Part 2/3. His Plan, His Way

From behind the pulpit, Pastor Miki Hardy chose an at-first intriguing theme for this year’s exhortation: His Plan, His Way. He opened the event with a strong reminder of how the Church today fits into God’s “Masterplan” for both Israel and the Gentiles. This plan, spanning the Old and New Covenants, places Jesus Christ and His sacrifice at the centre of Christianity, raising Him as the only door to salvation.

He went on to exhort both the leaders and the church to break free from the law, emphasising that the death of Jesus put an end to the power of condemnation. Yet, just as Jesus told the adulterous woman, “Go and sin no more”, freedom from the law is not a licence to sin. This became Pastor Miki’s central message throughout the five nights: church leaders must deal with sin seriously in the Church, and in unity. He spoke on many areas, including marriage, praise and worship, and the influence of culture compared with biblical instruction.

With a firm emphasis on returning to a true gospel and standing on sound biblical doctrine, he challenged leaders about order in the Church. He reminded us that the true message centres on the Christian’s cross, and that true leadership lies within the ministries established by God, particularly the fivefold ministry of Ephesians 4.

Overall, he placed God’s sovereignty back at the heart of His Plan to restore His Church. These elements, he taught, are His Way of doing it. Once again, the Lord brought fresh light to build His people. We were reminded that He is God Almighty, and as Pastor Miki said, “Our faith, great as it is, will never be able to change the course of God’s plan.” In this plan, mankind is called to submit to authority: God’s firstly, and the authority He raises. 

The Gospel stood out unmistakably as the true centre of the conference, with striking clarity and conviction. Looking back on the week, it was evident that the Lord was in every detail.