Bimbola Missions' Outlook

His Bleeding Heart

2009-11-04T11:28:00.001-08:00

O God the maker of heavens and earth, I bow my knees in humble prayer. I thank you for all the good work you have done particularly for sending your Son Jesus to come and die for us sinner. I know Jesus has done all He could and instead of resting and relaxing in your bosom, we still trouble Him daily at your right hand. I sometime imagine whether He has enough time to rest considering that He is forever advocating on our behalf for failing you and refusing to allow the accuser to lay rightful charges at your feet against us.

I know His hands had stopped bleeding well over 2000years ago, but I cannot but notice the blood dripping from His heart. Dear God please forgive the world, the sinners, and the wicked that make the heart of your only Son continue to bleed. This I pray in the mighty name of your bleeding Son.

Thus saith the Lord, the one who died but still bleed. ‘Dear son, I bleed not for the sinners, wicked, or the world like you thought. I already bled once and for all; for them at Calvary. I came to the Throne to sit, but ever since Stephen saw me standing when He was being stoned I had not sat. I stand daily before the throne pleading not for the lost; but for the church.

My heart bleeds for those that are called by my name, but refused to follow my aim. The first love has become false love. Daily people throng my throne blindly in search of reward and blessing. There is much scrambling and stampede at the throne for the crumbs; while I look for those that will command the respect of the angels. Real blessings are sent to those who deserve it, not those that scrambled.
I left my throne just to go down to earth to bless Abraham. I could not wait for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to get into the fire before I showed up. I did not allow them to come to scramble at the throne. Daniel needed not worry about the lion; I kept his company throughout the night. Even when he waited on me, Gabriel had to go quickly to deliver the answer. All these experienced my blessing because they gave all to me. They commanded the respect of holy angels and were thorns to the devils. What has my church given to me? Heaven would stand for those that stand for me. The whole of the universe respond to those that respond to me.

My heart bleeds because my gospel has been turned into gossip, my truth into a myth, and the story of the cross, a bed time story- to make someone fall into a deep sleep. The cross has become the dross, and the power of salvation; a damnation. My heart continues to bleed not for the lost souls. My heart bleeds for those who I have left to deliver the lost. Instead of pursuing the lost souls, they are busy pursuing denomination and numbers. Salvation has become a fad, not a life changing rebirth. Everyone talks the talk, but I look for those that will walk the talk.
My church has become leisure, a panacea for Sunday boredom. The church I left behind was an agent of change. A people too strong to be defeated. A selfless group of individuals with corporate identity. I left a church united in purpose, calling and pursuit. It was a church that was not congregational minded but result oriented. When they were forbidden to gather, they gathered in search of the forsaken. A resilient group of people who easily fitted into whatever mould required to get the job done. They were everything to everyone. This is the church that would make the change. Will you stop the bleed?’

