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INSPIRATION HOUSE TRALEE
Pastor's Desk - Lekan Oyewande
Tuesday, May 08 2018

 

KEEP THE FAITH

 

Apostle Paul made an insightful statement in 2 Timothy 4:7 when he said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”  This infers that all through various circumstances, he maintained his cool and never lost focus of where he was going or the God he was serving.  Surprisingly the phrase, ‘keep the faith’ in Merriam-Webster dictionary means: to continue to believe in, trust, or support someone or something when it is difficult to do so. Another meaning is to continue in the committed pursuit of some idea or goal that is worthy but difficult to attain or achieve.  This is what God is calling us to do this fifth month of 2018 to KEEP THE FAITH! Regardless of the situation God is calling on you to hold the fort! Victory is nigh! Our anchor scripture for this month Psalm 22:24 gives us a very concrete reason why quitting should not be an alternative, “For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help” (Ps. 22:24).

 

Note that David did not write this sentence in a future tense like ‘God will not’ or  ‘God shall not’ but he wrote it in past participle “He has not …..” meaning that IT IS DONE! God has not ignored your prayers.  Your affliction has not put Him off, He has not shunned you because of your problems neither has he hidden his face from you BUT He has listened to your cry for help.  It is also worthy of note to mention that David ended this chapter with absolute confidence in God’s ability in Psalm 22:31 when he wrote, “He has done it!” Don’t allow your emotions to get the better of you.  God is not ignorant of your situation. He keeps record and is well informed of everything that pertains to you according to Psalm 56:8. You are not forgotten, you are not forsaken therefore beloved cheer up because Help is on the way!   

 

All God requires of you is to keep the faith, don’t allow challenges, problems, and trials to shake your faith.  Job worshipped God in the midst of his misfortunes (Job 1:20); Worship Him even when you don’t understand what He is doing.  Job was a man who understood affliction, he lost all he had yet he opted to keep the faith when he made this statement in Job 14:14, “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change comes.” He was merely saying that he was prepared to keep his faith till God shows up and we do know that God never failed Job for in Job 42:10, “…..the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before and also Job 42:12, “The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former part”…..God will not allow you to be put to shame for His name’s sake! You have called on His name and have put your trust in Him, He will not disappoint you.  If in doubt, take a look once again at the account of all the names mentioned in Hebrew 11 and you will find that each kept their faith intact till the very end even those who didn’t have a great start.  Their end justified the means. Your background doesn’t mean your back has to be on the ground. Don’t allow where you are, who you are or where you are from to dictate the plan and purpose of God for your life.  God has the final say because He is the author and the finisher of your faith!

 

Honestly speaking it may not be easy to keep the faith as a matter of fact it can be risky but God always appear anyway. Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego defied the king’s order and risked their lives but God showed up (Daniel 3:24-26).  HE WILL SHOW UP FOR YOU in Jesus name!  Learn to increase your faith based on the written promises of God and the truth of God’s word will set you free.  Believe God that He is able to do what He says He will do (Heb.11:6) and as you keep the faith, your faith in God will keep you, deliver you and give you victory.  Don’t give up on God because He won’t give up on you!

 

Pastor Lekan Oyewande (May 2017)

 

 

 

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Friday, February 02 2018

 

 

Welcome to February 2018: Undisputable Triumph…..Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place (2 Cor. 2:14). Note the scripture used the word ‘always’. It means your triumph is not once off but every time. Oxford dictionary defines triumph in a triple dimension as “a great victory or achievement”, “the state of being victorious or successful”, “joy or satisfaction resulting from a success or victory.” May you always triumph over every trial no matter the shape of the trial, its size, when it occurs or how it happens; May you always come out victorious in Jesus name. One compelling thing about the above scripture is that your triumph is not by your power, it says ‘God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.’ This should gladden every believer’s heart because it is an assurance of triumph based on our connection to Christ. God did not promise a life void of trials and tempest but that of a sure triumph over every trial. John 16:33 also validates this point when Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

 

Let us examine the ingredients needed to achieve a life of undisputable triumph; as mentioned above our association with Christ is vital but beyond this we must remain in Him, continuously walking and abiding in Him. When we abide in Christ who is the Champion of champions, the Conqueror of the universe and He abides in us just as we find in John 15:4, then our triumph is guaranteed. Another thing essential to undisputable triumph is refusing to be satisfied with an average life; strive to get better on daily basis. Jesus our perfect example was not satisfied with an average life, He did not take His assignment for granted nor was He laid back (John 9:4). He didn’t waste time because He knew He was a man on assignment and like everyone of us, He had a timeframe (John 7:33, 12:35).

