BEING CALLED A WINNER IS NOT AN ACCOLADE OR A NICKNAME, THERE IS A WINNING GRACE HERE
I AM A BONA FIDE REFLECTION OF THE SOURCES TO WHICH JESUS CONNECTED ME. NO NEED FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS OR MIMICKING.
COMMENTS OF MEN FOR OR AGAINST HAVE NEVER AFFECTED ME
THE ENEMY HAS NOT PREVAILED AGAINST ME BECAUSE GOD IS THE ONE FIGHTING MY BATTLES. I AM AT PEACE.
WE HAVE NEVER CALLED AN EMERGENCY MEETING TO DEAL WITH ANY ISSUE IN THIS MINISTRY
ALL ROUND REST, THE PEACE THAT PASSES ALL EXPLANATION IS AVAILABLE IN CHRIST
GOD TOLD ME “THE HOUR HAS COME TO LIBERATE THE WORLD…” BUT WE STARTED AT A CORNER FIRST
IF WE DIDN’T SEE BEYOND KADUNA OR CAPERNAUM, WE WOULD HAVE REMAINED THERE FOREVER
YOU HAVE A GLOBAL DESTINY BUT YOU DON’T JUMP TO THE TOP. GOD MOVES YOU LITTLE BY LITTLE.
AFTER MY WIFE HAD TAKEN LOTS OF TREATMENT WITHOUT RESULT, SHE SAID “I AM GOING BACK TO CANAANLAND. GOD SETS FREE THERE” AND JESUS SET HER FREE HERE.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY CHRISTIAN IN MY LIFE THAT CONTINUES TO THRIVE WITHOUT HIS FEET BEING PLANTED IN CHURCH.
THERE ARE TOO MANY AMATEURS ON THE PULPIT TODAY WHO HAVE NO PROOF WHATSOEVER OF WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
- Bishop David Oyedepo on TOWARDS MAXIMIZING OUR GLORIOUS DESTINY IN CHRIST 5 at Covenant Day of All Round Rest Service || Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland|| 30th June 2024 || First Sunday Service ||
We have never lacked testimonies on this platform the past 43 years. A proof of the faithfulness of God and so it has continued to be.
- Therefore from this day onwards, your life will no longer lack testimonies.
We are bound to return with a harvest of rewards for our labour for advancing the Kingdom. God never lies. - Therefore as already declared, the next four weeks you will be swimming in surprises.
“Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness, Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve; Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.”
That is the hymn we sang. So for every Kingdom promoter in these last seven weeks of Operation Rescue, you are bound to come back with rejoicing bringing in the sheaves of harvest with you in the name of Jesus.
Jesus, we are here again at your feet on this Covenant Day Of All Round Rest, the same way you have granted rest to this Commission for 43 years, let every single Winner worldwide today enter into a new realm of all round rest. Let the grace of all round rest upon this Church be transmitted supernaturally into every Winner today. Let all our new converts and new members become partakers of this all round rest upon this Church in the name of Jesus. Church Gist. Show us the way to it, engrace us to work that way and let this become a lifelong reality in our lives. Heal the sick in this service today, deliver the oppressed in this service today, set free the captives in this service today. Turn the sorrows of everyone here into joy and let your name be glorified in Jesus’ precious name.
Let me start by first speaking to this simple subject, BENEFITS OF SPIRITUAL GENUINE MEMBERSHIP OF ANY CHURCH. By being grafted a genuine member becomes a partaker of the root and fatness of the olives which implies the anointing of the house. Romans 1:17. He becomes a natural partaker. When a branch is grafted into a tree, it begins to draw of the virtue of that tree to produce goods after the same order. When a believer is genuinely grafted into a spiritual system, he begins to draw on the virtue, the root and the fatness of that source. Church Gist. Genuine engraftment makes a believer a natural partaker of his source. Natural! You are not struggling, you are not mimicking. It is just flowing because you are genuinely grafted. Therefore in the name of the Lord Jesus, I decree a natural flow of every grace on this Commission into every genuine member.
