- MODULE ONE
- MODULE TWO
- MODULE THREE
- KINGDOM SERVICE AND CELL FELLOWSHIP
- CONQUERORS’ CULTURE
- CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
- COURTSHIP/WEDDING/MARRIAGE REGULATION
- BIRTH/COVENANT NAMING AND DEDICATION
- LONG LIFE
- CONQUERORS VISION STATEMENT
- TENETS OR DOCTRINES OF THE COMMISSION
- 1. THE WORD OF GOD
- 2. HOLY TRINITY
- 3. MAN DEPRAVED NATURE
- 4. THE SAVIOUR
- 5. REPENTANCE, JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION
- 6. THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM AND THE LORDS SUPPER
- 7. BAPTISM, GIFTS AND FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
- 8. TITHING AND OFFERINGS
- 9. SECOND COMING AND LIFE AFTER DEATH
- 10. HELL AND ETERNAL RETRIBUTION
- 11. DIVINE HEALING
- 12. SIGNS AND WONDERS
- 13. THE CHURCH
- SCHOOL OF MINISTRY
- SCHEDULES
THE NEW BIRTH, HOLY GHOST AND BAPTISMS
When one becomes born-again to God by believing Jesus as Lord and Saviour, He becomes a New Creation (2 Cor 5:17, John 3:3) and thus receives the nature of God. He receives a new spirit, new heart and the Spirit of God comes to dwell in his Spirit. (Eze 36:25-27).
This individual must grow in the spirit and express the nature of God that they have received by learning his birth right. The Holy Ghost being the Spirit of Christ works into them the nature of y so that they will grow into the fullness of Christ. A full understanding of the personality and ministry of the Holy Ghost will thus guarantee an all round victory in all the spheres of life.
From Heb 5:12, the manifestation of the growth of the believer is in when he attains the state wherein he is able to teach others the oracles of God. Therefore as we sit at the feet of the Holy Ghost, we aspire to become matured so that apt to teach.
What does it mean to be born-again? John 3:5, 2 Cor 5:17
- It means to be born of the spirit; that is your spirit is active and the Holy Spirit is given to to you. Eze 36:26-27
- It also means you have a new heart of flesh that is able to keep the law of God Eze 11:19
- It means you are born of God; that is you have become engrafted into the family of God thus you share His identity. John 10:34-35, John 1:11
- It means you are born of the Word of God (water). 1 Pet 1:23 Eph 5:26
YOUR RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES AS A CHILD OF GOD
- You are a king and a priest. 1 Pet 2:9 A king to reign in the affairs of life, and a priest to minister unto God and the needs of men. Eze 45:4, Joel 2:17, 1 Pet 4:10
- You are the custodian of God’s authority and power on earth. Matt 28:18,luke 10:19
- You are the image of God and as such a god.ps 82:5-7,john10:34-35
- You are an ambassador of Christ on the earth. 2cor5:20-21, 1 John 5:4
- You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. 2 Cor 5:20-21,
- He is neither a force, energy nor wind. Rather He is a person.
- He is the third person of the Godhead. 1 John 5:7. He is of the same kind as God the Father and the Son. John 14:16
- He is the Spirit version of Christ. 1 Pet 1:11 Thus He brings to us all the realities in Christ. Jn 16:12-16
- He loves to fellowship with the children of God. 2 Cor 13:14. We fellowship with Him by worshipping and praying in tongues .eph5:19
- He is a speaking Spirit. Acts 13:1,john 16:13
- He is a guiding Spirit.john16:13
- He is a showing spirit. John16:13
- He can be grieved. Eph 4:30
- The Holy Spirit leads people to salvation by convicting of sin, of judgement and of righteousness. John 16:8, Acts 2:37
- He has been set as the authenticating seal for our redemption. It is His presence in us that proves we are for God.Ep h 1:13, 2 Cor 1:22
- He is our Comforter, Helper, Strengthener, Intercessor, Standby and Guide. John 14:16 (AMP), Romans 8:26-27, Romans 8 :14
- He brings the tangible presence of the Father and the Son to us. Rev 3:20
Baptism (Greek=baptizo) means to completely immerse someone into something (water). It is likened to an initiation process after which the one who has been baptised takes on the full nature of whatever he has been baptised into. Gal 3:27 It is therefore the platform on which our nature and identity is exchanged with that of Christ. Gal 2:20
From Matt 3:11, we read of two main types of baptism; water baptism and Holy Ghost baptism
This is the complete immersion of someone who believes in the name of Jesus into water. It signifies;
- The repentance of the individual from their sins and the acceptance of the salvation that comes from the death and resurrection of Jesus. Matt 3:11, Romans 6:3-5
- It is also done to give the answer of a good conscience towards God. 1 Pet 3:21
- Those who have repented of their sins and have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Mt 28:19-20
- Those who have reached the age of accountability
- Complete immersion into water;
- Dipping into the water signifies death and burial with Jesus
- Rising from the water signifies resurrection and ascension with Jesus. Rom 6:3-5
- It is done in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matt 28:19-20
This is the experience of the infilling of the Holy Spirit characterised by speaking in tongues. Acts 2:4 This signifies the endowment of the individual with the power of God and the gifts of the Spirit. Acts 1:8
- It introduces the tangible presence of the Spirit of power. He thus empowers us by filling us. Acts 1:8
- It enables effective communication with the father.
