DIVINE COMMUNICATION II: THE SPEAKING VOICE AND THE SPOKEN WORD

 THE “SPEAKING VOICE” AND THE “SPOKEN WORD”

For our first Class last week, our topic was 'IN THE BEGINNING.'

I’d like 5 people to share what stood out for them from that class that they’ve not forgotten (without checking your notes).

Responses:

1. God is a SPEAKING God. The hearing God is also the speaking God. He spoke first in Genesis.

2. God is a speaking God

3. I’d never thought about the faith that was involved in believing that God hears me. It enabled me to consciously apply faith that He’d speak as well.

4. The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord made them. They were designed to hear God.

5. My existence was from God speaking, he has always been a speaking God and will forever be.

6. God speaks even while we are still in sin.

7. God made us is His image, hence, He is so interested in speaking to us and listening to us.

8. My character in real life would most likely be reflected in my relationship with God.

9. From the beginning God was a speaking God, particularly in Genesis 1. He spoke throughout, so He speaks. Also, God created us in His image and in His likeness, which means, He created my ears to hear and eyes to see and He created them to hear both physically and spiritually. He created them so we can hear Him.

Alright, thank you everyone for sharing.

In our class last week, we went back to 'The Beginning'. This was to help us see what was so that we can make sense of what now is or should be.

We will be starting our class today from where we stopped last week, because what we are doing in this course is not learning disconnected principles about hearing God, we are building a picture.

In our first class, we went all the way back to Genesis and we saw from our study something very simple:

"And God said"

The first picture scripture gives us of God is not that of a silent or mute God, and I’m glad from our responses that this stuck for everyone.

We established something, that "God is a speaking God." He is a communicating God and today we will be taking this picture a little further. Because it is one thing to unanimously agree that God spoke in the Old Testament or that He is a speaking God, it is another thing entirely to believe that the God who spoke in the beginning is still speaking in the same way to us now.

“So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.” [Exodus 33:11 NKJV]

God spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.

How do you speak to your friends? 

Note that face to face as used here is an idiomatic expression denoting open, direct and unhindered communication. Moses did not see God’s face directly (Exodus 33:20 explains this to us), but yes they did have a very open and intimate conversation, a couple of times; as a man speaks to his friend. 

“But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” [Exodus 33:20 NKJV]

“And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” [Genesis 5:24 NKJV]

It is documented for us that Enoch walked with God. 

In the ancient Hebrew context, to "walk" (halak) with someone is a metaphor for a lifestyle. 

You can imagine how much God enjoyed walking with Enoch, that He took him. You can imagine the kind of conversations they had. I sometimes wonder.

I know these scriptures excite us, I know we believe these words as written. But if I were to ask you this and I need you to answer honestly: 

Do you believe God can speak to YOU face to face as He spoke to Moses? 

I'm not asking if God can speak to man. I mean you, YOU!

Do you truly believe this?

Answer 1: Yes I do

Answer 2: Yes I believe He does.

Answer 3: I do. I struggle with this belief sometimes, but I do

Answer 4: Yes I believe so

Answer 5: Yes, I do

Thanks to everyone that answered. 

If we do believe this as Christians, the question that we are now left with is this: 

How do we believe yet not experience? 

My position on this matter is that so many of us cannot get to the point of this type of relationship or divine communication because we are not FRIENDS OF GOD.

That scripture says:

“as a man speaks to his friend.”

We have not cultivated friendship with God, and this is where it all starts from. There is no master plan or formula to hearing God outside of this.

We cannot keep trying to decode every dream or looking for signs here and there.

Go on the internet and you will see thousand variations of: 

"What does it mean if I saw myself wearing red gown in my dream?"

"What does it mean if in my dream I ate rice and turkey? I've not even had turkey in real life for a while. Helppppp" 😭😭😭

All of these boils down to one thing:

"Friendship with God"

One of my closest friends lives in France and speaks French (teaches it also). Imagine that I heard a French phrase and I start crying over the internet or looking for a prophet to interpret it to me. Will you not think me foolish? Will you not wonder if I am really friends with her? 

This is what we look like when we patronize supposed men of God for certain things that can be found inside of our friendship with God. Of course, there are times that you may need to speak to more matured Christians, Pastors or even your friends about what God has shown you. There are times you don't understand on the spot too. But see if your first response every time is to call somebody to be interpreting things for you, the problem is friendship with God.

I am telling you, I have seen believers who visit Muslim clerics and native doctors to interpret what they saw in a dream or vision supposedly from God.

Howwww? 

Your first response cannot always be external. It should tell you something is wrong.

If your best friend calls you from another number, perhaps you haven’t even saved the number, and says just two words, chances are you might know who it is. 

Why? Because there is something about familiarity. You have spent time together. You know their expressions. You know their mannerisms. You know when they are joking. You know when they are serious. You know when something is wrong even when they haven’t said, “Something is wrong.”

That is relationship.

It is the same thing with our relationship with God. 

You see this course we are having? God is not trying to turn us into spiritual detectives. 

He is ultimately inviting every single one of us into a relationship with Him.

If we get this part wrong, every other thing I teach here is useless.

FRIENDS OF GOD

“And he was called the friend of God.” [James 2:23b NKJV]

Friend of God! 

What an extraordinary description. 

If we look at the old testament, not everyone heard God speak.

This is how God describes the people He had consistent conversations with in scripture, He called them His friends. 

“And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,” [Genesis 18:17 NKJV]

See how God treats His friends! He keeps nothing from them.

I am repeating this very loudly, if you've been struggling to hear God, check your friendship with Him.

One of the keymark of friendship is trading secrets. That we share things with each other that ordinarily other people are not aware of.

Look at how Jesus puts it:

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” [John 15:15 NKJV]

The mark of friendship is communication. I tell you things, this is proof that we are friends.

Again, if you are not being told, if you are not hearing, 

The problem is with friendship!

When people come to me seeking for answers, it feels like I am being mean when I tell them to go back to their fellowship with God. I would be a bad person if I want to stand between you and God every time, interpreting things to you or hearing God so I can tell you. 

Avoid any man of God who wants you to always go through them. This is not the desire of God for your life.

I want to challenge something in us today.

Sometimes we approach God like a customer approaching customer service.

“Father, I need this.”

“Father, what should I do?”

“Father, bless this.”

“Father, open that door.”

“Father, give me this.”

In fact, if I probe everyone privately, for most of us we will find our reason for being here is because we want to hear God on that particular matter.

You know what I'm talking about. You know.

GOD WANTS TO BE KNOWN

This is all over Scripture.

God wants to be known by YOU!

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” [John 17:3 NKJV]

This is what all of our journey towards eternity looks like: that we KNOW God.

John doesn't define it by merely going to Heaven.

To know God.

That is the invitation.

And if God wants to be known, then it shouldn’t surprise us that He communicates.

In fact, it shouldn't be so difficult to hear a God who "desperately" wants to be known by man so much that He sent His son who is also God to become man and die to bridge the gap.

I cannot in one breath say that I want you to know me and still say that you can only speak to me through third parties (Pastors and prophets), it simply means I was lying about you knowing me. I do not want to be known.

God may speak through pastors, God may speak through prophets, God may speak through people. But none of those people are supposed to become the replacement for knowing God Himself. The messenger cannot become the relationship.

If God desires to be known by you, then God Himself must be accessible to you.

There is Yoruba Proverb that says when the "alárinà" (middleman) is done introducing the bride to the groom, he exits. 

The job of a Shepherd is to guide you into knowing God.

We cannot become the primary means for your relationship with God.

A lot of us believers are heavily reliant on the friendships our Pastors have built with God. 

You too have been called Friend.

You too!

Knowing someone requires access to the person, and God has done the utmost already; He literally died to give you that access. To have God inaccessible to us is to damn the sacrifice on the cross 😭😭😭

Think about human relationships. If I tell you, “I really want you to know me,” but every time you want to know something about me, I send you to somebody else:

“Go and ask my friend.”

“Go and ask my brother.”

“Go and ask my pastor.”

“Go and ask my prophet.”

At some point, you will ask me, “But do you actually want me to know you?”

A lot of us know how to ask people “What is God saying?”

But we don’t know how to sit before God and say,

“Father, what are You saying to me?”

We are comfortable receiving a word from someone else, but uncomfortable with the possibility that God Himself could speak to us. How? Why?

