1

BURDEN AND VISION

“Hereafter You shall see
heaven open…”
“Jesus answered and said to him, Because I said to you, I saw
you under the fig tree,’do you believe? You will see greater
things than these.”And He said to him, Most assuredly, I say to
you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.””John 1:50-51
NKJV
All we have seen and heard God declare to us since we entered
into this decade has been very prophetic and all the words He
has sent to us and the various MLR themes He led us into for
2020 (Fill the earth, subdue it: Preach the word), 2021
(Rehoboth: Abiding, Abounding and Abundant Fruitfulness)
and 2022 (Pursue, overtake and recover all: maximizing our
Rehoboth) have all been directional. They are not topics per se,
they are prophetic directions and guideposts to what we must
do now in this season of His visitation. While disciples must
multiply from nation to nation, it is clear that the time has
come, our day has broken and the Lord is still holding the
sceptre to us in mercy to rise and shine His light into the na-
tions of the earth.

Hence, this year again, He has taken away the veil to

show us what we must hereafter enter into even as the
season of our Rehoboth continues with a very strong
assurance and declaration: “Most assuredly, I say to you,
hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” This has
come to us as we waited upon Him seeking His wisdom
and further strategy of the “Pursue, overtake and you
will surely recover all” which has guided our steps
since the beginning of this year.
The Lord has come again to declare to us with utmost assur-
ance that henceforth, we shall see heaven open and we shall
see the traffic of the heavenly on the Son of Man who indeed is
our stairway to glory. It is on Him that we shall see the move of
God and the release of the outpouring of the showers of bless-
ing from heaven to overrun and overwhelm our earth.

We perceive the Lord is about to open the heavens unto us cor-

porately and particularly to you as an individual more than we

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have ever known in all our years of labouring with Him. Several
of us are the “Nathaniel(s)” of our day, who are seeking genuine
visitation from on high, who cannot make do with mere stories
and routine religious activities… We have mused in our hearts
over and over again, “Can anything good come out of Naza-
reth?”.

We have been drawn into discipleship seeking to see the reality

of Christ’s life and His work in our lives and in our genera-
tion… We have come to know Him in a way and we could say,
He is our Lord and our God, He is the King of our lives… But
He is taking us into the next dimension of His dealing with us.
He says, “Most assuredly, I say unto you, “Hereafter, you shall
see heaven open…”. “Hereafter” means, “henceforth; from now
on.”
Whatever He will do to open the heavens over our heads and for
us to walk daily under the open heaven and minister under the
open heaven, experiencing divine carriage ascending and de-
scending upon the Son of Man, we shall sit at His feet in this
year’s MLR to experience. Our hearts are full of expectation of
what the Lord is surely bringing us into. There are several in-
stances in the word of God when it pleased the Lord to open
the heavens to a person or a people and the result was unmis-
takable.

As we gather together at His feet for this encounter, just as our

Lord had to go to Jordan, to be baptized of John for the heav-
ens to open unto Him, and for the Spirit to come as the dove to
rest upon Him and for the voice of the Father to be heard au-
thenticating Him and commanding people to hear Him, such
that He could finish the work His Father gave Him to do in the
years allotted to Him, we trust God to help us get down to the
place where we can individually see heaven open unto us, em-
powering us and opening the door for us to also accomplish the
greater task laid on our lives in this our Day.

Jacob came to Bethel and saw it as a dream but could not enter
into it then, as he went his way into many conflicts because of
his nature. It only remained a mirage or a faint promise in his
heart. He could not perpetuate that experience until He came
back, twenty years after, to Peniel where God terminated the
“Jacob” in Jacob and then the heaven opened unto him and the
sun rose upon him and he walked the rest of his pilgrimage on
earth with the sun risen upon him, while leaning on the staff of
grace.

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You may be the one whom God has signalled to use for the past
several years, but you have not been able to enter the promise
due to your own “Jacob” nature. I perceive this MLR may be
your ‘Peniel’ where you will look unto God to permanently deal
with your personal hindrances and set His sun to rise upon
you, so that you can then walk into His promise in Isa. 60:1-3
and all the promises that prophecy holds for us: “Arise, shine;
For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon
you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep
darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His
glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your
light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.”Isaiah 60:1-3
NKJV
It is the set time. The day now breaks… The heaven must open
to you and your light must shine now and the glory of the Lord
must rise upon you now in this your day and in this your time
of visitation. May the Lord help you so that you will not miss
out. Hereafter, you shall see heaven open… After here, after this
MLR, you shall see the ‘Son’ rising upon you. You shall see
heaven open and angels ascending and descending upon the
Son of Man. Do not come after the event! May the Lord help you
to be at the right place at the right time in Jesus Name, Amen.
As you have come, you have come to the Lord Himself. Prepare
and settle your heart to indeed come and come you yourself
apart, away from all distractions to meet Him and be there with
Him who is waiting on top of this ladder to open His heaven
unto you. Do not let Him go, until He has blessed you.
Your brother,
Gbile Akanni

Programme Shedule

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 Bible Study
PURSUING THE ONENESS
OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

Pre-amble
This unstoppable move of God for which God has positioned us
and called us to be involved in will require the unity of the body
of Christ to bring it unto its full strength. This is why we have
been so instructed and led over the years in the way He has
called us so that we do not do anything on our own. We have
been called to bear the burden for the entire body of Christ. We
must belong to them and be in their midst. We must not pull
apart as if we are superior to them. We must bear their bur-
dens and challenges on our hearts till Christ is formed in each
of them and until they come to the measure of the full stature of
Christ Jesus. Eph. 4:11-14.
till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ; Eph. 4:13
“[That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith
and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of
the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood
(the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the
standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the
stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in
Him.” Ephesians 4:13 AMPC
There is the crucial need for the oneness of the BODY OF
CHRIST: we all must come to the unity of the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man. It is a labour for
which God is equipping His people through the ministry gifts.
This was what Paul expended all the energy God so lavishly
provided in his life to pursue. And this move of God must bring
us individually and corporately to this. While we trust the Lord
for the increase, labouring for the church to be one is one key
goal and pursuit of this move of God. It is not ecumenism or
organisational unity or uniformity we are labouring for, it is the
oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the full
and accurate knowledge of the Son of God…

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In this Bible study, we shall explore this mandate God has
placed on us to see to the oneness of the Body of Christ and we
trust the Lord to help us to faithfully honour the body and so
serve her, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace.

Oneness of the Body of Christ and in the body of Christ is not a

cosmetic issue that should be treated lightly. It is a paramount
matter in the heart of God and it is a very indispensable key in
all that God wants to do on earth by our hands. It was the
strength of the early Church and their division was their bane
and downfall.
At Pentecost, the coming of the Spirit upon them with cloven
tongues of fire was to inaugurate the Church in unity and one-
ness of spirit and purpose. Tribes and tongues, nationalities
and location notwithstanding, we heard them speak…one mes-
sage- the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:4-13)
Tribe and tongue may differ; Nationalities and geography may
vary; but we have been imbued with the self- same Spirit and
this makes us one in every way. As we study, we shall examine
the rationale and the need for us to pursue the oneness of the
Body even as we see this stream flowing from the sanctuary
break forth everywhere in the lands and nations of the earth.

