THE CHURCH ON FIRE FOR GOD
Matthew 16:18 (KJV)
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
The first thing we need to do is ask ourselves this question: What is Church?
There are a lot of mis-definitions and misinterpretation of what the church is all about. And failure to get the real picture of what the church of God is all about is the reason why a lot of Christians keep on failing.
This is the topic the Holy Ghost laid mightily in my heart. I don’t even know what the Holy Ghost has to say. But I believe He has something to tell you and I.
When we look at the time that we are we discover that there are a lot of tragedies that are happening in the christendom. Spiritual blindness is increasing on a daily basis. People that professed godliness without real power of godliness in them are increasing. We are living in a time of powerlessness while the powers of darkness are taking over everywhere.
When I checked my Bible I was given the revelation of what the church is all about. And I have come to understand that God is looking for a real church.
Of course, we have many assemblies and denominations; buildings all around us that before you move from one place to another, you will see a church; before you move from one street to another you will see a church.
In fact, some people believe that establishing a church is now another business in our generation. They now consider the church as another means of raising funds and enriching themselves. And because of that a lot of people don’t view the church of God the way God viewed it.
We may have a lot of buildings around us and they all claim to be the church of God. But I want to tell you today that there is only one thing that identifies a true church of God. And that is the PRESENCE of God within that building. It is the fire of the Holy Ghost in that building.
It is not the building that carries the fire nor the chairs but the lives within that building that are meant to carry fire.
Why?
God expects the church to be on fire because we are living in the evil days. We are living in days whereby a pastor can be so blind to the extent of choosing a second in rank to the queen of the coast as a choir mistress.
We are living in days that spiritual blindness is the order of the day. And everyone claims to be going to a true church of God. But before God; Angels of God and the council of God there is only one thing that identifies a true church of God. And that is the presence of God – the glory of God; the fire of the Holy Ghost burning in that church.
When we look at the church in the New Testament in this dispensation we discover that there is something so special and supernatural that is beyond the reasoning of man. What is that thing?
The Bible says,
John 1:1 (KJV)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
And by this word was the world created.
John 1:10 (KJV)
“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”
The word came to the world. Which means that Jesus Christ – God in the flesh, came into this world in order to lay down the foundation of the church.
And this is why if we examine the life of Christ and look at the doctrines of the apostles, we will discover that as long as they moved on in the teachings of Christ; as long as they don’t deviate from the foundation that Christ has laid down; as long as they refuse to be distracted and hold onto the gospel that Christ handed over to them, God was moving in their midst.
The power of the God of Elijag was evident in their midst. It was never said in the days of the apostles: “Is the God of Elijah still alive?”
It is only said in our days because people are deviating from the pathway that Christ has shown us. And that’s why the Lord is saying that there is something we need to understand. The church is not just gathering together; dancing and singing and making noise. It is more than that.
The true church of God is known to be a place where the Spirit of God is welcomed;
Where the glory of God overshadow;
Where the Holy Spirit is the One in charge;
Where the power of God is evident;
And where the holiness of life is real.
That is the true church of God.
Matthew 16:18 (KJV)
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
I know we have read that place several times but I want us to read it in the spirit.
So many of you mistake something in that passage.
When I check my Bible I discover that the Rock the Lord was talking about was Himself. Jesus Christ is the ROCK OF AGES.
And Jesus also mentioned: “the gate of hell.”
There are revelations we need to understand. We are living at a time that the church is under demonic attacks. If your spiritual sight is open you will have a clear vision and understanding of what I am saying.
The Bible says there, “And the gate of hell shall not prevail against it.”
There was this church that started well. This church was known to carry the power of God. It was known to be a place where you can feel God. You can’t go there and your life will remain the same. And the God of power was moving. This church was disturbing the kingdom of darkness.
A lot of us do not know that it is not the building that is a threat to the kingdom of darkness. If we all choose to live a holy life and we begin to put the word of God we are hearing into practice, the kingdom of darkness is in trouble at that very moment.
But most of us are just going to church as just a nominal thing. We no longer see the church of God as a place of our encounter with God.
This church was threatening the kingdom of darkness. And you know when they are praying like this, none of m the witches in that community can go to meetings. And they were thinking, “How can we bring down this church?”
