I BRING YOU GREETINGS FROM THE ‘UNITED KINGDOM’ OF OKPO (KOGI STATE).
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYBODY IS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE VOICE OF GOD
YOU CAN BE GREATLY TALENTED AND YET GREATLY STRANDED IN LIFE BECAUSE OF LACK OF DIRECTION
SAGGING OF TROUSERS WHICH IS CONSIDERED ‘FASHIONABLE’ TODAY ORIGINATED FROM AN AMERICAN PRISON
EVEN WHEN IT WAS FASHIONABLE TO TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD, I HAD A VISA WITH ENTRY TO OVER 20 COUNTRIES THAT I LEFT TO EXPIRE WITHOUT UTILIZING IT
FOR OVER 20 YEARS, I’VE NOT STAYED OUT OF CHURCH ON A SUNDAY FOR UP TO FIVE TIMES
MY EXPERIENCE WHEN I WENT TO PREACH SOMEWHERE WITHOUT GOD’S AUTHORIZATION
DIVINE DIRECTION AVERTS THE TRAGEDY OF A WASTED LIFE BECAUSE DIVINE DIRECTION POWERS DESTINY
MANY PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED IN LIFE TODAY BECAUSE THEY LIVE ON ASSUMPTION
THE CHALLENGE WE FACED IN ONE OF THE MOST EXPLOSIVE CRUSADES WE HAVE EVER HELD
THE VOICE OF THE LORD BRINGS AN INJECTION OF AUTHORITY AND SUPERNATURAL POWER
IF YOU’RE SUFFERING FROM POWERLESSNESS AND WEAKNESS, THERE’S SOMETHING GOD IS SAYING THAT YOU HAVE NOT HEARD
- Pastor Dr. Paul Enenche on ” NECESSITY OF DIVINE DIRECTION” || August 2024 Impartation Service || Dunamis International Gospel Centre || The Glory Dome, Abuja.
I welcome everyone here today in the precious name of Jesus. I bring you greetings from the ‘United Kingdom’ of Okpo (Kogi State). Hallelujah. Church Gist. I will talk about it shortly and also show you clips, interesting clips from the crusade.
This morning, I welcome you as we press forward on our subject, we’ve looked at the necessity of vision, today will be “THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE DIRECTION”. Our objective is to understand why divine direction (the voice of God) is necessary in our lives’ journey. Church Gist. I’m sure that there’s no confusion between vision for life and divine direction. When you talk about vision, you’re talking about the overall purpose for life, what you’re doing with your life. When you’re talking about divine direction, you’re talking about step by step guidance, day-to-day guidance. Church Gist. Guidance as to, “who is my friend? Am I to take this journey?” and so on.
By way of introduction, it’s important to know that one of the greatest assets of man on earth is the voice or the direction of God. Church Gist. One of the best things that can happen to anybody is to have access to the voice or the direction of God. It made all the difference in the lives of people, the saints in Scripture. And I’m going to give three examples. Church Gist. It is possible to have great potentials and yet be greatly stranded in life because of lack of direction. Our first example this morning will be;
- Abraham.
Abraham would have remained in obscurity for life if not for the voice of direction. He would have remained, lived and died in obscurity. Genesis 12:1. Church Gist. That one voice, that one direction made the difference in Abraham’s life from existence in the lifetime of obscurity to becoming a generational celebrity at the frequency of the voice of God’s direction. Church Gist. You wouldn’t have known that anybody existed like Abraham, you wouldn’t have heard that there was an Abraham except that the voice of God came to him. - Isaac.
Isaac would have followed others to go into Egypt and experienced life outside the will of God if not for the voice of God. Church Gist. Isaac would have followed others, just like many have followed others and would have followed others outside the will of God if not for the voice of God. Genesis 26:1-3. Church Gist. Isaac would have neatly gone and dwelt outside of God’s will had he not encountered the voice of God.