Why does Africa remain broken? | Everyday Christian

2009-11-04T10:55:00.003-08:00

Why does Africa remain broken? | Everyday Christian

Posted using ShareThis

Why does Africa remain broken? | Everyday Christian

2009-11-04T10:55:00.001-08:00

Why does Africa remain broken? | Everyday Christian

Posted using ShareThis

HIGH CHALLENGE HIGH SUPPORT- concluding part

2009-10-23T03:57:00.000-07:00

Talking specifically about mission; this is a division in the Christ’s army that suffers greatly. The generals in this division also make the matter worse because of the beliefs held. Gosh! This is the division that sends out soldiers to war front, equipped only with ‘faith.’ I have heard it time without numbers that mission is by faith; and I begin to ask, which walk in the Body of Christ is to be by sight. Mission agencies send out their missionaries to mission fields with nothing. The missionaries are told or rather indoctrinated that you go live by faith. The agencies emphasize that Jesus sent out the disciples, asking them not to take purse or a change of raiment along; and to stay in the house wherever they are welcome and eat from there; Luke 9:1-5, 10:4.
This is share irresponsibility and abuse in our age. While the missionaries are on the field at the mercies of those they are trying to reach; the mission agencies directors are busy flying the globe in search of funds for the agencies, attending international conferences at the expense of the agency, and believing God for the needs of the agencies. This needs do not however include the needs of those on the field. Church this is evil. We seem to forget the context in which Christ sent out his disciples in that manner. We also fail to understand that the culture, practices, and customs of Jesus’ day are not what are obtained in our world today. Nobody wants to welcome any stranger in the name of the Lord anymore. It is open secret that we trade with the name of the Lord nowadays, and nobody wants to find out if the missionary has actually come in the name of the Lord or for the sake of their purse.
We also fail to realize that when Jesus was about to die and He gave instructions and directions about how the disciples were to approach mission in Luke 22:35-36; He charged them not just to go with purse (money) and scrip (the word), but also sword (ability to defend oneself, not just the spiritual sword which is the word). These were men who were operating among their own in their own nation. What would you say of the missionaries that have gone to strange people in strange lands?
I have met a number of missionaries from renowned mission agencies only to be shocked to learn they were asked to go live by faith. Let us quit this evil. Why subject missionaries to high level on indecent and beggarly lifestyle all in the name of ministry. Why make the salt of the earth detested. I have been practically involved in missions and still am; I must confess that mission is not to be ventured into unless you are ready to give it all. This however do not excuse the injustice the Nation (body) of Christ subjects her army.
If any group of people needs high support, it is these missionary soldiers. Besides financial needs, they are daily bombarded with emotional needs. Think about it for a moment. Many missionaries have fallen on the field, and were forced to compromise. When a missionary falls, the civilians are quick to criticize and pull out the scriptures to finally nail these missionaries. Am I excusing fall, sins, or errors? Absolutely not, I am simply saying when a missionary falls, we all fall. And we all are partly responsible. A missionary that finds himself at the mercy of those he reaches is likely to be compelled to do certain things he would not have done ordinarily. King David declared that there is a higher possibility for a man to put his hand into iniquity when bombarded on all sides by situation that threatens life. (Psalms 125:3). A missionary who has no other place to lay his head would probably accept the offer of a room like Elijah did when he lived with the widow of Zarephath, or Elisha with the Shunnamite. But this missionary may not be firebrand like these fire prophets.
Let us face it; missionaries are the soldiers in the body that suffer the most. Unlike in the days of Paul when he had to work in order not to be a burden to those he was ministering to. I guess the legal system in his days was quite different. I for example work in a field where the law system and missionary status forbids you to engage in a job. What do you do with no support? The options are; you will manipulate, beg, become a burden, compromise, or quit. The bold ones are taking the last option; quit. If everyone were to quit what would happen?
I have visited churches that give high challenge to believers to go into the field of life. We are told the harvest is ripe but the labourers are few. Yet these churches expect the labourers to go without support. Many even ask field evangelists to go to field with minimal support; that God will meet them along the way. I detest all these spiritual jargons. Jesus Christ (God) asked His disciples to go with what is needed-Luke 22:35-36; He could also have promised to send money to them. Why did He ask them to wait for the empowering of the Spirit and not promise them the Spirit while at the work? You equip before you commission; period! Do we then wonder why the field evangelists have little result, compromise and later withdraw or withdrawn for non-performance. High result is a product of full motivation; which is high challenge, high support. Missionaries spend more time praying and sourcing for fund than doing the work. They are so exposed and often vulnerable.
A final word for those active in the field. Don’t give up, as long as you know that faithful is he who has called. Yes you may not have all it takes but if you will persevere and trust Him alone He will make a way. Never despair if your efforts do not produce result, many have not even attempted anything in life. Be strong and know that life is a journey not an event; but a series of events.
For those that even had to quit the field; to you I say well done. You may not have succeeded in your own assessment but God judges differently. Sometimes He allows situations and events to guide, direct and lead. Your time on that field might have expired without your realizing. We sometimes become more zealous than God about His work, but He his All seeing. Apostle Paul was zealous for the nation of Israel and would even stake his salvation for them, but God allowed him to be beaten (so bad), arrested, sent to Rome, imprisoned and eventually killed. If he had taken it negatively, you and I would not have the two-third of the New Testament. So do not moan, you have played your part. Just ask Him what next
This piece does not however suggest that we should abandon the field. It is designed to jerk the body of Christ out of sleep, to help the missionaries look unto God and not the church, and to help everyone assess the possibility of good performance. Don’t forget the law cannot be broken:

HIGH CHALLENGE HIGH SUPPORT

2009-10-10T02:04:00.000-07:00

High Challenge Low Support

= FRUSTRATION

Low Challenge High Support

= WASTE

Low Challenge Low Support

= MEDIOCRITY

High Challenge High Support

= HIGH PERFORMANCE

In life we daily experience one or all the 4 quadrants above. To a great extent human performance is based on motivation. But motivation must take into consideration real facts not just baseless excitement, or positive talk (as we call in nowadays).
High performers are those with high level of challenge with the corresponding high support. In life great achievement requires great level of support and motivation. The strength of the motivation, which is the combination of the challenge and support give the man the drive to perform or quit.

