Insights for Living by Poju Oyemade

Pastor Poju Oyemade Quote

2011-12-16T14:37:00.001-08:00

To succeed in life you have to at a point, have The momentum. Things just have to fall in place for you and then you seize the moment without looking back. Getting that momentum, which really is like having the winds in your sails is the issue. To do that you must know the importance of learning. Seize every teachable moment. When people say things you don't understand ask, don't play "i know it all". What you know is what is showing in your life. If you can learn the power of self education as you go through life making the adjustments you will succeed.

November Monthly 3-Day Fast Guideline

2011-11-22T16:09:00.000-08:00

November Monthly 3-Day Fast Guidelines

Guidelines for the Monthly 3-Day Fast from the 17th of November till the 19th of November, 2011

Step 1.

Spend time ministering to the Lord. Wake up earlier than usual and spend time just worshipping Him.

Get out all resentment towards Him about things not yet done and thank and worship Him over what He has done.

Come to terms with your present knowing that’s the gateway to your future by reconciling yourself with this moment in your life.

Take pleasure in things you are dissatisfied with by rejoicing in them instead of mentally avoiding them. Understand that as you accept all things as instruments in God’s hand they work out for your own good.

Step 2.

Make sure you clear your heart of any animosity towards anyone. Make it your season of jubilee, which is a declaration of freedom into the lives of all you might have something legitimately against. Spend sometime praying for people in that category.

Break down every middle wall of partition b/w you in your heart that is, extend good will to them in prayer. (The outer walls of limitations around you crumble as you tear down the middle walls of partition b/w you and others)

Remember also those you know going through any difficult times and pray that the burden may be lifted and yoke broken. #Key to obtaining break through during a fast (Isaiah 58: 5,6 and psalm 35:13}

Step 3.

Pray for the mercy of God upon Covenant Christian Centre as a Body and on your family as an entity and you as an individual. That He will pardon for all areas we operate outside His perfect plan and purpose. Ask that He will reveal His plans and purpose to us and make us know the areas where adjustments have to be made for the release of His grace. (Col 4:12)

Pray and ask that He will break the influence of the spirit of ignorance over the soul of every member of the Church destroy the veil over their hearts and uncover His purpose and plan where they are right now. (Isaiah 25: 7)

Pray and ask that He will break the influence of the spirit of infirmity over every one so that each man will have the inner capacity to lift their experience and condition to the level of knowledge that they have. (Luke 13:11)

Pray that everyone who is living in sin will be quickened by God in His mercy and delivered from the bondage into the purpose of God for their lives. Pray the influence of unclean spirits over their souls is broken. (Eph 2:1)

Ask that every sin be blotted out such that the consequence may not come on them and also that God will stretch His hand to heal our physical bodies. (Psalm 103: 3,4)

Confessions.

Based on Your Word in Isaiah 58, I declare that I have experienced all these during and shortly after this fast.

The light I need in my life has broken forth as the morning. I have clear direction and my thoughts about …………… are crystal clear. I know clearly am into God’s hidden plan for my life.

My body experiences perfect health, I feel stronger than ever before and much younger.

My rightness has gone before me and people speak very well of me in high places.

God you have covenanted to protect me even in things am not aware of You have covered me I am totally secured.

God’s presence is much stronger on my life such that my experience is that answers to my prayers are now instantaneous.

I experience no season of lack in my life. From every challenging season where my human limitations gets exposed I have experienced a new lease of life. I am regarded as a well-watered garden and the flow in my life never stops.

I ride in the high places of the earth above only and never beneath.

Poju Oyemade Quote

2011-11-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

Folks fail cos they honor the past more than the future their hearts speak to them about, they respect the traditions of the past and men's opinions more than their guts. They sit admiring others instead of honing their own gifts. In hastiness of spirit, they fail to realize the power in d Now. They live the world of their aspirations and never build altars of worship to God cos of the challenges they face in d Now. This would have pointed the way to that future they dream of.

Poju Oyemade Quote

2011-11-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes God allows us to go through things to show us how solid we really are. To teach us that we are stronger than we think. We fear too many things that can never destroy us. We lean on people we don't have to and its when He rocks our boat and we see that we are still standing even though we expected to perish, that we finally realise our strength. Man that is in honour and knoweth not perishes, he self destructs from fear

Meet the Speakers of Platform 9.0: Pastor Poju Oyemade

2011-09-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

We have a line-up of some of the most intelligent minds sharing on the subject of Enterprise and how it is affected by Governance.

Poju Oyemade is the Senior Pastor of Covenant Christian Centre, Lagos. The church is located at 400 Herbert Macaulay Way – Yaba, Lagos. This fast growing church holds 5 services every Sunday morning, with four taking place at the Yaba Centre and the Family Service taking place at the Island Centre (Lagoon Restaurant – Victoria Island). Midweek service takes place every Wednesday at the Yaba Centre. Essentially, Covenant Christian Centre is one church with two centres.

He was called to ministry whilst he was still an undergraduate at the University of Lagos. He was ordained into ministry by Bishop David Oyedepo, the presiding bishop of Living Faith Ministries Worldwide (a.k.a Winner’s Chapel).

Pastor ‘Poju is a teacher of the Word of faith with insight into how believers can apply biblical principles in a pragmatic and practical way in their daily lives.

This dynamic pastor hosts regular Faith Seminars, Single’s Summits, Financial and Business Seminars where believers are taught the undiluted Word and how it can be applied directly in their situations to produce results, God’s way.

The Platform Nigeria – Worker’s Fair and National Development Fair are also outreaches of his ministry where prominent business men and women (that are believers) share how they thrive in their industries using and applying principles founded in the Bible.

He is also the host of the regular television programme ‘Insights for Living’ that airs on;

» Silverbird Television: Monday – Friday (6:30am – 7:00am) & Sundays (7:00am).

» Channels Television Sundays (4:30pm – 5:00pm)

» Revelation Channel (UK) on Thursday (8:00pm) respectively.

The Quantum Leap (TQL) is the latest addition to the stable of television programmes hosted by this dynamic pastor, it airs on Silverbird Television on Sunday by 2:30pm.

3 Steps useful for your life journey;

2011-09-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

Step 1. Observe what's going on in your mind

Step 2. Review & Revive your thinking

Step 3. Practice the new thinking until it becomes your new Habit

The Platform 9.0 Registration

2011-09-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

The Platform is a FREE event but registration as always is imperative for those who desire to be LIVE at the venue. Register with link below

Platform Registration

The Age of Value Oriented Intelluctuals

2011-09-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

The New order in the world is gradually giving birth to an era of value oriented individuals. When we speak of value oriented intellectuals, we mean those who seek to use their intellectual prowess to establish certain values in our society.

They have used their intelligence to succeed to a high degree in the world of commerce and in their careers but somewhere deep on the inside, they aren’t fulfilled with all the material things that surround them. They seek to break out of the trap of materialism and aspire to the greater values such as Social justice, creation of opportunities for the less privileged and other virtues that their moral conscience dictates. In this, they have found a greater task.

The solutions to such social problems require a deeper level of thought than that which is required in acquiring personal wealth through trade. It is this clarion call in the souls of men we try to answer in this edition of The Platform 9.0.

My friend, Anand Giridharadas who is a columnist for The New York Times wrote an article that captures this thought, “Real Change Requires Real Politics”. Somewhere in that article a definition of the purpose of a new generation emerges.

Welcome to The Platform 9.0.

God bless you.
Pastor Poju Oyemade

Pastor Poju Oyemade Quote

2011-09-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

The Sept 11 lesson.One of the major lessons from Sept 11 attack is this, never go to sleep after a major victory and that weakness is provocative. After the collapse of communism America went to sleep, in terms of its emphasis on defense and intelligence.. They cut their budgets thinking all threats had disappeared. When you have just won a great victory never give up the life style and discipline that produced it. Don't win your wars and loose the peace

Platform 9.0

2011-09-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Platform 9.0, Enterprise and Governance. The Bull and The Ballot Box.

Oct 1st, Lagos. Oct 3rd, Abuja. One Platform 2 cities. Live on television

Poju Oyemade Quotes

2011-09-06T15:27:00.001-07:00

The real definition of success is one who has improved his/her personal situation in order to be more useful and valuable to those around them. The true value of the material benefits of this decision is found in the lessons they learnt while seeking to improve their lot. The real value is not in the material things that were added to them but in the wisdom they acquired in the pursuit of this goal.

An evening with Dr Myles Munroe at Covenant Christian Centre

2011-07-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

An evening with Dr Myles Munroe at Covenant Christian Centre will hold this Thursday ( today ) at the Lagoon restaurant V.I Lagos. Start time 6.30pm. God Bless you as you come.

When Longsuffering is no longer a virtue

2011-07-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

I am reminded of the story of a nice man who opened his home to some friends in need. He was very trusting and allowed them a lot of space with the intent of making them feel at home within his own house.

Gradually these friends started exhibiting patterns of behavior that contradicted the core values of this individual and the spirit upon which he intended to build his home. Boundaries were being broken and his principles were being violated. This man in his niceness chose to ignore the red warning flags, entering rather into a state of normalcy bias. He assumed his friends would eventually see his virtue of patience, respect that and change. He thought his friends were like him even when he saw signs that they clearly had no regard for his core values.

To cut the long story short, it wasn’t too long when this man found himself living outside the house he built begging others for a place to rest his head while these so called friends had taken possession of his home. Unfortunately in his naivety he walked around the house everyday hoping that his friends will see his suffering condition and have pity on him. He saw them walk past him with no sense of guilt, but with the spirit of entitlement, eat and drink in a place they knew nothing of how it came about.

What baffled him most was the lack of empathy towards him. This he could not just understand and that was what finally broke him. His friends had leveraged on their relationship with him to gain entrance and entrench themselves at the core of his life and then took ownership of his property. It is an old strategy of the Greek gift. Act like a sheep gain entrance then show your true colour.

There is a clear difference between a thief and a robber. A robber is one that openly strips you of your possession. He is loud about it but the real difference is that a robber has no existing relationship with you while the thief does. He is subtle, leveraging on the relationship you share, using your trust as his gate to quietly and secretly dispossess you of your most valuable assets.

Once the red flags start showing, study the activities of the person(s) and stop listening to their words alone. If he or she has no regard for your core values but enjoys staying within your house to reap the benefits of your personal sacrifice and discipline, then, my friend you have a problem on your hands.

The more time and space you give a thief the more credibility he builds as your friend making it less likely for others to understand your reasons when you eventually kick him or her out of your space.
Understand this clearly, the thief will dispossess you of all your treasures. That is his intent therefore approach the matter with tact and seriousness of purpose. The sooner you detect the deceitful maneuvers the easier it is to deal with it. The longer you wait the more difficult it will get.

Remember the sons of Belial cannot be handled with hands so your first move is to secure your house and life in prayer, sanctify it and pray for an opening in the natural that will give you the opportunity to deal with this.
The real lesson here is one of courage and not patience. For you to go far in life you must be courageous. You must be able to stand up for what you truly believe in even if it makes you unpopular with the folks. Failure to stand up courageously will at best be a severe deterrent to your career, destiny and family and at worst can terminate everything you are and have worked for.

There are times in life when long suffering is not a virtue. The wise man Solomon said “there is a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which was planted, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing”.
You are putting up with stuff because you really are afraid of doing the right thing. You are afraid of the “unknown world” your decision would launch you into.

It is called cowardice not patience, weakness and not strength. You go to sleep disturbed that something is wrong you have lost your peace yet you cling to what is administering death to your soul.
The Yoruba’s have an adage that says if you don’t quickly call out a thief with time he will flip the page on the owner and make him the thief. The offender will become the offended. The sooner you let them know you won’t stand for this and move into severe action the better it will be for their souls.

Regardless of the noise they make, deep down they know they have been caught and if administered in prayer the process of repentance begins. When you know that you know that you know something isn’t working act decisively before it becomes cancerous.

A little leaven leavens the entire lump... By Pastor Poju Oyemade

5 rules to handle the most challenging situations in your life

2011-05-31T11:37:00.000-07:00

The 5 things you must do to handle the most challenging situations in your life?

Rule 1. Its never as bad as it seems or sounds don't escalate the matter with careless emotional statements. Your first words in response, the effect are hard to reverse. Make sure your words are deliberate and calculated to give you the victory that's the first raw material you have to sharpen your victory.

Rule 2:Make God your only source of victory by keeping the matter between you and Him 'in secret'. This secrecy pact is the key to His living presence and answered prayer. Only talk to the person He asks you to if He does at all and it will be one person. To involve others is to give authority to them to shape the outcome every casual word they speak over it would hold. Find rest in God.

Rule 3: Get quiet and surrender. What i mean by surrendering in the face of difficulties is to understand that the real struggle is because you are trying to bend the outcome to your will. As you had little to do with the crisis so u don't know the outcome. Get quiet let go in worship of your plans and stay there until the earth by itself evolves His plan before your eyes. When you see it run with it.

Rule 4: Go out of your network and plant good seeds into others. Focus on sowing new seeds and not on your need. You are never trapped once you can sow a seed. The exact science for advancement when facing a crisis is to sow good seeds, and then go to the throne of grace to ask for favor. Every new day begins with you finding favor in the eyes of man by God. Ur need touches God but its ur seed that moves His hand.

Rule 5: People are infectious. Stay around positive people. They will show you through their right attitude to challenges how to win. Don't forget the battle is over your future Its the predominant thoughts in your mind today that will shape your future. Spend your time thinking not on the pain of the situation but on the possibilities of the future. What you meditate on would eventually appear unto all - Pastor Poju Oyemade.

Poju Oyemade Quote

2011-05-31T11:30:00.001-07:00

The fact that our optic nerve is 25times larger than our auditory nerve means we have more band width at our disposal in the creative process when we 'see' things rather than just say them. learn in your times of declarations to meditate deep on the images those words are forming in you

The Power to Create the Change in You – Rev Sam Adeyemi

2011-05-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

The post below is not a direct excerpt from the speaker’s speech, it is only a brief summary

God will never do for us the things He has given us the power to do for ourselves. To enjoy National success we must satisfy the conditions and principles. We have to develop the capacity to master our environment.

Our values as individuals and a peoples dictate our behavior. We must begin to exercise self- governance and re-define our values to build a new Nigeria. If we make up our minds and put in the work, we will enjoy the fruits.

SMC, Course 1: Twitter

2011-04-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Tweet like a Bird – An Inquest on TWITTER

Twitter is text based Social Media tool targeted at enhancing communication between people within and across the globe. It has proven itself to be a revolutionary way of sharing information and communicating thoughts and opinions to a possibly infinite population perpetually.

To get started with Twitter, you create an account with an existing e-mail address, a chosen password and a few personal details to enhance your profile. Your Twitter profile and specified interests may determine what kind of individuals and /or organizations you will attract to your Twitter network, so it is needful and beneficial to be clear and concise.

In Twitter world, your username or alias is preceded with an “@” sign. Your alias is determined by you when you are creating your Twitter account. It may or may not be the same as the username of your email address. For example; Let us assume you register with an email like fela.obi@xmail.com, your Twitter alias could be @felaobi or it could be @flabi or @anythingelseyoulike.

The main terms to note are Followers and Following. Followers are people who follow your tweets because they know you personally or believe you are an interesting and intelligent person worth lending their attention. You also become a Follower when you do the same to someone else. To follow anyone, you simply click on the “Follow” button by the name of the individual or organization you are interested in following.

Like we have mentioned earlier ; Twitter is text-based but something else to note is your tweets can be no longer than 140 characters, however the good news is you can tweet as often as you want, in-fact the more the tweets the better (but be careful not to become a spammer, as this will cause people to un-follow you).

QUALITY
Using Twitter qualitatively is a sure way to grow your Digital Influence, all that is required is that you share information that is original (not necessarily originally yours), correct, helpful and relevant. Your tweets can include links to sites, blogs or items for purchase, profiles, videos or even images. Tweets should not be vulgar or abusive. Tweets should educate, enlighten and inspire your followers.

LINGUA/TERMINOLOGY
Tweets
A tweet is the foundation of all engagement on twitter, it is nothing more than a message sent on twitter, in order to be able to tweet you obviously must have a twitter account. Twitter can serve as a good communication tool between you and friends so one way to build your follow base is to invite friends and contacts who already have twitter accounts to follow you or to create twitter accounts as well.

Due to the fact that Twitter is designed to rely on cellphone text messages, it has a few limitations such as;
* Tweets can have only 140 characters

(With the advent of third-party desktop, mobile and web-based applications like TweetDeck, UberSocial, TwitLonger, you can now post longer than 140 characters but the original Twitter design limits the display to just 140 characters still and includes a link for your followers to view the full tweet.)

* Tweets can only contain text except when using third-party desktop, mobile and web-based applications

* Web addresses 30 characters in length or longer such as http://www.theplatformnigeria.com/register within Twitter’s system are converted to tiny URLs in order to conserve space. You can also use a third-party service such as bit.ly, so in this example our bit.ly URL will be http://bit.ly/Sm9Ka
Twitter allows you the option to effortlessly opt-out of any network you feel is inappropriate or spamming you by you simply “un-following” such a member or members as the case may be.

REPLIES & MENTIONS
One of Twitter’s aims is to foster communication and interaction and some of the ways to go about reaping the benefits of this objective in particular is by using Twitter’s “@Reply” and “@Mention”.

