TRUTH magazine Zm by Truth Magazine

16 PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH UNITY

T.R.U.T.H By BISHOP JOE IMAKANDO

JULY 2019

DIVINEPRODUCTIVITY

FARMING TODAY The state of the economy, the rainfall patterns and any other reasons should not at any cost pause the operations of farming lest we all die of hunger.

LEADERSHIP

TRAPPED WITHIN EVERY FOLLOWER IS A LEADER

PASTOR

BENJAMIN MWAPE / Father, believer in Christ; a Communication Specialist by profession; and a person who is passionate about inspiring and empowering people to live fulfilled lives.

CONTENTS/

JULY 2019

If you buy the ceiling and floor you love, regardless of era or price, your home will be a true reflection of you.

4 THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD WHATEVER INNER JAIL THE ENEMY HAS LOCKED YOU IN, THANKSGIVING WILL BREAK IT IN JESUS’ NAME. by PASTOR MERCY BAMBE

5 AWAKEN THE AWAKENED MEANS TO BE AWARE, YOU TO BE AWARE OF GOD’S PRESENCE. by PASTOR JOEL KASOKA

8 WORSHIP SUNDAY GOD HAS EXPRESSED AND REVEALED HOW HE WANTS US TO WORSHIP HIM. BY DR. JACKSON OKUKU

10 MEN IN PRAYER PRAYER DOES NOT ONLY MEAN ASKING GOD FOR THINGS. IT ALSO MEANS THANKING GOD FOR THINGS. by REVEREND BAMBE

20 THE INTEGRITY OF GOD’S WORD FOR YOUR DIVINE PRODUCTIVITY by REVEREND BAMBE

COMMITED TO PRODUCTIVITYT

NARRATOR Chanda Nchimunya Mulaya kumbwani Mambo

P .11

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lukundo Simbeye Genious E Chabinga

PHOTOGRAPHER Ernest Mundia Mukasa Chitesha

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Samuel Mwangala

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THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

by PASTOR MERCY BAMBE

TEXT: JOEL 2:25

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust,

the other locusts and the locust swarm — my great army that I sent among you.-NIV

GOD WILL REPAY YOU rothers and sisters, all of you in here in one way or another, can testify that at some point in our lives we have faced trials. All of us in this place are agreeing with me, that in one way or another, you have been through painful experiences. The verse that we have read tells us that God will repay you, he will restore everything that the locusts have eaten in your life. I want to give you this exhortation, this encouragement that God is faithful. Everything that you lost, God is promising that he will repay you. When he repays you, he pays double. That is the Go we serve. Locusts in this text represent the pain that we go through, the trials that we go through, the hard circumstances that we find ourselves in. The Bible tells us that we serve a faithful God – the one that is able to replace, the one that is able to restore your life to where you are supposed to be.

4 STEPS TO TAKE IN TIMES OF PAINFUL EXPERIENCES DEVELOP THE ATTITUDE OF THANKSGIVING You need to develop the attitude of thanksgiving when you find yourself in such situations. The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 that, ‘In all things give thanks to the Lord for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.’ When everything that can go wrong has gone wrong in your life that is the right time to give thanks to the Lord. Everything that has caused pain in your life, the Lord is able to restore. To develop an attitude begins with an effort. To develop means to grow something – it does not come automatically. You have to work at it. It is only God that is the same yesterday, today and forever. He has designed us to change from one degree of glory to another. As you develop that attitude of thanksgiving, God begins to help you overcome those situations. An attitude is just an opinion that you tell yourself to move and do something. Whenever trails come your way, begin to thank God. Whether good or bad

4 / DIVINEPRODUCTIVITY

things happen, thank God for who he is. He gives us grace to overcome. The Bible tells us many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them from them all. When you begin to thank God, when you begin to appreciate who God is, he works out your situation. Develop the attitude to thank God!

MAKE THANKSGIVING YOUR LIFESTYLE It is one thing to develop an attitude, it is another to have it become your lifestyle. A lifestyle is something that you have done repeatedly. When you make thanksgiving your lifestyle, you glorify the name of the Lord because that is the will of the Lord for you in Christ Jesus. We are reminded of the story in Acts 16:22-26. Where we see the life of Paul and Silas. Whatever inner jail the enemy has locked you in, thanksgiving will break it in Jesus’ name. These people were doing the right things. In fact, they glorified God with the work they were doing – they just delivered a young girl from evil spirits and they were preaching the Gospel. They were

JULY 2019

doing the right things and yet they had to face that calamity. Because you are a child of God, trails will come your way but we thank God that he is our overcomer. We thank God that he is so faithful to save us from all those trails. The Bible tells us that not only were Paul and Silas beaten, but their hands and feet were chained and they went through all that trouble for God. As a child of God, you are carrying destiny, you are carrying your potential. You are carrying greatness and the enemy has seen that greatness in your life and he is after you. You are going through what you are going through because you have a purpose and because what you will do in this life will change the world. The size of the trials you are going through determines what is ahead of you. So, do not be discouraged child of God. Instead of Paul and Silas complaining and cursing themselves, they decided to worship the Lord. They decided to give thanks to the Lord. There is power in thanksgiving. And so, they begun to praise the Lord – and actually, they were singing a hymn. It does not matter the situation, it does not matter the song that God gives upon your heart. When you begin to thank God, he can use that song. Thanksgiving is your choice. The Bible says ‘in all circumstances’ because not good things will come your way every time. Get ready for attacks from the enemy. I want you to know child of God that many trails will come your way

but be encouraged – God is on your side. The Bible says, if God is for us, who can be against us? He is looking for somebody who can say, ‘my redeemer lives and because my redeemer lives, I can face tomorrow.’ What situation are you going through? Jesus, God and the entire heaven is on your side. Thanksgiving is very important!

BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL SEE YOU THROUGH when you are going through a painful experience. Let us look at the life of Job in Job 1:20. Let us read and see what response Job gave when he lost everything he had. The Bible tells us how Job lost his property, he lost his family and everything in one day, in 24 hours. Job lost everything that he had and yet within 24 hours, he falls to the ground and worships his creator. Job went on to say, ‘I came with nothing on this earth and I will leave with nothing.’ As blessing come our way, know that it is a privilege. We are labouring so much this year of productivity and God is blessing the works of our hands. Believe that God will see you through. Believe that he will

carry you through under the shadow of his wing, he will protect you. He is looking for somebody who will say he might endure for the night but joy comes in the morning. Job worshipped the Lord, he believed that the Lord would see him through even when everyone came out of his life. I want you to know that God will never leave you nor forsake you. Whatever you are going through remember to believe that God will see you through. To believe is to be sure that God exists. To believe is to understand that the same God who is alive is effective. He is a God who hears, he is a God who will wipe your tears away one day. He is a God who is able to supply all that you need. The word of God actually tells us that my God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory. He is a faithful God!