When they say that, they are talking
about the people in the church. Are you getting my point? It is never the building.
They wanted to bring down the church. But how?
Then an agent decided to join them and pretended as a holy sister.
The kingdom of darkness can be so patient when they want to carry out an evil operation. The target was this: “This church is disturbing us and we must close it down. We have to send a spy that will go and see and carry out some operations.”
So, this agent joined the church and started fellowshipping with them, pretending to be a holy sister – full of anointing and power.
One day, she accused somebody there that is very close to the pastor. She accused him of infidelity. She said that the person next to the pastor raped her. We must be very careful.
And the pastor was like, “What? Assistant pastor!” With anger the pastor called a meeting.
“There is a sister here now that just told me that the assistant pastor raped her.”
People said that was impossible.
Do you know what happened? In that church there has been agreement, unity and love. The enemy cannot bring them down until when they turn their back against themselves. One of the reasons the church was on fire was because of their agreement.
No wonder Paul the apostle said;
1 Corinthians 1:10 (KJV)
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
And that is wine of the secret of that church. But these witches wanted to close it down. And a fight broke out.
Some said, “No he cannot do that.”
Others said, “We are all human beings.”
“No it’s a lie. Let’s go and pray about it. Let’s find out the truth if he really did it.”
And there was confusion.
And the pastor didn’t want to listen to anybody. In a Sunday programme he was the one to do the announcement and he ignorantly announced, “I’m sad to announce to you that my own assistant raoed a sister in this church.”
And people were like, “Ah ahn, we know this pastor. He can’t do such a thing. Is that true.”
The assistant pastor was questioned and he said, “I didn’t do anything. I don’t know anything about this.” I’m not even close to this sister. Where and how did it happen?”
But the sister feigned tears, “It’s a lie. You’re lying o. You’re lying. You did it.”
And there was confusion and argument. No more unity and love. The church parted into two – some were supporting the assistant pastor and the others were supporting the pastor and the sister.
And immediately the move of God stopped. God was no longer moving. The services became so dry and the chairs gradually became so empty. People began to leave the church one by one. The pastor became so bothered; “What is happening? This is not the church we started.”
He went into prayer and God said, “There is an Achan among you.”
I pray that any Achan that is stopping the move of God the fire of the Holy Ghost shall expose them by fire.
And God told him, “Go into seven days fasting and prayer, then organize a vigil in the church. The Achan shall be exposed.”
In the kingdom of darkness, they already knew that something was about to happen. They have warned this sister not to go to the vigil but through the power of the prayer of the pastor, a strong power still brought her there.
Even though she was equipped with power, as they were praying and singing;
“Dagon fell before the Ark of God…”
And the dagon in their midst fell down. She began to confess that the assistant pastor didn’t do anything and how she was sent. And the power of God arrested her.
I pray in the name that is above every other name that every power assigned against your spiritual fire, that power shall die in the name of Jesus.
What am I trying to say?
The pastor realised himself and repented. He did his restitution and apologised. The church came back together and the move of God continued.
This is my point. God expects every church to be a threat to darkness in that environment. If a church is established somewhere and darkness is still in charge of that environment something must be wrong.
The Bible says, “Upon this Rock I will build my church.” And this Rock is Christ Himself.
If the church is built on Christ who is the Rock of Ages, the gate of hell dare not rise up against it.
The Bible said, “…and the gate of hell shall not prevail.”
Unfortunately the gate of hell has prevailed against many churches in this endtime simply because the church wants to be like the world. And we have forgotten that the world is an enemy of God. The church and the world has nothing to do with each other.
We are living at a time where they make sure the music of the church, dances, dressings and programmes meets the taste of the world. And we do not know that those things that excites the flesh – that makes us to be jumping and acting as if we are feeling the presence of God is a grief to the Spirit of God.
The Bible says,
Ephesians 4:30 (KJV)
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
But the moment we grieve the Holy Spirit, He will stop working in our church.
I will tell us ten (10) things that we need to know about the church that is on fire for God.
10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CHURCH THAT IS ON FIRE FOR GOD
The church that is on fire for God are;
1.GUIDED & RULED BY THE WORD OF GOD .
