STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS IN 2016 (3)

“But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18)

The Christian life and experience are likened to the growing intensity and brightness of the sun as the day progresses from dawn to the splendour of the noonday. The difference however is that whereas the intensity and brightness of the sun wanes as the day progresses into night, the Christian experience is expected to continue to grow stronger and shine brighter as we grow older in the faith. The spiritual experience of the wicked is the very opposite of that of the righteous. The Living Bible captures the contrast beautifully, “the good man walks along in the ever-brightening light of God’s favour; the dawn gives way to morning splendour, while the evil man gropes and stumbles in the dark” (Proverbs 4:18-19). What should be responsible for the disparity in the life experiences of the righteous and the wicked?  Has it got anything to do with the choices each of them makes or are they just living out their different destinies?  It is my considered opinion that their choices have more to do with their spiritual experience than their destinies.  Whereas impunity is the lifestyle of the wicked, humility is that of the righteous. The wicked chooses to live in utter disregard to God and shuns accountability to Him (Psalm 10:13).They  live as if God will not call them to account and as a result spend their life time stumbling through the dark alley of confusion and failure.  But, “Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart” (Psalm 97:11 NKJV). Ungodliness is utterly wasteful in all of its ramifications.

Righteousness is going to become very marketable because God is its promoter.  He will enjoy peace in the midst of turmoil. “For the Lord watches over all the plans and paths of godly men, but the paths of the godless lead to doom” (Psalm 1:6 LB). The godly orders the course of his life by the Word of God. He ardently desires and daily prays for God to guide his every step–“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NLT). The righteous recognises the superior wisdom of God and humbly submits to the guidance of His Word. He hides the Word of God in his heart both to cleanse him from sins and to preserve him from going off the right track. He daily feeds on the Word of God knowing that man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that comes out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).  Listen to the wisdom of God: “Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3 NLT). Bread or food in general represents the reward of our labour. Recall Paul’s charge to the Thessalonians to the effect that he who does not work should not eat (Thessalonians 3:10).  When the Bible asserts that people do not live by bread alone it implies that human labour or effort alone does not fully account for our success in life.  Having a lot of money and plenty food to eat without any regard to God is a hopeless failure.

The foundation of true Christian life is faith in the Word of God. As we daily receive nourishment from the Word of God, we grow and mature in our spiritual experiences. We grow from the slave mode to friendship mode in our relationship with God. Our Lord told His apostles, “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me” (John 15:15 NLT). Progressing from slave mode to friendship mode in our relationship with Christ is the implication of our light shinning “ever brighter unto the perfect day.” A slave only does what the master orders him or her to do. Friends can reason together and weigh options before deciding on a line of action (Genesis 18:17-33). A friend can be a confidant to the master depending on the level of intimacy their friendship has attained. God wants to relate with us as friends and not merely as slaves. Friendship with God is what will enable us to live under a cloudless sunshine that knows no gloom. Our path will be illumined with increasing brightness of God’s glory as we grow into deeper intimacy with Him. The “perfect day” will dawn when we awake in His likeness. I therefore boldly confess with the Psalmist, “As for me, I will see your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness” (Psalm 17:15 NKJV). Let us then in obedience to the Word of God, “Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them (you)” (Isaiah 3:10 NKJV).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS IN 2016 (2)

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand” (Psalm 37:23-24 NKJV).

There can be no greater secret of success than for God to order one’s step day by day. When God is your guide, you can never go astray. I recall an old chorus that used to be popular among Christians years ago. The lyrics are as follows: “The Lord knows the way to the Promised Land, all I have to do is to follow. Strength for today, smiling all the way, and all that I need for tomorrow. The Lord knows the way to the Promised Land, all I have to do is to follow.” When you are going to a place you have not been before, you would certainly need a good map, a good navigator or a good guide. The surety that you will get to your destination depends on the accuracy of the map/navigator you have or on how well your guide knows the way. A few years ago I was going to preach in our church in New Haven, Connecticut in the United States of America. I flew into John F. Kennedy airport in New York and a brother had to come and pick me from the airport to Connecticut. Unfortunately, the navigator he had in his car malfunctioned and kept us running around in New York for a long time without finding our route to where we were going. At one point, after being thoroughly frustrated, he had to discard the instructions of the navigating machine and asked people to direct us. To succeed in 2016, you must get a good map/navigator or a guide that can give you accurate direction to your destination otherwise you will not get there. 

