YOU CANNOT BE LYING DOWN ON THE BED AND CONNECT ONLINE THEN CLAIM YOU ARE ATTENDING ONLINE SERVICE.
FOR TWO YEARS I DID ALL NIGHT WHEN THIS MINISTRY STARTED. FASTING WAS A LIFESTYLE.
SALVATION MINISTRIES DID NOT GET HERE BY LUCK, THERE IS NO LUCK IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
BECAUSE THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE HAVE 21 DAYS IN THIS CHURCH WHERE WE FAST.
IF YOU DON’T PREPARE WELL IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, IT WILL SHOW AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
THERE’S NO ONE YOU SEE AT THE TOP THAT GOT THERE BY ACCIDENT IN ANY FIELD OF ENDEAVOUR.
THE QUALITY OF YOUR PREPARATION WILL DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF YOUR FUTURE.
WHEN YOU PREPARE EARLY, YOU CAN RELAX AFTER.
PREPARATION IS THE SEED OF GREATNESS.
FASTING WITHOUT PRAYER AND READING THE WORD OF GOD IS HUNGER STRIKE.
WE’RE EMPOWERED ON THE ALTAR OF PRAYER DURING FASTING.
PRAYER IS HEAVENLY LICENSE FOR EARTHLY INTERFERENCE.
PRAYER MOVES GOD TO INTERFERE AND TO INTERVENE IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN.
– Pastor David Ibiyeomie on MAKING THE YEAR COUNT – PART 2 at Making The Year Count Service || Salvation Ministries – Home Of Success || 7th January 2024.
-Father, speak to us in this Second Service. Let each one all over the Globe that hears this Word be blessed of Your Word. Church Gist. Let our eyes be open, our hearts to receive in Jesus’ mighty name.
The Message this morning is: MAKING THE YEAR COUNT – PART 2. Hear this and hear me well people of God, preparation is the seed of greatness. How well you prepare determines how far you go in life. 2 Chronicles 27:6. I hear God as a man hears his friend: There’s somebody lying down watching this Service. God said to me: ‘Get up’! He has a word for you. You’re lying down, instead of sitting down to be a part of the Service, you’re lying and He said: ‘Get up! There’s a word for you in this Service that will change your story’. You’re lying down, you’re online but you’re lying on the bed. Church Gist. He said: ‘Get up’. I heard God clearly, He said: ‘Get up! There’s a word for you in this Service that will change your story’. Hear this, your future has a price. When He speaks to one, He speaks to all, you can’t be in the Service and you’re lying down, that’s not service, that’s sleeping. Whether you’re online or not, always prepare for service as somebody who is part of the Service. Somebody will be cooking and say they’re doing service. No nah! You’re cooking-servicing. (Laughing). You’re cooking what? (Servicing). Cook-service!
Your future has a price! The quality of your preparation will determine the outcome of your future. You cannot get at a future you’re not prepared for in life. Hear this and hear me well, the year is set for a bright future by God but you and I must accept responsibility to make sure what God has said will come to pass in our lives. If you look at performance anywhere in the World, it is based on how prepared! Even in school, if your result is bad, your preparation was bad. Nobody, there’s no accidental success. Church Gist. Even in sports when people fail, they didn’t practice well. There’s no prayer in this World that can make me now, to play football, no miracle, except you want to bury me that same day. He said: ‘God can do all things’. That means the time for it has passed, is that true? So also there’s a time for everything under the Heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1. There’s a time to prepare and there’s a time to relax. If the timing passes, it’s a lot. Are you getting what I’m saying now? You can never have 2023 anymore, it’s passed.
How do we prepare?
Because this is the beginning of the year, we have 21 days in this Church where we fast every beginning of the year. How do we prepare?
