- "Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in Asia.
- After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.
- So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
- And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A MAN OF MACEDONIA STOOD AND PLEADED WITH HIM, SAYING, "COME OVER TO MACEDONIA AND HELP US."
Acts 16:6-9 (NKJV)
• Itinerant ministers, ministers in general, should know how and where God wanted them to do the works committed to their hands.
- Ministry work done in God's way will produce the results intended by God.
- A minister should be sensitive to the leading of God in order to know what God is asking him or her to do per time.
• An itinerant minister should not move or act on impulses; he or she should rather move, do things by the leading of the Lord.
- They must be where God wanted them to be per time—money or material benefits should not be the reason why they went to minister in a place.
- Holy Spirit may forbid you to do certain things, not permit you to minister in certain places—not because the people there do not need the Gospel.
GOD may not want to use you to reach them, He may have another person in plan to use for them.
- "Now it happened, when I [Paul] returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance.
- "AND SAW HIM [Jesus] SAYING TO ME, 'MAKE HASTE AND GET OUT OF JERUSALEM QUICKLY, FOR THEY WILL NOT RECEIVE YOUR TESTIMONY CONCERNING ME.'
- "Then He said to me, 'DEPART, FOR I WILL SEND YOU FAR FROM HERE TO THE GENTILES."
Acts 22: 17,18,21 (NKJV)
• Generally speaking, a minister must know where God has assigned him or her to fulfil their visions (Amos 7:14,15).
- You must know the people you are assigned to reach (Romans 11:13).
- "But on the contrary, WHEN THEY SAW THAT THE GOSPEL FOR THE UNCIRCUMCISED HAD BEEN COMMITTED TO ME [Paul], as the GOSPEL FOR THE CIRCUMCISED WAS TO PETER.
- (For He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me towards the Gentiles)."
Galatians 2:7,8 (NKJV)
• YOU must know your scope of commission, and you do things within your scope.
• YOU must also know the range of things you have ability or potential for.
"AND TO ONE HE GAVE FIVE TALENTS, TO ANOTHER TWO, AND TO ANOTHER ONE, TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS OWN ABILITY; and immediately he went on a journey."
Matthew 25:15 (NKJV)
• Where God has not sent you and what He has not assigned you to do will not have His backings, that is, His support.
- Paul and his team were forbidden to preach in Asia minor, afterwards they wanted to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit of God did not permit them (Acts 16:6,7).
- They did not know what to do until Paul had a vision in which they concluded that God was leading them to Macedonia (Acts 16:10).
• Every minister of God should wait on God enough to know where God wanted him or her to be and where to go per time.
WHERE you are presently, Were you sent there by God?
IS the place your place of assignment?
• If you stayed where you are not assigned, you may not get the result you supposed to get.
- know where you are assigned and stay there to do whatever He has instructed you to do.
"And say to Archippus, "TAKE HEED TO THE MINISTRY WHICH YOU HAVE RECEIVED IN THE LORD, THAT YOU MAY FULFIL IT."
Colossians 4:17 (NKJV)
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!