MOST OF THE THINGS I RUN WITH ARE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES
A PROPHETIC PERSPECTIVE OF SCRIPTURES WILL KEEP THE FAITH OF THE REDEEMED ALIVE
TAKING HEED OF PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES CAUSES THE DAY STAR IN US TO RISE
PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES PAINT THE PICTURE OF OUR FUTURE THAT KEEPS US GOING DESPISING EVERYTHING CONTRARY ON THE JOURNEY
THE LAST DAYS ARE ORDAINED THE DAYS OF SUPERNATURAL CHANGE OF STORY FOR THE BELIEVER SO, SET YOURSELF TO WALK IN THE LIGHT
IF THE END TIME CHURCH MUST REIGN, IT MUST REIGN IN POWER WITH FINANCIAL FORTUNE.
REMEMBER, THE RICH RULETH OVER THE POOR AND THE BORROWER IS SERVANT TO THE LENDER.
STUPENDOUS WEALTH IS COMING TO THE END TIME CHURCH, NOT BY GAMES OR GIMMICKS BUT BY CLEAN, CLEAR-CUT COVENANT PRACTICES.
YOU CARRY THE DNA OF A GIANT IN YOU, IT IS TIME TO GIVE IT EXPRESSION.
YOU DON’T WAIT TO EMERGE A GIANT, YOU ENLIST BY SERVING GOD’S INTERESTS
GOD ONLY REWARDS FRUITFUL STEWARDSHIP, NOT MEMBERSHIP
THERE’S NOTHING IN THE BIBLE THAT IS TO GOD’S ADVANTAGE BUT YOU
WHATEVER BECOMES OF ANY OF US THIS YEAR IS OUR CHOICE. HIS AGENDA IS SETTLED IN HEAVEN AND YOUR PORTION IS AVAILABLE IF YOU’RE INTERESTED
A CHOICE TO SERVE GOD DOES NOT ENTITLE ANYONE TO REWARDS BUT ACTUALLY ENGAGING IN SERVICE IS WHAT DOES
GOD DOES NOT REWARD EFFORTS MADE, HE REWARDS RESULTS OBTAINED
MANY ARE STRANDED BECAUSE THEY ARE LOOKING FOR WHAT TO BLAME; SEEK FOR WHAT YOU MUST DISCOVER TO MAKE THINGS WORK
– Bishop David Oyedepo on “ENGAGING WITH THE TRUTH CREATES A MOST ENVIABLE FUTURE FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL” at February 2024 Leadership Empowerment Summit || Third Word Session || Youth Chapel, Canaanland || 10th February 2024.
The Word is likened to a hidden treasure which a man hath found, he went and sold all that he has and bought it. Church Gist. Proverbs 23:23. They are treasures of the highest order, He calls it the pearl of a great price. Matthew 13:45-47. Engaging with the truth creates a most enviable future for any individual.
1. A prophetic perspective of Scriptures will keep the faith of the Redeemed alive. We understand God’s Word is the more sure Word of prophecy – 2 Peter 1:19-21, and taking heed of prophetic Scriptures causes the day star in us to rise. Behind every prophetic Scriptures is, “thus saith the Lord,” to whosoever believes. You can’t see a future in your future and still be cast down. Psalm 42:5,11; Isaiah 38:20. When you embrace the prophetic word, you keep singing because this is God speaking to you, “this is my plan, it’s addressed to you, it’s your lot, your portion.” Church Gist. Every “thus saith the Lord” when received stirs joy and rejoicing in the heart of believers. Jeremiah 15:16. A prophetic perspective of Scriptures will keep the Redeemed’s faith alive and demonstrated with joy and rejoicing. Psalm 56:4,10. God has spoken – Psalm 62:11. When you begin to engage with the prophetic perspective of Scriptures, you keep singing. Romans 4:18-20. Abraham had a prophetic grip of what God said and that kept him going. “He is Abraham the Father of many nations” they say, “eeehhhnnn, Abraham Father of many nations? Where are they?” But he is still there today.
