I SAID MANY YEARS AGO THAT A PRESIDENT OF THIS NATION WILL STAND ON THIS ALTAR AND SAY “PRAISE THE LORD”. IT HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE!
I WAS ANNOUNCING IT THAT COVENANT UNIVERSITY WILL BE A NEW GENERATION HARVARD BEFORE IT BEGAN
HOW WE TOOK CHARGE OF THIS LAND (CANAANLAND) AND DISLODGED THE devil.
THERE ARE GIANTS IN EVERYONE’S PROMISED LAND. YOU NEED TO POSSESS A LION’S HEART TO DISLODGE THEM.
REVELATION DOES NOT CHANGE ANYBODY’S STORY, IT IS APPLIED REVELATION THAT DOES.
WE ARE IN HIGHLY PROPHETIC DAYS! DO NOT FALL INTO THE TEMPTATION OF MOCKING THE STRANGE ACTS OF GOD.
satan HAD NO IDEA I WOULD BE ALIVE NOW. HE IS GRIEVED. HEAVEN IS REJOICING AND h3ll IS WEEPING
HOW A NOTORIOUS w1tch FLED THE COUNTRY WHEN WE LANDED IN THAT COUNTRY.
DESPITE MY BUSY SCHEDULE LAST WEEK, I STILL WENT OUT AND WON 177 SOULS TO THE KINGDOM.
IT IS SPEAKING OPENLY AND UNASHAMEDLY THAT PUTS YOU IN COMMAND.
YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS TOO COLD AND THAT’S WHY THE devil IS STILL AFFLICTING YOU.
I HAVE GONE THROUGH THE FIERY FURNACE OF HEAVY WEIGHT CHALLENGES AND HAVE COME OUT SMILING.
THOSE WHO MOCK MIRACLES SUFFER OBSTACLES
YOUR MOUTH CAN BE YOUR WORST ENEMY
EVERY INSTRUCTION OF SCRIPTURE IS A TEST AND UNTIL YOU PASS THE TEST, YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED FOR THE NEXT LEVEL.
MAN IS LIMITED WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT.
- Bishop David Oyedepo on OPERATING IN THE SUPERNATURAL 4A at Next Level Banquet Service || Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland|| 22nd September 2024 || First Sunday Service ||
Set yourself to locate yourself in the Word. Don’t be trapped by self commendation. Whatever lacks proofs still has a missing link or a missing point. Let’s stop celebrating what we know, let’s reach out for what we do not know yet. 1 Corinthians 8:2. Church Gist. People commend themselves so much that you would think that God is cheating on them. God never cheats on people, people cheat on themselves. You can’t do what He says to do and not see what He says you will see. May today be a landmark day in everyone’s spiritual life.
Lord breath on your Word today. Heal the sick as your Word goes forth. Set free the captives today, do a new thing in the lives of everyone of us in the name of Jesus.
OPERATING IN THE SUPERNATURAL 4
Be reminded that the prophetic focus for the month is I AM REDEEMED A WONDER TO MY WORLD. That is the lot of every child of God. I and the children whom God has given unto me, they are for signs and wonders. We are redeemed as signs and wonders to our world. You say who are the we? John 3:8. Being born of the spirit means being born again. That is the heritage of everyone that is born again to operate in the supernatural as his or her natural estate. There is a new natural environment operating in the supernatural. Why are so many people not operating in the supernatural? Because they do not know. Isaiah 5:13. Hosea 4:6. We only change level by revelation. As we behold Him as in a glass we are changed from glory to glory into the same image as by the Spirit of the Lord. Church Gist. It is by applied revelation that we change levels. We find it and engage with it, it changes our level. If you will have this as your constant, let God be true. Let it be the constant of your life and then you can deal with other variables. God never lies, if this thing is not working then there must be something I am yet to find. Numbers 23:19. Let God be true and all men liars. Romans 3:4. It is time to have that as a constant of your life. So we must stop blaming God and take responsibility. Whatever He tells you to do, do it (John 2:5). Get to know what He says to do and as you do He turns things around. His name is the faithful witness. He is the faithful one, He abides faithful. He cannot deny Himself.
