Matthew 16: 25.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it.
The price for soul revolution has not changed; it is still what it has always been; you either choose it or the path of less resistance. Those who choose the path of less resistance, live only to put food on their tables, own a house, cars, money in the bank and maybe a successful career or business, and that ends their quest and pursuit in life. When talking about impacting and changing a generation positively, count them out. On the contrary, those who choose soul revolution, live to light their generation by their life and impact, and they graciously accept the challenges that go with it.
Great souls in history and contemporary times which changed the world and impacted their generation, demonstrated by their life that achieving comfort and convenience is not all about life! We can embrace the call to live or die for noble causes than merely settling for our interest. The gospel and the Bible we take for granted today were given to us by a generation that didn't know comfort and convenience because they chose to fulfil their purpose over self-aggrandizement. To them, the kingdom of God was not about "meat and drink." If you gave that generation the internet, satellite television, and the many other things we have today, they would have changed the world of their time. Our greatest handicap today is our lack of passion for our purpose and obsession for the goddess of comfort and convenience. We need soul revolution!
What Is Soul Revolution?
It is the transformation that takes place within an individual's soul, which inspires the individual to choose a path of life that may lead to sufferings, refusing alternatives for comfort and convenience for a cause greater than the individual personal gains. Christ walked that path, and the Apostles and Prophets in the Bible did the same, as well as countless other people in history and contemporary times.
If you are for soul revolution, you can't live like everyone around you. You can't go where everyone goes to, or sleep and wake like everyone does, or eat and drink like everyone. If you want to be used of God to inform, transform, and inspire your generation in a significant way, it will cost you everything and still demands more. However, it is the most glorious way to live on earth.
The teachers of the law in the days of Christ and the Apostles had distinguished ecclesiastical careers, but who is talking about them today? Who is reading their books or taking their cues from them? The answer is simple, none! Did they take the money they made to the world beyond? Did they take all the ecclesiastical titles they heap on themselves along when they exited the earth? Naked we came and naked shall we leave. Ecclesiastes 5, verse 15. Job 1, verse 21.
It is nice to have a good career and the good things of life, but life is more than that, and the earlier we learn that, the better. It is noble to live a life that lives a legacy worth remembering in time and eternity.
Some of the great lives we celebrate today died to live the life they lived and the impact they made in their time. I "died" years ago, and the life I am living now is centred on one thing, birthing the revolution I was sent on earth to inspire. Looking at the priorities of today's generation, one can't help but weep. Sadly, the younger generation today are looking for shortcuts, and they treat the truth with contempt. But there is an emerging generation the Lord is rasing that will leave their footprints on the sand of times.
If you desire to be a part of the generation we are talking about, you will need thorough mentorship to learn the dynamics of living a life that counts both in time and eternity. You need to learn in the School of the Word and the Spirit and under those carrying the "revolutionary" fire for this era.
Let me repeat! "The price for soul revolution has not changed; it is still as it has always been." If you are merely looking for a comfortable life and nothing more, you may go down in history as any ordinary human being. If you want to fulfil the purpose for which you came into this world, you have to live for more than what ordinary individuals have settled for. May God open our eyes!
Life is lived once, and if you waste yours, you can't have it back. It is time to wake up and live for higher goals. Live to fulfil your divine purpose, and all other things will shape up progressively.
Foundation Scripture: Matthew 5, verse 13 to 16.
"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
The church can have tremendous influence in shaping the moral, social, cultural and spiritual character of every community, society, and nation. She is supposed to be the light and salt of every community, city, society and nation. However, in a situation where the church imbibes the "culture," it was supposed to change her light will become darkness. The transformation of a negative culture by the church requires a church leadership and movement with a visionary character; spiritually, mentally, socially and intellectually developed.
When we evaluate the impact of the church in a society by the size of church auditoriums, congregations and the opulence of church leaders, we miss the major and start majoring on minor. The transformation of the character of a society where the church operates is the measuring rod of the impact of the church.
For instance, looking at our African nations and the number and size of churches within every nation, one should expect to see countries with a strong moral, social, cultural and spiritual character, but that isn't the case. Why? How I wish this question becomes a topic in every interdenominational gathering.
The goal of this message is to help us understand why the number of churches in our nations has not translated into any meaningful transformation in our nations. If the churches are a part of the problem instead of the solution, they can't serve as God's transformational agents.
Christ said; you can't take out the mote from someone's eyes if you have a beam in your eyes. Matthew 7 : 3 -5.
Those words contain the principle required for the church to change the character of any society or nation she operates within. The church can't have the moral authority to bring the needed changes in the moral, social, cultural and spiritual character of a nation if the church is a victim of the same. Darkness can't cast out darkness.
So, the power of the church is in being the church, not in any other thing. Big buildings, bank accounts, assets and others may have their place, but they do not determine the impact of the church.
What does being the church means? The word "Church," in Latin ecclesia, and Greek "ek-ka-lein," means to "call out of. "The church is supposed to be "a call out" people in every nation; not a part of the corruption, political and social madness, the culture of greed, and egotism going on in a country. When the church in a society descends to the level of the people who don't know the Lord, she will exist as "noise" and not a voice.
"We are in the world and not of the world" as the Bible says, is the best biblical description of the church, which can cure the moral, social, spiritual and cultural malaise of a nation. In a situation where the values of the church, sense of direction, and character is same as that of the country she operates within, it becomes practically impossible for the church to become an agent of transformation within the nation.
For instance, when ordinary politicians loot a nation's wealth and use part of the money to support church projects and the churches see no problem with that, how on earth can the church serve as a voice against corruption?
When church leaders amass so much wealth when their people are languishing in poverty, how on earth can the church speak out against the culture of impunity and self-aggrandizement among the nation's elites?