1. Through a desperate desire to see prophecies fulfilled. A prophecy for the year has gone forth: ‘This shall be a year of divine help’ is that true? You and I must have a thirst, a crave, a longing, a panting if the prophecy must be fulfilled. Psalm 63:1-2. ‘Early will I seek God and they that seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing’. So, you don’t seek God late, you seek Him what? Early. Isaiah 44:3-4. It takes a genuine thirst to encounter a change. Early will I seek Him! There’s no one you see at the top that got there by accident in any field of endeavour. ‘Early will I seek Thee’. People don’t perform well because they don’t prepare well. Hear me and hear me well people of God, this Church (Salvation Ministries) did not get here by luck, there is no luck in the Kingdom of God. My wife is a living witness, for two years I did all night, there was no midnight I did not pray Monday to Sunday when this Ministry started. Every midnight, even when I’m tired I will get up to pray. Church Gist. Are you hearing me now? Fasting was a lifestyle – It was non-stop fasting, every day!! So, don’t think these things happen by luck, ‘Oh! Pastor Ibiyeomie is just lucky’. No oo! Find out the stories, behind every glory there’s a story – I was thirsty to see God. You know? When you prepare early you can relax after. Are you getting what I’m saying now? But those who even in (the) natural; those who dodge school, you see the way they live their life after. Most of you are suffering today because of poor preparation when you were young, true? So if you don’t prepare well in the beginning of the year, it will show at the end of the year, you’ll start blaming everybody for your failure. You must accept responsibility! So there has to be a desperate hunger to say: ‘This year cannot be like other years’.
-And I pray, this year as you prepare things will go well for you.
2. Through prayers.
We’re empowered on the altar of prayer during fasting. Matthew 6:10. Let me say this to every one of us, people that pray and fast, you’ll see their difference amongst Christians. Now, everybody was going to be baptized in Luke 3:21 but one man, only one person prayed. God came only to announce those who prepare early. Only Him (Jesus) prayed, others just said: ‘We’re going for baptism’. You know? This year has started, ‘Happy New Year’! No! It doesn’t stop there, you have to also make things happen. ‘Happy New Year’ means ‘Make things happen to have a good new year’. Say: I hear! Is that clear sir? Luke 9:28-35 and 43. Church Gist. Now, look at Luke, you will see two things happening here, in Luke 3:22, look at it, He said: ‘Thou art My beloved Son in whom I’m what? Well pleased’. There, He said: ‘I’m pleased with what You’ve done’ but the second one He said: ‘Hear Him’ – It’s now a voice. There are two different things! God here, recommended Him. Second one, God said: ‘He is in charge’. Listen! In Luke 3, God said I’m pleased with You (Referring to Jesus) but in this one, He said: ‘Now, hear Him’ – He’s in charge! He’s what? (In charge), level has changed. Level has what? (Changed). You can’t be at the same level you were, last year this year. Level has to what? Change. He said: ‘Yes, I am well pleased, He’s My Son’. That one, He said: ‘Hear Him’ – He’s in charge. ‘Hear Him, He’s a voice now’. You can’t afford to be spiritually careless.
You’re five years born again, you’re still talking about eating in the dream. Doing deliverance at five years? No nah, go beyond that level. Somebody coming to defile you after five years of being born again? No nah, you should be bigger than that. Say: I hear! You know? ‘That man is tormenting me in my office’, torment him! ‘Every night, something will be walking on my roof, I don’t know what’s walking on my roof’. Because you, you are not walking about to pray. Something is making noise in your house because you’re not making noise in prayer. Church Gist. If you’re making noise in prayer, those things making noise, they can’t make noise. Are you getting what I’m saying now? Which devil will move on top of my roof, are you crazy? Flying across my place? It’s a no-fly zone. Physically a bird was flying across; I was seeing off a young man to the gate. The bird just got to my compound, just dropped dead. It’s a no-fly zone! That witch has not been born that will cross this Territory, the whole of this Territory, no way! We de-witch you! In Luke 9:43, look at what happened! They were amazed. He came back, (from the Mount of Transfiguration) He said: ‘My friend, I’m a different man’.
-People will see a different person emerge after now.
