Is your Life a Gift?

Acts 4:32 the congregation of those who had believed and united in heart  and soul; and not one of them claimed anything he owned for his own use; All that they owned was held on common and in Acts 4:34,35, "Amongst them no one was in want" ... An apostolic solution for all our social problems. It forces me to ask, "What if everything I had was my gift to you?"

What will be my contribution?
How much of me can I give away?
Is that in me valuable to another?
Will my life better this world or will I be a beggar in it?

Paul

Love Made Me Do It!

The Love of God "constraineth" us (2 Cor5:14)
...in that he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves (v15).

Have you been asked why you preach?

Here Paul gives us a little insight into his passion. The word "constraineth" us means "a grip" that is irresistable. A mother might ask a son, "Whats got a hold of you!"  suggesting that you are not being yourself. Paul suggests here that the love of Christ "constraineth" him  or "compells" him (NKJV). It keeps him in a "straight" (Phil 1:23) Here he suggests he is hard pressed between two choices (in a fix) to serve the flesh of serve the spirit. One could say "hemmed in" that is, he is "held captive" bound, by a love that out-masters him. A love that casts aside self love,  and all value for self. This was the love that led Jesus to Calvary to die for all and this same love had gripped Paul where he too could "no longer live for himself but for him who died for them and rose again" (v15). Its a love which makes a man live for a cause and die for a movement. When asked why do you preach like you do. Simple declare, Love made me do it!   

Do you know the God you Worship?

A generation that knows not God!
Must a man know God before he is born again?
Can a man call on the name of God and not know who God is?

(This article appears on our google + network Apostolic Preachers)

It's an important question because if a man can call on God then later turn around and say "the trinity is God!" Is that proof that he knew not the God he called upon? We know that folks who know God embrace his name upon baptism while those who believe in the three co-equal persons as God, don't embrace the name upon baptism.

Did the apostles and the disciples know God before they called on his name in Acts? I believe they did! How can a man call on someone yet not know him? How can they know without a preacher?

Is this then, a generation of saved folks who cannot admit that they know not the God they worship! Should we not therefore humble ourselves and seek to know him. For until we know him as one, we really don't know him at all! Until we know Jesus as God we really don't know him at all.

Is this not the key reason why Christianity is in a crisis as well as in a confusion. Folks confessing the Lord, yet few knowing him by name and in person.

May I take this a step sideways. Is it possible to be saved and yet not know God? Just because one uses the name?

2. The "gospels" reveal God in the flesh.
Behold the King! Behold the servant! Behold the man! behold your God! God "unveiled" God is uncovering himself in the gospels before presenting us with salvation in his name as in Acts. This is a deliberate, Note the pattern and order or revelation.  God reveals himself to man before he shows man how to be saved! Now if we can present God in this way, the way we are given it,  we can get folks to know God by faith first then they can call on his name and be saved!

3. Can a man worship God and not know him. Yes!
Jesus said to the woman at the well "You worship what you do not know...we know what we worship" (John 4:22). Here he connected himself to the Jews and the God they worshiped. he said "we" worship. showing us the one true God. Here was an ideal opportunity to tell  them that God was a trinity if that was true, but No a thousand times no! For he declared the true God to be the one God the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

But to know God one must have a revelation of his name. This is why as preachers  we should emphasize the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord. His incarnation too. Yes emphasize! The gospel is precisely this. The death burial and resurrection of the Lord. Until one sees Jesus as God then one cannot claim to worship God in spirit or truth. Indeed a church that congregates on a Sunday yet does not know Jesus as God can never know God in person nor his power at work. There is no such thing as being saved without knowing one's God! Indeed it is the Spirit that reveals himself, "himself" as God.

Friend can you work out your salvation in fear and trembling. Then I know this God will come to you!

7 Qualities of Effective Leaders

You are a MASTER BUILDER, excellence not average is your forte

You are a TRAINER of able men. You perfect them for ministry. men who will take your place, you train them to out do you and more. They are your pearls, you polish them until they shine.

You are a CONFIDENT INCLUDER. You involve people and you invest in people. You make your circle bigger. smaller leaders are drawn only to exclusive groups of their choice, you gift however makes a bigger room and brings you before great men.

You are MOVER, always in transition. Great men are always in transition. Great men don't allow themselves to stagnate in their own comfort. You can expand yourself seven ways. Internally, financially, in your vocabulary, strategically, prophetically, doctrinally and globally. 

You are a RESTORER.  You are not scared by confrontation. Confrontation is the first step to restoration and resolution. You need things to be clear. You are unhappy with discord and rejoice always with resolution.

You are SELECTIVE.  You make friends with trusted folks. Not everyone can keep a secret. Not everyone knows how to be loyal. Not everyone can live with fire. Not everyone can carry the same dream and burden the same responsibility.  That's why you chose your friends wisely.

You are a TEAM BUILDER alone you are good but not well rounded. Well rounded leaders have a team with them. The team completes the dream. The team makes the man well rounded, complete! Ask this question who should I bring on board to help me complete me? Who should I network with to bring my dream to a higher level? Who do I need to talk to to take me up this higher mountain? Your team completes you and prepares you for the big thing, that's why you need a team!

How To Stir Things Up!

How To Stir Things up! ... (Acts 19:23)
Preach One God and his name and anger the nominal
Preach salvation in the name and anger the traditional
Preach ask Jesus into your heart and anger the pentecostal
Preach holiness and anger the carnal
Preach separation and anger the materialist
Preach this is my time and not the end time and anger the futurist
Preach anything but his gospel and anger God!

The Sister in The Tight Skirt

I visited a church the other day, the preacher mentioned the necessity of women wearing long dresses and being covered from head to toe. I noticed the nervousness of the two ladies in front of me, two of them were curvaceous. It must be hard to conceal ones curves when one has a larger physical frame. I think they were rather new to the church too. I thought its a shame that a pastor has to publicly put down down another, why not have a chat in person, if he has too. The pulpit is not a beating place and if one has to say something that's personal and critical, use wisdom, you're be more effective that way. Regarding the law, well if were going to keep one point lets keep them all and if we can't do that we are condemned by the very law we ourselves cannot keep. So friend, good preaching is not an ability to be rash and pompous but wise and Christlike. The strength is not in your shout or rebuke but in your humility and love.  A sister offended is harder to be won that a strong city. Next time you preach on winning the city, first win the sister in the tight skirt!

Don't deny the Name of Jesus at Baptism

To have power we have to have the name of Jesus. We have to be baptized "into" the name, into the fulness of the one who bears it. We receive of his fulness, when we are become one with him, through baptism.  If a man is baptized in the titles of Matthew 29:19 then he has not the revelation of the name and hence has no authority that comes with it, whereas those who take on the  name themselves acknowledge the deity who bears it.

And he COMMANDED them to be baptized in the NAME of the Lord" (Acts 10:47,48). How can a man command devils if he himself has not obeyed Christ’s command!

Look at this scripture. They were rebaptized. Why? It is because they were not baptized into the name under Johns baptism (repentance). Baptism without calling on the name of Jesus is in vain. We are baptized into Christ and only in him have we God’s authority to go into all the world and preach the gospel baptizing others in his name, casting out demons healing the sick .Only those who carry his name can preach his person and teach his way. The denial of the name at salvation therefore is a serious issue. Therefore, work it out with fear and trembling. (Acts 2:38).