OTHERS

Over a century ago, the founder of the Salvation Army, General William Booth, was scheduled to be present at the Salvation Army Convention in London, England, where he would be ministering to them. However, due to his deteriorating health, General Booth could not make it to the conference. So he sent out an urgent letter to them, firmly instructing that the letter should not be opened until all the delegates have assembled. Then, they could break the seal and read the contents of the letter. On the first day of the Convention, the venue for the Convention got filled up as people walked into the auditorium full of expectation, to hear the Word from his great General of God and be blessed. But the moderator stepped behind the pulpit and gave them the news of General Booth's inability to come. Many were displeased. He however indicated that General Booth sent a letter to be read to them. With all eagerness and anticipation, the delegates listened attentively for the message. Do you know what was in that letter? Here it is:

Dear Delegates of the Salvation Army Convention:

OTHERS!

Signed, General Booth.

Just ONE word was contained in that letter: OTHERS! Others are still out there who have neither heard nor believed the Gospel. It is our responsibility to tell the others the Gospel. We have a mandate to publish this Good News in every corner of the earth. Everybody MUST hear about the love of Jesus Christ! And you are God's special carrier of this divine message. You must be concerned about the OTHERS who have not heard the Gospel all around you.

On the fourth day of the 2017 Faith to Faith Convention, Bishop Emmanuel Nterful commenced his message on "Others" by reading from Philippians 2:4-5: "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" He pointed out that the last words of Jesus to the Church were for us to go and look for others. This is what we know popularly to be the Great Commission. He charged the congregation not to be selfish and not to forget about others. He admonished them to fix their eyes on others, saying, "Christ Jesus had a mind for others. An important mind to have is to have a mind for others.

He further elucidated what the message of others entails as follows:

# The message of others is that others exist.

We cannot be satisfied with where we are. God wants us to understand that others exist. Our duty is to preach the Gospel and to make disciples. If upon all the grace and anointing we receive, we do not channel it towards others, we're wasting our time. There are others that exist beyond our localities. In Acts 1:8, Jesus told His disciples of the power they would receive to witness in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth. Ghana is our Jerusalem. West Africa is our Judaea. Africa is our Samaria and the rest of the world is waiting for us. We cannot be satisfied being here alone.

# The message of others is that our minds must be on others. We must think about others.

# The message of others is that we must spend our lives for others. Paul spent his life for the Corinthian Church (2 Corinthians 12:15). Jesus also spent His life for others. At age 33, He went to the cross and suffered affliction for the ungodly, being crucified on the cross for the remission of our sins. He did it because of others. The man of God earnestly commanded, "Sacrifice your life. Pay the price for the sake of others. Spend your life for others. It is not possible until we spend our lives and we are spent."

# The message of others is that we must lay down our lives for others. 

We must die for others. The man of God charged, "Stop praying for money, cars and houses; those things will follow you if you seek the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). It is time for you to die, sacrifice, suffer and lay down your life for others."

Bishop Nterful noted that the real work of preaching the Gospel is not in Accra; Accra has enough Churches. We need to go out there! 

Reading from John 15:13 and 1 John 3:16, the man of God pointed out that we are obligated to lay down our lives for others.

He sternly cautioned, "If we don't allow our young men and women to lay down their lives, there'll be no future...there is no greater work than to be a pastor."

# The message of others is that we need to serve others. 

Jesus set an example of servanthood for us in John 13:14-16. We are called to serve. Find something to do in Church and through that you'll be serving others (Matthew 20:28).

# The message of others is that we must live for others.

# The message of others is that we must use all the blessings God has given us to care for others.

Understand that others need Christ. When the Samaritan woman saw Christ, she witnessed to others (John 4:27-29).

Others must hear the Gospel. You must send the message everywhere.

The man of God concluded, "If God has given you a good message, you must know that you must preach it to many many many people. Live for others. Pray for others. Care for others. You've done enough for yourself; it's time for you to lay down your life for others."

As the anointing coursed through the auditorium, Bishop Nterful ministered the apostolic anointing upon the young people, with glorious manifestations of the Spirit resulting!

'Twas a night for OTHERS!

Turn your faith loose at www.gospellightint.org/nu