POSITION YOURSELF FOR RESTORATION As you go through painful experiences, position yourself for restoration because the Bible has promised. God himself has promised us that ‘I will repay all.’ God loves you. Position yourself for this restoration because God has promised through his word. What is your duty then? Your duty is simply to accept the promise and to thank the Lord for this promise. How do you position yourself ? The first thing that you need is to stand on his word. Even when you are praying, stand on Gods promises. What has God spoken in that situation? 1 Thessalonians says in ‘all’ circumstances, the Bible does not say in ‘some’ circumstances or when things are okay give thanks – it says in all circumstances. Whatever situation you are going through, do not be scared to go through it. Face the circumstance as Daniel did in the den on lions. God is able to make a miracle for you. We serve a faithful God. Believe the word of God whilst you are in the situation. You are carrying something and the enemy is after you but even as he comes, the spirit of the Lord will raise a standard for you. We are carrying the God of all creations and if God be for us, who can be against us? I want to encourage you, in that situation, do not run - go through it. There are things that God is teaching you in there. Stan on the word of God whilst you are in that situation, believe what the word of God says. Claim and speak, ‘Father, your word tells me…and so I begin to walk in my destiny.’ Position yourself for restoration. The world may forsake you, but he will never forsake you. Your family may run away from you but he is a great family. He is a God of restoration. It is one thing to just stand on the word of God but you have to apply it. The Bible tells us that you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. So apply the truth you know to your situation and let God fight your battles. Stand on the word of God, claim the word of God and apply the word of God to your situation. How do you position yourself ? Take it to God in prayer. You have never found time to seek the word of God, you have never created time to say thank you God – how is he going to match his word? So stand in prayer, keep your situation in prayer. Sometimes we go through trials and we ran to our relatives for solutions but I want you to know that the first person you need to address is the Almighty God. He will give you the direction of where to go. If you go on your own, they will crush you but when God gives you the direction, you will find the solution. Ran to God and take time to pray. I do not know what you are going through child of God, I do not know what situation you are facing right now. Right in there, we will trust God, right in that situation we will believe God and we will come out with a smile because he is a living God!

AWAKEN! TEXT: ISAIAH 51:17, 52:2

by PASTOR JOEL KASOKA

“

we are designed to be remarkable and almot answer ordinary answers,that is why the bible tells us that we are called a perculiar people.

THE FRUSTRATION OF BEING UNAWAKENED. You might be at a place when you are indecisive. It is possible to have to have an intrusion and never experience it just like the place the disciples were at. it is possible to be in a place where things are happening , experiencing God but not happening in your life. it is possible to fuel someone’s life and yet there is no harvesting in your life. My prayer is for us to encounter our own fire and testify and not hear things from others. Jesus knew that he was leaving us and so he left us the holyspirit. Brethen be grateful that God is doing something good in other people’s lives but its not jealous to ask him yo do it in yours. THE DESTINY OF AWAKENED

o awaken is made alive , to be activated meaning the potential was already there but its been brought back to life. The inability to see something doesnt mean something doesnt exist.The reason you are not seeing manisfestation doesn’t mean there is nothing. the fact that you have not experienced something powerful doesnt mean no body is experiencing it. You might have set goals in your life to do something and yet you have not avhieved anything means you need an awakening in your life.

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when there is an awakening there are specific things God will ask. In Genesis God is not theory and he doest want you to see on behalf but to see with our own eyes that is why we are called witnesses because witnesses see things on their own. secondly, there can never be serious growth unless there is an awakening. Thirdly , we are designed to be remarkable and almot answer ordinary answers,that is why the bible tells us that we are called a perculiar people. The bible further tells us that he knows the stars by name in there numerous and billions countless state that is being remarkable. AWAKENING. It is possible to be called an intercerssor and fail to pray. The awakened means to be aware, you to be aware of God’s presence. Awakening triggers awareness. Awareness triggers speed, it is mearnt to make you faster. You would be aware if a lion wakes in church you would be fast to walk out. When you are aware your productivity becomes faster. The devil advantage over you becomes reversed . PRAYER POINTS. YOU ARE NOT AWAKENED BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT IN LOVE WITH GOD. THE REASON WHY YOU CAN’T PRAY IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT BE AWAKENED BY LOVE. 1. LORD, AWAKEN ME. 2.MY FATHER AWAKEN ME TO YOUR REALITY . 3.LORD I HAVE READ AND HEARD ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, LORD LET ME ENCOUNTER YOU FOR MYSELF BEYOND WHAT I HAVE HEARD AND READ.

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FARMING TODAY

rom the time that the “Zambia’s economic diversification to agriculture” popped into government’s mouth, we have all been waiting to see it come into effect. Many policies have been drafted which lie in wait for execution and one that is commendable from the list is, the conservation farming unit. But what does that mean to a regular farmer? The state of the economy, the rainfall patterns and any other reasons should not at any cost pause the operations of farming lest we all die of hunger. And so, we will look at how best we can further farming amidst these problems. We will first talk about irrigation, specifically drip irrigation and conservation farming.

with a bucket, hosepipe, sprinklers, center pivots or drip. Our choice is drip irrigation which has more benefits compared to the rest. Drip irrigation as the name states, is the method of irrigating crops through drops of water on a specific point of choice.

IRRIGATION Irrigation in simplicity is the artificial watering of crops, be it

SUITED CROPS Drip irrigation is suitable for a wide range of crops except a few

Benefits • It is efficiency ranges between 90 – 100; • It is easy to operate; • Installation is cost effective; • Minimal labor is required; • It is applicable to a wide range of crops; and • It saves water. With the few highlighted benefits, it is of great certainty that we affirm that drip irrigation ensures crop production all year round at a very minimal cost.

like rice and wheat which require water logging. SUITED FIELD SPACE Drip irrigation is applicable to any reasonable space, even to your backyard garden (using a water tap). All you need is a good design from trained experts such as ‘Highmark Agri Cooperation’ for that technical magic. However, the success of a farming project takes a lot of planning and that is what most of us farmers are missing. Most of us place a lot of importance on the traditional way of farming. This has over time slowed our development in technological farming. The success of farming in relation with technologies like the aforementioned irrigation does not just depend with the installation, it has to be married with farming knowledge. You have to marry the crop planted with the season.

CROPS FOR THE WINTER Crops suited for winter such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, leeks and parsnips which are hardy vegetables, will stand through the winter. Leafy crops such as chard, parsley and rocket should also stand through the winter with a little protection. Other crops such as carrots, onions, turnips and winter squash can also be grown to enjoy in winter if stored correctly. CROPS FOR THE WARM SEASON Warm-season veggies require both warm soil and high temperatures (with a little cooling at night) to grow steadily and produce crops. They include traditional summer crops such as snap beans, corn, cucumber, melons, peppers, tomatoes, and squash. “Winter” squashes such as acorn, Hubbard, and banana are actually warm season crops. The name does not refer to the

“We maintain high values as being of paramount importance to achieve our mission.”

HIGHMARK AGRICUTURAL CONSULTANCY LTD will make your life easy by providing satisfying services at affordable competitive prices second to none.

- Agricultural Extension services/ Demonstrations - Design and installations of

irrigation system. - Supply of Vegetable, Tree seedlings and crop production consultancy

- Farm security - Design and Construction of farm structures. - Borehole pumps Solar Pumps

FUTURE OF IRRIGATION

planting season, but to the fact that the crops can be stored for winter consumption. For almost all of these vegetables, the fruit (rather than the roots or leaves), is the edible part. Warm season crops are killed by winter frosts, so do not plant them until after the last frost in spring unless you give them some protection from the cold. Warm-season crops include: beans, celery (cold climates), corn, cucumbers, edamame, eggplant, muskmelons, okra, peppers, pumpkins, squash, sweet potato (needs long, hot, frost-free season), tomatillo, tomato, watermelon, zucchini, herbs (annual) and many others. You must also ensure that the crop is suited with the type of irrigation installed. For instance, crops suited for drip irrigation are grapes; bananas; pomegranate; citrus; mango; custard apple; sapota; guava; pineapple; coconut; cashew nut; papaya; aonla; litchi; watermelon; muskmelon and others. Vegetables suited for drip irrigation include tomato; chilies; capsicum; cabbage; cauliflower; onion; okra; Brinjal; bitter gourd; ridge gourd; cucumber; peas; spinach; pumpkin and others. Cash crops suited for drip irrigation consist of sugarcane, cotton, areca nut, strawberries and others. Flowers suited for drip irrigation are roses; carnation; gerbera; anthurium; orchids; jasmine; dahlia; marigold and others. For plantation, tea; rubber; coffee; coconut; and others are suited for drip irrigation. Spices suited for drip irrigation include turmeric, cloves, mint and others. For oil and seeds, sunflower, oil

palm, and groundnuts are suited for drip irrigation. Further, you should ensure that the right crop management practices are carried out. These include: • Correct intra and inter row spacing; • The water requirement must be met; • The field must be prepped to fairly fine tilth; • The field must be kept weed free; • Crop rotation; • Relying more on organic manure in place of fertilizer; and • Practicing conservation agriculture. WHAT IS A HIGH VALUE CROP? Since we are developing farmers, we cannot run away from the fact that we need to generate money off every farming project we put across, hence the advice that we shift to high value crops. A high value crop refers to non-staple agricultural crops such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, ornamentals and spices or a crop that generates more revenue than a conventional grain crop such as maize. Now, just because we have mentioned vegetables that does not mean that we should plant every vegetable from the list of vegetables. Vegetables such as rape, Chinese cabbage, bondwe, katapa, kalembula and others do not make it on the list of high value crops. A few of them include lettuce, cornflower, peppers (red and yellow), broccoli and sweet corn. For more information on crop production consultancy, irrigation installation and supply, kindly contact HIGHMARK.AGRI LTD.

