Agents of Change World Changers Magazine

WORLD CHANGERS

YEAR 1 • Nº 1

A O C

Equipping and Encouraging you to impact your World for God magazine

Understanding your role and taking your place in God’s end-time move

JANUARY 2020

About the Agents of Change Network Vision

To Raise a New Generation of Christians, Men and Women who will be united, irrespective of their denomination, race or background and will rise in the Power of the Holy Spirit and the Word to Impact society, transform culture and influence their World for Jesus Christ, and who through their lives, and devotion to God will advance the Kingdom and cause the will of God to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Motto

Working Together, Making a Difference

Mission and Objectives • • • • •

To encourage the fulfilment of personal vision.

To provide mutual accountability and peer discipleship.

To transform culture and society.

To create exponential impact by pooling our resources to accomplish kingdom projects.

To serve a model and catalyst for the end time move of God.

Core Values Dependence on God We depend on God’s grace and power to do everything.

Love We are committed to being channels and expressions of God’s love to everyone through our words, thoughts and deeds.

Integrity We consistently seek to conform to the will and purpose of God in words, thought and actions and in every conduct and area of our lives.

Stewardship We strive to be faithful in administering and using what God gives us to hold in trust for His Glory and the Benefit of Men. Humility We serve with lowliness of mind and do not attribute or take credit for anything that God does through us.

Excellence We are committed to doing everything so well that mediocrity will not be associated with the things of Christ.

Unity and Cooperation We believe in the unity of the body of Christ. We believe in working together to advance the kingdom of God amongst men.

Membership

Membership is free and open to all who are willing to join, are born again, are willing to be obedient to God and have a burden to be Agents of change in their generation.

To Join the Network admin@worldagentsofchange.org +234 7055694778 | +234 8182815349

International P r ay e r Network The International Prayer Network is a strategic prayer movement for engaging our world for God and raising Agents of Change who are men and women of prayers.

Our vision is to have believers who will pray and stand in the gap and pray in all nations for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom.

God needs men - gatekeepers worldwide, Agents of Change, who will pray for the fulfilment of His agenda among the nations.

Join other saints in different locations as we lift our voices in one accord in prayers and intercession.

Invite others also.

Visit: www.worldagentsofchange.org

FROM THE EDITOR One Night, Three Men

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ne Night in 2010, in the cold town of Jos Plateau State, the cradle of Christianity and Missions in Northern Nigeria, three men met, to pray and seek direction from God concerning the next phase of the vision of the Agents of Change Network which had been born a few years earlier in 2007 when two of them were still in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. They prayed on this important night and sought God’s face for direction as to the next steps to take.

That night God showed them something bigger than themselves – His Global move and agenda for the World and their part in that movement –which was to raise Agents of Change for Him – men and women of radical faith and power who will impact their world for God in a great way and a crucial part of the leading they received from God that night was to publish a magazine.

But for about 10 years God did not give them a marching order on starting the Magazine, that part of the vision was for an appointed time, for the vessels themselves required processing. They had to be fully baked and become the message they would publish. So, for almost a decade, we were in the ‘oven’ of God – until 2018 when God gave us the marching order and The AOC World Changers Magazine was finally born! We? Yes, because I was one of the three.

The purpose of the magazine was clear: It was to become a tool and platform through which the Agents of Change Network will engage the world. The magazine will equip and encourage God’s Agents of change worldwide to rise in the strength of the Spirit of God and impact their world for Him. Today, 10 years after, it is with great pleasure that we present to you the maiden print edition of the AOC World Changers Magazine and it is significant that the theme is Advancing the Kingdom.

Over time God’s people have focused so much within. But God is asking us today to look outwards – to extend the frontiers of the kingdom from the Church to the world out there. To step out of our comfort zones and proclaim the kingdom. As the salt of the earth, to come out of the saltshakers and give flavour to the world thereby stemming the rise of decadence. And to do this we must live the Kingdom Lifestyle as we see on page 6, for it is our lifestyle of love and devotion to God that gives flavour to the gospel. We need to rediscover The Heart of Kingdom Prayers (Page 8) and engage in it. To encourage us further, God is asking us to learn from the Portraits of World Changers (page 10) and be prepared to engage in the War of the Kingdoms (Page 20) for satan and his hordes will definitely rise to oppose us.

It is also our desire that the Bible Study (page 12) in the AOC World Changers Magazine will serve its purpose of encouraging and equipping readers because knowledge of the Word and wisdom are requirements for the task of advancing the Kingdom. We also see The Necessity of our Growth (page 18) in every area, including our Finances (page 24).

Finally, The Role of the Family in Advancing the Kingdom (Page 16) is very critical and we believe that it’s important for each member of the family to know what is expected of them if the Kingdom of God is truly to be advanced through our families. Those who are still single are not left out, they will find 10 Things to Know Before You Say I Do very interesting and this is nicely captured on page 23.

Going through this edition will no doubt shoot adrenaline into your soul...So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! You must rise up to seek and advance the Kingdom of God. You have now become part of the global move of God concerning which we received clarity from God that Night in Jos - the Global Move of God – The Army of New People He is raising, united in spirit and faith to glorify God and advance His kingdom on earth.

This new army of men and women are God’s Change Agents for their generation, they will stand everyone in his or her place, doing what God has called them to do.

Arise today and take your place in this move of God.

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N H Buba

A O C

FROM THE COORDINATOR

WORLD CHANGERS

Equipping and Encouraging you to impact your World for God magazine

Vol. 1 No.1 © 2020 Published by the Agents of Change Network Global Youth Changers Outreach Abuja, Nigeria +234 7055694778, +234 8182815349 editor@worldchangersmagazine.com All Materials in this issue are protected by copyright laws, and may not be reproduced without the prior permission of the publishers.

AOC World Changers Magazine may be sent upon request and will attract a minimum subscription fee of $5 or N1000 in Nigeria.

For all subscription enquiries please contact editor@worldchangersmagazine.com or order online at www.worldchangersmagazine.com Publisher Agents of Change Network

Editorial Team Alex Onojah Nuru Habu Daniel I. Akaahan Abraham Ogenyi Oluwole Olabanji Design Rick Szuecs Design www.rickszuecs.com Consulting Editor Carla Foote www.fineprintedit.com

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elcome to the maiden print edition of the AOC World Changers Magazine! Our God is indeed faithful!

The journey that has brought us to this point began almost 12 years ago in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, when God instructed us to raise for Him Agents of Change.

It was in obedience to this mandate that the Global Youth Changers Outreach, also known as the Agents of Change Network, was born and this magazine is an offshoot of that vision.

A vision that by God’s grace has gained expression through several platforms such as the Agents of Change International Prayer Network, The Agents of Change Training Academy, the Agents of Change Teachers Summit and the World Agents of Change Conference amongst others. We are trusting God to specifically use this magazine to raise Agents of Change in various locations across the world, men and women who will partner with God to make eternal impact.

The purpose of this magazine, is to engage, encourage and equip any reader who has a passion for God and desires to make a difference in their sphere of influence for God’s glory. The reader who desires to walk and work with God in such a manner that allows God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. That is, anyone who desires to be an Agent of Change for God’s glory.

We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world; our light is meant to so shine that men will see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven, and that is what this magazine seeks to help us achieve.

For now, the Agents of Change World Changers Magazine or AOC World Changers Magazine will be published once a year to coincide with the annual gathering of Agents of Change in Abuja, Nigeria, tagged the World Agents of Change Conference.

This World Agents of Change Conference is an annual event organized by the Agents of Change Network since January 2010, it’s a unique gathering where Christians from different denominations and from various locations come together for a time of fellowship, sharpening, refreshing, resetting, recasting and empowerment to do exploits.

We are trusting God that you will be truly inspired and encouraged as you read through the pages of this magazine, and we also pray that you will make out time to regularly visit the online site of the AOC World Changers Magazine – www.worldchangersmagazine.com where we regularly share new articles all aimed at engaging, encouraging and equipping you to change your world for Him. Relax and be blessed as your journey with us on this exciting ride with God.

Alex Onojah AOC world changers magazine | 5

THE KINGDOM LIFESTYLE

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By Alex Onojah

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking [what one likes], but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For the one who serves Christ in this way [recognizing that food choice is secondary] is acceptable to God and is approved by men. So then, let us pursue [with enthusiasm] the things which make for peace and the building up of one another [things which lead to spiritual growth].

Do not, for the sake of food, tear down the work of God. All things indeed are [ceremonially] clean, but they are wrong for the person who eats and offends [another’s conscience in the process]” ROMANS 14:17-20 The Amplified Bible (AMP)

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he Kingdom of God is not …What an interesting way to describe the Kingdom of God, by first stating what it is not.

This becomes necessary particularly in situations where there are some misconceptions about an issue or topic. As we see the Apostle Paul address in Romans 14, there seems to be a dispute over food. Whether it is okay to eat certain kinds of meat or not or about holy days. (Romans 14:1) We are so quick to fight and quarrel over minor issues, to criticize and judge one another seems to come to us quite naturally. (verses.3-4) Some may have come to a point where the Kingdom of God for them is all about eating, drinking, and enjoyment, but from the above scripture we see that the Kingdom of God is much more than that. The Kingdom of God is not a matter of pleasure seeking and enjoyment, neither is it about selfish desires and personal ambition. All these only betray a superficial life and conduct.

Today, one is left to wonder at this Twitter, Facebook and Instagram generation that has become so obsessed with selfies and making an impression. For them this scripture is quite instructive, as the ability to differentiate between what is important and that which is not so important has never been more critical. A

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lot of the things that we expend our energy on are simply temporal. No wonder the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:18 (AMPC) that “Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.”Everything that is visible is brief and fleeting, including cars, food, drinks, clothing, jewelry, houses, etc., but those things that are unseen or invisible are everlasting.