- It serves as the platform for the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit.
HOW ONE CAN BE BAPTISED IN THE HOLY GHOST
- One must be born-again in order to be baptised in the Holy Ghost.
- Also one must believe, earnestly desire and ask for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. 1 Cor 14:1 Luke 11:13
- It can also be received by the laying on of the hands of the ministers of God. Acts 19:3, 1 Tim 4:14
Note that Jesus Christ the Son of the living God is the sole baptiser in the Holy Ghost. Matt 3:11, Acts
10:44-46
THE WORD OF GOD AND PREVAILING PRAYER
The Word of God, being the revelation of God to man is the very essence of God Himself. God is essentially His Word. The life of the believer was as well initiated by the Word of God and must thus be sustained by the Word. He is the very life of the believer. The word is filled with virtues which when engaged brings tangible profiting to the believer 2tim 3:16.
To put to effective use the Word of God, the word must be engaged in prayer. When the Word is not activated in prayer it becomes head and boastful knowledge with no results to show for it. Likewise prayer without revelation in the Word is a vexation of spirit and exasperation of soul with no answer guaranteed. Therefore prayer which brings an all round victory to the believer works in tandem with the liberating Word of God.
- He is called Christ, who is the revelation of God. Rev 19:13, John 1:1
- He is the second person of the Godhead; thus the Word is God. 1John 5:7
- He is the light of the world; wherever He is absent from there is darkness and confusion. Matt 4:15-16, Gen 1:2-3, John 1:4-5
- He created the worlds and holds the world, societies, families and individual lives together. Heb 11:3, Heb 1:3
- He has neither beginning nor end. Micah 5:2, Ps 119:89
- Abundant light and life. 2 Tim 1:10, John 10:10
- Healing and health. Jer 46:11, Pro 3:8, Ps 107:20
- Riches and wealth. Ps 104:24, Pro 24:4
- Perfection. Ps 19:7, Eph 4:13, 2 Tim 3:17
- Wisdom. Psalm 104:24
- Grace. Act20:32
- Power.Rom8:16
HOW TO DRAW FROM THE VIRTUES IN THE WORD
- Reading and hearing the word. Josh 1:8, Rom 10:17
- Studying and meditation. 2 Tim 2:15, Josh 1:8
- Putting the word to practice. James 1:22-15
Prayer is a heart to heart communication between man and God. Jer 29:13 It is one of the most effective weapons the believer can deploy to ensure his success in the kingdom. Prayer is an art and must therefore be learnt in order to avoid frustrations. James 4:3
- Prayer must always be made in the spirit. Eph 6:18, John 4:24, Jer 29:13
- Prayer must be made according to scriptural guidelines and provisions. Dan 9:2-4, Heb 13:5-6
- Prayer must be made from the heart.jer29:13
- Prayer is a confession, so speak what you want to see. Num 14:28,
- Only prayers made in the name (authority and character) of Jesus are guaranteed answers in heaven. John 16:23-27
- Prayers must be made in faith to have the desired answer. Heb 11:6, Mark 9:23, James 1:6-8
HINDRANCES TO EFFECTIVE STUDY OF THE WORD AND PRAYER
- Slothfulness/Laziness – Pro 24:33-34, Pro 20:4
- Pride – Luke 18:10-14, 2 Cor 10:12
- Unbelief – James 1:6-8
- Sin – Ps 66:8
- Asking wrongly – James 4:3
KINGDOM SERVICE AND CELL FELLOWSHIP
When one is born-again he is taught to understand and realised his inheritance that he has in God. This inheritance culminates in divine health, favour, riches and wealth as well as total redemption and the right to become the sons of God. Gal 3:29 With the abundance of revelation, we come to understand that God also has an inheritance in the saints and that we must avail ourselves for God to harness that which He has put within us. Eph 1:18. This inheritance in us is thus realised when we give ourselves to work in the kingdom. As labourers together with God, it is out of that labour that the grace needed for accomplishment is released. 1 Cor 3:8-10
WHY ARE WE CALLED PRIESTS? Exo 19:6
- To labour with God in the building of His house. 1 Cor 3:8-10, Heb 3:4-5, 2 Cor 5:18-19
- To intercede for the people. Joel 2:17
- To aid in the distribution of meat in the kingdom. Luke 12:42, 1 Pet 4:9-11
- He must be sanctified and holy Exo 19:22, 2 Cor 7:1,
- He must keep the knowledge of God. Mal 2:7,
- He must be blameless and beyond reproach. 1 Tim 3:2-4, Titus 1:5-9
- Harvest of souls. Luke 10:1-2, 2 Cor 5:18-19
- Intercession Isa 59:16, Joel 2:17,
- Praise and worship. Lev 2:2
- House administration. Acts 6:1-3
- Skilled work. Exo 31:2-6
- Givings. Rom12:8
- Serve faithfully. Luke 12:24, Rev 17:14
- Serve wholeheartedly. Deut 6:5, Josh 22:5
- Serve without murmuring. Phil 2:14, 2 Cor 10:10
- Serve sacrificially.Ps 125:6
- Prosperity, blessings, rest roundabout, breakthrough, divine marriage miracle jobs and miracle children exodus 23:25-26 .
