CONTENTS

• Prepare for War
• The work of the Holy Spirit
• Spiritual Growth
• So, you want to be a Preacher

PREPARE FOR WAR

"Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles: Prepare WAR, wake up the mighty men...put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: Multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." (Joel 3:9-14)

Various messages are contained in this prophecy but there is no doubt that in an important sense this message is particularly for today at the end of this Age.

There is no doubt that God is preparing for something vitally important in these days and it is also clear that Satan is also stirring up trouble throughout the whole world and an unprecedented crisis is just ahead of us all.

There is a severe Spiritual crisis in most countries. There is a lot of 'Churchianity' with large numbers of unconverted church members. But there is also a large growing group of soundly converted young people who are eager to leave the traditional 'church' methods and services and to step out in a wonderful desire to serve the Lord and see men and women brought in right relationship with God again.

It is clear that God is calling and preparing an ARMY, getting ready for battle. The greatest WAR of the centuries is just ahead; between God and the enemy of all mankind, Satan. The most marvellous fact is that God is calling men who were once slaves of Satan, to be the instruments and soldiers in that war. The verse quoted here from Joel indicates that the armies will be Gentiles, not the Jews or Israel. We are those fortunate people whom God is calling and planning to use against Satan.

We can be sure God will be the victor. In fact, the first major battle was won on Calvary when the Great Deliverer met and completely conquered Satan. Satan has been allowed freedom to a certain extent to this day, but the final showdown is approaching, when God will use redeemed men to demonstrate the completeness of that Calvary Victory.

God's great task in these days is to select His Army. Every soldier must be soundly converted. He must have fully renounced the ways of sin and the attractions of the world. He must have died to sin in baptism; and to have fully decided to dedicate himself to God's service and to freely enlist in the ARMY. God never desires conscripts. His soldiers are all volunteers.

It will be necessary for every contestant to be baptised in the Holy Spirit because the battle is in the spiritual realm and can only be fought by Spirit-filled Christians.

They must also be trained and competent fighters. God is training many of His soldiers on the field today. He has scattered many of them into isolated and lonely places in Nigeria where they are learning how to trust the Lord: how to pray and fight spiritually and how to claim the victory of the Lord Jesus against Satan daily.

The Lord is also using these magazines, HERALD OF THE LAST DAYS to train and enlighten His future fighters. Many are also being trained in training schools, Bible Schools and training camps and meetings. The Holy Spirit Himself is working to equip His Army with weapons (the Gifts of the Holy Spirit) and teaching them how to recognize and follow His guidance and leading. The coming battle will mainly be a contest in the realm of the Spirit and therefore natural ability and formal education and training will not be sufficient to meet the demands.

But we must emphasize that we are not yet ready for contest. There is a great need for training and preparation.

The present move of the Holy Spirit, particularly among the young people, is not merely to get men and women converted, but also to train and prepare the Lord's Army for the coming contest.

This is a very serious business, and God is not going to accept any volunteers who are half-hearted or unwilling to submit to the Holy Spirit's leadership, control and discipline.

There must also be a detailed and carefully prayed-over plan for the training of converts, so that everyone can be made into a soul-winner.

While we are thrilled with the large outdoor crusades which we are now seeing in Nigeria, yet the real deep work of the Holy Spirit is taking place quietly in the hearts and lives of individuals and in the careful training of door-to-door evangelism which must follow all these large crusades.

God is using these large 'Healing and deliverance' crusades to demonstrate that He is alive and that the day of miracles is not past. He is also wanting to prove that He can use Nigerians to demonstrate miraculous power to meet the needs of the multitudes today. But the enemy will laugh at these tactics if we fail to follow up the converts and train them in their turn to become deliverers of others. This is the most important part of the work today.

PREPARING FOR WAR

We are not all called to be mighty preachers who gather large crowds and inspire the necessary faith to cause the miraculous power of God to flow, but we are ALL CALLED to be witnesses and to testify to what God has done and can still do, and to build up faith which will liberate and deliver men and women.

