Reformation Report

Assimilation

The word assimilation comes from the Latin word “assimilatio” which means “to integrate, or to render similar”. Assimilation is the incorporation of an idea or thought into our subconscious, it is the process of incorporating an external thought, experience or stimulus into our minds or cognitive processes. Depending on how we assimilate this new data, it can either help us or hinder us in developing new visions, goals, dreams and values for our lives.

In Joshua 1 verse 8, God instructs Joshua to, “meditate upon this book of the law day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then you shall make your way prosperous, and you shall have good success”. God instructed Joshua to incorporate the principles that were written in the book of the law and make them a part of his life. As Joshua does this, it distinguishes him from the other Israelites and he becomes the next leader of God’s people. Joshua was one of Israel’s greatest judges, and led God's people in the conquest of their promised land.

The images and thoughts that we absorb into our minds determine who we eventually become. If we assimilate negative words or thoughts, they will become part of our subconscious. The Bible teaches us, “to either make the tree good or make the tree bad. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things; the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” [Matt. 12:35]  We are responsible for what we allow ourselves to listen to and assimilate into our lives.  Think about all we are assimilating as we watch television, or surf the Internet, even the lyrics of the songs we listen too or the talk shows and news items that bombard our thinking everyday. Are we making our tree good or simply by default is it becoming evil at worst or polluted at best.

Affirmation

God has given us an incredible gift. A gift that makes us able to turn whatever is in our imagination into a reality.

The first step to creating that reality is for us to affirm what we believe to be true about ourselves.

An affirmation is a confirmation or ratification of the truth, or validation of a prior judgement. It is a solemn declaration, the assertion that something exists. A positive mental attitude supported by affirmations will achieve success in anything.

More specifically an affirmation is a careful, positive confession that should be repeated and written down frequently, because you cannot target what you cannot see.

The Bible in Habakkuk chapter 2, verse 2 to 3 says,

"Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.”  

For an affirmation to be effective, it needs to be:

·        present tense

·        positive

·        personal

·        specific

In Genesis God says, “let there be light!” and there was light. Whatever God affirmed and confessed came to pass.

So too with our affirmations, as we speak we establish a specific course, direction, outcome, or state of being for our future.

What are we declaring over our lives? What words are we confessing?

Accountability

Accountability is a state of being liable or answerable. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, enforcement, blameworthiness, liability and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving.

In leadership roles, accountability is the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for actions, products, decisions, and policies.  This includes administration, governance and implementation carried out within the scope of the employment position, and encompasses the obligation to report, give explanations and be answerable for resulting consequences.

In Deuteronomy 30:15, God holds the children of Israel responsible for the decisions they were about to make in either following Him or turning back. He says, “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”. In other words God might have been saying, “do what you want to do, just accept the consequences”.

When we are able to face the consequences of the decisions we make, we become mature sons of God. Maturity comes not by age but by the acceptance of responsibility. We often try to hold someone else responsible for our own failures, we say, “it’s the government”, “it’s our parents”, or “I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks.” It is easier to blame someone else for our situations than take ownership for ourselves. We need to accept the responsibility that we are where we are right now as individuals, churches or as a nation entirely because of our own choices, individually and corporately.

What's the big picture?

Principle 3: Vision

Scripture says, "Without a vision the people perish." If ever this has been the case, it is being evidenced around the world today. There are many people who have lost hope and heart due to their vision of what should have been or could have been being derailed. Another version of this passage says, “without a vision, the people cast off restraint.” I have dedicated more than 30 years of my life to, “Transform lives and reform nations by building people and building dreams". Whether we are building our lives, our marriages, churches or businesses, vision is the driving force in accomplishing our dreams, and all of these areas comprise essential aspects of reforming a nation.

 

Throughout the book of Acts, the pattern appears over and over again. A "beachhead" was established in a region in order for the church to advance throughout that region. The church that was based in Jerusalem was able to spread the gospel into Judea and Samaria (see Acts 6; 7). The church in Antioch spread it in Asia (see Acts 12:24). The church of Ephesus took care of Europe (see Acts 19:20). This did not happen overnight. These first 11 chapters of the book of Acts cover a span of 10-15 years, yet the early church maintained a clear vision of their mandate. They were to establish beachheads, and from there advance the church throughout their appointed region.

 

Celebration Ministries has taken over 25 years to establish itself as a presence in the community, but during this time we have constantly kept our goal and vision in front of our members. We have begun outreaches into the region where God has given us our "beachheads"; in Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa and now Kenya and Nigeria. We are even moving into Asia, Europe and North America. It all started with a vision and a determination to establish ourselves little by little. God has given us great success in following the biblical pattern for growth.