Isaiah 7:14.
What is a sign? A sign is an act that cannot be explained by natural laws yet cannot be denied. A virgin without knowing a man conceives and brings forth a son and the son will have a name Emmanuel. That is a sign. An act that cannot be explained by natural laws yet cannot be denied. This tabernacle is a sign to the construction world built within a year from setting out to completion. An act that cannot be explained by natural laws yet cannot be denied. Church Gist. How do we explain the passage of three million people across the Red Sea without ladders, no jumping up, no climbing up. He threw a highway for every child, every old person, every pregnant woman to walk through. That is a sign. How do we explain Daniel passing the night amidst hungry lions unscratched? That’s a sign. How do we explain people finding their way here inside this lost forest? That’s a sign. Acts 4:16.
Signs are the strange acts of God that cause men to wonder. “What! How? Impossible! That’s not true!” signs cause men to wonder. We are redeemed as a people to be wondered at. Zechariah 3:8. We are redeemed as men and women to be wondered at. As the Lord lives, from this time on you will never know shame and reproach again because men will begin to wonder at the grace of God upon your life. Where you used to be, they find out that you are no longer there. Strange acts. Isaiah 28:21-22. Church Gist. The strange acts of God have the temptation of mockery. “Even if God opens the windows of heaven, shall these things be? Don’t let us deceive ourselves.” The man diǝd. You know the story in 2 Kings 7. The man diǝd for mocking the strange acts of God. We are in the days of the strange works and the strange acts of God. Please take note of that. This strange God built this house on heaven’s budget. You know what they are printing money here. You may take sand and mistake it for money. We are in the days of strange works.
I began to announce that Covenant University is coming on as a new generation Harvard before it began. “Nonsense! Harvard for where?” Many have lost their jobs perhaps for doing so. We are in highly prophetic days. Church Gist. I said many years ago in Kaduna that a time is coming when a president of this nation will stand on this altar and say “Praise the Lord”. One of my very close ones in the choir was there in that meeting and when she saw a president come here and say “Praise the Lord. She was virtually in tears. We are in very strange days.
God has never commanded anything here that I asked Him, “How will you fund it?” or I called anyone on how they will be part of funding this thing. We are in the strange days and strange acts of God. Set a watch over your mouth and a guard over your lips. “How can we plant 5,000 churches?” Did they ask you to plant it? He who said it created it. You know God. What He says He creates when we receive and believe it. He creates it. God will never need the help of a man to carry out His agenda. “Can you hear what they said? They said we are going to plant 10,000 churches this year. Are we the only one in town?” What is your problem? Was it you He told? Did He ask you to come and do it? 10,400 churches in Nigeria, 1300 churches across the nations of the world. Church Gist. Don’t block your way forward. Why should God be angry with you and destroy the works of your hands for the misuse of your tongue. Don’t block your way forward. That is why I prayed that prayer in the beginning. No devil can block your way forward, it is your heritage as the redeemed. The path of the justified is ordained to shine more and more. Proverbs 4:18. You can block your way forward. A man’s enemy are the people of His own household. This mouth can be your worst enemy. This small head can be your worst enemy. God says something, you say “I don’t think so.” Who are you to think? Which thought do you have? His ways are above your thoughts. My little box here can’t catch up with God. Please don’t block your way forward. Don’t start blaming the devil when you are the one. If God answers your prayers against your enemies, do you know what it means? And you are the enemy of yourself. “God overthrow my enemies” He says “Ah, If I answer you?”
