In the previous part of this series, I promised to share with us in details the two basic ways that truth can be communicated or presented. These two basic ways I am about to discuss Under the Principle of Proper Interpretation and Presentation of The Truth are; 1). Encounter with the Light. 2). Understanding Purpose and what you represent to a generation. 

 

Encounter with Light: The Apostle Paul Experience

When you read the book of Acts 26:1, the King "Agrippa" said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." And the Bible says; "Apostle Paul stretched out his hand and began to answer for himself." It seems to me that his response was in a dramatic fashion. You don't need to act drama while presenting the truth but your expression must be coherent, the movement of your hands must match with your facial expression and with the truths proceeding out of your mouth with ease, balance and power. That's by the way. When he opened his mouth and began to answer for himself, he didn't talk about whether he was guilty or not or whether he should be released or not. He simply gave a story of his encounter with the light. This is an Apostle Paul that was caught up to the third heaven, and heard inexpressible words which is not lawful for man to utter. Rather than boast or speak about these things, he chose to boast in his infirmities, he didn't speak about these mysteries, he simply narrated his encounter with Christ, he didn't come with excellence of speech or of wisdom.

 

He began to recall and speak about an occurrence that happened on his way to Damascus, how he saw a light, a very bright light. Now when a man sees a light; what is it supposed to do to that man? To make him see more isn't it? But this light was different, it opened his spiritual eyes, and blinded him to the things of the world. The encounter produced an exchange while the light illuminated his spiritual eyes his physical eyes became blind to the things of the world. All of a sudden Apostle Paul began to say all I want to know is Christ and Him crucified, all I want to know is the power of His resurrection, all I want to know is to conform more to His death. He didn't boast about how he was circumcised on the eight day, how he is of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, No! He didn't put his confidence in the flesh. He simply has counted them all as rubbish.

 

If I may ask you; what light have you seen? Remember Apostle Peter said; "the things we have both seen and heard." What have you seen, what have you heard about the truth, what encounter have you had with the light? It is not about wanting to do ministry; it is about your encounter. Every man who had made exploits has a story of encounter, every preacher that teaches with so much power and authority have had an encounter with the word, there is a light they saw. No man stands up and begin to speak for nothing without having the intention to make sense, or communicate a message. God said “call unto Me and I will show you great and mighty things”, I will show you lights. Until you see light the truth you speak will be of no effect.

 

Apostle Paul was a man that seems unstoppable and the only thing that could stop him is the encounter he had with Christ, whom is the light of the world. Have you not heard that people speak the stories of their encounter and without making alter calls they are willing to accept Christ? What encounter does is that it gives you a new drive, a passion that nothing on earth can satisfy. When you come in contact with a man of encounter, something about them must rub off on you.

 

Now see what Festus said to Apostle Paul “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!” Too much learning? Did he speak from any context of law or jurisprudence? No! He simply told his story. What is your story? Are you in ministry and you have no light? Call unto God and He will illuminate your heart. If preaching with experiences of encounter is not relevant Apostle Paul wouldn't be talking about his encounter with Christ. The encounter gave him a Purpose and that is the reason why he is standing before the king, it also his reason for living and probably what he would die for. If encounter story is not powerful enough the king won't say you almost persuade me to become a Christian.

 

Again, it was not an act of persuasion but simply an encounter with the light. What is your own encounter? What are the personal experiences you have had with the saviour; what are the lights you have encountered from the pages of the Scripture. An encounter story can persuade anybody. Apostle Paul said; "No I am not mad most noble Festus but speak the words of truth and reason." He called it words of truth and reason, but others called it madness. So, an encounter story is also a truth. It may not make sense to you but this story is the reason why I do what I do. If your encounter does not put you in a position where people complain about your awkwardness then I am sorry what you had isn't an encounter.

 

Who could have imagined prophet Hosea saying he received a word to go get a wife of harlotry? So firstly, an encounter produces a passion, in which people may call madness, creating a sense of urgency about a work that needs to be done and finished because time is running out. Have you wondered why some people don't care about the Fathers work? No encounter! Secondly your life, the way you live, your decisions, what you speak about can persuade men. When the people say the apostles with the way they lived their lives they called them little Christ. If you stay with the truth light you will radiate light. Your life becomes a living epistle, a life worthy of emulation, a presented truth that touches the heart of men.

 

Understanding Purpose and What You Represent to A Generation

This principle states that if you can know your Purpose then you can know the will of God and if you can know and work in the will of God, you can make exploits. Have you noticed that any spiritual leader who has ever made great impact in the Bible is very much aware of His Purpose, the reason why he has come or exist in that particular generation? I remember my mentor saying in one of her messages that; "everything we will ever become has already been scripted on the pages of the Scripture and your ignorance of it will prevent you from living it in full." And this is very true. Let us what Jesus said in Luke 4:21. "And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

Isn't it amazing to know exactly what has been written concerning you on the pages of the Scripture? It brings you to a place of awareness and specifications of the task you should carry out. if you notice from verse 18 you will see the capacity He is meant to function. Isn't it mind blowing? That is real exploit, works that are done not by power nor by might but by the anointing of the Spirit.

