THERE IS A TRANSITION UPON US AND WE HAVE NOT SEEN A CLEAR SUCCESSION PLAN EVEN AMONG PASTORS IN THEIR 40S.
GOD HAS RAISED US TO STIR OTHERS TO DIVINE OBEDIENCE TO DO WHAT HE HAS CALLED THEM TO DO.
A PASTOR RECEIVED AN IMPARTATION JUST BY GOING THROUGH MY PAGE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE EMPHASIZED IN THIS MINISTRY IS LIVING A LIFE OF PURPOSE.
THERE IS A PRINCIPLE OF SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING IN THE KINGDOM WHERE EVERYTHING GOD DOES, HE USES IT AS A TOKEN OF FAITH FOR SOMEONE ELSE.
YOU MUST BE CONSISTENT AT WHAT YOU DID TO ARRIVE AT WHERE YOU ARE.
YOU HAVE A PART TO PLAY WHEN GOD GIVES YOU AN INSTRUCTION.
IF GOD GAVE YOU THAT JOB HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF YOUR TIME TO SPEND WITH YOU.
YOUR PURPOSE ON EARTH IS NOT TO MAKE MONEY BUT TO KNOW GOD AND MAKE HIM KNOW YOU.
THE FIG TREE JESUS CURSED WAS A PROPHETIC PICTURE OF THE PHARISEES WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE LIGHT BUT WERE PREVENTING OTHERS FROM RECEIVING IT.
ANY JOB THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH GOD, IT’S NOT FROM HIM.
MANY PEOPLE ARE SO BUSY THAT THEY DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO THE POINT THAT THEY LOOK LIKE STRANGERS TO THEM
IF GOD CANNOT TRUST YOU WITH CHILDREN WHO WILL GROW UP WITH SOME LEVEL OF SANITY UNDER YOUR GUIDANCE, YOU ARE A FAILURE IRRESPECTIVE OF WHAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT YOU.
THE IRELAND CHURCH STARTED FROM A LIVING ROOM OF ABOUT 5 PEOPLE.
THEY GREW TO A LARGER NUMBER TO THE POINT OF RENTING A CINEMA HALL TO STREAM LIVE SERVICES WITHOUT ANY CONTRIBUTION FROM US.
– Apostle Emmanuel Iren’s Prophetic Charge at Global Anniversary Service || Festival of Harvest || Celebration Church International || 12th November, 2023 ||Â
Acts 26:19…This is such a powerful text because it is one of those simple but powerful and instructive text that if it is the testimony of your life, you will hear an echo in the core of your being. Church Gist. What a privilege to be able to say this and not be lying. To say this with confidence knowing that God is watching and bearing witness for you to say “I have not been disobedient to that heavenly vision.” Whatever God asked you to do, you’ve done. Church Gist. Where He asked you to go, you’ve gone. Every assignment He gave you, you’ve been faithful and so you stand before a king with God as witness and say “I have not been disobedient to that heavenly vision.”
I was thinking back just days ago, the place in the Body of Christ that Celebration Church is privileged to have. A lot of people do not recognize that the devil had the plan to rip the Body of Christ of a viable succession plan. Think about it (I am not saying we are the only ones but there aren’t many men of God in their 30s doing Ministry at an Apostolic level – not many…and you may not understand what that means. That the Fathers – we are almost literally singing “my Father, my Father the Chariot of Israel and the Horseman thereof.” There is a transition upon us and we have not seen a clear succession plan even among pastors in their 40s – there aren’t as many. Church Gist. If like every other person because like I often say “there were many of us who said God called us in the University but when you graduate and what the Bible calls the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches dawns on you…if like many others, I caved into pressure, traveled out for master’s degree, took a job – I would have still been successful in my own way. Only in Heaven would we have known. Think about that (only in Heaven).
It brings the question “how many more people could have been doing what we are doing, maybe not exactly what we are doing?” But how many more people has God told to do something and have not been doing it? This Man of God spoke confidently, he said “I have not been disobedient to that heavenly vision.” So I am asking you that question “have you been obedient?” The things God asked you to do, have you been obedient?
