Servanthood - The Law Of Thinking
Transcription
Servanthood - The Law Of Thinking
Servanthood by Bishop E. Bernard Jordan Copyright O 1996 by Biihop E. Bernard Jordan, Zoe Ministries, 4702 Farragut Road, Brooklyn, New York, 11203. All rights reserved. No part of thii book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, mechanical or automated, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. Printed in the United States of America Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. In Gratitude Thank you for your support. Withotit you, this book will not be placed in the earth. Cnrla L. Coles Gerald Watkins Deacoi~essAnnie Reed Deaconess Board of The Clturclz of New York 1 Zoe Ministries Deaconess Hope Tltompsoi~b Cynthia Cnrby Gloria Patterson Joyce Lee Mary Ayeni Monica Keise Shirley B~crke Deaconess Ovella Davis b Deaconess Madge E. Boyd Delores Ford Edwards Elder A. Fitzgerald King Elder Donald J. b Rose Anderson b The Faitlz Comnt~lniftJ Fellowship Church Pastor William b Jane Dam'snw Franklin b Rose Stnitlt Jenniit Waldron-Reid Min. Joseph &Justine Siinmons Mins. David b Ruth Woodfork Pastor Connie Miles Pastor Jack D. Ullom Pastor James b Donna Dlotcan b Family Pastor James b Sandra Lilly b T l ~ Eagles' e Szrmmif Cllristian Fellowship Church Pastor Katie Peecher b Deaconess Michelle Siiilii~ons Pastor Richard Ebmgn Pastors Benjamin b Mercedes Williains b The S~lccessWorld Outreach Ministries Rev. b Mrs. Kwesi Newinan Rzttll Ma y Bean Sheila Byrd &Harriet Btrslz Wendy Pelfew By embracing our vision, you have already captured a key to mentorship demonstrated by Aaron and Hur when they held up Moses' arms. Know this: what you make happen for a man of God, God will make happen for you. May God's anointing that is upon this book be upon you! In His Love and Service Bishop E. Bernard b Pastor Debra Jordan In Dedication This book is dedicated to Joshua Nathaniel Jordan, my firstborn male child who will carry the mantle of his father to hture generations. A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Ministry brings with it an inherent exposure and notoriety. Many become enamored with ministry, being mesmerized by the "crowd." Their egos become inflated, tides bestowing imaginary importance abound and all too many lose sight of the true calling towards ministry. Jesus invites us all to come and die....that He may live.....that He may be seen..... and that He might be glorified. We're called to the lowly path of a servant; to willingly abase ourselves "for the joy thereof." We're called to empower those we are called to serve; called to become "dream-makers" for others, allowing the serpent of personal ambition to die until God resurrects and restores that which has been permitted to die. The true servant is becoming an oddity. Many despise the walk of a servant, and with today's strange doctrines, many reject the validity of the humbling experience of servanthood. Yet the Word of God urges us to become disciples; disciplined followers of those to whom He assigns us, and delineates the reward of the Lord that comes to a faithful servant. The walk of a servant will lead you to the path of greatness, for it will bring elevation into your life. There is no greater calling, for God calls servants, and servants become leaders. There are no short cuts. This book will help you to discover the joy of serving; allowing your hean to he purged of vain imaginations and untamed ambitions. This hook will bring a visitation ofchange in your life as you step towards becoming like Jesus ...for He was the greatest Servant of all. He served mankind through His death, and ever liveth to make intercession. How are you sening mankind, and what are you ever living for? Something to think about, as you sojourn through SERVANTHOOD. NOTE FROM THE EDITOR V PART I Semant Leaders a PART 111 The Power of Service 35 PART !Ill Cbg.listBe Fomed 18 You 60 PART IV The M i ~ & t vof An Echo 81 PART "GodMakes Servants And Servants Become Leaders!" - Bkhop E. Bernard Jordan PART Exodus 1:12-21 "But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor. And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: And he said, When ye do the ofice of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? SERVANT LEADERS And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian zuomen; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. Therefore God dealt well zuith the midwives; and the people multiplied, and zuaxed very mighty. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses." One of the things we must realize is that this society has become the antithesis of the Word of God. A society that is permeated with rebellion becomes a self-centered and self-gratifying society that will hurtle into the judgment of God. If a society allows for the erosion of God's purpose for the offices of manhood and womanhood, then we are faced with a tradition of thought that will create demands upon both genders that were never intended for them to fulfill. The pressures that have been placed upon black women in particular come as a result of deliberate WHEN WE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE FORCE OF OPPRESSION, WE CAN SEE ITS DEVASTATING REALITY WITHIN OUR SOCIETY, SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN oppression that started during slavery and has perpetuated itself through the destruction of the family unit. Black men have been subversively trained to become weak in the areas of family management, and through their weaknesses, have abdicated their role to their wives. This has placed a tremendous weight upon the shoulders of black women; one they were never intended to carry. Perhaps this strain has fostered the deep resentments that many of our women carry towards men. Their pain views their God-given command of submission as an enemy and an affront to their daily reality. The gospel of Jesus Christ-the good news- is that God wants to restore that which has been robbed from His people. Jesus Christ the Liberator desires to bring His women into a place of true liberation, which can only be found as they move in the power of submission. Rather than women continuing in a course that criticizes and ~ P P R E S S I O NIS A DEMONIC FORCE THAT HAS PURPOSED TO METHODICALLY DESTROY YOUR SOUL. SERVANT LEADERS denigrates men, God wants His daughters to move in an aspect of the office of womanhood that will lead them to fear God and save their men. When women are in alignment with the will of God, then the scripture shall fulfill itself ..."God shall make for you houses." Because the midwives feared God, God prospered them, and He made them houses. When we begin to understand the force of oppression, we can see its devastating reality within our society. Zechariah 9:s ""And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of them that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more'for now have I seen with mine eyes." Zechariah 9:s (Living Bible) ""AndI will surround my temple like a God to keep invad- G O D CALLS MEN AND ESPECIALLY QUALIFIES THEM TO REBUKE TYRANTS WHO ARE OPPRESSING HUMANITY. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD jORDAN ing armies from entering Israel. I am closely watching their nzovements and I will keep them away. No foreign oppressor will again overnaz my people's land." When we begin to look at the word "oppression," we discover the Hebrew word "nagash," which means "the oppressed or exploited." It is an indication that someone is trying to profit through the dehumanization of another. Those who have been oppressed are afflicted; they live in a permanent state of anxiety as they carry out the orders of their oppressors. When you start to deal with the oppressor, the first discovery that you will make is that you are now dealing with an enemy of your soul. Oppression is a demonic force that has purposed to methodically destroy your soul. The enemy seeks after anointed individuals to bring distraction and destruction upon the horizons of their lives. The devil understands that if he can snuff out the anointing in your life YOU MUST SPEAK THE TRUTH I TO YOUR OPPRESSORS WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT* SERVANT LEADERS or uproot the seed of faith within your heart, then he can successfully disqualify your charge as a deliverer. God calls men and especially qualifies them to rebuke tyrants who are oppressing humanity. Let me suggest to you that God is raising up deliverers to address specific situations, but most folks are afraid of telling the truth in the face of their oppressor. They've become complacent and silent from the intimidation of their enemy. When you gain an understanding of the Kingdom of God, and the purpose of the anointing, you'll realize that God has anointed you to tell the truth. You're commanded to tell the truth whether it feels good or not. You must speak the truth to your oppressors whether they like it or not. God anoints you to upset the apple cart! God will send anointed vessels with revelation and clear insight into the purpose of the future who shall reveal the power of God in the courts of his IT IS OUR DUTY TO DEMAND THE FREEDOM OF THE OPPRESSED. SERVANTWOOD B I S H O P E. BERNARD JORDAN oppressor. I believe this nation is not only waiting for voices to emerge, but waiting for the voices that will produce miracles. It's one thing to spew the engaging rhetoric of the enticing words of men's wisdom, but its a whole new dimension when one is an anointed orator that can speak in the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost. God is searching the earth for people who can speak in His Name and reveal His glory. It is our duty to demand the freedom of the oppressed. When you see a captive individual, it is your right and your duty to demand his or her freedom. You must be willing to use stringent measures to obtain this freedom by any means necessary. We must be fired with a holy courage and go forth as angels to snap the fetters of the bondsmen and bring them into liberation. SERVANT LEADERS Notice that when God raises up a man, He will usually assigns a companion to that man. Jesus had John the Baptist, Moses had Aaron, Naomi had Ruth, and Paul had Cyrus. We must learn to embrace the covenantal bonds of relationshp that preclude competition and insecurity. When relationship is flowing properly, no sacrifice is too great to make. There will be a discerning of purpose that will not allow anything to sever the bonds of unity. We discover, in the relationship between Moses and Aaron, that absolutely nothing severed their tie. There was a willingness on both their parts to embrace the fullness of their destiny, regardless of the price they may have had to pay. They loved not their lives unto death. Whenever you begin to place demands on the oppressor, the struggle will begin! Rebuking a tyrant is an especially difficult matter if he occupies the seat of a high social position. You are WHEN IT'S REALLY TIME FOR YOUR LIBERATION OR FOR YOU TO DELIVER, THE PAIN BECOMES ALMOST UNBEAUIBLE. 1 SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN always threatened by the fact that a tyrant can use his seat of power to wipe you out. Therefore, you must know the reality of God's Word: "Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world." Your reward comes from God. One will experience a peaceful soul of which the outward clamor and catastrophes of t h s world cannot disturb. The joy of the Lord shall surely become your strength. When a righteous man rebukes a tyrant, the tyrant is often stirred to a greater degree of animosity. Don't deceive yourself; it never gets better....it only gets worse! It's comparable to giving birth. You may feel nauseated the first three months of your pregnancy; by six months, you'll start feeling clumsy and awkward. By the end of nine months, the pressure is overwhelming. By the time of delivery, you start feeling the intensity of pressure. When it's really time for your liberation or for you to deliver, the pain becomes almost IFTHERE IS NO CRY, THERE WILL BE NO DIVINE INTERVENTION, SERVANT LEADERS unbearable. When your pain increases, it may be a signal that your deliverance is right around the corner. When the pain increases, God is preparing you for the explosion. Pain is a signal that breakthrough is coming. Pain is the signal of the dawning of a new day. God sends His anointing and empowers you to stand against your oppressors, but He will not absolve you of your responsibility in the matter. He will allow the tyrants to pursue their course of cruel oppression without interruption until you begin to produce a cry. If there is no cry, there will be no divine intervention. God's ears were always attentive to the cries of His people. In order for you to have the kind of breakthrough that you're going to need in life, you're going to have to make a sound. In order for you to experience the degree of glory that has been destined for you, you're going to have to INTERCESSION AND STANDS IN THE GAP BETWEEN OPPRESSION AND LIBERATION. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN make some noise! In order for you to see God move in the way you need Him to move, you've got to get to the place where you begin to say, "Enough is enough!" God will cause that cry to begin to well up on the inside of you. When you get tired of the situation of your own people and develop an appetite for change, you're going to have to begin to cry. If you're tired of your family living the way that they're living, may I suggest to you that you're going to have to lift your voice to heaven and let out a cry. If you want to experience true deliverance, somebody's going to have to make some noise. There's a progression that signals deliverance: oppression, the cry, and then, liberation. The cry becomes your mediator. The cry becomes your intercession. Somehow, your cry stands in the gap between oppression and Iiberation. WHENBETTER IS AVAILABLE, YOUR GOOD IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. SERVANT LEADERS Could it be that the reason some of us haven't seen our breakthrough is because we've adapted to the mediocrity in our lives? Could it be that some of us have become complacent in our circumstances?Are we afraid of the upheaval that change will bring? If you're not willing to change, then you forfeit your right to complain. If you find that you're feeling powerless and victimized, then I've got news for you! It's time to get upset! Tlus saying has become a living reality in me: "When better is available, your good is not good enough." Some of you have succumbed to normality. You're learning to deal on the level called "average." You've got to move beyond the safety net of average and open your mouth. God cannot do anything for you while you're in bondage as long as you keep your mouth closed. Freedom is costly, and you must be willing to pay the price to obtain it. YOU MUST RETAIN THE ABIILHT'Y TO STOOP AND SERVE, FOR THAT IS THE CALL OF GOD THAT IS UPON ALL OF OUR LIVES. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN The difference between the cry of a man and that of an animal is that though an animal roars in protest to its treatment, it must submit. An animal's shout is not a call for a savior. A man who is in covenant with God becomes a prophetic voice heralding the move of God. The cry becomes the voice of God. Why? Because the great cry making itself heard on the earth is the voice of God protesting the unjust oppression of God's people. This is why we must be touched with the infirmities of others. We must learn to walk where people are walking. You may need to walk the streets of your city and talk to the homeless. All of them are not on drugs; nor are they psychotic. Some of them are very educated and hold several degrees. And remember, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." Even as you read this book, some of you are one step away from living in a shelter. None of us can hold ourselves in such high esteem that we forget what it is like to live through hard times. You A MINISTER SHOULD NEVER I BE FOUND BORROWING MONEY FROM PARISHIONERSI FOR IT IS AM ABUSE OF THE OFFICE. I SERVANT LEADERS cannot allow prosperity to desensitize you to the needs and the pain of others. You must retain the ability to stoop and serve, for that is the call of God that is upon all of our lives. What does it really mean to serve? What does it really mean to stoop? What does it really mean to function as a minister? A deacon? A deaconess? What does it really mean to answer the call of God? The call of God is a call for service. It is not a call to be served. Often, individuals looking at the panorama of ministry will begin to formulate an erroneous picture of ministry in their minds. They become enraptured by the thought of being seen, or being addressed by a title, or by wearing distinctive clothing. Yet you must know that whatever talent God has given you, He put it there so that you can serve in greatness. This gift of prophecy that God has given to me wasn't placed in my life for me to enjoy it, but to serve others. Sornetimes, leaders I I THEHIGHER YOU GO IN MINISTRY/ THE LOWER YOU I I SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN have the wrong impression of ministry. They think ministry is to be served, but ministry is to serve. Ministry is never self-serving, but willingly embraces the burdens of others. Ministry embraces the responsibility of intercession. You will be compelled to labor and walk the floor until you get a breakthrough on someone else's behalf. My job is to walk the floors until I can get a solution. The Bible speaks of those who labored in prayer (Epharoditis). Regardless of the office that you occupy, your primary function is to serve. Therefore we need to understand as ministers, leaders, care group leaders, that our function is to serve. The office of ministry was never meant to become a license to abuse the people of God. A title was never meant to empower a minister's intimidation tactics. A minister should never be found borrowing money from parishioners, for it is an abuse of the office. If anything, a minister should be found empowering others and rescuing them from the dilem- EVERYFOUNDATION MUST BE WALKED UPON, SERVANT LEADERS mas of life. Service has got to emanate from a love that never tires. Service will compel you to go the extra mile to make things happen, even when they shouldn't happen. Service will cause you to pursue excellence in order to give people the quality of life they deserve. As a bishop, my service requires me to continually dig within the scriptures for revelation to strengthen and capacitate the people of God. We are called to serve one another. It should not be a strange thing to see ministers serving in the choir. No one should ever become so big that he or she cannot be seen singing. Regardless of whether you like the robes, you should be willing to serve. Zoe Ministries' choir wears a red cassock with a white surplice. Esthetically, the robes may not be fabulous in the eyes of most spectators, but they are meant to be garments of hmility. The white linen represents LEADERSARE TO BECOME THE PRIME E?UMFILE OF SERVICE HN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN righteousness, and the red cassock represents service. Each time choir members don robes, they are reminded of their high calling in Christ. They cannot meditate on the greatness of sound, or boast in who they think they are. Nor can they ever allow themselves to embrace the accolades of men. But they must always remember that the righteousness of God has been imputed to them, and their ministry of song must always arise before the Lord in humility. The Bishopric is frequently misunderstood. People see the ornate garments and think that the bishop is boasting of his princely stature in Christ. This is what makes most people leery of the word "bishop". Yet each garment that is worn by the bishop represents his service. A cincture is tied around the waist of the bishop, signifying that he is encircled with the strength of God. He is reminded to imitate Jesus girding Himself with a towel, while bending down to wash His disciples7feet. The higher you go in ministry, the lower you are FAELON THE ROCKAND BE BROKEN, RATHER THAN HAVE THE ROCKFALL ON YOU SERVANT LEADERS required to stoop. Jesus said those who desire to be greatest must become the servant of all. A person with the heart of a servant will do whatever it takes to assure that the job gets done. A servant isn't concerned about blame. If something didn't go right, a servant will take the blame and find a solution. He'll find a way to bring compensation for an error, and will not rest until the need is met. When you say that you're an apostle or a prophet, this is the reality of those two offices. Your life is not your own. You become foundational ministry, and you must become the floor for the feet of people to trample. Every foundation must be walked upon. You'll experience identification with Christ in many realms; you'll be spat upon, talked about, misjudged, misunderstood, criticized, abused and betrayed. Yet you will find that the grace of God will ever be present so that you may smile and continue to serve, for your purpose IF THE SHEPHERD CANNOT BE LOCATED THEN THE SHEEP WILL BE LOST. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN is to become a foundation in the House of the Lord. Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. And though His purpose was to serve God, He was also found sewing man. He could wash the feet of the lesser. He wasn't so big that He couldn't handle and smell the offensive parts of men. He was God, but He wasn't so big that He couldn't wash the feet of the lesser. Pride goes before a fall. When you feel that your title precludes your sweeping a floor or cleaning a toilet, you can consider your ministry corrupted by your conceit. Leaders are to become the prime example of service in the House of the Lord. There is a level of elevation that God desires to bring many into, but He wouldn't be able to stand many of us if He did. We'd get so grand and high-minded thdt we'd be better off broke! If you find yourself recoiling when someone asks you to do a menial task, then you need deliverance. If you're insulted when your name isn't HAVETHE HEART TO MENTOR OTHERS AND SHOW THEM THE ROPES THAT YOU BURNED YOUR HANDS CLIMBING, SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN is to become a foundation in the House of the Lord. Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. And though His purpose was to serve God, He was also found serving man. He could wash the feet of the lesser. He wasn't so big that He couldn't handle and smell the offensive parts of men. He was God, but He wasn't so big that He couldn't wash the feet of the lesser. Pride goes before a fall. When you feel that your title precludes your sweeping a floor or cleaning a toilet, you can consider your ministry corrupted by your conceit. Leaders are to become the prime example of service in the House of the Lord. There is a level of elevation that God desires to bring many into, but He wouldn't be able to stand many of us if He did. We'd get so grand and high-minded that we'd be better off broke! If you find yourself recoiling when someone asks you to do a menial task, then you need deliverance. If you're insulted when your name isn't HAVETHE HEART TO MENTOR OTHERS AND SHOW THEM THE ROPES THAT YOU BURNED YOUR HANDS CLIMBING. SERVANT LEADERS called, or angry if you're asked to wash dishes or move boxes; if you feel insulted if someone asks you to do a task that will dirty your hands, then you need to beg God for deliverance! You need to desperately search for deliverance; go find some toilets and clean them with a toothbrush. Separate the garbage and treat yourself to a smelly mess! Fall on the Rock and be broken, rather than have the Rock fall on you and be crushed! What have you really given back to your community or society without looking for a reward? What are the motives that are lurking in your heart? God wants to push you into greatness. But He also knows that before we can come into greatness, He has to break us. Your ability to be humbled determines the elevation into which you may come. When two of Jesus' disciples became overtaken by ambition and their mother tried to manipulate them into the two choicest seats at Jesus' WHENYOU ARE IN TOUCH WITH THE SOURCE AND SUBSTANCE THAT CAN PRODUCE WEALTH IN A HEARTBEAT, THEN YOU WILL NEVER BE FEARFUL OF GIVING. I SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN right and left hands, He replied, "But whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister." Can you afford to have your phone number listed? Or do you keep it unlisted because you don't want to be bothered? Perhaps you're hiding something ....or are you simply hiding? W h e n I tell great men and women o f God all across the country that m y phone number is listed, they're amazed. I've told many that i f the sheep cannot find the shepherd, then there is no need for the shepherd to be the shepherd. I don't care where I move or wherever I go, m y sheep will know m y voice. There are demands upon the shoulders o f every level of ministry. Those called into the office of the prophet face a unique set o f demands. They must be able to tell the truth and speak forth the word o f the Lord. Jesus trained His disciples daily. They ushered and handled the needs o f the people. They did not preen before the people in grandeur, boasting o f their GODSENT YOU INTO HISHOUSE SO THAT YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THE ABASEMENT OF SERVANTHOOD. SERVANT LEADERS proximity to Christ. Instead, they easily lead through their service. Their example was one that the people could admire. When they were elevated as apostles, I don't believe that the people resented their selection. I believe that the people could agree with the will of God, and attest to their character and servanthood in their midst. They had been fed naturally at the disciples' hands, and thus had no problem eating their spiritual truths. The disciples cleaned after meetings, served as bodyguards to Jesus, and kept the crowds from thronging Him. They served as chauffeurs; they drove and steered the ship. God somehow hand picks individuals and enrolls them in The Lord's Academy of Service. This is what brings balance to the message of prosperity. If your character is shady, money increases what you really are. If you're selfish, money will magnify your selfishness. If you lust after power, money will turn you into a self-serving dictator. If you're not broken inside, A TRUE SERVANT DOESN'T HAVE ANY OTHER DESIRE EXCEPT TO SERVE HE LACKS A JOB DESCRIPTION. - SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD IORDAN you can't handle wealth. It will destroy you. It will magnify the perversion of your character. If you've forgotten who you really are, you need to come in touch with reality. Go to your local psychiatric ward and talk with people whose minds are gone. Then when you come back into the house of the Lord, it will be easy for you to praise God. Perhaps you need to work in a shelter one day a week, and share what you know with someone who was less fortunate than yourself. Don't be so proud that you can't go back and reach for others. Have the heart to mentor others and show them the ropes that you burned your hands climbing. Until we can understand what it means to go without, what will sacrificial giving ever mean to us? If we were living in the book of Acts, would we have been ready for an Acts chapter 5 offering? Could God entrust us in 1996 to sell our houses and land and lay it down at the Apostle's feet? We frequently stand in the Lord's Presence and utter these words: "Lord I want more of GODMADE PROVISIONS FOR YOUR PAIN - HE EQUIPPED YOU WITH THE WEAPON OF CRYING. SERVANT LEADERS You. I'll do anything for You; You're my Lord." Most of us will find out that we've been lying, for when the Lord answers, "Eat of My flesh, and drink of My blood," we cringe and act like we don't know what He's talking about. He wants to know if you can walk away from the riches that have come into your possession the same way He walked away from His. Can you walk away from your great possessions the same way you did 10 years ago when all you had was $loo? Can you walk away from ten thousand today? He is the same God that moved upon you ten years ago for $100. Can you hear His Voice today concerning $10,000? If He brought you to your present level, can't He do it again? This is a test to know if you've really mastered prosperity; when you can have it all and give it all away. Masters of prosperity know that if all is emptied, they can refill again because the laws of God are everlasting IF YOU FALL UPON THE LORD, HE'LLBREAK, MOLD AND HEAL YOU. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD IORDAN to everlasting, and will continually produce after their own kind. When you are in touch with the Source and Substance that can produce wealth in a heartbeat, then you will never be fearful of giving. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Where am I called to serve? How am I to serve? Some of you need to renew your commitments. You must go beyond your feelings and understand your calling. Your wealth is not coming through your job, but your wealth is found in your vocation. When I say "calling", don't associate that with ministy; get that out of your mind! Many are called to sing, teach or dance. You may be called to establish a school or become a scientist. You must move beyond the job that "pays your bills" and discover your calling. Understand what you are called to do, and focus upon your target. The Scripture speaks of Joseph the dreamer. He had the DONOT BECOME STAGNANT - AND TOXIC MOVE BEYOND YOUR POINT OF PAIN. SERVANT LEADERS innate ability to dream and interpret dreams, yet the circumstances of his life caused him to interpret the dreams of other men and serve them while he himself laid in a prison state. He could have become frustrated like many of us would in this generation, and resented his predicament. He could have become angry with God and listed all his valid reasons of complaint. "God, You've done me wrong! Look what my brothers have done! After being made a slave, I finally got some recognition at Potiphar's house, and his wife lied on me. And now, I'm in prison. My whole life is ruined, and it's all Your fault! I'll show You! I will not prophesy, and I will not interpret another dream." If Joseph had harbored this type of attitude, he would have remained in jail all the days of his life, and would have discovered his answer in eternity. Can you imagine how he would have felt if God said, "Joseph, you were just two dreams and an interpretation away from a palace experience." AN EXCUSE IS NOTHING BUT A GUARDED LIE. J 27 SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN Why did God call you to serve? Why did He send you to your local church? You may have thought you were sent to prophesy. Maybe you thought He sent you to receive some good teaching, because after all, you've got "ministry" to fulfill. But I've got some news for you: God sent you into His house so that you can experience the abasement of servanthood. Many people are so busy chasing their own dreams that they're missing the dream that God is calling for them to catch. God's dream is the one that you're supposed to chase and unlock, for hidden within is the door that you'll walk through in order to come into your own inheritance. God continually intervenes in the hope that you would catch the revelation. Some of you were supposed to be fired from your jobs, but God's mercy kept you there. He said, "I'll keep them there for my servant's sake, because I know they'll be faithful in giving." Others remain under His eye; He watches to see when you are going to allow the talents He blessed EGOTISTICAL PEOPLE ESPECIALLY HAVE A HARD TIME SEEING THE TRUTH ABOUT THEMSELVES. SERVANT LEADERS you with to be expressed in the House of the Lord. He's especially watching those that will audition for the world, yet refuse to be seen within the ministry of arts. What has God given you that you're rejecting? What gift do you give in the House of the Lord with strings attached to manipulate and control others? what is your motivation? A true servant doesn't have any other desire except to serve. A true servant lacks a job description. A servant will do his or her work, and everyone else's work, too. A servant will desire to meet the need; even at the risk of doing the wrong thing. A servant will say, "Scream at me for doing the wrong thing, and teach me to do the right thing. I just want to serve to the best of my ability." Could it be that some of us are trapped in a groove of life like a scratched record because we have not been able to move past the scars of an old wound? Could that be why you refuse to serve another? Could it be that A SERVANT SHOULD CONSTANTLY SEEK TO SERVE TO THE BEST OF HIS ABILITY. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN God called you to serve in an area, but you're so busy petting your fears and insecurities that you've aborted several different assignments ...including those from the last church to which you belonged? All the world is waiting for the rest of the music of your life to play out, but you're caught up in a scratch. Why do you think that your pain is so exceptional? We've ALL been hurt at one time or another! The moment you came out of your mamma's belly, the doctor hit you on your backside to let you know that you would always encounter pain. God made provisions for your pain; He equipped you with the weapon of crying, but He also made sure you would feel the sting. We fear the repetition of pain, and buiid walls to protect ourselves from any reoccurrence. But the law of God built into the universe is that you can't run, and you can't hide. The cycle is bound to repeat itself! IF YOU LUST AFTER POWER, MONEY WILL TURN YOU INTO A SELF-SERVING DICTATOR. 30 SERVANT LEADERS Even if you leave your current church and come here to Zoe, you're going to run into your pain again until you master what you're called to master. If you had a fallout with your last pastor, and come to Zoe looking for refuge, I can guarantee, when the honeymoon is over, you'll have a fallout with me, too! Your song of woe will begin again! Many people think they're singing a new song, but they've forgotten the beginning stanza because they've been caught in the groove for so long. It's time to move beyond your hurt, beyond your pain, and exchange the song of woe for the song of praise! It's time to confront and deal with situations. It's time for you to rest in the grace of God, and see things from His perspective. You need the grace of God to surrender to His dealings in your life. As I said before, fall upon the Rock before the Rock crushes you. If you fall upon the Lord, He'll break, mold and heal you. But if you persist in try- YOURWEALTH IS NOT COMING \ THROUGH YOUR JOB, BUT YOUR WEALTH IS FOUND IN YOUR VOCATION. I SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN ing to avoid His dealings, the rock will fall upon you and grind you to powder. Sometimes, we've wondered what happened to certain people in the course of their lives. Some people seem to have become stagnant and toxic; they never seem to have progressed beyond their point of pain. They seem to be broken by life; never entering the realms of mastery to which they had been called. They covenant with mediocrity, which engulfs them in a cloud of death that consumes their spirit. They refuse to be broken by an act of their own will to see themselves though the mirror of truth and fall upon the Rock. One of the most traumatic things an individual can ever experience is to see himself through God's eyes, where all the deceit of the heart is exposed and you see yourself as God sees you. All the wickedness and evil that lurks within is brought to the surface, so that you can understand the sacrificial blood of Jesus that was shed to cleanse you from all sin. Egotistical people espe- MANYPEOPLE ARE SO BUSY CHASING THEIR OWN DREAMS THAT THEY ARE MISSING THE DREAM THAT GODIS I CALLING THEM TO CATCH. I SERVANT LEADERS cially have a hard time seeing the truth about themselves. The power of denial will allow you to repeatedly lie to yourself, finding excuses and blame for your failure in life. "It's my mother's fault." "My Daddy was abusive." Remember, excuses are guarded lies, protected by your lofty opinion of yourself that is seeking to hide from responsibility. Now the way of God is this: He may not come today or tomorrow; as a matter of fact, He'll let you keep on going in your own way. He'll allow you to continue in error. He'll allow it to become so visible that other folks will discern your mess. Then, He'll bring a day of visitation when He simply falls on you and says, "OOPS! There it is!" And He'll leave you right where you are as a sign from which others wiil lea;. Ask ~ o what d He has placed within you that He desires for you to give unto others. What part of you is supposed to be spent in service to fulfill your destiny? It is vital that you fulfill your purpose, because if you don't, you will incur a costly penalty that will echo the voice of regret in your ears for the rest of your natural life. "OurWorld Is A College, &ventsAre Teachers9 Happiness is the Graduating Point, Character is l"he Diploma God Gives Man." P A R T II Luke 9: 57-62 "And it came to pass, thnt, as they went in the wny, n certnin man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee wlzithersoever thou goest. Aizd Jesus snid unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hntlz izot where to lny his hend. And he snid unto nnother, Follow me. But he snid, Lord, suffer mefirst to go and bury m y fnther. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bttry their dead: but go thou nnd prench the kingdom of God. And nizotlzer also said, Lord, I will follow thee: but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home nt m y house. Aizd Jesus snid unto him, No mnn, hnving put his hand to the plough, nnd looking bnck, is fit for the kingdom of God." I cannot stress enough that servanthood, costly though it may be to your own persona, can never be looked upon as demeaning. No matter how great a The Power of Service stature of elevation comes to you in life, you must always exemplify the heart of servant. No matter how blessed you are, no matter how rich you become, you must always be able to stoop down and wash your brother's feet. If our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, could stoop and serve, how much more should we? Even the world understands the power of service. Walt Disney built an empire on the foundation of service. Each of his employees must learn the techniques of service, and in doing so, keep the legacy of his dream alive. We who serve in the House of the Lord have an even greater legacy; the vision of the Lord has been entrusted unto us. What will we do with our charge? Peter was a good adjutant and an excellent deacon, but could not see beyond a positional Jesus. He was so enamored with Jesus' status that He missed the Lord's function. He tried to refuse Jesus' stooping, saying, "No, Lord ...You don't have to wash my feet." And Jesus replied, "Well, if I wash them not, you'll have no SERVANTHOOD, COSTLY THOUGH IT MAY BE TO YOUR PERSONA, CAN NEVER BE LOOKED UPON AS DEMEANING. SERVANTHOOD B I i H O P E. BERNARD jORDAN part of Me." Our Lord was trying to show them all that even after you've worked miracles, walked in the glory of God and received the accolades of men, you're never too good to serve. This is the essence of Christianity. We are to serve the world, and impact our communities. But we cannot entertain a global vision if we cannot serve those who are rigfit at our door. Stature and position should never overshadow the call to serve. Don't allow a title to limit your role of a servant. In other words, you may be a minister's wife, and asked to sing in the choir. If you think that all you can do is sit on the sidelines and flaunt your position, then you've missed the purpose of God for your life. All true servants will cover the leader. Servanthood must be the order of the day, or the church will erode into a social club where the "haves" are separated from the "have-nots." The "haves" will sit with their noses in NOMATTER HOW BLESSED YOU ARE OR HOW RICH YOU BECOME, YOU MUST ALWAYS BE ABLE TO STOOP DOWN AND WASH YOUR BROTHER'S FEET. L The Power of Service the air, marking their seats like wild animals, while the "have-nots" will creep through the doors, doomed to the sting of continuous rejection. If your Christianity is only about obtaining the riches of this world, then it is shallow, indeed. Are you looking at the ministry to see what you can get, or do you embrace the pain of denial and lay down your life for another? Many have looked at the reward of the priesthood, but never examined the price that was paid. The anointing is costly. No amount of finery and no amount of wealth can ever fully compensate them for the degree of sacrifice and immolation that they wear as the yoke of ministry. Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light". The term "easy", is the Greek word "chrestos", which actually means "employed, useful in manner or morals". It is derived from the word "chraomai", which means "to furnish". When Jesus said that His yoke was ALLTRUE SERVANTS WILL COVER THEIR LEADER. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN "easy", He didn't mean that you wouldn't ever have any problems. But what is implied is that once you become employed by the Lord, everything you need to become useful in manner or morals will be furnished through the grace of God. The "burden" [Gk. "phortion"] of the Lord refers to "an invoice" or "service." When we accept the substitutionary work of Christ in our lives, we are placed in the position of being invoiced. There is a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid. We actually become the temple of the Lord. This is why, in Romans 12:1, the Apostle Paul said, " I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Servants understand the necessity of covering. They do not seek to unveil the weaknesses of others, nor do they compete for power and prominence. And above all things, a servant doesn't become entrenched in intercultural racism. Servanthood will test to see if IF YOUR CHRISTIANITY IS ONLY ABOUT OBTAINING THE RICHES L OF THIS WORLD, THEN IT IS SHALLOW, INDEED. The Power of Service Christianity has taken root in your life or not. Let me ask you a provocative question: Have you possessed a "White" Christ or a "Black" Christ? Have you possessed the truth or a lie? A "Black" Christ compels service, while the image of the "White" Christ seems to empower oppression. Does your Christianity sanction haughty attitudes that sneer at the weaknesses of others? Do you feel justified in turning away from those who differ from you? Luke delineated three essential elements of servanthood. These are the preliminary registration forms that must be completed before you can enroll in the Lord's Academy. 1.One must count the cost. 2. One must follow immediately. 3. One must not look back. A lot of folks are looking back at what they could SERVANTS DO NOT SEEK TO UNVEIL THE WEAKNESS OF OTHERS, NOR DO THEY COMPETE FOR POWER AND PROMINENCE. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD jORDAN have had in the world. But you can't look back! Regret will cripple your development and freeze your progress through life. Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt when she allowed her longing for "what could have been" to overshadow her desire for the journey ahead. Jesus said that when you look back, you're not fit for the Kingdom of God. Many of you can't press forward because you're busy looking back. You need to stop driving from the rear view mirror. Some of you are on the highway of life, refusing to look through the windshield. You're about to have an accident. You can't see where you're going. You're so busy driving in the past that you cannot embrace your future. You're operating by a backwards perception that keeps you thinking backwards. Some of those who become victimized by this type of thinking become deluded by the lust of their own desire. They take it upon themselves to move from one The Power of Service position to another without telling anyone they are going. They become like Gehazi, moving independently from their leader and eating of the same curse of leprosy. A true servant waits until a mentor releases him or her from an assignment. The parable of the prodigal son shows us the error of demanding a premature inheritance. Now the prodigal tapped a revelation that the substance was there and accessed it, but in a way, he divorced himself from his father and that is why his substance was wasted. The elder son who stayed at home was like a lot of folks who just sit at church. They'll see the blessings coming upon different individuals, and get mad at God. "You never did this for me. You gave Bishop a Benz but you never gave me one. You blessed him with a house and I'm still in an apartment." And God is saying, "What's the matter? All that I have is thine." Many people have been like a person with Alzheimer's; they're walking around, but they remain out of touch with real- You CAN'T LOOK BACK! REGRET WILL CRIPPLE YOUR DEVELOPMENT AND FREEZE YOUR PROGRESS THROUGH LIFE. SERVANTHOOD BISIIOP E. BERNARD JORDAN ity. They have not let the same mind be in them which was also in Christ Jesus. You may be asking for your inheritance, but moving yourself is a sign that you're not ready. If you were ready, leadership would see you. Maturation can be easily detected through the eyes of a leader. Your leader knows you're anointed, knows you talk in tongues, and knows you can speak in several dialects. Yet your leader remains unimpressed. You cannot see what your leader is looking at; if you could, then God would have made you the leader! God anoints, but you don't move until man appoints! Your assignment is not legitimate mtil a man points his finger and commands your movement from one place to the next. Don't take it upon yourself to move yourself. Some have missed the whole purpose of God because they've eyed a place of preeminence. They've made moves and changed assignments with- A TRUE SERVANT WAITS UNTIL A MENTOR RELEASES HIM OR HER FROM AN ASSIGNMENT. The Power of Service out consulting authority. And because the consultation was evaded, the wisdom that was needed for that season was missed. Perhaps you thought that you were in a season of escape. Yet God may be getting ready to send somebody through the back door. Your harvest may be growing in the season that you hate. Have you moved yourself? Have you become tired of a situation because you've been resting at Gilgal, going around in circles and drinking the wine of boredom? Whenever you decide that you don't want to serve anymore, and take it upon yourself to quit your assignment, you move yourself from your place of feeding. One must count the cost of discipleship. A man offered to become a follower of Jesus and he made an unusual promise that he would follow Jesus wherever He laid. Many people are attracted to ministries for the same reason. No doubt, this man enjoyed the Presence of the Lord and His followers. He saw that YOU MAY BE ASKING FOR YOUR INHERITANCE, BUT MOVING YOURSELF IS A SIGN THAT YOU'RE NOT READY. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN God had anointed Jesus. He watched the disciples and admired how the people responded to them. He saw the power of honor in action. He was motivated by the Lord's teaching, and stirred by His wisdom. He appreciated the good the Lord did. It sounded quite noble to want to follow Jesus wherever He went. But Jesus wasn't impressed. His reply to the man was, "Count the cost." Jesus did not offer the man luxuries or material comfort, but instead offered him a life of self-denial. He didn't offer him a paycheck, nor did He promise the man a retainer. All He held out to the man was the office of servanthood. How many of us have come to Jesus for the things that we can get? How many of us are guilty of grasping the prosperity message to satisfy our own lusts? How many of us truly have the furtherance of the Kingdom upon our hearts when we give expecting to receive? Now we can understand why it's easier for a camel I YOURASSIGNMENT IS NOT LEGITIMATE UNTIL A MAN POINTS HIS FINGER AND COMMANDS YOUR MOVEMENT FROM ONE PLACE TO THE NEXT. The Power of Service to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. The camel will willingly unload everything and walk through the path of leanness to pick up its abundance on the other side. A rich man frequently has trouble, because he develops a fear of loss. His heart also becomes impure. Your money is tied to your heart. Wherever a man's treasure is, that's where is heart is. I have watched God challenge many people to enter new realms of giving, and frequently watched conviction, doubt and hesitancy smother the directives of the Lord and rob many of their miracles. Sometimes I could hear the argument, "God, I can't give that to You! I can't afford it!" But what deceit of the heart does this excuse cover? If you're honest with yourself, perhaps you can admit that it really wasn't an issue of money; after all, you find the money to do anything else that you REALLY want to do. Was it really that you couldn't afford it, or was it really that you didn't want to move into self- YOURHARVEST MAY BE GROWING IN THE SEASON THAT YOU HATE. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN denial? Were there certain luxuries that you cringed at the thought of doing without? Were you refusing to surrender? We all must realize that seeking thiigs will cause us to miss God and abort our purpose. If we seek the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, then things shall be added unto us. Jesus was the prime example of self-denial. He sacrificed all that He had, and gave all, unto His life, to serve mankind and reconcile them back to God. Selfdenial is never easy. It will always challenge your commitment and require the sacrifice of what you may have a right to possess. What you walk away from determines what you will come into. You may look at some individuals who walk in a certain a anointing and may crave to walk under that same mantle. Before you lust after their anointing, you need to discover the price they had to pay. Maybe you have to ask that powerful woman of WHEREVER A MAN'S TREASURE IS, THAT IS WHERE HIS HEART IS. The Power of Service God how many beatings she had to endure from her husband before her alabaster box oozed that precious anointing. How great a weight of crushing rejection did that man of God endure in order to walk away with such a tremendous mantle? How many times was he lied about? Misunderstood? How many times did he have to smile when tears were filling his soul? Some of you don't know my testimony. I was kicked out of a church that accused me of operating by familiar spirits. The prophecies were coming to pass, but when I started prophesying and dealing with some things in their lives that were out of order, all of a sudden the Holy Ghost had departed and now I was possessed by demons. I became the target of sermons that were unleashed to retaliate against the prophetic word. Teachings were initiated that said "God never gives a prophet a word of impending judgment. Prophecy is only for edification, IF YOU SEEK THE KINGDOMOF GOD,AND HISRIGHTEOUSNESS, THEN THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU. 47 J SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN exhortation and comfort." These teachings are correct when you are referring to laymen's prophecy. They are incorrect when you are dealing with the governmental office of the prophet. If you don't t h i i so, fool with God and watch Him raise up a prophet in your life who brings the decree, "Thus saith the Holy One of Israel: Set your house in order, your days are numbered." We are entering the days where we are going to see the moving of God's hand upon His prophets in an undeniable fashion. You better make sure that your Christianity is real. If there's something growing in your heart that's not God, you better root it out now before it chokes you. If something has you bound, you better let it go. If your feelings are easily wounded and bruised in the House of the Lord, you better say, "Walk on me some more. I'm not broken yet." If you're in a state of continual pain that prompts you to withdraw from people, grow up, and push your SELF-DENIAL ALWAYS CHALLENGE YOUR COMMITMENT AND REQUIRES THE SACRIFICE OF WHAT YOU MAY HAVE A RIGHT TO POSSESS. The Power of Service way through your pain so that a root of bitterness cannot grow within you. If you have a problem with an individual, don't avoid him; sit next to the person and allow that individual to become the sandpaper that will perfect the diamond of your life. You need to be crucified and your friends cannot do it. The difficult individuals in your life come to nail you to your cross. Don't think that you can have the ecstasy of glory without the agony of the cross. It's amazing how many of us want the blessings of the Lord, but don't want the sacrifice that comes along with it. Many people resent the compensation of ministers, because their public appearances just give a glimpse of their service. Those who labor in the gospel get very little rest. Their life is not their own. I often tell people that if they ever had to keep the kind of hours that I keep, they'd thank God for their secular employment of 8 hours a day! WHATYOU WALK AWAY FROM DETERMINES WHAT YOU COME INTO. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD jORDAN Many . .judge themselves to be committed, but they're only committed to that which is self-serving; they make their arrangements to suit themselves. The man told Jesus, "I'll follow You, but I've got to go bury my father. I've got to show up for the funeral." Imagine. Jesus said, "Let the dead bury the dead. You come and follow Me". This man had self-commitments. We must realize that self-commitments stem from : 1. Strong wills 2. Strong determinations 3. Strong discipline - Self-commitment is not enough for Christ. There has to be a total commitment to the Son of man, abandoning all of self and all of the world. Jesus let us know in Luke 9:23 "....If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. " You were not saved to be a "Christian." Jesus GROWUP AND PUSH YOUR WAY THROUGH YOUR PAIN SO THAT A ROOT OF BITTERNESS CANNOT GROW WITHIN YOU. The Power of Service caused you to be born again to make you a disciple; a disciplined follower. As a disciple, you are supposed to be caring for and disciplining others. While some are caught up with the prestige of a title, they refuse to embrace the responsibility that comes with it. A pastor is a shepherd, he leaves the ninety- nine and goes looking for the one. Some of you don't understand the purpose of God. You get upset when you see your pastor devoting time to certain sheep. You feel like you're being denied or brushed away. You haven't ascertained that as a shepherd, your pastor must check the sheep for ticks and diseases. He may discern the weakness of a lamb, and bring it a little closer to give them some special attention; which it needs. But you can't see the call for service because of your attitude. The very people that you eye in frustration and jealousy may have been at the point of suicide. But you're so busy jockeying for position that you've become blind THEDIFFICULT INDIVIDUALS IN YOUR LIFE COME TO NAIL YOU TO YOUR CROSS. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN to a need. And God's looking at you and saying, "Stop being ignorant. If you want to be great in My Kingdom, why don't you go somewhere and serve?" The people that surround you have all kinds of war stories. Everyone's life is a book. You don't know what area people are from; maybe the garbage pail was their dinner table. There are some people that you may interact with who were just moments from being homeless. The real testimony of the people you despise might shock you. If you knew, you'd cringe because then you might realize your portion in ministering to them. Why does God empower His people? God empowers us so that we can empower others. God gives you the power to get wealth so that you can establish His covenant in the earth. But He also wants you to be balanced in your thinking, so that you don't become haughty and start wearing mink coats in July. God wants you to be prosperous. When you enter into covenant with Him, He desires that you would all THERE HAS TO BE A TOTAL COMMITMENT TO THE SONOF MAN, ABANDONING ALL OF SELF I AND ALL OF THE WORLD. I The Power of Service become millionaires. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; there's enough wealth in the earth so that everyone could be wealthy. But how many will discover the terms of the covenant? How many will read and obey the small print? There are those who say millions are not destined for everyone. The Scripture indicates that they are, but Jesus said that we would have the poor with us always. Why? Wealth is a mindset, and everyone is not willing to renew their minds and make changes. People receive invitations to leave the "millionaire club" and let the deceit of this world trip them up. We are living in a day and an hour where we must be wise stewards, and embrace our responsibility to prosper so that we can network and impact our communities. Christians love to complain about the state of our public schools. We get upset because of the curriculum. We lobby for prayer to be restored. But if we were to I JESUS CAUSED YOU TO BE BORN AGAIN TO MAKE YOU A DISCIPLE SO YOU CAN CARE FOR AND DISCIPLE OTHERS. I SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN network properly, we would build our own schools. Our lack of networking keeps us economically unstable and our children perpetually ignorant. They continue to hear that Christopher Columbus discovered America and that they are the descendants of slaves. They continue to be taught courses that never develop their individuality, and the vague sense that they are inferior in their mental capacity prevails. We must influence the systems of this world. We may be able to diagnose the problem, and may even have the right prescription, but as Ecclesiastes says, "A poor man's wisdom is despised." Poverty stifles the influence of our words; therefore, we must prove God and become a sign of His covenant in the earth, and this can only be done through the basic principle of giving. While many complain about offerings, they don't realize that God is preparing the liberation of a nation. Nations never start with great numbers; rather, they start with great men. God built a nation with Noah and IF YOU WANT TO BE GREAT IN GOD'SKINGDOM YOU MUST GO SOMEWHERE AND SERVE. The Power of Service his three sons. Then He took Abraham out of a nation and told him, "I'll make a nation out of you." It doesn't take millions of folks to start a nation. God only needs a handful of folks that can see one vision and move in unity. We've never discovered the true strength of our people because we relish uncovering each other. The spirit of a nigger dwells within the church. Our minds need a lot of work. As a people, we devour our black leaders. We are especially malicious towards our preachers. Could it be that the preacher in the pulpit conflicts with the image of God that you have in your mind? The preacher is supposed to represent God, but if your image is corrupt, then you'll never associate him with God. Most people envision God sitting in heaven as a white man with a long, white beard. There is a struggle that exists between the black man sitting in the pew and the black man preaching in the pulpit. I suspect that the degree of authority that is GODGIVES YOU THE POWER TO GET WEALTH SO THAT YOU CAN ESTAB- SERVANTHOOD B l l H O P E. BERNARD JORDAN granted to the preacher becomes a provocation to the black man in the pew. Perhaps he sees a power that the preacher seemingly has over his woman. He comes to church and hears his woman verbally responsive to the preacher, yet he can't raise a response from her at home. All she ever talks about is "Tlle pastor said this ...and the pastor said that ..." Ladies, servanthood even reaches into the home. Your husband should be made to feel as though he is the most important man on the face of the earth. I've made it a practice to send messages home, like "Tell your husband I said hello, and tell him he's going to be my next deacon. I'm looking for him." The enemy sets a trap to play on the insecurities of men. It's relatively easy for a woman to become a support to the ministry. She responds by nature. Tile commitment is easily formed. She's born to help. A man has a larger mountain to climb because if he sees God as an old white Man, he'll see God as his oppressor. As a people, our understanding has been deformed. WEALTH I S A M I N D S E T , AND EVERYONE IS N O T W I L L I N G T O RENEW T H E I R M I N D S A N D MAKE CHANGES. The Power of Service It's hard for a Black brother to serve another Black brother. We haven't learned to trust one another. The lack of economic promotion that would bring titles and prestige within the white man's world is denied the black men, so the church becomes the place that you can bargain for power. Then we see the house niggers offending the field niggers. Power can be a heady intoxicant, but there is a power that God desires for everyone to drink their fill of; and that's the power of the Holy Spirit. And that power is best expressed through service in the Kingdom of God. If you want greatness, or if you want power, you'll have all that you ever craved for if you would just learn to serve. Do you want the anointing? Do you believe God called you? Has the work of the Lord consumed you? Are you present every time the doors open at the church? Are you pursuing study through Bible school? If you find yourself complaining that you're tired during the week then you're not ready for min- POVERTY STIFLES THE INFLUENCE OF OUR WORDS. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN istry. There's a teaching that takes place with the multitude. True discipleship is a costly and painful venture. When you buy into the vision of the man of God, you must leave all to follow. Jesus' disciples could not leave His side because they had left all to follow Him. They had nowhere else to go. They bought into His vision. Whenever you find that people can uproot themselves and leave a church without a second thought, you can know that they never bought into a vision. Your heart will always rest wherever your treasure is placed. Jesus promised that those who left all to follow would receive an hundredfold in this life and in the life to come. The reward of the Lord is sure unto them who are diligent and obedient to His Voice. "MostBam'ers To Your Success Are Man-Ma& w ,You're And Most O fie Man Who Made ?%em." P A R T !I! You can only move in true servanthood when you allow Christ to be formed in you. The Apostle Paul said, "I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." The formation of Christ within you is not a comfortable process. You must allow yourself to die, and that death is a process of self-denial. The more you begin to die, the more He lives in you. The more your flesh is broken, the more He is revealed through your life. God is in the process of cracking the alabaster box of your flesh. One of the prime disciplines that God has set before us to harness our flesh is the practice of fasting. Abstinence from food is a time when you initiate a tug of war between the flesh and the spirit. Paul said that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. The flesh craves food so that it can bury the voice of the spirit, but when one begins to master the Christ Be Formed In You cravings of the flesh, and allow the spirit to have ascendancy, the appetite for God will deny the flesh. Most of the time, especially in Western society, we spend more time catering to the gratification of our flesh, and very little time to the development of our spirit. But it is vital that we learn to adorn the inner man of the heart. There should be a natural desire to grow and advance in the things of God, but in order to go up, one must learn to go down. In order to receive promotion in God, you've got to serve the more. You must go the "extra mile" beyond your initial responsibility to serve. The "extra mile" is usually quite difficult with many challenges for which you could not plan. Many of you started on the path to promotion, and got a rude awakening as you walked deeper into God. You came into a rude awakening when you became connected with the body of Christ. YOU CAN ONLY MOVE IN TRUE SERVANTHOOD WHEN YOU ALLOW SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN You started mingling with members of the church, only to find out that God made you a shoulder and set you right next to an armpit. And you recoiled from the smell! You continued to fraternize in the body, and began to discover the uncomely parts, like the backsides. You began to look for a way of escape without realizing that even though these parts of the body have a stench, they are still a necessary part of the body. Realize that the nose and the armpit are not forced into constant fellowship, but they remain in their realms with mutual respect for one another. The Double Allegiance Disease Verse 59 "And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father." When the call of God begins to manifest in our lives, most of us are afflicted with the "double allegiance dis- THAT GODHAS SET BEFORE US TO HARNESS OUR FLESH IS THE PRACTICE OF FASTING. Christ Be Formed In You ease." The symptoms are readily detected. When God begins to place His call, their response is, "Lord, I will, but if you let me do this, then I'll be able to do that ..." The disease prompts them to make arrangements with God rather than just stepping out on His word. They need to have a list of assurances. "I'll step out, Lord, if You give me a life jacket." It's easy to miss God and miss your season. One must follow the call of God immediately, without looking back. You have to be willing to bum the bridges to the security of your past and embrace the uncertainty of a new future. The past must be reckoned as dead, but most of us lament the past, savoring its memory as fine perfume. Isn't it interesting that while Jesus is trying to call us into new realms of the Kingdom, we'd rather sit and handle dead things? We cling to things that have no real significance, lamenting over things that will never move again. INORDER TO RECEIVE PROMOTION IN GOD,YOU'VE GOT TO SERVE AND I GO THE "EXTRA MILE" BEYOND YOUR INITIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO SERVE. 