uring the twentieth century, the amount of irrigated land in the world doubled. An estimated 18 percent of the worlds cropland is now irrigated. This expansion has occurred mainly in Asia, Africa, and South America. Even desert ecosystems like those in Jordan use irrigation. Jordan uses a variety of irrigation tech-

Canals were poorly built, and much of the water went to waste. Before large-scale agriculture was introduced in the 1940s, the Aral Sea had an area of 68,000 square kilometers (26,255 square miles). Today, the Aral Sea is three separate lakes, with a combined area of fewer than 17,000 square kilometers (3,861 square miles). The Aral Sea ecosystem has

niques with groundwater from wells and aquifers. To help meet the worlds demand for food, more farmland and more irrigation may be needed. Many experts fear that the expanding use of irrigation in some areas will deplete aquifers, reducing the amount of freshwater available for drinking and hygiene. The Aral Sea, in Central Asia, has been almost completely emptied by irrigation.

been nearly eliminated. The areas once-thriving fishery has been destroyed. Huge fishing vessels now sit abandoned in the middle of the salty desert. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are working with environmental organizations to preserve what is left of the Aral Sea while still allowing farmers to irrigate their crops. Kazakhstan, for example, built a dam to retain water in the North Aral Sea, one of three lakes now in the area. Fish are slowly returning. Improved irrigation canals from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya also reduce the amount of water lost to agriculture.

In 1918, the Soviet government decided that the two rivers that fed the Aral Sea, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, would be diverted to irrigate crops of cotton, melons, and citrus in the deserts of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. 7

DIVINEPRODUCTIVITY

JULY 2019

WORSHIP SUNDAY

WORSHIPING GOD IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH

by DR. JACKSON OKUKU

TEXT: GENESIS 17:6

e were created to worship. God made us for his pleasure. He created us to bring him worship. The word worship is broader than just the songs we sing. However, because this is worship Sunday, I am going to use the word worship in the context of using songs to express worship or honour to him. That is something we do in the choir or at home individually. We do it, and God is praised and God is honoured and God is appreciated. . We were created to worship. God made us for his pleasure. He created us to bring him worship. The word worship is broader than just the songs we sing. However, because this is worship Sunday, I am going to use the word worship in the context of using songs to express worship or honour to him. That is something we do in the choir or at home individually. We do it, and God is praised and God is honoured and God is appreciated.

GOD’S GUIDANCE ON WORSHIP The word of God tells us in John 4.24, “God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” In other words, God provides guidance on how he should be worshipped. In the Old Testament, under the tabernacle worship, he promised specific guidance on how worship should be conducted. There was the outer court, the inner court and the holy of holies. There were certain rituals that were expected in the outer court, in the inner court, and in the holy of holies. Under the Old Testament, God did not leave his people in the dark regarding how he wanted worship to be. In the New Testament as well, it is the same – we are not left in the dark. If God provides guidance that he wants us to worship him in spirit and in truth,

what does that mean? The Bible tells us in Acts 16.16-23, giving the account of Paul and Silas who were imprisoned, their hands were in chains and their feet in stocks, how they prayed and they sung praises and in the process there was an earthquake. The foundation of the prison shook and the stocks and chains fell off and the prison doors opened. That was an amazing experience. How we wish that would continue happening today. When we praise and worship him and we exalt him, how we wish and desire that the foundations of our prisons will be shaking, and the doors will be open so that we can be set free. But in today’s churches, you see people going to church with the same problems they had and they leave church with the same problems they had because most of the times worship and praise is not done in the context of truth. It is not done following God’s guidance.

So what does it mean to worship God in spirit and in truth? The word truth in the Greek represents reality. It talks about reality in the context of God’s word, reality in the context of God’s revelation. And so when the Bible says we should worship God in spirit and in truth, truth refers to worshipping God in the reality of how he has revealed himself in the word, and not based on culture or based on the philosophies that men advocate for in institutions of academia. It says we worship God in the reality of his revealed word. In other words, God has expressed and revealed how he wants us to worship him. We should worship him that way if we want results.

MIRACLES, SIGNS AND WONDERS

In Mark 16.20, the word of God says, ‘and they went everywhere and preached the gospel, the Lord walking with them and confirming the word with signs and wonders.’ Signs follow the word. When you conduct worship, according to God’s revealed word, signs will follow. The word of God tells us in Acts 2.22 that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was a man approved of God by miracles, signs and wonders. When God shows his approval on your conduct of worship, miracles, signs and wonders will follow. But when these things do not follow, we need to go back to the round table and examine how we are doing it. Good is not always accurate. Follow Gods word. One area we need to pay attention to is the way Paul and Silas did it. The Bible tells us that they prayed and sung. Do you pray or just sing? A ministry that is devoid or deficient in the area of prayer can never have impact because the enemies we deal with and the challenges we have a primarily spiritual. Right now in here, not everybody is like you – some people are sitting here with a different mission. When you go before Gods presence, you are leading worship, you are leading the congregation in worship and you have not prayed, you cannot have impact because it is power that makes change happen. When you pray and the team is committed to praying, you see signs and wonders and things happening in the congregation. That is true at the individual level as it is at a corporate level. Prayer always produces a change.

SELECTION OF SONGS

Colossians 3.16 says ‘let the word of God dwell in you richly; teaching one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing to the Lord.’ It is not your song that produces effects, it is God’s blessings on your song. The song is just a tool. If God does not honour the song, he will not use it. Psalms 32.7 says, ‘thou will surround me with songs of deliverance.’ There are songs of deliverance and there are songs of bondage. Pick songs that are in line with the word of God because God wants to be worshipped in truth. At an individual level, you cannot be out there singing circular songs and then you come to church and expect that automatically you will flow in worship. If there is anything that hinders people so much, it is circular music because they do not know the music is spiritual. The music you listen to creates an atmosphere around you and determines what you attract. If you play and listen to circular music, circular spirits – the spirits that revolve around those artistes will also minister to you. But if you listen to Godly music at an individual level, you create an atmosphere around you. The Bible tells us in 1 Samuel how Saul was troubled by a spirit of depression and David who

DIVINEPRODUCTIVITY

JULY 2019

was anointed to sing would be called to play a harp, and whenever he played the harp, the spirit would leave Saul just because of music. Even in your own life, if you listen to Godly anointed music, that act alone can set you free. God wants us to worship him according to his word. Follow the word in selecting songs. Be prayerful at individual level.

