GRACE IS THE MAKER OF MEN.
WHEN A MAN ENJOYS GRACE IN ANY PARTICULAR AREA, IT MAKES THEM GREAT IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO TERMINATE SCARCITY, YOU MUST ENGAGE LIBERALITY
YOUR DISPOSITION CAN CHANGE YOUR CONDITION, SO DON’T LET YOUR DISPOSITION BE A FUNCTION OF YOUR SITUATION
THE CHURCH IS A PEOPLE NOT A BUILDING
YOU DON’T KNOW MY SECRET YET UNTIL YOU KNOW MY HEARTBEAT FOR GOD – Bishop David Oyedepo.
WHEN YOU OFFER YOURSELF FIRST AS A SEED TO GOD, THERE IS NOTHING YOU WILL WITHHOLD FROM HIM.
MANY IN THE CHURCH TODAY ARE CONSUMED WITH THE LOVE OF MONEY.
THOSE WHO CHASE MONEY WILL LACK IT; THOSE WHO CHASE GOD WILL HAVE IT IN ABUNDANCE.
WHATEVER WILL TAKE YOUR HEART FROM GOD WILL CHOKE HIS WORD FROM COMING TO PASS IN YOUR LIFE.
THOSE WHO RECEIVE PLEASURES FROM GOD ARE THE ONES WHO TAKE PLEASURE IN GOD.
THERE IS NO MAN WHOSE HEART GOES AFTER GOD WHOSE CASH WILL NOT GO AFTER GOD.
GIVE AS A PRIVILEGE, NOT AS A BURDEN.
NOT HAVING A COVENANT SOURCE PLACES THE BELIEVER IN A DISADVANTAGED POSITION.
IF YOU’RE NOT A PART OF THE KINGDOM, YOU CAN’T ACCESS THE RICHES OF THE KINGDOM
THOSE WHO SEE GIVING AS A PRIVILEGE, NATURALLY PROVOKE THE POSITIVE REACTION OF GOD IN THEIR DIRECTION
- Pastor David Oyedepo Jnr on “WALKING IN THE COVENANT OF SUPERNATURAL BLESSINGS 2” at April 2024 Week Of Spiritual Emphasis || Day Two || LFC Canaanland || 4th April 2024.
We began looking at this line of teaching yesterday that is captioned, WALKING IN THE COVENANT OF SUPERNATURAL BLESSINGS. Church Gist. Psalm 35:27. Remember our theme for the month is IN THE DAYS OF FAMINE, I SHALL BE SATISFIED.
By the way of introduction, we are reminded that one of the vital provisions of God for the redeemed is our prosperity. 3 John 2. The good news is that the covenant of blessings does not only cover our material needs, it covers every area of life. Philippians 4:19. Those who follow the dictates of scriptures in this regard, the Word of God says that they will spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures. Church Gist. Job 36:11. We see from scriptures that this heritage of prosperity is the package of God for every redeemed child of God in Christ. Galatians 3:13-14. Everyone that has Christ, everyone that is in Christ has a heritage of abundance in Him. John 10:10.
However, realizing this heritage requires adherence to the covenant of seedtime and harvest. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. So from this scripture it is clear that giving is sowing and then receiving is reaping. So it means that if you are going to terminate scarcity, you must engage liberality. There is no pathway to it without engaging liberality. It takes liberality to terminate scarcity. Church Gist. Proverbs 11:24-25. According to scriptures, we see very clearly that it takes engaging the platform of seed time and harvest to secure our access to this heritage of prosperity as ordained for us in Christ. Genesis 8:22. As long as the earth remains certain fundamentals will never change and one of them is the fundamentals of seedtime and harvest. This is a covenant provision and as long as the earth remains that can never change. Church Gist. The Bible makes us understand very clearly that it is when we engage with this covenant perspective that we begin to enjoy the fullness of what God has in store for us. My prayer is that each one of us particularly as we step in the light of the teachings of this month will enter into financial rest.