Somebody testified and you say that is not true. Do you know what it means? “You can’t do that type of thing Jesus. So don’t bother doing it for me.” “I am healed of cancer.” “It is not cancer, it is headache.” You are offended at the acts of God so you disqualify yourself from access to such. Be free! “Nobody went through fiery furnace, let’s tell the truth. It is impossible and I can swear. Fiery furnace? All these are just make believe stuff. There are many of us who have gone through fiery furnace. Not of fire, fiery furnace of heavy weight challenges. That consumes others and yet you smile your way through. Church Gist. Hired assassins invaded our home. It was like a war front. Rapid fire of gun shots. “Make una gun am down! Make una gun am down!” I was hearing the announcement of gun me down yet they couldn’t see me. Fiery furnace is not just open fire. Challenges! Passed through a narrow bridge inexplainably under heaven. If you take the measurement, there is no way that bridge will take two vehicles but we passed through. That is a fiery furnace. “I don’t believe that.” You just choke. The slightest push you are down. Luke 1:45.
I was in my office and a cobra was in there, a life cobra found itself upstairs and stayed in my bookshelf. I was there all night working without my shoes on. I don’t wear shoes in the night when I am in the office to free my legs. The devil just sat down there, it couldn’t come out. How did it climb to this place? It was in the morning while cleaning my office that they found the thing. I was there in the night. You don’t know fiery furnaces. If you are not a sign you will sink. You better learn how to operate in this realm. Church Gist. Satan had no idea I would be alive now. He is grieved. Heaven is rejoicing and hell is weeping. In the name of Jesus, no trap of the devil will trap your destiny. Those who mock miracles suffer obstacles. Those who don’t believe in signs, begin to stink. It is only a matter of time. Please reposition!
One of the keys to operating in the supernatural is the spirit of boldness. It takes boldness to command the supernatural. Acts 9:34. Acts 3:6. No one commands the supernatural with a closed mouth. Acts 4:13. Behind that notable miracle was the boldness of spirit that they engaged with. The Apostles knew that was a weapon and the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spake the Word of God with boldness. Acts 4:29-30. Acts 14:3. Without a lion heart, you can’t have your lion share. Church Gist. David possessed a lion heart and went after a lion. Lions don’t see people running after them, they run after people. The lion now sees a man running after it, “What! What am I seeing?” Lion picked race. David pursued it and caught it by the beards. The whole army of Israel was jittering before one man called Goliath. He will speak and they will go into hiding, by his words. David said “Nonsense! I will bring you down today. I will take your head from you.” Bold declarations! Goliath fell. All your Goliath will fall down.
My wife is here! We were about to receive the pioneer students of Word of Faith Bible Institute. A week to the time, out of concern, my wife asked me “Where are the students going to resume to?” I said is it your school? The owner should know where they are going to resume to. On the spot, He (God) opened my eyes and I saw a building. I didn’t know the street but I could tell a church opposite the building. He said that is where the Bible School will be. “I don’t know too” If I said that we won’t see anything, we won’t go anywhere. I said is it your school? He should know where the students will resume to. So He opened my eyes and I saw that. I got to the office that same morning and I called one of the staff and told them “there is a building opposite one church.” He said that is Katsina Street. I said that is where the Bible School will be. Go there. He met the man in front. He greeted him and asked one funny question. “Are you the owner of this building?” They don’t stand by buildings. The man said “I am not the owner, Jesus is the owner. I am the caretaker.” He told him we need it for Bible School. “For Bible School? Then it is free.” Church Gist. You can’t have your lionshare without a lionheart. People are just fidgety, living in fear. To go, not to go. To go, not to go. We were crossing that bridge and suddenly it came to my spirit that He will give His angels charge over me when I find myself on a narrow bridge. They shall bear me upon their wings lest I dash my foot against a stone. My foot is important to God, how much more my head. No! I am not driving to the water. We passed through.
Those who do know their God, they shall be strong. It is your acquaintance with God and His Word that builds boldness in the day of trouble. The Word is the lion’s food in the Kingdom. Jesus, the lion of the Tribe of Judah came and He said “Butter and honey shall he eat. That he may know.” Church Gist. John 7:15. It is what we feed on that causes the lion in us to come alive when challenged and confronted. It is not that you are now redeemed, I know you are but you need to build up strength for the lion in you to stay alive and stand to your defense when you are challenged. Daniel 11:32.