Again, this doesn't mean that God doesn't use people or Pastors. No, that's not my point. 

I am telling you that the Lord Almighty wants to be YOUR Friend.

"No longer do I call you servants, but I call you FRIENDS"

My God! 

So perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves tonight is not only, “Does God speak?"

We have already answered that.

The question is:

“Do I know the God who speaks?”

Because there is a difference between knowing that God speaks and knowing the One who is speaking. There is a difference between knowing what God has said and knowing God. And there is a difference between having someone tell you what God is saying and having a relationship with God yourself.

God has never wanted to merely be a voice in the distance, He wants to be known.

He called Moses His friend.

He called Abraham His friend.

Jesus said to His disciples, “I have called you friends.”

And if friendship with God is possible, then divine communication cannot simply be about getting information from God. Nooooooooo!

It is about knowing the Person who is speaking.

So as we continue this journey, I want you to carry this with you:

God is not trying to keep Himself hidden from you.

He is not playing a game where you have to find the right prophet or pastor before you can find Him.

He is not saying, “You can know about Me, but you cannot know Me.”

He has revealed Himself.

He has made Himself known.

And He has invited us into a relationship with Him.

So our posture in this course cannot simply be, “God, tell me ABC or xyz.”

It has to become:

God, I want to know You.

In fact, I need you to completely discard whatever reason made you join this course and change to the above. 

I need you to.

I will be stopping here for now. 

I was supposed to teach on something else entirely but I did sense a pull to stay right here on this topic. This was supposed to be a subtopic in an upcoming class.

I hope we've all been blessed and took something from today's teaching

Questions & Answers

Question 1: So God wants to talk to us like He did with Moses? Sometimes I really find it hard to believe. I mean I get the nudge and all. Or I have just been operating from a slave standpoint?  This topic has kind of shaken a lot and for someone who has had issues relationally, being consistent with relationships feels hard. The word friend feels really big to me. Like God wants me to be a friend.

Answer: 

Yes, God wants to talk to us as He did with Moses. 

It feels so hard to believe but it is true. 

A song came to mind as I read through your question:

'Who you say I am' by Hillsong.

It says: "Who am I that the highest King would welcome me?"

And of a truth, I feel this way sometimes.

Even the psalmist in Psalms 8:4 was asking the same question: "What is man that you are mindful of him?"

We must come to the place of understanding just how much we mean to God.

Yes, the word friend is indeed BIG but it is what God has called us!

Son! Friend! Bride! 

And I need us to come to the place where we indeed believe. Where our response is as what Hillsong wrote:

I am who you say I am!

If He says friend? Then friend I am

Question 2: 

I) How can I be friend with God and be consistent? 

II) Is it possible to experience pain in the ear when He speaks or when He has spoken to someone?

Answer:
I think consistency begins with removing the pressure to perform.

Friendship grows through spending time together. You don’t become friends with someone by having one intense conversation once a month. You become familiar with them through regular interaction.

So start as simple as you can. Talk to God every day. It could be for just 5 minutes but make sure to show up everyday. If you want to help yourself do this, choose a place and a time, then stick to it. Don't miss it for anything.

Read His Word. Tell Him what is happening in your life. Ask Him questions. Listen. Be honest with Him. And when you miss a day, don’t turn that into a reason to stay away for another week. Come back, immediately. 

You like someone in real life and you want to become friends with them? You spend time with them.

Spend time with God.

And be intentional about it, it won't happen by chance.

The best of marriages I've seen are those who build routines to keel them in love. 

I know an executive (a former minister) who has a movie time with her family every week. It doesn't matter what the meeting we have is about, she'd leave at that time to meet with them. Nothing is more important.

I know another who plays a particular instrument with his grandchild every Wednesday, your meeting will wait. 

Nothing must be more important to you.

For question 2, I wouldn’t use ear pain as a biblical test for whether God has spoken.

God can certainly communicate with us in ways that we perceive very deeply, and Scripture uses language around hearing, seeing, sensing and perceiving God. But a physical sensation, including pain in the ear, does not automatically mean God is speaking.

The same way me shaking and shouting doesn't necessarily mean God is speaking but I can indeed react this way sometimes when God speaks to me.

So yes, it can happen but it is not an absolute sign for every believer.

When we are learning to hear God, we need to be careful not to turn every sensation into a spiritual sign. We don’t establish that God has spoken simply because we felt something. Because on the day we don't feel it, we can easily say God did not really speak.

And this is actually part of what we will be learning as we continue: hearing, discerning and responding.

We want to become sensitive to God, but we also want to become discerning.

Question 3: My question would be that in as much as we should not just seek God for the bread that He gives, there are seasons in one's life that it may seem like we desperately need His guidance, His leading, His word. How would one navigate such season, especially if the person struggles to discern God's voice?

Answer: 

That’s a very important question.

There will be seasons when you genuinely need God’s direction, and I don’t think we should feel guilty about that. Why are we children of God if we cannot ask Him?

The issue is not that you need an answer. The question is whether, in needing the answer, you are still seeking God Himself, or we are here only for the answer. 

Many believers want God ONLY for the answers. We run away after we get it then come back when we need the next answer. This is not how to build a relationship. 

So yes, if you are in need of answers, ASK GOD.

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…”

Sometimes God’s guidance will come through Scripture, sometimes through wisdom, counsel, circumstances, an inward conviction, or specific communication from the Spirit.

And if you are struggling to discern His voice, don’t panic. Go back to what you already know He has said in Scripture, pray for wisdom, and give yourself room to discern rather than forcing an answer because you desperately need one or even getting tired.

ASSIGNMENT 

1. Sit with this prayer for the next couple of weeks:

"God, I want to know you"

Pray it truthfully and with all sincerity. Beyond what He can do for you. 

2. Add this song to your Playlist: "To Know you by Minister Dunsin Oyekan." 

3. Start a 'God and I journal'

Get a new book to journal your new relationship with God. Remember, it is not a prayer request journal. It is a relationship/love journal. Document your thoughts about God each day inside of it (This means you have to actually think about God BTW). Document the things you notice, the things on your mind, the things you want to tell Him. The things that made you laugh. 

Just allow yourself with God.

Everyone is to get the journal between tomorrow and Friday. I will be joining us too. In fact, I am titling mine: 'Olúrẹ̀mí and Her God.'

DIVINE COMMUNICATION II: IS GOD EVER SILENT?

So today, we will be taking the questions that came up from our last class.

Question 1: 

Is God ever silent or do we just fail to hear Him at that time? I mean you hear stories of Pastors saying “God was silent regarding this.”

Answer:

Is God silent?

I will rephrase the question a bit to this:

Can God be silent on a matter?

The answer is Yes. 

Is God Silent? Like has He generally gone quiet and stopped speaking with His audible voice? 

The answer is No. 

A statement I love to use is this:

Silence is an answer. Silence is a complete answer, and your interpretation of it as a believer matters. 

Silence does not mean Yes

Silence does not mean No

Silence is simply silence

I think what we struggle with as believers is activity; we cannot stop doing. 

We must be comfortable with the silence of God. We must learn to sit with it.

God has not said anything yet is as simple as exactly that.

We must not feel inadequate because of this.

We must not be forced to interpret His silence.

Saul is a good example of this:

“And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.” [I Samuel‬ ‭28‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬]

God did not answer him.

And for some of us, silence can be an indication that we are in disobedience to a previous word. 

Saul here had failed to do the last thing God asked him to do, yet out of fear he is back asking for a new word.

There is a danger in wanting a fresh word when we have not obeyed the previous word.

So for this set of people, the question is not "God why are you not speaking?" But "What have you already said Lord?”

My advice to us will be this:

When you are met with the Silence of God on a matter, do not fill in the gaps. Do not make assumptions for Him.

Pray in the spirit if you must. Check if you are not hearing because He already spoke or because your heart is hardened or bent on a particular answer. 

When you've done your checks and you are sure, then simply wait.

“I don't have a word concerning this YET,” is a complete statement. 

For every time you are agitated or restless about this statement above, it is a pointer to earthly pressure. It is a pointer that you are running with the timing of man, because why are you in a hurry? 

It is certain that He hears us. If He has not said anything, simply means there is nothing to be said yet.

