BISHOP OYEDEPO SHARES HIS ENCOUNTER WITH LIGHT UNDER ARCHBISHOP BENSON IDAHOSA
BISHOP OYEDEPO RECOUNTS HIS EXPLOITS WITH LIGHT: A NOTORIOUS witch DISAPPEARED ON HIS ARRIVAL TO SAME TOWN; IN A MEETING, HE COMMANDED PRACTICING witches TO STAND UP.
“ANYTIME WE SENSE A HIGHER POWER ON THE WAY, WE CLEAR OFF THE HIGHWAY” – THE CONFESSION OF A PRACTICING witch TO BISHOP OYEDEPO
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT THE devil CAN’T SEND ANY witch OR wizard TO
YOUR MAKING IS NOT IN YOUR SKILL, YOUR CAPACITY, THE ANOINTING; YOUR MAKING IS IN FOLLOWING JESUS
THE DOMINION OF LIGHT OVER darkness IS ETERNALLY UNQUESTIONABLE
WHEN WE ARE BORN AGAIN, WE BECOME CHILDREN OF LIGHT BECAUSE GOD IS LIGHT AND LIKE BEGETS LIKE
- Bishop David Oyedepo on “THE MYSTERY OF THE LIFE SPAN OF LIGHT” || UNVEILING THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT (Part 2)|| 2022 Ministers’ Conference: THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT
Day Two, Morning Session || Canaanland, Ota.
Father thank you. We were in a conference like this sometime 1990 in Benin at the Faith Arena. And then, the lion himself, Archbishop Benson Idahosa, came forward with a word, “Matthew 4:19.” And the Holy Ghost fired those words into me, “Your making is in following.” You can’t make yourself; it is He that has made us and it’s He that can make us. Church Gist. The one that made us is the one that will still make us. Your making is not in your skill, your capacity, the anointing; your making is in following Jesus. That means, follow my word – that’s where your making is.
Grace to be a tireless follower of the word is all we need. We know quite some things by the help of the Holy Spirit but how much of them are we following? Church Gist. Imagine that all that you know delivers; where we shall be today as individuals!
Let’s lift up our two hands and ask God for grace to keep following what He says and commands to do. Church Gist. Lord Jesus this time again, speak to us and let your word open new chapters to our lives to the glory and praise of your name.
“UNVEILING THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT.” The dominion of light over darkness is eternally unquestionable. Church Gist. Whenever light shows up, darkness backs out; noiselessly so! No arguments, no resistance, darkness has zero resistance against light.
A man came up sometime 1996 or 1997, and he was crying. When you find a full grown adult crying, there must be something very serious. Church Gist. And I said what about? He said, “Nothing is working. Satan is just all over, tormenting my life.” I said, “Okay, get downstairs (We were in the old Church), get the book, ‘Satan Get Lost.’ I can’t pray for you under this weeping you are doing. When you finish, come back. You have 7 days, go ahead and do it.” When he came back, he was beaming with laughter. I couldn’t recognize he was the same person. Church Gist. I said what? He said, ‘I didn’t know satan is this cheap!” Nothing humiliates the powers of darkness like light. John 1:5,9.
When we are born again, we become children of light because God is light and like begets like. Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5. We are redeemed to be a terror to the kingdom of darkness and not the other way round. Church Gist. That light keeps shining brighter as you get further into the Word. Psalm 119:130. You arrive somewhere, the devil knows.
We were out in the country many years ago and there was one notorious witch that visited at the same time and of the same day. He arrived at the Airport in pomp and pageantry – they were drumming; the occultic forces. Church Gist. And then we came in quietly, got to the hotel and unfortunately for the devil, she was lodged in the hotel that we were coming into. As she heard that we came, she fled. That is, there is no argument, no saying. She just disappeared; Newspaper carried it. “Bishop arrived, the witch disappeared.” Light!
1979, after an encounter with the revelation of Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 1:20-21, I was privileged to go and represent one of our elder brothers in a meeting and the things was burning me, I was looking for the devil to just show him that I have found something. Church Gist. So I said, ‘Hey! (after preaching) How many of you are witches here? Stand up!’ Is that an invitation? And they stood up en masse. I said, “Wait a minute; sit down first. Not that somebody is accusing you of being a witch. You know you’re a practicing witch.” And they stood up. I rejoiced because I saw me seated far above principalities and powers already. So I called one of them, “Tell us what you do with the devil.” She said, “Anytime we want to suck blood, we get on the highway.” Church Gist. I said, “What about when people like us are coming?” 1979! It’s not about age; it’s about light. She said anytime we sense a higher power on the way, we clear off the highway.