So, we can also pray for the release of God’s what? Power on our lives for greater exploits and also to face the challenges of life. You know what? Prayer is heavenly license for earthly interference. It moves God to interfere and to intervene in the affairs of men. Church Gist. Please, people hear this: Fasting without prayer and reading the Word of God is hunger strike. When you’re fasting, you pray. That’s why, all of you joining the Early Morning Devotion, join every prayer meeting. Are you hearing what I’m saying now? You are charged! You get to pray when you’re fasting, you see yourself in charge.
3. Through fasting.
How do you prepare? Fast. Fasting is primarily ordained for empowerment. Isaiah 58:6. When Jesus fasted in Luke 4:1-14, after He fasted for forty days, He came back in power. Hear me, fasting is not optional. He said: ‘When’ you fast not ‘if’ you fast. Matthew 6:16-17. Unfortunately, many want things to work without fasting. Church Gist. I gave an illustration in the First Service, I said: When you see fire burning, they call it ‘Fire Service’. Anywhere in the World if there’s fire anywhere, they have this big pipe they use to pour like water and it quenches the fire. Is that true? The more the water goes out of that pipe, whatever chemical or water, whatever it is, the more the fire goes off.
Now, your life is likened to that pipe. Ephesians 6:16. Now, when the devil comes with his fire of attack on any issue; the tank has no problem the water is there. The size of the pipe determines how the fire goes off, is that true? Now, some of you, you are using one-inch pipe to quench a fire that is very dangerous. You know? You can’t quench the fire, will you quench it? No! If you like, you know? ‘Fii’, it will be coming like a syringe ‘Fii’ and the fire is very heavy, when will you quench that fire? The pipe is coming with force but the mouth bringing it out is so tiny, true? Church Gist. That is how, when you’re not spiritually robust, your capacity is small, the challenges come to you, you’re shouting (Illustrating). It’s not your shouting, it’s the amount of water coming out of you that determines how the fire goes off. Are you getting me now? And that water, it comes through prayer and fasting. There are some people who don’t shout, they don’t need to shout, they say: ‘satan! Get out here now’. They are spiritually robust, they have fasted. I say: ‘In the name of Jesus, get out’! Some ‘Get out’!!! (Shouting). satan go just dey (Illustrating). Matthew 17:21.
So there are some demonic forces that will never go until you fast and pray. They came to Jesus, you know what Jesus said, they said: ‘Master, how come we could not cast out this devil’. He said: This kind oo, because you didn’t fast. You’re shouting Peter, you’re shouting John, you’re shouting James but the water coming out of your pipe is too small to move out this devil because you did not fast and pray. But after He left, did they fast? Yes, they fasted. Church Gist. Paul was a fasting giant. Every small thing, you look for everybody to pray for you, why are you a Christian? And let me tell you I’m your Pastor, let no man of God deceive you: ‘We’re praying for you’. All those are religious language, they’re not praying for you. They’re not! The man has not finished praying for himself, he’ll now be praying for you, thank you! You know? We have religious deception, ‘We’re praying for you’. If you want to meet old believers, that’s their way of deceiving you. ‘We’re praying for you’! I say: ‘You’re not praying anything, pray for yourself’. When you meet them, they say: ‘We’re praying for you’! Okay! The man praying for you, if you look at his life, nothing to show. How is he? (Laughing). How can somebody say: ‘I’m praying for you’ and you say: ‘They said he’s praying for me’. My friend pray for yourself oo, Jesus prayed for Peter and Peter still failed because Peter did not pray for himself. You say one man of God is praying for you, thank you!
Now, let me say this to you if you read Ezekiel 47:1-5. He said: ‘The River was to the ankles, to the knee, to the loins and rivers that cannot overflow’. Is that true? There are four levels: One to the ankle, one to what? Knee. One to the loins and then overflow. And I put it this way: Ankle: 30 percent. Knee: 60 percent. Loins: 100 percent. Overflow: Manifold. Church Gist. Some of you, where you are now, is ankle; some of you, in fact, no ankle because nothing – You don’t pray, you don’t fast. You just sing 🎵 Jesus is coming soon, Amen! I am telling you, Amen! 🎵 Build your spiritual capacity against the day of battle in order not to be caught unawares because the challenges will come.