Our church cannot be burning for God if we take the word of God aside and the teachings of Christ sif they are not essential, relevant and important.
A church that will be on fire for God must return to the word of God. The word of God must be what should be guiding and leading. Anything that will be done; any programme that will be organized, the church must make sure it doesn’t go against the word of God.
Once it goes against the word of God, it goes against God Himself.
The Bible says;
Romans 8:31 (KJV)
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
What about if God is against us what will happen?
Once we are against God’s word, we are against God Himself.
Lay your right hand on your chest and shout this loud and clear:- power attacking my heart from keeping the word of God, catch fire.
Listen carefully; the world is no longer moved by the themes of our programmes nor by the names we give our ministries. People are even changing the name of their ministry now.
You will see “Fire Ministry” “ThunderBolt” “Sharp Sharp”.
They are changing it thinking that by doing that people will be attracted.
People are not moved by that. They are looking for God. They don’t just want to hear God in words, they want to see Him in the act.
And the moment the word of God becomes the pillar that holds our churches, Jesus Christ must surely come and work. He must surely come down to glorify Himself.
I took time to read the entire book of Acts and I discovered something there. A lot of things are missing in our churches today. And sometimes it’s like my heart wants to burst. The church is yet to get the revelation that something is missing in their midst. And as long as that thing is missing the gate of hell will keep on prevailing.
Of course generally, no matter what the world becomes we will still have a true church. God will still have His own remnant. He will still have people who are standing for Him just like those days of Elijah. Elijah ran away and was crying telling the Lord that he is the only one left.
But God told him He still has seven thousand people that have not bowed. So, God will still have His remnant. The Bible says, “The gate of hell shall not prevail.”
Generally, no matter what happens the church will still be here. But after the rapture the true church shall be raptured. And the church that will be raptured is not the building but the people in that building. It is the people that are rapturable in that building are the true church.
2. REGULARLY OBEDIENT TO THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The flesh is not what is leading them. They allow the Spirit of God to lead them. Anywhere the Spirit of God is the One leading and we allow the leading of the Spirit of God, the power of God must be evident.
Anytime the Holy Ghost leads it is simply because He wants to carry out an operation. But most of the time many people think if people don’t fall in a programme and scatter chairs, the Lord has not moved.
There are many things God does in our life during a programme that we cannot see with our eyes. We just pray and pray.
We did a prayer one day and after the prayer we went to sleep and I saw something I have never seen in my life. It was as if we were still in the same vigil and we were singing a revival song: “Holy Ghost fire! Holy Ghost fire! Holy Ghost fire!”
Most of the time we think we are just singing. But we don’t know that there are things going on in the spirit. Do you understand me?
We don’t just sing to warm ourselves. Something is actually taking place spiritually.
As we were singing that song, I was clapping. Suddenly, somebody there was vomiting a snake. But when we did the prayer physically the person didn’t vomit any snake. God gave us the revelation of what took place in the life of that person during the prayer.
This is my point: anywhere the leading of the Holy Ghost is allowed, the Presence of the Holy Ghost must be evident there.
The life of the church that will be on fire of God must be made up of regular obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
3. WILL NEVER WELCOME THE WORLD FOR ANY REASON
The Bible says that the world is any enemy of God. And God will never want Hus church to have anything to do with the world. The moment the world takes over, we put an end to the move of God. And sometimes, a counterfeit spirit may be moving and we will think that it is God that is moving.
The reason why the fire of God doesn’t last in your life as a person is because you always consider the invitation of the world and treat them nicely. You can’t embrace the world and still carry God’s fire. The world is just like a dust and your life is a fire. Once you embrace the world, it kills that fire.
There is a fire of God burning on the altar of the church.
There was a particular church. A brother slept on the altar of the church and short demons came there to meet him.
Have you seen them before? They are demons behind death that kill people during sleep. They don’t need to sit on you. Once they just put their leg beside you, you can’t lift your body. Even calling the name of Jesus will be very difficult. Have you experienced that before?
If they come again they will catch fire. They are the demons behind untimely death.