Our text reveals God’s commitment to guide those who would trust Him for direction. The Hebrew word translated “good” in this verse is geber, which does not mean “good” in English. The word implies “a conqueror or hero.”  The idea God wants to communicate is that even the strongest among us would fail if he does not have God on his side as his guide.   Any form of human power, strength or ability will not take us any closer to the success we desire this year unless we consciously lay them at the feet of our Lord and yield to His guidance. The book of Proverbs exhorts us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths “(Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV). This is the way we must go this year. There should be no half measures. We must trust God with all our heart because being smart will not avail us much. Permit me, even at the risk of being repetitive, to share the Message Bible rendering of this scripture. “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.”  To receive direction from God, one must have to wait on Him to hear His instructions. Sometimes we are in a hurry to wait to hear God before making decisions on issues. This year we must learn to wait patiently for Him even if He tarries at speaking. He is fully committed to showing us the way to go. “The LORD says, I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you” (Psalm 32:8 NLT). God knows the best way to achieve the best we can achieve in life. It makes good sense to let Him lead us.

God delights in the person who allows Him to order his or her steps. One’s “step” implies the course of one’s life; the trajectory that life is meant to follow.  As the pilot sets the trajectory of the plane in flight or as the driver determines the direction the car should follow, so does God want to determine the course of our lives. There can be no better way to please God than to let Him set the course of your life and lead you along that course. In this way, He takes total responsibility over you and if for any reason you stumble along the way, He will be handy to steady you. Perchance you slip and fall; He will pick you up and put you back on the path to success. The key to all these is prayer. You must decide to spend more time in prayer this year than you ever did before. God most commonly reveals His will and counsels to people when they are bowed in prayer. When He visits you secretly in your prayer closet, He will manifest you publicly by the level of breakthrough He will bring your way.  A great and happy year awaits us, but we must let God lead the way.

May the Lord bless you with clear direction as you look up to Him for guidance this year in Jesus name. It shall be well with you. 

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS IN 2016 (1)

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15 NKJV).

In this simple sentence, Paul arms us with one key secret we need for success in 2016. The word “circumspect” means watchful and discreet; cautious, prudent. In other words, to walk circumspectly requires us to walk wisely and discreetly. To be cautious and prudent. To appreciate the full import of what it demands from us, let us see the different ways other versions rendered it. The New Living Translation puts it this way, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.” The “Contemporary English Version” says, “Act like people with good sense and not like fools.”  Then “The Message Bible” put it snappy and sharp, “So watch your step. Use your head.” What all these imply is simply that one needs a lot of wisdom to experience a major breakthrough this year. Wisdom is knowing what God would have you do in any given circumstance.  The biblical equivalent of the believer in the 2016 Nigeria is Isaac in the land of Gerar (Genesis 26).

There was famine in the land and every worldly-wise person was moving to where to find sustenance both for the people and livestock. Isaac contemplated migrating to Egypt but God stopped Him and promised to prosper him in the land irrespective of the prevailing famine. Here is the testimony of the breakthrough he experienced.“Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him” (Genesis 26: 12-14 NKJV). Here are some conclusions we can draw from this. The atmospheric condition does not determine the yield of ground, the grace of God does. The state of a nation’s economy does not determine the amount of money that gets into your pocket, the grace of God does. Isaac sowed in that land. Which land? The land ravaged by fierce famine. He reaped in that year a hundred fold. Which year was that? The year of famine! In this year that the worldly-wise have described as a bad year, God will grant you more prosperity than you have ever experienced in your life in Jesus name. Isaac became so prosperous that the people became envious of him. People will become envious of you when they see the blessings of God upon your life in 2016.

                However, Isaac provided for us a clue to the secret of his success in a very distressed economy, like ours.“Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father” (Genesis 26:2-3 NKJV). He paid attention to the word of God and obeyed His instructions. Isaac’s decision to go down to Egypt in order to escape the famine could be compared to human efforts to solve his problems apart from God. It surely would require more faith to live in a land of famine than to live in a country that has plenty of food. But is not living by faith the very life God called us to live?  This year, we must endeavor to live by faith and not resort to any approach that would undermine the glory of God. You must prioritize prayer and study of the word of God if you must make it though this year with a testimony. You must decide to give more time to the work of God this year than you ever did before. You must not withhold your first fruit and your tithes or reduce your offerings as a means of raising more funds for family needs.  That would be equivalent to going back to Egypt. The faith alternative would be for you to intentionally increase your tithes and offerings as a testimony that you depend on God and not on the state of our national economy to prosper.

