How Apostle Paul Planted a Network of Churches

[Acts 14:21‭-‬26 KJV] “And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, [22] Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. [23] And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. [24] And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. [25] And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: [26] And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled”.

I want to speak to you today about how Apostle Paul and his team planted a network of churches. I must say that planting a network of churches is so important to the releasing of power and blessing. In the realms of the spirit there are three things that God measures of every church:

• The temple
• The altar: The size and type of altar determine what kind of sacrifice it can take.
• The worshippers
• The missionaries: The missionaries we send out and what power they have.

These four things are so important, they determine the spiritual placement and potency of a church.

[Revelation 11:1-6 KJV] “And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. [2] But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months”.

[3] “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. [4] These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. [5] And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. [6] These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will”.

Remember that our temple, altar, worshippers, and missionaries will determine our position and significance in God’s agenda and program. We cannot sleep; we must arise to build, sacrifice, worship, and reach-out. This is the time to increase the potency of our work by planting a network of churches.

Remember, not everybody wishes you well. Not everyone wishes you well in god-given endeavours; the Bible says the nations were angry but we shall not fear because the Lord has promised to build His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. There are times when people rejoice over your persecution and struggle but don’t be dismayed, just keep obeying, and in the fullness of time, your fruits shall show.

[Matthew 16:17‭-‬19 KJV] “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar–jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. [18] And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [19] And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”.

How then was Apostle Paul able to plant a network of churches? They prayed, planned, prepared, travelled to cities, towns, villages and did the following;

• Preached the gospel
• Taught many
• Confirmed the souls of the disciples
• Exhorted the disciples to continue in the faith
• Ordained elders
• Prayed with fasting
• Commended the church to God on whom they have believed

And the Bible tells us that after doing these things, the Lord went with them wherever they went, working with them, and confirming their word with signs following.

I know with all my heart that planting a network of churches like the Apostle Paul did is possible for us today. We only need to partner with God as we put the keys from this study into practice, and we shall all see the fruits of our labour.

God bless you, I love you!

Kofi Simpe Bediako

Originally published at highcity.org

Running the Service for Growth

[Luke 14:16-24 KJV] “Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: [17] And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. [18] And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. [19] And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. [20] And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. [21] So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. [22] And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. [23] And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. [24] For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper”.

It is a lot more easier to pastor without tears than we thought a few months ago. The minister of God is called to pastor the church for growth. We are called to both fill the house of God with souls, and to fill the souls with the God of the house. To effectively run the church for growth;

1. Spend time praying and studying daily as a minister.
2. Groom and dress well daily.
3. Purpose and plan weekly mettings.
4. Invite many to the meetings.
5. Set up the meeting and the meeting place on time.
6. Follow up those you have invited.
7. Reach out to the halt and maimed.
8. Start the meeting with prayer, then with worship and praise.
9. Allow for special ministrations; whether it is a song, poetry, dance, or painting.
10. Share a short, simple, biblical, relevant, and inspiring word with the brethren.
11. Take offerings, give announcements, and close the meeting with our special hymn.
12. Catch up, fellowship, and visit the shut ins, the sick, the oppressed, and the absentees.

These are the simple keys to run the services for growth. With these simple keys, you can pastor and grow a church if you can make available 20 hours a week for your faith and religion. Be blessed.

I love you!

Noah Simpe Bediako

Originally published at highcity.org

Living Right and Wisely

Mark 8:36 KJV] “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the world and lose his own soul. The real you comprises of your soul. Therefore, why should you make choices that may give you the whole world whilst you lose your own soul. You must do all that you can, to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Time is not on our side. We must make the most of all things.

Indeed, the craze for money, fame, luxury and ease is too much. Many are erring because they are running after things that don’t really matter. What is all the mad rush for? What are we chasing money and fame for? What shall it really profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? I pray that the Lord will help us find wisdom. I pray that we don’t run after things. I pray that we shall focus on working out the salvation of our souls.

Life is simple, and there are four simple tips to live right and wisely. Stop rushing and running around. Stop every silly drama. The secret to a good easy life without stress or pain or anxiety; but full of joy and peace and righteousness is:

1. Earn a living
2. Love God with all your heart
3. Love one another and
4. Disciple another

These are the four tips to living right and wisely.