The articles we are now publishing in HERALD OF THE LAST DAYS are all designed to this end. We want you to study them and use them to be trained by the Holy Spirit to realize how God uses men and how He is creating an army of faith soldiers and deliverers.

The task of delivering men and women today MUST not be left to the recognized staff or ordained ministers of the churches. They are far too busily engaged in church duties and committees and do not have the time to devote to these spiritual activities.

The task MUST be done by laymen and women who have been liberated and who have been trained by the Spirit to recognize the symptoms of sin, sickness and demon oppression. They must also know how to deliver men and women and to apply the victory of Calvary to the situation.

This task is more important than church social activities. It is more demanding than the choir requirements. It will sometimes mean that some church services will have to be missed when needy ones call for deliverance. It will certainly mean that the young people must be trained in door-to-door evangelism and village work and visitation, it is only by taking part in action against the enemy in his entrenched strongholds that we shall learn how to successfully defeat him.

As long as Christians are content to attend church services, and even to take part in all night prayer meetings, and not to seriously attack the enemy or to seriously undertake training for this task, then the Lord will not use us as His soldiers.

This is NOT a call for young people to forsake their churches but to remain where the Lord has found them. They should witness and testify and join with other young people to actively undertake visitation of needy people and even former members.

The Lord will bring every dedicated recruit in touch with those He can deliver, if we are really determined to fight and deliver the captives of Satan. We are also sure that the Lord has His own representatives in every town and these are the men whom He will use, to advise, train and direct the young people who are eager for service and battle experience. There are large numbers of student Christian groups in schools and colleges and the leaders of these eager groups should carefully consider their objectives for these young people. God desires they shall become fighters and active Christian workers.

We are willing to send supplies of HERALD OF THE LAST DAYS for the training of such groups. Let us have the names, addresses and details of such groups and we will gladly send lessons and magazines. It is our intention to publish instruction on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Speaking in tongues in the next issues. Other articles on Healing and Demon possession and deliverance will follow, so that students can be trained for the future tasks.

PREPARE FOR WAR!

This is God's command, and it means He is going to require trained sons of God in the coming revival and war. He is instructing us to get ready to co-operate with Him in the revival.

It also means that the coming revival will be real WAR. It will shake the nations and churches and authorities and the kingdom of darkness, and thousands, yes hundreds of thousands of Holy Spirit convicted sinners will be seeking those who can lead them to salvation and peace and deliverance.

The existing churches will not be able to accommodate this revival and as yet God does not have enough trained 'deliverers' to deal with the crowds of seekers.

This revival will precede the coming of the Lord Jesus again and therefore the longer we delay our surrender and dedication the longer we delay His return.

The mysterious events foretold in the book of Revelation are soon to come upon us but before they can begin there will be a mighty Spiritual revival.

God is calling PREPARE FOR WAR! LET US OBEY GOD NOW.

 

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS A RELIGION OF THE SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is regarded as God in the Bible. When it speaks of the Holy Spirit speaking to a man it means that the Lord God spoke to that man. Many Christians today deny or ignore the Holy Spirit.

In the O.T. God the Father is FOR US.

In the Incarnation, God the Son is WITH US (Immanuel).

In the N.T. God the Holy Spirit is IN US.

The Holy Spirit is the only Author and Interpreter of ALL Scripture. (Eph. 1:17, II Peter 1:20-21)

He took part in creation. (Gen. 1:2, Job. 26:13)

He enlightens men. (Job 32:8, Prov. 20:27)

He endued with special skill. (Exod. 31:2-5)

He gave bodily strength. (Judges 14:6)

THE HOLY SPIRIT'S WORK IN JESUS CHRIST (The Anointed One)

a. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

"The angel answered and said unto her... The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee... and that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God..." (Luke 1:35)

b. He was anointed for His work by the Holy Spirit.

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power." (Acts 10:38)

c. He was led against Satan by the Holy Spirit.

"Then was Jesus led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (tested) by the devil" (Matt. 4:1)

d. He was filled with the Holy Spirit for His work.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel..." (Luke 4:18)

e. He offered Himself as a sacrifice to God through the Holy Spirit.

