WHEN MY WIFE WAS SICK TO THE POINT OF DEATH, I TOLD GOD “WHETHER YOU HEAL HER OR NOT, YOU ARE STILL MY GOD.”
MIRACLES CAN’T KEEP YOU IN THE FAITH, IT’S YOUR LOVE FOR GOD THAT DOES.
A TIRELESS AND DELIGHTSOME PURSUIT OF GOD AND HIS INTEREST MAKES A BELIEVER A LIVING WONDER.
I’VE NEVER BEEN OUT ON A PRAYER AND FASTING EPISODE FOR PERSONAL THINGS.
MANY DON’T REALLY LOVE GOD. THEY ONLY LOVE HIM FOR WHAT HE DOES.
LOVE FOR GOD IS WHAT ENTITLES US TO HIS SECRETS.
I HAVE A PROBLEM MAKING A MOVE WITHOUT RECEIVING GOD’S DIRECTIVE. I HEAR GOD SAY THE WAY TO GO AND WATCH HIM LEAD THE WAY
WHAT I CAN CALL MY AREA OF STRENGTH IS GRACE
IF YOU DEPEND ON YOUR EXPERTISE YOU WILL EXPIRE. ALLOW GOD TO LEAD THE WAY
SCRIPTURAL INSTRUCTIONS ARE NOT TO HARASS US, THEY ARE TO DIRECT US
WE PULLED DOWN AN ONGOING STRUCTURE IN KADUNA AT GARDEN OF FAITH TO ERECT ONE ACCORDING TO GOD’S PLAN BACKED BY HIS SUPPLY
BEN CARSON SAID HIS FAVOURITE SCRIPTURE IS PROVERBS 3:5-6; HE IS ONE OF THE GREAT SURGEONS
IN CASE YOU ASK GOD FOR DIRECTIONS AND THERE’S NO ANSWER IT MEANS STAY WHERE YOU ARE
ACCESS TO GOD’S VOICE IS OUR ACCESS TO THE HAVEN OF REST
HOW WE PULLED DOWN AND RELOCATED FAITH ACADEMY FOR THE ARK PROJECT
TIME NEVER MAKES A WRONG STEP RIGHT
STOP GUESSING! YOU ARE A BELIEVER, POSITION YOURSELF TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD.
WHEN GOD LEADS, EVERYTHING WORKS
THE WINNING SECRET OF THE END TIME CHURCH IS EXPRESS ACCESS TO GOD’S PERFECT WILL
WHEN WE LACK UNDERSTANDING IN ANY AREA, WE ARE AS GOOD AS UNSAVED IN THAT AREA BECAUSE WE SUFFER WHAT THE UNSAVED SUFFER
- Bishop David Oyedepo on UNDERSTANDING HOW GOD LEADS 4 at Midweek Communion Service || LFC Canaanland || 10th July 2024 ||
Apart from salvation, I believe one of the greatest assets of a believer is access to the voice of God. You can’t miss your steps with true access to His voice. When He leads everything works. When God leads, everything works because He goes before the led to clear barriers. Isaiah 45:2. When He leads everything works. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want for any good thing. Church Gist. When He leads everything works. We need to learn how He leads. When God leads, impossible barriers like the Red Sea clear the way. When He led them, He fed them twice a day for forty years running. He led them through the desert and there was no thirst. Abundant water supply for three million people. When this God leads, everything works. Isaiah 48:21. When God leads, everything works.
Prayer: Lord heal me of spiritual deafness tonight, cause my ear to hear the voice of the Spirit just like I hear the voices of men. Isaiah 50:4.