@Reply
A Twitter reply is basically you responding to an existing tweet that may interest you and you would like to engage the sender with respects to this tweet. Your reply will and should always begin with @username (you insert the username of whoever you are responding to) e.g. @theplatformng, @samgf, @AnandWrites, @sarahcuda, @jaredcohen. Any tweet that is a reply to you will show up in your Mentions tab when you login to your twitter account.
To Post a reply on Twitter:
* Locate the tweet you want to reply to in your timeline(List of all tweets from the peole you follow)
* Move your mouse over the message and click the reply icon
* Complete your tweet in the pop-up box and click “Tweet” to send it

@Mentions
Mentions are any Twitter updates that has a user’s username located anywhere in the body of the tweet, replies are also considered mentions. When tweeting and you use more that one person’s name in your update using the @username format, all those people will see the update in their personal Mentions tab when they login to their Twitter accounts.

Twitter users will see all mentions posted by someone they follow (all mentions are treated like regular Tweets).If someone sends you a reply and you are not following the user, the reply will not appear on your Home timeline. Instead, the reply will appear in your Mentions timeline.

HASHTAGS
Twitter is a platform where a great deal of the interactions are organic, one of the products of this type of organic interaction is the hashtag (#). The hashtag (# symbol) is used to mark keywords or topics in a tweet.
Examples of hashtags are:
#EngageTheFuture
#thinkingoutofthebox8
#NaijaVotes
A hashtag is designed in such a manner that if anyone does a search for that hashtag, they may find your tweet containing that particular hashtag. The best practice is to not have more than 3 hashtags in any given tweet and always use hashtags relevant to the topic you are tweeting about

To get better information about any hashtag, visit www.hashtags.org. The site offers popular hashtags used on Twitter and allows you look at small pretty graphs and you can learn if a hashtag of your choice exists
In order to create a hashtag, just add the (#) symbol beside the keyword of your choice e.g. #EngageTheFuture and send it within your tweet.

RETWEETS
Many times on Twitter, when you encounter a tweet you may want to share it with your followers. Enter the “RETWEET”.

A Retweet is in essence a reply to a tweet that includes the original message. You can either do this manually by typing “Your message RT @theplatformng” or by hovering over the tweet and clicking on the “Retweet” button.

Within your timeline, a tweet you have retweeted is identified by the retweet icon

Remember, Twitter is all about you, what you are doing, what you are thinking and how you feel. Tweeting an article you just happened across is not nearly so meaningful as tweeting an article that really said something to you.

DIRECT MESSAGES (DM)
Apart from sending out general tweets, you can send private messages popularly called “Direct Messages” to other people on Twitter, the only requirement is that they must be your followers. You can not send DMs to people who do not follow you and in turn people who follow you can send you DMs
Because Twitter was designed as a mobile-inclined application, you can also send Direct messages from your mobile phone but in order to do this you must first activate your mobile phone to receive and send updates to Twitter

TWEETS FROM A MOBILE PHONE
To active your mobile phone for Twitter updates;
1. Login to your twitter account
2. Click on Settings
3. Click on the “MOBILE” tab
4. Specify your mobile settings and click start
To send a DM using your mobile phone, open a text message window and use the following syntax;
d username type your message e.g;
d theplatformng My registration was a success. Thanks
Send the message to 40404, the message will automatically be updated on Twitter

SMC, Class One – The Power of Social Media

2011-04-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

Social Media has fast become the trend of the day across the world and has stamped its relevance in the areas of Social Relations, Marketing, Politics, Education, Journalism, Business, Religion and a host of others. More importantly it has aided the concept of making the nations of the world ONE.

Social Media tools have changed the way information is created and distributed. We are now fully operating an Information Age and this is because of the limitless nature of the Internet. If we are going to harness the best of this opportunity and if we are going to contribute meaningfully to it; we must be ready to adopt the use of Social Media tools.

Today, your significance and relevance in the world can be measured simply by Googling your name. GOOGLE is the world’s strongest and largest search engine and today GOOGLE leverages on Social Media to throw up relevant information.

At the end of this course you would have received an Education on the world of Social Media which will empower you to establish and/or improve your Digital Influence; which in other words means the relevance of your existence in the world today.

The tools that make up the Social Media kit are endless but we will touch on the most familiar and show you how you can start sharing information that will affect your world. And as we go along, we will all apply the knowledge we gain and implement them on the Course Project; which is The Platform 8.0 using the publicity slogan “Engage The Future”

Course One
Tweet like a Bird – An Inquest on TWITTER

Course Two
What Does Your Face Look Like In This Book – A real glimpse into the world of FACEBOOK

Course Three
The Video Challenge – Visual Content and YOUTUBE

Course Four
Professionals, Networks & YOU – A glimpse into LinkedIn

Course One (Tweet like a Bird – An Inquest on TWITTER) will hit the blog pages today by 5:00 pm, looking forward to hearing your comments about Social Media

In order to not miss out on any of the future course content, SUBSCRIBE HERE

SMC, Class One – The Power of Social Media

2011-04-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

In line with some of the information to be shared during the platform, we initiated a Social Media Course (SMC) which started today, so go on over and start learning about Social Media basics in order to fully appreciate and grasp the information to come at "The Platform 8.0 - Thinking Outside the Box"

Register for the Platform 8.0

2011-04-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Registration for The Platform 8.0 has commenced, go grab your seats now. Its FREE

http://www.theplatformnigeria.com/register/

The Platform 8.0- Thinking outside the Box

2011-04-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

The Count down to the Platform has began. 17 days to go First speaker is Jared Cohen Vice President and the Director of Ideas at Google and Adjunct Fellow at the Council of Foreign Affairs United States. topic: Understanding the Technological Revolution. Cohen will broaden our grasp of what technology is capable of and how it can be used creatively and strategically to put u and ur business on the cutting edge.

Faith and the Holy Spirit I

2011-04-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Faith Seminar - March & April

2011-03-21T09:25:00.001-07:00

A reminder that the Faith Seminar for March kicks off TODAY! The venue is Yaba Centre and is for the next five days with Pastor Poju and Rev. Matt Beemer. Start off time daily is 6:30pm prompt.

You can also watch it live on the internet using this link: www.insightsforliving.org/fslive.

The London Faith Seminar takes place as follows:

Date: Saturday 16th April
Venue: Hilton Metropole – 225 Edgware Rd W2, 1JU. London
Time: 10am, 12noon & 2pm
Crèche: Available!

The link below enables you invite family and friends in the UK!
http://www.insightsforliving.org/evite/

Have a great week people.

The Platform 8.0

2011-03-18T11:07:00.001-07:00

The Platform 8.0. May 7th 9.00am Its savvy, young creative and on the cutting edge. The power and process of thinking outside the box. Learning to live ur own life.

Quotes from Pastor Poju Oyemade

2011-03-07T18:33:00.001-08:00

When u judge others as underserving of God's grace, effortless increase on ur part diminishes. What u project in ur thot life towards others grows in ur garden. Gratitude has recently been discovered by high achieving individuals as one of the most powerful tools for achieving dreams yet gratitude for your personal blessings cannot reverse the effect of ill willed thoughts towards others. Let mercy rule your heart... Pastor Pastor Poju Oyemade

Pastor Poju Oyemade's Quotes

2011-03-07T18:32:00.001-08:00

Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools for human advancement. Yet it cannot reverse d effect of ill willed thoughts towards others. Pastor Poju Oyemade

Covenant Football League - Player Registration Deadliine for Submission

2011-02-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

Calling ALL footballers and intending players of the emerging Covenant Football League! TOMORROW i.e. Wednesday 23rd is THE DEADLINE for the submission ALL applications to play in the erstwhile league. If you still have your form with you kindly drop it off at the church office or after service tomorrow.

For those that are just getting to know, please use this link www.covenantfootballleague.org/register to do the honours and beat the deadline!

Have a great week ahead, knowing that you’re always on top in every situation.

Cheers!

Covenant Football League

2011-02-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

Football fanatics, enthusiasts and lovers should get ready for the Covenant Football League. It’s THE LEAGUE to follow this season and not the Premiere, Spanish, Italian or Bundesliga and what have you! The form for eligible players is available for collection after services on Sunday. Other categories like supporters club, cheer leaders, commentators and other adhoc services will also be fully represented...so there’s ample room for EVERYBODY!

More details about the league and all relevant information will be given as developments take place.

The Interactive Forums Edition

2011-02-14T14:08:00.000-08:00

I also have no express commands from God concerning relationships but I write as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy – 1Corinthians 7:25

Paul had an interesting take here in answering the questions that were raised by the churches to him concerning relational issues in their mist. He made it clear that he had no express commandment from God in response to their questions but he could apply the wisdom of God on such matters, knowing that all things might be lawful but not expedient.

Relationships are tailored to the individuals involved thus, different people deal with different issues in relationships. There are some absolutes where we have direct commandment from heaven e.g. not being unequally yoked with an unbeliever etc, but once these requirements have been met in any relationship most people transcend into the serious issues or “grey areas” where a lot of wisdom is required. Decision making in issues like this varies from person to person depending on the kind of situation they find themselves.

This article will focus on key issues that are pertinent to the marriage institution and if or when applied can help build stronger Christian family ties as against the lack luster, mediocre way in which Christian homes are built these days. Understanding a person’s family and recognizing the power of family background is one key area that people have overlooked in terms of how and why people act in certain ways. The family is the first area of awareness for an individual, not the church or work place or the school. There are ideologies or ideals that people are more often given to in terms of how things should be done because these are what they have been exposed to in their families.

Next are character issues and how you deal with it is one important aspect of a relationship. Using the combination of love and affection that two people have for each other can help correct these character flaws. The two most important words in the success of any relationship regardless of love are ‘respect and accountability’. Since growth and development is essential for any relationship, it is therefore important for people in relationships to act as checks for one another.

In dealing with character issues I have arrived at the expression ‘ Romantic Confrontation‘, which is a way of helping a person change through the avenue of love. For instance, if conflict is properly managed it can become a vehicle for a vibrant and healthy relationship. In life, once you have mastered the art of having the right reaction either in a good or bad situation, you are in for a wonderful life. It is therefore of uttermost importance that when carrying out the ‘Romantic Confrontation‘ the following tips are essential;

» Pray for the person you are in a relationship with
» Do Not Be Verbally Abusive rather, constructively work at making your spouse a better person
» Remember to emphasize their admirable attributes so that when they are ‘romantically confronted’ they know it is for their own good.
» Never dwell on emotional hangovers, deal with issues as they arrive.
» As to all correctional methods it would be met with resistance; so do not let down Your guard until you see genuine changes.

Another key issue is people misinterpreting the real cause of a break-up in a relationship as lack of communication, when the real problem is that one of the partners feels trapped in it. The scripture says, “in the sweat of your hands shall you eat bread”. The word “sweat” literally means you will struggle to eat or survive because of the kind of people around you. If you are surrounded by people who choke you, your productivity level will automatically diminish. Even Jesus when He was surrounded with the wrong people could not do mighty works as He used to. Human freedom is the most precious thing and people react when it is being taken away from them. In relationships we should learn to strike a balance at all times as there is a thin line between loving and smothering someone.

The family background is another essential issue in any relationship. How you and your spouse feel about family is important. The dynamics and structure of a family is not an issue for the church but rather for the respective families concerned because marriage is under the authority of the family. It is better for parents to support a marriage than for the church because the family is the first institution and not the Church. The family is mostly the determining factor of some behavioral attributes in marriage and no one can live above his or her family dynamics no matter how enlightened or exposed they pride themselves to be.

The following points are also important as regards the family in view of marriage:

» Positioning:

As trivial as it sounds the position a person holds in the family is very important and can be the cause of certain behavioral traits. For instance; first born girls with very few exceptions can be very domineering as well as independent, as they have often had to take care of younger siblings. While most last born children are often over pampered and spoilt. So in the event where two last born children marry themselves, we would have two people who are probably used to having their way and not properly managed would cause friction.

» Parents:
It would be in the interest of people to realize that there are six people (the parents on both sides and the couple) and not two involved in a marriage. However, there are primarily two people involved most times. But the other four are a constant that should be carried along. As part of the process of marriage, it is required that you show the parents from time to time that you genuinely care about them by doing things for them, seek their opinion on issues but make it clear that the final decision lies with you. This is because problems can erupt if parents feel sidelined by the entrance of a spouse in their child’s life.

» Communicate Your Feelings:
You should learn to be sincere when sharing your feelings about each other’s families but sensitive as well because families are partners to the marriage. For example, if a member of his or her family makes you uncomfortable or is a bit talkative, be sensitive when speaking to your spouse about it as they are still his relatives in order to avoid resentment. By every means talk about the admirable characters that you have witnessed too so as to give balance to the not so good ones. Therefore, be honest but sensitive about matters concerning your spouse’s family.

» Respect for Parents:
Make it a matter of duty that your partner honors his/her parents. Never tolerate them talking bad about their parents at least not while you are there. Also ensure that they do their bit in supporting and providing for their parents with their substance.

In conclusion, the ways and manner in which stronger Christian families can be built is for appropriate seeds to be sown when the individuals are still single and dating. Once these seeds have been sown it helps to actualize the establishing and fostering of stronger and viable families.

- PASTOR POJU OYEMADE

Single’s Interactive Forum- Hurry and Register!

2011-02-14T14:04:00.000-08:00

We’re pleased to inform you that the initial glitches with the SIF registration has been ironed out and the seats are going at a fast clip!

All the seats the Planet One are gone...so if you planned to attend that one you must move to your plan B! A counter on the registration page gives available seats left at the various venues. The date remains Saturday 19th and all five venues are still MUSON, Eko Hotel & Suites, Knot Centre, Lagoon @ Planet One.

Spread the news and volunteers shouldn’t forget to collect the fabulous tee-shirts and WEAR them to further propagate the gospel of the Single’s Interactive Forum. Please tell those you know that want to attend to make haste and register ON TIME!

Have a pleasant day!

Single's Interactive Forum Registration

2011-02-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

The day for the Single’s Interactive Forum is 19th February. There will be five venues for this epic event i.e. MUSON, Eko Hotel & Suites, the Knot Centre, Planet One and Lagoon Restaurant. Registration for the event commences on 7th Feb at

http://www.covenantsinglessummit.org/register/

Once you register for a topic (yes very informative and interesting too!) you’ll find out the venue for it. The flip side is that you can ONLY register and be at ONE VENUE...so you’ll have to think properly and then make the best choice!

http://www.covenantsinglessummit.org/register/

Don’t forget the date for the Single’s Interactive Forum remains Saturday February 19th @ the Knot Centre (Yaba), the Lagoon Restaurant, MUSON, Planet One and Eko Hotel & Suites.

Be productive this week and also try and have some fun too!

8 lessons we can glean from President Obama’s life and political success - Part 1

2011-02-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

This article is apolitical. It is also not a stamp of approval or disapproval on the moral or ethical values of President Obama. It is simply an insight into the life of one of the most prominent men in the world today. Someone who achieved a feat, that was thought practically impossible four (4) years ago. An African-American, who through his genius and communication skills literally blew open 200yrs of the American Political establishment.

I have watched and read excerpts from various political leading minds in America and no one gave him a chance at the onset. He was written off completely. His vision, faith and strategy stands as one of the greatest feats so far in this generation. What laws can we learn from his life? What were the forces at play that he might not even have been conscious of nor was enacted by his intellect that helped him accomplish something so monumental? Here are some lessons that I have gleaned...

First lesson is one of forgiveness

President Obama by all natural standards should be an offended man. He experienced emotional abandonment, first from his father at a very early age when he left home and abandoned him with his mother who later on also left him with her parents (his grandparents) to pursue another relationship with someone else.

He should have been bitter, but somehow he let go of all the pain and bitterness he could have held on to and still showed enormous respect and honour for his father in particular and his mother. He travelled all the way to the village his father was born in Kenya as a senator to discover his roots. He also wrote a book entitled the ‘dreams of my father’. He didn’t build his life around the offense that would probably have been created but rose above that challenge. He once said the not having his father at home made him lack a sense of identity and direction which he found only when he committed himself to the service of others as a community organiser in the South-Side of Chicago.

The truth about life is this: an offended heart cuts your productivity and creativity by at least 50%. At worst case it can ruin your life altogether. Your heart is the life force within you. It is the production centre of your life, the place where ideas beyond the range of your consciousness float in. This is the place where great composers have heard the music their fingers later played, great architects saw the buildings within their imaginations, Scientists cried out Eureka in a flash of a moment, the seat where great dreams are born can get contaminated and ruined by hate.

The exercise of the spiritual muscle called your heart is in forgiveness. As we get stronger naturally through physical exercise our hearts grow in its capacity to produce and we exercise ourselves in the act of forgiving. Scripture commands us to break up the fallow ground of our lives. This is through letting go of all hurts from our pasts and reconciling ourselves with those we dislike within our hearts so that our intent towards them is one of peace. Life would be difficult if you harbour an unforgiving attitude towards members of your first cell on the earth, your family.

Second lesson is he is a great communicator

President Obama was a man of the people. He has the ability to speak both to you and for you. This art of communication can only be discovered and developed through intellectual and emotional honesty. What do I mean by this? That one is honest with one’s self about where one really is in life and to understand that all real lessons can only be truly learnt in the context of your own personal experience.

In communicating, the other party must feel one’s emotional honesty and this can only happen if one is able to speak to the feelings the other has, due to what they are experiencing in their lives at that present moment. The ability to do that only occurs when you speak truthfully from your own personal experiences. It has been said that one can lack any of the qualities as an organizing leader with one exception and still be effective and successful. That exception is the art of communication. It does not matter what you know about anything if you cannot communicate to your people. In that event you are not even a failure. You’re just not there. You create your presence by being able to build a powerful narrative from your own personal experience that gives insight to others about what they are experiencing themselves.

Insight always goes viral.

Lesson 3: He believed in Education

President Obama believed that education was the tool through which he would achieve his dream. Nothing is more powerful than a disciplined, intelligent and compassionate mind. He believed that knowledge is power and sought the path of knowledge. What too many people of faith lack is an educated mind. They lack the knowledge of temporal things and a clear understanding of how the world truly works.

