InspirationalClass

TAKING STEPS

Hebrews 11:8 “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

“….obey and went …” here means he took steps. 

The journey of life is all about taking steps. 

A journey will never start until a step is taken.

Abraham had received the word of the Lord over his life. He was going to become Abraham the great and the father of nations. 

The fulfillment of this awesome promise depended on him taking steps in the direction of God’s instructions.

If he had not taken a step all that God spoke over him would have ended in mere wish and promises.

The potential of a promise to become a reality will always depend on the steps taken in the direction of that promise.

NOTE THE FOLLOWING 

 1 The journey of life is never revealed at once. They are revealed step by step or phase by phase. The first step must be taken before the next step is unfolded and so on.

 2 If you are waiting to have the full details or picture of the end product you will never take a step in life.

 3 If you are given the details of the entire journey it may look scary. It’s as you take the first step that you are given the strength to take the next step. Each step you take builds stamina in your spirit to take the next step. 

 4 As you begin to take steps what God has provided for that journey will be provided bit by bit and step by step. 

 5 Most times what God has provided for the journey will not be obvious at the onset. This is why many times we don’t take steps. (Genesis 22:8). 

 6 As long as we are certain that our journey is not self motivated but by divine instructions you can be sure that the provisions for that journey will be unfolded eventually. 

 7 Whatever you don’t start has no capacity to grow. There is no way you will discover the hidden potentials of what you did not start.

8. The longer you delay in taking a step you are prompted to take the more difficult it becomes to take those steps

9. When you receive the signal to take a step is actually the best time to take that step. It may not appear so initially but as you take that step it will become so

ENEMY CONSCIOUSNESS (Part 1)

Definitions;

➢ I want us to begin our class by defining what we mean exactly by “ENEMY CONSCIOUSNESS.”

➢ This will help us to have a grasp of what the Spirit of God will be communicating to us.

1. When the mind is preoccupied with what is wrong and not what is right.

2. When you become more conscious of what the enemy is doing more than what God is doing

3. When you know more of the problems around you more than you know the promises of God’s word over your life.

4. When you have details of every bad dream and you don’t know any revelation of God’s word over your life

5. When your prayer life is mostly about enemies.

➢ This are few ways we can describe what we mean by “ENEMY CONSCIOUSNESS.”

➢ This does not suggest that we should be ignorant of the devices of the enemy but rather we are expected know what will empower us to walk in victory over the enemies.

NUMBER 1 CASE STUDY

THE SERVANT OF ELISHA (2 King 6:15-17)

1. If what you know about the enemy does not give you victory over the enemy it’s a useless knowledge.

2. The knowledge of the enemy does not give us victory over the enemy but rather the knowledge of God over the enemy.

3. Whatever you see that creates fear and weakens you from within is a waste of your focus and does not deserve your attention.

4. The principle of attention is such that whatever you pay attention to will magnify itself in your life and assume a place of prominence or dominance over your life.

5. God does not control our focus; he only gives us alternative focus from what life and circumstances are showing us.

6. Whatever you pay attention to you have give the permission to exercise some level of control over your life depending on the degree of attention.

➢ The reality about life is that somewhere along the line an enemy will show up.

➢ Something somewhere may go wrong.

➢ An opposition may rise against us.

➢ We may be highly disappointed by someone we trusted so much.

➢ Such experiences will actually seek to hijack our focus and attention.

➢ Naturally its easier to focus on the negative and what is wrong.

➢ The understanding that God is giving us today is to learn how to handle such situations.

EFFECTS OF BEING “ENEMY CONSCIOUS.”

1. It will create unnecessary fear in your life. Fear is never a response of victory but a response of defeat.

➢ Elisha’s first response to his servant was “…Fear not….” 2 King 6:16

➢ This is a major device of the devil we must know.

➢ The device of fear has crippled so many lives and hindering their momentum in life

2. It will cripple you from within from seeing the way out.

3. 

➢ In God there is always a way out. 1 Cor 10:13

3. It will completely drown the voice of victory that should rise from your spirit to confront the enemy.

➢ Elisha also saw the enemy but he was not “ENEMY CONSCIOUS.”

➢ What we see is really not the issue but what we choose to focus on.

➢ Focus on what God has provided and not what the enemy brought up

➢ Focus on what God has done and doing and not what the enemy is doing.

➢ Focus on victory and not defeat.

HEAD MINDSET 3 (Occupying Your Place in God)

The possibility of becoming the head is not something that happens arbitrarily

We have said in our previous lessons that being the head is not necessarily about a title or a position occupied.

It’s possible to be placed in a position by human sentiments or manipulations.

Being the head is more of occupying the place that God has ordained for us in life.

This will be void of human manipulations

You have a place in God that you must discover and occupy.

Your place may not be glamorous but it’s glorious. The outward manifestation may not be attractive initially but if you stay with it the hidden potentials will come out eventually.

This is a place where God has ordained for you in life

 1. It’s a place where the grace of God over your life is maximally expressed

 2. It’s a place of divine advantage for you; a place where you function effortlessly 

 3. It’s a place where God himself has revealed himself to you and in the process you have also discover your uniqueness.

 4. It’s a place where the impact of your life is unmistakably expressed

 5. It’s a place where you serve your generation with divine endowments on your life.

This where David became the head. He came into the battle ground and took responsibility as young as he was. 

Acts 13:36 “Now when David had served Gods purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep…” NIV

From his story we know that he didn’t get to a physical position until he was 30 years old. This was almost 13 years later. (2 Samuel 5:4)

The head we are talking about is something that comes from within your spirit.

Even if you don’t have a physical position you are still the head by reason of what is at work in your heart and flowing through you

In God operations you actually become it before you manifest it.

What you did not become from within you won’t experience outwardly.

Remember what you don’t become at the first step of the ladder you will not become at the highest step in the ladder.

Wherever you may be right now in your life begin to think, talk and take steps like someone who is the “head.”

CLOSING WORDS

 1. Trust God to recognize your place on time and begin to function there.

 2. Become extremely confident of your place even though it doesn’t look glamorous initially.

 3. When you locate your place stay there and refuse to be distracted.

 4. When your place begins to gain attraction remain humble and focused on God’s presence and not the position that your place eventually gave you.

HEAD MINDSET 2

(Occupying Your Place in God)

Deuteronomy 28:13 "And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath, If thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord...."

After our class last Sunday someone who wasn't really part of the class sent me the message bellow. She read portions of the class on my whatsapp status.

Message: However, some tests places us as a tail for long periods (ask Joseph, Job and David).

The key thing was "the Lord God was with them" throughout.

After their set time tail-periods, God Himself elevated them. (End of message)

They ended as the head. But in actual sense they were head at every stage. 

Joseph was head in Potiphar's  house and the prison. He did not just jump to be head in the palace

1. He was the head in charge of the affairs in Potiphar's house

2. He was head of the prisoners. 

David was head all his life

1. When he confronted the Lion and the Beer he did so as head.

2. When he faced Goliath he did as head.

3. In human language based on human parameters we could say he was in a "tail" level in the bush. But he was never so.

Job had losses but maintained himself as the head.

He didn't lose himself with his losses

The head is not just a position. Its a mindset and a disposition to life

1. People who are head dont wait for the conditions to be right before they exercise their God-assigned purpose. 

When others are making excuses they will find a way out

2. People who are head dont wait to get to a certain position or attain a title before they exhibit themselves as the head

3. People who are head are hunters for opportunities and are ever ready to step out even when others are afraid.

They have an attitude of making an attempt. Its better to step out and do something imperfectly than remain all your life doing nothing. 

As we keep stepping out as prompted by the Spirit we learn and get perfected in the process

4. People who are head are not afraid to be criticised for what they believe is right to be done. Such people stand alone with God to be the majority.

If the words of Eliab had gotten to David he wouldn't have stood out to face Goliath. He was criticised for being proud but he didn't run away from that opportunity.

1 Samuel 17:28 "I know thy pride and naughtiness of thine heart..."

If you are afraid of criticism you will never do anything significant with your life.

5. The head is not just a position. Its a mindset and a disposition to life

It doesn't matter what stage of life you find yourself you can begin your "head" journey at that level.

What you don't become at the lowest step of the ladder you will not become at the highest step of the ladder

Its actually possible to occupy the position of a head and have a tail disposition to life

6. The "head" is majorly a place of being responsible.

Its important to say this again for emphasis.

Most especially responsibilities that are not forced on you

Responsibility to serve and make contributions without being forced.

7. The people who truly become head in life creates their own platforms in life as the Lord orders their steps.

They usually exhibit the gift of God in them that creates a room for them in life. (Proverbs 18:16)

Let's close by saying again that the choice is yours; Head or Tail.

THE HEAD MINDSET

(Occupying Your Place in God)

Deuteronomy 28:13 “And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and thou shall be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath….”

“…The head…Above only…..” This is what God has ordained for us. Nothing less.

This is an open and equally available opportunity for everyone 

This is a divine possibility that is not nationality or gender determined 

If you will accept this truth and embrace the responsibilities of it you can experience it

Whatever God has promised we can expect and experience it

Someone may be saying “Is it really possible for everyone to become the head?”

The answer is it’s possible for as many who will choose to become one and fully accept the responsibilities.

The question of everyone becoming the head does not really have a general answer. It’s up to each one of us to include ourselves or exclude ourselves

What we believe sets the pace for divine possibilities in our lives.

If you believe it’s possible so it will be

If you believe it’s not possible so also it becomes

Can everyone become the head?  The answer will be individually given

The right question actually should be “Will you choose to become the head in agreement with God.”

This is not something that is determined by man. But what God has promised to do in our lives. He knows what is “head” for every one of us. 

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING 

 1. The “head” is not necessarily a place of Authority or superiority.

 2. The “head” is not necessarily a title that is conferred on a person 

 3. The “head” is not a place you manipulate people or a system to get

 4. The “head” is a position of purpose. A place where God has assigned you to make an indelible mark on humanity.

 5. The “head” is a place where your life becomes a role model that literally shows others the way

 6. The “head” is a place where you are divinely placed to supervise a portion of God’s projects on the earth

 7. The “head” is becoming exceptionally proficient where God has placed you and it cannot be hidden 

 8. The “head” is living a life that becomes a reference point

 9. In the uniqueness of God’s purpose for our lives everyone can become the head

 10. The experience of a “tail” life is actually an expression of not walking with God in obedience. If a man or woman truly walk with God they must end up as the “head” and “above only.”

“The Lord will make you the head of things, not the tail; you will be at the top of things, not bottom, as long as you obey the Lord your Gods’s commandments that I’m commanding you right now, by carefully doing them.” CEB

“The Lord will make you the leaders of other people. You will not have to follow at the back. You will become more powerful, not weaker….”

Please receive God’s word today

 FAITH FOR THE JOURNEY 2

Faith is a product of our individual revelations of the word of God. Your faith will depend on this. We are all at different levels of faith depending on our personal revelations of scriptures.

Faith is not something you try to force yourself to believe. Faith is based on what is already settled in scriptures

I will take my time today to.explore with you fundamental truths about faith.

1. The walk of faith is not a trial and error approach to life but a life of certainty that is based on established template of the word of God.

Uncertainty breeds fear. 

Uncertainty punctures your confidence.

Uncertainty breeds hesitation.

Uncertainty reduces how much of God you can access. 

James 1:6-7 says "But let him ask in faith (certainty), nothing wavering. For he that waverth (uncertain) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord."

2. Faith is not based on what we can do by our human efforts but what Christ has already done on the cross.

If you run your life on what you can do and muster by yourself their will always be weakness and inadequacy starring us in the face.

Thi explains the following:

a. Moses complained of inability to talk

b. Gideon complained of his poor family background and his low status in the already poor family.

c. Jeremiah saw his age and concluded it was impossible to take on divine assignment.

If you keep looking at human parameters to determine your journey doubt will always set in.

The foundation of an unshakeable faith is the finished work of Christ on the cross. 

This is not something that God is trying to do. But what is already accomplished 

Every single promise  of God in scripture is anchored on the finished work of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:20 "For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding "Yes!" And through Christ, our "Amen" (Which means "Yes") ascends to God. NLT

For as many are the promises of God, they all find their Yes (answer) in Him (Christ)......AMPC

Your destiny in God is not something God is trying to figure out. Its been established from the foundations of the earth. 

Ephesians 1:4 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."

# Our faith is based on the finished work of Christ in our lives. 

# The work of Christ in  our lives is perfect and complete

# If you don't see your life this way you will keep searching for what does not exist.

# Perfection is in Christ and not human efforts.

Hebrews 10:14, Colossians 2:10

3. Faith is drawn from the integrity of God who has spoken over our lives

His integrity 

His faithfulness 

His consistency 

His reliability 

This was why men like Job, 3 Hebrew boys were ready to trust him even when it seems they are temporarily disappointed. 

Job 13:15, Daniel 3:18

If you see God this way you will always have faith for your journey no matter what you face.

CHRIST IN YOU (The reality of his presence)

“To whom God would make know what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27 KJV

“…. Christ in you….” This is the brief summary of what Christianity is all about.

This is the summary of what salvation is all about.

Christ came to literally live in us.

If there is a possibility to dissect your recreated human spirit the only thing that will be found there is Christ in all his power and glory.

Christ in you is not supposed to be a slogan but a practical manifestation of God at work in a mortal man.

Today we would take our time to explore two (2) manifestations of this presence in our lives.

1. His presence in our lives brings into our recreated spirit the wisdom of God – 

1 Corinthians 1:30 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus. Who of God is made unto us wisdom…”

Wisdom is actually a person. Christ is the wisdom of God. Christ brought into our lives the wisdom of God.

Wisdom is an inside force that compels us from the inside to take right steps, move in the right direction and be in the right place.

There are people in life that seems everything about them is taking wrong steps and doing the wrong things. 

I strongly believe that this should not be the life of a believer.

Just as negative forces control the lives of people so also the force of divine wisdom should compel us from within.

With this understanding deeply engraved in our hearts it shouldn’t be a struggle to do the right thing and take right decisions in life.

We must agree with this truth and acknowledge it in our lives.

The knowledge of the truth is what makes it work in our lives.

The wisdom of a believer begins from the understanding of Christ in us as the wisdom of God.

If you don’t have this understanding deeply rooted in your heart you may still find yourself exhibiting foolishness and carrying a sense of confusion in life.

The wisdom of God is principally creating in us a sense of direction in life. (Ecc 10:10)

2. His presence brought into our lives the manifestations of his glory – the exact glory that Christ has is what is available to us as believers.

We have been delivered from the concept of shame

Shame is no longer in our story.

Whatever brought shame into your life before coming to Christ has completely lost its power over your life

Whatever tries to put you to shame today has come too late. You literally have the hope of glory in your life.

Coming to Christ is a fulfilment of Isaiah 60:1-2. The glory of God has risen upon us.

Jesus said it more clearly “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them…” John 17:22

NIV says “I have given them the glory that you gave me…” 

We are really not looking for glory from an external force. We have glory inside us.

The glory of God is not just something on you but something inside you. It comes from inside you to radiate around you.

This glory is not in what you wear or the car you ride but who you are on the inside.

CHRIST IN YOU (The Realities of His Presence)

“To whom God would make know what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27 KJV

“…. Christ in you….” This is the brief summary of what Christianity is all about.