The message is clear, the Kingdom of God is not built on trivial matters and superficialities. We should not allow these to preoccupy us to the extent that they become a hindrance to our fellowship with God and one other.

In verses 1-16 of our main text above, Paul teaches us that regarding these matters we should live by the rules of love, acceptance, understanding, conscience, respect and consideration of one another’s faith, seeing that we will all give an account to God. “…For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone (verse 7). “For…each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” (verse 12)Now that we have looked at what the Kingdom of God is not, let us consider what it is…. “…. but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit …” (verse 17) So, we see three essential attributes of the Kingdom of God here which should remain our focus and priority at all times just as we are instructed in Mathew 6:33: “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.”

Hence, we are always to seek, aim at and strive after God’s way of doing and being right. Our priority always should be to show God’s attitude and character to our world through our lifestyle.

Righteousness

The Kingdom of God is righteousness. What is righteousness?

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Righteousness is the quality of being morally right or justifiable before God. It is right standing with God and it is not by legalistic works but through the finished work of Christ as shown in Romans 4:20-25 (AMP): “But he did not doubt or waver in unbelief concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and empowered by faith, giving glory to God, being fully convinced that God had the power to do what He had promised. Therefore, his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). Now not for his sake alone was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also—to whom righteousness will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead—who was betrayed and crucified because of our sins, and was raised [from the dead] because of our justification [our acquittal—absolving us of all sin before God].”

Philippians 3:9 says “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.”

And in Romans 10:10 we see that “for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Hence, it is faith in Christ that results in our righteousness.

This righteousness should be manifested in our daily lives as Kingdom citizens even as God continually leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3).

As heirs and subjects of the Kingdom, righteousness must be our banner- insistence on doing the right thing. A resolve to always act in conformity to the will and purpose of God in everything we do and in our relationships with our brethren and fellow men.

John puts it so clearly in 1 John 3:7-10: Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Righteousness is hallmark of the Kingdom life. We can’t say we are in the Kingdom and meanwhile be practicing lawlessness.

Peace

This is the peace that Christ alone gives. In John 14:27 (NIV) Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Christ is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and His Peace which surpasses all understanding guards our heart and minds as we live the Kingdom lifestyle (Philippians 4:7).

It is so sad when we see conflict and dissension in the church.

This is not who we should be as the church. We are called to peace and to live in peace with all men.

The Bible says follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14) Two women were having issues in the Church in Philippi which was not right. It was contrary to the kingdom lifestyle.

Paul wrote concerning them: “Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement”. (Philippians 4:2) As Kingdom citizens there should be no quarrel and strife amongst us, it should be unheard of that we have irreconcilable issues, and worse off that we even approach a worldly court to help resolve our disputes.

We are called to peace and unity. We are urged to put on Christ’s humble mind and disposition if we are to live in peace with one another. (Philippians 2:1-11)

Joy in the Holy Ghost

Another attribute of the Kingdom Lifestyle is joy. 1 Peter 3:8 (NCV) says: “You have not seen Christ, but still you love him.

You cannot see him now, but you believe in him. So you are filled with a joy that cannot be explained, a joy full of glory.”

Joy that cannot be explained. This is the joy that is not dependent on situation or circumstances. It is simply an attribute of the Kingdom lifestyle.

When we walk in righteousness, in fellowship and peace with all men, we experience the overwhelming joy of the Holy Ghost. This joy is one that we can never get from the world. It springs from the depth of the Spirit and it gives us strength to overcome the challenges that are in this world.

We see the manifestation of this kingdom lifestyle in the early church.“So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers. Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude, praising God and having favor with all the people.

And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:41-47) We should pray for this experience of joy in the Holy Ghost in our midst. We should remove anything in and around our lives that hinders us from enjoying the overwhelming joy of the kingdom.

In conclusion, the Kingdom lifestyle is the culture in God’s Kingdom. It is the nature of God which is expected to be reflected in the life of all citizens of His Kingdom just as citizens of every earthly kingdom have some unique attributes through which they can easily be identified, in the same manner as citizens of the God’s Kingdom, a lifestyle of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost is our unique identifier.

May God help us to be good ambassadors of His Kingdom here on earth in Jesus Name.  AOC world changers magazine | 7

THY KINGDOM COME: THE HEART OF KINGDOM PRAYING

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By N H Buba

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hen the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He gave them a 7-point prayer outline. Yet it wasn’t the “bless me Lord”’, or “let my enemies fall down and die” kind of prayers. It was a simple worship prayer for obedience to God, a humble plea for provision, reciprocated forgiveness, protection from evil, and adoration to God. Of course, Jesus didn’t give them the prayer as a creed merely to be recited in worship services or at family devotion tables. He gave them what should become the focus of every sincere prayer and what should characterize a life devoted to God:…your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

What then is the meaning and implication of “thy Kingdom come”.

How the Kingdom Comes

What is at the heart of this petition? How do we know that the kingdom has come to the life of an individual, a community, or a nation?

The clause that follows reveals the answer… when God’s will as it has been revealed is being obeyed and carried out in that life, community or nation, as it is done in heaven.

It is when God takes rule over a life, a community or a nation. The Kingdom comes when men are living in conformity to the will and eternal counsel and purpose of God – in their thoughts, words and actions. It is when Christ rules and reigns in the heart of men as Lord and Savior.

God is king in heaven. There He is fully obeyed. His will is done without reservation or hesitation. Multitudes of angels 8 | AOC world changers magazine

and glorified saints minister to Him in humble adoration and joyful service. But on earth, Satan the deceiver of the whole world leads a rebellious mankind to disobey God. He sits over the kingdoms of the earth and he has one goal: to see that the will of God is not done on earth as in heaven, to lead all nations to their ultimate destruction.

“Thy Kingdom come” is not only a matter for prayer, it is a matter of personal life and devotion. It is a matter of spiritual warfare – because Satan and the kingdom of darkness are constantly opposing the will of God on earth. It is also at the center of the apostolic mandate – because until men believe the gospel and accept Christ as Lord and Savior, they are unable to obey God. It is also the hope and ultimate end we look forward to, when Christ will finally win the victory and restore all things to God, when all the kingdoms of the earth will become the kingdom of our God. Until the kingdom comes to the life of an individual, until Christ reigns and rules in the heart of a man, he cannot expand it to others. For no man can expand a kingdom that he does not belong to.

In other words, we must receive the kingdom in our hearts first, before we begin to pray for the kingdom to come and the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven.

The First Step towards Receiving the Kingdom

Before the advent of Christ and the revelation of the kingdom, God sent John and his message was repentance. When Jesus began preaching, his message was “Repent for the kingdom

of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)Before the kingdom will come to a life, a community or nation, there must be repentance.

Repentance is acknowledging that we were wrong and lost. Repentance is turning away from sin and Satan to God. It is renouncing our citizenship in the kingdom of darkness.

It is saying we are sorry for our sins, for forsaking God. It is confession of our sins to God. It is forsaking our sin. It is changing our mind and attitude and returning to God. But we are not called to repentance alone, it is repentance and faith towards God (Acts 20:21, Hebrews 6:1). We are not only sorry for our sins, but we believe also the gospel of God. We believe that Christ is the son of God and was sent to save us from our sin by the shedding of his blood. Repentance without faith towards God is mere remorse and cannot lead one into the kingdom. It is faith - that is believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ, that opens wide the door of the kingdom and salvation. It is that faith that brings the reality and power of salvation to our lives.

It is then that we see that all our sins are forgiven. We experience the witness that we are now sons of God, we receive the spirit of Christ, we have our names written in the Lamb’s book of life and become new creations in Christ (John 1:21, Romans 8:14-16, 2 Corinthians 5:17). We at that moment become born again and are translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God (Colossians 1:13-14).

At this point the kingdom has come in our lives!

Thy Kingdom Come A Life Devoted to the Will of God

When we become born again, we realize we now belong to a new kingdom - the kingdom of heaven. And what must become the priority of our lives is living to do the will of God. The Kingdom lifestyle is a lifestyle of doing the will of God. A life in which the kingdom has come is a life that has obeyed the gospel and is doing the will of God. And what is the will of God? Even Christ when He came into the world said “Then I said, ‘Here I am–it is written about me in the scroll– I have come to do your will, my God’” (Hebrews 10:7). He also said “For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will (John 6:38). He showed what the kingdom life is about – doing the will of God. He demonstrated this life of devotion to the will of God in everything for the years he lived on earth. His was a life of absolute surrender and trust in God. He did nothing that was not the will of God. The kingdom lifestyle is a lifestyle of doing the will of God. A life in which the kingdom has come is a life that has obeyed the gospel and is doing the will of God. And what is the will of God? According to 1 Thessalonians 4:3 the will of God is our sanctification.

The meaning conveyed in the word “sanctification” is deeper than our everyday use of the word. According to the Bakers Dictionary of the Bible, to sanctify someone or something is to set that person or thing apart for the use intended by its designer. A pen is “sanctified” when used to write. Eyeglasses are “sanctified” when used to improve sight. In the theological sense, things are sanctified when they are used for the purpose God intends. A human being is sanctified, therefore, when he

or she lives according to God’s design and purpose. Jesus while on earth was sanctified to do the will of God. We also, when we believe in Christ, are sanctified of the Spirit for obedience to Jesus (1 Peter 1:2).

We are set apart for holiness, sexual purity, and separation from the world (1 Thesselonians 4:3, Hebrews 12:14). This sanctification is done by God himself through His Spirit and the Word of truth (2 Thesselonians 2:13, John 17:17). We cannot sanctify ourselves, God does the work of sanctification when we believe. This work however is not only at the point when we believe but also a continual work by His Spirit and His Word (Romans 12:1-30). As we continue to believe and look on the Lord – in repentance, in prayers and in His word - we are transformed daily into the likeness of Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:16-18).

