What kind of man or woman of God do you want to be, and what kind of ministry or churches are we building?
The season we are living in includes many things, and one of them is exposure. Exposure implies that hidden dark agendas, works of the flesh, sin and those who engage in them (without repentance) will be brought into the light.
Luke 8:17, For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.
This exposure happens not only in the secular world, but is also in God’s kingdom. There are already instances of high-profile ministries whose hidden faults or sins are being exposed. This is not the work of the devil; rather, it is God Himself bringing these matters into the light (Matthew 14:22-31) Why? Because God is holy and righteous, and He expects the same from us, especially from His leaders in His church.
1 Peter 1:16, For it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Luke 12:48, From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Undoubtedly, God is love and abounds in grace. When things are amiss, God doesn’t instantly expose them; rather, He allows time for repentance. However, if repentance doesn’t occur, judgment will eventually follow and that always has consequences. The severity of these consequences depends on their willingness to acknowledge their actions and the willingness to repent.
This is not something to rejoice in, and it is crucial not to condemn, as whoever stands firm should be cautious not to fall themselves. This should foster a greater fear of the Lord and prompt self-reflection.
When it comes to the fear of the Lord, it will only intensify. The Holy Spirit will lead many ministers to teach on this, and God will affirm it by further releasing the Spirit of the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2).
The fear of the Lord is not being afraid of God, but having awe and understanding that you cannot play games in God’s kingdom. It also involves acknowledging that the more God uses you, the more is expected. It is an understanding that you are always accountable to God.
God is placing His Church in the Valley of Decisions, where choices must be made. It’s not just about let go of the past and deciding to give it our all, but also about determining the kind of person, minster and leader we aspire to be. We must examine our motives and consider the kind of ministries and churches we are building.
Are our hands clean, and our hearts sincere and pure? Are we functioning selflessly? Are we building His kingdom or our own? And what about our churches? Is there a healthy church culture? Is it governed by love or fear? Is there manipulation, or are choices made by revelation? Are we building a kingdom culture, or are there also influences from the culture in which we were born or raised?
The responses we provide will not only determine if we rise higher in the things of the Lord but will also decide if there will be rewards in heaven. Will God say, ‘Well done’, or will He say, ‘Get away from me’?
That is why we need to look in the mirror and open our hearts to the Holy Spirit so that He can burn away everything that is not His. It is also important to discuss these matters with each other because we can all have blind spots!
God is not just building a new wine-skin; He is also ensuring that His children, especially His leaders, make sacrifices in righteousness.
Malachi 3, For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderers’ soap, He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will Purify the Sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in RIGHTEOUSNESS. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old, as in former years. And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien—because they do not Fear Me.
Those who are open to this will increase and those who harden their hearts they will decrease.
By the way, it’s not only about having a pure heart; it’s also about having clean hands. This means that you may be sincere in your heart, but you may be doing things that are not holy due to sin, bondage, or wrong behavior.
Psalm 24:3-5, Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Are you a boss or a father, Jezebel or Deborah, a wolf in sheep’s clothing or a king with a shepherd heart, bound by a religious spirit or the Holy Spirit, worker of iniquity or a faithful servant?
Many will agree with what I say, but the proof will not be in words; rather, it will be in actions and in what and how we are building.
Psalm 78: 70-72, He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart…
David Arise!