I have shared this experience before. I was alone at home one afternoon sleeping and no one was at home. I felt that something sat on me and I couldn’t call the name of Jesus. I was just saying, “Jee… Jee…”
So I woke up. As I opened my eyes and stretched my hand I was touching something and I couldn’t see what I was touching. I just shouted Jesus and pushed it and ran out even though u was not seeing it.
And God decided to open my eyes one night to see them. They are very short and they carry leather bags. I don’t know what is there, many arrows or seeds. And that is what they sow into the lives of people when they are sleeping.
That is why sometimes you just wake up and you don’t know where that severe pain you are feeling is coming from. Nothing happened to you before you slept but when you woke up you discovered that you were so heavy.
When I saw them they were very short but they looked so old and rugged with a leather bag.
Things happen in the spirit. May the Lord open your eyes. May the fire of God enter your eyes.
Back to the story. The brother slept on the altar of that church and those short demons had the boldness to claim the altar and were matching him there. The brother was unable to lift his hands. He was just looking. Those demons are very terrible that you can’t even touch the person beside you.
I don’t know who you are. I pray that demons that always attack you whenever you are sleeping plant the seeds of sickness and pain; plant the seed of infirmity, because you are here today I command your body to turn to fire.
In the time that we are, you don’t even need to go and meet the world. The world is now the ones coming to you. You are the one to say, “No! I am a true child of God and I refuse to embrace you.”
Anyone that embraces the world, embraces spiritual death. The moment you embrace the world there is something in your life that dies. And that thing is called the fire of God.
The church that will be on fire for God must not embrace the world.
A programme was being held somewhere and the person that was beating the talking drum was beating, “Omo Mushin Olosha.”
Now tell me, when someone is beating something like that can the song they are singing invite the Spirit of God?
When you are beating worldly things in the church can they the Spirit of God to stay?
The founder of CAC was strictly against talking drums but today they are masters in the use of talking drums. And the reason is that most of the people beating it are not born again so what they are beating always grieves the Holy Spirit of God.
Using drums is not a sin. It is the people in charge that determine that.
We are not to embrace the world for any reason.
4. THERE IS ALWAYS LOVE AND KINDNESS
Love is becoming a missing word in many assemblies. Many church assemblies are now becoming, “Mind your business assembly.”
You just go to church on Sunday and after sharing ‘the grace’ carry your bag and leave. In the Bible it was never like that.
3. WILL NEVER WELCOME THE WORLD FOR ANY REASON
The Bible says that the world is any enemy of God. And God will never want Hus church to have anything to do with the world. The moment the world takes over, we put an end to the move of God. And sometimes, a counterfeit spirit may be moving and we will think that it is God that is moving.
The reason why the fire of God doesn’t last in your life as a person is because you always consider the invitation of the world and treat them nicely. You can’t embrace the world and still carry God’s fire. The world is just like a dust and your life is a fire. Once you embrace the world, it kills that fire.
There is a fire of God burning on the altar of the church.
There was a particular church. A brother slept on the altar of the church and short demons came there to meet him.
Have you seen them before? They are demons behind death that kill people during sleep. They don’t need to sit on you. Once they just put their leg beside you, you can’t lift your body. Even calling the name of Jesus will be very difficult. Have you experienced that before?
If they come again they will catch fire. They are the demons behind untimely death.
I have shared this experience before. I was alone at home one afternoon sleeping and no one was at home. I felt that something sat on me and I couldn’t call the name of Jesus. I was just saying, “Jee… Jee…”
So I woke up. As I opened my eyes and stretched my hand I was touching something and I couldn’t see what I was touching. I just shouted Jesus and pushed it and ran out even though u was not seeing it.
And God decided to open my eyes one night to see them. They are very short and they carry leather bags. I don’t know what is there, many arrows or seeds. And that is what they sow into the lives of people when they are sleeping.
That is why sometimes you just wake up and you don’t know where that severe pain you are feeling is coming from. Nothing happened to you before you slept but when you woke up you discovered that you were so heavy.
When I saw them they were very short but they looked so old and rugged with a leather bag.
Things happen in the spirit. May the Lord open your eyes. May the fire of God enter your eyes.
Back to the story. The brother slept on the altar of that church and those short demons had the boldness to claim the altar and were matching him there. The brother was unable to lift his hands. He was just looking. Those demons are very terrible that you can’t even touch the person beside you.
