Topic: Every Christian has a Role in Sharing the Gospel

Text: Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Acts 6:8 (NET).

There are many Churches in Nigeria today than any other time in History. Nigeria has the highest number of Christians in Africa and has one of the fastest growing Churches in the world today. Yet not all these Churches are focused on proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom. Mission today depends on people that have a passion to reach the unreached no matter their job, training or professional background. Whatever skills, gifts or talent God has given you he needs it for missions (1 Peter 4:10–11).

Our active involvement in Church activities, no matter how important, does not exempt us from proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. It is truly the responsibility of every Christian to spread the salvation message even if that is not their primary role in the church. It must not be left to the Pastors, Evangelists, Mission Board or the Evangelism Committee. In Acts Chapter 6:1-7, Stephen and Philip were chosen to serve food so that the Apostles could focus on ministry work and studying the word. Even though both were given a specific job in the church, they did not allow that to be all they did. Stephen performed signs and wonders. He even preached the message of Jesus all the way up until the moment of his death (Acts 7:54–59).

Phillip, like Stephen, preached to anyone he could meet. While his primary role in the church was to serve, he still went outside the church proclaiming the good news and making disciples in the city; Philip went down to the main city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them – Acts 8:5 (NET); He told them the Good News of the Scripture; So, Philip started speaking, and beginning with this scripture proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. Acts 8:35 (NET).

Philip and Stephen show us that no matter the role you play, you are required to spread the gospel. This is the Heartbeat of God, and it is what he wants His disciples (people) to do. Every Christian has the responsibility to share the gospel with as many people as possible. Missionaries cannot accomplish this on their own, it will require the involvement of every believer to complete the Great Commission. He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15 (NET).

Let’s take responsibility by starting to proclaim the good news of the gospel now. If we truly want to see more people reached with the Good News, everyone must be involved. We must all do our part to grow the Kingdom of God.

Let’s Pray that;

• Every Church in Nigeria will prioritize missions and deliberately equip Church workers on how to share the good news of the Gospel.
• Christians would have boldness and be living witnesses as they take responsibility to share the gospel.
• Doors will be opened as missionaries share the message of the Gospel with unbelievers and many will come to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
• God’s word will spread widely as Christians take steps to share the gospel in their neighbourhood.

 

Andrew Gwaivangmin

Executive Secretary, NEMA

Topic: Heart for the Harvest: “If I perish, I perish

Text: Esther 4:16

Martin Luther King Jr once said “if a man has not discovered something that he can die for, he is not fit to live” an African Proverb says exactly the same thing; “he who has nothing to die for, has nothing to live for”. I personally strongly believe that death is not the greatest loss in life, the greatest loss in life is the loss of purpose and passion to live. No life is created by God to live in a vacuum, for Adam he said “let us make man in our own image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth”. Genesis 1:26. In Genesis 2:18 the Lord said “it is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him an help meet for him”. Adam was made for God, Eve, the first woman was made for the Adam. What were you made for?

It is purpose that fuels passion; it became very easy for Queen Esther to say if I perish I perish because Mordecai showed her what was her purpose in that palace at such a time. The fear of death suddenly disappeared into thin air; purpose dominated the heart, so passion was born.  Paul came to a level where he could say “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain”. The most dangerous people on the earth are those who have nothing to lose in dying, they can do anything at any time to express their passion.

I read the story of the Empress of Ireland, a ship that sank on her way from Canada to London in 1914, it was reported that 170 of the 1400 passengers on board were Salvation Army youth leaders but none of them was among the 400 survivors even though their cabin was next to the life jacket storage facility. They all got the life jackets, but instead of saving themselves they swam around in the cold sea exchanging their lives with those of unbelievers who were drowning in the sea.