One of the basic and earliest institutions in the church is the home-based church (cell group). God commanded that every home of the Israelites be a church with the father being the head of that assembly. Deut 11:19 By so doing the Word of God moves through and from the family to affect society and the world. The early church also had the home based church by which the believers met to fellowship together and break bread. It served as a means to foster their growth and love for the Lord and one another. Acts 2:46; 20:20
BENEFITS OF JOINING THE CELL GROUP
- It is a place of fellowship and thus commands the presence of God. Matt 18:20, 1 Cor 5:4, Heb 10:25
- It is a platform for leadership development.
- It is the place for exhaustive exegesis of the word. Deut 8:19
- It provides nourishing for the saints and members are cared for on individual basis Heb 13:17, Jer 3:15, 1 Cor 12:25
BENEFITS OF HAVING THE ARK OF GOD IN YOUR HOUSE
- Blessing of the household. 2 Sam 6:11,
- Fights everything that is contrary to God. 1 Sam 5:3-4
- The peace of God rests on the household. Luke 10:5-7
The Christian culture is a perfect and unique way of life and the bible is the manual given to achieve that perfection. The Bible warns us to come out from the world and be separated from the traditions of men that enslave people who conform to its demands. Matt 15:6-9, Col 2:8
In this study we look at the commission’s tradition with regard to church membership, courtship/wedding/child naming and long life
- Membership begins when a visitor or convert agrees to join the commission
- The individual must go through believers’ foundation school
- The individual must be baptised by immersion if he has not done so already
- He must as well sign the commitment form and join an activity group
- The person must belong to a service group(department)
- The person will also be assigned to a cell group
- Every member must obtain a kingdom investment book for tithing.
COURTSHIP/WEDDING/MARRIAGE REGULATION
Marriage is ordained by God and he expects us to enter into it with the required order and decency. Fornication and extra marital sexual relationships are not approved by the church
- The intended couple is expected to engage in courtship for a minimum of six months prior to the notification of the intension of marriage to the marriage counselling committee
- The committee arranges counselling sections for the couple who then fixes the marriage programme
- The marriage begins when the dowry of the bride is paid to the family in engagement
- The couple must then register the marriage with the church for marriage certificate
- The church will afterwards join the intended couple together in HOLY MATRIMONY(WEDDING)
- Opportunities are offered to those whose marriages were contracted in the traditional way to regularize such before the Lord (BLESSING OF MARRIAGE)
BIRTH/COVENANT NAMING AND DEDICATION
God expects His children to be fruitful and replenish with Godly children. Gen 1:28
- As soon as a child is born, the church must be notified, usually the shepherd in charge of the individual’s cell.
- Every child born to a member is expected to be named on the 8th day by an authorised representative of the church thus becoming covenant naming.
- The child is then dedicated to the Lord after covenant naming; dedication is done once in month on the first Sunday of the month.
- Abundant life is our entitlement. John 10:10
- God has a covenant of long life with us. Ps 91:16
- The church encourages members to appreciate long life and enjoy the best of God’s divine. Provisions for long life. Exo 23:22-26
- The secret of living life is by serving God faithfully.
- To raise lives who will conquer in all areas through the preaching ,teaching and obedience of the word of truth
- To raise lives who will exalt the lord through Holy Ghost inspired worship, praise , prayer and giving
- To raise lives who will extend the kingdom of God from the church to our villages, cities, nation and the world at large.