When this God leads, everything works. When we lead ourselves struggles continue. When this God leads, where to go, what to do, how to do it, everything works. We started looking at this important subject, UNDERSTANDING HOW GOD LEADS. We had Part 1,2 and 3 during the Spiritual Week Of Emphasis. Now we are on Part 4. Spiritual understanding of the ways of God is crucial to maximize one’s adventure in the Kingdom. Proverbs 21:16. When we lack understanding in any area, we are as good as unsaved because we suffer what the unsaved suffers. 1 John 5:12. When the saved lacks understanding in any subject, he is dead in that area. He goes through the hassles that the unsaved go through. Church Gist. Colossians 1:9. It is His leading that puts us in the centre of His will. In our words, that we might be filled with all wisdom and spiritual understanding on how He leads. That is God’s ordained winning secret for the end time Church. Joel 2:7. They will be contented on their path. They will stay focused on their path. They won’t run another man’s race. That’s what He says in Joel 2:7-8, who is He talking about? Talking about the end time Church. Joel 2:3. So the winning ticket, the winning secret of the end time Church is express access to God’s perfect will.
There are three levels of will of God in scriptures – the good, the acceptable and the perfect. Very few step into the perfect. That’s okay, that doesn’t hurt anybody so go ahead. It may hurt you. Acceptable? Well, you might make some good results but not the best of results. Perfect will? Guaranteed. Romans 12:1-2. So it is not just the will of God, it is the perfect will of God for your life and my life. Be not conformed to the world, the in-thing happening now. To be enlisted in the end time army, you must learn how to know your path and your way. That which one should abide in his calling. If you go off it, it is like a curse. 1 Corinthians 7:20, 24. Church Gist. That is where the key to winning without sweat is. No matter the anointing, when you go off your path you start facing the music. Paul was sent to the Gentiles, out of passion he went to the Jews and they showed him pepper. He will testify in heaven. Off your path is the highway of struggles. Off my path is the highway of struggles. Being on track with Heaven’s will makes you a wonder. Joel 2:2-3. Express dominion! How? They shall walk everyone in his path and everyone in his way. Joel 2:7. They are unwoundable. It is what to crave for, we need to crave for access to operating in the perfect will of God for our lives and not guesswork. Guesswork hardly works. Proverbs 16:25. Some have climbed this way on their path, when they drop. Too bad! “Ah, so this man was fake before?” No, he wasn’t fake. He just missed his road. You won’t miss your road.
Some keep looking for meaning all their lives by missing their steps and because of the pride and arrogant nature of man he won’t want to accept that he missed his step. He has no reverse gear. So he keeps going on the wrong track that will never lead to a right end. You can’t face this way now and say you are going to Ibadan. They say no, this is not the way. No, that is what my mind is saying. You will soon arrive in Togo. It doesn’t matter, it is Ibadan I will arrive at. Time never makes a wrong step right. If you fail an exam, the only way to claim to pass is to rewrite it and pass it. Otherwise, there will be certificate racketeering. You have to agree, you can’t write the exam and mark it. They say you are wrong, “Yes Sir, what do I do?” Rewrite. “Yes Sir” and then you now study, not just “Yes Sir”. All those men and women that look so wonderful and amazing. Church Gist. They are not extra strong, they are just extra sensitive to the will of God for their lives and they are all out to pursue it. Until one misses his steps before he knows his weakness. We carried this anointing to Kumasi, it didn’t work. Why? It is not directed. It is not our path, the time was not yet. They think it is weakness to look for the will of God, “We can plan. We can strategize.” There is a way that seemeth right, very strategic and accurate but the end thereof are the ways of death. Perfect will!
On Canaanland property, the Ark was put there on the other side. He said “I would not have gone there with you. I told you this is the place of my appearance and you are carrying it there.” That’s how detailed it is. He is the owner of all the property. We now said let us put this your thing here. He said no, did I tell you that? I said that is where I want to put it. Church Gist. You said there is Faith Academy. Go and be in Faith Academy. So we pulled it down. It is His money, it is His instruction. Stop guessing, that is why you are a man of God. You are a believer. Stop guessing. “I know my sheep, they know my voice.” Let them position to hear my voice.
Now watch, He watched us labouring for nonsense in Kaduna for two years plus on our site, not His site. We already planted 108 pillars that will carry the basement for the building to continue. You know how much that is at that time. We were believing for every dime – active faith, violent faith. Church Gist. He said, “Should this Church move to that location, that will be the end of this ministry.” You say, why? Go and ask him. That was the last day I stepped there – 1989. You ask me, “What did we do with the place?” I don’t know. Sir, you wouldn’t have met this ministry at all. When he said that will be the end, that will be the end – he’s no respecter of persons.