Proverbs 24:10. So, some of you, the reason you can’t stand those challenges is because your strength is what? Small. The strength is not talking about muscle, it’s talking about spiritual what? Strength. You’re spiritually so weak! Hear me, no shortcut oo, you must fast and pray, no shortcut. Every area of life: Marriage, there’s challenge because your children, you have to pray for them to become great. Office, there are challenges – Your colleagues in the office, most of them are demonic. Church Gist. Business? Ah! Heavy challenge because there, some people put the devil on their tongue. Politics? Eh! There’s no free place! Business? satan is there, politics? satan is there. Children training? Where will you run to? Even inside Church, there are some people who are devil incarnate, inside Church even here. You think everybody in Church is born again? It’s a lie! There are people inside the Church, their hands are not clean. They enter here, enter here! Enter here, cause confusion. Church, you have to be spiritually sound.
Say: I can’t play careless anymore.
It’s very important to note that the end result of prayer and fasting is an eruption of revelation. When you’re empowered, signs begin to flow, you get light from Scriptures. Look! Check anytime you’re fasting and you read Bible, you’ll be seeing light ‘Pam-pam-pam’. Church Gist. It’s in Isaiah 58, the Scripture of fasting. He said: ‘Then shall your light break forth…’ So, when you’re fasting, your health is robust. Sickness will go because God will give you Scriptures upon Scriptures to come out of sickness. Are you getting what I’m talking about?
-May somebody’s light break forth as I’m talking.
It was in fasting, I came out of sickness. It was in fasting, I came out of poverty. Are you getting me, sir? Church Gist. I was not fasting without, I was fasting and reading (the Word). The light came for the two subjects and I walked out of the two gallantly.
-God will give you an answer to your questions.
Please don’t play down on fasting. Today, some of you, you listen to all manner of junks. Life story! I sent a pastor here when Bible School, we were just growing. I said: Go and do Bible School in Lagos – To do, after basics; he should go and do advanced; that time, we were just starting. So he went to Lagos and then a pastor under Bishop Oyedepo said: ‘If you’re fasting, Jesus did not say you should stay without food’. He said: Without food, you can drink water’. Church Gist. He said: ‘Jesus was without food’. You know? People read Bible. He was working under Oyedepo, Oyedepo did not know that. He said, Jesus said: ‘He was without food, so drink water’. So the Pastor came back and said: This Pastor said we should…’ I said: ‘Shut up! You can’t work with me: Drink water what? When you break you break, it’s no water and no food’! ‘If it’s three o’clock, three o’clock; six o’clock, six o’clock. So if you bring that kind of fasting here, you cannot succeed oo’.
Hear the story! The Pastor too is doing part-time now because he cannot stand full-time, so we removed him from full-time to be drinking water. And then the Pastor who told them to be drinking water (Laughing). After he left Oyedepo, he now went to Akwa Ibom to start Church. The Pastor oo, he started Church almost, for how many years, they were not up to 100. So he said: ‘Akwa Ibom is too hard’ so he left Akwa Ibom to another State I won’t call so they won’t know the Pastor. Church Gist. Till today, he’s battling with Church as I’m talking to you. Now, he used to do as if he knows too much when he was with Bishop Oyedepo. Now, Church, they are not up to 200, he’s my senior in ministry, long long years ago but nothing to show. My friend, be drinking water, be drinking! It is when you break you drink what? Water. Leave all this thing they’re teaching on television. ‘The Daniel fast! Newspaper fast! (Laughing). Television fast’! Go and fast them! Is it the devil you want to tell television fast? devil, ‘Nwa ekwensu’ – (Translated in Igbo Language: Child of satan). Even ‘èṣù’! (Translated in Yoruba Language: devil). èṣù will look at you like this and say: ‘My friend, you said: ‘Television fast’? Okay’! You will go to office, they will do like this (Illustrating and laughing).
