FOR A MINISTER TO BE UNABLE TO HEAR GOD IS AN ISSUE OF GREAT CONCERN;
HOW DID YOU GET THE CALLING IN THE FIRST INSTANCE?
NO CHURCH GROWS WITHOUT THE SPIRITUAL GROWTH OF THE PASTOR.
NOBODY NEEDS TO DIE FOR ANOTHER PERSON TO REPLICATE THE GRACE HE CARRIES.
WE HAVE TWO VOICES HOVERING THE ATMOSPHERE; THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD AND THE VOICE OF THE STRANGER
VOICE OF THE STRANGER HAS A MANDATE TO ROB INNOCENT PEOPLE OF THEIR LOT IN CHRIST
IF ANYONE DOES NOT KNOW THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD, HE’LL BE A CHEAP PREY TO THE VOICE OF THE STRANGER
WHEN YOU OPERATE AS COMMANDED BY GOD, YOU’RE SUPERNATURALLY IN COMMAND
NOT EVERY OPENED DOOR IS GOD’S DOOR, MANY ARE TRAPS IN DISGUISE. BE CAREFUL!
DON’T LEAVE YOUR LIFE TO CHANCE, IF YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE TO CHANCE YOU WON’T HAVE A CHANCE.
YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OUTCOME OF YOUR LIFE.
BOLDNESS PUTS YOU IN COMMAND OF THE SUPERNATURAL.
- Bishop David Oyedepo on “ACCESS TO THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT IS OUR GREATEST ASSET IN MINISTRY”|| UNVEILING THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT (Part 4)|| 2022 Ministers’ Conference: THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT||Day Two, Evening Session || Canaanland, Ota.
Hallelujah!
God’s package for every one of us is the same, it is the discovery that each one makes that determines his placement, we are a people of equal destiny, we’re all redeemed as priests and kings not one is redeemed as a prince, to reign on the earth, not for some to reign and others to be ruined. Same destiny! Same order of enviable destiny, no one has a greater share than the other. ChurchGist. We all have a mountain top destiny because we are all redeemed as a house upon the hill that cannot be hidden, He said this to all of us.
So, nobody is qualified to be envied, we just need to crave for greater insight and it will take us to our next level. You’re an Evangelist, it takes you to the next level, pushing the frontier of seeing souls saved in mass into the Kingdom, the pastors are nurturing the flock of Christ with fear and trembling and set yourself to be an example to them and see the Church growing as we grow in the Word. ChurchGist. No Church grows without the Spiritual growth of the pastor, what you don’t have you can’t give. Nobody needs to die for another person to replicate the grace he carries. Hagin was alive when I took his mantle and Copeland is still very alive.
It is the crave that defines each one’s ultimate destiny, not the crave to be big and important but the crave fulfils God’s purpose for your life and for your assignment and you shall have it. ChurchGist. No one is called to be small, so let’s put that aside and no one is called to be big. You’re faithful is small and then He trust much with you, you’re faithful with much and then much more and then He trust you with much more more and it keeps moving.
So, our faithfulness to our Caller and our calling is what keeps changing our level from one level to another. It is required of stewards that a man must be found faithful. You’re faithful, He changes your level, you stay faithful, it changes again and if you’re addicted to being faithful, He keeps changing it and changing it. ChurchGist. If Jesus could say if anybody believes in me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall ye do, then everybody has unlimited access to the utmost height.
I must not fail you and I must not fail my destiny. Lift up your two hands and ask the Lord for the grace for sustainable faithfulness.
Brethren with your holy calling, all that will make it work and keep it working is your faithfulness. Awesome God and there are no end to the change of levels to the faithful and where faithfulness stops change of level stops, you’re not assuming preparation for a meeting, you’re practically and spiritually prepared, with your heart panting for impartation to the people not just talking. ChurchGist. Don’t try to be like anybody else, just find out what they found and choose the one you want to apply yourself to.
I believe that this mountain of light will mark a new dawn in everyone’s life, we shall all return changed to take charge.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, all the blessings till now, we ascribe the glory to you, all the one on the way coming, we thank you ahead of time, let it be Lord, In Jesus name we prayed.
