I HAD AN ENCOUNTER ON 29TH JUNE, 1982, GOD WAS SPEAKING TO ME IN VERY CLEAR TERMS AND WE SAW THE OUTCOME OF IT.
‘I’M LAUNCHING YOU INTO THE APOSTOLIC PHASE OF YOUR MINISTRY AS A PACE SETTER’!
‘I WILL OPEN UP NATIONS TO YOU TODAY’!
IN THE PAST, ANOINTED MINISTERS AND PEOPLE PRAY OVER THE DEAD AND GOD WILL BE RAISING THEM BUT NOW WE HAVE MEMBERS RAISING THE DEAD.
SIGNS AND WONDERS ARE A MAJOR FEATURE OF THE ENDTIME AGENDA.
THERE SHALL BE AN OUTBREAK OF SIGNS AND WONDERS BEFORE JESUS RETURNS.
SIGNS AND WONDERS ARE VERY SHARP SICKLES OF DRAFTING PEOPLE INTO THE KINGDOM. MANY WILL NOT BELIEVE UNTIL THEY SEE SIGNS.
OUR GOD IS A WONDER WORKING GOD AND WE ARE HIS WONDER WORKING SONS AND DAUGHTERS BECAUSE LIKE BEGETS LIKE.
EMPOWERMENT IN THE KINGDOM IS NOT FOR SHOW, IT IS PRIMARILY FOR SERVICE.
ALL WE NEED IS TO DEVELOP SPIRITUAL CAPACITY BECAUSE YOU DON’T ENTRUST AUTHORITY INTO THE HANDS OF CHILDREN
MIRACLES ARE NOT ACCIDENTAL!
MIRACLES ARE THE DELIBERATE ACTS OF GOD IN RESPONSE TO THE FAITH OF MEN.
MIRACLES ARE A PRODUCT OF PUTTING THE WORD TO WORK.
WE DON’T WAIT FOR MIRACLES, WE PROVOKE THEM BY SIMPLY PUTTING GOD’S WORD TO WORK IN THE AREA OF CONCERN.
ONLY THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN MIRACLES EVER EXPERIENCE THEM.
THE TESTIMONY OF COPELAND LED ME INTO SUPERNATURAL PROSPERITY.
I SAW FAITH AT WORK IN HAGIN, JESUS PASSED THE BATON OVER TO ME. HE IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER.
STOP WAITING FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN. MAKE THEM HAPPEN. STOP WISHING THAT THEY HAPPEN, WORK AT THEM.
-Bishop David Oyedepo at Easter Youth Alive Conference 2023 tagged ‘A CHOSEN GENERATION, Day 3 Morning Session || 8th April 2023.
As we behold Him as in a glass, we are changed 2 Corinthians 3:18. Church Gist. So every time spent in the Word promises a change of story and every encounter with the Word opens a new chapter!
-May God again open another chapter to everyone’s life in this session!
You have had two powerful sessions and in this third one, Jesus will reach out to you! We are in the days of the fulfillment of all Biblical Prophecies spoken since the world began Acts 3:20-21. So every Prophetic Word concerning the Endtime shall find absolute fulfillment before Jesus returns- That’s God’s agenda. Church Gist. Among these Prophetic lifelines is an outbreak of signs and wonders before Jesus returns Joel 2:1-3, Hebrew 12:22-24. A raw display of the Supernatural! Living in a garden in the midst of the desert! Signs and wonders are a major feature of the Endtime agenda Joel 2:28-32.
I had this encounter on 29th June, 1982, God was speaking to me in very clear terms and we saw the outcome of it- He said, ‘It’s time for a change, prepare yourself for the imminent change of phase that I have talked to you over the years! It’s the time and era of signs and wonders! It’s a new dimension of the higher order. Church Gist. Begin to declare total war against the kingdom of darkness, proclaim liberty (Power) and step into the realms of anointing! Usher in this era with me, it’s time for the restitution, replacement and restoration of all things which the mouth of the Lord has spoken! It’s time to administer the forces of the Spirit that will enable the Saints to take up their inheritance in Christ. Church Gist. I’m launching you into the Apostolic phase of your Ministry as a pacesetter (Doing things that are never seen or heard)! Therefore walk before Me and be thou perfect and I will perform every Word of mine in your direction, I will open up nations to you today’! Raw Word!