I don’t know who you are. I pray that demons that always attack you whenever you are sleeping plant the seeds of sickness and pain; plant the seed of infirmity, because you are here today I command your body to turn to fire.
In the time that we are, you don’t even need to go and meet the world. The world is now the ones coming to you. You are the one to say, “No! I am a true child of God and I refuse to embrace you.”
Anyone that embraces the world, embraces spiritual death. The moment you embrace the world there is something in your life that dies. And that thing is called the fire of God.
The church that will be on fire for God must not embrace the world.
A programme was being held somewhere and the person that was beating the talking drum was beating, “Omo Mushin Olosha.”
Now tell me, when someone is beating something like that can the song they are singing invite the Spirit of God?
When you are beating worldly things in the church can they the Spirit of God to stay?
The founder of CAC was strictly against talking drums but today they are masters in the use of talking drums. And the reason is that most of the people beating it are not born again so what they are beating always grieves the Holy Spirit of God.
Using drums is not a sin. It is the people in charge that determine that.
We are not to embrace the world for any reason.
4. THERE IS ALWAYS LOVE AND KINDNESS
Love is becoming a missing word in many assemblies. Many church assemblies are now becoming, “Mind your business assembly.”
You just go to church on Sunday and after sharing ‘the grace’ carry your bag and leave. In the Bible it was never like that.
The Bible talks about something. And that is called “FELLOWSHIP.”
There was fellowship in the church. People talk; they interact with each other. And when I read the book of Acts chapter 2 from verse 14 I discovered something there.
The Bible made me understand that they were in one accord; they shared things together; they ate together and there was no disunity.
If there was any disagreement they settled it with wisdom.
Love. What is the meaning of love? It means caring. It means assisting your brother/sister; treating them the way you will treat yourself. And that is becoming a missing word in many assemblies.
In so many assemblies today, there may be somebody there that stands for the truth and such a person will be persecuted to the core. When somebody appears to have the power of God in his life they will begin to attack and oppose the person because of jealousy and envy.
If we want our church to be on fire for God, love and kindness must be there.
5. IT MUST BE A PLACE OF PRAYER
There are some assemblies that do vigil once in a year and if you go there that once in a year you will regret you went there. You know why?
It is so cold and sluggish.
“Praise the Lord. We are going to pray. Say it well with my soul.”
Everything is just like an ice block. And you know what the people used to do when they are praying? They will hold the chair in front of them. They don’t even know the prayer point that was called.
And the next person that will come to lead the prayer will say, “Why are you sleeping? You don’t need to sleep. Stand up! Stand up!”
He will then say, “We want to sing this song. I am running the race to meet my Redeemer.”
His own will be worse than the former minister.
He will then say, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Ahhh, you will pray! You will pray! You will pray! Oh.. oh.. te your neighbour…” And the time is going. He doesn’t even know the prayer point to pray. He is carnal and not walking by the Spirit. He is just looking at the time. They have given him 15mins to use. And the Spirit of God is not there and he can’t leave there before the 15mins is over. He will just be passing time.
If they announce the vigil for the following year would you go if you were there? You won’t go.
Some churches will even say “Oh God, you this people I don’t know what is wrong with your brain. Jesus has bound the devil for us; you don’t need to cast him out again. Don’t say anything to the devil. Just leave him there with his problem.”
Well done, in Africa you want to leave the devil alone?
They say, “You don’t need to pray aggressively.”
When you shout ‘My Father’ they will just look at you in the church as if saying, “What’s wrong with this one? You don’t need to shout. Just tell the devil to get out.”
These people are seriously against aggressiveness in prayer.
They say, “You don’t need to shout fire. That is a waste of time.” And most of them are seriously going through spiritual torment and attack. And they keep on pampering it.
If they tell the pastor, “Sir, last night something came and grabbed my head. It almost killed me but thank God I survived. Sir what should I do?”
And the pastor will say, “My sister you don’t need to be afraid. It is well. Just go.”
Is that the answer to such a problem?
And many are dying. I’m telling you. That is because they think that prayer is not that important. They say that Jesus has fasted forty days and forty nights for us.