It is very necessary to make up your mind upfront to take a bold stand for God in every sphere of your life. God has more for you than the devil or the world can ever muster against you. Prioritize your relationship with God over every other consideration that you may face you this year. Walk circumspectly and do not fall prey of the enemy’s antics. God will deliver on all His promises, even the one He made to Jesus.  If He could perform the promises he made to Abraham to Isaac, you should have no qualms trusting Him to fulfill the promises He made to our Lord Jesus to you. This is going to be a good and exciting year for all who would place their faith in Christ. Welcome to 2016, our year of fulfillment.

AFTER THE FEAST WHAT NEXT? (4)

“And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.” (Revelation 19:9 NLT)

Every activity we engage in as Christians must all be geared towards preparing us for the grandest of all events –the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. The marriage feast of the Lamb is that unique moment in the glorious future when our Lord Jesus, will present to the Himself the Glorious Church which He purchased with His Blood (Acts 20:32) and made perfect as a Bride, “without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault” (Ephesians 5:27 NLT). At this glorious event, the prophecy of Isaiah will be fulfilled which says, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied...” (Isaiah 53:11 KJV). The Wedding Feast of the Lamb will be the historic convergence of all of God’s redemptive prophecies and will signal the ultimate futility of satan’s corrosive efforts to dent the image of the Lord’s Bride. When Satan realised that the Blood of Jesus has effectively shielded the spirits and souls of believers from the corrosive influence of sin, he determined to at least, soil the wedding gown of the Bride. Hence the Angels rejoiced that the Bride has made herself ready, by keeping her gown unstained by sin: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honour to him For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.”   For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people” (Revelation 19:7-8 NLT).

Let me call your attention to one or two phrases in this passage of scripture helps us to understand how we must prepare for this great feast. First, “His bride has prepared herself.”  This indicates that as believers we are active participants in the preparations leading to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. A young lady that is getting ready to wed has to do quite a lot to prepare herself for the great event. Even so as believers, we are supposed to get ourselves ready for the Marriage feast of the Lamb. This is why we attend Sunday services, bible studies, and conferences. In all of those programmes, we receive instructions to help us prepare for the great marriage feast. In other words, the grand purpose of all conferences or festivals we attend is to help us prepare to participate in the marriage feast of the Lamb. If after all these activities we miss that great event, we will be counted the most foolish of all.

The second key point I want draw your attention to is what constitutes the wedding gown of the Bride.   “She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.”   For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.”  The bridal gown of “the finest pure white line ... represents the good deeds of holy people.”  Whereas our good works do not earn us salvation from sin; only faith in the finished work of Christ does, they certainly add beauty and colour to our appearance at the wedding feast of the Lord. Could it be that the fine linen each person would receive would be weaved with the person’s works of righteousness. This good work is everything we do that gives God pleasure. Whatever we do that gives God joy makes us strong in Him and for Him. The righteous acts of the saints which constitute the shining and bright linen bridal gown for the believers must be powered by the grace of God operative in our lives. The Spirit of God must be the One working in us both to will and to do according to the good pleasure of God; otherwise our efforts to please Him will be unfruitful.  Hence we need to pray with the Hebrew brethren, “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21 NKJV).

Our Lord was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him. We must likewise position ourselves such that the Holy Spirit can equally anoint us to go about doing good to others. This is  one of the ways we can attract and host the Presence of God in our lives. Nobody, without a wedding garment will be allowed into the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. Let us utilize every opportunity we have to do good to others especially those in the household of faith. Thus, we will be getting our wedding gown ready for the great day of the Lord.  Make sure you don’t miss it in Jesus name. 