In light with this vision statement, the commission is mandated by God to make room for everyone to serve in any capacity of their choice. This commission is not a person ministry; rather it is a people move. Every one person is seen as special by God to use for the building of his great work. Before God it is not our titles that is important but our input to his work
TENETS OR DOCTRINES OF THE COMMISSION
We believe that the Bible is the word of God. It is divinely inspired and it is the final authority on every issue. We believe that it is infallible in its declarations, final in its authority, comprehensive and all-sufficient in its provisions. (2Tim 3:16-17,2Pe 1:20-21)
We believe in the existence of the One True God, Elohim , Maker of the whole universe, indefinable but revealed as a Triune God( The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost)-Ge 1:1, 26, Mt 3:16-17, : 28:19 ,2cor 13:14, one in nature , essence and attributes- omnipotent (Dt 6:4, Job 42:2, Isa 46: 9-10, Rev 19:6), Omnipresent (Ps 139:7-2, 147:5), Omniscient (Job 42:2, Isa 46:9-10, Act5:4-5)
We believe that ‘’all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God’’ (Gen 3:1-19,Isa 53:6, Rom 3:23) and are subject to eternal punishment (Mt 13:41-42, Rom 6:23), and need repentance (Act 2:38, Mt 4:17, Act 20:21) and regeneration (Jn 3:35, Tit 3:5)
We believe that mans need of a saviour has been met in the person of Jesus Christ (Matt 1:21, John 4:42, Acts 2:36, Eph 5:23, Phi 2:6-11 ) because of His Deity ( Isa 9:6, Jn 1:1, 20:28, Rom 9:5, Tit 2:13-14) , Virgin Birth (Isa 7:14, matt 1:18, lk 1:25-26), Sinless Life (Jn 8:46 ,Heb 4:15, 2cor 5:21), atoning death(Rom 3:25, Heb 9:22, 1John 2:2), Resurrection (Matt 28:5-7, Act 2:24, 36, 10:39-40, 1 cor 15:34) and ascension (Ac 1:9-11,2:33-36),His Abiding Intercession (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25), and His Second coming to Judge the living and the dead (Act 1:11, 10:42, 1Thes4:16-18,2Tim4:1, Rev 22:12,20 )
5. REPENTANCE, JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION
We believe all men have to repent and confess their sins before God (Lk 15:7,Act 2:38,3:19, 17:30), and believe in the vicarious death of Jesus Christ before they can be justified before God (Rom 4:25, 5:1). We believe in sanctification of the believer through the working of the Holy Spirit (1cor 1:30, 6:11) and God’s Gift of eternal life to the believer (Jn 17:2,3; 10:27-28, Rom 6:23b; 1Jn5:11-13).
6. THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM AND THE LORDS SUPPER
We believe in the sacrament of baptism by immersion as a testimony of a convert who has attained a responsible age of 13years. (Mt 3:16, Mt 28: 19, Mk 1:9-10, 16:16, Acts 2:38). Infants and children are not baptised, but are dedicated to the Lord (Mk 10:13-16, Lk 2:22-24, 34). We believe in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion , which should be partaken by all members of who are in full fellowship ( Lk 22:19, 20, Acts 20:7, 1cor 11: 23-33).
7. BAPTISM, GIFTS AND FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit for all believers with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues(Joel 2:28-29, Act 2:3, 4,38,39, 10:44-46, 19:16) and in the operation of the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit (Rom 12:6-8, Gal 5:22-23 and 1cor 12:8-11, 28-30)
We believe in tithing and in the giving of freewill offerings toward the cause of carrying forward the Kingdom of God. We believe that God loves and blesses a cheerful giver (Gen 14:18-20, Mal 3:6-10, Mt 23:23, Act 20:35, Heb 7:1-4, 1cor 16:1-2, 2cor 9:1-9)
9. SECOND COMING AND LIFE AFTER DEATH
We believe in the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead, both the saved and the unsaved. They that are saved to the resurrection of life and the unsaved to the resurrection of damnation (Dan 12:2, Mk 13:26, Jn 5:28-29, Act 1:11, 10:42, Rom 2:7-11, 6:23 )
10. HELL AND ETERNAL RETRIBUTION
The one who physically dies in his sins without accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour is hopeless and eternal lost in the lake of fire and , therefore has no future hope of hearing the Gospel or repenting . The term ‘’eternal’’ and ‘’everlasting’’ used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned in the lake of fire carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the joy and ecstasy of saints in heaven .(Heb 9:27, Rev 19:20, 20:10, 12-15).
We believe that the healing of sicknesses and diseases is provided for God’s people in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ (Isa 53:4-5, Mt 8:7-13, 16,17, Mk 16:17-18, Lk 13:10-16, Act 10:38, Jas 5:14-16) . However, the commission is not opposed to medication by qualified medical practitioners.
Signs and wonders are supernatural acts of God that cannot be explained by any natural, human or scientific phenomenon yet cannot be denied (Acts4:16). They can be provoked by revelation of the Word of God and corresponding obedience of scriptural instructions. Some channels for manifesting signs and wonders include the following:
- Holy Communion (1cor 11:23-24)
- Laying on of hands to impart the Gifts of God( 2tim 1:6, Deut 34:9)
- Anointing people and things with oil (mark 6:23, exo 30:25-31).