And again, thank you for this lovely question. It is a very important one because I have seen even Pastors fall to this. You see people asking for your counsel on a matter, you have prayed but God has not spoken. But because the people want an answer and are in a hurry, you have to say something. 

Ehnehn. You don't! 

Be comfortable saying: I don't have a word from God on this yet. 

It doesn't make you less child or less anointed. 

Your own job is to keep praying.

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.” So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. Now the glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.” [Exodus‬ ‭24‬:‭12‬-‭13‬, ‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬]

I love this scripture. 

Moses was on his own o, then God called him to come. They climbed the mountain and for 6 days, he stood there with Joshua just waiting.

It was only on the 7th day God spoke. 

Imagine that after Day 3, Moses had said to himself:

“Maybe God is silent because He doesn't want to speak again or because something is wrong.”

Imagine that he had misinterpreted the silence.

Silence in this scripture in Exodus was simply the space between the last time God spoke and the next time God spoke.

Simple!

Your job is not to interpret God’s silence. Your job is to remain in the place of obedience until He speaks.

Stay where the last instruction left you.

There is this statement I love from the popular hymn, God moves in mysterious ways by William Cowper. It says:

God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain!

Question 2:

Prayer is communication with God? So what if on a normal day, you have a terrible communication pattern, won’t this affect your communication with God? Like myself, I’ll rather sit and listen to whatever anyone has to say than talk(I’m working on this ) . So doesn’t it affect it?

Answer:

Let me tell you something I learnt from one of my Pastors, your general behavior and attitude in life is an indication of what is going on Spiritually.

Yes.

If you are a very defensive person naturally, I can put a penny on it that you do the same to your Lord and personal savior. If you are a stubborn person according to people around you, if we check the Spirit ehn, we will find that it do usually take the Holy Spirit ages to convince you to do anything. I have proper research done on this, so I know what I'm saying.

If you talk too much in real life, you most likely talk too much to God too. And I dare say that all of our real life excesses are even more excessive in the spirit. 

Multiply that your stubbornness by five, that is what you are doing in the Spirit.

We all have different personalities and they shape how we communicate but we must be careful that this doesn't affect our relationship with God. 

Imagine that you are married to someone that talks too much and never listens. Is this not a problem? Marriages have ended because of this. 

Now imagine that you are in a relationship with somebody that doesn’t like talking.

You send long paragraphs and they respond with “Okay” or “Thanks” 🌚🌚🌚

One word answers.

This can kill the vibe of a relationship before it even starts.

I have a friend that stopped talking to someone because they are not good conversationalists. 

“She can’t hold a conversation”

“She is boring 😭”

Nothing my ear didn’t hear 😭

Our personality can influence how we communicate with God, but we must not allow our personality to become an excuse for poor communication with Him. 

If I naturally talk too much, I must learn to listen.

If I naturally don’t talk much, I must learn to express myself.

If I am easily distracted, I must learn attentiveness.

If I process slowly, I must learn to create room for response.

I absolutely love the concept of love. 

If you've been in love before, you can attest to this; love changes you.

You will see yourself doing things that you thought you never could do. 

Love compels you to do. It makes you want to do things you’d not ordinarily do.

What we’ve been called to is a love relationship.

You are literally called the bride of Christ.

What is expected of people joined together? 

And I tell you that this class is not just about Hearing God. 

I know that’s why we applied, but at the end of it, you’d have learnt what it means to build a relationship with God. What it means to call God friend and Father.

So yes, the answer to this is:

Come as you are. But as you continue in your relationship with God, allow love.

God doesn’t want you to be like me with Him. He wants you to be You, growing everyday and loving even more everyday.

One day you wake up and you just realize that this relationship has changed me completely. 

Be open minded with this your love relationship with God.

Do ALL to make it thrive, one step at a time.

Again, God knows you. 

He goes out of His way to meet us where we are at because He wants it.We too must meet Him somewhere as we continue to walk with Him. 

There is a hymn that puts me in reflection a lot (PS you’ll find that I have a strong love for hymns as we continue this class. You may learn one or two while we are at it too 😃)

The title of the hymn is:

"I Gave Myself for Thee"

Here is stanza 1:

I gave My life for thee,

My precious blood I shed,

That thou mightst ransomed be,

And quickened from the dead;

I gave, I gave My life for thee,

What hast thou done for Me?

I gave, I gave My life for thee,

What hast thou done for Me?

"What hast thou done for Me?"

This is Jesus asking 

Permit me to rephrase, what can you do for God?

It should be anything and everything. 

The apostle Paul puts it clearly:

“and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” [‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV]

Put in place structures that help. Go on dates with God (we will touch this in one of the classes)

Journal if it works better for you

Be expressive, God is willing to walk with you.

Finally, I’d say take it one day at a time. There will never come a time when there is nothing to grow in love. There is always something that can be improved. 

Allow yourself to be immersed in this journey of love. 

So for someone like you who naturally listens more than they speak, the question isn’t necessarily, How do I become more talkative with God?

It may be:

Can I become increasingly honest, expressive, attentive, and responsive with God?

IN THE BEGINNING; THE HEARING GOD IS THE SPEAKING GOD

Let us Pray

Our Father and King, we thank You for today. 

Thank You for this 3 month journey. Thank You for all you are about to teach us. We are grateful and excited for it all. 

As we start tonight, open up our hearts to receive from You. 

Clear every doubt that has lived in our hearts. Speak to us directly. Teach us Your truth. 

In Jesus name

Amen.

I have titled our first class: “In the Beginning.”

And our sub-topic: “The Hearing God is the Speaking God.”

Today, we are beginning our journey into Divine Communication.

But before we talk about how God speaks, how to recognize His voice, how to discern what we are hearing, and all the other things we'll get into over the next few months, I want us to go all the way back:

In the Beginning.

What was God's plan from the beginning?

Because if we want to understand communication between God and man, we need to first understand what God intended from the very beginning.

I will begin by asking us a simple question:

What does communication mean to you as a believer?

Ans 1: It means an interactive channel between God and man, where you get to converse with God and listen to Him in response.

Ans 2: To me it means talking to your maker, to get directions, and every important thing needed for life.

Ans 3: Communication means having conversations.

Ans 4: A way of talking to God.

Ans 5: To my understanding, communication is speaking to God through prayers and also hearing God speak back.

Ans 6: Instruction, Reception and Action/Direction.

Ans 7: Studying the word and praying

Ans 8: To me, communication means clear conversation (speaking and responding) between me and God.

Ans 9: Communication as a believer is the process a of clear, two-way conversation between a believer and the unseen God.

Ans 10: Communication to me as a believer is like speaking and listening between two interested parties (God and myself.)

Ans 11: Communication is fellowship and staying connected to God.

Ans 12: To me, communication means one speaking and the person who is listening understands what it’s been said.

My next question will then be this:

How would you define what your communication with God has been like?

Ans 1: Monologue and Ranting 😂

Ans 2: “God is this how you will be looking at me???” 😭😭😭

Ans 3: Defensive speaker!

Ans 4: Good but sometimes I feel like I’m hearing too many responses. And ranting too😂

Ans 5: Distance and quiet.

Ans 6: Crying and ranting then switch to thanksgiving afterwards

Ans 7: Extremely distant!!! Sometimes my spirit detest God😭

Ans 8: Sometimes distance and sometimes a bit connected.

Ans 9: Pleading, crying and sometimes distance too.

Ans 10: Sometimes silent ,no response and it looks like am talking to myself

Ans 11: Talking and crying, I know you can hear me😭

Ans 12: Ranting and sometimes I ask myself if he listens to me after all the ranting 😩😩

Ans 13: Not listening to the response

Ans 14: Talking to him without getting feedback

Ans 15: It’s like I hear Him on other random things except the ones I pray about and want clarity on.

Ans 16: Communication with God for me mostly is thanksgiving for the privilege to be one of the souls saved and moving. I think I just learnt to praise more and leave everything to God.

Ans 17: I don’t even understand anymore, just in space.

Ans 18: There's the "God Abeg... "(me) and there's the rhetorical pointers(God, maybe).

Ans 19: Small God Abeg and small praise and dance.

Ans 20: Inconsistent thanksgiving and God help me na die I dey.

Wow. Thank you so much everyone for sharing. I like the vulnerability especially. 

One of the things I see believers do a lot is talk at God.

There is a Yoruba term for radio that I feel is so apt for this: “asòrò má gbésì.”

