There can never be exploit and effectiveness in ministry if the place of solitude is not given uttermost priority. What is the meaning of solitude? It is simply the state of being alone in isolation and seclusion. Now what you hear great men of God speak in the open is what has been spoken to them in secret, in the place of solitude. So from the things you say or speak, we will know how intimate you are with God and how often you go to seek God in your place of solitude. So What you speak about God is a reflection of how much you know God, and how much you will know God is determined by how much time you spend with God.

 

Apostle John the beloved, the one who rested his head at the bosom of Christ, was banished to the Island of Patmos. While he was there, he said "I was in the Spirit on the Lords day." And just like prophet Ezekiel in captivity, the heavens opened and he saw beyond the ordinary, just like Stephen being stoned and at the verge of death he saw an open heaven and the Lord standing. This shows that critical moments of our lives are not the time to sit back and relax. It is the time to be in the Spirit. It also shows that solitude is a place of connecting with God in truth and in Spirit. The Bible says John was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and he received powerful revelations of things that happened, and things that are yet to happen.

 

This shows that secrets are committed to spiritual men and woman of solitude.  Moses didn't encounter fire in Egypt, or in the town of Midian. It was at the back side of the wilderness on mount Horeb, a place of solitude. Apostle Paul said Galatians 1:14-17. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who came before me, but I went into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

 

There is so much hidden in this Scripture. When it pleased the Father to show the people another dimension of the workings of God in my life, apostle Paul said;  "I didn't confer with flesh and blood, I went into the wilderness", into a place of solitude. For John, it was the Island of Patmos. Even though it appeared to be that it was banishment and captivity, for John, it became an Island of Revelation. The Bible says after Jesus was baptized, He was led into the wilderness by the Spirit, He didn't confer with flesh and blood, He didn't confer even with John the Baptist who was already in ministry, He didn't confer with the religious leaders of His days, but He was led by the Spirit. How many of us in ministry today confer with flesh and blood, how many of us seek opinions of men, how many of us would rather depend on the Holy Spirit for direction than choose to consult Google or Christian literature, or even prophets for a word that concerns our destiny? By this many have been misled and are still walking on the error path of destiny.

 

Apostle Paul said "I went to be fed by the Spirit in the wilderness of Arabia." So who is feeding you? Bible says "Daniel  purposed not to eat of the kings delicacies." Every man you see is a product of what he feeds on. Elijah was fed by the Spirit and he went in the strength of that food forty days and night. Jesus knew very well the principle of spiritual feeding, that was why He said I am the bread of life. At a point in revelations He said "To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life." He told His disciples: "if you cannot eat of My flesh and drink My blood you have no part in me." Again He said "this is my body given up for you, this is my bloodshed for you."

 

This was the maker helping us to come into a feeding consciousness. Who do you feed on? If you have not put this into consideration before, then you better do. Apostle Paul said "I conferred not with flesh and blood." I choose to feed on Christ, and I allowed Christ to feed me. It is not all delicacies that that are meant for you, it is not all knowledge that you feed on, it is not every piece of information that you subscribe to. What comes out of you is to the degree of what you have taken in. What you feed on and who feeds you matter a lot in ministry. 

 

Luke 19:41-44 says; "Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, ⁴² saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, ⁴⁴ and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

 

There are few instances in the Scripture that Jesus wept - the death of Lazarus, when He was on the cross and in this Scripture we read above. There were two reasons why He wept, firstly the people didn't know the things that make for their peace, secondly they didn't know the time of their visitation. Does this not talk about blindness due to lack of discernment? Jesus was so pained because there was no one in the whole of this city that actually knows what is transpiring in the Spirit realm.

 

If Jesus could weep, because of lack of discernment, then it is as serious as a pain of a lost one or the pain on the cross. A man who is not discerning will continue to walk in error. A people, a nation, a ministry who knows not what she ought to do per time will walk in error. This was a generation that were given to religion and yet they didn't recognize the time of their visitation. Why is it so difficult for us this days to tarry in the place of solitude? Is it because we gave that time into what we call "hustle to make ends meet?"