When people were of one mind, one speech, one vision, and
one purpose, discuss and analyse what the Lord says (and still
says) about oneness even when the people were pursuing a
wicked agenda.
Gen 11:1-9; Matt 18:18-20 (NKJV, AMP); Acts 1:14; 2:1-2; 4:24-31.
What lessons can we learn from the apostles and the early dis-
ciples in the move of God they experienced?
In Gen.11, we are told that the people had one language and one
speech. They said the same thing from their heart. Note what
God said here. It was not an angel who said it. Even if what
people want to do is evil, if they are united in it, nothing (good
or bad) that they propose to do will be withheld from them. The

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only way to stop them is to break their oneness. That shows the
power of oneness. It is the key to an unstoppable move of God.
Even God will not withhold from us whatever we propose to do,
if it is particularly aligned to His will.
Whereas Satan is not divided in his kingdom, he has used this
eternal truth to weaken the body of Christ by bringing division
among God’s people. The disciples were in one accord,
(including the women) in the early church and it brought the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of God’s
power. Acts 4:24 (AMP) says they lifted their voices together
with one united mind. Division starts from the mind; so the
unity must also start from the mind.
On the day of Pentecost, there was agreement; there was sym-
phony in their prayers. People heard them speaking the same
message- the wonderful works of God, even though they were
speaking in different languages. So the revival lasted during
their time in the Acts of the Apostles. If only we will be in one
accord, God will do great things in answer to our prayers. We
can achieve unity if we put our hearts to it under God.
Only oneness can defeat another oneness. The Godhead had to
come together to scatter those building the tower of Babel. The
God Head could have sent an angel to scatter them, but we see
God Himself operating in oneness. If we are going to see His
glory break forth, we need to begin to pray and plead with God
for oneness of mind in our families as husband and wife and
among us as disciples. Anything other than this will be a waste
of our time.

Matt 18:18-19 (NKJV AMP); 1Pet.3:7; Acts 12:5; Jam.5:14-16.

Look intently into these Scriptures and highlight the issue of

oneness in the various situations and the unlimited answers to
their prayers. What lesson have you picked from this?
For corporate prayers between two or more people, agreement
brings definite answers to prayers. And to achieve agreement,
we must first discuss to harmonize our minds on what we want
to pray about, even between husband and wife. To pray a pray-
er of one accord, we must be united in what is being asked.
In Acts 12, it is clear that the believers were asking for one and
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the same thing: it was for Peter to be released from prison; and
that was what God did for them. If some of them had prayed for
Peter to be made comfortable and favoured in prison while oth-
ers prayed for his release, they would not have received the an-
swer they were expecting because there was already division in
their ranks. But they were united in what they were asking for; so
the answer came speedily from heaven.
In addition, when elders come together in agreement to pray
over the sick, even their sins will be forgiven (if sin was the
cause). Unfortunately, in many cases, God’s people do not take
time to harmonize their hearts together and make a symphony
of what they ask before praying. There is no limit to answered
prayers when it is done in agreement.
“Receive this truth: Whatever you forbid on earth will be consid-
ered to be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you release on
earth will be considered to be released in heaven. 19Again, I give
you an eternal truth: If two of you agree to ask God for some-
thing in a symphony of prayer, my heavenly Father will do it for
you. 20 For wherever two or three come together in honor of my
name, I am right there with them!” (Matthew 18: 18-20 (TPT)
This is an eternal truth, this is not something that is temporary,
this is not sentimental – it is the truth. If two of us agree to ask God for
anything in prayer, God-the Father will do it for us. This is an eternal
and unshakeable truth! Wherever people agree together, God is will-
ing to work. This shows a critical need for oneness. What has
weakened the body of Christ is this matter.
The devil has focused his attention on dividing the church while
he protects the unity of his own kingdom. In the Body of Christ,
to get brethren to agree to work and to stand together it is a tug
of war. In this move of the Spirit that God is bringing us into,
one of the key issues we must trust the Lord for is the oneness:
the oneness of our spirit and of our mind so that the purpose of
God will not be jeopardized.

John 13:34-35; Acts 4:32-35; 5:12-14; 1Jn. 2:9-11; 3:9-16.

Discuss this one and only evidence that we are children of God
and are His disciples indeed and in reality. Why will anything
else not suffice?
You cannot claim that you are a child of God when you resent
or hate a brother. You are in darkness. Jesus says, “By this”…
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shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love
one for another;” not “By these…” It is the enemy who sows the
seed of discord among us to make sure we are not one. And
when we are not one, prayers remain unanswered no matter
how long we pray and even shout; and people will not know us
as Christ’s disciples if there is no love and oneness among us.

Jn. 17: 11, 20 -23; Jn. 10:16; Jer. 32:39; Ezek. 37:1-3, 16-19, 22-25.
Discuss this prayer of our Lord Jesus and the burden of His
heart for the oneness of His Church on earth.
The burden in God’s heart for His people is that they will be
one, as it is clearly evident in these Scriptures. People will not
be able to know that God sent Jesus Christ to the world to save
them if we are divided. Lack of oneness will hinder the effective-
ness of the Body of Christ especially in soul winning in any
community. The death of Christ on the cross for mankind will
be wasted. But when we are one, people will know that God has
sent Jesus Christ to them to save them.
The prophetic miracle of the valley of dry bones where bone
joined to bone and became a great army for God in Israel was
actually so that they might be one and no more two separated
nations. Let each of us have done with lesser things. What is at
stake is greater than what divides us.

Luke 11:16-23; Eccl. 4: 9-12; Matt. 18:18-19

Discuss this issue in the light of our pursuing to overtake the
enemy and to surely recover all that has been stolen and van-
dalised in the Body of Christ.
Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation,
and a house divided against itself falls. If Satan is divided
against himself his kingdom cannot stand. For all these years
that we have been battling with the kingdom of darkness, it has stood.
Because we are divided and fallen apart, the kingdom of dark-
ness is advancing. Churches are becoming empty, young people
are being lured into darkness and we are wondering why. We

10
wonder why God does not answer our prayers. The answer is
that every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to a
desolation.
Oneness is our critical need. When we are united, there is a
sure word of promise that what we are asking God to do for us
will be done, even if it be victory over the enemy; a three-fold
cord is not quickly broken.