It simply means something that talks to you, but you don't get to respond.

Communication, by its very nature, is not supposed to be radio-styled or one-way.

Imagine I'm your friend, and we are to hang out together for four hours, and for those four hours, I spend all the time talking about myself, you don't get to say a word. Maybe you're even trying to speak and I keep cutting you off.

That is bad communication.

You probably won't like to hang out with me again. In fact, if you were trying to ask me out, I am obviously a red flag you should run far away from.

But this is how so many of us approach communication with God and I believe it is something we need to pay close attention to as believers.

We come to God, and we talk.

This is because we believe that God is a HEARING GOD.

We tell Him what happened at work.

We rant.

We cry.

We ask.

We pray about our relationships.

The "God abegs" and "God whens."

Sometimes, we do it not knowing if He will answer or not. But we do it still, believing that He hears.

We do it sometimes with doubts in our hearts.

"I've been here before," but we still go ahead and do it.

Ever wondered why?

The fact that we can come before an invisible God and speak so freely is itself an expression of faith.

Deep down, there is a part of you that truly believes that God hears you. It is why you keep speaking to Him.

Now, if we've established that God is a hearing God, what kind of God is He on the other side of the conversation?

If I believe God hears me when I speak, do I believe God speaks when we meet?

Do I even believe God should speak to me every time we meet?

Again, I need us to use our human relationships as examples.

Remember, we are made in the image of God and in His likeness.

Would you not find it absurd, if every time you came to my house or we hung out, I did not say a word to you or communicate in any form? Every time!

So why are we not alarmed enough as believers, by this way of life where God is just a Hearing God and not a Speaking God?

When we come to God and rant for 30 minutes, do we expect that He has something to say too?

What is your prayer life like? Is it a one-sided communication?

Many of us have assumed that prayer is us talking to God and then going back home to wait for an answer.

No!

Prayer is communication with God.

It is fellowship.

It is us cultivating a relationship with the One our soul longs for.

This is exactly where I want us to start from.

Not the "How to Hear God."

We will get there, but not yet.

We need to establish something more fundamental first:

The Hearing God is the Speaking God.

In fact, the order should be that He is the Speaking God before He is the Hearing God.

Oh yes! There is proof of this in Scripture.

Let's go to the beginning.

"Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light." [Genesis 1:3]

And God said.

This was the very beginning.

The first picture of God given to us in Scripture is that of a Speaking God.

We see this interaction all through Genesis 1:

God speaking.

In fact, there is no part in Genesis 1 where God was a Hearing God.

The foundation presents God first as a Speaking God.

He would hear and listen to the first man later.

But this is the layout we see in the beginning.

It starts with God.

And the first thing Scripture wants us to know about Him in the creation account is that He speaks.

The first picture is not that God heard; it is that God spoke.

"And the LORD God said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.'" [Genesis 2:18 NKJV]

Again, God is a Speaking God.

This was not Adam He was talking to.

Even within the Trinity, God speaks!

I need you to understand this clearly.

The Holy Spirit knows the mind of God:

"For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God." [1 Corinthians 2:11 NKJV]

If the Holy Spirit knows the mind of God, why is He still speaking?

If He speaks to members of the Trinity who already know, how much more to you and me?

How much more?

You see, in this first class, I need you to leave with one truth:

God likes to talk to me.

God wants to talk to me.

God wants to show me.

It is not a burden to Him.

He absolutely wants to.

He enjoys it.

“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.” ” [Genesis 1:26 NKJV]

Look...

"Let us make man in Our own image."

I need you to ask yourself a question:

If I am created in His image, why would communication with the divine be foreign to my design?

Sit with that.

Sit with it until something rises in your spirit.

Because, see, in the beginning it wasn't so.

"The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both." [Proverbs 20:12]

The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord made them both.

In the beginning, God created man with eyes and ears.

Adam's ears weren't just to hear Eve.

They were designed to hear God too.

"And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden." [Genesis 3:8 NKJV]

And they heard the Lord God! How? Because they have ears.

Do you have ears? If yes, did God make your ears? Then you can hear God!

One of our assignments for today is that everyone makes a mini-confession from this teaching to say to yourself every day.  

Keep saying it to yourself until everything inside of you believes it and hears it.

I am saying this to clear any form of doubt in you: the only reason you cannot hear God is if God did not create you.

That verse in Proverbs says He made ears that hear and eyes that see. Except your ears came from China, if it is God that made them, you can hear! You can hear Him loudly and clearly; not faintly, o! Audibly!

I will get ahead of myself for this class... 

In Genesis 3:8, even after man had fallen, man could still hear God. Even inside of sin, he could still hear God. 

Even though his relationship with God had changed, there was now sin, fear, hiding, and shame, the part of him made in the image of God could still hear the One in whose image he was made. 

We will get to what affected our hearing and communication as we move on with this class.

So tonight, I don’t want you to leave thinking, “I need to learn how to hear God.” I want you to leave instead with something deeper:

“I, [your name], am a person created by the speaking God, and He created me with the capacity to hear Him.”

ASSIGNMENT

Personalized Confession: Make a personalized mini-confession that you say to yourself every day. Share it in your individual group by 4:00 PM tomorrow at the latest.

Scripture Meditation: Meditate on the following scriptures between now and Saturday:

Genesis 1

Genesis 2:15–17

Genesis 3:1–10

Proverbs 20:12

Hebrews 1:1–2

John 10:1–5, 27

Let us Pray:

Our dear Father,

Thank You because you've made us with eyes that see and ears that hear. Thank You because our hearts believe this truth. We are not in doubt of it. As we leave here tonight, let this word dwell in us richly

 until it produces fruit, until it erases every doubt inside of us. 

Between now and the next class, speak to us in ways that we know it is You. 

In Jesus name.

Amen.

PROPHETIC WORDS FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER & Q4, 2026

 WATCHWORD FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER & Q4 

- Of Acceleration, Advancement and Spiritual Momentum

- Of Remembrance and Sudden Breakthroughs 

- Of Refreshing and Rain that Won't Stop

- Of The Glory of The Lord

- Of Joy, Great Things and New Things

- Of Rest, Speed, Performance and Answers

Acceleration

Advancement 

Spiritual momentum

Sudden breakthroughs

It’s a season of growth

The Lord is restoring fortunes

The rains won’t stop

Answers

Food baskets

A new thing

“When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O Lord, As the streams in the South. Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.” [Psalms 126:1-6 NKJV]

I see God leading people to their Rest

I literally see people in their own beautiful fields

Glory

Increase

“For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns.” [Isaiah 62:1 NKJV]

Completing

Completion

“You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the LORD delights in you, And your land shall be married.” [Isaiah 62:4 NKJV]

Green fields

"I see people selecting the season they want Q4 to be for them. Like each person get to pick what season they want, and it becomes a season you say it is and it seems like it was a daily selection like a calendar. Some days have rain showers and you get to select or change what you want or don't want, like you can make rain still fall in December…"

All the doors are opening at once

Increased capacity

Again, I see the Glory of the Lord

Strength and grace to accomplish

To start and to finish

“He came close and kissed him and Isaac smelled the smell of his clothes. Finally, he blessed him, Ahhh. The smell of my son is like the smell of the open country blessed by GOD. May God give you of Heaven’s dew and Earth’s bounty of grain and wine. May peoples serve you and nations honor you. You will master your brothers, and your mother’s sons will honor you. Those who curse you will be cursed, those who bless you will be blessed.” [Genesis 27:27-29 MSG]

“Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”” [Genesis 30:22-23 NKJV]

You lack for nothing 

I hear basket of fruits

““I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. ” [Revelation 3:8 NKJV]

The clouds are full, they are gathering

Gifts

From glory to glory

Relocation

“LORD, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” [Psalms 16:5-6 CSB]

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” [Matthew 11:28 NKJV]

Rest

Speed 

30 hours by road, 1 hour by flight

There shall be no loss

Overflowing joy

The glory of the Lord

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. ” [Isaiah 6:1 NKJV]

Joy is here

As promised

Things begin to align and fall in place

The pieces are coming together to form a whole

I have given you access

I am giving you open doors

Nothing missing and nothing broken

I finish what I have started

It’s raining blessings

Open the floodgates

BUY THE DIP

Pay attention

I see the Lord forcing others to compliance on your behalf. Like God has already brought you to the place of compliance and now He is doing same for others 

