Hey!
Happy new year, sweetums!!!
I know, I know. It’s been a long while and you know what they say about new year resolutions, don’t you?
This year, I am going to do better with this blog because I have been hoarding gist and lessons from you all and that HAS GOT TO STOP! *inserts my activist stance*
Anyway, trust that you have been doing great and enjoyed the holidays.
Well, my year has been amazing so far and one of the reasons was the Lord sending me to deliver a message to teenagers at my church and I wanted to share the entire sermon with you.
Although it was specifically for Teenagers, I thought that it would bless you as well and seeing as you have been such a great sport over the years, I decided to share my notes with you.
Enjoy!
I am here to apologize for an erroneous statement that I made the last time I was here. On the 21st of December, as I listened to a conversation on TV, I felt the Holy Spirit say to me that by that statement, I had dampened the faith of some of you here.
I sincerely apologize because I didn’t know that what I said could have such effects.
The Holy Spirit then begun to speak to me about what to say to you to repair the damage on your faith that I may have caused. I did not mean to insult your intelligence or cause you confusion about the character and power of our God.
A young lady asked me if it was possible for water to dry up without her cleaning it and I told her ‘NO’ because God is not a magician. I have come back tell you that what is said is not true.
Yes! God is not a magician but there is absolutely nothing God can not do.
The Bible says that faith without works is dead; so if in a bid to grow your faith, you intentionally want to test God like Gideon did, please go ahead.
If the prayer is that you want to have a new bicycle for your next birthday or visit the park or have a new friend in school; God can answer those prayers too.
I know that we, adults, usually make God seem to be only ready to do big things like heal the sick or raise the dead or turn water to wine or part the red sea. However, the ministry of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus Christ told us would be with us when He left this earth, is supposed to guide you into all truth.
That means that, even when you don’t get what you prayed for, the Holy Spirit is available to guide you into the truth of why you didn’t get what you wanted when you wanted it.
Also, I have listened to many great men of God, including our senior pastor, who would say they were looking for something and prayed to God and the Holy Spirit led them to find it. I remember a testimony about Rev. Chris Oyakhilome who was looking for a pen and said, Holy Spirit please bring my pen to me. And he stretched forth his hand and his pen fell into his hand.
While typing this, the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance how I was looking for a tiny key. I searched everywhere for the key and couldn’t find it. Then I prayed and said Lord, please help me. After a few minutes, I kicked a bottle in frustration and I heard the sound of the key. It was under the bottle. NO! I didn’t keep it under a bottle. Maybe it dropped and somehow wound up under the bottle, but I prayed and God answered me.
I know that some of your needs are just really small; but the Lord wanted me to tell you all that even as little as those needs may be, if it is important to you, He is willing to bring it to pass for you.
Food, clothes, a new apartment, money or a big birthday cake.. as you pray in faith and see God do this little things, that’s how your faith grows big enough for you to begin to rely on Him for big things.
God is not a magician but He can do all things for those who would put their faith in Him.
Elijah asked God for rain and it didn’t happen immediately he asked. So he kept going back to check if the sky was cloudy. The sky didn’t become cloudy or show any signs of rain until the 7th time (1Kings 18:44) because God saw his faith as he persistently checked for the answer to the prayer he had prayed in faith. This was the same Elijah who asked God to rain down fire on a sacrifice that had been drenched with water 3 times and God answered immediately (1 Kings 18:38)
I am sure you have heard people share testimonies countless times in this church about how Senior Pastor prayed with them and they received their miracle. But do you also notice that some people say it happened immediately while some say it happened after a long while.
Sometimes, like me finding the key, it will happen immediately, almost like magic. While at other times, like me praying for marriage, it may take a while. But at the end of it, whether it happens immediately or it took a while, who did it?
God!
Once again I apologize. Please believe that God would do what He has said He would do and also believe that He would do what you ask of Him because He said in the bible that if you have faith as little as a mustard seed, then you will say to this mountain “be thou removed” and it will be moved (Matthew 17:20).
IF with faith as tiny as a little seed of mustard, God can move something as huge as a mountain; then when you come to God in prayer, saying you want to know Him more, desiring for Him to show you the possibilities that is available to you in Christ Jesus, He would surely show you whether by signs or miracles.
Another thing I wanted to tell you is that we usually say we can’t ask God questions because what He says is final. It is true that God’s words are yea and amen but we can ask Him if we don’t understand. Not with the mindset of feeling entitled but just the need to understand that “Miss Joy” came and said to us that if we ask, we would receive, but why didn’t I receive this toy that I wanted. Then the Holy Spirit will begin to teach you.
You would receive thoughts in your minds, or you may have dreams or a random person who you have not told about your prayers would come and explain the reason to you. It has happened to me a lot where I may be feeling discouraged then I would step into the church and the message for that day would be the answer to all that I have been making me sad.
I want to share an example that affects all of us. Who remembers Aunty Moji? The day before she died, I kept thinking about her. I was so busy so I told my sister to remind me to call her the next day, which was a public holiday. Immediately we woke up the next morning, I asked my sister why she didn’t remind me and while my sister was apologizing, my phone rang. Someone was crying on the line and said, Aunty Moji had fainted that we should start praying.
So I called Pastor Sola, because I knew they could have lied to the person that called. So, Pastor Sola told me that he had spoken to her that morning and would visit her soon that she was alright. I told him that my sister and I were going to her house because we couldn’t wait to hear back. All this while, my sister and I were praying and crying and praying and crying.
One of the ways God speaks to me is by giving me this peace in my heart; so while I prayed, I checked and the peace was there so I boldly told my sister, “Don’t worry. She is not dead. Let’s go!”
Well, you know how the story ends. Aunty Moji had died.
Remember that I told you I felt peace so I thought she was fine. After she died and I was upset and started asking God why? If she had died why did He deceive me with that peace? I didn’t get an answer until I asked my spiritual father. He explained to me that the peace I felt could mean that Aunty Moji was now in heaven and God allowed me to feel the peace so that I could know that although her body was dead, her soul and spirit was at peace with Him.
After that explanation, I knew without a doubt that my darling Aunty Moji is in heaven with Jesus. And when I go to heaven, I will see her again. That’s why I won’t stop serving God or asking Him questions or trying new tests so that I can know Him better.
Like I said before, I have come here to apologize to you for telling you that God can not do a thing because He is not a magician. He is not a magician but he can do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
He loves you and wants to give you all that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Believe with your heart that He can do anything (faith), then close your eyes and pray about it (hope), and wait for Him to show up for you (love). 1 Cor. 13:13
Even on days, when it seems like you didn’t receive the answers, know that God may not respond to you when you want but you will come to learn that God is never late.
Hmmm…
Reading through this note blessed me again and I hope that you are also encouraged in your faith after you read it.
I believe a new year affords us the opportunity to reset, refresh and renew whatever may be lacking or lagging in our lives. If it is your faith in the willingness and ability of God to bring forth all that He has promised in your life, then please know that there is nothing impossible for God.
Happy New Year and I hope to write to you sooner than we both anticipate.
xxx