Psa. 2:1-5; Neh. 4, 5, 6; Gal. 5: 13-17, 19-21

Looking at the story of the building of the walls of Jerusalem
under the leadership of Nehemiah, bring out the strategies the
enemy engaged in those three chapters to break the oneness of
the workers and the people.
Could all the division that leads to breakaways in the Church
be the activities of the enemy to put our bands asunder? Dis-
cuss. What role does the flesh play in breaking our bands asunder?
The kingdom of darkness normally takes counsel together be-
fore they set out to do anything. It is unfortunate that God’s
people do not take counsel together. We are individualistic; yet
we say it is the Spirit who is leading us. We must learn to take
counsel together. Also, the counsel from the kingdom of dark-
ness has a focus; it is against the Lord, not against themselves.
But we take counsel against one another and fight each other.
We need to learn. Also the flesh works against the Spirit of the
Lord with all his works. It is one weapon the devil uses to put
our bands asunder. When we look at Galatians 5:19-21, we see
that eight of the works of the flesh are divisive in nature. These
are hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish
ambition, dissension, division and envy.
Mr. Flesh is the strongest divider of the body of Christ, and we
need to fight ‘him’. Anything originating from the flesh is only
attacking the purpose of God. The flesh is contrary to the Spir-
it, and they are not friends. To be one with the brethren, you
must be delivered from the power of the flesh.

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 Gen. 11:4-6; Ps. 133:1-3
The outflow of the Holy spirit becomes unlimited when God’s
people are one. God is eager to bless when He sees us united.
He commands His blessing where brethren dwell together in
unity.
To conclude this section, you need to answer this question,
“what are you doing to ensure the oneness of the BODY OF
CHRIST in your area?” If you have contributed to the division
among God’s people, that must stop straightaway because it
will hinder God’s blessings and the flow of God’s power to you
and to the brethren. Have done with lesser things and put away
anything that will break our bands asunder. You cannot live in
love if it is the flesh running your life. Pray that God will create
in you a passion for the oneness of the BODY OF CHRIST. Do
nothing that will bring division and injure our oneness.

In this section, we shall seek a biblical understanding of the meaning, the

implication, the basis and the means of the oneness of the BODY
OF CHRIST. Several persons have talked about the unity of the
BODY OF CHRIST from superficial ecumenism, where we only
agree to disagree and look away from the fundamental things
that create incompatibility in our bonding together.
Others think unless we achieve organisational oneness, we are
not serious about unity. Unison is their own expectation of the
unity of the BODY OF CHRIST. Others talk about uniformity-
uniformity of appearance, uniformity of liturgical services, uni-
formity of our methodology, uniformity of our speech and even
the dress we wear and several things that are external and out-
ward. While any of these could be useful, they are not essential
to our oneness and they are not the essence of Christ’s prayer.
As we turn to the Scriptures, we will trust God to unveil to us
His mind, His heart cry and desire for the oneness of His Body
on earth and the provisions He has made for it to come to pass
and how we must labour for it.
Read Eph. 4:1-6 and particularly verses 4-6. From this Scripture,

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a. Identify and outline the dimensions of oneness we share in
the BODY OF CHRIST.
b. Discuss the seven-fold oneness we essentially share in the
BODY OF CHRIST as outlined below:

There is:

Rom.12:3-5; 1Cor. 12: 12-27; Eph. 3:4-6

What can you explain about this fact that there is only one
body? 1Cor. 12:12; Eph. 2:15-16; Gal. 3:27-28.
The fact that we have many members does not mean we are not
one body. And the fact that we do not have the same function
does not mean we are not members of one Body. This Biblical
illustration with the human Body clearly shows this. The hu-
man body is one body but it has many parts with different func-
tions. No matter how many members we are, we are one Body,
just as it is with a normal human body.
Many have broken the BODY OF CHRIST into small bits and
ministries because they are gifted in one function; so they are
trying to specialise based on that gift and cut away from other
parts of the BODY OF CHRIST. When you break away lpart of
His body like that, you cause great pain to Christ and His body.
The BODY OF CHRIST far surpasses the individual member’s
function. Your function does not make you superior to another
member of the body. No matter how great your function is, you
are only a member, not the entire Body. God set each member
in the body as it pleases Him; so humble yourself. The BODY
OF CHRIST transcends ethnicity or tribalism, education or so-
cial status. Such things mean nothing in Christ (Col. 3:10-11 LB).
a. The Church is Christ’s Body and He does not have two
bodies. Explain. Eph.1:22-23; 5:23,30; Col.1:24; 2:19; 3:15
Explain why the diversities of members should not be the rea-
son for disunity but for unity in the Body. You may illustrate
this with the human body for our understanding.
1Cor.10:17; 12:7, 12-14, 27; Eph.4:25; Rom 12:5.
From the Scriptures above, highlight what it is that makes us
one body. Jn. 17:21-23
By one Spirit we have all been baptised into one body, the
BODY OF CHRIST; and Christ is in us. Also we are one loaf.
What is inside another brother is what is in me: the same Spirit of
Christ.

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b. What must each one experience to make him or her a mem-
ber of Christ’s Body and a member of one another? Jn. 17:21-23;
1Cor. 12:13; Col. 1:27; 2Cor. 5:17
Christ must be in you and you must be in Christ for you to be a
member of the Body of Christ. This is a provision for us to be
one. He prayed for His Body that they may be one as He and the
Father are one. Anyone who does not have Christ in him and
who has not been baptised (immersed) into the BODY OF
CHRIST by the Holy Spirit does not belong to the BODY OF
CHRIST. He may belong to a church denomination; but he does
not belong to the BODY OF CHRIST.
Also, the glory of God that Jesus carries, He has also bestowed
it upon His Body and it is to make us one. About the glory of
Christ (Col. 1:27), Christ in you is the hope of glory. The glory
of Christ comes through the manifestation of the life of Christ
in a child of God. The glory He transferred to us is His life in
us. It is when the life of Christ is being manifested in us that the
glory is seen in us and it is to make us one. If we each carry
Christ life everywhere, we shall be one, because the life in each
of us is one: the life of Christ. Christ cannot work contrary to
Christ.
C. How should we relate together in the body of Christ to show
that we are one body?
Jn. 13:35; 1Cor. 12:20-21, 25-26; Phil. 2:1-8(NKJV, MSG); Rom. 12:3-
5, 1 Cor 3:1-5
We should relate in love in the BODY OF CHRIST; we need each
other. We must be sober in our thinking, according to the
measure of faith we have received. None of us should think
more highly of himself than he ought to. There should be no
schism in the Body but we must have the same care for one an-
other. Do not cling to anyone though he or she was used to
bring you up in the faith. It brings division.