 

You must also be willing to pay the price. For everything that is worthwhile in life, there is a price tag and the price you are willing to pay determines the quality of the prize you get. Jesus paid the price and eventually got the prize(s). Heb.12:2 says, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” There may be opposition or criticism, as matter of fact, any time you want to make progress, there is a resistance. Keep moving forward fixing your eyes on the prize and you will be triumphant. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him….Heb. 10:38. Refuse to be distracted or silenced by the voices of opposition and criticism. Life is a race and there is no trophy for quitters… quitters never win, winners never quit. In addition, learn to stay in your lane, remain focused and true to your calling; remember that there is a corresponding audience to every gift so there is absolutely no need to envy, compare or imitate anybody. That is how to ensure a life of undisputable triumph!

 

According to 2 Cor. 4:8-10, things may sometimes not go as planned, there may be some things happening that you didn’t bargain for but never forget that as long as Christ is in charge of your life, He will lead you to triumph; when you gave your life to Him, He took control and handed over to you undisputable triumph. You are born again to become a winner and you will never lose; U.N.D.I.S.P.U.T.A.B.L.E. T.R.I.U.M.P.H. IS YOUR PORTION in Jesus name. Shalom.

 

Lekan Oyewande (February 2018)

 

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Wednesday, January 17 2018

I welcome you on board 2018! 
May the Holy Spirit partner with you to give you a safe landing. May God meet and exceed all your expectations this year and may you receive multiple grace and peace to live the good life that God has designed for you in Jesus name.

God has so many good things in store for you this year however to access God’s blessings you need to look beyond where you are and what you have so far achieved. You need to lift up your eyes above your present level. In John 4:35(NKJV) which is our focal scripture for 2018 Jesus said, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”                                            

Beloved! You are too loaded to be complacent.  This is the year for you to manifest using all that God has deposited inside of you. As this scripture highlighted, the harvest is ready, it is all set but the question is are you ready?  Jesus said all you need to do is to LIFT UP YOUR EYES! I will encourage you this year to challenge    your mind, go outside of your comfort zone, think outside the box and watch what God will do in your life.  It doesn’t matter what others are doing or saying;

if you must truly do greater exploits this year and manifest God’s glory, you must consciously make the effort to please Him and do His will.  You must dare to do things differently and be different. Gen.6: 8(MSG) describes Noah as being different, “But Noah was different.  God liked what He saw in Noah.”  I pray that God will delight in you.  He will give you the strength to stretch yourself beyond your limits in order to do greater exploits in Jesus name. The whole world is waiting for you… For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God…..Rom.8:19. YOUR DESTINY WILL MANIFEST in Jesus name.

Throughout this year you will run and you will not be weary; you will walk and you will not grow faint, you will mount with wings like an eagle. Your comeback will be better and bigger than your setback in Jesus name. It shall be well with you and yours all the way in Jesus name.  Once again Happy New Year!   

 

 Pastor Lekan Oyewande

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Friday, December 01 2017

SONGS OF VICTORY

Oftentimes songs are used to mirror our moods; people sing to express sorrow, defeat, loneliness, joy, etc. You can use songs to tell stories of any kind, there are songs of inspiration, songs of happiness, repentance, reflection; songs to sing when in trouble and of course there are songs you sing when the tide turns in your favour, songs to proclaim your faith in the midst of adversity, songs you use to trample on daunting situations in order to tell the devil you serve a bigger God like Paul and Silas did in prison (Acts 16:25).  As a believer your songs of victory is not only a function of happenings or feelings but an assurance of the finished work of Christ at Calvary. The Israelites had it so tough in Egypt but when the Lord turned the tide in their favour, miracle became a daily occurrence for them such that the tune of their song changed. They began to sing songs of victory; Moses the stammerer became Moses the song composer as we see in Exo.15:1, “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke saying: “I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!” On this very triumphant note I welcome you to DECEMBER 2017: SONGS OF VICTORY! 

Songs of victory are for the redeemed (Is.51:11), those delivered from captivity and freed from oppression (Is.42:7). Songs of victory are sung by the ones whose stories have changed; the ones who have been translated from the lowest gaol of captivity to the spectacular light of God (Acts 12:7). Perhaps the songs you have sang before have been songs of defeat but because you have been ushered into a season of favour, your song is about to change! God will fill your mouth with songs of victory. If you have been singing songs of victory before, it will not turn to defeat. The victory you have obtained in the area of sin, lack, sickness and enemies will remain permanent in Jesus name. You will never have a better yesterday. God’s mercy that has preserved you till this last month will sustain you through to the end of the year and beyond in Jesus name. You will not lose anything however small or big instead your songs of victory will break all barriers in your life in Jesus name.

