Callistus Ike
FACING FORWARD
4 Fitness plan for Ministers
# The best of our stories are never in the past.
# Challenges and setbacks are designed to make us stronger.
# We must face-forward in life.
# All men fail but the great Ones rises up again. Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
FITNESS PLAN
1. DEDICATION: We must rediscover our dedication to God. Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
# Not every stewardship is rewardable. We are either serving like Cain or like Abel.
# If you are not sold-out to God, you will not be able to adapt to new things.
# The breakthrough we are looking for is in being sold out to God.
2. BREAKING THE FALLOW GROUND AFRESH.
# We can only break the fallow ground afresh in the place of prayers.
# The Holy Ghost touches lives through fervent prayers. Acts 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. 16:15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
# It’s God that opens the heart of people when we engage in fervent prayers. Psalms 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
# We take Nations first by prayer before they enter into our auditorium.
# You must take the city first and foremost in the place of prayers.
# We have dominion through prayers.
# You have to know who you are and what dominion you have in the place of prayers.
3. GRACE TO LABOUR!
# We all have different chanllenges, so no one person has an excuse for failure.
# There’s no future for the lazy pastor. 1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
# There’s a grace to labour.
# The enemy of success is not failure but comfort
# IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP AND WORK.
4. MAGNIFY YOUR OFFICE
# Place value on who you are!
# Enjoy your assignment.
# Strike a balance. Don’t let the visible ministeries.diminish the ones that are not so visible.
# Respect others but celebrate your uniqueness. Romans 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
# Learn to partner with other churches and organizations in order to touch lives .
Don’t live in the past, FACE THE FUTURE.
