High Treason & The Kingdom of God (3) - The World

5. Friendship with the world. Very few saints realize that one of the enemies of God is the spirit of the world! Yet this is essentially what the pseudo-Kingdom and its senior brother and predecessor, the prosperity gospel peddles as truth. The spirit of the world is the key instrument Satan uses to entice humanity away from the plans, purposes and programme of God for His creation. Satan tried it with Adam and Eve at Eden (Genesis 3: 1-7). Satan also tried it with the second Adam, Jesus but failed (See Matthew 4:1-11). That is the same principle which he uses daily to cause saints to stumble. Today, the enemy has caused many ministers to be so ashamed of Christ that they re-package the gospel in worldly robes in other to attract sinners. Sinners come and seeing no difference between what they are offered and what they are used to soon settle into the "church" building and its worldly ways. In some places, Youth night meetings are nothing better than night clubbing! Genuine repentance becomes more difficult.

1 John 2:15-17 describes the three principles of worldliness projected by satanic wisdom:
- Lust of the flesh: Satan wants saints to desire what gratifies the flesh (soul and physical body). Whether it is to make you wear particular dresses, spray particular perfumes, live in particular types of houses, drive particular brands of cars or hold only certain types of jobs, the goal is the same: make saints to come off true spirituality. True spirituality is based on worshipping God in spirit and truth, making no room for the flesh. The spirit man is where we should make the principal investments and pay more attention. Unfortunately, Satan reverses this and sets believers on a wild goose chase lusting after the things which gratify the flesh! John 4:23, 24; Philippians 3:3.
Just as Israel did in the wilderness and desired the cucumber, onion and garlic of Egypt, there are many saints whose hearts are strongly latched to the very things they used to live for. This kind of mixed loyalty is unacceptable to God.
This does not mean God does not give good things to His children. He actually does but He does not want us to lust after such things or set our hearts on them. Singleness of eye is required in the Kingdom and Jesus alone, not self should be Lord of your life. God wants us to be totally immersed in Him as Lord of our lives, seek first His Kingdom and that we trust Him to provide all that we need on earth! Matthew 6:25-34; Matthew 16:24-26; James 1: 17, 18; 2 Peter 1:3.

- Lust of the eyes: Satan wants saints to take their eyes off eternal things and focus rather on temporal things. Once this switch of sight is made, spiritual glaucoma ensures! The saint becomes blinded by the fancies of this world to the extent that he/she cannot hear or stand sound truth. Such people end up becoming like the foolish virgins and will certainly not be able to hear the sound of the Trumpet when Jesus will appear to take His elect out of the world ahead of the Great Tribulation. Such saints are busy marrying, dating, giving in marriage, breaking up and starting all over and literally mirror the people of the time of Noah and Lot. Matthew 24; Matthew 25. God has designed the new creation to walk by faith and live by faith, not by sight or by their own abilities. 2 Corinthians 5:7.

- Pride of Life. Pride of life comes about when saints become puffed up because of anything the Lord blesses them with. Pride is a function of ascribing the glory to one self and refusing to acknowledge that one is a mere steward of the grace of God. Whenever any saint is puffed up over any asset or possession, that person is functioning in pride of life. This dangerous leaven can be seen in the blatantly worldly language many leaders use to advertise their gifts and ministries. When ministers look at their airbrushed photographs and feel on top of the world, the spirit of pride of life lurks! When saints make loud claims of their abilities to heal, save and deliver, they are giving space to the spirit of pride. When saints allow themselves to copyright every gift and revelation for the purpose of making money, the spirit of pride is near. When any minister insists on charging for an “appearance” in the name of preaching or teaching, pride of life is at work. When a senior minister can no longer carry his/her bible but needs some page boys or ushers to do so, pride is at the door! If you flaunt your degrees, school attended, job, beauty, possessions with intention to attract attention, you are functioning in pride. If you are in ministry and want to be known, famous and receive invitations from every one, you are in the throes of the spirit of pride! Beware!!! God actively resists pride. James 4:6

The spirit of the world is enmity against God! James God hates it with a perfect hatred because it activates the old man which was crucified at Calvary James 4:4, 5.

The plan of God is that His saints will be simple and unassuming. Even when He lifts us up, God does not want us to carry the achievements on our shoulders and be puffed up. God wants us to emulate Jesus. He came to show us the way to live acceptable lives to God on planet earth. That is the life of simplicity, accessibility and ability to mingle with others of lesser fortune. Consider this truth: on the night He was arrested, the adversaries needed a mercenary, Judas, to positively identify Him out of just 12 men! This means there was nothing about His external features which marked Jesus out from His followers! Matthew 26: 47-50. Since the blessings of God make rich and add no sorrow, it is necessary to check up if the success you are seeking is a God kind or Satan type of success?

High Treason & The Kingdom of God (2)

How to recognize those who peddle error and deny the divinity of Jesus.

Such people will never in a preaching, teaching, recording or book ever mention the divine nature or identity of Jesus Christ. They will say anything else but make a categorical statement in this regard.
1 Corinthians 12:3 says: “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit”. One of the main assignments of the Holy Spirit is to testify of and confirm the full identity of Jesus John 15:26; John 16:13-15. Remember that it was the Holy Spirit who planted divinity in the womb of the Virgin Mary Matthew 1: 188-23; Luke 1:26-35.

What the Bible says we should do to such people. Let no one deceive you on this point: you are what you believe! Your theology will certainly affect your destiny! Those who deny the divinity of Jesus are engaged in preaching another Jesus! Theirs is a very dangerous assignment because they have hid their true assignment and doctrine, couching it with beautifully packaged secular humanistic concepts which are attractive. The upshot of what the Lord has consistently said is this: if you allow any one because of his or her eloquence to cause you to believe in a Jesus other than the God who became man, you have denied the real Jesus and are relating to a fake!

