WHAT SHALL WE DO THAT WE MIGHT WORK THE WORKS OF GOD?

“WHAT SHALL WE DO THAT WE MAY WORK THE WORKS OF GOD?”

JOHN 6:28

John 6:28-29

28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the

works of God?”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God that you

believe in Him whom He sent.”

John 14:12

12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I

do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go

to My Father.

Text: Mark 6: 30-44

Five necessary components for an effective ministry.

1. (1) Obedience to the Commission v:30 (see v 7-13)

2. (2) Showing you Care v:31

3. (3) Having a spirit of Compassion vs: 33-34

Jesus showed compassion:-

· To the hungry crowd (Mark 6: 30-44 )

· To the Helpless and fearful disciples (Mar_6:45-52)

· To the Hurting and sick people (Mar_6:53-56)

4. (4) Demonstrating the spirit of Commitment vs: 34c – 38

· To the ministry Col 4:17

· To the needs of the people

· Note: The selfishness of the disciples (compassion of Jesus)

v 36

Jesus threw the responsibility at the disciples – “you give

them something to eat” v:37

All that was needed was obedience not the questions.

Key- Make what you have available to God and leave the

rest to Him.

5. (5) He encouraged the spirit of Community vs: 39-40

What important lesson He taught the Community?

- He received what was given to Him with gratitude

- He prayed and blessed it in the presence of the community

(this was teaching them in every crisis of life God is our source

and our dependency)

- When this is done they will always be more than enough –

12 baskets full of remains

- Not only five thousand can be reached but the 6.5 billion people

on earth.

NB: THE RAPID AND UNCOMFORTABLE GROWTH OF ISLAM IN THE

NATIONS.

WHAT SHALL WE DO TO WORK THE WORKS OF GOD?

- HAVE FAITH IN GOD

- WALK IN OBEDIENCE AS HE WALKED

- SHOW YOU CARE AS HE DID

- BE FULL OF COMPASSION AS HE DEMONSTRATED

- SHOW GREAT COMMITMENT TO THE MINISTRY

- BUILD COMMUNITY – RELATIONSHIP AS HE DID.

DEVELOPING LEADERS

God desires the Church, the Body of Christ, to be a growing, healthy and functional body, where every member has his responsibility to the edification of the whole. In order to accomplish this, God has given to every individual in the body natural talents and abilities that are to be used for His glory. It is not incidental that individuals in the body have certain aptitudes and interests. These are all part of God’s plan for that person’s life purpose. Unfortunately so many people fail to look for ways in which they can channel these aptitudes and abilities into investment in the kingdom of God. God desires that all of these abilities be used for His honor and glory. (Matt 25:14-30).
In addition to natural talents and abilities, God also has given spiritual gifts that are to be operating in the Church. When we enter the kingdom of God by the new birth, we are taken out of the natural realm and transplanted into the realm of the Spirit. While natural talents and abilities are helpful for the advancing of the kingdom of God, natural talents and abilities will never be enough to get the job done. (Zech 4:6). For this reason, God distributes spiritual gifts to the members of His body that operate above the natural realm into the supernatural. They operate above natural ability by tapping into God’s supernatural ability. (1Cor 12:7,11).
In addition to these things that God has given to the members of His body, God has further given to each member of the Body a ministry, or function, that is to add to the edification of the whole. The word ‘ministry’ simply means ‘service’ or ‘function’. In every body there are many members and all the members do not have the same function. (Rom 12:4-5) 1Pet 4:10-11.
In order for us to understand fully the way in which these ministries operate and their importance, we need to realize several things:-

1. THESE MINISTRIES ALL FIND THEIR ORIGIN IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
When Jesus came, He came as the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col 1:19, 2:9). As the fullness of the Godhead, He manifested in life expression every gift, grace and ministry that would eventually function in the Church, His body. When Jesus came as the fullness of the Godhead bodily, He had all of the ministries functioning in their mature expression because He did not receive from the Father a measure of grace, or a measure of the Spirit, He alone received the fullness. (John 1:14; 3:33-35).
As such Jesus was the pattern for all ministry. If we want to know how a certain ministry is to operate in the Body of Christ, we simply need to look to Christ to find out how He operated in that ministry. Jesus Christ was the –
a. Apostle (Heb 3:1)
b. Prophet (John 4:19)
c. Evangelist (Luke 4:18)
d. Pastor (John 10:11)
e. Teacher (John 3:2)
f. Elder (Rom 8:29)
g. Deacon (Luke 22:27)
h. Exhorter (Luke 2:25)
i. Giver (Gal 2:20)
j. Ruler (Luke 1:33)
k. Shower of Mercy (Heb 2:17)
l. Worker of Miracles (John 11:47)
m. Healer (Luke 6:17-19)
n. Intercessor (Heb 7:25)


