IT IS ONE THING TO FIND THE TRUTH BUT ANOTHER THING TO BUY IT
I BOUGHT INTO THE COVENANT OF PROSPERITY AND SAID I CAN NEVER BE POOR: NOW THEY SAY DAVID OYEDEPO IS THE RICHEST PASTOR IN THE WORLD
WHEN I FOUND MATTHEW 6:34, I BOUGHT INTO IT WITH A VOW
FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF CHRISTIANITY.
A BELIEVER HAS NO IDENTITY WITHOUT FAITH.
EVERYTHING THAT JESUS DID ONLY BECOMES A REALITY WITH OUR FAITH.
OUR FAITH REQUIRES ALL THE ATTENTION IN THE WORLD BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT DETERMINES THE LIMIT OF OUR DESTINIES
WE BUILT A SANCTUARY IN KADUNA IN 2 WEEKS BY GOD’S PROMPTING
FAITH IS THE KEY TO A WORLD OF UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE
ONE CANNOT SINK NO MATTER THE STRENGTH OF THE STORM WITH FAITH
FAITH DOES NOT JUMP ON PEOPLE, IT IS CULTIVATED BY PEOPLE
FAITH DOES NOT COME BY READING, IT COMES BY UNDERSTANDING
VALUE AND QUEST FOR UNDERSTANDING WILL MAKE AN OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY OF ANY ORDINARY PERSON
FAITH IS NOT A BELIEF SYSTEM, IT’S A SPIRITUAL WEAPON
FAITH IS NOT WAITING FOR GOD TO COME AND DO SOMETHING, IT’S PUTTING HIS WORD TO WORK SO HE CAN DO SOMETHING
I TOLD THEM WHEN WE WERE FEW, “I SEE CROWDS OUTSIDE.” IT LOOKED LIKE I WAS MAD.
THERE IS NO SIZE THIS PLACE WILL BE WITHOUT PEOPLE OUTSIDE. IT IS ALREADY ORDAINED.
EVEN WHEN I HAD NO MONEY I WAS SO RICH. I DIDN’T NEED ANYTHING FROM ANY MAN, I HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO THE SOURCE.
I HAVE ZERO FEAR ABOUT TOMORROW.
TRADING THE TRUTH BROUGHT US TO WHERE WE ARE. IF WE WON’T STOP TRADING THE TRUTH WE CAN’T BE DOWN.
TRUTH WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH NO MATTER THE NUMBER OF ENEMIES AGAINST IT.
– Bishop David Oyedepo on THE SUPERNATURAL POWER OF FAITH at SHILOH 2023 Day Three, Hour of Visitation || REDEEMED TO FLOURISH IN HARD TIMES || Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland || 7th December 2023 || Fourth Word Session.
– May no treasure dropped here today and since we began be wasted in anyone’s life.
Buy the truth and sell it not. You can’t possess what you can’t purchase. Possession begins with acquisition. Proverbs 23:23. Not recite or quote the truth, buy the truth, it becomes a possession. Buy into the truth revealed, it becomes a reality. Church Gist. Buy the truth and sell it not, also wisdom and revelation. Buy! Every light from scriptures is a treasure. Matthew 13:44-46. Every truth of scriptures is a treasure that creates the future. May no one trash any treasure deposited on this mountain.
Everybody heard it but how many people bought it? Everybody saw it but how many bought into it? You can’t possess what you won’t buy. Possession begins with acquisition. We need this perspective in our personal walk with God. He shows the way to go and you buy into it. Lift your two hands and receive the purchaser’s grace to buy the treasures of the truth. Church Gist. The wisdom that enthrones, the instruction that distinguishes. Take that grace from God. Grace to buy into it. It is one thing to buy into a book and another thing to buy into what it contains. You can get a tape of whatever thing and you list it, you can’t see anything coming out of it.