When money becomes the determining factor of the place one occupies in a church, how on earth can the church change the cultural value where money is crowned king," which is why some young men and women get into arm robbery, prostitution, and other vices to meet up?
When the messages from the pulpit glorify the mindsets and attitudes, which the church was supposed to be speaking against, how on earth do you think the church can serve as the light in a dark world?
In a society of selfishness, racism, and individualism, if these same attitudes are evident in the character of the church, she would become a toothless bulldog. A toothless bulldog will bark, look tough and intimidating, but can't bite. Is this the picture of the church in your nation? The church needs change, and you and I can become that change. Let's seek the Lord for the transformation of the church into the light and salt of the earth. That is the breakthrough required for the church to transform society. We pray that this message serves the purpose the Holy Spirit ordained it in Jesus name!
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he comes and rains righteousness upon you.
Hosea 10 : 12.
You can't solve a problem if you are a part of the problem. The strategy of the forces of darkness to silence anyone is to make the individual a part of the problem the person was destined to solve. The devil has no business stopping anyone from preaching or starting a church or ministry; her goal is to make you a victim of what you were to change via your preaching or ministry.The intent is to render the ministry of anyone who becomes her victim of no consequence. Leaving the individual busy with ministry activities, but changing nothing, and active, but not effective. Could this be the devil's assault weapon against those in places of leadership in ministry today?
I rather not have a ministry or church than to have one, which has no consequence. It's better to do nothing than to be active, but not productive. Ministry that only offers a minister the opportunity to live a better life, but does n't change anything in his or her community is useless. If the presence of a church in a city makes no positive difference, then the absence of that church is better than its presence. The impact of a ministry or church in a community shouldn't be measured by the prosperity of its leader, but by the quality of transformation, it brings to the city.
For more thought provoking and life-transforming insight, enroll in the forthcoming session of GFC International Online School of the Word. What comes from the head reaches heads, but what originates from the heart impacts hearts. You will never be the same again as you reach forth to tap from the heart of God for six months. Don't wait! Dr.Etta
1) Hide Thyself, (1 Kings 17:3)
2) Show Yourself (1 Kings 18:1)
You can't accomplish much in your nation or generation if you don't understand the above strategy. There is a time to "hide;" no posters, handbills, billboards, TV or Radio programs anywhere, nor conferences, etc. If you think, the ministry is all about being in the public eye every day; you may find yourself someday in the public eye, but with nothing substantial to offer, leading to an irreversible descent into irrelevance.
"Hide Thyself."
Can the young people in ministry today accept to go away from the public eye for three and a half years as Elijah did with the kind of anointing Elijah carried on his life? I wonder-ooooh! Won't they be afraid of losing their spot in the public eye? Many emerging ministers are "bleeding and losing blood" because of wounds they have incurred in the battle, instead of moving away from the public eye, their ego keeps them going as walking deads.
The decade 2000-2010, the Lord used my life and ministry to launch a new era of ministry impact in Cameroon, which led to a significant transformation of lives and the rise of many young voices. But after the year 2010, the Lord told me to do what Elijah did (Hide thyself). It stirred up so much controversy because most people don't walk in wisdom nor understand kingdom strategy for uncommon impact.
When Elijah reappeared after three and a half years of being totally out of the public eye, he turned the nation of Israel back to God in a single day. There are some of you running and doing many things just to impress the public when you were to be in hiding, preparing for a real onslaught against the forces of darkness in your city and nation. You want to please people, forgetting that they didn't call you, and you aren't "a man of the people," but a man of God. So, what people think and say, shouldn't be what you worry about.
Listen! Battles are not won by strength, but by divine strategy. Those who have ears have heard twice even though I have spoken once.Dr.Benard Etta
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Gen: 1:3
What most of us think is that when God said: "let there be light," that was when "light" came into existence. I thought that also for several years until when God opened my understanding to the revelation of truth.
Now, take away the phrase "And God said, Let there be light," what you will have is the phrase, ''and there was light." If this is all you have, what will be the reading? It implies that light has been in existence, even when darkness covered the face of the earth. All God did was to bring it forth by making the right move when he said, LET THERE BE LIGHT! It is like calling someone in a dark room to come. The person is already in the house but needs to be called to present himself.
If someone calls you and you came, it does not mean you were not existing, and merely came into existence when called. No! You existed but only appeared after being invited. Listen! Whatever you are expecting in life is existing. In fact, if it weren't existing, you wouldn't have it. Trying to get something which isn't existing is but fantasy. If it isn't existing, then you shouldn't expect to have it. As God made a move to call for light from the womb of existence, so we have to make certain moves to bring into manifestation what has already existed with our names written on it.
Life is all about accepting responsibility to bring things forth. Nothing happens by chance; it's an assertion in physics that "AN OBJECT IS AT REST UNTIL A FORCE IS APPLY TO IT." That means objects don't move by themselves without an application of force to move them. Remember, four leprous men at the gate of Samaria said to themselves, "Why sit we here until we die?" They decided to make a move and by doing so, they discovered that what they were looking for was already waiting for them.
You can't imagine the enormous power you can activate if you decide to make a move to achieve what you desire. Prayer is good if it is part of a broader strategy to receive what it takes to make things happen. Praying without taking steps will turn anyone, any day into a prey. Some reading this article may be sitting and doing nothing, but expecting the unexpected. That is nothing but superstition. It does not work that way anywhere even in heaven.
Those who sit and do nothing to improve their lives and to get to their dreams, end up as "statutes." Nothing stinks like stagnant water! It is time to go for what you want; aspire to acquire what you desire. It is already waiting for you, but you have to make the right moves. AMAZINGLY! WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, IS LOOKING FOR YOU. I wish you a great week. Cheers! DrBenard Etta