The Jews have a saying that the greatest investment you can make is in yourself; educating yourself. They say if you take a loan to get an education, it is an asset that can never be repossessed. It lives in you. It is the most powerful investment. Scripture teaches to your faith add virtue (character) and to that knowledge. It takes hardwork and discipline to acquire knowledge and to be educationally sound but if you do the hardwork life becomes easy through the application of knowledge. If you don’t do the work to acquire knowledge then life becomes laborious.

Many African-Americans in his generation saw sports or music as their ladder out of poverty, he embraced education. Make having an educated mind your goal in life and with that develop a pleasant personality. I once did a recording in a studio in New York; President Obama had used it during his campaigns. I asked the owner of the studio what struck him most about him? He said he just seemed to know much more about life than the regular guy. Five (5) minutes with him showed him as a man of knowledge.

Lesson 4: He was true to himself (A disciple of his own convictions)

Whatever you think about the ideological slant of President Obama he has demonstrated himself to be a true disciple of his convictions. How the belief system was formed is not the point of this article or even whether they are right but that he has demonstrated oneness with himself.

Through proper mentorship and his ability to interpret the events of his life into a narrative discovering the essence of his personal experiences was to be of service, he committed himself with a singleness of purpose to public service. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he could have chosen to the join the wealthy insider world of corporate America, rather he chose the path of service earning $12,000 (dollars) a year with a $2,000(dollar) allowance for a car for 5years.

While all his friends and classmates were heading to the Walls Street he headed to the South-Side of Chicago, one of the poorest and most dangerous areas in America. What could have led to that “crazy” decision? Just one thing; Clarity of Purpose and the Strength of Character to pursue your dream; demonstrated by his ability to break with the “pack”. This is what true leaders are made of and this is where they are born.

He knew where he was going and all the ships in his being were sailing in the same direction.

Greatness will start when in your actions and the choices you make; you are one with yourself and not denying yourself to be one with others.. Pastor Poju Oyemade

The Platform Nigeria - Stirring the Intellectual Grassroots of the Nation

2011-02-03T12:34:00.001-08:00

Never Let a Crisis Go To Waste Again

2011-01-31T12:59:00.000-08:00

In the wake of the financial meltdown the former Chief of Staff to President Obama, Rahm Emanuel uttered this statement. He was well criticized by the right-winged opposition but I found that statement to be loaded and factual. It was consistent with the Newtonian law of Inertia that states "every object remains in a state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force".

That external force that compels you to act in a different way and wakes you up from a slumber is called crisis. Some have termed crisis to be the father of all things for man never discovered God through wisdom or philosophy but through his needs.

Rahm Emanuel was articulating an age-long fact that crisis gives you options, creates new possibilities, allows you room to maneuver and in some cases gives you the space you need to negotiate your way out of controlling relationships. You are forced to act otherwise or you perish. It is your refusal to change course that makes the crisis harsh and brings the lives of people to a halt.

Pride is the manifestation of a belief system that simply states “my convictions are right regardless of the facts presented before me”. It is a decision to impose your views on reality and not to learn from the facts presented to you. I have always believed that this life will only work favourably for us if we take it as a learning experience.

To Christians who by nature of our faith are “doctrinal” in our orientation we face a challenge here. The challenge is to discern the difference between a right adjustment in your belief systems and the compromise of your faith. Will we grow in the knowledge of our faith or get the initiated into tradition.

It’s easy to say think outside the box which is what is required but in practice, Christians are dogmatic in their approach to issues. Traditional thinking replaces insight into worldly affairs through the lens of the word God. The real reason a crisis comes your way is to crack the outer shell (protective) atimes, you have lived in and to allow you to pursue new options. This is not a spin on reality but the truth about life. It’s not a cliché but truth with historical backing. The cardinal sin against your destiny when a crisis appears is to desire strongly to return to status quo. What you should do instead is wave our present reality goodbye. Have its funeral service quickly let the days of mourning be short so that you can wake up to the new possibilities in your life. The three things you lose through a crisis are your limitations, weaknesses and sense of servitude. You also probably lose relationships you think you need but, subtly hold back your destiny.

These are replaced by a greater sense of independence and liberty, strength and a sense of mastery over the circumstances of life.

An experiment carried out by Jacques Loeb, M.D., PH.D a member of the Rockefeller Institute with parasites indicates that even the lowest order of life is enabled to take advantage of crisis if they are willing to shed their weaknesses and take up the mind set of an independent.

“A potted rose bush brought into a room and placed in front of a closed window. If the plants are allowed to dry out the parasites, previously wingless change to winged insects. After the metamorphosis, the animals leave the plants, fly to the window and then creep upward on the glass. It is evident that these tiny insects find that the plants on which they had been thriving were dead and that they could therefore secure nothing more to eat and drink from this source. The only method in which they could save themselves from starvation was to grow temporary wings and fly, which they did”.

If a much less order of life could grow wings to meet with the challenge, it is clear that defeat only sets in because people want to meet today’s challenges with yesterday’s abilities.

To succeed requires growth and the development of inherent abilities. Abilities unknown to anyone else but is part of your spiritual make-up.

To succeed doesn’t depend on help from without and increasing dependency but growth from within.

To succeed you must face the reality of your situation. You want to know the actual facts on the ground no matter how bad it sounds. You must not go into denial about the facts or to play the blame game. That is not leadership. Crisis always calls for leadership.

If you hold a leadership position within an organisation don’t delegate a crisis. Take control of it and resolve it.

The first law of success therefore is, GRIP IT. Don’t deny its existence, embrace it. Don’t pray that it departs; embrace it in order to consume it. A crisis will help you with the hubris problem, that is, the arrogance of success. It will put you in touch with your humanity and the weaknesses and limitations you want to grow out of. If you respond rightly you will be a much stronger knowledgeable and liberated person with an additional grace of humility to your advancement.

I will sign off with these two principles embrace crisis and read it. Approach it with a heart of gratitude embracing it as an instrument of growth and then read through the lives of other people who faced similar challenges and surmounted them. Read until you are ready, your present situation in the lives of others and then you will know the options that are available into you.. Pastor Poju Oyemade

Platform Topics of Speakers

2010-10-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the topics that the various speakers will speak on:

Rev Sam Adeyemi: The Power to create the change is ni you. Learn to use it.

Prof Osibajo: The Laws that made Nations great.

Ibukun Awosika: Going past challenges powering Nigeria's Economic and Social Development through identifying opportunities.

Leke Alder: Take the Future.

Prof Bayo Olukoshi: Golden Values and Principles of Nation building: A reflection of Nigeria @ 50

Opeyemi Agbaje: Strategy is not complex.

Thelma Ekiyor: Anchoring Phillantropy in Nation Building

Poju Oyemade: Stirring Up the Intellectual Grassroots of a Nation.

Whether at the venue, viewing via Channels TV or watching it streamed online...the Platform will be power-packed.

So don’t keep it to yourself. Spread the word.

HAPPY 50th INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATIONS NIGERIANS!!

Stirring the Intellectual grassroots of a Nation

2010-09-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

In a few days we will be celebrating 50 years of Nigeria's Independence. To many the reality of the times doesn't call for a celebration but a deep sense of reflection.

This is however the path many have gone through in their quiet private moments ending up with a sense of helplessness in that as much as they hate things the way they are, they feel the lack of power to produce that necessary change. They lack the power to build a world class infrastructure on a national scale, a public school system that works, an efficient healthcare system and an orderly modern society built on law and technology.

Hope about building a great country begins to fade somewhere deep within their consciousness and that desire is replaced by a determination among a few to pursue personal success against all odds and become that 'self-made man' idolised by entrepreneurial societies like Nigeria.

To others who don't possess such fierce individual drive, quitting the stage whichever way that is interpreted becomes their goal. This could be realised by either leaving the geographical space called Nigeria or remaining here while playing the victim, blaming the environment for personal woes and inability to produce.

To be honest this edition of the Platform is directed at the first category of people, the able men and women within our society. The class who have shown incredible courage and intelligence against all odds.

This Platform is for you to answer that new call. What can I do to shape the country I love and how I can go about it?

The call is to bridge the divide between seeking just to use your power to achieve your personal goals and protect yourself from the broken society around you, but also to release that power into your environment to rebuild it.

By answering this call, not only do you experience a quantum leap in the realisation of your personal goals but a sense of true citizenship and personal identity is discovered..Pastor Poju Oyemade

October 2nd Platform Speakers list out!!

2010-09-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

The formidable list of speakers for October 2nd is out! We have our very own Pastor Poju, Professor Bayo Olukoshi, Professor Yemi Osibajo, Mr. Leke Alder, Rev Sam Adeyemi, Opeyemi Agbaje, Thelma Ekiyor and Ibukun Awosika as the faculty for this edition!

If you have ever heard any of these speakers, you must know that you’re in for not just plain talking, but insights that will not just amaze, challenge you, but also prompt you to ACT on what you’ve learned.

Click on the link below to view their profiles and retrieve more breaking news!
http://www.theplatformnigeria.com/profile.osibajo.php

Please forward, pass on and send this information to friends, family, foes, acquaintances and everyone that you know. Do NOT KEEP THIS TO YOURSELF!

Spread the message and let others participate...from wherever they are!

Register for the Platform

2010-09-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

The 17th is finally here...This is the time for those that would like to be at the Platform venue LIVE to register.

Just go to the website and register.

Here is the link http://www.theplatformnigeria.com/register.php

If you don’t register, you will NOT be given admittance to the venue. Once you have done the needful, the confirmation and code will be sent to you.

Ensure that you fill ALL the required slots e.g. phone number, name, email address. The compulsory fields are a MUST fill so if you do anything...DON’T FORGET TO FILL THEM.

Faith Seminar With 'Poju Oyemade

2010-06-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

There would be a Faith Seminar with Pastor Poju Oyemade on Saturday, June 12, 2010.

Time would be 9.00- 12.00pm.

Location: National Institute of Sports, National Stadium, Surulere.

Kindly note that the Faith Seminar is on Saturday NOT on Sunday.Invite your friends and family.

It would be loaded

Cheers!

Covenant Christian Centre presents Verse by Verse The Book of Galatians

2010-06-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

Covenant Christian Centre presents Verse by Verse The Book of Galatians

Covenant Christian Centre would be having a six week (every Wednesday) teaching on the book of Galatians by Pastor Poju Oyemade.

Time is 6.30pm- 8.00pm.

Start Time: Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 6:30pm
End Time: Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at 8:30pm
Location: Yaba Centre--400, Herbert Macaulay way, Jibowu, Yaba

Be there!

The Platform- 1st May 2010 - Platform 6.0 Advantage Session Edition

2010-04-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

The Platform ( MAY 1ST, 2010)

VENUE: Tafawa Balewa Square

Time: 8am

Let us discover tools and techniques for achieving superior results at the Platform.

For more info./ registration visit : www.theplatformnigeria.com

Please be there.

IT IS FREE! IT IS FREE!

London Faith Seminar

2010-04-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

Here's the information about the Faith Seminar scheduled for London in May.

Date: Saturday, 15th May 2010
Time: 10am, 12noon & 2:00pm prompt
Venue: Hilton Metropole, 225 Edgware Rd. W2 1JU
Topic: Understanding the Practice of Faith

As usual don't forget to invite friends, family, colleagues and everyone you know that will benefit.

There will be 3 sessions in all, so those attending can sync their schedules to make at least one!

Get cracking and send out those evites from the website!
www.theplatformnigeria.com

Seek His face...

Benin Faith Seminar - 13th March 2010

2010-03-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

The Benin Faith Seminar is scheduled for SATURDAY 13th MARCH in the ancient city.

VENUE: Oba Akenzua II, Cultural Centre, Airport Road, Benin City.
TIME: 9am prompt
DATE: 13th March 2010

If you have family, friends, acquaintances or colleagues that will be in Benin City on that day please SPREAD THE WORD and let them know that the benefit they'll derive from it is beyond their wildest dreams!

Enjoy the new month and seek His face!

Warm regards.

The Rationale of our involvement in Education

2010-02-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

The last few decades have witnessed a declining role of the State in service provision and consequently a significant increase in private sector, faith based and civil society involvement in providing basic education services to the public.

The 1990s was declared to be the decade of Education for All (EFA). The World Declaration on Education for All envisioned that “Every person - child, youth and adult - shall be able to benefit from educational opportunities designed to meet their basic learning needs”.

In developing countries like Nigeria for instance, a growing number of national and multinational business corporations, private foundations, faith based organizations (FBOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are becoming increasingly active in the education sector. As a church, we are also called to impact our society by addressing the social needs of the people. This is just one way of preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.

Children represent our society’s future. Many will grow to become tomorrow’s leaders. However, a significant number of them still lack access to quality, basic education. Children are natural learners, but this capacity to learn can be undermined and sometimes destroyed due to the absence of an enabling environment. Spending directed at children should therefore be viewed as a long-term investment as they are as a natural resource representing the future of the country... Pastor Poju Oyemade

Covenant Medical Fair

2010-01-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

The FIRST EVER MEDICAL FAIR of gigantic proportions will take place on Saturday 23rd January. The Covenant Medical fair is the first of its kind...EVER and promises to deliver.

The FREE health screening, cancer screening, dermatology, dental, nutrition-related, internal medicine, opthamology, paediatric, physiotherapy services will take place for all and sundry to avail themselves at NO COSTl.

There will also be a Faith Clinic where classes will be taught on how you can use the Word of God as medicine to heal any type of sickness or disease!

I mustn't forget to inform you that we also have renonowed medical practitioners like Prof Akin osibogun (CMD - LUTH), Olorogun (Dr.) Sonny Folorunsho Kuku (Joint Medical Director, EKO Hospital), Dr. Henrietta M. Williams and a host of others who will be speaking on various topics like diabetes, healthy lifestyles/living and many more similar topics which will enlighten and equip people.

The fair takes place @TBS on Saturday 23rd January and kick off time is 8am prompt.

ADMISSION IS FREE!!!

Don't forget to invite anyone that you know will benefit from this outreach!! It's the first of its kind and has a lot to offer all and sundry!!

Face answereth to face...seek His! (Prov 27:19)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2009-12-24T10:40:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all the joy of the season and may the coming year bring with it bountiful blessings to you and all your loved ones.
May Christ, the reason for the season, grant you all Peace, Joy, Good Health and every thing else you desire throughout the coming year and beyond.
Have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Regards,

Edu- Aid

2009-12-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

Sometime in 2005, Pastor Poju Oyemade received an inspired thought to establish a first-class educational project targeting public primary schools. This inspired thought later crystallized into Edu-Aid, which represents Covenant Christian Centre’s social response to the falling standards in the quality of education and learning environment available in Nigerian public primary schools today.

In this initial phase, Edu-Aid is designed as a community-based educational project targeted at addressing the identified education-related needs in public primary schools in our local community.

OUR VISION
“To facilitate access to quality primary level education in a conducive learning environment for as many children as possible”

OUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE
Adopting a two-pronged approach, Edu-Aid seeks to:

Give children enrolled in public primary schools an excellent start in education.

Develop and equip children with the skills, knowledge, qualities and character traits required to make a positive difference in their generation.. Pastor Poju Oyemade

The tongue asset - mastering the negative cycles in your life and flowing into the positive (part 2).

2009-11-29T16:19:00.000-08:00

The tongue is one of the greatest assets given to man by God. It gives him the ability to determine events. It allows him to 'manipulate' his environment. Death and life proverbs says, are in the power of the tongue and they that love (make use of) it shall eat of its fruit thereof.(Prov. 18:21). One translation says, "... those that make it a friend shall eat of its fruit"

There are a few people that have recognised tongue as an asset. Kenneth Hagin once said mighty few Christians realise that our words dominate us. It's the power given by God to man in order for him to be able to programme events into his life. Jesus taught exactly that. Mark 11:23 says 'he shall have whatsoever he saith'. He said a man of faith must practise his faith by the use of words. A person who understands how to get results and whose faith is result oriented, makes his words work for him. One translation says "those who have who have made the tongue their friend, are eating of its fruit thereof." The science behind the cycles of life positive or negative is the power of the spoken word.

Whatever seasons God has planned for your future begins with a glimpse of its possibility in your own heart. You have the responsibility to capture the essence of it by the words you are speaking today. Stop hoping and waiting for it to happen start saying it today. Express the feelings, the understanding, the emotions of what you see ahead of you in faith with words or it would go out of the range of your vision and you would be left without enthusiasm for the future. Never forget every failure in life once had a powerful glimpse of emerging events or the possibilities of the future in his heart but let it slip by not capturing the essence of it in words.

Negative cycles begin with a voice of accusation and positive ones begin with powerful affirmations. The adversary knowing that the tongue can produce a cycle of death initiates a word of accusation as a spark counting on it to spread. If you are ever confronted with accusations take nothing for granted. Enter into a season of prayer asking God to specifically reverse the effect of words spoken by men over your life. Learn also not to withdraw or to isolate yourself. Give during these times and maintain powerful affirmations about yourself and your situation everyday when you are alone. Keep using words against the situation and in favour of your future until you come into a position of rest about your future, where the past no longer haunts you and the present situations no longer intimidate you. It is at such times that we learn the art of programming the events of our lives.

Bill Gates referring to the power of cycles unconsciously attributed the negative or positive cycles companies go through to the words that are spoken. He said large established companies that one day had hundreds of millions of dollars in sales and lots of satisfied customers had disappeared in a short time and new companies such as apple, Compaq, Lotus, Oracle, Sun, and Microsoft appeared to go from nothing to a billion dollars in revenue in a flash. These were driven by what he termed positive spirals while the failure of others by negative spirals. The powerful companies that enter into these negative spirals, he attributes, begin this way I quote, "they loose market share or deliver one bad product, the TALK BECOMES 'why do you work there', 'why do you invest in that company', I don't think you should buy from them'.... the press and analyst smell blood and begin inside stories about who's quarrelling and who's responsible for mismanagement customers begin to question...." The spiral begins and down goes the organization. Personal lives, families could fall into this same pattern and remain in the valley of death. Multitudes are there discouraged and disillusioned about their future not knowing they can master that negative cycle and come out on top.. Pastor Poju Oyemade

The tongue asset - mastering the negative cycles in your life and flowing into the positive (part 1).