You know what makes an elder is the stories they tell. Particularly those who tell the truth. I read T.L. Osborn’s book in one sitting, The Purpose of Pentecost and I saw for the first time the Holy Ghost as a person. I bought hook, line and sinker into it and I was eager to share with others and I got to where they are and I couldn’t find them. I said Holy Ghost if you are truly a person, lead me now to where they are. I found it and bought into it. I heard him say “Go forward!” For the first time in my life, I heard the succulent, ever refreshing voice of the Spirit. Church Gist. I was 22, I am still hearing that voice till now. I bought into it, all my being bought into it. Go forward! Life! I got to a T junction and He said “Make a left”. I said I don’t want to ask anybody in this town, lead me to where they are. Do you know what that means? When you buy something you buy it. I bought it, put it in my pocket. Where do I go from here? He said “Make a left”, “I said Holy Ghost check it, people working in the Ministry Of Works will they be here?” He just withdrew. Ah, I am sorry. I knew when He left, I saw Him as a person and I bought into it. He led me to where they were without any human aid. As I got towards the end of the road, I looked to my right and I saw some clothes on the dryer that could have belonged to one of them. Then one of them jumped out and screamed “Hey, Brother David, how do you know we are here? The Holy Ghost came on me.
It is one thing to find the truth and it is another thing to buy it. There are many people who window shop in shopping malls, they just go around every part of the shop including kitchen wares that are not part of their job. “This pot is very costly now” When did you buy it last? He is just whiling away time and having fun in the shopping mall. When I saw Matthew 6:33, I bought into it with a vow. I entered into a covenant. Church Gist. It is one thing to find it, it is another thing to buy it. What you don’t buy cannot be yours. It is a prophetic meeting, I can stop here. That is the topic, the topic is Buy. Buy the Truth. ‘If you no buy, you no get. If you want get, buy!’ You bought this suit before you could get it. You can’t get it and say “I am coming when I finish wearing it I will come and buy.”
When I saw Deuteronomy 8:18, I bought into it. It changed my entire life forever. My son David, my prosperity plan is not a promise, it doesn’t answer to prayer. Don’t pray for prosperity. It has no respect for fasting. Don’t fast your life out except to save food. It is a covenant until your part is played, I am not committed. I bought into it and I screamed “Yeh! I can never be poor!” Church Gist. Now they say the richest pastor in the world is David Oyedepo. In the world oh! Why won’t they say that? He never borrows, he never begs, he is a local man, he doesn’t travel. Wake up my friend, you better get to buy. You buy with obedience of faith. Not money, obedience of faith. You find it and say Yes I got it, I am set for it.
What defines the destiny of the believer is faith. It is to every one according to his faith. Matthew 9:29. We can cry from now till tomorrow, what we don’t believe we are never empowered to become. John 1:12. What you don’t believe, you will never experience. You receive and believe and then you are empowered to become. Church Gist. One of my daughters came on here yesterday and said “The Word became flesh”. The Word will never become what it says without your faith. Faith is the lifewire of the believer. Habakkuk 2:4. Just like the old saying, no Nile no Egypt. A believer has no identity without faith.
Faith is the substance of our redemption. Everything that Jesus did only becomes a reality with our faith. The price He paid will be wasted without our faith in place. Faith is the substance of Christianity. The just shall live by his faith. Church Gist. Habakkuk 2:4. Romans 1:17. Galatians 3:11. Hebrews 10:38. That means you shut me out when you draw back from faith. I can’t help out, you can’t get me on without your faith.
Our faith requires all the attention in the world because that is what determines the limit of our destinies. Through faith, Sarah received strength to conceive seed. Faith rejuvenated her and strengthened her. It is to every one according to his faith. By faith, Moses led that army of people to the Red Sea, the Sea saw them and fled. Faith opened the way to their Promised Land. Church Gist. The Walls of Jericho sank, the impregnable barrier disappeared. It didn’t fall flat, it will still be a wall if it did. It sank. If your life depends on it, then it demands all the attention required.
For the few minutes we have, I’m speaking to the supernatural power of faith.
Faith is the key to a world of unlimited possibilities, if you can believe. Mark 9:23. All things, not most things.
One cannot sink no matter the strength of the storm with faith, people only sink with doubt. “Why did you doubt? That’s why you’re sinking”. Church Gist. That’s what Jesus said to Peter. He saw the wind boisterous, “Jesus, save me!” He said, “why did you doubt? You’re just by me here, you’re almost there”. Little faith can’t ride the storms of life. That’s where responsibility comes in now – how to build strong faith that will empower you and I to ride the stormy days that are already here. Church Gist. Don’t say they’re coming, they’re already here, the stormy days are here. So, we need accelerated commitment in building our faith so we don’t sink on the way through.
