There is a Beginning to all things!
(From the Apostolic Perspective)
Voice of Hope Ministries has Leadership but requires all to be involved and committed.
In this study we shall address the call to Leadership.
Our charge is to build the Church according to the Scriptures.
LEADERS SERVE... there must be common ground in Christ as we go forth.
Love, hope, faith, peace and joy are essential attributes for living a life of Light and Righteousness. (Kingdom Living)
There are several essentials of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of God is to be expressed on earth through the Church. To divinely build the Church, there must be an authentic expression of the Gospel. The Gospel is the message the Lord entrusted to the Apostles of the Lamb (His eye-witnesses of His life, ministry, crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and ascension), the same Gospel he entrusted to the apostles like Paul and others of the 1st century church. The Lord and King of the universe has not changed His Gospel!
The Church is to be one Body, the One Holy Apostolic Church, of which He is building! It is also known as Spiritual Zion, Spiritual Israel, the New Jerusalem, the Holy Nation of the New Testament, and the New Covenant.
For us to understand our roles as leaders we must find ourselves ONE in the truths of the foundations for the Church... that are clearly presented in the Bible...those foundations the Lord gave to the 1st century apostles.
Visions originate from the throne room of Heaven. Jesus Christ is the King of the Kingdom and He receives all things from Father God. The Lord Jesus has the power and ability to present Himself personally to whom He chooses. Ezekiel, Isaiah, Paul, Peter and John all record divine transformation and revelation of realms into the presence of God. Jesus Christ is the ultimate manifestation of God's presence. Father God sent His Son into the seen realm of the physical earth to reveal Himself.
John 14:8-11... Jesus said, Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the [very] works themselves.
All power was manifest in the Father's Name before the crucifixion. After the resurrection, ascension and enthronement, all power and authority was given to Jesus Christ. Jesus in His enthronement on the eternal throne of David sits at the right-hand of the Father who is all power and authority. Today, the Church does the work of the Kingdom in the Name of Jesus.
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Spirit), we are also baptized into the Name of Jesus the Christ and into all that His Name represents which is His Person... all that He is.
The Name of Jesus is above all names..."In Jesus Name," refers to all that
He is. "In the name of the Father," refers to all that He is. "In the name of
the Holy Ghost," refers to all that He is. The Father, Son and Holy Ghost
are three manifestations of the the one true God and are in perfect accord functioning as the Godhead and each fully agree in all things.
There is one God the Father, one Lord...1 Corinthians 8:6 AMP
Yet for us there is [only] one God, the Father, Who is the Source of all things and for Whom we [have life], and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through and by Whom are all things and through and by Whom we [ourselves exist].
1 John 5:7-12 Amp
7 So there are three witnesses in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one; {SEE: the comprehensive study of "one"; Marvelous Wonders}
8 and there are three witnesses on the earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree [are in unison; their testimony coincides].
9 If we accept [as we do] the testimony of men [if we are willing to take human authority], the testimony of God is greater (of stronger authority), for this is the testimony of God, even the witness which He has borne regarding His Son.
10 He who believes in the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] has the testimony [possesses this divine attestation] within himself. He who does not believe God [in this way] has made Him out to be and represented Him as a liar, because he has not believed (put his faith in, adhered to, and relied on) the evidence (the testimony) that God has borne regarding His Son.
11 And this is that testimony (that evidence): God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life.
The Father and the Son are not one in Person, but one in character and purpose. God calls men to their appointments in the Body of Christ. Christ is the One who does the calling. He has set a divine order as to the way things are to be ministered in the Kingdom.
Jesus as Son of Man and God on earth, called twelve men to be His followers for the purpose of discipleship that they might know the things and ways of the Kingdom of Heaven to be administered to build the Church. He commissioned them and gave them His seal of authority and power as evidenced by the working of the Holy Ghost in demonstration of the supernatural in their ministries.
Once called we are to be taught the ways of the Spirit, not the ways of men. It is the Holy Spirit who is the Guide re-presenting the Living God.
