-Bishop David Oyedepo at CHoP(10 April 2021)
*We move forward by engaging with instructions of the moment.
*There are phases in life: the good phase, the acceptable phase, the perfect phase.
*Many stop too soon at the good phase.
*We did the naming of my second son with Chin-Chin but one of his names include ‘Jesugbemi’ (Jesus pays me).
*Soul winning is a won battle, but we have to fight it.
*God will give you a new name.
Refuse to be entertained by these testimonies, be instructed by them. The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting, give me understanding and I shall live (Psalm 119:144). What He did before, He keeps doing forever. Give me understanding so I can get connected, I can realise my own change of story like they did. Refuse to be entertained by testimonies, be instructed by them.
I wasn’t entertained by the testimonies of Hagin, I craved for what made it happen.
I wasn’t entertained by Yonggi Cho’s explosive Church growth experience: I craved to be instructed on what brought it about.
I wasn’t entertained by the testimonies of Copeland, the Kingdom prosperity mystery that he had: I sought to find it out and I found it.
Refuse to be entertained by testimonies, get instructed by them. If testimonies don’t move you, revelation won’t. Testimony is what you can see, touch and handle. You should get to a point where you call the office, “please can I have the telephone number of that testifier. I want to find out a few things from him.” Not to make a jest of it, but to find out what exactly he did so you can find out what you are not doing right. Life is a school, only committed learners make progress in it. Life is a school, only committed learners make the most of their journey.
-You will make the most of your journey.
-Your life will not lack proofs.
Nothing can be more frustrating than one’s life to lack proofs.
-Your life will not lack proofs.
Can I have you say with me, “Life is a race, a marathon race. People keep dropping along the line. Help me Jesus, not to drop off the race. The prize is not determined at the beginning, not at the middle, not one quarter to finish, the prize in any race is determined at the end. Help me Jesus to hold on, always to the end, at every phase of my life. Help me to hold to the end at every phase of my life.”
You write exams to pass your first degree; you have to write exams too to pass your second degree; you have to face serious exams to finish your PhD. Every phase of your life must be pressed to the end before it delivers. Many have repeated this class too many times Sir.
He said, “you have gone round this mountain, enough” (Deuteronomy 2:3).
There is no parent who is excited to find his children in the same class all the time. I mean, he is in Class 3 in Primary School this year, next year, the year after, the year after; ‘kilode’ (What happened?). He is concerned.
God is concerned by our being at the same spot. It’s time to move forward. You can only move forward by engaging with instructions that are given.
Any student who will not mind what a teacher is teaching, he cannot change class. Can he? Any student busy trying to change the exam question, he will be in the same class forever.
This is what to do
Response: No, let us assume this is what to do and he is answering questions of his own questions, not the teacher’s questions, will he change class?
So we move forward by engaging with instructions of the moment. We go forward by engaging with instructions of the moment.
There are phases in life, there is the good phase, there is the acceptable phase, there is the perfect phase.
Romans 12:2
There are many who just stop at the good phase. They have missed the phase that makes news acceptable. We need to know what is happening there. They have missed the phase of exploit, the perfect. I mean it is good enough to have enough to eat and drink and then when it is time you go to heaven. It is another thing to make God proud by demonstrating your uncheckered love for Him; it is another thing for God to be giving testimonies of you, “have you considered my servant Job, there is none like him on the earth oooh” (Job 1:8) – realm of exploits.
If this Ministry stopped in Kaduna, it was a good phase but we would have missed two other phases. If it stopped in Lagos, maybe acceptable or pre-acceptable; then we kept following even though it looks harsh and then we got here; it is becoming gradually acceptable. We are not yet near the perfect. You stop too soon.
If it is to be literate, you don’t need to go beyond J.S.3 for literacy, to be able to read, when it is not Greek. But there is more to learning than literacy.
-In the name of the Lord Jesus, no one here will ground his destiny.
SOUL WINNING IS WARFARE.
In soul winning lies the star of the sons of God. Many won’t fight the battle, many fight it small and say, “well I have done my best.” Remember, he that winneth souls is wise and the wise shall inherit glory (Proverbs 11:30, Proverbs 3:35). That is okay but they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn MANY to righteousness as the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:3).
If you now notice, all stars in scriptures were heavily confronted by the enemy. Think of Moses, the devil wanted all the male born to be killed when this star was born. God shielded him.