Songs of victory are not self-centred but entirely fixated on God’s ability! Have you ever pondered on why King David was such a great king? Looking through his story you will discover that David sang a lot of songs in his lifetime; he understood what it meant to be disappointed, lonely, sad etc but no other person sang the songs of victory better than David. In various chapters of the book of psalms, you will see him starting initially with lamentation but as you read along he always seems to end his complaints with songs of victory; he did this because he understood the supremacy of God and that victory can only be obtained through the supernatural, in Ps.32:7 (NLT), he said, “For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble, You surround me with songs of victory! May the Lord surround you with songs of victory in Jesus name.  Those who sing songs of victory cannot be concealed; you cannot hide a champion because the songs of winners echo. It now makes sense why David danced the way he did in 2 Sam. 6:14, when the tune of the music changes to that of victory, the dance is bound to change! I see the tune of your melody change from lamentation to joy, from confusion to absolute clarity, from shame to honour. I see you dance the victorious dance as God’s glory radiates all around you in Jesus name. David’s songs of victory never ceased, he even handed songs of victory to Solomon his son as we see in 1 Kings 5:4, “But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune.” I declare by the mercies of God you shall obtain all round victory and your songs of victory will never come to an end in Jesus name.

For us in this dispensation of grace, the victorious life begins and ends with Christ. Have you accepted Him, if you have not, please do so without hesitation.  It doesn’t matter what you are passing through or where you are at the moment, all will be well because Christ has won the victory (1 Cor.15:57).  It was based on this knowledge that someone like Horatio Spafford could write, “It Is Well with My Soul” after losing his loved ones and Fanny Crosby could pen down, “To God Be the Glory” in spite of her limitations. If you look through the stanzas of both hymns you will realise that they were compiled with the assurance of an already secured victory!  

Many people in the bible sang songs of victory, Moses, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Jehoshaphat, Apostle Paul, Ezra, Mary the mother of Jesus and David just to mention a few, they all had things in common…they were willing and obedient (Is. 1:19),  willing to go the extra mile for God. They made up their minds that nothing will shake their faith not even the darkest prisons (Acts 16:25). They lived an exemplary life of worship, thanksgiving, and prayer (Psalm 145). They were soul winners, always ready to impact their world for Christ (Prov.11:30). To summarise they had right standing with God, “songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! (Ps.118:15 NLT). As you resolve to live a life pleasing to God, your testimony shall be the Lord has done great things! God will crown 2017 with His goodness and your path shall drip with abundance (Ps.65:11). In the mighty name of Jesus you will never again sing songs of shame, sorrow or defeat; the Lord will continue to put songs of resounding victory in your mouth in Jesus name. Keep singing! Shalom.

Lekan Oyewande 
Dec. 2017

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Thursday, November 02 2017

The eleventh hour according to the dictionary is the latest possible time before it is too late. No other definition can best capture the season we are entering than this, the best as they say is always reserved for the last and as we slowly and gradually wrap up the year it will not be too late for you in Jesus name. God will make it your time to experience the breakthrough you have desired from the start of the year.  This season will be your latest possible time to enter into unprecedented rest via God’s favour. Welcome to the 11th month of the year, NOVEMBER: Your Season of Favour! "You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favour her, Yes, the set time, has come” (Psalms 102:13 NKJV). The Lord will arise on your behalf and lavish His favour upon you in Jesus name.  It doesn't matter how long one has laboured, it doesn't matter how long you have waited, favour erases years of labour, favour deletes and completely obliterates lonely nights of weeping, toiling and lost hope. No wonder in Genesis 41:51, Joseph named his child Manasseh which means ‘For God hath made me to forget all my toil and all my father’s house”,  I decree  that by the reason of God’s favour upon your life, your past failures, disappointments and losses will be forgotten in Jesus name.  God’s favour will usher you into a season of upliftment, preferment, emergence and distinction in Jesus name (Gen.41:39-44).  

Wherever you find God be sure to find His compassion, grace and favour hence it's not surprising that people like Joseph, Samuel, David, Daniel all succeeded because God was with them all the way.  Our Jesus Christ our Lord also enjoyed His father’s presence and as such His favour (Luke 2:52). His presence is important for His favour because you will no longer be constrained by time or connection as we know that the set time is orchestrated by God. He decided when the season of favour will be; Daniel 2:21 says And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding; so as long as we remain in His presence, He will cause times and seasons to be favourable to us. He will turn every tide to work in our favour.  God’s favour is of utmost importance to every believer because whether we succeed or fail, what we are, what we have and all we will ever be is embedded in His favour, Psalm 30:5……
 in his favour is life …. There is no area that God’s favour is not needed be it marriage…..Prov.18:22; in ministry, health or life’s journey (Isaiah 49:10-13) therefore we need to make sure that we remain in right standing with God, this we can achieve by living a life fashioned after God’s own pattern of living, a life of non-conformity but a transformed life, a life of constant fellowship with the Father.  Only those who are in right standing with God can experience God’s favour as Psalm 5:12 reveals that, For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favour You will surround him as with a shield”, may God continue to give us the grace to live a life well pleasing to Him in Jesus name.  