After the survivors were rescued, rescuers searched for the 170 Salvation Army youth leaders but they couldn’t see a single one of them, every one of them died. The rescuers were so puzzled so they decided to investigate to know what happened to these young leaders, so they held a survivors meeting. In the meeting, the survivors started sharing their stories, and the stories that came out were all the same, some were witnesses, some had personal experience, they all said the same thing, ‘a young man’, ‘a young lady’ swam up to me took off their life jackets and gave them to me and laid down their lives. And after they had no more life jackets, they knew they didn’t have much time, the water was too cold, but they swam around asking people, are you a Christian? And leading people to Christ, praying for people, until eventually every one of them died.

One of the survivors, who told his story, was this big, macho, strong, tattoo guy. While in the water, a 19-year-old girl swam up to him, took off her life jacket and gave to him, he took it and put it on, but after a while, he thought ‘I am a man, how can I take life jacket from a young girl?’ So he swam back after the girl and gave the girl back the life jacket. The girl asked him, ‘are you a Christian?’ he said ‘No, I am not ready to be a Christian’. He said the girl got upset with him, took off the life jacket and threw it back at him and said to him ‘I will die better than you, when I die, I will go to heaven, if you die you will not go to heaven, so you have got to live’. The man with tears on his eyes said, ‘that night I was saved twice, one from the sea and two from my sins’. He gave his life to Christ.

Prayer:

• Lord save the church in our generation especially in Nigeria from selfish and materialistic gospel. Restore to us the heart of the cross.
• Give us leaders and pastors, like Mordecai, who can instruct the body of Christ boldly and challenge us to lay down our lives for the sake of the kingdom.
• Ask the Lord to raise more Esthers, Nehemiahs and more of the tribes of the Salvation Army youth leaders of 1914 to take the gospel boldly to risky regions of our world with the power of the Holy Spirit. Give us the heart of Daniel, Shadrach, Mishak and Abednego to speak for Christ while facing the fire.

Pastor Victor Idakwoji

Director Mobilization and Networking, NEMA

Topic: The Church Exists for the Harvest

Text: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” Matthew 24:14.

The gospel of the Kingdom of God is a central message in the Bible. It is the Good News that God’s Kingdom is coming to earth, and that Jesus Christ will reign over all. The gospel of the Kingdom calls people to turn from their sins, trust in Jesus Christ, and begin a new life, symbolized by baptism. Matthew 24;14 emphasizes the importance of spreading the gospel of the Kingdom to all nations.

The Church’s mission, is thus, to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God and make disciples throughout the world, teaching them the things Jesus taught. This follows that the work of the Church continues in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, and it will not cease when the original disciples died. The scope was to cover the whole world and therefore the plan for kingdom expansion had that in mind.

The Church exists by mission. Missions these days do not have to cross the oceans or indeed be in foreign lands. It may be at a sub-urban area or the other end of the city. In all of these, we intend to reach those that are yet to hear about the gospel of salvation and may be resident next door or on the next street. The disciples started from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the rest of the world. They started from the known to the unknown. Let’s follow the same example. Start from your neighbourhood and trust the Lord to take you to the uttermost part of the world as the Lord increases your grace.

Replicating this process of reaching the lost as modelled by the early disciples must continue. God forbid that it should stop with us. For how can we possibly stand before Jesus on the final day with the testimony of having received blessing but having refused the responsibility of passing it on?

Furthermore, the Church must have a vigorous missionary sending program. The present generation of young people must know the history of how the gospel came to them – the price that was paid and the sacrifice made for our salvation. Our redemption was sealed with Christ’s death at Calvary and continued through the apostles and missionaries (Col 1:24) who remained as faithful witnesses of the finished work of Christ.

Finally, sharing the gospel with the lost is a task for all believers. Some of the simple ways we can use to sustain this process include:

1. a) pray for the lost and for the Holy Spirit to guide you. Pray for the hearts of the lost to be open to the gospel message;
2. b) be intentional about sharing the gospel with others. Look for opportunities to share the gospel with those around you;
3. c) don’t be afraid to share the gospel.
4. d) be bold in your sharing;
5. e) use creative ways to share the gospel. For example, you can use music, art, or drama to share the gospel message;
6. f) ensure that witnessing becomes a lifestyle;
7. g) sharing the gospel is a process. It may take time for the message to sink in and for people to respond;
8. h) act in love and be kind to those you are witnessing to. Love is a powerful force that can break down barriers and open hearts to the gospel message;

When you observe these simple tips, they will help you sustain your efforts and desire to reach the lost with the gospel. It must be noted that what God expects of us is to keep sharing the message of hope and salvation with those around you.