Faith does not jump on people, faith is cultivated by people. Romans 10:17. There are two hearings there, “by hearing and hearing”? No. Hearing and understanding. Church Gist. Do you understand what you’re reading? He’s reading but he’s not understanding it. Then the understanding opened his eyes, he said, “I believe”. Faith comes by hearing and understanding. Romans 10:17. Acts 38:31-35, the Ethiopian Eunuch and Philip. When his understanding came alive on the same Scripture, from the same Scripture. Understanding stirs faith. Church Gist. It’s not reading the Bible like you’re reading one religious thing, chanting it, it’s understanding of it.
So, why do we study? We study to get to the point of understanding. Why do we read materials? We study materials that will help our understanding come alive by those who have understood it and proved it. Church Gist. I had many close people that teach a lot on Church growth but they are not Pastors, so, I don’t read their materials. I have them because I need to have them in case I need to do some cross referencing but I studied those who are building Churches and the Churches are flourishing. It’s wisdom to do that. Church Gist. So, I became Yonggi Cho’s protege in Church growth. I devoured him. We study to get to the point of understanding that stirs faith. Faith does not come by reading sir, it comes by understanding. Proverbs 4:7. When you get understanding, it will promote you, it will bring you to honour. Church Gist. “A crown of glory shall she deliver to the head, an ornament of grace” from the point of understanding which is the point of faith.
One time I returned from a trip and I had boxes of books, then I got in and my wife said, “what did you bring?” I said, “come and see” because we didn’t travel that time. together. Church Gist. I opened the first box, books, second box, books. She said, “what else?” “That’s all else”. I said, “the content of this book can make me a manufacturer of the things I would have bought”. Value and quest for understanding will make an outstanding personality of any ordinary person. We better seek it. Faith has unlimited capacity for growth. 2 Thessalonians 1:3. Church Gist. It doesn’t stop growing if you won’t stop what grows it. The stronger your faith, the greater your command of the affairs of life.
Paul, the Kingdom stalwart said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. It got to a point he said, “believing all things that are written”. Faith became his lifestyle, his breath. Acts 24:14. Church Gist. You build your faith to a point where anything God says goes. We built a Sanctuary in Kaduna in 2 weeks. We named it after Frederick K. C. Price, he’s gone to Heaven. I was at the airport with him when I heard His (God’s) prompting, “get back home and start that building now”. Church Gist. I said, “sir, can I be excused? I may not be able to with you to Lagos for your flight”. That’s not normal for me. No, he’s a respected sage. He said, “oh man. If God told you that, get back home”. I put four people around the four corners and said, “now, say after me, this building is finishing in 2 weeks”. We dedicated it sir. You build your faith to a point that any command from Heaven goes. Not guesswork oh. I’m not talking about somebody thinking of things too high for him. Church Gist. I mean, God speaking to you, “do this”. Faith only grows through spiritual understanding of the Word. We have the philosophy of the Word sir, we have the psychology of the Word, we have the spiritual understanding of the Word. It’s from the same Word, it’s a volume. Church Gist. To some people, it’s a major literature. It’s only to you and me that it’s Scriptures, the Holy Bible, the Word of God.
– Grace to commit to what grows faith, receive it now!
– grace to commit to what grows faith that puts you on top of the issues of life, receive it now!
– lift up your right and breathe that in prayer.
—Prayers
Please, be reminded, we are in a highly stormy season in human history. This is why faith is a non-negotiable requirement for any child of God to triumph gloriously in this season, very highly vulnerable and stormy season. Church Gist. Anybody can sink away if his faith is not strong enough to ride the storms. So, we need to commit to building that faith that will keep us going in season and out of season.
Let me define faith before we close. Just a few lines here. What is faith?