2009-11-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

It was Shakespeare that said 'there is a tide in the affairs of man if taken at the flood leads to fortune; omitted, and all of life's voyage is in shallowness and misery'. I guess for any mind keen on making the greatest impact on life, this would probably be the biggest fear or the greatest asset. Understanding this principle well and further, having its interpretation engraved in your heart as a law by your words would give the necessary edge.

Solomon put it this way after looking at all the experiences and that of others he concluded â€œthe race is not been won by the swiftest neither is the battle won by the strongest but those who succeed I can only attribute to what I term time and chance.â€ There is this 'mysterious' element in all human endeavours that looks like one person was lucky while the other was just unlucky. This 'luck', negative or positive, forms part of what we have referred to as negative or positive cycles. If you get into a positive cycle all things just appear to be working out and well everyone wants to associate with you, get into a negative one and you will understand loss and probably betrayal.

There is that tide that some ride on while others who might be more qualified i.e. stronger for the battle or swifter for the race, miss out of. Every generation of humanity has thrown up its own leaders and its own losers in every field; its own success stories and its own failures. There is always that conscious minority that determines the direction and the destiny of the collective. They are the head and not the tail of their generation. These people ought to be the covenant children of God but unfortunately they are not.

Three things have denied us of this: 1. Religion 2. Ignorance of relevant laws 3. Greed It all begins with a consciousness. Seeing the need to be on top, to occupy and to be in-charge. There must be no sense of guilt or a false religious air of humility in relation to your desire in becoming part of that conscious minority who have determined to rule and determine the direction of the 'rest'. It was John D Rockefeller who said that he had looked at life and seen what great help he could be if he had money and so his conscience permitted him to make money, and then to make more and more. He said, â€œit was my right. My conscience told me it was my right. Everything was clear between me and the Lord.' If the righteous are in authority the people will rejoice proverbs says, the reason for so much gloom is that the wrong people are in control.

The starting point is this; you would only have as much or be who your conscience permits you to be. There is a divine law which could be said to sound like this, God's mercy would always produce for man what he needs, desires or aspires to be, where his moral judgement or sense of justice is not called to question by his conscience.. Pastor Poju Oyemade

Dare To Get Your Feet Wet

2009-11-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

The external difference between the generations of Jews led by Moses, and that of Joshua, was that the Joshua generation entered into their promises while the Moses generation died in the process. However, we know their experiences were a product of the state of their hearts. Thoughts beyond the range of their consciousness shaped the experiences in their lives. This still holds true today. The state of the heart will eventually govern the events of the life. Outward forms of life are moulds of the inner thoughts.

One generation lived in the experience of fear amidst Godâ€™s presence; the other lived with the experience of faith in their hearts amidst the challenges. One needed God to move externally before they moved; the other provoked the visitations of God by daring to get their feet wet.

One waited for God to part the red sea before they stepped in, the other knew they had to step into the waters rejoicing in their hearts before God, for the sea to part. The Law is straight forward. â€œProvided your heart (internal part of you) enjoys the spiritual experience of seeing the Jordan part (seeing the vision fulfilled) while your feet (external part of you) still feels the experience of being flooded by the waters of the Jordan, the spiritual will impose its dominion over the naturalâ€.

It is when your heart experiences the waters of the Jordan through the information it gets from the feet that it gets depressed and failure occurs. Let your heart rise above your present experiences and your experiences will be forced to rise to the level of your heart. It is what the heart experiences that ultimately determines the direction and the pace of the development of your life.

One of the ways you raise your consciousness above your present experiences and transform your mind is through singing. Singing directly impacts your heart for through it you create spiritual experiences in your soul. Sing your future as though it were your present experience in thanksgiving unto God, and your heart will rise above your present experiences taking the shape of the inner image God has placed in you. Have a great week... Pastor Poju Oyemade

Information is what reduces uncertainty.

2009-10-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

For any given task the more information you have the more certain would be the outcome of the events. Nothing must be attempted without information on the subject. Take nothing for granted; all are born ignorant on every subject of life. The informed are the studious. Increase your probability of success to the point of certainty by surrounding yourself with books, tapes and with people that are informed.

Every great achievement is a product of a great plan born in the mind of an informed person. If it is on marriage, read. Raising up children, read. Compare notes and exchange ideas through communication. Whatever it is, consciously pray to God for information that would produce a programme of action and then read. Erase all doubt through precise knowledge and then enter into action with boldness. Fortune they say favours the bold. Resist mental laziness i.e. the idea that reading is unnecessary labour.

Information that gives you a programme of action is power. Leave nothing to chance. God is a God of solutions through information. Job said Oh that I was in the days past.... when the candle of the Lord was upon my head and by His light I walked through darkness'. Are you facing challenges today? You can walk out victorious if you give value to information realizing you were born ignorant and you grew presuming you knew. God is not a God of uncertainty and chance; that is religion. God is a God of information and programme.

Are you making confessions today about set goals? Pray to Him for the necessary information that would give you the right programme of action to succeed.. Pastor Poju Oyemade

Principles of the Quantum Leap

2009-09-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

1) Focus.
2) Change your goal into a target when this is achieved your internal resources are unconsciously working 24hrs to find how to make it happen.
3) Suspend disbelief.
4) Rely on unseen forces and pursue your dreams.
5) Learn from your mistakes, you will make some.
6) Build allies understand the power of right relationships and seek them out.
7) Open your gifts (unknown potential).
8) Make your move before you are ready.
9) Do it your way: every action must not be controlled by external forces. You must have a witness within before you act.
10) Recycle the best ideas on earth.

Focus

Focus is magical. The things that give great results are always very few. The secret is finding those things that are really powerful and truly pivotal. Those things that make the difference between success and failure, and doing those things only. Care about those things. Care about nothing else. Do those things. Do nothing else, to the extent that you can focus your work and life on the areas where the payback factor is huge.
The principle holds true regardless of the task or challenges at hand. The first step is to figure out the few vital things in any task most things that are done don’t matter, but a few things matter a great deal. If you are given a task, only a few things stand a chance of producing extraordinary results, so focus on those things. The next step is to cut out everything else. We always seem to be short on resources i.e. time, money, etc. we are not, we are just not focused.
Next time you have an important assignment or objective, work out a way to crack it and stop doing anything else. By abandoning the low pay-off efforts, and unrelated activities, you free up precious time you can use to do much more of the things that really matter.. Pastor Poju Oyemade

The Quantum Leap

2009-09-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

The quantum leap is a term taken from the vocabulary of modern or quantum physics, it describes a phenomenon observed in matter. This leap occurs when a particle of matter makes an explosive jump. It moves out of its circulating orbit in an unpredictable way and moves into a higher orbit. A particle undergoes this process when it moves from one place to another without covering the usual steps or levels. This explosive jump is without any apparent effort on the part of the particle. It’s as though it received a fresh burst of energy from external forces that caused it to make that jump. The quantum leap is also a scientific term for breakthrough. This phenomenon is the principle behind breakthroughs in science that gave rise to computers, lasers, etc.

You can jump into a higher orbit of achievement and improve the level of your performance and rate of achievement. It means you go far beyond the next logical step. It is the concept behind stunning advances. It is about multiplying productivity rather than just increasing it. We all know and have seen people who make that jump in their careers, business, ministry etc. It seems that it happens by chance, but nothing happens that way. What are the principles behind such a leap? If we make compromises and study, we will glean some things. What are the core conditions that must be fulfilled before you can experience a quantum leap?

Change as a Strategy instead of a self-imposed Trap

The moves you make in leveraging your effectiveness in an exponential way are not common place ideas. Unconventional success calls for unconventional methods. They are not difficult but are rare. We are creatures of habit and social creatures we go with the flow and rely on behaviour that has worked best in the past. Once we do something and take an approach that worked in the past we become attached to it. We don’t let go of that habit pattern. We remain with this approach until there is some overdependence on the strategy and tactics involved. Once we get into a social circle, we stay within that orbit, whether it is positive or negative for we are social creatures. You rely on these structures until your performance flattens out and sags, then you start trying harder, putting in more work. The law of diminishing return sets in, the harder you try the less the returns you get from the effort you put in. Faith in the familiar sets the trap of the familiar.

To make the leap, you have to break out of the rut. Overcome your addiction to your old methodology. The quantum leap strategy is based on uncommon sense. People try harder at what they do and know to get a breakthrough. The quantum leap is something you have been keeping from happening and not so much what you struggle to make happen. It is a fresh perspective, a deft move, something different.

Arrested Development and the Trap

A lot of people instead of making the quantum leap when the time comes, they actually arrest their development. Arrested development occurs when you stay with what worked in the past, even when the environment demands a change. People get bitter when the pattern changes. You can arrest the development of an animal by caging it in its youth. When you get offended, you refuse to participate further because it wasn’t played on your terms and your development gets arrested.

We need to understand that adversity brings this energy. The outburst of pace and advancement can come from challenging situations where the patterns have changed. Adversity, should be seen as energy bottled up, begging to be directed for breakthrough results.

To make the quantum leap, you need to start seeing the world differently so that other possibilities that exist can materialise. The principles behind the quantum leap are equations for stunning advancement and fulfillment of dreams.. Pastor Poju Oyemade

Acquiring Revelation from God

2009-08-31T15:16:00.000-07:00

How do you get to the point where you are able to capture revelation from God about any given situation? In practical terms, the Bible says, ‘now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place (2Cor 2:14). God causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus, and then He makes manifest through us the savour of His knowledge. What this means is that in any situation, God causes us to first celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ i.e. in all situations we are victorious. Jesus Christ has overcome, therefore we should stand still, for the solution is here and is accessible. So we need to first stand still and rejoice in the victory of Jesus.

And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things (Ps 45:s4). This means a man that begins to offer up praise is setting himself up for revelation from God. So, in any circumstance where you find yourself, the first thing to do is that you need to celebrate the victory of Jesus. The second thing you need to understand, is that He will make manifest the savour of His knowledge by you, in every place and that particular challenge as well. There is also a certain knowledge that He wants to impart in that given situation that is actually going to cause the manifestation of victory. The translation of that victory from the spiritual realm to the natural in your life depends on the knowledge you have acquired. It is that knowledge you need to come in contact with in your life concerning any situation in order for change to come... Pastor Poju Oyemade

Your words as a breach in the spirit

2009-08-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

Words can cause a gap in the spirit realm when they are not consistent with what you want to happen in your life. When this is the situation, even prayer cannot make these things happen. Although the resources are available in the unseen realm to make it manifest, the breach caused through your words will not enlist angelic assistance. Spoken words are the ladder that connect heaven and earth. When the gap is bridged angelic activity occurs.

You must understand the power of your words in order to do things the right way. Furthermore, you must also ensure that you do not have any idols that have replaced God in your life. One of the ways to do this is to ensure that it is ONLY God that knows the intimate details of your life. When you worship and praise Him and you will see His salvation in every aspect. (Matthew 18:19)

Joshua 1:8 clearly states, ‘this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (KJV) According to the passage above, success is a result of doing everything that concerns an issue i.e. not part but all. For instance, failure occurs in an examination because the individual did not know the answer to the questions posed. So, you must know the answer to the questions that life asks of you at every point in time.

2 Corinthians 2:14 states, ‘Now thanks be unto God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place (KJV). It is the knowledge given to us that makes us victorious. In Colossians 1:9 Paul asked that God fill the Colossians with the exact and precise knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. One of the ways we attain this knowledge is by keeping the Word on our lips so that we meditate on it, know it and then do it.. Pastor Poju Oyemade

Understanding the Kingdom and Operating in it.

2009-08-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Jesus explained that without understanding the parable of the seed (Matthew 13:3-8), it would not be possible to understand how to operate in God’s kingdom. The seed of the kingdom of God is the Word of God. Thus, the start of God’s work in anyone’s life, begins with His Word. In any situation that you find yourself you must locate the relevant Word for it and sow it inside your heart. If one does not understand this process, the individual will look for the external manifestation rather than understand the internal process that has begun once the seed has been planted.

It is the Word sown that produces thirty, forty, sixty and a hundred fold. (Matthew 13: 18-23). Unfortunately, because people do not understand the procedure, they try and get the results that they have not planted the Word for through prayer. This is rather like a farmer trying to harvest what he did not plant! Simply put if you do not plant anything in your heart you cannot harvest any results outwardly.

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to save your soul (James 1:21)(KJV). It is the Word that produces results time and time again. So mightily grew the Word of God and it prevailed. (Acts 19:20). Once you receive the revelation, through prayer you must keep the Word constantly before you i.e., the Word inside the heart and on the lips produces the results God ordained for each and every situation, producing signs and wonders every single time... Pastor Poju Oyemade

The Essence in Exchange for Results

2009-07-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

To be able to get tangible results in life you must start the process by stirring up your spirit. (2 timothy 1:6-7) Once the spirit is stirred up you then continue by meditation. You read the Word, confess it and think upon what you have read. This is the process of meditation and you are effectively giving the right substance in exchange for the result you desire.

During this period God begins to unveil what has been deposited through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Through confession of the Word access is granted to these mysteries. Thus, meditation and confession of the Word causes a revelation for the situation (i.e. Rhema) and the necessary steps to take unfold.

It is not about begging God, but rather about appropriating what has been done in Christ. The bible says in 2Corinthians 5:18 …and all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. You must remember that it is your confession that determines your personal experience with God. So when a situation emerges in your life it is the words that have been spoken (consistently) prior to the time of prayer that determines the outcome.

When you personalise the gospel, you become an example to others and the covenant is made flesh in your life. If you do not try to bypass this process you will always produce lasting results that will stand the test of time... Pastor Poju Oyemade

The Power of Choice

2009-07-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

When the Israelites had to go to war with Amalek, Moses demonstrated the importance that making the right choice(s) had to play in the scheme of things and Moses said unto Joshua, choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand (Exodus 17:9). If the right warriors had not been chosen for the battle, it would have been lost. Declaring the Word then would have been a lost cause since the conditions for victory had not been fully satisfied. Like the saying, a bad workman blames his tools if the wrong workmen (i.e. soldiers) had been chosen to go into battle, there would have been no victory.

You must understand that the power to choose is yours and you have to use it in your life. You must exercise this power not only through decisions (but also through the various choices you make), because there’s a difference between deciding to do something and choosing to do that same thing. People make decisions based on influence (i.e. environment, people, feelings etc whilst choices are made from the gut or instinct). So Moses instructed Joshua to choose men that he was comfortable with rather than those he ‘thought’ fit or was pressurised to pick.

For instance, there may be certain people you should not be closely associated with but as a result of various things this is not the case. In spiritual matters if you relate closely with the wrong people, the right things will not happen to you (e.g. people that are quick to praise you but whose hearts are not with you). When you are involved with these types of associations you will discover that the Word will not work the way it ought to in your life. God’s promise in the book of Isaiah is, ‘thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee,’ (Isaiah 49:17) This becomes the reality when you choose (from instinct) rather than make decisions (based on people and circumstances)... Pastor Poju Oyemade

The Faith of Abraham.

2009-07-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. (Romans 4:11-12)

We will look deeper into two phrases from the foregoing scripture. The first is, ‘he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith.’ This means that there is a particular type of faith. The second phrase is, ‘the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised.’ This second phrase speaks about the steps of this faith this means there are definite steps to be taken where this faith is concerned.

This scripture speaks about the type of faith that Abraham expressed before God. Therefore, we refer to the steps of the faith that Abraham took whilst he was still uncircumcised. Furthermore, circumcision is referred to as the seal of the righteousness of Abraham’s faith. We can see that God is being specific where the faith of Abraham is concerned, in terms of the faith that Abraham had and the steps that this faith requires.

It is thus inferred, with reference to this type of faith that there can be other types of faith apart from the faith of Abraham. People can walk in steps that are not the steps of the faith of our father Abraham.

It is important at this point in time as things unfold on the earth for people to be sure about their roots and to understand the faith of Abraham. The essence of our faith and the root of that faith is our covenant with God. It is essential to emphasise this because there are a lot of ideologies developing on the earth. We need to understand the root of our covenant with God and also understand the faith of our father Abraham because our faith is built upon the promises of God.

For instance when you say you believe God for something or you believe someone for something, it means the person must have told you something that made you believe. What this means is that you cannot say you believe anything, unless you have been told about it.

The Bible says, ‘Abraham was persuaded that God was able to perform that which He had promised. (Romans 4:21) For Abraham to believe God means God told him something that became the basis of his (Abraham) faith. As a result Abraham was fully persuaded that God was able to perform what He had promised. This was about the promise that God had given to him in particular and for him to understand that God had the ability to fulfil His promise.

We need to understand that there was a foundation for Abraham’s interaction with God and also recognise what God was communicating when He established this covenant with Abraham. It was this covenant that the scripture says was ratified, sealed or signed in Christ.

This covenant was four hundred and thirty years, before the law (Galatians 3:17). This means that the law cannot annul the content of that particular covenant. Concerning this covenant the scriptures says: now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ (Galatians 3:16).

But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6). The seed of that particular covenant with Abraham is Christ as a result Jesus is now the mediator of the covenant between God and Abraham along with its promises.
The Bible says if we are Christ’s then are we Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

Thus, in order to function in this covenant you must identify totally with the body of Christ as one and keep the unity of the Spirit... Pastor Poju Oyemade

Seek God first

2009-07-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

Abraham’s break through started from his point of need (i.e. he had no child) and so he went to God about that particular issue. In our walk with God, circumstances around us will create pocket of needs within our lives and God wants to use those things as a starting point.