1. Earning a living is the master-key to an honest life among those that are without;

To be able to live honestly, we must strive to find what to eat, what to wear and a place of shelter. This is why you must learn to work with your hands. The Bible tells us that “if you have what to eat and wear; be content therewith”. Life has priorities and it’s important to get those priorities right. So focus on getting;

• What to eat and drink
• What to wear and a place of shelter, then if you have excess,
• Reach out to the fatherless, widows and vulnerable
• Pursue a life development goal if you still have excess resources

This is what we call, earning a living; working to earn the things that are necessary for life.

2. Those who love God with all their hearts obey Him;

If you love God, you must keep His commandments. We must obey Him and keep His word. Obedience is the first sign of love. If you love God, you will keep His commandments.

3. If you love your neighbour as yourself, you will not harm them, hurt them, or stab them in the back;

God is love and when we love one another, we will be orderly and law-abiding.

4. Finally, you are called to disciple others;

In Matthew 28:18-20, we are told to go into the world and make disciples of the nations. You are called to make disciples of nations. So purpose to reach out.

This is how I live my life, and it is what it meaning to live for God. The Lord is ministering to me to raise an army that runs the Lord’s errands. You are blessed and you can disciple others. May you arise to earn a living, love God, love others, and disciple others. God bless you.

I love you;

Noah Simpe Bediako

Originally published at highcity.org

The only Business of the Church is to Preach the Gospel

[Mark 16:14-20 KJV] “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. [15] And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. [16] He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. [17] And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; [18] They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. [19] So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. [20] And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them , and confirming the word with signs following. Amen”.

The church has one business, and that is the preach the gospel. We know that;

• The gospel is the power of God to save to all those who believe.

[Romans 1:16 KJV] “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek”.

• God saves the world by preaching – the preaching of the cross.

[1 Corinthians 1:18,21 KJV] “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. [21] For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe”.

• None can preach Christ except he has the spirit of God and has been sent to preach (See Roman 10:9-17)

We must therefore be committed to preach the gospel in the world. The dying world must hear and believe on the Savior. There is only one mediator between God and men; indeed, there is only one name given under heaven among men by which men ought to be saved; that is Jesus Christ.

We can achieve the single purpose of preaching the gospel in the world by three simple activities:

Publish

We must spread the word; and publish the good news. We must tell the world that Jesus Christ still saves. You must publish the word daily, invite many to the meetings daily, tell them about our pastors as Nathaniel and Philip did, and share our testimony. The world should hear and know that God has a purpose to save and translate us into the kingdom of His Son to serve Him that He might bless us (See Luke 10:1; Luke 14:18-25)

Gather

Hebrews 10:25, Luke 14:22-25, teach that we should gather often to prepare for life and for the second coming of the Lord. Jesus is coming again, we have to be ready.

When we gather, we;

1. Pray
2. Sing and praise
3. Study the word
4. Give offerings, tithes and seeds
5. Serve before, in, and after the service
6. Inform, receive announcements
7. Connect with one another

Reach out

We are called and equipped to reach out to the lost and afflicted. It is our ministry to the world. Pure undefiled religion is to bridle your tongue, and to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to hate the garments stained by the flesh (Jame 1:26-27)

Be blessed, I love you

Noah Simpe Bediako

Originally published at highcity.org

Work Out Your own Salvation

[Philippians 2:12-16 KJV] “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. [13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. [14] Do all things without murmurings and disputings: [15] That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; [16] Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

I want to exhort you today to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Salvation, from the Greek word ‘sozo’, means to save, heal, liberate, protect and to make whole. The Apostle is therefore exhorting us to work out our own salvation, healing, liberation, and protection with fear and trembling. That is to say, work it with carefulness; with all carefulness, work it out, so you don’t fail.

The apostle is saying “work out..” because salvation is instantaneous, continuous, and in the future.

You were saved the moment you heard, admitted, believed, and confessed the truth. (See Roman 10:9-13)

[Ephesians 2:8 KJV] “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

Now, we are being saved, and we shall be saved when the Lord shall come. That will be the climax and perfection of salvation.