This is the summary of what salvation is all about.

Christ came to literally live in us.

If there is a possibility to dissect your recreated human spirit the only thing that will be found there is Christ in all his power and glory.

Christ in all his fullness has come to live inside us. 

Just some few days ago I had a conversation with a young lady of 26 who stooped coming to church because she feels God has not given her husband.

Unfortunately, many of us live with this shallow understanding of the Christian life.

We have unfortunately reduced our Christian life to mere praying to receive things.

As long as your walk with God is based on what is external and temporal you will never find true satisfaction and fulfilment.

The foundation of your life as a believer is that Christ came to live in you. 

The revelation and the understanding of who Christ is in your life will give you stability, inner strength and fulfilment that nothing else in this world can provide.

The revelation and the understanding of who Christ is in your life will give you confidence and assurance that nothing else can provide.

The NLT version says “…. And this is the secret; Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.” 

Government policies and promises will never give you assurance.

The change in a job with higher salary will only give you a temporary assurance.

The best of friends may not be there again tomorrow.

Christ did not just come to live in us as deity; he brought his fullness to be operational in our lives. This is the reality of his presence.

Christ brought his fullness into your life. John 1:16 says “And of his fullness have all we received…” 

Today we would explore one of the fullness he brought into our lives

John 5:26 says “For as the father has LIFE in himself, so hath he given to the son to have life in himself.”

We have received his very LIFE also.

LIFE here does not mean ALIVE. It literally means the very life of God. Its also called eternal life.

The very life of God called ZOE.

The is a major reality of his presence. We have his very LIFE. Exactly like he has. SAME LIFE.

1 John 5:11 says “And this is the record, that God hath given to us ETERNAL LIFE, and this life is in his son.” 

This is not something that will happen when we get to heaven. We have ETERNAL LIFE right now.

I’m sure you know and agree that there is no failure or uselessness in Christ.

There is no weakness or confusion in Christ

There is no foolishness or stupidity in Christ

This is why he lives in us. He wants to produce his life in us and through us.

He lives in us to work in us and through us.

1 John 5:12 says “He that hath the son hath life; and he that hath not the son of God hath not life.” 

Please permit me to write “He that hath the son hath LIFE (Purpose, Strength, Direction, wisdom); and he that hath not the son of God hath not life (Purpose, Strength, Direction, wisdom)

Christ in you must be an overwhelming awareness in your life. 

You must be bold about his presence in your life

You must talk about his presence in your life

If you are not bold to talk about and make reference to his presence in your life you wont exhibit the fullness of his presence in your life.

PREPARED FOR GREATNESS Part 2

(Prepared By the Circumstances of Life)

James 1:2-4 NLT “Dear brothers and Sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4: So, let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete. Needing nothing.

Life is a school that prepares us for our ultimate place in life

This school of life does not put everyone in the same cc class.

We are all in the school of life but everyone is in different classes with different subject of study based on our unique experiences in life.

This is why comparison is never a wise venture.

Life will take us through different routes that will specifically prepare us for our ultimate place in life.

The experiences of life are never a waste. 

God does not necessarily make us go through negative experiences but uses the experiences as a tool to prepare us.

NOTE THE FOLLOWING

1. The experiences we go through produces character in us that will be required to face higher levels of responsibilities in the future.

But you must learn to endure everything, so you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything. (James 1:4 CEV)

2. The experiences of life helps us to encounter the faithfulness of God at a lower level of challenges that prepares our hearts to trust him again when we are required to take giant steps

3. The experiences become a reference point. A reference point gives you direction and confidence. 

Potiphar’s House and the Prison prepared Joseph for the Palace

Example of David with the Lion and Beer. The experience of David and the Lion gave him direction and confidence to face Goliath.

If not what he had gone through before the words of King Saul and Eliab would have sent him back home.

4. The hidden potentials are usually revealed in the midst of different circumstances of life

5. Greatness is never conferred like a chieftaincy title. It has to be earned as we handle the real issues of life.

You can be given a position but you can’t be given greatness.

HOW DO WE HANDLE ALL OF THIS?

1. Don’t waste the opportunity of your experiences in life. There is always a hidden lesson in it that has prepared you.

2. See the invisible hand of God behind the scenes of your life that will take the ingredients of your life’s experiences and bring something beautiful out of it.

3. When you go through rough seasons in life there is a tendency to become bitter with life, with God and with people. This will prevent the preparation of your heart that should occur in that season. You must refuse to be bitter.

Bitterness is corrosive

4. Deliberately make every experience of life a learning experience. Consciously look out for the lessons you are supposed to learn in every experience; negative or positive.

5. Irrespective of the circumstances of life never lose the expectations of the goodness of God in your heart.

PREPARED FOR GREATNESS

2 Chronicles 27:6 “So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.” 

Life operates by certain principles and the more we understand them the better it becomes for us as we align with them.

Life is never accidental. The only thing that happens accidentally is accident.

If you are going to arrive at a definite destination you must take a definite route.

Greatness is not necessarily a one-time destination but a destination that unfolds from one phase to another.

Greatness is discovering, developing and fulfilling the purpose of God for our lives at different stages of our lives.

Greatness is finding a sense of fulfillment in God and in ourselves.

At every stage of our lives, we are preparing for something. This could go on unconsciously.

We can either be preparing for the top or the bottom.

We are either preparing for the top of the mountain or the valley.

Even if you fold your hands to do nothing you are also preparing for something. You are preparing for a life with nothing significant.

The purpose of this class is to inspire you not to become passive about life but to be consciously involved in preparing for the kind of life that God has ordained for you.

Your future will never be a coincidence. It will be a direct manifestation of what is going on in your life right now.

AREAS YOU MUST DELIBERATELY PREPARE FOR

1. Prepare to become a responsible and dependable person.

2. Prepare to be a massive blessing to your world

3. Prepare to be a solution provider and not a burden.

4. Prepare to improve on your level of usefulness and productivity

5. Prepare for opportunities that you are not even aware are coming.

6. Prepare for bigger doors that God will open in your life beyond your current level.

7. Prepare for relationships and marriage long before you are ready to enter one.

NATURE OF PREPARATION

1. Preparations are usually done long before the day of manifestation.

The boxing champion doesn’t prepare in the boxing ring

The Choir that will win Grammy won’t wait till it gets to the stage before they prepare.

The man that will win Olympic gold must have been preparing for years before the tournament

2. Preparations are usually done in the secret when no one is seeing you. If you are too much in a hurry to be in the spotlight you will never be prepared. 

3. Preparations are never done in a hurry. It’s usually a time consuming and detailed process involved.

This will depend on the quality of what you desire to build. Building a grass hut and a 5-star mansion will require different levels of preparation.

TYPES OF PREPARATION

1. KNEE PREPARATION (PRAYER PREPARATION)

This preparation is applicable to virtually every area of life because life is primarily spiritual. 

The purpose of prayer is not just to respond to emergencies but to prepare for the future.

We are not just praying because we have problems but because we have a future.

Prayer prepares us for the future and prepares the future for us.

Let’s look at this from the account of Jesus.

Most of the time when someone has an emergency or maybe a sudden challenge just showed up the next thing people think of is go on 2, 3 or more day’s prayer and fasting. 

Prayer and fasting is one of the most powerful weapons available to us as believers and I believe we should engage in it as much as possible.

But I noticed that Jesus never did fasting and prayer as a response to an emergency. Jesus did prayer and fasting as a preparation for emergency. 

The best way to approach prayer and fasting is to use it to prepare ourselves to handle an emergency before it shows. 

Jesus responded to emergency more by giving thanks or releasing a word. At the tomb of Lazarus Jesus simply gave thanks and commanded the dead man to come out. When there was no food to feed the multitude Jesus did not call his disciples to fix a prayer and fasting session. He simply gave thanks and there was a multiplication. 

I’m sure that as you are reading you are thinking of a scripture. Let me write it out for you.

“Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:21

if you read that account carefully you will notice that Jesus ministered to the child immediately the child was brought to him. 

The child was healed that same hour. Jesus did not go on days of prayer and fasting. Jesus was simply telling his disciples that they should have been prepared for such an emergency in prayer and fasting before that day.

If you are a student for example it’s better to do 2 or 3 days of prayer and fasting one week or month to your exams than to start doing it a day after finishing your exams as you noticed that you did not do well. If you are going on a business trip spend a day or more preparing on your knees in prayer and fasting. 

I did not say you should not pray and fast; I simply said it’s better to use them as a means of preparation.

“And when he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” Matthew 14:23 

Let me repeat again the point we are making in this lesson. We have not said it’s wrong to pray and fast when there is a challenge. 

We have simply said it’s better to have prepared in prayer and fasting before the challenge shows up. In that case you are better equipped to handle whatever shows up.

it’s a common practice for Jesus to depart majorly in the evenings to a quiet place alone to pray. If you study his ministry closely you’ll notice that most of the time in the morning they will bring sick people and different challenges to him. 

But he had spent the night praying and preparing him to handle the challenges. I strongly believe that we should follow the step of Jesus. He’s our perfect example. 

This means that prayer and fasting should be an integral part of our lives. Not something we do only when there is a problem. 

if you wait for a challenge to show up before praying and fasting it will be done most times out of fear and anxiety.

If you are embarking on a journey or a major project set out time to really pray and fast about it.

If you are getting into a relationship for example don’t make the proposal yet or accept before praying and fasting. I have seen many people make this mistake. 

Once you have accepted a proposal and emotions are already involved it might be difficult to hear God at that point. The prayer and fasting should have been done before any step was taken. 

We don’t pray and fast just to solve a problem. We pray and fast to be equipped, empowered and to find direction in life. This was Jesus major practice.

Luke 18:1

ON THE HILL2

Text: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” Matthew 5:14

The current reality is that so many lives are hidden. There could be a hidden season in our lives where God is preparing us for his purpose for our lives. But it shouldn’t be a permanent state of life. 

For thirteen (13) years Joseph was hidden despite the great vision he saw. 

This wasn’t a permanent state for him. It was simply a period of preparation. But he eventually came to the hill of visibility in the palace.

David was anointed to be king over Israel but after that he still went to a hidden season where he continued to serve King Saul.

The hidden season should be a temporary time of preparation and not a permanent state of life.

If we are not armed with this understanding, we may remain hidden and in obscurity while we keep celebrating mediocrity and ignorance. 

On a hill experience is a mandate of visibility that God has ordained for our lives. 

NOTE THE FOLLOWING!

1. The purpose of visibility on the hill is not for self -display or self-announcement.

Light does need announcement. It will just shine.

2. The purpose of visibility on the hill is not necessarily for popularity.

3. The purpose of visibility on the hill is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the grace and the wisdom of God in our lives.

4. The purpose of visibility on the hill is to practically display his works and his goodness through our lives.

Prophetically our lives are already on the Hill. But it will require that we take some practical steps that will bring it to a day-to-day reality in our lives.

I. The visibility on the hill will require that we produce results where others see obstacles.

The level of our visibility will require that your life brings forth results to the glory of his name.

To be set on a hill is not just something we say with our mouths but what we display with our lives.

What comes out of your life and not just what you say that will show where you belong.

II. A life of visibility on the hill is a life of purpose.

If your life lacks direction and you are drifting through life you can’t practically display the “on the hill” experience even though it’s your prophetic destiny.

A life without purpose can never be taken seriously.

III. A life on the hill is a life that accepts the uniqueness of God over his life and willing to stand alone and different as may be required.

Dilution usually weakens the strength of a liquid.

Out of a heart of humility you must be ready to be different.

The possibility of the “on the hill” experience will be difficult if your life is full of mixtures not consistent with divine purpose.

The things you allow and absorb into your life must be things that helps you to find your uniqueness and not lose your individuality in God.

IV. A life on the hill will not make compromises. Even when people did not know it will still reduce your potency to practically display the “on the hill” experience.

If joseph and Daniel had compromised their faith and purity, they would never have gotten to the level they got to.

V. The “on the hill” visibility will require that you embrace the concept of excellence and be committed to it.

Christianity does not cancel the need for excellence. 

Your prayer should produce excellence in your life.

This inspirationclassglobal is a class of excellence by the Spirit. 

An excellent spirit was found in Daniel. 

These are few practical steps we need to take today to get to the visibility dimensions of life that God has ordained for our lives.

OVERCOME STRANGE VOICES

QUESTION: “…CONSTANTLY I FIND MYSELF ALWAYS PRAYING AND SINGING IN MY MIND. MOSTLY WHEN I AM WALKING ON THE ROAD OR I WAKE UP IN THE NIGHT WITH THE AIM TO PRAY. BUT I ALWAYS FEEL WEEK. A SPIRIT ALWAYS TELL ME THAT GOD CANNOT HEAR ME AND WILL NOT ANSWER ME. IS IT TRUE?

To start our conversation is important to categorically say that this is not true.

The desire to pray is divine. It’s actually the response of the soul to a divine invitation. Jeremiah 33:3, Luke 18:1

This experience is an experience of a strange voice.

Strange voices are common in life. Its usually an attempt of the enemy to hinder the purpose of God for our lives.

In John 10:4 – 5 “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5: And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers.”

A stranger here does not necessarily refer to a human figure but every suggestion in our heart that is contrary to divine counsels for our lives.

The purpose of a strange voice is to get us confused and make us follow a wrong direction.

IF YOU DON’T OVERCOME THE STRANGE VOICE IT WILL GET STRONGER AND DOMINATE YOU.

HOW TO RECOGNISE A STRANGE VOICE

“…. For they know not the voice of the stranger.” Does not mean we should be ignorant of how the voice of strangers operate.

This awareness is what will help us to be able to overcome the strange voice.

The voice of a stranger does not necessarily mean it will come from people you don’t know before.

In many cases the voice of the stranger may be coming from people who are closest to you.

Many times, it will come from people who are sincerely trying to help you but not even knowing that they are offering a strange voice.

1. Any voice or suggestions that is contrary to the word of God. The word of God is the foundation to everything God is offering us.

2. Any voice that creates fear in your life.

3. Any voice that takes you in a direction not consistent with God’s direction for your life. E.g Satan to Eve

4. Any voice that reduces your confidence about God, yourself and about life. E.g Voice of Saul and Eliab to David

5. Any voice that gets you discouraged.

The strange voice can come from your parents, spouse, best friends, social media, entertainment or just voices speaking in your mind. etc.

WAYS IN WHICH STRANGE VOICE WILL COME

1. Voice of Abuse

2. Voice of Criticism

3. Voice of Hatred

4. Voice of Rejection

5. Voice of Uselessness

6. Voice of Condemnation

7. Voice of failure

HOW TO OVERCOME STRANGE VOICES

1. You must consciously and consistently hear a higher voice.

The voice of God is higher than any other voice

Genesis 3:8

The voice of God is found in his word.

The more of God’s word in our hearts the more we can hear his voice over our lives.

If your heart is scanty of the word of God then the voice of the stranger will become louder in your life.

You must know exactly what the word of God says about your life

2. Your mind must be consciously renewed from the influence of wrong materials we must have exposed our minds to in the pasts. Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23

The human nature has a way of retrieving from the archives of our minds as a new material to relate with in the present.

3. The strange voice will require that your own voice also comes out. Silence is a sign of consent, once you can identify a strange voice you must cancel the voice. 

Don’t offer the strange voice the luxury of continuous access into your mind.

