David K. Vaka

Identity and Purpose Part 1

2012-01-18T05:27:00.000-08:00

The primary work of Christ through His wordand the Spirit is to restore man’s identitybefore he is commissioned to serve His purpose.This is the correct order of God’s divine work because the consequence willeither be devastating chaos or colossally positively life changing! Restoringour identity or who we are should be the chief pursuit of every Christian or anyonewho desires to live a successful and overcoming life on earth. Identity is thefoundation for any noble and enduring work. When man is confused and fragmentedin his perspective about himself, the same nature and fragmentation isreflected in all his dealings and relationships. Nothing he does carries a truesense of authority, fullness and conviction. In fact, his work might have theappearance of authenticity and legitimacy, but a closer scrutiny only revealshollowness, illusion and misperception. His relationship with people may seemcandid and genuine, but underneath this veneer is much perplexity anddiscontentment. He is like an impressiveedifice with state of the art design built on a fractured and crackedfoundation. Over time, the truecharacter of this edifice will emerge much to the horror of those who were oncebewitched by its beauty!

You may have come across many in your lifewhom at first impression are all-inspiring and next to none! They appear to have it all together and emanategreat confidence in themselves and their destiny in life. But after a season ofclose acquaintance and the establishment of a certain level of trust, those impressivewalls begin to give way and the actual person inwardly diametrically contradictseverything that astounded us in the first place outwardly. There are manydisappointing stories like this all around the world and the saddest of them is;it is so prevalent among Christians, the very people who should embody thecohesive and wholesome life of God.

In this present season of reformation, Godis recalling many Christians back to the quarry of His reforming work so thatChrist may be fully formed in them before any further kingdom endeavours.Apostle Paul agonises over this critical issue with the Galatian church whentheir growing ignorance of the gospel of grace sabotaged God’s intention of afully formed Christ in their midst, from which their identity derived.

“Mylittle children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” –Galatians4:19 NKJV

Our identity is intrinsic with ourknowledge of Christ Who accurately reflects our very image and who we reallyare. Our knowledge of Christ parallels our knowledge of ourselves. To know Him isto know us and fully knowing Christ is to fully know ourselves. On theflipside, our partial and deficient knowledge of Christ distorts our image andperceptibility of ourselves. Our identity is inextricably linked to ChristHimself! We find ourselves and who we truly are in Him. The closer we get toChrist the closer we get to ourselves. And the further we are from Christ onlyincreases the distance between us and our true identity and it intensifies theblurry perspective of our true self. That’s why Paul called for more apostoliclabouring in the Galatian church till Christ was fully formed because it galvanisedtheir individual and corporate identity, leading to empowerment and increasedauthority in the entire church for a powerful execution of their purpose inGod.

Christ, who is also the Word, is the mirrorthat gives the perfect and actual image of our selves. As we calculatingly andexplicitly behold Christ in His perfect word, the clearer our image becomes, andreflects in the beauty of His holiness. Increasingidentity crisis among believers and non-believers alike is due to much timespent on literature that distorts and gives false knowledge about ourself-image rather than digesting the truth of God’s word that sets man free! Wewill forever be in self-delusion if the bible is at the bottom of our libraryand other literature and popular opinion takes precedence and shapes ourthought life. God’s absolute truth liberatesman on all levels and anything outside this only imprisons and enslaves usstarting with our mentality.

“Forif any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look atthemselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away,immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfectlaw, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doerswho act—they will be blessed in their doing” – James1:23-25 NRS

“Andyou shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" – John 8:32 NKJV

Looking intently in the mirror of God’s wordbrings us into a head on confrontation with the naked truth about God andourselves, the truth that eternally sets man free. Identity derived from ourknowledge of Christ is true and permanent freedom and liberation!

In the beginning, God knew that man’sidentity was crucial and that it was the ultimate precondition to serving His purpose. So He issued a command that man must first bemade in His image and likeness before he is endowed with authority to rule theearth. Authority on someone with an identity predicament is a recipe for muchtrouble and disaster. Our authority and effectiveness in what we do, increaseswith every degree of identity acquisition and consolidation. God created theperfect man in the beginning by making him like God. This is the state of perfectidentity for man, and God is inviting us to come back to that standard throughJesus so that we can restore the earth back to His original intention.

“ThenGod said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image,according to Our likeness; let themhave dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over thecattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on theearth"

– Genesis 1:26 NKJV

The word image and likeness are synonymouswith identity and it is worth noting that God used these words as preludes to dominionand rulership. Christians can and shouldrule the earth and all created things, but it comes when our pursuit of God’simage and likeness becomes our highest priority, even in the 21^st century.Many are chasing power and authority over identity and this is a clearviolation and evasion of God’s divine order. Identity naturally attracts power andauthority, but the opposite of this leads only to much corruption and abuse!

In closing,let us aggressively run after the restoration of our identity in God at thebeginning of 2012, for it is the only foundation for a prosperous andsuccessful year. Let’s find God again in a fresh way so as to find ourselvesafresh also. We can’t find ourselves by moving to new geographical locations,new relationships, changing churches or jobs, acquiring lots of money andwhatever other methodology others have employed for apprehending one’s self. Wewill only find ourselves by finding God deeply and for real, and notsuperficially. We are hidden with Christ in God and we need to press deeply into God to truly and fully embrace who we really are.

“Setyour mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and yourlife is hidden with Christ in God”—Colossians 3:2-3NKJV

What we need in 2012 is a new us thatenhances and empowers all that we do in God.

God bless you and see you next week….