Miracles and strange happenings

Look again. You thought you saw well before, look again

Vindication 

Promotion

Visibility

It’s not too late to start

Look well

For now you see clearly

Clear instructions

The leading of God

“Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the LORD. “Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God.” [Isaiah 66:9 NKJV]

I hear the word APPEALING

Before men, you are appealing

Again, I see the weightiness of the Glory of God. The one that causes men to not ignore you again

Clarity and precision 

“For by You I can run against a troop; By my God I can leap over a wall.” [II Samuel 22:30 NKJV]

Dig deeper, there is water there

Rain, Refreshing

“Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month.” [Joel 2:23 NKJV]

The Lord is doing a new thing

Move at My word

““Yes indeed, it won’t be long now.” God’s Decree. “Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won’t be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look, blessings! Blessings like wine pouring off the mountains and hills. I’ll make everything right again for my people Israel: “They’ll rebuild their ruined cities. They’ll plant vineyards and drink good wine. They’ll work their gardens and eat fresh vegetables. And I’ll plant them, plant them on their own land. They’ll never again be uprooted from the land I’ve given them.” God, your God, says so.” [Amos 9:13-15 MSG]

“And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” [Luke 1:45 KJV]

EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING!

PROPHETIC WORDS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER

 WATCHWORDS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 

- Of Great Things, Possibilities and Completion

- Of Rejoicing and Overflowing 

- Of The Sure Mercies and Faithfulness of God 

- Of Remembrance, Restoration and Resurrection 

- Of Peace and New Beauty

- Of Conceptions and The New

- Of Forward Movement and Speed 

- Of Yeses and The Doings of the Lord

- IT IS MORNING!

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. [Psalms 126:3]

Sounds of rejoicing and possibilities

Completion 

Unto the glory of the Lord

Month of possibilities 

All things are possible to him that can in Jesus name believe 

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may endure for a night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. [Psalm 30:5]

IT IS MORNING

[13] You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come. [Psalms 102:13 NKJV]

He is removing barriers

The MERCY of the Lord

New

The sure mercies of God.

[21] This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. [22] Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. [23] They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. [24] “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” [Lamentations 3:21-24 NKJV]

Aanu

Deliverance 

[23] Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, To my cause, my God and my Lord. [Psalms 35:23 NKJV]

The faithfulness of God. This is the month you call the Lord Faithful; for He brings to pass ALL promises.

A season of upliftmemt

[Psalms 136:1-26 NKJV]

[1] Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. [2] Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. [3] Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever: [4] To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever; [5] To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever; [6] To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever; [7] To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever— [8] The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever; [9] The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever. [10] To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn, For His mercy endures forever; [11] And brought out Israel from among them, For His mercy endures forever; [12] With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, For His mercy endures forever; [13] To Him who divided the Red Sea in two, For His mercy endures forever; [14] And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His mercy endures forever; [15] But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His mercy endures forever; [16] To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His mercy endures forever; [17] To Him who struck down great kings, For His mercy endures forever; [18] And slew famous kings, For His mercy endures forever— [19] Sihon king of the Amorites, For His mercy endures forever; [20] And Og king of Bashan, For His mercy endures forever— [21] And gave their land as a heritage, For His mercy endures forever; [22] A heritage to Israel His servant, For His mercy endures forever. [23] Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever; [24] And rescued us from our enemies, For His mercy endures forever; [25] Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy endures forever. [26] Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.

Of the highlighting of the Lord

Of risings

Overflowing Joy

New beauty. Ẹwà titun

Ade àlàáfíà 

[17] And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands. [Psalms 90:17 NKJV]

Full cycle. We break into the promise.

Remembrance 

Restoration 

Recovery 

Resurrection 

Great deliverance 

The mighty hand of God carries

I keep seeing a Basket, full and overflowing

[12] For this is what the Lord says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. [Isaiah 66:12 NIV]

Open doors

Favor

Help

Plantings and yet, harvest. At the same time

[13-15] “Yes indeed, it won’t be long now.” God’s Decree. “Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won’t be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look, blessings! Blessings like wine pouring off the mountains and hills. I’ll make everything right again for my people Israel: “They’ll rebuild their ruined cities. They’ll plant vineyards and drink good wine. They’ll work their gardens and eat fresh vegetables. And I’ll plant them, plant them on their own land. They’ll never again be uprooted from the land I’ve given them.” God, your God, says so. [Amos9:13-15 MSG]

It has begun. It is the month of the DOING

I am literally seeing people with their tummies shooting out. It is the month conception

I hear conceptions

Igunle ayo

I see the hand of the Lord removing the things that do not serve you in this new season. Like a screening

Old chapters are closed

I am quickening

[26] Arise for our help, And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake. [Psalms 44:26]

Old doors shut

Closure is with the Lord

Access

NOW, MOVE FORWARD

Crossing over into the new

Enter into the New

I see men have stayed at the threshold for so long and have been unable to cross. I hear the Lord say your strength have failed though it’s been long due and See angel wings coming to carry people in.

Speed

The things that have kept you out of what belongs to you, they are no more

No worries

[22] “Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’? [23] Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.” ’ But say to them, ‘ “The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision. [Ezekiel 12:22-23 NKJV]

[16] For He has broken the gates of bronze, And cut the bars of iron in two. [Psalms 107:16 NKJV]

EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,

The Holy One of Israel:

“I am the Lord your God,

Who teaches you to profit,

Who leads you by the way you should go. [Isaiah 48:17]

But the [a]Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. [John14:26]

[19] I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. [Isaiah 65:19 NKJV]

You carry, incubate and birth God sized visions

We have come to the point of birthing

The Lord is quickening

Old chapters close, new doors open

Old doors close, new ones are open

It shall come to pass in that day

That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder,

And his yoke from your neck,

And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. [Isaiah 10:27]

Increase

Peace 

Fulfilment 

No hindrance

You enter into fulfilment

9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the [a]breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and [b]breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. [Ezekiel 37:9-10]

I see people that have gotten so many 'Nos' and shut doors

The Lord says it is the season of YES!

The Lord has now answered you!

I see a "YES" so boldly

Men begin to release the things that belong to you.

This time around, you shall not fail

THE LORD WILL ENSURE IT 

I'm giving you blue prints

Grace to do the things needed

There is breaking forth

Approvals

[9] But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” [I Corinthians 2:9 NKJV]

I carry you my self

I see conversations that have happened and they've been closed, I see the Lord reopening chapters.

Conversations are reopened

I hear investors come and they bring the wealth of nations to you.

People that need to mention your name, they remember to. 

A release of the help and favour of the Father

IT IS MORNING

IT IS THE SEASON OF THE DOING OF THE LORD

This will be your testimony, "the Lord has done great things for me"

Clarity

Wisdom

Clear cut instructions 

[45] And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. [Luke 1:45 KJV]

Word of Instruction

[26] Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. [Romans 8:26 NKJV]

All through the month of September, spend at least 30 minutes praying in the spirit daily

Wisdom comes; 

Wisdom on what to pray

Wisdom on what to do

PROPHETIC WORDS FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST

 WATCHWORDS FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST

- Of Victory

- Of Restoration, Alignment and Speed 

- Of Grace that Accomplishes and Causes Things to Happen

- Of Prayers and Answers to them

- Of Cleared Paths and Fallow Grounds Broken

- Of The Promise

- OF THE DOING

Victory

Completion

I hear a new sound

Speed

The beginning 

Divine Acceleration 

A time of refreshing 

A clearing of fallow grounds.

An end to fallow seasons.

Fallow means farmland left unplanted to recover, an inactive time period, or a pale brown color.

Figurative meaning of fallow: A quiet period when little work or progress happens (e.g., a "fallow period" in a writer's career).

Access

I see activity on a land that has been left inactive for so long

Isaiah 45:2-3 NKJV

[2] ‘I have gone before you And made the crooked places straight; I have broken in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. [3] I have given you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.

It is the season of THE DOING!