Some of you, God asked you just like the men beside Moses to hold Moses’ hands up. Some of you God gave you an instruction to be a part of what He is doing here, to be a part of the membership, to be a part of the workforce, to serve in any capacity – have you done it? Church Gist. Well, if you have been doing it, how faithful have you been?…and for some of you, God has given you an assignment of your own, no matter how small, no matter how great – maybe it’s a prayer drive, an evangelical drive, an intercessory drive.
Something happened, I was in a season of my life, I was going about preaching and you know I am wise enough to know ‘that whatever got you here, you must be consistent at it’ and so there was a particular season, I discovered that I just didn’t have enough time to pray as much as I would want to. Church Gist. Usually, I will cancel schedules but the schedules were inevitable, it was just staring me in the face. So I called one of our pastors, I said “I want you to please raise a team of people who will be praying for me” and he said “oh, there is a team, they’ve been doing that since” and I said what? In fact I said ‘no wonder.’
Within this great Vision, there are many specific visions where someone can just have a nudge “let’s pray about this, let’s pray for this people or let’s do this” or it could be a personal evangelical drive or maybe a ministry of your own because make no mistake, God has raised us to stir others to divine obedience to do what He has called them to do. Church Gist. God has made us a prototype ministry. I am here to challenge you “have you been obedient?”
I’m sure you thought that this Service will be about Celebration Church but it’s about you. It’s as much about you as it is about Celebration Church because there is a principle of spiritual inspiration in the Kingdom where everything God does, He uses it as a token of faith for someone else. So think about it, Jesus curses the fig tree and Peter comes to share the testimony. He is in awe of Jesus and the miracles at work in His life. Peter didn’t know that ‘that’ miracle was about him not just about Jesus. Church Gist. Imagine the shock, coming to Jesus to say “the fig tree you cursed is dried from its root” and then Jesus says “verily, I say to you” meaning “I cursed the fig tree as an example to you – by what I did to the fig tree, I am telling you what you can do to mountains, that if you say to this mountain be removed and be cast into the sea and you do not doubt in your heart, you shall have what you say”…and this is how Jesus teaches. This is the system of education in the Kingdom. It is easier said than done. It has a more impactful experience when you show it.
He had told them before “every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted out but when He demonstrates it, then He tells them to “go and move mountains.” I am saying this because Celebration Church is a prophetic witness to everyone of us. Church Gist. You must fulfill God’s plan for your life. You can’t be a part of this type of vision and not be stirred to at least listen to the things that God is telling you to do, to obey God and there is no more fitting time to remind you. For some of you that vision you have abandoned, go and pick it up.
God has made this Ministry a prototype ministry. I’ve shared this testimony before of a pastor who just by going through my page (it was an impartation). He saw just by looking at my page what he was meant to be doing. He said “he felt the Spirit of God (it was like a baptism) – something came on him, he began to speak in tongues.” Church Gist. He had to call me to say “I know I received something, something has changed” because like I’ve told you a million times and I will say it a billion times more “when Jesus is walking on water, it is an invitation for you to join Him.” Have you been obedient to that heavenly vision?”
One of the things we have emphasized in this Ministry (I dare say above anything else) is living a life of purpose. I was there seated when the teenagers were sharing their testimonies and when that young girl from the Teenage Church talked about purpose, tears dropped down my eyes. I’m so envious of people who learn this things early and I’m just like “what will their lives be like?” Church Gist. This morning, Nadia (my daughter) was talking to me. She said “we are supposed to share the Gospel everywhere and we will tell people that they have a choice between life and death and we will ask them to choose life that they may live.” She was preaching and she said “because people who choose death when they die, they are going to go to hell.” So I was in awe of the clarity and she was asking me questions about Celebration Church. She said “what was the first branch you planted?” I said “Ikeja.” She said after there, which one? And we went through all the branches in the exact succession and she was just excited. I am grateful for what God is doing now but when I look at those young ones, I think that the Prophecy of this Ministry will truly be fulfilled in them. They are the ones we are raising. Maybe it’s only me, did you hear how articulate those young ones were? (Laughs) Some of us (adults) can’t stand with the confidence and clarity that those young ones (had). The devil is in trouble!