What does it mean to enter a season of favour? To enter a season of favour is to enter a period of success upon success, a season where your paths are shining brighter and brighter unto the perfect day; it is a period where regardless of the many obstacles you face, God empowers and simplifies your life to overcome them. It is a period where heaven and earth collaborate to help an individual.  Your season of favour means that you will go to battles and win without lifting a finger (Ps.44:3; 2 Chron.20:17).  It is a time when God decides to amplify your strengths so that your weaknesses are not obvious and your mistakes non-existent.  When the angel came to Mary, Mary queried due to her status as a virgin for which she got a good explanation (Luke 1:34-35) whereas when Zacharias queried the same angel and justifiably so because he was well advanced in age, he was made dumb for a period (Luke 1:18-20).  What made the difference in these two scenarios was the favour of God because we were made to understand in Luke 1:30 that Mary found favour with God.  May you find favour with God; may all your errors be ignored and your strengths amplified in Jesus name.  


One remarkable feature of your season of favour is that it is not dependent on location; God can favour you anywhere; His favour met David in the bush tending his father's flock. It met Joseph in a very hostile and competitive environment yet that didn't deter God from lifting him; for Daniel he found favour as a slave, so did Esther and others. The same goes for so many of us, His favour met and is still meeting us in the most unlikely places and circumstances.  May God make this time your season of favour in Jesus name.  One's season of favour is not intimidated by number, it doesn't matter how many people are seeking the same thing, favour ensures its candidate is preferred; it singles out the one whose season has come. I pray that this shall be your season to be singled you out in Jesus name. In John 5:1-9, there were several people contending for the water but Jesus himself showed up and singled out the man who had been there for 38 years. Because it was his season of favour his case received divine recognition and immediate attention. It didn't matter that the man didn't know what he wanted (verse 6-7), when the favour of God locates you, your input no longer counts because God Himself sorts you out. He breaks protocols and bypasses laws to ensure nothing stops you (verse 9).  He puts you in a vantage point and gives you access to opportunities.  This means that you become more visible to your helpers and your life becomes an embodiment of all-round favour, protection and unprecedented blessings.   Once again I say welcome to your season of favour.  Shalom.

Lekan Oyewande
November 2017

 

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Friday, October 20 2017

 

But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking…. Luke 5:5-6

The one who has obtained absolute victory is bound to be fruitful; he or she will produce results far beyond his or her input. God is no respecter of persons and He is not restricted by protocol, custom or tradition. He is bound by His words, if He pronounces absolute victory in the life of an individual then it means such a person cannot labour without results - Welcome to October 2017: NO MORE FRUITLESS LABOUR! The God of heavens will smile on you and yours; whatever you lay your hands on shall prosper and you will be productive. Your smallest input will be a track record. You will not be constrained by time or protocol but for your sake, protocols will be broken and experts turned to novice. The creator of the Universe will knock over, suspend and overrule every limiting factor to your productivity. You will not struggle nor labour in vain but God’s favour will crush fruitless labour from your life. No longer will you 'work like an elephant and eat like an ant' in Jesus name.

The original plan and purpose of God for man is fruitfulness and multiplication according to Gen. 1: 28 however when man fell from the God’s intention due to the sin of non-compliance, God in His infinite mercies made a way of reconciliation through Jesus. What the devil stole at the Garden of Eden, Jesus came to restore, John 10:10 says while satan came to kill, steal and destroy, Jesus came so that we can live a life of total abundance (paraphrased). It is therefore saddening that many people including believers are still experiencing fruitless labour, having little or nothing to show for their efforts. Labour in itself is not a bad thing; the bible even said if you do not work then don’t eat (2 Thess.3:10) but it becomes frustrating when labour yields little or no results. In our anchor scripture, Peter toiled all night with nothing to show for his ‘hard labour’. To bring it home imagine a student who burns the midnight oil, and does everything imaginable only to manage an ‘E’ or that businessman or woman who follows every principle known in business yet fails to make profit. What could make one labour without results? What could be responsible for fruitless labour? One of the main culprits of fruitless labour is self-dependence and what does this mean? If we look at the entire chapter of Luke 5, we will see that when Peter was self-dependent and this made him toil fruitlessly. The scripture reveals that he toiled all night yet ‘caught nothing’. No wonder 1 Sam.2:9 reveal that ‘by strength shall no man prevail’. Leaning on our understanding can cause fruitless labour. To avoid fruitless labour, Jesus gives a very simple solution, ‘abide in me and I in you…….without me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5). There are no short cuts; it is only through connection to the vine that fruitfulness can come.