"Christ...who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself to God..." (Heb. 9 14)

f. He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.

"The Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead..." (Rom. 8 :10)

It will be noticed that the whole of Jesus’ life was in absolute dependence upon and in subjection to the Holy Spirit. He had to have a 'new birth', and so we too must be 'born again'.

He was baptized in the Holy Spirit and had to work with the Holy Spirit to do all God's Work. Only that which is done by the Holy Spirit can be called the work of God.

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN SINNERS TODAY

a. He convicts and convinces men.

"When He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement." (John 16:8-11)

There is no other agency or power who can bring men into conviction. Due to the absence of the Holy Spirit in a large number of our churches today, many of their members are persons who have never been convicted of sin and are unregenerate. Good sermons or clever reasoning can never convict a man, that is the sole work of the Holy Spirit. He alone can create that godly sorrow which must precede conversion and repentance. The Holy Spirit will use many means to reach a man's heart and when He finds all doors closed against Him, then there is little hope for that man for salvation.

b. He reveals and testifies of Jesus Christ.

"When the Comforter is come...He shall testify of Me." (John 15:26)

There is much prophecy in some churches today which glorifies man and not Jesus Christ. It may be regarded as not being “Holy Spirit prophecy”.

The Holy Spirit is not here to glorify any man only Jesus Christ.

THE HOLY SPIRIT'S WORK IN THE BELIEVERS TODAY

a. He regenerates us and makes us new creatures in Jesus Christ.

"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, He cannot see the kingdom of God..." (John 3:5)

When the conviction of the Spirit reaches a point where the sinner repents and is willing to accept Jesus Christ as Saviour, then the invisible work of the Spirit begins. The sinner is 'born again' in a moment of time and the sinner is given 'eternal life' by the Spirit.

"Wherefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (II Cor. 5:17)

b. The Holy Spirit baptizes believers into the Body of Christ.

(This should not be confused with the baptism of the Holy Spirit which is a separate operation).

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body...and have been made to drink into one Spirit..." (I Cor. 12:13)

New converts are usually advised to join a church and this is right. But this does not put them into the Body. This does not refer to any denomination or church. Much of the sectarian arguments and propaganda is not of God. God is not interested in building denominations. He has His own church, The Body, of Jesus Christ, and every truly born again believer is a member of that Body, no matter which denomination they belong to.

c. The Holy Spirit gives believers the assurance of salvation.

"The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit that we ate the children of God...." (Rom. 8:16)

Our certainty of salvation rests upon the assurance God gives us and not on our feelings or hopes.

d. The Holy Spirit guides us at all times when we walk in God's ways.

"As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Rom. 8:14)

We can rightfully expect that God will guide us, as He has promised, at all times, because we have the Holy Spirit living in us.

e. The Holy Spirit indwells all believers.

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (I Cor. 3:16)

He is our life, He is our comforter, He is our guide and He wants to fill and use all believers.

The Holy Spirit has no natural or physical body and therefore can only manifest Himself to the world through His people. The believer is the channel by which the Spirit flows to preach, interpret, and minister to those in need. We are HIS BODY.

f. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray and leads us in praise and worship to God.

"Praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20, Eph. 5:18, 20)

He does not need forms of service. He does not confine His channels to set forms of worship or praise or service. There is a wonderful realm of worship which satisfies God who desires such worship and this can only be by the Holy Spirit.

There is a great need for the Christians in Nigeria to learn how to use PRAISE as a means of blessing in services. The Holy Spirit eagerly desires to help us to Praise God continually.

g. The Holy Spirit desires to fill every believer with Himself.

"Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you. “Be filled with the Spirit.” (Acts 1:8. Eph. 5:18)

Not only does the Holy Spirit baptize us and fill us but He wants to keep us filled daily so that we may be 'fighting units' against the powers of evil. God means to use His redeemed people against their former master, Satan and thus prove He can make them the master of Satan and destroy his works as the Lord Jesus did. Without the power of the Holy Spirit we are unable to overcome the enemy or attack the kingdom of darkness.

h. The Holy Spirit also produces fruit in the life of every believer.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance." (Gal. 5:22)

These fruits are the proof that He dwells within us and if these fruits are missing from our lives then we need to seek God's face for His salvation and filling again. Every believer must bear fruit. "By their fruits ye shall know them." (Matt. 7:16, 20)

i. The Holy Spirit teaches, anoints, leads, guides and abides in all believers

"He shall teach you all things...He may abide with you forever" 'Ye need not that any man teacheth you, but as the anointing teacheth you all things..." (I John 2:27, John 14:16, 26)

The method used by the world to acquire wisdom and knowledge is not the way of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian can know the perfect will of God as He is prepared to do His will.

God the Holy Spirit is the perfect teacher because He inspired the Bible. Bible Schools may help but the finest teacher is the Holy Spirit and our obedience to His instruction.

The Holy Spirit can be grieved and blasphemed

When a Christian ignores or rejects the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, He is grieved. When a child of God continues to live in sin, the Holy Spirit is grieved.

"They rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; therefore, He was turned to be their enemy and Himself fought against them." (Isa. 63:10, Acts 5:3-6, Matt. 12:31-32)

When a Christian obstinately credits to the devil the works which could only be done by the Holy Spirit, that is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

"He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation; because they said, He hath an unclean Spirit." (Mark 3:28-30, Matt. 12:31-32)

That is the unpardonable sin

QUENCH NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Do not put out the fire of the Holy Spirit in the heart. If we make a soul ashamed of the working of the Holy Spirit, it will keep silent, it will not exercise the gift and it will be quenched. We may quench the fire in our own souls, by disobedience, by fear, by opposition to His will, by desire for some other worldly and evil thing; by persistently saying 'no' to His prompting.

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN REVIVAL TODAY

These are the days when God is fulfilling His promise in Joel 2:28-30. He is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh and a revival is spreading over the whole world and many young people are being soundly converted and filled with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is also equipping with power and ability with the nine Gifts of the Spirit for the work of deliverance and to overcome Satan and the kingdom of darkness.

Only the Holy Spirit can do the work of God, but He is choosing men and women as channels, as His instruments and everything He does through them is the work of God and will bring to pass the will of God.

Satan is also bringing a fresh revival from Hell and only Spirit-filled Christians can challenge and defeat that revival.

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

"We, when we were children in bondage under the elements of the world... Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son: and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ”. (Gal. 4:1-7)

We have all come into this world by physical birth. Through the loving care and provision of our parents we are protected from dangers and given every opportunity to grow and develop both mentally and physically. Our actual birth may take only a matter of minutes but it takes a life time to develop fully.

SPIRITUAL BIRTH

We enter the kingdom of God through a spiritual birth, by being 'born again', by an operation of the Holy Spirit, when we accept the Lord Jesus as our own personal Savior. God then gives us a new life, which He calls Eternal Life and He becomes our Heavenly Father (John 1:12). We become members of the heavenly family the very moment we are converted (I John 5:11, 12) but Christian growth and development is the result of walking daily in obedience to God and growing in knowledge and grace. This spiritual growth as the natural growth takes a life time and God is constantly arranging for our spiritual progress and development.

HE PROVIDES SPIRITUAL FOOD

Every Christian needs to know the Bible and to feed daily on the Word of God.

''As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." (I Peter 2:2) "Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age." (Heb. 5:14)

There is a great need among young converts today for serious Bible study and training and we at H.O.L.D. are eager to help every Christian to grow spiritually and to prepare for the tasks ahead.

You will find only God's Word and serious instruction in this magazine. No human names are mentioned because we desire that the Holy Spirit alone be regarded as the teacher. We only seek to pass on the experiences God has taught us for these last and crisis days.

SPIRITUAL TRAINING

It is God's plan for every one of His Sons to become a strong and active Christian, able to minister to all seekers and deliver any who are demon oppressed and He is prepared to be very patient with each of us and to take great care to develop us.

God has also allowed Satan a certain degree of liberty in order to make use of him in the training of His Sons.

