Good day, everyone. Welcome to another interesting edition of Forms & Patterns™, I am so excited for the opportunity given to me by God to connect with us today. I want to share something important with us and I'm sure it's something that we must meditate, we must think about as disciples of Jesus Christ, and as ministers of the New Testament. The truth is, it is in the will of God that every people, every nation, every tribe, every language, every tongue, be reached out to. God has a plan, God has the intention, God has the agenda to reach out to the nations and perhaps somebody is wondering, how does God intend to reach out to the nations? God intend to reach out to nations through you and I.
There is something I want to share with us in the book of 2Kings chapter 5, a familiar Scripture for every minister of the gospel. We are going to glean a wisdom for ministry, there is a challenge therein for us, something we must learn from. In the book of 2Kings chapter 5, there is a story about Naaman that had leprosy, who was the commander of the army of the Syrians. And so, haven't been persuaded by a servant girl in his house that if he could get to Israel, he could be healed of what he was suffering from. And so, the king of Syria gave him a letter to deliver to the king of Israel on his way for his healing. And if you read from verse 5, the Bible says:
“Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So, he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. 7 And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore, please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.” 8 So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
May the Lord bless the reading of His word in our hearts in Jesus’ name. It is a familiar story. We know that the Syrians were always eager to invade Israel. And so, when there was a need for healing from the land of Israel, the king of Syria sent a letter to the king of Israel. And he said, Now be advised… you wonder, why did he have to use that kind of introduction? Now be advised when this letter comes to you that I have sent Naaman my servant to you that you may heal him. The question is: was the king expected to heal? Now, you must understand the context. The king of Syria was actually looking for trouble. So, he had meant that if this man would not heal his own servant, then he didn't have any choice but to invade Israel. So, it was a tool of negotiation now between the nations. And so, the king of Israel, who knew the king of Syria had more resources and had more soldiers than him actually tore his clothes and he was in sadness.
So, we could say it was as if calamity befell him. He was in trouble. He was in a difficult situation. Without the intervention of Elisha, he would have actually led his nation into great danger. And so, when he got the letter, he was troubled. He said, is he God that could kill and make alive? Why did this man send me a man to heal of leprosy? Do I heal people of leprosy? But the answer, the response of Elisha is where we are emphasizing on this day. Elisha said in verse 8: So, it was, when Elisha the man of God heard…that already shows something Elisha the man of God. I'm sure you are a man of God, I'm sure you are a woman of God. Wherever God has put you.
“When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
I accept responsibility for my nation, let him come to me; and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. Beyond being a prophet, there is a possibility that you could be a teacher, a pastor, an evangelist, an apostle. You could be in different kinds of ministries, God could have called you out of darkness into the marvellous light to carry out specific assignment in your area of jurisdiction, in your scope of jurisdiction, in your city, in your neighbourhood, in your family. However, it's important we understand that beyond the call of God on your life, there is the place of you accepting responsibility for the place that God has settled you, that God has planted you.
Now, if you look at this: the man Elisha said to the king; don't worry, send him to me. I accept responsibility, I am responsible. I accept responsibility. I'm responsible for the welfare of my people, for the liberation, for the safety, for the prosperity of my people, I'm responsible, I'm not here to take from them, I'm here to give to them. I'm not here to be a problem in my land, in my city, I'm here to solve a problem. And this is how God calls men. And this is the dimension, this is the nature of the calling of God of most men. When God calls His servant, He calls them so that they can solve the problems of their own people, so that they can solve the problem of their communities, so that they can solve the problems of their nations.
You cannot be, haven been called by God in a place, and yet problem persists – trouble continues. The question is, "What then is your value?" What then is your contribution to the safety, to the prosperity of the land of the people? He says: He shall know (both Naaman and the king that sent him) shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. I'm sure in your city, you must be identified as a prophet, as a pastor, as a teacher, as an apostle. Whatever God has called you; you must be identified for it. And perhaps God has given you the capacity to create things, God has given you the anointing for craftsmanship. Whatever calling that is hanging on your life, you could be a plumber, you could be a fisherman, you could be different things. You could just be a professional, a medical doctor, a lawyer, let it be said that you are a lawyer of God. Let it be said that there is a lawyer in Israel, a lawyer in Nigeria, a lawyer in Kenya, a plumber in Nigeria, a plumber in Israel, let it be said that the calling of God on your life; is visible in your life, is visible in your nation is visible. People can feel it, it is palpable. It can be felt it can be connected to. Don’t have the calling of God hanging in the air, don't have the calling of God, yet you're floating. Nobody feels you. You don't add value to anything. You are your own. You solve your own personal problem.
The anointing of God is not for your personal gratification or personal aggrandizement, you don't receive the grace of God in vain. What God has impacted your life with is not just for you, it is also is for the people beyond you. It's for your city is for your nation is for your country, you must rise up as such a time as this and you must fulfill your responsibility. You must be responsible. You must accept responsibility. The calling of God in your life requires that you solve problems, problems beginning from your own personal problems, to your family problems, to your neighbourhood problems, to your city problems, to your state problems; to your national problems, to your generational problems, in fact; to the problems of the whole world. Whatever problems that rise in your generation, God has called you to solve it.
You cannot continue to be alive and yet, the people of the world; including myself, will suffer for the things that God has called you, that God has equipped you, that God has raised you to do. If God has raised you up to help us, you must rise up as our helper, you must rise up to solve our problems. You must fulfill your ministry. And as you do this, God will be glorified in heaven. You remember the Bible that says, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good work and give glory to your Father heaven. Let your light shine by fulfilling; by responding to your inner ability, by responding to your God-given ability, you are shining as a light and the world will see your brightness, will see your shining, and give glory to God who makes you to shine daily.
It's such a great time we've shared together, learning about responding to our responsibilities and our inner abilities, becoming fruitful, becoming servants of God that are visible, visibly present; not ghost servant of God; in our nations, in our cities, in our families in our neighborhoods, and as we do this, God will be glorified and we will be blessed. Till the next time I bring you another word from the Lord. I want you to stay where God has planted you fulfilling your ministry making God pleased.
God bless you.