- Evil will start clearing the way for you!
There are people that the devil can’t send any witch or wizard to. Church Gist. The witch will tell him, “You too go.” Because darkness can’t resist the authority of light.
- You are going to be listed in that group!
‘UNVEILING THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT.’ Isaiah 60:1-3, 8, 15, 22. We are in the days when God is making nations of his people. You are redeemed, he makes a nation of you as you keep walking in that light in brighter dimensions. Church Gist. In this Part 2, we will be looking at the fact that we must understand THE MYSTERY OF THE LIFE SPAN OF LIGHT.
John 12:35-36. Every scriptural instruction delivers the most with timely response. Genesis 12:1-4, 14. The promptness of our response to revelation is what secures its maximum delivery. Galatians 1:15-16; Acts 14:11; Acts 19:11, 15. Church Gist. Delayed response to any revelation can be most frustrating. Songs of Solomon 5:2-7. Nobody keeps at your door all day. They knock and no response, “Oh, they are not in.” Isaiah 55:6. We are talking about the Triumph of Light and examining THE MYSTERY OF THE LIFE SPAN OF LIGHT.
Every revelation from the Lord requires that we dive into it for maximum impact. Every time the water is stirred, (God’s Word is the water), John 5:4. My life today anchors on Matthew 6:33. I saw it 1976, and entered into a covenant with it. Church Gist. Deuteronomy 15:6 – I entered into a vow to make it a lifestyle. 1981 till date, it’s not an option on any condition.
You have heard many things even in your private devotions but you just let them go. Proverbs 4:13; Revelation 3:11; John 5:4. It is about prompt response; a dive into any revelation that God brings your way. John 21:5-6. Church Gist. We must beware of the Reubenites syndrome: Judges 5:15-16. Many believers and many of us even in ministry, there are things we teach; are they the things we do?
Let’s examine some men of prompt response in Scriptures to help bring it clearer:
- The man Noah heard from God, “Build and Ark.” And we are told he went into action. The Ark was built by a farmer. He knew nothing about building nothing. Hebrews 11:7.
- The case of Abraham – promptness in Genesis 12, 17 (on the directive of circumcision), Genesis 18 (Abraham began to intercede for Sodom at the spot).
- Moses: he took his life in his hands in response to that Heavenly mandate. Church Gist. A wanted man came back to the country. Even if the King had died, what about the other people that was there? Don’t they know you are the one or are you going to change your name? He couldn’t get it done at 40 but when mandate came, he got it done at 80. There was no prophet in Israel like unto Moses. Deuteronomy 34:10.
- Nehemiah heard of the suffering of the people that were left of the captivity and straight way into fasting. Church Gist. Nehemiah 1:3-4, Nehemiah 5:14.
- Peter left everything and followed Him. Matthew 19:27-28.
God hasn’t changed. Now let’s look at some natural illustrations of the life span of light.
- Most of the present day devices, laptops, iPads, etc, turn themselves off when not being used. It is supposed to be a power saving device; the light goes off when it is not engaged with. Revelation fades when it is not put to work; when there is no prompt response to engaging with it. Church Gist. It’s not the devil; it’s just a time loss – a time factor. When we do not engage the light we have, it turns into darkness. John 12:35.
- When one misses the natural planting season of a crop for the year, the harvest is already lost. He has set times and seasons. Every time He releases the seed of the Word, it is for us to sow it so we don’t lose it. Church Gist. Seasons of life are irreversible. You can’t be a child or a teenager twice. God has set times and seasons for the events of our life.
- Any plant that will not make its food when the sun shines will wither away with time and die. Photosynthesis takes place only under sunlight. So if you are asleep as a plant while the sun shines, you will beg and beg and no one may respond. And when the plant dies, do you talk about fruits? Church Gist. No! So we make our hay while the sun shines. Ecclesiastes 3:11. Every time a word comes through, that’s the time for it to be made manifest in our lives when we choose to engage with it.