SPIRIT

Spirit refers to the fact that God wants heart to heart communication, not head to heart. God wants spirit to spirit communication because he is spirit. He is not flesh and blood, he is not your mind – he is spirit and he wants spirit to spirit communication. When you worship him, he wants to see worship flowing from your heart and not from your head. God wants you to sing from your heart. When you say, ‘Lord, I love you’ - it should be meaningful. He is not foolish, he sees you; he knows you, he knows when you mean it and when you don’t. Sometimes, we just joke, we just perform. But God is a mighty one and he sees you. He knows when you mean it and that is why sometimes your worship does not amount to anything because it is not from your heart.

SING WITH YOUR HEART

God wants us to worship him in reality and when we sing these songs, do not just sing with your head, that is the problem. Sing with your heart! And you are asking right now, ‘how do I sing with my heart?’ Sometimes when you start worshiping, it doesn’t always flow. You are still flesh and blood; you are a spirit with a soul who lives in a body. What you do is based on what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5.7. It says, we walk by faith and not by our senses. And so, when a song is being sung, you do not follow your feelings – your feelings may not be there but you start in faith and you sing the song and focus. That is why sometimes it is important to close your eyes or do whatever can help you concentrate so that you add consciousness and meaning to the song. When you sing a song, in the beginning, the feeling may not be there but you put in effort because you know this is real; God is great, God is faithful. And you start singing, you start praising him irrespective of what your feelings say. As you continue to do that, before you know what is happening, you begin to see the flames. Before you know what is happening, your posture changes – you probably feel

Zed merch There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

like kneeling down. Remember the tabernacle worship in the Old Testament had three sections, so you begin from the outer court. The outer court is that place where it feels like there is no flame. It feels like your heart is not in it; it’s like the sense and that feeling that comes with worship is not there yet. And so, you just start with the outer court and you do it with your conscious, with your head and with your mind and then gradually, before you know what is happening, you move into the inner court. You continue to fan it, you continue to use the song and after a while you find that you are set ablaze and you are deep, and tears flow and all kinds of things begin to flow. So if you want to be deep right from the beginning, you will never worship God. You do not worship God only when you feel like and you do not only worship him when the feeling is there. You worship him with deliberation and with purposefulness and as you do so, you begin to transit from the outer court to the holy of holies where you

begin to feel those things. Do not be too conscious of people around you, God is bigger than you anyway.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO THE SONGS?

Have you seen a dog with a bone? There is a very deep lesson on individual and corporate worship that we can learn from it. When a dog gets a bone it never feeds on it in public. It will pick the bone and run to find somewhere quiet and lay with it, lick it, scrape the flesh off and toy with it. That is what you should do with the songs. If you want to romance God, if you want that heart to heart communication, you have got to know how to use the words – that is where the worship is; that is the level of adoration. The words are an opportunity for you to worship. They are tools for you to use to worship God. It is okay to kneel down if your heart prompts you to; it is okay to follow your heart; it is okay to shed some tears when you think about the love of God – just be human. God is so good.

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DIVINEPRODUCTIVITY

JULY 2019

MEN IN PRAYER

by REVEREND BAMBE

TEXT: 1 TIMOTHY 2 VS 1-8 Let us jump to verse 8. “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”

hen you consider the letter to Timothy whether it is 1 or 2 Timothy, we are told that there is a specific outline that is given out there. Reading through those two letters, you will discover that they talk about the care and organisation of the flock of God. Paul talks about how men ought to behave in the household of God. He goes further to give us instructions as to how Gods house should be administered and what kind of people the leaders and pastors of the church should be, and above all, how to deal with threats that endanger the purity of the Christian faith. when you read 1 and 2 Timothy, there is a specific aim which Paul had when he was writing it. In 1 Timothy

MEN SHOULD PRAY Paul begins by talking about four different words concerning prayer. He talks about supplications, he talks about prayers, he talks about intercessions, and he talks about giving of thanks (1 Timothy 2:1). Let me just ran through those four things before I dwell on verse 8. Each has something to tell us about the way of prayer. SUPPLICATIONS The first word is where he says, “I exhort therefore that ‘supplications” The fundamental idea behind that word is a sense of need. Prayer begins with a sense of need – a conviction that we cannot deal with life all by ourselves. It doesn’t matter who you are, at one point or another, you will desire the need for some help from above. That sense of human weakness is the basis of our approach to God. The challenge with many of us men is that even when we know we are in need, the shame of coming out in the open kills us. If men are going to pray, the first thing they have to acknowledge is their sense of need. The second word he uses is ‘prayers’. One man of God said a request may be addressed either to man or to God but prayer is never used of anything else apart from God himself. This means there

Chapter 3:14 and 15, the Apostle Paul writes to him and tells him, “This is the reason I am writing to you...” And he tells him, Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I 14

are certain needs which only God can satisfy and many are the times we have gone opening up to every Jim and Jack before talking to God. Before you show your wounds talk to God because only God knows the depth of your pain. INTERCESSIONS Thirdly, he uses the word ‘intercessions’ In this case, Paul is trying to tell us that with intercession, we can enter into the presence of God and submit out petitions to him. And God can never tell us that time is up, it is only man who will tell you, “please wind up your story.” But with God, the way to him is open and we have the right to bring our petitions to him. GIVING OF THANKS Prayer does not only mean asking God for things. It also means thanking God for things. So many of our prayers are just an exercise in complaints. We have the right to bring our needs to God but we also have the duty of bringing our thanksgiving to him. You may not have what you have been desiring. Thanksgiving is not just about the material things that you have but even the very breath you have is necessary. (Read Psalms 150 where it says, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Do you have breath in your nostrils? – Give

DIVINEPRODUCTIVITY

am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. -NIV

JULY 2019

Paul is telling Timothy to live in quietness - to live in all godliness

thanks. MEN SHOULD PRAY WITH LIFTED HANDS It is very difficult to convince men to come to church. But even when you manage to convince them to come to church, it is difficult to convince them to lift their hands. One of the things I was asking myself is why we have difficulties to lift our hands to God as men. The Bible promises us that God will bless the works of our hands. I have discovered that we do a lot with our hands as men. We do evil with our hands and such practices make our hands heavy and guilty with sin. (read Isaiah in Chapter 1:15 - 17)

There is no reality in prayer, someone said, of a man who goes out to soil his hands with forbidden things. Such a man is no different than a man who makes his prayers just a formality to ease his conscious. He who prays must stretch forth holy hands. When we pray with our hands lifted up there is a victory that is given because it’s like you are literally surrendering to God. You are telling him, “God have your own way

(read in Exodus Chapter 17:11 and downwards)

Our victory is determined by the hands lifted. You cannot allow yourself as a man with such heavy responsibility on you - your wife, your children, your company, your employ-

and honesty. It is something that is acceptable and good in the sight of God. To begin with, Paul tells us that the only way that we are going to achieve this is to pray – and men should pray!

ees, and you never lift your hands to the throne of God. Read Deuteronomy 25:17. MEN SHOULD PRAY WITHOUT ANGER 1 Timothy Chapter 2:8 says, therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger. If not controlled, anger has the power to fuel hatred and also stifle the expression of love. It can lead to bitterness, hatred, and emotions that can cause violent behaviour. If not managed properly, anger can lead you to do things that you will regret. If you do not manage it well, it can lead you to do bad things , it can produce ungodly motives; it makes you live a very isolated life from others; and in its strongest sense, anger can lead you to commit murder. But that’s not to say that anger in itself is bad but There is also a positive side of anger because the Scripture tells us in Ephesians 4:26 “be ye angry but sin not.”

Jesus himself shows us when he saw men dealing with the social aspects of life, no consideration for the people who were disadvantaged – anger crept in. it is anger that caused him to go and do the cleansing of the temple. But there is a story that blesses me so much, if you look at Mark Chapter 3:1-6. if anger is expressed correctly,

it can correct so many social ills and problems that surround us. Use it constructively and not destructively. MEN SHOULD PRAY WITHOUT DOUBT Doubt can hinder your prayer. He who prays must have no doubt in his mind. Before prayer is answered, there must be belief that God will answer. We must take our prayers to God in the complete confidence that he hears and he will also answer our prayers. (Read 1 John 5:14)

If we pray without any real belief or faith, there is no use, God will not hear us. (Read James 1:7 and 8.)