1. Faith is obeying God to prove that we believe Him, thereby committing Him to perform His Word. Faith is not a belief system, it’s an active spiritual force. “And so, Abraham departed” and we are asked to follow the faith of Abraham. Church Gist. Faith is not a belief system, it’s a spiritual weapon. You put it on for a fight. Praise God! Faith is obeying God to prove that we believe Him, thereby committing Him to make good His promise. Genesis 12:1-4. James 2:18
2. Faith is not waiting for God to work, faith is putting God’s Word to work so as to commit God to make good His promise. It’s not waiting for God, it’s putting God’s Word to work so as to commit to confirm that Word in your life. Church Gist. I believed the picture that T. L. Osborne printed, I received it, it’s from the Word and I put it to work and God confirms it, it worked. I received the instructions on Church growth, I believed it, we began working on it from the day I came out of that prayer and it’s working like fire till tomorrow. Faith is not waiting for God to come and do something, it’s putting His Word to work so He can do something. If you walk in the fear of God, you won’t suffer hardship. Psalm 37:18-19. Church Gist. It’s putting God’s Word to work. Anybody can leave Shiloh and just walk away and say, “we had a good time, a lot of teachings. I mean, you can trust Shiloh, amazing things came out of that place”. So, how has it added to the amazement in your life? Putting God’s Word to work. Church Gist. Sir, people have reduced faith to a belief system. No, no!
– may you receive grace to move from here and start putting God’s Word to work in your life!
3. Faith is being fully persuaded of the truth, the prevailing circumstances notwithstanding until the truth triumphs.
Truth will always triumph. Light will always triumph over darkness. You are fully persuaded of the truth, this is God’s Word. It can’t fail. It is settled in heaven forever. God cannot deny Himself. You are fully persuaded like Abraham was. Romans 4:21. God stepped in and He performed. At 100 years old, Abraham had a son. The prevailing circumstances notwithstanding until truth triumphs. 2 Corinthians 2:14. Truth can never crash if there is someone that will be fully persuaded of it. I have zero fear about tomorrow. Trading the truth brought us to where we are. If we won’t stop trading the truth we can’t be down. It is not possible. There is no day darkness will harass anybody walking in the light. Church Gist. Walking in the light keeps darkness away on its own. Darkness can’t. There is no grossness of darkness that can challenge the authority of light. Nonsense, what is light? You move near light, you fizzle away. You won’t exist again. Truth will always triumph no matter the number of enemies against it. So faith is being fully persuaded.
I remember my wife said she had a miscarriage, I just got in from a mission field and I said “It cannot happen.” Can I have my food please? There was no crosscheck. “How do you feel now?” You can’t feel anything more than what I said. Church Gist. I was so rich when I had no money. I don’t know if you understand that. Even if you came to me led by God, you will start doubting if you need to give anything to this man. I don’t need anything from any man, I have direct access to the Source. How? Truth! That you are fully persuaded of.
Be fully persuaded that these horrible days on earth are your most honourable days in God’s agenda. How many heard what happened last night? That is the good news. Church Gist. These grieving days are your golden days. These turbulent days are your triumphant days. These beggarly days are your days of plenty. Get fully persuaded of this, it will put you to rest.
4. Faith is a display of confidence in God until when the desired result is obtained.
A display of confidence in God. Hebrews 10:35-36. A display of confidence in God until what is desired becomes a reality. I can never be poor! Hmmm? You are so rich. Do you know something? (I told them in the early days of the ministry,) “I see crowds outside oh. Church Gist. Don’t think I am mad. I see crowds outside.” There is no way this place will be big without people outside. It is already ordained. No matter the size of this church people will be outside, it is ordained for them to be outside. There will be people outside because there is no room inside. A display of confidence in God.
“David, what are you looking forward to in your marriage?” Hitch free marriage. Well you know we have been in courtship for some time… “No David, take it easy. When you are sitting together, it is impossible not to step upon one another’s toes.” That was my counsellor speaking. I said, “Sir, we are sitting on the same couch, why am I not stepping on your toes? 1. I am not blind. 2. I am not wicked”. Church Gist. He said “Okay!” a display of confidence, you are not guessing. I saw what the agenda of heaven was. I believed in it hook, line and sinker. I believed in it to deliver. That is faith! Anything that is out of order in anyone’s life because of a lack of the required faith to secure it is settled today.
Do you know something? Knowledge is not transferable. You have to acquire it. You and your wife are one flesh, can you transfer your knowledge to her? Can she transfer her own to you? That your father is a professor does not mean you will pass your exams. Church Gist. Your DNA doesn’t cover that. Knowledge has to be personally acquired. You shall know the truth and the truth that you know shall set you free! It is your turn. God is doing something here, may you catch it properly. May your confidence never be doused again.