Isaiah 54:17 “ ….Every TONGUE that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shall condemn…”

If you permit the strange voice it will take root and germinate

SET ON A HILL

Text: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” Matthew 5:14

This is a direct word of Jesus and it’s a graphical description of the life of a believer. 

Once we come to Christ our lives are automatically set on an hill.

It’s really not what we are trying to do but what we have become already.

Now that you are saved your life will now begin to draw attention.

Now that you are saved and set on a hill there is a different expectation from everyone that know you now.

Before you got saved there are things you must have done that no one really cared about it’ but once you declare that you are saved your life will come under scrutiny. 

You may hear things like “I thought you said you are now a Christian.” 

If you don’t have the right understanding you may want to react negatively towards it.

But understand that now your life is “SET ON A HILL.” 

1. There are places you will not be expected to be found again.

2. There are things you will not be expected to say again

3. There are behaviors that will not be expected from you again.

4. There are ways of dressing that are no longer consistent with the new position. 

Ephesians 5:3 says "Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people." NLT

 KJV Says "...Let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints."

It may seem as if undue expectations are being placed on our lives but it’s not so.

This is the reality of your new status.

This places a unique responsibility on your life that will completely change your life if you embrace it.

I want you to note the following

1. If you accept this demand that is placed on you like it’s a mission the leadership potentials in you will begin to emerge. 

2. Your life will become a standard that others may begin to emulate to have a change in their own lives

3. Your life will become a reference point of divine possibilities.  

4. You will suddenly become a source of wisdom and inspiration for people who may be watching you from afar without your notice.

5. Your life will begin to assume a position of prominence that will take you beyond your wildest imagination.

6. As you embrace these expectations on your life, you’ll become a divine project through which God wants to reveal himself in all his glory and beauty.

7. This will become the beginning of your journey of a purpose driven life.

As we close for today accept this divine mandate on your life and cooperate with the divine process to bring something great out of your life

DEALING WITH OPPOSITION 2

1 Corinthians 16:9 “Because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” NIV

We emphasized last Sunday that opposition is an integral part of life and all that matters is the ability to deal with them.

Opposition only becomes a concern when you don’t know how to handle them.

The focus of this lesson is not so much on talking about opposition but rather how to deal with them.

Today again we would consider certain steps that will be required to deal with opposition.

1. There is a greater one who lives in you and makes you bigger than the opposition that may come your way.

This understanding must be very clear to you. 

If you respond to the opposition from the point of inferiority you have given the opposition an upper hand already.

Once you see the opposition as bigger than you there is no way you will be able to handle the opposition.

Your size as a believer is not in your physical size, level of education or other physical parameters. 

The measure of God is the measure of your life.

This is what defines your size “Ye are of God, little Children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

If you stand before Goliath like King Saul, you will not be able to deal with him.

The ten spies who brought an evil report literally saw themselves smaller than the giants.

They saw themselves as grasshoppers. Numbers 13:33

If you will deal with opposition you must deal with yourself first. Deal with your low self-esteem. Deal with your lack of confidence in the ability of God resident in you.

Your lack of confidence in the ability of God in you will be a breeding ground for the opposition.

David had done this before he encountered Goliath. He had seen the ability of God in him function to deal with the lion and the bear.

2. The voice of the opposition must never be louder in your life than the voice of divine victory in your spirit.

If you find yourself saying what the opposition has said you have given your mouth to the opposition to confirm their words.

Your mouth is not for spreading or confirming what the opposition said but to confirm what God has said over your life.

Most of the time when we are opposed what we do is to go about telling others what the opposition is doing or has said about us. It’s absolutely unnecessary.

King Saul and his men were literally telling David about the size of Goliath and how he had been a warrior from his youth. 1 Samuel 17:33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There is no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” NLT

David rather began to talk about God as the deliverer and as the God who will do it again. 1 Samuel 17:37

This is how to face and deal with opposition.

DEALING WITH OPPOSITION 1

1 Corinthians 16:9 “Because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” NIV

The first major lesson you must learn about oppositions is that there is nothing strange about them. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

The presence of opposition is an integral part of life.

The presence of opposition has never been a hindrance to the program and purpose of God for his people.

The presence of oppositions only becomes a concern when you don’t know how to deal with them

If you don’t know how to deal with oppositions in your life the following will be the possible outcome.

1. The presence of oppositions will leave you in a state of fear that will incapacitate you to act.

2. The presence of the opposition will become so large that completely blinds your eyes to the presence of God in your life.

3. The presence of the opposition will make you doubt that capacity of God in your life to do exploits.

You will be so surprised that the presence of oppositions is seen all over scriptures.

a) Cain literally became an opposition to his own brother Abel

b) The brothers of Joseph became an opposition to their own brother’s dream.

c) Pharoah became an opposition to the freedom of God’s people

d) The governors and presidents in the land became an opposition to Daniel

e) Haman became an opposition to Esther and his people

f) Tobiah and Sabalat became an opposition to Nehemiah in the building of the walls of Jesusalem

g) King Saul became an opposition to David.

By now you should have gotten the picture.

Oppositions will show up in your life at one time or the other.

Possibly the only time you may not have an opposition is when you are not doing anything significant with your life.

As soon as you begin to make progress and God is showing up in your life oppositions will show up.

Each time God shows up oppositions will also show up.

The presence of opposition is actually an indication that God is also present.

You will also note that opposition can come from people who are close to you.

STEPS TO DEALING WITH OPPOSITION

1. Expect opposition as part of life – Expecting it puts you in a mode of preparation. It doesn’t get to you as a surprise. If you are surprised about it you may respond with a sense of helplessness.

Expecting opposition doesn’t mean that you should be looking for it. It simply means you shouldn’t be surprised when it comes.

2. Refuse to fear opposition – fear puts you in a defenseless position. King Saul and his men became so afraid of Goliath that they could not move for 40 days. 2 Timothy 1:7, 1 Samuel 17:24

The response of fear is never a response of victory but a response of defeat.

3. When opposition comes don’t respond carnally - Opposition will come through people but your battle is not really against people but spiritual forces. Ephesians 6:12

If you go about fighting people you have lost the battle already.

FOCUS: THE JOURNEY TO SODOM

TEXT: “And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous.” Genesis 18:20

This was the state of Sodom and God was ready to destroy the place.

Sodom was a city full of evil. Every conceivable abomination was going on in that land. God was angry with that land and was ready to wipe it off.

Unfortunately, Lot and his family were also in this land.

There was absolutely no reason why Lot should be found in that kind of place. It wasn’t really his plan to be found in such a place.

There was a journey that brought him to this place. 

The journey to Sodom began with what I call “sight deception.”

Lot was deceived to make a decision that was based on what his eyes could see.

He was guided by the lustful desires of his eyes.

“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah…” Gen 13:10

At one point or the other in our lives we’ll have the need to make a choice of a job, a spouse, a business, a friend etc. The choice we make could be based on several factors. 

It’s important for us to realize that “Not all that glitters is gold and not all that is gold glitters.” We therefore cannot afford to make decisions solely based on how things look like outwardly. There are so many things that are hidden to our physical sight.

As far as Lot was concerned, he was making a choice of the best land ahead of his uncle Abraham.

He must have felt very smart making that choice. According to scriptures the place was “…. well-watered….”  

That was all Lot could see with his physical sight. But what he did not see was that that land will soon be destroyed.

A very handsome and caring man today might turn to a monster tomorrow. It’s okay to have such a man, but don’t base all you decision on that. There are deeper issues than what our physical eyes can see. 

A business proposal may look so nice and enticing but see beyond the papers, allow the Spirit of God to open your inner eyes to what is not obvious to the physical eyes. Don’t ever allow your eyes to deceive you.

The land that Abraham took did not have any physical features that it will be good, but it ended up to be the best place. 

At the end of the day Lot lost so much in that land and even lost his wife in the “well-watered land”. Make up your mind to allow the Spirit of God to guide you in all things. 

A journey into Sodom is a journey into losses. You will lose more in Sodom than you will gain.

As you will see later a journey into Sodom will leave an influence on your life. The wife of Lot actually looked back and got destroyed because she was already attached to the ungodly environment.

“But his wife looked back from behind him, and he became a pillar of salt.” Gen 19:26

She must have also looked back because she enjoyed the way of life that was going on in that land. 

We cannot be attached to the world and still expect to get the best from God. 

The scripture states clearly that friendship with the world is enmity against God.

We cannot have the best of the two worlds at the same time. 

The question on my mind is “what exactly is special about that land that made her looked back?” Nothing really; it was just an attachment to that which is wrong and ungodly.

FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS

1. Anything or anyone that promise you pleasure outside God is a journey into Sodom that will eventually cost you so much.

2. Any journey you embark on ignoring the clear direction of God will leave you in regrets.

3. An ungodly association or environment will eventually leave an influence on you. An unnoticed attachment will build up in your spirit.

4. If you don’t separate yourself from ungodliness on time it will separate you from the purpose of God for your life.

FOCUS: WHAT IS A COVENANT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A COVENANT

TEXT: Ps 89:34 “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

TPT version says “How could I revoke my covenant of love that I promised David? For I have given him my word, my holy, irrevocable word. How could I lie to my loving servant David?

I want to start with the testimony of two servants of God that many of us may be aware of.

1. Several years ago, God servant Bishop David Oyedepo gave his only rickety car to God and God said to him “My son David even if you don’t want to be rich its too late.” Here is a covenant provoked by a sacrificial giving.

2. During the University Days of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome he went on a mission trip with some of his student colleagues and he decided to pay for everyone’s transport fare and God said to him “You have just paid for all the cars you will use in your life.” Here is another covenant enacted by giving.

3. Abraham entered into a generational covenant by releasing his only son to God as a sacrifice. God said to him “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; FOR NOW I KNOW THAT YOU FEAR GOD. Since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” Genesis 22:12.

4. God wasn’t trying to kill his son. God was testing his heart.

5. Your sincere and heartfelt giving is a major divine assessment over the state of your heart.

6. Please note that we enter into a covenant with God by our sacrificial giving to promote the purpose of God on the earth. This is not a giving done to impress the village people or a giving done to a red rod prophet we meet in motor park.

A GENERAL VIEW OF COVENANT

A covenant is a two-sided agreement of commitment between two parties. 

Each party having an established term of reference.

A covenant establishes divine commitment on the life of a man. And at the same time reveals the side of man’s responsibility in the covenant.

When God makes a covenant with a man its an established commitment that God has made on such a life.

A covenant is like two sides of a coin. The head and the tail. The two sides must be present for the coin to be useful.

A covenant has the side of God and also the side of a man’s responsibility.

No matter what God has spoken over a man is empty until a man takes his own side of responsibility.  

A covenant is not based on the ability of a man but the capacity of God.

The integrity of God is the backbone of every covenant.

His word declares “God is not a man, that he should lie….” Numbers 23:19

A covenant is either initiated by God or initiated by a man.

1. Initiated by God – God said to Abraham “…Go from your country...I will make you into a great nation…” Genesis 12:1-2. God by himself initiated this and Abraham began to take steps of responsibility.

2. Initiated by man – “And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul.” 2 Chron 15:12

We can initiate a covenant with God by living a life of sacrifice to God. Psalm 50:5

When we give God the unusual, he makes the incredible out of our lives

importance of a covenant

It gives focus and a direction into your life.

Growing up as a young believer God said to me one day “I will make you my signet ring. But you must be committed to my course and abandon yourself to my will.” 

This gave my life a clear direction ever since then.

I knew clearly the side of God in the convent and my own responsibility.

It will become the foundation and a reference point for your journey with God 

A covenant gives you an inner assurance and confidence to face the circumstances of life.

Hezekiah must have understood this clearly when he was terribly sick.

He refused to die because he knew that pre matured death wasn’t part of the covenant he had with God.

He knew that he had residue of years with God. Isaiah 38:10

A covenant brings us into a lifetime journey with God that will unfold phase by phase and stage by stage.

The covenant we have with God is not a general thing and we shouldn’t expect anyone to understand it.

Abraham stepped out into a journey with God. Even himself did not have the full picture of where it will end. 

People around him must have misunderstood him. He stepped out in faith and the journey unfolded gradually until he became a symbol of a generational blessing.

5. Having a covenant with God will deliver us from a life of uncertainties.

Many are living their lives in uncertainties just waiting for whatever will happen will happen.

Uncertainties breeds weakness.

Weakness is never a factor in the journey of greatness.

Conclusion: My prayer for everyone of us in our various lives and finances is that we would come to the place of covenants with God.

DIVERSITIES OF THE SPIRIT 3 

 (Understanding the uniqueness of God’s dealings in your life)

“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit…And there are diversities of operation, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” 1 Corinthians 12:4,6

What we refer to as the diversities of the Spirit is simply the uniqueness of God’s operations in our lives as individuals.

The purpose of this uniqueness is to bring forth the uniqueness of God’s plans over our lives.

There is usually conflicts in similarities but significance in difference.

God’s difference in your life is an advantage.

We are not called to compete in life but to complement with the uniqueness of God in our lives.

If you don’t allow the diversities of the Spirit to flourish in your life you will feel lost in the midst of others.

Let’s look at a couple of things to do to cooperate with the uniqueness of what God is out to do in your life.

1. You must be simple enough to believe that whatever God is doing in your life is the best for you.

The way God operates he actually choose people who are considered foolish from human estimation to bring forth his possibilities. 1 Corinthians 1:27

This are people who will not argue with God.

This will not be by what people feel or say about them. They understand that God’s opinion is what really matters.

2. What God is bringing forth in your life will usually not look significant initially.

It will initially look like what the servant of Elijah saw as he was praying for rain. “Finally, the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the seas.” 1 King 18:43-44 (NLT). 

It wasn’t significant initially but it eventually became “…a terrific rainstorm.” verse 45 NLT. The message Bible called it “…A huge cloudburst of rain…” 

The diversities or the uniqueness of the Spirit in your life will emerge gradually and not necessarily all at once. 

As soon as Elijah saw the “little could” he was sure the rainstorm was coming.

The rainstorm of destiny is coming forth in your life.

3. You must completely submit yourself to the wisdom of God as the master potter of your life.

Jeremiah 18:6 “O, house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O, house of Israel.” 

4. You must be sensitive enough to know that this is a uniqueness that God is bringing forth in your life.

 This will help you to place value and priority on what God is doing.

5. You must recognize the Holy Spirit as the chief executive of what God is doing in your life. If you ignore his person, you will also miss his purpose in your life.

The purpose of the Holy Spirit is enhanced in our lives as we place value and prioritize his person in our lives. 

What you recognize you cannot use.

6. You may be hated and persecuted for the uniqueness of God's dealings in your life.

This is exactly what happened to Joseph but he did not give up on what God showed him

He fully recognised and identified full with what he saw.