I want you to say this at least prophetically about yourself “I will not be disobedient to the heavenly vision.” Do you realize that the fact that he said “I was not disobedient” – it means that he could have been (disobedient). “The fact that God has asked you to do something doesn’t make it automatic. You have your part to play, you have to agree with God and side with God. Play your part!
Last Reboot Camp (I don’t know if you remember), I explained why Jesus cursed the fig tree because a lot of people have wondered. When you are reading the text, the Text clearly tells us that it was not the time of the figs so it’s like going to a tree at the time of the year when it was not the season for the fruit to manifest and being disappointed that you didn’t see the fruit. So a lot of people have not understood – ‘what kind of temperament did Jesus have?’ Some atheists have even picked on that to say ‘what kind of temperament did Jesus have?’ The Bible clearly says, it wasn’t the time of the figs. He went to the fig tree expecting fruit and when there was no fruit, He cursed it – ‘what kind of anger problem is this?’ Well the first thing you need to know is this ‘that fig trees actually have two different types of fruits apart from the major fruit, there is a smaller type that actually shows up almost throughout the year especially when the leaves of the fig tree are green.’ When you see the leaves of a fig tree green, you can expect some fruits no matter how little…and so it was a picture of deception and I am coming somewhere. Church Gist. For Jesus to see the leaves of the fig tree green and for him to come and see no fruit…and the Bible says “He cursed the fig tree.” Why?
Jesus used metaphors throughout His earthly Ministry. So He used bread for instance to talk about the Doctrine of the pharisees “beware of the leaven, beware of the bread of the pharisees” and He also used trees to talk about the establishment of the Pharisaical Rule and that’s why He said earlier, He says every plant (remember) that my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up. Church Gist. That fig tree was supposed to be a prophetic picture of the pharisees who He said “they have not received the light but they are hindering others from receiving the light and He said “that tree is going to dry up.” So that was what it was supposed to represent and why is this relevant to what we are saying?… because I dare say in our own little way, this is the picture of Celebration Church and I won’t mention in certain terms but there were some things before God called me (I mean) – it gave me a stomach upset when I just saw some things prevalent in the Body of Christ.
There were teachings I heard and I literally cried. The first time I ever threw things around and hit things in the room, it was a sermon I heard. It got me that angry and I was almost angry at God. (I said) “God, how could you allow this, how are you allowing people on the stage to say this?… because all kinds of things are happening and I don’t want to give examples on purpose. Church Gist. The Lord spoke to me, He said “I am raising you to do something about it.” He said “plant Churches everywhere.” He told me that “falsehood prevails because people who have the truth are not doing anything about it.” He told me this. Interestingly, I was in my small room as a student on campus when He told me this… and you know from a natural standpoint, ‘how do we start?’ Some of the people who were the purveyors of this error – they are well established. You mean to tell us that the work will grow and the truth will become so established and He said “yes.”
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s happening and why am I telling you this? I am telling you this because you need to understand that in your industry or in your sphere of influence, there are things that are thriving because you are not active and God is stirring me up to stir you up. Church Gist. You must do something. There is a reason you are in that space. There is a reason you are in that industry. You can do something. Evil thrives when good men keep silent. Hallelujah!
I want to remind you of your purpose. God has a purpose for your life and thank God you have a good job but your job is not your purpose. Your job can be a vehicle for your purpose to find expression but it’s not your purpose. Thank God you have a good car but that’s not your purpose. Church Gist. Your purpose is not to make money as important as money is. Your purpose is to know Christ and to make Him know you…and in this Service, we are not just here to dance away the time and to enjoy ourselves, it’s a time for reassessment. “Where am I in the Divine Scheme of things?” What part am I playing in what God is doing? When God looks on the earth and He is looking for men and women that He can count on, men and women who are pushing the frontiers of the Kingdom in this day and age, will He look for you? Does He know your name? What will He say about you when you see Him? These are questions you must answer today.