One other major cause of fruitless labour is disobedience. Peter laid aside his knowledge, experience and all and simply obeyed. Total obedience will bring an end to fruitless labour. Doing precisely what God says you should without reasoning, without questioning but just taking His word for it….Peter said to Jesus, (Luke 5:5 paraphrased) ‘I know this profession very well and based on experience it may be technically impossible because I have tried and given up NEVERTHELESS AT THY WORD and we all know that Peter’s life never remained the same from that moment onwards. I am encouraging you to push aside what the experts have said regarding that situation and simply trust and obey Him! I decree that as you obey, God will destroy the root cause of fruitless labour from your life, marriage, business, education in Jesus name. Peter not only obeyed but he totally surrendered to Jesus. Jesus’s suggestion to ‘launch into the deep’ may not have made logical sense, it may have even sounded foolish to an experienced fisherman but Peter did not object. Let your obedience be complete and your surrender total. Only in doing His will you set yourself up for a net breaking, eye popping catch!

At times one may feel productive when in actual fact one is only going in circles. The colt in Mark 11:2 must

have been moving around within the confines of its rope thinking to itself, ‘I am moving’ not knowing the rope tying it down was its limiting factor until Jesus asked that it be untied. The colt was exerting energy fruitlessly with no actual progress. In any area where your movement has been circular, Jesus will speak into your life and you will make progress in Jesus name. You will no longer operate in a circle. Every circle of fruitless effort is hereby broken. Your breakthrough is now in Jesus name.

A key factor to bringing an end to fruitless labour is favour, Peter did not beckon on Jesus to come; Jesus saw Peter and asks to use his boat. There were several other boats but Peter’s boat was chosen and his night of struggle and toiling ended in satisfaction! The night that was meant to end in disappointment became a day of divine appointment. May God single you out and bring an end to your fruitless labour in Jesus name. Let’s not forget that much labour does not mean much output, it is favour that makes the difference through the presence of Jesus. NO MORE FRUITLESS LABOUR. YOU ARE FAVOURED TO PROGRESS AND BE FRUITFUL IN JESUS NAME. Shalom.

Lekan Oyewande October 2017

 

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Sunday, August 13 2017

And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! …Rev.19:6

 

God is not known for vain repetition, if He reiterates a particular word severally in a single chapter (Rev. 19: 1, 3, 4 and 6), it’s not for lack of a better word but because He wants us to pay extra attention to that word. The scripture above depicts "Hallelujah” as a confirmation of God’s supremacy. It affirms God’s omnipotence and his dominion over all circumstances; internal or external, spiritual or physical. Hallelujah puts God over the helm of affairs while acknowledging He reigns! Hallelujah is a mode of expression which symbolises victory and authority, the authority of the children of the All-powerful God because the shouts of Hallelujah propel God to act and we are certain nothing can rival God’s powers; no devil, no government and of course no principalities, nothing compares to His powersFrom now on your shouts of Hallelujah will release answers; it will give you tremendous victories, outstanding testimonies and pleasant surprises will become a daily occurrence in your household. The sounds of Hallelujah will never cease from your abode in Jesus name. Welcome to August 2017, our month of HALLELUJAH! 

 

Hallelujah is universal; in any tongue, language, race or tribe (even if spelt differently), Hallelujah remains Hallelujah and till date it has not lost its significance or influence. It has been known to do the unthinkable and yield incomprehensible results.  Hallelujah is the language of the redeemed, those who have been made victorious through the blood of Jesus. It is the song of the joyful and an assurance of triumph! On the way to the Promised Land, the Israelites faced challenges of various magnitudes such that it looked as if they will never get to their destination, one of such challenges was the Wall of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-20). A wall which seemed too high to surmount and humanly speaking impossible to confront however when the Master of the Universe, the Hallelujah Himself stepped in, He proffered the most unlikely solution known to mankind in battle. Note that at that point, the Israelites were used to murmuring and complaining, they would only praise God every now and then whenever He wrought miracles but God wanted to teach them a new dimension of worship; an aspect where praise is not a function of accomplishments but for whom God is, a level of praise where you exalt Him high above the limitations around you. A level where you realise it doesn’t matter whether or not He shows up but you are convinced He is with you regardless (Hab.3:17-18). He loves it when you demonstrate your faith and say, ‘praise is what I do. Hallelujah is shouts of praise.  God wanted to show the Israelites that Hallelujah is not meant only for times of jubilation and celebration but also while you are believing and waiting for your miracles to happen. Hallelujah is a declaration of faith! No wonder He commanded them to go around the wall for 6 days without a word (imagine how their faith would have increased as they silently walked from day 1 to 6!) and on the 7th day after going round the wall 7 times they were to shout, the rest as they say is history (Josh.6:20). Henceforth every limitation in your life will become history; God will cause you to live a life without limits in Jesus name. Hallelujah in your mouth will cause all your enemies to tremble and whatever wall has kept you routed on one spot will crumble right before you like a pack of cards in Jesus name.  