An excellent army is a highly motivated one. It is a sacrifice in the first place to belong to the army; it is more than just a profession. At the time of war when everyone is busy talking and debating what should happen or not, everyone arguing about what the country’s stand should be; the soldiers (army) are busy at war, not debating in the comfort of their homes but fighting to defend the sovereignty of their country. They are busy fighting on behalf of others that could not go to war, fighting to defend, expand, or wade off every form of attack in order to protect everyone. A soldier dies in the battle not for himself but for his people; many that he had never met in his entire peaceful life.

The Body of Christ is a Sovereign entity. There are soldiers out on the field fighting it out to expand the kingdom, and defend the territories of God from the onslaught of the spirits of darkness. These are men and women who have abandoned the comfort of their homes for the good work the Lord has called them into. These are men and women who are out their slaving out for the whole Body, to keep the knowledge of God in the hearts of men. They are busy pursuing the will and program of God for entire mankind. These I hold in high esteem and honors, just like war veterans. Many of these are on the mission fields of the earth.
There is no soldier that goes at his own charge or expense. For every army to fully perform, they must be well equipped and funded. The nation does not consider it a favour equipping and funding the army. Nor do they consider that the soldiers are jobless and lazy people who lack the ability to be productive. They are noble and rare species.

Unfortunately however, it is not so for the army of Christ. These are the least equipped or funded army I have ever seen. The nation-Body of Christ- considers her soldiers, lazy and jobless set of creations. They are considered parasites and undue burden. It is so sad that this army has to fend for herself, source for her fund (in the name of tent making), and still subjected to undue criticism and despair by the ‘civilians.’ A nation that fails to separate or budget for Military votes may wake up suddenly in slavery; because the army would become less attractive to belong, and the few remaining would resign or retire.

We are gradually approaching that in the nation called the Body of Christ. It is daily becoming less attractive to belong to the real army. Cadets and paramilitary groups like Boys’ Scouts, Girl Guides equivalent, are more attractive. They play wars while the real soldiers fight wars. Thank God for a few Generals who are not in the battle fields but properly coordinating the affairs of those on the field. But a whole lot of the generals in the Body of Christ have become obese, and need early retirement to pave way for those that are still trim and focused.

continuing..............

All things are pure

2009-10-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

You view your world from your inner make up.

To him that is pure all things are pure.

Do you often see others' shortcomings? It may be an indication that you are short inside.

Are you skeptical and cynical about everything you hear or told? You lack inner peace.

Are you judgmental and critical of others? It may be an indication that you lack inner sense of security; or desire to be the object, not just centre of focus.

You may also be seeking attention.

Take a moment to think about it; and you better don't criticize this.

It may be an indication that truth is bitter.

21st Century Mission- A Paradigm Shift.(-part 2)

2009-10-03T01:57:00.000-07:00

Every major breakthrough in life is a result of weeks, months, if not years of researches- ideas formation, studies, observations, experimentations, and verifications. I know this may be cumbersome, and look like complicating the gospel. The truth however is that it is only in the church that we do everything to understand our products, and little to understand our market. We try to push our beliefs and faith down the people’s throat without finding out their background, their need, orientation, mind frame, and the world they live in. Apostle Paul did not push the gospel to the Areopagites (Acts 17:18-34), but met them on intellectual and philosophical platform. Mission researches will always position and place us on the cutting edge, and make us solution providers. The whole essence of Christianity is to have direct positive impact on the day to day lives of the people not just to push a doctrine.

In the light of the socio-economic deterioration and challenges facing our continents and world, there is a need for the 21st century missionaries to be well equipped for these challenges so as to be able to provide practical ways to addressing them and make the gospel relevant for all times. We definitely need more than seminary or theological training in this age. Christ our model and mentor won the trust and the confidence of His days not by preaching to them, but by meeting them at their levels. He knew what good news was, and recognized that different news make good news to different individuals depending on their peculiar situations. To the 5000 in the dessert He fed with the lad’s meal; good news was the restaurant in the wilderness; no wonder they came looking for him the following day. He was not a preacher to the sick but a healer-that was good news. He gave Peter and his team the harvest of their lives after using their boat to preach. To them good news was that you don’t take advantage of others and leave them frustrated the more. They had a great catch after a frustrating venture only to abandon all the catch to follow Him. No wonder Peter later asked when others abandoned Him; “to whom shall we go…”

I am so sure that Mary Magdalene would have had no business asking the angel where he took her master had she not first encountered the one who could deliver her from the possession of demons. Neither those women mentioned in Luke chapter 8 would have abandoned their homes, husbands, and children to adopt a ‘help mission’ by following Christ everywhere He went; just to provide for His needs. He had previously preached good news not just sermon.

