Genesis 1:26 says "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God with this statement put man in charge and gave him the authority to dominate his world therefore no element of creation is meant to have control over man especially one who is spirit filled. The day you accepted Jesus into your life, you entered into a new level of authority. Welcome to August 2018: your month of Enduring Dominion. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, (Psalms 8:6). All things must answer to you and may you have complete and unquestionable authority over every issue of life this month and beyond in Jesus name. You are undefeatable in Jesus name! 

According to the dictionary, dominion means controlling power or influence over others, the right to govern or rule or determine; it also means to have the edge, advantage or the upper hand therefore what it means to have dominion is to have the right to determine the outcome of things; you were created according to God’s original intention to have dominion in all ramification be it air, land, or sea and all creatures therein. God putting everything under your feet means He has given you unquestionable authority therefore no circumstance is meant to be beyond your control rather they are meant to answer to you! 1 John 5:4...'whatever is born of God overcometh the world' and since Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah....you as a believer have the nature of a lion! To have dominion as mentioned above is to have the upper hand, to have the edge.  Lions are born to exercise dominion in the jungle that probably explains the reason why the devil parades itself like a roaring lion. Don’t worry, the least the devil can do is to act 'like' as he is just an imitation of the original… The lion of the tribe of Judah!!!!Beloved you must realise that being a child of God gives you the upper hand; nothing should overwhelm you. As a child of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, you were created to take charge at all times. You hardly ever see a lion walking about with it's head bowed, lions don’t bow to anyone rather they enter the scene and everything bow to them!  May you continue to operate and walk in dominion for the rest of your life in Jesus name.  

In order to make sure you have enduring dominion, the one that stands the test of time; you must know what the word of God says concerning you only then can you know your rights and privileges as a child of God.  It is this knowledge that will give you the boldness to take charge in prevailing situations. From the viewpoint of a believer failure to be equipped with information can prove fatal as it can lead to unnecessary suffering and sorrow (Dan.11:32).  Surround yourself with believers who will challenge your faith, remember the story of the eagle who didn’t know it was created to fly having being raised among chickens until it came in contact with another eagle only then did it realise it was created not only to fly but to soar! (Prov.13:20). Also spend time talking to God and let Him talk back to you in the place of prayer. Don’t forget to utilise the name of Jesus which is also a symbol of your dominion as a Christian, for the bible tells us that at the mention of the name of Jesus everything becomes answerable to you. Whatever, whoever or wherever they may be, you are the one in charge. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil.2:10-11). May you continue to have dominion over all things in Jesus name!

TAKE CHARGE

“Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out.” Leviticus 6:13 (NLT)

Last month we were able to establish the fact that God is never late; He shows up just in time to do the impossible.  This is because He is in charge of all things and nothing takes Him by surprise.   It might interest you to know that as His heir, He has given you dominion … to take charge! Welcome to July 2018: TAKE CHARGE! May the zeal of the house of the Lord consume you and may the fire on your altar perpetually burn.  Nothing will cause you to lose your fire and you will not disobey God to the point of losing your place and position of dominion in Jesus name.

One of the things required of us after we have surrendered our hearts to God is to remain continuously hot for Him no wonder He said He has no time for lukewarmness, either you are hot for Him or remain on the other side by being cold.  There are no in-betweens. Hence He gave Aaron and the priests this specific instruction…., “the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times, It must never go out.” Loss of the fire is tantamount to loss of authority and you cannot afford to lose your right!