UNVEILING THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT (4)
We will be looking at “ACCESS TO THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT IS OUR GREATEST ASSET IN MINISTRY” Isaiah 42:18-25. What you’re here for is to recover whatever you may have lost to spiritual deafness and blindness.
Access to the voice of the spirit is our greatest asset in ministry. Access to the voice of God is the birth right to every child of God, it’s not something that is special gifted. ChurchGist. I know my sheep and my sheep knows my voice. Every child of God is born with the birthright of access to the voice of God. Everyone! Samuel the child was hearing the voice of God as a little Child. 1st Samuel 3:4-10. Sir, you called me, Eli said no I didn’t call you, go back to bed. Here am I sir, I didn’t call you Samuel, okay when next you hear that voice say speak Lord thy servant hearest thee, a little Child gained access to the voice of God.
Therefore, for a minister to be unable to hear God is an issue of great concern, how did you get the calling in the first instance? Is it an appropriate calling? A call is in words, it’s not in I assume. ChurchGist. If they don’t call your name, can you answer? A lot of guesswork! God told me; seek a quiet place, I want to talk to you. Yes sir! (Why are they crying, why are they suffocating? From the beginning it was not so and now the hour has come…..) It always comes with a voice.
Paul said “I heard a voice, others saw a light but I heard a voice”. You can’t answer if you don’t hear. “If that man is called to ministry, I’m more spiritual than him, so, I’m also called”. “I was the one who mentored him when he was born again”. Is that equal a calling? That’s what almost killed Miriam. Church Gist. She was senior sister of Moses. She said, “Moses, you can’t be talking everytime”. God silenced her by leprosy. Caution o, caution. Some of our covenant alumni met me at the project site when they had their Eagles’ summit after the Eagles’ summit. They said, “we were just discussing now and remember when chancellor will say, Caution, caution”, the other one said, “you have not said the third one, he says it three times, when he’s sending warning, he says, caution, caution, caution, goodbye”. Church Gist. A calling is transmitted in words.
- no one will miss his steps.
It’s a great concern because you won’t know what next to do. “Tell them that they should go forward”, if they didn’t hear, they’ll get them back to Egypt. “Forward to the red sea?” “When I say forward, go! I know what to do with the obstacle” and the sea saw them and fled. Moses led that 3 million army of people by the voice of God. Exodus 19:19. But we have two voices hovering the atmosphere. The voice of the Shepherd, John 10:4 and the voice of the stranger, John 10:5. Ephesians 2:2. He wants you to disobey, so it’s in the atmosphere, don’t mind them. Just carry on, you’re a man of yourself. Church Gist. It’s in the atmosphere. “Don’t mind God, He doesn’t know what you’re doing here, does He know Lagos? The traffic here, remind him na”. The voice of the stranger, it’s mandate is towards disobedience, so as to rob innocent people of their lot in Christ. That voice was fighting me when I was coming into Canaanland. I was furious but thank God it was one single lane, there’s no way to turn. I would have turned back from destiny. Church Gist. It’s in the atmosphere, so we need to know how to know the voice of God and we need to know what the content of the voice of the stranger is, lest we’ll be held captive.
If anyone does not know the voice of the Shepherd, he’ll be a cheap prey to the voice of the stranger. John 10:10. Robbed and spoiled, hid in prison houses, snared in holes, that’s what they want. It wants you and I held in captivity, by blocking our ears to the voice of the Shepherd. Church Gist. Someone once asked me, “how do you get things done so cheaply in this ministry?” I said, “we do nothing except it’s commanded.”
- I, therefore, pray tonight for the healing of every spiritual deafness that might be tormenting anyone of us, in the name of Jesus.
You can’t operate as commanded and lose command. Moses was in total absolute command in Egypt because he was operating as commanded. And the Lord said to Moses, “get out there, you’ll find Pharoah coming from that place, tell him, Pharoah stop, how long will you be stubborn”, can you imagine? Church Gist. When you operate as commanded, you’re supernaturally in command. Don’t do nothing against what He says. Whatever His mouth declares, his hands perform, so you’re in command. Only what can resist God can resist what God has commanded.