The bible says blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). Meek people are people that depend on God for instructions on any given thing. Moses got to the point where he was the meekest man on the surface of the earth. This is to show that he was not someone that behaved like he knew it all. These are people that said to God I do not know how to go in or out like Solomon said in 1kings 3:7. These people had to get instructions from God for them to go ahead and do what they had to. Thus, the starting point for them was that they went to God in prayer concerning the issues they were facing.

Therefore, wherever you are, whatever the issue you are facing the starting point is that you go up to God and tell Him the matter you are facing. You have started the process of walking in Abraham’s faith by going to God first in prayer. When you do not talk to God about issues it means you have rejected his lordship. You say there is a crisis, but instead of talking to God you talk to the government or people. That is the mistake people make whenever they are confronted with a particular issue. Abraham went to God first, thereby showing us that it all starts out by you seeking God first. The Bible says that whoever cometh without faith has probably come not to please God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6). Therefore when you have a situation on hand you have to understand that you must tell God about it first before letting anyone know about it.

For example if you have a church with a small congregation. Do not go out to talk to people about it, instead talk to God to give you instructions on what to do to have a larger congregation. If you are having issues with your spouse, do not talk to him/her instead talk to God for proper direction on what to do and from the Abrahamic covenant He tells you what to do.

Do not rush in making your decisions, always go to God first. People pray without them getting any promise from God, then they wait to see what God will do on the outside. They are getting it all wrong because that is not the faith or step of the Abrahamic faith. Abraham didn’t pray and check the environment or Sarah’s womb, this because that is not how it works... Pastor Poju Oyemade

The Authority in the Word

2009-06-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

The power of God is inside His word, this means without Him was not anything made that was made (John1:3). He was there in the beginning and He came to us in the flesh. We beheld His glory and He is now releasing grace and truth to us.

When you start praying, the answer does not come when things change on the outside, but when the revelation comes inside you. There is a peace that enters you and you are amazed at the power of revelation because it wipes out every doubt.

Once you enter into the Holiest of all and revelation unfolds, you do not have to go back because revelation has been granted. The Bible says Christ is the high priest of good things to come (Hebrews 9:11).

Those good things are the promises of God because He is the mediator of the new covenant established on better promises (Hebrews 9:15). No matter the situation because Christ is your high priest, a good thing will come out of it. There is a promise from heaven that will quicken dead things in that circumstance.

Before you run around, get that revelation on the inside and then the next thing is to start calling those things that be not as though it were. This means once you have heard from heaven you must hold the thought captive.

Say the words into your life as though it is an existing reality. Do not talk like it is going to happen, talk because it has already happened. This is because in the spirit realm there is no time, it has either happened or it will never happen.

We need to understand the difference between the existence and manifestation of the thoughts we have. The law about manifestation is that after you have heard heaven on the matter it is settled.

There is no matter that God cannot talk to you about. Once you get the promise on that particular matter the next thing is that you must start calling those things that be not as though they already were..Pastor Poju Oyemade

The Depth and Benefit of the Abrahamic Covenant

2009-06-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. (2Chronicles 16:9a) God has certain things that He wants to do, but what He wants to do is conditional i.e. they are based on the promises that He has made.

God says He will keep the promises because of His covenant. Thus the basis of the Abrahamic faith is on a definite promise and the starting point of our faith walk is the finished work of Jesus. If Jesus did not die and was not raised on the third day, then our faith is of no use.

Paul said if in this life we only have this hope then of all men we are most miserable. (1 Corinthians 15:19) This means there is an extension of these promises into life after death.

The depth of this covenant goes beyond just having a good life on earth even if it is about the best life ever lived. If that is all it is about, he said we are of all men miserable. In essence there is a large portion, in fact a very substantive portion of the covenant in the life that we are going to live after we leave this physical body.

When people get into the Abrahamic covenant and become conscious of it, the reason for making certain decisions become clearer. Sometimes it could be because of the repercussions that reach through eternity.

As a result of this people will decide to conduct their affairs in a particular way behaving like strangers and pilgrims on the earth because of the hope that they have before them (Hebrews 11:13b). So there is a depth that is attached to this than just the laws of success. Observing principles and laws is good, but it must be solidly based on understanding the Gospel and knowing that this is where ones faith is grounded... Pastor Poju Oyemade

The Power of Imagination and Sowing

2009-06-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be (Romans 4:18). There are two important principles in this verse. One is the seed principle the second is believing despite circumstantial evidence.

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds and casting down imaginations…(2Corthians 10:4-5). God said there is nothing they have imagined to do that will be restrained from them. (Gen 11:6) This means there is no restraining force on the earth to stop a man who has imagined, unless God personally intervenes to stop that person. This means the person in their imagination has seen themselves doing those things. When Satan wants to stop a person, he also works with the imagination of the person.

Every single person (whether you realise t or not), has an image about them-self right now that is determining the events in their life. Imaging confers boundaries and you have to change the image you have if it is the wrong one. It takes warfare to cast that old image down and to replace it. That is where the warfare really is. Once you change the image, God said so shall thy seed be. This means He gives you the opportunity to sow seed on the earth so that the image inside you can be translated to a physical form.

And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body (1Corth 15:37-38).The scripture is saying when you sow a seed you do not sow the body. When he told Abraham to look at the stars in the heaven, those stars are the product(s) of the seed(s) that are sown. God will show you the seed to sow. Once you get that image on the inside an opportunity is created for it to be realised in your life, this opportunity is for you to sow. There are things that come your way in response to that image that gives you the opportunity to sow. When you sow a seed God goes to work to give it a body. God gives it a body as it has pleased Him and the creation of that body is a function of praise. So when you sow the seed it goes to sleep. The sounding of the trumpet is praise. When you start praising and you have sown the necessary seed, it starts changing things out there in the natural. God gives you an opportunity to see every step and this is a covenant of God that can never fail..Pastor Poju Oyemade

Unity of Minds

2009-06-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

The unity principle is the basis for all great achievements and the foundational stone for major important issues in all human progress. Whether it is individual progress or collective progress it provides the key to the attainment of great power. Unity is defined as an alliance of two or more hearts blended in a spirit of perfect harmony co-operating for the attainment of a definite purpose.

The key to its power may be found in the word harmony. Without that element, collective effort may be co-operation but it will lack the power which harmony provides and because of this it will be called co-ordination of efforts.

This means that when people are trying to accomplish something together it does not mean that in their hearts that they are in harmony with one another. There are people trying to do things with their hands but inside their heart they are not in harmony with one another.

This means they are not speaking the same language on that issue. But the key to real corporation building and enterprise development is that the people must be in harmony. They may not have any money, but in their heart they are one with one another and are saying the same thing.

With every specific choice that you make a limiting factor leaves your life and a greater expression of God enters your life until you have in your inner circle only the people that you choose to be there. Therefore, start making definite choices in your life because you need to make them. If your inner alignment does not go with it let it go but be true to who you really are...Pastor Poju Oyemade

The Faith of Araham versus Self-Reliance

2009-05-28T19:00:00.001-07:00

We need to understand that there is something known as the faith of Abraham.(Romans 4:13-19) It is not self belief, it is not self confidence, it is not fronting and it is not mind over matter.

In His covenant with Abraham God made a basic promise and through this same covenant He restored to humanity what Adam had lost. In this covenant one of the things He restored to humanity was that once more we got the world back as our inheritance. When God created man, He created us in His likeness after His image and gave dominion of the earth over to man. He said, ‘ let them have..’,(Genesis 1:28) which means God has given us dominion over all things, over everything that moves on the earth man had dominion over it.

The most fundamental question that is asked now in order to attack the faith of God is, ‘if God is all powerful and loving why does He allow the world to be in its current state?’ What we need to understand is that it is not God that permits things to be this way but man.

This is because God gave dominion back to man. God is not in control of everything that goes on in the earth. It is explained further in the following verse of Scripture, ‘if my people that are called by my name will humble themselves and pray. Then I (God) will come in and heal their land.’ (2Chron 7:14).

When God gave us dominion it came with a clause (law) i.e. you will eat of the tree of life but you will not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A lot of people today unknowingly partake from the tree of good and evil through unconscious actions.

They say that based on the knowledge that they have they can decide and know what is good, bad or evil for them. Essentially they are stating that through the knowledge they have acquired it has now made them independent of God i.e. independent of praying to God, talking to Him, and dealing with Him on a daily basis. With this they sometimes create their own system and live by their creation.

Unfortunately, the day you eat of that fruit you die and your nakedness will eventually be revealed.

At no point in our lives must we think that we have sufficient knowledge to live independent of God. In the faith of Abraham there is absolutely nothing like that, we discuss everything with God and hear what He intends to do concerning those issues..Pastor Poju Oyemade

One Step at a Time

2009-05-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

When we have needs and we take them up to God, we must ask Him what He has on His mind about this particular need. Based on our with Him covenant that He tells us exactly what He wants us to do in that particular situation. He directs us on the certain steps He wants us to walk in and what His intention is manifested in our lives.

This faith walk is much more than acquiring knowledge and thinking that the knowledge is enough therefore you do not need God. The faith of Abraham is based on certain steps. It is based on our relationship with God and our discussions with Him. What this means is that if we walk in this faith then the promise of having the world as our possession and having dominion over all things will materialise in our lives. This also means the global perspective about our lives will be established. We must understand that it is not through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

The first thing about this faith is that it quickeneth the dead. (Romans 4:17a) Secondly, that it calleth those things that be not as though they were. (Romans 4:17b) Thirdly, that against all hope it believes in hope that he will become the father of many nations according to a promise was given to him, ‘so shall thy seed be’. (Romans 4:18) The fourth thing about the Abrahamic faith was that it was not weakened despite the circumstances (Romans 4:9). What this literarily means is that when he looked at his body which was a hundred years old, he held on to his confession and did not stagger at the promise of God through unbelief, but he strengthened himself in faith giving glory to God. The last thing was that he was fully persuaded that it was not him that was going to do anything about it but God. Abraham knew that God was able to do everything that He had promised without any human involvement. The Patriarch understood that without tampering with the circumstances and having done everything stipulated by God that it would happen. Thus, haven taken these actions I am not going to do anything on the outside, because God is able (by Himself and without my assistance) to perform and to produce in my environment what He has promised.

The faith of Abraham means that you should walk in the steps of that faith that God has shown and taught you, knowing that God will manifest those things by Himself without your interference in anyway. We commence this journey with God’s promise to inherit the earth (Genesis 1:28) but He will take you one step after another to enter into it’s fullness... Pastor Poju Oyemade

The Role of Desire in your Faith Walk

2009-05-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

The Bible tells us that faith is the substance of that thing that you hope for (Hebrews 11:1), but the entire journey starts with desire because desire is a very powerful thing. We find Jesus Christ saying, whatsoever things you desire (Mark 11:24), this means this is what takes you in it is the desire inside you that you begin with.

You do not start out with how much (or little) your resources are, you do not cut the dream to fit the resources around you. You do not look at the probabilities. We found out that those principles work and even when we are unaware that they are they were working.

Do not forget that these principles work, keep confessing the Word because it works, when it seems as if it’s not working, continue. So cut your desire according to the dream that you have, not according to your resources. If you cut it then you might bring yourself to a place of probability, where hearing and sight has failed.

The starting point of the application of faith might seem like you’re whistling in the wind i.e. what you are reaching for is so far-fetched that it’s seemingly impossible.

If God came to you and told you that it is what is on the inside of you i.e. what you really want to come to pass that will the only clause is it must be heartfelt because it is the heartfelt feeling prayer of a praying man that makes much power available. (James 5:16) It is the emotion there that gives life to every principle that you are going to practice the passion that is in your soul is actually the vitality that you need. In everything you do somebody else will also do it and get results.

Thus, in everything that you do the first thing must be passion it is very important because the Bible says that it is the anchor to your soul. What this means is that even though you are not taught any principle, that ‘thing’ is still pulling your soul. Even though you are told to dream and focus on something else, it is there pulling you to concentrate on it. The ‘thing’ is trying to get your attention it is an anchor to your soul. It is sure and it is steadfast inside you...Pastor Poju Oyemade

What faith is and how to get it

2009-05-20T16:49:00.000-07:00

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. It is priceless it cannot be compared to silver or gold. For everything we have seen in the material universe (all forms and organisation of life) actually came out of this spiritual substance called faith. Heb 11 vs. 1 says it is the substance of the things that you hope for and the evidence of things that you do not see.

And we understand this that through faith, the world was framed by the Word of God. One translation says that faith is the assurance that what you fondly desire is finally yours. This means that when faith enters your heart, something dawns in your consciousness that guarantees your desires. There is a substance inside that gives you that information it imparts the necessary knowledge to you.

Faith is the substance that brings about the materialisation of your desires. This substance was what Paul saw in the crippled man at Lystra (Acts 14:8-10). Prior to this time, there was nothing the crippled man had in himself to actually cause him to walk. However, when he heard Paul preach, the substance was imparted to him. The Bible says that Paul perceived that he had received the substance to be made whole. Paul told him to rise up and walk and the substance infused the crippled legs. So, in the pursuit of the manifestation of our expectations, the emphasis should be on faith and how to obtain it.

Romans 10:17 explains the method of obtaining this substance . . . faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The ‘Word’ in this verse refers to the Rhema of God i.e. the spoken word from God to you at a specific time for a specific situation. So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. So, it tells us this is how faith actually comes. That these folks heard and that what happened is that they heard a Rhema out of the mouth of God. Many people could have been listening but certain individuals’ inner ears were opened up and they actually picked what God was saying in particular about their situation and so they received that Rhema from God.

This is the reason why the disciples told people that whatsoever He (i.e. Jesus) tells them to do, that they should ensure they carry it out. In these modern times it is what the Spirit of God in you tells you to that you must do.

With that said, it must be re-iterated that faith cannot be born when a man does not have hope or a desire, because faith is the substance of things that you actually hope for. This means that a man first of all has a desire then faith comes to substantiate that hope. So first of all there has to be a hope and that hope is the desire that is within your spirit. Sometimes, you have to pray to find out the desire that is in your spirit as against what you think, based on external influences. So take time to pray to purify your thoughts.

Take time to pray to actually clear up those things that are within you and let the light begin to shine. The Bible speaks about Moses that it entered His heart, it was not something that arose out of jealousy or peer pressure. It was something that was in his spirit, you will discover that there are things that are lodged inside your spirit that you did not have a clue about when you set this process into motion... Pastor Poju Oyemade

Birthing Your Dream

2009-05-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

In order to deliver that dream on the inside in its time, without having to violate the process you must first follow your inner compass rather than your clock. Various tests will come from every angle before the dream is delivered. Some of these tests include the test of time, test of friends etc. All these are tests of your patience and the dream inside you.

The angel told Mary, that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of God would over shadow her and then a holy child would be born (Luke 1:31). The sign to the shepherds of the Christ was that the child would be found in swaddling cloths in a manager. (Luke 2:12) The disciples on the other hand were told to tarry until they were endued with power from on high (Acts 1:4-5) during this period they were to stay together offering prayers and supplications, rejoicing and giving God praise.

What you do in the time of patience is to take the thought that you have received from God and start rejoicing and praising Him. Then you start offering prayers over it saying it has been fulfilled as you thank and praise Him for its fulfilment. During this process that has just been described you are also looking for a sign. The reason you are on the look out for a sign is because once you start praying, there is usually an out pouring of the Spirit. Without your knowledge the Spirit will produce a sign i.e. you are going to find a baby. That massive dream or project will come into the earth as a baby and there will be no room in established mainstream order for it.

Therefore if you are going into the inn to find room for it you will not find it. It will be born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Assuming you are confessing a particular figure for 2009 that God will bless you with, just watch out for the baby that will be born outside the inn. Start looking for that sign and the minute you find the project on the earth, the kind of opportunity that does not look like a big, massive main stream idea, the type that does not take you into the courts of established business or make you behave and have that front then you will eventually find it. It says what you are to do is to start working with what you have and start nourishing it.

So what you need to do is to follow peace with all men without having any resentment inside your heart regardless of what happens. It also says follow holiness because that is how you are going to see God. Go to God in the place of prayer, decide not to destroy or violate yourself. Therefore when it is born the purpose of that thing will be clearly defined on the inside of you and you stay with that and follow it.

There will always be tests for the preparation of the blessing. Do not go with the clock, but with that compass. There is something you need to know about the compass on the inside. It might look like a slow start, but when you have passed the test you will make geometric progression i.e. it will be in leaps and bounds and the grounds you cover will not be reversed. If you follow the compass it will never be reversed, the grounds you have taken are forever... Pastor Poju Oyemade

Patience and Individuality

2009-03-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. (Heb 12:1). One important thing that can be seen from this scripture is that when you exercise faith you get into the gear of patience. What you are doing in effect is that as an individual you are running the race that is set before you. You are not running in a race that is set before others or the race that other people are running. Instead you are running your own race. A patient person runs his/her own race. Through patience he has found his track, stayed on it and is running his race. The real test is whether you are going to follow through on the race that is set before you as an individual or if you are going to get involved in other things because of the pressure and distractions of seemingly lucrative opportunities that violate your conscience. The primary point in this issue of patience is that you must possess your own soul.

