Tuesday, July 31, 2012

CRAFTSMEN OF A NEW KINGDOM ORDER

CRAFTSMEN OF A NEW KINGDOM ORDER SYNOPSIS OF THE JUNE 2012 EMERGING LEADERS RETREAT Since October 2007, Emerging Leaders Retreat has been a tri-annual programme to announce the coming spiritual transition in the body of Christ and to prepare His people for this season. The June 2012 edition featured a definite prophetic word which we believe is significant to the actualisation of the much-awaited spiritual season. We pray the Spirit of God through this message will stir the heart of His people to respond appropriately to the word of the Lord in order for us to see the Church really moving into the next phase in God’s prophetic calendar. ---------------------------------------------------- 1. The June meeting was prompted by a word the Lord gave, which seemed to be in response to a burning question in the hearts of many Kingdom minded brethren: why has the promised revival tarried? 2. Because any student of prophecy and revival knows that God has spoken consistently in prophecy over the last 30years particularly in the Nigeria Church about the coming great spiritual outpouring which would usher in the Kingdom age. 3. It was thought that this move would hit the earth sometime between the mid-90's and the first few years in the New Millennium. But here we are, twelve years into 2000A.D, we still do not see our signs. 4. On the contrary, we are daily inundated by the glaring indications of decline, decadence and deviation into error 5. And intercessors, burden bearers, sincere lovers of truth and Kingdom seekers have been asking, Lord, why? 6. The prophetic word we received from the Lord goes thus: - “The much-longed for new order (of if you like, revival) will not come until the craftsmen, those being divinely entrusted with the blueprint of accurate Kingdom building in the coming season, begin to get busy in crafting the direction and emphasis of ministry in their own generation. If they fail to rise at this time and take responsibility and keep waiting on others to do something, nobody will and the cycles of time will pass them by”. - “The cry for another revival cannot be taken seriously when previous revivals were not properly accounted for but ended up with man claiming the glory and setting up empires that are an affront to the divine order. Therefore, a generation truly seeking revival must be ready to stand in accountability not just for the coming outpouring but also for previous releases in which dead flies caused the perfume of His divine working to stink”. 7. We will consider these words. But let it be understood that the meeting was not put together with everybody in mind but specifically, those: - With a burden for revival - Who carry a prophetic spirit - Who are genuinely concerned about the present state of the church of Jesus Christ - Who are hungry for deeper levels of spiritual truth and the Kingdom life - Eager to move on with God - Passionate about being used by God in these last days. - Who sense God's call upon their lives to play a role in birthing the coming move of God. 8. The essence of the meeting was to communicate specific instructions to this set of people, necessary for them to fulfil their potential of becoming arrowheads of a new move of God; craftsmen of a new Kingdom order - because the people described above are those who have what it takes to form the Gideon-300 company. 9. Let it be clear to all that even though we are all children of God, there are different levels in our walk with God/spiritual journey, and moving from one level to the other is neither automatic nor by happenstance 10. Not all Christians will be part of the end-time army; not all church-going, tongue-talking believers will constitute God's instrument for Kingdom advance in these last days. 11. Note that though the entire nation of Israel, indeed is God’s people, but there is also Judah, the tribe of rulership - a smaller set within the universal set. 12. Within Judah, there is Jerusalem, the city of the great King; and within Jerusalem, there is Zion, from where the rod of His strength will go forth. Note that out of the 70 Disciples of Christ, there were the 12; out of the twelve, there is the three and then, there is the 1 disciple whom Jesus loved. 13. I do pray that among those who read this article, there will be those who will begin to yearn to move from one level to a higher level in the things of God; 14. And to become an active player in the coming move of God. 15. Let me emphasise: not every Christian will immediately flow with the declaration of a new move. Only very few Christians will be willing to pay the price to birth a revival. Most have entered into complacency and passivity and are scrambling for the good life. Most are content with having their prayers answered here on earth and then going to heaven. Many will even challenge those who are agitating for Kingdom advance and accuse them of challenging the authority of the fathers, of rocking the boat, of pride and arrogance etc 16. Another point to be clearly understood is this: Christianity is on an evolutionary course. The prevailing mindset in Christendom is that Christianity is all about getting people to respond to the altar call and then wait till they die and go to heaven. No, Christianity is constantly moving, changing, progressing, evolving and advancing. Where we were in 1912 is not where we are now, 100 years later. We are bound to keep changing, to keep moving until we get to perfection and Matt. 6:10 is fully answered. 