Hebrews 12:2-3 – Jesus could see what was ahead. What prophetic Scriptures do is to point us to the future that awaits us. John 16:13. This keeps the believer going in season and out of season. We need to renew (if you ever had it) your prophetic perspective of Scriptures. Most of the things I run with are prophetic Scriptures. Church Gist. Matthew 6:33; Jeremiah 29:11; Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 1:21- boy, you’re far above all principalities and powers. Prophetic Scriptures paint the picture of our future that keeps us going despising everything contrary on the journey because God’s Word cannot fail, it will not return to him void. Isaiah 55:11. We need to pick up a prophetic perspective of Scriptures in a new way.
For instance, thus saith the Lord, it shall be well with the righteous. Isaiah 3:10; Psalm 5:12. They are all thus saith the Lord verdicts; when you receive them prophetically, you receive the prophetic dimension of those Scriptures and you commit to your part of it, you’ve committed God to confirm it in your life. Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 2:9 – so I’m making you a show piece as you engage with your love for me in truth and in deed. Church Gist. It’s time to renew our prophetic perspective of Scriptures because it is prophetic. 2 Peter 1:20. No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, everybody has equal access. When we engage in this dimension we begin to see the hand of God in very strange ways. It’s a brand new day for you! So take note of that and watch out for it.
Now, we are in the days of fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Matthew 5:18; Acts 3:20-21. Everything contained in Scriptures shall find fulfillment before Jesus returns and we are very close to the end – everything is showing that. So we are right in the center of fulfillment of prophecies. Please note: the last days is ordained the days of supernatural change of story for the believer. So you’re in your era of supernatural change of story. That simply connotes you’re in your era of light – 2 Corinthians 3:18; Isaiah 60:1. When you catch any light from Scriptures and you choose to walk in it by faith, you have committed God to confirm your change of story for the hour. Zephaniah 3:17-18. Church Gist. You want to see changes in the life of God’s people, you’re burdened for them, you want God to intervene in their affairs. Zephaniah 3:19-20. So when you engage with God’s revival agenda for the change of story of others it says, “I will undo all that afflict thee…” We are in the great days of change of stories. Isaiah 61:7. So set yourself to walk in the light – that’s the key to your change of story package. Endeavour to walk in the light of Scriptures as he reveals them to you. You have gotten quite some things this weekend at the Spiritual Week of Emphasis, how you commit to walking in them determines how much change of story you’re entitled to experience.
2. We are in the days of the rise of giants in the Body of Christ.
They have come to Mount Zion. So Zion is the House of God, the Church of Christ. Hebrews 12:22-24. Psalm 87:1-7. Giants rising in Zion. It is a divine agenda, there is no political manipulation that can stop it. There is no satanic incursion that can stop it. Obadiah 21. A takeover, a supernatural takeover as saviours begin to rise out of Mount Zion. That is where you belong. Church Gist. You carry the DNA of a giant in you, it is time to give it expression. How do you get there? Christ said, “I am in your midst as one that serves.” The greatest among you shall be the servant. He made himself of no reputation, took upon himself the form of a servant. Became obedient unto death even the death of the cross, therefore God has also highly exalted him and given him a name above all names. Church Gist. You don’t wait to emerge a giant, you enlist by serving His interests. Every servant of God in scriptures emerged a giant. Abraham, my servant. Moses, my servant. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. Peter, a servant of Christ. Every true servant of Christ ends up a giant. Stay committed to serving His interests with utmost delight and the giant in you will soon come alive. It is a matter of time.
