MY REPLY TO THE PRIEST COMPLAINING ABOUT REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD FASTING FOR 50 DAYS
I CAME TO THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD AS A CUSTOMER BUT TODAY, I AM A PARTNER
AS PARTNERS WITH GOD, YOU MUST BE WILLING TO ENDURE HARDNESS – NOT HARDSHIP
TO HAVE THE HONOUR OF BEING CHOSEN AS GOD’S PARTNER, YOU MUST BE WILLING TO HONOUR HIM
THE REASON MANY PEOPLE ARE JUST MEMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION AND NOT WORKERS IS THAT THEY HAVE NOT DECIDED TO BECOME “FOOLS” FOR CHRIST
YOU MUST BE WILLING TO BE A FOOL FOR GOD’S SAKE TO BECOME HIS PARTNER
WHEN THE FIRE OF GOD FALLS ON YOU, EVERYTHING THAT IS DIVINE BEGINS TO FLOW THROUGH YOU
ONE OF THE HONOURS GOD’S PARTNERS WILL GET IS THAT JESUS WILL PERSONALLY INTRODUCE THEM TO HIS FATHER
AS A JUNIOR PARTNER TO GOD, YOU MUST AGREE WITH HIM TO MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU TO OBEY HIM TOTALLY AND BE FAITHFUL TO THE END
THE REASON MANY MIGHT NOT RECEIVE THE KIND OF POWER GOD WANTS TO RELEASE IS THAT GOD IS NOT SURE YOU WILL USE THE POWER WELL
WHEN I BECAME GENERAL OVERSEER OF THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD, GOD PROMISED TO BE MY SOURCE
IF YOU ARE GOD’S PARTNER, HE WILL NEVER FORSAKE YOU. YOU CAN’T TRADE WITH GOD AND LOSE
WHEN YOU BECOME GOD’S PARTNER, WHEREVER YOU GO, HIS BODY GUARD WILL GO WITH YOU!
IF YOU ARE EVER GOING TO BECOME GOD’S PARTNER, YOU MUST BE SUBJECT TO HIS AUTHORITY
YOU DON’T ARGUE WITH A SENIOR PARTNER. WHATEVER HE SAYS DO, YOU DO
THE MOMENT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS NOT YOUR WILL BUT GOD’S WILL BE DONE, YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE WILL BECOME ENJOYABLE
GOD NEEDS A PARTNER WHEN HE WANTS TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE – VERY FEW PEOPLE CAN HEAR HIM AND NO MAN CAN SEE GOD AND LIVE
PARTNERSHIP IS ORIGINALLY THE IDEA OF GOD HIMSELF
– Pastor E. A. Adeboye on “IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FIRE” at May 2024 Holy Ghost Service || 3rd May, 2024 ||
I believe the reason God has decided to give you your miracle in advance is because the issue we want to discuss tonight requires just solemn teaching. My Son who came before had done a great job and has brought the fire down. He has done the job of an Evangelist. Tonight we are talking about being in partnership with fire. Exodus 3:7-12. Church Gist. Get your writing materials because we are going to do a thorough Bible study because by the time we are leaving here in the morning, I want you to be a partner with God.
– Somebody here tonight, you will never walk alone again!
In every company, there are people who come to buy goods. We call them, customers; they come, pay for what they want, collect and go. We have people like that in the Church – they come, expecting to get something from Jesus Christ and they are willing to pay. “Just tell me how much I need to pay here then give me my miracle and I go.” I know because that’s how I came to the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Church Gist. I had problem that my Mathematics could not solve. Somebody told me that if I get to Redeemed Christian Church of God God is answering prayers there. I came, I told them my problem and I was expecting them to tell me how much I will pay so that I can get my miracle and go back to my home. Instead, they began to talk to me about giving my life to Jesus, forsaking my sins, etcetera I didn’t like it at all. They didn’t ask me to pay, they asked me to stay. I thank God that I came as a customer but today, by the grace of God, I’m a partner.
– I pray for all of you who are customers, that before this night is out, you will become partners of the Most High!