He works within us to bring the good pleasures of the Kingdom into our lives. He delivers and oversees the Gifts of the work of Christ.
He is the Spirit of revelation and releases understanding of the Light of the Word of God and the ways of the Kingdom into our hearts and minds. The natural mind cannot receive them. We enter the calling through the gate door of Jesus Christ.
John 14:6 AMPJesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.
We walk and have our being in the Holy Ghost.
Galatians 5:25 AMP If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]
Visions are prophetic and provide benefit for doing Greater Works for the Kingdom!
The Greater Works are specified in the following Scripture:
John 14:8-12 AMP
8 Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father [cause us to see the Father--that is all we ask]; then we shall be satisfied.
9 Jesus replied, Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and do you not recognize and know Me yet, Philip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, Show us the Father?
10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me?
What I am telling you I do not say on My own authority and of My own accord; but the Father Who lives continually in Me does the (His) works
(Christ's miracles, deeds of power).
11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the [very] works themselves. [If you cannot trust Me, at least let these works that I do in My Father's name convince you.]
12 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.
Let us begin to hear more from the Holy Spirit, His prophetic voice, that we may see Him magnify this message for deeper understanding....
In the book of Ephesians (4:8-12), it states that the ascended Christ established the apostolic pattern for the equipping, the works and the maturing of His Church Body.
Christ has not changed His plan. His pattern has been printed and preserved and is the same from generation to generation for over 2000 years!
► He gives special gifts of individuals: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to the Body to equip and train.
►He gives spiritual gifts by the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit for the supernatural work!
The power and release of the gifts are done by the Holy Spirit. We are anointed with His presence just as the Lord Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit at the River Jordan. God the Father imparted and anointed His Son filling Him with the presence of the Holy Spirit without measure at His baptism at the Jordan River when John the Baptist, baptized Him. The Son of Man is the Son of God, who was a flesh body in the earth. God anointed His Son! As such, He contained a spirit, a soul and flesh representing man and God as a living flesh body. In the Kingdom of God, the Church is the "body." It re-presents man and God.
It is the spiritual Holy Nation of God contained in flesh in the earth as the Body of Christ. Father God has not changed His plan for anointing His "whole Spiritual Body" with the baptism of the Holy Ghost to build itself up. Christ Jesus is the HEAD...
Ephesians 4:15-16 AMP
15 Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one).
16 For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love.
So now we have seen by the scriptures the establishment of leadership, the calling to leadership and the identification of that leadership by name.
The identification, characteristics, attributes and function of a thing is in its name. We can see the confirmation of this divine principle in every action initiated by the Word of God, the actions of God and the actions of men as initiated by God.
A person, place, or thing is expressed by a name.
The Lord Jesus gave five leadership identities to Lead and Govern the Church. The "ascension gifts of men" form the TEAM on which we are to build the church. The Bible states that Christ Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone of the foundation. As such, we have a template, a pattern on which to duplicate all other substance, design and activity.
These building components are bonded in Truth of which the Lord Jesus is Truth personified. He is eternal Truth: the way, the truth and the life of all we desire to imitate and duplicate in faith, hope and love.
To give is to gift...The Lord Jesus gave gifts of men. These are special gifts of Servant-Leaders for the Church.
A gift must be accepted, unwrapped, discovered, appreciated, and put to use. A good gift is one which we esteem and give special value.
God has given us to you and you to us. Let us esteem the Lord for His gracious gifts! To show our appreciation, let us exercise the spiritual endowments He has given individually and share them severally for the benefit of God's Great Plan of the ages...
The Great Commission!
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The Gift of Leadership... Apostolic Spiritual Cover... Apostolic Government
God has given us 8 ways to relate to His building agents... "gifts of men."
The number 8 all through the scriptures represents,"new beginnings," "new relationships" , "gathering" or "resurrection power."
The Lord himself in His ascension gave 5 ministry graces for this work.
The number 5 represents: "Grace or Favor"
Name's of the Lord's Body Servant-Leaders reveal the role of these 5 spiritual gifts of men...