When Judah entered into a covenant with God, before the covenant, everywhere was vexation. After the covenant, God gave them rest roundabout. Every department of life, God gave them rest. 2 Chronicles 15:12-15. I pray again that by the light of the Word that you and I will be receiving this month, each one will step into financial rest. Church Gist. Yesterday we were made to understand that it takes following the steps of those that are ahead to enjoy the things that they have enjoyed. Hebrews 6:12.
Yesterday we looked at the example of Abraham, today we are going to be looking at the example of the Macedonian Church. Our anchor text for this is Corinthians 8:1-7. It means that a person’s condition does not determine the person’s disposition. These individuals were said to be in deep poverty but they talked about their joy and their liberality. Their disposition did not match their condition. Church Gist. Your disposition can change your condition, so don’t let your disposition be a function of your situation. The Bible tells us there that even though they were in deep poverty, their joy was apparent. Their liberality was apparent. From this scripture it is clear that this Church was a unique Church in terms of their disposition.
Let’s take note of the following. The Church is a people not a building. So it is talking about the people that made up the Churches of Macedonia. These people possess an unusual giving grace. Paul said they didn’t do this even as we hoped, they went beyond it. These are people operating under the canopy of an unusual grace. 2 Corinthians 8:7. What they were operating was a dimension of grace. 1 Corinthians 15:10. Church Gist. Grace is the maker of men. When a man enjoys grace in any particular area, it makes them great in that particular area. That is what we saw in the Churches of Macedonia. Beyond this, the Bible shows us that they were able to give beyond their capacity. That means they were operating beyond what is natural.
Philippians 2:13. So there was a force within them that was moving them beyond what nature would accommodate. They were going at the frequency of grace. This is what Jesus referred to as the power to lay down. John 10:17-18. So there is the empowerment required (the engracement required) to lay down. Church Gist. That is what this Church was operating in and the Bible shows us how this grace functioned in them. Because it says that, first of all, they gave themselves to the Lord. So giving what they had was not an issue. When you yourself is a seed to God, then there is nothing you will withhold from God. Proverbs 23:26.
What God seeks first is us. He is seeking you as a seed. They gave themselves first unto the Lord and then having given themselves to the Lord, there was nothing they were going to withhold from God. So God demands we ourselves first of all be given – that was what the Macedonian Church did. Church Gist. No wonder the Bible makes us understand when we look at this Church, they stepped into unusual dimension of supernatural abundance. It was one of those Churches that the Scripture was talking about in Philippians 4:15-19. They tapped into a heavenly economy by reason of their operation of the fundamental covenant of seedtime and harvest. This is so vital and important.
Now you will discover that one of the vital things we see from this Scripture is that the Bible says, ‘these people gave themselves to the Lord.’ So it means that as far as these people were concerned, they were not consumed by the love of money, they were consumed by the love of God. God was the object of their affection. 1 Timothy 6:10…they were consumed by the love of God not by the love of money. Church Gist. There are so many people today who are consumed by the love of money. They are in Church but actually they are after money. What they are seeking after is their own satisfaction and it’s important to know that those who chase money lose money, those who chase God have money. It’s so important to know that. Why? The Bible tells us very clearly in Proverbs 23:4-5.
Now you know that it is not wise, in fact it can be seen as a signal of ‘very very’ clear insanity for a man to be on the ground chasing an eagle in the sky. It is a sign of madness (fresh, open market madness) for somebody to be on the ground and an eagle is in the sky and he is pursuing it. His frustration will be perpetual and if you know one thing about birds when they are flying, they don’t mind, they can be pooing from the sky. Church Gist. While you are running after it on the Earth, its pooing on your head on the Earth while it is running in the sky. That is, it is so convenient for it to be in the air that it doesn’t mind. It’s like it is inside the toilet and pouring the toilet on you. That is what it is when a man is pursuing after riches. Those who chase it will lack it; those who chase God will have it. This is so important. Those who chase it will lack it; those who chase God will have it. Make Him the object of your pursuit.
