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man] and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.’ (Amplified) This was the very first instruction that God gave to man, to be fruitful and then that he should multiply. The first part of the mandate was for increase and multiplication.
With this God illustrated the sequential pattern of growth. First, the gradual or arithmetic growth i.e. where one measure is increased to two then three etc. The next stage is multiplication this is the growth phase where you begin to take quantum leaps in life endeavours (i.e. geometric or exponential growth) this type of growth fills your life, family and environment until its impact is felt all over the earth i.e. you can be said to be replenishing the earth.
The transforming effect of your activities fills your environment. Here you begin to use the vast resources of the earth (which you have hitherto accessed in the preceding stages of growth) in the service of God and man.
All these stages are a build up to the stage of dominion where we really come into the fullness of the stature of Christ.
At this stage, we enter into the fullness of the government of Christ as stated in Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
The process, as outlined by God, starts from increase through multiplication to dominion because it is impossible to have dominion with a minority mentality. This is because there is a certain level of capacity that an individual or organisation must have before they can attain dominion in their environment. Without the attainment of this level of capacity, all the activities within such an organisation or in such an individual’s life will be largely theoretical. There will be no practical results achieved.
This principle could be seen at work in Noah’s life (Gen 6:14-16). He had to build an ark of appropriate dimensions and capacity before a remnant of all creatures in the earth could be saved. Joseph also had to devise a plan on how to increase capacity ahead of the famine. This capacity enabled him to be used by God in saving the world from being wiped out.
As seen by both patriarchs (who built capacity before either the flood or famine began and ended up having dominion in their different dispensation), there is the need for us to ensure that we stay committed to our personal growth. This is because it will be too late to build our ark after the rains have begun.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Pray think
Jesus taught, to watch as we pray lest we fall into temptation to open our eyes and ponder the path of our feet. To intelligently assess the situations before us and use the thoughts we have gathered in prayer. Sometimes, as we look at the issues and re-examine the situations we are faced with, disturbing thoughts arise indicating problem areas that must be covered with prayer. These things must not be taken for granted. Without thinking over the situations you are praying about you might not get the full results of your prayers.
Hastiness in action destroys the results of your prayers. There is more in the future of a fool than he that is hasty in judgement. Hastiness in making decisions has aborted many a season prepared by God for individuals. God hides light in pain. The scriptures says every affliction will work out an eternal weight in glory in our lives if we focus not on the things that are seen but focus on the things that are not seen. There is definitely more to life than meets the eye. We need to learn to see with our mind what others miss with their eyes.
John Rockefeller says, ’governments don’t create a living for the people, opportunities that they see do.’ Joseph, the ‘father’ of Jesus was going to put away Mary when he learnt of her pregnancy, but the Bible records as he thought on these things he saw that it was of God. His moral disposition was offended but he allowed his thoughts to run deep whilst praying before he acted. Imagine it: a man’s fiancée goes on a three-month holiday to her cousin’s place (Elizabeth was pregnant with John and Mary went to see her) and comes back pregnant. The first instinct would be to kick her out.
This might be an extreme case, but seasonally we are faced with situations that have an outward appearance which differs from its internal content and we must not be hasty in action. (For in pain there is light and not all that glitters is gold). Jesus taught that many through overeating, the use of alcohol and getting distracted by the elemental things of life cannot develop the concentration needed to have really deep thought about situations around them, so they miss the opportunities in them and end up trapped.
We need more people who understand that what prayer does is to first increase the intelligence of the one praying. It raises the levels of their thinking such that the stronger the mind gets the more successful the life would be.
Hastiness in action destroys the results of your prayers. There is more in the future of a fool than he that is hasty in judgement. Hastiness in making decisions has aborted many a season prepared by God for individuals. God hides light in pain. The scriptures says every affliction will work out an eternal weight in glory in our lives if we focus not on the things that are seen but focus on the things that are not seen. There is definitely more to life than meets the eye. We need to learn to see with our mind what others miss with their eyes.
John Rockefeller says, ’governments don’t create a living for the people, opportunities that they see do.’ Joseph, the ‘father’ of Jesus was going to put away Mary when he learnt of her pregnancy, but the Bible records as he thought on these things he saw that it was of God. His moral disposition was offended but he allowed his thoughts to run deep whilst praying before he acted. Imagine it: a man’s fiancée goes on a three-month holiday to her cousin’s place (Elizabeth was pregnant with John and Mary went to see her) and comes back pregnant. The first instinct would be to kick her out.