2. THESE MINISTRIES ARE MERELY AN EXPRESSION OF CHRIST IN YOU. (Col 1:27)
Christ is the fullness of the Godhead bodily and therefore as the Head, the fullness of all ministries is in Him. When we become attached to the Head by the new birth, we become partakers of the fullness that is in Him. We ourselves do not contain the fullness, we only partake of the fullness that is in Christ.
John 1:14,16
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
As the fullness of the Godhead bodily, Jesus was full of grace that enabled Him to accomplish and fulfill all of these ministries. When we are attached to the Head, we become a partaker of that grace that is necessary to fulfill the particular ministry that we have been given by the Lord. “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ gift.” Eph 4:7.

Since this is the case, it is very important that we as believers recognize the ministry that we have been given, because we will receive grace for that ministry. Without the grace for the ministry, the ministry will inevitably fail because none of the ministries can operate effectively on a natural level. All of them have to be supported and underwritten by the grace of God. The grace of God in relation to service is simply the supernatural enablement of God. The Apostle Paul recognized the grace that was upon his life, therefore he could move with confidence in the ministry which he had received from the Lord. (Rom 12:3)
Romans 1:5
5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
Romans 15:15-16
15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:10
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
1 Corinthians 15:9-10
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Galatians 2:9
9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
If we are to be successful as stewards of the manifold grace of God, we must be sure that we recognize the grace of God that is upon our lives. The grace of God goes with the calling of God. Paul tells us when it comes to evaluating the grace of God upon our lives we must be sober. We should be careful in our evaluation and estimation of ourselves and careful not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. How many ministries have failed because they attempted greater things in God than that for which they have received grace. We must be careful to perceive God’s grace on our lives then it will not be difficult to perceive the ministry that He has for us. We must remember that God never holds us accountable for that to which someone else has been called. He only holds us accountable for what He has instructed us to do. If I am struggling to be a pastor in the body of Christ but God has given me the grace to be an intercessor, then I will not receive commendation of a good and faithful servant. God only measures us against what He has called us to be. He never rates us on the basis of what we do, only on the basis of how faithful we are to do what He has called us to do. There may be those who attempted to be apostles in their own strength who will receive the judgement of an unfaithful servant, while there will be those who may be worshipers on the worship team who will be commended as faithful stewards because they are doing exactly what there were called to do.

3. THESE MINISTRIES FUNCTIONING TOGETHER AS THE MANY-MEMBERED BODY OF CHRIST ARE TO FULFILL AND COMPLETE THE MINISTRY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
When Christ was here on earth He ministered out of a heart of compassion seeking to save that which was lost. He came as the apostle sent from heaven. He came as the mouthpiece of God to the dying world. He came to proclaim the good news, to gather sheep, to instruct in the ways of God, to serve man where he was at, to exhort to righteousness, to give Himself as a ransom for all, to reach out to man in his need. Yet when Jesus was here on earth He was limited by the fleshly body of which He partook. He was confined to one geographical location, to one set of circumstances, to the needs of one small group of people at any given moment. God’s love is for the whole world. Jesus as man, could not reach out to everyone. More Christs or “anointed ones” would be needed to satisfy the heart of God. When Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He provided the answer. Jesus rose from the dead as the firstborn of many brethren. Now He desires to carry on and complete His ministry through His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. Ephesians 1:22-23
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Jesus as Head is continuing to preach and heal and prophesy and teach and exhort and seek out the lost, but now He is doing it through His Body, the church (Every member playing a purposeful, significant role). The Book of Acts begins in a beautiful way. Luke writes of his former treatise, the Gospel of Luke, which is perhaps the most complete account of Jesus earthly life and ministry extending from the birth of John the Baptist to the ascension of Christ. He refers to this treatise as being only a record of that which Jesus “begun both to do and teach” Acts 1:1. That three and one half years of ministry was only a beginning. The Book of Acts as well as Church History records all that Jesus continued to do and teach by the Holy Spirit through the Church of Jesus Christ, which is His Body.