Therefore, the Kingdom has come to my life, when I dedicate my life to doing the will of God, when I live every day to obey God and do His will. The kingdom has come when Christ becomes Lord, when He reigns over my heart and controls and directs all thoughts, words and actions. The kingdom has come to my life when I yield my spirit, soul and body to obey Christ, when I use the members of my body as instruments unto righteousness and holiness (Romans 6:14). It means self is dethroned from my heart; it means sin and Satan are dethroned. It means there is no throne, no idol, no man, no woman and nothing that rules and reigns in my heart besides God. It means the Spirit holds absolute sway over us and we are so filled with Christ that everyone sees Him only and always living in us.

The implications of this in practical life are real and far reaching. It means when we wake up in the morning, we recognize that we are not our own, but belong to the King. As such, we consciously dedicate ourselves to carry out His will.

We trust Him daily as we go about our daily task to live in us, to think the right kind of thoughts, to speak His words and do the things He will have us do. As servants of the kingdom, we literally wait on Him in prayer and in communion in His word to lead and direct our affairs.

It implies Christ takes over to dictate and direct our relationships, our finances, our careers, and all our going out and coming in. It means Christ determines how we use our time, energy and resources. It means we lose our right to live for ourselves but for God and His will. This is true devotion to God, and we see it exemplified by Christ and the early apostles.

It is when this has become our daily experience that we say the kingdom has come in our lives. And it is only then that we can pray that prayer and labor with God to extend the kingdom to others. We cannot be praying that the kingdom will come, and that God’s will be done on earth as in heaven if the kingdom has not come to our lives, and if we are not living in obedience to the will of God. Perhaps we should pray for that first in our lives, that the kingdom- God’s absolute rule and lordship - will come to our lives and we will live a life of daily devotion to doing the will of God. May God have His way in our lives, may His kingdom come, and His rule extend to every area of our lives. Amen.  AOC world changers magazine | 9

PORTRAIT OF A WORLD CHANGER Professor Zacharias Tanee Fomum: The Man who gave His all to God

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rofessor Zacharias Tanee Fomum was born in the flesh on 20th June 1945 and born of the Holy Spirit on 13th June 1956. He made an absolute surrender of himself to the Lord Jesus and to His service on 1st October 1966 and was filled with the Holy Spirit on 24th October 1970.

He obtained a first class in the Bachelor of Science degree and graduated as a prize-winning student from Fourah Bay College in the University of Sierra Leone in October 1969. His research in Organic Chemistry led to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) awarded by the University of Makerere, Kampala, in Uganda in October 1973. His published scientific works were recently evaluated by the University of Durham in Great Britain and found to be research of high distinction, for which he was awarded the Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in October 2005.

As a Professor of Organic Chemistry in the University of Yaounde in Cameroon, Professor Zacharias Tanee Fomum supervised and co-supervised more than a 100 master’s and doctoral degree theses and co-authored over 160 scientific articles in leading international journals.

He considered scientific research as an act of obediIn his passion to ence to God’s command to know Jesus and to “subdue the earth” (Genesis make Him known, he 1:28). He also knew that the read more than 1350 Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord books on the Christian of Science. “For by Him all things were created …” (Cofaith and authored lossians 1:16). He made the more than 150 books Lord Jesus the Director of to advance the his research laboratory and Gospel of Christ. Four he, Professor Fomum, took million of his books the place of deputy director. are in circulation in 11 He attributed his scientific success to the revelational languages. Sixteen leadership of the Lord Jesus. million Gospel tracts In his passion to know Jeauthored by him are sus and to make Him known, in circulation in 17 he read more than 1350 languages. books on the Christian faith and authored more than 150 books to advance the Gospel of Christ. Four million of his books are in circulation in 11 languages. Sixteen million Gospel tracts authored by him are in circulation in 17 languages.

Professor Fomum considered prayer to be the most important work that can be done on earth for God and 10 | AOC world changers magazine

for man. He was a man of faith who believed that God answers prayers. He had over 50 000 recorded answers to written prayer topics. He strove more and more to know God and to move Him to answer prayer. With his team, they carried out over 57 Prayer Crusades (periods of 40 days and nights during which at least 8 hours are invested into prayer each day). They also carried out over 80 Prayer Sieges (times of near non-stop praying that range from 24 to 120 hours). He carried out over 100 Prayer Walks of between 5 and 47 kilometres in towns and cities around the world. He taught on prayer over and over, even though he was in many ways just a beginner in the profound science of prayer.

He also considered fasting as one of the major weapons for Christian spiritual warfare. He carried out over 250 fasts ranging from 3 to 40 days, drinking water only.

During some of his long fasts he also took water-soluble vitamins. Later in his life, the Lord called the professor to battle with the hosts of wickedness in heavenly places through supra-long fasts (between 52 and 80 days).

In obedience to this call, he accomplished 3 of such supra-long fasts.

Professor Fomum saw the importance of redeeming money and investing it into reaching those without Christ with the glorious Gospel. He therefore chose a lifestyle of simplicity and “self-imposed poverty” in order that their income should be invested into the critical work of evangelism, soul-winning, church-planting and the perfecting of the saints. He and his wife increased their giving until they were investing 92.5% of their earned income from all sources (salaries, allowances, royalties and cash gifts) into the Gospel. This was with the hope that, as they grew in the knowledge and the love of the Lord and the perishing souls of men, they would one day invest 99% of their income into the Gospel.

In the last 40 years, 99% of the time, this spiritual leader spent between 15 minutes and 6 hours daily with God alone in what he called Daily Dynamic Encounters with God (DDEWG). During these times, he read God’s Word, meditated on it, listened to God’s voice, heard God speak to him, recorded what God was saying to him and prayed it through. He thus had over 18 000 recorded Daily Dynamic Encounters with God. He considered these daily meetings with God around His Word, the determinant strength of his life. These Daily Dynamic Encounters with God were coupled with over 60 periods of withdrawing to seek God alone for periods that ranged from 3 to 21 days (which he termed Retreats for Spiritual Progress). These

slowly transformed Professor Z. T. Fomum into a man who first hungered for God; and then hungered and thirsted for God; while hoping to become a man who hungered, thirsted and gasped after God. “O may I have more God!” Was the incessant cry of his heart.As a passionate evangelist and preacher of the Gospel, he travelled extensively. He went out of his base in Yaounde on over 700 missionary journeys in Cameroon that ranged from 1 day to 3 weeks. He also embarked on over 500 missionary journeys that ranged from 2 days to 6 weeks, to over 70 nations on six continents.

Professor Fomum was the Founding Team-Leader of Christian Missionary Fellowship International (CMFI) – an evangelism, soul-winning, church-planting and disciple-making movement with missionaries and churches in over 50 nations on six continents.

Along with his team, they saw over 10,000 recorded healing miracles performed by the Lord in answer to prayer in Jesus’ Name. These included headaches disappearing, cancers disappearing, HIV positive people becoming HIV negative, the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, the dumb speaking, the lame walking, demoniacs being set free, and new teeth and new organs received.This family man was

married to Prisca Zei Fomum and their 7 children are involved with them in the work of the Gospel. His wife, Prisca, is a national and international minister to children and specializes in winning children to the Lord Jesus and making them into His disciples. She is also involved in imparting the vision of the ministry to children, and in raising and building up ministers to children.

Professor Zacharias Tanee Fomum said he owed all that he was, and all that the Lord had done in him and through him, to the unmerited favours and blessings of the Lord God Almighty. He also owed it to his worldwide army of friends and co-workers who have generously and sacrificially invested their love, encouragement, fasts, prayers, gifts and co-operation into him and their joint ministry.

Without these unmerited favours and blessings of the Lord God Almighty and the investments of his friends and co-workers, he would have amounted to nothing.  Editor: Professor Zacharias Tanee Fomum died March 14, 2009 and was buried seven days later in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Culled from http://zacharias-tanee-fomum.e-monsite.com

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Lightstock

ADVANCING THE KINGDOM Bible Study OPENING SCRIPTURES

Isaiah 2:1-4; 9:6-7; Luke 1:30-33, Micah 4:1-3; Daniel 2:44-45, 7:15-28, Revelation 11:15, Matthew 6:10, Luke 17:21.

INTRODUCTION

There is an eternal decree concerning the Kingdom of God and Christ- it is a Kingdom that shall increase, and advance and shall never come to an end. Kingdoms of men have risen and fallen, but the Kingdom of Christ shall only rise and rise. It shall never pass away.

Before we dive deeper into this study, lets first bear in mind that Mathew 6:10 gives us a very clear and simple definition of what the Kingdom of God means. This is any realm in which God’s will is fulfilled. It is any domain or life in which God rules and reigns supreme as King. So, in advancing the Kingdom, the task before us is to extend or expand the realms, locations, systems, boundaries and places in which God’s will is done, here on earth as it is in heaven. We are called to advance the bounds of His dominion.

And this must begin from our personal life first and foremost before we can expand the Kingdom of God to our families, our community, society, Nation, and the World at large The call to advance the Kingdom is for all. If you are a citizen of the Kingdom, God expects you to war and labor to advance it in this world. War, because the world system, which is ruled by the prince of this world – satan, has sworn that Christ will not rule over them (Psalm 2, Ephesians 6:12). And they are fighting the saints to make sure the kingdom does not advance (Daniel 7:1922). We need to labor hard also to bring men to the knowledge of the King (Colossian 1:25-29).