DIVERSITIES OF THE SPIRIT 2 (Understanding the uniqueness of God’s dealings in your life)

Text: “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit…And there are diversities of operation, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” 1 Corinthians 12:4,6* 

 * We began our lesson last week from this scripture.* 

 * If you read 1 Corinthians 12 carefully you will find the phrase “…but the same Spirit…. Over and over again. Verse 4, 5, 8, 9.* 

 * This emphasis is very important.* 

 * The Spirit of God does different things in different places and in different people.* 

 * You must have the confidence that the Spirit of God is at work in you also*

*Fundamental Lessons on diversities of God’s dealings over our lives*

 *1. The dealings of God in the life of others does not in any way hinder God's dealings in your life.* 

 *There is really no reason to be intimidated by what God is doing in the life of others.* 

 * God’s dealings in your life are never supposed to be exactly like what he’s doing in the life of others.* 

 *2. God’s dealings in your life will never start from the place of greatness but from the place of smallness* 

 * This will require that we recognize the finger prints of God already at work in the present state of smallness.* 

 * If you don’t see God at work in your present state of life it will be difficult to go to higher dimensions of God’s dealings.* 

 * God was already dealing with Joseph in Potiphar’s house and in the prison before he ever God into the palace.* 

 * If he had not recognized God’s dealings over his life in those two places the doors to the palace wouldn’t have opened for him.* 

 * It could be possible that you are presently missing out on God’s dealings over your life.*

*3. God’s dealings for your life will include corrections, rebuke and certain changes that may be required in life.* 

 * If you want to remain the way you are it will be difficult to experience the fullness of God’s dealings over your life.* 

 * Moving in the direction of God for your life will require changes.* 

 * We may not be able to suggest what that change will be here. But as we open up ourselves to God’s dealings such changes will be unfolded.* 

 * If you are adamant to receive the rebuke, corrections and changes you will not profit much in what God wants to do with your life.* 

 * As you walk closely with the Holy Spirit, he will point out those areas of your life that will require such changes.* 

 * If your life is really open to the dealings of the Spirit there are certain things you will not be told to correct.* 

 * The changes most of the time will not be something general but unique to you.* 

 *4. God’s unique dealings for your life will also include that you are personally taught of the Lord.* 

 * God’s unique plan and purpose for your life will require that you have a personal tutorial with God.* 

 * Psalm 71:17 “O God, thou hast taught me from my youth….”* 

 * God became the tutor of David. Right from a young age he began to have a one-on-one session with God.* 

 * Greatness is not necessarily developed in the public space. Greatness is developed in the secret place where God has a one-on-one access to a man.* 

 * The individuality of a man’s purpose in life will require that such a man has this individual time with God where God shows him what is not open to everybody.* 

 * In the program of God’s dealings there are not general encounters.* 

 * Even when multitude of students learn together in a class they will still be required to go into the journey of life as individuals.* 

 * There must be something specific that God is teaching you.* 

 * This is not just something that happens on a Sunday service. Its something that goes on in your house and in your quiet moments alone.* 

 *5. If you don’t allow God’s dealings to flourish in your life it will hinder the expressions of God’s purpose for your life.* 

 * You will find yourself living a very common life with no significant impact on the life others.*

*6. It doesn't matter what state of life you are right now God can begin his dealings with you. He's never at a loss of what to do with you life.* 

 *God is the master potter of your life. He can turn your mess into a message.* 

 *Jeremiah 18:6* 

 He can turn your emptiness into his fullness.* 

 He can turn your trials into a testimony.

 God knows what to do with your life if you give him all the access he requires.

DIVERSITIES OF THE SPIRIT 1 

(Understanding the uniqueness of God’s dealings in your life)

“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit…And there are diversities of operation, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” 1 Corinthians 12:4,6

I want you to note the following phrase in the scripture above “…Diversities of gifts…..but the same Spirit….Diversities of operations….it is the same God.” 

Diversities simply means varieties. 

It’s important to know that God is not a one-sided God. You will miss a lot in life if you look at God in just one side of God.

Let me use a very common illustration for us to understand.

There is a side of God that is emphasized in deeper life church, there is a side of God emphasized in Winners Chapel, there is a size of God emphasized in Christ Embassy. There is a side of God emphasized in Baptist.

Unfortunately, someone in any of these denominations will think his own side of God is the most important.

Remember this “…Diversities of gifts…..but the same Spirit….Diversities of operations…it is the same God.” 

It’s the same Spirit and the same God in all of them working his diversities.

In your journey in life, you must understand that you are not a general person. You have a uniqueness in God. God relates with us as individuals.

You will never become the best of God for your life if you remain all your life in what is general.

You must discover and embrace the uniqueness of God for your life. 

Let us look at another scripture “….That through the church the complicated, many sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic…” Ephesians 3:10 AMPC

MANY SIDED……INFINITE VARIETY…INNUMERABLE ASPECTS…..This is God.

Your strength, confidence and expression in life will depend on the uniqueness of God’s dealing with your life.

You are not everybody and what God wants to do with your life is not everybody.

What God revealed to Joseph wasn’t revealed to his brothers that was why they hated him. They did not hear what he heard or saw what he saw.

The mistake the brothers of Joseph made was that they did not go to God to receive their own unique dealings with them.

When you miss the uniqueness of God’s dealings with you there is a tendency that you will get angry with others or unnecessarily jealous. 

God’s unique dealings with you is unique to you and others may not necessarily understand or agree with it.

FEW THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT DIVERSITY OF THE SPIRIT

1. You must have an intimate knowledge of the person, the purpose and the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. 

The Spirit of God is the chief executive of God’s operations in our lives.

Everything that God will do in your life are channeled through the Holy Spirit.

The intimacy we have with the Spirit of God is what brings the uniqueness of God’s dealings into our lives.

2. You must be open to God to really work in you and through you. 

Your openness to God gives him the room to reveal himself to you.

The more God reveals himself to you the more you are revealed to yourself.

3. You must be delivered from the tendency to do what everyone is doing or go in the same direction that everyone is going.

The Spirit of God will take you in routes and directions that are not common but peculiar to his unique plans and purpose for your life.

You must be confident enough in what God is doing in your life. 

It may not appeal to others but will appeal to your destiny.

4. God’s unique dealings in your life will bring unique instructions and demands on your life. 

This may require that you do what others are not willing to do.

It will also require that you refuse some things that are generally accepted but contrary to God’s dealings over your life like in the case of Daniel

It will require that you face what others are running from like David.

5. What God is doing in your life may not look as fast or great like what he’s doing in the life of others but if you submit yourself to God’s wisdom the best of God will come out of your life also.

ETERNAL RELEVANCE 2

Relevance is a function of value. The value you bring to the table will determine your relevance.

Eternal relevance will therefore require that you become eternally valuable.

In today's class we would explore a factor that enhance a life that will become eternally valuable

Anything that is short of eternal relevance is not worth having. Whatever you get or pursue that does not add to your eternal relevance has no value in the long run

Let's get right into it

A life that is conformed to the image of Christ is a life that is extremely valuable and a life that will remain relevant when everything is gone.

1. This is hardly the life desire and pursuit of many believers but this is the ultimate goal of Christianity.

2. This is the ultimate reason why Christ died

3. This is not necessarily about perfection  but a progressive journey towards the ultimate purpose of why we were saved.

4. This is the possibility of Christianity; that a mortal man redeemed by the blood of Jesus can begin a journey of inward transformation that makes him exactly like Jesus. 

5. If this is all you achieve in life its the celebration of heaven.

Unfortunately we achieve so much in life in terms of fun, entertainment, career and business but our lives are far from the life of Christ.

Romans 8:29 "For those God forknew he also predistined to be conformed to the image of Christ...."

Many come to Christ for their problems to be solved, but after the problems are solved you will realise that something is still missing. 

This is because despite all that we have seen, enjoyed and celebrated in our lives nothing is satisfying as a life that is conformed to the image of Christ.

External achievements does not necessarily produce inner satisfaction

A life that is conformed to the image of Christ is not necessarily a life without its own challenges but a life that is full of hope, confidence and assurance

This is a life that is beautiful, attractive and compelling.

The beautiful thing about this journey is that you can never become too much of Christ. 

The more of Christ you become the more inner satisfaction you get and the more you will realise that you need to become of him.

This is an endless inner cycle that keeps you continually pursuing more of Christ.

You are continually looking inwards and allowing the Spirit of God to work in you and produce the required changes in your life.

Whstever you pursue and get that does not give you inner satisfaction certainly does not have eternal relevance too

Please read this closely:

1. Christ wasn't weak. He was powerful.

2. Christ wasn't confused. He had a clear direction in life. He knew exactly his assignment in life.

3. Christ was never stranded. He always knew the right steps to take.

4. Christ wasn't a victim of the circumstances of life. He was a victor.

5. Christ wasn't earthly. He was on earth but operated by heaven's instructions.

6. Christ had very uncommon results where others had struggles.

7. Christ was tempted on all points but without sin

8. Christ words brought healing and hope to multitudes. His presence brought hope and assurance to multitudes. 

This is just a few of the image of Christ we are talking about. 

The greatest value you can have in life is to be like Jesus. This is eternal relevance.

CONCEPT OF INFLUENCE 4 

Tonight the Spirit of God will give a concluding word on our lessons that began 1st Sunday in the month of May. 

We have looked at 6 sources of influences in our lives tbar we should be aware of and deal wwith. Today we'll look at the 7th.

7. The influence of the consciousness of evil and darkness – we can become so conscious of darkness that we lose sight of light.

Many believers know more of darkness more they know of light

They will tell you how witches operate but hardly know how the Holy Spirit operates.

This kind of people lives their lives more in fear than in faith.

They see evil in everything, and their prayer life also reflects this.

When you develop the consciousness of evil it can influence your life so much that it becomes a constant experience in your life.

The consciousness of evil will actually create in you a silent expectation of evil in everything. 

In the words of Jesus “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32

Knowing so much about evil and the operations of darkness will not set you free. The knowledge of darkness will never set you free from darkness. It’s the knowledge of the truth that sets you free.

Everyone is a victim of their fear. What you greatly fear will most likely come to pass.

When you are conscious of evil you will find your dreams full of funny manifestations. 

You must stop building fear in yourself and start building your faith.

There are some books you have to stop reading. Books like dream’s interpretations. If you need an interpretation to a dream let the Holy Ghost give you.

If the dream is from God he will also give you the interpretation. How can a book give a fixed interpretation to every form of dream?

Books on reading of stars.

The word of God is enough for your victory.

There are some movies you should stop watching; horror films. You may think nothing is happening but your heart is being programmed negatively.

If you need to know anything about darkness the first thing you need to know is that “Christ has delivered you from the power of darkness. Colossians 1:13

If you don’t know this everything else you know about darkness will create fear in you. 

Darkness has lost its power over you

Darkness has no more right over you

Darkness has no more place in you and around you.

FINAL THOUGHTS

1. Your life is also a source of influence on someone – Just as we are influenced we are also influencing someone.

The influence of your life will be a product of your personality.

Who you are is what you will pass on to others.

For those who have children your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be.

2. The more you surround your life with positive influences so also your life grows in that direction to be a positive influence on others.

If there is an area of life you will love to be an influence expose yourself to the same higher level of influence in your life.

Don’t live your life to chances. Deliberately choose what is influencing your life.

If you lose control of what is influencing you it’s a major loss in life.

3. The significance of your life will be a product of the quality of influence you have on others.

Long after you are gone what will remain of you is the influence you live on others.

At different times in our lives, God will give us opportunities to occupy an office or a position. These are opportunities to leave an indelible mark on the life of others.

4. The influence of your life will be a product of the purpose of God finding expression in your life and through your life.

A life of purpose is a life of influence. The purpose of God in your life will also draw others to purpose.

When you lack purpose you are actually losing yourself. 

5. A life truly yielded to the Holy Spirit will produce an amazing influence on others. Even those who don’t know you will draw values and virtues from your life.

The Holy Spirit fills your life with relevant virtues and values that are beneficial to others.

Influence is not forced. It flows from you to others.

LIFE’S USEFULNESS 3

LIGHT MANDATE

 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” Matt 5:14

The scripture categorically tells us that darkness shall cover the people and gross darkness (Isaiah 60:1-2).

We live in a time that darkness predominates everywhere. 

Darkness in scripture is a description of a life governed by sin and the Devil. God himself is light and whatever stands in opposition to God is a manifestation of darkness.

The presence of darkness is an opportunity for light to shine.

The presence of darkness increases the usefulness of light.

In the midst of gross darkness that predominates everywhere we have a mandate to shine forth as lights. 

The beauty of this is that light does not struggle with darkness. Every time light shows up darkness automatically disappears.

The usefulness of light increases with intensity. 

A torchlight will not really be useful for a driver going at 100km/hour in the dark. 

The intensity of light will determine the extent to which darkness disappears. 

If darkness is still showing around us it’s an indication that we are either not shining or we are shining dimly. 

When you find a believer who is not bold enough to declare their identity in the midst of unbelievers then the ability to shine bright has been reduced. 

What is the use of light that is covered?

When your identity as a believer is covered, your usefulness is also covered.

It must be clear to everyone that knows you that you are a believer and there are things you will never do. 

When light is covered it cannot give light. Darkness automatically is empowered to dominate when light refuses to show up. 

In that office or school where you are found is your light shining forth there or it’s covered? 

Light shows direction, light shows the way, and light sets the standard. This is the mandate on our lives as believers.

It will be a big disappointment to God when we don’t shine forth as light in this dark world. God gets his glory through the light that shines forth through our lives.

Let your light so shine before men that they may glorify your Father that is in heaven. 

Let your life be a standard of transformation that can take place by God’s involvement in a life. 

The testimony of your life will become a tool to transform other lives.

BASIC FACTORS THAT WILL ENHANCE YOUR USEFULNESS

1. Invest so much in yourself to increase the intensity of your life and then begin to give yourself away.

Increase the intensity of your life by giving yourself more room to grow

What you invest in yourself will die with you or go with you as soon as you exit a scene. What you invest in others will remain as long as they live depending on the depth of impact.

A gift is not a gift until you give it away. Useful is not useful until it becomes useful.

You can never rise in usefulness beyond the content of your vessel. No one drinks from an empty vessel.

2. Continually remind yourself of God’s identity in your life and be radically convinced of it.

The depth of your convictions will also determine the intensity of your life and the level to which people are drawn to you to benefit from the intensity of your light.

3. Be committed to continually growing in grace. 

Grace is the expression of God’s uniqueness in your life.

There is a big difference between grace for salvation and grace for usefulness. 

There is nothing that we do to qualify for the grace of salvation. But when it comes to grace for usefulness we can see it grow and multiply.

The scripture tells us to” ...grow in grace...” (2 Peter 3:18). This is simply talking about an “Increase in usefulness.” As we grow in grace our level of usefulness and exploits increases.

We grow in grace as we are faithful to our current level of grace.

4. Grow in your consciousness of the Holy Spirit and your dependence on him.

Joseph was in prison far away from the love and affection he knew in childhood.

He didn’t have any formal training that would have made him useful.

On a human scale, he was at ground zero but the presence of the Holy Spirit made him useful.

Pharaoh said, “Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?” Genesis 41:38

If you are truly filled with the Holy Spirit and he’s truly at work in your life he will produce unusual usefulness through your life.

No matter the area of life you desire to function the Holy Spirit will make a major difference in your life. 

5. You must have a very clear vision to be an agent of changing lives around you.

This does not necessarily mean you will become a pastor or a preacher. This is what people hear each time they hear the word vision.

This will come to individuals in different forms and shapes.

Joseph had a vision that began his journey into usefulness.

He began to attract attention when he had dreams. His dreams began to create for him a personal world and a unique domain on the earth. 

His dreams began to create for him a sense of direction. 

All of a sudden, the brothers began to see that there was something different in this boy.