AFTER THE FEAST WHAT NEXT? (3)

“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.” (John 2:23-25 NKJV)

People attend Christian conferences for different reasons. Some attend because of the possibility of receiving miracles while some go because it offers them opportunity of meeting and reuniting with old friends. There are still others who attend just to enjoy the warmth of the crowd and forget about their problems for a while. There are some who attend purely for diabolical intents –to steal, to kill and to destroy in one way or the other. There are also those who attend because they are truly seeking the Lord with their hearts and ardently desire to grow in their knowledge of Him. Our text suggests that God seems to have different responses for different participants depending of the overarching motive for their participation. He is able to respond to people differently because, as our text indicated, “He knew what was in man.” What a sobering reality! All of these categories of people were present at the World Congress. Which one of them are you? What you do with the information and impartations you received at the Congress would largely point to which group you belong. In this regards, there are actually only two groups –those who came to encounter God and be transformed by His Spirit and those who came any other thing. For this last group, attending a conference is an end in itself. For those who came to encounter God, it is the beginning of a transformation journey in christlikeness.

Those who came for other things, merely for what they could get from God and other mundane reasons, and who probably got what they desired have since shared their testimonies and reverted back to their old lifestyles. They have gone back to prayerlessness, to indifference to their personal Bible reading/study, and have taken up again the God-displeasing habit of lateness to church functions. They have gone back to self-centred religion and have continued to show utter disregard to the demand of soul winning and caring for the needy. Our Lord gave them their heart desires but refused to entrust Himself to them because He does not trust them! “But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew human nature. No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like” (John 2:24-25 NLT).  Come to think about it, God can actually answer the prayers of people He didn’t trust and give them great miracles. Such an experience as this amounts to nothing but an unfortunate tragedy. When you love what God can give you more than Him, God regards you as an idol worshipper. The Prophet Ezekiel therefore declared, “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols” (Ezekiel 14:4, NKJV). Do you have any idol in your heart? Remember Balaam the prophet (Numbers 22).

The other category of people are those who attend a Christian conference because they desire the sincere milk of the word of God so they could grow more in christlikeness (1 Peter2: 2). Their attitude after the conference is that of determined pursuit of God. Their attitude will be more like that of the Berean believers, of whom the Bible testified saying, “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth” (Acts 17:11 NLT).  They listened to the preaching of the apostles with open-mind, implying they were teachable. They were willing to change their ways once they are convinced that what they were taught was the truth of the Word of God. They diligently searched the scriptures daily to ascertain the truth so they could believe it and practice it. If they had lived today, they would buy the recorded messages of the conference and take time to listen to them over and over again to make sure they got every point clear. They would go through the notes and prepare action plans on how to apply the teaching they heard. For such people as these, the Holy Spirit takes the word of God they are reflecting on and weaves them into their experience to achieve transformation.  The expected result for participating in the world congress is positive change in the form of steady growth in Christlikeness. Make it happen in your life in Jesus name.  

AFTER THE FEAST WHAT NEXT? (2)

“²⁰Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. ²¹Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus. ²²Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. ²³But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. ²⁴Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. ²⁵He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour. ²⁷“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify Your name.” (John 12:20-27 NKJV)

Being part of a great festival such as the just concluded CRM World Congress can be very spiritually exhilarating to the extent that people may want to consider it as an end in itself. Usually God grants us opportunities of such gatherings to ignite in us the quest for deep intimacy with Him. Great as our experience at the Congress was, there is still more God want us to know and experience of Him. We were given unique opportunities to experience the goodness of God so that we can become hungry for more. People who went out of the congress satisfied with what they have received are grossly mistaken.  There is more! This is the time to draw closer to Christ so you can get more of Him and from Him. 

The congress marked the beginning of a transformational journey with God and in God for each of us. Wisdom demands that we make the most of the opportunity. This was what the Greeks of our text did.

The visitors from Greece approached Philip to arrange for a meeting with Jesus privately, outside of the clutter of the feast. They have seen Him at the feast, but only from afar while He ministered to the congregation. They enjoyed listening to His message and experienced the wave of glory that came in the sequel. They enjoyed the exuberance of the corporate worship and power of group praying.  They saw the miracles and the excitement they generated in the crowd. They enjoyed every bit of what they saw, heard and experience in the feast. Notwithstanding all those, they still wanted something more –a personal touch of Christ. They desired a close-up meeting with Him so they could feel His heartbeat and discuss personal matters with Him. They went to Philip, who seems to be our Lord’s PR guy and made a simple but very profound request –“Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Why were they the only people who went to Jesus while all the others have been invited too? The answer is not farfetched. They were thirsty for more.  Our Lord have given out the invitation, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37 NKJV). Some people are satisfied with too little. Some are desirous for more of Jesus. Our Lord has inexhaustible resource of refreshing blessings for any person who cares to have more. Not only the Greeks were invited, the Jews also as well as the rest of the people. But only the Greeks came for more and the Lord had declared, “The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37 NJKV).