Generally, human beings are victims of what is called the bandwagon effect. You see people running and somebody just starts running without knowing why they’re running. Church Gist. You see people dressing some kind, you know the sagging trouser that young men used to wear that is sagging at the back. How many of you know what I’m talking about? Just sagging and their boxer is showing, it was a thing of prisoners. There was a particular prison in America, I don’t know if it was Georgia or something where they don’t allow the prisons to wear belt because of using it to hang themselves, so they collect their belts. Church Gist. So, when they’re released from the prison, they originally don’t have any belt, so their trousers are sagging until they reach home where they wear their belts. People saw it and thought it was a fashion and then they followed the bandwagon effect. That’s how life is.
There are people who have gone into businesses they have no business with because somebody said that’s the business they’re succeeding now. Church Gist. There’s Canada residency permit that is reigning now, UK certificate of sponsorship, all manner and then people are running in a bandwagon. That was how Isaac would have run to Egypt but God said, “not for you”.
I was a very fireful student in the university, fire was intense. Anytime you caught me, my mouth was moving in tongues. Church Gist. That time, it was very fashionable for people to run out of the university and say God has called them. I know a man, medical student, 500 level, one more year to graduate, ‘God has called him’. This guy was a hot brain, distinction in anatomy, 500 level, he jumped out. Today, I don’t know where he is. Church Gist. A year later after we graduated, in the same town where we are, he was riding bicycle and one of my senior sisters said she was afraid for me when see saw him.. I said, “no,no. You don’t know who you’re dealing with. Don’t be afraid for me, it’s impossible to step out one day before graduation”. I knew what I was after in life, the Alpha will omega it, He won’t make me start it and not finish it. Church Gist. Do you understand what I’m talking about? Isaac would have followed others. That is, we are talking about why it is necessary to be connected to the voice of God and to hear from God so that you don’t die in obscurity, like Abraham and you don’t follow the bandwagon, even if it is your closest friend taking a step and you can be sure that this step is not for me. Church Gist. Even if it’s your closest relation, whoever they are, “this step is not for me”. God said to Isaac, “calm down. Every other person can be jumping up and down the way they’re doing but this is not for you”.
Early in ministry, it was fashionable for people to count the number of places they have gone to preach. Church Gist. There are those who will be away from Church for two weeks, three weeks, “I preached in Canada, I preached in Jamaica. I preached in this and that”. It was a fashionable thing to count the number of places. But I have visa to 20-something countries at a point and I held it till the visa expired because I knew that I was going to go anywhere. Church Gist. I mean, God made it impossible for me to stay out of Church on a Sunday until the Church.. and even now, I can count maybe five times in 20-something years that I have been out of Church on a Sunday. Am I communicating at all? And all those kind of operation, the end of it became a challenge. There are those who went everywhere and came home and there is nothing to preach to at home. Hallelujah. Church Gist. So, you don’t follow people to do things. The voice of God, the direction of God, that saved Isaac from following to do things like everybody did.
- Paul the Apostle.
Paul the Apostle would have wasted energy and time in the wrong direction except for the direction of God. Acts 16:6-7. Church Gist. This is one of the strangest things you’ll ever see. How can somebody want to preach and the Holy Ghost said ‘don’t preach!’. Acts 16:6. That is, you have the right thing to do and say but this is not the right place and time. For me and most of us in our generation, everywhere is where to preach, everytime is where to preach. He (Paul the Apostle) was forbidden. Church Gist. That is, preach here, you waste time and energy. Preach here, you may suffer untold calamity. “Preach here, you may get zero response, nobody will hear you and nobody will answer altar call. Just pack your things and be going to another place”.
- Look at your neighbour and say, ‘just come and be going’. (Laughs).
This is what the voice of God delivers us from. There are people who ran for 15 years in the wrong direction only to know that they have been wasting time in the wrong direction. Church Gist. There are people who ran for 30 years in the wrong direction. One man pastored a Church for 21 years and then went to God in prayer and God said to him, “you know I didn’t call you to be a Pastor”. 21 years. “Lord, what do I do now?” He said, “you know that guy?” He pointed to somebody in the congregation, a committed person in the congregation, “see that person? Hand it over to him”. 21 (years).