Prayer

Pray that:

• All believers will respond to the urgency of sharing the gospel with the lost.
• Our Churches will be burdened to reach the unreached in their neighbourhood.
• The Church will prioritize praying, supporting, giving and sending for the work of Missions.
• There will be collaboration and synergy between the Church and the missions movement.

Andrew Gwaivangmin

Executive Secretary, NEMA

Topic: Hearts and Hands for the Harvest

Text: Luke 5:6-7

Luke 5 opens with a beautiful narrative of how Jesus met his first set of disciples: Peter, Andrew, James and John, all fishermen at the Lake of Gennesaret. After using the boat belonging to Peter to preach to the crowd, Jesus instructed him to launch out his net into the deep water for a catch. Our text is the result of Peter’s obedience. What can we learn from this narrative?

Firstly, when our hearts are yielded to the instructions of the Lord, the outcome will defy human calculation. It was at the same lake that Peter told Jesus how that they have toiled all night and caught nothing. But once he laid aside his understanding and with a submissive heart took hold of the nets, a miraculous catch followed.

Secondly, when we yield our hearts to the instructions of the Lord, we will need more hands to help harvest the fruits of our willingness. God always gives us, His children, assignments that are bigger than our hearts, so that we may seek the collaboration of like minds to accomplish them. There is an urgent call for more hands to fill “both boats” with fish, that is, the souls of men and women who need to be brought out of the lake of fire into the land of the living. Jesus’ last command in the account says, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men” (Luke 5:10).

So many people who are supposed to have the life of Christ today are yet in the lake of confusion. For how long shall they remain in that state? So many are drawn and drowning in deep waters of sin; in the dungeon of darkness, without God and without hope. Do you not care?

The God who created men everywhere commands all to repent and be saved from eternal damnation. That is where the Father’s heart is…where the unsaved are…everywhere! If your heart has wandered away from the Father’s, then you are telling Him that you do not care about what He longs for, and desire – that none should experience eternal damnation; none should perish.

Dearly beloved, the work of ‘catching’ men and women for Christ requires human and divine partnership. God owns the ‘farm,’ yet is calling us into His harvest fields. “For we are God’s fellow workers…” (1 Corinthians 3:9).

Daniel Bulus

Dean of Academics, NEMI, Jos

Topic: Harvesting with Power: The Transformative Role of Prayer

Text: John 4:34         

In the bustling field of missions, where the labourers tirelessly toil for the spiritual harvest, the heartbeat of success echoes in the chambers of prayer. In John 4:34, Jesus declares, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work” As custodians of God’s mystery, understanding and constant application of the same cannot be overemphasized. Let’s consider a few issues in line with today’s topic.

1. Praying in alignment with God’s will (John 4: 34).

Jesus, our supreme example in missions, proclaimed that His sustenance was derived from doing the will of the Father.

Prayer becomes a powerful conduct when aligned with God’s purpose. Believers are called and commanded to seek the heart of God in prayer; aligning our petitions with His Divine will for the nations. As we draw near to Him daily in prayer, His desire becomes ours and our prayer gain the potency to shape the harvest for His glory.

2. Praying for open Doors and Divine Appointment (Colossians 4:2-3)

In the Scripture above, we are encouraged to pray for open doors for the message of Christ, in the vast fields of Nigeria, most especially in the Core North. We encounter diverse barriers and oppositions but we have also seen God mighty interventions as a result of prayer.

Prayer becomes the key to unlocking doors that seem impenetrable. Through prayer, God orchestrates divine appointment paving way for the gospel to be proclaimed effectively.

