WITHOUT THE LOVE OF GOD IN OUR HEARTS, FAITH IS IMPOTENT
YOU CANNOT TELL WHAT FAITH IS WORTH UNTIL YOUR LOVE FOR GOD IS IN PLACE – BURNING AND GROWING
WE CANNOT ACCESS OUR NEXT LEVELS WITHOUT ENGAGING THE WEAPON OF FAITH
IT IS NOT UNSPIRITUAL TO BE CHALLENGED BUT IT IS UNSCRIPTURAL TO BE DEFEATED
FAITH IS NOT JUST BELIEVING GOD, FAITH IS OBEYING GOD TO PROVE THAT WE BELIEVE HIM SO AS TO COMMIT HIM TO CONFIRM HIS WORD
THE GOLDEN RULE FOR SUSTAINING IMPACT IN MINISTRY: WHATEVER GOD GIVES TO YOU, FREELY GIVE OUT
SHARE THE TRUTH LAVISHLY, WITHOUT RESERVATION
MANY YEARS AGO I FELT CHALLENGED IN MY HEALTH AND THEY CHECKED ME AND SAID ‘OH YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE IS HIGH’. I SAID ‘NOT ME!’
I WENT TO BED AND I BEGAN TO DREAM OF THE NEXT CRUSADE AND THAT WAS THE END FOREVER
I SAID TO GOD ONE TIME ‘WON’T YOU BE PATIENT FOR SOMEONE TO PRAY BEFORE YOU ANSWER?’
HE SAID ‘NO! THERE IS A COMPANY OF PEOPLE BEFORE THEY CALL I WILL ANSWER. WHILE THEY ARE YET SPEAKING, I WILL PERFORM.’
I LATER DISCOVERED THEY WERE MEN AND WOMEN WITH A HEART PANTING AFTER GOD.
CHAMPIONS OF ALL AGES ARE MADE OF CHALLENGES
MAKE A PROJECT OF ANY BARRIER YOU NOTICE ON YOUR PATH
ENGAGING YOUR SPIRITMAN IN THE SEARCH IS THE CHEAPEST WAY TO ACCESS THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD THAT WILL GET YOU OUT OF THAT DITCH
BELIEVE GOD TO PRAY INTO REALMS OF ENCOUNTERS. CASUAL ‘PHONETIC’ PRAYERS WOULD TAKE YOU NOWHERE
I WAS OUT ON THE MOUNTAIN FOR 3 NIGHTS BEFORE THE LORD IN A FAST, SEARCHING FOR THE SECRET BEHIND THE MINISTRY OF EZEKIEL
WHATEVER FINDINGS YOU DON’T ENGAGE WITH WILL PRODUCE NO RESULT
NO MATTER WHAT FACILITY WE BUILD IN THIS CHURCH, THERE WILL BE PEOPLE OUTSIDE.
UNTIL YOU DISCOVER MY HEARTBEAT FOR GOD YOU HAVE NOT FOUND MY SECRET.
YOU WILL NEVER COME ACROSS ANY CHAMPION IN THE KINGDOM THAT IS NOT MADE OF CHALLENGES, SO STAND UP TO IT.
RETURNING THE GLORY TO GOD IS HOW TO ENGAGE IN THE FIGHT OF FAITH TO CLEAR THE BARRIERS OFF YOUR PATH OF NEXT LEVELS.
REFUSE TO GIVE UP ON YOUR STAND OF FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD.
WHEN OUR FAITH IS BOOSTED BY LOVE, THE UNUSUAL BEGINS TO HAPPEN, THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOMES THE ORDER OF THE DAY.
THERE IS NOTHING MAGICAL ABOUT FAITH, IT IS A DIRECT PRODUCT OF ACCESS TO THE WORD.
– Bishop David Oyedepo on “FIGHTING THE FIGHT OF FAITH INTO YOUR NEXT LEVELS” || NEXT LEVELS ||International Ministers conference 2023 || Covenant University Chapel || Day 3 Evening session || 11th May, 2023
There is one golden rule for sustaining impact in ministry: whatever he gives to you, freely give out. No one lacks what he gives. People only lack what they keep. Proverbs 11:24. Church Gist. It is God who has shown us light; so if he shows you light, give it out. Psalm 118:27. Share the truth lavishly, without reservation. As you share what he shows you today, he shows you more tomorrow. Matthew 10:8.
