I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).
To be a good leader, a successful leader, you have to be well trained. And training isn’t just a onetime thing; it’s a continuous exercise, and the aim of every training is to attain mastery or perfection. Some people believe that as long as they’re in the earth, they’ll just keep learning, without attaining mastery. That’s not what the Word teaches.
The Bible talks about people who are ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:7). That’s not a recommendation. There’s a place of mastery that every Christian should desire to attain. There’re certain things you must perfect before God can permit you to move to higher things in the spirit-realm. And that’s why you have to be trained in the Word.
In Ephesians 4:11-12, the Apostle Paul lists for us the purpose of the fivefold ministry gifts, which the Lord Jesus gave to the Church; it’s for the training or “perfecting” of the saints. It’s so we can attain mastery: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints….”
Don’t live a life that’s always on “a journey,” in pursuit of the same things, on the same level for years. There’re certain things that you should perfect, and when you do, move to the next level; move to something higher. Success is measured at different levels. As you’re being trained, you can tell whether or not you’re successful by the results you produce on the basis of your current level of training.
The more yielded you are to the Holy Spirit and the Training For Mastery Word of God, the faster the process of your training, and the sooner you attain mastery at that level and area of training.
PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for the ministry gifts to the body of Christ, that the Church may be
taught, trained, perfected and energized for the work of the ministry. I take advantage of the
Word and the blessings of the Spirit, through which I’m trained for a continuous life of victory, success, promotion and greatness, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).
It’s the responsibility of parents to train up their kids in the way of the Lord. That’s what the Word says: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old,
he will not depart from it.”
Some parents would say, “We try not to impose anything on our children; we just let them make their decisions themselves.” What an error! The Bible says, “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15). Children aren’t allowed to make their own decisions; they need to be trained and guided. Parents have a responsibility to know through the Spirit of God, what their children should be, and raise them in that direction.
Some parents act as though God said, “Leave the children to me, and I’ll determine how they’ll grow up”; He didn’t say that. Rather, He said parents should train up the child in the way he should go. If you already have children, let the Holy Spirit guide you in bringing them up in righteousness. Keep training them in the Word. Even when it looks as though they’re not imbibing the culture of the Word, keep at it, and don’t despair. Give some time; the results of
the training will be evident. Soon enough, they’ll come into the right place, and be all that God destined for them to be.
PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you, for your Word has in it, the ability to make me what it talks about, and Train Them With The Word produce in me, and in those you’ve placed in my care, an unalloyed commitment to you. We’re yielded to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and to the guidance, and tutelage of the Spirit, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest , he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his (Hebrews 4:9-10).
Notice the underlined phrase above: “For he that is entered into his rest….” That rest, is the rest in Christ; it’s much more than the rest for the physical body. It’s rest for your soul, where you don’t struggle or toil for anything whatsoever. As a new creation, everything required for your success, prosperity, victory, health and greatness has been made available in Christ. So, you don’t have to struggle in life anymore, for you’ve entered God’s rest.
There’re many who haven’t realized this truth, and therefore, can’t walk in the vantage position of rest. In their jobs, businesses, projects, or even their evangelical responsibilities, they labour, toil, and struggle. But Christ is our rest. Our struggling doesn’t please God. That’s why the Holy Spirit was sent to help us. John 14:16 (AMP) says, “And
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever.” He’s here today, and now;
He’s your Helper.
We’re living in the day of rest, ruling, and reigning with the King, seated together with Him in heavenly places: “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). Notice that scripture doesn’t say “We’ve been made to stand together in heavenly places,” no! We’re seated with Him; and that’s not the position of hardship, struggle, or labour; it’s a position of Success Without Struggle rest. The work has been done in Christ Jesus; now He says,“Enjoy all things. Live in my rest, for all things are yours.”
Even your evangelical work shouldn’t be a struggle. Recognize this truth, and with that consciousness, preach and teach the Word; the power of the Spirit will be in it and convict or stir your hearers. It’s part of your blessing as the seed of Abraham, to excel and make progress in life, from glory to glory, without struggling.