Apostle...
Greek word apostolos means to send one forth (apo, "from," stello, "to send")
a delegate; especially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ. The apostle is called personally by Christ and given charge for his mission.
The Holy Spirit anoints the apostle with supernatural empowerments demonstrating miraculous gifts of the Spirit. The apostle is a special messenger of Christ with special assignment to the Body of Christ. The apostle administrates the affairs of Christ's Body by the Word and the Spirit with special regard to God's principles for solid spiritual foundation building and its divine growth.
Prophet...
Greek word propheteria means to speak forth the mind and counsel of God. The Spirit given empowerment and desire to serve God by proclaiming God's truth. The prophet exposes sin in the church and speaks forth the administrations of God for His people.
Evangelist...
Greek word euangelistes means to proclaim glad tidings, a messenger of good. This gift carries the Spirit given empowerment and desire to serve God by leading people beyond one's natural sphere of influence, to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The evangelist is an aggressive soul winner who seeks the lost.
Pastor...
Greek word poimen means the gift of shepherding. The shepherd leads, feeds, guards protects and oversees God's people. The Spirit empower- ment and desire to serve God by overseeing, training, and caring for the needs of a group of believers.
The senior pastor of an assembly of believers feeds and cares (tends to the spiritual welfare) of the fellowship. He is also an elder assigned to fellowship with other 5-fold ascension gifts of Christ and other elders of the "city church."
Teacher...
Greek word didaskalos means master, teacher or doctor.
The Spirit empowerment and desire to serve God by making clear the truth of God with accuracy and simplicity. The teacher makes clear the doctrines and teachings of the Bible.
It is important that we approach our study and understanding of the principles for apostolic cover in the spirit of the Fruit of the Spirit.
Basically, there are two approaches practiced in spiritual covering relationships.
Legalistic "Fathers"
Have you searched, submitted and committed to apostolic spiritual cover only to be wounded and bruised by "dominating fathers?"
• Those who function as if they are the source of guidance for people's lives.
• Those who emphasis the rights of Leaders and set them apart from the body with titles, lofty placements and positions.
• Those seeking to control people's actions through excessive rules and laws of accountability to control and enforce them to conform to a "mold."
Relational "Fathers"
What should an apostolic covering (father & son) relationship yield?
• Emphasis on inter-relational communication with transparency an absolute essential.
• Emphasis on the Word of God and the Holy Spirit as the source of guidance.
• Emphasis on Leadership development as servanthood...the body of Christ is to serve one another.
• Emphasis on equipping for the work of the ministry...working in an atmosphere of trust and grace in accountability to one another to encourage growth.
Please keep these two kinds of approaches in mind as you examine the following leadership training information.
Leaders have responsibility to train and edify those who yield to the grace of oversight.
Relationships are established in mutual love and fellowship not in assignment and placement.
(Assignment and placement are to be done in mutual relationship with the Holy Spirit.)
Acts 13:2-4 KJV
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
Acts 15:28 AMP
28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to lay upon you any greater burden than these indispensable requirements:
The following eight-point account is adapted and modified from our friend and fellow apostle...
1. Receive your Leader.
We receive the 5-fold Leader as a gift from God.
• We know that every good and perfect gift comes from God.
• Receive means to accept as in ownership.
• We must receive the gift to benefit from it.
2. Know your Leader.
1 Thess 5:12
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour
among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; KJV
• We know with knowledge that enables us to be familiar with, sure,
and understand the Leader.
• We also are to know the Leader by the Spirit.
3. Esteem your Leader very highly.
1 Thessalonians 5:13
And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. KJV
• Esteem means to respect, appreciate or hold high regard for the
Leader.
• We are to esteem for no other reason than for the work's sake.
• The Leader is qualified by the work's of servant hood in the
dedication to equip believers to do the works of the ministry as
demonstrated by Christ's good works as led by the Holy Spirit in
preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, with signs, wonders and
miracles, healing, church planting, and discipleship.