Years ago, a friend of mine, we were in front of his father’s house, I was 21 years of age and he said, “Bro David, you know something? Who is it that saith and it comes to pass when the Lord commandeth it not?” Lamentations 3:37. My God. You saw the drama in the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37:1-14, “and I prophesy as I was commanded”, and there was a noise and the bones came together. As commanded puts you in command. Operating as commanded puts the minister, the believer in command. Operating as commanded at all times, not sometimes. I’ll tell you this, I don’t have a rising temperature, no, operating as commanded. Church Gist. I work a bit, by His grace, but I’ve not had to look for sleep. And when a hardworking man sleeps, it’s always a sleep, a deep one.
- every pressure on anyone’s live and ministry must clear the way now.
Let’s look at some Biblical examples of men that operated as commanded and commanded exploits. Abraham. Genesis 12:1-3. Direct voice. Church Gist. Rhema from the throne. And so, Abraham departed and greatness began to manifest. By chapter 14 of Genesis, he already had an army. They were 3 that left, they sent Lot to go with him so that if he dies, he’ll come and report. You find the voice at every point. Then, of course, we have Moses, the Rhema Shepherd. “And the Lord said to Moses”. Now, see where we come in now, Jesus is a type of Moses and as the Father has sent Him, so has he sent us. The same way the Lord was saying to Moses, he was saying to Jesus. That implies, we are called to ministry to hear like Moses was hearing and hear like Jesus was hearing. Church Gist. So, accepting his command is our birthright in ministry.
- therefore, in the name of Jesus, henceforth, you will never miss His voice of command that will keep you supernaturally in command.
The voice of the Lord came too to Jonah and the greatest revival took place in Nineveh where animals, livestock, everybody fasted for the first time. By the voice of God, the voice of breakthroughs.
- somebody’s next level breakthrough in ministry is just landing now. The next step to take to access the next levels of breakthrough, exploits is just coming the way of someone now.
Paul the Apostle heard the voice. He keot talking about that voice all through. “I was not disobedient to the heavenly calling”, he responded to it, and see the effect until now. Church Gist. And the Spirit said to Peter, “arise and go with them, doubting nothing for I have sent them”, and then his ministry just moved to the next level. In the house of Cornelius, while, he was still speaking, to avoid argument, their hearts turned to God and they were filled with the Holy Spirit at the same time, otherwise they can come with the Jewish tradition; “How can they speaking in tongues like us?” Isaiah 50:4-5. Church Gist. That prophecy was pointing to Jesus. So, God wants our ears open morning by morning to know what he’s asking us to do next.
We need to crave for unimpeded access to the voice of God. It is that voice that makes us a voice. What if I never heard, “build this Tabernacle within one year?” We won’t build it because we just finished the other one, why hurry? Church Gist. If He asked me, “David, when do you want this Tabernacle that I told you about 16 years ago to build?” I’ll say, “God, take it easy, considering the situations, circumstances and planning strategies, you have to hold on, we’ll give this land to farmers in our Church”. How many know that, once a member is not always a member? You don’t know that as a Pastor? You don’t know the people that said that they’ll never leave you till they die and they’ve left and have not died? What if they were members today and tomorrow, because of the land, they’ll say they’re not members again and they file in court that “this land is mine, I’ve been farming there for 5 years” and court will say, “what were they doing if it is your own?” You’re the owner. God knew that some of the people I was talking about cannot be trusted. He said, “build this thing within one year, don’t give it to any farmer”. Somebody was in this Church in 2006, he got saved in 2011, so that you’re in the Church doesn’t mean you’re saved. Church Gist. What if I allocated to unsaved people? If you think everybody you’re pastoring in that Church is a believer, you’re wasting your time. Acts 26:17. So, there are people you’re sent to, who are planning how to ditch us. You’re sent to set them free but they’re planning how to ditch you. Day and night, “what can we do to our pastor that will confuse him”. I was laying hands on people in the old Church and somebody was coming with a knife and he was singing, “I’m going to kill this man today”. Church Gist. So, the security at crowd control sighted him and rushed, held his hand and took the knife he was going to use to slaughter me. I was laying hands to bless them but he was planning to slaughter me.