- Let’s look at revelation as a rechargeable lamp that is powered by a battery. If you don’t recharge the battery, it will go flat and darkness will come back. So, it is not enough to start engaging with the light of Scriptures but to keep charging it the more with the power of the Word. Church Gist. Romans 1:16; Matthew 5:16. What I have learnt on Kingdom life since 1976 till now is in volumes otherwise it would have died.
My pursuit after souls is an undying passion. It lives with me, I live with it, we sleep together. You walk to our outreach office like a banking hall: monitoring the salvation of people saved, the ones who are on the way to being saved. Church Gist. The light you don’t engage with will fade away. It will be turned to darkness as if you’ve never had it.
Let me share some testimonies of my prompt responses to light through visions and revelations to show how prompt response matters:
Since I made a vow to operate in the covenant of prosperity, I’ve never needed encouragement in my life. Somebody says, ‘There is no tithing.’ He hasn’t experienced it so how will he say there is tithing? Church Gist. You should ask me and a number of us who have been flowing in affluence. How can you name somebody in this part of the world as the richest pastor and he is not stealing? How can? You better wake up!
You will even preach it but you won’t do it. you preach it speaking big big grammar, connecting Hebrew to Greek and Greek to German. I don’t know one word of Greek and I am not planning to learn it. this, “Thus says the Lord” has been helping my life since the beginning. Church Gist. If you are not a giver, no anointing on your life can make you prosper. I am not the one who said it; was I there when they wrote the Bible? Genesis 8:22.
If you are not a tither can I tell you this? We are talking of Financial blessings but there is another thing called Financial Fortune – it is when God opens the Heavens. A Church is growing and they said they buried a cow. Church Gist. A cow is very cheap; go and buy one and if you want double of that, buy 2. You want triple of that kind of growth, buy 3. How much is a cattle? It’s not much.
Every truth of Scriptures applies to whosoever believes. Unprepared for, God just said it’s time to spread out. April 20, 1997 our Church planting endeavour began with 5 Churches all up in the North: Maiduguri, Biu, Mubi, Azare and Bauchi. Church Gist. And here we are today by the grace of God. I was going to the platform during that Easter and God said to me, “It’s time to spread out.” He gave me understanding that it means it’s time to start Church Planting endeavour. There’s almost no village you get to in Nigeria today without this Church; all by grace. But prompt response is what moves God to back up His word. Delayed response is unbelief.
The Lagos invasion mandate that brought us to where we are today by the grace of God came to me in the bathroom while I was worshipping God like we heard in the last meeting. “Arise, get down to Lagos, raise me a people.” I wasn’t praying for it. Church Gist. Same day, someone was dispatched. I hated Lagos with passion; the rush rush life is not my kind. You want to come down from a molue you jump down, the vehicle won’t stop. You want to climb, you run to climb. We came here one day, we parked in a place and they gave us a ticket. They wrote on the ticket, “You are parking at your own risk,” after we paid. Within 2 weeks, we got all the buildings we needed for a take-off.
Mission to Africa was in a car coming in from Zaria to Kaduna after a meeting. The Lord said to me in the car, “The harvest of Africa is now over ripe. Rush in and preserve it from decadence.” I came down to Lagos on Friday of which we dedicated, “Africa Mission” to Jesus. That mandate came May 4, we dedicated it May 6. Church Gist. No premonition. By June 14, we had set up an office, “African Gospel Invasion Project.” January, the army of the Lord left this country – 1995. And what a backing from Heaven! We have lost so much ground to delayed response but no more! No guess work, direct instructions from God; not ambition.
I was furious coming into Canaanland when they (The people searching for a land) were bringing us. “This can’t be a Church; I mean, you think we are farming here? I am not coming to a place to farm.” Church Gist. And after all those grammar I was blowing on the way, we got there and I said, “Shall we give God thanks.” And He said, ‘This is the place.” I said, “God just spoke to me now that this is the place.” I said don’t mind my stupid comments. He (God) corrects me so openly, so gruesomely at times. The same people I was harassing, they are the ones I now told, “God said.” Thank God we obeyed. So I said, ‘Go ahead and see if we can get 50 Acres.” So they went and got it and I said, get an 100 more; get another; and then like a joke, we got 530 Acres. Church Gist. As contentions are there on this side on land, he gave it to us. And within 5 months, we got the entire C of O (Certificate of Occupancy). The amount we bought it cannot be announced; it is just a gift from God. it wasn’t announced in Church once that we are buying land. Psalm 44:3. We got the C of O before we announced it.