In those days, some folks came to our church and said this church is in Residential Area, I asked them “Are your mosques in the bush? When I shouted, the cigarette in his hand fell. I said because you say he is a pastor, is that why you are coming here? You don’t know pastors are different from pastors. Church Gist. They sent someone that we should quit the church area. When I opened my eyes, the man went small and came back and said “Sir, don’t be offended.” I said you and those who sent you… Your environment is too cool, the devil just toys around you and you keep looking at him. You hear me say no witch under heaven can stand on my way. I said one billion witches. I don’t know if they have that kind of congregation. You better wake up and feed on lion’s meat. Start feeding on lion’s meat instead of begging situations around. Operating in the supernatural is at a cost to you and me. Without the rod in your hand, you can’t command the supernatural and the rod is the Word of God.
Can I tell you this? The devil knows where to stay away from. He knows oh. Have you ever seen a mad man run into fire? I have never seen a mad man in my life where they are pushing “don’t go to fire.” When he comes there, he says “no, no, my madness nor reach.” Church Gist. Your environment should be so hot that every devil will know “their madness nor reach.”
One of us here in Church, an uncle came to visit him from the village and he saw my picture with a microphone on an almanac or whatever thing. He called this person saying “turn that thing backward, turn it backward.” He said, why? Church Gist. He said, there is fire coming out from that microphone. (Laughs) He was an occult. Fire from your picture…wake up! You heard the story yourself, I mean most of us heard the testimony. We landed in a country and one notorious w1tch was in there before us. As we landed in that hotel, she disappeared unceremoniously. Make your environment hot to get every quail spirit off your environment. Thank you Jesus!
All these pray for me, pray for me syndrome – time is gone! We have teachings on DVDs on the supernatural about 80 teachings or 100 teachings, you have never listened to one. You have never read one book and you want to command? Command who? How? (Laughs) Command who? Can you imagine Moses without a rod? Church Gist. They would kill him the first day. The rod was his command. Without the rod, you cannot be in command. 40 days prayer won’t make a difference. Look for the rod.
Boldness is an open declaration of faith without any iota of doubt in the heart. So it’s not a bold face, it is a bold heart. Mark 11:23. Not bold face, not bold talk – a bold heart. You heard the story, my wife said, she had miscarriage. My cousin confirmed it who is a doctor and I said, “it cannot happen! Can I have my food, please?” No further discussion forever. Church Gist. No, how do you feel? You can’t feel otherwise but what I said. Bold heart! Not after you have said it, you now say, “how do you feel now?” You too, you are feeling bad yourself. Your inside is shaking. (Laughs)
This is not a religious center. It’s a military training camp. We are soldiers of Christ not babies of Christ. We are soldiers of Christ. Wake up and gain command – change level. Do you know what it means that we are going to Canaanland and there is no Church in town? A bold heart! What if they don’t come? (Sighs) There is a command from Heaven. I said humourously, “if my wife says she is not coming. Church Gist. She will be in town, I will be here. But if there will be no Church there, she will go to another parish.” He shut the Church in town. He is the One who built it. He now says you should shut it without asking what do you want to use it for? 2 years! Wake up! You need a bold heart. If we stayed back in Raji Oba, we would have lost relevance; fighting everyday with landlord, going to court from junior court to senior court to supreme court. (Laughs) It’s time to feed on lion’s meat and cause the lion in you to come alive. You can’t have your lion’s share without a lion heart.
- Somebody’s story has just changed!