4. Pray for your Leader.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
Furthermore, Brethern, do pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may
speed on (spread rapidly and run its course) and be glorified (extolled)
and triumph, even as [it has done] with you, And that we may be
delivered from perverse (improper, unrighteous) and wicked (actively
malicious) men, for not everybody has faith and is held by it. AMP
• Intercede daily for your Leaders.
• Prayer allows the Word to have free course to accomplish that for
which it is sent.
• Your prayer makes you involved in the messages given to the
ministry and gives you a sense of your part in the work God releases
for the City of Lights.
• Prayer is a personal responsibility and a corporate responsibility to
cover the work and the Leaders.
• When we are praying for enrichment and advancement against the
work of darkness we are less likely to be critical and used of the
enemy.
5. Communicate with your Leader.
Galatians 6:6
Let him who receives instruction in the Word [of God] share all good
things with his teacher [contributing to his support]. AMP
• Communicate with your Leader in all good things.
• All good things includes financial seeding as well as verbal seeding.
• Taking action in the ministry is a good communication.
It says, "I am with you." "I recognize you as my Leader."
6. Follow or imitate the Leader.
Hebrews 6:12
Then, knowing what lies ahead for you, you won't become bored
with being a Christian nor become spiritually dull and indifferent,
but you will be anxious to follow the example of those who receive
all that God has promised them because of their strong faith and patience.TLB
• As you receive and know your Leader you should have no problems following him.
• You follow and imitate those things that are good and acceptable to God.
7. Obey the Leader.
Hebrews 13:17 NKJV
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls,
as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief,
for that would be unprofitable for you.
• Obey the leader in the instructions that are of the Word and the will of God.
• When you are able to receive, know, and trust your leader or you will be able to obey instructions.
• Obedience is active. It means you yield and mutually work together.
8. Submit to the Leader.
Hebrews 13:17 Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them...
• Submission is an attitude supported by love.
One can only freely submit through love and respect.
These 8 ways to relate to your Leader we have just studied,
are built upon the following Kingdom principles.
► Loyalty
Loyalty to the ministry of God enables us to receive the Leaders called and appointed with His visions. (Not everyone carries the same graces... many are not visionaries.)
The act of loyalty requires us to change our schedules and our plans to serve the Lord to accomplish the mandate of the vision.
► Commitment
Commitment is not known until it is tested.
2 Kings 2:1-2 AMP
WHEN THE Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind,
Elijah and Elisha were going from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, Tarry here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel. But Elisha replied, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.
So they went down to Bethel
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The Lord has provided everything that we need to experience a mighty move of God!
Everything is in place. God loves to put Grace upon people that the world and religious systems do not accept. Everyone is not equal. God calls forth His Leadership. Not everyone is given the Grace to pastor an allotment of believers, to be an apostle, an evangelist, a prophet, or a teacher.
None of these appointments carries less gifting.
They each contain a measure of faith.
Each have gifts differing according to the Grace gifts that are given to us by the Holy Spirit. Father God through King Jesus assigns us to a "team." It is the heart that is prepared. Our hearts must be stirred. When souls and spirits are in unity we are able to make commitments to Apostolic Ministries!
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Work of the Ministry
The blessings on the “work” is the spiritual Leadership!
The sign that God is raising something up is evidence in the "eldership!"
All through the Bible God sets leaders in place for specific purposes.
(Num. 27:15-23; 1 Chron. 22:17, 23:3-32; Acts 20:28-29)
The people could not rise above or go beyond the leadership.
Those who are Christ appointed are being raised up and qualified by the Holy Ghost…Leaders are set in place to exercise spiritual care in fellowship with other leaders and authority given by the Holy Spirit for the direction of the Church and it’s Evangelism.
God is not limited to men's territorial boundaries!
The Great Commission is a command to go into all the world.
Believers are parts of the Body of Christ...The Church... the General Assembly of Heaven...as such we are to work together to advance and extend the Kingdom of Heaven.