I want to read something to you (still talking about purpose) because a lot of us find ourselves in the trap of survival unintentionally so especially in a Nation like this – things are hard and without planning for it, you can find yourself working from sunup to sundown not having time for anything else. I want to tell you as someone who understands (not only) practical realities but someone who also has the opportunity and privilege to be the one to remind you that there is a call of God on your life. Church Gist. Don’t let your career steal purpose from you. Now you are so busy, you don’t have time for anything else – it’s not of God. You can’t continue this way.
I like the fact that the Bible is so balanced. The Bible tells us in Genesis 2:15 that God planted the Garden in the East of Eden and gave it to Adam to till it and to keep it. So it was his responsibility to till the ground and to keep the ground. It was his responsibility to till it and to keep it and this is the reality of many people. Church Gist. That job, it is God who gave you just the same way God gave Adam a job. (He) planted a garden and it was his (Adam) responsibility to maintain it. God gave you the job but the same God should be able to come in the cool of the night to fellowship with you and His coming should not be an interruption. If He gave you the job, He should be able to take some time to spend time with you.
You can’t truly believe that God gave you that job and you dishonour Him with it. You must make out time for God. The same God who planted a garden and gave it to Adam will come and when He comes, Adam must drop what He is doing immediately and attend to God (fellowship with God). This is the balance of the Kingdom. Church Gist. When God blesses you with work, don’t idolize the work. That work is not supposed to be a replacement of God. You must still strive to have quality time of devotion. Don’t spite God with the blessings He gave you. Some of you need what I’m saying.
For you to work so hard, you have no time for anything else that is meaningful, your children don’t know you – you are a stranger to them. Some of you know when you were growing up, your parents made the same mistake. You were going through valleys of decisions they didn’t even know about. You were more exposed than they knew you were. Church Gist. You have had maybe 4 boyfriends and they didn’t even know you have had your first boyfriend. You have had conversations they thought were beyond your understanding because they were not involved in your life. Some of you will steal things, bring them home (and) your parents didn’t know because they don’t bother to check…and all the things that you complained about, if you are not careful, you will repeat them.
Now you are so busy – no time to pray, no time for your family, no time for your kids…it’s not of God. Listen, it was part of the curse where God said “cursed be the ground for your sake” (He told Adam that). He said “from your sweat” – are you going to get any produce from this soil? It’s a curse to work so hard and have no time. Genesis 3:17b…meaning it is a curse to work so hard without respite. At 60, you are still working so hard. At 70…you are not retiring? No retirement? I am not trying to be insensitive. I know some people work because they don’t have the choice but I am opening your spirit to the Prophetic possibility. Church Gist. It is possible for you to have such a balance in your life where you gather enough to cater for your family and you still have time – that’s the will of God so that God can speak to you.
The reason some of you have not even heard God is because you don’t have the time to, you don’t have the space to. You are so busy (that) you can’t even dream for God. God doesn’t even consider you when He is making plans anymore. Something has to change. Church Gist. The kind of work culture where both husband and wife are busy – both of them pulling from different extremes of the hems of the home (both of them are busy). Both of them are always traveling at the same time. Who will look after the kids? It doesn’t matter what you gain in this World, if God cannot trust you with children and they grow up with some sanity, with some love, you have failed. The World may call you a success but you have failed.
There is something about the Creation Story that reveals God’s plan for mankind. First and foremost, before natural creation, the Bible says, God said “let there be light and there was light” and for those of you who followed the order of creation in Genesis 1, you know that the Celestial Bodies were only created days after. Church Gist. So when He said “let there be light”, there was no sun, there was no moon, there were no stars. So what light then? 2 Corinthians 4:6…so it means that ‘that’ light God spoke about at the beginning of Genesis 1 was actually the light of the Gospel and in doing so, God was showing us the preeminence of spiritual light before everything natural. So, there must be that order in your life.