Think of Joseph, he was at the verge of being killed by his brethren when God stepped in and said, “don’t let us kill him, let’s sell him and make money. That’s better and let’s announce that he is dead.” That is the custodian, the breadwinner of God’s people on the earth.
Every star is always confronted, you better get ready for a fight. Get ready for a fight!!
You saw Daniel. What? The first plan was let all the wise men be destroyed. God stepped in, Heavens intervened, Daniel was their rescue agent.
Will Daniel escape like that? Let’s make a law against his God, we know he won’t agree then we can kill him.
That is the lot of stars. So your engaging in soul winning is being contested by the devil. Will this star emerge? No, let’s stop him.
So he becomes docile: Heavenly Father, thank You. Thank You.
They say: Pray
Response: Thank You!!!
Pray for souls
Response: Souls, I pray for you.
He’s been resisted, the rise of your star is been contested but you are not aware of it.
When the Star of stars came, His name Jesus, He said, “I am the bright and morning Star”. You saw what Herod did. Come and tell me where He is so I can go and worship Him, I will kill Him today. An angel said, “don’t pass through that way, go somewhere else.” He was to be destroyed. So the devil is after Kingdom stars and you have been redeemed as a star and there is what to do for your stars to emerge. Stand your ground!!!
“I am not a Minister of the gospel so what is my problem? What am I running after souls for?”
I wasn’t called to Ministry, I didn’t have any mind of going into Ministry in my life when He showed me the inestimable value and blessings in pursuing after souls. I was preaching at crusades at 22, to see souls saved. No single offering collected, NO. You believed to have the means to do it, you believed to be able to do it. I mean, no congregation anywhere. Your star is in bringing many to righteousness. It is not me who wrote it, it is in the Bible, we all met it when we came (Daniel 12:3). Church Gist. Don’t sell off your star to the devil and to nonchalant attitude. Somebody’s story is changing.
So it is warfare, he does not only want to steal, he wants to kill, he wants to destroy (John 10:10). Stand your ground against him, “I will rather obey God than men. I will rather obey God than my feelings.”
We have a compelling mission to pull people out of darkness to light.
Luke 14:23, Ephesians 5:8
We are pulling them out of darkness to light: come over to Jesus, the light of the world who will turn you to a child of light and then darkness will begin to bow at your instance.
We must break the power of every satanic stronghold out to resist our converts from being established in the faith because they that turn many to righteousness, they shall shine as the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:3).
My children with whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you (Galatians 4:19).
As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children (Isaiah 66:7-8). So it is a contest, it is a conflict. We have to get the devil off their lives.
Luke 11:21-22
The strong man is on the loose, I won’t let go, I won’t let go. With the stronger One in us, we step out, “No, loose him and let him go in the name of Jesus and by the blood of the Lamb.” That is the only way to turn many to righteousness. It is not by waiting and waiting for it happen, it is by stepping out and making it happen.
There is Epaphras in Colossians chapter 4 verse 12, he is a member of the Church, he is not a pastor: labouring fervently in prayer.
Now every single convert and contact, you pray for genuinely today travailing with prayer of faith will be established in the faith.
Don’t forget life is in phases, there is the good phase, there is the acceptable phase and there is the perfect phase.
-May each one escape that one phase that you have stood in for years by passing the ongoing exam.
When our second son was born and I said, “Jesus, what will this child be called?” Among other things, ‘Jesugbemi’ – Jesus pays me. We did the naming with Chin-Chin. You know Chin-Chin, you just take one because you don’t use food to name a child, they use mouth. ‘Jesugbemi ohhh’. Now it’s time living in the Church office but ‘Jesus gbemi ohhh’. You can be laughing me to scorn, that’s your problem. You have a right to your own opinion but “Jesus gbemi te mi ohh” (Jesus pays me). The choice is yours.
I came down from Madagascar one day, about 7 hours of flight and hit the road to Ota area for my outreach. I got some boys playing football, then I waited for them to round up.
They said: Papa, Papa.
I said: Come on here. Ministered to them at their level, led them to Christ. Now, they were in Church on Sunday.
‘Jesugbemi temi ohh’ (Jesus pays me ohhh). I don’t know whether the English has the right word for it, the best I can say is what I have said. If you know better English, you can use it. The one I know is that Jesus pays me, I am satisfied with Jesus, He is doing me well. Jesus is doing me well. There is no soul winner that does not have a future. Get that right. He that winneth souls is wise and the wise shall inherit glory.