3. Praying for laborers and unity (Matthew 9:38)

Jesus instructs us to pray for laborers for the harvest. The mission field is vast, and the laborers are few. Prayer plays a vital role in raising and sustaining workers for the kingdom. Additionally, unity among the laborers is crucial for a harmonious and effective harvest through prayer. The Church can foster a spirit of collaboration, breaking down barriers and working together for bountiful harvest.

4. Praying for Spiritual Breakthroughs (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

The obstacles in the spiritual realm are fierce and prayer is our mighty weapon. The Bible talks about our warfare not being of the flesh but mighty through God. Then Church needs to engage in strategic prayer for spiritual breakthrough tearing down strongholds that hinder the reception of the Gospel.

Prayer:

• Ask God for open doors among the unreached.
• Ask God to lead us to individuals and communities prepared to receive the Gospel.
• Intercede for more laborers. Pray for unity among the existing laborers.
• Declare God’s victory over spiritual strongholds and barriers.

Evang. Samuel Yahaya,

General Coordinator, Global Glorious Missions, Kaduna

Topic: God’s Business: The Only Work for Man

Text: “And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” Luke 2:49 NKJV

 

These were Jesus’ first words in the Gospel according to Luke. At the age of twelve, Jesus was moved by divine compulsion to do the Father’s will, He had a commitment to His Father’s vision and His own mission. He was engrossed in it that He could sit three days in the temple with the leaders of the temple, listening and asking them questions. Questions that could help Him do His Father’s work, live for His Father’s glory and execute His Father’s purpose. We are here to do God’s will (Matt 6:33), and that His will is love to us and all; advancement of His kingdom (Dan 2:44), sanctification of His children through His Son, Jesus (2Pet 3:9); and ultimately worship from all peoples (1Cor 10:31, Rev 7:9).

For Jesus, He declared a necessity to be in the Father’s work- “I must be at my father’s business” Are we Christ-like? Would it not change our lives a little if we felt this must as Jesus felt it? We feel that we must be about the business of our family and career; but we too often regard our Father’s business as something for secondary attention, to be taken up or left according to convenience. There is too often no must in our case. We find it written about Christ that “He must need go through Samaria,” (John 4:4) and He Himself said, “I must preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 4:31); and again to Zaccheus, “I must abide in thy house” (Luke 19:5); and again, “I must work the works of Him that sent his.” (John 9:4) — indeed, He is about His Father’s business. Do you and I feel this Divine “must” as we ought? Is necessity this laid upon us? (1 Cor 9:16). Let us stop being Marthas, who are cumbered about much serving, rather than Marys, whose whole souls go out in love to the Master (Luke 10:41-42). Let us abide with our Father, knowing Him and loving Him more. Let us live for Him and be His true Ambassadors. Let us do away with all excuses and get involved in His mission. Let it be clear by our words and actions that we are “about our Father’s business.”

This same Jesus when He emerged from Nazareth, eighteen years later, the Father was able to say of Him, “Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). May the Father be able to say that about us!

Reflection:
-How do my daily actions reflect a commitment to the Father’s business?
-In what areas of my life can I prioritize God more intentionally?

Prayers:

• Heavenly Father, ignite within us a passion for Your business that surpasses worldly pursuits.
• Grant us the wisdom to discern Your will in the midst of life’s distractions.
• May our hearts be attuned to Your voice, and our actions be a testament to the love and grace You bestow upon us. Help us to share this with others.

 

Bolarinwa Oluwole

Ag. Director MELR, NEMA

Topic: Heart for the Harvest… Bringing Him Pleasure

Text: Jesus said, my food is to do the pleasure of him who sent me and to make his work complete (John 4:34, BBE)

We are celebrating the Month of Missions. It is easily predictable that each time mission is talked about, the focus is about the unreached, the unengaged, the lost, the unchurched etc. While there is nothing wrong with that, the primary goal of mission is to bring God pleasure among all peoples. We can do every form of activity such as outreaches, mission support, discipleship, training, church planting etc but as long as it does not bring God pleasure, we have missed the mark.

John Piper says, Mission exists because worship does not. That is simply amplifying what Jesus says, mission exists because God is yet to receive pleasure from all peoples. Worship brings God pleasure. As we mark this year’s month of missions, the pursuit should be about the Lord receiving maximum pleasure from our obedience to His eternal purpose.