- Replication Of Unction.
The anointing upon the head of Aaron is what flows down his beards to his garment and to his skirts (Psalm 133:1-3). When you genuinely belong to a spiritual family, the unction upon the priest flows down into your life. Church Gist. Therefore the grace for all round rest to which he brought me back in 1976 becomes your portion today. - It Secures Reflection Of The Source.
When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, they took knowledge of them that they had been with Christ. A reflection of your source. Your being called a Winner is not an accolade or a nickname, there is a winning grace here. Church Gist. May that winning grace continue to reflect in your own life. Remember by their fruits we shall know their source. Matthew 7:20. The days of failure and defeat are over in your life. - Prophetic Covering
When one is genuinely connected, he enjoys a prophetic covering that is available in such a place. You know we have heard humbling testimonies of diverse manifestations of prophetic covering. So strong, only God could have done such. It is available for free to everyone that is genuinely connected. Connectivity is this, not commitment, not dedication, you can be committed to a family, that does not qualify you to share the DNA of that family. You can be dedicated to their welfare, that does not make you a member of the family. When you are grafted, it flows. I am a bona fide reflection of the sources to which Jesus connected me. No doubt! No need for announcements. Not mimicking, not trying to do something. For instance, I discovered of late how God told Kenneth E. Hagin, “Don’t bother answering your critics, keep your focus on the assignment.” I never read that in all my studies of his works but it is my natural take from that source. Church Gist. Comments of men for or against have never affected me. I also discovered of late that Kenneth Copeland does not waste his time on newspapers. You may not like it but I bought the last newspaper in 1993. There are so much things of value to read. You heard me say “Those who make news don’t watch news.” They are so busy making news, they are not available to watch news.
There are natural things that flow when you genuinely belong, they are not for social members nor passersby. They are for men and women who are grafted. They are not for those who are there to be entertained or to be taught, you don’t partake of the DNA of a teacher. Church Gist. There is a particular grace upon this Commission, may you be a reflection of it all the days of your life. So among others, you can say “this does not belong to me in the Winners Family. This is not my portion. I know where I belong, I know where I am connected.”
- It Gives Us Access To All Of The Goodness Of The Lord Available In Such House Or Family.
Psalm 65:4. They that dwell in thy court, not that they are passing by. Every temple of Jesus has some goodness reserved in there. You can always tell what is available in a shopping mall. When you see somebody coming out with an item, you know that such an item is available there. If he comes out with a baby or toddler tricycle, you know they sell it there. If he comes out with a mattress, you know they sell it there. So every testimony you ever heard here means a definition of the goodness of the Lord in the house. Which is naturally available to everyone that is genuinely grafted. Psalm 132:13-16. God dwells here because He built it. Church Gist. It is a shouting house, there is always something to shout about. So in your life from henceforth, there will always be something to shout about. No more weeping because it doesn’t belong to this place. No more wailing, no more assault of death. No more burying of young people. In your household from henceforth, only the aged shall be buried. As for you, no devil can cut short your life because it is not part of the goodness of this house that he makes available here.
Therefore stop being an onlooker, become a partaker. Whatever is available in this spiritual house is obtainable to every genuine member. It is your turn for a change of story. There is rest here. You are returning home today with a baptism of all round rest. By His grace, I have been here, everybody met me here. We have never called an emergency meeting to deal with an issue. Not once! “Come quickly, we don’t know what to do.” Not once! All round rest is available in Christ. John 14:27. Jesus is the custodian of the peace that passes all explanation, the peace that passes all understanding. You are returning with that order of peace. Can I tell you what it does? Exodus 14:14. When you receive this baptism, God takes over your battles. Can God lose any battle? The days of defeat in the battles of life are over in your life. Church Gist. The reason why God has not taken over the battles of many is that we are yet to hold our peace. We are yet to be still so we can know that we are God. So it is not about all round rest and you know, it is God taking over your battle. There is war but He is fighting on your behalf. There is battle but He is the one fighting for you. You know why the enemy has not prevailed against me? God is the one fighting my battles. You know how He does it? I am at peace. He never lies. Be still and you will know that I am God (Psalm 46:10). You are going to see God in action in ways beyond your wildest imagination.