We must cast out any doubt. It is time to come to God in prayer because only he can satisfy our needs, give us the strength to face every challenge and direct us with a certainty that he alone can bestow in us. To do that, let us go to God, petition him, let us go to God and tell him we are men in need. Let us go to God and tell him “only you can hear our requests.” Let us go to God knowing that he will give us what we want all the time. And above all, giving thanks for all the answered prayers and the prayers that are yet to be answered. May the men rise and lift their hands without anger and worship God with no shadow of doubt.

COMMITED TO PRODUCTIVITY

by PST BENJAMIN MWAPE

TEXT: PROVERBS 22:29, 12:11

here are designed principles to get desired results. One of the principles life has for us is “man’s needs is productivity through work”. You can’t be productive through work. The fruits of productivity eminence through work, everyone has an assignment to be productive. Work is not limited to jobs and employment but it is beyond all this and there are all kinds of

philosophy s where people can definitions to work, but one think we must know is there is difference between work and labor. Work is tolling towards labor. Work is also your ordained means to your promotion to your level of results you produce. Work is your means to promotion. Be committed to productivity as the word says in proverbs 12:11, you need to pay attention to skill. Your promotion should not

What is that thing you have put your mind to? Secondly it is diligence, you are to be diligently to your skill how much are you investing to work towards your skill. A skill is given as a raw thing you must be process to an extent of quality. It is important to understand that you need to be committed to your skill through tithe in order to be diligently. There will come a time when the world will call for you. Work on your skill on a daily basis you perfect it and not because you are provoked by certain circumstances that come your way. in tennis you will hear about the two

come through your basis of work but also through skill. David was found worthy of his skillfulness. The world celebrates the people with skill. It is one thing to have skill and another to work it diligently. The bible says be fruitful and multiply it means through your gift and skill and have dominion is through your power and skill. May God help you to develop a skill for productivity?

and be used. God works with principles and if you are doing anything outside principle you will not achieve it. Declare this: I commit to developing to my skill for dominion and power. (Matthew 13:12) To him with much he will be given and to him with none much will be taken away. The more you apply your skill the

more your track record you built and the world will trust you for it. “Fantasies are a hope that you will be.” It is ok to have a fantasy but must graduate to work. MAY GOD GIVE YOU GRACE TO BE DILIGENT There are places your skill is need but you need to practice in order to be in that place.

sisters of webodom games because at the age of three the father wanted them to be tennis players and they began playing till the age of age 30. You need to practice your skill, the two have invested diligence in their skill and no one has displaced them yet. You must be committed to a particular skill in your life be consistent for you to dominant. The majority of your day must be to practice each and every day, you have a responsible to be diligently. It takes practice because God will not take you to your dream if you are not practicing. If your fruits are ripe you won’t need to tell anyone in order to be picked out

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enjamin Mwape is an optimistic person who is also is a believer in Christ; a Communication Specialist by profession; and a person who is passionate about inspiring and empowering people to live fulfilled lives. Most of his work is centered on human development and this includes

empowering people; helping them uncover their purpose; and helping them to unlock their potential to achieve their aspirations and dreams. Growing up, Benjamin hoped to become a lawyer for prestige and other wrong reasons but God took him in a different direction that uncovered his true purpose.

When you are committed to listening to the will of God you will find yourself progressively uncovering into purpose. Sometimes it is not a one-time thing but a whole process and as you submit to God in prayer and through reading his word, you will begin to discover who you really are in his image and that is what you become.

PAS Everything done must be built under purpose, once you have discovered your purpose in life and you have understood what your life mission statement must be everything you do in life else will be anchored on that and unlined to that particular. purpose

EXCLUSIVE BENJAMIN MWAPE

STOR As a Communication Specialist working In the development center, Benjamin worked for Ngoc and later went on to work for the United Nations and then the International Labour Organization where he was responsible for communications in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. Whilst at that level, he had a passion and desire to do much more than what he was doing. His growing desire to go out to support and empower people at a larger scale was perhaps the opportunity that was already available. The burning desire came with inspired dreams and eventually, he had to let go of his job and carry on with his passion as he took a broad step. One fundamental thing that drives him is purpose. Everything that is done must be built under purpose. Once you have discovered your purpose in life and you have understood what your life’s mission statement must be, everything you do will be aligned to that particular purpose. This means that the activities you do as an individual, the dreams you birth as well as the initiatives you establish will all be focused to that purpose. The driving force is definitely purpose! And of course purpose inspired by God. Inspired dreams help professionals to be become high achievers in the world of work and business. There are a number of training human capacity development and empowerment activities; and different programs, tools and systems that are developed and designed to help people to be affiliated to what their dreams are and to support them to achieve those dreams. One of the components of inspired dreams is speech power. As Inspired Dreams, it is believed that one of the most vital qualities that people are missing currently is the ability to communicate effectively in the different opportunities they come across in life. The inability to communicate effectively hinders many people from attaining the many opportunities life throws at them. An excellent example is when a person is aspiring for a job he/she wants but they do not get that job simply because they

did not communicate effectively during the interview. Another instance is where someone has a great business idea cannot get funds or support because they do not have the right capacity to communicate in a compelling manner in order for them to get that opportunity. Speech power helps people overcome the challenges and limitations and enables them to go out there and communicate in an effective and highly impactful way that will increase their chances of accessing the opportunities in life. Inspired Dreams was established in 2015 and started operating fully in 2016. In the one year it is has been operational, there has been a high level of influence in as evidenced from the growing number of people recognizing and appreciating the services offered. Over the

few next years, it will become a community of practice where entrepreneurs and professionals can draw support and get capacity building. If you are ever in need of a human capital development agency that provides a holistic service to support professionals and entrepreneurs to become high performers in the world of work or business, then Inspired Dreams is your platform for support and growth. The community itself has become a network where people are beginning to exchange information, ideas and work opportunities. Benjamin is confident that Inspired Dreams is something birthed out of God - for everything God establishes, there is a process and a starting point. The Scripture says, “Though the beginning may be seemingly

small, your latter end shall greatly increase.” It is all about submitting to process and strategy to plan and build ourselves to grow in the directions we want to. Besides speech power, there are trainings, strategy planning, consultation, emotional intelligence training, interview preparation, and team building to help organizations become better and stronger teams and fulfil their visions and mandates. Inspired Dreams provide inspiration to the youth. When you look at people who inspire you, the best you can do is draw from them. The very fact that if it has happened for them means it can happen for you as well. The most important thing for young people is to be established in purpose. You can never be fully satisfied and fulfilled in life if you do not function well within your purpose. As long you do not find purpose, you will jump from one place to another but still feel empty, looking for something that can define you. That is usually the challenge most young people face. Currently, there are many young people that are self-centered in terms of ambition, it is about who they want to become for themselves, for instance, some want to be lawyers because it is prestigious or accountants because they will be get good pays or even marketers because it provides opportunities for career growth. If you define life without perspective, the point is missed. What life must be defined as for young people is why God has brought them here on earth what they are supposed to be in other people’s lives. People should look for opportunities to give and to be relevant more than to receive. It is more about giving and being available to add value to others and that is when our own purpose, impact and influence begins to unfold. Young people need to think big not just at individual level but for nations at large because God has created them for bigger things. They must be ambitious and must not limit what God can do in their lives and who they can become. Youths must dare themselves too and be courageous to go for the things.

PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH UNITY by BISHOP JOE IMAKANDO

TEXT: GENESIS 11:1-9

THE UNITY OF THE PEOPLE

n this passage we observe that they were united in two things: in language and in speech. What it means is that they understood each other, they were in agreement, and they spoke the same things. The Bible tells us in Acts 1 that the early church were in one accord, meaning they were in agreement, they sounded the same, and they consented. I want to challenge us as a church, that even as we grow, one thing we should never lose sight of is unity. And unity begins in our house groups. From our house groups, we bring the same

THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE PEOPLE

These people were united in language, in vision, and in purpose; and they agreed to build a city and a tower. They agreed to bake bricks. And when you look at this passage you notice that they were actually succeeding. They became very productive such that they were building this structure. And as they were building this structure, God took note. In verse 5, God came to see what they were building – meaning that God is interested in what we do, meaning that God is always watching what we do. So God was interested in what they were doing. One thing that amazes me about this passage is that they were doing all this without the help of God. Through the power of unity, they were able to build this city, of course they did not complete it. But they built the city. You will notice something interesting about this passage, and it is that man is creative. You can see how they were so creative to come up with a city and if you research you will find that what they built became one of the wonders of the world. Ecclesiastics 4.9-12. There are four things that come out of that passage. • Two are better than one The first is that, two can accomplish more, meaning that when you are united you can do more. That is why sometimes we need to think of partnerships in business, we need to think of joining hands together because when we do we will be able to do more. • Partners complement each other The second thing is that partners complement each other. When you are in partnership to will be able to complement each other’s gifts or talents. • Support and warmth The third aspect that we see from this passage is that partners supply support and warmth to each other. So where there is partnership there will be support. Where there is partnership, we are told that there is also warmth. So it is important for us to realise that when we unite we create a support system, and that support system will make us victorious. • Partners provide strength The fourth aspect that we see here about partnership is that partners give strength to each other. We are told that it is

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unity to church and when we are united, we will do great things because of unity. One of the things that destroys churches is disunity. Where there is no unity you find there is a problem. One of the sad things I have observed in my travels is that as Zambians, when we are living abroad, we are not united. As Zambians, we fight each other but when you look at the Ghanaians and Nigerians, you find they are together and because of that, they are able to do great things. We need to change that as Zambians. We need to bring change to that so that we too, can be united. I believe if we start from here we will be able to bring about that unity.

easier to defeat one person but it is difficult to deceive two people. So where there is that partnership, the two can provide strength to each other. We are told in the Bible, one will put a thousand to flight, and two will put ten thousand to flight. I have often wondered about that statement. The statement is simply saying that two are ten times better than one, showing us that two will achieve more than one person. When we unite we are able to achieve more through our partnerships. So, I want to submit to you, that for you to move to another level, you will need partnering with somebody. I want to submit to you, that maybe for us, as a church to do more, we need to unite more, then we will be able to achieve more. And I thank God that if it were not for the unity that we have enjoyed, we would not be where we are today but I believe we can do more. I believe there is more room for improvement. I believe for where God is taking us, we need greater unity.

PRODUCTIVITY MUST BE FOUNDED ON RIGHT MOTIVES

If you go back to the scripture in Genesis verse 4, you will see why they failed. There was nothing wrong with building a city, there was nothing wrong with building a tower but the problem was their motives. That was where the problem was. Two things stand out to expose their motives. This monument was for themselves; to give themselves identity and self-wealth. They wanted personal power and recognition. And secondly, their motives were out of selfishness, self-preservation, and they were opposing the purposes of God. God had told them to fill the earth, to multiply, but they did not want this, they were seeking their own purpose. How did God respond to all this? He came down and confused their language. In other words, God judged them. They were scattered, they were frustrated and the project came to an end. The problem was motives! If you are going to do great things for God, you need to check your motives. Most of the times what brings us down is not people, it is us. If the motives are wrong, you will not go very far. We must always check our motives. Is what we are building for ourselves? Is it for the glory of God? Is

JULY 2019

it to make a name or to outshine others? What is our motive? Because whatever is built on wrong motives, God will judge it, meaning that he will scatter it and it will remain as an unfinished monument, it will remain as a symbol. What are the right motives then? The Bible tells us that whatever we do, we must do to the glory of God. Whatever we do we must ask ourselves, ‘Is God in this thing that I am doing?, Is this about me or it is about God?’ that is why it is important that whatever we do we should glorify God. I believe that is why God demands of us to give him a tenth of our income. It is one way of us putting God first, making God number one in our lives. It is a principle of the first things. The apostle Paul encourages us, he says, “I am what I am by the grace of God.” And he said, “I have laboured by the grace of God.” Meaning that, as a person, whatever you are is by the grace of God; whatever you have achieved is by the grace of God; and whatever you will achieve is by the grace of God. Without the grace of God, you are nothing. There is nobody who is self-made. Somebody said that when you were born on this earth, somebody gave you a bath, and when you die, somebody will give you another bath. We are what we are by the grace of God and whatever we have achieved is by the grace of God. Think about it. It is all by his grace. The encouragement is that the same grace will keep sustaining you; the same grace will be with you. If you build on wrong motives, whatever you build will be scattered, it will come to nothing. But what you build with God will stand the test of time and God will be with you. If we are to achieve more, we need unity. If we are to do more and be more productive, we need unity. Unity is at various levels but I believe it will start with our house cells. If we can be united in our house cells, if we can be one in our house cells, then we will see what God will do for us. From the house cells that unity will now come into the church. There are a number of things that we need to look at if we are to be united: 1) In Ephesians, we are already told that in we are one body; that we are united. Meaning that we have one God - one Father; the Lord Jesus - one Saviour; and one Holy Spirit. So, we are already united. What we need is to guard that unity. We need to

guard jealously that unity. It is already there, we need to preserve it. 2) If we are to be united, we need to accept each other as Christ has accepted us. Every one of us is important and every one of us has a place so we need to accept one another. As people grow in the lord, they will change. We need acceptance. 3) We need to humble ourselves. Consider others as better than yourself. The Bible says pride goes before destruction. So what we need is to humble ourselves. 4) We need to walk in love. In 1 John, we are told that if you see a brother in need and you close your heart to that brother, how does the love of God abide in you? So we need to walk in love. Let us see the needs around us and be able to meet those needs. Let us love practically. 5) If we are to maintain unity, we need to learn to speak positively about the church, about the people, and about our leaders. There is no church that is perfect. Speak well of the members of the church. Let us go out there and learn the power of productivity through unity. He more united we are the more we will be able to see the church explode and that is how the early church exploded.

THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE PEOPLE

• SUPPORT AND WARMTH The third aspect that we see from this passage is that partners supply support and warmth to each other. So where there is partnership there will be support. Where there is partnership, we are told that there is also warmth. So it is important for us to realise that when we unite we create a support system, and that support system will make us victorious.

of the world. Ecclesiastics 4.9-12. There are four things that come out of that passage. • TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE The first is that, two can accomplish more, meaning that when you are united you can do more. That is why sometimes we need to think of partnerships in business, we need to think of joining hands together because when we do we will be able to do more. • PARTNERS COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER The second thing is that partners complement each other. When you are in partnership to will be able to complement each other’s gifts or talents.

• PARTNERS PROVIDE STRENGTH The fourth aspect that we see here about partnership is that partners give strength to each other. We are told that it is easier to defeat one person but it is difficult to deceive two people. So where there is that partnership, the two can provide strength to each other. We are told in the Bible, one will put a thousand to flight, and two will put ten thousand to flight. I have often wondered about that statement. The statement is simply saying that two are ten times better than one, showing us that two will achieve more than one person. When we unite we are able to achieve more through our partnerships. So, I want to submit to you, that for you to move to another level, you will need partnering with somebody. I want to submit to you, that maybe for us, as a church to do more, we need to unite more, then we will be able to achieve more. And I thank God that if it were not for the unity that we have enjoyed, we would not be where we are today but I believe we can do more. I believe there is more room for improvement. I believe for where God is taking us, we need greater unity.