David K Vaka

Script and Process - Episode 5: The Epic Ending (Joseph's Pattern)

2011-12-02T00:58:00.001-08:00

Joseph’s life script was revealed by God througha dream. Immediately after, Joseph was plunged into a vigorous and heartwrenching process which was an integral component to the ultimate fulfillmentof his script. In the previous episodes,we have looked at how Joseph endured the low points of the process (pit,slavery, false allegation, prison) and the outworking of kingdom invariableswhich heaven puts much significance on, to sanction and authorise our continuousperpetuation through the various phases of the script. Some of these weregratitude, forgiveness, hope and trust, fear of God, excellent spirit, andunflinching commitment. But transcendingthem all is the constant companionship of the Almighty in all that we do and gothrough. Many may question God's proximity in the lows of their process, but aslong as we bear the pressure of the journey and stay faithful, God will neverleave us nor forsake us (Hebrew 13:5). His presence will always accompany uswhether we feel Him or not. It’s a truththat our faith is now being enhanced by the process which it is now acquainted with. The process elevates our faith aboveemotion, circumstances and other natural navigational devices, to become thepredominant leading torchlight of our journey. This makes every earnest seeker of the script life live not by bread(natural) but by the proceeding word of God (spiritual realities).

"It is written,man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from themouth of God" – Matthew 4:4 NKJV

In this episode, wewill look at the thrilling culmination of Joseph’s script and how God is unwaveringlycommitted to the methodical materialization of our script and our success onearth. If truth be known, God is more committed to our success than we areourselves!

They Bowed Down

"Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hatedhim even more. So he said to them, "Please hear this dream which I havedreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheafarose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around andbowed down to my sheaf." And his brothers said to him, "Shall youindeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?" So theyhated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed still anotherdream and told it to his brothers, and said, "Look, I have dreamed anotherdream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down tome." So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebukedhim and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall yourmother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth beforeyou?" And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter inmind"
-Genesis 37:5-11 NKJV

The very reality that Joseph saw in his dreamcame to pass in 17 years. What started with a vision in mind was now a realitybefore His eyes when his brothers and father literally kneeled and gave him thehighest honor and respect. He was now the prince of Egypt and the entire nationitself held Joseph in high honour, third highest to the King. And for hisfather and brothers to witness this was deeply humbling and I am sure joyful atthe same time.

"Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all hisattendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" Sothere was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And hewept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh'shousehold heard about it. Joseph said to his brothers, "I amJoseph! Is my father still living?" But his brotherswere not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me."When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one yousold into Egypt!"
- Genesis 45:1-4 NIV

When Joseph revealed himself, his brothers wereterrified in his presence. Joseph now had the upper hand and his brothers wereliterally at his mercy. A picture far removed from that first scene of hisscript when his brothers were filled with hate and murder and wanted him dead(Genesis 37:18-20). It's funny how unique and colourful the multifaceted scenesof our life script can be and how it can dramatically change from bad to greatsuccess if we give it time and endurance! It’s just like watching a movie wherethe main character starts out weak, defeated acquiescent and hopeless; butnevertheless possesses a dream with a great promise and future. But after his rendezvouswith his process in the movie, he becomes the embodiment of power, strength,victory and hope at the end.

Joseph witnessed firsthand the reversal offortune and his brothers immediately crashed into the pit of guilt andcondemnation for what they had done to him. Joseph could have put a lid on thatpit and kept them there as they had done to him in the beginning, but the manof hope and dreams who lived for the total manifestation of God's plan understoodthat the achievement of his finished script was for the good of many, even hisenemies!

"Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet hisfather Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms aroundhis father and wept for a long time. Israel said to Joseph, "Now I amready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive”
- Genesis46:29-30 NIV

"So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gavethem property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaohdirected. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father'shousehold with food, according to the number of their children" - Genesis 47:11-12 NIV

Now it’s very clear from the above scriptures that even Joseph’s father hadjoyfully succumbed to the glory and power of Joseph. The aged man Jacob wasready to resign from this life as he laid eyes upon his son and recognised thetremendous favour and authority God had given. I am sure that Jacob was not surprisedat all with what he saw, for he had kept the dream Joseph spoke of in thebeginning in his heart (Genesis 37:1). And now that Joseph had reached thepinnacle of his life script, Jacob declared that he himself was ready to die. Josephachieving the height of what God had planned for him also meant the fulfillmentof his father's script. See how life is very much interconnected and how everyoneand everything symbiotically depend on one another? This is God's great wisdomfrom the beginning and it puts the onus on us to ensure the we arrive at theultimate place of our purpose in life, for it can potentially close the lastchapter on someone else's life script. My finish means your completion and yourfinish means other people's completion of their life's script. And if we don’t ever finish, many whoseassignments and scripts overlap with ours will not have the completion and thesense of fulfillment they deserve. Let's not ever forget this principle andplease don’t let your fellow pilgrims in life walk without you and you withoutthem. We need one another to have an epic and grand ending to life!

Salvation and Preservation of a Legacy

Joseph’s epic ending not only saved his entire family from the worsefamine of their time, but it preserved a legacy and God's divine purpose forthe inauguration of the nation of Israel and the birthing of the Saviour of theworld – JESUS! Our total finishing in God is so far reaching even beyond ourtime and generation, but that's how the economy of heaven works. God had anation called Israel in Jacob's loins and God orchestrated the future to ensurethat no natural disasters would hinder the formation of this divine intention. Hence Joseph came forth in the right time for the right mission. God always sees the end from the beginning and thebig picture of life from eternity to eternity is always before Him. We mere men,are mostly preoccupied with what's before us naturally and only on what thenatural eyes can fathom. But if we lift up the eyes of our spirit, we can seewhat God sees. That Jacob’s script overlapped and was in continuum with Joseph’sand both men represented different generations serving an unchanging divinemandate of heaven.

On this note, I'd like for us to appreciate the generations that havegone before us, whether they arrived at the zenith of their purpose in life ornot. The fact is, their lives (success and failures) have played into who andwhere we are today. We must learn and appreciate the past in order to build thefuture that God had divinely invested in our scripts. Without a genuine gratitudefor the past which includes our parents, family, friends, spiritual leaders,life models and anything else that has formed, shaped and inspired who we aretoday, then our future could be far worse than our past. What you don'tappreciate you will tend to repeat!