- You will not waste your life!
- lift your right hand and say, “Father, I receive your help, I receive your grace for the right direction, for the voice of God, I receive it now in Jesus’ name”.
Having looked at those three examples, let’s go point by point to why the voice of God is necessary. What is the necessity of divine direction and the voice of God?
- Divine direction averts the tragedy of a wasted life because divine direction powers destiny. That is, your life will not be left to waste if you hear from God. Church Gist. That was what happened to Abraham like we just saw in Genesis 12:1-5. Abraham’s life would have been left to waste, would have been rotting, would have been sinking in wastage if not that he heard the voice of God. It averts the tragedy of a wasted life.
- Divine direction averts the frustration of assumption in life and destiny. Again, this was what we saw in the life of Isaac in Genesis 26:1-4. Church Gist. I heard from God’s handmaiden Mama Oyedepo on how they encountered a man who had been used of God very greatly and mightily and the man said, “I took one wrong step and that wrong step became the end of my ministry”. It averts the frustration of assumption. That is, assuming that God is in it and God is not there. Church Gist. Assuming that everybody is doing it and you can do it and God said, “no, it’s not for you” and that makes it clear that assumption brings frustration.
There are so many people in diverse assumptions in life, they have assumed many things and they’re wondering why they’re so frustrated. Church Gist. It averts the frustration of assumption.
- Divine direction prevents the tragedy of misdirected effort, ability and resources. Where your effort, ability and resources are misdirected. Church Gist. By divine direction, you’re not permitted to waste the energy of your life in the wrong direction. We heard it earlier on in Acts 16:6-7.
May I tell you a story? One day, I went to preach somewhere, it’s a place that, the kind of people that have gone ahead almost like around the ministry age and set of our father in the Lord, Bishop Oyedepo, that kind of person. Church Gist. And they invited me and I went with all eagerness. When I arrived, first thing that confronted me, I saw the billboard, the poster, the kind of combination of guests I saw on the billboard alarmed me immediately but I calmed down, “I’m here, I’m coming to preach”. Stepped into the preaching, gave me microphone, invited me and before I can say ‘praise the Lord’, the whole climate was like as closed as any closeness would be, that’s closed Heaven. You know how you pour water on metal, would the metal soak it? Everything was dead. I do, do, do, for where? I said, “Lord, what is happening?” You know what He told me? “Who sent you here?” Wow. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard such from God, “who sent you here? What are you doing here?” What? I said, “I’m sorry Lord. I beg, help me, I won’t come again”. Church Gist. I tried to lead worship and do this and that, the atmosphere broke. I ministered under mercy, it was so intense. I finished, you know how a puppy runs with a tail in-between. So I went to the hotel, knelt down, “Lord, thank you for your help. I am sorry”. The had a morning session, I struggled, still did the morning session and then, when I left, I was so relieved. “Thank you Lord for your help”. They said, “when are you cominga again?” I said, “I’m not sure”. Next year, invitation came, “no please, sorry”. Don’t waste your life outside the voice of God. Church Gist. You have only one life to live, there’s no spare life. You may have spare tyre, spare battery but you don’t have a spare life.
- in the name of Jesus, I decree, you shall not waste your life!
- If God is speaking to you, say a loud Amen!
- Lift your right hand and say, “I shall not waste my life. I cannot waste my life. I will not waste my life”.
Divine direction prevents the tragedy of misdirected effort, ability and resources.
- Divine direction prevents existence in weakness and powerlessness.
When you don’t hear from God, you’re powerless. Why is that so? Psalm 29:3-4. The voice of the Lord brings an injection of authority and supernatural power. Church Gist. There’s something in the voice that makes a man audacious. You don’t exist in weakness and powerlessness.
