BEYOND DOING EXPLOITS.

BEYOND DOING EXPLOIT.


“And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons” Mark 3:13-15;

“…but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” Daniel 11:32.

Doing exploits in life and ministry is the heart cry of almost everybody everyday, men and women, youth, old and even the children, educated and illiterate, all yearning to be used of God for signs and wonders, to be known for excellence with power and demonstration in order to be celebrated. Every minister of the gospel, whether in the city or in the remote villages wants to be an outstanding and worldwide preacher and conference speaker. Gospel singers and drama ministers also want to be the hot cake of the time in the name of God. The honour and fame of doing exploits had blinded so many people to the extent they could not effort not having a chance in becoming part of doing exploits. To this effect, so many people, having lingered so long for the outpouring of the grace for this public ministry, an avenue of pulling the crowd, they forgot divine timing, right location and the primary purpose  of god for each individual according to what He has assigned for each man to do (Eph. 4:11-13), they doubted the efficacy of prayer and waiting on the Lord for divine approval and appointment and went into occultic covenant to be demonically empowered to do signs and wonders though with lots of silent rituals and sacrifices at the designated time and places. To some of these false ministers, it works as if it is divine endowment – flourishing and seeming successful, but not in the sight of God. They actually have a missing point – secretly betraying JESUS CHRIST of NAZARETH.

Remember men including kings and even the priests could be deceived with sweet words and powerful demonstration of signs and wonders, working healing, deliverance and all sorts of religious acts, but God cannot be deceived. Men may receive honour from people in the name of doing exploit for God, but no matter how convincing it may likely appear, God cannot be confused – He knows those who are in Him and those whom He sent on any assignment. It is clearly declared in 2 Timothy 2:19…
“Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, “The Lord knows them that are his.” And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

If God chose to go through you in doing exploits for His kingdom, it immediately calls for more carefulness on your side so as not to misuse the opportunity given to you and lose the chance for continuity. It is never a sin to be favoured in doing exploit for God but it will be disastrous to take the grace of God for granted as if you paid a price for it as some used to say. They claimed God interrupted their academic career, political ambitions, better money making ventures … etc in order to be called into the ministry. Alongside, they claimed they paid the price of many days of fasting and prayers to receive the power for the exploits. All these are good exercise but none of it is the price for counting you worthy for the task… Where is the BLOOD provision of Christ, the Lamb of God for your worthiness in the kingdom of God?  Where is the atoning DEATH of Jesus on the cross for your redemption? Where is the word incarnation – Jesus Christ – John 1:14? Where is Christ’s resurrection – 1 Cor. 15:14-17? Where is the grace that chose you out of the multitude for you to be their leader, no matter whether your present impact over your people is great of little?  It is not by might or power but by His Spirit that calls and enables men to be fitted in the kingdom matters. If you are currently doing exploits for God and people are glorifying God for the outpouring of grace and power on you, you should know that it is now that you need to be very careful and daily renew your intimacy with God the source of your strength. Don’t be so busy in doing exploits that you will not have time to keep your personal walk (relationship) with God the owner of the exploit. He has specific instruction for each assignment in Hi s kingdom. You can’t use the style and wisdom of yesterday to approach the problem and task of today. You won’t get the same result because God is not a stereotype in His approach. He changes in His approach as case may be at each time.

God may not certain exploits without seeing correct vessels to use – channels through whom He will do it. Sometimes, His work may suffer delay in as much as the vessel to be used is not yet available. Many times revival that tarries is not because God is not able to do His work but because the vessels are not ready for the work. Men and women who took charge the pulpits are not having the heart of Christ and they want to have His honour and provisions to be consumed on their lustful desires – a means of competition and self glorification. Only few are carrying the correct heart – the heart of Christ. Out of these few that are dependable to God some of them are even sleeping and busy comparing themselves with others. So intimidated that they almost forgot the reason they were called into the ministry. They are afraid of devouring wolves in the field. Only few are the courageous Micaiahs who could stand before the aggrieved Ahabs of this world to declare the whole truth of God’s world, not minding what men (the killers of the prophets) can do to Him but the heart of God. Holiness and righteousness in total obedience to God and His word is their heart beats.