– You are leaving here to keep giving freely whatever he shows you for the benefit of others.
There is no breakthrough testimony I hear that does not stir real joy inside me. Church Gist. There are things I desire to see and the things I am seeing by grace so they stir joy on my inside.
– By the time we meet next, you’re in your new levels
Lord Jesus speak to us again tonight and let your name be glorified
FIGHTING THE FIGHT OF FAITH INTO YOUR NEXT LEVELS
It is not unspiritual to be challenged but it is unscriptural to be defeated. You never come across a champion in any field of human endeavour including the Kingdom without his catalogue of challenges. 1 John 5:4. Church Gist. We have to put up a fight to possess our possessions. Christ was tempted at all points just as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15. He had to endure gruesome challenges and because he overcame, we shall overcome also.
Our heritage of next levels will usually attract opposition. Deuteronomy 2:24; 1 Corinthians 16:9. We have a heritage of unending progress in redemption. Our paths are ordained to shine more and more unto the perfect day. Church Gist. Proverbs 4:18. We can’t access our next levels without engaging the weapon of faith. Faith is the master key to our next levels. Hebrews 11:1-2. Faith is the key to a world of unlimited opportunities. Mark 10:27; Mark 9:23. All heroes of Scriptures were men and women of faith. We have a catalogue – Hebrews 11:1-40.
So faith is the mystery behind the path finding, pace setting, trail blazing order of exploits in the kingdom. Church Gist. One can’t be enlisted in that group without actively engaging the weapon of faith for a fight. Faith is not just believing God, faith is obeying God to prove that we believe him so as to commit him to confirm his Word. James 2:18.
“How is this so?” one may ask.
Faith draws on the power of God to accomplish the impossible. When faith comes alive, we tap into the power of God to deal with the issues we cannot deal with on our own. Church Gist. God delivered Daniel from en of lions because he believed in his God. By faith he tapped into the power of God that cannot be consumed by the lion and so he was unscratched.
Big question: if faith is this powerful why is my faith not working? Here is a major mystery we must get acquainted with to access and sustain our realm of next levels. It takes faith to access it and it takes faith to sustain it. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. Church Gist. The faith that works and keeps working requires love for delivery. The love of God; not the love of things. Galatians 5:6. Our faith will only deliver to the level of our love for God and the interest of his kingdom. That’s what has rendered many people’s faith impotent.
Without the love of God in our hearts, faith is impotent. You have been believing and believing and nothing is happening. “What’s going on there?” Love is as strong as death. Those 3 Hebrew boys would rather die than bow to a graven image. God delivered them because they trusted in their God. Church Gist. Love stirred their faith for maximum delivery. You know many waters can’t quench love. Their love was above the threat of the King. Their faith must deliver. Daniel 6:10, 20-23.
You can’t tell what faith is worth until your love for God is in place – burning and growing. Matthew 22:29-31. Every other spiritual virtue requires the love of God at work in us to deliver. Church Gist. When we are genuinely in love with God, faith delivers like fire as we saw in Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
With the love of God at work in us, great things continue to happen on their own accord. For we know that all things keep working together for good for them that love God and to them that are called according to His purpose. The biggest question in the adventure of a believer is ‘Lovest thou me?’ My son give me your heart and watch what I will make of your life. Proverbs 23:26. Watch what I will make out of your life if you will give me your heart. Proverbs 4:18. 1 Corinthians 13:8. Charity faileth not. It is the failure proof virtue of the kingdom. I said to God one time ‘Won’t you be patient for someone to pray before you answer?’ He said ‘No! There is a company of people before they call I will answer. While they are yet speaking, I will perform.’ I later discovered they were men and women with a heart panting after God. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that work according to His purpose. Church Gist. Seek ye first the kingdom of God in all its ramifications and all these things shall be added to you without you asking for them. They shall be additions, you won’t need confessions. They shall be additions. That changed my entire Christian world in 1976 when I caught it. Matthew 6:33. I heard it from His mouth for the first time. I never read it from a book. I signed up, wrote a covenant with God to make it my lifestyle. I have not had the first regret since September 12th 1976, this is 2023. Great things continue to happen on their own accord, levels will keep changing on their own accord. You are just in love, He shows up and says this is the next level. Your love keeps burning, this is another level and you keep going after Him, another level. That is your new experience. That shall be your new experience. When our love is perfected, we are filled with all the fullness of God to command dominion. Ephesians 3:17-19. Fullness of God equals dominion. Uncheckered dominion.