- Feet Washing ( john 13:3-17)
- Anointed clothing materials(Prophetic Mantle)- Act 19:11-12
- Blood of Sprinkling (1cor 5:7, Exo 12: 1-25)
- Prophetic Utterance ( Isa 44:26, Mk 11: 23 )
The true church is composed of all those who are born again. Through this new birth we are united together in the body of Christ. Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of the Church. Eph 4:15-16.
what is Kingdom Stewardship? Kingdom stewardship can be defined as serving the interests of the Kingdom in all its ramifications, that is, a commitment to the growth, expansion, enlargement and overall advancement of the Kingdom. This includes spiritual, physical and financial stewardship – Jn 15:16 /Ex 23:25-26 / Hag 1:5-14.
AREAS OF SPIRITUAL STEWARDSHIP
The core of stewardship is soul winning and discipleship – Jn 15:16/ Dan 12:3
- Practical stewardship involves using your talent, skills, area of training, strength to serve in the kingdom of God. The ultimate goal of this is to win souls into the kingdom and prepare them for heaven.
- spiritual stewardship also includes standing in the gap in prayers and intercession for salvation of souls, church growth, establishment of new converts in the faith, fresh anointing upon our Pastors for impactful ministry, signs and wonders in the church etc. etc. – Lk 2:37/ Gal. 4:19/ Ps 2:8/ 1Thess 3:1/ Acts 4:30-33/ Col. 4:12.
NB- every child of God is required to serve God in both capacities.
ACCEPTABLE WAYS OF SERVING GOD
It is not every service God accepts and rewards. Jer 48:10, Heb 12:28. Note that by service men are raised by service men are erased
Every leader – either topmost or under-leaders must re-examine this issue of loyalty and disloyalty over and over again. Loyalty is the principal qualification for any leader. (Dan. 6:4; I Cor. 4:2). Every minister must show loyalty to God, Jesus Christ the head of the church, the undiluted word of God, the set man of a ministry and our leaders. Loyalty is very crucial if the church of Jesus Christ is going to march ahead.
- Biblical Basis – Gen. 39:6; Dan. 6:4; Luk. 16:12-13; I Sam. 18:14
Loyalty means faithfulness, truthfulness and honesty. Every associate and leader must show allegiance and faithfulness to God and one another. Joseph was faithful in the house of Portiphar, David was faithful while serving King Saul and Daniel was an epitome of loyalty while serving under King Darius.
You cannot be an authority unless you are obedient to authority
Loyalty is based on principles, not emotions
What you sowed to your leader today is what you’ll reap tomorrow
If you can’t serve a leader with loyalty, go somewhere else
It is better to work alone than with a team of disloyal, double-faced, disgruntled and disaffected associates and members.
A large and impactful ministry demands for loyal associates and workers
A ministry that starts out of disloyalty will remain in crisis.
Loyal members are FAITH members – which means
F – faithful
A – available
I – initiating
T – teachable
H – honest
things that Repel members in leaders/sheperds
You can’t just lead anyhow and still hope to attract loyal members. As much as members must be loyal to leaders, the leaders themselves must run away from these things if they hope to secure and maintain the allegiance of their people.
1. Domineering spirit – leaders who are control freak loses people
2. Ungodly lifestyle – bad example and sinfulness repulse people
3. Insecurity – inferiority or superiority complex drives people away
4. Visionless – leaders that has lost purpose and direction will lose Good people
5. Selfishness – leaders that fail to care and show concern
6. Insensitivity – insensitive leaders breeds disgruntled people
7. Stagnancy – unchanging and non growing leaders repel people
8. Vindictive – unforgiving and vengeful leaders lose genuine people
9. Manipulation – twisting, turning, hypocritical and dishonest
10. Belittleness – failure to believe and encourage the potentials of others
11. Stinginess – tightfisted with money, praise and appreciation
12. Rigidity – no room for suggestion or contribution of ideas
13. Abusive – taking advantage of the people spiritually, financially
14. disloyalty – when leaders themselves are not loyal. Disloyalty breeds disloyalty
Leaders who lead in any of these ways are usually difficult to follow and they will not readily secure the loyalty of their people.
Disloyalty doesn’t just happen overnight. Becoming disloyal is a process. Disloyalty builds up over a period of time in the hearts of members. There are two reasons why you must know these stages of disloyalty. First of all, it will help you to identify and kill any such tendency within you. Secondly, it will help you to detect disloyalty in any person you work with.
. 1st stage – Offence
– You feel offended by an act. Jesus said, And then shall many be OFFENDED, and SHALL BETRAY one another, and SHALL HATE one another. Matthew 24:10
From this scripture you can see that people begin to betray and hate one another when they are offended. The Bible says folks will betray you when they are offended. Be wary of wounded people because they can turn against leadership. The spirit of offence opens the door to the spirit of treachery.
