Rhema Ehiemere - Don't Lose It (A Short Encouragement For Men)

Very quickly, I want to first of all say thank you so much to all the organizers of this event. Thank you so much; all protocols observed. In Genesis chapter 1, verse 26, God says something very powerful. The Bible states, "And God said, 'Let us make man in our own image.'" This lets us know, guys, that anyone can be a male, but it's important to understand that males are born, while men are made. I think it's crucial to establish that fact: males are born, but men are made. Just because you're a male doesn't mean you're a man. The Bible says, "Let us make man in our own image," and I want to quickly discuss three things that as a man you cannot afford to lose. Amen? Come on, give me some response. Amen, amen!

Three things you cannot afford to lose as a man: the first is your picture. Everybody say, "Your picture!" The Bible says, "Let us make man in our own image." Don't lose your picture; don't lose the image and the likeness God has given you. I wrote down that you can only feature in a future that you picture. Do you realize there was no blind woman in the Bible? Everyone that Jesus healed who was blind was always a man because there's something about men and sight. Talk to Samson; he will let you know. I think it's important for us as men to understand that you cannot lose your picture; you cannot lose your vision. When you have vision, everybody is not going to like it because your vision will sound like frustration to people who have eyesight but lack insight. Not everyone will understand what God has called you to do. God said, "Let us make man in our own image." When you begin to talk about image, there's a difference between image and shadow. An image is formed from a reflection of light, while a shadow is formed by an obstruction of light. Society wants you to live in your shadows, but God wants you to live in the image of what He has created you to be, in the light of what He has created you.

We need people who can step out and live in the light of what God has called them to become because your identity is tied to your authority. The first thing the enemy said is, "If you are the Son of God..." Adam and Eve, "Did God say?" Come on, you were there; you know God said it. But the identity issue is always the first thing the enemy goes for. Everybody say "identity." So the first thing you don't want to lose is your picture—your identity. The second thing is your potential. Somebody say "potential!" You don't want to lose your potential. How many people go to HEB or Walmart or one of those grocery stores, and the first thing you look for in the fruit section is seedless grapes and seedless watermelon? How many people like seedless watermelon and seedless grapes? We all like it! Don't—come on, wave your hands if you like it. You're like, "Pastor, you're coming!" No, we all like it! But the thing about this generation—and that's fine, I love it, right?—is that we are obsessed with production and multiplication without fertilization. A lot of us have transferred that into our spiritual lives, and it's dangerous. Where there is no seed, there is no harvest.

Think about it: the devil is not just after your destiny; he's after your legacy. As men, we need to step up and stand up because the devil, as I wrote down here, is not fighting what God has called you to do. The enemy is fighting who God has called you to raise, and God has called you to raise your sons and your daughters. Many men are focused on their work and their careers, but the enemy is not just focused on your occupation; he's focused on your generation. As men, you have to stand up because greatness is not just what you live for your seed; greatness is what you live in your seed. God doesn't just want to meet your needs; He also wants to reach your seed. Wherever you are under the sound of my voice, God has given you and entrusted you with sons and daughters because He has legacy and posterity in mind.

I think it’s important for us to recognize that the problem with the seed is that the environment of the seed doesn't always match its assignment. Oftentimes, you might think that the seed is buried without realizing that it is actually planted. So, as men, I want to challenge you: wherever you are, please don’t lose your seed, don’t lose your vision and picture, don’t lose your potential, and finally, don’t lose your position. Everybody say "position." You are the foundation. As I mentioned earlier, God has designed you not just to be attractive but to be effective. You don’t have to be visible to be valuable. I'm not seeing this foundation, but the Bible says if this foundation, which I cannot see, is destroyed, what can the righteous do? You are the head of your family, so give your family a head start. Please don’t lose your place.

I wrote something very powerful here because my brother talked about being an example. I always tell men that the footprints of the father become the blueprint of the son and daughter. When God created man, He put him in Eden and gave him an assignment. The fall of man was not really a departure from your assignment but a departure from an environment he had to leave. Wherever you are, please remember there is a place God has called you to as a king and as a priest. The Bible says He brought the animals to the man to see what he would call them, and whatever the man called them, that was what they were.

So my question to you as a man is: are you taking your position? Are you speaking truth to power? Sometimes your wife might not have the spiritual authority to say it, but you can say it and see it. Wherever you are, I’m going to challenge you. The Bible says something, and this is my last point. You don’t have to open it, but in 2 Kings 21:19, it says, "Amnon was 22 years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for two years." In verse 20, it states, "He did evil in the eyes of the Lord just as his father Manasseh had done." The footprints of the fathers become the blueprint of the sons and daughters. Whatever our "s" is, they live up to; whoever they look up to is who they live up to.

My question is: are you man enough not to lose those three things—your picture, your potential, and your position? Because that’s what God has given you. Don’t lose your image, don’t lose your seed, and don’t lose your place in Eden, which is your fellowship and what God has called you to do. I have good news for you: there’s greatness within you. I know it might not look like that, and I know you might not feel like that, but God’s hand is upon your life, and He has made you the head because you have everything it takes to achieve everything He has in store for you. Amen! Come on, put your hands together for Jesus! Amen!