7 DEACONS OF POWER
Dear Reader, I have a quick prophetic word from the Lord and I believe it’s an urgent matter to deliver to the Church.
And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
The above scripture expresses a satanic assault on the church that God used for the furtherance of the gospel.
A division arose between the Christians; there was the traditional group (those inclined toward the Hebrew culture) and the conventional group (those inclined toward the Hellenistic culture). While they were both Christians, the Hebrews tended to regard Hellenists as unspiritual compromisers with Greek culture, and Hellenists regarded Hebrews as holier-than-thou traditionalists. The bone of contention was the neglect of the Hellenistic widows in the daily distribution of relief materials and goods.
What then was the approach of the Apostles?
Some of the Hellenistic group may have reported to the Apostles; understanding that they couldn’t leave preaching the word and praying, they delegated the assignment to seven deacons (or servants) who would be in charge of the ministry of requisition and distribution of these materials to the widows of both groups.
While the apostles asked the people to nominate from among themselves, they named seven deacons with Hellenistic names, which probably mean they were Hellenistic, that is, they were conventional. The result of these was staggering; every widow on both sides was duly catered for, the word of God grew mightily in influence and even a large company of Priests (of Judaism) converted to Christianity.
What do we learn from this?
i. Those with the complaint, the Hellenists, did the right thing: They made the need known, instead of complaining and whining, and they trusted the solution of the apostles.
ii. Those of the other party, the Hebrews, did the right thing: They recognized that the Hellenists had a legitimate need and they trusted the solution of the apostles.
iii. The seven chosen men did the right thing: They accepted the call to unglamorous service.
iv. The apostles did the right thing: They responded to the need without distracting themselves from their central task.
Then God began to open my eyes and ears. The wedge of division amongst Christian communities such as orthodoxy, Pentecostalism, and more conventional ones like Charismatics will be mended if we will allow the “ministry of the 7 deacons”.
God is raising ministries and people to champion this divine agenda on earth;
- Men and women who are ready to go far and wide even to be spent and become martyrs,
- Men and women who are evangelicals, prophetic and apostolic in their outlook, rising out of common assignments like administrative duties to doing uncommon things like working signs and wonders.
- God is saying to the church, be ready to stretch out the right hand of fellowship to them. The sound of their approaching is louder than ever.
Amen!
Signed;
Adesoji Fasanya
Team Lead, Eden House
19/08/2023
NB: Images were sourced from the internet.