How powerful is the voice of God? Psalm 29:3-11. The voice of the Lord is Powerful and full of majesty. John 5:4. Every statement of the scripture carries the voice of God behind it. Psalm 29:4-7. You’re just watching your triumph on a screen. Operating as commanded, you’ll never get defeated. Church Gist. It shaketh the Wilderness, wherever He sends you, it shows. Psalms 29:6. But only access to the voice can make us experience that. Turn the all night prayers to breakthrough seminars, simple. December 30th, 1993, by the end of 1994, we had jumped from 3000+ to 10000. One instruction, shaking the wilderness. And from 10000 to 19000 the following year, He’s still shaking it. To cut the long story short, by that instruction, He moved us from 3000+ to 50000 by 1999. The voice of the Lord shaketh the Wilderness. Psalms 29:8-9. Church Gist. Discovered treasures in the desert. That’s the kind of thing we’re discovering.
I was out of the country one day and we got on Google earth, and I saw cars driving into my house on my system. Life didn’t survive here, everything that they tried to do here didn’t work. But He discovers treasures, the voice, not you, not research, the Voice. No research will approve a Church moving here. Psalms 29:9-11. Church Gist. The voice will always culminate in testimonies. If it is the Voice, it’ll culminate in testimonies. Access to the voice and engagement with the voice will always culminate in testimonies. The Voice strengthens and is accompanied with peace. When you find peace like that, it brings you to the platform of the supernatural, “you hold your peace, I’ll fight for you”. That’s how powerful the voice of the Lord is. Church Gist. “Lord, grant me access to your voice with proofs”.
Now, How to hear from God;
- 1 Corinthians 2:14. It’s not enough to be saved, we must be spiritual and spiritually-minded. You can be saved and be carnal. That you’re saved does not mean you’re spiritual. Church Gist. To be spiritually-minded is life and peace and to be carnally minded is death. Romans 8:6. We can’t access the voice of the Spirit in the flesh. Psalms 25:14. Let’s come down spiritually. Psalms 25:9.
- We must be men and women committed to walking in the Spirit. They’re not the same. Your spiritual years, position to hear but you walk in the Spirit to hear. Revelations 1:10. Galatians 5:25. You know why? He can show up at anytime. Church Gist. In your bedroom, “my son, my daughter”, on a journey, “my son”. We must be men that are committed to walk in the Spirit.
- One must be in prayer, praying prayer of inquiries. “Which way Lord?” “What are you saying, Jesus?” “What’s wrong with me, Jesus?”
- One must engage in searching of the Scriptures with prayers and fasting. Isaiah 58:6, 8-14. By that guidance, He leads us to high places. Church Gist. I know I have many witnesses here of men and women, who have gone through praying and fasting to secure direction for their lives and ministries.
- Learn to separate yourself with a quest to access what the Lord is saying. Proverbs 18:1. “Come up hither to the cave, I want to talk to you”, Elijah was there. He got there by himself “What doest thou here?” And then, there came an earthquake and fire but God was not there and then a still small voice, and there was God. That voice came and gave Elijah a new beginning. Church Gist. From time to time, as the need arises and you want clarity of instructions, separate yourself for it. Create a quiet environment where you can access the still small voice. Many of us, we must have done that over and again and it always comes true.
- Be praiseful. Isaiah 30:29. Let praise become your lifestyle. God speaks in the midst of praise. “Arise, get down to Lagos, raise me a people” – I was worshipping, I wasn’t praying. I wasn’t praying for anything, I was just worshipping God for another day.
What are some of the Biblical Pros of the Voice of God? If it’s the voice I heard, what does it come along with to know that it’s the voice of God?