In those days some of you used to have these anointed Ministers and people praying over the dead and God will be raising them but now we have members raising the dead, husbands raising their wives and wives raising their husbands! Church Gist. You have somebody going to work and sees people crying over the dead and he stops by and anoints the person while going to work and the child is raised back to life as he returns to his work- Those were not common things, it’s the era of signs and wonders.
Somebody stood on the platform there and died, He said, ‘Honey! You can’t go’! After confirming him dead for two days, he came back to life! They were on that platform- The wife brought the husband back. It’s an era! But there is nothing peculiar about this because the Supernatural is ordained to be the natural state of every child of God. Church Gist. Everyone born of the Spirit is born into the Supernatural realm of life, you can’t deny the things going on in their lives; they are real and touchable John 3:8. Confirming Isaiah’s Prophecy, I and the children God has given me are for signs and wonders… Isaiah 8:18. There were no children of God in the Old Testament but Jesus came to raise some unto glory, so it was a Prophetic Word!- That every soul born into the Kingdom is born as a sign and a wonder to their world.
You are not redeemed to go through what the world goes through, you are redeemed to be a wonder to your world. Church Gist. So you find a fire outbreak, an inferno and buildings razed down, vehicles burnt and somebody’s vehicle was in the midst of the fire, the tire wasn’t burnt. Nothing! There was no smell of fire on it.
You are not redeemed to go through what the world goes through. You are redeemed to be a wonder to your world. So you find a fire outbreak, an inferno and buildings razed down, vehicles burnt and somebody’s vehicle was in the midst of the fire, the tire wasn’t burnt. Nothing! Church Gist. There was no smell of fire on it. In the midst of fire, a car was exempted, how much more a man? So we are redeemed to operate in the supernatural.
It was exclaimed about Paul and Barnabas, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men.” The days of gods in the likeness of men are back again. Not 1,2,34,5, mass movement. Mass movement. What manner of men are these? What manner of women are these? Acts 14:11. Psalm 82:5-7. Is there anything strange there? No! Male and female he created them! He made them in his own likeness. Church Gist. We have that divine deposit in us that is crying out for expression if you only know how to stir it and the scriptures cannot be broken. The days of infallible proof of His power are still on the earth today. Proofs that you cannot deny. So that a great miracle has been done by the hand of one of us, we cannot deny it. We cannot. Infallible proof! Tangible proof! The whole creation is waiting for these sons and daughters to manifest themselves. Every issue seems to lack a human solution. So they are waiting for the sons and daughters of God to stop in and manifest the sons and daughters of whom they are.
We are also aware that the last days are the days of multitudes flocking into the kingdom and signs and wonders shall play a major role in seeing this happen. Micah 4:1-2. An influx of souls. Acts 19:11. Signs and wonders, multitudes of men added to the Church, just a straight line equation. Peter met with Aeneas “Jesus Christ makes thee whole and he got up”. Acts 9:32-36. Church Gist. Two towns turned to the Lord as a result. Signs and wonders are very sharp sickles of drafting people into the kingdom. Many will not believe until they see signs. That is God’s agenda.
So our God is a wonder working God and we are His wonder working sons and daughters because like begets like. All we need is to develop spiritual capacity because you don’t entrust authority into the hands of children. Galatians 4:1. He has to grow out of childhood into sonship to be entrusted with authority. You won’t give your toddler son a car to ride. You may have 10 cars, that’s okay. He is your only son, that is correct. Will you hand over to him a car key and tell him “Come and pick me up in some place at 4pm” 3 years old. Congratulations. It is time to grow up, it is not about age, it is about depth. Signs and wonders are entrusted into the hands of sons, not babies. Church Gist. 1 Corinthians 13:11. 2 Timothy 2:22. Luke 9:35. That is authority. The reason why things are not working in the hands of many is that they cannot be trusted with authority, it will be abused. Today, Christ still empowers everyone on the go for Him to command signs and wonders. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He called His disciples and gave them the power to heal all manner of sickness and disease. Matthew 10:1, 8. Empowerment in the kingdom is not for show, it is primarily for service. Acts 1:8.