You step into that realm through a genuine covenant to serve God and the interests of His Kingdom with all your heart and with the whole of your desires. All your heart, not as somebody signing up a contract, if you do this I will do this. With all your heart and with the whole of your desires. 2 Chronicles 15:15. You can’t enter that covenant and lose your rest. You can enter that covenant and lose your peace. Church Gist. He gave them rest all round and there was no more war. Do you know why? He is winning the war. Isaiah 54:15. There is nothing more fulfilling than God taking over a man’s battles. You can’t be guided by a lion and be afraid of a mad dog. That will be fresh meat for the lion. Psalm 23:4. Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I fear no evil for thou art with me dealing with the issues with your rod and your staff. Welcome to your realm of all round rest.
We conclude our teaching series, TOWARDS MAXIMIZING OUR GLORIOUS DESTINY IN CHRIST 5. Remember the prophetic focus for the month of June is I AM A CHILD OF DESTINY, I SHALL NOT LIVE LIKE A DESTITUTE. I know where I belong in Christ. Romans 8:29-30. You are not redeemed to be shameified, you are redeemed to be glorified. The days of shame and reproach are over in your life. You have a glorious destiny in Christ. It is our divine predestination in redemption. Ephesians 1:3-5, 11-12. Church Gist. People should praise God by the events of our lives. We have been brought out of darkness into His marvellous light. We are to be marvelled at. Redemption makes the believer a marvel to his world. We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. We are value adding citizens of the earth. Every seed of Abraham is ordained a blessing to his world, not a burden. Therefore in the name of Jesus Christ, no one here will ever appear a burden again.
While it is true that we have a glorious destiny in Christ, it is spiritual understanding that defines the limits of our access. It is a realm of from glory to glory we have been redeemed to, our spiritual understanding is what moves us from one realm of glory to another. Genesis 13:15. Your redemption has more value than impacting on your family. Genesis 22:17. If you are born again, you are a seed of Abraham. Galatians 3:29. You are redeemed a blessing to the world, not to your village, not to your street. A blessing to the world. As far as our eyes can see is what defines our limits. Church Gist. He said to the Laodicean Church, “You say you are rich and have need for nothing, not know you are blind. If you can see the realms I have in stock for you, you will know that you are poor and wretched.” You carry a global destiny on your head, so ending up a local citizen is a proof of spiritual blindness. You can’t see beyond it, so you settle in. If we didn’t see beyond Kaduna, we won’t leave. If we didn’t see beyond Capernaum, the old church in town, we wouldn’t leave. As far as your eyes can see, therefore I decree the siege of mediocrity mentality over in your life.
Jesus said you are the light of the world not the light of your family. You are the salt of the earth. How much is your village in terms of fraction compared with the entire earth? You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. You don’t jump there, you move little by little as He moves you forward through your obedience of faith. “The hour has come to liberate the world…” That is what He told me. You think you go to the world the same day? You start in a corner first. From the corner gradually to the street, from the street to the highway. In the same city. From the highway maybe to high state. People want to jump. Can you imagine a boy of 5 years old believing God to start in 100 Level at Covenant University? They want to drop him in KHMS, he said No! Covenant. They said this is where to start, he said never I can’t start there, I believe God. Church Gist. They taught us in Children’s Church to believe God that anything can happen. 100 Level straight. So they go to the Registrar for a form for 100 Level. Registrar asks for who? They said this boy wants to enter 100 Level Mathematics. No! It doesn’t happen. That is what many people are doing. “I am believing God.” Start from where you are. Abraham started from where he was. Start from where you are. This was a lost corner Church. Ungwan Rimi was in the outskirts, this Church was in the outskirts of Ungwan Rimi. You know outskirts of outskirts? This Church was an open air Church at a point, became a grass church by promotion and then became a batcher with iron sheets on top, floor not paved. You better move. You are a global citizen but you start at a corner and you keep doing the right thing at a corner, he keeps changing your level little by little until the world knows another seed of Abraham is here. You are that seed of Abraham.