PRODUCTIVITY MUST BE FOUNDED ON RIGHT MOTIVES

And secondly, their motives were out of selfishness, self-preservation, and they were opposing the purposes of God. God had told them to fill the earth, to multiply, but they did not want this, they were seeking their own purpose. How did God respond to all this? He came down and confused their language. In other words, God judged them. They were scattered, they were frustrated and the project came to an end. The problem was motives! If you are going to do great things for God, you need to check your motives. Most of the times what brings us down is not people, it is us. If the motives are wrong, you will not go very far. We must always check our motives. Is what we are building for ourselves? Is it for the glory of God? Is it to make a name or to outshine others? What is our motive? Because whatever is built on wrong motives, God will judge it, meaning that he will scatter it and it will remain as an unfinished monument, it will remain as a symbol.

What are the right motives then?

The Bible tells us that whatever we do, we must do to the glory of God. Whatever we do we must ask ourselves, ‘Is God in this thing that I am doing?, Is this about me or it is about God?’ that is why it is important that whatever we do we should glorify God. I believe that is why God demands of us to give him a tenth of our income. It is one way of us putting God first, making God number one in our lives. It is a principle of the first things. The apostle Paul encourages us, he says, “I am what I am by the grace of God.” And he said, “I have laboured by the grace of God.” Meaning that, as a person, whatever you are is by the grace of God; whatever you have achieved is by the grace of God; and whatever you will achieve is by the grace of God. Without the grace of God, you are nothing. There is nobody who is self-made. Somebody said that when you were born on this earth, somebody gave you a bath, and when you die, somebody will give you another bath. We are what we are by the grace of God and whatever we have achieved is by the grace of God. Think about it. It is all by his grace.

The encouragement is that the same grace will keep sustaining you; the same grace will be with you. If you build on wrong motives, whatever you build will be scattered, it will come to nothing. But what you build with God will stand the test of time and God will be with you. If we are to achieve more, we need unity. If we are to do more and be more productive, we need unity. Unity is at various levels but I believe it will start with our house cells. If we can be united in our house cells, if we can be one in our house cells, then we will see what God will do for us. From the house cells that unity will now come into the church. There are a number of things that we need to look at if we are to be united: 1) In Ephesians, we are already told that in we are one body; that we are united. Meaning that we have one God - one Father; the Lord Jesus - one Saviour; and one Holy Spirit. So, we are already united. What we need is to guard that unity. We need to guard jealously that unity. It is already there, we need to preserve it. 2) If we are to be united, we need to accept each other as Christ has accepted us. Every one of us is important and every one of us has a place so we need to accept one another. As people grow in the lord, they will change. We need acceptance. 3) We need to humble ourselves. Consider others as better than yourself. The Bible says pride goes before destruction. So what we need is to humble ourselves. 4) We need to walk in love. In 1 John, we are told that if you see a brother in need and you close your heart to that brother, how does the love of God abide in you? So we need to walk in love. Let us see the needs around us and be able to meet those needs. Let us love practically. 5) If we are to maintain unity, we need to learn to speak positively about the church, about the people, and about our leaders. There is no church that is perfect. Speak well of the members of the church. Let us go out there and learn the power of productivity through unity. He more united we are the more we will be able to see the church explode and that is how the early church exploded.

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LEADERSHIP TRAPPED WITHIN EVERY FOLLOWER IS A LEADER

‘’Myles Munroe’’

IF EVERY FOLLOWER IS A POTENTIAL LEADER THEN WHO IS GOING TO FOLLOW? That’s the question we may ask. The answer is the essence of what the original philosophy of leadership was intended to be. Leadership is inherent in the human spirit of every person or a built-in characteristic of everyone on this planet, but only a minute fraction of the population ever knows, discovers, believes, or attempts to develop or release this hidden leadership potential (Munroe Global). Discovering this potential and most important taping into this massive potential changed my life in ways I can’t explain on paper, I discovered leadership to be a hidden function of a human being that we must discover and channel it outward. Leadership starts when we understand and discover ourselves. This article has been dedicated to one of the greatest ever lived Dr. MYLES MUNROE KEYS TO BECOMING A LEADER Leadership is for everyone housewives, secretaries, pupils, students, teachers etc. and there are no exceptions, if you were created in the image of God then the function of Leadership was deposited in you and it’s your responsibility to discover and manifest it. You owe it to yourself and the world for you to lead. Society has a wrong definition of a leader that’s why if you see a leader you can’t know and we will be pointing at the wrong things as leadership, we don’t understand the blueprint of leadership and how a leader is supposed to look like. Things we point out as leadership that’s just professional manipulation. • Leadership is not about manipulation/control but its all about service, its about empowerment

and not power. We measure how powerful a leader is by checking how powerful their followers are. Show me your followers and I will show you how powerful you are. • Leadership is not about acquiring people but it’s about the pursue of purpose. As we pursue purpose, we will inspire people and they will follow. • Leadership is not about doing great things but it’s a process of becoming what we discover about ourselves and in this process, we do great things. TYPES OF LEADERSHIP THAT IS DESTROYING US 1. Politics without principles. Once every five years as a nation we exercise our right, to choose one individual to lead us for a period of five years, this is very important cause we are choosing an individual that will make decisions on behalf of the nation and determine the future of our country. Not having principles is the biggest defect in politics, we choose deal makers and not leaders, individuals who ae willing to compromise their personal principles to please those who follow them. 2. Pleasure without consciousness. 3. Wealth without work. People want wealth without working, in the original blueprint of the all human race, we see both the Almighty God and Adam working and clearly there is a difference between toiling and working. Let’s not take shortcuts but work and produce fruits as it was intended in Genesis (Blueprint). Taking wealth without work also leads to corruption. 4. Knowledge without character. The more intelligent people become the dangerous they become, sometimes we become too intelligent and we start misusing the knowledge that we acquired,

and we add more damage than value to our future. 5. Business without morality 6. Science without Humanity Its very good to have science advancement but when we advance and leave our humanity behind becomes a problem, for example the development of pills in France that can dissolve a foetus if you don’t want it. 7. Worship without sacrifice.

‘’If we pursue God without wiling to sacrifice our personal pleasure, it will destroy us’’ Mahatma Gandhi. POLITICIANS VS LEADERSHIP

We don’t need politicians in leadership but more leaders in politics, most politicians are just power-hungry individuals suffering from low esteem issues and what to compensate it through power. Our culture produces politicians and not leaders, leadership is supposed to be discovered, trained and grown. Leaders follow their personal convictions and not the popular opinion or interests. Below is a comparison between leaders and politicians.

1. Politicians are concerned about the next election while leaders are concerned about the next generation. Ask your local leaders what vision they have for your children and grandchildren, their answer will guide you if you can re-elect them the next term. 2. Politicians focus on programme and not vision. 3. Politicians are pre-occupied with promises and not purpose meaning that they always talk about promises and not purpose. Purpose is the foundation of true leadership. We need politicians who think of the history, the present and how it affects our future, we need politicians who will think of the inheritance and heritage of our future generation. Our future is in the decisions we are make today and as a nation we decide to vote for one person to be president and in the return that person makes decisions on behalf of the all nation.

by Lukundo Simbeye Reference: Munroe Global, 2017 publications.

