Raising Royalty

Archbishop Benson Idahosa said he 
once went to America to minister. 
While he was lodged in the hotel, a 
group of 16 pastors from an African 
country came to visit him
They told him they were in America 
on a fundraising mission
They wanted to build a cathedral and 
felt their help would come from abroad
He said he listened to them as they 
pleaded with him not only to support 
their project but to put in a good word 
for them with the white folks who 
invited him to minister in the USA
He said he did the best he could to 
help them and wished them well
After a week he returned to Nigeria 
to continue his work
He forgot all about the 16 preachers 
who were soliciting for funds in the
United State of America
He said at the time his calendar was 
booked up for over two years
He had to travel to several nations 
preaching the gospel
The more he ministered in power, the 
more he increased in influence
Every currency of the world flowed 
into his ministry
He built cathedrals, sponsored the 
education of thousands of orphans 
and prospered on every side
Two years later, the same church 
invited him to minister again in the 
USA
He said as soon as he got 
there he saw the 16 pastors again
They walked up to him after the 
service to greet him
He asked them why they were still in 
America and they told him they were 
still soliciting funds to build their 
cathedral in Africa
They had sworn not to return home
 empty-handed 
They had written letters to every 
christian organization, they could 
think of in the hope of catching a 
break
The little money they raised in the 
past two years since he met them 
had been spent on their upkeep and 
general welfare
They were literally as empty-handed 
as they were the first time he met with 
He said He looked at them and said 
"You have been in this country for 
the last two years, yet the country 
remains cold
Nobody felt your impact in any way 
and you're begging for money
How many dead people did you raise?
How many sick people did you heal?
How many signs and wonders did 
you do?
You sat here cap in hand begging for 
help while you sat on the most 
dynamic power that was given unto 
mankind by Jesus to empower his 
church
Why do you think Jesus told his 
disciples not to travel with their 
money belts?
Jesus didn't want them to get distracted
Jesus knew that 
material blessings will follow the trail 
of those working in miracles, signs, 
and wonders
People are compelled to bless them
The blind that regained his sight will 
insist on saying thank you, the lame 
that walked will offer a roof and a meal
Everyone desires to host the presence 
of God or at least be a blessing to the 
carriers of such a presence
The same principle worked in the life of 
Obed Edom
The Ark of Covenant showed up at 
Kiriath Jearim after several months in 
exile
The Ark, led by the Spirit of God, was 
dragged into town by some oxen
The noise spread abroad about the 
return of the Ark
The Ark was lost the day Saul died 
and it was returning after David had
become the King of Israel
While guarding the ark back to 
Jerusalem, one of the Oxen 
carrying it stumbled 
Uzzah stretched his hand out to help
steady the ark
He was struck dead for his effort
The death of Uzzah made David 
realized that they had done something 
wrong
They decided to put the ark in the 
house of the closest Levite
This Levite happened to be Obed Edom
That was how he became the custodian 
of the presence of God
People living in that community and 
its environs began to throng to the 
House of Obed Edom
They wanted to see the Ark of the 
Covenant
They wanted to pray where the Ark of 
the Covenant was located
They wanted to experience the 
presence of God
And they didn't go to the house of 
Obed Edom empty handed
They took gifts of cash and kind
They knew that giving to God or to 
those who were keeping His 
presence was a blessing
Obed Edom became rich
He became so rich within three 
months that the news of his wealth 
got to King David in Jerusalem
Arrangements were made thereafter 
to move the Ark back to the capital 
city
You cannot carry the presence of 
God and be a beggar
You cannot carry the presence of 
God and remain at the mercy of
 people
You cannot carry the presence of 
God and remain in one spot for 
two years
Unless you have the presence and 
you don't know how to walk in its 
reality or perhaps you dont carry 
that presence at all!
The Archbishop left the USA a few 
days later and within a month of his 
return started a University, the 16 
beggars were still in America, 
soliciting for funds
They never built the cathedral 
because they didn't understand 
their positioning in Christ.
I listened to the message where 
the story was told sometime in 
2008
I was working somewhere in 
Anthony village at the time as a 
personal assistant to a pastor
I was drafting letters for this pastor
anmd his ministry
All sorts of letters soliciting for help 
and support from other ministries
and individuals in the society
That was what knew and his ministry
remained a stillbirth
Ironically, it was in the pastor's library 
that I saw the message about the
16 beggars in cleric collar
I listened to it while drafting such letters
I gained a lot of knowledge from the 
message
I carry the presence of God always
I do not have to beg for anything
Royalty does not beg either tacitly or 
blatantly
I listened to another minister of the 
gospel sharing about the day the rent 
of his church was due
He was supposed to pay but he had
no money
The landlord was waiting by the 
entrance of the church
He was lying down on the couch in 
his house, meditating
Suddenly a stranger walked in
A member of another church
The stranger said "I will like to see 
the pastor
The pastor welcomed him
He told the pastor he was on his 
way to his church when the Holy 
Spirit told him to come and drop 
some money for the pastor
It was the exact amount the pastor 
needed for rent
That said he had learned how to wait 
on God and grow with God 
I also learned a lot from that
The third thing I learned was at a 
workers training in 2011
The pastor told us to open the 
scripture to Romans 13:8, it says 
"Owe nothing to anyone..."
I said okay
No more buying Indomie and eggs 
from mallam to pay later
I have lived by these great 
principles over the years
The only time I bought a car with a 
loan (2012), the car was stolen four 
months later and I paid the loan for 
a whole year
I remember crying bitterly at the time 
and asking the Holy Spirit what happened
He said "You're living by a principle 
that does not befit your status"
I was supposed to finish paying the 
loan in December
A better car was brought to me in 
October that year
It had been 90% paid for
I paid the remaining 10% which was 
for the guys that sold the car and 
some papers a month later
I have never written a "beggy beggy" 
letter for anything in my life
I have come to understand the 
principles of the Kingdom and I walk 
in them daily
I am a giver
I give out all things including land 
and cars and money
I am a blessing to the Kingdom of His 
own dear son
This is my mindset
This is also the mindset of those I train 
Royalty does not breed beggars
It breeds givers and blessers
We all must learn from this and put 
the word of God to practice
As church leaders and ministry 
leaders, we have the option of 
begging or blessing
Whatever reality you're walking in 
is your choice 

-GSW-