-You won’t see shame anymore in your life.
The wise shall inherit glory (Proverbs 3:35).
-You won’t see shame anymore in your life. The issue of shame is over.
-Whatever connotes shame in and around your life, around your children, they are gone with this season.
Therefore, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might; put on the whole armor of God so that you will be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand.
Ephesians 6:10-12
Be strong in the Lord, engage in that warfare, don’t be an onlooker. Something amazing is taking place. Don’t be entertained by the happenings. Be a partaker.
Some said: I know that Papa will soon be tired of this thing.
I won’t, you met me in it and I will be in it till Jesus comes. He gave me grace so I am just pushing, I am enjoying myself. There is nowhere I am looking at. You know why the rich always read negative meanings to other rich people, some sold their children ohh for wealth. Some because of their crave, they can sell their mother, the mother who gave birth to them, they can sell them. These are things that come your way with dignity from Jesus by engaging the light of the world. That’s why they have problems believing. You say you have peace. They say, “anybody can pretend” because they have no peace (Psalm 16:4).
Can you kill your son and have peace? His ghost will keep chasing after you. You can’t.
Can you be in kidnapping business and have peace? Never. No peace to the wicked (Isaiah 48:22). To take innocent people and be asking for money to buy them back! If you see peace, I will tear my Bible. Where will you get it from?
But look at me and you: relaxed, refreshed, fulfilled. Church Gist. I understand their problems, but let me tell you this, the Church of Christ will be in raw command of the economy of the world before Jesus comes. Look all those diabolical things will lose strength, will lose power, their ‘machinators’ will suffer shame and reproach.
-As for you, God will give you a new name.
Thank You Jesus. Let’s get excited about the battle, it is a won battle but we have to fight it. The end is determined but we have to engage with the process. Therefore, today must not pass without you engaging genuinely so, heartily so, passionately so for all of your new converts and the new converts of members of this Church that have gone out, reaping out souls for Christ to appear before the Lord tomorrow and be rescued from the pit and the dudgeon of hell; be set free from the curses ravaging their lives over the years. That’s the way it works.
Let’s put these 3 scriptures together to work on a straight line equation.
‘He that winneth souls is wise’ + ‘the wise shall inherit glory’ = ‘They that turn many to Christ shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and as the stars for ever and ever.’
So Proverbs 11:30 plus Proverbs 3:35 equals Daniel 12:3. You can remove the scriptures and put the verses there.
1130 + 335 = 123 Amen. That will help you to know there is something the devil is contesting with in your life, don’t let him have it.
Your star is in it. Don’t let him (the devil) steal and destroy your glorious destiny in Christ.
-May every soul winner in all of our Churches worldwide be free eternally from every issue of shame and reproach.
-May everyone joining this chariot this last week be free eternally from every form of shame and reproach.
-May everyone that is more like a proverb and a byword among men be turned to a star of honour and glory. That shall be your experience.
Give Jesus the hardest hand of praise!!!
Prayer: Ask the Lord for grace to make the most of the few days remaining for Operation ‘Who is on the Lord’s side?’ to be over. Unusual grace to make this one week remaining to look like 10 weeks in terms of result, in terms of impact. Ask God for grace.
We are able to go up and take the country. To possess the land from the North to the South, though the giants may be on our way to hinder, God will surely give us the victory.
Are you set to sing that song?
…to possess the land from the North to the South, there is no Jordan here. Amen…Move on to the right side with God, God doesn’t have an unrighteous side. You move to the right side with God. Are you ready, make sure you are on the correct song please.
Well the day is declared a most fruitful day, tomorrow a bumper harvest Sunday. What we have never heard of or seen, we’ll see tomorrow. The prayers of the saints that are under the sound of my voice today will make a world of difference tomorrow. The prayers of the saints that are not able to make this Service this morning will make a difference tomorrow.
-Every single convert prayed for will appear tomorrow.
-Every single invitee called will be here tomorrow in the name of Jesus.
-I decree your speedy open rewards.
The tracts and fliers are out; today, the fire of God is upon them and everyone holding those fliers and tracts in their homes, in their hands, the fire there will keep burning, bringing about convictions and massive ingathering of souls.
Give God thanks.
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