Which ever way we look at it; our world particularly Africa is ravaged by poverty, which has led to so many other vices we are battling today. From prostitution to HIV/AIDS, from drug and robbery to assassination, from broken homes to unprecedented immoralities; our world is being ravaged by utter poverty. All these no doubt call for paradigm shift in our mission preparation to get people on the side of God. 21st century missionaries need to be trained and re-trained in fields relevant to humanity. There is serious need for training in the areas of Financial Literacy and Management, Business/Entrepreneurial Skills and Principles, Psychology and Counseling; just to mention a few. May God help us as we prepare to effectively overcome these 21st century challenges and remain on the cutting edge of the gospel?

Way forward:

- Let us embrace, develop, and support this scientific approach to end time mission operations.

- Equip missionaries with leadership, business, and financial training as they venture into the mission fields.

- Sponsor, support, and engage the service of mission researchers whose roles are to discover and develop God inspired strategies and approach in aspired mission fields. This makes the job easier. Some are endowed with the abilities to spot and identify dominant challenges in different environment-it is a gift of the Spirit.

- Do you sense you have a knack for identifying problems, and God-given ability to come up with solution; enroll to be trained in mission research and strategy formulation(where available or develop that part of you)?

- Mission should have a long term approach not just quick result that only end up in shallow depth.

The church shall no doubt march forward as we embrace different gifts God has given to the church, and provide enabling environment irrespective of denomination or background; the glory goes to God at the end of the day.

21st Century Mission- A Paradigm Shift.

2009-09-28T01:55:00.000-07:00

There is a great move of God in this nation and we cannot deny that. God has used many in this nation to reach not just our Judea and Jerusalem, but also our Samaria. Nigerians are all over the world declaring the gospel of Christ and causing unprecedented revivals in many places. I know we are still a long way to go where perfecting holiness is concerned, but Nigeria is heaven when we beam light on many other places in Africa, and the world. This no doubt place a great responsibility on the entire church in this country.

One must really commend the efforts by many mission oriented churches and organizations in this regard. This write up is to draw our attention to the need for a re-appraisal of our methods and approach to end-time mission.

At the moment most of our mission efforts are concentrated to evangelical mission; with little emphasis on other aspects of mission, particularly teaching missionary. It is not uncommon nowadays to find the evangelical gospel preached where the gospel has already being grounded, contrary to Apostle Paul’s style of preaching Christ(evangelical preaching) where He had not been previously preached. As a result there is much scrambling, and seeming competition in our missionary approach.

There is a serious need to reappraise the effectiveness of our approach; which is the comparison of the output result and the resources input. How effective are our mission outreaches? Are there no scientific ways, by which we can measure our effectiveness, so as to be on the cutting edge and prepare the way for Christ’s second coming?

Critically, many of our mission work can be rightly called ‘church branching’ with the aim of extending our churches’ reach. It is not uncommon to see churches established outside the country by Nigerians as another Nigeria community in the mission fields. By this I mean we tactically 'Nigerianize' the people on the field to do things the way we do it in our churches or organizations back home without due recourse to their culture and peculiar circumstances. Most Nigerian churches outside are overseen by the Nigeria pastoral import without any serious attempt at training and developing indigenous pastors that could effectively reach out to their people. We spend much of our resources sending pastors and missionaries, out without equipping the people on the field to become missionaries in their own land.

Missionaries are sent out with the singular aim of getting people saved. This is highly laudable, and may many more be inspired to get into the field that is already white for harvest. But there is need to look critically at our methods of achieving this. 21st century mission need a serious reappraisal. I strongly believe that many of us believers are not current (up to date); we still live in the 19th or 20th century.
After salvation we are counseled to cut off from the world so as to grow and not be polluted from the things of the world. Unfortunately, we were not told that we would still have to deal with the world.
Most of us believers spend 99% of our lives and time with fellow believers or in church. Our lives revolve around church activities. Many that are even engaged in what is called secular world have no interaction with the people of that world besides inviting them for meetings and trying to force on them our new found faith. Thus we are practically cut off from the real events and happenings out there in the world we are commanded to reach. This readily explains how ineffective our outreaches had been. We do not understand the pain and the language of the world, how then can we communicate effectively or provide the solution to the problems? We often forget that Jesus Christ did not come to get people born again by just preaching the need for their salvation; He got people saved by being practically involved in their world and lives.

Think about it; He never preached to Zachaeus about salvation, only went to his house to rest and dine, yet Zachaeus gave his life. He never asked the woman found in adultery to get born again, but simply rescued her from those that were to kill her by stoning, and told her that He could not condemn her either. Our mission work is daily losing touch with reality, and there is a need for a re-examination and re-strategizing.