DEVELOPING LEADERS

God desires the Church, the Body of Christ, to be a growing, healthy and functional body, where every member has his responsibility to the edification of the whole. In order to accomplish this, God has given to every individual in the body natural talents and abilities that are to be used for His glory. It is not incidental that individuals in the body have certain aptitudes and interests. These are all part of God’s plan for that person’s life purpose. Unfortunately so many people fail to look for ways in which they can channel these aptitudes and abilities into investment in the kingdom of God. God desires that all of these abilities be used for His honor and glory. (Matt 25:14-30).
In addition to natural talents and abilities, God also has given spiritual gifts that are to be operating in the Church. When we enter the kingdom of God by the new birth, we are taken out of the natural realm and transplanted into the realm of the Spirit. While natural talents and abilities are helpful for the advancing of the kingdom of God, natural talents and abilities will never be enough to get the job done. (Zech 4:6). For this reason, God distributes spiritual gifts to the members of His body that operate above the natural realm into the supernatural. They operate above natural ability by tapping into God’s supernatural ability. (1Cor 12:7,11).
In addition to these things that God has given to the members of His body, God has further given to each member of the Body a ministry, or function, that is to add to the edification of the whole. The word ‘ministry’ simply means ‘service’ or ‘function’. In every body there are many members and all the members do not have the same function. (Rom 12:4-5) 1Pet 4:10-11.
In order for us to understand fully the way in which these ministries operate and their importance, we need to realize several things:-

1. THESE MINISTRIES ALL FIND THEIR ORIGIN IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
When Jesus came, He came as the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col 1:19, 2:9). As the fullness of the Godhead, He manifested in life expression every gift, grace and ministry that would eventually function in the Church, His body. When Jesus came as the fullness of the Godhead bodily, He had all of the ministries functioning in their mature expression because He did not receive from the Father a measure of grace, or a measure of the Spirit, He alone received the fullness. (John 1:14; 3:33-35).
As such Jesus was the pattern for all ministry. If we want to know how a certain ministry is to operate in the Body of Christ, we simply need to look to Christ to find out how He operated in that ministry. Jesus Christ was the –
a. Apostle (Heb 3:1)
b. Prophet (John 4:19)
c. Evangelist (Luke 4:18)
d. Pastor (John 10:11)
e. Teacher (John 3:2)
f. Elder (Rom 8:29)
g. Deacon (Luke 22:27)
h. Exhorter (Luke 2:25)
i. Giver (Gal 2:20)
j. Ruler (Luke 1:33)
k. Shower of Mercy (Heb 2:17)
l. Worker of Miracles (John 11:47)
m. Healer (Luke 6:17-19)
n. Intercessor (Heb 7:25)


2. THESE MINISTRIES ARE MERELY AN EXPRESSION OF CHRIST IN YOU. (Col 1:27)
Christ is the fullness of the Godhead bodily and therefore as the Head, the fullness of all ministries is in Him. When we become attached to the Head by the new birth, we become partakers of the fullness that is in Him. We ourselves do not contain the fullness, we only partake of the fullness that is in Christ.
John 1:14,16
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
As the fullness of the Godhead bodily, Jesus was full of grace that enabled Him to accomplish and fulfill all of these ministries. When we are attached to the Head, we become a partaker of that grace that is necessary to fulfill the particular ministry that we have been given by the Lord. “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ gift.” Eph 4:7.

Since this is the case, it is very important that we as believers recognize the ministry that we have been given, because we will receive grace for that ministry. Without the grace for the ministry, the ministry will inevitably fail because none of the ministries can operate effectively on a natural level. All of them have to be supported and underwritten by the grace of God. The grace of God in relation to service is simply the supernatural enablement of God. The Apostle Paul recognized the grace that was upon his life, therefore he could move with confidence in the ministry which he had received from the Lord. (Rom 12:3)
Romans 1:5
5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
Romans 15:15-16
15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:10
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
1 Corinthians 15:9-10
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Galatians 2:9
9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
If we are to be successful as stewards of the manifold grace of God, we must be sure that we recognize the grace of God that is upon our lives. The grace of God goes with the calling of God. Paul tells us when it comes to evaluating the grace of God upon our lives we must be sober. We should be careful in our evaluation and estimation of ourselves and careful not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. How many ministries have failed because they attempted greater things in God than that for which they have received grace. We must be careful to perceive God’s grace on our lives then it will not be difficult to perceive the ministry that He has for us. We must remember that God never holds us accountable for that to which someone else has been called. He only holds us accountable for what He has instructed us to do. If I am struggling to be a pastor in the body of Christ but God has given me the grace to be an intercessor, then I will not receive commendation of a good and faithful servant. God only measures us against what He has called us to be. He never rates us on the basis of what we do, only on the basis of how faithful we are to do what He has called us to do. There may be those who attempted to be apostles in their own strength who will receive the judgement of an unfaithful servant, while there will be those who may be worshipers on the worship team who will be commended as faithful stewards because they are doing exactly what there were called to do.