The Light of God must be first. The Light of Salvation must be first. That must be the order of priority in your life. God uses the natural things to highlight His supernatural plans and that’s why, right in the Creation Story, you can see and learn a lot. If the Bible says on the 7th day, God rested but you know that God is a spirit therefore God cannot be tired. Church Gist. Why then did He need rest? It means that the rest was not particularly for God but for man in God. Man was created on the 6th day and he woke up on the 7th day. (He) woke up into God’s rest, woke up into a garden already prepared, woke up into a world already furnished and that is the mentality with which man should operate. Hebrews 4 explaining the Sabbath tells us that ‘that’ Sabbath (that rest) is the rest in Christ. That when we find Christ, we have ceased from all our works and doesn’t mean that we don’t have jobs anymore. That doesn’t mean we don’t have careers anymore, it means that all those things should be done from a standpoint of rest. They shouldn’t define us.
It is good for you to be an excellent student but when you see the way some people…their whole world crashes when they lose a course. Some want to take their lives. That’s an idol. What are you saying to God? That if this academic route does not work, God is out of options? Is that how small God is in your life? Don’t make idols of good things. Church Gist. God wants you to work in His rest meaning in your life, the rest that is in Christ must be at the fore. So, I must have time in spite of my work to highlight and demonstrate the light of Christ to my world and even when God said “be fruitful and multiply, replenish the earth and subdue it and have dominion” there is such a thing as spiritual fruitfulness yet there are natural blessings. The Bible said “God blessed man” but then in Christ, “He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
There is a spiritual dominion and your real purpose is to partner with God for the dominion of His purpose on the earth. That is your purpose and I am here to beg you, in spite of everything else you are doing, create that time – that time is important. As you get successful, use that money to buy time. You can. When you make money (if you can afford to), get someone to dry clean your clothes. The things that you can outsource, outsource it so that you can have time for family, for ministry. Don’t just use that money to buy a bigger car, use it to buy time. Church Gist. Now you have a job that is paying better, you are still working – going from the Mainland to the Island to work everyday because you said house is expensive. But a life devoid of purpose is more expensive.
If stretching to get a house closer to work will buy you more time so that you can wake up without pressure, pray, have a proper devotion, go to work, come back to your children instead of spending half the day in traffic – it’s worth it. Create time for purpose, create time for God. Church Gist. It just seems some of you, you are just looking at me (saying) “pastor we came to dance, finish talking and get out of here.” ‘You will hear word today.’ Create time for God. Do you still have a prayer life? When last did you read your Bible?
Revelation 4:11. Culture lied to us that we are to live to our own pleasure. You think it’s about comfort…Living for the pleasure of God. God, how can my life please you? What can I do?
Days ago I was thinking back at the people who were there for us. Make no mistake, when a vision like this is already so great, we all celebrate equally even if we didn’t work equally. Church Gist. That’s true. But the people who were here (and listen when we are 20 years, I will say this about you because you’ve been here longer but on a day like this) I cannot but appreciate the people who were there when we were just 150-200 in numbers globally. (Laughs) Not long ago, 2018 – global attendance (was) 250. From 2018 till now that we have more than 11,000 members, a lot of work has happened and I am saying this to stir you up. When will you play your part? What part will you play?