When we sow more seeds and labor with all our hearts, we are guaranteed a bountiful harvest. The more we yield ourselves; the 12 | AOC world changers magazine

more exploits God does through us. When we engage our heart and strength, God will use us to advance His kingdom in a great way. He amplifies our efforts and brings about an increased and bountiful harvest, and we get our rewards even here on earth and also in eternity (Mark 10:28-30)

PART A: GOD’S ADVANCING KINGDOM

God is primarily responsible for the advancement of His Kingdom on earth. There is nothing we can do apart from what God does through us. This was the truth Jesus conveyed in John 15.

Without Him we can do nothing. In this section we shall focus on how God advances His kingdom on earth among men, the role we are called to play, how we can connect with God’s power and the rewards of yielding our lives to be used by God to advance His Kingdom.

1. The Kingdom of God Advances on Earth When; a. When His will is done on earth as it is in heaven - Matthew: 6:10; Romans 8: 28-30, 12:1-2; 1Thessolonians 4:3-5 What is the practical implications of this? b. When Sinners repent and enter the kingdom – Luke 15:432; 2 Peter 3:9, John 15:16, Luke 3:8 c. When God is acknowledged and glorified

2. How God Advances His Kingdom a. By the Power of His Spirit (The Holy Spirit) - Acts 1:6, 2:14-16, 22-24, 36-47, 19:17-20

b. By the Power of His Word – Psalm 107:20; Mark 16:20; Romans 1:16-17; 1Peter 1:25, Acts 20:32 c. By Loyal, Holy and Consecrated men – Hebrews 1:1; 11:32-40; 1Peter 1:19-21, 2 Timothy 2:19-23. d. By His Church – Acts 2:40-47; 4:32-33; 5:12-16, Ephesians 3:10

3. Connecting with God’s Power for Kingdom Advancement a. Be Baptized with the Holy Spirit - Acts 1:8, 2:38-39, 8:16-16 b. Hunger and thirst for God’s Power - Matthew.5:6, John 7:37-39, Psalms. 42:1-2 c. Praying and connecting by faith - Luke 11:5-13, Acts 1:14; 2:1-4 d. Laying on of hands by Spirit-filled leaders - Acts 8:15-17, 1 Timothy 4:14, Acts 4:31, 9:6, 17, 10:44-46, 19:6, e. Walking daily with the Spirit - seeking His leading - Acts 3:1-19, 16:6-10, 4:1-8, 13, 18-24

4. The Eternal Benefits and Rewards of living to Advance the Kingdom a. There is a reward for every work -Luke 22: 29-30, 12:32, Hebrew 9:27, 11:6; Philippians 1:22; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 2: 7,10,17,26, 28: 3:5,10,11,21, 22:12; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; Daniel 12:3; Matthew 10:41-42; 25:20-23; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:1-4 Outline other different kinds of reward in the Bible. b. How important are earthly and eternal rewards as a motive for Christian service? Matthew 7:21-23 c. What could make a man to lose his reward? Matthew 25:18, 24-30; 1 Corinthians 10:12; 1 John 2:15-17; 1 Peter 2:11, Matthew 6:1, 2 Cor 3:1-15

5. Role of the Church in advancing the Kingdom a. Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and Making Disciples of all Nation - Acts 8:22; 28:31, Matthew 28:18-20. b. Engaging a good warfare - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Mark 3:27 c. Shining the Light and being an example - Matthew 5:14-16 d. Praying for the Kingdom - Matthew. 6:10, 9:37-38; Acts 4:23-31 e. Prioritizing the kingdom - Matthew. 6:33; 11:12 f. Working for the Kingdom – Acts 9:36; Col 4:11 g. Standing for, willing to suffer and if need be dying for the Kingdom - Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 4:16-18; 3:12

PART B: PRACTICAL STEPS TO GREATLY ADVANCING THE KINGDOM

We are not only called to advance the Kingdom; we are called to advance it in a great way. God does not just want us to bear fruits, he wants much fruits. To advance the Kingdom in a great way we must give God our all. We cannot be living for ourselves and in mediocrity and expect great things from God. If we expect great things from God, we must attempt great things for Him. in this section we shall focus on practical steps we need to take in order to advance the Kingdom of God greatly in our generation.

1. Living a life of Love and Consecration to God To be used by God to advance His kingdom greatly, the Christian needs to be consecrated and be deeply a lover of God. Consecration is to be totally dedicated and set apart, yielding yourself to do the will of God in response to Christ’s sacrificial love for us (2 Cor 5:14-15).

It involves Sanctification which is being set apart for the Lord (I Thess.1:23; John 17:19; I Pet 3:15; Heb 13:12), a life completely surrendered (Rom. 12:1; Rom. 6:13; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20) and committed to Glorifying Christ (John 7:38, 39; Rev.22:1; Acts 2:33).

The practical implications of the consecrated life; a. Render your life to God in appreciation of the sacrificial love of God - Matt. 22:37; Luke 10:27; 1 John 3:16; Rom 5:8; 1 John 4:19-21. b. Live ever and only for the King - 2 Corinthians 5:14,15 c. Constantly deny your ‘self ’ - live selflessly for God and Others - Mark 8:34, Mark 10:45 parallel Matthew 20:28 d. Let Christ be the Center of your life - Live in total Obedience to the will of God - Gal 2:20 e. Be willing to Suffer for the sake of Christ and the kingdom - Colossians 1:24; Acts 20:18-28 f. Give yourself daily and wholly to the Lord as a living sacrifice - Romans 15:16; 2 Corinthians 8:5; Romans 12:1; 6:13,19; 1 Peter 2:20; 3:18; 1 Corinthians 3:14 g. Giving our time and resources to God - Philippians 4:18; 2:5-8; Hebrews 13:16; 1 Peter 2:5

2. Maintaining an Unquenchable Zeal for the Lord ZEAL is a Passionate ardor in the pursuit of anything. In general, zeal is an eagerness of desire to accomplish or obtain some object, and it may be manifested either in favor of any person or thing, or in opposition to it, and in a good or bad cause (KJV Dictionary Definition). Zeal is described as the blind conductor of the will.

Men of zeal advance God’s kingdom. It requires a fervent zeal to do great exploits for God. The Bible has a lot of examples of men who zealously advanced the kingdom.

The Bible encourages us not to be lacking in zeal, but keep our spiritual fervor serving the Lord. We see this zeal in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 12:11, Isaiah.59:17, Psalms 69:9, John 4:34, Practically, God expects us to be Zealous in; a. Passionately seeking after God - Psalm 42:1-2; Psalm 84:2; Psalm 143:6; John 7:37; John 12:21. b. Glorifying God in everything - Colossians 3:23; Numbers.25:11 c. Serving the Lord - Romans 12:11; Proverbs 13:4; Ecclesiates 9:10; Gaatiansl 4:18; 1Corinthians 14:12 d. Doing Good Works - Titus 2:14 e. Seeking and advancing the Kingdom - Matthew 6:33 f. Seeking the salvation of Souls - Ecclesiates 11:5-6 (NKJV); 1 Cor 16,22 g. willingness to suffer for Him - Psalm 69:9; Phil 3:7-10 AOC world changers magazine | 13

Our spiritual passion or zeal is the Holy Spirit’s fire in our lives. It must never go out Leviticus 6: 13. 1 Thessolonians 5;19. To keep our zeal burning we need to; a. Understand the law of perpetually burning and maintaining daily devotion and service to God Leviticus 5:13 b. Identify and remove the fire extinguishers in your life – Matthew 5:29 c. Ask for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit continuallyEphesians 5:18 d. Pray for fresh fire and Passion continually– Romans 12:11 e. Repent and Return to your first Love if you stray – Revelation 2:4-5 f. Do the things you were doing before – Luke 15:18-20 g. Connect with Firebrand Christians – Acts 16:1-4 h. Ensure we are not lacking in zeal or that our zeal is not without knowledge - Revelation 3:1516, 19, Romans 10:2, because we can then; I. Backslide and loose fire II. Become too familiar with God III. Be merely Religious IV. Apathetic and enslaved again in sin V. Miss out on God’s will

If we want to greatly advance the Kingdom like the early Apostles did then we must learn to preach the word and engage in effective, consistent and aggressive evangelism.

3. Walking in Spiritual Power and Authority Matthew.16:19, 18:18, Revelation 3:7,1Corinthians 4:20, Romans 8:14-16, Acts 1:8, 2 Timothy 1:7-8, John 15:26-27, Acts 4:8, 10-13 We need to recognize that God gave us the keys - spiritual power and Authority to Advance His kingdom.

a. learn to practically operate and use these keys to advance His kingdom. b. Be clothed in the armor of God Ephesians 6:10-24, 1 Corinthians 15:57. c. Use the blood of the lamb, stand on the testimony of Christ, resist the devil and sin unto the shedding of blood.

Revelation. 12:11, Hebrew 12:4-5, d. Always seek the Power and Anointing of the Holy Spirit Luke.4:18. e. Operate in the Eternal, unchanging love of God and stand in Christ. Romans. 8:30-39. f. Be planted and rooted in the Church, the ground and pillar of truth.1 Timothy 3:15 g. Be filled with the Holy Spirit Romans.8:1-13, Galatians.5:15-23, h. Praise and worship God continually 2 Chronicles. 20:1730, Psalms. 149 i. Stand on the Word of God Matthew.4:1-11, 1 John.2:14, Joshua.1:1-10 14 | AOC world changers magazine

j. Be Sober and vigilant. Maintain submission to God and Resistant Faith 1Peter. 5:8-9, James.4:7 k. Use the name of Jesus Christ Philippians. 2:9-11, Ephesians.1:19-22, Luke. 10:17, 2, l. Use Faith and Prophetic Declarations 1 John 5:4,1 Samuel.