 

Let us consider a Scripture in Hebrews 10:7. It says; "Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for Me" He knew the desire of God and what He has been prepared and fashioned, to accomplish on the earth. Don't forget this Scripture began by saying; "when Christ came into the world, he said" showing us that He was aware of His Purpose, He didn't make the statement in heaven, it was when He arrived the earth. Then the next verse says; “with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.”  So, there was a Scenario here. Jesus Christ saw the heart of the Father, and realized that the services offered to the Father displeased Him. See what verse 8 says; “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law."

 

There was an attitude, a regular service or we may call it sacrifice the people were offering that didn't please the Father, so it necessitated Him to come into the world. To please the Father again, to show the people the right way to worship the Father. This shows that your Purpose is to address or put a stop, or change the order of things; whatever it is that displeases the Father. If you don't know the state of the Father you can't address the situation, neither will you be able to speak the truth. If you can't address the situation you can't make exploits. Your Purpose is meant to correct the distasteful worship and sacrifices offered to the Father. See what verse 7 says; "Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God."

 

See the phenomenal statement He made here, a full understanding of Purpose. He located where it was written about Him, He knew it, it was revealed concerning Him. His availability is not by accident, He said: "here I am" It was prophesied about Him, and He said here I am to do the will of my Father. Such a man can never be stopped. His exploits can never be contained. Have you found a man in the perfect will of the Father? Can you explain how he does what he does? That was the reason why Jesus amazed the people of His time? Exploits are recorded when you do the things you do according to the will of the Father, that Him alone will be glorified.

 

Verse 8b continues with this; "though they were offered in accordance with the law." He said there was a pattern they followed, and yet, it displeased God. Does this not show that religion and ceremony does not mean a lot to God? Does this not show that there can be a form of godliness but there is no power? God is only permitting it but is does fit suitably into the perfect will of God. It is possible God was saying permit it to be so for now. But it wasn't the perfect will of God. Then He said in verse 9, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second." And this is the reason; because the first was in the will but not the perfect will, it was pleasing to God but won't be as suitable as the perfect sacrifice, even though it was done religiously it didn't carry any weight in eternity.

 

So, because Jesus arrived by the will of God the old was set aside so that the new would be established. It is not enough to be in the will. Even though Jesus came into the earth to please the Father as a fulfillment of prophesy in the will of the Father He still said;  “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” He didn't come and became sufficient of Himself, He still needed direction, sustenance and tutelage from the Father. This is the secrets to exploits.

 

John the Baptist cried in the wilderness, preparing the way for the Lord and everyone, irrespective of the religious sect, heard him and came to be baptized. He said; "I am the voice of the one crying." I want us to note that word "I am the voice" just as face is used as a means of identity the voice can also be used as a means of identity. If it will be easy for a man who has eyes and can see to recognize the face of an individual, so also a man that is deaf will recognize someone by his/her voice. So, a voice stands for a personality, that is why just as every man has a unique face so also our voices are unique. So, John said "I am the voice" he didn't say I am John, or I am the son of Elizabeth, he simply said I am the voice. He understood his ministry voice, he understood his Purpose.

 

It takes a special kind of light to actually know and become aware of the voice you represent in any given generation. There is a kind of truth John the Baptist knew about himself that others didn't know. So, the knowledge or the awareness of this Purpose singled him out as a voice in his generation. Understanding your Purpose and the Purpose of your ministry is very key.

 

So what voice is your ministry representing? What voice is your Purpose representing? Every man is created for a Purpose and every Purpose has a voice that cries, that yearns for a change, restoration or realignment. He said; "I am the voice of the one crying" did we notice that he wasn't quoting Aristotle, or Socrates? The terms of His ministry require that he cries from the wilderness. I am sure there were great orators in his time, who speak yet they never commanded great attention like he did. See the nature of His message; he was speaking as one who is preparing the way and he stuck to that message.

 

Perhaps your ministry is to prepare the way for the second coming of the messiah, if you are the Elijah sent into the earth to warn the people concerning the end that will come, as it was written in Malachi 4:5, how will your message be? How would you reproof, admonish and correct the body of Christ? There is something about being a voice, there must be a Spirit that back that voice. If it were not so, God wouldn't have spoken the word over the ministry of Christ that the people should "hear Him." What is this thing about being a voice? For relevance in any generation, voice is very key and voice is rooted in Purpose. If you don't know why you speak you have no business speaking. And you speak truths with reason, you must divide the word rightly.

 

Don't forget we are discussing about how to be a voice, and we established that a voice is a personality-talking about Purpose and the quality of your voice - the degree to which you understand your voice will be to the degree of your exploits.

 

I believe you have been blessed!

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