 

Before Joshua got to the point where He can shout Hallelujah God already promised him that he will be indestructible because He has the greatest ally (Joshua 1:5-6). I am convinced that we are all shouting Hallelujah already because God told us last month in Isaiah 43:2 that no matter what we are going through He will be with us and nothing will destroy us. For as many that will believe that God is able to do what He says He will do; your shouts of Hallelujah will be the loudest this month in Jesus name.

 

Hallelujah is a divine language (John 4:24) that can be used depending on the circumstance. The shouts of Hallelujah means the devil cannot shut you up; it is a refusal to be subdued but to let the devil know that he is not big enough to hinder your praise, that was the weapon Paul and Silas used. They would have said to themselves, “yes, we have been imprisoned but that will not prevent us from shouting Hallelujah!” When you are down, praise is meant to lift you and drown your sorrows (Acts 16:24-26), it brings about salvation (Acts 16: 30-34). It is an expression of joy (Ps.149:1). To the oppressed, it is a shout of deliverance and freedom from oppression (2 Samuel 22:1-3). It is the sound of triumph in battle so no matter how tough the battle is or if you facing a difficult situation or a major barrier then you can easily overcome with the shouts of Hallelujah (Exo.15:20-21). Hallelujah brings about new things because it takes you to another level in life. It was praise that took Leah to that level where she realised God was all she needed in Gen.29:35; initially she was looking to her husband for love and attention forgetting that being married or having children is not synonymous with fulfilment of purpose but the minute she said, “now I will praise God”, her life took a new turn because out of her line came the Lion of the tribe of Judah - Jesus. Do you know why Hallelujah is so potent? It is because God cannot disregard praise, He lives in praise (Ps.22:3).  He made us His special people so that we will show forth His praise….(1Pet.2:9). The focus of our theme this month is that our victory is in our Hallelujah; our power is in our Hallelujah, our testimonies lies in our Hallelujah. All we need revival, healing, breakthrough etc is in our Hallelujah. Whenever we shout Hallelujah we are telling God YOU are bigger and greater, please take over and He will never disappoint. Not even death can drown Halleluyah because we know in heaven the angels and the 24 elders are currently singing the praises of Him who sits upon the throne (Rev.4:10-11). LET SOMEBODY SHOUT HALLELUYAHHHHH!

 

Lekan Oyewande

August 2017

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Saturday, July 08 2017

When God gives an assurance that all will be well, He means that whether or not the situation is complimentary, no matter the forces militating against you, irrespective of the occurrence around you, your case is different - You are INDESTRUCTIBLE!   With this assurance, I welcome you to the 7th month of 2017 with this song, “We are more than conquerors, overcomers in this world, we've been made victorious through the blood of Jesus Christ".  To be indestructible means to be unbreakable, shatterproof, made to last, imperishable, undying, enduring, etc. I therefore declare by the blood of Jesus that gave you and I victory that nothing will bring you down. Your destiny is shatterproof. Your testimony is enduring; it shall not short-lived. God’s love for you is undying; notwithstanding your present level, you are unbreakable in Jesus name.

 The scripture for this month is Isaiah 43: 1-7 with the main emphasis on verse 2 which tells us that  “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” To put it in simpler terms, life is full of pressures and a lot of stress, downtimes, low times, times of trials and contrary expectations; those times when even a strong believer will be tempted to ask, ‘God why me?’ One thing that is attention-grabbing is the promise that comes with the above scripture – You’ll Never Walk Alone (YNWA). You'll never walk alone because your life is hid in Christ (Col.3:3) and if the devil and his demons CANNOT destroy Jesus, it means one thing for you; YOU ARE INDESTRUCTIBLE! The fire of life will not burn you; the rivers shall not overflow you and the flame of the enemy will not be kindled against you in Jesus name.  Again in Jeremiah 1:19(NIV), God assures us that "They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD” The pressures of life can come in diverse forms, it may be people you have trusted who suddenly turned against you, it may be that you have put your hope in your job, career, academic achievements, the government etc and things didn’t really work out the way you expected. God guarantees again and again that not only will you experience His presence in your lowest times but He will also rescue you.  

As we already know God stands by His word; we see it play out again and again in our lives and in the scriptures. In Daniel 3:1-30, He did not allow those who fought against Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego to have the upper hand, the flame kindled against them by the enemy became an air-conditioning system. Also God did not allow them to go through their darkest moments alone, He accompanied them through the fire!  Beloved, I pray once again that you will walk through the fire of life unscathed. The God who made them indestructible will do the same for you in Jesus name. In buttressing our anchor scripture which is Isaiah 43:2, we see God accompany the Israelites as they walked through the red sea, at no point did the waters overflow. We are all familiar with the sea and how it can rage but as the Israelites walked through, God kept His promises, the waters did not overflow.  I pray that no matter how boisterous the sea is, it will not drown you; it will not knock you back. The God who created the waters says THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE WILL NOT END IN DEFEAT!

