THE FOREMOST ASSIGNMENT 1

"THEREFORE take heed to YOURSELVES and to ALL THE FLOCK, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to SHEPHERD THE CHURCH OF GOD which He purchased with His own blood."
Acts 20:28 (NKJV)

2 SHEPHERD THE FLOCK OF GOD which is among you, SERVING AS OVERSEERS, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
3 NOR AS BEING LORDS [masters] OVER THOSE ENTRUSTED TO YOU, but being EXAMPLES to the FLOCK."
1 Peter 5:2,3 (NKJV)

• The primary purpose or reason why whoever is called or assigned to lead is, that such may minister to, impact, the people he or she was assigned.

• If you are not ministering to the people, you are not leading.
• Ways of ministering:
  (i) You minister to the people given you by God through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God (Acts 20:26,27; 1 Timothy 4:12-16; 2 Timothy 4:2).
  (ii) You also do that by praying and fasting with them, for their needs to be met (Acts 14:23; 2 Corinthians 4:5-11; 6:4,5; 11:27,28).
  (iii) Ministration could also be done through counselings (Proverbs 11:14).
  (iv) You also have the responsibility to equip them, train them, for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12,13).

• Your foremost assignment as a leader is, to bless the people whom God has given to you.

• The work of a shepherd, or a pastor, is to tend, or look after, the flock; watch over the fold of God, through the teaching and preaching of the Word of God, prayer, visiting the sheep that may be in need, counseling, and many more.
• You cannot afford to play with the lives and destinies of the people trusted into your hand (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2,3).

• You are primarily called to minister spiritual substance to them.

• You are not called to boss them:
  "GOD has given you a group of believers to take care of them. DO NOT TRY TO RULE OVER THEM WITH POWER. INSTEAD, SHOW THEM HOW TO LIVE IN A GOOD WAY, SO THAT THEY CAN COPY YOU" (1 Peter 5:3 Easy English Bible).
  READ: Ezekiel 34:4
• In ministering spiritual substance to the people, you have to prepare, be intimate with God. Because by physical strength, no one shall prevail (1 Samuel 2:9).
• Staying long enough in the presence of God to receive what to give—what to bless the people with (Exodus 24:12,15-18).
• You can only give what you have (Acts 3:6), If you do not have the anointing, the power of God, with which to meet their needs, nothing significant would happen when you gather them for ministration (1 Corinthians 2:4; 4:20; 1 Thessalonians 1:5).
• It was noticed by the Jewish council that the reason why the apostles; Peter and John, were able to heal the lame man at the Beautiful gate was, they had been with Jesus Christ (Acts 4:13).
• Nothing will work in your leadership without a spiritual foundation. You have the responsibility to fast and pray, set apart the time to be with God long enough to receive what to bless the people with.
• Even Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry, needed to be with God often, in order to have results in His work—Ministry:
  15 HOWEVER, the report went around concerning Him [Jesus] all the more; and great multitudes came together to HEAR, and to be HEALED by Him of their INFIRMITIES. 16 SO HE [Jesus] HIMSELF OFTEN WITHDREW INTO THE WILDERNESS AND PRAYED" Luke 5:15,16 NKJV).
• The results Jesus had in verse 15 of the above Bible passage, was a result of what He usually did in verse 16.
• If you approached the work of ministry casually, you may not have any significant result.
• You will be able to do much If you can pay attention to the studying of the Word, fasting, praying, and staying long enough in communion or fellowship with God the Father (Acts 6:2,4; 2 Corinthians 11:27; 1 Timothy 4:16).

• The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, not of the flesh, but mighty through God (2 Corinthians 10:4).

• You cannot afford to approach the work of ministry carnally. In other words, the work cannot be done with the arm of flesh (1 Samuel 2:9; Psalm 44:3).
• The forces behind the problems of the people you are ministering to, are spirit beings, unseen powers of darkness, they are not humans, or physical beings (Ephesians 6:12).
• Thus, to undo their works in the lives of the people who come under your leadership, you have to be equipped spiritually as well.
• The devil is angry with whoever is raised by God to liberate those who are being oppressed by him—the devil.
• If you want to set the people free, you have to deal with the strong man behind that problems which the people are passing through:
  28 BUT if I [Jesus] cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 OR HOW CAN ONE ENTER A STRONG MAN'S HOUSE AND PLUNDER HIS GOODS, UNLESS HE FIRST BINDS THE STRONG MAN? And then HE WILL PLUNDER HIS HOUSE: (Matthew 12:28,29 NKJV).
• For you to plunder the devil's house, set the people under his bondage free, you have to deal with him first, that is, you have to bind or prevail over the demons assigned from the kingdom of darkness to oppress, afflict, the person or people you are ministering to.
• If you do not set apart the time to wait on God, stay with Him, to be equipped; your words would be empty when you are ministering to the people.
• The secret of fruitful results in the ministry work is, having the time to be with God—to receive spiritual substance with which to bless the people.
• Ministry work is not about running around, going from one place to another. It is not about needless visitations! It is about giving yourself to prayer and the Word:
  2 THEN the twelve [apostles] summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “IT IS NOT DESIRABLE THAT WE SHOULD LEAVE THE WORD OF GOD AND SERVE TABLES. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, WHOM we may APPOINT OVER this BUSINESS; 4 BUT WE will give OURSELVES CONTINUALLY TO PRAYER AND TO THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD” (Acts 6:2-4 NKJV).
• Let others take care of the business affairs of the church or ministry, and you, as the pastor or leader, give yourself to prayer and the Word, that you may be effective—make impact in the assignment.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• Should there be any ailment in your body, As you read this piece, I declare your healing now in Jesus' name.
• The Affliction will not rise again in Jesus' name.
  Peace!
  TO BE CONTINUED