The Portrait Of True Kingdom Success (Success Through The Lens Of Scripture) by Apostle Selman
Lift your hands and acknowledge the presence of The Holy Spirit. Worship The Lord, The One Who heals and transforms. Give Him praise.
“For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:8 (KJV)
Results and fruitfulness matter to God, and are important in the ministry of the Kingdom. God is particular about the success and the fruitfulness of the Believer.
Tonight’s message will bless the body of Christ. It will bring clarity and understanding, bringing Believers into higher levels of accuracy.
It matters that we do well and make progress in our lives. Growth matters also.
It matters that you are fruitful and produce results in your Christian adventure.
1. Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
2. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
3. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5. A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.
6. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
8. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.
Psalms 112:1-8 (KJV)
Generally speaking, success is considered as a highly subjective concept; it is relative based on many viewpoints. While there are many parameters that define success, such as wealth and achievement, however, most people choose to define success based on nobler spiritual parameters like wellbeing and health.
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
Generally, success is the achievement of goals or desires in any given area.
Success in the Kingdom, however, has to do with:
– The quality of your relationship with God.
– The quality of life and living derived from that relationship with God.
– The discovery and completion of your assignment on earth.
– The extent of impact you make on your world.
“Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, That delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: The generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: And his righteousness endureth for ever. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: His heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, Until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; His righteousness endureth for ever; His horn shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: The desire of the wicked shall perish.”
Psalm 112:1-10 KJV
There are certain words that create certain reactions in the body of Christ. Words like advancement, prosperity, wealth are examples.
Nevertheless, success despite being subjective, has a kingdom definition and viewpoint.
Scriptures That Support The Idea Of Success
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
Genesis 1:28 (KJV)
“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
Genesis 12:1-3 (KJV)
“But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.”
Genesis 39:21-23 (KJV)
“If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.”
Leviticus 26:3-5 (KJV)
“If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.”
Leviticus 26:3-5 (KJV)
You will get rain in season!
Your land shall yield her increase, in the name of Jesus!
MORE SCRIPTURES SUPPORTING SUCCESS
“And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:”
Deuteronomy 28:13 (KJV)
“But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: a land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year. And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.”
Deuteronomy 11:11-15 (KJV)
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Galatians 6:9 (KJV)
“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”
John 4:34 (KJV)
“And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Matthew 25:20-21 (KJV)
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
1 Peter 5:10-11 (KJV)
The concept of success is a Kingdom concept and from the scriptures, we draw the following conclusions:
1. God is glorified when Believers succeed. It validates His love, His Fatherhood, and the integrity of His Word in their lives.
2. Success is a strong consolation to Believers as they walk with God. It builds their faith, it brings dignity and honour to their lives, it makes their witness effective, and establishes joy and peace in their heart.
3. The success and victory of Believers, and the Church at large, is one of the most potent ways of drawing many peoole to Jesus Christ.
When you are verified as successful through the parameters and the definition of Bible success, it brings dignity and honour to your life, and makes your witness effective, because you have seen and tasted of The God you are proposing to people by witnessing.
Truthfully, persecution can draw people to Jesus Christ.
However, victory and results can also draw many people to Jesus Christ.
Through its transitions and from the history of the Church, we find that the idea of success creates mixed reactions amongst Christians, and divides the Body of Christ into two groups:
1. Those who embrace success.
2. Those who reject success, vehemently.
The question of whether the idea of success creates mixed feelings and reactions among Believers within the body of Christ, is not a new question; it has been asked since time immemorial.
On one hand, there are people who embrace it, and on the other hand, there are those who reject success based on anger, amongst other emotions.
When truth is exaggerated beyond the allowance of the facts available and the proportion presented, it ends up destroying the recipients, rather than blessing them.
Each element of the teachings of the Kingdom, does not build Believers at the same proportion.
There are many things necessary for building and making the Believer, and they are not all needed at the same proportion.
Unfortunately, lacking this understanding is what has happened to the concept of success. Success as a truth has been exaggerated, and it has ended up destroying people, rather than blessing them.
True success is a function of growth and intelligence. When these things are lacking in the process of attaining success, it creates trouble, and eventually puts people under pressure to attain success through compromise.