Then in every company you have the people we call the staff. These are the people who keep the company going, they earn their living there. They’re called the staff and some of them, you look down on them because you think they’re very low – like cleaners and messengers. But do you know without the cleaners, the company is not going to last long – as low as you think. Church Gist. For example, there are some people who have dedicated themselves to washing every chair in this auditoriums – the one here and the one in the old. That’s why when you come, you don’t have to clean your chair because it has been washed by volunteers. They’re not paid for it, they just come, large number of them, wash the chairs. You may not recognize them, you may not consider them as important, but God is watching and is keeping a record of all their activities. So we have the staff and of course the staff are in categories. Like I said, cleaners, messengers, then you begin to go higher, cashier, accountant, manager, Senior manager, etc. Those who are called the staff, their very life depends on the company. If the company should sack them, they will have a bit of a problem feeding their families.
But then there is another group higher than staff and that’s the ones we call partners – Partners with the owner of the company. When we begin to talk about partners, I’m sure you must know that there are 2 categories of partners. We have the senior partner – usually the owner of the company and then we have may be one or two junior partners. Church Gist. The senior partner is called the chairman – he’s the big boss – he owns the company. But he shares with the junior partners certain things and we will discuss these things tonight.
Now, partnership is originally the idea of God himself. From the very very beginning, he was interested in partnership. We all know that he is the Almighty, he can do anything he wanted to do but when you read Genesis 2:19-20, after he created everything – every animal, every bird, he took them to Adam. So, the first partner with God was Adam. Church Gist. So in the text we read today that we want to discuss in details, Exodus 3:8-10, I hope somebody will agree with me that the sufferings in our nation must stop! Exodus 3:10-12; Isaiah 6:1-8 – God is saying, “I’m still looking for partners.” Ezekiel 22:29-31 is almost frightening. If God is looking for one man so that he can put and end to his anger against our nation, who will volunteer? Nobody said anything – you’re afraid. It reminds me of what used to happen in those days, whenever I offend my mum and whether you believe it or not, mother’s don’t want to cane their children because as they’re caning the children they’re feeling the pain and yet they know that if you don’t handle your child very well, the child will get rotten. I’ve done something wrong, my mum wants to deal with me and she will pretend to be looking for the cane, creating a space so I can run out. How many of you know what I’m talking about? Any other mother like that here? By the time she finally finds he cane, I’ve already found somebody, an elderly somebody and I am clinging to that fellow. She will say, ‘ori e yo e le ni’ ….that’s, God has rescued you. Church Gist. She didn’t want to do it to start with and she was looking for someone who will stand in the gap. Who will stand in the gap for your family today? Who will stand in the gap for our nation today? Let me hear you say, Amen
That brings us to a big question: why does the Almighty God need a partner? Why does the one who has the ability to do everything, why does he need a partner? Well, Psalm 115:3 says he is sovereign; so he can do as he likes. Church Gist. But it’s a little more than that, if God were to come down to Nigeria today or any other nation to deliver a warning, they won’t be able to see him. Exodus 33:18-23. So if he wants to call somebody out of danger, “come and be saved,” he can’t come directly himself because you won’t see who is talking to you.
Secondly, the way he speaks makes it necessary for him to get a partner. 1 Kings 19:11-12. Very few people can hear him, he barely speaks above whispers. I told you the first time I attended a fellowship after I became born again at the University of Lagos and somebody took me there to their fellowship and they were singing choruses and so on and all of a sudden as if by cue, everybody became silent and then a brother began to prophesy. Church Gist. “Thus saith the Lord,” he began. I nudged the man who took me there and said, when did God say that? He said shhh, God is speaking. I said, I am not hearing anything.
Several times people have asked me, “you will be preaching and all of a sudden you will stop and say, oh Daddy said, when did Daddy say that?” I pray for somebody here today that God will open your ears.Â
Now, if he doesn’t speak in that small still voice, if he raises his voice, people will think it is thunder. John 12:28-29. So, it’s either he speaks silently that many people won’t even hear or when he is speaking loud, you will think it is thunder. Church Gist. As a matter of fact when you read Exodus 20:18-19 (you will see that) God needs a partner when he wants to deal with people.
– in the name that is above every other name, I pray we find a new partner here tonight!
