I am posting the last chapter of Vaughn Martin’s book: Transforming the Heart of Africa and as far as I can see, the book is Out of Print and Limited Available.
In the process of reconnecting the nation of Sweden to it’s original calling, missions, sharing the love of God to the nations, God is helping us to focus on the legacy of this mission calling in the continent of Africa. Burundi, this tiny (in)significant nation was the start. My friendship with my amazing friend from South Africa and now finding the script of this book that I helped to publish some years ago… All points to a leading of God in a specific direction.
Recently I am connected to an intercession network in Africa and I pray that this message will touch you, equip you and challenge you my dear brothers in Africa in leading positions!
Africa has been given an abundance of God’s blessings and riches. Africa is blessed with more than enough cultivatable land to feed her people. Africa is not overcrowded. Africa has been given an abundance of mineral wealth including even gold and diamonds. The natural beauty of Africa attracts millions of tourists to Africa every year.
In the spiritual realm, Africa has been abundantly blessed by God. What other part of the earth received so many missionaries who were willing to give their lives to bring the gospel of God? What part of the earth has received more miracles from God than Africa?
Africa has been blessed by God. But these blessings have been trampled on and wasted by African leaders. A dictator can take a prosperous land and turn it into a desert within a few years’ time. The dictator nationalizes the businesses and turns them over to his men. Within a few short months the businesses are bankrupt and the economy is collapsing. The dictator loots the wealth of the nation. He skims off the profits of the mining industries and other industries. He steals from the foreign aid. He takes the best for himself and deposits it in his Swiss bank accounts. His men follow his example as well as they are able. Consequently, the nation suffers.
Likewise in the church, African leaders misuse the treasure that they have been given. They do not understand the value of one human life. They do not understand that one human life has more value than all the gold in this world. They do not comprehend the intense love that the Lord has for his people.
Instead, these leaders use the people for their own selfish benefit. They think that the people are there to serve them and to make their name great. They do not realize that leaders are supposed to be the servants of the people, not the dictatorial rulers of the people. Jesus said, “I did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many.”
If you are called to the ministry, you are called to an unmatched responsibility. You are called to take care of the Lord’s sheep. The Lord values these sheep more than we can imagine. He values them more than His own life, because He gave his life for them. If you are called to ministry, you should serve in the fear of the Lord, knowing that one day the Lord will demand that you give an account for every life that has come into your care.
Ezekiel 34
What does the Lord feel when He sees leaders abuse and manipulate the sheep? What does the Lord think when a leader teaches the people to worship him instead of teaching them to worship God? How many church leaders are obsessed with their own wealth, recognition, and power while the sheep are starving, sick, and scattered? Can you imagine the anger that the Lord must feel? If someone abused one of your children, how would you feel? What would you do?
Will not the Lord replace these leaders with new leaders? Will not the Lord search for leaders who have the heart of David to replace the leaders with the heart of Saul?
The Lord has abundantly blessed Africa, but the leaders of Africa have wasted those blessings. The riches of Africa have ended up in Swiss bank accounts while the African people live lives in extreme poverty. The worst of Africa’s leaders have proven that they are willing to destroy the lives of millions just so that they and their families can live in luxury.
Leaders who are bound by the love of money will always waste the gifts of God. They will always value earthly wealth above heavenly wealth. They do not understand the value of a life. They do not understand the value of the riches of the kingdom of heaven.
Leaders who are bound by witchcraft will always waste the gifts of God. They will always misuse the spiritual power to get what they want. They will never use spiritual power in submission to the will of God. They will never build wisely. Whatever is given to them will be wasted, and destruction will come to all of their works.
Leaders who are proud will always waste what God has given them. They will always try to build personality cults around themselves while the people suffer and die around them. They will always lead the people to destruction. Whatever they build will fall apart, because God himself will resist them.
The enemy is not intimidated by proud preachers who make a lot of noise. The enemy fears humble men of God who have repented of the pride that was in their hearts. Neither does the enemy fear greedy preachers who are always manipulating the people for their money. He fears the man who lays down his life and gives everything for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The enemy does not fear the pastor who controls his people and manipulates them into doing what he wants them to do. This is witchcraft, and the pastor that uses witchcraft is no threat to the work of the enemy in Africa. The enemy fears the man who dies to his own will and does the will of the Father, not the man who uses manipulation to force his will upon others.
Can you see how extremely important it is that Africa’s leaders are set free from the sins of Africa? Only when these evil roots are cut off will it be possible for leaders to lead wisely. Only when these evil roots are cut off will Africa’s leaders be able to build things that will endure and prosper.
So what’s ahead?
God is raising up leaders who have been set free from the heart sins of Africa and who have broken free from the controlling leaders of Africa. These leaders will refuse to be influenced by the love of money. They will refuse to misuse spiritual power. They will refuse to build personality cults for themselves. They will refuse to be controlled by evil men.
These leaders will be servants of God whose only goal is to give everything for the Lord so that His name will be great in the nations. They will not work to exalt themselves. They will give everything they have so that the One who bought them will be exalted.
These leaders will change Africa.
From the heart of a father 