This might be an extreme case, but seasonally we are faced with situations that have an outward appearance which differs from its internal content and we must not be hasty in action. (For in pain there is light and not all that glitters is gold). Jesus taught that many through overeating, the use of alcohol and getting distracted by the elemental things of life cannot develop the concentration needed to have really deep thought about situations around them, so they miss the opportunities in them and end up trapped.
We need more people who understand that what prayer does is to first increase the intelligence of the one praying. It raises the levels of their thinking such that the stronger the mind gets the more successful the life would be.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Revelation Knowledge
The first time Jesus spoke about the issue of revelation knowledge was when He asked the disciples who they thought He was. When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? They said, some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elijah and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt 16:13-17). In this passage, Jesus lent credence to the fact that there is a certain type of knowledge that can only be imparted spiritually. This type of impartation occurs when an individual presses in, beyond the level of knowledge obtainable from his immediate environment. Such an individual goes beyond the level of what men have told him about the things of God. This is usually in a bid to find answers to the hidden questions in his heart. Such a quest springs up when that person has put certain kingdom principles to work in his life and still meets with a brick wall. The brick wall prompts a search for a deeper understanding of the Truth.
When questions of this nature are asked in all sincerity, the people that receive revelation from the Lord are the ones who press deeper. These are people who have sown seeds (cash and other forms) and legitimately expect a harvest. However, if results are seemingly not forthcoming, they do not take offence, or get discouraged but they earnestly press into God for wisdom acknowledging that God’s Word never fails. These individuals look within for shortcomings of wisdom, knowledge or skill that needs to be worked on. Consequently, this heart attitude moves God to impart knowledge to the individual’s mind via his spirit. As seen in Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.(NKJV) God begins to reward their diligent search with wisdom.
As the Holy Spirit begins to answer those questions, another dimension of the gospel of Jesus Christ is revealed to them. This is the dimension called faith the realm where hope begins to be substantiated. At this stage, the things that you hitherto did not know now constitute the essence of your life. They form the platform through which you will begin to make progress in your life they become the defining issues of your life.
When questions of this nature are asked in all sincerity, the people that receive revelation from the Lord are the ones who press deeper. These are people who have sown seeds (cash and other forms) and legitimately expect a harvest. However, if results are seemingly not forthcoming, they do not take offence, or get discouraged but they earnestly press into God for wisdom acknowledging that God’s Word never fails. These individuals look within for shortcomings of wisdom, knowledge or skill that needs to be worked on. Consequently, this heart attitude moves God to impart knowledge to the individual’s mind via his spirit. As seen in Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.(NKJV) God begins to reward their diligent search with wisdom.
As the Holy Spirit begins to answer those questions, another dimension of the gospel of Jesus Christ is revealed to them. This is the dimension called faith the realm where hope begins to be substantiated. At this stage, the things that you hitherto did not know now constitute the essence of your life. They form the platform through which you will begin to make progress in your life they become the defining issues of your life.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Substance vs. Shadow
As co-labourers with God, our responsibility is to be jointly involved with God in the process of creation. However, it should be noted that the kind of labour God is involved in is spiritual in nature.
It is more creative than the exertion of physical effort - the type that man is well acquainted with. It is this type of spiritual labour Jesus referred to in Matt 9:37,38 when He said, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.’
This expectation of God (that we become actively involved with Him in the creative process) is in line with the fact that He created us in His image and after His likeness.
This means that every human being possesses God’s creative nature. Although everyone has this innate ability, only a few men explore its potential. Conversely, a vast majority are involved in physical labour which wearies the soul (Eccl. 10:15) and achieves nothing of any lasting value.
This is the issue Jesus was addressing when He said, ‘Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed’ (Jn 6:27).
The physical labour exerted by most people is usually in a bid to acquire the shadow of their dreams. The people who participate in this type of labour erroneously believe that this apparent manifestation will satisfy the deep longings of their hearts despite what Heb 10 verse 1 states, ‘shadows cannot make the comers thereunto perfect’ (paraphrased).
In a more general sense, shadows cannot satisfy the hearts desires. It is, therefore, important for every believer to recognise the difference between the shadow and the substance of their vision. This difference could easily be overlooked especially since it cannot be discerned by the carnal mind.