We must remember that our total completion in God not only completes thescript of the former generation but it helps set up and initiate the nextgeneration and their purposes in God. The baton of God's unchanging purpose isbeing passed from generation to generation, and we like Joseph will be savingmany from the detrimental circumstances of life and preserving the legacy ofheaven for the Joseph's of the future!

Salvation of a Nation

It is amazing how a Jew (Joseph) could be so powerful and influential inEgypt a heathen nation, and how his divine script brought salvation to thatnation from the devastating famine that struck the world at that time! God'sscript affects and blesses even unbelievers and heathen nations. Because of Josephs’faithfulness, God blessed Egypt’s political, economic, social systems andbeyond. The impact of God’s script in our lives affects all things around us. Ibelieve that one of the most effective ways to bring sinners and goat nationsto God today is to live out our script openly and publicly before the eyes ofthe world. And as they witness our faithfulness, our 10 times better successand our uncompromising character and integrity, they will turn to God and beblessed by the Almighty. The King of Egypt recognised this in Joseph and evenpaid homage to the God of Joseph because of this!

Let the church of Jesus today pursue our divine script like Joseph sothat our success in God's purpose saves nations also. We are supposed to be ablessing to the world by bringing God to their doorsteps through the quality ofour lives, conduct and our unbeatable standard of our work ethics and success.Who we are and what we do is the best form of propagating the gospel to unbelieverstoday. The world does not want to hear more about Jesus but see Him through us.We are the word of God personified. Joseph, who is also a type of Jesus,exemplified this truth in his lifetime and that is why the King of Egypt acknowledgedGod and His blessing enveloped all of Egypt.

Global Impact

Josephs’ life had a global resonance and impact. The famine thataffected his family was a global crisis and the bible said that many from thenations of the world came to Egypt seeking food.

"So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because thefamine was severe in all the lands" - Genesis 41:57 NKJV

And as the nations gathered for their provision, it was Joseph that theyhad to deal with because the King had given Joseph authority literally over theentire nation.

Global impact has always been God's intention for those who are seriouswith His plan and purpose. We don’t necessarily have to travel the entire globeto do this, but our faithfulness and obedience to God's script releases globalpower and anointing from wherever we may be. The power to change the world isin our faithfulness, obedience and commitment to finish our script on earthregardless of the unpleasant nature of the process. We, like Joseph, can besought by the world according to the unique aspect of God's inheritance we aredestined to manifest on the earth. It may not be natural food they are seekingfrom us but divine food like; wisdom, revelation, creative and innovativeideas, business and financial models, political ideology, family and churchsolutions and so much more.

This is our time to rise up and continue our pursuit of God and the fulfillment of His script for us until we reach the apex of our success andimpact that consequently affects families, communities, cities, nations and thewhole entire world.

Let the OG Revolutioncontinue....

Script and Process 2 - Episode 4 (Joseph’s Pattern)

2011-11-20T00:51:00.001-08:00

Inmy first 2 blogs I started off by highlighting the dream Joseph had about hisgrand future and how 17years later, what began with a divine revelation of hislife script, came to pass to the finest detail! God will always begin byrevealing to His people the end of His plan from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10)and the details are worked out along the way when faith and obedience areapplied to the revealed script. Those who refuse to move with the initial impartationof the script of heaven but would rather linger for the specificity will loseout on the adventurous faith journey, witnessing the power of God altering thenatural elements, being appropriated for more, and living out a prolifickingdom life. These folks will eventually manufacture their own script andmediocre, average living would be their portion for life.

Weare not supposed to know everything about the script from the onset. God willgive us a glimpse of it from the start and invite us on a faith walk, trustingentirely on Him to bring it about. Remember that God’s script for us will farexceed our comprehension and expectation. It has to be far beyond us so that weresolutely cling to Him for its outworking and give Him the glory for its accomplishment! But those who are crafting minisculedreams enough for their own ability to fulfil are not dreaming God’s dream.God’s script always has national and global significance attached to it, whetherwe are singularly changing the world or affecting and influencing city shakersand world changers. Secular folks like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs andRichard Branson exude more of the God kind of dream than many Christianstoday. The reason is because most Christians are in the church bound up by parochialthinking and fearfulness. Sometimes I wonder why they even entered into acovenant relationship with God Almighty the Creator of all things, if they arenot willing to believe the impossible and earth shattering power of God?

Inthis blog, let us look at constant factors that accompanied Joseph’s pursuit ofthe dream and its dramatic culmination and epic ending!

ThoughJoseph went through a real natural process necessary for the fulfilment of thedream (pit, slavery, false allegations and accusations, prison), there werealso constant ethical values and character traits that were indispensable forhis whole journey. The 21^st century Christians must embrace thesedivine commodities in order to finish our journey(s) also.

1. Gratefulness—in spite of the gruellingand challenging nature of the process, Joseph maintained a high level ofgratitude for the multifaceted complex nature of the journey, and especiallyfor the people involved. His heart did not get bitter but better with everyscene of the script and he possessed a high tolerance level for the things thatstretched and broke him in the journey far above many in the church today. Thisis the internal capacity necessary for our survival and longevity in thekingdom. It’s the ability to readily forgive and forget and reach forth toapprehend that which Christ has apprehended for us (Philippians 3:12). It’s notgetting personal with the process and people within but understanding itsfacilitative purpose to direct us to where we should go. Many get stuck on thislevel because they magnify the ‘affects’ rather than the ‘purpose’, it’s ‘pain’rather than its ‘benefits’. We must not get personal with the process nor amplifyits impact but flow with it regardless of its unpleasant nature and the processwill work for us and not against us. For gratitude is the attitude that numbsthe sting of the process and quickens our arrival at our next pit stop! God islooking for people that rejoice always in the good, bad and the ugly of thejourney for it is the sustainable juice of the kingdom.