If at any point in time you start falling short in that race, two things will happen. The first is that the root of bitterness and resentment will spring up inside you because of what is happening in your environment. Many times resentment and bitterness develop from the fact that people compare themselves with others (i.e. the way they are treated etc) and if they think it falls short in any way they develop a sense of resentment. What we must understand is that in our individual walk with God that He will bring the challenges and situations that we require into our lives. God in His faithfulness will allow us to experience them so that our weakness (es) can be converted. God will give us the grace and opportunity to overcome them.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me (2Corth12:8 KJV). In this scripture we find Paul asking God to remove a certain challenge from his life. In answer God had this to say,’ my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ (2Cor12: 9). When Paul heard this reply from God he started rejoicing realising that it is in those areas of weakness that God’s glory rests and manifests more. (2Cor 12:9b-10) Those are the places that are going to become the strongest areas in your life as an individual, if you allow the entire process to work out in your life (i.e. let patience have her perfect work in you).

If a person starts a business and is struggling, he needs to understand the grace of God. When other people are moving ahead and growing fast if he takes pleasure in that current state and allows God to work, he will discover that the temporary set back and weakness that he has been exposed to will become the area through which the strength of God will be perfected in his life. This means that if the person goes through what they are supposed to and learn the lessons then the weakness will be removed and the strength, not just natural strength, but the strength of God will be made manifest.

The Still Small Voice

2009-03-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

Text: Acts 12:1-15.
When you pray right about a particular thing you will hear the result before you see the actual manifestation. Remember Jesus said, ‘I will knock, who ever opens the door, I will come in and sup with him (Rev 3:20). What this means is that you will definitely hear a voice. When you respond to that voice by opening the door of your heart, you have walked in obedience in answer to prayer. The Bible tells us not to harden our hearts when we hear the still small voice. Do not look on the outside for results or answers, instead focus on what is going on within because this is where Jesus always begins His work.

He said, go forth, and stand upon the mount before the lord. And, behold, the lord passed by… (1King 19:9) this means that the answer to your problem is passing by in physical manifestation. This is part of the lesson God is teaching some of us. You can start a business a massive investor comes by and shakes the bank, and then you say the Lord has come, but God may not be behind it. That is why you can be talented and gifted but it takes experience to get certain things done. If you do not have experience there are some things you can not learn and as a result, you can not do them. That is why you have to learn in order to have experience, so that as things come your way, you learn. Do not get angry before the lesson is over. You can be gifted or talented but you still need experience. Don’t get angry instead learn.

According to 1 Kings 9:19 God was not found in the wind or earth quake but in the still small voice. In Acts 12:13-14 after Peter had been delivered, he stood at the gate and Rhoda heard the still small voice. The Bible exhorts that in the day of temptation that we should not harden our heart (Psalm 95:8). You will get to a place of temptation where it looks like nothing is working. At such a time the Bible tells us to come and bow before the Lord because it is at this point in time that revelation starts getting unfolded. You will start hearing the still small voice instructing you to make certain adjustments telling you this is the way to go, walk in it. (Isaiah 30:21) When you hear that small voice, even when people say you are illogical at what you are doing, you will constantly affirm that it is so because now you have something(one) within, giving you instructions.

The Word of God that you are confessing is transformed into the voice of God inside your heart. One step after another the still small voice instructs you in the way to go. It tells you what you should change and you must be sensitive enough to hear the voice and make the necessary adjustments. You must hearken to that voice because it will make you a steward forever.

Instinct and You

2009-03-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

The real key to success is following that compass inside you. It is not about anything that anyone tells you on the outside that produces success. A lot of people are stuck in life because the system that tells them what to do and where to go has not been awakened as a result they look on the outside and copy what others are doing. If you happen to have a GPS system in your car and have already put in your destination it would be foolish to take any other route other than obeying the instructions of the GPS system. All you have to do is to listen to what that system is saying to you and then follow the instructions. The issue is to listen to the voice that is speaking within and follow the specific instruction for that particular situation. It may mean that He might tell you to get closer to one person, whilst He asks you to withdraw from another all this is dependent on the individual.

If you have not reached that point in your life where you have discovered the compass then one can say you are living your life based on external trends and formulas. The chastisement of God according to the Bible is to withdraw you from your own purpose and to put the plan and purpose of God inside your heart for a particular purpose/thing.

So once you start making the confession and warfare seems to break out on the out side, the key is to run the race that is set before you. You must find your true north and follow it. Like the shepherds that saw the morning star and decided to follow it it led them to the place where Christ was born. As an individual you need to learn to follow that true north. If you want to get out of the position of stagnancy you have got to be making your confessions, exercising patience (i.e. consistency) with a deep sense of expectation. The minute you connect and decide to live this way (i.e. to hearken to the voice of the Spirit) He starts speaking to you.

Learning for Growth

2009-02-27T16:13:00.000-08:00

One of the speakers at the October Platform, Mr. ‘Demola Aladekomo made a very powerful statement i.e. ‘Start small, but grow fast.’ For him to say that, he knows that you can grow either fast or slow. He also knows the difference between people that grow fast and slow. In the wild it is not the strongest animal that survives, but the one that adapts to change the most. In line with this the person that starts small and grows fast, adapts to change. An individual who understands that his current smallness is because he does not know how to be big (not vice-versa) will learn and grow through the practise of what he learns.

This individual has understood that growth means fast-track learning and also implies that changes are going to be made. One thing about learning is that once there is new information that you need to learn, your spirit tries to communicate it to your mind. If your mind does not pick it or you are not listening you will start experiencing disturbances in your environment. Sometimes even your physical being, your muscle start getting tense. You may even find it difficult to sleep because the Bible says the spirit of a man sustains its body (Prov18:14). What happens is that it brings all these signals into your body and communicates certain information into your spirit, trying to tell you something about change that you only have to listen to in order to make the necessary adjustment.

That is why it is only the meek that can inherit the earth (Matt 5:5). There are changes that have to be made. This means the way in which you are doing things is not right it is time to adjust. This is the law of change. Once you learn (i.e. make the needed changes) the path of growth is assured and you will discover that the environment itself will seemingly propel you on the path to success..Pastor Poju Oyemade

Talk Right and be Rewarded

2009-02-18T19:15:00.001-08:00

Any man that does not talk right, cannot pray right. Don’t bother praying if your words are wrong it is a waste of your time. That is why it is called the prayer of faith. Jesus said whosoever shall say to this mountain…(he shall have) whether in or out of prayer whatsoever he is saying (Mark11:23). God will never do anything through you without your faith. So if you want to involve yourself with God then your words must be right so that in the day of judgement - every idle word that you have spoken will not be used against you (Matt12:36). If you will consistently say it, you will find the seed that will get you there. You must protect, grow and develop your seed. Every successful man on earth has a seed that they grew from, but there has to be a life long commitment to that seed through your confession (daily conversations).

We know that the word is choked by what you say consistently i.e. things you desire of the seed. You need to spend more time talking to God. Start declaring those things and your heart will focus on them. Don’t let your environment deceive you. Don’t go around visiting, stay in one place and build your seed. If you build and focus on your seed you will stand out. When you are chasing other things, what it amounts to is simple disobedience. When God is involved with you there is one central relationship that is required to take you to your destiny, not many. One central relationship and connection that will propel you Joseph did not get to the throne by knowing many people. It is the seed that God gives you that should be the confession your lips. Put God’s Word on your lips.

Challenges in Growth

2008-12-24T11:37:00.000-08:00

In order to grow, one of the laws is to avoid strife at all cost. The major key in getting things done or in fulfilling a goal is found in sowing. This is because there is nothing that is in existence that didn’t come out of a seed, nothing at all. Everything that lives today came out of a seed. You cannot have a physical manifestation of any answered prayer without first sowing the seed to bring about that form on the earth. The kingdom of God is as if a man (not God), will cast the seed into the ground and then God will cause it to grow (Mark 4:26). But the man knows that the first thing he has to do is cast the seed into the ground.

The worst you can do for yourself in the New Year is to surround yourself with hidden enemies to your personal progress. Try to separate yourself from them. You are not going to get anywhere if you hang around such people. It has nothing to do with sentiment, you must detach yourself from competitive people, who feel that they are in competition with you for anything. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herd men and thy herd men for we be brethren (Gen 13:8). In order to maintain the blood covenant, they had to go their separate ways. It is required that you are separated from some people in order to maintain God’s flow in your life. Abraham didn’t say they should separate because they were enemies, rather he said that if the family bond was to remain the competitive spirit had to go. When Lot and his family were in trouble he went to help him, so it is not that Abraham did not like him but he made it clear that he could not stay in an environment where there was strife.

It was after the separation from Lot that God told Abraham to lift up his eyes (Gen 13:14). Many people are not seeing because they are among people that have strife towards them. These people can be easily identified their body language and disposition towards you, tells you that they are not really happy with your progress. Eventually, your vision and the relationship you have with them will be destroyed. On the other hand these two areas can be maintained if you separate the two from each other. In other words you do not want competitive people around you or in your environment instead you need people that will support you.

This means that their heart attitude towards you is right. You do not know people after the flesh you know them after the spirit. When you are connected with the right people you will see the difference. You must get yourself out of any situation of strife you must surround yourself with people that are supportive and that you are in agreement with. With these people there is always positive energy.

Many people have so many expectations. Expectations that should come from God are coming from men and this is the cause of problem. Thinking people can help you but it is only God that can truly help and he can only help you with people that are rightly connected to you. There is nothing wrong with the desire for an increase the problem is the way and manner in which you go about it. Instead of asking and receiving from God rather you want to go about it by grabbing it from somebody else that has it. The law of peace with all men tells us that God will not take anything away from another person in order to give it to you.

Fulfilling a Goal within your Vision

2008-12-16T19:44:00.001-08:00

You need to know and decide on the amount of progress that you want to make in a year. This progress must have an element of breakthrough inside it. An element of breakthrough means, that at a particular point you break into a new realm of life. It is not going to be the fulfillment of the vision, but it is going to be the accomplishment of a goal within that vision. The vision is for an appointed time, but you must know when the goal will be fulfilled. The vision will not come to pass in that year but the goal must come to pass.

God instructed Abraham to start from his current location. This means that you must start from where you are and not from where others are or where they think you should be. Avoid hallucination and face the reality of your current position. From where thou art, then lift up your head and then look as far as you can see, not how any other person can see, but as far as you can see in 2009 as an individual. You have to rejoice with everybody on every achieved goal and don’t feel inferior. But do not, out of a competitive spirit do what you know you cannot see inside, it destroys creativity. So, your vision depends on what can you see.

There is something about the way God created the world that makes the circumstances of life give to you what you have decided in your heart to happen in your life. Follow what you can see deep down in your heart and not someone else’s programme. This is reason you cannot be a financially successful person if you spend money the way other people do. Follow your own financial programme and financial goal. This is how the wisest people behave financially. If you do not have any savings you can not have a financial future. Your financial future is not how much you have spent but how much you have saved. Do not compare yourself with anybody.

The vision is for an appointed time and so there will be increase and during that period there is development and growth. One important thing you need to understand is that if everyone fulfils the demand of faith in the invisible realm, things will begin to happen and there will be more answers to prayers. This is because once that demand is made it sends out a signal, and then people start picking up the thought. Once there is a cry for more, the creative forces go to work and somebody is then raised up with the thought to meet the need.

Actualising Goals and Growth

2008-12-12T11:31:00.000-08:00

Goal setting involves setting specific goals for a particular year. When others advice you on what to do, you must maintain the goal that you have set for yourself.

This means that the programme you have earmarked must be followed and must not be affected by occurrences in your environment. This desire now becomes the tree of life and creates substance inside you.

A lot of people have knowledge but have not created a platform for the realisation of their goals this is what many Christians lack. You have to create something that can be used as a stepping stone that makes the next level possible for you to attain.

Unfortunately people do not create a platform because they are waiting for the fulfillment of the big vision they have in their heart. Once you follow the goals that have been set you will discover that within a certain period (could be three years) you have been able to accomplish a lot not that you emerged out of obscurity but through following set goals you arrived at that point.

Understanding is the fundamental requirement for the practical realisation of any vision i.e. the practical out working, what you believe is possible this year by your faith. You can dream big, but what do you believe inside your heart that is actually possible.

If you want to find out whether somebody really has practical insight into what they are doing, look for those little things related to what they believe God wants to do. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also (James 2:26).

This verse refers to the practical things that you are doing which will demonstrate whether there is substance or not. This means if there is substance inside you for something, there will be a practical demonstration of that particular thing.
There are more challenges involved in growth and increase, than when there is stagnancy. There are more wars as you grow and increase as an individual.

The joy that you derive from progress is the joy of expanding your mind. The joy of learning new skills, increasing your capacity for handling challenges, personal growth and an increased sense of responsibility. It is not about enjoyment or the luxury involved, but rather creating opportunities for people. It is better not to give a blessing unless the individual is ready.

This is because if the person is not ready for the blessing it will be wasted. If you waste an opportunity you will discover how long it is to recreate an opportunity that God has given to you. These are lessons we need to learn as individuals in order to grow as Christians.

There are many people who step out of the intended path of God for their life they are now on a collision course. As a result they invade the lives of others and say things that take them out of the established course of God for their lives.

Do not listen to what others have to say rather follow what is inside your heart. Goal setting means you go from just having a good idea about your life, to achieving goals that people around you can measure - quantifiable goals. People watch increase and see growth the greatest thing is that they see consistency in your growth. An impression of increase that is consistent is one of the most attractive forces people that are observing you... Pastor Poju Oyemade

The Power in the simplicity of the Gospel

2008-11-25T17:27:00.000-08:00

The term ‘preaching’ has two biblical definitions. One means the establishment of Christian doctrine. This type of preaching does not require experiential knowledge. All that is required here is proof that you are scripturally correct. This does not mean that you possess any experience of the things that you are professing. You do not need to have tested those beliefs in real life situations.

There is, however, another form of preaching which denotes witnessing. This has to do with the declaration of the truth that you have known, embraced and tested. It pertains to truth that has produced tangible results in your life. The type of results referred to here was mentioned in 1 John 1:1-3, ‘That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

The proof – producing testimony of the gospel always has an evident simplicity attached to it. This is because everything that consists of the experiential knowledge of Christ is simple and practical. In actual fact, the catch lies in its simplicity. As a result of this, several people miss the gravity attached to these simple principles. The bible supported this fact when it advised in 2Co 11:3, ‘But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ’. Therefore, it must be noted that great truths are usually simple in their application. However, there must be a willingness to learn on our part. There must also be some measure of integrity in your heart if you are going to appreciate the great power to be found in those principles. In addition you must also be willing to set aside the existing reserve of worldly wisdom in order to clearly enter into these spiritual truths.

Jesus prescribed the pattern for the prayer of faith in Matt 7:7, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you seek, and ye shall find knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh, receiveth and he that seeketh, findeth and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’. He also stated the conditions that must be fulfilled for such proofs to be seen in our lives (Matt 7:1-6). Disregard for these conditions is the fundamental reason why many Christians fail to see a manifestation of their prayers.

Do not cast your pearls

2008-11-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

There is no neutral ground in your walk with God. If you are not actively involved in intercession, you will definitely be involved in accusation. Once accusations start building up in your spirit towards other members of the Body of Christ, it will totally destroy your spiritual life. It will snuff out every chance of survival in the spirit realm. According to The Scriptures, ‘We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death….. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.’ (1Jn 3:14 16). The phrase ‘laying down your life’ in this verse means that we have chosen to make intercession for the sins of our brethren. The love of God in our hearts covers up a multitude of our brethren’s sins.

This does not mean that you cannot discern. It simply means that you have chosen to respond in a spiritual way to the sins that you have discerned. However, while you are careful not to criticise or condemn your brethren, you must also take care to… ‘Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you’ (Matt 7:6). This verse of Scripture refers to your relationship with men. In essence, it says if you have a critical and judgmental person in your environment, you ought to take yourself away from such an influence.

The term ‘influence’ was used in the latter statement because critics seek to control the subconscious decision-making process of their victims. Unfortunately, when conflicts arise, many of these victims keep on attending reconciliation meetings where they continue to cast their precious pearls before these critical people this is usually done in a bid to win approval. The reason why people esteem such approval ratings is because they have not made God their absolute source. For example, if a lady (who has a critical boyfriend) sees God as her Source of total supply, she will find it easier to take herself out from under such an influence.

Medically, there are two things that have been discovered which cause ailments in the human body, namely, wrong diet and stress. It has been discovered that stress is mostly caused by people who extract life out of you through the channel of the relationships you have with them. You have to cut yourself off from such relationships. When faced with a similar situation, Jesus was quick to strongly reprimand those who were trying to exert such an influence on Him (i.e. the Pharisees). He did not lose sight of the fact that all He needed was to receive ministration from heaven, and not from His environment. While on earth, He kept focusing on His heavenly Father as His Source. Consequently, He was able to fulfil His purpose on earth. Likewise, if you will not compromise your reliance on and obedience to God for the approval of men, you will fulfil your destiny.

Pre-requisites to Answered Prayers

2008-11-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

The pre-requisites to getting your prayers answered can be found in Matt 7:1-6. It says, ‘Judge not that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

A prerequisite is defined as, ‘something that is necessary for another thing to be done or cause to happen’. What this means is that if you are not seeing the manifestation of your requests to God, you should check to see if you have fulfilled the conditions for it. You should go back to the checklist and make sure you’ve fulfilled these pre-requisites.

Several believers use discernment as a guise for their critical and judgmental attitude. However, there is a difference between discernment and criticism. It is true that we all have the latent gift of discernment.

This means that all believers potentially have the ability to recognise the misdeeds of those around them. The Bible supports this in 1 Jn 5:16 ‘If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death.’ This verse of Scripture verifies the fact that believers have the ability to recognise their neighbour’s misdeeds.

This gift of discernment helps keep us on the right track because it helps us distinguish between good and evil. However, when we discern other people’s mistakes, we are not to judge or criticise them. Rather, we are to intercede on their behalf. We are to ask that life be imparted unto them in that area of their lives (1 Jn 5:16). We should take up the responsibility of intercession, rather than criticism. The reason for this is because there are two major forces involved in the battle for the soul.