3. We are in the days of supernatural wisdom that enthrones.
Ephesians 3:8-11. It is an eternal purpose. There is going to be an unleashing of the manifold wisdom of God in the end time to fulfill His agenda of the Church of Christ reigning on earth in the midst of her enemies. Proverbs 8:15, Psalm 110:1-3. There will be such deluge, outpouring of the manifold wisdom of God in these last days that will supernaturally enthrone the saints like we saw in the days of Joseph and in the time of Daniel. Nothing humbles the pride of the world than superior insight. Genesis 41:39-43. That arrogant king, Nebuchadnezzar bowed down And worshipped Daniel by reason of the wisdom, understanding and light by the wisdom of angels at work in him. Daniel 5:11. What makes that happen? God’s wisdom is transmitted through His word. Matthew 7:24-25. The more of His Word you keep doing, the more of His wisdom that begins to manifest in your life and my life. Church Gist. You don’t just write notes, you put the Word to work. You build divine wisdom capacity by putting the Word to work as a lifestyle. We read a lot of these end-time prophetic words but we don’t care to find out what we must do to flow in it.
Putting the Word to work gets us wiser by the day. Proverbs 9:9. We need to get to that point where doing the will of God as contained in His Word becomes a lifestyle. Then His wisdom begins to ooze forth from us. It is not common sense, it is heaven’s sense. He that walks with the wise shall be wise. When you keep walking in the light of scriptures, you keep getting wiser by the day. There is a throne for you and me, you won’t sell off. Church Gist. Job 28:7-25. You saw how Joseph escaped, God is saying divine wisdom at work in him was his covering. You saw how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego escaped. We shall humiliate death this end time.
4. The days of heaven’s jewels on the earth are here with us.
Malachi 3:17-18. Access to these heaven’s jewels is in service. Serving God with your God-given resources brings you into that realm of heaven’s jewels. Philippians 4:15-19. No one can access that realm of fortune without engaging in Kingdom promotion endeavours with his God-given resources. Heaven’s jewels are coming to the earth and what will it do? It will humble the pride of the unbeliever. Malachi 4:1-2. Church Gist. So you don’t sit down and be confessing that you are coming under heaven’s jewels. No! You engage. Haggai 2:8. Stupendous wealth is coming to the end time Church, not by games and gimmicks but by clean, clear-cut covenant practices. No games, no gimmicks, no changing papers, no running around the countries.
If you check all these prophetic agendas, it tied up to one thing. Give me my place, God is saying, and watch how you secure your place. I will turn you into a wonder to your world. Give me my place first. Church Gist. People need to be told what it takes to be a partaker of this end-time prophetic agenda in this glorious time. Remember, the rich ruleth over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender. If the end time Church must reign, it must reign in power with financial fortune.
5. The days of supernatural Church growth are here with us.
As simple as that is, it is a covenant platform for realizing all the other ones we have said. Jeremiah 30:19-21. So men of dignity will be rising. Men of timber and calibre will be showing up from the Body Of Christ. By engaging your heart in the church growth agenda of the end time, he turns nobles out of us. Church Gist. He turns governors, captains of industries, globally rated employers of labour in hundreds of thousands and millions, becoming breadwinners of nations by engaging our hearts to seek Him.
I talked to God about this morning, I just prayed that God will open everyone’s eyes to see what God is saying. Church Gist. There’s nothing in the Book that is to God’s advantage. There’s nothing in this Book to another man’s advantage but you and I. Everything in this Book, it points to you fulfilling destiny if Christ tarries and making eternity without obstruction. I said in the first brief that stop thinking you’re serving the Church, stop thinking you’re serving a leader, see yourself as serving Christ. Ephesians 6:6. Church Gist. Sir, whether you now believe it or not, the agenda will come to pass, you may not just be a partaker of it.
– But may you receive grace today to position yourself to partake of this thing.
There’s nowhere you are under the sun that God is not marking. Hebrews 6:10. No, God doesn’t forget. Revelations 22:12.
– so it’s your turn!
Sir, whatever becomes of any of us this year is our choice. Church Gist. His plan is settled, His agenda is settled in Heaven, your portion is available if you’re interested.
– Thank you Jesus.
– lift up your right hand and thank God for light and the prophetic perspective of Scripture and showing you and I the side to rake.