- May each one’s ears be open today!
If somebody told you that, you will say he’s deceiving you – “They’re envious of us.” But when you hear from God directly, my God!
Access to his voice is our access to the haven of rest. He takes it over. The voice! Church Gist. We can stop here because by the time we take communion and your ears open, that’s all, all the things I want to teach you, you will know it. You will know it in your own.
We were hurrying to do a building in our new site in Kaduna at Garden of Faith. So, the fastest way of course is to quickly erect – a frame, structures, just put stanchions and roof them. Then, fund was not coming. I said, “Jesus why is fund not coming?” He said, “that’s not my plan.” You mean up to the plan? So we were struggling with our plan and he won’t fund our plan. Church Gist. I said, “what’s your plan?” He said, put your letter D. “Ah! Rectangle didn’t work. Letter D!” So we began to pull down the stanchions. Nobody asked, “why are we pulling it down?” You know when God is leading, there was no explanation to anybody. When we put it on his plan then resources woooo (flowed in). No prayer, no preaching of emergency faith, perfect will. “Lord I want to be part of that army, I don’t want to be left out. I don’t want to be guessing and goosing all around.” They are clapping for you somewhere because you are in the center of his will. You go off they say, “ah! Where is this guy coming from? I think I used to know you somewhere, what’s your name again?” Identity lost Sir! Immediately Paul got there they said, “are you not that murderer?” Identity lost! Listen to me o, Mo ti ba rin di e to. Oro e yemi kekere (I have walked with him a little
I understand him a bit) Don’t toy with your life, you don’t have a spare. In case you ask him and there’s no answer it means, stay where you are. Don’t carry your luggage into the forest. They say, why? You say, “Winners went to the forest.” If he didn’t lead you to this forest, Igbo Irunmole (the forest of deities – forest where people are crushed on the floor.) Won a run e mole (they will crush you on the floor). Church Gist. That’s how valuable access to his voice is. They received Paul gladly into trouble. As he opened his mouth, an eloquent man, my God, a lawyer of excellence. They welcome you, “heey! Glad to see Paul the Apostle our own. Heeey! Paul the mover.” In a moment, phew what? This man ought not to live. They started throwing dust in the air. Then some took him by the hand, some by the leg, soldiers had to come and rescue him – not angels now, angels have left. He never committed any sin, he only missed his step. He never walked in hatred, he was a lover of God, that’s okay but he missed his step.
- No one among us will miss our steps!
He said, “these lawyers are not smart enough, I will answer for myself.” Laughs. He went back to law, he has left it long time. The anointing that made men bow had left. Church Gist. The ways of God are the highways of life. Don’t toy with it. Some have followed their passion into destruction, others have followed their skill and they are killed.
Ben Carson one of those great surgeons, he said on the platform of Covenant University when he came, he said “my favourite Scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6.” To acknowledge him o, not to inform him. Church Gist. “Sir, you know what I don’t know, you know the way, you know the end from the beginning. Am I okay? Am I off course? Am I walking to danger?” and he will direct your path.
So being led by the Spirit of the Lord is the believer’s access to his high places. Deuteronomy 32:11-13. He wasn’t led by fascinations, the in thing, what is working today, the Lord alone did lead him and there was no strange god with him. His leadings are to our high places in life. We follow our leadings into our low places. Church Gist. To miss out on God’s leading is to keep struggling for survival. But when God leads, favours follow and struggles give way, favours flow and struggles cease. So every step we take, is either for our lifting or our letting, our going up or our coming down. Isaiah 30:1-3. This is not addressing Nigeria migration, this is in the Bible before Nigeria became Nigeria, before it was found, before anybody arrived here, this is written for the time to come like this.
