Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it.'”
When we get off even a little bit from the truth of the word of God, it will eventually be that we are way off and noticeable to all. Unfortunately, in the church today, we have gotten off of the mandate to multiply and have engaged in the three “M’s” of ministry. We have moved from the mandate to multiply and we have manipulated, marketed and manufactured the gospel.
Manipulate means to manage or influence skillfully; to adapt or change to suit one’s purpose or advantage (Dictionary.com).
Market means a meeting of people for selling and buying; demand for a commodity (Dictionary.com)
Manufacture means to produce in a mechanical way without inspiration or originality (Dictionary.com)
The reason we like using the three “M’s” of ministry is because it is a great way to make money. The gospel was never meant to be manufactured, but because we have lost connection with the vine (John 15:4), we had to manufacture fruit in order to keep making money. So, we have bookstores filled with books of the same spirit, saying the same thing. We have manipulated the people into believing that the manufactured gospel which is produced in mass for the masses is what the Lord intended. We convince ourselves that if the Apostle Paul was here on the earth today, he would get on television, radio, podcast and platforms to preach his message. But is that really what our mandate is, to mass produce?
When we seek to be restored, God Himself resets us back to the original factory settings and when this happens, everything looks different, tastes different, smells different. God’s original plan was for us to multiply, not to mass produce. He even reiterated his multiplication mandate in Matthew 28:19-20 saying, “Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the Name … teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.” How do you baptize a nation? How do you understand teaching them to observe?
For us to fulfill the great commission, us, all of us, not just a few certain people, we have to be in the lives of people. To baptize someone you have to be there and to let someone observe you and everything the Lord has taught you, you need to be in their life. Our mandate to multiply is discipleship. No it is not glamorous, no it is not going to make you famous on a national and international level, no it is not going to make you a millionaire, but it will make you rich. We were mandated by God Himself in Genesis and Matthew to multiply, not manufacture, market and manipulate.
The storm is coming to soak the soil of people’s heart, so they can receive the word that will separate them from the world and make them into disciples. The only thing that is eternal is people. Jesus said, heaven and earth will pass away, but My Word will never pass away. He is the Word become flesh who dwelt among us (John 1:1). The mandate is to multiply!
Multiply means to make many, increase the number, to increase by procreation or natural generation (Dictionary.com)
Jesus multiplied Himself by 11 and those guys multiplied themselves and on and on it went, so now I am a disciple that is called to multiply. We have got to realize the disciples did not heal the sick to make money, they did not cast out demons to write books, they did not preach the gospel to become a pastor, they did not prophesy so people called them prophet or prophetess, they did it because it is what they were discipled to do. They were not seeking to be rich or famous, they were seeking to make disciples. They were servants who were told to take up a towel, not sit on a certain row.
When we return to our mandate to multiply, we will see the signs, wonders, miracles and greater things Jesus spoke about. Not to make us famous or so we can start a ministry, but so we can make disciples and see the crime rate in our city decrease, the fathers stay in the family, the abuse of women and children come to an end, poverty eradicated and safety return to our streets. When we obey the multiply mandate and make disciples, our community, our city and our country will be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is how you baptize nations, by making disciples in your home, office or school. The day is coming when this dream is going to be a reality, for this is God’s multiply mandate.
Lisa Great is an author, speaker and blogger with Mouthpiece Ministries International. She has been in ministry for over 25 years, she has a bachelor’s degree in Youth and Family Studies and a master’s degree in Education. She can be reached at mouthpieceministries.net;
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