We must take caution, destiny is a function of discovery and not of opportunity. Opportunity kept Jacob under siege for 21 years. The mother overheard his father saying to Esau, “Bring me the venison as I love.” The mother said let’s take advantage of this opportunity because I heard the Word, God said “Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated.” So they quickly organized a coup. They went and brought something from the house. Esau went to the bush, Jacob stole the blessings from behind the house. He paid for it for twenty one years. Church Gist. Can you imagine marrying a wife and you didn’t know it was not the wife you paid for? You can’t deceive and not be deceived tomorrow. It is not opportunity, destiny is a function of discovery. It is not a function of skill or capacity. Through capacity Moses became a fugitive for 40 years. He was a General in the Egyptian army and he used his might and killed somebody and buried him. Capacity, skill. Ahitophel was so endowed that his counsel were like an oracle from God but he ended up in suicide. Destiny is all about discovery, not capacity.
Destiny is about discovery, not of passion. Passion got Paul into trouble for the remaining days of his life. Passion to win the Jews. Undying passion contrary to God’s plan. Passion does not define destiny. “Get thee out of here.” He said “I need to reach the Jews. Their fathers were the custodians of the covenant. I need to reach them. I would rather die than not see them saved.” Passion got him into trouble. Romans 9:1-5. God sent him to the Gentiles, he went there by passion, he suffered pepper. Destiny is not a function of situations and circumstances. Church Gist. It is a function of discovery. There is trouble, so let’s run to somewhere else. They ran from the frying pan to fire because they would not ask counsel of the Lord. We saw how Abraham’s transgenerational destiny was realized through his discovery and unreserved obedience of faith. Whatever God said was right and final. Genesis 24:1. Genesis is absolutely a function of discovery, discovery of his plan for you either by His Word or by direct communication with you.
We close today by recognising that we have a triumphant destiny in Christ. You are not redeemed to be defeated but to be triumphant. 2 Corinthians 2:14. We are redeemed to triumph always and in every place. So defeat is not part of our inheritance. Defeat is not part of our destiny in Christ. We were redeemed to be far above the forces of failures and defeat. Which are called principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and wicked spirits in heavenly places. We are redeemed to be triumphant always which means in all our ways and in every place as He leads us. So we have a destiny of triumph in Christ. Therefore in the name of Jesus, the last defeat you knew is the last you will ever know. When confronted, declare ‘I have a destiny of triumph in Christ.” When challenged by any devil, declare ‘I have a destiny of triumph in Christ.” So when you put that 2 Corinthians 2:14 along with Ephesians 2:6 which shows our salvation and how we are raised up with him and made to sit with Him in heavenly places and is located far above all principalities and powers. Ephesians 1:20-21. That means we are not permitted to be defeated. I am not redeemed to be defeated. I am redeemed to be ever triumphant in Christ. Not in your strength, not in my strength, in Christ. Church Gist. Not with your skill but in Christ. Not with your connections but in Christ. What that means is that you have to stay in Christ to remain triumphant. Not off and on Christianity. Our destiny is secured only in Christ. Outside Christ, it is lost. It can’t be realized. There is no branch that disconnects from a tree that has a future. Every cut off branch loses its future at the point of cut off. That is why many believers are up today and down and out tomorrow. They were cut off, they saw some little fruits and they got cut off. Until the branch that bears the fruits dies and there are no more fruits. When a branch is cut off, it doesn’t wither the same day, particularly in the rainy season. Photosynthesis still continues for a while but after some time, it becomes weary and turns brown to say look, I am gone. Our destiny is only secured in Christ, outside of Christ forget it. It is lost. It may not appear so immediately but it is so in the end. It is so in the process of time. It shows in no time.