Open doors

Hold your peace and watch the hand of the Lord

Speed

Purifying fire 

A joining together

Peace that passes all understanding

Grace to do

August carries in it GRACE THAT ACCOMPLISHES. Grace that causes to happen

Philippians 2:13 NKJV

[13] for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

II Corinthians 13:14 NKJV

[14] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Expanded/updated visions

Suddenly

It is happening

It is time

Be expectant

I’m projecting you to nations

Luke 18:8 TPT

[8] God will give swift justice to those who don’t give up. So be ever praying, ever expecting, in the same way as the widow. Even so, when the Son of Man comes back, will he find this kind of undying faith on earth?”

It is PRAYER SEASON. Also time to listen

Victories without a fight

Open your ears, your instructions are here

We fix our gaze again 

Rest

Everything is changing

An upheaval/shaking for glory

The glory of the Lord revealed

Lines fall unto pleasant places

Opened doors. Cleared paths

Speed

I see the comfort of the Lordand His outstretched arms

You will not miss what you are leaving behind. Move and do not look back, at the word of your God

Strength

I Corinthians 2:9 NKJV

[9] But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

I hear this song, "this is the doing of the Lord and it is marvellous in our sight"

New song

We come into oneness with the father 

Roms 8:11

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

II Chronicles 9:12 NKJV

[12] Now King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, much more than she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

More than what you ask. More than what you’ve given/sown

Filled valleys

It is the season of compounding

I CARRY YOU INTO THEM MYSELF

I Hear this in Yoruba: O mu mi fo aginju (not sure what it means)

IT IS TIME

IT IS NOW

No longer delayed

Align yourself

A season of alignment

I see spotlights being shone upon men

Job 22:24 NKJV

[24] Then you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.

Invitations

No limits

Peace

Increase and expansion

Ripple effects

Babies

We stand before kings 

Visibility

I watch over my words to perform

Divine announcement 

Amos 9:13-15 MSG

[13-15] “Yes indeed, it won’t be long now.” God’s Decree. “Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won’t be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look, blessings! Blessings like wine pouring off the mountains and hills. I’ll make everything right again for my people Israel: “They’ll rebuild their ruined cities. They’ll plant vineyards and drink good wine. They’ll work their gardens and eat fresh vegetables. And I’ll plant them, plant them on their own land. They’ll never again be uprooted from the land I’ve given them.” God, your God, says so.

Gifts and favors

Alignment

Clearcut instructions 

I see the Lord crafting new paths and showing us where to go

Liftings

Rivers in the desert 

Grace to obey

Restoration

Beginning of new things

Beginning of the promise

Psalms 126:1-3, 5-6 NKJV

[1] When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. [2] Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” [3] The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad. [5] Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. [6] He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.

A season of exponential increase

The month of THE PROMISE. The Lord zealously guards the promise unto completion

Protection

Overtaking in leaps 

Flight 

I see men taking huge leaps where they would usually be walking instead 

Fruitfulness

Manifestation of prophecies

OBA TO SE ILERI TI MU ILERI SE

We eat the good of the land 

Hard grounds are broken

Divine help

A launching as in a projectile

Psalms 92:10 NKJV

[10] But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil.

No hindrance

Divine enablement

Abundance of rain

It is not short

No shortfall!

It gets to everyone

EVERYONE!!!

There is a stirring again

Fallow grounds are broken. The earth yields now

Again, the Lord is HEAVILY invested in the outcomes

No more delays

I am breaking grounds

Psalms 121:4 NKJV

[4] Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

No lack

Joy overflow

Nothing missing, nothing broken

No impossiblities

We lay our net down again. 

Beauty for ashes

Healings

No impossibilities

ko seun ti o

James 5:16b NLT

[16b] The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

BIBLE STUDY: AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF JOHN 1

The Gospel According to the Apostle called John

I personally love the 4 Gospels dearly. I read all of them at least twice every year.

While the entire Bible points towards Jesus, the Gospels provide a unique perspective on the person of Jesus and who He is exactly!

Imagine 4 different people from different backgrounds writing about one man—Jesus, to different people even as they viewed from their individual lenses. Yet, their assertions on the character of Jesus tallied. 

Matthew: His target audience being Jewish believers, emphasizing that Jesus is truly from the lineage of Abraham and is indeed the promised Messiah.

Mark: Writing to the Roman believers (who valued power and influence), highlighting Jesus as the one sent to serve the world. 🥹

Luke: Detailing Jesus as the Savior of ALL Mankind to the Greek Gentiles. 😭

And my dear John, writing to us; the universal church of Christ, putting it to all of us point blank that Jesus is indeed God!

I am completely amazed by the themes of each gospel and how it had to be each of them who wrote what book.

I mean who better to write to the Gentiles that this Savior is for ALL mankind and not the Jews alone if not Luke, who himself was a gentile and had received this same salvation himself. A perfect witness! 

One lovely thing to hold on to as we read John is the Identity of Christ revealed, and in turn our own identity in Him. 

The gospel according to John is not just another book of what Jesus did on earth. It is not a history book. No! It is Christ revealed in All that He is to us.

You can literally count the number of miracles in this book. John was not focused on the miracles or feel good things Jesus did. His focus was Christ Himself; who He is, His presence in our lives and the transformation that brings. 

Last time we read the book, I saw how John was able to map out the relationship between humanity and the divine. We see clearly here what the arrival of Christ meant for human relational proximity to God.

And I say this always, that John could only have known this because he was viewing from the lens of love. 

So yes, from this one who is loved to all of us who are loved, I pray we encounter Jesus as we go through the pages of this book. We see His love clearly. We see exactly when He comes and what this now means for us.

Amen.

John 1

1. The Beginning

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

[‭‭John‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬]

“In the very beginning the Living Expression was already there. And the Living Expression was with God, yet fully God.

[‭‭John‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭TPT]

In the beginning!

Remember the gospels are about Jesus.

My beloved John was going to write about Jesus and he didn’t start from a stable in Bethlehem. Nah...

For us to come to the understanding of Christ and that He is God bringing Eternity to us, we’d have to start from Eternity past. 

The book of Genesis (the Bible more like) literally begins with this same opening: "IN THE BEGINNING." 

This is what the world knew: the beginning that was the beginning of this cosmos. And then John comes to pull the curtain back further. Like you know a beginning o, but there is a beginning before that and inside of this first beginning before the one man knows, the word already was.

The Greek word used for was here is ēn which implies continuous and ongoing existence in the past.

He didn’t say the word was made in the beginning. he said the word was. 

This carries Jesus beyond the starting point of man’s understanding of God, and it is such a case opener for the man that wants to tell us that Jesus is God. 

PS. I am amazed at the sheer intelligence of these men.

2. The Word

 "was the word..."

Which word?

The one that is alive. You see, the Bible is not just letters, a novel compilation or a greatly written book

far from it! It is a full pointer to one person: The word (Christ Jesus).

The passion translation calls this word The living expression of God Himself.

The Word : God revealed in human form 

The Word: God expressing Himself to mankind

The Word: God’s way of telling the world about Himself

Because nothing really suffices when it comes to describing God. Nothing makes a perfect description of God outside of God, nothing does justice. The only way God could describe Himself to us all is through Himself. 

The Word; The exact replica of God ; God Himself.

The Word; Jesus; The Christ; Son of God; God Himself!

TPT says, "the living expression was there with God in the beginning and was yet fully God."

AMPC says the word was God Himself.

Again, John 1:1 is arguably one of the most brilliant communication piece in the Bible (for lack of better words.)

First, John’s audience is the universal church; Jews, Greek, everybody.

He took one “word” and married two completely different worlds. 

I will try to explain it:

1. For the Jewish man, the word of God is not abstract. They had an understanding that God literally spoke the world into being. In fact, the Jews in a way had interpreted God revealing Himself through His word. You’d find a lot of expressions of “Then the word of the Lord came to me” in the Old Testament. 

What John was saying to the Jews is that if you say the word of the Lord came to you when God reveals something to you, and if Jesus is that word then Jesus is truly how God reveals Himself to men. 

Kai!

2. The Greek philosophers know Logos as the ultimate mystery of the universe. The Greeks looked at the universe and saw order, mathematics, and logic. They concluded there must be an invisible or supreme reason holding everything together. They called this force the Logos.

The Word

The Logos

Now John is here telling them that the Logos you know already exists but haven’t figured out, is Jesus o. 

Double enter there for real 😭

All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. [John 1:3 AMPC]

You know we already established that John’s purpose for this book is to declare Jesus as God to everybody. 

I feel like we need to pause right here. 

You see these first 3 verses? They explain so well the concept of The Trinity.