These are what the bibles says we should do with preachers and peddlers of error no matter what we like of their doctrines:
- Discern them. This comes about as you allow the anointing of the Holy Spirit who resides in you to judge every word you see, hear or read. Whatever that contradicts the truth and basis of your eternal life will be detected by the Holy Spirit except you have quenched him through presumptuous sin and your conscience is no longer sensitive! 1 John 2: 18-28.
- Avoid them. It is as serious as that! Romans 16:7; Jude verse 19
- Reject their doctrines and persons otherwise you become a partaker. 2 John: 8-11.
- Recognize that Satan is back of their endeavour and the principal objective is to cause saints to stumble and miss eternal life which only comes through the God-Man Jesus Christ! 1 John 5: 20,21.
These scriptures are very relevant for us to know how to relate with those who peddle error: 1 John 2: 18 – 28; 1 John 4: 1-3; 2 John 7- 11; Galatians 1: 6-10.

3. Sin against the Holy Spirit. This is the sin of attributing to Satan and demons, a work inspired by and executed by the power of the Holy Spirit. This sin comes about by careless speaking or denouncing what God is doing in the life or ministry of another person out of envy or jealousy. Matthew 12:31; Mark 3:29. Sin against the Holy Spirit can also occur where a saint deliberately lies to a leader and by extension, the Holy Spirit that is using him/her as a vessel. This was the case of Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5.

Other offences against the Holy Spirit include deliberately resisting the truth out of stiff neckedness (Acts 7:51); Grieving the Holy Spirit through lack of love, unforgiving spirit and disunity Ephesians 4:30; Quenching the Holy Spirit by refusing or blocking manifestation of His presence and gifts or even rejecting some of the offices of the five fold due to denominational regulations 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (for instance any denomination which teaches that the gifts of the Holy Spirit or the fivefold offices are not for today have simply quenched Him in their midst and are engaged in dead religious works based on trying to please God with human ideas).

A saint can also sin against Holy Spirit by deliberately ignoring Him and His warnings aside and consciously conceive and execute such sinful deeds as immoral living, fraud and indeed any sin which came about by a conscious effort! Beware of preachers who encourage you to live carelessly because, as they put it, “God no longer counts your sin” Hebrews 6: 1-8; Hebrews 10:26 - 29. Please also read 1 John 5:16, 2 Timothy 2: 19-22; 1 John 3: 4-9 to understand that while God will always be merciful to saints who slip unconsciously, He takes a heavy view of those who claim to be His but consistently live in sin.

4. Causing Saints to Miss the Full and Eternal Phase of the Kingdom. The New Testament is completely clear that those who receive Jesus receive eternal life. As New Creation in Christ, old things are passed away and the new life in Christ compels them to have a fresh set of values. Their old ambitions are laid at the cross and they make the vision of God the prime pursuit of their lives. They begin to think in eternal terms and make all decisions based on that context. They are to be prepared to occupy the space God grants them in the now fully conscious that a day is coming when no man knows exactly the hour – when Jesus will return to set up the future and full phase of the Kingdom of God. Jesus will reign here on earth with those saints who fulfilled their ministries in the now faithfully as co-rulers over cities, nations and people groups. In effect, true teacher s of the word or preachers have a prime assignment from God to ensure that those committed to their trust are ever ready to meet with the Lord at any time the Trumpet sounds and He appears in the air. We are stewards of the grace of God to make His elect ready for Him any time He comes for them! Luke 19:10-27; Matthew chapters 24, 25.

High Treason & the Kingdom of God

As we count down to the end of 2010, many saints are on the way to perdition because they have allowed themselves to travel a route that leads to treasonable felony against Him. Let us consider this issue which is so important that God would issue a red alert:

High Treason & the Kingdom of God
Every Kingdom has a set of rules which indicate acceptable and unacceptable behaviour of its citizens. The rules are meant to be obeyed. Those who obey live in peace and enjoy the benefice of the ruler. Those who disobey received the wrath of the ruler either and due punishment.

In eternity past the Kingdom of God suffered an infraction when one day the anointed Cherub who covered the very Throne of God decided he was no longer content to play that privileged role. Lucifer, as he then was, decided in his diseased heart and mind that he would dethrone God and take over ruler ship of the Kingdom! Unknown to Lucifer, one of the attributes of God is Omniscience. By this is meant the supreme ability to know all things, including the hearts and minds of all things He created. Before Lucifer could execute his infernal plans , God dispatched another angel of similar rank, Michael, to cast him out of Heaven. The nature of the now fallen Lucifer changed. His great wisdom became corrupted to extreme craftiness. His great beauty which was part of what caused him to be full of pride became corrupted to be an instrument of seduction. Being found unfit for heaven, he became Satan, an enemy of God and cast out of that hallowed environ.

It must be noted that God, in His fore knowledge and in the exercise of His supreme will decided that Satan was not worth a second chance. No grace or mercy was extended to him therefore. In due course of time, when time is swallowed up in eternity, we shall be perfected in knowledge and then shall we understand all things. It is important that the redeemed of the Lord should understand the High Treason is not a modern day construct! Read Isaiah 14: 12-17 and Ezekiel 28:11- 15 to understand the deconstruction of Lucifer and punishment for his high treason.

Adam & Eve: When God created Adam and Eve, He put in place a simple set of Laws to govern their lifestyle and assignment as managers of His creation. When they committed treasonable felony, Adam and Eve lost their first estate and had to live a life of back breaking hard labour. Thank God that He did not altogether give up on mankind! Even then at the dawn of history and time, God made ample provision for the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of this world to manifest in due season. Please read the whole of Genesis chapters 1, 2, 3 to understand these things in detail.

Noah’s Generation: By the time of Noah, the wickedness of humans and their treasonable felonies had become so uncontrollable that the only worthwhile solution was total destruction of the entire corrupt creation. Only one family – Noah, his wife, sons and their wives were saved! Genesis chapters 6, 7 & 8 are worthy of detailed study. After the flood, God crystallized His Kingdom mandate for man to rest on a simple principle of law which should undergird all human activities for all of time until time became abolished when laws will not be needed. That was the twin precept known as the Law of Sowing & Reaping and Times & Seasons.

Tower of Babel: It was not too long after that another case of high treason occurred. It was the matter of the Tower of Babel. There, men decided they would not obey the charge to increase, multiply and fill the earth. They decided to seek out God and possibly unseat Him! What audacity, you may say. God was to admit that the enormous creative powers of synergy/unity He blessed man with could well be put to use even in contrary ways! As punishment, He confounded man there in a swift judgement that led to the emergence of mutually distinct tongues and tendencies of men to fan out over the earth! Read Genesis chapter 11: 1-9.