Jn.3:3-8; Rom.8:9,14-16; Eph. 2:18,22; 1Cor.12:13; Heb. 2:11 (NET, NJB)

a. Discuss from the Scriptures above, this One Spirit by which
we are born again and the Spirit that fuses us into the Body
as functional members. Gal 4:6; 1Pet. 1:11; Ezek. 11:19-20; Jer.
24:7; 32:39, Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30

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• We have one Spirit. This one Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, described as
the life of Christ and as the new heart in those other Scriptures. We
are of the same origin and the same stock as Christ. The Holy Spirit
particularly unites and gives us the same identity in Christ.
He is the stamp of ownership of the Father. He is the evi-
dence of the life of Christ that we received and the assur-
ance that we can live that life consistently until the redemp-
tion of the purchased possession to the Glory of God. With-
out the Holy Spirit, there is no assurance that one can live
the life of Christ. We are one because of the life of Christ
that we have in us, which the Holy Spirit operates.
Even the prophets of old had the Spirit of Christ, even when He
had not yet come in the flesh. This is what makes us common
with our patriarchs. It is the Holy Spirit inside of us that makes
God know that we are his own.
b. How can we operate in oneness of the Spirit? Phil. 1:27; Jn.
16:14; Col. 1:10; Tit. 1:9; 1Cor. 2:2

• If we stand firm in one Spirit: in the life of Christ, (that is,

in the Spirit of Christ), the character of Christ will be mani-
festing in us. It shows that we are one in Spirit. To operate
as one in Spirit, each one will glorify Christ always, not the
flesh or any other person; also, we will always seek to make
Jesus Lord. To be one in Spirit, we should also hold fast to
the faithful word of God and not depart from it; this will
enable us to exhort and convict those who contradict us.
Each of us must continue to increase in the knowledge of
God so that we can contribute to the growth of the BODY
OF CHRIST. Read Philippians 1:27 again - Whatever hap-
pens, wherever we are, we must keep living our lives based
on the reality of the gospel we received.
When we keep doing this, we will see that everywhere we find
ourselves - students, teachers, doctors - there will be oneness in
our midst. Cultural, ethnic, color and educational boundaries
will be broken down because, in Christ Jesus, all these things
mean nothing.
c. All who cause division in the body of Christ are sensual and
carnal: Jude 1:19-21; 1 Cor. 3:1-5; Gal 5:15,20-21 (NKJV, LB); Jam
3:14-17
Every clinging to men is carnal and it will only bring division to

15
the BODY OF CHRIST. Even if God used brethren to help your
life, you must not use that to bring division. And as one whom
God uses to help others, do not take them as your personal
property; they belong to Christ. Each of the works of the flesh
in Gal. 5 is a sign of carnality; it will cause division. Run away
from them.

Eph.4:4, 1:18-19; Col.1:3-6, 23,27; Act 23:6; 24:15; 26:6-8.

From these Scripture above and others hereunder, discuss
your understanding of the One hope of our calling.
a. Christ Himself is our one living hope: Jer.14:8, 17:7; 1Tim
1:1; 1Pet 1:3-4, 21. Eph. 2:12.
Christ is our hope and that is common to all believers and He
is the One who gives us hope. He is the hope of Israel. Unbeliev-
ers are hopeless. They are without hope and without God in
this world. But we are not hopeless.
b. The Hope of Resurrection and of eternal life: Tit. 1:1-3; 1Cor.
15:12-25, 50-58; 2Cor. 4:14; I Thess. 4:13-18; Act 23:6; 24:15.
The hope of resurrection and eternal life is common to all in
the BODY OF CHRIST. If the church will keep being one, we
must keep preaching about the hope of resurrection to each
other. We will rise again even if we die. Christ died and rose
again; so we will rise again from the dead. Many, including
Paul, saw the resurrected Lord. No matter what happens to us
in this world, good or bad, we have the hope of resurrection
and of eternal life. This is one thing that binds us together as
the BODY OF CHRIST. We must keep speaking about this to
each other. Anything that does not unify the Body of Christ
must be dropped to preach this.
c. The Hope of His appearing that will transform our mortal
bodies to be as He is and launch us into an incorruptible inher-
itance reserved in heaven for us. Jn. 14:1-3; 1Jn.3:1-3 (MSG); 1Pet
1:3-4; 1Cor. 15:52; Tit.2:13-14; Matt 25:34; 2Tim 4:8.
Jesus is coming back again to take us home. We have the hope
of His appearing. Our unity is not because we are planning and
arranging it. We already have things that bind us together. One
of them is that Christians everywhere have the hope of his ap-

16
pearing and when He comes, He will take us to Himself so that
where He is, there we will be also.

The unity of the BODY OF CHRISTis in all these dimensions of

oneness. Our knowledge and understanding of all this oneness
is what will restore unity to the BODY OF CHRIST.
d. The hope of the Gospel, the hope of glory: Col 1: 5, 23-27; Rom
5:2-5; Gal 5:5-6
The gospel brings us hope: the hope of glory. We have the hope
that we will experience the glory of God as we allow Christ to live
His life in us. We must not be timid about re-stating the true gos-
pel. We must not be timid about preaching the gospel according
to the Scriptures. This is what will bring about the unity we de-
sire.
Col 1:5-6 says,
because of the hope, which is laid up for you in heaven, of which
you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has
come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing
forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and
knew the grace of God in truth.
The gospel has the power to bring the same effect on this gener-
ation as it did in the time of the early church. It produces the
same result everywhere! We must be committed to teaching it
because this is what will make the church what God wants it to
be. We must avoid teaching empty philosophies but give our-
selves to teaching the word of God. This is what has the capaci-
ty to bring about oneness in the body of Christ.
e. How should we behave ourselves as members of the BODY
OF CHRIST to show the oneness of our hope? 1Thess. 4:13-
14, 18; 1Jn. 3:3 (MSG):
“All of us who look forward to his coming stay ready, with the
glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own”. 1Jn. 3:3
MSG
The hope of His appearing makes us to have Christ’s life as our
pattern and model of life and this model unites us and brings
us together. And if all of us pattern our lives after Christ, we
will be united. If this hope is in us, then we will be one in our
pursuit, even if we belong to different denominations. Our fun-

17
damental beliefs and pattern of living will be the same.

Eph. 4:5; Act 2:36; 1Cor. 1:2; 8:6; Rom 14:7-9; Jn. 10:14-16
a. He has been appointed the Lord of all. Col.1:15-19; Col 2:6-10,
18-19; Heb.1:1-3
What is the implication of this for the Church?
The entire BODY OF CHRIST has only one Lord: the Lord Je-
sus Christ. We can claim the lordship of Christ over all things
for the purpose of the kingdom of God. Also, we should not al-
low anything, including angels, to lord it over us. Let Jesus be
Lord over your life. If every believer allows Jesus to be the Lord
over his/her life, there will be unity in the BODY OF CHRIST.
b. Jesus has been raised and seated at God’s right hand far
above all. Eph.1:20-23; Phil 2:9-11; Mk. 4:41. Explore the extent of
His lordship.
Jesus Christ is Lord of all. He is also Lord over the Church, His
Body. The lordship of Christ over us is for our shepherding. He
is the one through whom we get supplies to bless each other. It
is in Him we have authority to operate. It is in His power we
have power. Submitting to His lordship over us is for our bene-
fit because without Him we can do nothing. His lordship is vital
for us and He is not a benefactor, seeking to take advantage of us.
His lordship is the kind that gives rather than receives. You
must understand your need of Him and let Him be Lord over
your life. If each of us accepts his lordship over our lives, we
will not be divided because He is not an author of confusion.
C. He is the Vine; we are His branches and so totally depend-
ent on Him. Jn. 15:1-7; Eph. 4:15-16 How does this prove His
lordship over us all in the body of Christ?
Without Him, we can do nothing. Our dependence on Him in all
things proves His Lordship over us.
How should we then relate with one another in the BODY OF
CHRIST since Jesus is the one Lord over us? Rom. 12:3-4,
Phil. 2:1-5 (KJV, MSG); Rom. 14:10
None of us is lord over another. Jesus Christ is the Lord and judge of all.
We should relate with each other humbly and soberly. Each of us must
continue to realize that it is our connection to the Lord that
makes us relevant. Our personal relationship, submission,