5. Faith is a spiritual force within that determines the happenings without.
It is a spiritual force within that determines the happenings on the outside. Matthew 9:21-23. Church Gist. A force within that reflects on the outside. Romans 10:10. Mark 11:23. Drawing from what you believe in your heart. Matthew 9:21-23. A force within that reflects on the outside. With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. Mark 11:23. So, it’s a force within that determines the happenings outside. Proverbs 4:23. It talks about the evil heart of unbelief. Many people say some things in their mouth, it’s not in their heart. They just say it, it’s not in their heart. It’s a force within that determines the events on the outside.
Finally, faith is our access to a world of unlimited possibilities. Hebrews 11:33-34. God’s endtime agenda is for His Church to subdue Kingdoms. Amen? Church Gist. For the Church to become the breadwinners of the world, the global solution centre of the world. It takes faith for God’s people to subdue Kingdoms. We’ll stop here this morning.
First, be prepared to buy into the treasure of the truth, subscribing to what it demands to keep it alive. Faith is a living force, it has to be kept alive and faith feeds on the Word, the Word feeds on love. Church Gist. The stronger your love for God, the greater your access to light, which translates to your faith. So, we have to take responsibility sir. The cheapest way to move the hand of God is to put your faith on the line. Isaiah 53:1. Church Gist. You believe, He stretches forth His hand to perform. There’s no prophecy that will see the light of the day without faith, I mean, all Biblical prophecies including the one we expounced on last night. Church Gist. None will see the light of the day in anybody’s life without his faith. Luke 1:45. Performance is limited to those who believe, it doesn’t go to everybody. If we ever needed faith, it’s now sir, faith for gallant exemption, faith for triumph in the midst of turbulence, faith for abundance in the midst of scarcity. Church Gist. If there’s anytime we need to build our faith to secure the hand of God to distinguish us from these stormy times is now. It’s time to become a student of faith in your quest to keep your faith alive and growing.
– stand to you feet and give the Lord a big hand of praise!
– lift up your two hands and give God thanks for light that has been shining across our ways since the first session began in this Hour of Visitation. Thank Him for your takeaways from this feast this morning.
– thank you Jesus in Jesus’ precious name.
I’ll like you to do something tonight by the prompting of the Holy Spirit please. Church Gist. Put your faith on the line and bring here a written form of whatever thing you believe that God is up to, anything. You have that inspired statement I made years ago, whatever God can do, faith can make happen. Matthew 19:26. Whatever God can do, faith can make it happen. Church Gist. Now, can God do that thing that appears to be lingering in your life? Whatever God can do, your faith in God can make it happen.
– some fellows will see clearly tonight from stone blindness!
– some folks will walk out of their wheelchairs tonight!
Whatever your God can do, your faith can make it happen. They have said you can never have a child, that’s what they say. Church Gist. You know, “thou shall serve the Lord and He shall bless your bread and your water”. Are you serving God? “None shall be barren or cast their young in the land. The number of your days, I will fulfill”. Exodus 23:26. Are you scared of death? Have they given you a death verdict from any hospital? Church Gist. Come down tonight and put your faith on the line and in the name of Jesus, whose I am and whom I serve, He will sort you out!
– You’re coming out in bright colour tonight.
– God will turn your ashes to beauty!
– He will turn the mockery of your life to glory!
– He will turn your reproach to honour!
– He will rewrite your story tonight!
It shall be a full blown miracle service. So, come ready and see God overturn your obstacles to miracles and your trials to testimonies. Church Gist. Tonight’s encounter night is designed for you! God has you in mind, put your faith on the line and you’ll be glad you did.
Someone here came to Oral Roberts’ meeting and after the crusade, he has the healing room where he prays for people that have special needs. Church Gist. After he finished praying in the room, he was going, the man called him, “Excuse me, Oral, I came here to be healed. I’m supposed to be healed today, I’m not coming back tomorrow”.
🎵🎶Today today, my God will answer me today today 🎶
Whatever you want answer to today, put it down in writing, whether spiritual disease, physical disease or social disease, whatever you believe He can handle tonight, come along with your faith and He will confirm it in your life!
– let me hear your loudest Amen!
– somebody’s spiritual life will take a drastic new turn tonight!
– somebody’s social life will take an upward turn tonight!
– your physical state will be affected tonight.
– lift your hands everyone and give God thanks!
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