Scriptural instructions are not to harass us, they are to direct us. Ask at my mouth, “Lord what are you saying?” David always inquired of the Lord of his plans for him before going to war. “Are we okay? Are we alright? I am an acclaimed expert at war but I know where the mighty man of war. What are you saying Lord?” When the enemy came and took over the city and carried away their sons and daughters, “Lord what are you saying? Shall I pursue them?” Church Gist. They thought of stoning him he said, “Look, I don’t know how to deal with this but let me ask the Lord.” He said, pursue for …” 1 Samuel 30:6-9. David went according to what God said and prevailed as always. 2 Samuel 5:18-20. If you depend on your expertise you will expire. Please allow God to lead the way. I asked myself, “what can you call your area of strength?” I said, grace – that’s what I can call my area of strength. I have a problem making a move without receiving his directive. Church Gist. So what I do is: I hear him say the way to go and I watch him lead the way. The cheapest way to make the most of one’s life is to let God lead the way.
How do I access Divine Guidance? How do I access the voice of God?
- Please note: all lovers in Scriptures have very cheap access to his voice. Genesis 18:17. That is, His plan that has nothing to do with Abraham, He reveals it to him, how much more His plan for Abraham? Church Gist. Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23. Then you come down to David, a man with a heart for God. “The Lord said to David, the Lord said to David.” “Shall I go up?” Yes, go up. “Shall I go up?” Don’t go now, wait a minute.
Many people love what God does not as many love Him. He is a good God so they love the good things He does. But do they really love Him? All men seek thee. You know why? They ate bread and fish for free so they went on foot running. ‘Ah, I learnt He’s there again, let’s go.’ He said, “you seek me for bread, you don’t have any heart for me. You seek me for bread.” Church Gist. People love Him for what He does but do they really love Him? That’s why they react very sharply and shabbily when what they think He should do for which they are running after Him, He hasn’t done it.
‘Thou shalt love the Lord your God (not love what He does) with all your heart then you find His Word working like fire in all areas of your life. This is vital, this is crucial. Everybody including sinners know and love what God does. Church Gist. At the point of accident, even the one who calls himself an atheist ‘O, God, oya, I love you. I love how you deliver people – deliver me.’ (Laughs) They don’t have any iota of heart of God but they love what He does. There are many in Church today, they are there because of what He does. But when your heart is after God, you become His confidant on both your matter and the matters around you that has to do with you.
Now, let me tell you this. You don’t have to be a commissioned prophet. The Bible called Abraham, a prophet – ‘for he is a prophet and he will pray for you.’ He called David, a prophet. Abraham was a businessman and David, a king but they were His confidants because they were in love with Him. Church Gist. They have a heart for Him, so He bears His heart with them. Big question: do you love Him or you just love what He does?
Our love for Him is what opens our eyes. That’s what entitles us to His secret. No true lover of God struggles to hear His voice. And then Paul, even when he was off course, he was still hearing God. “There stood by me an angel of the Lord tonight and said, there shall be no loss.” He was in love. That error was not deliberate. It was passion for God but it was still wrong. You know what I’m saying? It was still wrong. Church Gist. If one is in love with Jesus and stays in love, his access will be unimpeded to His voice. And because love is principally of the heart, we can’t see it on the outside. We can only see the effect. Matthew 22:37…but the root is in the heart.
Do you really love Him? Then you are a candidate for auto access to His voice. I think we have gone somewhere tonight and we can close. Praise God! Church Gist. All these ‘let’s create a serene environment’, you can be quiet forever, if you don’t have a heart for God, you can’t have His…in your meditation, you are just busy thinking of the house you want to build, the land you want to buy. (Laughs) ‘O God, I must buy that land. All my friends have bought land’ – ‘go and collect it from them.’ (Laughs)
Now, let me tell you my little story. I’ve never been out on a prayer and fasting episode for personal things. You say, what are the things? I’ve been telling you before, I can’t be telling you again. That I went to the mountain, ‘O God in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth who went up on Mount Olive and He appeared with many infallible proofs.’ You know Nigerians like ‘Oriki’ (praise poems), they will just be calling God by every name ‘Oluwa’ (God) o. ‘Atofarati bi oke’ (Our Defence like a mountain). ‘Onipanla’ (Mighty Arm) (laughs). Now you have a neighbour now where you live (and) he doesn’t know where you are and he can’t ask when you come back – where are you coming from? You are not in a relationship – no communication. Separating oneself with valuables when you are a candidate for access.