Now, God only rewards fruitful stewardship, not membership. Value-adding stewardship. It’s not just stewardship oh, fruitful stewardship. He’s a rewarder of them that diligently or fruitfully serve Him. Church Gist. He returned and said, “come and give account of your stewardship”. “Sir, I made 10 more”. “Now, well done good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a few things, now have thou authority over 10 cities”. He rewards fruitful stewardship, not membership. Church Gist. There were 10 members in that cell, He gave a pound to each of them, “go work with this till I come”. Seven absconded, took all their inheritance, they fled. One said, “I kept it. You’re always looking for how to reap where you did not sow”. There was no mention of “where were the 10?” Everybody is free to go. Church Gist. When 10 lepers were cleansed, He asked, “we were the nine?” This one, there’s no asking, “where are the seven?” They just chose to go, it’s a choice.
– may we choose aright this year!
A choice to serve God does not entitle anyone to rewards but actually engaging in service is what does. Church Gist. You can enter into a covenant and do nothing about it, that does not equal a reward, you can’t get a reward from that. A choice for a covenant to serve God does not guarantee reward, it is actually engaging in fruitful service that does. God does not reward our choice, He rewards our labour, which validates our choice. Church Gist. Only labourers are entitled to rewards, not leaders, not founders, not teachers. Proverbs 20:4. Luke 10:7. So, we understand from Scriptures that God does not reward membership, He rewards stewardship. 1 Corinthians 3:8. God does not reward leadership, He rewards servanthood. Luke 22:27. Church Gist. God does not honour long-term membership, He honours dedicated stewardship. John 12:24-26. Hebrews 12:1-2. Church Gist. God does not reward spiritual activities, He rewards fruitful stewardship. John 15:2. Luke 13:6-9. Hallelujah!
– it’s your turn!
Nothing guarantees reward but fruitful stewardship. God does not reward efforts made, he rewards results obtained. “I went out”, “that’s okay. What did you come back with?”; “I prayed” “Then, what happened?” Church Gist. So, we must pray to make things happen, we must go to bring souls to the Kingdom. That we are doing it does not matter, that we obtain results is what secures rewards.
– no one among us shall be spiritually barren this year!
– as you’re spiritually fruitful, you’ll be all round fruitful!
– there’s no single woman called barren who will not return fruitful this year!
– there’s no barren business or career that will not return fruitful this year!
Now, you bring forth fruits to the Kingdom, He makes your life fruitful. Church Gist. So, it’s not time to sit on our own and expecting things to happen on their own, we take steps to make them happen.
– can I have you say with me, “God does not bless efforts made, He only blessed results obtained. God does not rewards efforts made, He only rewards results obtained. So, help me Jesus to make this year a most fruitful year in my own life. I thank you for it”.
– give the Lord a big hand of praise. Thank you Jesus.
Now, for the time we have remaining, we are looking at revisiting the fundamentals of Church growth as delivered to us. Exodus 4:17. Church Gist. He gives the Word to every ministry to deliver His eternal purpose through them. You have heard this severally but you can be reminded over and again. If you check the four Gospels, you find them reporting the same thing severally. Our Church growth experience began through a dramatic encounter. Church Gist. An outcome of a 3-day prayer and fasting with only three of us – two other workmen and myself – asking for an answer to the question, “why is this Church not growing?” Many are stranded because they are looking for what to blame. Seek for what you must discover to make things work. Church Gist. “why is this Church not growing? What went wrong here?” On the third day like you heard before, while still in the prayer room with the two others, He said to me, “rise up and follow me”. Live, broad day light, afternoon about 1:30 p.m. and I stood up and rose from the prayer and followed Him. Church Gist. It was not a dream, it’s a real-life encounter with the resurrected Christ. As I walked with him towards the southern end of the Church, as we approached the end of that road, He said to me, “turn back now”, I heard Him and I did. He opened my eyes, physical eyes and I saw a layer of thick darkness spread over the roof of the Church and Jesus said to me, “that is the blindfolding weapon uses to misinterpret what I’m doing in this Church” and it’s like He stood, “now, deal with it”. Church Gist. He said that but He stood watching like “what will you do with this?” And I pointed to that roof and I said, “thou foul spirit of darkness, there’s a light that shines in darkness and darkness cannot handle” and I saw with my eyes that dark blanket rolled away like a carpet and then He began to give me instructions on what to do. He said, “when I came to the world, some had to tell another one, ‘come and see’. Now get out on the street and tell everyone, come and see what I, Jesus is doing in this Church”. Church Gist. That was where our “Come and See’ mandate took off. “Tell them, I’m in this Church, I’m doing what I’m doing here. Tell them to come and see what I’m doing in this Church”. John 1:40-42, 45-49. Church Gist. Many have brought people into this place that things turned in their own lives. Praise God. Turned both for them and for who they brought. John 1:45-49. ‘Come and see’ and then, the One you are inviting them to shows up. You’re going to see wonders!