Examples of men/women of Exploits

There are golden examples of men and women who did exploits in their days. They were people of different professions across the Bible land, so diligent, industrious, faithful and discipline with resilience spirit. Among them are…
Noah: The man who was so favoured by God with great commission of building the ark (supernatural wooden ship) for the salvation of his family members against the coming flood (the judgment of God upon the ungodly). Though wooden, yet never sink for those one hundred and ninety days of the flood till God was true with all the ungodly. It was the first ship in the history of creation. He was favoured and became the ancestor of all humanity of whatever numbers we are now on the surface of earth – Gen. Chapter 6 – 8.
Samson: The man so anointed from His birth to be the judge and deliverer of Israel from the terror and affliction of the Philistines. The only warrior who ever worked without a team or armour-bearer and still fulfilled his mission. With jaw bone of an ass, he killed one thousand enemies singlehandedly. He judged for twenty years – Judges Chapters 14 & 16.
Deborah: The only female judge in Israel who stood on God to face the challenge of delivering Israel from the affliction and harassment of Jabin the king of Canaan and Sisera his captain, when Barak could not stand for God before the adversary – Judges Chapter 4 & 5
Samuel the Prophet: He was so favoured from his childhood till his death. He was the last judge in Israel, the national prophet and the high priest of Israel. He anointed both the first and the second kings of Israel for appointment and enthronement. He lived a perfect life and acceptable unto God and humanity. Great exploits indeed. – 1 Samuel Chapters 1-28.
Prophet Elijah: He was the man with the heart of lion who boldly and courageously confronted King Ahab and declare his judgment as God as given the utterance. He declared national drought across the land of Israel for three and a half years. At another occasion, he singlehandedly contested with eight hundred and fifty false prophets and prevailed on mount camel. He was known to be prophet of fire. He lives not seeing death but was caught up into heaven in the chariot of fire – 1 kings 17 – 2 kings 2:11.
Apostle Pater: He is the leader of the rest apostles. He did great exploit in soul winning. At a time he won three thousand (3,000) souls for Christ on the day of Pentecost – Acts 2:38-42. At another instance, he won five thousand (5,000) souls after the healing of the man born lame at the beautiful gate – Acts Chapters 3 & 4. He was mightily used to the extent his shadow was an asset of healing to the sick and the oppressed – Acts 5:14-15. Great exploits indeed.
Apostle Paul: He was a special apostle sent to evangelize and won the gentiles for Christ. Great was his teaching until sinners get saved with handkerchief and aprons he worked signs and wonders for healing and deliverance – Acts 19:11-12.
The Seventy Disciples of Jesus Christ: They were sent for evangelism of soul winning and came back testifying of signs and wonders of demons bowing down to them. Jesus even confirmed satan’s falling before them like lightening – Luke 10:16-17.
Daniel: Among the politicians, incomparable was the wisdom of Daniel that made him the apple of God’s eyes. He truly did great exploits for/with God in the foreign land to the extent that the name of his God was ordered to be praised and worshipped by all nations of the world – Daniel Chapters 2 & 6. 3
The Kings: Among the kings, great were the exploits that David, Solomon, Jehosaphat, Josiah, Hezekiah… did for God in their days. They were the revivalists of their days in their individual’s capacity.
ALL the afore-listed heroes did great exploits, BUT ABOVE DOING EXPLOITS THERE IS ONE THING THAT MATTER TO GOD MOST: IT IS YOUR LIFE.

YOUR LIFE BEFORE YOUR EXPLOITS

Let us examine the life of King Solomon as our case study. In it you shall clearly see what God meant by “YOUR LIFE FIRST BEFORE YOUR EXPLOITS”.

“Now it came about when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord, and the King’s house, and ALL THAT SOLOMON DESIRED TO DO; that the LORD appeared to Solomon a second time, as He has appeared to him in Gibeon. The Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayers and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually”” 1 Kings 9:1-3.