1 SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN Our memories form our traditions. And traditions are quite powerful; in fact, never underestimate the power of tradition. And all traditions are not of God. A tradition that is not of God can make the Word of God ineffective in your life. You can be locked into a tradition that will resist the leading of God. It argues with the comfort of your custom. Jesus called this certain man to follow Him. When the man yearned to bury his father in tribute to the customs of the day, Jesus replied, "Let the dead bury the dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." Isn't it amazing how many of us will compromise with the commandment of God? Some of you let the traditions of the world bring you to a place of compromise every Sunday. Why do you consent to work on Sundays, instead of letting the dead bury the dead? Why not stand in faith and tell your boss, "I'll work Saturday, I'll do six days for you but I can't work my Sabbath. That's my day of worship." Will there be a sacrifice? Perhaps ...you may become the sacrifice! Though it may seem profitable to handle dead things, YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO BURN THE BRIDGES TO THE SECURITY OF YOUR PAST AND EMBRACE THE UNCERTAINTY OF A NEW FUTURE. Christ Be Formed In You when it comes down to the Kingdom, you've got to be able to let it go. Discipleship involves a radical decision. Jesus extends the invitation. He invited this certain man to follow Him. There was something very special in the man that caught Jesus' eye, and He was moved upon to call him. Whenever God hand-picks you, it's because He sees something special in you. What is it in you of which God has taken note? God calls individuals who are operating under authority. Elijah was taking care of his father's oxen. David was tending to his father's sheep. Perhaps, when Jesus looked upon that certain man, He saw his loyalty to his dead father, and thought that this man could possibly make good kingdom material if he didn't have the double allegiance disease. Some of you have some good things in you, but sometimes you're so stuck on the good and you miss God, because you cannot see God WHENEVER GODHAND-PICKS YOU, IT'S BECAUSE HESEES SOMETHING SPECIAL IN YOU. \ I SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN beyond the good. Some of you are caught up in good works, but not "God works." Some of you are caught up in good actions, but not God's actions. It is good to feed the poor, it's good to help the needy, and it's good to hand out tracts. But then there comes a time in life when God will call you away from a good calling and place you within the confines of a God calling. No longer are you operating out of the mercy gift that is in your heart, but you are doing what you're doing because you are moved and motivated by the compassion of God Himself. When He doesn't move you, you just let it go. Good works performed independently of God will cause you to become a crutch in individual's lives, rather than a help. There are some cases where people have to take up their own beds and walk ....without your assistance. As long as you carry their beds, they will never be able to walk. Some of you are depending on individuals whom God is about to remove out of your life. GODCALLS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OPERATING UNDER AUTHORITY. <\. T Christ Be Formed In You Some of you can't see God because of the person who is eclipsing the face of God. Every person is of extreme value to Jesus. Therefore the Spirit of God continues to pursue you despite your own selfishness. The Holy Spirit will keep reaching for you. And you'll find that He can be quite direct with the standards that He may give you as opposed to what He may say to others. You'll often have a case of "Others may, but you cannot." You may have a penchant for free advertising in your wardrobe. You like showing some leg here, and some "V" there. But then the Holy Ghost starts dealing with you and all of a sudden, He closes your advertising agency. He begins to show you that you have a high value. If a man doesn't come with the right purchase price, he won't get the opportunity to come behind the veil. Common folks are not allowed in the holy of holies, only the high priest. THERE COMES A TIME IN LIFE WHEN GODWILL CALL YOU AWAY FROM A GOOD CALLING AND PLACE YOU IN THE CONFINES OF A GODCALLING. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAH And if the high priest doesn't enter in holiness, it produces death. In other words, the marriage becomes a living hell. You must understand that your body is the temple of the Living God. If you understood the compartments of your temple, you would understand that your temple is filled wit11 a lot of mysteries, especially if God is walking in you. He chooses to take up residence in your temple. So there's certain things that you just can't do. There's certain things you can't permit, and certain things can't go on because of Who lives in your temple. There's certain people I don't allow in my company because of Who I am carrying within my temple. Most of the time, we forget that the temple of the Holy Ghost is not somewhere beyond the clouds. Sentimentalism has so shaped our perspective that we live by erroneous concepts thinking that we know the Word of God...and God never said half of the things we've been taught to believe. We look for God in the great beyond, and God is saying "Christ in you, the I LIVES, RATHER THAN A HELP. I Christ Be Formed In You Hope of glory." When you begin to pray, you can bow or lift your head. You don't have to speak above a whisper, because He'll even answer beyond your thoughts. Ephesians 3:20b "Nozu ~ ~ i z1zii1z t o tlzat is able to do exceeding nbuizdantly above all thnt we nmay ask or tlziizk nccordi~~g to the pozuer thnt zuorketh in us." God will do exceedingly and abundantly above all that you ask or think. Even if you lose the power of speech, or if you don't know how to articulate what you want, God understands the language of your heart. He lives in your temple, and because He's in your thoughts, He's able to answer your request. If you can only think about it, you can have it. He's continuously searching your heart and checking your motives and intents. He's even dealing with those things that haven't emerged into your conscious thought. God is dealing within your deep. IF A MAN DOESN'T COME WITH THE RIGHT PURCHASE PRICE, HE WON'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEHIND THE VEIL. SERVAMTWOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD IORDAN That's why the Bible says, "He that is born of God cannot sin," because His seed is in him. When His seed is in me, I don't even have an intention to sin. You cannot continue habitually in sin and be born of God. Even if you slip up and mess up, you are undeniably convicted. The Holy Ghost begins to communicate His displeasure. Christ is being formed in you. Nobody ever has to explain what you're doing wrong. Even if you don't know the details, you'll still know that something's not right. When the seed of God is in you, you won't need chapter and verse concerning the tithe. The seed of God remains to witness to you and say, "Give unto God." The seed of God bears witness to the truth. He that walks in you begins to move through you. One prophet of God gave the Word of the Lord, saying, "I've moved through many, but dwelt in few." Just because God uses someone doesn't mean that He's WHENTHE SEED OF GODIS IN YOU, I YOU WON'T NEED CHAPTER AND VERSE CONCERNING THE TITHE. Christ Be Formed In You dwelling in them. He moved through Balaam's jackass, but that wasn't His dwelling place. This brings us to the point that there's a difference between a visitation and a habitation. As Bishop of Zoe Ministries, I don't want this church saying "We're experiencing a visitation." If we look for visitation, then we have an expectation for the Visitor to leave at some point. Some of you have created an atmosphere for the visitation of God. But then, you're kind of happy when the Visitor leaves because you want to do your own thing. You don't want to become a habitation. You're not sure that you want the experience of visitation to become the norm for your life. The Lord's call is to be the primary thrust of a person's life. The man that we see in scripture had divided attention. The call of God came to this man, yet he THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A VISITATION AND A HABITATION. L SERVANTWOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN hesitated. And how many times do we hesitate when God is calling us into something? On one level, we want to say yes, but our flesh says, "You better not." Yes, the Bible talks to us in I Timothy 5:3-8 about taking care of our parents. But one thing we're going to begin to see is that Jesus is going to test your loyalty. God is really after the heart. You're going to have to understand that your work is service unto God. You don't work for a boss; you work for God. God just moves through that boss to reward you for service that has been rendered. When you're typing, you're working for God. Work is not a dirty word. God ordained work. Your work reveals who you are. That's why some of you are frustrated because you're in the wrong assignment. When you stop working, you stop living. Why do you think so many people die right after they retire? To retire means "to depart," "to abdicate," and "to leave." If you do not have some form of purpose being expressed, then you Christ Be Formed In You become an easy candidate to relinquish your space in the earth. You're ready for departure. The earth will swallow you up. Work was ordained before the curse. The curse released through Adam's disobedience was that you would work by the sweat of your brow. But Adam was assigned work before the curse. He worked before he began to sweat. When you begin to move into an understanding of the Kingdom, you will stop working your behind and you'll start working your mind. Many people walk with a man of God for years, but very few will hear what's really being said. They heard a sound, and they heard thunder, but they did not hear what God was saying through His vessel. Philip heard thunder. It was evident when he said, "Jesus, show me the Father." Jesus said, "If you've seen Me, you've seen the Father." Philip still didn't understand it, and he went away confused. I like the way Prophetess Connie Williams puts it: "While people are caught up in translation, they miss IF YOUR PURPOSE IS NOT BEING EXPRESSED, THEN YOU BECOME AN EASY CANDIDATE TO RELINQUISH YOUR SPACE IN THE EARTH. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN the interpretation." That's why I Corinthians 14 refers to the interpretation of tongues, and not the translation of tongues. You will get lost in the Book of Revelation if you try to translate it. It needs to be interpreted. We've taken the scripture in Hebrew and Greek translation. That's why you're messed up concerning heaven because you haven't received an interpretation. You think God's home is in a heaven that will allow you to pass Pluto, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, etc. We don't even have a right understanding of the devil. The devil is in your mind. He's taken up residence between your two ears. He is wrestling for control of your mind. And your mind can only be renewed through the Word of God. That's why, when you get married, you better marry someone with a sound mind. If a person doesn't know how to use that, they won't know how to use anything else, either! You can marry a body if you want to, but "WHILEPEOPLE ARE CAUGHT UP IN TRANSLATION THEY MISS THE INTERPRETATION." -- PROPHETESS CONNIEWILLIAMS Christ Be Formed In You its mind might be off center. Sexual desire is not in your tail, but it's in your mind. If his mind is off, his desire might be off, also! You had better examine his mind! Some of you won't go to the next level in God until you disconnect from mindless folks. You keep those that think on a lower level around you, and while you're trying to get up, they're keeping you down. You better know how to shake yourself loose and cut the ties! God's bringing us to a place of humility. No matter how much wealth you accumulate, you never own any of it. God just puts it into your hand to watch how you manage it. If things haven't come to you, don't get frustrated. Realize that God didn't mean for you to manage that yet. When you become mature enough to handle it, it will come. Sometimes, you'll find that you don't come into certain things until you're moving out of certain levels. Mark 10:17-20 YOURMIND CAN ONLY BE RENEWED THROUGH THE WORDOF GOD. \ SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN "And wheiz he wns gone forth into tlre way, there cnine oize running, aizd kneeled to hiiir, nnd asked lriin, Good Master, what shall I do tlrat I may inherit eternnl life? And Ieszls snid zlnto hiiiz, Wlzy cnllest tkozl me good? there is none good but one, tlzat is, God. Tlrotc kizozoest the conrinnndinents, Do not coininit adultenj, Do not kill, Do not stenl, Do not bear fnlse witness, Definud not, Hoizour thy father nnd inotlzer. Aizd lze nnswered and said unto him, Master, nll these lznve I observedfioin iny youth." Jesus is talking to what many would call "the rich young ruler." Can I suggest to you that he kept the tithe? He kept all the commandments from his youth up. He gave his ten percent like you did. Maybe he gave thirty or fifty percent. All he wanted to know from Jesus was how to inherit eternal life. Jesus said, "I come that you might have life and have it more abundantly." Jesus beholding him, loved him. Jesus doesn't call you into stuff like this unless He loves you. He loves everyone, but doesn't like everyone. He just likes some of YOU BETTER KNOW HOW TO SHAKE YOURSELF LOOSE AND CUT THE TIES. 1 L 76 "-.