NO WONDER GOD USED HIM TO DO GREAT THINGS
NOT ONLY FOR HIS GENERATION BUT THINGS THAT ARE EVEN STILL SPEAKING UP UNTIL NOW.
-Pastor (Mrs) Faith Oyedepo at CHoP
*You also will leave a heritage for generations coming after you.
*It is one thing to start but it is even greater to continue but greatest to continue to the end.
*Uzziah’s destruction began in his heart.
*To continue to the end, our hearts must be kept with all diligence.
Father, again, today we have returned with hearts of gratitude. Thank You for answered prayers both corporately and personally, accept our thanksgiving. Thank You for these amazing testimonies, they are Your doings, take all the praise and we decree that they shall be permanent, no reversal. Right now, our hearts are opened, send us our own Word, change our story, let none of us return the same we came, in Jesus mighty name we pray.
Today is the last day in the month of September, God has done you well. Give the Lord a bigger clap offering, shout the loudest Hallelujah. Lift up your right hand to God, tell Him, “Father, I thank You, You have been good to me. I give You all the glory, in Jesus name. A loud Amen.
All through this week, in our Covenant Hour of Prayer, we have been examining the subject captioned:
ENGAGING THE GRACE FOR CONTINUITY IN STEWARDSHIP
Matthew 24:45-47
Let’s be reminded very importantly that stewardship in the Kingdom is marathon, it is not sprint. Say with me, “Marathon.” It is marathon, not sprint; that is why it is great to start, but it is even greater to continue, but even greatest to continue to the end. Thank God you had started well and I had started well, but we all by the grace of God will finish well.
-May you and I finish strong in Jesus name.
That is why the Bible says very clearly, “he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved” – Matthew 24:13.
-We shall endure to the end.
There are many in scriptures we see as examples who started well and ended well. Others started well, they didn’t end well.
-Yours and mine shall be positive examples in Jesus name.
One major way to learn is by examples. We have seen several examples since the week began and today, we shall take a look at a few more examples.
The first example we shall be looking at this morning is the example of Elijah.
1 Kings18: 21-22
We are all familiar with the story. Elijah was confronted with the prophets of Baal. You know the rest of the story. The prophets of Baal cried their hearts out, no answer. Elijah came on the scene, then he repaired the altar of the Lord, poured water round the trench, called on the God of Heaven and the fire of the Lord fell. Elijah stood and stood firm and against all the prophets of Baal, he ensured that the name of the Lord was established in the land.
1 Kings 19:10
How was Elijah able to stand out among all the prophets in his days? This is one of his secrets. The Bible tells us and we all know it, it is very clear that the secrets of men are in their stories. So we see the secret of the life of Elijah in this scripture that we just read. Church Gist.
1 Kings 19:10 – “I have been very jealous…” Elijah was a man that was always jealous for God and the things of the Kingdom. No wonder he stood strong and ran that race to the end.
How do we know that he ran it to the end? 2 Kings 2:12-15
Elijah ended well. You and I will end well. He did not only end well, he left a mantle for Elisha. And with that mantle, Elisha was able to do far more. We are told he (Elisha) did double of what Elijah did.
-You also will leave a heritage for generations coming after you.
-Your generations after you will remember you and pray to the Lord God of your fathers and He will answer them.
-There is another Elijah hearing the Word of God this morning and your own testimony shall be stronger.
Another example is that of John the Apostle. He made it to the end, just like Elijah. We saw Elijah in the Old Testament and now John in the New Testament.
Luke 5:8-10
They had an encounter with Jesus Christ and then he (Peter) said, “depart from me”, because he saw what God did in his life but that did not end in the life of John the Apostle.
Luke 9:28-29
Jesus went to the mount of transfiguration and then He took 3 of them along, Peter, James and John and then He was transfigured before them. Church Gist. Jesus Christ was transfigured before them, John was one of the three on the mount of transfiguration.
-God has been taking you and I, little by little, step by step, a little here, a little there, through His Word since you got born again and your life has been undergoing transformation, yet the best is yet to come for you in Jesus name.
Revelation 1:9-11
“….What thou seest, write in a book…” – that tells us the end of the story, if you read on, this same John is the one that God used in writing the Book of Revelation. That tells you and I that John ended well.
-You and I will end well.
Remember it is marathon. Say it again, “marathon.” It is one thing to start but it is even greater to continue but greatest to continue to the end.
-You will not only continue, you and I will continue to the end.
We have a negative example we want to look at briefly this morning. That is Uzziah. Uzziah missed it after 52 years of his walk with God.
-You will not miss it in Jesus name.
2 Chronicles 26:3
For 52 years, he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.
-The God of Heaven will continue to help you and He will help you till the end.
Why did he miss it? When he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction – 2 Chronicles 26:16
We see one of the secrets, remember the secrets of men are in their stories.
Why did he miss it? His heart was lifted up to his destruction. That is why you and I must ensure that as we continue in this race, pay attention to your heart. Your next-door neighbour may not see what goes on in your heart but you do and God also does. This is our major area and reason why Uzziah after 52 years missed it. Church Gist. God’s Word makes it very clear, God resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble.
-God will not resist you.
The end of the story for Uzziah was very sad. He ended up a leper, he was cast out – 2 Chronicles 26:21
Do your hand like this, say, “God forbid ooo.” Say it again louder yet. Another one time. God forbid and you also forbid.
Uzziah’s destruction began in his heart. Therefore, keep your heart, like the scriptures tell us, with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life – Proverbs 4:23
If you and I must continue to the end, our hearts must be kept with all diligence.
God’s servant has said it over and again and the Word of God also makes it very clear, “we are what we are by the grace of God.” He has said it over and again, whatever you see happen here, it is God, it is not any man. It is the doing of the Lord and it must continue to be marvellous in our eyes – Psalm 118:23
Therefore, keep your heart with all diligence. God’s great general, Oral Roberts, in his story, we are told that his mother told him, “Oral remain small in your own eyes. Remain small in your own eyes.” No wonder, God used him to do great things, not only for his generation but things that are even still speaking up until now.
Therefore, I say to each one under the sound of my voice this morning, remain small in your eyes and that is the pathway to continuity to the end.
-We shall all make it in Jesus name.
Say with me. “I shall remain small in my own eyes. So help me Lord.”
In conclusion, we all need grace for continuity in our stewardship.
Psalm 127:1
-Your own labour in the Kingdom shall not be in vain in Jesus name.
Therefore, as we round up this month, on this last day of the month of September, grace for continuity to the end, by remaining humble in our hearts, I see God release it unto everyone in Jesus name.
Prayers: Receive that grace from the Lord. Say after me, “Heavenly Father, on this last day of the month, I receive grace, greater grace and more grace to continue to the end by remaining small in my own eyes. So help me Lord.”
#PastorMrsFaithOyedepo
#CHoP30Sept21
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CHoP is an acronym for Covenant Hour of Prayer