If you don’t have dreams that you are pursuing your life may fade off in the sea of humanity

Necome passionate about making a difference in the lives of others.

SPIRITUALITY 3

“Throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitude.” Eph 4:22-23 (NLT)

The level of your spirituality is determined by the extent to which God’s word has taken over your way of thinking and your way of life.

One focus of the new creation is that the word of God will not just be written on paper or other forms of templates but written in the hearts of men. 

“This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord; I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their mind.” NLT

God’s word should be in your HEART and your MIND. Not under your pillow.

Let me remind you of the scripture that we studied in the first session of this class

1 Corinthians 3:1 “And I, brethren could not speak unto you as unto SPIRITUAL, but as unto CARNAL, even as unto babes in Christ.”

Verse 2-3 says “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able…”

You are either CARNAL or SPIRITUAL. This is not measured by your level of Church activities but by the level of control, the word of God has over your life.

Spirituality is not in how long you danced in Church today or how loud you were in prayer. These external displays are usually false yardsticks of spirituality.

Your level of spirituality will be seen in how you responded to your spouse as you were going home. 

Your level of spirituality will be seen in how patient or impatient you were when food wasn’t ready on time after Church service.

Another way we can describe spirituality is your level of spiritual maturity.

Paul said, “….but as unto CARNAL, even as unto babes in Christ.”

Many are leaders, elders, deacons, and overseers in Church but they are also “….babes in Christ….”

THINK ABOUT THE FOLLOWING!

1. Your level of spiritual growth or spirituality will determine how much God can commit to your hands. This is why you find people who are active in Church for years but nothing significant is coming forth out of their lives.

2. The inner capacity of a believer is what ultimately determines their rating and level of placement in the things of God. This explains why little David could be asked to replace mighty King Saul. It wasn’t in their physique or age but their inner capacity.

3. The true state of a believer cannot be seen with the physical eyes. This is why people around you will expect certain things from you which may be beyond your depth of spirituality.

It was expected that King Saul should have been able to face Goliath but his inner capacity wasn’t strong enough for this battle.

David on the other was young and small but had the inner capacity.

Spirituality is not about ACTIVITY but about INNER CAPACITY.

I strongly believe that these words will revolutionize someone’s life.

By the time God is through with you, you’ll be a surprise to yourself. So much beauty will come out of your life. 

Renewing the mind!

Let us conclude our lessons on Spirituality by considering again the subject of renewing the mind.

Renewing the mind is the process of exchanging our old thoughts for new godly thoughts. Exchanging our thoughts with God’s thoughts. Adopting God’s mindset on all issues. When this happens we’ll begin to function at God’s perfect will for our lives.

The point-blank truth is that as long as our way of thinking is wrong our lives too will be wrong. We can never live beyond the thinking pattern we have developed over the years.

The best way to develop a successful life is to learn how to think exactly like God. When we think like God we’ll behave like God and see results like him.

I grew up as a young teenager reading a particular romantic magazine, at a point I discovered that I was unconsciously trying to carry out some of the things I read in the magazine. It polluted my mind and gave me a complete wrong mindset. At that stage of my life as a believer I discovered I was struggling to live right. 

Thank God I received help on time. I heard Dr David Oyedepo Said “You cannot feed your mind on junk and expect to be a treasure”. 

That word gave me the way out. I realized from then on I had to be selective about what I read and watch. It did not happen overnight, but one step after another I began to consume God’s word veraciously.

It became the joy and the rejoicing of my heart. I read every available Christian material I could get. In those days I received Joyce Meyer magazine every month for about two years. It completely changed my thought pattern. I still recollect she said in one of those magazines “Where the mind goes, the man will automatically follow”.

What we set our minds on will determine the course of our lives.

DESTINY RELATIONSHIPS PART 3

As we conclude our lesson on this subject tonight we would focus on three (3) major things

1. Power of association

2. Law of selectivity

3. Destiny helpers

I trust God that he will give us fresh access to his word in this concluding part of our lesson on this subject. 

POWER OF ASSOCIATION

“Blessed is the man that WALKETH not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor STANDETH in the way of sinners, nor SITTETH in the seat of the scornful.” Psalm 1:1

Where you walk, where you stand and where you sit has a major influence on your life and the ultimate outcome of your life. 

Once you make this choice the end of your life is already determined.

One major factor in the journey of success is the contribution of the people we associate with. Every human being is under one form of influence or the other. Whether we realise it or not the things we believe and do are things we read, watched or saw in someone. 

This takes place most times unconsciously.

Right association is a great plus to any destiny. There is always a human tendency to follow the multitude in what they are doing. 

The number of people doing a thing does not make it right. That everybody is doing it does not mean that God will approve of it. In God majority does not carry the vote. Wrong associations can be devastating.

Right associations will be a source of right and godly counsels in our lives. Right association will also provide for us inspiration and motivation to be the best we are created to be. Right association will also attract into our lives divine blessings. 

Lot associated with Abraham his uncle and he was blessed in that process. 

Elisha associated with Elijah and the double portion of anointing came on his life.

If an association is not adding to you and building you it’s a waste of time. Every one of us is a product of one form of influence or another; good or bad. 

Everyone you associate with in life will leave something in your life. The company you keep will determine what accompanies you in life.

Right association will include; Right friends, right spouse, right church, right music, right movies and right books.

LAW OF SELECTIVITY 

“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Amos 3:3

As it ever occurred to you that serving God is a choice. God never forces himself on us. He gives us the opportunity to make our choice. If God did not force himself on us why will a mortal man force himself on us? 

Friendship is by choice and not by force. We have every right to select who our friends are and who we develop relationships with.

One way that we recognise right people in our lives is that they give us the liberty to make our choice. Any form of intimidation is satanic. No amount of spiritual intimidation should force you to marry an individual.

We don’t have the time and the emotional resource to spend on everyone. Obviously not everyone can be your friend. 

As we go up in life we must be highly selective in people we spend our lives with. This does not mean that we become arrogant and abusive. In the spirit of love and simplicity we must define our circle of influence carefully.

Recently I had to delete someone’s number from my phone because I realised our lives were not going in the same direction. Our attitude to life and ministry was completely different. 

There is no point forcing myself on someone that will not take my advice and opinion. 

Please realise that when an individual decides to exit your life they have every right to do so. Just as you have the right to make a choice so also do they. As painful as this may be we must learn to let go freely and easily.

When you enter a new relationship learn not to give too much, too soon and too freely. Protect yourself; it takes time for you to know an individual. When you rush at things you might get hurt eventually. 

Depending on the level of relationship there are things you don’t give at all. Giving your body before marriage is giving too much, too soon, too freely. The only thing that proofs the sincerity of a man’s love is the wedding ring.

DESTINY HELPERS

In the journey of life there are people that God will strategically place on our path to assist us in the journey to get to where we are going.

The ability to recognise these individuals is a major victory in life.

David also had this experience in his journey.

This group of men came together with one sole mission to make David a King.

These were men with a perfect heart and the required resources.

David was fighting a battle with King Saul and there was no way he would have done it by himself alone. 

I want you to note that these men came on their own freewill volition. It was not as if David went looking for them.

He wasn’t writing letters soliciting for their assistance. 

This men were divinely organised.

If you go about looking for such people by yourself you will be disappointed. 

Many times this will be people who are not even related to you by blood.

Many times this will happen in marriage when you are patient enough for God to give you the right person.

When you meet such people they will not make noise about their involvement in your life.

They will not seek unnecessary allegiance from you or request you lick their feet all your life.

Such men will see their involvement in your life as a divine mission.

2 Chronicles 12:22 says “For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.” Verse 38 says “All these men…came with a perfect heart….to make David King over Israel….”

I decree that men will gather for your sake.

This are “Destiny Relationships.”s

DESTINY RELATIONSHIPS 2!

One major thing that has hindered the journey of so many people in life is the disappointments they suffered from people in their lives who should have ordinarily contributed to their upward movements.

If you don’t know how to deal with such disappointments it will affect you in ways beyond your imagination.

God is taking us line upon line and precept upon precepts. 

Last week we looked at a particular level of relationship that David had with men that he was used to invest in their lives. I want us to also see today that even seemly negative relationships can contribute positively to our journey into greatness if we are equipped on how to handle them.

There were 5 basic levels of disappointments in the life of David.

These were disappointments that would have hindered him to fulfil the purpose of God for his life.

The ultimate goal of disappointments is to shift our focus away from the possibilities of God.

This diapointments got David closer to God

This disappointments got David to understand the possibilities of God in his life

This disappointments got him delivered from unnecessary over dependence on people

The twist to human disappointments is to assume that it’s God who disappointed us. 

The greatest forms of disappointments comes from people who are close to us that we have trusted so much and expected so much from them..

1. Disappointed by his father.

2. Disappointed by his elder brother

3. Disappointed by King Saul

4. Disappointed by his men

5. Disappointed by his son.

His father did not see any value in him that was worthy to become anything significant and did not see any reason why he should be included in the selection process for a king. If not for divine intervention David would have missed the opportunity. 1 Samuel 16:11

His brother misinterpreted his intention to face Goliath as pride. His elder brother was supposed to be a source of motivation. 1 Samuel 17:28

King Saul that would have mentored him into greatness was the same person who plotted his death.1 Samuel 18:11

His men wanted to stone him as if he was the one responsible for their loss. 1 Samuel 30:6

His own biological son stood in opposition to his own father to snatch the throne from his father. Absalom began to undermine David, usurping his authority and speaking against him. 2 Samuel 15:1-13

NOTE THE FOLLOWING!

1. Disappointments are an integral part of life. It’s something inevitable you will just learn how to deal with it.

2. So many people have literally given up on life because of numerous disappointments.

3. Disappointments could come in relationships, in business, in your office, in your family, in church and in so many other areas of life. 

4. If you don’t know how to handle such disappointments it may create a lifetime damage to a great destiny.

5. In most cases we get so disappointed because we have completely transferred our trust in God to mortal men with breathe in their nostrils.

Listen to David’s conclusion after all this: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in prices.” Psalm 118:8-9

Dealing with disappointments simply means not allowing the disappointments of life to determine the course of our existence.

Dealing with disappointments is refusing to allow what men do to stop your progress in life.

Dealing with disappointments is cooperating with God to turn what was supposed to be a stumbling block to become s stepping stone into destiny.

Basic steps in dealing with disappointments 

1. Don’t interpret human disappointment as if it’s God who disappointed you. If you do it will create a lot of bitterness in you that will hinder what God would have done in your life and in that situation.

2. Dealing with disappointments will require that you consciously learn to put your absolute confidence in God. If you don’t you will be setting yourself up for a fall. Psalm 121:1-2

Human help is temporal and limited while God’s help is eternal and unlimited.

When a mortal man becomes your sole confidence in life you can never go beyond that man.

3. Understand that if no one believes in you God believes in you. He sees in you what men don’t see. He sees potential and value in you.

People who are close to you must have seen your report sheet as you were growing up and may have concluded that nothing good will come out of your life. Your report sheet is never destiny sheet.

Your grade in school should not determine how far you can go.

4. Each one of us must learn to draw our source of motivation in life from the word of God and the influence of the Holy Spirit.

 People may laugh at you for taking steps of faith but let God’s word motivate you on.

5. Understand that what men say about you is not as important as what God says.

 The only word that is final on my life is what God said.

6. Don’t get to the point of bitterness and hatred. Maintain your honour and respect for those who might have disappointed you.

 Allow God to deal with them in his own way.

7. Make up your mind based on scripture that human disappointment is common and none of it will stop God’s purpose for your life. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Conclusion: if your trust in man exceeds that of your trust in God you will end up disappointed.

 DESTINY RELATIONSHIPS 1

I want to specially welcome you to another time of learning. I trust God that the Holy Spirit will teach every one of us beyond whatever we would say here.

Relationships are an integral part of life.

We are all products of one form of relationship or another. Parental, Marriage, business partners, schoolmates, flatmates, and colleagues at work.

We are all in one form of relationship or another right now.

If you look closely at your life you will see ways in which a particular relationship had affected you positively or negatively.

Some presently have regrets based on a relationship in their lives.

Relationships are like an elevator; they will either take you up or bring you down.

We need more of relationships that will take us up rather than take us down.

One of life's greatest blessings is to be so rich in relationships that take us up than ones that take us down.

You need more relationships that are assets in your life, not liabilities. 

We would look at the topic of “Destiny Relationships” from two perspectives. We would see these two perspectives from the life of David and as God inspires us along the way.

Destiny relationships are relationships that are divinely orchestrated for you to rise in life. You are either investing in them or they are investing in you. Both ways you rise in the process.  

We all need these two dimensions of destiny relationships to rise in life.

There are people that God will bring into your life for the purpose of sowing into them and investing in them. These individuals may not have the capacity to reciprocate back into your life at the moment. 

As you invest in such destiny relationships you rise in the process.

This is however something we do out of purpose and not to the detriment of our personal lives.

It’s important to note that every form of relationship involves giving and receiving. Every7 relationship is an interplay of the two.

The first aspect of the destiny relationship is for the purpose of giving while the second aspect which we would consider subsequently in this class is for the purpose of receiving. There must be a proper balance between this two.

THE FIRST ASPECT

There are people that God will bring into your life for the purpose of sowing into them and investing in them. These individuals may not have the capacity to reciprocate back into your life at the moment

Scripture Reference: “And every one that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them; and there were with him four hundred men.” 1 Samuel 22:2

I want you to notice the kind of men that gathered unto David: Men in distress, in debt, and discontented. They were men who were looking useless. 

This was a major test of character for David. He could have ignored or despised them. These people literally had nothing to offer David.

If you ignore or despise people that God has placed on your path in life you will miss out on the greatest opportunities that life presents to us unaware

. 

BASIC PRINCIPLES YOU MUST EMBRACE

1. Relationships are a major test of character. God may not necessarily bring your way to people like you. They may be completely different from you but you must see value in them.

2. Ignoring and despising people is a major insult on God. Everyone you meet is made in the image of God. There is a portion of God in them despite their current state of life.

3. Appreciating and celebrating everyone you meet is a major agreement with God in his project on the earth to change and transform lives.

4. Opportunities are not necessarily in places but in people. You don’t really lack opportunities because you have people all around you. In most cases we lack opportunities because we ignore people.

5. When you see in people what others dont see or what they ignore those people will begin to gravitate towards you.

 DIVINE SIGNALS 3

Let us begin tonight with a familiar scripture.

Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

This verse give us a summary of how divine signals are RELEASED and how it RECEIVED

Divine signals are RELEASED as the Spirit bears witness…..

Divine signals are RECEIVED as the Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit. 

We can also say that two people are involved in the administration of divine signals. The Spirit of God and then the regenerated Human spirit.

The Spirit of God bears witness

The first major step in receiving divine signals is to become conscious of the person, the presence and the purpose of his presence in our lives.

The signals of the Spirit are produced in our lives to the extent to which we become conscious of the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

The consciousness of the presence of the Spirit in our lives is to a different degree in the lives of different people. 

If you lack the consciousness of the presence of the Spirit you will also lack the manifestations of his presence. 

The Spirit of God works in us as we acknowledge and recognize his person and his presence in our lives. We connect to the signals of the Spirit as we give premium to his person and his presence in our lives.

When the Holy Spirit is unrecognized, unappreciated, and ignored we would not experience his help as we should. If you doubt his presence you will lack his help. 