I have seen so many people who think they can corner their way to make things happen and they get frustrated in the journey. I can’t forget a number of years ago (many years ago) when I was in Bible School, a woman came and met me and she said to me, she said ‘these things that we are being taught (because she was in a particular law enforcement agency and all kinds of manipulations)…she was telling me how they will manipulate and manipulate to get money one way or the other and the money was coming.” Church Gist. But these were her words, she said ‘listen, as the money is coming, I don’t know where it is going because I have nothing to show.’ And that’s what the Bible says. Proverbs 13:11. What you don’t know how it came, you will not know how it will go. This is so important.
These people were sold out to God. They were not running after money. Money was not their motivation. Church Gist. What was motivating them was their affection for God.
- I pray this Evening that a fresh baptism of love for the Master will come afresh upon each one of us! If you believe it, say a louder Amen!
And why is this so important? Anything that takes your heart from God, chokes His Word from your life. Whatever takes your heart from God, chokes His Word from coming to pass in your life. Mark 4:18-19…it is not that it stops them from knowing the Word but it stops that Word from producing in their lives. This is so important. Whatever will take your heart from God will choke His Word from coming to pass in your life. Church Gist. That is why the heart is the most sacred part in any man’s adventure. The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. That is the core. The heart of the matter (the core of the matter) is a matter of the heart. When your heart goes after God, good goes after you. That was the experience of the Macedonian Church and the outcome of it was that they ended up supernaturally blessed.
God’s Servant (Bishop David Oyedepo) has shared over the years, he said ‘you don’t know my secret yet until you know my heartbeat for God.’ Check every man or woman of substance in this Kingdom, the core of it is their heart going after God. Church Gist. That’s what was the secret of the Macedonian Church. They said ‘they gave themselves unto the Lord’ – that was their core. You will check it, you will see their hearts beating after God. That is the anchor of the matter.
- Again I pray this Evening that for each one of us hearing this Word tonight, may each one be baptized afresh with a heart for the Master!
That’s why you hear God’s Servant say things like ‘I’ve never prayed for money. I don’t pray for money. I have never prayed for any material thing.’ Why? Heart – gone after God. Heart – lost totally in God. Church Gist. That is the secret to everyone’s material needs being met. Now, he was sharing with us yesterday and he made mention of that in the Service talking about the realities of the end time.
Now, the truth is that in this end time, anyone that does not have a divine advantage is in an ultimate disadvantage because every formula will fail. Church Gist. It’s already failing now. Every formula will fail, every formula. If you check it around the World, everybody is just moving in the dark, they are pressing, pushing buttons by trial and error. One policy will come, they try it for one month, it scatters things more, they change it. They put another one, it re-scatters it beyond the original scattering, they change it again. Church Gist. After they change it, something rearranges, and another thing scatters, because we have entered into the realm where there will be diverse shakings across the Earth, systems will be shaking and until you have individuals that are in line with God, people who have their direct line from Heaven, I tell you…
God’s servant said it yesterday again, he said the time is coming when you will have money, you will not have what to buy with it. Church Gist. These are the days where the Covenant remains our only advantage and that is why we must get ourselves properly positioned. He was sharing with us yesterday jovially and talked about how that he sold his car, complete vehicle, 1,000 naira. That a house in Ikeja was 40,000, not per month, per annum. So, you can imagine now, if you have been saving money, 40,000 to rent a house and the game just changed. Church Gist. Now, if you carry 40,000 to rent a house in Ikeja and you carry the money, the agent can slap you for even having the thought to arrive there because sense should have told the person that is it a chicken cage you want to rent or a house. Are you getting what I’m saying? Because what 40,000 was, it is not now. Okay, if that one is far. Church Gist. What 1,000 was last year, is it now? Formula is changing per time, per minute, per minute, per moment, per moment. That is why if you don’t have a covenant source, you are in an ultimate disadvantage in this race.
This is why it becomes so important for us to get ourselves rightly aligned with God and the first thing to do is align our hearts with Him. Church Gist. Let your heart get sold out to God. When your heart goes after God, good goes after you.
- I see that becoming somebody’s experience today in the precious name of Jesus Christ.
So, the Macedonian Church was a model of liberality because their hearts were ready given unto God.