What is love? The kind we are talking about. God’s love is not theoretical. What is love in our context? Church Gist. There are biblical proofs to validate the sincerity of our love. 2 Corinthians 8:8.
Love for God in our context implies placing God above all else including self. That is the difference. In the last days, men shall be lovers of their own selves. This love demands that we place God above all else including ourselves. Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. It will shift to self love. Love for themselves. Luke 14:26-27. Love in our context implies a God first lifestyle. Church Gist. Matthew 22:36-40. Love in our context also implies a kingdom priority lifestyle. You are always dreaming kingdom advancement dreams not possessive dreams. Kingdom advancement dreams fill your heart. Many years ago I felt challenged in my health and they checked me and said, ‘Oh your blood pressure is high’ I said not me and I went to bed and I began to dream of the next crusade. That was the end forever. A kingdom priority lifestyle. Being full of Kingdom advancement dreams.
What is love in our context? It also implies loving what God loves the most and that is souls. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for the salvation of man’s soul. Do you love me? Go after my lamb. Are you sure you love me? Go after my sheep. Do you truly love me? Go after my sheep. Most times we forget the lambs, the lambs are the children. What are they? We had an experience this year in one of the outlets here. Some children were led to Christ, they came on Sunday on the road to look for transportation, they couldn’t get. Church Gist. So they told themselves that any gift they received this week, they will save it to get transportation to Church next Sunday. The following Sunday 10 of them showed up. At the last count, they were 57. Children who are earning nothing organized their way to get to Church. Children! We ignore them yet such are the kingdom of God. Without a passion for souls, there is no proof of anyone’s love for God. John 21:15-17.
Love in our context also implies identifying with Jesus openly, publicly and unashamedly. Mark 8:38. Romans 1:16.
Other Biblical proofs of our love for God include undying love for the Word. 1 Samuel 13:14. “David, a man after my heart” he said ‘how love I thy law”. You can’t be in love with God and not want to hear from Him. Psalm 119:97-100. One vital proof of our love for God is our love for His Word. Another proof of our love for God is a passionate craving for fellowship. Church Gist. This great lover of God by name David said “How amiable are thy tabernacles oh God”. Nobody runs after you for fellowship. You run to be in His presence, He is the delight of your soul. Psalm 122:1. God’s presence attracts you time and again. No coercion, no pressurization, it is your delight.
We have established a platform that empowers faith for maximum delivery. Church Gist. Let’s now examine the protocols of faith in clearing the barriers on our path to next levels.
Barriers are not strange on our path. Every great door and effectual attracts the adversaries. ‘I will build my Church’ is an agenda. The gates of hell will rise to resist it but shall not prevail against it. For God will not allow any barrier on our path beyond what we can deal with. Church Gist. There is no temptation that you can go through but such as is common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13). In the course of that challenge, He will provide a way of escape so you can deal with it. James 1:13. He tempts no man with evil. 1 Peter 4:12.
Champions are made of challenges. Challenges are not strange; they constitute the platform for the rest of giants, as we saw in the lives of David, Daniel, Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego and several others. Champions of all ages are made of challenges. In this world, we have challenges “but be of good cheer, I’ve overcome on your behalf” – Mark 6:50. Church Gist. Champions of all ages are made of challenges. We have the likes of Moses, Gideon, Paul the Apostle in the hand of false brethren, with the gentiles, among the Jews. But, clearing the barriers demand that we make a project of every issue of challenge that we are confronted with. Maka project of it as follows;
1. Engage in a search in the Scriptures for the way out. Matthew 11:28. Take responsibility in line with your findings and you shall find rest for your soul. Make a project of any barrier you notice on your path. “Wait a minute. Why is this Church not growing? There must be a way out. Young people, let’s get down to pray”. Church Gist. We were on those 3 days of prayers (speaking in tongues). What you don’t want, you don’t watch. What you don’t resist has a right to remain; what you don’t confront, you cannot conquer. Many are too comfortable with failure, when would you see success? Now, here was a Church that started in November, this was in March, too long. March 21? Church Gist. No, this is not the way to live, there must be a way out and then, He showed up. Make a project of the barrier you notice on your path. Your next levels are real but you have to engage in the fight of Faith to take delivery.
