My daughter came back from school that day with these words; “Daddy, I was stuck in the middle of the exam today without knowing what to write. Then, I began to pray and confess that I know it. Within minutes, I remembered what I was to write.” That testimony gladdened my heart as it was exactly what I practised and taught her.
Friend, you have a heritage of faith. The plan of God is that the faith of the fathers must become the faith of the sons. This is how we would extend the frontiers of God’s kingdom. Otherwise, we are just playing games (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 2 Timothy 1:5). There are no superstars in the kingdom; all of us are meant to be shining stars in our respective areas of life and calling (Daniel 12:3).
We must beware of celebrity ministry. We must stop clapping for pastors and apostles on the pulpit while thinking we are lesser children of God than they are (Acts 14:11-18). We must stop thinking that manifesting the divine is the exclusive reserve of some ministry gifts. We all have the capacity to manifest God on the earth (1 Peter 2:9).
The purpose of ministry is not to raise followers but to raise leaders (Ephesians 4:11-12). Pastor, until your church members can replicate what they hear on the pulpit in their own lives, you are just in performance mode, not purposeful ministry. If what you teach in Church on Sunday cannot be applied at work on Monday, you have only gathered people for entertainment, not transformation.
The best testimony a pastor can hear in Church is not that pastor prayed for me and so and so happened, but that I applied what pastor taught and I got the result that the word of God talked about. The anointing on the man of God must not replace the responsibility of the people of God in working their own faith for results in life. Both of them have their place.
Who you look at you look like. Who you follow determines what follows you (Isaiah 51:1-2, Hebrews 13:7,17). Elisha did exactly what he saw Elijah did, and he got the same result (2 Kings 2:11-15). People saw Christ’s life manifesting in the disciples that they named them Christians (Acts 4:13, 11:26). We are not Christians just because we go to church or carry big Bibles. We are Christians because we manifest Christ on the earth.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria