Missionaries Facing A Task Unfinished

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Matthew 24:14 (KJV) – “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 28:19 (AMP) – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

·    Father,we pray for those out in the mission field spreading the good news of the Gospel, in this country and around the world; that they will have the following -

1.  OPEN DOOR: Open doors can’t be taken for granted. Many missionaries work in countries that are difficult to access or in areas that are resistant to the Gospel. But “open doors” include more than just access to nations and people groups. Individuals’ hearts also need to be open and receptive to God’s truth.

Colossians 4:2–3 (NIV) – “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.”

·         Pray that God will open doors of ministry, partnerships and friendships.

• Pray that those who serve will be led by the Holy Spirit and recognize open-door opportunities in Jesus name.
• Pray that God will lead His people past barriers to hearts ready to receive His Word.
• Father, we ask that You would open doors and hearts to receive the Gospel as they minister in their place of service (Colossians 4:3).
• Lord, that they will trust solely in You the faithful God for resources , converts.

2. BOLDNESS IN WITNESS: Missionaries are regular people who fear pain and rejection as much as anyone else. When faced with opposition, they need God’s strength to help them stand firm.

Ephesians 6:19 (NIV) – “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, the words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”

• Pray that missionaries will have boldness to overcome the fear of embarrassment or failure and intimidation.
• Pray that the Spirit will provide them with words that communicate effectively in other cultures and languages the complete Gospel.
• Pray against evil forces that would seek to hinder the spread of the Gospel.
• Father, we plead that they will be filled with the Holy Spirit and will daily walk in Your power. We pray that they will speak the Word of God with boldness and will present the complete Gospel clearly to unbelievers. Lord, we pray that they will be accepted by the natives, the government officials and the churches in the area where they are labouring (Romans 15:30-31). Father, we plead that You will protect them from attacks of satan and his demons (Romans 15:30-31; 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3).

3.   GOD’S WORD WILL SPREAD: Obstacles must be removed to allow God’s Word to spread rapidly and freely. Removing obstacles implies resolute resistance in spiritual warfare. Just as Aaron and Hur supported Moses’ arms in the battle against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:12), we can strengthen the arms of missionaries and disarm the enemy through prayers.

2Thessalonians 3:1(NLT) – “Finally, dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honoured wherever it goes.”

• Pray that people will resist satan’s plans to obstruct the spread of the Gospel (James 4:7).
• Pray that God’s Word will indeed spread rapidly and be honoured wherever it goes.
• Lord, we ask that You will make their ministry exceedingly fruitful and that You will glorify Yourself through this ministry.
• Father, deliver them from temptations, loneliness and frustration and create in them a servant’s heart so they can live and labour each day for Your glory O God! (1 Corinthians 10:31).
• Father, make them vessels through which the love of God can flow to others (Romans 5:5; John 13:34-35).

4.  FOR PROTECTION: In some countries, open doors may expose missionaries to the possibility of danger and personal harm. Opposition to the Gospel may include hatred and violence.

2 Thessalonians 3:2 (NLT) – “Pray, too, that we will be saved from wicked and evil people, for not everyone believes in the Lord.”

• Pray for strength and stamina as missionaries encounter antagonistic spiritual forces, stronghold of darkness controlling the territories (Ephesians 6:10–18).
• Pray that God will keep Christian missionaries safe from those who seek to hurt them.
• Pray that God will change the hearts of those who are resistant to His Word.
•  Father will continually protect them from all harm and ask that You would strengthen them physically.

5.    THEIR MINISTRY: AND OTHER MISSIONS

 2 Thessalonians 3:1b (NLT) – “Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honoured wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.”

Cooperation and partnership are essential to ministry and vital to the progress of the work.

• Pray that the missionary’s ministry and attitude will be worthy of acceptance.
• Pray that colleagues and fellow believers will be supportive of each other.

GOD’S GUIDANCE 

                                      

“So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom.” Colossians 1:9 (NLT)

• Pray for clear guidance from God regarding travel decisions. (Psalms 32:8)
• Pray for necessary permissions to travel especially in regions where the Gospel is not welcome.
• Pray for protection and provision during their travels.
• Please grant them Your specific direction for their ministry (Psalm 37:5). We ask that they will have a growing and intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:4-5).
• They will have a deeper and clearer understanding of the Word of God and be instructed and guarded by it. (John 16:13).

FOR ENDURANCE: Missionaries deal with many of the same stresses you face in life such as overwhelming workloads, relational conflicts and financial uncertainties. Often, however, missionaries struggle with these issues alone, without the fellowship and support of other Christians. Living and working cross-culturally adds an additional element that can challenge their emotional, spiritual and physical vitality.

Colossians 1:11 (NLT) – “We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy.”

• Pray that God will provide opportunities for missionaries in lonely areas to spend time with other believers.
• Father, we pray for the spirit of perseverance and endurance even when adverse conditions come.
• Pray that God will encourage missionaries with the knowledge that people back home care about their emotional well-being.

PARTNERS IN PRAYER: The apostle Paul was a missionary and a man of prayer. He prayed for those without Christ, for the believers, and for the new churches established under his ministry. He also asked the believers to pray for him.

Romans 15:30 (NLT) – “Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.”

“He will rescue us because you are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks to God because so many people’s prayers for our safety have been answered.” — 2 Corinthians 1:11 (NLT)

Thank You Lord for China, Asia and the uttermost part of the earth that the mystery of the Gospel is spreading. By Your spirit, this task will be finished!

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In Special Service For The Lord

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Colossians 4:7-17 (TLB)

Verse 17 – “And say to Archippus, “Be sure that you do all the Lord has told you to.” (TLB)

Verse 17 in THE MESSAGE – “And, oh, yes, tell Archippus, “Do your best in the job you received from the Master. Do your very best.”

Verse 17 in EASY-TO-READ – “Tell Archippus, “Be sure to do the work the Lord gave you.”

Verse 17 in KJV – “And say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.”

Who then was this Archippus, who was been reminded/encouraged/compelled with such instructions? Let’s read Philemon 1:1-2 (KJV).

So Archippus was a believer - a labourer – a co-labourer with all the other brethren as mentioned in Colossians 4, as well as in Philemon 1:1-2

• With Archippus, a special task was given for him to do by the Lord.
• It was not Paul or the other co-labourers who gave him this work to do; but the Lord Himself; which was a privilege given to Archippus.
• It was a specific work meant for Archippus by the Lord; he is not meant to do some or few of the work but all.
• His very best was required in carrying out this task and it must be fulfilled as the Lord instructed.
• A ministry – a work – a job, given by the Lord; not assumed or undertaken just because it appeals to Archippus; God-appointed, God-given.
• Can we identify this message being passed as a warning or a call of remembrance from Paul to Archippus here? Can this same message be passed to our ‘Archippus of today’ - Men of Courage also, whom the Lord has called for His service?

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 NIV; ESV; KJV* - “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”

Praise God that He has given a special task to every man of His; and to this special task, He granted it with something in Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Let’s look at another general of God whom the Lord also committed a great task into his hand and He was instructing him to see to the accomplishment.

Exodus 25:1-9 (ERV), verse 40 (KJV) – Moses

From the above scriptures:

o  Did you notice that God was not compelling everyone to give, even though He was speaking to all the people of Israel – His people?

o  For some of the gifts He was asking for, He was telling Moses why they were needed and where to put them.

o  The builders who will build the place for Him to live.

o  The exact plan and how it should look like to be shown to Moses – verse 40.

The Builders – Exodus 31:1-6 (TLB)

Beloved, from the above scriptures, who has appointed? Who has filled him – Bezalel, with the Spirit of God? Who gave wisdom, ability and skills? Who knew his capability? Who appointed an assistant for Bezalel? Who gave the special skills to all the experts? IT WAS GOD – GOD WHO HAD CALLED THEM FOR HIS SPECIAL SERVICE – GOD WHO HAD GIVEN THEM A DIVINE ASSIGNMENT AND APPOINTMENT, WHICH MUST BE FULFILLED.

With full assurance of the Word of God and what only Him can do, let us now pray unto Him for His men of courage so that the spark of thunder and lightning of His revival would commence, so that the showers/downpour/rain of revival will begin to fall.

• Thank You Lord Jesus for the grace that You have given unto every single one of Your men as You begin to apportion the task/job/work/ministry afresh unto them; thank You that by the help of the Holy Spirit, every necessary power shall fill them to be able to give You their best unto fulfillment – Ephesians 4:7.
• Please Lord, strike and affect their hearts to know that this grace that You have given to them is not measured by the size or proportion of work You have committed unto their hands; but that in little or much, what You desire is a good and faithful steward(ship).
• Romans 12:5-8 – May they not be like the ‘unfaithful servant’, to misuse the grace and the gifts that You have apportioned to them. Help them to appreciate and to know that though the gifts may differ, but as members of the Body of Christ, they have a function to fulfil and a job to do.
• Not hesitating; not questioning; with perfect obedience and diligence, help Your men to render their service with full wholeheartedness unto You, O Lord!
• Our Strong Tower, please be the strength in them both physically and spiritually; that when the body or the mind is faint/weary in that which You have commissioned unto them, they will receive divine urge to carry on for the glory of You - their Master (as You brought glory to Your Father here on earth by doing everything He told You to – John 17:4).
• Lord, please take away every lukewarmness, trials and temptations that easily besets a man and that only comes from the accuser (whose lifestyle is to kill, to steal and to destroy); so that they can declare as Paul said, “I have fought a good fight, finished the race and still kept the faith” [maybe this was why Bro Paul was encouraging Archippus to be faithful]; so Lord Jesus, give unto them Thy faithfulness unto the end.
• 2 Timothy 4:5 – “Stand steady, and don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Bring others to Christ. Leave nothing undone that you ought to do.”

Grace O Lord, grace for them to stand steady in Christ, not shifting, not shaking –

- Grace for them not to be afraid of the persecution/suffering for the Lord, but looking forward to the glory and hope that is ahead.

- Grace for them to bear and bring harvest for Jesus [be it fifty; sixty; hundreds; thousands, millions] till Your Kingdom is full.

- Grace for them to bring glory unto You by doing everything according to what You have instructed them, as You allowed Calvary and the Cross to reveal Your service to God Your Father.

- Grace to be diligent to complete the work they have received from You Lord.

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Period of Grace For Your Repentance

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From the beginning of creation and from ages past and even till this present age, God loved His pure, undiluted fellowship with His men; and the plan to dwell and walk with them. He has always desired that man will turn away from his wicked ways - sin (which has always been a brick wall after the fall of man) and turn back unto Him - his Creator. In His mercy and uprightness, He provides men with the benefit to repent. But men tend to misuse this given opportunity, forgetting that this time of repentance is very limited; forgetting that there are consequences to their disobedience.

Matthew 4:17 - New International Version (NIV)

^17 “From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Let's Take a cue from the lives of such men from the scriptures to ask God for mercy on our men of courage (Remember what the Word of God says in Romans 15:4 & 1 Corinthians 10:11)

Adam – Genesis 3:1-9, 17-20 (TLB)

Esau – Genesis 25:33; Genesis 27:34; Hebrews 12:16-17

Judas – John 13:21-30

Prayers For Our Brothers - His Men of Courage that He has brought to Calvary

Romans 2:1-11 (ICB) “If you think that you can judge others, then you are wrong. You too are guilty of sin. You judge people, but you do the same bad things they do. So when you judge them, you are really judging yourself guilty. ² God judges those who do wrong things. And we know that God’s judging is right. ³ You judge those who do wrong, but you do wrong yourselves. Do you think you will be able to escape the judgment of God? ⁴ God has been very kind to you, and he has been patient with you. God has been waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of his kindness. Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so that you will change your hearts and lives. ⁵ But you are hard and stubborn and refuse to change. So you are making your own punishment greater and greater on the day God shows his anger. On that day all people will see God’s right judgments. ⁶ God will reward or punish every person for what he has done. ⁷ Some people live for God’s glory, for honor, and for life that has no end. They live for those things by always continuing to do good. God will give life forever to them. ⁸ But other people are selfish and refuse to follow truth. They follow evil. God will give them his punishment and anger. ⁹ He will give trouble and suffering to everyone who does evil—to the Jews first and also to the non-Jews. ¹⁰ But God will give glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does good - to the Jews first and also to the non-Jews. ¹¹ For God judges all people in the same way.”

  With a grateful heart O Lord, we come on behalf of Your Men of Courage. Thank You for Your kindness that has been upon them and upon us. Thank You for the provision of Your mercy that Jesus Christ has made available to us all when we come to cry with our repentant hearts. Thank You Father for the victory that You have bestowed upon us through Your Son, which enables us to run back to You every time like the prodigal children.

 Let’s ask for mercy now for ourselves as well as the men of courage and plead that God’s gracious hands will be all around us, so that His wrath of judgement does not befall us.

 In Your kindness – in Your patience – in Your waiting for Your men of courage to change their ways, please let the Holy Spirit constantly beat on the door of their hearts for a change. May their hearts not be closed – hardened against Your will and against Your instructions, O God.

  Help them Holy Spirit to take a step of faith to repent from every despicable way of theirs; help them to take every opportunity of repentance now before it is too late. Open their eyes Yourself Holy Spirit, to see the need of repentance; help them to see the provision that the death of Jesus on the cross has brought all His men into.

   A hardened heart – a stubborn heart – a heart that refuses to change, You do not desire Lord, for it brings punishment upon a man and could result unto everlasting damnation (as in the case of Judas), therefore, save Your men of courage as the grace is available for them now; please come to their rescue as we plead! Help them to see and cry unto You concerning their shortcomings/weaknesses/imperfections and give them a sorrowful, humble, sincere and sober heart.

2 Peter 3:9 (AMP) – “The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

Lord, we know that at so many times, You are patient with us, with Your men of courage. The Holy Spirit in line with our souls testifies of this to us. So Holy Spirit, please do not relent to deliver us – Your men of courage, from procrastination. Help them to see ‘procrastination’ as a deadly and poisonous venom, which needs instant, immediate action (else the victim dies).

 It was too late to repent for so many of Your ancient-men in the past (e.g. Esau, Samson). Jesus, thou Son of the Living God, may it not be too late for Your men of courage this day to change their minds; send forth Your end-time prophets -  Nathans, Jonahs, Jeremiahs, Ananias – to call Your men of courage to repentance, as that day draws near and the end of time is short. You used a donkey for Balaam – please use anything, everything, within Your power to turn them away from this road of perdition.

Lord Jesus, You touched the heart of Zacchaeus, who received Your grace of forgiveness and also forgiveness from men. The repentance of Zacchaeus brought salvation for his life and his household, which came to be through the actions he took. Therefore, touch their hearts to know that true sorrow can only lead to genuine repentance; remove every pride of the heart (with the sharpness of Your sword – the Word of God) that makes a man to look equally unto his Maker when You call him to repentance (like Eli said, “It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good").

Matthew 9:13 (KJV) – “Jesus said, ^‘But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

1. When strong temptations surround me
And the world's tempest faceth me,
And Satan came in like a friend,
Pushing strong for me to fall.

Refrain:

 Saviour, please fail not to call me
As thou didst Adam in Eden;
Saying ‘Where art thou O sinner?’
That I may be saved from ruin.

2. When Satan comes with his deceits,
Showing heights of worldly fame,
For my heart to bow and worship,
Just to gain worldly acclaim.

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Patterned After Christ

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Galatians 2:20 (KJV) - “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

1 Timothy 4:11-13(KJV) - ^“These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV) - “Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”

Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour, but He is also our pattern. The Bible teaches that we are to imitate Him –

Prayer

·       Everything that they have built that is not according to the pattern of Christ, let it be pulled down.

·        Father, we thank You for sending Jesus as our perfect example to follow.

·       May the eye of the men of courage be open to see and observe all You have commanded them.

Think as He Thought

Philippians 2:1-7 (NLV) – “Are you strong because you belong to Christ? Does His love comfort you? Do you have joy by being as one in sharing the Holy Spirit? Do you have loving-kindness and pity for each other? Then give me true joy by thinking the same thoughts. Keep having the same love. Be as one in thoughts and actions.  Nothing should be done because of pride or thinking about yourself. Think of other people as more important than yourself. Do not always be thinking about your own plans only. Be happy to know what other people are doing. Think as Christ Jesus thought.  Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God. He put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone. He became human by being born as a man.”

·         Christ was not proud.

·         Jesus was humble, meek and gentle.

·         He was submissive.

·         He was obedient to God’s will.

Prayer

·       Father, let the men of courage have the mind of Christ and think as Jesus thought - humble, meek and gentle, totally submissive and obedient to Your will always.

·       Father, may they never hold on to their rights but put it aside and wear the cloak of servants.

Love As Jesus Loved

John 13:34 (NKJ) - "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

John 15:12 (NKJ) - "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Ephesians 5:2 (NKJ) – “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma.”

Prayer

·      Lord, we pray that they will love You with all their heart and You will be their first love.

·      Father, we pray that the men of courage will walk and continue in the love of Christ.

Speak as He Spoke

Words reflect the real personality of a person (1Timothy 4:11-13)

·        Jesus spoke with certainty (John 14:6).

·        He spoke with authority (Luke 4:36).

·        He spoke with boldness (John 7:25-26).

·        He spoke with wisdom (Luke 21:15)

·        He spoke with grace (John 8:4-11; Colossians 4:6)

Prayer

·      Father, as Jesus spoke with certainty, authority, boldness, grace and wisdom, cause the men of courage to speak words which none will be able to gainsay, contradict or resist.

Do the Same Works as Christ

John 14:12 (NKJ) - ”Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

John 20:21 (NKJ) – “Then Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

Luke 6:40 (NKJ) - "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.”

Acts 10:38 (KJV) – “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJ) – “Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”

Titus 2:7 (KJV) - "In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing incorruptness, gravity, sincerity.”

Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit.

He was full of good works.

Prayer

·        Father, let their lives be patterned after the life of Christ.


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Men of Courage

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John 12:27-29

Verse 27 - “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour”? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour”.

Jesus came to the epic of His service to God and knew it.

·       Please Lord, without further doubts in their hearts, please make our men to know and to move in to the reason why You have called them in this particular generation.

Verse 28 – “Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."

·      Father God, please glorify Jesus in the hearts of our men. Help them to have a deep grasp of the fact that You have given Him a name above all names.

Hebrews 1:3 – “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…”

·      Please Lord, help our men be the radiance of Your glory just as You were of Your Father.

Verse 29 – “The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him”.

·      Lord, please take away those obstacles that will not allow Your word to take root in the heart.

·      Take away blindness that will not allow revelation. Take away deafness from the ears of men in our generation, for how can one hear the voice of God and he will say 'it thundered?'

Mark 14:48,15:1 – “Very early in the morning…,They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor”.

·       Make our men willing sufferers for the cause of Christ. Let their main purpose be to obey, honour and show men Christ.

THE MAN MOSES

Exodus 33:19 – 23 (ESV)
“And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

Deuteronomy 9:  An intercessor.

·       Make our men committed intercessors.

·       Let a deep and reverential fear of God come upon our men in order to separate themselves totally unto God, like Moses who would not allow mourning for his nephews.

Hebrews 11:26 – “Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt”.

·       Lord, please help our men to shun the treasures of Egypt.

·       Make them meek Lord.

·       Lord, increase the thirst for You in Your men like Moses asked for more of You saying ''Show me Your Glory''.

·       Let our men be consistent and persistent with You Lord
Exodus 3:1-22 - Moses encountered God at the burning bush where God called Moses to be the saviour of His people.

·       Let our men hear the clear voice of our Lord Jesus telling them about the lost world.

Exodus 33:11 - The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.

·       Let our men find your presence and rest.

·       Lord, please provide Jethros for our men, men capable of climbing mountains to be with the Lord Jesus.

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Jacob

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·        A battle has been declared

Genesis 3:15 (KJV) – “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”.

·        The Call & God’s Proclamation to Abraham

Genesis 12:1-3 (KJV) – “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”.

Genesis 12:7-8 (KJV) – “And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord”.