CONFESSION
I’m a new creation in Christ, the seed of Abraham, and an heir according to the promise. I live
perpetually in the rest of God, for Christ is my Sabbath. Now and always, I walk in His glory, for I’ve been ordained to excel, win, and make progress from glory to glory, without struggles or anxieties. Blessed be God!
I’ll make up for the years of the locust, the great locust devastation—Locusts savage, locusts deadly, fierce locusts, locusts of doom…. (Joel 2:25 MSG).
If you ever find yourself in a quagmire, or in some unpleasant situation, don’t fret or think that you’re helpless. Don’t say, “This is my worst time in life!” Christ lives in you, and that’s what matters. He’s the restorer of wasted years, time, resources, money, energy, etc. He’ll make up for lost time. No human being or government may ever be able to give back to you what you’ve lost, but God can! He’s the God that “quickens the dead,” that is, gives life to the dead. He can bring back everything, and more! He can restore peace and order back to your life; you need not fret or be dismayed. Mark 4:37-41 tells a story of how the disciples set their sail, and the winds became boisterous and waves billowed into the boat to sink it. They were really in a fix. But Jesus was at the back of the boat, sleeping. Startled at the ravaging storms and the billowing waves, the disciples woke Him up and said, “Master, don’t you care that we perish?”
Jesus woke up and gave the word, “Peace, be still,” and there was a great calm. It made no difference how strong the tempest was; what mattered was that the Master was in their boat. Same way, Christ is in you today, and by His Spirit, He’ll cause you to be triumphant and laugh your way through life.
Stick to the Word; even when you think time isn’t in your favour to accomplish certain things, don’t push the panic button! Keep your composure; the God who lives in you is the owner of time. He can restore wasted years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds, and even wasted moments. He can move you a hundred paces forward, far ahead of your competitors, detractors and adversaries. Halleluiah!
Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name (Psalm 86:11).
Do you believe in the efficacy of your prayers? Or do you always look for someone to help you pray? The Bible says, “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). He’s telling you that the prayer of a righteous man works! It produces results. When you pray, never think it’s not working. As long as you’re born again, it’s wrong to think you’re not qualified to receive answers to your prayers! Your prayer works. God wants you to know this.
One of the challenges that many have with prayer is the lack of focus. When you pray, you must have focus. We read in our opening verse, “…unite my heart to fear thy name.” The New International Version puts it this way: “…give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” It’s talking about an undivided heart. So, in prayer, focus your attention on the Lord, and be conscious of what you’re praying about.
There’re lots of Christians who pray about so many things, and a moment later, don’t remember what they prayed about. They say so many things to God, and even when God answers, they don’t know, because they never take record of what they say to God; they don’t pray with focus or a clear direction.
Maintain a diary of prayer! The things you’re concerned about that you’d like to pray about, write them down in a diary, and have scheduled times when you pray about those things. Then as you pray, receive. Believe in your prayer; believe that you’re making an impact; for God is always willing to grant you your heart’s desire: “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24).
For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts (Malachi 2:7).
In Christ, we’ve been made kings and priests unto God (Revelation 1:6). Thus, we have a ministry in Christ as king-priests of God. The priest’s tongue should keep knowledge. That means your lips should flow with the knowledge of God, to teach others the ways and life of Christ.The Living Bible Translation renders the latter part of our opening verse thus: “The priests are the messengers of the Lord Almighty, and men should come to them for guidance.”
1 Peter 4:11 says, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” If anyone wants to know something about God, they should come to you. They should find the Word of God and the knowledge of the Lord in your mouth. You should be a custodian of divine knowledge and of kingdom information.
The Bible says God spreads the beautiful and pleasant fragrance of His knowledge through us, in every place: “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14). It’s our ministry, calling, and responsibility to make the Word known to the world. So, keep teaching the Word.Jesus sent us to the whole world, to make pupils of the nations, to teach them everything about the God-life (Matthew 28:18-20). Go into the malls, the shops, the
marketplaces, your neighbourhood, estate, place of work; everywhere, and teach the people how to live for God.
PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for making me the bearer of your divine message; a minister of
reconciliation. I take the message of Christ’s salvation to my world, making known the mysteries of your glorious kingdom, touching lives, and bringing the oppressed out of bondage and darkness into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