Everyone is called to be on the go. Those who accept such responsibility keep growing from glory to glory through empowerment from level to level. John 15:16. By doing so, you gain command. Church Gist. So He called His disciples and gave them power over all devils and to cure every disease. They went and preached everywhere and healed everywhere. Luke 9:1-2, 6.
What are signs and wonders? Let’s try to define it. First, a sign can be defined as an act that cannot be explained by a natural law yet cannot be denied. Isaiah 7:14. Cannot be explained but cannot be denied. Jesus our Emmanuel came through Mary a virgin. This book never lies. It is the eternal truth that will always stand the test of time. what are signs? Signs are the strange acts and the strange works of God among men. Isaiah 28:21-22. Neither be ye mockers, lest your situation goes worse. Celebrate God as you see it, so you have your turn. The strange works and the strange acts of God. “This time tomorrow, there shall be surplus food on the streets of Samaria” Church Gist. How? Someone tried to sensor and appraise that with his intellectual brain.“Even if God..” what? You don’t know the strange works and the strange acts of God and by the following day, in 24 hours only. Things landed from unthinkable sources, a surplus of food, prices crashed and this big mouth man was trampled under feet and he died. We serve a God of strange works and strange acts.
For example, the parting of the Red Sea for the children of Israel to pass. Strange works and strange acts. Quenching the furnace of fire for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Strange works, strange acts. Stopping the mouth of lions so they could not eat Daniel. Church Gist. Strange works, strange acts. The lions ate up all the ones they threw in who connived to get Daniel into the den. Turning water into wine! No chemistry can explain that. Strange work and strange acts.
What are miracles?
Miracles are not accidental, they don’t just happen. No! They are the deliberate acts of God in response to the faith of men. That woman said, ‘If I may touch the hem of His garment, I will be made whole’! Luke 8:40-48. Jesus saw the desperate faith of those folks bringing in the paralytic man and He said, ‘Take up thy bed and walk’! And religious people were very upset Mark 2:5-9. Church Gist. Miracles are deliberate acts, they are not happenstance! A miracle is God at work in the affairs of men! And God wrought special miracles through Paul, that his handkerchief was taken from him to those that were sick Acts 19:11-12. Strange acts of God.
Again, miracles are a product of putting the Word to work and believing in it which commits God to confirm it. ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash’, and the man who was born blind came back with his eyes restored John 9:1-8. This shows that we don’t wait for miracles, we simply put God’s Word to work in the area of concern to provoke the miracles because one can wait till eternity and it won’t work! Church Gist. In John 2:5-11, ‘Fill the water pot with water- You lack wine? This is what to do! It may not make much natural or intellectual sense but this is what to do (Fill the water pots with water). When they did, they had sweeter and better wine than the ones they bought with their money.
-Your days of struggles are over!
Interestingly, only those who believe in miracles ever experience them Mark 6:5-6.
Now, how do we operate in the realm of the Supernatural?
Redemption is our access to the realm of the Supernatural but how do we function there?