2. Engage your spiritman in the search. Most times, we only engage our intellect, we are limited in access. Isaiah 26:9. We desire Him with our soul, we seek Him with our spirit within us. Church Gist. We must get off the realm of the soul when we are in search of a way out. We are in contention against principalities and powers, we must switch on to the realm they cannot access. Psalm 27:8. Ministers should begin to discern between the soul and the Spirit. Luke 15:8. What’s the candle? The Spirit of man is the candle of the Lord which searches the inward parts of the belly. Proverbs 20:27. Church Gist. Engage your spiritman in the search, it’s the cheapest way to access the deep things of God that will get you out of that ditch.
3. Engage in the search with joy and rejoicing. This is why man will never find, Sir. They are full of concerns, apprehensions and complaints. Isaiah 12:3. Isaiah 30:29-30. Church Gist. No song, no access. Engage in the search with joy and rejoicing.
4. Engage the altar of prayer and fasting for accelerated finding. Isaiah 58:6. I have seen that severally in my life – breaking forth of light through the altar of prayer and fasting. “Jesus, there must be a way out. This is not what to be, this is not my portion. Church Gist. This is not your plan for my life, there must be a way out” and He said, “stand up!” Come and see outbreak of light, “follow me!” and then He began to show me live and direct, broad daylight. Believe God to pray into realms of encounters. All these casual prayers, “oh God” phonetics, what are you doing with that? “Oh God, I just came back from Australia”, well done. What does that mean in prayer? Zero. “Oluwa oh, hear me now and hear me!” I was out on the mountain for 3 nights before the Lord in a fast, searching for the secret behind the ministry of Ezekiel. Church Gist. What are projects? We arrived on that mountain, the first thing that happened was a serpent landed from the tree. I’ve never known that serpents climb trees, I later came to know that. I said, “this must be the garden of the Lord because there was a serpent in the garden of Eden. I’m not leaving here”. Then, the cloud became blue and dark, rain said, “I will deal with you here. I’m going nowhere”. “Rain stop”, rain didn’t stop, I won’t stop too. Church Gist. If it won’t stop, I won’t stop. Rain drenched me, sun came the following day and dried me but I won’t leave the book of Ezekiel. I was using torchlight to read it. By the third night, watch an asset, “behold, I have touched your tongue with a coal of fire, as you say it, you will see it”. Sir, there’s no devil in hell that doesn’t know the meaning of that. I didn’t cram it from somewhere. So, where’s the effect of the rain? Nonsense.
5. Mix your findings with Faith in your heart. Hebrews 4:2. Don’t assume it, genuinely mix your findings with Faith in your heart. “I believe it, this is directly to me, this is God speaking to me and showing me the way out”. Hebrews 4:2. Church Gist. Your findings do not equal your Faith, you consciously mix your findings with your Faith and when you do, you know it. Romans 10:17. You can’t but know when Faith comes.
6. Give yourself wholly to the instructions applicable to your findings. 1 Timothy 4:13-15. James 1:22. Whatever findings you don’t engage with will produce no result. James 2:17. Church Gist. It’s not enough to believe it, you must put it to work. James 2:18.
7. Demand your victory on the altar of prayer. Matthew 7:7-8. 1 John 5:14. We have gone finding and searching and we have now found, we have mixed our Faith in it, so we have the material to engage with on the altar of prayer. Fire. Church Gist. More often than not, before you get to this point, it has arrived.
– can I hear your Amen?
He said, “you have not because you ask not”, in case it hasn’t arrived, make demand for it on the altar of prayer.
