Bread of Life Voice

Every servant that goes on a mission is empowered with the authority of his master and any servant who goes without this authority risks failure or even destruction. Our Lord was well aware of this and did not allow his apostles go empty handed.

He knew he was sending them out as sheep in the midst of wolves (Matt.10:16) and therefore there was need to cloth them. He did not just cloth them, but he clothed them with power. Being clothed is essential equipment for ministry and any minister who goes out without the requisite clothing is like a man who walks the street naked.

It is share madness for a child of God who knows that he/she is on a mission in this world, to stay without the clothing from above. This clothing is not just as your material clothing that plays a passive role of protecting you from negative environmental factors, but also an active element that affects any place where the wearer enters.

 Other roles of clothing include to; beautify our appearance, give us a mark of identity (e.g a uniform), make us acceptable, make us effective (eg sports wears), etc. The power from above, which our Lord has promised has same abilities and even more. This power protects us, even as we battle for kingdom advancement.

It beautifies our spirit, keeping us in the image of God as one carrying the aura of God’s presence. It gives us a mark of identity, as co-heirs with Christ and commissioned us into the ministry of reconciling men to God (2 Cor.5:19).

It makes us and our work acceptable unto God and also gives our work that power of acceptability that pierces the soul and brings conviction. It makes us effective in our mission and ensures that our effort in service to God is not in vain.

 How then can we be clothed with the power from above?

St Paul has given us practical steps with which to get clothed in this power. These steps are found in Eph. 6:10–18. There he admonishes us to put on the whole armour of God, so that we can withstand, resist, overcome and defeat the devil; not only that, but also to remain standing after doing so, for it is possible that a soldier defeats his enemy in battle and in the process sustains a fatal injury that renders him weak, damaged, dysfunctional, redundant or even dead afterwards – many have gone this way.

The power with which the Lord is clothing us is made manifest in truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, prayer and perseverance. These are great elements of this power that we cannot do without. We have to develop these essential ingredients for us to be fully clothed with power.

 Brethren, the Renewal and in deed the Spirit is entering a new era, it is an era of evangelization and kingdom advancement; it is an onslaught against the kingdom of darkness, do you want to be taken off-guard? No, not at all, therefore we must strive to be clothed with the power from above; without which we will not only do ‘nothing’ but also risk our own destruction in battle and in the hands of the enemy – God forbids!

 Prayer Point/meditation; Use Psalm 51

 1.    Pray for the grace of dwelling in the secret place of the Most High.

2.    Ask God to cloth you with the power of the Holy Spirit.

 (Source: This Message is taken from 2018 Awka Diocesan CCRN Pentecost Programme, Day 6)