- ** Christ Be Formed In You you. "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." This is all in line with servanthood. If you really understand servanthood, you really don't have any rights. You're going to go through some things to see the abundance of God pour into your life. Mark 10:21 "Then Jesus belzoldiizg lzim loved him, nizd said ztlzto him, One tlziizg tlzou lnckest: go thy zuny nlzd sell zuhatsoever tlzoli lzast, nizd give to tlze poor, aizd thou slznlt knve trensure ilz heaven: nizd conze, take up the cross, and follow ine. a Notice this man is asking about eternal life and Jesus is talking to him about giving. Verses 22-23 "And he wns sad nt tlznt saying, nnd went away grieved: for he had grent possessions. And Jesus looked round nbout, nird snit11 unto Iris disciples, How hnrdly shall they that have riches enter into t h e k i n ~ d o mo f ~ o d ! " YOU WON'T COME INTO GREATER THINGS UNTIL YOU ARE MOVING AT GREATER LEVELS. 77 J SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN Some people get tripped up in their servanthood because they begin to despise their salary. The types of problems that you solve will determine your salary. The more you have to be told something, the less your salary. You'll never come into your own business until you become faithful in someone else's. The disciples were astonished at Jesus' words. All of them were rich, and were disturbed at His saying. Verse 24 "And the disciples were astonished at his ruords. But Ieszis nnswereth ngnin, and snith z~ittothem, Children, how hard is it for them that trzist in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!" Never seek after things, but seek the Kingdom first. If you seek first after the Kingdom, things will be added to you. Jesus called money a "god." The Bible says you cannot serve God and mammon. Jesus literally called WHENYOU TRULY UNDERSTAND SERVANTHOOD YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY RIGHTS. Christ Be Formed In You money a "master." You've got to make a decision whether you'll serve God and make Him your Master and become His servant, or will money be your master and you serve it? Are you sitting there saying, "Lord, I'm trusting You, but I've got to go after that money?" You have to run after God and God will show you how to get hold of money. Money is not evil in and of itself. It is neutral. The manner in which it comes to you will determine whether it's evil or righteous. It's like electricity. Electricity is neutral. It can give you light and bring great enjoyment into your life. But if you mismanage electricity, it will bring immediate destruction. Jesus warns us not to trust in riches. Our trust must always be in God, and we must be willing to embrace the fullness of whatever He places our your hands. Everything that God gives has baggage connected with it. That's why He told us to count the cost. When He WHENYOU ASK JESUS FOR ETERNAL LIFE HEWILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT GIVING. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD IORDAN places the prophetic mantle in your life, there's luggage that comes with it. When He calls you to become a servant, there's luggage that comes with the call. If God calls you to serve leaders and walk close among leadership, you'll be hated by the people. That's baggage. Some of you prayed prayers to be close to the leader. God wouldn't answer them because you couldn't handle the baggage that comes along with it. "Lord make me a pastor's wife." Can you handle being a pastor's wife? She has to carry the luggage of "the mistress (the church)." Every gift that is given to you has "another woman" involved with which you must learn to cope. Circumstances will arise which you must learn to manage. You must learn how to handle them or they will handle you. PART I V " B e Di$erence Between Gening Somewhere Alzd Nowhere 1s The Cozcrage To Make An Early Start. The Fellow Vho Sits Still And Does Just What He Is Told Will Never Be Told To Do Big Things. " PART I V Joshua 1:l-2 "Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead: now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel." We must have an understanding of what it means to be an echo rather than a voice, for this becomes the primary matrix of servanthood. Joshua is an excellent example of how to serve as the second man. The Bible indicates that Moses is dead. Moses served God during His season and led the children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses was a freedom fighter. He led the children of Israel to freedom, but he could not take The Ministry of An Echo them into the promised land of Canaan. This leads us to conclude that the one who leads you out is not necessarily the one who's going to take you in. The one who led you out of the house of bondage will not lead you into Kingdom building. The one who led you to the cross of Calvary will not necessarily lead you to a Kingdom experience. Some of those who led you to Calvary cannot move beyond the cross. They can't bring you to a kingdom experience. They fulfilled their measure, which was to lead you out of Egypt. But most of your Christian experience has been that of walking around in circles. You've been stuck in a wilderness situation where you've got to wait for some men to die out. The first nine verses of the book of Joshua are an introduction to the history of war. The book of Joshua deals with the invasion and subjugation of Canaan by the Israelites. The Israelites were moving under God's direct command. But while they were moving under THEPRIMARY MATRIX OF SERVANTHOOD IS BEING AN ECHO RATHER THAN A VOICE. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN God's direct command, they had a welfare mentality. Some of you, after being born again, joined the welfare church. Your perception of God turned Him into an immense Santa Claus or "Big Daddy" who would grant your every wish and desire. You've been sitting in your seat for years, waiting for a handout from God to change your living situation. God had Israel on a type of welfare. He became their clothing allowance; their shoes and clothing didn't wax old. They didn't have to work for their meals. Manna fell from the sky. It just showed up every morning in their mailbox. All they had to do was go outside and get their manna. Some of you like to be pampered like that. You really don't want to exert any effort to achieve anything. You'd rather be in a position for your stuff to show up. But if you have an appetite for greatness, you must know that you will have to work to attain it. Some individuals have a problem with this ministry because we urge you to give beyond the norm. Welfare churches THEONE WHO LEADS YOU OUT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE ONE WHO'S GOING TO TAKE YOU IN. i i The Ministry of An Echo link poverty with some kind of mission of holiness and those two lines of thought will never agree. When the children of Israel became bored with manna, God gave them quails .....and they still didn't have to work for them! Welfare robs you of choices. You have to live wherever the system dictates. The children of Israel didn't have any choices, either. They had to go wherever the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night set them. Why? Because when people are released from slavery, they need to be managed until they can manage themselves. That's why some of you can't come into your own business yet. You have to first learn to be faithful in that which is another man's. You can't build another man's, so you can't build your own. Some of you should not work for anyone else. You don't love yourself. The Bible says, "Love your neighbor as thyself." So if you don't fix yourself up, you won't fix anyone else up, I[F YOU HAVE AN APPETITE FOR GREATNESS, YOU MUST KNOW THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO WORK TO ATTAIN IT. 1 , . SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD IORDAN either. God desires to effect a change in your life. Your self-esteem and your attitude must be changed. Notice that Moses was the servant of the Lord. The set man was the servant of the Lord. The Bible did not call Joshua the servant of the Lord, though he was the second man in charge. Though he was the next man in line, or the next man in succession to take Moses' place, Joshua was not called "the servant of the Lord." As a matter of fact, can I suggest something to you that might appear slightly heretical? Perhaps God didn't even speak to Joshua until after Moses was dead. I know it's a hard pill to swallow, and may be totally against your theology. But God spoke to one head; He spoke through His mouthpiece, Moses. You've got to watch the kind of head you sit under, because if your head has limited revelation, so will you. That's why if you, as a woman of God, prepare to marry after coming into this kind of revelation, you've got to marry a cer- WELFARE ROBS YOU OF CHOICES AND FORCES YOU TO LIVE WHEREVER THE SYSTEM DICTATES. 86 The Ministry of An Echo tain kind o f head. Some o f you have gone into blindness because o f who you married. Your eyes were open when you were single because you were hooked u p to a head (fatheror pastor) whose eyes were open, but because the man you married was walking in darkness, the light was shut out o f your situation. The light o f the body is the eye. Because o f the light that comes into the body through the eye, your job as a woman is to begin to pray that God opens u p the eyes o f your man. And I'm not talking about his natural sight. Understand that seeing is not done with your natural eyes, but seeing is done with the mind. Your eyes are only windows. Until the mind - what the world would call "the third eye," or what the Bible refers to as "the eyes o f your understanding" opens you will walk in a degree o f darkness that is so deceptive that even what you see, you won't really see. IF YOUR HEAD HAS LIMITED REVELATION, SO WILL YOU. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD IORDAH Joshua 1:lindicates that Joshua, the son of Nun, was Moses' minister. As the second man, you never read that he ever did anything other than serve Moses. As the second man, he wasn't coming forth with special revelation from God. He understood that he was Moses' minister. Most churches are run like a circus. You'll hear a lot of voices that will compete with the set man instead of completing him. A lot of people are in the business of trying so hard to become like the set man that they don't understand that their purpose is to lift the arms of the set man. They're called to carry the weight of glory along with their leader, but they will never be equal to him. Often, we develop a wrong understanding of ministry. There are many of you who feel God has called you to preach. People approach me all the time in such a frenzy; "God called me to prophesy." "God called me. I'm supposed to evangelize the world." Well, I have sad news for you. God doesn't call anybody to preach. You UNTIL"THE EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING" OPENS, YOU WILL WALK IN A DEGREE OF DARKNESS THAT WILL DECEIVE YOU. The Ministry of An Echo won't even find that in Scripture. God calls you to serve. If you want to know the truth of the matter, every one of you has been given the commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. There must be an understanding of the Scriptural pattern of the maturation of ministry. Every individual that God ever called had the attitude of a servant. The twelve men that Jesus called had to develop the ability to serve and to train while serving. God doesn't make leaders, but God makes servants, and servants become leaders. If you're walking around with a grand attitude you will burst like a helium balloon. You are to think highly of yourself, but not more highly than you are. When God uses you in the greatest manner, you better go find somebody's feet to wash. If God gave you somebody's name in prayer and it was accurate, you better go clean a toilet. If God is using you to preach, your attitude better be to find an avenue of service. Why? Because pride will try to creep up. It will DON'TBE SO CAUGHT UP IN TRYING TO BECOME LIKE THE SET MAN THAT YOU MISUNDERSTAND YOUR PURPOSE TO LIFT UP HIS ARMS. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN make you think that you're above those who are around you. It will cause you to look down your nose at folks. Pride will cause your nose to be up in the air. Much knowledge will cause you to be puffed up, and wealth will bring a certain attitude. And if you don't watch it, you'll start coming into the blessing and the glory of the Lord and miss God because your head is in the clouds and not in the posture of servanthood. Moses represented the law, and the law is now dead. Joshua, whose name meant "Jesus", is now bidden of the Lord to do what Moses could not. Moses could free the people, but he could not bring them into the promised land. That same premise is evident in America at this time. During the 1960's, we had an onslaught of freedom fighters. But I see the leadership for the turn of the century will be Kingdom builders. There will be a different type of mindset. Servanthood amongst the leadership will be the thrust to greatness. If you don't understand servanthood, you'll abuse the GODDOESN'T CALL YOU TO PREACH HECALLS - YOU TO SERVE. The Ministry of Bn Echo power that is put within your hand. God has created man so that however he thinks will determine what he will be. As the Scripture saith, "For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he," and "Keep the heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life." So whatever is in your heart or whatever is in your mind determines what flows out of you. Don't get mad at anyone concerning your situation because you ordered it all by yourself. There is a law in action. You thought it and put it on your plate. You have a duality of mind. You have the conscious and the subconscious mind. The subconscious is the dimension of thought that keeps you breathing without you telling it what to do. It makes many decisions because it is the seat of your true beliefs. The greater mind ends up becoming a servant to the weaker mind. Many of you don't get your miracle because you only take your conscious mind to the state of mimicking the GODDOESN'T MAKE LEADERS, BUT GODMAKES SERVANTS, AND SERVANTS BECOME LEADERS. b , SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN Word. You're just like a parrot; "Johnny's gonna prosper. Johnny's gonna prosper." But just like a parrot, you don't have the slightest idea of what you're really saying. There's no revelation; that word has not been made flesh. But your subconscious mind has a way of responding when your conscious mind begins to renew itself through the Word of God. The subconscious mind grabs hold of the Word, and begins to dump it down into the deep part of yourself. Then, when the subconscious begins to apprehend it as truth, things begin to happen. This is where faith resides. Faith is so strong that it takes what is invisible and makes it visible because faith is literally the substance. Let me tell you what you're wrestling with. God wants to bring us to a new level in Him. But your mind must be renewed. If you can change your thinking, you can change your outcome. GETYOUR HEADS OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND RETAIN THE POSTURE OF SERVANTHOOD. The Ministry of An Echo Matthew 2436-37 "But of tlznt riny a i d hoz~rkizozueth izo innlz, no, izot the angels of lzenueiz, b ~ l nzy t Fnther oizly. But ns the days of Nonh were, so slznll also the coilzilzg of the Soil of lilniz be. For ns iiz the dnys that zuere before theflood they were eatiizg nizd drilzkiizg, mnrjiizg and giving in nznrringe, zciztil the dny tlzat Oize entered into the ark, Aizd knew izot until tlzeflood cnine, nlzd took thenz all away; so shall also the conziizg of the Soiz of nlnn be." Now who did He take away? He took away the ungodly. We have interpreted that scripture in Christendom and have said that's the rapture of the church. He's not going to come and take me away. It's the removal of the wicked. Jesus is not coming to remove the righteous. Proverbs says "the righteous shall not be moved." The coming of the Lord is to take the wicked away. Get YOU WON'T GET YOUR MIRACLE BECAUSE YOU ONLY TAKE YOUR CONSCIOUS MIND TO THE STATE OF MIMICKING THE WORD. 93 J SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN that picture out of your mind about cars going over the side of the road, and planes crashing; scratch it! Get that garbage out of your mind, and forget it! A matter of fact stop saying "rapture" it's not even Bible. And what the church called a rapture is some nightmare that some girl had about a century ago. ~coffieldand some other created commentaries around it, forget it. This is not what Jesus was saying. Jesus was talking about the coming of the Son of man. I'm going to talk to you about what happens when Jesus comes in you, if you ever let him in. Verse 40, "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill: the one shall be taken, and the other left." Now look at this as a type, we have two minds. Paul spoke about two men, he says every time I want to do good evil is always present. So the good that I desire to do, somehow becomes overwhelmed by the evil that is present. What is happening is that there are situations THESUBCONSCIOUS MIND GRABS HOLD OF THE WORD,AND DUMPS IT INTO THE DEEP OF YOURSELF. 1 94 The Ministry of An Echo going on in you where there are two natures present. There are two men in your field, There are two women grinding at the mill. There's a virgin and a harlot. There's a Jacob and an Esau. There's an Ishmael and an Isaac. There's a Cain and an Abel. There's a warring going on inside of you with the two minds that are dwelling in you. When the Son of man comes one of those men is going to be taken and the other one will be left. Ishmael will be taken but Isaac will be left. Esau will be taken but Jacob will be left. Cain will be taken but Abel will be left. The harlot will be taken but the virgin will be left. What has happened is that the Son of man has not come. But, when He comes, one of those men will be taken. Verse 40 "Then slzall two be in thefield; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two womeii slznll be griizdiiig at the mill: tlze one shall be taken, and the other left." IF YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR THINKING, YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND. SERVANTMOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN Here's a thought: perhaps Jacob wasn't wrestling with some angel; at least, not in the sense that we've traditionally thought. Let's look at this spiritually, as a typology. An angel is a messenger. There was one mind of Jacob that was wrestling with the other messenger. He was wrestling with the prophet in his mind. The angel had to go because another day was entering in. His old man knew that his day was up. But there was a wrestling for the ascendancy. When the struggle was over, Jacob the cheater retrieved his real name, Israel, which meant "I shall rule as God." It was in him all along, but until he wrestled with himself, he could not break forth into the fullness of his destiny. When He comes, one of those men will be taken. Paul tells us to crucify the old man. You have got to kill him. The old man has to be taken away so that the new man can be left. THECOMING OF THE LORDIS TO TAKE THE WICKED AWAY. The Ministry of An Echo Now the prodigal son also tapped a revelation that the substance was there and accessed it, but in a way, he divorced himself from his father and that is why his substance was wasted. Some of you have those two men in the field with you right now. Some of you have the two women at the mill within you right now! One man is saying, "Let's go and give $10,000 to the work of the Lord", and the other man is saying, "We can't afford it." One man is saying, "Come on! We've got to get ready to go into the House of the Lord," the other man is saying, "We're too tired. Let's not go to church." One man is saying, "You need to connect with the man of God and serve in the House of the Lord", while the other man is saying "He's going to hurt you. Stay away. If you serve him, you'll never have anything yourself." Jesus wants to come and take one of those men away. JESUS COMES INTO YOUR LIFE TO TAKE AWAY THE OLD MAN SO THAT THE NEW MAN CAN REMAIN. SERVANTHOOD BISHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN When you begin to be caught up in the cloud and forever be with the Lord, you're going to be caught in the glory and one of those men is going to die. And when you are caught up in the glory, be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. The moment that your mind becomes fully transformed in an area, you have been fully changed in a moment. You are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. You are partakers of His divine nature. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. God loved you so much that He gave you sonship. You just don't know your real name! NOW are we the sons of God! It does not appear what we shall be, but when He shall appear, we shall be like Him. The reason why you are still in a struggle is because the Son of man has not appeared to your unrenewed mind. But when He shall appear, you shall be like Him. When we have the mind of Christ, we will take on His nature, which is nothing more than to serve. As we take the BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, BUT BE YE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF THE MIND. The Ministry of An Echo posture of a servant, the greatness of God within us can come to its maturation. The call of God that has come unto you is a call for self-denial; a call for perpetual humility. I pray that you answer the call in the fullness of the Spirit of Christ, for that is your purpose to be fulfilled in the earth. BOOKS BY BlSHOP E. BERNARD JORDAN M E MAKING OF THE DREAM Are you ridingthewaver t o an unknown rhoiel Is God's will parring you by? Is your Gad-given virion a dream or a realql If you aren't sure of your life's destination then you need to hear 'The Making ofthe Dream!' here teachings are remarkable because they will assist you in establishg workable goair in pursuit of s u c c a . You God-given dream will no onger be incomprehenrible, birt % will be touchable, believable and canceivable! 510 M E SCIENCE OF PROPHECY A clear, concise and detailed expaltion on the prophetic minirtry and addresser many mirnomen and mirundentandings concemingthe minh y of the New Testament prophet. If you have any questions canceming prophetic minim, or would like t o receive sound, rciiptural teachings an this subject, this book ii for you! 5 10 - .. - .. , . 8 ' : 1), nJriLr rg n 11. n rgr of Gcd c, l e g &"pa n'eo ano aron;?a n a . x a l i paced n rre .,aof p3ien. i 1 3 1 leaderr GDd r rarCLre olai..hon:) a r o prcioro fcr me pLipore cf I, j ' ,l,.:'.' Ine rnalumicn of efecl .e eiaerrnip ir lnorc~gnl, orcurred ana -paned Tns b w r 'I hgh, recommended fcr anlone .:no oc e . a ma! G m hxr ca co them u, an, 1,or of rn. s i r ) n the Boa, c f Cnnn ?I. . . ,!: ,...... , , - MEMORING: M E MISSING UNK I D s r i.?n ine n c m r l y cf pray , , , ;.,,I, ..: 0,. lSlO - . .;-; 1 :;. . . -.: -. *. MEOITATION. THE #FI TO NEW HORllONS IN GOD pmLn of the hon1edp.e of Goa Lona conrtdered ercliv.el, n the omain of New Aee an; eastern relieiok, meditation is adall; Dart of the heitape o f ~ h k a n r and . is to b i an sentid soatt of eve; ~ be~iw~ , er's life. k e have been given a mandate to medktte upon the Ward of God in orderto effectprasperityandwholeness in our lives. Thb b m k giver some foundational principles to stimulate our traniformation into the expresr, image of jerui ~ h h s t . 510 ~ - ~ - PROPHmC GENESIS Explores the realnu of the genesis of prophec/..the beginning of God cmmuniating t o mankind. The prophetic mini* ir examined in a greateidepth, and the impad ofvarious areas such as cuitvre and music upon prophecy are taught indepth. The prophetic ministry must always operate under proper alrthorii, and this fador is airo delved into. This b m k is designed for the mature rtudem who ii ready to enter imo new dimensions ofthe prophetic realm. 410 M E JOSHUA GENERATION A bookthat rings with the round of ~onfmntation,ar the Body aiChrirt is urged t o awaken from parrivitfto embrace the responsibility t o fuihil the mandate of God in this hour! The JorhuaGeneration is targeted for thore who are resdv t o look bevood the confines aftradm'on to tackle ) O J i r e a pan tne negnr 01 cnange Are )CL a p onrer ~t he>%) of h e ,ornil Genlrallon 1 Th r ooor I for ,o. 4 S I - SPlRiNAL PROIOCOL P a o r 3 e s ;n e*m: mg , need f c i orerr ana dinp nc 1 tne Roo, oi . I Chr.rr B,.aeeies.el, anrcknerherrewcf nocxnoence md la.....sl&%$?%zcmners that bemieater the church. the issue of clove;nmental author* and accouiitlbility is thoroughly diiirred. This haoual deaiiy identi& the i.' ddineation ofareas and leveir ofministry, and brings a frerh undemnd. ing of a j i n o r q and 5.oreq.zrl r.5m rricn ind the r rnp =I onr lor Ihderrn p 2 . w n l n rlc-se ~ cl in? Lora Th i r 3 cornprehenr . e n ~ o ) I tna: 1~ .oci B in3p. ciaaq'r e x ~i omk Yentor np, " and ~n ;nlr recammended for anyone desiring to understand and aiign himeif with God's order for the New Tertament Church. $20 , -. 1 , ,,. . : . :: . a 1 ' . a 0 , PWSE AND WORSHIP the outward mode of exprerrian of an internal relationship Mith God, and are empioyed by Gad ar an avenue through which He wiii speak and display Hi Word, and by man ar a loving response to the touch of God upon his life. This book will compel the readerto deepen his reiationship viith hi Creator. and expiare new degreer of ihmacy with our Lord and Saviour. Jesus Christ $20 iir BREAKING SOUL TIES AND GENERATIONAL CURSES ... arrs The rim of the fither will aften sitempt t o viit this present generation ...however, thare who understand their authority in Chrirt can refuse that viiitiotion!! Thb series reveals the methods of identiFjing soul ties and curses that adempt to reduplicate themselves genedon aher generation. If you can point to a recurrent blight within your family lin- pe series .................. 340.00 -tape series..................$40.00 WAITTEN1UDGMENTSVOWME I Chronides the Word of the Lord concerning the natiom of the world and the Body of Chrkt at large. Many rubjem are addressed, such ar the U.S. economy. the progress ofihe Church, the rise and fill ofcer@innations, and Bishop Jordan prophecies over every rtate in America with the exception of Ohio. This ii not witten for ienrationsliim, bui to challenee " the Body of Chrktto bepin to o w concern in^ the chan~es !hat are to come. 510 " . WRITEN JUDGMENTSVOLUME II A continuation oithe Word af the Lord expressed towards the Middle East, the Caribbean nations. America, and the Body d Christ at large. Addrerres various issues confroming America such as abortion, radrm, e c ~ o m i c rand homelerrnerr. A powerful refledion of the judgemenk of God, which come to effect redemption and resondliation in the lives of mankind. 510 MINI BOOKS ............................ $1.00 ...................$1.00 ..................... $1.00 1. The Purpose of Tongues 2. Above All Things Get Wisdom 3. Calling Forth The Men of Valor