Look, I’ve seen things oo! My friend, fast! My wife’s friend of blessed memory, gone – He’s gone to be with the Lord. He passed on last year, he came early morning to visit us and I saw tea in his hand. I said: ‘Pastor, I thought you said you’re fasting’? He said: ‘Eh! We dey take tea when we dey fast’. (Laughing). I said: ‘Pastor, I’m not used to this kind of fasting oo, you’re fasting and you’re drinking tea in the morning’. He said: ‘Eh! He’s taking tea’. He went downstairs, they brought a mad lady to the compound. So, this lady was shouting and shouting, so (the) next thing I heard downstairs was: ‘Tuai’ (Laughing). He said: ‘I’ll slap you back’!! Church Gist. So, from the window, I now peeped, I said: ‘What’s happening downstairs’? I now went downstairs, saw pastor and her (the mad lady) wrecking. She looked at me with her mad state, the devil knows who is who. She that slapped him, she looked at me, I said: ‘Sit down there’. She just sat down. I said: ‘Pastor, what happened’? He said: ‘Look at this lady oo’ (Laughing).
Last year, I did everything, if money would save somebody. Money would have saved him – I paid everything but he couldn’t survive it. You know? When challenges come, you will know whether you’re fasting. I did everything, took him to the best hospitals but that’s by the way. Please don’t play with your life. Church Gist. All these; you know? Papa is talking. ‘There is what we call: Daniel Fasting’ (Laughing). ‘You know? That kind of fasting is: You take vegetables but you don’t eat. Just eh vegetables, it’s not bad to keep you robust’. (Laughing). If you’re fasting, that period you have separated yourself: No food, no water; you break, you break. If it’s twelve, if it’s three, if it’s six. Do it properly.
Don’t do all these things they are reading on television. You see those American Churches they’re telling you? The Churches? They are not more than 200 people oo. There’s no, no Church of any big size of Nigerian Churches. Nigeria has the biggest Churches in the World and Nigerian Churches are the ‘Fasting Churches’. You see all these big, big names you see in America, the bigger Church in America is 16,000! Church Gist. There’s no Church of twenty-something thousand in America. I’ve been privileged to travel oo, not one. So, if you follow that pattern they’re doing there: Where they drink water fifteen times before they finish one sermon. Please, be careful! The real Churches are here (in Nigeria) and here people fast.
Life story! I was very proud to be a Nigerian. When we got to America last year, a man of God said: ‘Sir, we’re proud of Nigerian Churches’. I said: ‘How’? Pure American! He said: ‘Do you know during the gay time? He said: ‘It was the Nigerian Churches in America that gave us strength’. That all the Nigerian Churches said: ‘No! They will never wed any gay’! He said: ‘They were the ones that stood and that we were able to be encouraged’. Church Gist. That is, the Redeemed, the Winners. The Nigerian Churches that went to America are the Churches that stood and said: ‘No gay marriage in here’. But the Americans were caving in to wed gay. Look! No gay oo is here. Even if I’m old and I pass on, any pastor under me, gay; my spirit will kill you.
To wed gay here? In this Church? Man and man wed here? It will never happen. Even if I’m gone, you try it, I will… Look! Spirits don’t die, my spirit will get up and say: ‘Die’! And kill you on the altar there. Spirits don’t die. Until Jesus comes, this Church (Salvation Ministries) will never marry man and man, woman and woman. Never!! It’s against the Bible, it’s not in the Bible. I don’t care who approves it, it is not scriptural. Church Gist. He said: ‘Adam and Eve’, He didn’t say: ‘Adam and Steve’. He didn’t say: ‘Eve and Evelyn’. (Laughing). He said: ‘Adam and Eve’ not ‘Adam and Steve’. Not ‘Eve and Evelyn’. All those are satanic, demonic, ungodly thing. When people no longer fast, those are the things you begin to… satan will just give you doctrine. When you don’t fast, he will give you everything. My friend, be on fire oo. Shout hallelujah!
Now, for your prayer and fasting to be effective. How can your prayer and fasting be what? Effective.