18
communion, and devotion to the Lord are critical necessities to
engage for the oneness of the BODY OF CHRIST. Once we lose
this connection to the Lord and draw our inspiration from any
other source outside Christ, we will cause confusion in the body
of Christ. It is thus your personal responsibility to see that you
maintain your connection to the Lord, the Head. If it is the Lord
that is guiding and directing us in all things, we will be in har-
mony with one another.
d. It is only by Him and through Him and in Him we have ac-
cess to the Father and to one another in the household of
faith: Eph. 2:18-22; Jn. 14: 6.
Can you be a bad brother or sister to others and still have this
access to the Father? 1Jn. 3:10-22. What does that imply con-
cerning our unity?
Your personal relationship with the Lord is what makes you
vitally relevant in the BODY OF CHRIST. You will cause disuni-
ty in the BODY OF CHRIST if you do not maintain your connec-
tion with the Lord and with the brethren.

Eph. 4:5,13; Tit. 1:1, 4; 2Pet 1:1 (LB); Jud 1:3, 20

Taking each of these Scriptures into deep consideration, let us

define the various terms in which this one faith has been ex-
pressed so as to gain further insight into the One faith to which
we have been called.
a. One Faith… Not several faiths! Why not?
Eph. 4:5; Rom 3:26, 30 (NIV); 2Pet. 1:1 (LB); Gal. 1:6-10;
It is one same faith that each of us has received: faith in Jesus
Christ. It is a holy faith and it will promote holiness. There is
no other gospel that can bring that faith except the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ except they have perverted the gospel. Even
if you were a preacher of the gospel before and then you
change, preaching another gospel, you are accursed. So nobody
has the right to adjust and restructure it; it is the same faith as
that of the apostles.
b. The Faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgement of the
truth which accords with godliness: Tit 1:1 (NET); 1Tim 1:4 (NLT,
MSG)
We preachers are to encourage the faith of God’s elect, and to

19
advance their knowledge of the truth in keeping with righteous-
ness. Any faith that promotes carelessness and sinful living is
not the faith of God’s elect. If we all have the same faith, we will
be united. Guard this faith by not being engaged in discussions
that do not bring edification in the faith. Do not get involved in
any teaching that does not make people grow in their faith in
Christ. Any faith that does not increase your godliness accord
with righteousness, avoid it. Such will only bring division to the
BODY OF CHRIST.
c. Our Common Faith: Tit 1:4; 2Cor. 4:13 (NLT)
It is our common faith, the same kind of faith the Psalmist had.
This faith has not changed; it is our common faith both in the
Old and New Testaments
d. Like precious Faith: 2 Pet 1:1(AMP) - equally precious and
of same value with the Apostles’ faith.
The faith once for all delivered unto the saints… Jud 1:3-4; Act
4:12; Tit.1:1 (NLT). It is not incremental, changing and improv-
ing, shifting and adjusting to accommodate new and modern
theories. It is once for all delivered to the saints, to be carried
on, unedited, undiluted and unadulterated to everywhere, eve-
ryone and every nation. Ancient but current, ageless but relevant
for all ages. Final and perfect, need not to be revised. There are no new
versions of the faith unless there be perversions of it.
e. Your most holy faith: Jud 1:20; 2Tim 1:5; 1Tim 1:18-20; 6:12 What
are the things that could contaminate our faith and make the
faith a counterfeit.
The faith we are talking about is a holy faith, a faith that is ac-
companied by good conscience. Any faith which is not accompa-
nied by good conscience is not holy and it is not faith in Jesus
Christ.

Rom. 6:3-5; 1Cor. 12:12-13; Gal 3:26-28; Mk. 16:15-17; Matt 28:19.
What is this one baptism and the essence of it?
This “one baptism” is the baptism into the one BODY OF
CHRIST done by the Holy Spirit when anyone repents and be-
lieves the gospel. It is the Holy Spirit, not anyone else, who im-
merses the believer into the BODY OF CHRIST, thus making
him a member, a part of the BODY OF CHRIST. It is this one

20
baptism that qualifies the believer for water baptism and the
baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Note very particularly that the baptism in water is only a sym-
bol of this. Then, He (Jesus) who comes to baptize with the Ho-
ly Spirit and with fire comes to baptize the believer, filling him
to overflowing with the Holy Spirit to empower him to be an
effective witness of Christ.
a. Baptized into Christ…baptized into His death (Rom. 6:3-4).
Discuss this essential baptism that makes you a member of
the BODY OF CHRIST.
This one baptism into Christ (His body) means baptism into
His death. You cannot be said to have been baptized into
Christ’s body to be a member, except that you have been bap-
tized into His death; and you died. So you were buried with
Him and you were raised from the dead with him to walk in
newness of life.
Those who have experienced this one baptism, have the poten-
tial to operate in oneness; they are in Christ and Christ is in
each of them; so Christ in you and Christ in me cannot be di-
vided.
What is the implication for the believer in Christ Jesus? Study 1
Pet 3:21-22 (NIV, NLT, AMP)
Water baptism is only a symbol and a public announcement
that you have been baptized into Christ’s death and conse-
quently, His resurrection. It is not the washing of dirt away
from the body.
b. Discuss Gal 3:26-28 practically. How does this enhance the
oneness of the Body of Christ? What does it imply to “have put
on Christ”?
Once you are baptized into Christ and you experience death
with Christ, you have put on Christ. You are in Christ and
Christ is in you. This will bring unity to the BODY OF CHRIST
if we ensure that every believer experiences this.

Eph. 4:6, 6:23; Isa 63:16; Mal 2:10; Jn. 20:17; Jam.1:17-18.