The scripture says “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?“ 1 Corinthians 3:16. Another scripture says “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God….” 1 Corinthians 6:19 . 

The effectiveness of our faith and the quality of our walk with God will depend on how much we acknowledge all that God has given us. Philemon 6

If you will connect to divine signals you must give the Holy Spirit your attention.

Major things you must do

1. You must acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.

2. You must make reference to the Holy Spirit in your life as a way of life.

3. You must consciously invite the help of the Holy Spirit in your life when needs arise in your life. 

4. You protect the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.

The second aspect of our lesson today is on the RECEIVING of divine signals which takes place in our human spirit.

The radio must always be tuned to the right frequency to receive the signals.

This will depend on the development of the recreated human spirit which is the point of receiving the signals.

There is a difference between potential and capacity. We all have the potential to pick divine signals but not all are developed to have the capacity to do so. Capacity is a function of development. 

Jesus was talking of the potential of every believer by saying “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: FOR THEY KNOW HIS VOICE.” John 10:4

Every believer has the potential to receive divine signal but we also know in practical terms that not all are receiving the signals.

1. We develop our spirit as we feed on the word of God. This involves spending time to read, hear and memorise the word of God until we have abundance of it in our spirit. Colossians 3:16

There will be weakness in your spirit when it’s not fed.

The unfortunate thing is that we feed our body more than we feed our spirit. 

Many times divine signals are communicated from the abundance of God’s word in our spirit.

This will require that we give God’s word our undivided attention.

2. The capacity to receive divine signals is developed as we consciously and continually meditate on the word of God. 

Meditation is more than feeding. Meditation is same as regurgitation of what you have been fed with.

Meditation enhances the digestion process of what we have read and integrates it into our spirit.

To meditate means to talk and think the word of God.

3. There is a building taking place as we pray in the Spirit on a regular basis. Jude 20 says “Building up yourself… Praying in the Holy Ghost.

These are spiritual processes that as proved productive in so many lives for years.

If you do them casually it may not produce any significant results in your life. But if you are consistently committed to them they will produce a

DIVINE SIGNALS 2

There are two fundament keys to a life of success as seen all over the scriptures. This is also the major reason why you must have an understanding of how divine signals operate.

1. Success is a product of being at the RIGHT PLACE, at the RIGHT TIME, with the RIGHT PEOPLE, and doing the RIGHT THING.

This is a priceless privilege that divine signals give us.

Genesis 26:2 “And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt: dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of.”

Isaac had wanted to move his family to where his father had success. He was suddenly interrupted by a divine signal to remain in a place that was naturally unfavorable for his business.

If he had moved to Egypt he would have been a covenant Child but wrongly placed.

DIVINE SIGNALS will interrupt our myopic strategies many times.

If you are not flexible in your plans you will miss DIVINE SIGNALS.

2. The second major step to a life of success is what I call a God-inspired  precision 

Jesus said “I can of mine own self do nothing: AS I HEAR (DIVINE SIGNALS). I judge: and my judgment is just...” John 5:30

The life of Jesus was so precise. He did things that were completely out of this world. The secret of his exploits is hidden in the scripture above. 

Every step he took was accurate. Some of them were not logical but they produced outstanding results on the earth. 

This was because every step he took was inspired by the father God. He did nothing by himself. He had divine signals 

He waited for four days until Lazarus died because of the instructions the father gave him. 

When he made mud and placed on the eyes of a blind man, this was what the father was saying at that point in time. It may be argued that these were absurd, but they produced outstanding results.

Jesus knew what others did not know, he saw what others did not see. He heard what others did not hear. This was why he took step that others would not have taken. He had results that others never could have seen.

The law of precision states that “the more precise and detailed we are about life the greater the chances of success in life. The less precise we are about life the greater the chances of failure”.

We all need God-inspired precision to make the best of our lives. If Jesus needed it we need it much more.

This will require an absolute dependence on the all-knowing and the all wise God.

He knows things that are far beyond human comprehension. Thank God for all that we know, but we must understand that what we don’t know yet is far more than what we know.

There are a million ways of doing what we are doing to get greater results. This is what is made available for us in God.

Great results in life will require that you have precision in life. Knowing what others don’t know, seeing and hearing what others cannot see or hear.

NOW WE WOULD CONTINUE WITH HOW TO CONNECT WITH DIVINE SIGNALS

Basically, we connect with divine signals with our human spirit.

“The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” Proverbs 20:27

Divine signals come into our spirit in form of a lighted bulb. A check within, a nudge within, a restraint from within.

The recreated human spirit is where divine signals are received.

The state of our human spirit will determine the level of our human sensitivity. 

When a radio station is transmitting its signals there must also be a receptor that is tuned to the right frequency.

If you are not hearing any radio where you are right now do not mean the radio station is also silent.

Lack of reception in your house does not mean there are no signals in your house. It could just be that the receptor is not tuned to the right frequency. Your spirit man must be tuned to receive divine signals. 

The state of your spirit is absolutely your responsibility.

It’s never up to God but up to you. 

FACTORS THAT WILL HINDER YOUR SPIRIT FROM RECEIVING DIVINE SIGNALS

1. A sinful life produces confusion in our spirit. Sin reduces your sensitivity. 

When you are sinful you begin to take irrational decisions and uncoordinated steps.

2. When you become overtaken by fear your spirit man also becomes blurred. 

Fear will blind your eyes to what God has spoken in his word concerning your life. Divine signals are drawn many times from the reservoir of God’s word in our spirit.

3. When your spirit is full of bitterness and unforgiveness it will be difficult to pick divine signals.

Bitterness defiles people. (Hebrews 12:15)

4. A rowdy spirit will also reduce your ability to pick divine signals.

Many times the noise within can be louder that the noise outside.

The noise of human opinions

When you have a quiet spirit you can have divine signals even in the marketplace of life.

5. Having an undeveloped spirit.

There is a difference between potential and capacity. 

We all have the potential to pick divine signals but not all are developed to have the capacity to do so.

Capacity is a function of development. 

NEXT WEEK WE WOULD FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT OF THE RECREATED HUMAN SPIRIT.

EXPLOITS OF WORDS 3!

Words are like the building blocks of a house. With our words we are either building  or we are pulling down.

Every time you speak you are either building or pulling down.

With this understanding you must be deliberate about the   words of your mouth.

Matthew 12:37 "By your words thou shall be justified and by your words thou shalt be condemned."

1. Your entire life is in your mouth. Where you will end up in life will be determined by your words.

2. Your words will eventually locate you in life. Its not so much up to what God has said concerning you but what you say in agreement or disagreement with what God has said.

3. What you say about yourself is far more powerful than what anyone is saying or has said about you. 

What people say about you only becomes relevant when you agree with them by repeating what was said about you.

One major example of exploits of words is the experience of David before Goliath.

#David was given a lecture on how Goliath was an impossible case.

#David was wrongly accused of pride.

#As he was facing Goliath he heard words of threat he had never heard all his life. They were big words that should have scared him away. 

#David understood that ultimately that what King Saul and his brothers said are not as important as what he will say.

#After all was said David began to speak in agreement with the possibilities of God in this situation and not what everyone is saying.

#What everyone is saying is not necessarily correct except it agrees with God's word.

#In the journey of life what God is saying and what you say in agreement is what really matters over your life.

King Saul said to David "...Thou art not able to go against this Philistines to fight with him; for thou art but a youth..." 1 Samuel 17:33.

#In the next verse "And David said...." Verse 34. He also began to speak. He wasn't quiet. If he had kept the case would have been closed.

#The victory of David began with his words.

Let's explore the things David spoke about

1. He began to speak about what God has done before. From that point he began to draw strength to face the present challenge. Vs 34-36

#He had not been to this kind of challenge before but he knew what God has done before. 

2. He began to declare the possibilities of God in this situation. Vs 37

#He began to declare God as a deliverer. 

#Declaring who God is in the face of challenges gives you  the inner strength and courage to face whatever the enemy is doing.

3. He began to speak of the victory ahead of it. He wasn't just speaking in hiding. He was speaking right before Goliath. Vs 45-47

#God is always looking for someone to speak to the enemy on his behalf. If you are quiet God also will be quiet. God actually speaks through our mouths.

#Words are weapons!

#Learning to speak right does not start from the mouth. It starts from the content of the heart.

#The strength of your heart will be the strength of your mouth. If your heart is weak your mouth also will be weak.

#The convictions of your heart will automatically become the declaration of your mouth. Whatever fills your heart will flow through your mouth

RULES FOR YOUR WORDS!

1. Don't speak according to the size of your problems but according to the size of your God.

2. Don't talk about what the enemy is doing. Talk about what God is doing.

3. Don't talk about what you are experiencing but what you are expecting.

4. Don't talk about where you are. Talk about where you are going. 

5. Don't talk about human impossibilities but talk about divine possibilities

Exploits of Elisha! Part 2

(Learning from Greatness)

The journey of Elisha into exploits began with the decision to follow Elijah. This was the focus of our lesson last week.

Today's class will be a follow up on last week's lesson.

The ultimate goal of following is not just for the purpose of identification but for the purpose of learning.

Learning is both a life time demand and a life time journey. The height of our greatness will be determined by the depthof our learning.

Elisha began to follow and in the process he began to learn. It was the learning that qualified him for the mantle. 

By _following_ and _learning_ Elisha literally stepped into the shoes of Elijah. 

TIPS ON LEARNING!

1. Whatever you are learning you will eventuall become. This should call.for some moments of soberness. 

2. The content and the quality of your present learning is your future already established.

3. If you are too big to learn from someone you are too small to attain unto greatness.

4. Learning is a perfecting process that turns our uselessness into usefulness. The quality of your usefulness in life will be determined by how much you can submit yourself to the process of learning.

5. The pursuit of learning is a major reflection of a heart that is humble and submissive. 

6. The process of learning could be either passive or active. The journey into greatness will require we make it active. Something that is deliberately done.

7. Learning is a major connecting bridge between who we are presently and possibilities of a greater tomorrow.

From a servant that poured water on the hands of Elijah the man Elisha also became a major prophet in Isreal. (2 Kings 3:11)

People You must not learn from!

Let's begin from a verse of scripture.

Proverbs 22:24-25 "Make no friendship with an angry man and with a furious man thou shall not go. Lest you LEARN his ways and get a snare to your soul."

Who and what you follow you will eventually become.

1. People with obvious character problems and they are convenient with such a life. If you follow such people you will eventually learn from them. 

2. People with obvious instability in life. You cannot really place where they belong in life. An untable life cannot excel in God. Genesis 49:4

3. People with no sense of purpose and responsibility in life. Someone who does not know road cannot take you in the right direction.

Dont just follow someone because you like them. This is a journey of destiny. You must be sure this individuals are going somewhere meaningful.

Someone going no where can't teach you to get to where you are going.

4. People who are obviously not pursuing God and his interests.

When you pursue a man or woman not pursuing God they will eventually pursue you from God.

Let me ask you some personal questions as we close.

1. What are you presently learning that has the capacity to produce greatness in your life?

2. Who is that person in your life whose influence has the capacity to reproduce greatness in your life.

3. What efforts are you making daily to learn more and become a greater version of you.

I pray that the Lord will help you in the areas of life.

EXPLOITS OF DANIEL 2

(Unique Decisions)

We are going to still stay on Daniel 1:8 today. Daniel 1: 8 says “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the Kings meat, nor with the wine…”

Daniel took a decision that determined the course of his life. 

FEAUTURES OF UNIQUE DECISIONS

1. It will be a decision that is in accordance to scriptures and not what the society or culture says. 

2. It will be a decision that will take us in the direction that God has determined for us.

3. It may not give an immediate gratification but will produce an ultimate fulfilment and establishment.

4. Unique decision are decision rooted in the heart that no external influence can change. People who make superficial decisions based on external influence don’t go too far.

5. This are decisions that 

honors God far beyond any earthly considerations.

I want to challenge you on three levels tonight

1. Don’t leave the decisions of your life to a generally accepted opinion or decision. If you will have the uniqueness of God’s purpose for your life there must also be unique decisions in your life that are consistent with God’s revealed will for your life.

You must have a clear understanding of the uniqueness of your walk with God.

Everything we do as believers is a byproduct of our individual walk with God. It becomes a challenge when you don’t have a unique and personal walk with God. 

When there is no personal walk with God it will  be so easy to be carried away by what is popular and generally accepted.

We serve God together and have fellowship together but we all have an individual stand before God.

It will be a mistake to rate or judge your life by what someone is doing or what is happening in their lives.

Daniel had a very clear understanding of this. He was in the palace with every other young men but he and his colleagues took an independent decision. 

They understood that their difference is not in eating what the King was offering them. Their difference was In their covenant with God.

2. You have a God-given right to make an independent decision that will turn out right in your life. This is a right that someone may try to take from you. This is something you must politely resist.

Many of us have not really build our individual confidence in our walk with God.

A young lady joined a church newly. He met a young man and became close friends almost immediately.

The young man never proposed a relationship and never said anything about marriage despite their closeness.

The young man happened to be the son of the pastor of the Church. Along the line the father invited her to tell her of having a relationship with the son. He was more or less speaking for the son who is not really interested in a relationship.

So she began to wait for the young man based on the revelation of the parents of the son who are also her spiritual parents. They want her to marry their son.

This has gone on for years and the young man is still not saying anything. Now she’s bothered but not sure of what to tell her spiritual parents of her decision to move on with her life.

This began when she was about 22 years old or so. She’s about 28 now and the guy is about 31 or so.

The point I’m making is she has lost the confidence to make an independent decision out of fear of what will my spiritual parents say.

I have never met this lady before. We had hours of discussion sometimes last month.

Its slavery if your entire life decisions has to be based on someone’s revelation or dream of you.

3. If you are led of God to make a unique decision it will always turn right eventually. It may not necessarily feel right at the beginning.  

At a point in my life I had to change my Church; I did this twice. 

Not because where I was coming from was bad. But in the journey of destiny certain unique decisions are inevitable if you will ever rise into divine possibilities. 

If Daniel and his colleagues had not taken that unique decision they would have remained on that same level of performance that the other people who took the King´s portion.

The scripture never told us how the other people who took the King’s meat and wine ended; I’m sure they would have also seen some level of results.

But one thing is sure whatever level of results they obtained is just ratio one to ten of what Daniel saw. Daniel was ten (10) times better.

Following a general decision or opinion may get you some level of results but will never compare to if you had followed the unique direction that God is showing you that may not be popular.

EXPLOITS OF JOSEPH 3

(Advantage in Adversity)

Last week we took our time to look closely at three (3) basic factors that helped Joseph to turn adversity into an advantage. Tonight we shall look at two concluding factors. 

3 previous factors include!

I. Joseph had value for the reality of God’s presence. 

II. He had the identity of a leader he saw right from the time he had the dream. This identity was retained despite the odds.

III. He understood clearly that God was at work behind the scenes of his life

The two other factors we’ll look at are so fundamental to a life that turns adversity into an advantage. You need to get this factors with utmost clarity. 

1. Joseph was equipped and helped by the Spirit.

Joseph was brought out from the prison to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh. When the demand was placed on him he made a profound statement. “It is beyond my power to do this.” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.” Genesis 41:16 NLT

This statement is profound. It’s clear from this that it wasn’t just a natural ability for Joseph to interpret dreams. 