The Most Critical Acts of Treasonable Felony in the New Covenant

Having laid the foundation of events before time in the heaven, since the dawn of time in Eden, let us skip the familiar phase of God’s dealing with Israel in the Old Covenant and move into the New Covenant. Some so called teachers have misled many to believe that in the New Covenant, there are no rules because we have full “liberty”. What hogwash! Galatians 5:13 says “for you brethren have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another”. 1 Peter 2:16 went further to say “as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak of vice, but as bondservants of God”. The New Testament offers an interesting paradox. We are set free by the Blood but we willingly take the yoke of Christ as bond servants in order to experience a rare level of true liberty!

These sins constitute the most critical treasonable acts:
1. Sin against the Word of God. The Word of God is to be prayerfully studied, meditated on, understood and rightly divided in order to receive the whole counsel of God. That is one of the reason it warns that novices should not be put into formal leadership lest their poor understanding of the Word become a snare to those who hear them (1 Timothy 3:6).

Jesus made it clear that attitude to His Word will dictate how people will live and what their end shall be. Matthew 7: 24-27. At the very end of the Bible, the charge of the Lord says “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecies of this book: if any one adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city and from the things which are written in this book (Revelation 22: 18,19). People sin against the Word of God when they
- Handling the Word of God deceitfully. Taking the word of God out of context to meet a predetermined objective of nullifying the intent and provisions of the Word.
- Trying to make young saints or those who are unstable to abandon the Word of God and accept humanistic or demonic doctrines which feed their innate desires to live the way they want. In the last days this will be rampant. 1 Timothy 4:1,2; 2 Timothy 3: 1-9.
- Denouncing clear truths in the Bible because the preacher or teacher does not live up to the standards required, has no intention to do so and wants to create an empire out of those who hear him/her with unbiblical rules as the basis.

Rewards: Whoever purports to be in the Kingdom of God or purports to be a teacher and sets aside clear provisions of the Word in order to advance a hidden commercial agenda or acquire fame as a man/woman of wisdom has actually denied Jesus and will have no part in the true Kingdom of God except there is deep repentance first in the secret and open restitution to those he/she has deceived in times past. Anyone who builds his or her kingdom life so called on such blatant lies or subtle errors has no foundation in Christ. Both teachers and students of these tendencies are hell bound! God is no respecter of persons.

2. Denial of the Divinity of Jesus Christ. Anyone who denies the clear facts of scripture concerning the true identity of Jesus Christ as very God and very man has committed treasonable felony against the King of the Kingdom. Such a one is anathema and shall receive due reward in time and in eternity. Such people are not in the faith and are dangerous agents of Satan! Everything concerning redemption is hinged on the simple truth that when God could not find anything qualified to take away the original sin of Adam and bring many sons to glory, the incarnation and Virgin birth was deemed the only viable option! Jesus is not just another prophet. He is not just a messenger from God. He is not just the Son of God. He is not just the King of the Kingdom. Jesus is much more: God who came to dwell amongst His people as Immanuel! This full identity of Jesus Christ has been amply articulated in GSoM Course 102: Understanding Jesus Christ. Please an email to ariseoffice@yahoo.co.uk asking for a full teaching note and it will be sent to you.

...to be continued as part of the process of getting ready for 2011

Christmas Day 2010

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Jesus Christ In the Old Testament

Global School of Ministry

Course 102 #1

Jesus Christ In the Old Testament

Visit any part of the world today. Talk to people of any religion. No matter how committed they are to their particular religion, if they know anything about history, they will have to admit that there has never been a man like Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He is the most unique personality of all time. He is the greatest leader, the greatest teacher, the holiest man who has ever lived and the greatest personality of all time. He is the only begotten son of God. He is the Savoir of all mankind. He is the one who restored and changed man’s relationship with God. He is the only one who can forgive sin. He is God. Jesus forever changed the way God relates to mankind. Sure, there are scriptural examples of God’s catastrophic judgment on sin. But God’s greatest act of judgment was when He placed His entire wrath upon Jesus for our sins. This forever satisfied God’s wrath. Since that time, God hasn’t been judging our sins [2 Cor. 5:19]. God’s not angry with us; He’s not even in a bad mood.

Jesus changed the direction of history. Even the date on your morning newspaper testifies to the fact that Jesus of Nazareth lived on earth nearly 2,000 years ago. B.C. means "before Christ"; A.D. Anno Domini, "the year of our Lord".

Hundreds of years before He was born, prophets predicted His coming in great details. The Old Testament which was written over a period of 1,500 by several writers from different places and customs contains more than 300 prophesies describing His coming, His miraculous birth, His sinless life, His many miracles, His death, and His resurrection and ascent into heaven, and His eventual return to banish evil and rule over the earth forever. Indeed all of these also point to the fact that Jesus is not merely man, but more than man. Jesus claimed, "I and the Father are One" [John 10:30], "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" [John 14:9], and “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6].

For complete lesson notes please write to ariseoffice@yahoo.com

Understanding Jesus Christ

GSoM Course 102
Understanding Jesus Christ

COURSE OBJECTIVES
One single personality be-straddles the course of history. He existed before time. In the Bible, He was first mentioned on the day of creation as part of the God head. On the day of the fall, He was prophesied as the seed of the woman. While most people of other faiths are not averse to discussions of God as powerful and all sufficient, they immediately bristle with anger when you make mention of Jesus Christ. Why is this so? These questions are critical to the understanding of who Jesus Christ is:
• Who is this Jesus Christ?
• Why did God need to be incarnated in human form
• Why did Jesus come?
• What are the implications of having a proper knowledge of the Biblical and not merely religious Christ?
This course will exposit these dimensions of Jesus Christ that believers need to know since He is the reason for our being and the one to whose vineyard we are called to co-labour:
i) The Pre-existent Christ
ii) The Christ of prophecy spanning what was said of Him from Genesis to Malachi
iii) The Incarnate Christ
iv) The Paschal Lamb - His suffering, crucifixion and death.
v) The risen Jesus and glorified Christ who reigns as king in the hearts of the redeemed so that through them, He exerts and expands the kingdom mandate where He plants them so that they dispense His presence and power where they live, work and have influence.
vi) The Coming King whose return is now imminent to establish the Kingdom in its fullness and thereafter ensure that God is all in all.
What does the Word say of Him in each of these dimensions and how do they affect what we believe, teach or preach?