When we look at the rest of Isaiah 43 from verse 3-7, we see God assuring and reassuring us that He is our God; the One who will not leave us; as a matter of fact He will do whatever it takes to ensure our freedom because we (YOU &I) are precious to Him. Beloved you might have been wounded, bruised, stressed, pressurised but you can never be destroyed hence the songwriter said ‘no power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck you from His hands!’ You are indeed indestructible, you are uncrushable - you cannot afford to lose your confidence! You cannot afford to entertain defeat, you have come too far to fail and you will not fail in Jesus name. You are not a victim of circumstance.  There are several other examples that we can point to in relation to this topic and the list will not be exhausted no wonder Apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 4: 8-10 said, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”  In order to make it in life and remain indestructible you need one very important ally – JESUS! Your focus must be on Him alone. Make Him your only ally and you will remain a CONQUEROR forever in Jesus name.

Lekan Oyewande
July 2017

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Friday, April 14 2017

Gratitude & Wholeness 

 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. Luke 17:11-19 KJV

You have hitherto been asking for stuff while it is good to ask there is an aspect that makes you get beyond what you asks for, the aspect that cements your miracle and guarantees its sustainability, it is called gratitude. Welcome to April 2017- GRATITUDE & WHOLENESS! Verse 15 says  the leper when he 'saw' that he was healed came back; as a church we have looked and have seen what God has done and is doing for us individually, our families, friends, for this land, town, etc and we are returning all the glory back to Him. As we glorify Him He will put a seal on our miracles. He will cleanse us from anything making our lives ugly and deformed. We will not be silenced. The mercy of God will sort out all the clutters in our lives and we will be complete; there will be no proof of the things we have passed through. As a church God will surprise us by adding to us numerically, spiritually and financially; He will multiply all our blessings and subtract from His church anything that might ridicule His name.

We were not told the number of years these lepers had had this ailment all we know is that they were all healed but one through his unique attitude of gratitude receive a  higher dimension of healing, the entirety of healing - he was made WHOLE meaning inside out - spiritually and physically! What does it mean to be made whole? I particularly like the definition that says ‘the state of being unbroken or undamaged’ and from the context of this passage you will agree with me that leprosy breaks and damages a man. What kind of leprosy is breaking you or has caused damage to your life or family? Is it sickness like these men, is it financial, emotional or marital instability. I know an effective key that can break its effect in your life and family – it’s called gratitude. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you -1 Thessalonians 5:18. As you praise God this month for both the small and big things you shall be made whole. Whatever is broken or damaged in your life will heed the Master's voice and you will no longer be deficient in any area in Jesus name.  This grateful leper was not carried away with what he didn't have, in fact he didn’t see what he didn’t have rather he saw what he had and appreciated God for that, little wonder his own case became different. I pray as you make the choice to give thanks; God will make your own case different. Perhaps the other 9 lepers were used to seeing miracles hence they took it for granted but the one that turned back to say thank you was a Samaritan, he was gobsmacked by the wonders of God that he made a U turn to say “wow this is awesome, thank you!” Beloved don't be too accustomed to God’s modus operandi (method of operation) to the level of derision. Don't take the smallest things of life for granted. In addition let’s learn to prioritize and gratitude to God should be made top priority – for those things we have that no amount of money can buy. When we fail to set our priorities right we fail to pay attention to small but important things which might cause us to miss it; may you not miss it in Jesus name. Maybe the other 9 had a long to-do list (things they had longed to do when they were lepers) and had gratitude somewhere at the bottom of the list no knowing that The master’s business requires urgency, according to James Allen, “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” Little did they know that their wholeness was tied to their gratitude.

You cannot lobby for gratitude maybe that is why Jesus did not compel them to say thank you even though thanksgiving is one of His attributes such that it precedes whatever He does…. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me (John 11:41).  Perhaps the other 9 lepers were waiting to be taught forgetting that gratitude cannot be taught, it is a response that stems from the heart - from the depth of the heart! Before the leper made the decision to turn back, he would have thought it through; he would have had a moment where he would say in his heart, “so my skin can be this clean? Hey wait a minute I didn’t even say thank you” - prayerful thoughts gives birth to thanksgiving while vain thoughts promotes ungratefulness. Replace complaints with praise and as you praise Him God will take care of you. This month try several ways of showing gratitude- burst forth with praises and adoration to your Maker. Give him your tithe - a tenth afterall only one out of the 10 lepers came back, as you give to him out of gratitude he will make the your income whole and untouchable for devourers. Show gratitude by returning to give him your skills and your talents etc and He will ensure you are whole health wise and no part of your body will be consumed by any sickness. As you willingly give Him your time in soul winning, in attending programmes, He will make you present – 60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours and you will not die before your time.