If you’ve struggled with understanding the Triune God then I need you to follow this book very well.

The Triune God

John 1:3 states explicitly that ALL things were made and came into existence through Christ (the word).

This statement puts Jesus at the scene of creation, not as one of the things created but as the Creator itself. 

If we go to Genesis 1, it says:

In the beginning, God created...

And John is saying that Jesus was there at the beginning. Not just that, In fact all things were made and came into existence through Him, then still came back to say that nothing was made without Him. What John was doing is slamming the door shut on any doubt. 

It is either you are created, or you are creator.

John has established for us here that Jesus was not created. He places Him at the scene of creation and then tells us that ALL things were made through Him (the earth, the angels, heaven, space, time). All things!

The Apostle Paul will echo this later in Colossians 1:16.

Ati Visible things o, invisible things o. Thrones, dominion, rulers, authorities.

He’d assert that these too are not excluded from "All" things.

God, in three persons, blessed Trinity

I feel like where the problem starts for us believers and we enter into error on the Trinity is first that we want to explain how water entered the coconut. 

I can try to explain to you the concept of the Trinity but I cannot explain it to you like a 2 yr old or the why and how of the Trinity. The why and how is a mystery and 2 years old don’t understand mysteries. Them go use question kill you 😭😂

I’d have to demystify God to break down why He is three in one or how He became three in one. I say this because it is in trying to rationalize or logicalize the divine that we then begin to add our own. Because God is creator and uncreated, we will not be able to break down certain things to the granular. We cannot explain how He became who He is because this means He will have to have a start. Who knows His start? 

Back to the Trinity…

God; The Father

God; The Son

God; The Holy Spirit

ONE GODHEAD; three distinct persons 

Jesus is God but Jesus is not the Father or the Spirit.

John 1:1 says the Word was with God.

The Greek word used there was pros which means face to face intimacy. You cannot face to face with yourself.

This is proof that Jesus is not the Father.

When Jesus Himself said “I and my Father are ONE”, He didn’t mean they are the same person.

If they are the same person, then He’d be a liar when He was saying “I go to my Father” or “I have come to do the will of the Father who sent me.”

If they were same persons, Jesus was selling us 'bobo' then

God the Father and God the Son (the Word) are two distinct Persons. They are not the same person playing different roles but they are one GOD.

John 1:1 says "The word was God."

This verse establishes plainly that while they are distinct Persons, they share the exact same divine essence, nature, and being. Jesus is not a "lesser" god or an angel, He is fully God.

This verse 3 also eliminates Modalism and Arianism.

Arianism claims that God created Jesus first and then Jesus created everything else. But John stated clearly in verse 3 that "nothing was made without Him". There is a reason he went this further after all things were made through Him. 

There is no scene where anything or anyone was being created that Jesus wasn’t there as creator too. 

Jesus is God; uncreated and eternal.

Again, we cannot explain how God came to be. He just IS.

We’d have to demystify Him to do this. 

The other widely known error of the Trinity is Modalism. This one is more accepted. 

It was this heresies that came up in the body of Christ about the Trinity and the council of Nicea (325 AD) gathered to debunk them.

About 300 Bishops sitting together studying the Bible, John 1 as part of their texts, establishing that these 2 views are indeed errors. 

For if Jesus was created, our salvation falls completely apart. 

Random: I love what they did with that meeting. They crafted the Nicene creed as an official statement of Faith for everybody to be reading. 

My take is that the body of Christ should go back to this creed. I grew up an Anglican and my first shock in the outside world was that Christians didn’t understand the trinity. What then do we believe? 

God from God

Light from Light

True God from True God

Begotten NOT made

Of one substance with the Father.

Kai 😭

See the danger of it doesn’t just mean that if some people are not getting it is heavy.

It means, if Jesus is not God, all of us who worship Him are practicing idolatry o. 

Sebi it’s kuku in our eyes that people are promoting God and intentionally removing the name Jesus. That agenda has a purpose. 

All of us must be grounded and know what we believe.

Again, the beautiful mystery of the Godhead is One God, existing eternally in three distinct Persons, bound together by perfect love.

God in three persons

The What

When we say God, we are talking about what God is (essence, nature, being) and there is only ONE God. God has only one Nature. It is why you cannot also say Jesus has a different character to God (this one is another teaching on its own)

The Who

Inside that one God, there are three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit.

The Father is not the Son.

The Son is not the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is not the Father.

They are completely distinct from one another, yet they never disagree, they never fight, and they are completely equal in power and love.

3. In this word there was life

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. [John 1:4 NKJV]

Jesus is not just the giver of life, He is life! 

It is through Him that life flows to men. He is not giving life outside of Himself, this is who He is. It is why all who come to Him are referred to as In Christ have life.

Note that it is not just any type of life we are talking about, He is Life that extends forever.

In the original Greek language, 2 words are used for light:

Zoe and Bios 

Bios is biological life (your heartbeat, your DNA, your physical body).

While Zoe means the absolute fullness of life: spiritual life, eternal life, and the very uncreated life of God Himself.

Zoe is the life mentioned in this chapter.

Inside of Jesus is Zoe, the absolute fullness of Life.  So you can have Bios yet lack Zoe.

It is also why scripture says that Christ has come that we may have "life in abundance."

Fullness of life,

Purposeful human existence, 

It exists only in Christ. 

"And this life is Light to the people of the world."

Notice the precise order John uses. He does not say the light became life, He says the life became the light of men. This means you cannot truly see or understand God until you receive His life first.

Let’s go back to what Light is.

Light is clarity, understanding. Put everyone in a dark room, turn on the light and people begin to see clearly. 

This is what Jesus is to us.

Our see God clearly lens.

Light is also understanding

Jesus became our understanding of God

This is why He came! We want to understand God? We head to Jesus

Oh myyyyyy!

Vs 5 says "darkness could not comprehend it ."

Every understanding of God outside of Jesus is shut in darkness because there is really no understanding outside of Christ. 

You try to know God outside of Christ? You end up with more confusion. The results will not tally. You will have a misrepresented God.

Outside of Jesus, no one knows God because Jesus is God!

And this is why every other religion that tells you they serve same God as you lie.

No one who doesn’t know Christ has Zoe because Zoe is in Christ Jesus. And if you don’t know Christ? You don’t know God.

C’est fini. 

Again, I need us to pay attention to John’s message, 

He is saying to us that JESUS IS GOD.

There are religions that believe Jesus exists but, as one of the prophets, or a messenger from God.

Jesus is the son of God.

Jesus is God.

Jesus is not a messenger or prophet. 

You must get this and believe it.

4. JOHN; Sent from God

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. [‭‭John‬ ‭1:6-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬]

I have been thinking about John the Baptist since we started John 1,

In fact, I started my Bible study that day with him. 

What a man!

John, who lived in the wilderness, eating just locust and wild honey, wearing only rough camel’s hair with a leather belt. 

John had no care for himself, except that he was sent. It was enough for him that he was sent and he lived all of his life preparing for that mission.

I actually cried when I was here in my study. 

John’s mission had an expiry date. He had a specific window of time to introduce Christ and he came in right at that time. He made good use of it. He left every other desire to ensure this that the witness of Christ does his work. 

He didn’t marry, 

He didn’t build a house,

He didn’t even build a following for himself!

John the Baptist was aware of destiny: that he was a man sent from God who came to this earth for only one reason to witness and witness he did!

And this is why it breaks my heart so much when we talk about the execution of John the Baptist and attribute it to a spiritual failure on his end 

John did not die because he did something wrong; he died because he did everything right. He was executed precisely because he refused to compromise his integrity as a witness for God.

John died fulfilled!

We are so bold in the body of Christ actually 

We don’t understand persecution and what this body must endure until the second coming of Christ.

How did we even arrive at this for John? How? 

The same John that Jesus said this of:

"Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist."

Same John? 

Again, the problem is that we don’t understand what it means to be sent for a purpose.

The Greek word used for "sent" here is 'apostello', which is where we get our modern word Apostle or Missionary.

John did not wake up one day and decided to preach in the wilderness because he felt like it. 

He had a literal, divine commission. He was backed by the full authority of Heaven.

And John died having fulfilled this mission!

John’s entire life purpose is summarized in one word: Witness (the Greek word is martyria, from which we get the word martyr).