God is the Father of all; the Father of all spirits. We have one
Father. So you cannot excommunicate any child of God from
the fatherhood of God. He is the Father of all, who is above all
and through all and in us all. If you are born of God by the
21
word of truth and the Spirit bears witness with your spirit that
you are a child of God, then God is your Father along with all
others. And Jesus is our Brother.
a. How great is Our One God and Father of all! Look at Eph.
4:6 again and discuss the implication of this on the Oneness
of the Body of Christ? Rom 11:36; 2Cor. 6:16-18; 1Cor. 12:6
b. How will a correct knowledge of God enhance the oneness
of the Body of Christ? Jn. 17:3-9, 21-26
If God’s children know that we have the same Father – God –
and we belong to the same family of God, knowing this will en-
hance the oneness of the body of Christ. Note how great Jesus
is as a discipler. He taught them all that the Father taught Him
and exposed them to the correct knowledge of God the Father.
Do not shield the Father from His children. Guide them pro-
gressively to a personal knowledge of the God. Do not cut them
short. Discipleship that cuts men short as Adoni Bezek
(Judg.1:7) did is not biblical. Discipleship is meant to help
them to be able to take their own stand in the Family of God.
These seven dimensions of the oneness that God has arranged
for the Body of Christ on earth are the basis for the prayer
Christ Himself prayed for His disciples that they should be one.
It is His life in us and us in Him that will make us one with one
another. It is first the oneness of life, the sameness of the inner
man (Heb. 2:11 NET) that will work out the oneness of the
Body. As we pursue this move of God and we have heard the
sound of abundance of rain, these dimensions of the oneness of
the Church must be our deep conviction and experience. By our
commitment to upholding it, we shall see more and more, the
coming together of the dry bones again and a mighty army will
arise in the nations of the earth, an army who could keep their
rank and run to enthrone Jesus as the King everywhere with
one undivided heart.

““I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will be-
lieve in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You,
Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us,
that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which
You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We
are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect

22
 in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and
have loved them as You have loved Me.” John 17:20-23 NKJV
Let us join our Lord in this crucial prayer and desire of His
heart with “so be it with us, O Lord, and cause your glory to fill
the earth as the waters cover the sea in this our day of your vis-
itation.”
And do not only pray about it but be God’s answer to that pray-
er of Jesus Christ for His church. Allow nothing to make you to
contribute to the division of the Body of Christ. What is at stake
is greater than what we often allow to divide us. We shall see
more answers to prayers when we are one. We shall see angels
of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man! May
the Lord depend on you

PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP
GENERAL OUTLINE

Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you
under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things
than these." And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascend-
ing and descending upon the Son of Man." Joh 1:50-51 NKJV
God called forth the Rehoboth of our labours at the Ministers
Leadership Retreat (MLR) of 2021. This marked the beginning
of the season of an abiding, abounding and abundant fruitful-
ness in our labours for revival. Thereafter, the LORD has com-
manded us to pursue the “thief” that has stolen, killed and de-
stroyed righteousness, godliness and peace from our home-
lands and workplaces. He assures us that with the help of His
Spirit, we shall surely overtake our adversary and recover all
our losses.

23
This year, He has declared that “Hereafter, you shall see
Heaven open …”. This means that the unprecedented Divine
visitation for which we have prayed, laboured and waited is
now at hand. We are at the threshold of an unbroken flow of
Divine grace and mercy from heaven upon the Son of Man who
is at work in our lives.
The Father will open the heavens unto us to glorify Jesus, to
confirm the Gospel message with signs following and to estab-
lish His Kingdom upon the Earth. This unusual open heavens
is being released to sponsor the mission of Christ Jesus on our
hands.
In our Professional Workshop at this MLR, we shall strategize
on how to labour diligently to establish His Kingdom in the
workplace. Otherwise, we shall end up wasting the unusual
open heavens we have graciously received from on-High.

Read John 1:50-51 again.

1. List the areas and aspects of your profession and workplace
that have suffered lack or loss of godliness under “closed
heavens”.
2. What change do you desire to see in each of these as you
come under the unusual “open heavens”?
3. Notice that Jesus said to Nathanael: “… do you believe?
(Joh 1:50). This is quite similar to what He also said to
Martha: “… Do you believe this?” Again He said: "Did I
not say to you that if you would believe you would see
the glory of God?" (Joh 1:26, 40).
a. Discuss the importance of believing this prophetic Word of
Christ regarding the resurrection of those aspects of your
workplace where righteousness is currently considered
“dead and buried” and salvation of the lost souls of your
professional colleagues. "If you can believe, all things are
possible to him who believes." (Mar 9:23).
b. If you do believe, Jesus expects you to "Take away the
stone." What are the “stones” that you must arise to remove
from the “dead” practices in your professional environ-
ment?
c. Taking the “dead” practices one by one, discuss and outline
24
 the effective procedure to follow in removing each “stone”.
4. Jesus said: “hereafter you shall see heaven open …” The
word hereafter is an adverb of continuity. It means following
this. Heaven will not open upon your profession or work-
place in a vacuum. It only comes as you are busy believing
Christ and following Him.
a. Discuss the need to intensify your labours in disciple-
making and purging of your workplace of ungodliness as
you await the unprecedented dimension of open heavens.
b. In what other ways can you persevere in your pursuit to
overtake and recover all that is lost within your profes-
sional domain as you expect unusual open heavens?
5. The open heavens shall trigger the traffic of “the angels of
God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man”.
What is the relevance of this to those who are seeking reviv-
al in their workplaces? This reveals to us that God is clearly
not interested in doing business with any other person on
earth besides Christ Jesus. The Father cannot invest on
earth in anything or anyone that does not profit the Son of
Man. Therefore:
a. Do you pledge to live for Christ alone and faithfully repre-
sent Him in all you do professionally?
b. In what practical ways can you diligently focus on living for
Christ and faithfully representing Him in all you do on your
professional platform?
c. What could possibly hinder you from living as a true ambas-
sador of Christ in your workplace? What is the Biblical so-
lution to each of the identified hindrances?
6. What steps should you arise from here to take in your pur-
suit for recovery of all the losses in your professional do-
main:
a. Individually, as you personally live for the Lord and serve
Him on a daily basis?
b. Collectively, in your workplace, in your various profession-
al associations and fellowships?
7. The unusual open heavens we are stepping into by the mercy
of God should not end our pursuit to overtake and recover
all. We shall continue our pursuit with an even greater vig-
our with the aim to recover all. The unusual open heavens
will rather supernaturally accelerate our pursuit and hasten
our recovery of all that we lost.

25
a. When you catch up with the ‘invaders’ of your workplace,
how practically should you ‘overtake’ the enemy and begin
to recover what is under his bondage? Discuss with refer-
ence to the peculiarities of your profession.
b. We ‘Overtake’ when we “take over” the control and can
begin the process of ‘recovery’. How should you go about
the ‘recovery’ of the losses you have suffered in your profes-
sional environment? Discuss the recovery of the following
losses:
i. Salvation of the souls of men and women who are either col-
leagues or clients.
ii. Strategic raising of disciples among influential colleagues in
the profession.
iii. Envisioning all disciples who are professional colleagues for
Kingdom service in the workplace.
Deliberate posting of envisioned disciples in strategic positions
to take over, fill and subdue the professional landscape.
i. Aggressive rewriting and replacing the unrighteous princi-
ples and practices in our professions with those of the King-
dom of Christ.