Let’s consider the senior partner because he is the most important person in the whole business. The senior partner in our own case, is the owner and he has absolute control of everything that he wants done in the company. Whatever the junior partner does must be done in the name of the Senior partner. You cannot be a junior partner and dictate to the senior partner. Church Gist. There’s a senior partner who will tell the junior partner what to do. You must do everything in the name of the senior partner. For example Mark 16:16-17; 1 Samuel 17:42-51; Acts 19:11-17.
– tonight I decree, in the name of Jesus that all your problems will be consumed by fire.
So the junior partner must be subject to the senior partner – that’s very crucial. If you are ever going to become his partner, you must be subject to him. Luke 7:2-10 – the centurion said, “Jesus I know you’re under the authority of your father in heaven; that’s why you can tell sickness go and it will go; demons – go and demons will go.” Church Gist. You want to be his partner, you must be ready to be subject to his authority. My son said during his own sermon that you must not argue with him. You don’t argue with a senior partner. Whatever he says do, you do.
Now, what are the things that you will get if you are subject to the senior partner?
Luke 22:42 – as soon as you know it is, “…not my will, but thine, be done,” the moment you can get that one clear, from that moment onwards your Christian life will become enjoyable. Church Gist. After you have prayed, quoted the Bible and you have done everything, you must still remember: he is your senior partner and you know, when he says, yes, it is yes. If he says, no, it is no.
The senior partner now performs certain things for the junior partner and I’m being slow because I believe you’re taking notes:
1. He provides for the junior partner using whatever method that pleases him: 1 Kings 17:2-17 – everybody knows that birds love bread and ravens in particular, they love meat. Church Gist. But when God sent them on an errand, they won’t tamper with whatever he asked them to deliver.
– In the name that is above every other name, your miracle will not miss your address!
When the brook dried up, he decided, “alright, no there’s no need sending birds here, let me send you to a widow.” When God is speaking, many at times we try to understand with our brain, we forget that we are dealing with the one who is called the All Sufficient God. In one of our meetings I think it was in Slovakia, about 2 weeks ago, the Word of God came, thousands of people there and God just said, there is someone here, I know how to take care of the crisis in your family. How will I know? The program took place on Sunday. Church Gist. How will I know that there was a couple there that were getting ready for divorce. By Monday morning they said, no more divorce. What God did that night that led to reconciliation of two people who had made up their mind that they are going separately, only God can explain.
– whatever crisis may be in your family, will be over tonight!
Philippians 4:19.
2. He protects: Isaiah 54:15-17. A daughter of mine was giving a testimony of what happened when she was just a small girl and there was this river where they go to fetch water for the school where she was attending. Students were there fetching water and there was this old woman who came and brushed them aside to fetch her own water first. Church Gist. This little girl said, “no, you can’t do that, we have been here,” – not knowing the kind of woman. That old woman got home, got a calabash, put some water there and began to chant some incantations and the Calabash broke. The following day she came to confess, “this fellow cannot be touched.”
– I pray for you, anybody chanting any form of incantations against you, the Calabash will break!
Psalm 20:7-8.
3. He defends: my son had mentioned to you 2 Kings 1:9-12
– Anybody trying to arrest your progress, the fire of God will deal with him.
A family will be singing this song very soon, “Hosanna in the highest, my family is singing…” Church Gist. Within the next one month, your family will be singing that song! 2 Kings 6:8-17. I want to assure you, you become his partner, wherever you go, his body guard will go with you!
4. He equips them: Mark 3:13-15. Like my friend from Germany has said, in Acts 1:8, he will equip you for your assignment. Church Gist. Everything you need to succeed in your assignment, he will make available. Philippians 4:13.
5. The senior partner supports the junior partner: he backs you up. Exodus 3:11-12; 1 Samuel 17:34-37.
– I decree in the name that is above every other name, you will never be alone again!
Matthew 28:18-20; Hebrews 13:5. If you’re his partner, he will never forsake you. I told you that after I became born again and one way or the other I ended up becoming General Overseer and the Church was very very rich at that time, so rich that the total income of the Church was less than my monthly salary at the University where I was coming from and we had a staff of 40 people to pay. Church Gist. That will tell you how much each one will be getting. “Almighty God, how am I going to survive?” He made me a promise. He said, “I have only one promise for you, wherever you go, I will go with you and I will be your source.”