The course will also sketch an outline of the biblical presentation of Christ in these offices: Creator, Saviour, Redeemer, Justifier, Lord, Empowerer, Model, Shepherd, High Priest and King.

Lesson 1
Who is this Jesus Christ? An Introductory treatise
This is the core question of the ages. In the Old Covenant, the encounter of Moses with YHWH on Mount Sinai produced such a transformative effect that when he came down, they could not behold his face. The people of Israel had to relate to Moses only when a veil covered his face [Exodus 34:27–35]. From that day, the veil beclouded the ability of the people of God to discern Him fully [2 Corinthians 3:13–15]. When therefore that which was prophesied concerning the Seed of the woman who was to redeem humanity from the grip of Satan manifested in the form of a tiny tot at Bethlehem, there was no way they would accept Him as the Messiah. Their reticence had historical and political undertones as well. At the time God was incarnated as the Son, Israel was under Roman rule (The Leg of Iron in Daniel’s epic interpretation of the awesome dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2:24–47. This followed earlier captivities to Greece (the Thigh and Belly of Bronze); Medo-Persia (the Chest and Arms of Silver) and Babylon (Head of Gold).

Kingdom Economics

 Global School of Ministry

Course 121 #5

Saints called to the market place are instruments in the hand of God for establishing and manifesting His Kingdom Economic Model. Any one who claims to be a market place minister but has the mindset of the exploitative and money driven scarcity management model of the world is an impostor! The charge of the Lord is: "come out of Babylon"! Let us therefore revisit what the Lord revealed in GSoM Course 125.

Kingdom Economics
One big shame that is upon the kingdom movement is the laziness to discover the full extent of our identity and the responsibilities God expects from us. We need to go beyond agitation-propaganda and tossing around the term “Kingdom” carelessly while living according to the dictates of the Satan controlled world economic system! The truth, pure and simple is that true saints of the Kingdom of God are those who have responded to the call of God to come out of the world system and embrace their true and full identity as citizens of His own Kingdom. John 17: 9-18; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 2: 1-13; Colossians 1: 12 – 18; Colossians 2: 13 – 15; 1 John 2: 15 – 17; 1 John 5: 19-21.

In this scenario, God is the Sovereign Ruler over His people offering them everything that pertain to life and godliness. These include righteousness; peace and security; the joy of connecting with and to Him and His own type of prosperity, based on His own kind of economic system, amongst others. Romans 14: 17-19; 2 Peter 1:3.

9 Imperatives for those called to the Kingdom Market Place

 Global School of Ministry

Course 121 #6

Over the weekend, I had the privilege of undertaking a short mission to Italy with Minister Patrice. Our main base was the city of Padova, one of the religious strongholds of Italy (where the great shrine of “Saint Anthony “is located). As Pastor Godwin drove us back to the Venice Treviso Airport, he shared some profound insights into what was happening beneath the surface: The Chinese are coming! The Chinese, he averred, were fanning out over Italy, buying properties and setting up factories to produce goods. This same story is replicated in many western nations including the United States!

As he spoke, the Lord tugged at my heart to see a bigger picture: the Chinese have an economic model they believe is superior to the Western economic model (Capitalism). Across the world, Red China is rising, flexing its muscles. With trade unions making manufacturing in the West expensive, the wily capitalists of the West did not take long to figure that they could outsource production to the rugged Chinese on low pay and still make huge profits with the goods imported to their own countries! Today, most things used in the Western world are made in China. As the Western entrepreneurs smiled to the bank, they had no idea that they were arming China and strengthening her. Today, China is not content to just be the world’s factory! China is rising and alarm bells are ringing in the West. In mining, Oil and gas; Information Communications Technology; medicine and indeed about everything, China is intent on flaunting the superiority of its economic system! Through its economic system and power, China is hoping to become the world Super power within a few decades! Red China believes that this is achievable because it is faced with capitalist competitors whose nations and systems are decaying and imploding due to class distinctions fighting for dwindling resources.

Beyond China, Muslim nations of the Middle East are utilizing their stupendous wealth to buy up choice real estate in the Western World as well as convert their hitherto desert nations into oasis of luxury which will suck in the wealth of the nations. The success of Dubai as a top tourist destination and now the unexpected success of Qatar as world cup hosts for 2022 reveal the extent to which Muslim nations have succeeded in using money to advance their interests in a world that used to be hostile to their religion. The real deal is beyond all these however! As we speak, Islamic nations are putting together an alternative model of banking and economics based on the Quaran. Islamic Banking is based on Islamic law which bars the faithful from charging interest on loans. Today, many so called “Christian nations” in Africa are falling for the bait of no interest loans in return for allowing Muslims to build schools, hospitals and beautiful mosques. Through economic activities, Islam is being spread into regions of the world where it could not have had any chance of acceptance through normal proselytizing!

The point we are making is this: Western economics is failing and will crumble under the weight of its inherent contradictions! Western Economics which is the science of managing scarcity amidst a burgeoning population needs a redeemer! That redeemer is Kingdom Economics! God will raise and empower saints in the Market Place who will operate and flourish by these timeless principles:

• 1. They will be saints who acknowledge God in His triple officer as Creator, Redeemer and Owner of their lives. They acknowledge that they are bought with the priceless Blood of the Lamb and live because He who is their life dwells in them by His Spirit 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.
• 2. For the above reason, they come first to a position of entire surrender to God and consciously enthrone Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives. He is not just Saviour who takes them to eternity when they die but is the Lord who determines how they live on earth and all that they do in private and public and in how they conduct business. They make a covenant of sacrifice with their Lord. Psalm 50:5; Romans 12:1
• 3. These saints dare not do anything or engage in any activity without the express instruction, direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit who is the present manifestation of Divinity in them.
• 4. When God by His Holy Spirit leads them into business, the professions, employment in the corporate world, the civil or public service or creative pursuits, all that they do is as unto Him and for His glory! They therefore will not engage in speech or sales pitch/promotion/ advertising which are remotely deceptive, misleading or proud. Colossians 3:17, 23-25.

