Persistence: Every Effective Soul winner's Trait

He was broke. He didn't have enough to eat not even to talk of purchasing a train ticket to his prospective business partner. Barnes had a strong conviction deep down in his bones that Thomas Edison was his business partner.

Well, when he got to Thomas Edison's office, he introduced himself and blurted out so loosely, "You are my business partner." Now Edison was confused. Where is this guy from? Who does he think he is?

So Thomas Edison offered the man a job as a cleaner. For eight years, Barnes was a cleaner in Thomas Edison's company.

At the time, Thomas Edison had built a recorder. However, people did not seem interested in buying the machine. He seemed to have abandoned the project. But one day, Barnes approached Edison after Edison was let down by a business tycoon he was persuading to get his recorder; the businessman did not really like the idea of such a machine.

Barnes said, "You see, I told you I am your business partner. Give me five of the machines and I will sell all of them."

After two weeks, Barnes returned to Edison with his sale of the recorder. Edison was stunned! More orders had been placed for the machine!

This was Barnes' bargain: "Emboss on the machine: 'Manufactured by Edison, Distributed by Barnes'.

They began a tremendous business partnership!

What a relentless attitude!

That's how every serious soul winner must be: persistent!

Bishop Matthew Addae-Mensah shared this story in his message on how to be an effective soul winner.

As seen previously, three keys for effective soul winning are:

# Prayer

# Boldness

# Persistence

To become an effective soul winner, you must be addicted to prayer, praying when you have to pray.

Peter and John were addicted to prayer (Acts 3:1). If you're addicted to prayer, you won't miss prayer time.

Once you start to pray, every step you take will be followed by signs and wonders.

In Acts 6:1-4, the Apostles gave prayer and the ministry of the Word precedence over serving tables. The man of God challenged the students to put themselves to task to pray; pray for six hours or five hours or two hours daily...make sure you pray.

Soul winning is spiritual warfare. You need the force of prayer to break the stronghold of the enemy.

Once you go out, angels are backing you.

The man of God challenged students present to settle within themselves and be persistent in doing the work.

Whatever dream you have, you should be persistent; you may try and fail. It is said that Thomas Edison failed 2000 times until he finally arrived at the light bulb. You see, you do not qualify for anything you have not asked God for. Ask God concerning what you want to become. Be persistent and believe.

It is not easy for people to come to Church. People like giving excuses but you must be persistent!

The parable of the King who threw a banquet and sent invitations to deserving folks was studied (see Luke 14:16-24). For each person's excuse, we identified that they were all lying; they just did not want to attend the banquet.

Bishop explained, "When it comes to the Gospel, people will give you excuses and lies. They will deceive you."

You must compel them!

Illustrating this point, he shared the story of a pastor who invited the townsfolk for Church Service. Many of them said they'd come but they did not show up. So one day, the pastor observed that the same people he invited the last time had gathered to drink palm wine.

So the pastor devised a plan to invite them this time with a wonderful bait. He said, "We'll be drinking palm wine at Church so you can all come." That day, they came in their numbers but as the Service progressed, they were asking, "But where is the palm wine?"

The good news is that many of them gave their lives to Christ!

You must aggressively persuade people to accept Christ. To compel is the Greek word 'Anagkazo' as used in Luke 14:23. Once you bring people to Church two or three times, it becomes easy for them to stay. Compel them to come to Church.

You must put pressure on them to receive.

It was said of the Apostles that they turned the world upside down because they led many to Christ aggressively (Acts 17:6).

He concluded by saying, "No man can devote his life to serve God and be left unrewarded!"

Seven surefire tips for winning a Soul a Day (Part 5)