 

For a long time the Messiah was prophesied to come. The reason why they memorized the law was because of this visitation. Yet, they could not see even though they were not blind physically. Does this not show us that visitations are not revealed to those who confer with flesh and blood? Discernment is not for sons, people, nations, and destinies who follow public opinions, who follow the usual, who follow the norm, who are afraid of standing out with the direction of the Holy Spirit. Apostle Paul said in Galatians1:10 "for if I still pleased men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ." While the Pharisees were busy memorizing the law, the Saviour came they didn't know, the bright star shined in the sky, but only the three wise men could discern.

 

While the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were eating and drinking, fornicating and doing things that are not fitting, they didn't know there was angelic visitation and a spiritual negotiation going on. So it shall be for this present generation, we are out pilling treasures in places where moths and warms can eat them, in places where it will perish, and we are not conscious that time is passing us by. John the Baptist told the Pharisees who came to be baptized, "Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come."  There was a level of discernment they got because the word, "repent and be baptized", and another: "repent or perish", came to them.

 

If they can discern a little at that point in time, what about you? Have you not heard the word? What are you doing about it? What else do you want us to say? How else do you want us to speak? We clapped you did not hear, we sang yet  you did not dance; are you like the disciples from Emmaus whom their hearts were burning within them  while their master spoke yet they didn't recognize His voice until it was too late? How long should we keep inviting you? How long will the entrance into the kings court be accessible? Is it until we enter into the streets to compel others to come to the feast before scales would fall from your eyes?

 

What are the excuses you are giving now? It doesn't matter whether you just got married or you just are about to marry. It doesn't matter if you say I have bought a piece of land you must go to check, or  the number of yoke of oxen you have bought;  for verily, verily I say unto you, in this last days stones and rods  will be raised in place of those who the banquet was originally prepared for.

 

Now back to the text we read, He said; "You do not know what makes for your peace." Look at it, there is an exclamation mark after the peace, to show you  the depth of emotions and the tone He was using to speak. He said you do not know If only you can know your purpose, if only you can know that your purpose can give you peace it will be a lot better for you, and He said; "But these things are hidden from your eyes" It is hidden because you are too busy, to recognize the major things that count in life, they are hidden because you are carried away with frivolities of life. The prodigal son came to himself and he realized the things that make for his peace, so he said "I will go back to my father" and the father welcomed him.

 

The Father's arms are still wide and open to receive and embrace you. Shun sin and lawlessness, shun purposelessness and embrace true life that flows from God.  The sons of Issachar had understanding of the times and it made up for their peace. A man at peace is a man in charge. You must know what makes for your peace and what makes for your peace is hidden in your purpose. You cannot know it if you don't take solitude. The Bible says in Matthew 7:28-29, when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

 

Jesus was a man who took solitude, that is why He reveals secrets to people of solitude. A man of solitude is a man of encounters and  the beginning of every great exploit is the minister sharing his encounters and nothing more than that. So when Jesus returns from the mountain by morning and He begins to do and to teach and to do good things, the people become astonished speaking the marvellous works of God because He is not speaking like their scribes, like the regular teachers they know, He has something different.

 

This was an observation made by a people who noticed a difference with the delivery of Jesus they only stopped at the level called "amazement", they never noticed or discerned the move of God in that season. I am sure all other teachers patterned their ministry and preaching according to the rules and guidelines of the Pharisees and the other religious sect. There was no unique voice until John the Baptist appeared on the scene. Don't forget that his father Zachariah is in the priestly order. John would have simply tilted towards memorization of the law and the doctrine of the elders which wears a form of godliness but deny the power, but he choose to align with the move of God in that time. No wonder the same Pharisees and Scribes came to him for baptism. He would never have found fulfilment if he never prepared the way. He simply said; "I am the voice of the one crying", it didn't matter if  I don't memorize the torah and the things written in the scrolls, it doesn't matter if I am clothed in camel's skin with a leather belt around my waist, it really doesn't even matter if my food is locust and wild honey, what I do is to simply cry, "I am the voice of the one", I am not the Messiah, there is one mightier than I,  I have only come to prepare the way and to make His paths straight.