17: 34-50

4. Consistently and Aggressively Preaching Christ So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed… Acts 19:820; 20:18-38 If we want to greatly advance the Kingdom like the early Apostles did then we must learn to preach the word and engage in effective, consistent and aggressive evangelism. The Apostle Paul greatly advanced the Kingdom so much so that in 2 years of labour the whole of Asia Minor as of then was reached with the word of God. From Acts 19 and 20 we learn practical steps we can take to effectively preach the word, in a way that advances the kingdom greatly. a. Preach it boldly without fear… Acts 19:8, 20:20 b. Preach it consistently, daily without ceasing Acts 19:8-10 c. Preach it everywhere… And he went into the synagogue, … And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house (Acts 19:8a-20:20) d. Preach in the power of the Holy Spirit with signs and miracles…And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them (Acts 19:11-12). e. Preach to everyone… all people Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21) f. Preach the full gospel For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God - (Acts 20:27) g. Preach it without fail…Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men – (Acts 20:26) h. Preach it with Compassion and tears … and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears - (Acts 20:31) i. Preach it with your life and conduct … Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood …I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:18-35).

5. Engaging in Concerted Discipleship Training and Teaching of the Word The great commission is the mandate for Kingdom expansion. It is the Church’s matching orders for advancing the Kingdom. It is the supreme task of the Church. At the heart of the commission is the instruction to make disciples of all nations. To carry out this mandate practically and effectively we need to; a. Clearly understand the discipleship mandate, the goal, the meaning and implication - Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Timothy 2:1-2 b. Show an example of true Christian love and devotion – Luke 10:29-37 c. Seek for and recruit disciples - Mark 16:15 d. Follow them up - teach them the whole counsel of God until Christ is formed in them - Colossians 1:9-13, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Galatians 4:19, Philippians 1:8-11 e. Begin small from where we are - and grow to reach out to the ends of the world. Acts 1:8 f. Carry out the responsibility with a strong sense of purpose and urgency John 9:1-4, 4:43-38

6. Engaging in persistent and effectual fervent Prayers and Intercession Prayers is getting God to intervene in the affairs of men. To do what only Him can do.

Exodus 33:9-13; 1 Sam 1:10-15; Isa 26:3 To practically engage in effective prayers, we need to; a. Have a Right Standing with God - Hebrew 1:8-9; John 11:41-42; Ps 66:18; Zechariah 13:1-7; John 15:10-15; 1 John 3:2; Genesis 18:17-33 b. Pray in the Name of Jesus John 15:16 c. Pray in Faith – Hebrews 10:38; Romans 1:16-17 d. Pray with Passion and earnestness - Matthew 6:2433; Isaiah 62:1,7; Psalms 132:1-5; Romans 9:1-3; 10:1-3; Numbers 14:13-20 e. Pray fervently and persistently - Luke 11:5-13; Luke 18:1-8 f. Pray with the guidance and under the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit Romans 8:26-27; Acts 1:14; 2:1-4; 12:1-13; 1 Corinthians 14:2 g. Pray unselfishly - enlarge your heart and pray for all men and all nations h. Pray Kingdom prayers - your prayers should be for the will of God to be done in your life, family, Church, community, nation and the whole world.

7. Walking in Love, Unity and Faith

With unity of heart and faith, we can advance the Kingdom greatly. There is nothing we agree to do and accomplish for God that we cannot do, if we believe. Great kingdom endeavors and exploits can be done by faith and unity – when we are bonded with unfeigned love.

Philippians 2:1-5, John 15:7-12, 17:17-23, Ephesians 4:1-6,

13; Acts 6:1-5; Colossians 3:11; 1:27; Mark 3:24-26; Luke 11:17 The scriptures outline for us practical steps we should take to ensure we walk in unity, love and faith a. Be Like-minded…. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one acWith unity of heart cord, of one mind. and faith, we can b. Let nothing be done through strife or vaingloadvance the Kingdom ry; but in lowliness of mind greatly. There is let each esteem other better nothing we agree to than themselves. do and accomplish for c. Look not every man on his God that we cannot own things, but every man do, if we believe. also on the things of others. d. Have the Mind of ChristLet this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus e. Realize the impact of unity and Faith on the work Genesis 11:5-6; Matthew 18:19; Psalms 133:1-3; John 17:20-21 f. Be Committed to Love and the Unity of the Body - John 15:5-12; 17:17-23, Philippains 2:19; Acts 1:12-14; 2:1-4; 42-47; 4:24, 32-37; 5:12-16; 6:1-7; 12:1-11

CONCLUSION JUDGES 5:6-24

In this study we have seen how God is committed to the advancement of His Kingdom among men. We saw the role the Church is called to play and how we as individuals can connect with the power of God in order to advance His kingdom. We also looked at practical steps we can begin to implement in our lives if we must advance the kingdom greatly.

God expects us to arise now, in the day of battle and willingly God expects us to arise now, in the day of battle and willingly yield and consecrate ourselves to doing His will on earth. In the days of Deborah there was an opportunity for everyone to join in the advancement of the kingdom.

Deborah, Jael, Barak, Ephraim, Zebulun, Napthali and the princes of Issachar all arose and took their place. They were rewarded by God and their names are written in God’s eternal book of remembrance for good. Sadly, some like Reuben, Gilead, Dan, Asher held themselves back because of fear and self-love. The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so, did Naphtali on the terraced fields. But…’Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord. ‘Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the Lord, to help the Lord against the mighty.’

I pray we will arise like Zebulun and the many saints in the Bible who risked their lives to advance the Kingdom of God on earth, so that our names will be written in God’s eternal book of remembrance and may we not end up in eternal shame and condemnation.

Amen.  AOC world changers magazine | 15

THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY IN ADVANCING THE KINGDOM Written by Margaret Gathuku who is the editor of Timazi Magazine, A Kenyan high school magazine connecting born again Christian students in order to learn how to think and act from the Bible, continually putting the word of God as the plumbline to all of life. Maggie as she’s fondly called is Married to John Gathuku and they are blessed with three lovely children.

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he Lord is at work in the world reconciling men to Himself. More than ever, we are hearing news of Christian movements in places that were earlier on difficult to penetrate. God is moving in places where people have the freedom to worship Him and in places where persecution spreads violently.

We praise God for such revivals! These movements will not only be driven by Bible-believing churches but also through the ministry of the Christian family.

Statistics

Statistics, however, show that in Europe and America, the church is in the decline.

Thom Reiner in recent research found out that more and more young people are unable to articulate the gospel but claim to be born again. He says that among Americans born before 1946, 65 percent identified themselves as Christians and were able to articulate the basics of the gospel. For those born between 1946 and 1964, the number dropped to 35 per cent.

For those born between 1965 and 1976, it fell to a scant 15 per cent. Finally, among Americans born between 1974 and 1994, only 4 percent of the population identified themselves as Christians and had trusted Christ alone for salvation.1

Losing the grip

We are seemingly losing our children in a world where it is easier to communicate the faith, in an age of mega-churches and in an age where we have more youth workers than before. The biggest question is, where are we going wrong? Why are more young people not interested in faith? I think that there could be many reasons but one of the most fundamental ones, I suppose, is the 1 Polly House, “Survey Notes Heightened Challenge of Reaching Children for Christ,” Baptist Press, October 20, 2000, http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?

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crumbling of the Christian family. We have many Christian families that go to church together until a certain time when the children start transitioning to teenage or adulthood. Slowly, they stop accompanying their parents to church. Why are they jumping the ship? What can we do differently? Has the modern family neglected its role of discipleship? Are we teaching our children the faith as we ought to?

The early church

It was a common practice of the early church fathers of the 1600s to visit homes to find out whether the parents were discipling their children through the regular practice of family worship. In 1647, believers in Scotland published the Directory for Family Worship in which they wrote: The assembly requires and appoints ministers to make diligent search and enquiry, whether there be among them a family or families which neglect the duty of family worship. If such a family is found, the head of the family is to be admonished privately to amend his fault; and in case of his continuing therein, he is to be gravely and sadly reproved by the session; after which reproof, if he is found still to neglect family worship, let him be, for his obstinacy in such an offense, suspended and debarred from the Lord’s supper, until he amends.2

Family worship was so important and neglecting it required church discipline.

This was pivotal because they understood the role of the family in discipleship. They knew that if the church was to be involved in advancing the Kingdom of God, they had to ensure that the family 2 https://tinyurl.com/vpdrwvf

was doing its duty of discipling its members. What is the link between advancing God’s Kingdom and the family?

Teach your children the Greatest Commandment

God’s first charge to the first created beings was to fill the earth and subdue it. Sin certainly marred this command in many ways in that the people who now fill the earth are broken and sinful, but God commanded them to fill the earth. God wanted people who will love and worship Him. When we meet Abraham in Genesis 12, we hear this command, but differently said. God tells Abraham, “through you, all the families of the earth will be blessed.“ In Genesis 18, this command is repeated and made clearer in verse 19, “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

Abraham was to direct his children in the way of the Lord. His obedience to this command was pivotal to the fulfilment of the promise made earlier. That applies to us today, too.

When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, he quotes Deuteronomy 6:5, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” As families, what are supposed to do with the greatest commandment? Verse 7 says, “These commands that I give to you today are to be upon your hearts.

Impress them on your children.”

As parents, God has first called us to love Him and then teach our children to love Him. At the heart of advancing the Kingdom of God is family discipleship.

We cannot go out there to reach others while our very own offspring do not know and love the Lord.