When those who attained success through the process of compromise, testify of their success, others who are aware of the compromises made, are forced to believe in compromise over integrity, subsequently following that process, because every time you promote evil and make it marketable, it multiples.
Although a person may enjoy abundance or outward success, it does not necessarily mean they are walking according to the principles of the Bible.
For example, the rich young ruler in the Bible was wealthy, yet he still came to Jesus to learn what he needed to do to obtain eternal life. This illustrates that material success alone can not serve as a true measure of spiritual maturity.
True success is a product of growth and not compromise.
Be mindful of those you admire. Not all that glitters is gold.
I pray for you: In the name of Jesus Christ, anything that will make you bring a negative testimony to your children and children’s children, may God take it out of your life, in the name of Jesus Christ!
There is an advancement that comes by The Spirit of God, and it comes with all-around peace and rest.
I pray for you: Anything that will steal your integrity and your conscience, as a condition for your growth, may it never come to your life, in the name of Jesus Christ!
Many people have used their success to gratify their flesh, instead of honouring and glorifying God, and they have further used their success to create unhealthy stratifications and segregation in the house of God.
Caution: As a Believer, don’t make people feel guilty because they are succeeding. A person who is succeeding, is not the reason for your failing in life.
The right approach for when you see someone succeeding, in the absence of your results, is to find out the Kingdom secrets being engaged by the successful person, model and replicate the same in your life.
Watch out for those clapping and cheering and those who refuse to do so when God is raising you.
A true friend is not just one who stands with you when you are in pain, but also one who celebrates with you when God is lifting you.
We must grow to the point where we normalize celebrating people when God is doing something for them, and this celebration should not be done in hypocrisy or eye-service.
The reason for this generation lacking genuine results, is due to the extent of dishonour meted out to those who have gone ahead.
We must learn to follow and learn from those who have obtained the principles and keys of the Kingdom, and are succeeding at it.
Results must be respected to be celebrated. True results deserve honor, because respecting them is one of the first steps to reproducing them in your own life.
If you don’t respect the process or results of a successful person, you’re unlikely to achieve similar success and results in your own life.
If you don’t know a person’s backstory of their success, do not envy their results.
Believers must learn to not disrespect the results of successful people, no matter how common it looks.
What makes a successful person’s results look like it’s common or easy, is because of mastery. Behind every glory, there is a story.
Why Does The Idea Of Success Create Mixed Reactions Among Believers?
1. The subject of success has largely been taught, only from a standpoint of material acquisitions, whilst ignoring nobler parameters like spiritual health, fulfillment, and peace.
2. The subject of success has been overemphasized and exaggerated to the point of overriding the core mission of the Church, which is soul-winning and the revelation of Jesus Christ.
3. Success has been erroneously used as a major yardstick to measure spiritual progress and faith in God.
4. The success of many Christians has been discovered to be fruits of compromise and ungodly practices, and this has put negative pressure on admirers, to embrace evil and compromise, for material things.
5. Many people have used their success to gratify the flesh and to create unhealthy stratification in the house of God.
6. Jealousy and envy: Success is a product of knowledge, discipline, diligence, sacrifice, productivity, consistency, humility, endurance, strategic relationship, and the grace of God, amongst others. Those who are failing know that achieving success will demand you living by these principles and when they fail to learn these principles, they hate and envy those who are evidently and consistently successful.
7. The Believers success validates the reliability of The Word of God, when it is understood and practised. It kills the excuses that those who are failing have, and compels them to come to the painful realization that they are responsible for their failure.
A true friend will celebrate you openly, and not be silent in the presence of your rising.
The Body of Christ must learn how to rise. Success is a product of systems, and one of the systems is patience.
We must learn to admit what is lacking in our lives, and obtain the grace and patience to press, until we rise.
Hating successful people will not change their realities. Envy and jealousy have never succeeded at being the instrument to bring successful people down. Rather, it fuels them to greater heights. Nobody can make progress in hatred and envy.
When you’re harbouring hatred and envy, you can never make progress.
The Bible declares that The same Lord is rich unto all. If you’re not growing in any area of your life, there’s a way out. Humble yourself and find out the way.
Some things happen in the secret that you are not aware of. You only see the manifestation of results in the open.
Instead of feeling envious and jealous, find out “the way to the city”. When you are unable to produce results, go and learn what to do. No one is too small to teach you what you need to know, to succeed.