Thefollowing statement reveals the enlarged capacity of Joseph’s heart through theprocess and his gratefulness in all that he had been through when he revealedhimself as the prince of Egypt’s to his brothers who were once bent on killinghim...

“And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for youin the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance” – Genesis 45:7

Josephis now seeing his brothers bowing to him as in the dream and rather than demandingrevenge for the wrongs done unto him, he uttered God’s wisdom and benevolencein the whole ordeal.

2. Forgiving —when Joseph revealedhimself to his brothers as the overseer of all the wealth of Egypt, you couldprobably have heard a pin drop as the reality of what they had done to Josephdawned on them. They must have felt the sentence of death at Joseph’srevelation because at their last encounter, they had planned to kill him. AgainJoseph knew better and had seen the prophetic manifestation of his dream thatthough his brother’s intention was to harm him, God used it to move him forwardin His purpose. Joseph played the forgiving card!

“ThenJoseph said to his brothers, ‘Please come near to me’, so they came near. Thenhe said, ‘I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do nottherefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for Godsent me before you to preserve life”
- Genesis 45:4-5 NKJV

Urginghis brothers not to be grieved nor be angry with what they had done to himmeans Joseph had forgiven all grievances and evil intent against him. Embracingforgiveness in the trailing moments of our process will push us further into thefulfilment of our script swiftly. This is the quintessential quality God looksfor when we are tested beyond our ability, because it is needed for theadministration of His grace in the kingdom. Those who master forgivenessespecially toward the most horrendous people in their lives are calledovercomers and God will entrust them with rulership authority over multiplespheres in His kingdom.

Jesuslike Joseph also experienced the worse betrayal in his life when His very own(the Jews) sentenced Him to death on the cross. In the midst of His agony andpain on the cross, moments before He died, He uttered something so astoundingthat should have staggered the imagination of those who were witnessing Hisdeath and even for Christians today:

“Father, forgive them, for they donot know what they do”
–Luke 23:34 NKJV

Itis easy to forgive when all is well around us; but to forgive in the midst of whendeath is strangulating us administered by people you loved and who are screamingfor your blood, requires a higher dimension of God in us. Joseph and Jesus knewthe power of forgiveness and its integral part in manifesting God’s purpose intheir lives. Can 21^st century believers have the same gutsy attitudeand throw off their self pity parties, fluffy and shallow spirituality,murmuring and moaning over minor issues – and carry their cross all the way toCalvary hill so that others might live? The church of Jesus today is full ofsoft-bodied amoeba Christians that complain, moan and groan about insignificantthings, blaming and accusing everyone for their predicaments rather than makinga heap of all these issues, standing on top of it and plunge deeper into thepurposes of God!

3. Hope and Trust—hope and trust in God isa must ingredient because of the daunting and colossal nature of His plan forus. God always desires to do BIG things through us although He may start offsmall like the size of a mustard seed. There is always excitement and ecstasywhen we receive His prophetic declaration for our lives, but sooner or later,the rubber will meet the road and that’s when our journey gets roughed up,challenged, rocky and unpleasant. This is where many hearts fail the litmustest of faith and trust, and even the hopes of many are dashed! Hope and trustare much needed when the journey becomes blurry, uncertain, confused and makesno sense, because it certainly will. Christians need to be aware of this and usethe torchlight of hope and trust as their navigational tool in such perilous times.In aviation, sometimes pilots navigate toward their destination using visiblelandmarks and natural contours that the natural eyes can see, but when clouds,storms, thunder, lightning, heavy rain and turbulence affect their visibility, theysuspend the natural sight and employ the plane’s electronic apparatus. This isthe equivalent of hope and trust to guide us in God when there is so much naturalchangeability and chaos.

Readingthrough the life of Joseph, hope and trust were clearly evident in his pursuitof God’s script. The bible said that the word of God (script container) testedhim but his heart failed him not.

“He set a man before them Joseph—whowas sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. Untilthe time that his word comes to pass, the word of the Lord tested him”
– Psalms 105:17-19 NKJV

Thetrials and tribulations in God’s process are divinely designated to grow andbuild our hope and trust muscles so that we can reach a point of walking entirelyby faith and not circumstantially. Christians are called to not walk by sightbut by faith, and as long as sight dominates our navigational mechanisms inGod, storms will continue until we learn to lean exclusively on the apparatusof the Spirit such as hope and faith.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” – 2 Corinthians5:7 NKJV

4. Fear of God—what kept Joseph fromyielding and succumbing to the various temptations in the process was the fear of God. Many claim to love God butstill compromise their Christian position at the drop of a hat. But it is the fear element of love that keepsus from sinning against God, others and ourselves.

Loveat times can be an exhilarating sensation that makes us feel good in God, but thefear of God will move us beyond sensationalism to a deep heart commitment thatcauses us not to hurt God by our sins. This is the fear that Joseph possessedand it’s much needed when we are squeezed to a corner and all our naturalsupport systems are unavailable. Portiphar’s wife picked the right moment tomake her advances towards Joseph when no one was in the house. Though Joseph’sback was against the wall, the bible said that the fear of God busted Josephout of this situation!

“And it came to pass after thesethings that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said ‘Liewith me’.....But he refused and said to his master’s wife....how can I do thisgreat wickedness and sin against God?” - Genesis 39:7-9 NKJV

ManyChristians when in a tight spot similar to Joseph, would probably welcome thissexual or pleasurable opportunity for they think that grace is sufficient tobail them out afterwards. Sin now and repent later is the common language ofthe church today and no wonder many potential Josephs are falling by thewayside. They love God but have no clue of the reverential fear of God that cankeep them from sinning.