Thus, many people who pursue the shadow of their vision erroneously believe that they are involved with its substance. The difference between the two concepts was stated in Hebrews 10:1, ‘For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of those things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.’ The distinct characteristic of the shadow reality was revealed in this verse i.e. that the shadow reality of anything lacks the power to create positive change, either in the life of the person concerned or in his environment.
The power to bring good things to pass simply cannot be done by the shadow reality, regardless of how often activities are carried out to that end. It simply lacks the innate ability to make the comers perfect and produce genuine impact and results.
It is more creative than the exertion of physical effort - the type that man is well acquainted with. It is this type of spiritual labour Jesus referred to in Matt 9:37,38 when He said, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.’
This expectation of God (that we become actively involved with Him in the creative process) is in line with the fact that He created us in His image and after His likeness.
This means that every human being possesses God’s creative nature. Although everyone has this innate ability, only a few men explore its potential. Conversely, a vast majority are involved in physical labour which wearies the soul (Eccl. 10:15) and achieves nothing of any lasting value.
This is the issue Jesus was addressing when He said, ‘Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed’ (Jn 6:27).
The physical labour exerted by most people is usually in a bid to acquire the shadow of their dreams. The people who participate in this type of labour erroneously believe that this apparent manifestation will satisfy the deep longings of their hearts despite what Heb 10 verse 1 states, ‘shadows cannot make the comers thereunto perfect’ (paraphrased).
In a more general sense, shadows cannot satisfy the hearts desires. It is, therefore, important for every believer to recognise the difference between the shadow and the substance of their vision. This difference could easily be overlooked especially since it cannot be discerned by the carnal mind.
Thus, many people who pursue the shadow of their vision erroneously believe that they are involved with its substance. The difference between the two concepts was stated in Hebrews 10:1, ‘For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of those things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.’ The distinct characteristic of the shadow reality was revealed in this verse i.e. that the shadow reality of anything lacks the power to create positive change, either in the life of the person concerned or in his environment.
The power to bring good things to pass simply cannot be done by the shadow reality, regardless of how often activities are carried out to that end. It simply lacks the innate ability to make the comers perfect and produce genuine impact and results.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
What faith is and how to get it
‘Faith is the substance of the things that you hope for and the evidence of things that you do not see. And we understand that through faith, the world was framed by the Word of God.’ (Heb 11:1 -3) Faith is priceless, it cannot be compared to silver or gold all forms of life actually came out of it. When this substance is in you, it reveals necessary information to you. This means that when faith enters your heart, something dawns in your consciousness that guarantees your desires. This substance was what Paul saw in the crippled man at Lystra (Acts 14:8-10). Prior to this time, it was absent in him, so he remained in that state. However, when he heard Paul preach, the substance was imparted to him. The Bible says in Acts 14:8-10 that Paul sensed the man had received the substance to be made whole. Then he told him, ‘Stand upright on thy feet’ (verse 10) and faith infused the crippled legs. Therefore, in the pursuit of the manifestation of your expectations, the emphasis should be on faith and how to obtain it.
Romans 10:17 explains the method of obtaining this substance. It says . . . faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The term ‘Word’ in this verse refers to the rhema of God i.e. the specific will of God concerning a given situation. So then, faith comes by knowing and carrying out the specific will of God concerning different issues. This makes it important for us to be sensitive and obedient to such instructions. The knowledge of this truth made Mary advice the servants at Cana to do whatever Jesus instructed them. In the same vein, we should also ensure we do whatever the Spirit of God instructs us to do.
However, it must be noted that faith cannot be born without a hope or desire. We must remember that faith is the substance of things hoped for there can be no substance without a seed. This means that you need to have a specific desire faith then comes to substantiate it. This desire must be consistent with your inner yearnings and not borrowed from people that have influenced you. It might be necessary for you to pray until you have effectively weeded out such influences. Adopted desires render the faith process futile you cannot penetrate the spirit realm with them. Discover those things that are deep within take time to purify your thoughts through prayers. Be true to yourself and let the light begin to shine.