Success in Market Place Ministry

Global School of Ministry

Course 121 #4 continued......

Snares And Pitfalls Of Market Place Ministry
1. Satan plays on the mind to downgrade marketplace ministry’s importance so that people of God do not esteem it as highly as they should. This can lead to unfulfillment and compromise - 2 Corinthians 10:3-6.

2. Ambition can cause some to pursue things not assigned to them in the name of God – Romans 12:3.

3. Tendency may rise to do marketplace ministry casually and with less consecration as pulpit ministry in terms of prayer, study of the word, meditation and seriousness of purpose.

4. Love of money may become a snare. This occurs when those called to the Market Place forget that God is their source and He demands their primary affection and attention. When their focus shifts to the git and not the giver, idolatry sets in and the love of money becomes the driving force of what they do. – 1 Timothy 6:3-10.

5. Pride and hubris may creep in which God hates passionately. The very tool which God puts in their hand to expand His Kingdom – money – may cause them to be filled with a false sense of power over other people. The consequent pride may offend God who can bring them down. - Proverbs 16:18; James 4:6.

6. Unhealthy independence from kingdom leaders and other brethren. Genuine market place leaders are supposed to maintain an organic and vibrant relationship with leaders in the Five fold and intercessors God will assign to cover them and speak into their lives. Daniel functioned this way with the other three Hebrew children. Zerubbabel functioned this way with the Prophet Zechariah. The result was great success!.

7. Lack of submission to any authority in the Church – Romans 13:1-7; Hebrews 13:7.

 Divine Provision for Success in Market Place Ministry
God has blessed His children with all things that pertain to life and godliness - 2 Peter 1:3. For a specific assignment such as life in the marketplace the Lord has provided for this graces and virtues through which success can be achieved. As in other issues of life, God requires the active yieldedness of His saints as He works out divine capacity in their lives - Philippians 1:6; Philippians 2:13. Some of these provisions are:

1. Understanding of the impact and place of marketplace ministry in God’s end time agenda as a springboard of the saints movement - 1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5.

2. Wisdom which enables us to know the mind of God concerning situations of life - Proverbs 3:35, Proverbs 4:5-9.

3. Discipline. Those who will excel in the marketplace must of necessity bring their soul and body under subjection to their spirit man which in turn should be wholly yielded to the Holy Spirit. Discipline enables a believer to plan and organise and in the process be on top of situations by the Spirit. Discipline extends to appetite, use of the tongue and being circumspect when surrounded by those who do not believe - Proverbs 25:28; James 1:26; James 3:1-12.

4. Favour. This enables us to be preferred for promotion or for acceptance. Favour is a powerful facility for success in the marketplace as we will be competing for space with many people who serve different gods - Psalm 5:12; Proverbs 3:3-4.

5. Divine Connection. With favour comes another closely related provision for success: divine connections. Most things God will do for His saints involve use of a human vessel to dispense the blessing. Connecting us to people who have the solution to what we need or who have the information that will bring light to a dark situation is a very great provision of God. This is why good market place ministries are encouraged to develop the fine spiritual exercise of making and maintaining good relationships with those who God will bring their way.

...To be continued. Please intercede for us to download all that the Lord wants to say to His saints in the now!

New Testament Models of Market Place Ministers

Global School of Ministry
Course 121   #4
New Testament Models of Ministers in the Market place
• Jesus. For the first 30 years of His life, Jesus lived an ordinary life as a Carpenter, a trade He learnt and practised from Joseph, the assumed father. His reputation as a carpenter was so clear that the people mocked his claim to be the Son of God.

• Disciples of Jesus. There is something interesting about the first disciples that Jesus called which is worth reviewing. Jesus did not call any of the full time religious leaders! He did not call the Levites, Scribes, Pharisees or members of the Sanhedrin! Jesus also did not call lazy people who were idlers and tattlers into the ministry! Jesus deliberately called people who were engaged in business or showed skill in particular professions that were needed for the Kingdom work. Peter, Andrew, James and John were active in their family fishing business when He called them. Matthew was active in his work as a customs officer when he was called so that his skills in setting records straight would be deployed to good effect in capturing key aspects of the biography of Jesus. The Lord clearly valued the contribution of people in the market place to His earthly ministry. Even the wife of a very high official was one of the deaconesses which ministered to Him! Some of the parables and illustrations of Jesus concerning the degree of faithfulness required to survive the end times centred on scenarios where people were actively engaged in day to do business pursuits Matthew 24:45 – 51; Luke 19: 10 – 27.

• Paul was a hybrid minister; his ministry was both in the marketplace and in the pulpit. Because of this he was able to provide for his own needs without recourse to support from unruly congregants such as those of Corinth. See Acts 18:1-3; Acts 20:33-35; 1 Corinthians 9:1-18.

• Barnabas was just a marketplace minister before his transitioning. He earned the sobriquet “son of consolation” because of the generous spirit through which multitudes were refreshed - Acts 4:32-37; Acts 9:26-27; Acts 11:19-26; Acts 12:25; Acts 13:1-3.

• Lydia was a business woman who traded in purple clothing. Out of her business profits Lydia took her niche as one of the divinely ordained key support persons of Paul the Apostle - Acts 16:14-15.

• Priscilla & Aquila. This unique couple were in the business of making tents. This is one of the reasons they empathised with Paul the Apostle who was also in the same line of business. They continued with their business after conversion but channelled their profits to execute the Kingdom mandate. To the glory of God, they deployed the gift of discernment and knowledge of the full counsel of God to good effect when they rightly understood the limits of revelation and spiritual experience of Apollos in spite of his eloquence. God used them to mentor and disciple this vessel who was to become an outstanding Apostle – Acts 18:1-3, 24-26.