There is no irreversible case with your God. Mark 10:27. Now, the Holy Ghost is the Principal Source of empowerment for boldness. We saw that displayed on the Day of Pentecost. Peter stood out as the Rock. The same fidgeting Peter, the same Peter who denied Jesus three times by a challenge from a lady (a young girl not even lady – young girl) stood like a rock and began to blow hot against the whole land. Church Gist. Instead of stoning him, they were pricked in their hearts. He gained command. 3,000 people turned their lives to Christ. The World could see the boldness and could see the effect – that’s the Holy Ghost. Acts 4:29-31…that fully qualified that statement that the Holy Ghost is the fountain of the boldness of the redeemed. Don’t appropriate baptism in the Holy Ghost, be baptized in the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking with new tongues for that is the only biblical (authentic) proof of baptism.
Everyone before baptism is a Peter, son of Barjona, a reed shaken. But after baptism…at salvation, we redeemed as the sheep under the great Shepherd, Jesus. At baptism, the lion in us is born. We start to feed it from the cub, it grows and grows and grows till full teeth lion, full developed claws and full speed to its feet to pounce on any devil. Church Gist. We became His sheep at New birth, we are registered as baby lions at baptism. Then the Holy Ghost begins to give us access to the World, so as to develop the lions in us and gain command of challenges in the World.
- Somebody’s story has changed!
Peter was that shaken reed. Matthew 26:69-75. He denied Christ three times but when the Holy Ghost came, his level changed. Speaking within you won’t give you command. It is speaking openly, unashamedly that puts you in command. Church Gist. Speaking openly and unashamedly is what gives you command. Mark 8:38, Psalm 81:10-14. Open your mouth wide!
What you believe in the heart only has effect when you declare with your mouth. God confirms your declarations not just what you claim to believe. It has to be declared before it can be confirmed and you declare it with an open mouth. “How far about your job?” ‘Well, we are still looking. We are waiting.’ One can wait for life. “Jesus has done it. – ‘Ehen, praise God oh! Amen!’ He has done it and you wake up in the morning as one going to work and from there, you find yourself at work.
You know, this journey can be very exciting when our understanding opens up. We have seen many of that. Daniel 3:16-18…God says “you got it. I’m there. I will be there before you.” The consuming Fire went into the fire and consumed the fierceness of the fire. Church Gist. And they walked through a cold room and came out without a smell of fire on their bodies. They commanded that supernatural weight by their bold declarations. Thank you Jesus!
You can’t possess your promised land with a grasshopper heart. There are always giants in the promised land of God’s people. You can’t possess your promised land with a chicken heart. Church Gist. 12 men went as spies, 10 came and said, “we are not able to.” 2 young men said “we are well able. God said so” and they possessed the land. There is always…we have giants always in our promised land. You have to possess a lion’s heart to dislodge them. Deuteronomy 2:24.
You can’t appeal to the giants to let you possess the land. You confront them – “how dare you? Get off in the name of Jesus!” This land where this Tabernacle is was a dreaded land. Birds in this forest speak like human beings, they said. But when we came, they went silent. Church Gist. The numbers of birds that perished here, they won’t fly across here again. They were falling down literally without catapult. No flight zone. How dare you? You will lose your wings on the spot. Thank you Jesus!
In the evening, people run on the streets. They run. When they get back here around 6 pm, you run. It’s not a place to pass anyhow. The devil just sat down here and said “I am the owner of this territory.” When we came, with God coming before us, we dislodged them. Church Gist. They are non-existent. Now, before their eyes, the same forest that was their own is now ministering to the entire World. Over to you! Isaiah 52:1-2. It’s time to arise and put on strength.
- In the precious name of Jesus, everything that causes you to fear, disappears in the name of Jesus!
I have said what you need to your next level. Our advancement lies in the light of the Word that we walk in. The light that we walk in, not the one that we write in our notes. Therefore, the reality of your next level demands that you be not hearers of the Word only but doers or you will be deceiving your own self. Church Gist. Revelation does not change anybody’s story, it is applied revelation that does. What we know does not change us but what we do with what we know. But I have good news for you – Proverbs 4:18…that is the day that Jesus returns. “For when the perfect comes, the imperfect will go away.” Jesus is the Perfect.