When you see someone who’s masterfully doing something and doing it exceptionally well, don’t conclude that it is luck.
Success has dynamics, principles, and patterns behind it. Develop a healthy appreciation for the success of others, learning from their example, rather than envying it.
Refrain from trivializing people’s results. When you can not produce the results in your life, go and learn.
Before trivializing people’s success, remember that many of their accomplishments are built on hard work and sacrifices that happened behind the scenes, unbeknownst to you.
If you don’t exhibit a rich capture of the character of The Spirit of God, you would not be successful in life.
I pray for you: Any result that will make you become cold in your prayer-life, Word-study and spiritual vibrancy, may it never come to you, in the name of Jesus Christ!
Superior Belief Systems
1. You must acknowledge The Lordship of Jesus Christ
2. You must believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
3. You must believe in the dignity of a human life.
4. You must believe in the responsibility component of walking in victory.
5. You must believe in the God-man partnership in fulfilling God’s program for your life.
6. You must believe in the power of laws and principles.
7. You must believe in the law of love.
For as long as the principles of a successful outcome are kept, the results will always remain the same and not change.
If you destroy the business or ministry, it can be rebuilt. For a Believer, the real success is not the physical things acquired, but the understanding achieved in the process.
A healthy marriage is a programming and not a wish. An anointed head, vibrant spiritual life, favour, increase, and longevity are all programmings and not a random wish.
There is nothing you can do to stop a man who has found the mysteries of the kingdom.
True success is not about having material things. Rather, it is about understanding: this is when you have found the mysteries of the kingdom that programs things to work for you.
Impact in the Kingdom is not measured in the mere acquisition of material things, but in the following:
1. Soul winning.
2. Changing and transforming lives.
3. Improving society.
There’s nothing imaginary nor confusing about soul-wining: it is one soul per time. In this endeavour, numbers matter.
Real power brings a sinner to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. If we claim we love Jesus, we must be about what gives Him joy, and soul-winning is at the heart of kingdom impact.
What is Influence?
- Influence is the capacity to command the attention and the loyalty of people, nations, and systems.
- Influence is the capacity to compel people to buy into your convictions and your ideologies.
Fighting numbers, in terms of soul winning, is an antichrist action.
When it comes to soul winning, numbers matter. Real power is the ability that draws a sinner into God’s light.
This is true impact, and it is beyond the acquisition of things.
I pray for you: you will command the attention and loyalty of men; you will command the attention and loyalty of nations; you will command the attention and loyalty of systems, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Don’t win the world at the detriment of your family.
Whilst you’re winning the world, ensure your family at home is intact and can testify of your love, servanthood, and being a true Christian in character.
The testimony that comes from your family is a real and true testimony.
There’s a dimension of success in this kingdom that is measured not in what you have, but what you are willing to lose for the sake of Jesus.
The one who can only live for Jesus and not die for Him, is not successful. The one who is willing to either gain and lose for the sake of Jesus, is the one who is successful.
Having things is not bad and success is Biblical.
However, the ability to leave things and still feel fulfilled, is true success.
True success in the kingdom in when your joy and peace are not connected to anything.
The ability to let go of things and still feel successful, is true success. You must be able to find peace and joy with or without the presence of any material blessing.
Being a child of God is a nobler description, than being called a man of God.
The Biblical Parameters That Determine and Measure True Success In The Kingdom:
1. Character – This is the out-working of the nature of Jesus Christ, in an individual. (Galatians 5:22).
This is the degree to which an individual, or the Church has the fruit of The Spirit. It is the product of a healthy, vibrant, and ever-growing relationship with God.
2. A superior Word-compliant belief system – This is a Believer who has submitted their thought process to The Word of God.
This is submitting your thought process to be guided by The Word of God.
No matter what you have acquired, without a Word-compliant belief system, you are not considered a success in God’s Kingdom.
3. The discovery of purpose and excelling in your God-ordained assignment. (Jeremiah 1:5, Hebrews 10:7)
What gives credence to anything, and gives value to all things, is purpose.
4. The ability to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom, and to use them to live a victorious, efficient, and excelling life.
Don’t be afraid of starting afresh. If what you have is not true light, don’t be ashamed. Pay the price to study and learn the principles that truly make for victory and dominion.