I was reading a testimony from Abuja this morning about something that happened maybe 2 years or 3 years ago. There were these folks on drugs and a woman walked up to them, one of us, a winner and told one of them, ‘Stand up. Church Gist. Come, follow me’ and he followed and she said ‘Jesus loves you’. He started crying. A drugged man started crying…and led him to Christ right there.
– Come on, give the Lord a big hand!
So, it works! There were people brought into this Church that were completely wrecked. Church Gist. Jesus took them up and cleaned them up!
3: He said to me ‘Keep sowing the seeds and as the grass grows, the Sheep will come for it’. I said ‘The seed?’ He said ‘Yes, the seed is the Word of God’. Church Gist. Keep teaching life applicable principles of the Kingdom, they will come and as the grass grows, the Sheep will come for it. So, we need to pray for the Word of eternal life to keep coming forth from our altar all the time. John 6:66-68.
And finally, He said, ‘Now, keep the grass green and the Sheep will lie down there’. Fresh grass will get them to lie down. Not come and go, they lie down. Fresh Word from God and that’s where we come in as members of the congregation to keep praying that the Word of the Lord will come fresh at all times. Church Gist. That the ministers of the Gospel will minister with the required boldness to communicate the truth and deep insight to impact on the lives of people. 2 Thessalonians 3:1. Ephesians 6:19. So, it’s not enough to pray for souls to be saved, we have to pray for the Word that will keep them down, make them to lie down, keep them growing and get them established.
– Thank you, Jesus.
Now, listen to this. Whatever God tells you to do is what He will confirm. These are the things we have no choice but to keep doing. Church Gist. Praying along with fasting shatters the gate of hell from resisting souls from being saved and from resisting the Church from growing.
– Can I hear your Amen?
Matthew 17:21. So, the weekly fast and the mandatory 3-day fast, they are not for religious activities. They are to keep building what is required to keep the Church going forward. Church Gist. Amen! And when you are pushing the Ark forward, you can’t be going backward. As you’re pushing the Ark forward, you’re going forward.
– So, from this time, I see you going forward.
– You’ll never know a better yesterday again.
– Everything shall be a plus on the previous in your life.
– Every day shall be a plus on the previous in your life in the name of Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 6:16. It’s time to get back there and stay there, not for a season. Church Gist. It’s time to get back there and stay there. It always works. Ecclesiastes 1:9.
Psalm 23:2. You can’t force them to hang around brown pasture. They keep migrating without a pasture being green. Church Gist. So, we have to pray for our pasture to remain green across our various Churches around the World so that the Sheep can lie down there.
– This shall be a year of unusual retention of all our new converts, all our new members, all our invitees in the name of Jesus Christ.
– So shall it be!
Stretch forth your hand and ask God to grant you grace to plug into this rod. Church Gist. A rod of supernatural Church growth handed down to this Church.