The voice of the Spirit is accompanied with Joy. It’s not depressing. Even when you’re corrected Sir, you receive it with delight. “Oh, how he loves me”, not, “what will I tell anybody?” You don’t have to tell anybody anything. You have your life to live. Psalm 89:15. If it’s not joyful, it’s not His voice. Praise God! The voice of the spirit is accompanied with peace. Peace that passes all knowledge. It comes along with joy, joy unspeakable. Amen!
Every time I came in here in those days before we began construction, I just feel God here, I feel peace, I will walk through this forest, just enjoying myself in the presence of God and I will get home and tell my wife, I just feel peace here, 9pm/12pm. His voice is always accompanied with peace, no other voice came through to Elijah, peace came and a new phase of ministry began.
- It comes refreshed. No tension
Isaiah 50:4. His voice refreshes the individual to whom it is addressed, it renews our energy, it is a renewal force. His voice gives boldness. The Word Peter and John heard from Jesus made them unusually bold, boldness puts you in command of the supernatural. Acts 4:13. They were in command. ChurchGist. God is always speaking; all we need is to tune in to the correct frequency of the Spirit to hear Him. He’s always speaking. Psalm 19:1-5. Behold I will do a new thing. So, He is a God of new things, He speaks new things to keep us going, to keep us moving.
The good news tonight is that our days of struggles are over. Deuteronomy 28:1-13. The Word of God can move anyone from below zero levels to the highest altitude, just by doing what He says. Jesus is reigning forever and ever by operating as commanded.
Everybody is changing levels, all that cares to receive this Word and choose to put it to work, you’re changing levels.
The voice of the Majesty is ordained to keep changing our level from one level to another, towards our enthronement and after enthronement we keep changing levels bit by bit. ChurchGist. Authority over 5 Cities and then over 10 Cities and then over 1 Nation and then over 2 Nations, over 4 Nations, over 2 Sub-Region and then over a Region and over 2 Regions, you may call them Continents and then you move on, 3 Continents and then you move on; 4 Continents and then all the Continents of the earth, little by little, just following the voice, moving forward and upward, little by little, until you have to go up 90 degrees to locate where you are, that would be our experience in the name of Jesus.
God is still answering by a voice, let’s go for it. Jesus, I need to know what you will have me do next, I need to know what I’m not doing right, I’m open to be corrected and guided, I don’t want to leave my life to chance, if you live your life to chance you won’t have a chance. I got a Word from the Lord that set a great pace for my life, from Isaiah 51:1-3. ChurchGist. He said son, you’re absolutely responsible for the outcome of your life. You don’t write exams in a group, you may have study groups, when the exam comes you will enter individually. If you say excuse me, can I ask me a question? You’re out of the exam hall.
The grace to take full responsibility in leading the flock of Christ without pointing any accusing finger to anybody, the grace to take full responsibility; God what are you saying this morning. ChurchGist. God what’s in your heart for the year, don’t just give an emblem, hear from the Lord, you have the right to it. Lord, what is this coming year for in this ministry, don’t coin words, it won’t speak. There are Countries people are fleeing from and we are planting churches there, people are running away and we are planting Churches and the Churches are growing, just hear from God and circumstance will bow, they’ll bow on their own. Just hear from God!
I always do all things that please Him, not me but Him. When you take pleasure in His things, He begins to add pleasure to your life. ChurchGist. Seek Him first, seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you. It is so sweet to have access to the voice of God, it keeps us going in strength, in peace and joy, a pressure free life.
Somebody asked me: brother David do you have a problem, I said maybe it came and I didn’t know. You know somebody can introduce himself to you and since you don’t have any business together you just forget, next tomorrow he will introduce himself again. Oh, I’m Jackson, praise God. You’ll meet again next two weeks, oh I’m Jackson, oh my God! Praise God, but if it’s somebody you have anything doing with you will know, you’ll find such greetings at the airport, oftentimes they just greet you, maybe you don’t know me, I’m Vincent, I greeted you 3 months ago, no connection, no connectivity. ChurchGist. Please, stay true with God, let’s stop guess work, let’s start walking in the light that His voice delivers.