 

That is a man that has come to full term with his purpose and has aligned with Gods move in a certain season of his life and ministry. Are you also picking lessons from John the Baptist? Are you following the doctrines of your fathers or you choose to join the move of God? Moses was a man that was pampered and fed in the palace, he enjoyed affluence and royalty, but the Bible says a time came when he had became of age he refused to be called the son of pharaohs daughter. Put away the milk of the word, it is time to begin to feed on solid food, apostle Paul said; "when I was a child I spoke as a child, I understood as a child; but when I became of age when I became a man, I put away childish things." That is a man who has found purpose and has chosen to align and grow spiritually and attach himself with what God is doing in that generation.

 

There was a way the scribes were teaching, there was a way the Pharisees were teaching that was different and contrary to the way Jesus taught.  So this Pharisees called Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and made this statement; he said; "Rabbi we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him" And the question is who told him that Jesus is a teacher? Was it because he was teaching? If He doesn't teach like the Scribes and the Pharisees what else can he be? No discernment! That was why when everyone like the Pharisees and Scribes were calling Him teacher, apostle, prophet Elijah, prophet Elisha, prophet Jeremiah, Moses the second, pop Jesus, evangelist this and pastor that etc, apostle Peter chose to be different, he conferred not with flesh and blood and he spoke up saying;  "You are the Christ the Son of the living God."

 

What we have been reading and memorizing in the laws and the prophets; you are the fulfilment of it and Jesus replied; "flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but My Father who is in heaven", and He said; "Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah" He called his full name and blessed him, so that there won't be a mistaken identity, showing us that there are blessings attached to certain revelations we get about Christ. Other disciples were standing by, and He called him again and said responsibilities has been conferred on you, because you know this secrets, hell will not prevail against you, do we now see the secret? Your authority is rooted on what has been revealed to you by the Holy Ghost, that is why you say something and it cannot be ignored.

 

"On this rock I will build my church" and He continued "behold I give you the keys."  Becoming a voice is premised on authority, and how much influence you make will depend on how much access that has been granted to you. Where you get the keys is in the secret place. Note that Jesus didn't say "key", He said "keys." So it means there are many more dimensions to be revealed, you don't have access to open one spiritual portal and you pitch your tent there, then you begin to depend on past glory, no! This is where hunger and thirst comes in, the more you are hungry the more you are satisfied, the more you are satisfied the more access is granted.

 

The Holy Spirit once told me; He said when I measured a thousand cubit for Ezekiel, do you think it was ten metres in the realm of the Spirit? A thousand cubit means a lot, you must continue to cover it until there is an overwhelming experience. Don't  think it is easy to say you are the Son of the living God? Ask the demons and ministers who are lazy in the spirit; the Bible says; "for no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3). Solitude is important to build your relationship with a teacher who is not flesh and blood. The knowledge of man can be exhausted, but not the inspiration of the Spirit of knowledge (the Holy Spirit).

 

Apostle Paul went to collect letter carrying a seal, a symbol of authority from the high priest and embarked on a journey. He conferred with flesh and blood, he never knew that he was kicking against the gourds, until he encountered a great light that brought him on his knees, you may be choking the work of God thinking you are doing the work, you may not be as lucky as apostle Paul who Christ told "why are you persecuting me." It is possible you are persecuting those people that you are meant to partner with. You need a redirection today. Jesus is saying to you: "why are you persecuting me?"

 

Do you also seek the approval of men or that self may be pleased and satisfied? You may think you are working for God until certain things are revealed to you. Have you asked questions in your quiet place of solitude to seek answers? Allow the Holy Spirit to interpret certain things to you else you are about to miss out by your flimsy excuses. If you say you are a man of faith; prove it by your works. Remember, it begins from the place of solitude, it is not by power nor by might but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts. If you say you are the son of Abraham, then begin to do the works of Abraham. Make full proof of your ministry.

 

Amen!

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Apeh Francis Abah!

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