-Shout hallelujah.
What that also means is that there is no man whose heart goes after God whose cash will not go after God, his resources, he runs after God with everything that he has and that is what propels such individuals to realms of unusual manifestations when it comes to the realm of prosperity.
Now, how do you guarantee returns on our seed sowing? What are some of the demands? We are going to look at 2 of them in particular this evening. What are some of the demands?
1: Give as a privilege, not as a burden. You see when we’re talking about a privilege, we’re talking about a special advantage or an opportunity. Every giving time is a time of privilege. Church Gist. Give as a privilege. See it as a privilege every time you have the opportunity to present your seed before the Lord. Jeremiah 23:35-39. No matter who remembers you, if God forgets you, your case cannot end well. He said “I will utterly forget you. Church Gist. Why? You have taken what I am saying as a burden, not as a privilege”
Please, hear this. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to be a giver. That Is why every opportunity for giving should be seen as a sacred privilege. Church Gist. It is an honour granted unto you from above. Make no mistake, everything you give, God gave to you in the first place. So, the source of what you have is God and the source of what you give is God so no man can boast to God.
- Is somebody getting it?
No man can boast. See it as a privilege. God’s servant said he went to worship the Lord many years ago and he said when he got there, he said suddenly the Lord spoke to him “My son, I’m pleased with you” and he said goosebumps went all over his system. Church Gist. He said but the Lord asked him “But what have you brought for me? I’m pleased with you, but what have you brought for me?” and he said “Lord, what do I have? Oh! My salary, I give it to you” and he laid down the salary on the Altar and from then till forever, he has never been in need of a salary. Salary went to God, good came from God.
-Is somebody getting it now?
“My salary, I give it to you” He saw it as a privilege. “I give it to you” Not “God, what do you want again? Have I not tried? Everything you have been saying, I’ve been doing. Have I not…” There are some people that God cannot ask an open question like that because the answer cannot be straight. Church Gist. “My son, what have you brought for me?” “Hey! What have I brought for you? Father, I give you my time” He can’t ask them an open question yet. But He said, “My son, what…” He didn’t ask “Give me your salary” No. He said, “What have you brought for me?” “What do I have? Oh! My salary. I give it to you” That is, he made a decision motivated from love. Church Gist. Not “My salary, Lord, I’m giving you now. Make sure that it is coming back at least times two this month because this month there are things that must happen. Father, I’m telling you” No. Some people give as if they are warning God. Church Gist. “Lord, this gift I’m giving, this offering I’m giving, between today and tomorrow, the next 24 hours, if nothing happens, something will happen oh”
-Is somebody getting it now?
That is, this thing has become a burden to some but I’ve discovered that those who receive pleasures from God are the ones who take pleasure in God. Church Gist. If your life will become pressure free, then take pleasure in whatever concerns God. Let it be a delight. Let it be something that excites you.
- Shout hallelujah!
This is so important. Let it be something that excites you. Let every giving opportunity be an opportunity that excites you. You are giving your worship offering, do it with joy. You are giving your tithe, do it with joy. Church Gist. You are giving to the needy, do it with joy. You are bringing the rice or the garri for the Kingdom Care Covenant, don’t drop it with annoyance, do it with joy. You have clothes that you are giving to those who require them, do it with joy. Church Gist. You are helping to pay the school fees of a child, do it with joy. You are helping to provide accommodation for somebody who requires it, do it with joy. That’s the key.
You must ensure that joy saturates every aspect of your giving life. That is how to take it as a privilege. Hear this, don’t fake the joy, ensure it is real. Make sure it is real. Church Gist. Let it be something that is done with excitement. “Oh Lord God, what a privilege that I have to stand in your presence to present this unto you”. If you look at 1 Chronicles 29, you’ll see the attitude of David. 1 Chronicles 29:3,14. Church Gist. David had the attitude to recognize that it was a privilege, it was an opportunity. Those who see it as a privilege, they naturally provoke the reaction of God, positive reaction of God in their direction.
- shout Hallelujah!