3. THESE MINISTRIES FUNCTIONING TOGETHER AS THE MANY-MEMBERED BODY OF CHRIST ARE TO FULFILL AND COMPLETE THE MINISTRY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
When Christ was here on earth He ministered out of a heart of compassion seeking to save that which was lost. He came as the apostle sent from heaven. He came as the mouthpiece of God to the dying world. He came to proclaim the good news, to gather sheep, to instruct in the ways of God, to serve man where he was at, to exhort to righteousness, to give Himself as a ransom for all, to reach out to man in his need. Yet when Jesus was here on earth He was limited by the fleshly body of which He partook. He was confined to one geographical location, to one set of circumstances, to the needs of one small group of people at any given moment. God’s love is for the whole world. Jesus as man, could not reach out to everyone. More Christs or “anointed ones” would be needed to satisfy the heart of God. When Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He provided the answer. Jesus rose from the dead as the firstborn of many brethren. Now He desires to carry on and complete His ministry through His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. Ephesians 1:22-23
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Jesus as Head is continuing to preach and heal and prophesy and teach and exhort and seek out the lost, but now He is doing it through His Body, the church (Every member playing a purposeful, significant role). The Book of Acts begins in a beautiful way. Luke writes of his former treatise, the Gospel of Luke, which is perhaps the most complete account of Jesus earthly life and ministry extending from the birth of John the Baptist to the ascension of Christ. He refers to this treatise as being only a record of that which Jesus “begun both to do and teach” Acts 1:1. That three and one half years of ministry was only a beginning. The Book of Acts as well as Church History records all that Jesus continued to do and teach by the Holy Spirit through the Church of Jesus Christ, which is His Body.

Manifestation of the Kingdom- The Local Church

THE LOCAL CHURCH CONTEXT:

From the context of the local church, the greatest manifestation of the Kingdom of God was seen in the church at Antioch which presented quite a different model from the Church at Jerusalem.

(a) The Jerusalem church was very localized, a little kingdom of its own, it began to suffer from ingrownism, was very nationalistic, prejudice (jews only) lack vision for the nations –until scattered because of persecution.
Peter stood up and preached the kingdom, after 569 words 3000 souls were saved. The Church at Jerusalem had one of the strongest beginnings as a local church. It would be a wonderful picture today to see a local pioneeering work begin with the conversion of three thousand souls in one call.

(b) The Church at Antioch – On the other hand was a powerful base for strategic level spiritual warfare and an operation center for the training and development of leaders who will orchestrate the transformation of nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The church had a breakers anointing upon it because a few believers were willing to break the limitations of culture and fear and preach the gospel to Grecians also. See Acts 11: 19-20. The Antioch church broke down both racial and cultural barriers because a few men dare to step outside the box and respond to the new thing God was doing. I know for a fact that God in His sovereignty is doing a new thing in this season and it's about to be poured out across the region. There will be an unprecedented increase in signs, miracles, healings, deliverance and the transformation of nations. ARE WE READY???

Acts 13:1-3


Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 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. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

From the passage of Scripture above there are five important components that were responsible for the powerful manifestation of the kingdom through the church at Antioch :-

1. A passion to build strong Genuine Relationships – prophets, teachers; Barnabas, a Hellenist from Cyprus, Simon called niger (Black man); Lucius of Cyrene (Libya-North Africa), Manaen- a childhood companion of King Herod Antipas; Saul – a Hellenist from Tarsus.
2. A passion for Prophetic Worship – They rediscovered their priestly roles (Deut 10:8) – i. To carry the Ark of the Covenant; ii. To stand before the Lord to minister; iii. To pronounce blessing in His name.
3. A passion for Fasting and Praying – Mark 9: 14-29.
4. They Listened to God
5. A deep passion to Fulfill God’s Purpose for your life – This experience transformed Paul and Barnabas life forever.
1Tim 1:12 “He counted me faithful putting me in the ministry.”

Manifestation of the Kingdom - Through the life of Jesus

How was the Kingdom manifested through Jesus?