No Christian can escape this training and yet it is sad when we find so many Christians who are afraid of testing (temptation) and who refuse to grow up and so remain as babies all their Christian life.

The Church is full of 'baby Christians' and God has to protect them from temptation and trials because they are too weak. They never grow up They can never face Satan or defeat him. They may reach heaven but they will remain as 'babes' then.

God has promised to be with us through testing (temptation) and has never promised to deliver us from it. No Christian can safely say they have reached perfection and will never be tempted (tested). (I John 1:8-9)

Temptations come from within: "Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (James 1:14, Mark 7:21)

As long as we are residing in our present bodies of clay we carry with us a daily avenue for temptation to attack us. Satan is clever enough to use fashion and clothing to become an avenue of attack and it is sad to see so many female Christians who, perhaps unknowingly, are causing temptation to attack male Christians.

It is not possible to be strong and mature spiritually and yet play with sin. Watch your former weaknesses because Satan will use them to cause your defeat again and bring you into sin and bondage. Also watch your seeming strong points. God tests His fighters on their strong points too, (Moses and his meekness).

HOW TO DEAL WITH TEMPTATIONS FROM WITHIN

They will remain with us as long as we are alive, but when we recognize that "In me, (that is in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing" (Rom. 7:18) then we should not attempt to try to improve the flesh but to recognize that God has condemned it to death and we are to bury it and constantly reckon ourselves 'dead to sin'. (Rom. 6:11)

This is the meaning of immersion in water baptism. It is our recognition that our flesh deserves to die and we are publically burying it in the water of baptism. When baptized we are to daily set our affections on things above and to allow spiritual things to rule us and we shall then die indeed to sin in ourselves.

TEMPTATION ALSO COME FROM WITHOUT (FROM THE WORLD)

We are warned in I John 2:15-16 not to love the world or the things of the world. If we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us. The enemy is trying to make the world and its fashions and principles and methods more attractive daily.

Many Christians fail to retain their testimony and victory because they try to compromise with the world and to mix the world and spiritual life. They will never mix. Friendship with the world is enmity with God.

Our Christian progress does not depend upon the ways of the world with its cheating, deception and bribery. We look to God only to bless us, and do not need the favours of the world. Social drinking, gambling on pools, smoking, slavish desires for modern clothes and fashions, dancing and social parties are all means of satisfaction to the worldly. Christians should not desire such when our affections are set upon things above. (Col. 3:2)

HOW TO DEAL WITH THE ATTRACTION OF THE WORLD

"Set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth" (Col. 3:2). Seek your pleasure and fellowship with the people of God and in prayer and reading of the Bible.

God also uses Satan to test and strengthen His people. Satan is cunning and knows us and our weaknesses and he seeks daily to bring us into failure again and again and thus finally to fall from grace.

He is increasingly active in Nigeria in the revival of cults, juju and witchcraft. He is giving increasing power to his agents, the juju men and babalawo and native medicine men in order to convince seekers by a demonstration of the supernatural and miraculous. Satan can work miracles too.

HOW TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY

"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Be assured that God (who never tempts any man) will never allow any of His people to be tempted beyond their ability to bear it.

He never desires the failure of any of us. He desires only to allow temptation so that we might be strengthened thereby.

But we must always remember that the Lord has defeated Satan on our behalf at Calvary and Satan is no longer our master when we are converted, but we are commanded by the Lord to exercise authority over him and to rebuke him and force him to yield to our authority. Read James 1:2-4.

God wants you to be a devil-master. He is allowing you to be tested, tried and tempted so that you can learn how to claim the victory of Calvary daily against Satan and all his powers.

BATTLE FOR THE MASTERY

There are several stages in the development of every child of God.

 SLAVES.

We were all slaves. "Whosoever committed sin is a servant of sin." (John 8:34)

But now we have saved, liberated, delivered and made free from sin (Rom. 6:22). God specializes in delivering SLAVES.

He can still do the same today and there are many saved men and women who, although they have accepted Christ as Saviour yet they are still slaves to various habits and attitudes. They need to be delivered from these sins and habits if they are to grow spiritually.