2nd stage – Independent spirit
You feel you don’t own anybody any explanation. The independent stage is so subtle that most people do not recognize it for what it actually is – disloyalty. When a person belonging to a group, ministry or company develops an independent attitude, he sort of becomes autonomous within the set-up. The rules of the organization no longer control him. Such a person is still a part of the church but does what he wants to do, in spite of contrary instructions. . You may call for several meetings, but a person with an independent spirit decides to attend only those he feels are important. Such a person obeys only certain instructions – the ones he thinks are really important.
3rd stage – Deception
– You believe that you are better than your leader
4th stage – Withdrawal
– You are no longer happy being around
5th stage – Grand alliance –
You rally people together and hold meetings. This is called the political stage
When a person becomes political, he tries to involve others in his ideas and philosophies.
He wants to gather a following and make people believe that he has identified
a real problem that must be addressed. Disloyal people have an insidious
way of discussing the shortcomings of their leaders. They ask questions like, “How did you find the service today? I thought it was a bit dry.” “Do you think our pastor is as anointed as he was last year?” “Have you noticed that a lot of people are leaving the
church?” These questions are used as bait for unsuspecting Christians. They drag innocent members into analysis of issues that are “above” them. If you detect short falls discuss with leadership for solutions.
6th stage – Open confrontation – Openly fighting your leader and father
7th stage – Breakaway – Moving away acrimoniously without blessing
A disloyal spirit is a destructive spirit. The child that disloyalty gives birth to His always problematic. Run away from disloyalty. When you are possessed by a disloyal and rebellious spirit, you will destroy what you have helped to build over the years.
D. Signs of Disloyalty to Leadership
Everyone of us, no matter our position must check up our heart and life to discover any signs of disloyalty there. Disloyalty is when you now disrespect your leader and you suddenly discover that you are now older, wiser and better than him financially, materially and spiritually!
Check out these signs:-
Taking offence and withdrawing to your cocoon
Being irritated anytime you are corrected
Poisoning the mind of others against your leader
Always happy when things go wrong
Believing that the ministry cannot do without you
Going round people’s houses to pray and collect money
Constant complaining to others about your leader
Thinking that too much attention is being given to your leader
When you have ‘money dey work, baboon they chop mentality’
When you support and approve someone who did wrong
When you think you are above certain ‘menial’ jobs
When you continually give excuses to justify your wrong doings
When you are fighting for promotion and recognition
When you claim your rights at the expense of the team
Praying against your leader and the work to fail
Greedy of gain, covetous and self-centered
When you feel you don’t own anybody any explanation for your actions
When you speak in double-tongue, lying and painting others in bad light
A leader/member who disappoints in times of pressure or crisis.
Leaders/members who think that they can do what you are doing better than you can.
Any leader/member who is prepared to attack his own father or senior in ministry
A leader/members who is not prepared to be birthed into the philosophy, the standards, the vision, the procedures and the spirit of the house
Leaders/members who are not prepared to do menial jobs
Leaders/members who are not prepared to do things they
did not choose to do.
A person who poisons you about others.
Members/leaders who display any of the above traits and signs are simply disloyal and they are usually ready to fight their fathers and mentors. However, many associates don’t usually start this way. They always start with respect and honour for the leader, until they are possessed with ‘absalomic spirit’
E. The End of Disloyal Associates
No matter how important or strategic you are to an organisation or leader, renegade tendency will lead you to path of ruin. In Scripture and contemporary history, rebellious and disloyal associates always end up either in physical death or generational curses
Cain rebelled against God, slew his brother and was cursed by God
Lot rebelled against Abraham and it ended up in death
Korah, Dothan and Abiram died for their rebellion
Miriam became leprous for her disloyalty
Gehazi became disloyal and he inherited a curse of leprosy
Absalom rebelled against his father and he died for it
Haman died shamefully because he plotted against Modecai
General Joab became disloyal and he died shamefully
Shimei died shamefully because he joined the enemy camp
Those who plotted against Daniel died with their families
Judas sold his Lord for money and he died for it
Demas rebelled against Apostle Paul and he ended badly
Lucifer rebelled against God and was cursed and cast out of heaven
In contemporary history, many young men, pastors, deacons and churches that have been discovered to be reeling under the curse of disloyalty. The only way is repentance and restitution.
How to Become An Asset to Your Leader – Phil. 2:19-22; 25-30; Rom. 16:1-4; Philemon 1:10-11.
Timothy was a valuable asset to Apostle Paul in ministry. So also was Ephraphoditus, Phoebe, Aquila-Priscilla and a host of others. They serve with commitment, self-sacrifice and were ready to lay down their life for their beloved apostle.
