Follow The Pattern

The book of Exodus is full of patterns that the Lord ordained for Godly people and a Godly nation. Details laid out specifically for the Tabernacle and all that pertained to it. Here is a small pattern that we might meditate upon to walk in the Light:

Exodus 31:2-3

See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship

"called by name.."

"filled with the spirit of God.."

"in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in understanding.."

"workmanship.."

This is the pattern that the Lord executes even yet today. Calls you, fills you with His spirit, and puts you to work. Many have misunderstood what the calling of God and the infilling of His spirit is for. They get turned on to the reality of being born again, their spirit is alive and enthused with the knowledge of God, and they think it is time to quit their vocation, put on the priestly garments and preach from the pulpit. Is that really the "calling"? Should everyone be in "ministry"? Yes and no.

Yes in the sense that we can serve(minister) right where we are called. It may not be recognized as a ministry in the traditionally thought of way, but nonetheless, it is ministry. Workmanship.

Col 3:23

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

It might be as a salesman, soldier, doctor, trucker, factory worker, engineer, farmer, scientist, singer, waiter or waitress, whatever the work is that we do. Right in the marketplace, the wisdom, understanding and knowledge of the Holy Spirit of God can thrive and prosper the people all around us.

No, in the sense of quitting and giving up on the talents that we have for the pursuit of theology and the clergy. We minister to one another in the gathering of the saints, and we minister to those who walk, work and live around us in our daily life. We are the salt in their otherwise dull tasteless, hum drum life.(only because of the Spirit of God in us) I am not saying that everyone's life is hum drum, but there is a sense of "something more, something better". Everyone is looking for peace, joy, assurance, acceptance and challenge to higher ground. Jesus did minister in the synagogues(church setting), but he touched a lot of lives walking on the beaches and in the marketplaces. He demonstrated the love of God in his speech and the way He lived. He "walked the walk, and talked the talk". He was and is real LIFE!

This post courtesy of Bro Hurd

Authority to Subdue

" Everything you ever achieve is your perception or revelation of God!" claims Pastor Sunday Adejaja the founder and Senior Pastor of The Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations in Kyiv, Ukraine. He is a young visionary, Nigerian born leader with an apostolic gift for the twenty first century.

Everything you have ever achieved, or ever plan to achieve will come from your perception of God. The biggest battle you will ever have is a positional battle in your mind.

We have within us a divine nature to rule with authority. God told Moses in Exodus 7:1 "I have made you as God to Pharoah." Why, because Moses came in the name of the Lord. He had the revelation of being a partaker of the divine nature of God. Today as Christians we think we have to be humble, well, yes, humble before God but not before evil."

Pastor Sunday said "discover your purpose!' Why are you here? What where you sent for? You are given a territory of influence. To conquer something! Revealed as the sons of God Romans 8: 19-20. Discover your purpose and then ask God what am I in for? If he sends you to Pharoah then you will go in HIS NAME. As a God to pharoah. With authority because you come in His name. What you do for God will only be as big as your revelation of who He is and who you are in him. God repeated over and over to Moses "I am the Lord." so Moses would understand not to be intimidated by Pharoah. That even though Pharoah was King, and he had influence in his realm here on the earth, God was a King who has universal influence and if He sends you, then you are not to worry about what things look like! You come in His name just as Moses did. A sent one! Called for a purpose and having ability to conquer as you have been given your sphere of influence to take your territory in His name! Don't worry about the giants in the land! David didn't! He came in the name of the Lord His God.

Stand up straight and know who you are today in the Kingdom. Ask God today. What is my purpose? Why am I here? What have I been sent for? What am I in for? And when you grab hold of the revelation of who you are in God, in Christ Jesus then you can go "In the name of the Lord." God has given you a place of influence and a land or territory...find out what it is and then....know who you are and "Go in the name of the Lord and subdue your land."

Men of Might

but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and
do exploits. Daniel 11:32

In this hour God is raising up mighty men that are doing exploits in His name. I continue to meet men and women that have great dreams and seize great initiatives. There is an anointing that is increasingly available to expand the Kingdom in great ways.

Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel,who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. He struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men. He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard. 2 Samuel 23:20-23

The are some key ingredients that go into mighty men. Here are a few.

1. Know their God Bold initiatives have roots in something. When Christians show great courage and do great things they are drawing upon a sense of knowing what God is doing and operating in a power far beyond their own they
find an anointing in Gods power.

2. A lifestyle of courage Exploits by mighty men arent accidents. They come from ordinary men and women just like you and me that have been doing the little things all along.

3. Boldness against odds Mighty men and women of God have a Holy Ghost boldness to defy overwhelming odds. Proverbs 28:1 says "the righteous are as bold as a loin."

God and Your Business

What might God want to accomplish through you in your lifetime? As a workplace believer, you may yet have your greatest contribution to society. Such was the case of Cyrus McCormick, born in 1809. Raised on a farm by an inventor father, Cyrus McCormick sought to invent a mechanical reaper to harvest wheat. His father's attempts at inventing a successful machine had failed until Cyrus, at 22, created one that worked.

McCormick had to overcome many setbacks including the loss of his patent 14 years after his first invention. This opened up competition. Then, in 1837 he went bankrupt due to the bank panic of 1837. However, these setbacks did not prevent McCormick from achieving his goals.

He expanded his market by trying to sell his machine to European farmers in 1851. A long series of honors compensated for the lack of recognition and praise from his American compatriots. By 1856, he was not only a world figure but his factory produced more than 4,000 reapers a year.

McCormick was a committed believer. He lived during the time of D.L. Moody and gave $10,000 to Moody to start the Chicago YMCA in 1869. That building burned along with his Chicago factory in 1871. By this time, McCormick was over 60 and wealthy enough to retire. Before his death in 1884, he had given $100,000 to help open Moody Bible Institute.

His son, Cyrus Jr., was to become the first chairman of the school's board. Cyrus McCormick was a devoted Christian who passed his faith on to his son who later met up with J. Pierpoint Morgan to become the first president of a combined reaper firm, the famed International Harvester Corporation. [John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 328-331.]

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:13

Understanding the Kingdom of God

Dr. C. Peter Wagner said, "For the last twenty or thirty years, the theme of the kingdom of God has been much more prominent among Christian leaders than previously. We have begun to understand that God's kingdom is not confined to the four walls of the local church. It exists wherever men and women acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and King.

Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is within you" (Luke17:21). Jesus also told us to pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." If we take this literally, our goal must be nothing less than the transformation of society. The principles and values of the kingdom must be reflected in human society to the highest degree possible."

Faith and Business

"Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil." - 2 Kings 4:2b

The woman had no husband, he had died. There was no way to pay her debts. Her creditors decided to take her two sons as slaves for payment of the obligations that still remained. She pleaded for assistance with the only man of God she knew.

"Is there anything in your house?" Elisha asked.

"Nothing at all," she said, "except a little oil."

Elisha then instructed her to go and collect all the empty jars that her neighbors might possess. "Ask for as many as you can," he instructed.

When the jars were collected, he instructed her to pour what little oil she had into the jars. The oil was more than enough to fill the jars. In fact, there was more oil than jars to fill. "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left" 2 Kings 4:7b.

Often, God requires us to mix faith with the tangible. The widow believed she had no resources to meet her need. She did not see the one jar of oil as a resource. It did not become a resource until it was mixed with faith. When she took the practical step of going into the workplace to sell the oil, her need was met.

God uses commerce to provide for our needs. He does not have a printing press in heaven that prints money for payday. God blesses the work of our hands, Deut. 28:8.

Trust God to bless, increase and multiply what your hands are doing. Release faith to believe He prospers you in the marketplace.

The Gospel of the Kingdom

After Jesus' death there was a huge emphasis on the Kingdom or the “Gospel of the Kingdom.” That was the primary message of Good news… not just the death and burial (that we identify with in salvation and baptism) but the resurrection life where we live out our Christian life.

After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. Acts 1:3

But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Acts 8:12-13

"We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," Acts 14:22

Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. Acts 19:8

They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. Acts 28:23

Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 28:31

What’s the message of the Kingdom?

1. You have an inheritance! - There’s an inheritance for us in “This Life.” We do have to be saved, etc. but the glass is “half full” – actually it’s a cup running over. The Kingdom is much more than a life of duty and sacrifice and then eternal life after we die.

"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields-and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. Mark 10:29-30

2. You have power! - Once we’re saved God equips us for the “work of the ministry” through our local church. We start co-laboring with Christ and doing the “works” outside the church in the Kingdom.

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:12-14

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 1 Cor 4:20

3. You have God's Heart! - God’s imprinted us with his own heart so that our heart’s desires match His. It’s His goal to give us the desires of our heart.

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:4

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Heb 8:10

4. We're winners! - The real emphasis of the “Gospel” seen in its Biblical entirety is not just death, burial, repentance, surrender, trials, and persecution (we don’t deny any of those things); it’s also being victorious overcomers, healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons.

As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Matt 10:7-8

5. We Bless Others! - The Gospel of the Kingdom also means learning to receive and use wealth for ministry. We’re called to bless all nations.

But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. Deut 8:17-18

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Gen 12:2-3

And the good news is... Instead of just warning people how hard it is to be a Christian and how bad they are, tell them how good Jesus is and how blessed they will be by their inheritance in the Kingdom. That's when your presentation of the Gospel will really be balanced. That my friend, is the Gospel (good news) of the Kingdom!