8. Begin to address the barriers to clear off your path.
If you will say to this mountain, be ye removed… Mark 11:23. God won’t talk to the mountain for you, He won’t talk to the mountain for me Mark 11:23. Church Gist. God will not address your mountain, He will not address my mountain, you will have to do it yourself. God didn’t speak to Goliath oo, David spoke to him in the Name of the Lord and God confirmed it.
9. Start declaring boldly your victory.
It’s over! The siege is over! The Church is marching forward! One day I was preaching in Kaduna and I was screaming on our Ahuja Megaphone. And I said, ‘Don’t think that I am mad oo, I’m seeing a crowd outside that you cannot see – I’m speaking to that crowd, Sir’. No matter what facility we build in this Church, there will be people outside – I saw them outside! They have been outside ever since. Church Gist. We started a Second Service here when we saw sixteen thousand people outside. Start declaring boldly your victory. He said, ‘Open your mouth and I will fill it but My people are too civilized for Me’! ‘If I say it loudly and it doesn’t happen, what happens? That’s why it’s not happening Luke 2:15. Until they hear you, they won’t fade away Psalms 18:44. Start declaring boldly your victory. It is not enough to say it but how you say it matters, whatever you can’t say boldly God can’t confirm openly.
When we first came to Canaanland, on the First Sunday I first asked everybody, ‘Come to one arm of the Faith Tabernacle and I said, ‘Men and brethren, we will soon start a Second Service here’! Church Gist. One of them said, ‘My heart skipped’! I said, ‘Nevermind, we will soon start a Second Service here’ and the Message continues.
10. Start giving glory to God for your victory
Although you have not seen anything, yet keep celebrating the faithfulness of God because He cannot deny Himself Habakkuk 3:17-19. Church Gist. After that dramatic visitation on Church growth, we were really growing, thank God for it! I did sixteen seminars back to back every week and the Church grew to ninety and we ordained seven Deacons to celebrate it.
11. Refuse to give up
Don’t say, ‘I thought He heard me, He heard you’! Hebrews 10:38. Church Gist. Refuse to give up on your stand of faith and trust in God. Keep holding on, God never lies.
12. Return the glory to Him for your victory so as to preserve and perfect the victory because your victory is sure.
As your victory turns in, return the Glory to God – It belongs to Him so as to preserve and perfect the victory. Church Gist. This is how to engage in the fight of faith to clear the barriers off your path of next levels – These are the strategies to engage.
Once again, you will never come across any champion in the Kingdom that is not made of challenges, so stand up to it. What have we done wrong? We have not done anything wrong, you are being challenged – So confront it! Church Gist. Let nothing that you will see on arrival make you doubt what you have heard. No situation or circumstance can make the Word of God of no effect.
-I see the champion in you emerge.
-I see you scaling new heights without a sweat.
-I see challenges clearing the way for you in the Name of Jesus!
——–PRAYER———–
Now, watch, I once stated that you may have read the few things I have written and listened to all Messages and with all the grammatical problems in them but until you discover my heartbeat for God, you have not found my secret. Church Gist. One of the proofs of love that has been perfected is fear-free life, perfect love casts out fear. When our faith is boosted by love, the unusual begin to happen, the impossible becomes the order of the day – for through faith, fired by love, they subdued Kingdoms, they wrought righteousness, they stopped the mouth of lions, they quenched the furnace of fire, my God! They turned the army of the aliens to flight, out of weakness, they were made strong, they waxed valiant in fight. When faith is fired by love, the impossible becomes the order of the day. That’s why faith is the master key to a world of next levels.
– In the Precious Name of Jesus, your faith will keep scaling levels!
There is nothing magical about faith, it is a direct product of access to the Word. Faith comes by hearing and understanding the Word of God. Church Gist. Do you understand what you read? How can I and when he understood, faith came alive. So, faith comes by hearing and understanding the Word of God.
– May each one’s love for the Word come alive afresh!
We are shutting down in the morning tomorrow under the dew of the day, in the Name of Jesus, there shall be a diverse impartation of grace, there shall be replication, duplication and multiplication of grace. Everyone shall emerge a surprise to himself on arrival. If that’s you, let me hear your loudest Amen! Lift up your two hands and give God thanks.
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