“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fearthe LORD, and depart from evil” –Proverbs 3:7 KJV

SuchChristians would never advance far enough in the pursuit of their divine script,because their low tolerance to temptation is galvanising compromise, which isthe constituent for average living and spiritual abortion in God.

Maythe fear of God fall on the church again so that we can escape the fires oftemptation unscathed and unburned!

5. Excellent Spirit—one area that we must payspecial attention to in the midst of our process, even in the most challengingtimes, is faithfully executing our responsibilities, whether small or big, tothe highest degree of brilliance and distinction! This was an obviouscharacteristic of Joseph’s life.

In Potiphar’s house, he was given rulershipover the entire estate because he did everything exceptionally well. And in prison, he continued to prove himselftrustworthy with the duty given to him, that the prison keeper eventually put allthe prisoners under his care. The church today is in dire need of thischaracteristic which must be proven in our private lives before we are givenpublic exposure. Many put on the spirit of excellence when the spotlight is onthem and they are under the scrutiny of others. But behind closed doors they are shoddy and sloppy as a hog wallowing inthe mud of recklessness.

Thespirit of excellence is what heaven looks for during our process, because our faithfulnesseven in the little, sets the platform for our promotion to the much biggerthings of God. When we are in the lowestebb of our process, we must continue to perform diligently what God requiresbecause heaven seeks faithfulness and excellence, for it is the key to openingthe door to the next phase of our destiny.

6. Commitment to the End—a laser- guided missilethat locks onto its target first before it is released, will guarantee a bull’seye all the time. This will ensure to the pilot that the missile will hit anddestroy its targets, even the moving ones without fail. Our commitment to thefulfilment of God’s script works the same way. Many times the script will eludeus like a moving target. And just when we think we have all things figured out,unexpected intrusions and interruptions strike and throw many into ever endingdisorientation, confusion and frustration. Such moments can bring doubt, defeatand thoughts of quitting the mission. However, if we have alaser-guided commitment to our goal of fully manifesting our script, then allcontradiction and incongruity to the purpose of God will not dampen thecommitment of our spirit to the script. Our Spirit guided spirit has beenlocked in to the target and no matter how long and challenging the oppositionmay be, we will smash our target with bulls-eye accuracy and see the explosion ofGod’s purpose through us globally!

Again,the life of Joseph exemplified this principle clearly and we would do well to emulatethis high level of commitment strongly in the 21^st century.

7. God with Us—the most striking featurein the life of Joseph that constantly manifested through his highs and lowswas—God was with him. This is truly amazing! I believe that faithfulness to ourlife script and endurance will guarantee the constant companionship of Godthroughout our voyage. We don’t have to feel God to know He is there. He is always there as long as we stay true tothe plan. Sometimes we may feel Him and sometimes we might not, but the eyes offaith will comfort us in knowing God is always with those who stick to theprocess and are determined in their hearts to fully execute His plan on earth. However,if we abandon His plan, knowingly or not, we are on our own and God is notobligated to follow or support us in our selfish pursuits. His love for allChristians will remain the same but the manifestation of His presence andsupport hinges on our faithfulness to His will.

“The Lord was with Joseph, and he wasa successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian” - Genesis 39:2 NKJV

“Then Joseph’s master took him andhim in the prison....but the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy...” – Genesis39:20-21 NKJV

Sowhat shall we do to attract God’s presence all the days of our lives? Stick tothe script and endure its process and God will always be with us until the end!

Untilnext time... Join the OG Revolution

Script and Process - Joseph's pattern

2011-11-10T04:22:00.000-08:00

The life of Joseph exemplified living a scripted life to thehighest degree. Joseph was granted the opportunity to glimpse at his divinescript through a dream. And in keeping with His definitive pattern of revealingHis plans and purposes to man, God showed Joseph the end of his script from thevery beginning, but was silent on the strategy, plans of execution and itsultimate natural actualization. Joseph deducedfrom the dream that one day his brothers and mother and father would bow to himbut was absolutely clueless on how it would all come about!

“Joseph had a dream, and when he toldhis brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, ‘listen to thisdream I had: we were binding sheaves of corn out in the field when suddenly mysheaf rose and stood upright while your sheaves gathered around mine and boweddown to it...then he had another dream, and told it to his brothers. ‘Listen hesaid, I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars werebowing to me” –Genesis 37:5-9 NIV

Asummation of Joseph’s entire life script was imparted in a moment through thedream. There was great exhilaration and joy unleashed as he regurgitated the dream to hisfamily, but unbeknown to Joseph, even though heaven may have revealed the finishedplan for his life, his part in performing and enduring thenatural process of manifesting the script on earth was just beginning! There are four major natural processes thatJoseph went through that qualified him for the total manifestation of God’sintention, which is a typical pattern for anyone who strongly desires to live ascripted life like Joseph!

1. The Pit

Straight after the high-spirited and animatedproclamation of the dream to his family, Joseph now found himself in the bottomof a pit because of the murderous conspiracy his brothers hatched due to envy andjealousy over the young dreamer. The pit typified a season of darkness,emptiness, lack of heaven’s dew (water), confusion and disorientation that manyChristians encounter immediately after their most profound encounters with God. Many would anticipate quitting and stilla large number would abandon their pursuit of God altogether because of the vastspiritual, emotional and natural contradictions that take place between the exuberantexperience of the dream and the pit. One moment they are on cloud nine tellingeveryone about what God has promised them. The next, they are in a pit, dark and empty without water! We need tolearn from Joseph that the pit is a normal part of our process. We are not tomake permanent dwellings out of our pit moments but see it merely as a means toa greater end, a stepping stone into our glorious future!

“And theytook him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty and there was no water”–Genesis47:24 NKJV

2. Sold as a Slave

From the pit God permitted the next scene of Joseph’sscript to come into play by allowing him to be sold as a slave to theIshmaelites .

“TheMidianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted himout of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver.And they took Joseph to Egypt”

–Genesis 37:28 NKJV

But before this slave trade deal, his brothers hadpurposed in their hearts to kill Joseph (Genesis 37:20) but Rueben intervened!An important note to remember is; death cannot touch you no matter how near itmay come and how deadly the intention may be if you are in the centre God’splan. Even in your most confused state in His will, God will protect you fromthe fowler’s snares!

So what does being sold as a slave mean? For Joseph itwould have been the worst moment of betrayal, rejection and abandonmentespecially when it was your own relatives trading you for money to foreigners! TheIshmaelites symbolize one of the archenemies of Israel and Joseph was playedinto their hands by his brothers. But even his foe to whom he was sold, was instrumentalin bringing Joseph closer to the place where the dream would fully materialize—Egypt!

Those who are hungry for the scripted life must notfret when they fall into betrayal, rejection and subjection to the mosthorrendous accusation by those who are supposedly your trusted kin and allies.These things must come but it’s all part of the sequential process to make us readyfor the next phase. And the very evil intent for our harm will only plunge us astep closer to our destiny. Even Jesus was rejected, crucified and left fordead but the enemy’s malicious and wicked plan only propelled Christ to thefulfilment of His earthly mission--purchasing salvation for the entire worldthrough His death. If we stick to ourheavenly script at all times, then this irrefutable law will be true: whateverthe enemy intended for evil, God will always turn it around for our good!

3. False Allegation

The next predicament Joseph found himself in was that hewas wrongly accused of rape by Portiphar’s wife because of her overflowing frustration at Joseph’s constant rebuttal ofher sexual advances. Joseph was not only faithful in all Potiphar’s house buthe was also very handsome, a trait Potiphar’s wife found hard to ignore (Genesis39:6).

But before this allegation, God had given much favourto Joseph that Potiphar made him the overseer of all that belonged to himbecause he realised that God was with him and made everything prosper in hishands (Genesis 39:3). As if this honour was not enough for Joseph, Portiphar’swife decided that she should also be within Joseph’s overseeing jurisdiction byattempting viciously to have Joseph lie with her. This evil plot diametrically opposedJoseph’s values and principles and the fear of God caused him to flee the sceneevery time sexual moves were directed towards him. Eventually Portiphar’s wife reached the breaking point andfraudulently accused Joseph of sexual harassment. This again landed Joseph inprison but it was really the playing out of the next scene of his script thateventually catapulted him before Pharaoh’s throne!

Many in God go through seasons of vile and despicableallegations but we must bear in mind that all this comes with the territory!Sometimes it’s hard to comprehend why allegations and false charges are hurledagainst us especially when everything seems to be going well and God isprospering all things in our hands like Joseph. But be assured saints thatSatan vehemently contests our success in God and he will devise plans for yourdestruction naturally. But the good news is, Satan’s destructive strategy willbe used by God to reposition you for your greatest promotion ever! This fool (Satan)and his cohorts (Portiphar’s wife’s club) have no clue that God will use theirevil scheme to do His bidding and to thrust those who are living to His script deeperand higher in His purposes. From prison, Joseph was abruptly promoted into thethird highest position in Egypt as prime minister. The unrelenting pursuit ofPotiphar’s wife only transition Joseph to place of swift and total promotion!This will also be true for us who are pursuing ‘scripted living’!

4. Prison

We now know that prison turned out in Joseph’s favour butnevertheless, we must not trivialise the internal turmoil and confusion heencountered when he was suddenly taken from a place of great favour, prestigeand awesome responsibility to the confinement of prison walls. I am sure that Joseph, beinghuman, had petitioned God about this case and desired to be vindicated bystriking down the house of Potiphar with righteous judgment! Sound familiar?

Well, if any allegations landed us in a confined, restrictedand limited space and resources but deep down in our hearts we knew we wereinnocent of all charges and had done no wrong? Then be of good courage and knowthat as night will certainly turn into day, God will move you from thispredicament surely and hastily into the next phase of your heavenly assignment.The scriptures said that though Joseph was in prison, God was with him andgranted him so much favour that not long after his prison induction, Joseph wasrunning the whole prison operation (Genesis 39:21-23)! Sometimes God allows Hispeople to be squeezed so that what’s not necessary for the next phase,including our successes, be removed for the grand stuff ahead. We may not readilyaccept this type of purging but the branch that beareth fruits will be prunedfor more fruits (John 15:2)!

In conclusion, it is crucial to know that our heavenlyscript has natural processes attached to it which are necessary for itsfulfilment. If we only desire the script and not the process, then that scriptwill never materialise no matter how much you clearly articulate andpassionately believe in it. Script and process go hand in hand just like anarchitectural plan of a house and its building works. Remember, out working thescript will not be cruisey nor easy sailing for it has its humps and bumpsalong the way. But the scriptwriter,producer and director of your script (the Trinity) will help you make it happen!

Our primary role in this is to stay faithful to thescript and endure the process and God will bring it all together at the end.

Till next time....

Join The OGRevolution...

Scripted Life - Episode 2 "Tailor Made Script"

2011-10-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

InHollywood, it is common practice for producers and script writers to pen down ascript with a particular person in mind whose talent, character and personalityfit perfectly the main character of the movie. Also, many producers and directors shoot theend part of the movie script and work backwards to finish the rest of themovie.

InGod’s word it is obvious that a life script has been prepared for each personon earth and that script is tailor made to fit our own distinctive character,personality, gift, talent and anointing.