- No one here shall be stranded anymore.
We were in a meeting like this and God declared, “The Faith Tabernacle shall be built and dedicated one year time.” I was on the pulpit; I hear it the same time you heard it. Church Gist. Following day, we were here on this site drawing rope. And we saw it dedicated September 18, 1999 without any financial stress or struggle.
We came into this new realm when He visited and we call it, “Wonder Double Visitation.” He just came to my room, May 2nd 2015 and said, ‘I, the God of wonder double is visiting you.’ Before then, there was a lot of cloud in the room; I couldn’t sleep. Church Gist. That same night, I shared with the pastors at the prayer meeting. It was a Saturday. By July 26, the Church was over doubled by engaging with that light.
“Lord, if this is not your University tell me and I will tear the certificate now.” You see, there are things people carry on their lives that are just extra burdens. If you do only what He asks you to do, he will back you up. 1 Thessalonians 5:24. I’ve been seeing miracles but I’ve never seen miracle like we had it in Covenant University. Church Gist. He said it is I – February 12, 2002. We began construction March 6; He completed the first phase. Students resumed October 21 – 7 months, He did what He said He will do.
- The last stress anybody had here in pursuing any agenda of the kingdom is the last you will ever have.
We were up with CORO challenge and God said, “Plant 10,000 churches.” When there was no CORO, He didn’t say so. Coro came and He said that’s what to do. We moved in response and He backed it up to deliver it. I said, ‘Lord, why don’t we spend time now to see these churches established?” ‘No! This year you are planting 10,000.” Church Gist. I said, “God said He will plant. I didn’t say so.” I wanted to exonerate myself. I’ve already told you that we are not going to plant Churches but this is what He said. Tall order but prompt response! He topped it with 400 extra – 10,400 Churches in one year. So we had the highest labour force to humiliate Coro. Employing over 6,000 people in a year. That’s why we need to know how to maximize the impact of revelation. Prompt response is key to it.
- The good news is that it is your turn.
“It is never late to be right.” He showed me that 1985 from 2 Chronicles 25:9. We were 6 years in Kumasi and nothing was working. And I said, “Jesus why?” He said, “I am not there.” John 15:5. We couldn’t get a place to rent, couldn’t get things to buy. Church Gist. I called them and said, “Start packing; God just told me He is not there.” Psalm 31:15.
We had these satellite Churches in Kaduna and then there were all kinds of issues. And I said, “Jesus, what’s going on?” He said, “Did I send you?” Church Gist. I told them to go and remove all their pulpits. But when it was time, mega Churches springing all across the place.
- My prayer is that we all remain sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and not be ashamed to get corrected.
We were in a hurry to put up a sanctuary at Garden of Faith so we were going to build the frame structure and the steel stanchions were already up. And I said, ‘Jesus, why are funds not coming for this?” and He said, That’s not my plan. Church Gist. He said, ‘Put it on letter D to represent dominion of the gospel in the North.” Letter rectangle didn’t work and He said, ‘Pull down those stanchions.” We pulled them down. I am still surprised that nobody asked me why. And when we got on His plan, resources began to flow in.
Corrections:
We had a quit notice in the church in Kaduna and we were already on a project that we were working on at Narayi. And it’s just normal for us to prepare a place and move to. Church Gist. And then came Jesus, “Should this Church move to that place, that will be the end of this ministry.” So where do we move to? Don’t argue with God; He says it and He shuts down the phone.
- May no one here ever find himself/herself in a place that will end your ministry.
Ecclesiastes 11:7. He does not only guide us; He teaches us how to go about it. He gave a tall order: double number of cells in every Church. So for a Church that has 200, it is easy to double it. By prayer and grace, it will become 400. But for a Church that has about 20,000 cells, to double it means 20,000 cells. Church Gist. He taught us the way to go about it: Harvest how those highly successful cell replicators within the Church have done it. We did that and did a seminar and everybody had fire on their tail. A number of our Churches had 100% delivery. This Church delivered 21,000 cells in one year.
Let’s learn to separate vision from ambition; vision from passion, vision from projection. They are not the same. While we respond promptly, it goes through a process for delivery. Mark 4:27-28.
God appeared to me dramatically on Church Growth upon inquiry. “Stand up and follow me.” Broad daylight; not in the night. And He unveiled to me this but you will think that the Church just boomed and grew. Church Gist. When we got to 90, we had filled the entire world. We danced and celebrated and ordained 7 deacons to manage the 90 people. It’s a process. He spoke to me 24th of March, we embarked on “Come and See” the same end of the month. We are still doing it up till now.