A. Assign one of the leaders of each Onsite Workshop Group to

take notes during the sessions. At the end of the session, he
or she should present a summary of the convictions and
strategies arrived at during the discussions. Participants
may offer corrections and additions if they have any.
B. The leaders of the group should also appoint someone to
lead the closing prayers of each session.
C. During the closing prayers of a session, a brief moment of
time should first be given for individual prayers on the fresh
convictions each person may have contracted during the
session. Corporate praying may then follow, drawing each
point of prayer from the group’s summary of convictions
and strategies.

1. The final Workshop Group session may conclude with the

following useful items:
2. Presentation of upcoming events and any other information
of relevance to the particular professional hub.

26
3. Verification and completion of the attendance register of
participants in the Onsite Workshop Group.
Other useful discussions related to the future plans of the
group in order to continue pursuing with passion and personal
commitment.

HYMN 1. Holy, Holy, Holy I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
1. Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God mighty! Thy power throughout the universe dis-
Early in the morning our song shall rise
played.
to thee;
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to
Holy, Holy, Holy, Merciful and Mighty!
Thee,
God in Three persons, Blessed Trinity How great Thou art, how great Thou art,
2. Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore thee, Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to
Casting down their golden crowns Thee
around the glassy sea; How great Thou art, how great Thou art.
Cherubim and seraphim falling down
before Thee, 2.When through the wood and forest
Who wert and art, and ever more shall be. glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the tree;
3. Holy, Holy, Holy! Tho’ the darkness When I look down from lofty mountain
hide Thee, grandeur,
Tho’ the eye of sinful man Thy glory may And hear the brook and feel the gentle
not see, breeze.
Only Thou art holy; there in none beside
Thee, 3.And when I think, that God His Son not
Perfect in power, in love, and purity. sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
4. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty!
That on the cross, my burden gladly
All Thy work shall praise Thy name, in bearing,
earth, and sky, and sea; He bled and died, to take away my sin.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and Mighty!
God in Three persons, Blessed Trinity! 4.When burden press, and seem beyond
endurance,
HYMN 2. How Great Thou Art
Bowed down with grief, to Him I lift my
1. Oh Lord, my God, when I in awe- face;
some wonder, And then in love, He brings me sweet
Consider all the works Thy hands assurance,
have made; My child for you, sufficient is my grace.

27
 Find a sweet relief;
5.When Christ shall come, with shouts Kneeling there in deep contrition,
of acclamation,
Help my unbelief.
To take me home, what joy shall fill my 3.Trusting only in Thy merit,
heart; Would I seek Thy face;
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
And there proclaim, my God how great Save me by Thy grace.
Thou art.
4.Thou the spring of all my comfort,
HYMN 3. Rock of Ages More than life to me;
1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Let me hide myself in Thee; Whom in heaven but Thee?
Let the water and the blood, HYMN 5. I am praying
From Thy riven side which flowed, I am praying, Blessed Saviour,
Be of sin the double cure, To be more and more like Thee,
Save me from its guilt and power. I am praying that Thy Spirit,
2.Not the labour of my hands, Like a dove, may rest on me.
Can fulfill Thy law's demands; Thou who knowest all my weakness,
Could my zeal no respite know, Thou who knowest all my cares,
Could my tears for ever flow, While I plead each precious promise,
All for sin could not atone; Hear oh hear and answer prayer.
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
2. I am praying, Blessed Saviour,
3.Nothing in my hand I bring; For a faith so clear and bright,
Simply to Thy Cross I cling! That its eye will see Thy glory,
Naked, come to Thee for dress; Through the deepest, darkest night.
Helpless, look to Thee for grace: 3. I am praying, to be humbled,
Foul, I to the fountain fly; By Thy power of Grace divine,
Wash me, Saviour, or I die. To be clothed upon with meekness,
4.While I draw this fleeting breath, And to have no will but Thine.
When mine eyes shall close in death, 4. I am praying, Blessed Saviour,
When I soar to worlds unknown, And my constant prayer shall be,
See Thee on Thy Judgment-throne; For a perfect consecration,
That shall make me more like Thee.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee. HYMN 6. Spirit Divine,
1. Spirit Divine attend our prayers,
HYMN 4. Pass Me Not, And make our hearts Thy home;
1. Pass me not, O gentle Saviour,
Descend with all Thy gracious powers,
Hear my humble cry;
Oh come, Great Spirit, come!
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by. 2. Come as the light to us reveal,
Our emptiness and woe;
Saviour, Saviour,
Hear my humble cry; And lead us in those paths of life,
While on others Thou art calling, Where all the righteous go.
Do not pass me by. 3. Come as the fire - and purge our hearts,
2.Let me at Thy throne of mercy, Like sacrificial flame;

28
Let our whole soul an offering be, What the true burden of the Lord is;
To our Redeemer's name. That I may not slack any more
4. Come as the dew- and sweetly bless, Nor withhold myself from holy use.
This consecrated hour;
May barrenness rejoice to own, 2. Perfect my sight O Lord,
Thy fertilizing power. Help me to see as you see;
5. Come as the dove - and spread Thy Right value for eternal things
wings, Lord give me cause my eyes to see;
The wings of peaceful love; That I see not men as trees,
And let Thy church on earth become, Nor lose sight of my duty and call.
Blest as the church above.
6. Spirit Divine attend out prayer; HYMN 9. Not I But Christ
Make a lost word Thy home; 1.Not I but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted;
Descend with all Thy gracious powers, Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be
Oh, come, Great Spirit, come! heard;
Not I, but Christ in every look and action,
HYMN 7. Grace, thy grace alone Not I, but Christ, in every tho’t and word.
1. Grace, Thy grace alone, O to be saved from myself, dear Lord,
Has brought me to Thy will; O to be lost in Thee,
Stranger and alien I had been, O that it might be no more I,
‘Till grace brought me so nigh.
But Christ that lives in me.
Grace, Thy grace alone,
Is all I plead for; 2. Not I, but Christ, to gently soothe in sorrow;
Grace to serve Thee aright Lord, Not I, but Christ to wipe the falling tear;
O! Grace to love Thee more. Not I, but Christ, to lift the weary burden;
Not I, but Christ, to hush away all fear.
2. ‘Tis grace that teaches me ,
Thy path for me to know; 3 Not I, but Christ in lowly silent labour;
And grace day by day leads me on, Not I, but Christ in humble earnest toil;
My call not to let go. Christ only Christ, No show, No ostenta-
tion;
3. I longed for this grace Lord,
Christ, none but Christ, the gatherer of the
To be faithful a steward;
spoil.
To lay my all down for the church,
Till her glory bursts forth. 4. Christ, only Christ, no idol ever falling;
Christ, only Christ, no needless bustling
4. Make me Thy battle axe, sound;
Kept Lord in Thy quiver; Christ, only Christ, no self-important bearing;
Tried, Trimmed, sharpened in Christ, only Christ, no trace of ‘I’ be found.
Thy furnace, 5. Not l but Christ, my every need supply-
Meet for my Master’s use. ing;
Not l, but Christ, my strength and health to be;
HYMN 8. Enlarge my heart, Christ, only Christ, for body, soul, and spirit;
1.Enlarge my heart O Lord, Christ, only Christ, live then Thy life in me
That I may rightly perceive; 6. Christ, only Christ, ere long will fill my
Help me to understand vision;

29
Glory excelling soon, full soon l’ll see Tho’ Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
Christ, only Christ, my every wish fulfilling For faith has caught the joyful sound,
Christ, only Christ, my all in all to be. The song of saints on higher ground.