“In Him we were also chosen, havingbeen predestined according to the plan (script) of Him who works out everythingin conformity with the purpose of His will

(master plan)” -Ephesians 1:11

Whena person is reconciled with his eternal script, a natural affinity andconnection takes place because the script was made for you and you were madefor the script. God in His infinite wisdom has invested all the right resourcesboth in our self and our script before we were dispatched into time and spacefrom eternity. And the moment we meet our tailor-made script, activation ofpassion, vision, strength and all the resources given in eternity occurs and life is shifted to a differentdimension of explosive living altogether! Everyone’s script is unique and significantand these are seamlessly synchronised to the Master Plan of the Almighty. Godhas scrupulously weaved and interlaced every person and their script into His complexyet profound tapestry of His eternal plan, underscoring our significance beforeGod and our purpose in this world. Nothing is wasted in the economy of God’sKingdom and everyone and everything are interconnected for a grand exhibitionof God’s master plan at the end whether we are aware of it or not.

WhatI do in my neck of the woods whether consciously or unconsciously, affectscreation and untold millions across the earth! That’s why a gentle flutter of abutterfly’s wing in one part of the world can potentially trigger a most deadlynatural disaster in another part of the world. This ‘butterfly effect’ exemplifiesthe wisdom of God in creation—appointing all things to exist symbiotically,mutually supplying for each other’s need and resourcing the fulfilment of ourdestinies. And the slightest disruption and fracturing of this divinearrangement robs us of reciprocally leveraging the fulfilment of each other’slife script on earth.

That’swhy breaking divine relationships that God has strategically arranged for us meanscutting off supplies and resources given by heaven for the fulfilment of ourscript. The provision of God for our life and purpose are locked up in the peopleGod has called us to walk in covenant relationship with. Remember, everything in this world isinterconnected and linked divinely for their mutual benefit and resourcing,which all works in conformity to God’s ultimate plan for planet earth(Ephesians 1:11).

AnotherHollywood concept that we can all learn from, is that the funds and resourcesneeded to produce a movie script are secured first before the actors areapproached to actualize the script. It is just like God who has already madeprovision for our life script before He apprehends and appoints us for itsrealization! When we come into contact with our tailor-made script, weshouldn’t be too concerned about the resources needed to make it happen becauseall has been provided for it by our eternal Producer —God.

Oneperson who is crucial in the production of an entire movie in Hollywood is thedirector. The director knows the end of the movie from the beginning andsometimes the end of the movie is shot first which helps align the rest ofthe production to a glorious end! Godwho is the director of life has already shot and produced the end of our lifemovie. In fact He has finished the production of our entire script in eternity beforeHe even started with us here on earth! Our life story should always be aBLOCKBUSTER HIT in the cinemas of life before God and man, if we utterlysurrender to the ultimate director of life and His life script for us.

Butif we play director, script-writer, producer and also the actor of our ownscript, life will be insignificant, below average, mundane, lack lustre and wewill struggle through life being duped to believe that we are living heaven’sprescribed plan on earth. It’s time to STOP the foolish and wasteful living andget back to God and live the life that He has preordained for us all.

“For I know the plans (script) I havefor you, declares the LORD, plans to proper you and not to hard you, plans togive you hope and a future”
–Jeremiah 29:11

God’s plan is Block Buster Living allthe

time!!!

JOIN THE OG REVOLUTION!

The Scripted Life - Episode 1

2011-10-20T04:40:00.000-07:00

Did you know that our life (past, present, future) has been scripted from eternity before any one of us came to planet earth? Imagine how easy, fulfilling and thriving life would be if we could apprehend our tailor-made script and live it out passionately? Think of how much wasted time, money, energy, focus, emotion and thought we could have saved if we had known our eternal script and lived it wisely and more accurately?
Many in the world are waking up at 40, 60 and 70 plus years later only to regret having lived an unfruitful and unproductive life - having lived an entire life missing the mark! It’s a case of ONE BIG WASTED LIFE! Some have had great success in many areas and yet still gone to the grave discontented, disappointed and empty. Why do you think this is so?
Welcome to this series on “scripted living” designed specifically to bring God’s wisdom into our lives, hoping that some degree of realignment and adjustment can be made early in our lives so that we can possess the BEST of both worlds (spiritual and natural) here on earth.

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in your scroll—I have come to do your will
O God” - Hebrew 10:5-7 NIV

An in-depth study of the life of Christ reveals a peculiar principle that applies to every human on the face of the earth. The entirety of Jesus’ earthly life, ministry and mission were pre-scrolled or scripted before he was born in the manger, in Bethlehem. The Old Testament was the embodiment of the script for the life and works of Christ and the New Testament was the outworking of the script in which Christ executed to its finest detail! Even Christ attested to the concept by admitting that He had not come to destroy the Law and the Prophets—(the totality of the Old Testament), but to fulfill it! Jesus knew that entrenched and encoded in the Old Testament was His life script and His primary task was to materialize it on earth, and not to live contradictory to the script.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” –Matthew 5:17 NIV.

For Christ, the Old Testament was the script (it is written about me in your scroll) and the New Testament was its earthly fulfilment! On the cross, Jesus’ last utterance was “It is finished” (John 19:30). And this complete work and total execution of His script has shaken and revolutionised civilizations ever since! No other name has had a profound impact on the earth in all its realms except the name of JESUS! Why? He was a man that lived a scripted life! Imagine the impact that you and I can have if we can apprehend our script and live it out fervently also?
Another crucial phrase that must be pointed out from our text is—a body you prepared for me! The whole existence of Christ from birth until His ministry induction at 30 years of age was a process of preparing a BODY for the script. Jesus’ ministry only lasted 3 and half years. But what an earth-shattering impact He has had in the world! Many have been in God’s work for 50 years and even more, yet still their collective influence still falls short of the glory of Christ’s ministry. The kung fu icon Bruce Lee only released 4 movies in his entire career, but they set such a bench mark that many of his peers and generations of kung fu superstars after him are still struggling to match and duplicate his intensity, quality and standard. The secret was his body was so conditioned and disciplined that it highly energised, enhanced and enriched every movie script he played.