The Bible speaks about Moses’ desire to lead the Israelites out of captivity. It was not something that arose out of jealousy or peer pressure. It was a desire within his spirit. Likewise, those desires within your heart are what you should start out with. It will be suicidal for you to attempt to cut your dream to fit the evident resources in your environment. Do not look at the probabilities because faith principles are always at work even when it does not seem so. Keep confessing the Word keep offering up the sacrifices of praise. Hold fast to the tenets of your faith, shortly, the seed will bring back your desired harvest.
Romans 10:17 explains the method of obtaining this substance. It says . . . faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The term ‘Word’ in this verse refers to the rhema of God i.e. the specific will of God concerning a given situation. So then, faith comes by knowing and carrying out the specific will of God concerning different issues. This makes it important for us to be sensitive and obedient to such instructions. The knowledge of this truth made Mary advice the servants at Cana to do whatever Jesus instructed them. In the same vein, we should also ensure we do whatever the Spirit of God instructs us to do.
However, it must be noted that faith cannot be born without a hope or desire. We must remember that faith is the substance of things hoped for there can be no substance without a seed. This means that you need to have a specific desire faith then comes to substantiate it. This desire must be consistent with your inner yearnings and not borrowed from people that have influenced you. It might be necessary for you to pray until you have effectively weeded out such influences. Adopted desires render the faith process futile you cannot penetrate the spirit realm with them. Discover those things that are deep within take time to purify your thoughts through prayers. Be true to yourself and let the light begin to shine.
The Bible speaks about Moses’ desire to lead the Israelites out of captivity. It was not something that arose out of jealousy or peer pressure. It was a desire within his spirit. Likewise, those desires within your heart are what you should start out with. It will be suicidal for you to attempt to cut your dream to fit the evident resources in your environment. Do not look at the probabilities because faith principles are always at work even when it does not seem so. Keep confessing the Word keep offering up the sacrifices of praise. Hold fast to the tenets of your faith, shortly, the seed will bring back your desired harvest.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
You are Either Right or Successful
Philippians 4: 6-9 says, ‘Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you’.
In life, you can either choose to take a position of rightness or be successful. Success here refers to the fulfilment of the desires lodged within your heart. This means that in life, you can either choose to hold a defensive position where you claim to be on the right track or you can really be fulfilling those desires of your heart.
One of the most important things in your Christian walk is the adjustment you make in your life when faced with obstacles in your faith walk, it is very important that you do some appraisals of the beliefs that you have hitherto held. The reason for this is because you are either frantically trying to prove that you are right or you are actually successful. You can never be in both camps simultaneously. If you are going about trying to prove to people that your viewpoint is the right one, you are probably not producing the desired results in your life. Results usually speak for themselves they cannot be hidden and therefore cannot be argued with.
The side of the pitch that you find yourself is largely due to the attitudes and mentality that you have cultivated. You need to evaluate both on a consistent basis. On the basis of this appraisal you may discover that you may need to unlearn those attitudes, beliefs and behaviour that are unproductive. You need to constantly judge your attitude and beliefs by the things that you constantly see in your life over a period of time.
The belief system and mentality act as a filter for the way you absorb knowledge, especially the messages and conversations that you hear. The modus operandi of these filters might not be accurate but it is how you see things. You might even have faulty methods of evaluating yourself using religious means which are not necessarily productive e.g. how well you perform in organised church activities, the perception others have of your piety etc.
This appraisal mechanism wrongly tells you that it is okay to serve God and lead unproductive lives. This system goes further to convince you that wealth and productivity is synonymous with ungodliness conversely it affects the way you view them ensuring you piously turn away from this path.
In situations like this, it is not the unknown that stands in the way of your progress. Rather, it is those things that you know, which you need to unlearn. Thus, if your environment constantly communicates undesirable results to you, put on the garb of humility and re-programme your mind. Make the necessary adjustments and results will inevitably manifest in your life.
From the Desk of Pastor Poju
In life, you can either choose to take a position of rightness or be successful. Success here refers to the fulfilment of the desires lodged within your heart. This means that in life, you can either choose to hold a defensive position where you claim to be on the right track or you can really be fulfilling those desires of your heart.
One of the most important things in your Christian walk is the adjustment you make in your life when faced with obstacles in your faith walk, it is very important that you do some appraisals of the beliefs that you have hitherto held. The reason for this is because you are either frantically trying to prove that you are right or you are actually successful. You can never be in both camps simultaneously. If you are going about trying to prove to people that your viewpoint is the right one, you are probably not producing the desired results in your life. Results usually speak for themselves they cannot be hidden and therefore cannot be argued with.