I close: love is a choice. ‘Do you love me (not are you gifted)? Do you choose to love me?’ ‘O Lord, I do.’ So, prove that you do by keeping my commandment. Those who love Him don’t have any problem keeping His commandment. They don’t have. You don’t beg His lover to read the Word. You don’t beg His lover to go to Church. Church Gist. You don’t beg His lover to walk in love. You don’t. 1 John 5:3. You love Him? It’s a delight to keep His Word – a delight. It’s inside you, you are not struggling with it. John 14:21…he’s the one that loves me not the one that is singing ‘I love you’, not the one that is preaching ‘I love you.’
So, we may not see anybody’s genuineness of love but it has proofs. How delighted is he in keeping God’s commandments and instructions? Because of the value, because of what access to His voice brings about, it”s worth any price and the price is within our reach all by our choice. Church Gist. 40 days fasting and prayers won’t make you gain access.
- Tonight, we are all returning with open air miracles and the core demand for that will be everybody’s choice tonight!
Do I really love God or I just love what He does like every atheist does? You find core animists even herbalists, they go to hospital and say, ‘only God. I’m an herbalist but only God.’ Church Gist. I can’t tell you details but there are people that are in the other camp (core) when they hit trouble, ‘Papa, Papa, call your God.’ (Laughs) Nobody hates what God does. It’s only Him they don’t like. But what He does, why not? They enjoy it, they want it.
- Somebody’s story has just changed!
Sir, when you are in love with Him, the things you are trying to pursue begin to pursue after you. 1 Corinthians 2:9, Romans 8:28. You are making them to work – no! What makes it work is, you love God with proofs and all those things will keep working in your favour. Church Gist. What is a straightforward, straight line equation? You want all things to work? He says, yes. ‘You love God.’ No! “Let all things be working then, I will love God.” Okay, write your own Bible. We are going to take in the nature of Christ. John 10:17. He knew what happened to win the love of the Father. So they, that had to walk by His instructions, obey His commandments. The same thing.
—PRAYERS—
Now wait. Miracles can’t keep you in the faith, it’s your love for God that does. People have seen miracles and run away and worshipping the devil. Songs of Solomon 8:6-7…Miracles can’t keep anybody. No! Church Gist. ‘But he that doeth the will of God shall abide forever.’ Love never fails. When we are genuinely in love, we secure our place in the Kingdom. Genuinely in love.
I said something that may look very wicked. I said to Jesus, “that you heal my wife is not what makes you God. Whether you heal her or not, you are my God.’ ‘Ah, I’m committed.’ It’s not fake, it’s not let’s try it. I said, Lord , can I tell you something this morning? That you heal her is not what makes you God. Whether you heal her or not, you are my God. I could imagine how He smiled on me because it’s a statement of fact rooted in the heart. You are too busy about these things. Is it wrong to believe for a car? Church Gist. It’s not wrong. I have better things to believe for and those things get added on their own. At a time there was no car to drive. Please, reposition your heart. One – you will Hear His voice. Two – He will keep adding value to your life. ‘All things that others are trying to get, shall be added to you.’ So it’s over to us.
Too many people in every Church including Winners love what God does, everybody does but not everybody loves God. The difference is clear by how much things are working and how much things are not working! Church Gist. Romans 8:28. A tireless, delightsome pursuit of God and His interest makes a believer a living wonder anyday, anytime and anywhere.
- The battle is over and you have won!
- The battle is over!
I like you to go to bed tonight singing “I really love you Jesus, I’ve always loved what you do but now tonight, my eyes have seen you. I love you, Jesus. Engrace me to keep staying in love.” You will be hearing His voice like a man hears his friend. Church Gist. That’s what He does. What motivated Moses to Egypt is not to be a mighty man. It was the passion that God had for His people. Thank you Lord!
—ALTAR CALL—
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