I told you the story about two years, the post COVID time, COVID was just still around the corner and we were meant to go to Jalingo for crusade. Church Gist
It was when the crusade arrived that that crusade period coincided with the religious holiday of the other religion in the whole world, I believe. And then, terrorism was peak. Three things – COVID and open air gatherings were forbidden for that period, there was a law that people shouldn’t gather more than 50 or something and that law went and was trying to come, they said there’s a resurgence of the infection or whatever and then the terrorism was terrible. Church Gist. And then crusade clashing with the religious holiday, it looked confrontational and it wasn’t planned because we wouldn’t do that. 24 hours to the time, my wife said, “what’s happening? Are we still going for the crusade?” I said, ” I’m not sure” because especially for two things, the clash of the events and then the COVID thing. Church Gist. And I went before God, “Lord, what’s happening?” I was ready for the crusade to be cancelled. “Lord, what is going on?” And the summary of what God told me, “lift up your heads oh ye gates”. The summary was, “I’ve gone ahead of you, the gates are open, I’m waiting for you there”. When I heard that, fire jumped in my spirit, power authority, boldness. I told my wife, I said, “I’ve heard from God and we’re going for the crusade” and that was it. Church Gist. We went, I’m sure you saw the crusade. One of the most explosive crusades we ever held in this ministry and they’re eager for us to return back there.
Beloved, the voice of God, the direction of God is the impartation of power. If you’re suffering from powerlessness and weakness, there’s something God is saying that you have not heard. Church Gist. There’s something you need to hear from God and like we say it, to turn your vegetable heart into a lionheart. I will speak more of that in the second service. What was that turned Moses into a power broker? Moses who was running away from Pharaoh ran back to Pharaoh because he encountered God at the burning bush. Church Gist. He had a stick that became an instrument of power after hearing the voice of God and he went back and sank Pharaoh and sank the military might of Egypt by virtue of encountering God.
- I speak to someone here today, I see fresh fire and fresh power coming your way! You believe it, shout the loudest Amen!
- Divine direction delivers from the place of restlessness and anxiety. Divine direction, the voice of God brings peace, rest – rest to the troubled and anxious soul. Church Gist. The voice of God restores assurance and confidence. Psalm 85:8. When God speaks, He speaks peace.
During the Ebola crisis that ravaged Liberia many years ago, our Pastor then, the Pastor currently, the North-West regional Pastor, Kaduna Central, that’s Pastor Paul Odu. Church Gist. He was there, he called me, this thing, people were dying like flies and I said to him by the Word of the Lord, “not one hair will drop from any member of the Church”. He went to the Church and announced it, “God said to us through our Senior Pastor, not one hair will drop from the members”. Church Gist. Wow, not one hair dropped. In fact, people began to run to the Church for rescue. Some who were almost gone. I think there was almost a situation of somebody coming back actually. I’ll give us more details later. It kills anxiety and restlessness, it’s an injection of peace, it delivers you from a life and a heart of crisis.
- today, you will not miss that voice and that direction!
- I see peace coming for somebody! I see deliverance from crisis for somebody!
- If you’re that person, you’ll shout a louder Amen!
Having said all of that, who does God speak to? Who does God give direction? Church Gist. There are many people who are strangers to the voice of God and divine direction. Who does God speak to? Who does God give direction to?
- People who understand their helplessness without the voice or the direction of God. Anyone who is sufficient in himself will never hear God. Church Gist. Anyone who is confident in his own wisdom is disconnected from divine direction. In 1 Samuel 30:6-8, we saw how helpless David was. I’ll come to that point of helplessness.