CHILDREN

"For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe." (Heb. 5:13)

There are many Christians today who, after being converted 20 or 30 years ago are still 'babes'. They ought to be teachers but instead are in need of teaching the first principles again (Heb. 5:12). The characteristics of babyhood among Christians can be detected by the contents of their prayers. They concentrate upon praying for themselves and their own needs. They are self-centred and selfish. They run after titles and offices and high places and delight in parading in uniforms. They rely upon religious symbols, things, images, the use of oil and water and Christian charms.

It is also sad that many Christian leaders are afraid to give young Christians the chance to stand on their own feet and serve the Lord Jesus. They keep their members in a state of babyhood and dependence for all spiritual light and guidance upon themselves instead of encouraging them to look to the Lord Jesus and rely upon the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit.

How many years have you been a Christian? How old are you spiritually? 

SONS - HEIRS

"Thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." (Gal. 4:7)

We are all made joint-heirs with Jesus Christ on conversion, but we have to receive training in order to be able to properly use our inheritance. Note the way the 2 sons in Luke 15:11-32 used their inheritance. God wants to place at our disposal ALL His power and authority but we have to be trained to handle it to His Glory.

There are also many Christians who are still praying and acting as beggars today. Begging while owning plenty. God has promised we shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

RULERS.

The whole earth is groaning and waiting for the manifestation of those who are now being trained as the RULERS of this earth. (Rom. 8:18-23).

This is the main reason for all the sufferings, trials and testing God is allowing today. HE IS TRAINING RULERS. Overcomers who will share with Him His Throne (Rev. 3:21). Not all Christians will share that throne. They that have either refused to undergo the training or have failed in the tests necessary will not. The rulers will be the ones of whom SATAN is afraid and who are not afraid of Satan, but who have learned how to use their God-given authority to challenge Satan and deliver his slaves. They are the ones who are indifferent to persecution and indeed rejoice in it because it trains them to become over-comers and rulers.

They owe allegiance first to the Lord Jesus. They refuse to accept defeats but seek to turn every problem into a ladder of victory and deliverance.

They claim the promise of God that He will shortly bruise Satan under our feet. (Rom. 16:20). They claim that victory NOW. They claim the means and finance to take the Gospel into the unreached areas of Nigeria as quickly as possible. God has trained them to be honest and handle His money for the Gospel.

Are you willing to submit to God's training?

Are you willing to suffer 'all things' for the glory which is set before us that of SHARING HIS THRONE?

SO, YOU WANT TO BE A PREACHER

In one sense every believer is called to be a disciple and work for the Lord Jesus, even if they do not actually become a full time minister.

But it is a glorious honour to be able to serve the Lord in full time ministry. But there are special features which everyone desirous of becoming a minister should carefully and prayerfully consider before leaving secular work for the ministry. The first essential is that every minister MUST have a very clear conviction on his own salvation and dedication. He must be able to declare that he himself has the experiences he preaches.

Every minister MUST be filled with the Holy Spirit, as otherwise the forces against him in these crisis days will defeat him and his ministry will not produce the results God desires.

A successful minister must be victorious in all departments of his life; body, soul and spirit. God intends that His ministers shall be full overcomers in every sense of the word.

Every minister must also possess a super-natural ministry. He must be able to know how to set people free. Satan will contest every step of a man of God. When a person is converted it is one of Satan's greatest defeats but Satan continues to try to prevent the minister and every Christian from claiming their rights as a believer and exercising their rightful authority over Satan. The minister must know and be able to demonstrate the power of the Word (promises) of God and the Name of the Victor of Calvary the Lord Jesus Christ. He must be a man of FAITH.

Faith is the power that changes the impossible into the possible. Turns defeat into victory, sickness into health, darkness into light.

God has given a measure of faith to every man and the minister must seek to stir this faith into action until the person leaves with a changed outlook on his problems.

The minister MUST know his Bible because true faith is FAITH IN GOD'S PROMISES. He must not be overcome or defeated by conditions or circumstances. He must look beyond the problems to the promise and he must be able to convey his faith to others.