I met Jesus 55 years ago and by His grace I have remained connected. I have not checked on any other source of help and I will not do that until I go to heaven. This branch has not ceased to bear fruits, it is connected to the roots. Jesus, the root of David. You better stay connected and stop playing games. ‘I am doing it but it is not working.’ You are not working. They were cut off because of unbelief. “Well, thank God for my skill. Thank God for faith but there is a part my skill played.” The moment you disconnect, you disconnect. The fruits will cease, it is only a short time. Church Gist. Winners were all over the town yesterday, everywhere you go, you find them. I was also there because I am also a Winner. If you read the first verse of that hymn, you see what it means to return with rejoicing bringing in sheaves. You don’t sit down bringing in sheaves. You see me holding the paper in my hand, I am saying this song speak to me and I am marking it. Speaking to yourself in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Before we sing the song, we pray “God what Psalm and song have you today?” not just singing. I got fired up by that song. Just like Matthew 6:33, I got fired up in that song. From now we will be sending you the hymn of the day so you can locate that on the system and read it like a psalm. So important. The good news is your long awaited rest is here.
Interestingly also, we have a growing destiny in Christ, there is no end to it. We have a most elastic destiny in Christ. Proverbs 4:18. Jesus’ arrival is defined as the perfect day. 1 Corinthians 3:13. There is the perfect day, the day Jesus returns. Our destiny is ordained to keep shining more and more. Where you are is only a phase, you are moving to the next phase. Church Gist. After the next phase, the next phase. You never know a backward trend anymore in your life. 1 Corinthians 13:9-10. The perfect day is when Jesus arrives and our path is ordained to shine more and more till He returns. I have a glorious destiny in Christ. That is your destiny defined.
To experience the reality of our all round rest:
- Be Born Again And Stay In The Faith
They made the covenant but they stayed in that covenant, the Word says He gave them rest roundabout and there was no more war until they backed out. 2 Chronicles 15:15-19. Be born and stay in the faith. For a long time, Israel was without a true God, a teaching priest and without law. Church Gist. 2 Chronicles 15:4. Without the true God in your life, you get into trouble. 2 Chronicles 15:3-5. John 17:3. Our Father is the only true God. Without knowing this true God, you get into crisis. You get into trouble. Without staying connected to this true God, you get back into crisis. Today marks the end of uproars in your life. - Be Willing To Learn The Way To All Round Rest.
There is always the Word way to anywhere you are going. The provision is in the Word of God, the way to actualise it is also here. Church Gist. Be willing to learn. Matthew 11:28-29. Isaiah 59:8. There is a way of peace. There is a way to peace that passes all understanding. - Stay in love with God.
Romans 8:28. Stay in love with God! 1 John 4:16. He can’t be assaulted, he can’t be molested. Stay in love. - Settle down with God in His house
Why? The menslayers are all over town. The Church is God’s end time city of refuge. 2 Samuel 7:10. God has an appointed place for us. Deuteronomy 12:13-14. So He chooses where our sacrifices will be acceptable. Locate that place and stay there, then you are kept away from the afflictions of the wicked. People need to know this, I have never seen any Christian in my life that continues to thrive without his feet being planted in Church. I am a student of biographies. I know what I am talking about. I have seen many on and off. There is no point mentioning that here but we have them in scriptures. Obadiah 1:17. Zion is the Church of the First Born, the Church of Christ. Hebrews 12:22-24. Obadiah 1:21. We are in the days of exploits in the Body of Christ but they will rise from the Church. Church Gist. They are not from guise believers, they are not from social members. I am a church planted person since I got saved. Saviours shall arise from Mount Zion, they may look like carpenters but they are saviours. You better secure your place in Zion, lest you be an onlooker as this wave continues to grow in tempo. Find a place for yourself in your God appointed Zion.