Market Place Ministry - Models in the Bible

Global School of Ministry 

Course 121 Marketplace Ministry #3

Models in the Bible
Old Testament
• Bezalel and Aholiab were used to construct the exquisite designs of the Tabernacle and its furnishings. God did not commission Moses the Pulpit Minister and Apostle to Israel to do the work, rather He anointed Bezalel and Aholiab filling them with the Holy Spirit to function in the fullness of wisdom, understanding, knowledge and all manner of workmanship. Working in the strength of that anointing they were able to deliver what God had shown to Moses on the Mountain - Exodus 31:1-11, 35:30-35, 36:1-7, 37:1-29.

• Joseph never served in the temple. His life was powered by his spiritual gift of dreaming and interpreting dreams. His gift made a way for him right to the top where he served as Prime Minister in Egypt. He was gifted with a prophetic mantle but was fulfilled in government and administration, managing the complex economy of the greatest empire of his time – Egypt. Through his faithfulness to the marketplace ministry committed to him Joseph was used of the Lord to safeguard Israel from famine. For his faithfulness Joseph earned two portions out of the 12 portions of Israel – Ephraim and Manasseh. See Genesis 37; Genesis Chapters 39- 50.

• Joshua graduated from serving Moses as a protégé to become the leader of all Israel. His predominant calling was not in performing sacrifices in the temple but in fighting wars, taking territories and dividing up Canaan as an inheritance for the people of Israel. He was a quintessential marketplace minister with a combined apostolic mandate over the nation of Israel. See the book of Joshua.

• Daniel was one of the greatest prophets of all time. Yet his place of ministry was the marketplace and not the temple. Daniel was anointed with wisdom, understanding, prophetic insight and administrative acumen of a very high order. He served as a President and Chief Adviser to Emperors of Babylon and Medo-Persia. Daniel was living proof that God requires a high level of consecration from those called to marketplace ministry - Daniel 1:8. A study of the whole book of Daniel will show how a man functioned as a Prophet and Market place minister seamlessly. His prophetic gifting and ability to interpret dreams brought him great favour and recognition which paved the way for him to be accepted to fulfil the temporal mandate as an effective leader of men and materials.

• Mordecai functioned as an elder at the gate and later as a presidential adviser. He was not a temple (pulpit) minister. His diligence at the gate enabled him to be used of God to foil a coup plot against the King which was in turn used by the Lord to make a way for him to be promoted to high political office. His diligence at the gate also caused him to put to good use the information that Queen Vashti’s crown was vacant. He seized on the opening to encourage his protégé Esther to put herself forward to be Queen. See the book of Esther Chapters 2, 4, 6, 9, 10.

• Esther was Queen to the Persian King Ahasuerus. As an exceptional vessel God used her to save the Jews from the wicked plot of Haman. She was a marketplace minister who was so successful that after thousands of years, the Purim festival observed by the Jews speaks of how effective she was in fulfilling the purpose of God. See the Book of Esther.

• Nehemiah was the chief cup bearer or aide-de-camp of the Persian King, Artaxerxes when news came to him of the desolate state of Jerusalem. His love of God and His chosen people drove him to sacrifice all to lead a band of exiles back to the Promised Land to rebuild the walls of the city. He was living proof that God can use a minister in the marketplace to achieve awesome results that will affect many generations. See the book of Nehemiah.

• Zerubbabel was the governor of Judah after the exiles returned. He led the team of returnees who took over the assignment of rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem which had been abandoned. By working closely with the key pulpit ministers raised in that generation, namely Zechariah, Zerubbabel drew sufficient encouragement and strength to complete the assignment in record time - Zechariah 4:6-10.

...to be continued. Please uphold us as we position to download all of what God is saying concerning Ministry in the Market Place!

What is the Biblical basis of Market Place Ministry?

Global School of Ministry

Course 121 Marketplace Ministry #3

 
 Biblical Basis of MarketPlace Ministry
The bible teaches that saints receive the life of God in Christ and become new creatures. John 3:16; John 1:12; 2 Corinthians 5:17. With this new life, they are to manifest Christ in all they do and wherever they are. Saints have no business accepting or walking in the strange dichotomy which separates some activities as religious while branding others as secular. The saint is a saint anywhere and everywhere. The saint of God cannot afford to have two separate and opposite standards of life – one in business/work and another “at church”. That dichotomy of life as “spiritual” and “secular” is unacceptable to the God we serve.

The bible teaches that life should be one continuum of living in righteousness and manifesting Christ to all who come into contact with us. When we understand and flow with this context of the word, what we believe and how we live is the same as how we do business or work as employees of governments, private and public corporations and academics.

Those who want to see Christ only need to see us to know who He is! We become, in essence, Ambassadors of Christ 24/7 anywhere and everywhere! This paradigm makes the place we conduct business or work as holy as the place we congregate to worship God, whether in our homes or in the church buildings. This principle centred approach insulates us from the enemy of our souls who cannot lie in wait for our destinies outside the so called church buildings as he used to do with many.
We are on course to receive an awesome revelation from God which will cause a paradigm shift in the way we think and act towards ministry in the Market Place and in so called “secular space”.

Market place ministry therefore is one that places a heavy premium on:
1. Living out the life of Christ in a clear and transparent manner to the degree that it touches the lives of both the unsaved and those Christians who are not fully committed to the Lord. This provokes them to desire the same grace that they see in the lives of such dedicated Christians – Matthew 5:13-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 2:9-12. For this reason the ethical standards of Christians in the marketplace must be truly high (that is biblical), exceeding the standards of corporate watchdogs and professional bodies - Matthew 5:20.

2. The marketplace is where Christians can take full advantage of opportunities to witness to people right where they are without requiring them to come to a particular building to experience “church”. In this generation and until the coming of the Lord, the majority of the populace will never venture into a church building even for social based functions like weddings or child dedications. It makes sense therefore for the unsaved to be drawn through non-church platforms where their guards are not firmly up.

Thus we see in this post modern age that it is through marketplace ministers and ministries that the Church can best impact communities and our generation. The gospel is a “go ye” rather than a “come ye” project – Matthew 28:19. We come to Christ so that He may send us forth – Matthew 11:28-32; 2 Corinthians 5:17- 20. It is wrong for those who went ahead of us in the gospel project to turn it into a “come ye” perspective. It was the come ye approach which caused the early church to be so engrossed in welfare of those already inside the camp and to forget to evangelize Samaria and uttermost parts of the earth. This caused the Lord to allow persecution which rocked the apostles and disciples out of their comfort zone.