I believe that deliberately crafting and preparing the vessel (body) for God’s script should be our cardinal focus. Flaky, shallow and ill disciplined Christians will not prosper in the purposes of God regardless of their best effort. Many have rushed out to do this and that for God, but have trivialised the strict training and discipline process. They are in danger of wasting a lifetime doing things entirely contrary to their script. Some on the other hand invent and fabricate their own script and their end is a self-inflicted insurmountable burden and an unbridgeable chasm between them and God. The script writer of our lives will eventually be the epicentre and core essence of our existence. If we are living to God’s script, God will be the nucleus of our being. If we are the author of our own script, then we will be the centre and source of our life and what a wretched and pitiful life it will be!

Many Christians today need a massive dose of humility so that they can submit to their local churches (training centres), pastors (mentors) and other aspects of God’s process until they are made ready and appropriate for their heavenly scroll. A clear sign that we are incongruent with our script are the unnecessary harm, confusion and oppression we inflict on ourselves and those around us! If we invest more in our appropriation regardless of how painful the process may be, the execution of our script will be swift, powerful, effortless and total!
Most of our problems in God are not derived from the script, but from us. God’s script is eternally perfect, anointed and designed to succeed given that the vessel (body) is at peak condition! God’s primal responsibility is the script and ours is the preparation of the body—a body you prepared for me (Hebrew 10:5b). When the perfect script of heaven meets a conditioned and meticulously prepared body, exponential explosion takes place on all levels. Life becomes joyful, triumphant and extravagant! This is when we constantly live life on the crest of God’s power, abundance and success guaranteeing victories at all times. This is what the bible calls doing the WILL of God. It’s a lot of fun if we focus on doing our part well and allowing God to do what He does best!

In summary: Script + Body = Will. This is the equation for kingdom prolific and successful living. The Will of God will organically and effortlessly manifest if we invest more time, energy and resources deliberately fashioning and appropriating the body for the perfect script of heaven.

(This concept is from my book 'OMEGA GENERATION' - join the OG REVOLUTION!)

2009-03-23T03:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Breakthrough Nation! We were formerly BCI (Breakthrough Community International) but due to the changing nature of our organisation in keeping with God's progressive and ever-changing plans, we are left with no option but to keep abreast with the Spirit of God.
Breakthrough Nation is the appropriate description of the current apostolic state and nature of our organisation. For a while now God has been talking to us about a radical evolution in the body of Christ from a church model and paradigm, to a church nation. It is a shift from just building governmental apostolic churches, to building and running nations apostolically. From pastoring churches, to pastoring nations.

This concept has always been part of God's original intention for the church that one day, the church would become a GLOBAL NATION affecting and changing the nations of the world. In calling Abraham, God's primary focus was to make him a GREAT NATION before he pronounced upon him the 'blessing' through whom the whole earth would be blessed.

"Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house to a land I will show you. I will make you a GREAT NATION; I will bless you.... and you shall be a blessing.... the earth shall be blessed."
Genesis 12:1 - 2

This divine idea also reveberated in the New Testament in which the writer addresses the church as a nation, called out of darkness to declare the praises of God.

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own people that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
1 Peter 2:10

Even the Israelites who were called the 'church in the wilderness' (Acts 7:38) were intended by God to become a peculiar nation from the nations of the world, where God ruled all aspects and dimensions of its existence. Though Israel may not fully enjoy this unique relationship with their God today, this privilege is available to all other nations of the world who are fed up with corrupt systems of man and are in dire need of a superior divine system from on high that promises prosperity, security, destiny and a future. However, to communicate this to a world that is so indifferent to God, the church must take on a nation mindset and paradigm,and begin to incorporate within its structure nation building programmes and platforms so that future politicians, lawyers, accountants, economists, business entrepreneurs, doctors, teachers, philosophers and leaders of every sphere of life comes from the church. They must be inundated with God's mind and intention to rebuild the nations of the earth in accordance with His original plan and architectural system and design. I won't be surprised if future leaders of the world are handpicked by God from the church to run the nations of this world with His form of government, purpose and rule of law. In fact, I believe that the church has entered into that stage. Hence in our organisation we are deliberately generating these mindsets and nation building development programmes within our local church embassies. God is repositioning the church to pastor, administrate, govern and rule the nations with His sceptre of righteousness.

Why is this Church Evolution so crucial?

Just look at the current global economic meltdown and the astronomical impact that it is having on the nations of the world on every level of life. This global crisis is affecting all people whether employed or unemployed; rich or poor; black or white; whether from small Island nations or from the biggest continents of the world. On top of this is global warming, food and water shortages, wars, genocides, incurable diseases, erosion of families and so much more! This to me is a sign that the best minds of this world and the finest political and governmental systems are incapable of navigating humanity out of these turbulent waters and into a brighter future. God will frustrate the ingenuity of man to manage and sustain the ever debilitating, entropic and decaying nature of this world, so that all eyes can be lifted to the heavens for the only remedy for our current global dilemma - GOD
HIMSELF!

The separation of church and state engineered by humanistic minds and philosophies that have kept God out of our government chambers for so long are now being bridged. New politics and politicians in the like of Daniel are now ready to enter into government and run the nations God's ways. Economists like Joseph are in position ready to bring to the earth corruption free kingdom economic systems that will float in the midst of economic crises and recessions. Nation leaders in the like of King David will reinstate God's theocratic rule to the nations and all creation, and the wisdom of the like of King Solomon will be dispensed for nation building, judgment and justice. God is fashioning His church people to bring leaders to every realm of life so that the earth will return to its original state in the Garden of Eden before the fall. The earth has now entered a new epoch where the God must rule the earth through His people. This is not a depiction of some future event, but an acknowledgment of a current doing of God.

Let the church arise and radically move from its former position to a nation building stance!