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Luke 15:10

5. Discern opportunities and take advantage of them.

Every day, God makes opportunities available to us to preach the Gospel, and it behooves us to have the necessary spiritual perception to detect those opportunities. Paul the Apostle asked for the prayers of the Colossian Church: "Withal praying also for us, that God would open a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:" (Colossians 4:3). Learn to add this to your daily prayers- that God should grant you opportunities to preach the Gospel wherever you go. And when those opportunities show up, like we have learnt already, you must be prepared.
In Acts chapter 3, Peter and John were on their way to the Temple when they met this lame man at the gate called Beautiful. Peter commanded the man to rise in the Name of Jesus, and the Bible says immediately the man's feet and ankles bones received strength. Glory to God! But I want you to observe something that happened subsequently: "And all the people saw him (the lame man who had been healed) walking and praising God:...And when Peter SAW IT, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?" (see Acts 3:9-12). Even though a wonderful miracle had taken place, Peter spotted the opportunity to preach the Gospel to the multitude, and he did! The crowd gathered around in awe of that wonderful miracle- Peter discerned that it was a ripe harvest. He preached it. Verse 12 says 'when he saw it', he answered unto the people with the people. In other words, the gathering of the people was more than just mere curiosity to witness what had happened. The people wanted to know the Person who had performed the miracle- JESUS!

Lace your conversations with the Gospel, especially when you are talking to people you have newly met. As you discuss issues, discern ways by which you can put Jesus at the centre of it and make Him known to those listening.

This reminds me of a day that I asked a coursemate for her notes. This was my first time of speaking with her. However, she offered me her notebook to write. As I was writing, I prayed in my heart that God would help me to share the Gospel with her on returning the book to her. So after 2-3 minutes, I finished and returned her book. As I thanked her, I introduced myself to her and asked her a question: "Have you ever been sick of the same disease as your friend before?" She nodded. I asked her what she did after she found the cure. And then she went on to narrate the story. You see, the point is to always place the spotlight on the person first. In doing so, you can get their attention. One of the ways to do that is to ask questions. Well, I explained to her the problem of sin (the 'disease') that is common to all men and our need for a Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I was really glad to have shared the message with her, because she was a Muslim. And, glory to God, she believed it!

So, you can go ahead and pray for an opportunity to preach the Gospel even now. God will send a sinner your way so you can touch their life with the love of God. When that opportunity comes, don't make the mistake of thinking about what to say- it's unnecessary (see Mark 13:11).

#Bringafteryourownkind

OPERATION #Hear&Do! (Action #15)

"The work of a watchman is 'blood business'."

The Bible records in John 10:41 that John the Baptist did no miracle. That verse of Scripture was Apostle Divine Norteye's opening reading. But why didn't John do any miracles? John preached repentance void of compassion. The man of God had no compassion; it is compassion that will enable you to perform miracles.

Ezekiel 3:17-21 talks about how God has chosen you to be a watchman. Your job is to warn the unrighteous to turn away from their own ways and to embrace God's grace. Otherwise, if they die in their sins, God will hold you accountable for their souls.

Apostle Divine intimated that the work of a watchman is 'blood business.' This is because the reference above says that if the wicked die in their sins, God will require their blood at your hand. Can you account for someone's blood?

Young Timothy followed after the faith of his mother and grandmother. You must carry the zeal of your forefathers in the faith.

Making reference to mind boggling deeds of darkness in certain parts of the world, the man of God announced that, "It is ONLY the Gospel that changes animalistic behaviour in human beings."

He then moved on to his theme of Becoming an Effective Shepherd. Apostle Divine said there are two kinds of shepherds:

# Meaty shepherds (like Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli the Priest) [read Ezekiel 34:1-6]

# True Shepherds (like Samuel the Prophet)

As you preach the Gospel, nothing shall by any means hurt you.

There are invisible forces in operation to help you carry out your ministry (read Joshua 5:13).

God is counting on you to reach your generation with the Gospel.

Don't go and preach condemnation like John the Baptist did. The Gospel is a message of God's love.

Watch over your sheep; pray for them. The shepherd is a caring and loving guide to the sheep.

Remember, people are the sheep.

Set time aside to CARE, FEED, and GATHER the sheep.

Arise and join the great work of winning souls to the Lord. Now that you're young, seize the opportunity to preach the Gospel.

Also remember, the words you hear today light you up on fire to go and preach the Gospel.

Keep this thought: The power of the Spirit is what is necessary for change in people's lives.

DO!: God wants all men to be saved (2 Peter 3:9). What are you doing about it? Arise and preach the Gospel today. Spend time in fervent intercession as well.

REVIEW: What are the key lessons you have learnt from today's Hear&Do? Please share to bless a brother or sister.