 

Let’s take some time to reflect. What would you say is your passion and pursuit? No man was created to live for himself. If the life goal of Jesus, himself God, was to do the pleasure of him that sent him, then there is a whole lot to reconsider. Jesus wasn’t pursuing the “success” of his own ministry. He was not after what comes to him. His singular purpose is to do the pleasure of him that sent him. As long as God is satisfied, he is also satisfied. It was that commitment that took him to the cross. There is no ambiguity. God must receive the fullness of pleasure.

 

We must be driven by the same commitment and ambition. God must receive pleasure through us. It must become our food. In other words, it must be our passion. By the latter, it means something we do without needing any form of motivation. Many would not be involved in God’s work unless they are certain of what is there to benefit. Such can never bring Him pleasure.

 

Reflection:

Think about your relationship with the Lord, would you say you have a consistent commitment to bring Him pleasure?

Prayer:

• Ask the Lord to increase your passion to love Him and to bring Him pleasure.
• Ask the Lord to help you do away with other passions competing for His love in your heart.
• Receive grace to be consistent in pleasing Him.

Dr. Adeoluwa F. Olanrewaju

Director of Finance and Admin., NEMA

Topic: Hearts for the Harvest: Removing the Ashes, Rekindling the Fire in our Hearts

Text: John 4:34

Passion in the hearts of men is likened to burning fire. This fire is not burning materials but the impact of its presence or absence is seen by all. One of the visible aspects of Jesus’ ministry is His passion and burning desire to accomplish the Father’s business. As crucial as food is, its presence or absence did not deter Jesus. As weakening as fatigue is, this still did not reduce the passion of Jesus. The reason Satan sends the arrow of discouragement, lack and disappointments in the direction of a believer is to quench the fire of his passion for God. One passionate man will help advance the kingdom of God than one thousand passionless and fireless Christians.

In accomplishing the business of our Father as echoed by Jesus in John 4:34, one thing is needful. We must remove the ashes of the fire that burned in the past and seek to keep the fire burning. The presence of ashes limits the intensity of the fire. God’s command to the Levites in regards to sustaining the fire on the altar was to remove the ashes. See Leviticus 6:9-12.

Ashes represent past glory; the exploits of yesterday. But we cannot dwell on the past forever. It is time to take our journey forward (Deut. 1:6). If the task of completing the Father’s business must be fulfilled, we must appreciate the exploits of the past but allow them to be in the past so that we can move forward. Territories have been conquered, glory to God. Now, let’s move forward. The question should be, what next? A complacent church is a dangerous church. Such a church is an enemy of revival. Complacency kills the fire of revival.

It’s time to rekindle our fire for evangelism and missions. If we have truly maintained the fire we started with, we shouldn’t have been here. Let’s begin to burn, the way we were burning in the days of revival. It is time to go back to our first love (Rev. 2:4). It is time to rekindle the fire that discouragement and competition quenched. Remove the ashes of the former glory and rekindle the fire for the new glory.

Finishing the task demands facing your front. Every day we are tempted to look back in order to measure the miles we have covered. To continually look back and building monuments will hinder the completion of the task. See Philippians 3:13-14. Keep pressing until the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of our god.

Prayer:

• Appreciate God for the fire He ignited in you in the past and how that has yielded so much impact in the body of Christ.
• Make a commitment to leave the glory of the past behind and trust God for fresh fire.
• Remove the ashes that have beclouded your fire and has reduced its impact.
• Ask the Lord to rekindle the fire of evangelism and missions in your life.

Ezekiel Atuluku,

Lead Pastor, Portals Christian Centre, Abuja.

Topic: Heart for the Harvest: Passion for finishing

Text: John 4:34

The great commission is not an eternal enterprise, but it has eternal consequences; it is the result and impact of it that is eternal. Time itself is not an eternal creation of God. There was a time when there was no time, and there will still come a time when time shall be no more. The popular verse of scripture in Matthew 24:14, the Bible says “and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come”. Every messenger of God has a vital part to play in taking the witness of the gospel of Jesus unto all nations, finishing that task is very vital in fulfilling destiny.