When God told me to move to Abuja with my family, (the) Church had no money. All that the Church could put aside to plant a new work then was 2.5 million naira and if you know how much equipment are, you know that’s the money for one good keyboard. Where was I going to stay? I didn’t know. I know God said “go.” We went to look for a house, all the responsible places where we could find a house, it was too expensive. Church Gist. We decided to go to Mpape (those of you who know Abuja know Mpape). Mpape is the place that lion king said “that place beyond the shadow (the light), you must never go there – it is forbidden.” That is Mpape. (Laughs)
In 2 years of staying there, we were robbed. Not because I am not anointed, there are places you will go, they must come ‘na’. In that kind of area, (you have a) decent car and all of that – they must come. But something touched me. I am just like God, I’m obeying you. I don’t know how my family is going to fend and all of that and after the Service, I had announced it, I came into the office and someone came into the office (one of us here). He said the Lord said “I should give you this.” It is a cheque. He said “it is for you” even though I must confess I used it to buy a drum set for the Church but that was part of it and it touched me in no small way. 11 years after, I’m thinking about the times when resources were so scarce. There was a time, everytime it was time to pay rent, we would have a meeting in my mum’s car because there was no office. The people seating in the front will turn back and then there are people in the middle. It was a Sienna. So, what do we do? How much can you raise? Any pastor who has been in this Ministry long enough, please honour them. They’ve tried. We were selling things, selling items. What will you sell? I said “I will sell my tv.” People were selling tabs so that you can hear the Gospel and today I’m glad we are excited but I’m asking you “what are you going to do for others?” What if God is nudging you to also give sacrificially so that we can do more because the Lord keeps telling me “more, more and more.”
Let me tell you this. When the Lord told me this, my heart skipped but when I explain how He explained it, you will see that it is possible. “We will plant 50 branches next year.” Some of you are like ‘huh’ but how? I have heard from the Lord and I want to speak to you. In a few minutes, I will be out of here.
Look at Matthew 9:35-36 as I share the Vision for what comes next. Thank you Jesus. Hallelujah! Some of you reading this, don’t realize how ironic this is. This is not the reaction you should expect. The Greek word translated compassion as pity, sympathy. Church Gist. When you preach and you see a multitude, you should be excited, you should be dancing but instead Jesus was sad. Church Gist. He was moved with compassion. What is it about multitudes responding to the Gospel that made Jesus sad? I will tell you because this is the story of Celebration Church.
Everytime we go into a new city and in no time, the Church grows, it reveals an evangelical need in the Body of Christ. This was the exact scenario when Jesus preached and the multitude came because mind you, the people to whom He was preaching were already religious. They were practicing Judaism. There was a judaical structure with several hundreds of religious leaders. With the sanhedrins, with the pharisees, with the sadducees but nobody even despite all their religious rights, nobody was teaching the true message…and make no mistake, like I keep emphasizing, we are not the only ones but listen “God wants more people.”
I remember how the Ife Church started. I went to preach there once and then some people had planned. So when I was done preaching, they came to the green room” about 15 of them and they knelt down almost in tears in their eyes and they said “please, plant a Church here.” The first thing that struck my heart was that “are there not Churches here?” Church Gist. Apart from the fact that God has given us our place in the Body of Christ, the reality is the excitement of people about what we are doing, reveals that there is a problem. We are grateful for the result but why is the need so overwhelming?
Matthew 9:36. Did Jesus not call Himself the good Shepherd? Now He looks at the people who attend His meetings and He looks at them as sheep having no shepherd. Matthew 9:37…this is an insult to all the hundreds of religious leaders who were labouring. If God says the labourers are few, it means you are not labouring. It means it is not recognized. You are working but you are not working right. Matthew 9:38…it means for the harvest, there is still work. The people that Jesus had compassion for, they were already with Jesus but there was still work. So we need more labourers into the harvest. What I’m describing is the problem of the mega Church system. The fact that some of you have been coming to this Church for a long time, we don’t know your name, you don’t have any friends, you are still anonymous and now you are struggling all by yourself. You have habits that you have been trying to break unsuccessfully. You are still struggling to have a prayer life. These are the problems when the Church gets so big and there is little accountability and God says “we want more labourers in the harvest.” So we want more people (members of this Church) who rise up in favour and they are able to help people that the pastor cannot reach everyday.