– I want to pass that blessing to my children tonight, from tonight onwards wherever you go, my God will go with you and he will be your source! It may be tough at the beginning but I want to assure you, if you’re his partner and you have that assurance, sooner or later, people will discover that there is no employer like God Almighty. He will spoil you! Whether you believe it or not, doesn’t matter – become his partner and you will see him in action.Â
Now, Mark 10:28-30 – you can’t trade with God and lose – it’s not possible. His company can’t close down. The success of his company has nothing to do with the economy of a nation. His bank in Heaven never closes. Church Gist. When he says, I will be with you, relax; day and night he will be there and you know the beauty of it like I told you, you don’t even have to knock many doors before he will open, all you have to say is, in Jesus’ name and the doors will open.
– In the name that is above every other name, beginning from tonight, multiple doors will open unto you!
7. He will honour his partners: 1 Samuel 2:30. One of the honours that those who are his partners will get is that he will personally introduce them to his father. Matthew 10:32. The way he honours them is by promoting them above all members of staff. Exodus 7:1 – he was telling Moses, “one day, Pharaoh will come and beg you for blessing.” 1 Kings 17:1 – The Almighty God took a boy called Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah was from such a low family background, they never mentioned his father’s name whereas they mentioned the name of the father of Bartimaeus the beggar. Church Gist. Elijah has no surname but when God picked him up, he became even a terror to a king. I don’t know how highly God is going to take somebody here today, but somebody will become a partner of God and you will be promoted beyond your wildest expectations!
The role of the junior partner:
1. My son who spoke before me said that you must agree with your senior partner and he gave you the passage, Amos 3:3. We can’t be in the same business, me being the senior partner, you being the junior partner then we are arguing everyday. Church Gist. I will tell you, “Oga, go and start your own company.” You must agree and agreeing now, will make it easy for you to obey him totally. John 15:14-15.
2. Once you decide to become his partner there must be no looking back. You can’t decide that, “I will be his partner today and say you’re no longer interested.” Luke 9:57-62; Hebrews 10:38. There must be no looking back.
3. You must be 100 per cent faithful to Him: 1 Corinthians 4:2. You must be trustworthy. The reason why many of us might not be able to receive the kind of power God wants to release to us is that God is not sure you will use the power well because the more power you have, the more provocations you’re likely to have from the devil. The devil will want you to use your power to satisfy yourself – “if you be the son of God, turn these stones to bread.” Church Gist. But if you are faithful to him, you will listen to him and do only what he wants done. You know the story of Elijah that we mentioned earlier on, in 2 Kings 1:9-end, the third captain with his soldiers came and humbled himself and God spoke to Elijah, “don’t roast this one, go with him.”
I heard one of my children talking not too long ago, he said, God, just give me power; anybody messes around with me, I am not going to be like Daddy G. O. I will finish them. Church Gist. He said Daddy G. O is the one who said, “hey, if you kill all your enemies, who is going to watch while you’re eating at the table God prepared before you?” He said I don’t want them to see me, let me just wipe them out.
You will listen to God, listen to your senior partner, do only what he allows you to do. You are supposed to be faithful till the end. Revelation 2:10. Church Gist. Daddy says the testimonies that will come from tonight’s service will be many. So, you must obey him, you must agree with him totally, you must be faithful and faithful to the end.
4. You must be willing to endure hardness not hardship: 2 Timothy 2:3. You must be tough like soldiers of Christ. As his partner there will be times when he will say, you can’t sleep, you must pray throughout the night – hardness. As soldiers there will be times when they will say, you can’t eat, you must fast – hardness not hardship. You must be tough. That’s one thing I thank God for, for the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Little by little he has been teaching us hardness. Church Gist. You won’t believe it that I heard that one priest was complaining that I asked you to fast for 50 days. He said, “what kind of God is that that this man is serving? What kind of God will ask people to fast for 50 days before he will answer them?” I said, ah, why are you angry? I’m not talking to your congregation. I’m talking to my own children, my children have not complained to you. Let me ask you, are you tired of fasting? (Loud chorus no). I am even already thinking it’s a long time ago that we fasted for 100 days – may be we should bring 100 days back. Hardness, tough. You must be willing to pay any price. 2 Corinthians 12:15; Acts 21:10-14.