An area where most Christians lack understanding is that because God has given you dominion He will let you fold your hands and do everything for you.  You have been mandated to take charge of affairs especially in areas where change is sought.   It may be in physical circumstances like in Judges 3:1-4 when the Israelites were at war with certain nations, God did not wipe off those nations by Himself but He left them in their land to test their determination to see if they would actually follow through to their promise.  The Israelite sworn and pledged their allegiance to God several times...that they will not serve other gods...but alas they always reneged on their promises to God by fraternising with those nations whom God has warned them not to associate with. For most of us it may be spiritual war we are fighting….essentially against the flesh. There are things God expects you to do instead of complaining, murmuring and waiting on Him to do them for you.  I am sure that is why God blessed man and commanded him to replenish the earth and have dominion (take charge) as we see in Gen.1:28.  God not only gave man dominion He also gave man responsibility from the start…to keep the garden (Gen.2:15), to name all the animals (Gen.2:19).

As much as God told man to take charge, He also test us from time to time to see if we are actually determined to please Him.  He tested Moses’ faith in Exo.14:15-16 when He told Moses to stop praying rather to stretch forth the rod in his hand.  He tested King Saul’s obedience when He commanded him to utterly destroy the Amalekites in 1 Sam. 15:1-3. Jesus also gave delegated authority to His disciples as we see in John 14:12, Matt.10:1 and Luke 10:19.  Some things are allowed by God to remain in your ‘land’ so as to wake you up to your responsibility.  All you need to execute God’s will and purpose is made available for you in Christ Jesus…Eph. 3:20 therefore let the word of God (Jesus) dwell richly in you and let the burning fire for God guide the choices you make in life every day.

Lekan Oyewande
July 2018

TIMELY INTERVENTION

God has a way of showing up when you least expect; all He is looking for is the state of your hearts and your faith in Him.  Once He sees that you have made Him your All, He will give you His very best, not to show off but to prove His almightiness and His control over times and seasons.  Welcome to JUNE 2018 – TIMELY INTERVENTION!  “Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.” Psalms 37:25 NLT.  The timely God will not abandon you.  You will not lose face in the midst of your peers.  Whatever is meant to bring you shame will announce God’s power in your life and you shall testify to God’s goodness and mercy in Jesus name. 

When Peter left all he had to follow Jesus little did he know that Jesus was ALL he ever needed.  Jesus is all you need too because it is a known fact that Jesus never leaves His own, no matter what!  In Matthew 17:24-27, when a need was to be met with no resources, Jesus intervened in an unusual manner. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee Matthew 17:27 (KJV). Beloved Jesus has the ability to provide whatever you need and He will do so for you in Jesus name. Note that Jesus made provision not only for Himself but also for Peter to show that He truly cares for our wellbeing! He is not just raising disciples but He thinks of you all the time and is very much interested in your case!

Whatever you are going through today will impact your testimony and His kingdom; what is that situation that people are inquiring about and you don’t have ready answers for? Why don’t you tell it to Jesus and watch Him do the impossible, beloved rest & be assured that Jesus’s got you! Learn to cast your burdens on Him because He cares for you, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” John 10:11 (KJV). He will certainly come along side you as you acknowledge Him, to carry your burden, ease your pain and dispel your fears. Despite the fact that each day has its own share of challenges you can be certain and confident that God will not leave you to face it all by yourself; each day has been insured for us in God. “It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lam.3:22-23 KJV.  Be reminded that as you truly follow the Lord, there is no need or lack in your life that HE will not take care of. According to Ps. 68:19 - “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. You are guaranteed daily intervention and supply from God

He will not only intervene for you but for your household, when Peter’s mother in law had fever, Jesus intervened because of Peter’s connection to Jesus, Peter had a relationship with Jesus. “Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was very sick. She had a high fever. They asked Jesus to do something to help her.  He stood very close to her and ordered the sickness to go away. The sickness left her, and she got up and began serving them.” Luke 4:38-40. Your connection to Jesus will not only be beneficial to you but to your household, family members and acquaintances in Jesus name! 
 

As you journey into this new month, Receive grace to surrender  to God all that seems impossible and watch in amazement the goodness of the Lord as He brings to you help, deliverance and complete salvation. You shall not be abandoned in Jesus name. Shalom.

Lekan Oyewande June 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)

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)

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

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

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

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

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 powers. From 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