When they got to Jesus, He opened His heart to them and shared some deep personal issues with them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.” How could they have known this if not that they were hungry for more. Hunger will take you to a place in God where nothing else can. He unravelled to them the secret of fruitfulness in life and ministry “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”  There is a depth of mystery that God want to lead you into but cannot because of your lack of hunger for more. Whatever blessing, or revelation, or impartation, or wisdom, you have received, from the Lord much more is still waiting to be received by those who can put a legitimate demand on them by their hunger for more.

Our Lord went ahead to reveal to them His desire for His followers, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour”. He wants us to be where He is! The implication of this is confounding. Being where He is affords us the intimacy with the Father that He enjoys. It affords that power and authority that He controls and bequeaths to us the glory and honour He shares with the Father. We can desire for more!

May the Lord deepen your hunger for more of Him in Jesus name!

AFTER THE FEAST WHAT NEXT? (1)

⁴¹His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. ⁴²And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. ⁴³When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; ⁴⁴but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances...⁴⁸So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” ⁴⁹And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”(Luke 2:41-44, 48-49 NKJV).

Annual convocations of God’s people for corporate worship of God and for mutual edification of the people have been observed since the first Passover on the eve of their departure from Egypt. God actually commanded the observances of three national convocations by the people of Israel during which the children of Israel will appear before Him (Exodus 23:14-16). Attendance to these feasts was compulsory for all males, but did not preclude the females from attending. The three big compulsory feasts are; the Feast of Unleavened Bread (the Passover), the Feast of Harvest (the Pentecost), and the Feast of Ingathering (the feast of Tabernacles). During such feasts, every Jew was expected to travel to Jerusalem to worship God as one family.  This is much like what we do in CRM during our national conventions and world congresses.  For the Jews, these feasts help to foster a sense of family among them; reminding them of their familial commitment to one another.  They help to rekindle their national sense of religion, re-affirming the special relationship they have with God as His covenant people. They afforded the entire Jewish nation the opportunity for fellowship and corporate worship of God and a time of receiving instruction on what God expects from them.  Our Lord, being a good Jew, participated in all of these festivals while He was on earth as man. He attended the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2) and celebrated the Feast of Passover (Luke 22:15). He lived in the Pentecost right from His baptism, when the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove  and remained upon Him (John 1:32-34).

Not only did our Lord participate in the Jewish festivals, He also showed us how to maximise the benefits of those festivals. This necessitated the question we are faced with today, after the feast what next? The festivals were not designed to be mere carnivals but opportunities for impartations aimed at empowering the people of God to do the work of God with increased zeal and determination. Let us look closely at our Lord’s attitude after attending the conference in Jerusalem. First, “When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem.”  The feast must have been so impactful for Christ that He didn’t want to leave the atmosphere but lingered in Jerusalem basking in the Presence of God in the temple. He was found in the temple three days after the festival! You must not be in a hurry to discard the influence of the world congress. Live in the atmosphere for as long as you can maintain it. In those days the Presence of God was localised in the temple at Jerusalem that explains why Jesus stayed back there. Today, every believer is the temple of God. You carry the Presence of God with you wherever you are for as long as you want. Maintain that Presence as you continue in the same attitudes and habits that enabled you to draw close to God in the Congress. Listen to the recorded proceedings of the congress and stay in the atmosphere of glory. Remember that Jesus was with the teachers both listening and asking them questions after the feast. Likewise, it is time for you to sit with the teachers and listen to them over and over again.

Secondarily, our Lord plunged Himself into His Father’s business immediately after the conference. He queried His parents, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”  The purpose of the world congress is to equip you to be about the Father’s business with deeper commitment and stronger determination.  The Father’s business is anything that promotes the interest of His kingdom on earth, particularly helping to bring in the soul harvest.  You are now armed enough that you cannot afford to remain idle and be comfortable in the House of God. This is the time to do the work of God before the night comes when no man can work. This is the time to truly get involved in the life of the church by joining a ministry unit where you can contribute effectively.