Have you taken even a minute to say thank you to Him recently? Let’s cultivate the attitude of gratitude, nurture it by making thanksgiving a way of life, look beyond what you can see and begin to see through the eye of faith that is why Jesus said to him in verse 19, your faith has made you whole!’ This means that only by faith can we truly give thanks and that is why Jesus thanked God before He called Lazarus forth. In which area do you need wholeness? Why don’t you spend quality time each day this month to say thank you Lord! It is the only weapon that can turn not enough to more than enough. As a church let us go ahead and say to Him, “LORD Inspiration House Tralee can see what You have done and have returned to say thank you LORD! For everything you’ve given us – for 15 years of your love, faithfulness, mercy and grace. For fighting all our battles, for defending us and upholding us through the good and the bad; for your unflinching support and for answering our prayers, THANK YOU LORD!

Pastor Lekan Oyewande
April 2017

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Tuesday, February 07 2017

Everyone can attest to the fact that Jesus is the solution to all issues of life so Mighty is He that He can do ALL things. He alone can forgive sins and overwrite every handwriting or ordinance of judgement; whatever He does is unquestionable, unparalleled and incontestable. In Mark 2:1-12 when Jesus saw the fate of the paralytic man and the faith of his friends, He decided it was the right moment to bring the man of out of the bondage of paralysis and by the end of the day; the man became a wonder to many. He got instant results and went home not only healed of his paralysis but also justified. Welcome to February 2017: Our Month of UNDENIABLE RESULTS! And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion….Mark 2:12KJV. May God make you a living proof of undeniable results and a wonder unto many! All who know your story will be in awe and glorify God on your behalf.  The Lord will come quickly to your aid and raise you out of the dungeon of helplessness. Your rising shall be unstoppable and the helpers you need come out of that unwanted situation will locate you. Helping you will not pose a problem because God will compel them to do all it takes in Jesus name.

The bible described the meeting as one made up of a large crowd so much so that there was no room for anyone to pass through yet only one man’s case caused people to say ‘we have never seen anything like this’ (Mark 2:12 CEV), only one man’s sins were forgiven; at times it’s not about the ‘crowd’ but the individual motive behind seeking Jesus. The man and his friends sought Jesus with one sole aim – to get help; their hearts must have connected to His in a way to make Jesus know they were true seekers. Are you a true seeker?  If Jesus searches your heart will He find faith and an expectant heart or an uninterested heart, one so far away; will He find a genuine seeker or ‘one’ of the crowd. I pray that the faith you need to obtain undeniable results will rise up in you and you will move from being lost in the crowd to having unshakable faith that will move mountains in the mighty name of Jesus. The level of faith demonstrated by these men left Jesus with no choice than to attend to their friend. I cannot overemphasise the need for divine helpers, may God bring them your way this month in Jesus name.

Note that regardless of where the consequences of sin was coming from or any legality the devil may have had to have this man bound, Jesus said, ‘son, your sins are forgiven you’ (Mark 2:5). On that glorious day, his physical level not only changed but also his spiritual state; as a matter of fact, the spiritual before the physical! Everything that might have cut him off from the Master was removed, he became an adopted son. If you have not yet surrendered to Jesus, the right time is today.  You too can become His son if you will open your heart and let Him in. If there is any power questioning Jesus’ authority over your life such will be silenced in Jesus name. Jesus who has the reply for every evil voice will answer all your adversaries like He replied the scribes in verse Mark 2: 6-11, And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”  Jesus did not only reply them; He demonstrated His OMNIPOTENCE! He showed forth as not only a talker but a doer! May He do for you what no man can do; may your life showcase His Almightiness in Jesus name.

Note the last verse was a call for action, Jesus said, ARISE! Your life must conform to My original plan and purpose; ARISE! You must make progress! ARISE! Your life must reflect undeniable results both physically and spiritually. There must be performance of God’s words in your life; that will be your own testimony this month in Jesus name. For the first time in a long while or even since he was born, this man walked. No wonder the people there were surprised. Your testimony will surprise both friends and foes alike. There will be a physical evidence for all to point to in your life; you will indeed ARISE! What you have been yearning to achieve for so long will be delivered to your hands very soon. The God of heavens will open unto you hidden treasures and abundant blessings. You and your children will be all that God has called you to be; your life will not be a shadow of what it ought to be in Jesus name. Jesus will bring your case into perspective and do the unexpected; He will leave you in awe of His powers. Get ready for your pleasant surprise! Shalom.

Lekan Oyewande
February 2017

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