I have a book that a sister sent to me. The man said, “Why do you need to shout? You don’t need to shout while praying. You don’t need to be binding and loosing.”
And I was surprised that somebody can write such a high book like that; loaded with a lot of content against spiritual warfare.
Where there is no prayer, there is no fire.
You may be preaching the word but without prayer how can you be able to put the word of God into practice?
We use prayer to activate the word we are hearing.
Somebody told me of their church. He said, “Sir, if you come to my church, if care is not taken you can even sleep on the altar.”
I said, “That is a lie. How will I stand on the altar looking at people and I will sleep? For what?”
He said, “Sir, I don’t need to argue with you. Just come to my church.”
Hmmm,, I have seen a lot of churches but this one is number one.
We went to the church after finishing a ministration somewhere. So I was invited to come and take over. And after preaching for a few mins, it was as if somebody was putting a kind of injection into my body there on the pulpit.
And the response of the people was so cold and dull. You will speak with strength and vigour, they will respond with sluggishness.
I just used my Initiative to round up my ministration. And I handed over the microphone to the brother and said, “It is true. If one is not careful one can sleep there.”
They believe they don’t need prayer and shout. And any church prayer is lacking, go and check the lives of the people in that church, they will have one strange power that will be dealing with them seriously.
I am talking out of experience. There are some assemblies that once they notice that you are praying seriously, the witch there that the prayerlessness of that church has allowed will kill your own prayer life if you are not strong. And after two sundays, you can hardly open your mouth and pray on the third sunday. You will just be yawning and yawning.
Shout this prayer: Power that hates seeing me on fire, DIE!!
There are powers that hate seeing you on fire. You are not aware. When you become a prayer champion, they know and they want to kill that fire. Command them to be arrested by fire.
6. A HOLY ASSEMBLY
This is very important. You know why? It is because without it there is nothing we can do ourselves as a church.
Holiness attracts God’s presence.
Purity attracts power.
We have mentioned five before this. If we say there is holiness but then there is no prayer, there will be powerlessness in that church.
Hold your head and shout this prayer: My head hears the voice of the Lord. Reject the voice of enchantment.
I pray for that family in the name that is above every other name; every enchantment assigned against your head, I command it to backfire in the name of Jesus.
Where there is holiness and prayer, there must surely be power and manifestation.
Holiness – prayer = holiness – power
I have seen Holy people that witchcraft frustrated to the core.
A sister did an operation and the wound refused to heal. They kept on going to the hospital and treating it over and over. The more they treated the wound the more it expanded. This sister is a Holy sister. The pastor kept on telling her, “It is well. It is well.” And this sister needed aggressive prayer.” But they kept telling her, “It is well. It is well.” And she is dying.
She ran to deliverance ground and she prayed and that wound on her leg closed before she left that place.
If she didn’t pray, they would cut her leg and the thing they would say is, “Don’t worry. It is the will of God. “
What is the will of God?
Something that is making me lament in our days is that many holy people allow tragedy in their life and they say God is the One that allowed it.
Where is our power of defence?
The Bible says that we should stand against the wiles of the devil.
The devil wants to destroy your life; he wants to scatter your marriage and you’re saying, “It is well. It is well.” And you too are saying that instead of you to pray seriously against that demon that wants to scatter your life.
Holiness does not mean that you should be comfortable with the hands of the devil as he is pinching you. You’re just saying, “It is well. I am going to heaven.” And the devil is pinching you; pinching your children and husband and all your saying is that?
Which heaven are you going?
May the Lord wake us up in Jesus name.
Holiness must become our lifestyle if the church is going to carry fire.
7. THEY ARE NOT THE BROTHERS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT
This is what Jesus told me. He said, “Do not become the brother of Judas Iscariot.” And unmasked the Lord, “Who Are the brothers of Judas Iscariot?”
He said, “They are those that deny my name because of gifts. Those that choose to sleep with the manager because of their job. Those that accept to change their age because of gain. Those that change documents because of profits. They are the brothers of Judas Iscariot. Such ones cannot carry my fire.
They may dine on the same table with me but are not qualified to carry my fire.”
Don’t be the brothers or sisters of Judas Iscariot. I believe it’s very clear to you.