Prayer and Fasting, gave me 4 instructions we complied with the 4: Keep sowing the seed; as the grass grows, the sheep will come for it. And keep the grass green and the sheep will lie down there. That’s why many people get weary: it goes through a process. Church Gist. A Word has landed, you have received it, you have responded promptly, but it will go through a process.
I heard the Word of prosperity direct from God, “My Son David, my prosperity plan…” He was speaking to me out of His Word. Church Gist. I heard that 1982 but 1984, we were 18,000 Naira for the year. If you don’t enjoy the process you will miss the product.
Lagos invasion began with 178 people after a 3 or 4 days seminar. “You know, you have come to invade Lagos; pride vision, rhema from Heaven. But that’s where we started from which is very encouraging. And the process continued. Every seed undergoes a process to bear fruits. Luke 8:11. Church Gist. Most valuable crops take longer time to bring forth fruits than the perishable ones we have. It takes 4 to 5 years to nurture the Cocoa plant before it matures to bring forth fruit. But when it starts, it keeps yielding fruit 40 to 50 years. Your corn has finished yesterday. The quality of a seed has a lot to do with the waiting time.
There is the Chinese Bamboo story; it is a commercial tree. When you plant it, the first 4 years it is still 3 feet plus but in the fifth year, 90 feet. Leviticus 19:23-25. Nobody could interpret prosperity with our lifestyle. Church Gist. Even though the seed is genuine but it is taking its time. Mark 4:28. So, we need the Abrahamic order of patience to make the most of every revelation. Hebrews 6:12, 15, Genesis 12:1-2, Galatians 3:29. Never disregard the process or you miss the product.
I’ve been committed to studying Yongi Cho for years since 1985. Church Gist. He didn’t show but the seed was being sown and nurtured. I wasn’t tired learning and looking for more. Luke 8:15, 2 Timothy 4:7.
He spoke of 50,000 seat sanctuary 1982; he delivered it 1999 – very fast! 17 years! Church Gist. Some will just tear the paper: “If He will do it He would have done it by now.” well done; you are the one commanding Him what to do.
Prayer: Lord, empower me for prompt response to every revelation that you bring my way.
We have a very thin line between these seemingly ordinary words. Many have mistaken ambition for vision. Ambition is what you want to do or what you want to be. Vision is accessing God’s plan as it relates to you. It is a discovery to make not a projection. The reason people doubt is that they didn’t really have it. Church Gist. I’ve not had a rethink once on my calling. Do you ever have challenges? Oh yes! That’s where champions are made; plenty of challenges from within and without. Every strong position in the kingdom will attract persecution. If you have heard from God, it is an all weather adventure. You are just gliding above the storms all the time.
Prayer: Lord, Help me not to mistake my plan for your plan.
God will never back up “My plan” He will only back up “His Plan.” God told me 1977 from Jeremiah 29:11 (RSV). Church Gist. My future is in God’s plan not in my plan. “Don’t you get out of this country until I tell you so” – It is now 5 years. Nobody can move me and I won’t ask Him because it is too much for my mouth. I didn’t ask Him when He told me that. If He didn’t say so next 20 years, Halleluyah! Have we ever been blessed in this commission all the years compared with the last 5 years? Church Gist. I don’t need any invitation to go anywhere; we have churches all around the world. We bought facilities here and there but I will never go. He didn’t say don’t drive out otherwise, I would go to Benin Republic. It is 2 and half hours from the hotel to my house. But “Don’t go out” – I won’t see any border. You won’t see any stamp on my passport for life if He didn’t say so. We have our own plane but “don’t go anywhere” He is the one who gave you the plane.
I wrote a piece, “The agony and triumph of walking in the plan of God.” Coming to Canaan is an agony. First Sunday here, only one arm of that Church was filled. I said, “Watch, we will soon start second service.” He did. Ask Him, “Here am I. Church Gist. These are my thoughts; is this your plan?” And He told me, “When you ask me a question and I keep mute, it means stay where you are. I am not deaf and my silence does not connote go ahead.” You just say, “I’ve prayed.” What has He said? Every front liner is an ordinary man with divine backing. 1 Timothy 1:12-13.
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