Is somebody getting what God is saying? So, do it as a privilege. Let it be an opportunity that you take delight in. Church Gist. When that happens, you find out that God begins to respond with abundant blessings on your behalf.
- shout Hallelujah!
- I trust God that for each one of us, this will become our lifestyle from now in the name of Jesus!
Secondly, identify fertile grounds for your seed. Deuteronomy 12:13-14. Church Gist. So, don’t just be careless and irrational, we do it where it is that is fertile, the ground that will produce. We know that God’s store house is where you receive your spiritual feeding from, so find fertile ground. Our giving only produces when we engage with it in fertile ground. You know, there are people who only but their giving is just a manifestation of big boy. “Give that one 5,000. Give that one 10,000”. All those dry dry grounds. Church Gist. If you carry your seed, go and put it inside Sahara, proper Sahara – you know we have semi Sahara in Nigeria- the real Sahara Desert where everything is sand, you plant your seed there and you’re waiting for harvest, you will wait and wait and waste. Not that the seed was wrong but the soil was wrong. Understand that it’s not only the quality of seed that determines the quality of harvest but the quality of soil. Church Gist. That’s why you discover that in agriculture, one of the anchor areas is soil science. Understanding the composition of the soil that will produce results. You must understand that, so, it’s not everywhere that you just sow your seed, you sow your seed on fertile grounds. And it’s easy to know fertile grounds, fertile grounds produce fruits. Church Gist. They produce fruits, they produce results. So, you sow your seed on fertile ground. That is what ensures that our seed produces the results that we desire.
- my prayer for each one of us is that from now, there will be no more wasted seeds!
- every one of our seeds will produce results in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we begin to conclude tonight, let’s take note of this vital foundation. Take note that:
- In these last days, until you’re in the Kingdom, you cannot partake of the blessings of the Kingdom. John 3:3. So, everything we are talking about produces from the Kingdom of God. Church Gist. Philippians 4:19. That glory is his Kingdom. If you’re not a part of the Kingdom, you can’t access the riches of the Kingdom. God’s supply is for God’s people. Until you’re registered by God as being among His people, you cannot secure His supply. And we are in the days and age where there’ll be diverse economic calamities on the earth, confusion on every side. Church Gist. That is why being in the Kingdom is a fundamental requirement for making the most of one’s material well being on the earth.
- You must also be spiritual. These are foundational requirements. You can’t play the games of the world and not suffer the pains of the world. Church Gist. You must also be spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:14. Somebody say, “oh but material needs, are those things of the spirit?” Now, look at this very closely. Galatians 3:13-14. So, every promise of God is a promise of the spirit and the carnal man cannot receive the things of the spirit. Church Gist. There are those who are born again but they are highly carnal, they lie like the world, steal like the world, cheat like the world, manipulate like the world and yet they say they’re in God. Church Gist. In these last days, those who are not aligned in terms of living a life of sanctity, a genuinely spiritual life cannot enjoy the blessings of the Kingdom.
So, my charge to us tonight is very simple. Be in the Kingdom and be very spiritual. If those two things are in place and then engage the terms of the covenant, you’re sure to now begin to see secure returns from Heaven. Church Gist. You can’t go to a bank to withdraw where you do not have a deposit. Until you’re registered in the bank of Heaven, that is, it is salvation that will give you the bank account, it is sanctification that will make you not to do as a fraudulent customer. Church Gist. You know you can have a bank account but you’re a fraudulent customer, they will still arrest you. So, salvation gives you Heavenly bank account, consecration or sanctification ensures you’re not a fraudulent customer then covenant practice fills your bank account. So, covenant practice will fill the bank account of one who has an account. If you’re not in Christ, there’s no account. Church Gist. If you’re in Christ, you’re practicing covenant but you’re fraudulent, they will still arrest you for fraud. So, those three must be in place – “I must be in Christ, I must be spiritual and I must be a covenant practitioner”. When they are all aligned, you’re sure to have your returns.
- I pray that for each one of us, in this season, while the world is going down, burning up, you’ll be growing up and going forth in the name of Jesus Christ!
–Prayers and Alter Call—
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