17. So let it not be surprising when you hear the declaration of a new move/kingdom order. Ps. 84:5 talks about those whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. Other prophetic types include: the life of Abraham as he journeyed from the Ur of Chaldeans to Canaan, the journey of Israelites from Egypt to Canaan, the tabernacle of Moses in the wilderness which had 3 partitions, which is exactly the same message in the temple of Solomon, the 3 feasts which the nation of Israel revolved round: Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. 18. The human nature, upon coming into a 'safe and secure' place always wants settle at that point and tabernacle round it. This was what informed Peter's words on the Mountain of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:4). 19. But there are greater things which the Lord has in mind and only a pilgrim heart will choose to abandon the glories of the present to reach out for that which is ahead And religious/pharisaic positions will always vehemently resist any declaration of a new move. 20. Having established these, we now move on to the heart of the matter. Again, let's consider the words the Lord gave us: - “The much-longed for new order (of if you like, revival) will not come until the craftsmen, those being divinely entrusted with the blueprint of accurate Kingdom building in the coming season, begin to get busy in crafting the direction and emphasis of ministry in their own generation. If they fail to rise at this time and take responsibility and keep waiting on others to do something, nobody will and the cycles of time will pass them by”. - “The cry for another revival cannot be taken seriously when previous revivals were not properly accounted for but ended up with man claiming the glory and setting up empires that are an affront to the divine order. Therefore, a generation truly seeking revival must be ready to stand in accountability not just for the coming outpouring but also for previous releases in which dead flies caused the perfume of His divine working to stink”. 21. The first thing we need to understand is this: who are the craftsmen? They are those to whom God has committed the responsibility of realigning the emphasis and direction of ministry in the emerging generation with God's original purpose and plan. 22. This implies that in the last so many years, there has been a veering off the mark. Can this be contested today when ministry is more about fulfilling the vision (ambition) of the man of God than serving the purpose of God; when denominationalism and empire building is the order of the day; when numerical and financial growth have become the goal of most ministers? 23. Can this be contested today when the best of ministry today focuses on making new converts and very little attention is given to attaining complete maturity in Christ? 24. Can this be contested today when mainstream Christianity has been reduced to a means of self-aggrandizement rather than the pursuit of the Kingdom of God? 25. Thus, the craftsmen have a responsibility under God to redirect the emphasis of ministry to what it is meant to be: serving the purpose of God. 26. Using the birth of the early church in Acts 2 as a case study of a new Kingdom order, a number of actors (craftsmen) were involved in bringing this about: 27. It actually started with the prophets who for several years have been prophesying consistently throughout the generations of the coming of Messiah - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Micah, Nahum, Malachi etc. 28. Those prophecies provided divine energy for the prophetic word to be fulfilled in spite of stiff resistance from the satanic realm. 29. We now consider the intercessors, exemplified by Annas and Simeon, who gave themselves to praying the new move to reality 30. The parents/midwives of the new order are John's parents - Elizabeth and Zechariah and of course, Joseph and Mary - the parents of Jesus 31. John the Baptist, the prophetic forerunner who prepared the way for Messiah who of course, is the actual seed of the new Kingdom order. 32. And finally the 12 disciples (particularly) of the Christ. 33. All these actors/craftsmen must faithfully stand in their lot for the new Kingdom order to be a reality. 34. Leaving out the prophets, we can deduce that the operation of the craftsmen spanned through a period of about 90 years (from the time Annas became widowed to the fulfilment of Pentecost in Acts 2). 35. Calling for tenacity, doggedness, focus, resilience and persistence on the part of those called to be craftsmen - even when it appears as though nothing is happening. -------to be continued... --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- You are invited to “THE KINGDOM CONNECT”, an interdenominational believers' forum focused on discovering and experiencing the Kingdom life and message: 3rd Saturday monthly, 11am-4pm. Also, join other Kingdom intercessors @ “THE UPPER ROOM” to pray “Thy Kingdom Come”: 1st Wednesday monthly 5-7pm. Venue: 20, Osuntokun Ave., Bodija (Gammar Christian Centre). Call 0803 854 8073 or mail: daystarzion@yahoo.com for all enquiries. God bless you.

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