The first is the force of love (through intercession) and the other is the force of accusation (through judgment and criticism). If you permit the accuser of the brethren (Satan) to gain a foothold in your life, it will play out in the spiritual realm. You will partake of its fruits when you offer your prayers to God.

However, if you allow intercession to go up from your heart (i.e. if you pray for people and release them), you open up your life to the flow of God’s blessings. You will cause God to open the floodgates of mercy and favour to you.

A Supply of the Spirit

2008-11-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

When we offer prayers to God, what He does in answer to them is to grant us a supply of His Spirit. Then, as we participate and co-operate with His Spirit, we will have a manifestation of the things He has granted us. As we work hand in hand with His Spirit, room is created for the manifestation of our requests.

Matt 7:7 says, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you seek, and ye shall find knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh, receiveth and he that seeketh, findeth and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ Also Luke 11:11- 13 says, ‘If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?’

The principle of the release of a measure of God’s Spirit (as His direct answer our prayers) is an underlying principle described in several passages of Scripture. In some passages, it is described as the Law of liberty.

In others, it has been described as the Law of the Spirit of Life and the Law of Faith. When you understand this principle, you gain access for the manifestation of things, as described in the Bible. This basic fundamental principle needs to be imbibed if you desire to see manifestations. This principle is exact, it must be put into operation. It is not enough for the principle to be heard. It needs to be practiced.

When you consider Luke’s account in Luke 11:11 - 13 ‘If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?’ It says that the Father gives the gift of the Holy Spirit in response to our requests. This means that when you offer up prayers to God, He imparts a measure of His Spirit in answer to those prayers.

If you do not understand this, you will keep on looking for those answers to spring up immediately in your environment. Consequently, you will be left wondering why God has not yet answered your prayers. This is because the answers have been despatched in ways that you were not looking out for. There is a spiritual law that tells us that when we offer up prayers to God about any matter, He responds by sending a supply of His Spirit.

This is in order to accomplish His will which is geared towards leading you to an expectant good end… For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (Jer 29:11).

Jesus: The Authority in His Name

2008-10-28T17:21:00.001-07:00

The genuine desires of a believer’s heart are Spirit-inspired… the spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly (Prov 20:2) and the authority of Jesus’ name is perfectly capable of producing the thoughts and desires that the Holy Spirit inspires… For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Phil 2:13)… For surely there is an end and thine expectation shall not be cut off (Prov 23:18)
When we truly understand that Jesus occupies the greatest position in the universe, we will stop acting in fear. We will stop underestimating the abilities and capabilities in His name. The reason people are not receiving the manifestation of their requests is because they underestimate God’s abilities and as a result are making requests that fall short of their true desires.

When an individual decides to hold fast to his ideals (i.e. the real desires of his heart), there are bound to be naysayers in his environment who will try to discourage him. They will advise him to be realistic. These individuals hide under the guise of offering reality checks, however, what they are essentially communicating is that you should settle for less than your ideals. On the other hand, God demands that you stay true to those ideals. He expects you to hold fast to them in prayer even when you might not necessarily find explicit models of those ideals in your environment. He expects you to respect the originality of your desire, to appreciate that everyone’s spirit-inspired desires are as peculiar to him as his fingerprints. Even when there are similarities in the type of desires, each man’s desire will possess a bent that is unique to him. This is due to the manifold wisdom of God. God expects every child of His to respect, appreciate, honour and stay true to the desires that He inspires in them.

When you do not respect and honour your individuality in Christ, you will begin to compare yourself to what already exists. Ultimately, you will stop believing that the desires in your heart can be realised and not bring those dreams to God in prayer. Consequently, this robs you of the quality of manifestation that can be achieved when we maximise the authority of the name of Jesus. Just like the crippled man at the gate called ‘Beautiful’ (Acts 3:2-5) you will begin to settle for the mundane things of this world at the expense of the seed of the kingdom sown deep in your heart. You will start communicating requests to God that contradict your true essence, things that are a shadow of the substance placed within you. On the other hand by staying true to your heart and the inspiration that God gives, you will not activate the first law of failure and miss out on the unlimited potential of the authority found in the name of Jesus.

True Desires 2

2008-10-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

A true desire is the starting point of every successful faith walk. The reason why many people fail to receive the manifestation to their answered prayers is mainly because they request for things that are less than the genuine desires of their hearts. In a bid to play safe, they actually hamper the operations of faith in their lives.

In the same way, the crippled man asked for silver and gold instead of healing because he had given up hope of ever walking. Jesus said in Jn 16: 23-24,26 ‘And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
However, in spite of this scriptural instruction, most of the requests made by believers are not made in the name of Jesus.

The concept of making requests in Jesus’ name means appropriating the quality of things that the authority of His name can provide. The requests that people make are far beneath the quality that the authority of Jesus’ name can provide. They are not made in the context of His name because they are beneath the operations of that name. For example, if an individual has the opportunity of receiving an offer from the president of his country to make any request in the president’s name and such a person requests for five thousand naira (N5,000), it will be evident that the individual lacks an understanding of the great resources that lie at the president’s disposal.

In fact, if the request comes from an individual who is supposed to know better, such a request could be deemed as insulting to the person and office of the president.This is because the kind of requests expected from such a person would have been things that only a president can access and make available to him. Any request that can be fulfilled by any other person will not be maximising the name and authority of that office.

In the same vein, when we offer up our prayers in the name of Jesus, God expects us to make requests that stem from the inspired longings of our hearts. He gets disappointed when we short-change ourselves and make mundane requests particularly when those requests stem out of the fear of getting disappointed.

TRUE DESIRES

2008-10-08T19:47:00.001-07:00

And a certain man lame from his mothers womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. (Act 3:2-5). In reply to the man’s request, Peter and Paul stated that they had no money but they indicated that they possessed a substance of greater worth. With this substance they imparted healing to the man.

It is very crucial to note that the crippled man’s request was beneath his true desire. What he really desired was healing (Acts 3:7-9). However, life’s experiences had taught him to downplay his true desire in order to avoid constant disappointment. With these experiences, he had become bent into a state of ‘pragmatism and practical expectation this state is really a guise that forces one to let go of one’s heart-felt expectation.

In Mark 11: 13-14 20-24, Jesus said, ‘For verily I say unto you, That 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. He then went on to explain the foundational principle for the actualisation of that Scripture… therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’ Jesus stated that when the faith of God is used on the true desires of our heart (without wavering), we will have those things that we desire. This principle contradicts the mould that the crippled man in Acts 3 had been forced into a mould where individuals are forced to short-change their earnest heart desires under the guise of practicality. This mould dictates that individuals should ask for the things that they can obtain safely, things that do not necessarily require spiritual exercise to get.

In essence, the world’s view of practicality requires that we settle for the mundane and easily accessible things in life. However, Jesus said that the law of faith works with genuine heart desires. Jesus showed that the starting point of seeing manifestation in our lives is that believers ought to ask for things that they truly desire. The depth of these desires is only known to the individuals concerned. It has nothing to do with the sub-standard or accepted norm in their environment. These original desires are often found deep in the souls of these people and is the anchor to their souls. (Hebrews 6:19).-- Pastor Poju Oyemade

Receiving and Manifestation

2008-10-02T07:44:00.001-07:00

Mark 11:13-14, 20 says, ‘And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. . . And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.’ When most believers observe that the circumstances in their lives and environment do not match up with their deep seated desires, they mistakenly conclude that the reason for this is unwillingness on God’s part to give these things to them. They believe that God is reluctant to answer their prayers. However, a deeper study of life and the Scriptures reveal that the problem has to do with receiving the manifestation of God’s answers to prayers.

Jesus made it clear in Luke 12:32 that it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. In the light of answered prayers He stated in Mark 11:24, ‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them’ and in Matt 7:78 … ask, and it shall be given you seek, and ye shall find knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

In Jn 16:23-24, Jesus said ‘And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. As believers, we know that …God is not a man that he should lie neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Num 23:19). Therefore the reason why we do not see the manifestation of answers to our prayers is not because God does not want us to have them. ( Jn 16: 23-24: And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full (NKJV). Rather, it is because we do not understand the laws of manifestation or how to activate them.

The Manifold Wisdom of God

2008-09-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

The act of trying to duplicate another man’s results in your life is always a futile project. It never produces the right results of peace, fulfilment, joy, or intimate communion with God. Rather, it brings about pseudo-interactions with God. This is because it is not possible to have revelations from God out of the quest to fulfil borrowed desires.

The acquisition of knowledge from books and other sources leads to illumination and not revelation from God. Revelation always comes as God responds to the genuine desires of our heart. It always comes when we face challenges in our quest to realise our divinely-inspired aspirations.

Attempts to act solely on illumination often leads to misdirected zeal and eventually to frustration. However, reliance on revelation breaks out in practical strategies on the immediate steps to take in order to fulfil the hearts’ desires. Revelation to Naaman meant washing in the Jordan seven times. To the widow at Zarephath, it meant giving out her last meal to a prophet.

Revelation from God always carries the creative characteristic of God. God’s many-sided creative views are always reflected in the revelations received from Him. This is reflected in the startling differences between the instructions given to both Moses and Joshua when they both faced the same set of circumstances at different times. Exo 14:1516 says, ‘And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea to Joshua these were the instructions, ‘Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above and they shall stand upon an heap. And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho (Josh 3:12-16).

Thus, when they were faced with the same situation, Moses and Joshua received different revelations. Moses was instructed to stretch out his rod over the Red Sea and it parted. Joshua, on the other hand, was instructed to tell the elders of each tribe to carry the Ark of the Covenant ahead of other Israelites into the River Jordan. In God’s manifold wisdom and two unrelated events, God achieved the same result of creating a pathway in the midst of water using two different methods. This reflects the beauty of God’s creativity. The depth of God’s wisdom is so boundless that there is always a personal touch in His revelation to every man. You must therefore be patient and meditate on the knowledge that you possess until revelation is imparted.

As a man thinketh

2008-09-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

‘For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. (Prov 23:7). Everyman is the summation of his thoughts i.e. if his thoughts are evil, he speaks forth such thoughts. It doesn’t just end there though the circumstances of his life conform to such uttered thoughts (i.e. the words that he has been saying). In the same vein, if his thoughts are good and righteous, his life will be filled with desirable occurrences. The key to cultivating good thoughts is to declare the immutable Word of God whenever unwanted thoughts of fear, anger and jealousy creep in. Just as the only way to fight darkness is with light, the only way to overcome evil is with good. Affirm the good about yourself and the evil will eventually vanish.

Heb 4:15 says that Christ is easily touched by the feelings of our infirmities however, this is not an excuse for inconsistent confessions. The Bible says you should hold fast the confession of your lips when you are going through trying times. The Scriptures also say in Heb 4:16, ‘Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. If pressure is laid on you during this process, go into the place of prayer. Let the Holy Spirit work with the words that you have spoken, obtain a fresh supply of strength. If you start feeling depressed about negative words spoken to you, hold on to your confessions (speak them out of your mouth at that particular point in time) until the feeling lifts. Get into prayer right after that releasing anyone you have anything against. Pray until you get a release in your spirit and that level of attack will never disturb you again for the rest of your life. It is gone for good. Once you get that grace, you have advanced beyond that level. This is how we grow and develop moving closer to our fixed goal as we successfully pass through life’s different stages.

Find out what you desire in your heart and never separate your words from it. Do not let anything ever separate you from the love of Christ (Rom 8:35). Do not let trials and temptations ever affect the words that you are speaking. Understand that everybody is going through the same thing therefore, go through your own process joyfully. Death only comes to make the life of Christ manifest in your flesh. When men say there is a casting down, faith filled believers say there is a lifting up (Job 22:29).

The same event which causes the natural man to fail, contributes to the elevation of the righteous… if handled right. There are things that people say and do which awaken your Personal Recognition System to those things you might have been hitherto unaware of. You might have even felt bad when they first mentioned them. However, these types of words usually trigger unexpected treasure in you. If you stir up those things, you will discover that it was the Lord nudging you in that direction. This is because without such external pressures, you will probably stay put in your comfort zone. Therefore, be grateful to God when you enter such seasons. Do not get angry. Discover the new things God is trying to do in your life. Release those things and you will see the manifestation of God’s presence in your life.

An Opportune Time

2008-09-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

HAPPY NEW MONTH TO YOU ALL, ENJOY THE MESSAGE AND ACT ON IT GOD WILL BLESS HIS WORD IN OUR HEART IN JESUS NAME AMEN.

The term ‘opportune time’ can be defined as the appropriate time for a non-recurring event in your life. Hab. 2:3 says, ‘For the vision within your heart is yet for an appointed’ time (an opportune time). This means that the vision is for a time when opportunity will be created for it to be made manifest and it hastens to its fulfilment. It will neither deceive nor disappoint you. Though it tarries, wait earnestly on it. This scripture emphasises the need for every individual to wait and refrain from acting until the opportunity for the fulfilment of their vision is presented to them. This means that there is a time in your life where you should not look for the lime light. During this period, you should simply embrace the cloak of invisibility while preparing for the manifestation of the things that no human eye or ear has ever seen or heard. At such times, visibility could be a curse especially to young dreams and visions. This is because such dreams do not yet possess enough spiritual stamina to withstand exposure to diverse influences. It is a key principle in life that if you do not learn how to be invisible, you should not desire visibility.

You have to learn to wait. You need to imbibe the virtue of patience. The birth of destiny requires that you possess enough strength of character to keep on processing your vision even while your peers appear to be moving ahead. It requires the appreciation of your unique destiny and its related timing. Jesus demonstrated this in His early years He did not seek premature attention before His time for manifestation arrived. When John the Baptist was enjoying a huge following, He was silent. Even when John was reluctant to baptise Him, Jesus still encouraged him not to sabotage God’s process. He was one person who understood and embraced His process. He spent 30 years in oblivion developing all His latent qualities in anticipation of the period of visibility. This period was crucial in His development because if anything was left undone in this preparatory stage, He would not attain the fullness of His purpose in those areas.

This spiritual concept is so specific that even people with evil intentions cannot manifest their desires until the opportune time is presented. This indicates that timing is everything when it comes to the manifestation of the hearts’ desires. The Scriptures say “to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven (Eccl 3:1).

Building practical strategies from God’s Word

2008-08-26T02:15:00.000-07:00

There is a marked difference between individuals that mentally assent to God’s promise and individuals who possess the faith of God for their challenges. Mental assent is characterised by the inability to obtain practical solutions for the challenges of everyday life. However, individuals that possess the faith of God (concerning His promise to them) always have their inner eyes opened to see practical strategies for obtaining these promises. God directly communicates these strategies from the Scriptures to them. He breathes life on the written Word and the Word becomes flesh in their situations. It is of utmost importance that believers consistently receive and live by God’s daily directives. Failure to do so results in unproductivity. When such unproductivity becomes the norm, it could result in such individuals becoming desperate and believing strange doctrines and delving into cultic practices.

The willingness to believe in or to pursue strange gods usually stems from deferred hopes…,’ Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life (Prov 13:12 KJV). In order to maintain faith in the integrity of God’s Word, it is therefore important that all believers learn how to produce results with practical strategies from the Word. The first of these strategies is the knowledge that no claim can be laid to any promise that has not been given to the believer by God. This totally eradicates the presence of envy and covetousness in believers. It leaves no room for individuals attempting to use God’s Word for manifestations that they have seen in other people’s lives. Each faith project must be authentic. It must be in line with God’s plan for each individual. This is because the faith of God always backs His assignments. It is not designed to be utilised for personal ambition and lusts rather faith is a tool to be used to fulfil heaven’s agenda on earth. God’s commitment to produce a certain degree of manifestation becomes the basis of genuine faith.

Unbelief can therefore be described as lack of faith in God’s specific promise to you. This type of unbelief can also be described as un-persuadableness. There are two types of unbelief sheer ignorance and un-persuadeableness. Sheer ignorance is the result of a lack of the knowledge of God’s will for you. Un-persuadableness however, does not stem out of ignorance of God’s Word but out of an unwillingness to have faith in a specific Word or promise of God. Belief in a specific commitment of God was exhibited by Abraham, ‘Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be (Romans 4:18 KJV). Consequently, God was able to perform what He promised because Abraham cooperated with Him through the exercise of his faith.

In the same vein, believers ought to wait on God for His promises. Once those promises are given they have the responsibility to exercise their faith, even if it is against all apparent odds and evidence. With such an exercise is the victory that our faith that is certain.

From Hope to Faith

2008-08-26T02:12:00.000-07:00

We should never allow the material world overshadow our spiritual faculties. Jesus, though easily touched by the feelings of our infirmities (Heb 4:15), admonished us to hold on to our spiritual realities through our confession, ‘For by thy words thou shall be justified, and by thy words thou shall be condemned.’ (Matt 12:37). We should hold on to these confessions regardless of the circumstances we are faced with. This is because they stem from the infallible truth of God’s Word.

Prayer is not a substitute for the law of confession. The two principles are separate and distinct although they are complimentary. The confessions you make before praying are the spiritual substance you carry with you into prayers. Just like Abraham and other founding fathers realised, these words take you from the realm of hope into the realm of faith. When they had no faith these giants of faith maintained their word of hope. They maintained their rejoicing and confessions of hope until it became a confession of faith.

For each of them, this process started out as a confession of hope. Even when they were calling those things that be not as they were, it was still literarily a confession of hope in the spirit. Their patience and consistency kept them at it until revelation dawned and their hope was substantiated. Spiritually, you cannot convert your hope to faith by simply changing the words you speak. It is not simply a play of words. These words must be infused with power. They must be substantiated before they can effect any change in your environment. This substance is imparted to them when revelation dawns in your soul concerning the subject matter.