·        A decree has gone forth concerning the descendants of Abraham in Egypt

Genesis 15:12-13 (AMP) – “When the sun was setting, a deep sleep overcame Abram; and a horror (terror, shuddering fear, nightmare) of great darkness overcame him. God said to Abram, “Know for sure that your descendants will be strangers [living temporarily] in a land (Egypt) that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years”.

·        The call of Isaac, God tells Abraham where the seed shall be called from.

Genesis 21:12 (KJV) – “And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called”.

·        The Prophecy that went before the birth of  Jacob

Genesis 25:21-26 (KJV) – “And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob…”

·        Jacob steals Esau’s Birth right / blessings

Genesis 27:35-36 (KJV): These verses tell us of how Jacob with the help of his mother deceived Isaac to take Esau’s blessings.

·        The result? Hatred from Esau. Brethren, you cannot help God in His work. You only prolong its manifestation when you try to do this.

Genesis 27:41 (KJV) – “And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, the days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob”.

The Call of Jacob who was on the run for his life from Esau his brother

Genesis 28:12-22 (KJV) – “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of

And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel (brethren this is the same place Abraham had his encounter with God) but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee”.

So if the Lord does not give him anything, he will not give to the Lord (Trade by Barter? You give me then I give you).

·        The result? 

Genesis 47:7-9 (KJV) – “And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, the days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage”.

These will not be our portion or that of our men of courage in Jesus name, Amen.

Jacob ended up a miserable man, fulfilling the call of God for his life in sorrow.

·        What sort of man was Jacob?

·      He was easily persuaded because of lack of vision and focus. Genesis 27:11-14.

·       An intelligent man who was a pretender, lacked wisdom, a cheat, cunning in his ways and a supplanter. Genesis 27:35-36.

·      He did not have a mind of his own / procrastinate a lot. He danced to Rebekah, Rachael and Laban’s tunes. He did not care to seek God in all things.

·      He was prayer less ( a prayer less Christian is a powerless Christian). Genesis 28:1-4.

·      He could perceive spiritual things but lacked courage and understanding of them. Genesis 28:12-22.

·      He took the call of God over his life for granted. He took it for what to eat, what to wear; perishable things. Genesis 28:20-22.

·      He was too forward, not sensitive to culture (at the well, thinking he could marry the younger before the older).

·      He wasted 14 years of his life serving for a woman (Rachael). His love for her jeopardised his destiny to the extent that he could be hired with his son’s mandrakes for sex. Genesis 30:16.

·      He was spiritually careless. His daughter Dinah was defiled under his watch and Rachael was able to steal her father’s idols.

·      The spirit of fear was his master and not God (he was not living for God but himself).

·      All the things Jacob acquired in the flesh were all stumbling blocks to him.

Are you a man with a call of God over your life? Or do your men of courage have a call over their lives? You need to go and study the life of Jacob and learn from it.

·        The God of mercy and compassion looked upon Jacob and he arose

Genesis 31:3-4 (KJV) – “And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock”.

Genesis 31:17-18 (KJV) - “Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan”.

Brethren we want to rise on behalf of our men of courage by praying the following:

·       Lord our Father, You know our weaknesses, our fears and You know our cares; please help us this morning in Jesus name.

·     You are the potter; we are the clay, break us and mould us - this is what we pray.

·     Lord, do not let our years be like Jacob’s; old, few but full of evil and sorrow.

·     Lord Jesus, help us! Holy Spirit of God help us!

·     Lord Jesus, help us not to ignore or take the visitations of God for granted.

·    Lord Jesus, remove foolishness from our lives and thinking.

·    By Your power, mercy and grace over our lives, we will not fulfil our destiny in sorrow like Jacob in Jesus name.

·    Let every Jacob in our lives become Israel from today in Jesus name.

·      Our journey of life will not be prolonged more than You have planned for it O Lord in Jesus name (The Israelites in the wilderness).

·      Take us back to our Bethel O Lord and help us fulfil Your purpose for our lives in Jesus name.

·       Lord, help us to walk with You like Jesus did.

·       Lord, help us to trust You with our lives in Jesus name.

·       Thank You Lord for hearing our prayers for in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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