1. Engage the power of the Word.
Now let’s look at an illustration here in Exodus 4:17, The Word is the Staff (Rod) of authority for commanding signs. Let’s now find out, who is this Rod? Isaiah 11:1-2, Revelation 5:6, Jesus is the carrier of the seven Spirits of God and the Bible calls Him the Word. Church Gist. And who is Jesus? He’s the Living Word of God John 1:1. So we take the Word to work the signs. It is by the Word that we command signs. Signs and wonders are raw confirmations of the Word in the lives of those who receive and believe them. John 1:12. No guesswork. So they went forth preaching the Word and God confirming it with signs and wonders following. That is why the more insight we gain in the word of God, the higher our level of command of the supernatural. The more insight we gain in the Word of God, the higher our level of command of the supernatural. Paul, a man of depth, was a man of unusual grace in commanding signs and wonders. You read 2 Corinthians 6:5 downwards, 2 Corinthians 11, you see this man. He was a spirit being. He was a personality of the Spirit. He went through what no natural human being can go through. Church Gist. He went through triumphantly. He was cast into the sea overnight, he got up in the morning and went to His next assignment. He was stoned and dragged out of town for dead, they gathered round him helplessly and he rose and said “Well! Let’s go somewhere else”. This man will toy with death. He said “What to choose I don’t know, whether to go or to remain. But for your sake I will remain.” Philippians 1:23-25. He was a man operating with an abundance of revelation. 2 Corinthians 12:7. It is so important that we understand this.
The bold declaration of faith we make determines the dimension of the supernatural we command. They abode there speaking boldly in the Lord. Acts 14:3. How is this working? From the scriptures, we understand that the Word of God is the carrier of the power of God. Romans 1:16. Christ was teaching and the power of God was coming forth from the word to heal them. Luke 5:17. Power in the Word casts out evil spirits. Jesus was casting out evil spirits with His Word. Matthew 8:16. Power in the Word calms the storms of life. “Peace be still” and at that Word, there was a great calm (Matthew 8:24-26). The Word delivers with speed, His Word runs swiftly. Church Gist. In six days, the Word created the entire world that we see today. Jeremiah 1:12. So the brighter you see, the greater the speed you command in experiencing the supernatural. Power in the Word triggers testimonies. Psalm 29:3. A celebration of the voice of God. That was God speaking to man. The Word is always a testimony bearing platform. It triggers testimonies.
While the Holy Ghost is the Master relevator. He reveals the truth to us to the level of our love for God. You can study till forever, you cannot access and depth of revelation beyond the level of the depth of your love for God. John 15:15. You get in love with God and then you have access to all things. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. Church Gist. So it is not about sitting down forever and cracking one’s brain. It is about a heart for God which grants us access to the mind of God.
So signs and wonders are not accidents. They are products of our obedience of faith to the world revealed. It is the world that we put to work that God confirms into signs and wonders. Prove me now and I will open you the windows of heaven. Don’t watch me, prove me now. Put that Word to work and see how I perform my Word. Until we are ready to obey divine instructions, we are not ready to command the supernatural. Until I am ready to obey divine instructions as contained in the scriptures, I am not ready to experience or command the supernatural. Church Gist. So praying from now till tomorrow won’t make a difference. Namaan first reacted, “This man doesn’t know that I am the Chief of Staff of the Army of Syria. That I should go and dip myself in Jordan where everybody is passing. Nonsense! I have swimming pools in my house in Syria”. Well done! A little maid said “Oga Sir, the prophet doesn’t have time for you. You are the one that has leprosy. Go to the place” and he went and dipped himself and came back clean. Until you are ready to obey divine instructions as contained in the scriptures, you are not ready to experience or command the supernatural.
2. Engage the power of faith.
What kinds of faith puts believers in command of the supernatural?
– God confident faith.
We talk about faith and people just talk about believing something. What is something? 2 Chronicles 20:20. Church Gist. Believe in the Lord your God, you shall be established, believe also His prophets and so shall you prosper. Have faith in God. God confident faith. Philippians 3:3. Philippians 4:13.
Dorcas died and they invited Peter and he put them all out, “Tabitha cumi” he did like the Master and she opened her eyes. Church Gist. Peter lifted her up, delivered her alive and walked away. God confident faith.
– Word confident faith.
Romans 4:16-19. Word confident faith after the order of Abraham. Acts 27:25. In the midst of the storm, Paul said “Be of good cheer, an angel spoke to me that there will be no loss and I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me”.