The key to receiving this revelation is steadfastness i.e. consistency even when everything around you appears to be in chaos. It means concentrating on the promise until your concentration leads to perception. It does not mean slothfulness, but keenly following them who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Heb 6:12). When you enter the veil and begin to focus on the particular issue, light begins to flood your mind. If you maintain this focus, every detail of that dream will be imparted to you. The entrance of this strategic information will infuse your words with energy. Then, when you speak these power packed words, the circumstances in your environment will align themselves until your dream is actualized.

Substance vs. Shadow 2

2008-08-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

When Jesus talked about insufficient labourers for the plenteous harvest in Matt 9: 37-38, He was referring to people involved with the substance of their dreams and not its shadow. Jesus was talking about people who were involved in the same creative process that He was. He was not referring to people expending physical energy in the pursuit of acquiring material possessions, but to those involved in bringing His kingdom to bear on the earth. They know that genuine results can only be gotten through the express will of the eternal God. So, rather than join the multitude in futile pursuits, they sit still until they have accessed the knowledge of His will. They do not take any step on the outside until they have entered into the rest of God on any matter.

It has been said that the combined wealth of the world’s seven richest men is enough to wipe out poverty from 2.5 billion lives. It is very clear that these seven men cannot possibly be involved in more physical labour than the 2.5 billion people combined. However, there are certain principles that they put to work which has fetched them such enormous results. Consequently, these kind of results gives its custodians the capacity to cause tremendous impact in their environment. Wealthy people know that true wealth can only be gotten when you become attuned to the thought of God for each dispensation. They all take out time to make contact with the thoughts that they believe the ‘Infinite Intelligence’ has put inside them. It is only after making contact with these thoughts that they step out to execute.

The effect of this productive insight is that millions (and possibly billions) of lives are positively impacted. These individuals are themselves transformed in the process. Material possessions, which represent the shadow of their pursuits, are effortlessly bestowed on such people. On the whole, they live fulfilling and enriched lives because they know the secret of productivity (i.e. align your activities with the will of the ‘Infinite Intelligence’ for your generation).

Colossians 2:8-9, 1719 says, ‘Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. . . Which are a shadow of things to come And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. This same passage in Colossians 2 verse 17 categorically states that the substance is Christ. The evidence that you are involved with the substance of your vision is the productivity and increase that evolves as a result, thus showing the evident increase of God in your life.

However if you are operating in the shadow reality, you will be just like the individuals that kept going through the motion of activities (Heb 10:1) erroneously believing that this would bring about the materialisation of the good things they wanted. What this indicates is that, it is possible for a person to be continuously involved in religious activities without corresponding results in their lives. This religious mindset was what Jesus addressed when He rebuked Martha for being involved in many activities whilst neglecting the only needful thing. On the other hand he commended Mary for doing the needful i.e. sitting still at the feet of the Master waiting for His instructions. I will stand upon my watch, and set myself upon the tower, and watch to see what He will say unto me (Hab 2:1).

From the Desk of Pastor Poju

Programming your Subconscious

2008-08-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

Subconscious programming is not necessarily always negative. An individual’s life could also be positively programmed. One truth that holds true in either case is that the subconscious always governs an individual’s life. This is the reason why some highly successful individuals may find it difficult to articulate the major factor that contributed to their success.

Due to the vital role that the subconscious programme plays in believers’ lives, God is particular about the state of that part of a person’s being. He is totally unsupportive of processes that do not pay sufficient attention to the state of an individual’s subconscious programme. This is because such processes only breed hypocrisy and hypocrisy can never take an individual into the inner court. This inner court (the Holy of Holies), typifies the place of intimate fellowship with God. It also represents the place where God’s glory is made manifest. Only people who have yielded to the character-building processes of God partake of the pleasure of His presence. This was what Paul talked about in Hebrews 13:10,’We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.’ The ‘altar’ in this verse refers to the presence of God while the ‘tabernacle’ refers to the flesh or fleshly desires. Thus, this verse can be translated to mean that spirit-tending believers have a level of access to God’s presence that fleshly believers do not.

The process that leads to this re-programming is not one that people are willing to undergo. This is because once an individual partakes of the baptism of the Holy Ghost (or once he decides to rely on the Holy Spirit’s leading) he will definitely be led into wilderness phases. This fact held true even in the life of Jesus when He was led into the wilderness after the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

In order to play a game of fairness, (and we serve a just God), we are required to ‘be eager …to present ourselves to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analysing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skilfully teaching] the Word of Truth’ (2 Tim 2:15). To this end, we need to submit to the leading of God’s Spirit because that is what qualifies us as sons in God’s kingdom. Only sons can partake of the inheritance of the kingdom… That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all (Gal 4:1).

The Path of Life

2008-07-24T04:43:00.000-07:00

Psalm 81: 1-5 says,’ Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. This He ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when He went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not. The type of journey that Joseph embarked upon in this passage can be likened to those of the early sailors and explorers in their bid to discover and explore new territories. These men all stepped out without knowing the specific details of their destination. They probably kept on looking out for emerging facts as their journey progressed. In the same vein, the Scriptures admonishes us to be both watchful and prayerful (Mark 13:33). This means that we are to stay alert for emerging details as we progress in our walk with God even as we constantly consult Him for continuous direction on how to live victorious lives.

As mentioned earlier, the early explorers were continually on the alert. This trait of alertness was visible in the lives of patriarchs like Abraham, Jacob and Joseph who were all on the look out for the territory that God had prepared for them. They were on the look-out for a city which had foundations whose Builder and Maker is God (Heb 11:10). When they stepped out in faith, God gave them a statute this was supposed to guide them as they sojourned in these foreign lands. This ordinance was meant to keep them on track as they faced challenges. Through these situations they had no known human support structure per se. However, these situations that they faced prompted them to rely solely on God’s leading. With total reliance on Him they stepped into adoption…’those who are led by the Spirit of God are called the sons of God (Romans 8:14) thus preventing them from receiving the spirit of bondage unto fear (verse 15). It also preserved them from inordinate attachment to men which is noted to be the greatest undoing of individuals with great destinies.

Once individuals have not conquered the fear of death, failure and the unknown, they are bound to get off the track of destiny. This happens because the threat of the fear of death is usually an impediment on the path of life. This threat of death was what David made reference to in Psalm 23:4 as ‘the valley of the shadow of death’. The only factor that will enable an individual to successfully walk through this valley (to the table set thereafter) is absolute reliance on God. It is important to note that God does not take individuals through this path to reveal faults in them. He takes them through this particular path to prove the work that He has done in them. He will not take us through tests that we lack the abilities to handle.

The Path to Dominion

2008-07-08T23:47:00.000-07:00

Genesis 1:28 says, ‘And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man] and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.’ (Amplified) This was the very first instruction that God gave to man, to be fruitful and then that he should multiply. The first part of the mandate was for increase and multiplication.

With this God illustrated the sequential pattern of growth. First, the gradual or arithmetic growth i.e. where one measure is increased to two then three etc. The next stage is multiplication this is the growth phase where you begin to take quantum leaps in life endeavours (i.e. geometric or exponential growth) this type of growth fills your life, family and environment until its impact is felt all over the earth i.e. you can be said to be replenishing the earth.

The transforming effect of your activities fills your environment. Here you begin to use the vast resources of the earth (which you have hitherto accessed in the preceding stages of growth) in the service of God and man.
All these stages are a build up to the stage of dominion where we really come into the fullness of the stature of Christ.

At this stage, we enter into the fullness of the government of Christ as stated in Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

The process, as outlined by God, starts from increase through multiplication to dominion because it is impossible to have dominion with a minority mentality. This is because there is a certain level of capacity that an individual or organisation must have before they can attain dominion in their environment. Without the attainment of this level of capacity, all the activities within such an organisation or in such an individual’s life will be largely theoretical. There will be no practical results achieved.

This principle could be seen at work in Noah’s life (Gen 6:14-16). He had to build an ark of appropriate dimensions and capacity before a remnant of all creatures in the earth could be saved. Joseph also had to devise a plan on how to increase capacity ahead of the famine. This capacity enabled him to be used by God in saving the world from being wiped out.

As seen by both patriarchs (who built capacity before either the flood or famine began and ended up having dominion in their different dispensation), there is the need for us to ensure that we stay committed to our personal growth. This is because it will be too late to build our ark after the rains have begun.

Pray think

2008-07-01T04:05:00.000-07:00

Jesus taught, to watch as we pray lest we fall into temptation to open our eyes and ponder the path of our feet. To intelligently assess the situations before us and use the thoughts we have gathered in prayer. Sometimes, as we look at the issues and re-examine the situations we are faced with, disturbing thoughts arise indicating problem areas that must be covered with prayer. These things must not be taken for granted. Without thinking over the situations you are praying about you might not get the full results of your prayers.

Hastiness in action destroys the results of your prayers. There is more in the future of a fool than he that is hasty in judgement. Hastiness in making decisions has aborted many a season prepared by God for individuals. God hides light in pain. The scriptures says every affliction will work out an eternal weight in glory in our lives if we focus not on the things that are seen but focus on the things that are not seen. There is definitely more to life than meets the eye. We need to learn to see with our mind what others miss with their eyes.

John Rockefeller says, ’governments don’t create a living for the people, opportunities that they see do.’ Joseph, the ‘father’ of Jesus was going to put away Mary when he learnt of her pregnancy, but the Bible records as he thought on these things he saw that it was of God. His moral disposition was offended but he allowed his thoughts to run deep whilst praying before he acted. Imagine it: a man’s fiancée goes on a three-month holiday to her cousin’s place (Elizabeth was pregnant with John and Mary went to see her) and comes back pregnant. The first instinct would be to kick her out.

This might be an extreme case, but seasonally we are faced with situations that have an outward appearance which differs from its internal content and we must not be hasty in action. (For in pain there is light and not all that glitters is gold). Jesus taught that many through overeating, the use of alcohol and getting distracted by the elemental things of life cannot develop the concentration needed to have really deep thought about situations around them, so they miss the opportunities in them and end up trapped.

We need more people who understand that what prayer does is to first increase the intelligence of the one praying. It raises the levels of their thinking such that the stronger the mind gets the more successful the life would be.

Revelation Knowledge

2008-06-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

The first time Jesus spoke about the issue of revelation knowledge was when He asked the disciples who they thought He was. When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? They said, some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elijah and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt 16:13-17). In this passage, Jesus lent credence to the fact that there is a certain type of knowledge that can only be imparted spiritually. This type of impartation occurs when an individual presses in, beyond the level of knowledge obtainable from his immediate environment. Such an individual goes beyond the level of what men have told him about the things of God. This is usually in a bid to find answers to the hidden questions in his heart. Such a quest springs up when that person has put certain kingdom principles to work in his life and still meets with a brick wall. The brick wall prompts a search for a deeper understanding of the Truth.

When questions of this nature are asked in all sincerity, the people that receive revelation from the Lord are the ones who press deeper. These are people who have sown seeds (cash and other forms) and legitimately expect a harvest. However, if results are seemingly not forthcoming, they do not take offence, or get discouraged but they earnestly press into God for wisdom acknowledging that God’s Word never fails. These individuals look within for shortcomings of wisdom, knowledge or skill that needs to be worked on. Consequently, this heart attitude moves God to impart knowledge to the individual’s mind via his spirit. As seen in Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.(NKJV) God begins to reward their diligent search with wisdom.

As the Holy Spirit begins to answer those questions, another dimension of the gospel of Jesus Christ is revealed to them. This is the dimension called faith the realm where hope begins to be substantiated. At this stage, the things that you hitherto did not know now constitute the essence of your life. They form the platform through which you will begin to make progress in your life they become the defining issues of your life.

Substance vs. Shadow

2008-06-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

As co-labourers with God, our responsibility is to be jointly involved with God in the process of creation. However, it should be noted that the kind of labour God is involved in is spiritual in nature.

It is more creative than the exertion of physical effort - the type that man is well acquainted with. It is this type of spiritual labour Jesus referred to in Matt 9:37,38 when He said, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.’

This expectation of God (that we become actively involved with Him in the creative process) is in line with the fact that He created us in His image and after His likeness.

This means that every human being possesses God’s creative nature. Although everyone has this innate ability, only a few men explore its potential. Conversely, a vast majority are involved in physical labour which wearies the soul (Eccl. 10:15) and achieves nothing of any lasting value.

This is the issue Jesus was addressing when He said, ‘Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed’ (Jn 6:27).

The physical labour exerted by most people is usually in a bid to acquire the shadow of their dreams. The people who participate in this type of labour erroneously believe that this apparent manifestation will satisfy the deep longings of their hearts despite what Heb 10 verse 1 states, ‘shadows cannot make the comers thereunto perfect’ (paraphrased).

In a more general sense, shadows cannot satisfy the hearts desires. It is, therefore, important for every believer to recognise the difference between the shadow and the substance of their vision. This difference could easily be overlooked especially since it cannot be discerned by the carnal mind.

Thus, many people who pursue the shadow of their vision erroneously believe that they are involved with its substance. The difference between the two concepts was stated in Hebrews 10:1, ‘For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of those things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.’ The distinct characteristic of the shadow reality was revealed in this verse i.e. that the shadow reality of anything lacks the power to create positive change, either in the life of the person concerned or in his environment.

The power to bring good things to pass simply cannot be done by the shadow reality, regardless of how often activities are carried out to that end. It simply lacks the innate ability to make the comers perfect and produce genuine impact and results.

What faith is and how to get it

2008-06-10T04:35:00.001-07:00

‘Faith is the substance of the things that you hope for and the evidence of things that you do not see. And we understand that through faith, the world was framed by the Word of God.’ (Heb 11:1 -3) Faith is priceless, it cannot be compared to silver or gold all forms of life actually came out of it. When this substance is in you, it reveals necessary information to you. This means that when faith enters your heart, something dawns in your consciousness that guarantees your desires. This substance was what Paul saw in the crippled man at Lystra (Acts 14:8-10). Prior to this time, it was absent in him, so he remained in that state. However, when he heard Paul preach, the substance was imparted to him. The Bible says in Acts 14:8-10 that Paul sensed the man had received the substance to be made whole. Then he told him, ‘Stand upright on thy feet’ (verse 10) and faith infused the crippled legs. Therefore, in the pursuit of the manifestation of your expectations, the emphasis should be on faith and how to obtain it.

Romans 10:17 explains the method of obtaining this substance. It says . . . faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The term ‘Word’ in this verse refers to the rhema of God i.e. the specific will of God concerning a given situation. So then, faith comes by knowing and carrying out the specific will of God concerning different issues. This makes it important for us to be sensitive and obedient to such instructions. The knowledge of this truth made Mary advice the servants at Cana to do whatever Jesus instructed them. In the same vein, we should also ensure we do whatever the Spirit of God instructs us to do.

However, it must be noted that faith cannot be born without a hope or desire. We must remember that faith is the substance of things hoped for there can be no substance without a seed. This means that you need to have a specific desire faith then comes to substantiate it. This desire must be consistent with your inner yearnings and not borrowed from people that have influenced you. It might be necessary for you to pray until you have effectively weeded out such influences. Adopted desires render the faith process futile you cannot penetrate the spirit realm with them. Discover those things that are deep within take time to purify your thoughts through prayers. Be true to yourself and let the light begin to shine.

The Bible speaks about Moses’ desire to lead the Israelites out of captivity. It was not something that arose out of jealousy or peer pressure. It was a desire within his spirit. Likewise, those desires within your heart are what you should start out with. It will be suicidal for you to attempt to cut your dream to fit the evident resources in your environment. Do not look at the probabilities because faith principles are always at work even when it does not seem so. Keep confessing the Word keep offering up the sacrifices of praise. Hold fast to the tenets of your faith, shortly, the seed will bring back your desired harvest.

You are Either Right or Successful

2008-06-05T01:33:00.000-07:00

Philippians 4: 6-9 says, ‘Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you’.

In life, you can either choose to take a position of rightness or be successful. Success here refers to the fulfilment of the desires lodged within your heart. This means that in life, you can either choose to hold a defensive position where you claim to be on the right track or you can really be fulfilling those desires of your heart.

One of the most important things in your Christian walk is the adjustment you make in your life when faced with obstacles in your faith walk, it is very important that you do some appraisals of the beliefs that you have hitherto held. The reason for this is because you are either frantically trying to prove that you are right or you are actually successful. You can never be in both camps simultaneously. If you are going about trying to prove to people that your viewpoint is the right one, you are probably not producing the desired results in your life. Results usually speak for themselves they cannot be hidden and therefore cannot be argued with.

The side of the pitch that you find yourself is largely due to the attitudes and mentality that you have cultivated. You need to evaluate both on a consistent basis. On the basis of this appraisal you may discover that you may need to unlearn those attitudes, beliefs and behaviour that are unproductive. You need to constantly judge your attitude and beliefs by the things that you constantly see in your life over a period of time.

The belief system and mentality act as a filter for the way you absorb knowledge, especially the messages and conversations that you hear. The modus operandi of these filters might not be accurate but it is how you see things. You might even have faulty methods of evaluating yourself using religious means which are not necessarily productive e.g. how well you perform in organised church activities, the perception others have of your piety etc.

This appraisal mechanism wrongly tells you that it is okay to serve God and lead unproductive lives. This system goes further to convince you that wealth and productivity is synonymous with ungodliness conversely it affects the way you view them ensuring you piously turn away from this path.

In situations like this, it is not the unknown that stands in the way of your progress. Rather, it is those things that you know, which you need to unlearn. Thus, if your environment constantly communicates undesirable results to you, put on the garb of humility and re-programme your mind. Make the necessary adjustments and results will inevitably manifest in your life.

From the Desk of Pastor Poju

From Hope to Faith

2008-05-26T12:02:00.000-07:00