—Prayers—
This agenda is not a Church growth grace, it’s a rescue mission. Amen. The Church growth agenda for the year is not for the sake of Church growth only. It is principally a rescue mission to the lost. If you see that sir, passion will begin to rise. Our going forth, our praying on the Altar of prayer, our bringing people to Church is a rescue mission to the dying World around us. Church Gist. We’re on a rescue mission. That should form a focal point of our engagement. ‘I’m praying this prayer to rescue this soul from death, eternal death. From torments and afflictions of the enemy. I’m praying this soul out of the oppressions of the devil, so he can experience liberty’. Eternity should be our ultimate goal. ‘This soul must be rescued from hell to the splendor of eternity’.
2 Corinthians 5:11. ‘Come over. Get on this side. That side is unsafe. That side is risky. That side holds no future’. ‘We persuade men’ Not hit and run. ‘We persuade men’. We work on them through prayers, through concerted efforts to connect them to Heaven. Church Gist. 2 Corinthians 5:14. It is not something that looks comfortable, we are constrained by the love of Christ. Grace found us so we are extending that grace to them.
– Can I hear your Amen?
2 Corinthians 5:15. That’s the constraint. We were also dead. Grace found us. Church Gist. Let’s reach out to others and bring them out of darkness to light.
– Can I hear your Amen?
Jude 1:2,3. Compassion will drive us to reach out to them. We’re on a rescue mission to the dying World around us. Church Gist. We’re on a mission as Kingdom ordained firefighters. John 15:16. We are ordained as Kingdom firefighters to pull men and women, boys and girls out of fire.
But what fuel is to a vehicle is what passion is to the soul of a believer in his pursuit after God. Acts 26:22. 2 Timothy 4:6-8. Church Gist. 1 Corinthians 9:16-17,20-22. That was the undying passion of Paul. Philippians 1:21. Romans 1:16.
– May each one’s passion come alive to make the most of God’s agenda this season in the name of Jesus.
– May every cell minister begin to burn with passion to see the cells multiply in the name of Jesus!
– May every zonal minister keep working to see the zones replicate!
– May every Church member and official keep working, leading the people to engage!
There is a great future in genuine engagement of Kingdom advancement endeavours. Church Gist. A great future! He never lies. He is ever faithful.
– It’s your turn!
Can I say this?
– Many ‘many’ global stars will rise! They will not only rise, they will sustain their rise!
– There shall be no disconnect!
– May your rise never end up with a fall in the name of Jesus!
The good news is ‘any vision you don’t believe, you may only watch it deliver, it won’t leave an impact on your life. Church Gist. Every vision delivers by faith and each one’s faith is what determines his portion in the fulfillment of that vision.
You must experience a change of story. It’s your package for the year. Every genuine engagement always culminates in a change of story for the engaging individual. Church Gist. This one must culminate in your change of story! Thank you Jesus! Give the Lord the biggest hand of praise! Amen!
“Hold that fast which that hast, less another man take thy crown.” Church Gist. You know the good news? There is a crown in reserve for you this year.
– You will wear it!
– There is a crown in reserve for you and I this year, it will not be lost.
– Another man will not take your crown!
—PRAYERS—
Can I ask all our house providers, please pray over the meeting place before they arrive. “Jesus bring them again today, add to us today.” Church Gist. I used to pray on the benches when they were not people sitting on them. I will put my hands on the benches and say “Lord, you hate waste, find them, bring them, let them come.”
Sir, genuine passion for God changes people’s story. It does! Can I tell you what? Psalm 102:13-15 which is our common Scripture here…global impact by taking pleasure in the matters of the Kingdom without requiring coercion, pressurization, just inside you. Church Gist. It’s inside you…and what we call fortune is fearful favour – unexplainable but undeniable.
Favour brought Joseph out of the prison overnight. How? No! This can’t be! That’s not Joseph! No, that’s not Joseph! By taking pleasure in the affairs of the Kingdom. Church Gist. The time does not come because the time has been slated, the time comes as you engage with what makes it your time.
– No Church shall be left behind this year! (Because we are all ministering to the entire World at this time.)
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