DIVINEPRODUCTIVITY

JULY 2019

THE INTEGRITY OF GOD’S WORD FOR YOUR DIVINE PRODUCTIVITY by REVEREND BAMBE

TEXT: NUMBERS 23:19-20 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? 20 Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it. BROKEN PROMISES I love this scripture very much because we live in a world that is full of broken promises. There a broken promises of marriage proposals; broken promises of marriage vows; broken promises on education sponsorship; broken promises that people have made to look after the widows and the orphans after the demise of the breadwinner in their families - the unfortunate thing is that once the wealth and the property of the departed are used up, the widows and the orphans become excess baggage to be offloaded; broken promises of business partners in the running and sharing of profits. Everywhere you go, stories are bound of broken promises. Within families, in relationships, in companies, in churches, even among friends there are broken promises. The unfortunate thing is that even among nations there are broken promises. Men have spoken but they have failed to fulfil what they said. The unfortunate thing is that we have carried this kind of mentality toward God and every time we come to worship God, because of what men have done to us, even to God we think ‘if he wills’. But I have come to remind someone today that God is not a man. At the beginning of this year we were given a word to run with. It is a year of divine productivity. When you look at yourself and the things that you have done so far, there is nothing to show forth that there is some element of productivity. Productivity is all about efficiency and effectiveness. GOD’S WORD IS RELAIBLE The text we have read is an incidence that happened and proved that God’s word is reliable, God’s promises are faithful, and God is not a man. Balaam was hired to put a curse on the children of Israel and when he went ad inquired to God, God looked at Balaam and told him, ‘do not to go because these people are blessed and you cannot put a curse on them.’ But the interesting thing is that when the message was given to Balak and he was told, ‘this man you sent us to go and hire has refused to come’ – if you read the story from Chapter 22, you discover that Balak did not give up. He decided to change the game plan. The Bible tells us he sent more honourable

DIVINEPRODUCTIVITY

JULY 2019

It is a year of divine productivity, there must be efficiency in all that we do and there must be effectiveness and results will show forth. The Bible tells us, it is divine productivity, and the scripture underlying this theme for this year was given to a man who was very old – Abraham.

men to go and meet Balaam and tell him, ‘let nothing hinder you from coming to me. I am going to reward you handsomely.’ And it is from there that everything changed. But the beauty about God, is that when he says something, no situation, no offer, and no circumstances can change his mind set. It’s only you and me that commit ourselves to something and when circumstances change, even what we promised changes. The Bible tells us that when these men appeared to Balaam and told him about the message from Balak, even when God had already told him his mind set concerning Israel, because of that reward, Balaam thought of changing the mind of God. It was so sad and if you read the story, the Bible tells us that God tried by all means to let Balaam know that his word was unchanging. On three occasions, Balaam kept on trying to twist the mind of God. On one of the attempts, God even used a donkey to rebuke Balaam. Am animal speaking to a human being and a human being responds to an animal – that is madness! But if you read the story in Numbers 22, when the donkey opened his mouth and said to Balaam, ‘why are you beating me?’ Balaam also responded to the donkey and spoke to

“

When God speaks into your life, he speaks with purpose and he speaks with intent because there is something that he pleases to do with his word in your life.

it. We are meant to speak to God and to our fellow human beings. The Bible tells us, because of those unrighteous wages he was after, Balaam thought he could change the mind of God. Basically, this message is all about allowing you to reflect on the integrity of God’s word. God is honest concerning his word. Gods’ purposes are very clear and he does not change. GOD IS NOT A MAN The Bible tells us that God is not a man and he gives us the nature of man. The first nature of man is that man is a liar. Man is subject to lies. A lie is something that you deliberately tell someone and you know it is not true. Lies are so bad that human beings have even gone to an extent of developing equipment called lie detectors - a machine to check whether what you are saying is right or wrong. The unfortunate thing also is that many lives are even built on lies, companies and even churches are built on lies. If the word of God cannot substantiate it, whether it works, leave it. People tell lies for various reasons - when they are afraid, when they are put under pressure, or when they are in trouble, people tell lies. Lies are even propagated in families. Balaam struggled because he thought what God said was not true. But God reminded Balaam, ‘what I have said stands.’ The beauty about God’s word is that once it has been spoken, you can believe it and you can run with it. God is not afraid of anyone, nothing can make God afraid and you can literally trust that the word of God will work for you. Numbers 23.19 reveals to us that God is not subject to lies. You can trust God. Let

God be true and every man a liar. God will always watch over his word. When Jeremiah was being called into his prophetic mission, one of the things God spoke to him is that, ‘I am watching over my word and I will see to it that my word is fulfilled.’ Jeremiah 1.12. Even you can bank on God, that in this year of divine productivity, things may seem like they are not working, God will perform this word in your life. You may look at your friends and ask why it is not happening for you, trust God. God is not a liar. We can trust God and we can believe that no matter what happens this word will be fulfilled in our lives. God will always watch over his word. I like what Isaiah tells us in Chapter 55. He likens the word to rain and snow. He tells us that just as rain and snow come down from heaven, they do not return without watering the earth so that the earth can bring forth, so is my word. Isaiah 55. 11. I have come to encourage you child of God. God does not speak from without. It’s only men who are very careless with their words – they will speak, they will promise, they will say it and they will forget. When you try remind them about what they spoke to you and it is time to bring forth or live up to their word, all you get in turn are just insults and threats. God will perform his word upon your life. It will never return to him empty, it has to bring forth results. When God speaks into your life, he speaks with purpose and he speaks with intent because there is something that he pleases to do with his word in your life and that word has got a purpose to which he has directed it. So even when you come to the house of the Lord, believe that, ‘God speak into my life; let you word accomplish

that which you please into my life, direct it to a specific purpose in my situation. This word will prosper in the thing that God has assigned it for. You must believe that the word of God will work for you. It is a year of divine productivity, there must be efficiency in all that we do and there must be effectiveness and results will show forth. The Bible tells us, it is divine productivity, and the scripture underlying this theme for this year was given to a man who was very old – Abraham. The Bible tells us that his wife was passed the stage of child-bearing, but because the word was spoken. Hebrews Chapter 6 says, God did not have anyone greater than himself to swear by. He literally said, ‘Abraham, I swear by myself, I will bless you.’ I have come to tell you the greatness of God’s word in your life does not even depend on you. Paul discovered that and he said to Timothy that, ‘even when we remain faithless, he still remains faithful because he can never disown himself.’ Our God is faithful. His word will stand, so if there is anything that God has said in your life, believe it and trust God. MAN CHANGES HIS MIND There are many factors that contribute to the changing of our attitude. They will influence our behaviour and sometimes they can even make us act out of character. But that is not our God. If you read the story of Balaam, the Bible tells us in Chapter 22 that when God told him not to go because the Israelites were blessed people and he was not allowed to out a curse on them. The Bible tells us when the messengers were sent back to Balak, he chose some of the most dignified, distinguished ambassadors and they were many of them, and he sent them back. He gave them the message and said, please tell Balaam, “let nothing hinder you from coming to me, I am going to reward you handsomely.” The dignity of the people coming to you will change your whole status, and on top of that he is told, we are going to bless you handsomely and whatever you want, name your wages, we will pay. God is never affected by circumstances. Your dignity cannot even change his mind set toward you. Malachi 3.6, for I am the Lord, I change not. You and I fail to keep promises because we are subject to change. Our God is unchangeable. Our God makes promises which he alone can fulfil and he will make that promise good for you. Whatever promises of God have been said upon your life, bank on them. Trust God, men may change on you, they may even fail to fulfil their promises over your life, but God does not change. He told Abraham, I am going to bless you with the fruit of the womb, even if your wife Sarah is past the stage of child-bearing, she will still conceive. They struggled with that, and we all know the story. I am so encouraged to know that when God gives us the word it does not end with us that is why in this he is telling us it is divine productivity. I came to encourage someone on the integrity of God’s word for your divine productivity.

DIVINEPRODUCTIVITY

JULY 2019

THe word became flesh and dwelt among us, we have beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and TRUTH. John 1:14