INTRODUCTION
In any standard race, there are trophies set down for the contestants who will do well in the competition to keep for testimonies of their great exploits. These sets of people are called winners, champions or victors etc.There are many champions in life who through the thick and thin of this world had won so many trophies. Some until their last breath kept theirs like Apostle Paul – “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7) while others unfortunately allowed the devourer and destroyer to take away from them their testimonies.
A champion is somebody who competes in and wins a contest, competition or tournament, either alone or as a member of a team. He is a winner of show, a remarkable person with personal example of excellence or achievement or a hero or warrior especially a knight who fought on behalf of a monarch in former time.A champion is meant to defend, support or promote a course or person.
In the Christian world, a champion is one who has accepted Jesus Christ as His personal Lord and Saviour and he is living above sins and its pleasures. He is that fellow who has attained certain spiritual heights in his walk with God with the testimony of God’s presence, anointing, fervent prayer life with sound knowledge of the scripture, meaningful and purposeful fasting life. All of these don’t just come in a day, but through a gradual process characterized with spiritual growth and development.
THE STARTING LINE
The starting point for every man in this heavenly race is the call at Calvary where he must experience a touch from the Saviour, leading to the cleansing of sins. At this point, there is an exchange. The old life is exchanged for the new life. At this point, such man becomes a child of God hoping to grow and develop to become a son. Alas! Many claim today to have been to the Calvary but it is disappointing and sometimes embarrassing that you cannot trace their patterns of life to the cross. Some even argue blindly against the injunction of the Scripture as to who a Christian should be. But one thing is certain, when a woman is with true pregnancy, it is the pregnancy that dictates what she must eat, where to go, what to wear even how to greet others.
Many claim to be carriers of that godly seed but what they have is not the true pregnancy, but fibroid.Can you please ask yourself if indeed the seed of God is in you or you are going about with mere fibroid?Fibroid also looks like true pregnancy. It may deceive many for even more than nine months if not properly diagnosed. Those who have had encounter with the Saviour need not make noise about it, their lifestyles and behaviours are simple indicators of the kind of pregnancy they carry.
“And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.” (Gen. 32: 25 – 26)
The encounter of Jacob with that angel left an indelible mark in his life to the extent that those who were not at the scene saw that something had happened to him. Where is even the proof of your salvation? How can we know that you are saved with this your lifestyle? This is not whether you are a minister or not. The question is, if indeed you have had an encounter with God, where is the proof? Moses did not have to announce to the Israelites that he had been with God, but his shinning face was evidently showing his encounter with the King of kings. Consider this fundamental stage very well or else, whatever you build without this sure foundation will make the whole structure to collapse. Have you been saved? Do you have a genuine not a contorted story of salvation? Or you are already in the ministry thinking that your ministerial work can be substituted for salvation experience. No.It cannot be at all.
MINI-S-TRY! Consider it this way that MINI stands for Minutes or time and S stands for Salvation experience while TRY stands for Trying moments or test or trials. What will sustain you in every moment of your ministry is your encounter with Jesus and that is your salvation experience because definitely, trying moments will come. It is not a matter of title, if you are not saved, you can still be saved now. Stop this pretence of being evangelical without genuine encounter with the Saviour. It is not fabricated rather it is experienced.
The first trophy of a champion is his trophy (or testimony) of salvation. After this are all other trophies won as a result of concerted efforts toward spiritual growth and development.
CHAMPION AND THE NEED FOR GOD’S WORD
Jesus Christ came into the world; a saint with many trophies but the devil wanted to thwart God’s plan for His life by destroying His purpose and testimonies (trophies).
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God… Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” (Matt. 4: 1 – 11)
Having been led into the wilderness, he fasted 40 days and 40 nights. What a great spiritual feat! He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights! Imagine how fulfilled and spiritually sound Jesus Christ would have been if He were to be one of us. Then the tempter came to rob Him of His spiritual trophy which He had won against hunger and deception or fear of death if he continued to fast. But thanks be to God that Jesus knew how to handle such situation since He is the master of all. He used the scripture to wage war against the devil so as to defend and protect his trophy won as a result of obedience to God.
Jesus overcame as a champion through the word of God. So must all champions learn that the word of God is a sure sword of the Spirit to defend our trophies or testimonies as Christians? Have you heard of so many Christian giants orchampions who fell into sin shortlyafter a feat (spiritual exploit) for God?
Many of us nowadays are so busy to the extent that the study of God’s word had become an occasional thing in our lives. Some had even fallen flat because there is no enough word to sustain them when the tempters came.
As a champion in faith, learn to occupy your heart with the undiluted word of God, the unadulterated one. Feed your mind with it. Jesus did not have to pick up any scroll or patches in order to read it but He had stored them up in His heart, not only in His head which is what many do.
Sometimes you wondered why so and so fell having preached great sermons. See, there are those who are soaked in the word, having the word as their lifestyle and there are those who are mere academics. They have the word but only in their head, smart preachers full of theological gimmicks.
Are you a champion in the pulpit, or the church or at home, fill your tank with the Word to prevent the devil from snatching away your trophies (testimonies) of great spiritual feats.
A COMPASSIONATE CHAMPION
And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.. (2Sam 9:1-6)
Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.(2Sam 10:1-2)
From the first appearance of David in the scripture, you would conclude that David was a champion in his time. Even the most dreaded battles by kings, he won for his nation. What a man of boldness with lots of trophies (testimonies)! He conquered Goliath, defeated many countries and reigned victoriously as a king in Israel.