In John 17:4, Jesus reported back to his father “I have glorified you on earth: I have finished the work which you gave me to do”. John 19:30 says, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost”. The one talking here is the Truth and the Life, he cannot lie, if he said he finished, then he finished. In John 20:21, he told us “as my father sent me, even so sent I you” if the father sent him to finish, then he hasn’t sent us to start and stop half way. We have a mandate to finish, don’t give an excuse that you did your best, if your best didn’t finish the job, then that best wasn’t good enough. One of the frightening statements of Apostle Paul for me in all of the Epistles is in 2Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith”. Three terrible things in righteousness, Paul, the Apostle confirmed, he did there:

1. He was not just fighting, but fighting a good fight, the right fight;
2. He finished His course, 100%, completed the task;
3. He kept the faith. Ah!, many have lost the faith in the course of the fight to finish. This, for me, is the summary of finishing and finishing well.

For the Nigerian Church today, the task of reaching the remaining 43 Unreached and least evangelized tribe stares us in the face. I read from the NBTT Nigeria- global alliance document, “There are about 700 languages spoken in Nigeria. 325 of these still do not have even a single verse of the bible translated. About 30% of them are becoming extinct, even though Nigeria was among the first countries in Africa to form a national Bible translation organization. So much is being done but we have not yet finished. The Joshua Project report indicates that there are 7,248 unreached people groups out of the 17,281 people groups in the world. Wycliffe Global Alliance reported in 2023 that only 3,658 out of the 7,394 languages spoken in the world has any portion of the Bible translated in their language, just 736 have the full bible. What exactly are you doing to finish the remaining task?

Prayer:

1. Lord help me to discover my assignment in bringing your glory to the hearts of men across the nations.
2. Burden the heart of your church, especially in Nigeria, with the finishing mentality. Create the hunger to pursue and the appetite to complete the task of reaching the unreached.
3. Grant us the wisdom and strategy to acquire speed and bind our hearts together in unity to maximize strength.

Pastor Victor Idakwoji

Director of Mobilization and Networking, NEMA

Topic: Be at our Father’s Business.

Text: John 4:34

Our theme for this month of mission emphasis is apt: “Heart for the harvest”. It is imperative for whoever would be successful in harvesting souls unto the kingdom to have a heart of the harvest. Harvesting begins with the heart of the harvester. Little wonder Jesus says in Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. The question is how do we treasure the harvest? Is the harvest of souls unto God’s kingdom our priority?

Beloved, the Great Commission is a commission to go and harvest the nations into the kingdom by preaching the gospel of salvation to the saving of souls. How have we obeyed the commission? It is a commission that demands our commitment and we cannot be committed to something that does not appeal to our heart. In John 4, Jesus was initially tired and hungry. However, everything suddenly changed when He had an encounter with the Samaritan woman. The question to ask is: What brought about the change? The heart of Jesus. What was his heart? To do the will of God and to completely finish his work- John 4: 34.

He treasured harvesting souls into God’s kingdom above his physical comfort. Suddenly tiredness and hunger vanished as He engaged Himself with the woman. Beloved people of God, the harvest is here with us. The nations are brought closer to us just as these Samaritans were to Jesus. Let us put away all constraints and get souls harvested into God’s kingdom. In Proverbs 10:5b the Scripture says “He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.” Jesus would have just gone to sleep because He was tired, exhausted and hungry. He rather chose to do the will of God by reaching out to the woman. We must not be sons who cause shame as we busy ourselves with other things at this time of harvest. Let us not go to sleep but rather be at our duty post harvesting souls into the kingdom.

May God help us to seize the moment and harvest souls into His kingdom. His grace shall be sufficient for us in Jesus’ name.

Rev Dr. Samson Oyeshola Oyekale
Zonal Chairman, NEMA Southwest and President, Missionary Purse Ministry Int’l.