The Life of King Solomon
Solomon who never deserved being a king was chose by God to be favoured. A son of a concubine, a product of adultery, probably the last son of David, a proposed outcast, almost deprived of the throne, was later crowned number one citizen in Israel (as the king), favoured, blessed and divinely endowed for greatness.
The honour of building the temple for God which David his father earnestly sought for and was denied access was freely given to him, though in the strength of David’s provision.
He was favoured with divine provision of God’s presence, peace round about flowing like a river throughout his kingdom in all his days; material provisions were also sufficiently made available for him to do ALL HE DESIRED TO DO – v. 1.
He built the first and the best temple together with the best palace of the king made of excessive gold and other costly materials until he had satisfied all his desires.
God appeared unto him at first time having paid the price of heartfelt thanksgiving of one thousand sacrifices unto God and God said… “ask what I should give you”. He asked for wisdom and God endowed him without rival or measure until he became an embodiment of wisdom till this day.
He was so favoured that God could appear to him the second time having made request that touched the heaven – the privilege many priests sought for and never have even for once in their life time. Jesus said in Luke 10:23-24
“Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."”
When he prayed to God, desiring His (God’s) presence to indwell the temple dedicated unto Him, his request was not ignored but granted. The exploit was too much that he could sacrificed 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep in appreciation to God for His favour.

In response, God said unto him,

“I have heard your prayers and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually” – v. 3.

Reading from verses 1-3 of this chapter, I thought God would round it up there and bless this man who could do such great work with such enormous sacrifices and celebration of God’s goodness, but instead, God continue to address the main issue that will make his twenty years labour not a vain exercise – he used 7 years for building the temple and 13 years for palace. That main thing is the life of the vessel, the bearer of God’s presence.

Studying from the NASB version of the Bible, v. 4 gave me a great suck. From vs. 1 – 3, God gave His approval to all what Solomon had done without any ill-complain as He honoured the temple with His presence as Solomon requested. But while the king and the entire people of the kingdom would have settled down celebrating this great achievement, God said,

“As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to ALL that I have commanded you and keep My statutes and My ordinances, THEN, I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel for ever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel’” – 1 Kings 9:4-5.

Already people had attached “success” to his name for the job well done. He became the most famous king in the whole world and no king or kingdom can deny it as they all came and present gifts unto him. He engaged the skills of foreign professionals in order to have the best of taste. But God said, after all these, “AS FOR YOU, IF YOU…”

It immediately dawned on me that the end of everything matters to God than its beginning; though He has interest on your foundation too on which you are building that which you are doing for Him. Knowing that devil also has interest on anyone doing exploit unto God’s glory… as it is written, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” - 1 Cor. 10:12.

“As for you…” implies that you should be careful so as not to be overwhelmingly blinded by your achievement that you will lose you personal relationship and communion with God Almighty Who is working in/through you. Because, if you allow the praises of people around you to puff you up that you no longer feel it necessary to visit the throne of God in personal communion with Him, you will soon lose your relevance in the kingdom matter. It is written in Ecclesiastes 7:8 that “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof” (KJV)

More importantly than your service, He needs your life in total consecration unto Him and unbroken daily relationship with Him. To have a continual flowing of God’s virtues of healing, deliverance, word of life and undiluted prophetic utterance from you to your numerous followers, both near and far, you need to retain and maintain undamaged life and relationship with God. Not only for today but till you breathe your last breathing in Him.

Unfortunately, Solomon did not heed the warning of God for his life. He went astray by lusting after strange women who later turned his heart from following the God of his father, David. He almost got the promise of God for David terminated for his wickedness, if not that God remembered His love to David. To this, I know and I am saying, take heed so as not to fall off the track. Solomon built the best temple but the real temple inside him (heart for God) was polluted that he lost his position before God. He lost divine award before God and all the good he had done were all gone unrewarded as sin turned them all to ashes – Ezekiel 18:20, 24.

Judas Iscariot was among the seventy disciples who preached the good news with signs and wonders of whom Jesus said their names are written in the book of life. Later in the journey of life, he lost his love for Jesus and did not heed the warning of his master and Lord Jesus Christ till he finally got perished. The beginning of man’s journey with Christ does not determine its end. As you go you will determine your end by your determined decision whether to keep following Jesus Christ no matter what or not.