In Jerusalem, all that Phillip was qualified to do was to be a deacon, serving as it were “tables”. When he ran for his dear life, he went as far as Samaria and there, the Lord brought forth the full grace on him as an Evangelist! One single man was to turn Samaria over to Christ! As Phillip proceeded in this grace, God used him to take the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth through the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch, a minister in the Market Place. Acts Chapters 6, 7, 8.

 If you need the full teaching note on The Five Fold and indeed some of the most profound revelations God has been bringing forth, please send a request to ariseoffice@yahoo.co.uk.

Apostle George in Italy

Our short mission to Italy began today!

Praise God for an extraordinary day of Open Heaven, fresh revelation and anointing at special revival for ministers of the gospel in Italy!

Padova is centre of our last foreign mission for 2010! Stand with us in prayers as we complete ther mission on sunday 12th December and fly back to London.

This is part of the general region in Italy of which Venice is the Chief city from where the world has been impacted greatly for several thousands of years.

Running with the mantle of Japhet, the tiny city state of Rome was one of the strongest and longest reigning world empires lasting for all of 622 years as the Leg of Iron in Nebuchadnezzer's dream(Daniel 2). Rome was the city state which ruled Palestine when Jesus was born and presided over His crucifixtion.

Rome is the seat of the largest religious organization - the Roman Catholic Church - which incorportes over 1.2 billion people world-wide.

The Land of Italy produced Marco Polo who sought out China as well as Christopher Columbus (with Spain) who sought out America. Galileo, Michelangelo and a host of some of the greatest contributors to Western civilization, Arts, Music, Education trace their roots to Italy.

Yet, this greatly endowed nation lacks one thing to an extraordinary degree: the true gospel of the Kingdom of God! Organized religion has failed Italy so miserably that the citizens(except the old) hardly go to the great edifices called Cathedrals which dot the landscape!

In 2009, the Lord had us here on a special mission. He took us to strategic locations including the heart of the Babylonian system to wage spiritual warfare, loose some captives and declare the gospel of the Kingdom.

An enduring fruit of that Mission is the International Ministers Fellowship, Italy Chapter. From Padova, the Fellowship has enfolded ministers afar of as Perugia and other cities. Today, we had the priviledge of being used by God to add fresh impetus to their lives and widen their understanding of the gospel of the Kingdom.

The saints are so open to what the Lord has to say and so hungry for more of Him that our fellowship continued at the place of dinner. We are only just now getting a chance to retire at past 12 midnight!

Definition & Biblical Basis of Marketplace Ministry

Global School of Ministry
Course 121 Marketplace Ministry #2

The Last Theatre of true evangelism: not in buildings or crusade grounds but the market place!

The whole purpose of the last reformation movement is to cause the true saints, who collectively are the Church of Jesus Christ, living out His Kingdom life to come to a full understanding of the purpose of God. A critical pillar on which the reformation movement will stand is the restoration of the truth which religion has tried to hide: the central theatre of the end time battle will not be fought inside the religious buildings called “churches” to which the so called clergy invite a dormant laity to come with their unbelieving friends and relatives. The place at which the greatest and true revival and evangelism will take place is the very arena which Satan caused the religious world to brand as unholy “secular space” or “the Market Place”.

What is Market Place Ministry?
Let us begin by attempting to define these two terms and then bring them together to see the big picture for this neglected powerhouse of the end time Kingdom Church:

Marketplace – The place where supposedly “carnal” or temporal issues of this life are transacted. These include the place of business; professional activity, employment; creative pursuit.
Ministry – The business of serving God and man; the process of dispensing the life of Christ and the presence and power of God. Ministry is also the process of expressing (bringing forth) what we are impressed with (spiritual gifts and other divinely endowed capacities) by the Holy Spirit.

Marketplace ministry therefore refers to all forms of ministry that are conducted in the normal course of life outside the pulpit and the four walls of religious buildings, congregational worship or public ministry rallies. Marketplace Christians are therefore brethren in business, the professions, academia, public and civil service or engage in such creative pursuits as writers, artistes. Saints who are called to politics and governance are in the Market place. These people dedicate their lives and work to the Lord to bring forth His glory and fulfil His purpose. They do this consciously in the understanding that they are fulfilling their ambassadorial assignments in the Kingdom through their day to day lives and business activities - Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 12:1-2.

Market Place Ministry therefore ministry conducted in so called “secular” space. It is the exercise of ministry at ground zero level – where the saints are in and through the normal exercise of their business, professions or work as civil and public servants. 

...to be continued.

Copyright policy:
Please share freely with your friends, congregants and the saints! This and all materials of the Global School of Ministry are free of worldly copyright restrictions and tendencies to use revelations and gifts of God to make money! If you need the full teaching note on The Five Fold and indeed some of the most profound revelations God has been bringing forth, please send a request to ariseoffice@yahoo.co.uk.

Tips on Effective Prayer

Reformation, Reformation and Revival (3R)

No one walked this earth who prayed as much as Jesus!

From His early morning prayers (Mark 1:35) right through to the passion at Gethsemane(Matthew 26: 36 - 46) and the very last hour on the Cross(Luke 23: 46) Jesus made prayer the fulcrum of His dynamic life!

Jesus waged effective spiritual warfare, resisted Satan, bound and cast out demons.

Saints, let us emulate our Captain!

Apostle George

At the heart of the powerful prayer life Jesus was a not so secret truth:
He gave Himself over to KNOW and DO the will of God in ALL situations!

Because Jesus trusted the Father IMPLICITLY AND EXPLICITLY, He had no need of any agenda other than what pleased Abba!

Matt. 26:36-46; John 5:30; John 6:38.

Saints, let us lay down our agendas and flow with His will in prayers.

Pray to KNOW and to DO the Will of God and watch your heart enter into His rest, even in the midst of storms!

The Month long fast to recover all December 1, 2010 - January 1, 2011

Remember our month long prayer and fasting to recover all pending blessings is on. Skip just one meal and other conveniences. If you are sick, recovering from illness, pregnant, nursing a baby or old or simply unable to participate in the food aspect of the fast, fear not and do not allow Satan to lade you with guilt and shame! Stronger brethren will carry you along!

