When the world sees our prosperity and not our God then we have a problem. Furthermore when the world sees our poverty and not Our God then the problem is even more magnified. The reputation and success of the church should not be measured by the number of people that we have served food to, nor the number of the people that we have ministered to. The success of our ministry/ church should never be measured by the number of people that attend our services, meetings, conferences, entertainment functions and everything else that we do in the church.
But our success should always be measured by the number of people that have been empowered by our message. This is a kingdom message to make you a part of the commonwealth.
I encourage you to read Isaiah 61: 1 – 11 to see the true nature of kingdom success and empowerment.
I will just cite verse 4 here for your consideration
“And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.”
Who are these that shall rebuild?
- the poor
- the brokenhearted
- the captives
- those who are bound
- those who mourn in Zion
- those who will get beauty for ashes
- Those that have received the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness
Since a word is established in the mouths of two or three witnesses, consider the story of the mighty men of David.
1 Samuel 22: 1 – 2 (NKJV) “David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.”
Who came to David?
- Men that were in distress,
- men who were in debt,
- everyone that was discontented
Read 2 Samuel 23:8 – 39 to see who they became
- Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time.
- And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo,[c] the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated. He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.
- And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.
- Now Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of another three. He lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. Was he not the most honored of three? Therefore he became their captain.
These are just some of the names mentioned in the pericope as examples of kingdom empowerment and success.
That’s the Kingdom!!!