The joy and honour of been used by God for exploit must not blindfold you to the extent of losing the primary purpose of the exploit – salvation of souls and edification of the saints (believers) – Eph. 4:11-13. The reason is that exploit does not guarantee salvation or heaven – Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 concerning this.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'”

Only Jesus is the way to eternal life. Your life with/in Jesus is the primary focus to God. If you give your life to Him and grow till you see the harvest of breakthrough in your walk with Him and thereby stop growing by dissociating from fellowshipping with Him, you will end up being cast out and becoming irrelevant to Him in His work. May God forbid you becoming a forgotten issue, an irrelevant vessel in the kingdom of God. Amen.

GOD’S PLATFORM OF TEST

The best way to confirm a right man/woman of God is not on the pulpit but in privacy. God counts on your privacy than your public life. No right-minded person will stand in the public to do shameful thing but such things are easily done when thought it can’t be seen or heard in the public. Even if by mistake or divine arrangement such evil is uncovered, one will still want to look for means of defending it. Your real life is determined by how you handle your privacy (your secret living); how you respond to money and opposite sex when you are alone or in a place where people did not know you. Study the life of Joseph in Genesis 39:7-16; and the fool man in Proverbs 7:6:23 (please examine these two).

It was in the secret that God tested the integrity of Joseph in that which belong to others – where his master’s wife requested that he should meet with her. Though in the secret, yet he violently refused to sin against God. This is the kind of hearts God is looking for - the heart of Christ. But David failed his own test also in the secret as he lusted after Uriah’s wife and it attracted the penalty of sword.

Reuben also could not overcome his test against the beauty and innocence of his father’s concubine – Bilha and it attracted great curse and set back upon him and his descendants as he lost his birthright. It was in the secret that integrity of Achan and Judas Iscariot pertaining to money was tested and they both failed God exceedingly which eventually cost them their lives prematurely. Obedience of Adam was also tested while alone, he failed. In the midst of great joy of revival in Samaria God tested the obedience of Philip by speaking to his heart, not the leading of the apostles, to leave for wilderness because of a soul. He obeyed and greatly gladdens the heart of God.

If your private life is full of evil that God is not allow in it, the outcome will be so disastrous. A life that Jesus has its control will not have chance for devil to exploit it. Dedicate and spend all your loneliness with God for renewal of strength and to know more of Christ for your personal spiritual growth and to bring freshness of God’s beauty and His word to your listeners (followers).
Let us see Mark 3:14-15 to examine how Jesus chose His disciples and what was the primary purpose for chosen them.

“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils”

From the example of how Jesus called His disciples and the priorities He set for their calling as seen in the above scriptures, we will see clearly that pulpit is not the primary but that they “should be with Him, and that he might send them forth to preach” which indicates their intimacy, closeness, standing by, leaning on, relying on, waiting on, and getting acquainted with Him before the possibility of sending them on errands – Matthew 11:29.

Your salvation comes first before your service. It is a privilege if He chose you for exploit in His kingdom, but not at the expense of your personal walk with Him. Don’t play with your life; it is more important than the position you occupied in the service. Those whom God used in the Bible days, both in Old Testament & New Testament, were all men and women who won divine approval for their private lives. They were men and women who never joke with their night or allow anything to stand in-between them and God. Someone like Daniel, who decided not to defile himself with king’s portion of food or wine in order not to overwhelm himself with the joy of being favoured and lose the real essence of his existence. Also, after his enthronement, he could not afford anything, including king’s decree, to stand as obstacle to his unbroken devotion to God. No wonder God kept on doing unusual in his favour – such as keeping lion away from devouring him….

As a teaching, singing, deliverance, drama or minister, hanging on the outcome of your public performance might be so deceitful, remember God does not see as men see. The condition of your heart/life matters most to Him or else you end up forging messages for yourself thereby deceiving people that you are still in the Lord. You cannot do the work alone; you need Him doing it for/through you.

Conclusion: if you are in public service of preaching Christ as a teaching, pastoral, drama, singing, or deliverance minister and you have lost your contact and intimacy with Christ, your Lord and Saviour, I urge you to turn back to God. Go back to Calvary and rededicate your life and zeal to God as in the beginning. Remember your first love towards Christ and make your way right. He will not ignore your coming back, rather He will celebrate your coming back as He will renew His covenant with you. If you remain connected with Him till the end, you end shall be exceedingly great and God-honouring than your beginning. You shall live to show forth His praises. Remain Blessed.
Jesus is LORD!!!