Dear Friend,
What a Summer...!!
I'm not sure about you, but for most there was so much change, transition, repositioning, realignments, change of alliances and allegiances, refining and purifying, etc.
It is what God was and is doing globally. Positioning and transiting people into new places in line with His timing and divine purpose. I believe it is in preparation for the next Great Move of God. A move that will change the trajectory of whole bodies of believers, and will result in the transformation of the landscape of communities, organisations and whole nations.
Change is happening on so many levels - international, national, regional, congregational, spiritual, personal, professional, financial, physical, etc...
It is - An Epic Restructuring!
If you have been in work for any length of time, you would have heard about, been through or been affected by Restructuring of some sort, maybe in your team, department, or the whole organisation.
What is Restructuring? And why is it necessary?
According to Wikipedia:
Restructuring is the corporate management term for the act of reorganizing the legal, ownership, operational, or other structures of a company for the purpose of making it more profitable, or better organized for its present needs.
Other reasons for restructuring include a change of ownership or ownership structure, demerger, or a response to a crisis or major change in the business such as bankruptcy, repositioning, or buyout…
(The Result)
A company that has been restructured effectively will theoretically be leaner, more efficient, better organized, and better focused on its core business with a revised strategic and financial (or business) plan…
Did you get the Memo?
Were you present and on your seat watching, praying, waiting on the Supreme CEO to hand you your new instruction and/or appointment? Are you stepping out? Or, will you be staying where you are? Maybe you are meant to move sideways, or move up or launch out?!
Wake Up! Something is happening...
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11)
Historically, God has used restructuring as a strategic means of awakening or reviving the Church, depending on whether the impact is mainly amongst believers, or in the wider Society. Examples are:
Considering how the Holy Spirit has been moving in recent times, I believe the scriptures below give some clues as to what may be happening:
The tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh requested to stay on the Eastern side of the Jordan.
Why?
Because they had livestock!
They were Herdsmen - Workers!
And, they took pride in their work.
They knew breeding cattle was their vocation and calling. They were clearly not Clergy, but their work was their Worship - a pleasing Offering to God. And, like Bezalel (Exodus 31) they were:
“filled with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills”
For what purpose? To breed, rear, and care for cattle or other livestock in their herd. Their Work was their Pulpit.
However, in the above bible narrative, the Lord did something strategic. He required them to go with their brethren to fight. Why? in order for them to learn the art of war.
So they learned how to: Hear God's voice, use Spiritual gifts, pray and see God's answer, and believe for miracles and supernatural interventions. In other words, they learned what it would take to totally depend on God in order to possess and expand their impact and influence in the context of their work.
How do these points apply?
We are being required to integrate our Vocational gifts (Romans 12) and our Spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12). Only then can we effectively and strategically serve our communities and meet the needs of society.
Vocational gifts are as important as Spiritual gifts
The Roman 12 gifts are motivational and enable us to be innovative, enterprising and productive. They require us to use our intellect, talents, skills and abilities to engage the world. When we integrate them with the Pentecostal gifts, imagine what a force for good we will become. One to be reckoned with in every sphere of society; changing the narrative of communities and whole global entities.
We Need to Use our Mind
We must optimize our intellectual capacity. As Pentecostals, we need to come out of the bubble of busy and noisy religious routine. We need to demonstrate that we serve a Creative God who is full of variety, colour, inventiveness, imagination, ingenuity, originality, innovation, resourcefulness, enterprise, insight, inspiration, intuition, flair, artistry, genius, intelligence, brilliance, mastery, talent, skill, sharpness, astuteness, acumen, quickness, shrewdness, sophistication, thinking outside the box, beauty, excellence - He is infinite in Wisdom.
Like the rainbow that has numerous other “colours” that our eyes can't see, we should reflect God's manifold wisdom.
We should be the greatest thinkers, innovators and creatives in our fields of serving, learning, planning, administration and execution.
Historically, Christians have optimized both gifts to do phenomenal things in society. They were ordinary Christians like you and I who saw a need and rose to meet it in simple but extraordinary ways.
The needs in our world today are enormous and complex. Prayer alone will not solve them. We need to engage all of our God-given faculties and resources. Only then will we be sufficiently equipped to serve God in the world and bring the order, beauty and flourishing He intends to the great opportunities and challenges we see around us.
Pentecostals could gain a lot from other streams of the Christian faith if only we would go over, sit with them, watch, listen and learn some things...
A Divine Restructuring will certainly do it!
Are you contemplating a change in your career or work situation, or have you recently made a change?
Let's pray about it!
After a six-month Sabbatical, we are reconvening...
Date: Friday 10th November
Time: 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm
Zoom ID: 827 8698 5140
Zoom Passcode: Purpose
We have a lot to share, discuss and pray about.
Also, testimonies abound of the great things that have been happening since we last met. Come with your own Good News and let us celebrate together!!
Did you notice we launched a Brand New Website?
Please look around and familiarise yourself with the platform. And, give feedback on what you think.
We look forward to seeing you on the Zoom platform at Lunchtime on Friday 10th November!!
Enjoy the Autumn Colours... keep warm and stay wrapped up.
Great blessings,
Elizabeth 'Tayo Ukiomogbe
Workers Aflame!
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