Mark was formerly a liability to Paul, but over the years, he became profitable and Paul had to send for him. II Tim. 4:11; Prov. 25:13. An asset displays the following:
???? Makes the vision of the leader his vision
???? Faithful in all things
???? Obedient and teachable
???? Runs from sin and shameful things
???? Imbibe the spirit of his leader
???? Takes initiative for progress
???? Brings something to the table
???? Serves without grumbling and murmuring
???? Productive and result oriented
???? Honest and transparent with the leader
???? Increase and add to the leader
???? Trustworthy and refuses to break trust
???? Not after gain and profit
For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.Galatians 2:18
When you are an asset to your leader, you can never serve in vain. God Himself will reward you. Your blessing, favour, open door and promotion lies in being a true asset to your leader. Proverbs 27:18
.1)LOYALTY IS THE PRINCIPAL QUALIFICATION FOR EVERY MINISTER, 1 Corinthians 4:2
2)FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TO FILL THE
CHURCH and keep the flock of God
The ministry is supposed to operate with the power of love, unity and teamwork. .
John 13:35
To minister as effective leaders you need to exhibit the love that Jesus spoke about. People are attracted by love. When they see leaders who flow together in genuine love
they are attracted. You must never forget that your church members are not blind. Neither are they deaf. They can see and feel disunity and discord when it is there.
Sheep Only Drink From Still Waters
One thing that every pastor must know about sheep is that they drink from still waters. If the water is murky and rough the sheep will stay away. You see, they are not sure
there is no crocodile in the water! Psalm 23:2. Whenever there is treachery and distrust your church members become scared and wary and stay away.
3)TO HAVE A LARGE & SUCCESSFUL MINISTERIAL TEAM
One pastor/leader can only be at one place at a time. He can only minister until his strength (which is limited) is exhausted. Because of this, anyone who wants to extend his ministry and bear much fruit has to learn to work with many other people. These people are the team that I’m talking about. However, it would be better to work alone than with a team of disloyal, disgruntled, disunited and disaffected people. In fact, it is not possible to have an effective team with such disloyal people. Loyalty is the key to expansion
4)TO HAVE A healthy CHURCH
Without loyalty every network or denomination of churches constantly undergoes disintegration. They frequently divide into splinter groups and smaller subchurches. without principled and loyal pastors, the ministry of our the move of the Spirit will always be limited.
.
5)IN ORDER TO REAP OUR FULL REWARD
Those who benefit from the blessings of success are the faithful and loyal ones. Revelation 21:14, Luke 22:28,29. You see, loyalty is most appreciated in hard times. In the good times everybody seems loyal..
DEALING WITH OFFENSES IN LEADERSHIP
The Bible tells us, Heb 12:15, LOOKING DILIGENTLY LEST ANY MAN AIL OF THE GRACE OF GOD; LEST ANY ROOT OF BITTERNESS SPRINGING UP TROUBLE YOU, AND THEREBY MANY BE DEFILED.
The fruits of bitterness are anger, wrath, slander, hate, and malice (or desire to see another suffer).
1. Oversensitive to a verbal remark, action, or lack of action.
2. Hurt feelings.
3. Repulsive feeling toward a person at the thought or sight of him.
4. Retaining wounds and frequently talking about them.
5. Alienation of a person.
6. Verbal slander against the person.
7. Lack of obedience (ref Mt 5:44,45).
8. Becoming like the one you despise.
| A. Characteristics:1. A bitter person cares very little for the person he is bitter against.2. He is very touchy.3. Can be ungrateful.4. Gives empty flattery and harsh criticism.5. Holds grudges and finds it difficult to forgive.6. He displays stubbornness or a sulky attitude.7. Will help no one or complains sometimes when asked to help.8. Experiences mood extremes—highs and lows.B. Bitterness keeps getting worse; it hurts not only the holder, but everyone in the way.1. Clean out the filing cabinet of your mind.2. You are the one hurt most, because of what it does to you spiritually, emotionally, and physically. |
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH YOUR HURT?
It is not wrong to feel hurt, but how you deal with it makes all the difference in what happens to you!
In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus established a procedure to be followed in the event that a brother would commit a sin or offense against another Christian. Many Christian scholars believe that this is one of the most neglected teachings of the entire Bible. It’s been said that if all believers would simply obey scripture, to go and confront their offenders in the manner Jesus gave, it would solve over half of all problems which exist in the church.
It is important to confront those brethren who have trespassed against us for the following five reasons:
(1) To resolve misunderstandings. Most offenses in the church result from misunderstandings and many could be quickly resolved if offended parties would just go to the source and find out the facts. Unfortunately, some offended people will just absorb the offense silently, while growing bitter and resentful. It is important to God, and a matter of obedience to His Word, that such issues are confronted.
(2) To maintain peace in the body of Christ (Eph. 4:1-3). Whenever there is friction and turmoil between believers it affects the whole body. It hinders people from entering into worship and receiving from God’s Word. It creates an uninviting atmosphere for visitors in the church, it may hinder people from coming to Christ, and can even grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30-32).
(3) So Satan cannot gain advantage over us (2 Cor. 2:10-11). For our own spiritual well-being, we must be quick to resolve our differences with brethren and forgive. Satan can hinder our spiritual life, and even deceive us into apostasy, through harbored bitterness or unforgiveness (Matt. 18:35).