#BringafteryourownKind

OPERATION #Hear&Do! (Action #9)

"If a shepherd does not have a pen to keep his flocks, they will all scatter."
- Apostle Nana Yiadom-Boakye

As part of our mandate to preach the Gospel, church planting is so vital in making disciples of the people who believe the Gospel. It's like giving birth to a newly born child; it needs a home in which the mother would nurse it and train it to adapt to the new environment that it has found itself in.

On the same evening that we received 10 reasons to win souls, we were blessed to receive the ministry of Apostle Nana Yiadom-Boakye, who shared on Why you must plant churches everywhere you go.

He severally hammered on this point: Every child of God is a potential church planter. This is because the Bible says that we are priests (see 1 Peter 2:9). Turning to Joel 2:28, he declared that by reason of the Holy Spirit in us, we have been given all the power required in order to plant churches.

Due to time constraints, he was able to outline 7 reasons we must plant churches everywhere we go, as follows:

#1: When you plant churches, you fulfil the Great Commission ( read Matthew 28:18-20).

#2: You must plant churches because you are a priest (read 1 Peter 2:9).

#3: You must plant churches because where two or three come together in the Name of Jesus, He is there with them (read Matthew 18:20).

#4: You must plant churches because as you do, you are fulfilling the heartbeat of Jesus Christ (Luke 19:10)

#5: You must plant churches so that we will see the Spirit of God using you to bring after your kind and so that your fruit will remain (read John 15:16).

#6: You must plant churches because that was the pattern of the Early Church.

#7: You must plant churches so that those souls that have been won will not be scattered.

Today, believe in yourself that you're a church planter!

DO!: Since Tuesday, you've revised along the lines of preaching the Gospel. And today, you have learnt about the importance of churches.
New believers need to be fed with the Word of God for establishment in the faith. People like you and me are needed to build them up with the Word. It's time to work on helping the new converts in your area to grow. Pray to God and inform your pastor about your desire to plant churches and you'll be guided concerning how you should go about planting a church there. If you come to a new community, preach the Gospel, gather the people and have Services with them (co-ordinate with your own pastor always before you begin).

REVIEW: What is the key lesson you have learnt from today's Hear&Do? Please share to bless a brother or sister.

#BringafteryourownKind

Seven Surefire tips for winning a Soul a Day (Part 4)

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Luke 15:10

4. Be prepared to share

Paul charged Timothy to, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season...." (2 Timothy 4:2). Being prepared in all aspects of your being is important in winning souls daily. This is because that is where you derive confidence. You must be prepared spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically.

Spiritually speaking, you must ensure you that you are built up within. In other words, let your spirit be prepared to meet the challenges that come as you preach the Gospel. Your faith must be alive! That's why meditation on the Word and prayer are necessary for daily living. When you meditate on the Word, faith comes to your spirit and you become bold as you perceive spiritual realities. For example, as you preach the Gospel, when you meet people who are afflicted with certain diseases, you needn't chicken out. As a prepared minister of the Gospel, you know from the Word that, '...they shall lay their hands on the sick and they [the sick] shall recover... " (Mark 16:18), and so you will lay your hands on the fellow and declare, "Be healed in the Name of Jesus!' and he will be healed. Glory to God!

Being emotionally prepared means that no matter the kind of reactions you receive from those to whom you preach, you would still have a reason to preach the Gospel. Paul said, '...we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-' (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). People may say hurtful things to you, or about you as you preach the Gospel, and so you must be prepared emotionally for such things- don't talk back or get violent. Just be thankful to God that He has counted you faithful to receive reproach for His Name's sake!
Intellectually, you must be prepared- what do you know about Darwinism, or Islam, or the New Age Movement? Explore in these areas, not to partake in their practices, but in order to hold forth the integrity of the Scriptures even as you refute false views, opinions and religions. However, do not be overly consumed with studying in those areas to the neglect of the Scriptures. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation!

And you must be physically prepared to preach the Gospel. Brush your teeth well, comb your hair well and dress up well. Keep a smile on your face always. Use a good deodorant to ward off unpleasant odour from your body. Remember, you are the light of the world. The way you are dressed determines the way you are addressed. For some people, the first thing they will look at as you approach them is your physical appearance. If that does not appeal to them, nothing you say will move them, except by the intervention of the Spirit.

So, prepare yourself in all aspects, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically!