8. THEY ARE NOT SELF-CENTRED
I pray that every selfishness in us will die. I will explain what selfishness is.
It is having the original and keeping it to yourself, not allowing others to discover it. When you know that they need it you keep it to yourself as if you are saying, “I am the only one going to heaven o. Let me just be going my own.”
You know the truth but how many people have you influenced with that truth? How many people have you touched with the truth that you have known.
The Lord showed me a revelation and He said, “Do you know the reason why I allowed persecution in the early church? It is because they kept themselves in one place. This is why I raised up Saul of Tarsus to scatter them.”
And the Bible says;
Acts 8:4 (KJV)
“Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”
They just gathered themselves one place before and God was like, “This truth is too good to be confined to one place. It must spread.”
It’s just like the incident that took place in the book of Genesis chapter 11 – the tower of Babel. God wanted men to spread to the entire world but they just stayed in one place. And the apostles wanted to repeat that history again.
They have the truth; the word of life; the Holy Ghost and power; anointing and just stayed under one building and said that they are sharing bread; praying together; preaching and preaching among themselves. And Jesus said, “I didn’t die for the church to be under one building.” And He raised up a man like Saul of Tarsus and they scattered to different places.
And everywhere they went the Bible says they preached the gospel. And anywhere they preached the gospel, the truth reached that zone. The truth would not have reached every zone if they just confined it to one place.
In that environment you are living, how many people have heard the gospel of truth in your mouth. May the Holy Ghost revive us in Jesus name.
Some churches say, “In our church we marry here and give birth here. The truth is only in this church. We are the one going to heaven. We are the one that know the truth.”
Somebody told me he went to a church to preach and his pastor asked him, “Why do you go there to preach?”
He went there to preach the truth and the pastor put him under discipline just because he went there to preach. Can you see that?
There is this demon of denomination that has bound the truth and some assemblies believe that they are the only one that have the truth and it’s not meant for others.
Invitation will come, “Come and tell us the truth.” And the pastor will tell them, “Don’t go.”
9. MUST AVOID PARTIALITY
This is very important.
It is that partiality that caused a fight between two pastors. We went to a village to preach the gospel but I didn’t know that evangelism would turn to something else. It was not in overcomers. This was many years ago.
We went to that village to preach the gospel. After preaching we were trying to establish a church in that village. So we will come down there to meet and plan a crusade we want to do there. So they usually cook for us. I don’t know what entered the people that were sharing food one day. They gave a pastor meat and another one fish.
To me, that shouldn’t cause any fight at all. These two pastors sat beside each other. The one with the fish looked into the plate of the one with meat and said, “What? I have fish but they gave you meat? I senior him in position and they gave me fish and him meat. For what?”
And before you know it, they were shouting at each other and there was a crowd there. They want to be separating the pastors. The pastors destroyed our efforts in that village because of meat and fish. But what caused it was partiality.
“I will treat this one well but I will not treat that one well.” That’s partiality.
The Bible says that the apostles in the early church shared things in common.
10. WE MUST SET APART TIME FOR SELF EXAMINATION
Are we still in the path God has put us?
We should never be moved by what people are saying.
“Ahhh, that church ehn…..” No.
It is what the scripture is saying about us that matters.
Are we still doing the truth?
Are we still on the path?
Are we still doing the right thing?
What is it that we were doing before and have stopped doing it that would have brought others to Christ?
2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV)
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
It is very important. Many churches reached a level whereby they say like the church in the book of Revelation, “We increase in wealth. We have gold. We have this and that.” The Lord says, “But you are wretched and naked.”
It is not the structure, cathedral and beauty of the building that matters. Of course, when crowds of people gather together hear the truth the Lord is happy. But He is not happy just with the crowd. It is not the population that attracts God’s presence. The multitude doesn’t determine the presence of God in the church. Do you understand me?
We have to regularly call ourselves to order.
Have I gone into hypocrisy?
Am I still honest?
Am i still sincere?
Do I still carry the anointing of God?
Am I still feeling the presence of God?
Do you understand me?
By doing this it will make the church to organize regular programmes in form of retreats even if it is for a day for people to be revived.
The Lord will help us in Jesus name.