My wife said after she got a lot of treatment, I am going back to Canaan. God sets free there and Jesus set her free here. She was learning to walk when she came. Jesus set her free here. You better secure your place in Zion. Years ago, I felt some strange weakness and I said “Look, just let me get to fellowship.” I wasn’t the preacher, I wasn’t anything. Just let me get to fellowship because I know those who are not permitted to be there. Satan is not permitted to be there. The protocol is listed. Hebrews 12:22-24. Church Gist. Those who are permitted. I got there and they said, “Brother David, you are leading prayers tonight”. Hagin has taught us not to say you are sick when you don’t want to be sick. They didn’t know what I was going through. So I stood up, I stood for five hours and it was off forever. You better locate your place of help and settle in there. So many floating things around the town and around the world. So many! Too many amateurs on the pulpit, who have no proof whatsoever of what they are talking about. They have not experienced anything so how can they communicate it? You better hear God. Matthew 11:28-29. Being in Church is coming to Jesus. Church is the place where God baptizes His people with rest. In the name of Jesus Christ, your long awaited rest in all areas of your life is established today
- Consciously enter into a covenant to make serving God and the interests of His Kingdom your way of life.
Don’t say “we are going” “we are coming” You as a person, consciously enter into a covenant as an individual to make serving God and the interests of His Kingdom, your priority for living. I did that 12th September 1976, 48 years ago. I have not had the first regret doing so. It is not a let us go, I am going. Let us move, no! I am going. To show how conscious of it I was, I shared with our brethren in fellowship in 1979 that the time of brethren let us go is over. I am gone. If you are interested, you may follow. I left. “let us go, you know I am so busy” no! I am baptized to be a witness of Jesus, not we are baptized. So I left. Enter into a personal covenant. I know where God picked me from, I know where grace has brought me to. Enter into a personal covenant to make serving God and the interests of His Kingdom your priority for living, your new way of life. Psalm 34:10. Matthew 6:33. I am a bundle of such addictions. I am a preacher but I have originated some courses for our universities and they are copying it around the world. I am a bundle of such addictions. In the name of Jesus, I decree that your days of panting and palpitating to make things happen have come to an end in your life. If you do what He says, you have committed Him to confirm what He says in your life. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things others are dying for shall be added to you, no games, no gimmicks.
I have never kept this Church money in my hand overnight except one wonderful day when the Lord told me to get down to the office. I got there. “call the administrator” I called him. Get every cash you have here out of this place. We did that. Two and half hours after armed robbers invaded the place. They found nothing. I walk in the spirit. I never knew what it was. My son Bishop Abioye was around. I said come let’s go to the office. Church Gist. I called the administrator to bring down every cash we have. I hope it is all finished? Put it in my car. He would be wondering what is going on. That was the first time ever that Church money slept in my house. Not when it was ₦10. There is no game in this thing. I am living on my tithe not your own, I am living on my seed not your own. I am being rewarded for my labour, not your labour. There was no more war. I see your life entering into a war free zone. We don’t know wars in this place. We just watch wars being won. In the name of Jesus, every war against your destiny is conquered today.
Can I tell you this as I close? After every planting season comes the harvest season. The next four weeks, as you heard in that epistle, is declared prophetically as harvest season of rewards for your labours. Among the rewards shall be all round rest. The kind that is beyond human explanation and understanding. You are stepping into it and you never step out of it all the days of your life. I said humourously in our Pastors Prayer Meeting, a Professor of Crop Science who specialized in sweet corn, if he didn’t plant in the planting season of corn, he will have to buy or beg. He is a professor. Church Gist. He is like a preacher who never moved when God says move. He is just preaching. Wake up! Whenever the farmer stops farming, his harvest season stops. We are getting to the harvest season of rewards to replant the next season and replant again the next season after that harvest. Sweet corn is sweet, if you don’t plant, you won’t eat. When are we going to stop? We are not going to stop. Until you are tired of blessings, don’t be tired of serving Him. My heart goes forth to you, there is nothing this ministry has as a testimony that will not be replicated in your life, in your children, in your household.
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