Titus 1:5-7 greek, episkopi;
Those who God plants to oversee the nature of the work of churches.
(greek, presbuteroi; referring to spiritual experience...
those called as ruling elders/bishops
Peter puts Leadership in perspective as follows (1 Peter 5:11) …
"I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ,
and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:
Shepherd of the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by constraint
but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor being as lords over those entrusted to you,
but being examples to the flock.”
Leaders look to the Lord Jesus to advance the ministry to which they are CALLED..."TEAM" Ministry is Christ's ministry by the leading of the Holy Spirit!
See John 14:19-26
Apostolic Spiritual Cover. Insight into the divine realm of covenant partnership.
God has made the way to reach and teach the nations. It is not appropriate for ministries to continue to have to struggle to promote their divine appointments.
By coming together in divine fellowship to worship, bless and seek the Lord, we can hear what the Spirit of God is saying to the church.
Many find themselves working within special areas of ministry.
They are ignored by fellow leaders in the Body. This is not the will of the Father. It is for the more experienced and blessed in the Church to edify one another recognizing the graces and gifts of God within the works and providing counsel, encouragement and assistance to bring it forth.
Apostolic covering is not just limited to a single relationship.
The cover is enhanced in the "fellowship of apostles" with the Father and the Son. The Lord established the pattern of apostolic companies to build His Church. It is important that we come together to enhance the apostolic work of the Great Commission.
We have entered a season whereby God is drawing His creation together!
Apostles and Leadership
Apostolic Leadership Arise!
Local Apostle leadership movements in the past have focused on prayer and fellowship, but they never were evolved in what they were supposed to become—apostolic pastors, leaders, businessmen, etc., that would convene to sit in the presence of the Lord and hear what He is saying and strategizing over the winning of souls. This entails much more than social action, although that is a part of the strategy.
Whether it was fear of what others might think, false humility, or something else, many were not willing to take the step to become a "voice" of strategic input into a region.
Some thought this would appear to be "arrogant." Was the apostle Paul arrogant when he referred to himself as an apostle?
That term meant something much different than it does today.
Some may think of apostles as some holy man or woman who walks four feet off the ground and glows in the dark!
Apostles are foundational to the body of Christ, both in ministry and person.
The word "apostle" was the only one of the five-fold ministry that was not taken from a "religious" terminology.
The etymology of the word "apostle" goes back thousands of years
before the first advent, and it meant a "general" who led an army or armada into battle.
The word "ecclesia," translated "Church," came from a classic Greek word that described elected magistrates who made and decided on the policy of a city or locality.
They declared war and made peace, treaties, and alliances.
They were responsible for military actions and raising finances to support the work.
The Church and its leadership is supposed to be ruling and reigning
through intimacy, worship, and prayer (priestly function), hearing strategy (prophetic function), then training, equipping, mobilizing, and supplying the carrying out of the strategies (apostolic function).
Apostles, apostolic ministries, leaders are arising, which means the Lord is calling the body of Christ to war. And this is not a war we will lose, but win, if we get in place, submit to God's order, and obey the strategies He will release as He takes His seat as Judge over cities, regions, and nations.
The power of the enemy will be broken and transformation will quickly come! (Luke 18:8).
Acts 13:1-4 gives a Biblical precedent and model for apostolic leaders operating.
As the elders (recognized leaders by the Holy Spirit) came together to fellowship, worship (minister to the Lord), pray, and fast, the Lord gave clear, implicit direction and strategy. This model for apostolic councils should be embraced, but there should be much room left for allowing the Holy Spirit to adjust meeting times. Many leader's meetings that I have been a part of majored on fellowship and "backslapping."
These are great and very necessary for the unity of the Spirit, but they must move on!
It is time to come together with the expressed purpose of seeking the heart and mind of the Lord.
The Church must receive key strategies to execute a winning war over the power of sin. The Church must receive strategies for the winning of lost souls to which the Lord will call us to account.