Pharaoh himself also declared “And Pharoah said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?” Gen 41:38

The exploits were purely a product of the Spirit.

Moving from adversity to advantage will require a practical function of the Spirit in our lives.

Without the help of the Spirit so many things will remain impossible in our lives.

To be equipped simply means to be provided with all that will be required to carry out a particular assignment. 

When soldiers are going to war they are equipped with all that is required to face the battle. When athletes compete they are also equipped to do what they do well. 

We also need to be equipped to face and handle life. If a man is not equipped he will just find himself as a victim when the need arise. 

Just imagine a soldier going to the warfront with no riffle or any means of defense. He has lost the battle before it starts.

There are different ways that we can be equipped in life. We can be equipped by the quality education we had. We can be equipped by great supply of finances. 

As good as all these are they are not enough to face the real issues of life. Life is principally spiritual. This is why we also need to be equipped spiritually to face life. 

King Saul and his men were adequately equipped in military fashion to fight but still could not face Goliath. David came on the scene with something higher than what King Saul had. He was spiritually equipped. David knew how to face the enemy in the name of the Lord.

“Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward....” 1 Sam 16:13

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit he equips us spiritually to face life and handle whatever comes our way. 

Joseph was not equipped academically; there was no opportunity for him to attend school. He did not learn any trade. But he was equipped by the Spirit to provide answers and solution. 

There should be an overwhelming consciousness of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We must also stay connected to him daily.

MY PRAYER FOR YOU IS THAT YOU WILL TRULY BE EQUIPPED AND HELPED BY THE SPIRIT.

THE HAPPENINGS IN YOUR LIFE WILL BE INEXPLAINABLE AND UNIMAGINABLE.

2. Joseph was in tune with his inner virtues to rise in life.

If he had waited for his brothers to help him out nothing good would have come out of his life.

He discovered what God has placed inside him and began to serve humanity with it.

The greatest events of your life will depend on 95% of allowing what God has placed in your life to find expression. The remaining will be 5% from others. 

What people contribute will come to compliment what God has placed inside you.

His brothers came to meet him already established.

He was in touch with his innate potential to interpret dreams rather than depend on external factors to change his story. Genesis 39:20; 40:23

External factors are often unreliable. They may not show up at the right time.

Some may also want to take credit for what God used them to contribute in our lives.

I trust God that this lesson has open your eyes in major ways. My sincere prayers for you is that every form of adversities in your life are turned into an advantage.

Exploits of Supernatural Conception (Part 3)

Today as we conclude our lessons on the Exploits of Supernatural Conception we would focus our attention on the Operations of the Spirit.

 The greater the operations of the Spirit in our lives the greater our chances of bringing forth supernaturally.

 1. By the Spirit Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharoah and provided the solution that preserved and entire nation. This was something the magicians and the academicians could not do. Gen 41:38

 2. The Spirit of God came upon David and he went on to defeat a giant that the entire army of a natuon could not attempt. 1 Samuel 16:13

 3. The Spirit of God overshadowed Mary and she brought forth a baby without the natural input of a man. Luke 1:35

 There are different scenarios where people brought forth in unexpected circumstances. This are all exploits of supernatural conception.

 This is exactly what the Spirit of God has come to do in our lives.

 We must come to terms with the truth that what God did with this is also possible in our lives. 

 The possibilities of scriptures is our possibilities. The victory of scriptures is also our victory.

 The word of God gives us the assurance that we can also experience the operations of the Spirit. 

 1 Corinthians 12:7 Says "But the manifestations (Operations) of the Spirit is given to EACH ONE to profit withal.

 The operations of the Spirit is equally available to each one and everyone whose heart is open to experience them. The Spirit of God doesn't discriminate.

 In the operations of the Spirit there is neither male or female. And their are no tribal or national lines. Galatians 3:28

 One of the beauty of the dispensation of the Spirit is that he's available to ALL flesh. Joel 2:28 "I will pour out my Spirit upon ALL FLESH. Your sons and daughters..."

 The light that God is showing us right now is to say don't count yourself out of the possibilities of experiencing the manifestations of the Spirit. 

 The limitations of life and the weaknesses of life are never a reason to count yourself out of this possibility. 

 They rather should be a reason to expect and experience this possibility. The operations of the Spirit wouldn't have been necessary if we could do it by ourselves. 

 The scripture says "...The Spirit of God helps us in our weakness...." Romans 8:26 NIV

 Your weakness is the reason why you need the operations of the Spirit. If not for the weaknesses the operations wouldn't be necessary.

 When Joseph was brought to the palace to interpret the dream of Pharaoh he acknowledged that this wasn't based on his own natural ability. He said "And Joseph answered Pharoah, saying, IT IS NOT IN ME: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace." Genesis 41:16.

 Berean Study Bible says "I myself cannot do it." But God will give Pharoah a sound answer."

 We can conclude here by saying! 

 1. By the Spirit we can do the unimaginable.

 2. By the Spirit we can bring forth in unexpected circumstances.

 3. By the Spirit we can rise beyond the limitations of life.

 4. By the Spirit we can do what no one had done before.

 5. By the Spirit we can have breakthroughs where others fail.

 This is not what we can do by ourselves but what the Spirit of God can do in us and through us. Philipians 2:13 

 I hope someone will agree with God's word tonight.

Let's conclude this class by looking at a couple of operations of the Spirit that should characterize our lives.

 1. The Spirit brings us into revelations. This can come in different forms and shapes. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10) 

 Revelation of the word of God.

 Revelation of the deep things of God so that our lives will not be shallow

 Revelation of divine purpose

 Revelation of things that God has provided for us.

 Revelation of the hidden agenda of the enemy.

 Revelation of steps we should take. 

 You will just know things that others don't know. You will know things that are beyond your age and education.

 3. The Spirit of God will produce in us an unusually and unexplainable inner strength to do things that unexplainanble but undeniable. (Ephesians 3:16)

 Physical and mental are good but have their limitations. When the battles of life rages it takes inner strength to stand.

 King Saul had the physical and the military strength to face Goliath but still could not do it until someone with inner strength came on the scene. 

 Its better to have the combination of physical, mental and inner strength. With this you can face anything.

 3. The Spirit of God will birth in us wisdom, ideas, Inspiration and concepts that will produce extraordinary results. Job 32:8 

 I will stop here tonight and leave you to urgently pray for fresh move of the Spirit in your life. This operations come by a thirst and hunger.

Exploits of supernatural Conception! (Bringing forth in unexpected circumstances) Part 2

Last Sunday we concluded our lesson with several  statements. One of it was your life and all that has to do with you must be under the heavy influence of the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35

This is obviously how Mary brought forth supernaturally. This is the same way that we shall also bring forth in every area of our lives.

: Today we shall take our time to explore this in greater ways as the Holy Ghost will help us.

 The Inspirationclass began in December 2019. That was when the first class began. Then we went the entire 2020 learning from the life of Joseph. We had a class virtually every Sunday in 2020 most especially during the lockdown. The classes were back to back.

 Honestly I still cannot figure out we were able to learn a whole one year from the same account of scriptures.

 In 2021 we also took another series virtually every Sunday learning from the life of David. The classes were awesome.

 I took time to recollect all this because I realized that the only explanation for it was that the Holy Ghost was at work.

 If you are going to conceive supernaturally the Spirit of God must overshadow you. He must overshadow your businesses, your academics, your career etc

The vital question we need to ask is what exactly does it mean for the Holy Ghost to overshadow a man?

 This is simply talking of the influence of the Holy Spirit.

 The influence of the Holy Spirit can increase from one degree to another in our lives. The influence of the Holy Spirit can also reduce on the lives of an individual until what the Bible calls "Ichabod." This means the glory has departed.

 King Saul completely lost the influence of the Spirit and he could no longer face the enemy. He eventually died a shameful death.

 1 Samuel 16:14 "Now the Spirit of the Lord has departed from Saul..." This was why he could not bring forth in the battle against Goliath. He became so helpless and clueless.

 Just in verse 13 of the same 1 Samuel 16 David had just received the overshadowing of the Spirit. The Bible says "...From that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David..."

 This was why David could bring forth in this unexpected circumstances.

 His age and level of experience could not match up to what he did. This was the same thing King Saul and the entire army of Isreal could not do for 40 days and 40 nights.

 David came on the scene and did it cheaply.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE INFLUENCE OF THE SPIRIT IS ABSENT?

 1. We'll become helpless in the face of contrary circumstances.

 The Holy Spirit is our number one help in life. Until we know him and he's practically at work in us we'll not know true help.

 Even in the midst of human help you can still feel helpless when the Spirit of God is not there.

 King Saul had all the men and the instruments of battle but could still not face the enemy.

 He can help us in anything and in everything.

 2. Cluelessness will set in. When we are desperately in need of direction it will just not be there.

 This was the state of King Saul and his men. He resulted to hiding because he didn't know what to do

 The Bible says "The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle." Psalm 78:9 NIV

 The physical weapons does not guarantee victory until the Spirit of God is involved.

 3. There will be elements of emptiness around us just as it was at the beginning of creation before the Spirit of God set in at the command of God's word.

We all have a responsibility to allow and encourage the influence of the Spirit over our lives. We have that power to either allow or hinder the operations of the Spirit in our lives.

 Let's look at two scriptures:

 Ephesians 5:30 "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God..." KJV

 GNT says "And do not make God's Holy Spirit sad.."

 1 Thessalonians 5:19 also says "Do not quench the Spirit." KJV

 One version says "Do not stifle the Spirit." CSB

 This all show that we can either allow or hinder the operations of the Spirit in our lives.

 Its possible that we have hinder the Spirit of God from working in our lives.

 The operations of the Spirit is a major key to supernatural conception.

 Next week as God enables us we'll continue with the operations of the Spirit.

EXPLOITS OF SUPERNATURAL CONCEPTION!

 (Bringing forth in unexpected Circumstances)

 I want us to begin our lesson tonight by claryfing that our focus in the lesson is not about giving birth to children. That may be someone's application but not really the focus.

 There truth of scriptures are interrelated. We are drawing our lessons from the account of Mary. There is a fundamental lesson from this account that is applicable to others areas of life.

 Luke 1;35 "And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee..."

 Mary asked an important question. How shall tuis come to pass since i know mot a man

 Every time we question the possibility of God's counsels  the response will.be the same.

*"...Seeing I know not a man..." (Luke 1:34) could come in different forms and shades* 

 Seeing i have no contact

 Seeing I have no money

 Seeing i have no relatives 

 Seeing i have no education

 Seeing I have no........

 This can be in different forms.

 1. The absence of human input can  become a barrier to our jouney in life

 2. The lack of money has stopped several people from moving ahead in life 

 3. The obvious circumstances of life has become the stumbling block to so many promising future.

 However such circumstances has never been a barrier to God. God many times will go beyond such needs to bring forth his purpose

 1. Joseph got to the throne with no relative or an organisation to plead his case. He had no CV to apply for a job not to talk of becoming the 2nd in command in the land.

 2. Isaac was about to relocate to a greener pasture. The place he was doing his farming business was in serious famine. Despite the obvious circumstances he sowed and reaped a hundred fold increase.

 3. David did not in any way lool like a king material. The selection process excluded him completely. Human recommendation wasn't what he needed but a divine recommendation.

 4. Peter and his colleagues had done everything professionally possible to have a harvest of Fish but nothing happened. By divine intervention they had a breakthrough of a lifetime in the same river, same boat and same net.

 These are few examples to show us that we can bring forth in unwanted, unfriendly and scarce circumstances.

This is what the Spirit of God is saying today.

 1. The circumstances of life should never become a reason not to move forward in life. As serious as they may be is not good reason to stop you

 2. What you lack naturally can be supernaturally provided in ways that are beyond human imagination

 3. Where everyone is saying there is a casting down you can experience a lifting up. 

 4. Where others says nothing is working can become your place of breakthrough.

Exploits of supernatural conception will require the following!

 1. You must see the possibilities of God in everything. The realm of God is a realm of unexplainanble possibilities. Luke 1:37

 2. Your life and all that has to do with you must be under the heavy influence of the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35

 3. You must consciously submit to the authority of God's word over your life. Luke 1:38

THE GRACE BESTOWED (FUNCTIONING IN UNIQUE GRACE)

I remembered that we began this lesson on grace by saying that grace is multi-dimensional. All we are doing is just to scratch the tip of the iceberg.

I trust God that the Spirit of God will keep unfolding the word of God in a way that applies to you as an individual.

The aspect of grace we are looking at today is unique in itself. 

Let’s look at two major scriptures that will open this subject to us right from the beginning.

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace which was BESTOWED upon me was not in vain….” 

Bestowed is something conferred. Something that is more or less forced upon you. Something you did not really asked for but given to you as a privilege.

There is a grace already bestowed on every one of us waiting for your discovery. 

You may never have realized it but you are already bestowed with grace.

Someone may be saying 1 Corinthians 15:10 is talking about Apostle Paul and not me. The next scripture will clarify that for us.

2nd scripture:

Ephesians 4: 7 says “But unto EVERY ONE of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”

I hope you can see the phrase “Every one of us.”

This clearly clarify for us that there is a uniqueness of grace that is bestowed on every one of us.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THIS UNIQUENESS OF GRACE?

1. You may not have what others have but you have what others don’t have. 

2. The grace of God bestowed upon you is God’s deposit in your life to make you his unique specimen on the earth and to demonstrate the uniqueness of God on the earth.

3. Recognizing the unique grace of God over your life and placing value on it is the beginning of greatness in life.

4. The unique grace that is bestowed upon you is a divine deposits in your life to make you exceptional in life.

5. The extent of your greatness in life will be determined by how much of this unique grace is allowed to find expression in your life.

6. If you don’t discover God’s unique grace on your life there is a tendency to spend your life doing what you are not given grace to do or even spend your life envious of those who are functioning in their unique grace.

7. You will not be required to give account for what you are not given but you will be held accountable for what you are already given.

8. When you discover the unique grace of God on your life you will be functioning from the place of strength and advantage. 

9. There are people working so hard on their areas of weakness and it seems nothing is working in their lives. It is easier to work in your areas of strength. The results will show faster.

HOW TO DISCOVER THIS UNIQUE GRACE!

1. Walk closely with the Holy Spirit. He will bring your life into amazing revelations about your life. (I Corinthians 2:9-10).

2. Look inwards into what excites you and flows freely from you without stress and adds value to people around you.

3. Celebrate the grace of God on other people. 

4. Invest yourself in other people’s grace that is already obvious and functioning. In that process you will activate the unique grace of God in your own life.

5. When you have a ray of that unique grace begin to use it no matter how small and insignificant it may be. 

Joseph began to exercise himself in the prison. The unique grace to interpret dreams was initially insignificant but eventually took him to the palace.

6. Whatever you have celebrate it from onset. Magnify it humbly no matter what anyone says.

REPOSITIONED BY GRACE!

 I want to begin by saying this are not just information but prophetic words for those who will embrace it and run with it.

 1. Grace Repositioned Joseph from prison to palace.

 2. Grace Repositioned Gideon from pressing wheat to become a mighty man of valour.

 3. Grace Repositioned David from following animals to leading a whole nation

 4. Grace Repositioned Saul the worst sinner to become the greatest Apostle.

 If you look closely at this lives you will notice a common trend.