Something happened and it blessed my heart so much. There was a lady, my wife had been trying to get me to pray for her…and both of us have been busy. She was going through a lot of problems in her mentality and all of that and we kept postponing because I was genuinely busy. The next time I asked, my wife talked to the lady and she said “oh, this member of the Church cast out the demon from me.” She has been perfectly fine since then. It is stories like that ‘that’ make me know I am trying. So before this person could meet the pastor, a sister in the Church decides can I pray for you? (She commanded the demon to) come out! She has been fine since then. This is months ago. This is what we mean by labourers in the harvest.
In this Ministry, you have a ministry. Ephesians 4: 14. This is the Word of the Lord to you. You have a ministry. This is the testimony of the average CCI (Celebration Church International) member that you are grounded in doctrine but it doesn’t stop there. Ephesians 4:15…meaning you must begin to teach. Now, you have a teaching ministry. Ephesians 4:16…meaning that when we call you at random and ask you your contribution to this Church in the past one year besides giving offerings and tithe, you should be able to say it. It might be as little as being there for someone who was going through a tough time. Church Gist. You have friends, acquaintances in this Church…when they are going through a tough time, they may be pretending to us. They are smiling in Church but you know. What if you went to their house regularly, prayed with them, stood with them until they recovered. That’s your ministry within the Ministry.
God told me, He said “the modern day style of Church planting is a human invention where you must need a venue, keyboard, drum set, (and) fancy equipment.” Churches in those days were held in people’s houses. Church Gist. This brand of Ministry where you need money to serve God, there must be a balance to it. We will keep having flagship Churches and seed Churches. I want to introduce to you “cell Churches” not cell fellowship but cell Churches because when you say fellowship, there’s a mentality – you downgrade the importance.
What we are going to do is very simple, especially in regions like Canada, the US (United States) that are so big. You want us to wait till we have equipment, till we have a venue? What if there are small condos or worst case scenario houses that we can use on Sundays. Church Gist. Someone leads prayer – the reason they have to lead the prayers themselves is so that if there are personal needs (it’s going to even be more personal), so if you have a personal prayer, they can lead the prayer point. Maybe there is someone who has a vocal gift, you can lead praise and worship then when it’s time for the Sermon, you tune in. After that, you pray and you go into the week. We are starting that next year. Hallelujah!
The funny thing is sometimes God forces people into His will by taking initiative on His own. When He sees the reluctance of Peter, while Peter yet spake, the Holy Ghost fell. So we have already seen this in seed form. The Ireland Church started meeting on their own in a living room and from 5, they grew to 10, to 15, to 20. The living room couldn’t contain them and so they rented a cinema on their own…and started going there to stream services. After a while, they reached out to Pastor Peter of CCI London, they said “can you please open an account for us, we want to give” and they started giving. Long before when we were ready, they started. Church Gist. Sometimes the move of the Spirit pushes us to obedience and as God lives, God is my witness – that wasn’t what made me say we are going to do this. God spoke to me differently and it just dawned on me. That’s what happened there. The inaugural Service was just last week but they had been meeting on their own for more than a year. We are going to raise Jesus communities around the World and you know what that is also going to do? It’s going to improve our commitment because everyone will have work to do.
It is when you stuff your head with so much information you start disturbing Twitter. When you have more ground work, you will be responsible. Church Gist. When there are real souls you are winning and you are praying for, you won’t have time. Hallelujah! Here is what we are going to do and please tell everyone this is especially for those in Diaspora “every place we have 7 people there will be a cell Church. We are going to put up the link on the screen.
It is not particularly for those of you here because if you are here, it means you don’t need a cell Church but for those online. Please fill it and let us know how you are willing to volunteer. So we need different types of volunteers. We need people who are willing to facilitate stuff like this in their place (in their regions). We need people who maybe have an idea of where we can meet. Maybe in your living room even if it’s not forever – for a start. Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus.
Can you see what God is about to start? I’m honestly open to the possibility of 100 (Churches) by next year. Church Gist. Jesus communities everywhere but for structure’s sake, if we can only do 20 effectively, we will do 20. We are going to get maybe 10 in the UK (United Kingdom) alone and 10 or 20 in America. Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus. Glory to God!
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