– Authority conscious faith
People kept challenging Christ, “By whose authority are you doing all these?” authority is not achieved, it is conferred. So Peter saw the man at The Beautiful Gate and said “Silver and gold, I have not but such as I have I give unto thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk”. Church Gist. Authority conscious faith. He gave us His name as a seal of our authority in gaining command of the issues of life. Authority conscious faith. You are not in doubt as to your right over such situations so you exercise authority over them.
– Testimony quickening faith.
The testimonies of the Lord are prophetic. So every testimony in the book has the capacity to reproduce itself. The testimonies of the Lord are the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). So they are prophetic in nature. You can connect with them to replicate them. So we saw the testimony of the woman with the issue of blood in Matthew 9:21-23. By Chapter 14, everyone was clamouring to touch the hem of his garment quickened by the testimony of that woman. Psalm 119:111, 144. David engaged the testimony of how God delivered the lion and bear to his hand and transmitted that to Goliath and brought Him down. Church Gist. Testimony quickening faith. By the testimony of Wigglesworth, I gained authority over principalities and powers. Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 1:20-21. It gave me my place over all devils. Consciousness! The testimony of Copeland led me into supernatural prosperity. I saw faith at work in Hagin, Jesus passed the baton over to me. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
– God-glorifying faith
He doesn’t share His glory with any man. Whatever you will take glory in, He won’t let it reach your hand. It will kill you. God glorifying faith. Romans 4:20. Isaiah 42:8. God won’t give His glory to no other. Even when things are not working, Habakkuk 3:17-19. God I know you can’t lie. Church Gist. It may not look like it but you can’t lie. Let God be true and all men be liars. I will celebrate you God, I am celebrating you right now. God glorifying faith. They launch men and women into realms of the supernatural without sweat.
If the Word is the rod that puts us in command of signs and wonders, then settle down for the Word. Settle down! Go look for it, settle with it. We have loads of them in this place, among them is ‘Releasing the Supernatural’, my first book on the supernatural. ‘Walking in the Miraculous’ they will just enhance your thirst for that natural realm which is supernatural in your life. ‘The Release of Power’ avenues for tapping into the power that works signs and wonders. Signs and Wonders, a compendium of classified testimonies under topical issues. Whatever you are looking for, check what God has done in the lives of others and if you are interested check how they moved the hand of God to do that in their lives. Church Gist. We had this fresh when the Prophetic Release came, we tagged it Wonders of the Age. These are raw humbling testimonies, most of them unbelievable but undeniable. Do you want to gain command of the supernatural? Then get hold of the Word that will put that in your hand and go and put it to work.
Lift your two hands to God and give Him glory. If you encountered any light in this session give Him glory for it.
Any student that stops his studies in the lecture room, at best he will end up an average student. In most cases, they end up as failures. You are giving tips to go and develop to make good marks in your exams. If all you know is the lecture, at best average. When you step out to do extra lectures. When you step out to do extra work, you move from average to above average to good, from good to very good, from very good to excellent. The ball is in your court. Stop waiting for things to happen. Make them happen. Stop wishing that they happen, work at them. Everybody can operate in the supernatural by developing spiritual capacity and qualifying to be trusted with the rod in changing dimensions. As you see God work, return the glory to Him. You share the glory, you have the last one. That covers all areas of life including your studies, your business, your family, your workplace. Many will never believe when I shared my testimony in those days but now it has become common under our umbrella. In those days people get so angry when I say I never fought, I can never use a wrong word on my wife. It can’t be true. People were preaching hard against it behind me. Some fellows said they don’t fight, there is no way. One must be a dummy. There is no way two people can live together without fighting. I got hold of a rod and I gained command. You get hold of the rod and you gain command. Church Gist. Every time Moses pointed the rod, signs and wonders followed by the rod. Signs and wonders by the Word. No other way. You find us on the crusade ground saying “Jesus is going to do it for you today. He did it for the Widow of Zarephath, He is going to do your own today”. It is the rod. We are putting in the rod, so we can gain command. Now I am going to pray, every blind eye be opened. He confirms the Word. Without the rod, you have no command.
Lift your two hands and ask God for grace to lay hold on the word concerning every issue in your life, so as to gain command. Ask the Lord.
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