CALVARY ELDERS

HYMN: 

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

No turning back, no turning back

The world behind me, the cross before me

The world behind me, the cross before me

The world behind me, the cross before me

No turning back, no turning back

Though none go with me, still I will follow

Though non go with me, still I will follow you;

Though none go with me, still I will follow;

No turning back, no turning back

-My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus

My cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus

My Cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus

No turning back, no turning back

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

No turning back, no turning back

Calvary is a place, according to the book of Luke 23:33a, “And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him.......”

It is also called “Place of the Skull” or Golgotha. This is the place where Jesus was crucified.

This is the place where my sins and your sins was paid for in Full; when He said on that cross” IT IS FINISHED”. He who knew no sin shed His blood to redeem us.

Calvary is synonymous to Redemption, deliverance from the Adamic nature/ The Old man, where we were bought back, where Jesus paid the Ransom/Price for all our sins and Iniquity, and He used His Precious Blood to reconcile us to God the Father.

An Elder is said to be a Male or Female of an advanced age, who occupies an office of leadership in a church, the ages varies from denomination to denomination, some from the age of 45, 50 or 55 as the case may be.

In the times of Moses, his father –in law advised him to get elders he could delegate his duties to, so that he may not burn out, the interesting thing is that at that time not just anybody could attain the position of an elder, unlike what obtains nowadays; the elders of old were expected to have prerequisite qualifications, Exodus 18:21”You shall select men from all the people, able men, such as Fear God, Men of Truth, Hating Covetousness........”

In the New Testament in 1st Timothy 3; 1-7, the bible reiterates the pre requisite requirements of an Elder; this includes the following: Being Blameless, Have a Good Testimony amongst others outside, Humble, Holding the Mystery of the faith with a Pure Conscience etc

Elders are appointed after seeking the face of the Lord in Praying and Fasting, Acts 14:23” In each church they appointed elders, and with prayers and fasting they commended them to the LORD.........” 

Elders are meant to be Appointed not Elected, so it is not a canal activity, the Holy Spirit has to be involved.

Calvary Elders therefore are Male or Female members of a church who are advanced in age and have acquired/manifesting the pre requisite qualifications stated above in the relevant scriptures.

It is so obvious that you cannot give what you don’t have, therefore these men and women should have had personal Calvary encounter, men and women of blameless character, who have the fear of God, men and women who are Humble, men and women holding the Mystery of the faith with a pure heart, men and women who have a knowledge of the full Gospel not distorted doctrines. Men and women who are eternity conscious, who have drawn from the well of salvation, who have decided to follow Jesus come what may, decided to put the world behind them and put the cross before them. Men and women who are vessels of honour, who are ready to be disciplers, who will pour out into others the things which are proper for sound doctrine.

We are going to pray for our Calvary Elders, as many who are in this category that they will not fail God and as many that are not yet there, they will do the needful by the help of the Holy Spirit.

The book of Titus 1:5-9 states “For this reason I left you behind in Crete, so that you would set right what remains unfinished, AND APPOINT elders in every city as I directed you, namely, a man of UNQUENCHABLE INTEGRITY, THE HUSBAND OF ONE WIFE, HAVING CHILDREN WHO BELIEVE, NOT ACCUSED OF BEING IMMORAL OR REBELLIOUS, FOR THE OVERSEER, AS GOD’S STEWARD,MUST BE BLAMELESS, NOT SELF WILLED, NOT QUICK TEMPERED, NOT ADDICTED TO WINE, NOT VIOLENT, NOT GREEDY FOR DISHONEST GAIN, HOSPITABLE, UPRIGHT, FAIR, DEVOUT, SELF DISCIPLINED (ABOVE REPROACH IN PUBLIC OR IN PRIVATE), MUST HOLD FIRMLY TO THE TRUSTWORTHY WORD OF GOD,MUST TEACH ACCURATE SOUND DOCTRINE AND TO REFUTE THOSE WHO CONTRADICT IT.

PRAYER:

• Lord we commit our Calvary Elders unto your hands, we thank you for their lives and how far you have helped them in the race,

• Pray that they will have unquenchable integrity, that is their character will go ahead of them, they will have a moral compass that does not waiver, their yeah must be yeah and nay be nay

• Pray for their homes that their children will Believe, they will not be like the children of Eli in 1st Samuel 2:12” Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord”

• Pray that they will not be Greedy for dishonest gain. They will not merchandise the Grace of God upon their lives; freely you were given (Mathew 10:8)” Heal the sick,  cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils; freely ye have received, freely give", Tabitha in Acts 9:36, was recorded to be full of good works and alms deeds. Pray against every Gehazi spirit.

• Pray that they will empty themselves of self, Pride, be decluttered of anything that will be a hindrance of the free flow of the Spirit and power of God in their lives, they will not distort the word of God, but teach the sound doctrine of the Mystery of the Gospel.