1. Building of Relationships:-

John 17:21-22 “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.22 “And the glory which
You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: Psalms 133.

2. Love:-
John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Love for each other.

3. In His Ministry:-
Matthew 4:23-25
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. It was manifested through :-
(a) Teaching
(b) Preaching
(c) Healing
(d) Deliverance

Matthew 12:28
28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

Jesus was always commited to do the Father's will, so His ministry was very focused because He knew His assignment, priorities, purpose and mission. Every believer should emulate this lifestyle.

Luk 2:49 And He said to them, Why did you look for Me? Do you not know that I must be about My Father's business?

Joh 4:34 Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.

MANIFESTATION OF THE KINGDOM THROUGH – JOHN THE BAPTIST

Matt 11:12 “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it”
The greatest manifestation of the kingdom of God was seen in the life of Jesus. This of course was preceded by the life of John the Baptist, who came on the scene at a time when the world was considered a spiritual wilderness – after 400 years of silence. During that time there was no prophet or prophetic utterance or revelation, then the responsibility was given to a young man to be that voice; he became a lone voice in the wilderness crying out “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
There was something identifiably and unmistakably different about John’s Day in comparison to the days or period prior to the beginning of his ministry.
What characterized those days?:-
What was so significant about those days that Jesus had to mention them?
There was 400 years of silence – no prophet voice, vision or revelation then came ‘change’ there were not many men who were so connected to the purpose of God for their lives like John the Baptist – he lived a fulfilled life.
(a) The emergence of a man called by God
(b) The message of those days
(c) His Bold and fearless approach to ministry
(d) He was strange (Matt 3) Noah was also strange ‘Ark

WHAT MADE HIM SUCCESSFUL?

1. John had a proper understanding of himself. John 1:19-23

2. He had a clear sense of mission and purpose. This cause his cofidence to grow. John 3:30

3. John also had a very good testimony. One that radiated. John 5:31-33

4. He had a reputation for righteousness, even in the political arena. Mark 6:20

5. John was a powerdul witness to the truth. John 10:41

A Shift In Advancing God's Kingdom

There is a definite paradigm shift in the way we do church. God is breaking us away from the religiousness and traditions of men and He is causing us to move with greater clarity, revelation of His will and spiritual discernment. God is raising up a people who understands the times and most of all, they know what the church ought to be doing now.

In this season the church is moving from: -

a. Just embracing a local church vision and mentality to a much wider kingdom vision – don’t be narrow minded and confine yourself, be aware of an isolationist spirit. The idea of building your little kingdom and protecting it must go. Having your vision confine to four walls is a thing of the past. Be enlarged, I speak expansion. The Kingdom of God is borderless, vast.


b. The culture of Denominationalism to an apostolic culture of governance – some denominations can be plagued by a spirit of stagnation, dryness, lukewarmness and death. It also can accommodate a spirit of religion- rules, no fellowship, jostling for position, how many members you have?.....


c. A high concentration on church expansion to the much wider transformation of society – a change in the spiritual climate over the nation, reduction in drug trafficking, prostitution, gambling, injustice, racism, cursing etc.


d. Seminary/Theological education to a more all inclusive equipping of the saints – titles but no power, today every member is a minister. We are equipping the saints to impact the nations. Eph 4:12,13.


e. Programmed evangelism – power evangelism addressing issues of lostness. Seeing a restoration of miracles, healings and deliverance.

MANIFESTATION OF THE KINGDOM

There has been an advancing of the Kingdom of God throughout the nations in recent times despite the serious challenges, tragedies, upheavals, terrorism and even wars. People are still being saved, healed and delivered; signs and miracles are being manifested at an increasing rate. The Church is alive and growing spiritually and numerically. Believers are becoming more militant, relevant, sacrificial and purpose-oriented and there are boldly carrying the battle to the gates. The church is quickly coming out of that passive state of mind and becoming more passionate for the move of God – the cry is ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

It’s the most exciting and exhilarating period for church growth and the expansion of the Kingdom of God in the earth. It is therefore important that we be sensitive to what God is saying now and to the direction He is taking the church in this season. As believers, we dare not miss God’s visitation at this crucial time lest we find ourselves left behind as a memory in history and become irrelevant to our generation. Every leader must make sure the ministry he/she is leading is on the cutting edge, totally in tune with what God is saying and doing now; free from the chains of tradition and religion that wants to keep every local church enslaved to its dictates. Surely the ‘kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and forever’ Rev 11:15.