So we are ordained to keep changing levels unendingly till He comes. He showed me that light years ago and that was when I said, “I am not prepared for a better last year” – 43 years back. Church Gist. “I have not designed life for ups and downs but for ups and ups” – I heard from His mouth, “for ups and ups.”
- Therefore in the name of Jesus, your life will never know a backward trend anymore!
The path of the justified who we are because we are justified by the blood of Jesus is ordained to be as a shining light that shines more and more and more to the perfect day. Church Gist. That’s how your life will be from now!
Let’s look at 5 keys to experiencing continuous change of levels. We’ve just mentioned that. You have to first be listed among the justified of the Lord. Be born again. Church Gist. Until you are justified by the blood of Jesus, you are not in that picture. Ups and downs is the natural lifestyle of everyone yet to meet with Jesus. They may not tell you so but that’s the truth. These are preambles.
Be filled with the Holy Ghost, the only way to access the deep things of God that defines our great tomorrow. Nobody can find God with his head. Church Gist. It is the Spirit of God that relates with our spirit to bring us to the deep things of God. We will be limited without Him.
5 Keys To Experiencing Continuous Change of Levels
- We must begin to see every instruction of Scriptures as an examination which one must pass to make it to the next class in school. Every instruction is a test. Do you want a change of class? Here is the test. “I am not interested” – ‘una well-done. Stay in the same class.’ See every instruction as a test that you must pass to qualify for access to the next level. Instruction! Church Gist. God is an examiner. He tests people. Genesis 22:1. Instructions of Scriptures are not advice. They are not pieces of advice, they are tests that must be passed.
- When engaging with instruction of Scripture becomes one’s lifestyle, he or she is sure to experience continuous change of level in his walk with God. Church Gist. Deuteronomy 28:1, Proverbs 4:11…that is what determines your quality of life – instructions!
- To experience continuous change of levels, you must continue to serve God and the interest of His purpose as a lifestyle (the interest of His Kingdom as a lifestyle). “You have been faithful over a few things, have thou authority over 10 cities.” Then He took off again to come and recheck and when He checks, “now, you have been faithful over few things, have thou authority over 20 cities, over 50 cities, over a nation, over a continent, over 2 continents, over 3 continents.” Church Gist. He keeps changing our levels as we keep serving Him faithfully and fruitfully. We are serving Him with results in view guided with the fact that God does not reward efforts, He rewards results. He keeps changing the level of the faithful stewards. Stay committed to serving God. You don’t get promoted in any system where you are no longer in service. It is in service, you qualify for next levels. Keep serving God! Job 36:11. That’s the way it works.
- In the name of Jesus, you have a Church of die-hard servants of God, you will never go down in level!
Refuse to retire from active service. When you do, you get off the payroll and you are no longer eligible for promotion. Church Gist. Stay actively engaged. He said, “even in old age, they shall still bring forth fruit.” Even in old age.
- So it’s your turn!
Please, carry that picture from here. It is only in service that men qualify for promotion. It’s only in service that you can access fringe benefits. Don’t make yourself a pensioner. Early retirement can be very frustrating. I had a super busy week last week but I had to go out. I had one lecture in the morning, I had one in the late afternoon but the time in between, I had to go out. Nobody compelled me. I chose with delight to go out. Within 2 and a half hours running, we had 177 souls to the Kingdom. Church Gist. You can’t get promoted out of service. Stay in service. Stay actively and delightsomely in service. You are praying, pray with fervency with answers in expectation. Don’t pray casually. Don’t serve casually in your various departments, serve with all intentionality and you will see God in action.
- We must continue to trust in the Lord to confirm His Word. Church Gist. You don’t have to beg Him. Keep your faith in place. 2 Timothy 2:13, Habakkuk 2:3.
- We must continue to celebrate the faithfulness of God what may be happening notwithstanding, God abides faithful. Habakkuk 3:17-19. Church Gist. You must keep celebrating His faithfulness, that’s when He will step in to change your level. God never lies.
- It’s your turn to celebrate!
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