 A. They were people that were not naturally expected to become significant in life.

 B. Everything natural was working against them

 # Joseph was accused of rape with no one to help out.

 # Gideon was the smallest in the poorest family in Manasseh (Judges 6:15)

 #No one in David's family thought he was qualified to be selected as a king and wasn't invited for the selection.

 C. They were not people who went about seeking relevance but God himself picked them up by his grace to make something great out of their lives.

 God is picking many of us up by his grace.

 Men may refuse to pick us but grace will pick us up.

 David said "Even if my father  and mother refuse to pick me up grace will pick me up. Psalm 27:10 (Paraphrase)."

 What Grace will do!

 1. It will override your weaknesses and bring out significance from your life. 

 2. It will look for you and bring you out from the worst scenerio of human confinement.

 3. It will become like an ornament that adorns you and make you accepted before great men. (Proverbs 1:9)

 4. Grace will do in you and through you what you could not have been able to do by your natural ability.

 Paul said "..Yet not I but God who was working through me by his grace." 1 Corinth 15:10 NLT

 5. Grace will qualify you where it seems human qualification is not enough and single you out from the crowd.

HOW TO EXPERIENCE THIS DIMENSION OF GRACE.

 1. Our lives must be totally yielded to God. His grace will find expression in people who have yielded all to him.

 Not people who are still full of their plans and selfish agendas. 

 2. Humility has to become a passionate pursuit of our lives. When God finds a humble soul they become a conduit for an outpouring of grace.

 When a person is full of self he will be empty of God. 

 The humble can never run dry of grace. It will be an endless flow in their lives.

 One proof of a humble person is that they are full of grace.

 James 4:6 "But he giveth more grace...but giveth grace to the humble."

 3. You have positioned yourself to serve the needs of humanity. 

 Joseph, Gideon, David and Paul all became masters but possessed the heart of servants.

 When God sees in you the heart of a servant there is no amount of grace he cannot release to take you up.

 He knows you will not abuse the grace but use it to benefit the lives of others.

 Paul said "... His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain..." 1 Corinth 15:10

 Joseph eventually used his repositioning to help an entire nation and even his own family eventually 

 David Died after he has served his own generation (Acts 13:36).

 1. Lord i release myself to a fresh outpouring of your grace that repositions a man.

 2. Lord i release myself to become a conduit for the flow of endless grace.

 Thank You!

CREATIVE SPIRIT 

 (Knowing the creative agent)

 Let us begin our lesson today by saying that “God has placed in man his Spirit to continue the process of creation inside.”

  The process is still going on in our individual lives provided we are open to it and expecting it.

  The exploit of creation will be incomplete if we don’t examine the place of the Holy Spirit.

  He was evidently present and practically involved in the process of creation.

  Let me emphasize here that the greatest proof of spirituality is not how long time we spend in Church or the number of hours we spend speaking in tongues.

 The greatest proof are productivity, creativity and resourcefulness.

  There must be something practical we can show for our spirituality. 

  The account of creation says “And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the SPIRIT of God moved upon the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2

The Spirit was there to effect the creation process as God began to speak them into reality.

  Creativity is bringing to reality what never existed before. It’s more of producing something out of nothing.

  Productivity is the ability to take raw materials to produce something significant and valuable.

  Resourcefulness is the ability to make something significant from what looks insignificant and useless.

  In most cases what God will give you as you pray are raw materials. God will hardly give you anything in a finished state.  What we make out of them is absolutely our responsibility.

  Let’s give some other light to the subject of creativity

 1. Doing things in a way that no one has done it before to experience results that no one has seen before.

 2. Bringing new designs and new concepts to the market place.

 3. Charting a new course of possibilities

 Let’s look at two (2) scriptures that directly show the Spirit as the creative agent. Its important that you see this clearly.

 Psalm 104:30 “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth.” NKJV

 Exodus 31:3 “I have filled Besalel with the Spirit of God, making him highly skilled, resourceful, and knowledgeable in all skills. (God’s word translation)

 “And I have filled him with a divine Spirit of wisdom, and understanding and knowledge, to INVENT in every work.” Brenton Septuagint translation

  Now it’s clear that the Spirit of God is the creative agent.

  I just trust God that he will open your eyes to see this. 

  The Spirit of God is not someone that is far away from us. He lives right inside us. 

 3 things you must do to experience the creative power of the Spirit

 1. You must acknowledge the person of the Holy Spirit

 2. You must become conscious of his presence in your life

 3. You must develop a consistent fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

 1 Corinthians 6:16 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” NIV 

  This is something that we must be overwhelmingly aware of. Something that is on your mind all the time. 

  Every time you are confronted on any issue this thoughts must come all over you.

 Romans 8:11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you….”NIV

  So we can confidently say he lives in us. 

  His presence in us is not to be dormant. He’s in us to be at work in us. 

  Part of his work in us is to bring creativity into our lives. This is applicable in every area of life. 

 Basic Reasons why we must experience the creative ability of the Spirit in our lives

 1. So that we’ll not be stranded in life

 2. So that we can always see a way out 

 3. So that we can always bring forth something new and relevant to the current demands around our lives

 4. So that we don’t become orthodox and irrelevant in our sphere of influence

 5. So that our lives will become an endless flow of possibilities.

SPEAKING OVER SITUATIONS!

 The account of creation has been our focus this January. We have been looking at the process of creation. 

 This wasn't just a once and for all process. The same principles are still applicable to every area of lives.

 We stated last week that God expects us to relate with his word just as it was in operation in the process of creation. God's word carry the same potency just as it had then. 

 It was obvious that what God saw wasn't right. He began the process of speaking over the situation. He did not call a meeting on dialogue of what to do to do an analysis of the situation. 

 Analysis doesn't change anything. It will only magnify the size of the problem

 This was what King Saul did as they faced Goliath. Analysis will lead to paralysis. King Saul and his men were so paralyzed with fear that they could not move out. 

 David did not come there to ananlyse the situation. He came to address the situation.

 King Saul and his men analysed the problem (Goliath) while David spoke about what God has done before and will do again.

 Things that will never work or produce a change!

 1. Analysis of the problem. The only reason why a physician will analyse a problem is to find a cure. Without providing a cure the analysis is useless. 

 There are times when we seek counsel but the goal is to provide answers.

 2. Talking about the problem.  It has become habitual for some people to tell everyone who gets close about their problems. 

 3. Attracting sympathy is what we get when we tell the whole world about your problems. Sympathy wont solve anything. Some even post their problems on status.

 Prayers are answerd on two (2) platforms

 1. What we are praying about. 

 2. What we talking about 

 #Both of them must agree together. 

 #If what you are talking about does not agree with you are praying about the prayer is rendered useless. 

#We spend more time talking than we spend praying and so if you are not careful everything you are praying about will be cancelled by what you are talking about.

 What you consistently talk about is the greatest expressions of what you believe.

 Sometimes prayer is done when we are prompted by an external force. But what you kept saying after the external force is gone is your actual reality and true expression of your heart.

 If you truly pray about something it should also become your language of expectation. It will show in your day to day talk.

 Divine principles! 

 1. God expects us to speak to the situation. 

 We are supposed to address it and not to talk about it.

 Mark 11:23 "...Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

 2. God does not speak directly to our problems. He speaks to us and then expects us to declare what he has said to the problems.

 If David had not spoken to Goliath God wouldn't have. 

 The problems should hear the word of God from our lips.

 The case of Ezekiel and the dried bones.

 3. What you talk about you magnify but what you address and speak to is weakened.

 4. The word of God spoken from a heart of faith is God himself talking. God speak through us today.

 5. No matter what God has said and we pray about what we eventually say is the reflection of our faith and what will come to pass.

 What we say is what God will do. Numbers 11:28

 6. Anyone can decide to say anything about your life and your situation. What you eventually say about it as a person is what really counts.

WORD FRAMED

Let’s begin our lesson today from a couple of scriptures that will form the basis of our understanding tonight.

Genesis 1: 3 “And God said, Let there be light…”

Genesis 1: 6 “And God said; let there be a firmament...”

Genesis 1: 9 “And God said, Let the waters ….”

This emphasis of “And God said…”wasn’t a coincidence. It was a clear picture of the process by which God created the earth. 

Just as we emphasized in our previous lesson. The art of creation isn’t a coincidence. It involved a conscious and a deliberate steps that were taken.

Nothing great or significant can ever come of a coincidence approach to life. You can’t suspend your life and be waiting for a coincidence. 

Let’s consult another scripture that will give us a broader perspective.

Hebrews 11:3 “Through faith we understand that the worlds were FRAMED by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 

Now we can understand clearly what God was doing in Genesis. It was a process of framing the word.

We can then conclude that the world was framed by the word of God.

This simply means that the word of God is the divine material for framing anything.

The word of God is like the cement and the sand that is used in the framing of a house.

This understanding will help us to be deliberate about applying ourselves the word of God.

“And God said…”Whatever he said he saw.

God wasn’t just meditating; he was speaking over the empty, void and darkness filled situation.

It’s important to note that whatever God has said in his word is what he’s still saying and those words are designed to frame our lives.

The concept of framing includes putting into shape and beauty.

Any area of life can be framed by the word of God. This is God’s eternal means of working in the affairs of men. 

Any time God is ready to work in a place or in a situation what he sends there is his word. Psalm 107:20

HOW DOES GOD’S WORD FRAME

1. We must consciously locate the specific word or words that we need in a particular situation.

2. We must pay close, continuous, committed attention to the specific word that we need.

Between 2018-2020 I had battles with my health. It began with ulcer issue. 

This was an area of life that had issues. It was out of shape. The medications had not really solved the problem. 

At a point it was obvious to be that the only way to come out of this was get it FRAMED by the word of God.

I downloaded a video by Kenneth Copeland where he read out 101 scriptures on healing. I downloaded another one by Creflo Dollar. The scriptures became the “cement and the sand” I needed to put my health back to shape. 

I listened to them day and night. Joshua 1:8. Driving I was listening, as I sleep I played them. I can’t really say exactly when the ulcer disappeared. 

My health had been framed by the word.

Someone told me recently that she noticed that she talks too much and often gets her into trouble. That was an area of life that needed to be FRAMED.

I recommended to her to read the book of Proverbs every day. She is to read the chapter that correspond to the date of a day. She’s in chapter sixteen today.

She is to take note of every verse of scripture that makes reference to the mouth, lips and words. This is process of framing her mouth.

3. The word that will frame any aspect of your life must become a personal revelation in your spirit. It will not just be a word that someone told you but a personal word to you.

4. The word that will frame you will dominate your spirit and find continuous flow from your mouth. The word you don’t declare cannot frame you. We are framed primarily from our spirit and from our mouth.

5. God’s word will only frame you when you believe it and it becomes the final authority over your life. Luke 1:45. The word you don’t believe cannot change you.

6. The word frames you as you are excited about it and rejoice at it. Many are not really open about their interactions with the word of God. They don’t really identify with it. The word you don’t identify with will not identify with your problem.

7. Consciously commit yourself to the instructions of scriptures. It will produce in you what it talks about.

CREATING A FUTURE

 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…..Genesis 1 

The story of creation began with an unpleasant situation

The earth was void (Empty)

The earth was without shape (shapeless)

 The earth was full of darkness (State of confusion) 

Then God began the process of changing what he saw to create what he wanted.

God did not fold his hands to question why it was so or mourning over the situation.

He began to set in motion what he wanted to see.

 Everything we see around us today is a reflection of the future that God wanted to see.

We can note the following from this account

 1. God saw a possibility of something greater than the present reality

 2. God took responsibility to create what he wanted

 3. God set in motion for us  the pattern of what we should do in an unpleasant situation

 4. God did not wish a future that we see today he created it

The future may not look different from what we currently see except we begin the process of creating it.

This must be a deliberate and conscious effort on our part.

If you are going to create a future you must have a clear picture of exactly what you wanted to see.

It’s interesting to note also that God did not create the earth all at once. The creation took some time and a sequence.

The future you desire will not appear overnight but overtime.

The state of emptiness, shapelessness and confusion is the description of many lives.

For some this was the description of 2021.

A major possibility when we find ourselves in such a situation is to feel hopeless, helpless and clueless.

If you relate with life from this stand point you cannot create anything. This is a state of weakness. Weakness does not create a future.

HOW DO WE CREATE A FUTURE

 1. We must have a clear revelation of the future that God has ordained for us in our spirit. It must be so clear that it’s as real as real.

Vagueness is a thief of divine possibilities.

Every outward journey begins from an inward conviction and reality.

Joseph had a clear picture of the future God has ordained for him. He was so convinced of it that he announced it to everyone.

If you are not talking about it; you are not sure about it.

One evidence that you have a clear revelation of your future is that it will dominate you and your words.

The talking is creating process too

 2. You must begin to engage the word of God concerning your future. God’s creative ability is released through his words. You can’t be passive with the word of God.

Without the word of God actively involved in your life you can’t create anything significant.

We must actively live by the word and actively declare his word over our lives on a consistent basis. 

 3. It was also  clear from the account of creation that the Spirit of God was involved. The Spirit of God inside us is a creative Spirit. If we truly allow him something significant will be created through us. 

 We must become conscious  of his person and his presence in our lives.

 Exodus 31:3 gives us this clear picture. 

 The future may not come on a platter of gold. We'll face obstacles and challenges. This is why we need the inner strength that come by the Spirit. Eph 3:16

 4. Once we have a clear picture of the future that God has ordained for us then we can begun to consistently work towards it. It will unfold gradually but surely.

 5. Creating a future will also require one form of training or another. As clear as the dream of Joseph was he needed the training in Potiphars house and the prison to become responsible for the palace

 You cannot access a future you are not trained for.

TOPIC: Little David; BIG GOD!

David was going to face a battle that the best of the army of Israel could not even attempt. 

This was a major battle that the best of the men of Israeli army could not dare.

King Saul and Eliab expressed their fear of how small, little and unqualified David was,

Everything about David was little; His age, size, military experience, weapon etc. were all little.

It was obvious that David was looking beyond his own age, size, and the littleness of his life.

There is nothing wrong in been little in terms of size or what is available at a given point in time but we must understand clearly the divine provisions that can make up for the littleness of our lives.

The difference between David and King Saul was that King Saul was so conscious and overwhelmed by how little and incapable he was in comparison with Goliath while David did not focus on his littleness but began to emphasize the greatness of God.

If you are not conscious of who God is you will become overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenges of life.

Take note of the following!

1. The littleness of our lives is the best place that God wants to wrought mighty things so that we don’t take credit for anything. There was no way David would have taken credit for defeating Goliath.

2. Once we present our littleness to God his mightiness will take over to do the impossible.

3. As little as things may look around you don’t despise them. Some people will always withdraw into their shell and do nothing because they feel “small.” 

4. Little in the hand of a man can multiply and become much when it gets into the hand of divinity. 

5. God’s eternal agenda is that the little of today can become a thousand tomorrow. Isa 6o:22 

Let’s listen to David again “This day will the Lord deliver thee (Goliath) into mine hand; and I will smite thee...”1 Sam 17:46 .

He wasn’t talking based on his size but the size of his God.

Why in the world will he ever think of facing a giant like Goliath who had been a warrior right from his youth? Compared with Goliath the man David was not a match.

As David was going to face Goliath he knew that the size of Goliath was nothing compared to the size of the God of Israel.