OPERATION #Hear&Do! (Action #8)

"The day you give your life to Jesus, you become an EVANGELIST; He gives you the power to preach the Gospel."
- Lady Bishop (Elect) Naana Addae-Mensah

The remaining five reasons why you must preach the Gospel are as follows:

#6: Winning souls is a sign that one will confess Jesus, whom also Jesus will confess before the Father. (Read Matthew 10:32)

#7: When you preach the Gospel, you are not guilty of the blood of your friends and loved ones. As such, when they die they won't go to hell! (Ezekiel 33:3-4)

#8: Soul winning proves that you are showing the compassion Jesus had for you. (Read Matthew 9:36)

Anytime you see a gathering of people, that is a time you have to preach.

#9: You must preach the Gospel to fill the House of God. (Luke 14:21)

#10: Soul winning shows that you are not ashamed of the Gospel. (Romans 1:16)

DO!: You have got five more reasons to preach the Gospel. Step out there and preach it today!

REVIEW: What is the key lesson you have learnt from today's Hear&Do? Please share to bless a brother or sister.

#BringafteryourownKind

Seven Surefire tips for winning a Soul a Day (Part 3)

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Luke 15:10

3. Be concerned

One Sunday morning, as I sat in a bus on my way to Church, I engaged this dear lady in a conversation. As our conversation progressed, I discovered she was a chorister. Then I asked her whether she knew about her responsibility to preach the Gospel. She replied, "I'm not really into the preaching thing. My passion is not in those things." To be honest, I was really astonished with great bewilderment. But I hid it from her and explained to her the necessity to preach the Gospel on the part of every believer.

You see, that dear lady knew that she ought to preach the Gospel. However, there was no compelling force for her to reach out with it. The love of God is that compelling force. The Bible says that the love of Christ constrains us (2 Corinthians 5:14). In other words, the love of Christ in your heart is what moves you to preach the Gospel. It does not matter how many conferences you have attended or how many books you have read on soulwinning; a heart that is broken for the lost is what will stir you to weep in intercession and compel you to preach daily. That love will drive out fear out of your system, because it will inspire faith in your spirit.

How concerned are you about people, no matter who they are? One day, I was walking with my faithful companion, Gabriel, and we passed by a man carrying metals. I had this urge to help the man as we were passing by him, because I noticed that he was struggling with the weight. We went a few feet ahead of him and I stopped in my tracks. I told Gabriel, "Let's help the man." And so we did. When we got to his destination with the metals, he said, "God bless you," in English. I almost assumed in my mind that he was a Christian.

Fortunately, we had tracts. So we gave him a copy. And then he said, "I'm a Muslim." Well, that's wonderful- I said to myself.

So I explained to him that Jesus Christ died for ALL, not for Christians only. I think that was news to him and instantly, he told those around him. He did not yield his life to the Lord right there but I am so glad that through carrying metals we came into contact with him.

Show concern when you see people in need; it will create opportunities for you to preach the Gospel always!

Remember, Jesus was moved with compassion when he saw the multitudes (Mark 6:34).

#BringafteryourownKind

Seven surefire tips for winning a soul a day (Part 2)

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Luke 15:10

2. Get HUNGRY; not ANGRY

Why condemn yourself because you couldn't preach the whole of last week? It's true that preaching the Gospel is your primary mandate on earth, but beware when condemnation begins to set in, if you have not been able to reach certain targets you have set for yourself to achieve. The Bible says there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). That voice you hear which keeps belittling you for your inability to win souls, or your forgetting to pray for the sick to be healed is not of God.

The Holy Spirit convicts; He does not condemn (John 16:8)

Now, instead of getting mad at yourself, which will render you even more unproductive, rather be desirous of greater works.

Be hungry for souls. That will keep you on fire every day, because you'll be like a hunter who excitedly goes to the forest knowing full well that there's game for him, and all he has to do is to spot them, aim well, fire his gun and pick it up.

Don't be like the fisherman who's so consumed with the poor catch yesterday that he does not even dream of going to the sea anymore.

This is your life's call: to preach the Gospel. Get excited every day as you wake up and say to yourself, "By the power of the Spirit, I will impart eternal life to many people today as I preach the Gospel and they believe."