How then do we achieve this?

a. Time is everything: Over the years we have learnt that children do not understand quality time but quantity time. The difference is huge. It is not some time well spent, but a lot of time spent together, more often than not, this time is not even planned. Effective discipleship best happens when there is a lot of time of physical interaction with the children. We decided that we were going to structure our lives in a way that allowed us maximum time with them. For any family to achieve deep fellowship, they must maximize their time. b. Instruct your children in the faith: When the puritans were going from house to house, they were checking whether the parents were instructing the children in the faith. More often than not we assume that our children will pick the basics of faith without direct instruction. We discovered early enough that children need systematic instruction as regards faith just like we all need. We have found catechism a very easy yet very deep way of teaching doctrine. Questions like who God

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When we got married, my husband and I decided that we would make every effort to personally and individually disciple our children. As fulltime ministry workers, we had observed a number of our friends who had gone before us and had the privilege to learn from them. We learnt how to do family and how not to do family. Looking back, we are so grateful that God allowed us to learn those truths while we were still young even before we had children. We have over the years learnt four important aspects of discipleship:

children and faithfully walked in the ways of the Lord as examples, we then need to inspire them to live for the advancement of the Kingdom. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. After we have done what we must do as parents, we do not hold our children back when God calls them.

We inspire them to live for purposes beyond this life. We must encourage them to be part of the Great Commission even in dangerous ways.

From our experience with discipling young people for the last fifteen years, parents are the greatest hindrance to the call, especially towards overseas or cross-cultural missions.

We are not discipling children for ourselves, no, they a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. We are preparing children for battle for the souls, not for our ambitions. We pray daily that God will help us raise for Him arrows that will be mighty in His hands to contend with the enemy at the gate.

is, what is man, what is sin and such theological reflections must be clarified at home. The church becomes a support pillar for the parent since children spend more time at home as compared to the one hour or so in Sunday school. As a parent, you must do the work of impressing as instructed in Deuteronomy 6: 4-9. c. Live out the faith as living examples: besides instructing children in the ways of God and doctrine, parents have the responsibility to live out that faith at home to give life to the principles taught. We have even a greater responsibility to demonstrate that faith at home, at work, with friends and family. Some of our children are confused when we live dichotomously. We seem to portray a different image to the world and live differently at home. The most powerful sermon for children is when we live out what we teach them. d. Inspire children to live for greater things: When we have instructed our

Conclusion

God is looking to us to advance the Kingdom, to reach the unreached of the world and that depends on the quality of family discipleship we apply at home.

God can accomplish His purposes without us, but because of His great mercy, He allows us to be part of that amazing tack of reconciling men and the world to Himself. We begin by making disciples of our families and preparing those disciples to be actively part of the Great Commission. ď Ž AOC world changers magazine | 17

Gift Habeshaw / Unsplash

THE NECESSITY OF YOUR GROWTH And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2: 52

By Daniel I. Akaahan

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very child grows. It is an offence not to grow. The Bible is careful to provide us with testimonies to the growth of several children. Concerning Isaac, scripture says “The child grew and was weaned…” (Gen. 21:8). On Ishmael, it is reported that “God was with the boy as he grew up.” (Gen. 21:20). For Isaac’s children, Jacob and Esau, the Bible says “The boys grew up and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.”

(Gen. 25:27). Judges 13:24 records that “The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him.” The account on Samuel says “Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.” (1 Sam. 2:21) and “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.” (1 Sam. 3:19).

In the New Testament we read concerning John the Baptist that “… the child grew and became strong in spirit…” (Lk. 1:80).

Even Jesus has a record of His growth: Isaiah 53:2 records that “He grew up before him like a tender shoot…” while Luke 2:52 says “… Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and Man.” Those details, to the casual reader of the Bible, may seem to be merely chronological but they are more than that. The Bible wouldn’t contain those records if there was nothing about the imperative of growth for our learning.

To grow is to become larger; to increase in size. It is to become better or improved in some way; to become more devel18 | AOC world changers magazine

oped, mature, etc. To grow also means to become larger and change from being a child to being an adult as time passes; to pass from childhood to adulthood.

The accounts of those children we have highlighted from scripture show that after being born, they didn’t remain as children, they grew, they increased, they became better, they matured, and they passed from childhood to adulthood. While growth can be physical, mental and emotional, the main focus of our meditations is on spiritual growth. We see this kind of growth in Saul (Paul) who soon after his conversion had this record to his name: “Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.”

Except one is born, there can be no talk of growth. Everyone, born of a woman, is dead spiritually, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23). The verdict on our lives is that we “were dead in … transgressions and sins.”

(Eph. 2:1). Life begins at the point of accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord. “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 Jn.5:12). The first thing to do therefore, is to be born again. That is a very important point because every child grows into an adult version of who they genetically are. Take a lizard as an example; even though it has semblances to a crocodile, it can never grow into a crocodile.

If it is well fed, the lizard will only grow to become a big lizard.

Only a baby crocodile can grow to become a mature croco-

dile. Similarly, only a baby Christian can grow into a mature Christian who resembles Jesus. The Christian life is possible only because of what Jesus has done and our response to Him by faith: “In his great mercy he has given us new birth through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Pet.1:3). Are you born again? Have you repented of your sins and accepted Jesus as your Saviour and Lord? If you have, we can proceed to talk about your growth.

Observe from the examples mentioned above that every child was reported to have grown. Since you have been born again, have you grown? It is an offence for you not to grow.

When a parent births a child, the first reward they get from feeding that child is to see them grow. With all the grace that God has lavished on your life in Christ Jesus, He is also expecting that you grow. The fig tree was cursed because it did not yield the results that were commensurate to the resources it had taken up.

Growing Up Into Christ

Every living thing has its own unique pattern of expected growth by which it is evaluated. A snake grows by becoming longer. A human being grows by becoming taller. So how is the growth of a Christian measured? A Christian grows by becoming progressively more like Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Romans 8:29 that “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Before you became born again, God’s plan, his predestination all along, was that whenever you became born again, you would grow up to become like Jesus. It is not an afterthought, it is what you were predestined to be.

God wants us to grow up and become like His Son Jesus

Whenever God looks at your life and evaluates your growth, He is checking to see how much like Jesus you are becoming.

Jesus is the pattern Son. The primal purpose of all the work of the grace of God in your life, is to make you “to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.” The reason why he “gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” is “to prepare God’s people for works of service” so that we “may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” It is vital for you to note that that scripture says IN ALL THINGS. Your growth is supposed to be a gradual but progressive growth IN ALL THINGS into Christ. God’s work in your life is continuous “until Christ is formed in you.”

Sometimes people become born again, avoid sin, are zealous for God, but are lacking in character. These Christians are obnoxious. They fail to progress in growing into Christ. For Jesus, the Bible says “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jn. 1:14).

The Word became flesh; He moved from being only what was heard to become life; He became something that could be seen with our eyes, looked upon and handled with hands,

something tangible; we have seen his glory. That same transformation is supposed to happen in your own life too. All your words, all your confessions and professions, every word you have received, is supposed to become you. There should be no conflict between who you loudly claim to be verbally, and who you are in person and character. When men see and touch you they should be able to see glory, and a fullness of grace and truth. When this begins to be the testimony about you, then Christ is being formed in you; you can say you are growing up into Him. You can do a self-evaluation to check your level of Since you have been growth. Just like you can stand born again, have you before a rule to check your grown? It is an offence growth by measuring your height, you can also stand befor you not to grow. side Christ and check your When a parent births growth. Are you conforming a child, the first reward to His likeness? Are you bethey get from feeding coming like Him? Check how that child, is to see He obeyed the father: even them grow. With all the unto death. Check his attitude to food: He ate whatever was grace that God has set before Him. In fact He said lavished on your life His meat is to do the will of the in Christ Jesus, He is father. Check how he prayed: expecting that you grow. he spent whole nights praying, sometime even until His sweat became like drops of blood. Check His relationship with the word of God: He studied it, said it is written and allowed it to find fulfilment in His own life. Check how He related with the poor and hungry: He had compassion on them and acted.

Check how He related with His parents: He was obedient to them. Check how He related to tax collectors: He sent for money from a fish to pay His taxes. He didn’t avoid tax. Check how He related with His subordinates: He wrapped a towel around His waist and washed their feet; He served them. Check how He related with those who hated Him: He prayed for the Father to forgive them because they didn’t know what they did. Check how His sleeping place was when He woke up: the kerchief that covered his head was “neatly folded by itself.” He didn’t leave the place He “slept” to be scattered.

You were predestined by God to be like Christ. When God evaluates you, His yardstick for measuring your growth is Christ. Your mentor or discipler may be a good example, but you weren’t predestined to be like any of them. You were predestined to be like Christ. It is Christ who “suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”

(1 Pet. 2:21). Follow the examples of men only as they follow Christ. Since Jesus is the pattern Son, it behooves you to study His life and follow His example. It is those who follow Him who will never walk in darkness. It is those who follow Him who can grow up in all things into Him. Dearly beloved, examine yourself to see whether you are growing up into Christ in all things.

God bless you!  AOC world changers magazine | 19

A WAR OF THE KINGDOMS

By Abraham Ogenyi And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Therefore rejoice O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the Devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ – Revelation 12:7 –17.

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nd war broke out in heaven…” This singular statement has eternally altered the course of time and humanity from when it happened until date.

This event marked the beginning of wars and woes on earth. Every battle on earth is traceable to this war. The rise and fall of kingdoms on earth is a spillover effect of this war. There is no independent conflict on earth; every conflict is tied to this war that broke out in heaven. This war was started by a quest for power and a drive for dominance which was initiated by Sa20 | AOC world changers magazine

tan, formerly an Archangel who served around the throne of God (Ezekiel 28: 12 – 19). His beauty and wisdom aroused pride in him and he decided to rebel against the government of his Master, the Almighty God (Isaiah 14: 12 – 17). With him were some angels who also rebelled against the authority of God, leading to the war that broke out in heaven. The war was fought between the Archangel, Michael (and his angels) and the old dragon – Satan (and his angels). At the end, the Devil and his angels were cast down by Michael and his angels and there was no place for them any more in heaven.