A. Repent from all sins.
Proverbs 28:13. Two things I will clear: Confess and forsake. He said: ‘Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound’? So we have to confess and forsake what? Sin. We can’t continue in sin, no! God said: ‘Confess it, don’t hide it’. Confess it! And then do away with that sin, is that true? That’s what the Bible said. Proverbs 28:13. Isaiah 59:1-2. So, we must totally do away with what? Sin for God to hear us. Are you hearing me, sir? Because prayer is very important during fasting. But (for) your prayer to be answered, sin must not be a barrier. Church Gist. He’s saying: ‘Your prayer you’re praying, the reason why I’m not hearing is because of your sin’. So, (the) journey begins with a true repentance before God. God knows you and I, don’t pretend, go to God and say: ‘Lord! I want to fast, but forgive me all my sins. Everything I’ve done contrary to your will, have mercy and forgive me’. It will be foolishness to hide your iniquity before God. Without repentance, it (fasting) will be an adventure in futility. There has to be genuine repentance, telling God: ‘Look! Everything I’ve done contrary to your will, have mercy and forgive me’! Are you getting what I’m talking about? Then, you’re open to start the journey of fasting. Is that clear? You have to do it today, don’t say tomorrow, do it consciously. Psalm 66:18.
-But God will hear every one of us.
Say: I will repent, I will confess and forsake every sin.
1 John 1:8-9. Proverbs 1:23. So, turning is required.
B. Then finally, refuse to sell off.
In Genesis 25:31-34, there was a young man called Esau. Be careful this period, all these your political friends – They will say: ‘O boy! This Church, no be only you dey go oo, take small wine, just take it. Does it mean that we’re not born again’? This is the time you will see, you will hear better, good food they will make ‘Nwi-nwii’!!! They will be flying food, you will hear chicken smell, you will say: ‘Chai! This chicken, this chicken, so I won’t eat it’. satan will say: ‘Just take it, does it mean that if you take today, you no be born again? Just eat chicken’!
Tell yourself say: I won’t sell my birthright until I break my fast.
If not, you’ll be so tempted. You’ll see chicken, the kind of food you like, they will be flying this period. You will be hearing the smell (Illustrating). Church Gist. He will say: ‘Which one? Eat small, just small’! All that Esau took was what? Small. The small destroyed him, by the time he realized it was too late. He repented but it was late! You can’t have this 21 days again, don’t play with your destiny.
Say: I refuse to play!
Hebrews 12:16. He said: ‘Like a profane person’. Profane means somebody who is careless. Don’t play with your life oo. Will you play with your life? Church Gist. Join these 21 days, come for evening prayers every day. Join and pray, so that by the time you’re done, the year will be made (open). You can be sure of the year 2024.
—–PRAYERS—–
Thank You, Jesus!
-Everyone that partakes of His flesh and blood, strength is released.
-None of us will be weak, none of us will start and not finish in the name of Jesus! -To everyone sick, as you partake of His flesh and blood, that sickness leaves your body in Jesus’ name.
I was pausing because I was getting a word that is very strange. There are things you don’t… since He didn’t point the person to me, He is speaking to the whole World. I got a clear word which is very strange: He said: ‘There is somebody, right in this Service who is into a pornographic club’. He said: ‘He is giving you the warning for this fasting to stop, otherwise you will die this year’. I heard Him clearly – ‘You will die this year’. He said he has warned you before, you do it secretly; you are getting money from it, it is strange. You are in the Service. He said: ‘You are into pornography’, you are hearing me. Into a pornographic club, is a club where you film and send and they pay you. Church Gist. He said: ‘Stop’! Otherwise, you will lose your life this year. He said this is the last time, He has told you before to stop, you’re getting money from it. Stop! If not, He said you will die with a strange plague this year. I was just pausing, I was hearing the messages. He said: ‘Warn the person to stop’. Whoever is into it: ‘Stop! Immediately, stop! If not He said: ‘You will die’. You will just die this year! I’ve told you my own, if you like, you hear! What are you doing in such a club, it is demonic. True? How can a Christian be in such thing? But you know? When God speaks to me, I hear Him as a man hears his friend.
-But everyone who wants to stop any habit, the same flesh and blood will destroy that habit in Jesus’ mighty name.
—–PRAYERS AND ALTAR CALL—–
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