So, don't get angry; be hungry!

#BringafteryourownKind

Seven surefire tips for winning a Soul a Day (Part 1)

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Luke 15:10

Winning souls should be a daily part of our lives. Saints all around the worked can do much more if we purpose in our hearts to win, at least, a soul a day! My friend, it is possible. Let's cover the world with the Gospel. In this series, you will learn seven practical tips for winning a soul a day.

1. Pay attention to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said in John 15:5 that we should abide in Him and He in us, for without Him we can do nothing. And in 2 Corinthians 6:1, the Bible says we are co-labourers with God. In giving the great commission, Jesus said He would be with us to the end of the age. These references all point to the Holy Spirit. He lives in you.

Commune with Him through prayer, worship and meditation on the Word. Then, listen to His Voice- He's always speaking, always guiding you through promptings. To hear him well, cultivate the habit of speaking in tongues very frequently. Now, for instance, when you sit in a bus, and He prompts you to preach to the person sitting next to you, don't reason out what to say. That can cost you a soul! When God gives you an instruction, He releases grace to accomplish it! Just obey Him and speak the Word. "What if I don't know how to start?" Well, you can start like this: "Hello, my name is .... I have some good news for you. Would you mind giving me two minutes?" or "Excuse me, can I ask you a question?... Do you know Jesus Christ?" With the second one, depending on the answer the person gives, you will know how to continue with the Gospel.

So, pay attention to the Holy Spirit. And when you hear Him, don't ignore Him- obey Him!

#BringafteryourownKind

Portrait of an Effective Soulwinner- Piece #2

The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men—he gathers and receives them for eternity].
                                                                   
                                                                      Proverbs 11:30, AMP

In our previous piece, we discovered that the foremost quality of an effective soulwinner is that he/she must abide in the True Vine through prayer. The second quality I will share with you is compassion. Has your heart ever broken over an incidence or a situation such that you wept or had a compulsion to do something about it? That's the kind of compassion an effective soulwinner has in his heart- it reaches out in love and is self-giving.

Soulwinning is more than just preaching; it is actually carrying the heart of Jesus Christ for the world. The Bible says God so loved the world that He gave His ONE and ONLY Son, Jesus, that we may have eternal life (John 3:16). That was the only solution to our fallen state and separation from Him. This love is so deep and so profound that it can reach out and touch any man's life, no matter his personality. And when it does, the person becomes changed from the inside. Glory to God! The Bible says, 'But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.' (Romans 5:8, AMP).

The perfect example of compassion we can see with reference to soulwinning is that of Jesus. Remember that I said previously: Jesus is the Master Soulwinner and we must follow Him in order to be effective soulwinners, just like Him (Matthew 4:19). Here's the background to the story: Jesus had been ministering all through the day and decided to retreat with His disciples to go and rest and have something to eat. However, some of the folks they had ministered to earlier spotted them and sounded the alarm for others to come and hear from the Master and witness the power of God at work (vv. 32-34). What was Jesus going to do now? Leave them and go and take a nap? Certainly not! The Bible says, 'At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.' (Mark 6:34)

Now, it takes a great deal of compassion to do such a thing. This compassion does not consider what your present circumstances are- it has one goal in mind: to win them by love! In 2 Corinthians 5:14, Paul writes that the love of Christ constrains us. In other words, the love of Christ in our hearts is the motivation, the foundation upon which we preach the Gospel. That is why we intercede in prayer for the lost. This love is like a burden on your heart that is replaced with the joy of the Lord as men are coming to Christ. Glory to God!

Don't be selfish by praying only for yourself and your family in your prayers. The Bible says you are a priest (Revelation 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9). Thus, it is your priestly duty to intercede for the lost. Pray until you see the salvation of that fellow in your community. Let this love of Christ in your heart compel you to weep for the ungodly. Instead of passing judgemental remarks, go on your knees, cry  unto God on their behalf and receive mercy for them. Pray that their hearts will be open to receive the Word. Be moved at the plight of the sinner- he has NO HOPE (Ephesians 2:12)! But, through your prayers, and ONE TRUTH you speak to them, they shall be saved. Praise the Lord!

Remember that compassion is like fuel to keep you going even when you seem to be giving up. God bless you- we'll put piece #3 in place next month!