Core scriptures for this fast are Daniel chapter 10; 1 Samuel 30: 1-20; Joel 2:18-28. We urge you to study them diligently, meditate on, pray about and war with them to recover every blessing which has been suspended, with held, resisted by Satan and assigned territorial demons. Joshua 1:8; Psalm 2: 1-3.

Are there prophecies you received from God and they have tarried? Are there favours you used to enjoy from your boss, spouse, benefactors and others which have been lost? Are there occasions when you were so close to breakthrough and the blessing simply slipped away? Were there some things needful to advance in ministry, career, business and family which you knew in the spirit that God had heard you but they have tarried and the year 2010 will soon draw to a close?

This is the time to release your faith, straighten your knees and use the fingers to war successfully! You shall finish the year strong and successful and enter 2011 in overflow mode, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen! Please remember to pray for Israel!

If you need prayer support, intercessors are on standby! Please send an email to frontlineintercessors.uk@yahoo.co.uk and we shall distribute your requests to all our affiliated intercessors across the world.

 

Biblical Basis of Women in Ministry

Global School of Ministry

Course 122: Women in Ministry - #3

What is the biblical basis of women to function in ministry?
Isaiah 28: 10,13

Having laid this foundation, we now need to come into the core of the subject matter. This, we shall do straightaway, trusting God for His will to be expressly stated. A systematic exposition of the Word will reveal the following:

1. There is no biblical basis for the age old concept that women are inherently inferior to men. The notion that the woman was an afterthought of God flies in the face of a true understanding of the intent and purpose of God. It is necessary to go back to Genesis chapter 1: 26 – 29 which defines why God created mankind. We see there that:

• Genesis 1:27 indicates that God clearly had the male and female gender in view when He decided to create mankind.
• The dominion mandate of man was over all the creation such as animals, plants, fishes and the environment was equally given to male and female.
• Mankind was to be fruitful, reproduce and fill the earth. Since the male cannot reproduce alone neither are the created beings allowed to cross breed, God had to create the woman out of the man. Genesis 2 18 – 21.
• The process of creating the woman was clearly of additional skill on the part of God to bring forth additional refinement in the woman that emerged. Rather than create the woman out of raw earth, she made as a refinement from the rough hewn Adam. This accounts for why women tend to have greater sensitivity to things of the spirit and thus flow easier in the prophetic realm. Genesis 2: 21, 22.
• In effect, the woman is the man with the womb or the womb man! The capacity to receive, incubate and bring forth seed at maturity is an inherent gift of God in the woman to play a crucial role in advancing the divine cause on planet earth.
• The deception of Eve by Satan was because of realization that the best way to truncate the plan of God for mankind to increase and multiply was to trip over the one with the womb! While Paul acknowledged that Eve was the one who fell first in 1 Timothy 2:14, he also acknowledged the fundamentally flawed gross irresponsibility of Adam. Romans 5:12 – 21.
• A careful reading of Genesis 3: 1 – 6 shows that Adam was present when Satan tempted Eve. In the law of responsibility as a covering, Adam failed to resist Satan and protect Eve!

2. The incarnation of Christ through the womb of a woman, Mary, was God’s own way of wiping off the age old blame on womanhood and their demonization by religious folks for the fall of man at the Garden of Eden. It must be borne in mind that God laid the foundation of this vindication when He told Satan that the SEED of the Woman (who he tricked) would crush his head! The Lord went on to make it clear that the Messiah would indeed come through a process that would exclude the seed of man. In effect, man was the carrier of the sin gene through semen. The womb of the woman could be sanctified and made holy as a vessel through which the purpose of God will be fulfilled. Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7: 14; Isaiah 9: 6, 7; Luke 1:26 – 35.

What is Market Place Ministry?

Global School of Ministry

Course 121 Marketplace Ministry #1

Introduction & Preamble
In these last days, it has become necessary to defreeze the Church and release her latent energies. For this to take place, we must stop the practice of ignoring or down grading Market place ministry. We must also stop the self destructive system of harassing thoseGod has called to market place ministry out of their glorious assignment in order to be“full time” ministers.

These questions are relevant:
• What is market place ministry?
• What is the biblical basis of market place ministry?
• What models do we have in the bible?
• What are the snares and pitfalls of market place ministry?
• What are the divine provisions for success in market place ministry?
• What is the one outstanding fact of market place ministry in the bible?

Section A: Preamble
In John 10:10, Jesus gave us a clue to a three prong strategy of Satan in dealing with things of God: to Steal, Kill and destroy. Jesus Himself, on the other hand is the giver of abundant life. The word abundant connotes the following “full measure”, “prosper”, and “bloom”. Most times, children of God read the bible in a religious context and therefore miss the wider implications of the divine counsel. Here, Jesus was not just telling the disciples how Satan attacks Christians; He was speaking of the universal principles that undergird the intent and work of Satan in all situations.

If you translate this principle to the Church which Jesus activated in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost, it is clear that Satan would seek to:
• Steal the strength of the Church
• Kill the very spiritual body of Jesus Christ like he tried to do with its head at Calvary
• Destroy the mission of the Church the Body of Christ on earth so that it is unable to manifest His exalted Person and nature to those who are under the grip of Satan. Ultimately, the enemy delights to hinder the capacity of the Church to be the harbinger of the eternal state of the Kingdom of God.

Thank God that John 10:10 has two parts. While much emphasis has always been laid on part a, the real deal is on part b! What this means, when translated to the issue of the Church of Jesus Christ are these:
• Jesus came to give life to His Church.
• The life of Jesus in His Church is to be abundant – so real and tangible in every respect that people will know that it is a divine institution anywhere and everywhere they encounter the saints. This is of extreme import in the end times when heaven is decorating the Church anew for the ultimate marriage supper of all time. As Ephesians 5: 27 says, Jesus will decorate His Church to be radiant and dazzling before He returns.
Today, as we begin this epic exploration into the Word to mine out, by the Spirit, what it has to say about Ministry in the Market Place and download what Jesus is saying to His Church in this last generation, let us bear the afore-mentioned principles in mind.