The Battleground …

The defeat and fall of Satan led to the drawing of the battle line between his rebellious kingdom and the kingdom of God. Though Satan was evicted from heaven, the war is still on, this time with the saints of the Most High: “The dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” – Revelation 12:17.

Although, the war was started in heaven, it continues in the hearts of men and that is the greatest battleground today. There is a keen contest over the throne of every man’s heart, which is the epicenter of this war. Satan’s anger is highly vented on humanity especially the followers of Christ because of this great loss. He knows he has no hope of recovery or repentance; therefore, he is bent on destroying humanity. He seizes every single opportunity to bring this battle to our doorsteps knowing fully well that his time is very short. We see this war in every sphere of human endeavor; no part is spared. He employs and uses several strategies to execute this war. His arsenals are launched through the media industry (music, movies, advertisements and

entertainment) in form of pornography, violence, drug addiction and so forth.

He also stretches his influence to politics through bribery, corruption, killings and maiming. Today, we also see his manifestations in things once termed abominable such as same sex marriage; legalization of abortion; transgender-ism and human trafficking. The list is endless such that even the church is not spared.

This is indeed war! His agents are being deployed every now and then to every place where humans are found because he seeks vengeance against the Most High through His creatures. Satan seeks to fully establish his kingdom here on earth since he has eternally lost his place in heaven, and he is not playing about it.

The earlier we know this as believers, the better for us. At his fall, he mobilized and led an army of fallen angels constituting his rebellious kingdom, known today as “The kingdom of darkness”. The kingdom of darkness, no doubt is at war with the kingdom of Light.

Our Hope …

In all of these, God is not indifferent, but has made adequate provision for the saints to engage, confront and withstand the adversary and enforce their victory.

This He did by sending His only begotten Son Jesus, to die and redeem man from the power of the Devil. His death and resurrection provides for us an advantage over the enemy: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” And also, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.

And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith” – 1 John 4:4; 5:4.

Jesus got the victory for us, that is why “…in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). He was manifested

to take away our sins and destroy the works of the Devil (1 John 3:8) and He ever lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25).

Our Role …

There is the need to understand that if we do not ride on the victory of Christ, then we will become the victims in this war.

There is no safe zone as long as this war between the Kingdom of Light and that of darkness is concerned. Everyone is an active participant in this battle whether consciously or unconsciously. The enemy will not spare you for your ignorance, in fact you’ll become the greatest casualty if you feign ignorance. The Devil has a detailed plan against your life and is working tirelessly to execute it moment by moment as revealed by Apostle Peter: “Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking for whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” – 1 Peter 5: 8 – 9.

We must understand that Satan is never a friend but an eternal adversary of God and man. We must also remember that we’ve been given the mandate to take charge of the earth by bringing the culture of God’s Kingdom to bear on it (Luke 19: 13). We also have a crucial task of recovering every lost ground (media, education, politics, religion, economy, etc.) where Satan has registered his presence, back to the King of kings because we are His foot soldiers and His agents in this war. We are to hold the fort for our King here till He returns, and this will require focus and a sound knowledge of the provisions made available to us by His ultimate sacrifice on the cross.

God has done His part by giving us His Son to restore us back to our place. It is therefore left for us to play our roles correctly in order to stay victorious in this war.

What then is our role?

• Be watchful, sober and vigilant at all times – 1 Peter 5:8 – 9 • Put on the whole armour of God – Ephesians 6:10 – 18 • Be diligent in studying and meditat-

ing on the Word of God – 2 Timothy 2:15; Joshua1:8 • Maintain a fervent and consistent life of prayer and communion with God – 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18:1; Matthew 26:41 • Stay committed to a local church with sound biblical doctrine – Hebrews 10:25 • Do the work of the ministry – Colossians 4:17

Finally….

What then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Now thanks be unto God which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world – Romans 8:31, 37; 2 Corinthians 2:14; John 16:33. 

AOC world changers magazine | 21

BOOK REVIEW

By Wole Olabanji

Applying the Kingdom Rediscovering the priority of God for Mankind Myles Munroe

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he absence of priority results in pre-occupation with the unimportant. Not only do we focus on the unimportant, we become preoccupied with it. We think about it, debate it, discuss it, argue about it, and have conferences on it until, by default, it becomes a de facto priority for us.”

This quote forms the essence of the message that Dr. Munroe delivers all through this book. Throughout the eleven chapters and two hundred and fifty two pages, he writes with urgency, almost stridently of the need to understand what is the right priority for us as individuals, and as the body of Christ.

He himself identifies this priority as “the gospel of the Kingdom”. He repeatedly points us to Matthew 6:33 where Christ clearly sets out the right priority in the words, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” In Dr. Munroe’s words, “Our first priority – the principal and most important activity of our life is to seek the Kingdom of God. He then goes on to describe the Kingdom and how we can seek and find it successfully. Importantly, his structuring of the book into relatively short chapters, with each focused on one idea helps with the reading process as you can read it in short bursts focused on one or a few chapters. He also provides helpful summaries at the end of each chapter, which helps the reader collect the thoughts expressed in that chapter into a concise set of ideas.

In his characteristic way, Dr. Munroe writes originally and refreshingly. For instance, in contrasting Jesus’ focus on the Kingdom with the pervasive focus of the church on material prosperity, he poignantly paraphrases Jesus’ words to admonish the reader saying: “Any religion that focuses on the acquisition of things and the meeting of personal needs is a re22 | AOC world changers magazine

ligion of pagans.” At first read, this might sound harsh and perhaps even obnoxious, but in reality, the writer simply makes a pointed delivery of Matthew 6:31-34.

He however appears to stretch this attempt at originality and pointedness beyond its elasticity in the final two chapters of the book. In the tenth chapter for instance, he falls to a common straw man argument when in trying to describe the culture of the Kingdom, he launches an indiscriminate attack on the concept of religion. Dr. Munroe says, “Christ did not bring a religion but a Kingdom, a royal government. Christianity is a religion, which is why it doesn’t work.”

The problem with this somewhat popular attempt to steer away from religion is that it is somewhat simplistic. We do not say for instance that God is not a deity because billions of people all over the world worship gods as deities, nor do we stop calling our relationships with our spouses marriage because the institution is under a constant barrage of attacks to alter its image and meaning. And so religion in itself is not the problem. What counts is whether ours is true or false religion.

He makes an even more tenuous argument that totters on the very extreme of liberal interpretation of the scripture.

Even he admits as he puts it to “stepping out on a theological limb” when he says “Jesus never told us to seek Him first. And yet the church, for the better part of its 2000 - year history, has done precisely that. The church continuously has preached about the king, and taught about the king, and bragged about the king, and told people how they should love the king, and give their hearts to the king and follow the king, and serve the king, and live for the king. And while all of this is true, it is probably not the best place to start, because in all the talk and attention given to the king, very little

focus has been given to the kingdom he reigns over.”

Anyone who looks past the exciting novelty of a “new revelation” to the old unchanging written testimony of the scripture should immediately cringe at the huge damage we are willing to risk to sound doctrine for the momentary pleasure of “exciting doctrine”.

The church is not in error in preaching Christ (the king) and His cross. As the Bible says, the preaching of the cross often appears as foolishness but is in reality the power of God. Christ indeed embodies the full treasure of God’s wisdom such that if you want to focus on the Kingdom which is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, you realize that God is in fact asking you to set your gaze on Jesus for He is our peace and righteousness and the giver of joy.

Attempting to splice and dice so as to separate Christ from the Kingdom is akin to attempting to build a partition between the written Word, and the Word made flesh that dwelt among us. One mirrors the other with total fidelity.

While the book careens towards the end into ideas that give concern, overall there is a zealous desire to see God’s Kingdom established. A zealous desire which the church acutely needs today.

This book by Dr. Munroe will leave a deposit of that zeal, and help as many who prayerfully and thoughtfully read it to reconsider and hopefully redefine their priorities. 

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10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU SAY “I DO”

By Alex Onojah 1. Marriage is God’s idea and It’s a good thing.

It is important to settle this in your mind before you say I do. In the second chapter of the book of Genesis and the eighteenth verse, God said “It is not good that a man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

So, God instituted marriage as a good thing. Don’t believe the lie of the devil that marriage is a necessary evil. It is not.

2. Not all that glitters is gold.

Don’t be carried away by what you see, the things that you can’t see are more important than the things you can see.

He is tall, dark, handsome and rich … really? Can you see his heart? Do you know what he is capable of?

Or you might be a guy and you see the lady as a perfect beauty. Beware! She might be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

3. Marriage is a school where the role of teacher and student is not fixed, are you ready for this?

Marriage is a school where the role of a teacher and that of a student is not fixed, whoever has more understanding on a particular matter assumes the role of the teacher at that moment.

This is why it is good to marry someone who is teachable and its also good to be careful when you find yourself in a relationship with a guy or a lady who does not believe that you have a right to an opinion or believes that he or she is always right. That’s a danger sign.

4. Ignorance is not bliss.

There’s a popular saying that “Ignorance is Bliss”. In the matter of marriage this is definitely not true. In the third chapter and seventh verse of the first book of Peter the Bible says “Likewise, Ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”

5. It’s either team work or nothing works!

Marriage is teamwork! Just like we see in every great sports team, each member of the team must be willing to support the other.

Every task is our task and not your task, we win together, and we fail together, No blame game.

6. Following your heart may lead you into trouble.

The relationship period when you are preparing for marriage is a time when following your heart only may lead you into serious trouble. It is important to use your head as well. God gave you a brain and a mind for a reason. Don’t allow your heart to deceive you.

7. What has prayer got to do with it?

Prayer has got everything to do with your preparation for marriage.

Before you say I do, please ensure that you invest quality time in prayer. You can’t do without prayer. Pray, pray and pray again.

8. Check your motive.

Ask yourself, why do I want to marry this lady or this guy. Is it because of his or her money? Is it because of the family they come from? Is it because of your future ambition?