The traditional model of the pastor in a local church with duties centered around man must come to an end. Although each local fellowship needs strong pastoral guidance and ministry, we must recognize that there are many apostolic men and women who cannot fulfill their callings because of the demands placed on them.
This needs to change and "old wineskins" must be broken off of the minds and hearts of God's people. Many are being called to leave the comfort of the old to be released to fulfill the calling of the Lord, not only on their lives, but also on their cities and regions.
Apostolic leaders are to begin convening, seeking the Lord as in Acts 13,
and then releasing the decrees and strategies the Lord gives.
Many with a traditional mindset will reject it, and will probably even mock and persecute it.
Regardless, these apostolic leaders must have the will to see this happen, because our lives and regions will increasingly depend upon it as we near the end of the age.
The Army must be gathered!
Joel 3:9-13 is a passage of Scripture that is pertinent to the time we have entered.
The prophet admonishes the leaders to "Proclaim this among the nations:
"Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up'" (verse 9).
As these apostolic leaders begin to arise and seek the Lord together, warfare will be engaged as the Lord begins to seat Himself and His authority over their cities, states, and regions.
This WILL mobilize the Body of Christ as the Army of God.
MANY of the saints are WAITING for strategy and orders!
As leaders get into proper place and alignment, the rest of the true Body of Christ will also. As we do this, resources will begin to be released by the Lord to establish what needs to happen.
One of the things the body of Christ to do is "ask the Holy Spirit to reveal new supply lines."
There is a multitude of resources yet untapped that the Lord is waiting to release to those who are desiring to see His Kingdom advance!
What happens on earth governs what of Heaven flows into this realm (see Matthew 18:18-20).
Because the Lord has given the earth to men (Psalm 115:16), He is waiting on us to come into alignment with Him and His purposes.
As we do, what is in Heaven will break into the earth realm.
The Lord is ready to be seated over entire cities, regions, and nations if the saints will adjust and align themselves.
As Christ's leaders step out, and are not afraid to come together... and Biblically, say what they hear Him say, then together mobilize to see His will be done, the court of Heaven will quickly be seated to release restorative justice into their regions.
May it happen now!
(The TEAM pattern is validated in the Selection of the disciples.)
Each " church" had men assigned by God to work in different capacities as part of the "team." Christ assigns men for the “teamwork.” (note: God has a plan for supernatural growth. As we prepare to go into the “highways and byways,” locally, Tran locally, to the nation and to nations as well as within the digital kingdom, we must be able to rely on each other.
If our desire is to participate in "ministry teamwork."
Consider these:
His plan is that we each mature in the stature of His Son.
He wants us to grow in faith and in the image of His Son.
Galatians 4:19 AMP
...until Christ is completely and permanently formed (molded) within you,
Ephesians 4:13 KJV
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
If you don’t have a friendship with a person, you can’t deal on issues because you will be fearful to “hurt feelings or running him off.” We cannot grow and achieve when there is no friendship. How can one serve without friendship? We need to be friends.
John 15:12-15 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
[speaking to the His disciples having been relational with them for three years]
Jesus said, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have CALLED you friends, for things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
The Lord Jesus is the Head. We are to believe in, trust in, rely on, cling to and adhere to Him. We are to become one in Christ. Jesus dedicated His life, He set it apart from the world that we might also be set apart, made holy in the Light of Truth. (read the account of John chapter 17)
Being friends requires the act of communicating with each other. It is the function of being true to each other in times of crisis and in times of celebration.
When relationships between leaders are distant, there is lack of communication. There is little opportunity for developing the relationship of friendship. Friendship is active when each party is mutually engaged in the process. When crisis is entailed and there is no one available, the pattern of Christ Jesus is broken. Friendship can only be built out of relationship by exercising Kingdom principles. The Lord who initiated the relationship and takes care of us by the Person Holy Ghost, instructs that we yield to each other to be friends.
Bishop Allan A. Broom, Sr.
President Voice of Hope Ministries, Inc.
Coat of Arms
But those who Hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like Eagles: they will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31 NIV)
