The power of focus in the pursuit of purpose – Pastor Chris.

As part of Saturday morning’s teaching at the ongoing International Pastors and Partners Conference (IPPC), Pastor Chris spoke on the importance of focus in the pursuit of purpose. Focus, Pastor noted, is very important. Buttressing his point with a quick reference to the Bible, Pastor read from (Joshua 1:7 KJV) “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”

Focus he noted is required in achieving a desired goal. Don’t look this way and that way. That thou may prosper everywhere you go. Stay focused. Reading from Proverbs 4:23-27 (KJV) “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand or to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”

He also read from 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 (KJV) “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” According to Pastor, “nothing else but Jesus Christ and him crucified. Not politics or geography. You could be involved in many things; the church may not know where the church is going…. Don’t be the one breaking news… Be the one to break news from heaven. Worldliness… Being carried away with the affairs of men… How many of your followers know Jesus? Be careful, Pastor added.

Pastor read from Acts 20:20-24 KJV “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” I’m compelled in the spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what’s going to happen. There were prophetic words about what will happen to me. But none of these things move me…

If you do this, Pastor promised, “You may become poor; lose friends, this and that, etc… None of these things move me. Pastor recalls personal experiences about this of which he said he was unmoved and didn’t care. There’s a time for everything. God can show you things so that you can prepare for it. David said, do I pursue, shall I recover all, and the Lord said pursue and recover all and he did.

Have you gone to a crusade where you were beaten and pounded?, he asked. Pastor told the story of what happened to him at a crusade… They went to a forest where there was a juju shrine… The met the juju worshippers dancing and doing their things and waiting for Pastor and his people… There was a first encounter…Sometimes, you’ve got to go through some things and be tough and fearless. None of these things move me.

“But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”

Acts 26:16-20 KJV

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Matthew 6:22-23 KJV

“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14 KJV.

Focus. I press towards the mark.

“Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”

Philippians 3:15 KJV

The power of communication in pursuit of purpose

“Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”

Exodus 4:12 KJV

We don’t just talk…

“And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.” (Luke 12:11-12 KJV).

Don’t worry what to say…“Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.”(Luke 21:14-15 KJV)

Do you believe Him? Can you see that your adversaries are defeated already.

“And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.”(Habakkuk 2:2 KJV).

Communicate clearly what we want to do. It’s got to be clear like when we wanted to distribute 1 billion Rhapsody of Realities around the world. I think about Jesus and how when he spoke, the common people heard Him loudly. He communicated effectively and everyone understood Him. It’s not about how erudite you are. If you say you taught and the people didn’t learn, you didn’t teach. The vision has to be clear.

Do whatever else you should. Imagine you pledged to give $10,000 and waited to have it all. What if it didn’t come the way you wanted? What you do is that whatever comes to you, you start giving and that seed will start multiplying to you and taking you towards your pledge. God knows your heart… If it doesn’t come big and once, be strategic and give and you will be amazed…Read Habakkuk 2:2 in the living bible…. Write it on billboards such that anyone that reads it will rush and tell it…

Pastor communicates clearly because through the spirit, he realised the importance of clear communication. He prayed to God about it. He kept praying about it until he came to know that the spirit of God had done it. It’s got to be supernatural. It’s not about being good at it. Learn by the spirit that it’s God that can do this.

#IPPC2018

#IPPC Daily