After favouring Mephibosheth, he was compassionate to the extent of sending his servants to console Hanun the son of Nahash, the king of Ammon not of the same country. This shows that as a champion, he was a man full of compassion. Are you? Even with your testimonies, do you still have compassion for others? Is not that achievement, testimony or trophy driving you crazy to the end that other fellows or even your colleagues are worthless by your own rating? Do you now think you have arrived considering many local, national and international trophies, testimonies and achievements you have got? Some even spiritualize it by singing with their lips “Glory be to God”, when indeed they are praising themselves. Are you in this category? David was a mighty man in battle with many crowns and stars, as a general to many generals yet he was a man full of compassion. In your administration, what do you do? How do you treat your subjects or staff?
“For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it?”1 Cor 4:7 (HCSB)
Some leaders block the chances of others when they discover that their subjects will be opened to same benefits. Why are you not compassionate?
CHAMPION WITH A GRATEFUL HEART
David also considered the goodness His Father has done for him. Wow! What a great revelation! He did this same thing about Mephibosheth. Now he is doing it again. Here is a man of fair judgment. Here is a champion with a grateful heart. What about you?Wait a minute! Do you know that whatever you sow, you will not only reap even your children will eat out of it, be it good or bad. So learn to sow good seeds or deeds now.
It is no news that the higher a man climbs his ladder of greatness, the more he will be exposed to many temptations. Yes, Champions are always prone to many trials and tests but the state of their heart determines their victory over it.
Shortly after this victory, when David had fought victoriously, to the extent that all few Syrians left had become his subjects, he went to rest.
CHAMPION AND REST
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful” 2 Sam 11:1-3 (NIV)
David had forgotten that the tempter would be around too soon. He was to be with his men in the battle against the Ammonites but he delegated all works to his servant and went to sleep.
Have you paused at anytime to ask yourself as a champion the danger of going to sleep while revivals, vigils, prayers are going on in the church all in the name of your assistant will do it? David did the same; he was using his kingship authority to rest at home. What are you doing with your own? Watch it seriously.
CHAMPIONS AND CHOICE OF MEN
“and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home.” 2 Sam 11:3-4 (NIV)
It has been discovered that many of our leaders will only be pleased having loyalists around them. That is great. But have they considered what sort of loyalists are they? David saw this naked woman but the survey was done by his men. What a disaster! These men he chose ruined his testimonies. Even if he had conceived the idea and his men humbly persuaded him; telling him the implication, he could have been rescued from the journey of adultery.
Loyalists are good because no one pray for rebels as servants but don’t surround your table as a champion with “yes sir” type of people. Those who will never see anything bad in what you are doing even when they know it is not right.
Beware of those who will always say “all correct”, “no problem”. This is not to say that champions should surround their table with antagonists but sometimes they need constructive criticisms to balance their kingdom.
But this is hard in our generation where those who oppose a motion given by a champion are seen as rebels. Learn from King David. The same sets of servants watched over Uriah’s movement when he refused to abandon The Ark and his colleagues in the face of fierce battles for pleasures with his wife.
When it was reported to David, “Uriah didn’t go home,” David questioned Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a journey? Why didn’t you go home?” 2 Sam 11:10 (HCSB)
CHAMPIONS AND NEED FOR PROPHET NATHAN
“And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him … And Nathan said to David, “Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel …” 2Sam.12:1, 7
People like Prophet Nathan are scarce in our generation. Those who will look at the kings of our generation eye ball to eye ball and say ‘what you have done or what you are doing is not of good?’. Even in our nation, do we such men? If only our spiritual champions will rise against the evils; declaring God’s counsel openly for our country to know what God’s mind is, exploring every avenue to make them hear and know, there will be changes not only in our churches but also in the political system of our country. Oh! You say they are trying? Let them try more to experience a total transformation in our country like what happened to Nineveh after Jonah’s declaration. Let them openly rebuke and scold prayerfully and then watch if there won’t be changes.
Let all our Prophets rise against the ills in our society specifically receiving words from God for our nation and see if there won’t be changes. But many don’t want to meddle with the political system of the country. Please note that the office of the prophet from the time immemorial has to do with both the religious and political state of nation. Please read your Old Testament Bible to know how they shaped the history of their nation.It has not been title without responsibility.
Elijah openly challenged Baals and its prophets and God backed him up though Jezebel rose up against him, but did she succeed? Let Prophet Nathan of our generations rise in churches, society and nation at large to bring back sanity. In essence, every champion needs the voice of Prophet Nathan for him not to miss the track or when he had to be restored back to God.
CHAMPION AND HUMBLE HEART
“And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD….”“2 Sam.12:13
It is evident from this response that David, though a champion, was a man of humble heart. Not an arrogant man. He was not like King Herod who imprisoned and later killed John the Baptist when confronted by the Prophet. He humbled himself and so God had mercy on him. This is one of the qualities or virtues that endeared David so much to the heart of God –Humility (and Brokenness).
You as a leader or champion, are you humble? There are those who will vouch to deal ruthlessly with anyone who goes against their evil deeds or orders. Are you one of them? Check your administration.
Though the devil succeeded over David by destroying his testimonies or trophies won from many battles yet humbled himself and God showed him mercy.
May be the devil had spoilt your testimonies or snatched away your testimonies in your ministry through sleeping with girls in the choir or stealing church money or had lured you into drinking or soiled your garment with all manners of evil deeds, if only you will humble yourself today, God will be merciful unto you. He will forgive you.
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chron 7:14 (NIV)
May be you have been cheating on your husband, God can rescue you and restore you today. You can still regain your trophy back by going back to Jesus Christ for cleansing.
Remember, Christian! Seek not yet repose.
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