Many of our outreaches are losing touch with the 21st century challenges because we lack the basic understanding of the 21st century people. We must of a matter of urgency reorganize and start a re-training scheme that will make us relevant, otherwise the church will soon have a situation where 2 people get born again only to lose 5, that had been previously saved to the modern day challenges. If we are not careful we might be faced in Africa with the same fate that befell Europe. Who would have thought that there would be need to re-evangelize today’s Europe considering the fact that Christianity was supposed to have come from there? Most of the early missionary adventures of the Bible days covered what we today refer to as Europe.

Having this in the background, I clamor for a more scientific approach to mission work. There is a strong need for a review of our ‘missiology.’ I call for a re-vitalization of Mission Researches. This of course is not a new concept but one that need to receive new life. I believe it is time there is a major paradigm shift from the conventional-‘go get people born again and start a church’ approach to a more scientific Christian outreaches. There is a need to integrate and fully embrace mission researches into our mission adventures for greater relevance.

The challenges of this century is quite different from those passed. There has been major intellectual development world over, and at the moment the gospel is reaching across like never before via modern days tools-internet, media etc. The problem however is that most of us seem to be preaching to our own world, not the environment we live in. I believe every environment requires different and unique gospel that is relevant to the challenges in such environment. These challenges can only be identified only if we embark on intensive researches.

There are basic challenges facing the Africa states, and effective mission would try to identify those challenges and seek to address them practically; not just preach about them. The Bible talks of what Jesus began to do and teach. We teach prosperity but not do prosperity, we teach healing but not do healing, we teach the kingdom of God but cannot bring the kingdom into the practical day to day living of the people. There must be a turn around. There is a need for 21st century friendly delivery which can only come on the platform of researches.

Go Ye

2009-09-26T03:10:00.000-07:00

Jesus Christ, just before His ascension to glory gave the disciples an intriguing commandment-‘Go ye into the world and preach the gospel.’ Prompt after His ascension and the Pentecostal visitation of the Holy Ghost, they started going from place to place declaring the gospel of salvation. Great was their exploit that they soon became a threat to the system of the day and this led to serious persecution that left many wounded and dead. This persecution helped strengthened the body of believers then; who were later called Christians because they had only one occupation, and that was 'go ye.'
Throughout the book of Acts we see a moving church, a church that was totally committed to the injunction that we call Great Commission today. It was such a relevant church that changed the history and ways things were done. It was a church that went everywhere in search of such that should be saved. It was not a church that was burden with building cathedrals and massive structures compared to the church of today. They were content with preaching from house to house, and often landed in trouble whenever they tried to operate from the organized structure of the cathedrals of their day; the Synagogues. They were chased initially from the synagogue; they met at Solomon’s porch. Apostle Paul was doing great, preaching and teaching from house to house until he decided to go into the synagogue at Jerusalem; he was beaten, arrested, and sent to Rome as a prisoner.
Has the modern church not deviated from the injunction to ‘go ye’? Today’s church has changed this ‘go ye’ to ‘come ye.’ We emphasize our buildings, music, and preaching. Our church auditoria had become like the theaters where secular shows are held. Our churches have become merely entertainment houses where you go to get high and celebrate ‘holy celebs.’ Christians no longer go ye, but we stir so much noise and excitement in our churches- probably trying to re-enact the noise of the Day of Pentecost. The only difference however is that ours is noise stirred by man to draw attention to our preaching skills and anointing. The noise on the day of Pentecost drew men to salvation and repentance.
The louder the noise, the louder the presence of God in our services; so it seems. In the days of the Bible, whenever God showed up, there was absolute silence. Whenever the glory of God appeared, man fizzled out from the focus; in fact man could not stand to minister. Is our church any reflection of God’s presence or 'holified' secular shows?
This is not to condemn the church but to awake us to the extent of the degeneration the church as suffered because we have changed the emphasis. God’s emphasis is to go out into the world where the sinners, the hurting, the hopeless, and the dejected are, and bring them to a relationship with God, and then they would be qualified to join with us in our assembly. In the days of the Acts, sinners were afraid to join the body of believers. The opposite is what we have today. As a matter of fact, sinners are looking forward to our gatherings today because of the ‘high spirit.’
It is time we go ye. We are sent to the world not the church. The church is to prepare and release us into the world where the hurting are. We are sent into our communities to bring the love of God to them. We are to preach what constitute Good New to our world; depending on which world we live in. We are sent to build people not buildings and houses. If only 20% of what goes into cathedrals building and entertainment would go into reaching our world; then we can bring back our Master as quickly as possible.