[Romans 13:11 KJV] “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed”.

It is time to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. You cannot do it any how. You must be diligent about it. Let us be careful, lest we fall short of the grace.

[Hebrews 12:15‭-‬16 KJV] “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; [16] Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright”.

I will therefore share with you five simple keys to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling after you hear the gospel, admit, believe, and confess the truth; get baptized and added to the church.

So, after getting born again, how do you work out your own salvation with fear and trembling?

1. Prayer without ceasing:
Pray daily. Just remember to pray because your life depends on prayer. Prayer strengthen your connection with heaven (See 1 Thessalonians 5:17)

2. Fellowship:
Don’t forsake the assembling together of yourselves. Fellowship strengthens your connection with the brethren and with the body (See Hebrews 10:25)

3. Reach out:
The gospel must not end with you. You must reach out to the poor, sick, lost, naked, hungry, homeless, prisoner and the destitute. Reach out to the streets and lanes, to the highways and hedges, to the maimed and halt. We must share both the good news and the goodness of the Lord with our fellow humans. This strengthens our connection with the lost world. It is our ministry and responsibility to reach out with the love of God.

4. Walk in the way by the truth and the life:
Continue in the faith; we need to go through many tribulation to enter the kingdom. Your faith is for mountains and challenges. You must continue in the faith. Don’t give up when challenges come. Let us press on and we shall win.

5. Look for the appearing and the second coming of the Lord:
Hebrews 9:27 teaches that, “as it is appointed unto man once to die and after death judgement; so shall Christ Jesus appear unto them that look for his second coming without sin”. Jesus Christ is coming again. He is coming quickly but those who look for His appearing and second coming shall be raptured.

This is the day and the opportune time to work out your own salvation. While you go about your dreams and visions, don’t forget to keep these five truth as a catalyst to life. These five keys are catalysts and you need them to accelerate growth, dominion, and prosperity.

Prayer Points

#1. Praise;

Praise is a weapon against the devices of darkness. Let us lift up our voice and praise the Lord!

Join me as we lift up the name of the Lord for His mercies that are new every morning. Praise the Lord and sing of His goodness and grace. Declare His goodness from the East to the West. Let the world hear that our God is good and His mercies endure forever.

#2. Offenses;

Offenses is one of the most effect weapons of war against the saint. Today, forgive all those who have wronged you.

From today, I release all those who have offended me. I refuse to bear grudge. I forgive those who have wronged me. I refuse to be hurt. Lord, heal us. Help us from bitterness. Uphold us with a free spirit.

#3. Hexes and curses;

Hex and curses are real, but can be broken. We will deal with all hexes and curse and see change.

Now we invoke the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus against any hex or curses placed on any one of us. I pray that the blood of Jesus Christ will break every hex or curses operating in any life here. I enforce the blessing and the victory of the cross against the devils assigned to enforce the effect of any hex or curse now!

#4. Spells;

We neutralise any spell or charm cast on any one of us. That spell cannot work any more. We break the hold of any charm. We enlighten our minds. We awakened and walk out of the influence of the spell and charm. We command them to break! Break!! Break!!!

#5. Lies;

We release truth as a weapon against all the lies, masquerading and disguises now! We pray that any Gibeonite be unveiled and exposed.

May the Lord help you to know the real nature of the people you deal with. You can’t be deceived anymore. The Lord will expose any masquerade in your life. From today, even in your dreams, the faces of the people you see shall be exposed.

#6. Fear;

Fear is a deadly device. Don’t believe every thing you see. Learn to release your faith against fear. Learn to change your own thoughts.

Pray and release your faith against any dart of fear and doubt.

We rebuke any false expressions appearing real in our lives. I shall not be afraid any more. We are no longer slaves to fear. We are inheriting boldness. We are rising above the storm.

#7. Accusation;

Accusation is an age long device against the people of God but we can root it out today.

Now we wage war against accusation. We condemn every tongue that rises against us in accusation and condemnation. We rebuke any person trying to misrepresent our thoughts or our person. We purge ourselves of reproach.

Amen!

Stay blessed; I love you!

Noah Simpe Bediako

Originally published at highcity.org