(4) So that the offender is held accountable — to not repeat his actions to harm the faith of others (Matt. 18:6). Persons who bring offense against you are likely to repeat similar acts against others. Confronting their offensive behavior may cause them to restrain their actions from causing further offenses.
(5) To restore a fallen brother (Gal. 6:1). Christians must make every attempt to restore brethren who fall into sin. Especially when the transgression has been committed against us, our love for our brother’s spiritual well-being demands that we confront the brother so that he might be reconciled to God.
How to deal with the trespasser: The following scripture is how Jesus taught for Christians to confront those brethren who have wronged them.
Matthew 18:15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
18:16 But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
18:17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”
First, Go to your brother privately (Matt. 18:15). If a fellow Christian has sinned or brought an offense against you, Jesus said for you to first go to the offending party, confront him with the offense, and keep the matter private between yourselves. Remember, the objective is to not merely to seek justice for a violation against us, but to seek “reconciliation” with our brother, and his restoration to a right relationship with God.
Why is the matter to be first kept private between you two? Because our love for our brother requires it. If we are sincerely committed to love for our brethren as Jesus commands (John 13:34), then even if a brother has sinned against us or has done us wrong, we will not want to maliciously injure that brother’s credibility within the body — that might hinder his restoration. If this person’s transgression against you is circulated within the body, but later he repents, many in the body will have already judged this brother and the accusations will have damaged their opinion of him. By spreading our accusation against an offending party, it builds a consensus against them and makes it difficult, if not nearly impossible, to restore that person to the body should they repent and desire to make things right.
Also, many alleged trespasses between brethren are a result of “misunderstandings.” We need to first investigate the facts and find out for sure whether a trespass has really occurred. This is another reason why you are to first go privately to the brother or sister in question — to confront them with the alleged offense and hear their side of the story. If we disclose the offense to friends in the body, we may later discover that the matter was only a misunderstanding. But by then, their reputation will have been damaged by our allegations.
Many people foolishly allow themselves to become offended by misinterpreting other’s intentions, or listening to rumors and secondhand information which always contain distortions or exaggerations. Many offenses could be immediately resolved by confronting the offending party and hearing their explanation. You’d be surprised how many people are so immature that they don’t even bother to investigate the facts or hear the other side of the story. Don’t ever forget, “There are always two sides to a story,” and never assume you know the truth of a matter until you’ve heard both sides.
I can guarantee that there would be far fewer misunderstandings in the body of Christ if people would be firmly devoted to love for their brethren. Love for the brethren gives us a desire to believe the best in our brother, giving him the “benefit of the doubt,” instead of jumping to conclusions and always expecting the worst. The Bible says “If you love someone… you will always believe in him, always expect the best of him” (1 Cor. 13:7 TLB).
If the trespass is proven valid, and he or she repents for their misdeed, you are to express your forgiveness (Luke 17:3-4). Let the matter be forever ended, and carry no resentment toward them. Remember, if they repent, but you continue to harbor bitterness, you too become a perpetrator of sin (Matt. 6:14-15, Acts 8:23, Eph. 4:31-32).
Second, take another brother (Matt. 18:16). If your private attempt fails to resolve the issue, you are then to take one other Christian and again confront the offending party. The presence of another Christian is as a witness to strengthen the serious effect of confrontation, to collaborate the exhortation of scripture, to amplify the Lord’s presence in the meeting, and to verify the exchange of testimony.
Third, tell Church leadership (Matt. 18:17). If the first and second attempts fail, Jesus said then to “tell it to the church.” This doesn’t mean the “entire” church body, as this could cause unrest or damage the faith of young believers. The meaning is that the church pastors or elders are then to bear responsibility in dealing with the offending party.
Finally, if these three prescribed attempts fail, we are no longer required to entreat them with the courtesies shown to brethren. They may be dealt with in the same fashion as we would a heathen or publican (Matt. 18:17).
What to do if you trespass: If you are aware of any trespass you have committed against your brother, you have a responsibility to go to him and seek his forgiveness. Should you not attempt reconciliation, this will hinder your relationship with God. Your worship, your prayers and service to the Lord will not be acceptable. “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matt. 5:23-24).
Note that the scripture says “if your brother has something against you.” In other words, you might not feel that you have legitimately violated your brother or sister. But if you are aware that “they” harbor an offense against you, you still are obligated to go and try to resolve the issue. Be willing to be humble and submissive to others, even when you don’t consider yourself to be at fault. Don’t be so rigid and self-righteous that you stand in the way of a brother or sister’s reconciliation with you or with God (Rom. 15:1-3). Offer your unpretentious, sincere apology for any unintentional offense and make every effort to reconcile, so that your relationship with God will not be hindered. Whether or not they pardon you, you have done your part and released your soul from blame.
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