Now, partners are a select group of people. They’re not just any dick and harry in the congregation, they’re specially selected. Church Gist. Mark 3:13-15; John 15:16 – select people, it’s not just everybody that can become his partner. Matthew 22:14 – chosen ones.
So how can I have the honour of being chosen? After all, we know that God is sovereign, he does as he pleases. Acts 10:34-35; Isaiah 6:8. “I will fear you, obey you, I won’t mess around, I’m here.” 1 Samuel 2:30. You must be willing to honour him.
Like I’ve told you, when he’s talking about first fruit, number one is the senior partner: the senior partner has the right to say, “hey hey, anything that comes into this business, I have the first choice of it all.” But God said it is honouring him when you do that. He doesn’t need your money, the owner of the business when at the end of the day they’re talking about dividends, he owns the company. Church Gist. So when they say your dividend is so much, many atimes he will just be laughing. He doesn’t need it, he already has more than sufficient. That’s why he says if you honour him with your first fruit, he will also return the honour to you that you too will have more than sufficient – that’s his promise. I’m believing God for you, that one day, somebody will come to you and say, “I travelled and I want to bring you something but I don’t know what to bring to somebody who already has everything.” One day, you will have more than sufficient.
You want to be his partner? You must be willing to be a fool for his sake. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. The people he will choose are those who are ready to let go their positions, their brilliance, etc just, “I’m ready to be a fool for God’s sake.” Like I told you last month, I am a fool, that’s why he chose me. Let me tell you the truth: the worst person that God could say he is choosing to be a pastor is a mathematician because mathematics and Christianity, they run in parallel lines. Mathematics will say, if you prove it, I will believe it. Church Gist. Christianity will say, if you believe it, I will prove it – exact opposites! But then, God can cross the line and grab a fool and turn him to a vessel unto honour.
The reason why many of you are still just members of the congregation, you come in, sit down, hear the sermon, go, as customers is because you don’t want one little pastor to begin to control you and say, you’re a worker. Church Gist. That’s why there are many people in the Churches and there are very few workers. But I believe some people will hear the Word of God tonight and decide to become fools for Christ.
I came as a customer, I end up a partner – that will be your testimony too. Like we have been told at the very beginning, fire is involved in preparing whoever will be his partner. Before he began to talk to Moses, there was fire. Fire on the mountain. Before people really knew who Elijah was, on Mount Carmel, fire fell. In Isaiah 6:1-8, before he could say, who will I send, who will go for me? Church Gist. He had needed to use fire to touch the mouth of Isaiah. If you look at the book of Isaiah you will find out, Isaiah thought he was already a big prophet. He had been prophesying from Isaiah chapters 1 to 5 – big prophecies. But after the fire touched his lips, then you see how many more chapters that he wrote. He became such a powerful prophet that he could stand up and say, “the Lord himself will give you a sign…” Isaiah 7:14. If an ordinary prophet said that, they will stone him to death. But after the fire touched his lips, they knew that whatever he says will come to pass.
– I’m not claiming to be Isaiah o, but in the name that is above every other name, in the name of the one who has touched my lips with fire, I decree that it will be well with you!
Then you will notice, the relationship between God and Peter. God had promised Peter, you will be fisher of men. Church Gist. For almost three and half years, he didn’t catch a single man but when the fire fell, things changed.Â
– things are about to change for you! The fire is going to fall on you tonight and once the fire falls, nobody will be able to stop you.
But before the fire can fall on you, because the fire of God is a consuming fire, what fire does as I’ve told you before, when fire comes in contact with anything, it changes that thing to itself. Church Gist. Whatever refuses to be changed to fire, becomes ashes. When the fire of God falls on you tonight, everything that is divine will begin to flow through you! But whatever is not of God is going to become ashes.
That’s why you cannot become a partner of God unless you are thoroughly born again.
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