Someone once said, “It’s not your fault if your father is poor, but its your fault if your father in-law is poor.” Do you see how some people think? Please do not marry anyone for a selfish reason. And on the flip side, pity is also not a good reason to marry someone. It is not advised as you may end up in a miserable marriage.

9. If you settle for what is available, you will miss what is obtainable.

Do not settle for anyone just because they are available. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush you may tell yourself, but please don’t. It’s your future and your destiny we are talking about. The person currently in your life is not a bird and the right person you are to marry may not be in the bush ... he or she might just be around the corner. Keep moving and very soon you will see them.

Don’t be desperate, pray about it, seek God’s face.

10. Get God’s approval before you proceed!

This is the final and most important point to note on this list. It’s important to get God’s approval before you say, “I do”. God is the author of marriage and it is Him that will help you throughout your marriage. God knows everything, there’s nothing hidden from Him. God knows the person you are considering for marriage more than you do. He knows their past, their present and their future.

It will indeed be foolish to go ahead and say “I do” without getting God’s approval.  AOC world changers magazine | 23

FINANCIAL WELL-BEING, SURPLUS AND KINGDOM ADVANCEMENT

By Olusegun Omoniwa There is a financial perspective to advancing the Kingdom, financial lack and want can pose a hindrance or limitation to giving God our best. Hence, as stewards of God’s resources we need to understand how to manage the financial resources God gives us with the view to ensuring that we channel them towards advancement of the Kingdom.

In this article Olusegun Omoniwa gives us six principles to financial wellbeing and surplus that we can apply in our personal finances to become better managers of God’s resources and be in a position to effectively advance the Kingdom.

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he concept of financial of successful investors. At least well-being is not defined three of these habits have to do “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate in a neat small box as it with being consistent/staying the one and love the other, or you will be devoted could mean different things the course/remaining calm esto the one and despise the other. You cannot serve to different people. These defipecially when every indication both God and money.” Luke 16:13 NIV nitions are drawn from our tells you to make an emotionunique life experiences, soal decision about an uncertain cio-economic circumstances, future. A study was done a few age, gender, level of education and social expectations to men- years ago by a fund manager to determine which of their thoution a few. One universal foundational concept for financial well sands of clients usually achieved the best performance returns being is spending within your means and saving to build finan- after adjusting for risk. It was found that best returns were often cial security for when you can no longer work. This can be neatly from clients who had either forgotten about their accounts or coupled with being able to meet all your financial obligations and had passed away. So avoid looking at your investment portfolio needs comfortably even when one of your primary sources of in- too much. If your time frame is 10 or 15 years, why worry about come fails. The key measure which facilitates financial well-being what is happening this month or this year? Many of us with long in both cases here is “Surplus.” term pension accounts can relate to this principle.

There are two ways to create surplus which can lead to financial wellbeing. There is the bottom up and top down approach.

In the bottom up approach, you gradually peel away the excesses Principle 3: You can always say no and create room within your current earning potential to build Whether this is to that extra night out every month, that addifuture financial security. The top down approach involves build- tional feature on the car no one but you and three other peoing additional streams of income. These income streams could ple in your home town would notice or the additional channels be passive or active depending on the level of involvement or on the premium bouquet you would probably only watch once. management time it requires from you. Most of the strategies we Anything that would cause you to spend more than is necessary advocate within wealth management are passive with the added will not help your pursuit of surplus in the long run. benefit of securing professional advice and management. Here are some common principles which can support your success.

Principle 4: All money is equal Research in behavioural psychology shows we tend to treat Principle 1: Avoid making impulsive financial decisions money differently depending on where it came from. So for exIn one study, researchers offered several groups of people the ample we are more likely to spend a discount or cash gift from a choice of some money now, or a larger sum in a few weeks. The significant other differently from how we spend a bonus. Adopt choices were illustrated with pictures. The only group who failed the habit of treating all your inflows, whether salary and pento make the wiser choice of a future payment were men shown sion increases, cash gifts, bonuses the same as core income. That pictures of extremely attractive women alongside the option means directing it to the same spending priorities, including of an immediate payment. This choice was clearly driven by saving for your future self or reducing debt, as core income. an emotional reaction leading to an impulsive decision. Being highly stressed can also lead to impulsive or irrational financial Principle 5: Do not get drawn in by those faking it to make it decisions. In these situations, the age-old advice of “sleeping on Too much exposure to reality TV, selective reality and lifestyle social media has been found to increase people’s sense of inadit” makes a lot of sense. equacy and insecurity. An attempt to conform to the unrealistic physical looks and accoutrements on display can lead to imPrinciple 2: Remain steadfast In providing financial advice I constantly advocate the habits pulse- and emotional-spending to fill a false void. Have a solid 24 | AOC world changers magazine

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grounding in your priorities and goals so you do not get swayed by carefully curated life portrayed in the media. In Matthew 6:19 Jesus tells us not to store up treasures here on earth where they do not have any lasting value but to be eternity focused in how we direct our spending to show where our heart truly is. This is relevant even in this age.

Principle 6: Replace a bad habit with a good one

There are 5 habits of successful investors: • Invest for the long term.

• Use market corrections (decline in price of a security) as an opportunity.

• Avoid stop-and-start investing.

• Diversify, diversify, diversify.

• Don’t be swayed by short-term sentiment.

Replace any bad habits with these good habits. Your current money habits are affecting your financial well-being. You alone hold the key to changing these habits, creating “surplus” and making an uncertain future a little bit more certain one day at a time.

Finally, having surplus allows you to truly serve God the way He wants you to. In Luke 16:13, Jesus is telling us that you

cannot serve God and Money. If you are in constant debt and unable to create financial surplus, you will be serving the lender of the money you owe and cannot be free to truly serve God the way you should with your best. Think about it for a second. If you are in debt, you may not be able to tithe, give generously, provide for your family, follow God’s leading to move out of a city, job and sow seeds as directed by God. How you manage your money matters to God because the bottom line of your bank account may keep you from being able to say yes to what He is calling you to do.  Olusegun Omoniwa is the Head of Wealth Management at Standard Chartered Bank Zambia Plc. Through its Financial Markets teams and in partnership with asset management firms and insurance companies, the Wealth Management team provides a range of products and solutions to help clients grow and protect their wealth. Their clients span the full spectrum, from individuals to small business and corporate clients. They have teams of Investments Advisors, Insurance Specialists and Treasury Specialists who interact with clients, and Relationship Managers who provide expert insights on local/global markets and specialist advice.

AOC world changers magazine | 25

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THE UNFORCED RHYTHM OF GRACE Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28-30 The Message (MSG)

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re you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?

Come to Me - Called by Grace

hope, life and a new beginning. You will find rest for your soul and peace for your mind. You will obtain grace.

Jesus Christ knows, sees and understands the burdens and heartache we bare and gave himself to reconcile us to God, our heavenly father through GRACE. Jesus invites all men. He invites all who are tired, worn out, addicts, burned out on religion, abused, discouraged, hopeless, and disheartened.

Come to Jesus Today

God’s Way Out

Take My Yoke Upon You and Learn of Me

God’s way out is the way out! And Jesus Christ is God’s way.

Yes! He is the only begotten one… He came into the world, full of grace and truth to save all mankind. And He calls all Men to Come to Him. He is calling you today.

The Promise Is Sure

God is willing and able to save you if you come to Him today. There is no way you will come to Him, and not have rest. “… for as many as touched Him were made whole … as many as call on his name will be saved.”´ If only you will come today, you will find rest.

Jesus is calling to you today “come unto me …” no matter your situation, no matter how deep you have gone into sin. He will give you rest. You will find forgiveness, mercy, 26 | AOC world changers magazine

Come in repentance Act2:38 … acknowledge your sin and failure, confess it to Him and ask Him to forgive you.

Come Believing- Have faith in His Word. He promised to give you rest. You will find rest for your soul. You will find forgiveness and deliverance from sin.

Commit your life to following Jesus, His teaching and examples. Live for Jesus …and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 2 Corinthians 5:15. Surrender absolutely to doing His will.

Be Assured!!!

… For I am gentle and lowly... For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

In fact, you are assured of provision and protection when you are tied to Jesus. He becomes responsible for you. You can rest from all fears and anxieties. This is the way to discover your life. The burden of Jesus is light. His commands are not grievous. This is the way to live freely and happily. 

Do you desire to: • Be transformed by the power of the Spirit and the Word and to offer your life to God and His purpose.

• Apply your faith and belief in the practice of your career and profession.

• Spread your influence in the sphere you occupy in society.

• Lead others to experience true transformation.

• Engage and transform your world for God. • Leverage knowledge and technology to advance the kingdom of God among men.

Join the AGENTS OF CHANGE TRAINING ACADEMY The Agents of Change Training Academy is the training arm of the Agents of Change Network (Global Youth Changers Outreach). The Academy was created as a tool to fulfil the mandate to raise a new generation of Christ’s Disciples in our postmodern world - men and women who are infused with a passion and desire to follow Jesus in total commitment and to be used by Him to advance His programme of transforming lives and establishing His Kingdom on earth.

TRAINING MODULES The training programme for Becoming God’s Agent of Change is divided into 4 training modules: • Module 1: Personal Transformation (April-June) • Module 2: Engaging your World for God (July-September) • Module 3: Making Eternal Impact (Oct-December)

TRAINING DURATION The Programme will be delivered within a period of nine months. (April - January). Instructions will be delivered through the online platform and classroom sessions every quarter where facilitators will interact, counsel and pray along with learners.

Apply at www.worldagentsofchange.org/training-academy

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• Module 4:Vision and Project Presentation (January)

But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right— the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

Matthew 6:33

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Amplified Bible (AMP)