HYMN 10. Give us O Lord, 4.I want to scale the utmost height,
1. Give us O Lord, Thine unction, And catch a gleam of glory bright;
Anoint us for Thy work; But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
Arise and set us in motion, “Lord, lead me on to higher ground.”
O Lord the man of war.
2.Baptize us Lord with Thy fire, HYMN 12. God is Here!
And set our souls aflame; 1. God is here, and that to bless us,
To burn and shine for Thy cause, With the Spirit's quickening power;
Revive your zeal in us. See, the cloud already bending,
3.Refine us Lord and cleanse us, Waits to drop the grateful shower.
Clothe us in holiness; Let it come, O Lord, we pray Thee!
Transform our thoughts and nature; Let the shower of blessing fall, |
Till we Thy glory show. We are wait…ing, we are waiting,
4.New hearts, more love, more passion, Oh revive the hearts of all.
For souls in Satan’s train; 2.God is here! we feel His presence,
With hook or net use us still, In this consecrated place;
Make us fishers of men. But we need the soul refreshing
5.Not gold, not power, not knowledge, Of His free, unbounded grace.
Will thy heaven unlock;
But prayer and faith and unity, 3.God is here! Oh, then believing,
Will bring the latter rain. Bring to Him our one desire,
6.With tears and groans and fasting That His love may now be kindled,
O Lord, help us to pray; Till its flame each heart inspire.
Travailing as in birth for souls, 4.Saviour, grant the prayer we offer,
Till you revive the church. While in simple faith we bow;
From the windows of Thy mercy,
HYMN 11. I’m pressing on Pour us out a blessing now.
1.I’m pressing on, the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining everyday; HYMN 13. Showers of blessing
Still praying as I onward bound, 1.There shall be showers of blessing-
“Lord plant my feet on higher ground” This is the promise of love;
Lord lift me up, and let me stand, There shall be seasons refreshing,
By faith on heaven’s table land; Sent from the Saviour above.
A higher plane, than I have found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground” Show…ers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
2.My heart has no desire to stay, Mercy-drops round us are falling,
Where doubts arise and fear dismay; But for the showers we plead.
Tho’ some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim is higher ground. 2.There shall be showers of blessing-
Precious reviving again;
3.I want to live above the world, Over the hills and the valleys,

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Sound of abundance of rain. The Comforter has come!
3.There shall be showers of blessing- 5.Oh, let the echoes fly above the vault-
Send them upon us, O Lord: ed sky,
Grant to us now a refreshing; And all the saints above to all below
Come, and now honour Thy Word. reply,
4.There shall be showers of blessing- In strains of endless love, the song that
Oh that to-day they might fall, ne'er will die:
Now as to God we're confessing, The Comforter has come!
Now as on Jesus we call! HYMN 15. The Church’s One Founda-
HYMN 14. The Comforterhas tion
come 1. The church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
1. Oh, spread the tidings round, wher-
She is His new creation
ever man is found.
By water and the Word:
Wherever human hearts and human
woes abound; From Heaven He came and sought her
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the To be His holy bride;
joyful sound: With His own blood He bought her,
The Comforter has come! And for her life He died.
The Comforter has come, the Com- 2. Elect from every nation,
forter has come Yet one o’er all the earth;
The Holy Ghost from heaven, the Her character of salvation-
Father's promise given; One Lord, one faith, one birth;
Oh, spread the tidings round, One holy Name she blesses,
wherever man is found: Partakes one holy food;
The Comforter has come! And to one hope she presses,
2.The long, long night is past, the With every grace endued.
morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury 3 . Though with a scornful wonder
of the blast, Men see her sore opprest,
As o'er the golden hills the day advanc- By schisms rent asunder
es fast: By heresies distrest:
The Comforter has come! Yet saints their watch are keeping ,
Their cry goes up, “How long ?”
3.The mighty King of kings, with heal- And soon the night of weeping
ing in His wings, Shall be the morn of song.
To every captive soul a full deliverance
brings; 4. ‘Mid toil and tribulations,
And through the vacant cells the song And tumults of her war,
of triumph rings: She waits the consummation
The Comforter has come! Of peace for evermore;
Till with the vision glorious
4.Oh, boundless Love Divine! how shall Her longing eyes are blest,
this tongue of mine, And the great church victorious,
To wondering mortals tell, the match- Shall be the church at rest.
less grace divine"
That I may with Him dwell, and in His 5. Yet she on earth hath union
image shine!" With God the Three in One,

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And mystic sweet communion His way was much rougher
With those whose rest is won: And darker than mine;
Oh, happy ones and holy ! Did Christ, my Lord, suffer,
Lord, give us grace, that we. And shall I repine?
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee ! 6.Since all that I meet
Shall work for my good,
The bitter is sweet,
HYMN 16. Be gone Unbelief The medicine, food;
1. Be gone, unbelief, Though painful at present,
My Saviour is near, 'Twill cease before long,
And for my relief And then- oh, how pleasant
Will surely appear: The conqueror's song!
By prayer let me wrestle,
And He will perform; HYMN 17. Bringing in the Sheaves
With Christ in the vessel, 1.Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of
I smile at the storm. kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eves:
2.Though dark be my way,
Since He is my Guide, Waiting for the harvest, and the time of
'Tis mine to obey, reaping,
Tis His to provide: We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the
Though cisterns be broken, shelves!
And creatures all fail, Bringing in the sheaves!
The word He hath spoken Bringing in the sheaves!
Shall surely prevail. We shall come rejoicing,
Bringing in the shelves!
3.His love, in time past,
Forbids me to think 2.Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the
He'll leave me at last shadows,
In trouble to sink: Fearing neither clouds nor winter's chilling
Each sweet Ebenezer breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labour ended,
I have in review We shall come rejoicing bringing in the
Confirms His good pleasure shelves.
To help me quite through.
3.Go then ever, weeping, sowing for the
4.Why should I complain Master,
Though the loss sustained our spirit often
Of want or distress,
grieves;
Temptation or pain?- When our weeping’s over, He will bid us
He told me no less; welcome,
The heirs of salvation, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the
I know from His Word, shelves!
Through much tribulation
Must follow their Lord.
5.How bitter that cup
No heart can conceive,
Which He drank quite up,
That sinners might live!
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