The ministry of healing is one requiring a strong faith and special wisdom on the part of every successful minister.

Healing is for all, as is salvation, but all who come for healing are not healed, any more than all who come for salvation accept it. Much depends upon the instruction and ministry of the man of faith who has the task of delivering the victim.

There are conditions attached to healing. There must be faith on the part of the person desiring prayer. "Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb. 11:6), as well as faith exercised by the minister.

In Nazareth, Christ could do no mighty miracles, because of the unbelief of the people (Mark 6:5). They refused Him and tried to kill Him. Few were healed in that place. Not all healings are instantaneous and this requires faith to sustain faith.

The blind man at Bethsaida did not receive his sight when Christ first ministered to him (Mark 8:24). The ten lepers were cleansed only as they went. Even the promise to believers "they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover..." (Mark 16:18) implies gradual healing rather than instantaneous miracles.

The minister must be able to instruct Christians after they have received deliverance. Jesus Himself gave a warning that an affliction could return to one healed if he puts no effort to arm himself against the counter attacks of the enemy or falls into sin.

The Bible teaches that there are hindrances that keep a person from receiving healing. Failure to take proper and sensible care of our bodies can result in sickness, for which we alone can be blamed. Overwork nearly killed Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25-30).

Good health should be the normal experience of all Christians. It is not the Will of God for His people to be constantly sick and in need of healing and deliverance.

One of the most important spheres of a minister's life and work is his prayer life. The Lord Himself spent a lot of time in prayer and never undertook any important work without first praying.

The minister is engaged in a constant warfare with the powers of darkness and if he maintains a constant attitude of prayer then he will anticipate and prevent many of the problems that will otherwise overtake him. Prayer is fighting contesting the rights of the enemy to attack believers or hinder the work of God. Once a believer is assured of the tightness and correctness of his actions and work, then he should stand firmly and claim in prayer the blessing of God and defeat of Satan who will seek to defeat and destroy his faith by hindering the work.

Sometimes this kind of prayer takes time before God allows the answer to be given in order to strengthen the believer and teach him how to overcome the enemy.

The minister must also know how to use money honestly and carefully. Many ministers have been destroyed and lost because of their failure to be careful and honest in handling money. We cannot expect God to give us large sums of money to hold or use for His work until we have proved by daily usage, how we can handle the small sums He gives us for ourselves. Owe no man anything is a MUST for every minister. A minister should NEVER borrow money for anything. By borrowing he is declaring that God has failed him.

May the Lord make you an able minister (II Cor. 3:6).

HEAR YE THE WORD OF THE LORD

I will reveal many things to you and as you find yourselves in the depths of MY WORD, you shall gather knowledge for you to be instruments in My Hand.

The coming gatherings shall be so fruitful that you will not be able to cope with the vast preparation that you will be found in; you will have to cry for assistance, in mutual understanding and co-operation of others; then shall ye see the glory of your God.

SOULWINNERS UNLIMITED NIGERIA (S.U.N)

A ‘new company’ has been started called…

“SOULWINNERS UNLIMITED NIGERIA”

God Himself is the founder and chairman and Managing Director but He is inviting All His blood bought people in Nigeria to become His partners in this wonderful business.

OBJECTIVES

To take the gospel of His dear, Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to all the untouched and unreached areas of Nigeria within the next three years.

GOD HAS PROMISED HE WILL PROVIDE

• The supervision.
• The means and power for the business.
• The blessing and guaranteed results.

S.U.N. asks you for:

• Your life.
• Your talents.
• Your time.
• Your money.

It is now time for you to seriously invest your ALL and invest NOW for the future.

You can assure prosperity for yourself NOW and an abundant harvest when you reach heaven.

You can become an active ‘witness’ and a soul winner just where you are.

You can provide some financial assistance and support for a trained Nigerian evangelist to go as your own personal representative where you cannot go yourself.

We have many Nigeria evangelists ready to go to a place of your choice NOW. For full details write to:

“Soulwinners Unlimited Nigeria.”