The side of the pitch that you find yourself is largely due to the attitudes and mentality that you have cultivated. You need to evaluate both on a consistent basis. On the basis of this appraisal you may discover that you may need to unlearn those attitudes, beliefs and behaviour that are unproductive. You need to constantly judge your attitude and beliefs by the things that you constantly see in your life over a period of time.
The belief system and mentality act as a filter for the way you absorb knowledge, especially the messages and conversations that you hear. The modus operandi of these filters might not be accurate but it is how you see things. You might even have faulty methods of evaluating yourself using religious means which are not necessarily productive e.g. how well you perform in organised church activities, the perception others have of your piety etc.
This appraisal mechanism wrongly tells you that it is okay to serve God and lead unproductive lives. This system goes further to convince you that wealth and productivity is synonymous with ungodliness conversely it affects the way you view them ensuring you piously turn away from this path.
In situations like this, it is not the unknown that stands in the way of your progress. Rather, it is those things that you know, which you need to unlearn. Thus, if your environment constantly communicates undesirable results to you, put on the garb of humility and re-programme your mind. Make the necessary adjustments and results will inevitably manifest in your life.
From the Desk of Pastor Poju
Monday, May 26, 2008
From Hope to Faith
We should never allow the material world overshadow our spiritual faculties. Jesus, though easily touched by the feelings of our infirmities (Heb 4:15), admonished us to hold on to our spiritual realities through our confession, ‘For by thy words thou shall be justified, and by thy words thou shall be condemned.’ (Matt 12:37). We should hold on to these confessions regardless of the circumstances we are faced with. This is because they stem from the infallible truth of God’s Word.
Prayer is not a substitute for the law of confession. The two principles are separate and distinct although they are complimentary. The confessions you make before praying are the spiritual substance you carry with you into prayers. Just like Abraham and other founding fathers realised, these words take you from the realm of hope into the realm of faith. When they had no faith these giants of faith maintained their word of hope. They maintained their rejoicing and confessions of hope until it became a confession of faith.
For each of them, this process started out as a confession of hope. Even when they were calling those things that be not as they were, it was still literarily a confession of hope in the spirit. Their patience and consistency kept them at it until revelation dawned and their hope was substantiated. Spiritually, you cannot convert your hope to faith by simply changing the words you speak. It is not simply a play of words. These words must be infused with power. They must be substantiated before they can effect any change in your environment. This substance is imparted to them when revelation dawns in your soul concerning the subject matter.
The key to receiving this revelation is steadfastness i.e. consistency even when everything around you appears to be in chaos. It means concentrating on the promise until your concentration leads to perception. It does not mean slothfulness, but keenly following them who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Heb 6:12). When you enter the veil and begin to focus on the particular issue, light begins to flood your mind. If you maintain this focus, every detail of that dream will be imparted to you. The entrance of this strategic information will infuse your words with energy. Then, when you speak these power packed words, the circumstances in your environment will align themselves until your dream is actualized.
Prayer is not a substitute for the law of confession. The two principles are separate and distinct although they are complimentary. The confessions you make before praying are the spiritual substance you carry with you into prayers. Just like Abraham and other founding fathers realised, these words take you from the realm of hope into the realm of faith. When they had no faith these giants of faith maintained their word of hope. They maintained their rejoicing and confessions of hope until it became a confession of faith.
For each of them, this process started out as a confession of hope. Even when they were calling those things that be not as they were, it was still literarily a confession of hope in the spirit. Their patience and consistency kept them at it until revelation dawned and their hope was substantiated. Spiritually, you cannot convert your hope to faith by simply changing the words you speak. It is not simply a play of words. These words must be infused with power. They must be substantiated before they can effect any change in your environment. This substance is imparted to them when revelation dawns in your soul concerning the subject matter.
The key to receiving this revelation is steadfastness i.e. consistency even when everything around you appears to be in chaos. It means concentrating on the promise until your concentration leads to perception. It does not mean slothfulness, but keenly following them who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Heb 6:12). When you enter the veil and begin to focus on the particular issue, light begins to flood your mind. If you maintain this focus, every detail of that dream will be imparted to you. The entrance of this strategic information will infuse your words with energy. Then, when you speak these power packed words, the circumstances in your environment will align themselves until your dream is actualized.
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