When I knew that God was calling me into ministry, I helplessly begged God not to allow me go into ministry with the wrong wife. Church Gist. Do you understand what I’m saying? Everytime I remembered to pray for my future, I remembered to pray to remind God that I don’t want to step into this assignment… You know, there was a man who married, a Medical Doctor and he went into ministry and when he went into ministry, his wife refused. She said “it’s doctor I married, not pastor”. Marriage ended in crisis, man died before his time. Church Gist. There’s another one, two professionals, I think Pharmacist, Pharmacist, after marriage, this woman will sit in the congregation and say, “I’m not Pastor’s wife”. Are you following what I’m saying? Church Gist. So, there are many people whose destinies got aborted because of wrong alliances, whether it’s marital or relationship. That is the level of helplessness you need to possess in order not to miss it. “Lord, even in ministerial assignment, I don’t want to do ‘tininini, tanana, I pass here? No way’ “. Church Gist. Went to Lagos started, it’s not working, went to another place, started, it’s not working. I’m talking of somebody I know, we grew together. Hallelujah. So, that helplessness must be possessed and God must be aware that this man.. Now, look at us going to Toronto Canada and then, from there to Baltimore, Houston Texas and then from there to the rural village and I’ll talk more about it later. There are women, it’s only Paris they can follow you to. You go to Abejukolo, you’re on your own, “me to follow you there?” I don’t know about you, Dr. Mrs Enenche may tell you but it looks like I enjoy the rural place more even those other (places). Church Gist. This meeting that we did in Okpo, Kogi State was meant to be London, it’s London date. When the London venue couldn’t hold, we gave it to village. From one UK to another UK, from United Kingdom to United Kogi. Hey!!!
- Give the Lord the praise somebody.
Helplessness. “Lord, if you leave me to myself, I am wasted, I am gone. I’m helpless”. Now, that translates to number 2.
- People who are desperate for the voice and direction of God. When you’re helpless, then it makes you desperate. Desperation means pressing for directions from God. Hosea 6:3. Church Gist. It’s not something you’re doing passively, you’re pressing.
- People who ask God specific questions. It’s called enquiry. People who enquire of God which way to go. You don’t leave it for assumption, you enquire. Jeremiah 6:16. Church Gist. So, you’re enquiring, “Lord, am I on the right track? Am I in the right business? Am I meant to undertake this business? Am I meant to do this and that? Lord, what are you saying?”
Listen, beloved brothers and sisters, I will come to that when we talk about specific direction, it is easy to know the will of God when you have to come to a point where you have no choice in the matter. Church Gist. Most people are asking God to direct them when they already know what they want to do. They already know who they want to marry, they already know what they want to do, they just want God to stamp it. You’ll never hear anything except you will hear your heart. “My son, I can let you know that that girl is your wife”. You’re probably hearing yourself because you have thought about that girl or that man, whatever be the case. Church Gist. Many people have what they want already and they want God to stamp it. But Kathryn Kuhlman said, “it is easy to know the will of God when you don’t have a choice in the matter”, whichever way it goes, “Lord, I’m ready but all I want is, what do you want?” Enquiry, ask Him.
- People who stand strong at the place of prayer. They enjoy communion, communication, fellowship with God. Church Gist. It’s people who stand strong at the place of prayer. People who enjoy communion, fellowship and communication with God.
- People who do what God says. People who promptly obey the instructions of God. God will never waste instruction. He won’t waste it. He won’t talk to people who won’t do what He says. It’s people who promptly obey the instructions of God. Church Gist. People who do what God says. These are the people that are the candidates for divine direction. Mark 4:24. “If you’re hearing, I’ll talk more to you”. Hearing means, hearing and acting, “I’ll talk more to you but if you’re just interested in hearing and doing nothing, I can’t talk to you”. You know what? You want to hear the spoken Word of God? Start by acting on the written Word. Church Gist. There are things written already that we must comply with. “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers”, obey it and have a demarcation between you and sinners. Church Gist. And all the other things that are written, obey them, then God knows that you’re someone given to obedience and He will begin to speak to you in ways that will amaze you.
- it is a new day!
- Is somebody blessed today? Somebody received something today?
- every spirit of deafness, I command it arrested! Every spiritual blindness is arrested!
- Grace to hear and obey is released!
- stand on your feet with the loudest shout of Amen!
—PRAYERS—
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