We were at the gate at the motel, where the old Church was built and we didn’t know who the owner was and the Lord said to me this is the place and the man said he won’t sell it, I said you will sell because I heard God. ChurchGist. One day he was visiting a friend and he was checking the picture album and he saw a picture, oh you know Bishop, that one said yes, he wanted to buy my property the other time, if you can give your life to serve God why can’t I give my property, nobody looked for him, nobody sent him a reminder, nobody did anything, that was how we got the land.
He’s still speaking today, most of the time he answers us by a voice as we ask him which way to go. One of us went to Germany in those days and he took one of the cassettes in the days of cassette and what he went for there didn’t work. He was listening to the tape and he heard “You don’t just pack your bag and go to Germany”, he just started laughing, he was in Germany when he heard it, he had left. God must have spoken to somebody tonight.
Only those who ask questions are entitled to answers. Jeremiah 33:1. We are in for the best of time in our various ministries, the Change will be obvious, the change will be undeniable, you will also know it inside of you that something is turning in your favour. So, when you hear me saying God said, God said, those are the steps on the ladder. ChurchGist. God said, God said, God said and you’re not mixing words and there is no time to impress anybody.
Hallelujah!
You know there is nothing called Lagos in the Bible, so you have to hear. Arise get down to Lagos, not in chapter 1 of Genesis nor chapter 20 of Isaiah. The harvest for Africa is not ripe, you have to hear, now rush in… You have to hear him.
From henceforth there shall be no plague of spiritual deafness again. Don’t equate what God has told somebody for yourself, just hear your own. Let everyone abide in the same calling wherein he is called.
He said to him go to Africa, he can say to you go to Japan, he can say anything to anybody, He has His master plan, he just shows us as we are due for the next phase. We had such favour in Japan when I was there, I just thought it was an open door from Heaven, do we started preparing and the Lord said, although there is a need in Japan, you’re not the one I’m sending, what if I didn’t hear, we will be labouring in vain forever in Japan, you will learn the language and you won’t make a difference. ChurchGist. From that year, 1992, I never crossed the airspace of Japan. I won’t pass through there forever. He said I’m not the one he’s sending, so what am I doing there? If you don’t hear God, you’ll just be labouring in vain, we have just finished 40 days of prayers and fasting. They ask you why, you say; Japan must work? It is well. Not every opened door is God’s door, many are traps in disguise. Be careful!
Lean on God, absolutely so for direction and he will constantly answer us by a voice, he has not changed. Amen!
Don’t follow your feelings, follow His leadings. How many are victims of their feelings? But we always triumph by His leading, you can’t be defeated God leading you, because He goes before the led, the Good shepherd leadeth the sheep and because no gate can be shut against God, it opens to you on their own accord, He goes before the led. That is why you can’t be defeated following His leading, we cannot be defeated following His leading.
God gave us this mandate to build Him a sanctuary and I said Lord, I’m waiting for your matching order because I always need a matching order. Every vision is for an appointed time. We were set physically to begin the project and we didn’t hear anything. Lord, we are set by your grace, God said the next time you will speak to me, speak no more on this matter, until I speak to you if I need to, I surrender Lord. I didn’t ask Him again, because He said I shouldn’t and then one day He came and He said to me, was it not you I told that; that is the place of my appearance, did I send anybody to you? No sir! And you’re taking the project there, I would not have gone there with you. You can build a place where nobody will worship and then my eyes opened. ChurchGist. That land for Covenant University, they will make life unbearable and risky for the student. They would have to trek from foot from the gate to the class, before they get here they can’t hear anything again. He just corrected my folly and we laughed at the project, it was the cheapest project we have ever embarked upon on this earth, it was by the command of His timing, His timing and His correction.
No, we have told everybody and so what, is everybody leading you? I’m leading you. We serve a God of details; no more guess works for you.
Watch out, the moving mountains will start moving, the blockage on your path will begin to clear. The voice of the Lord that is powerful will clear them off the way.
Give the Lord praise!
It shall be the drawing of a new day for every one of us. Magnify God for whatever light might have come your way.
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