Your real success in the Kingdom is in your ability to know what to do – your knowledge bank. Learning these mysteries doesn’t take too long: it is at the mercy of your diligence.
5. Kingdom impact and exploits.
This is relative, but the greatest parameter to measure Kingdom impact and exploits is “souls”. Anyone who is actively and structurally involved in soul winning is at the centre of the will of God. (1 Timothy 2:4).
The way to measure success is not proof of miracle and signs, rather it is the ability to work in partnership with God to bring many to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
6. Influence
Influence is the capacity to command the attention and the loyalty of people, loyalty of nations, and the loyalty of systems. It is the capacity to compel people to buy into your convictions and ideologies.
7. The health of your relationships, first of which is your family, and then those close to you.
What the godly people around you say about you is very important. It is a true capture of who you are, indeed.
8. Your willingness to lose everything, and if need be, including your life, for Jesus Christ and your Kingdom values.
Success in this Kingdom is also measured by the things you’re willing to lose. There is a dimension of success that is not measured in having, but in losing.
The person who can only live for Jesus Christ and not die for Him, is not successful.
9. The ability to look beyond yourself and to create a legacy for those who will live after you.
Everything that is great, is great because it serves a purpose beyond itself. Once self exists, God can not be glorified.
10. The ability to still have joy, peace, and rest, with or without the presence of any material thing.
When your joy, peace and rest is not centered on any material thing, but is anchored on Jesus Christ, then you are truly successful.
The ability to lose everything and still have your peace, joy and rest is proof that you are truly successful.
Make contact with someone on your right and left sides, by holding their hands, and talk to God about your life, and the lives of the persons you’re holding.
Pray: Lord, help our generation to be an accurate representation of Kingdom success, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Prayer Over The Koinonia Global Conference – The General Assembly.
Father, we thank You again, and we decree and declare that this Conference will be a feast of fat things, and an extraordinary encounter to the Body of Christ, not just the Koinonia family.
We decree and declare that everyone coming in from across the 36 states in Nigeria, Africa and across the globe is preserved, and we pray that it will be a global convergence of men and women who will encounter God in a unique way, in the name of Jesus Christ!
In the name that is above all other names, I decree and I declare, by the Biblical definition of success, be successful, be victorious, spiritually, financially, maritally, career-wise, health-wise, relationship-wise be successful, in the name of Jesus.
In the name of Jesus Christ, everything that needs to be put in place to ensure that you rejoice in The Lord this week, may my God put it in place for you, in the name of Jesus.
This is the week you will sing songs of praise. This is the week you will clap for joy. This is the week you will leap in excitement, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Every plot of darkness over your life is hereby aborted. You’re blessed in the name of Jesus. Your children are blessed, in the name of Jesus. The works of your hands are blessed. Your spouse is blessed, in the name of Jesus. Go and succeed in the name of Jesus.
For those of you who are still trusting God for the manifestation of victory over long-standing issues, may this be the week of your testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Helpers arise this week!
Lifters arise this week!
Blessers arise this week!
Strengtheners arise this week!
Endorsers arise this week! In the name of Jesus.
May your love for Jesus grow more and more.
May your passion for prayer grow more and more.
May your passion for the word grow more and more.
You’re a Believer manifesting the fruits of The Spirit, in Jesus Christ name.
I declare go and prosper financially.
Go and prosper materially, in the name of Jesus.
I declare that you’re an agent of transformation.
I call you light and salt. You will bring many to righteousness and your testimony is preserved.
You will not die! I rebuke sickness and failure from your life. I mark you with a mark of honour. I mark you with a mark of favor. It is well with you, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
We are in the days of His power and this calls for personal revival and spiritual awakening.
Are you yet to heed the call of Jesus? Tonight, He is reaching out to you once again, ready to show you a path that leads to life and eternal glory.
Take this bold step of faith and begin the journey of salvation by saying “yes” to Jesus. With faith in your heart, declare this prayer of salvation to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.
”I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.“
Luke 15:7 (KJV)
If you’ve made the decision to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior tonight, we celebrate you, and Heaven rejoices with you! We would love to receive word from you and walk alongside you on your new Christian journey.
Please use the link https://bit.ly/JESUSINMYHEART or send us an email at [email protected]
Originally posted on September 21, 2025 @ 9:06 pm