A witness in a courtroom doesn't invent the truth. They don't try to be the center of attention. They don't perform the miracle. A witness simply stands up and says, "This is what I saw, and this is what I know to be true."

And witness John did. 

And this brings me to us all preaching the gospel,

You are not the light, you are not the understanding of God.

 Stop pointing men to you (probably unintentional).

This is what most leaders in the body of Christ are doing today. We are raising disciples of ourselves.

“I pray men come to know God through me”

Erhm... the only way they come to know God is through Christ actually so for this your prayer to come to pass, you will have to point men to Christ, both with words and the way you live.

You have to intentionally do it o. Your "this way to Christ" must be loud.

All of the apostles, this was the mission. Even the Holy Spirit (also God), points us to this Christ.

Because there is no other perfect revelation of God outside Jesus.

5. Sons; those who believe

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: [‭‭John‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭NKJV]‬‬

 But some people did accept him. They believed in him, and he gave them the right to become children of God. [John 1:12 ERV]

For as many that accept that Jesus is God and believe IN Him, they get the automatic right to become sons of God.

They are not called to first behave like Him. No, they just believe and they are sons.

Of course, they will end up behaving like Him, but first, they believe. 

You don’t behave your way into a family, you are born into your family. Your behavior is a natural byproduct of first the DNA of your family and your upbringing. You will go to a family and see that all of them drum or they have a special gift of dancing or they are intelligent. 

Again, you are born into a family, you do not behave your way into it. 

“They became God’s children, but not in the way babies are usually born. It was not because of any human desire or plan. They were born from God himself.” [‭‭John‬ ‭1:13‬ ‭ERV‬‬]

This!!!

Oh my God 😭

I am born from God Himself

Omo! Such a full flex

Very big flex to call God father, very big flex!

You’ve been called "SON"

And it’s not just that they called you son o, scripture says you’ve been born from God Himself!

Never think of yourself as less, there should be no doubt about this.

Wear your sonship badge, enjoy all the privileges that come with being son.

So many believers do not enjoy these earthly privileges.

God wants you to enjoy them

Isaiah 9 vs 6-7 (MSG) says, there is no limit to the wholeness the Messiah brings.

Dear son,

Stop limiting yourself

There are no boundaries in this new status

There are no limits for the ones called sons

Live as son

Know your right as son

Live your privileges as son

Should the son of a cloth seller be found wearing rags? Never!

So son, live as son!

Take your time to know who you are as soon

Then go ahead to live it

“who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” [‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV]‬‬

See how John breaks it down

This birth didn’t happen by:

- Human blood (You didn't inherit it from your earthly parents' good genes).

- ⁠The will of the flesh (You didn't earn it through your own hustle, willpower, or self-control).

- ⁠The will of man (No pastor, church, or religious leader voted you into the kingdom)

It was from God Himself. The exact same Zoe (divine life) that we read about in verse 4; the very uncreated life that has been flowing through the Trinity from eternity past

Again,

Live as son

Know your right as son

Live your privileges as son

6. Once dwelt amongst men and now Lives in sons

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. [‭‭John‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭NKJV]‬‬

Omo! ( x 1000000 plix because what??? 😭)

This is the most mind-blowing thing ever!

John takes the eternal, uncreated Creator Word from verse 1; the same One who spoke time, space, and angels into existence and says He did the unthinkable.

Let’s recap a little bit abeg...

God decided to reveal Himself directly to man cos we had some distorted view of Him, we really didn’t know Him.

God came and became flesh.

John does not say the Word "appeared" as flesh, or "dressed up" like a human. He says the Word became flesh.

The Greek word used for flesh here is 'Sarx' and it means a normal actual human body; fragile and weak. It can get tired, hungry, sweat, bleed, feel pain, be killed, die, etc. No odeshi 

I need you to think of how mind blowing this is.

The One who holds the universe together by the word of His power suddenly had to learn how to walk as a baby. The One who feeds the whole world had to cry for milk.

My God 😭😭😭😭

When the Bible says “We do not have a high priest that does not understand...” this is it.

Jesus crawled as you did,

He learnt to walk as you did

He learned to talk as you did 

He probably bed wet as I did 🥹😭

God pitched His tent with humans 

He had done this before in the Old Testament using the tabernacle. It was terrifying and not everyone could access it. It was hidden behind thick veils 

Now, God decided to pitch a new tent; and this time, it is not made of goat skin and gold threads. It is made of human skin and bones.

😭😭😭😭

Like the Almighty God moved into this our messy world, lives in this my tiny fragile heart I carry Him everywhere!

The Almighty God! 🥹

If I’m walking round the smelly streets of Lagos. He is walking it with me too.

Kai 😭😭😭

7. Pleroma; From His fullness

For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. [John 1:16 AMPC]

John in this verse moved from who Jesus is to what Jesus gives us.

The Greek word John uses for fullness is pleroma. It means a condition of being totally filled to the brim, with absolutely no room left over. It is a cup that is permanently running over.

So the grace, the spiritual blessing, the favor, ALL of it is permanently running over.

My God!

How then do we have this and assume we can live in any form of lack?

That scripture says we have ALL received 

All of us, not some of us

Jesus is not a shallow well that might dry up if we drink too much.

You are drawing from an inexhaustible source, He has an infinite reservoir of peace, joy, power, and life. All manner of spiritual blessings!

This is what it looks like for those of us born of God: Unlimited Access.

You don’t get to beg for crumbs or live on a tight spiritual budget. I need this scripture to plunge you into remembrance of who you are as son and all that is accessible to you.

Declare it upon your self and go draw from your well that never runs dry 

Draw Grace to do

Draw wisdom

Draw the spirit of might

Draw strength

Draw healing 

Everything you need, it is inside of your heritage

Take it!

No one ever before gazed upon the full splendor of God except his uniquely beloved Son, who is cherished by the Father and held close to his heart. Now that he has come to us, he has unfolded the full explanation of who God truly is! [John 1:18 TPT]

“No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]." [‭‭John‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭AMPC]

Look what the AMPC says: "He has brought Him where He can be seen."

The MSG says: "Christ has made God plain as day!"

TPT says: "He has unfolded the full explanation of who God truly is"

Kai! 🥹🥹🥹

He has declared God!

Jesus has declared God

In the original Greek, this is the word exēgeomai, which is where we get our English word "exegesis!"

Jesus is the ultimate exegesis of God.

He is the walking, talking, breathing explanation of the Father's heart.

Christ is God brought to man to be seen exactly as He is!

Christ has interpreted God completely!

Stop looking for extra sheet

Stop looking for dimensions to God outside of Christ 

You will lost and I am not even joking.

"Seven book of Moses"

"10 book of kini kan"

I say you will lost.

Stay with Christ 

He is more than enough

He is all the God that you need to know

Let your hunger for more be in Christ

Whatever you can’t reconcile with the image of Jesus, it is not God!

“But my pastor talk, PRems said”

Jesus is the blue print

Let every man be a liar and God alone be true, God is plain as day already, in Christ.

And if you ever find yourself wondering, "What does God think of me? Is He angry? Is He loving?" you don't have to guess anymore.

You just look at Jesus. Jesus is the exact, uncompromised, love-filled picture of who God is.

8. The Lamb of God and His witness

Again, I’m back to John the Baptist.

This man did not just guess who Jesus was or assumed, he received an undeniable, supernatural sign from Heaven: the Holy Spirit descending like a dove.

The dove symbolizes peace

True peace between God and humanity, that is what Jesus brought.

“And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” [‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬]

Do you know what it means to be the first earthly witness of Christ?

Angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, God spoke from Heaven, but John was the first person on earth to tell other people on earth that see the Son of God! 

What an honor!

The image before me is those videos we show of special guests in church before we bring them up on stage. 

Imagine a papa Adeboye coming to my church, it is my pastor that will do the announcement with all honor and joy. They will not give member like me 😂

Look at the privilege John had! Such an honored man!

John didn't live to see the cross, the empty tomb, or the day of Pentecost.

He spent his entire life running a specific race, just one thing: pointing away from himself and toward the Messiah. And the exact second he officially stamped Jesus as the Son of God, his earthly shift was complete. If John had died right after this on the spot, he’d have lived completely.

This is what a successful assignment looks like.

And my question to us is this:

What is your assignment?

Are you living it? 

John ran

Oh my

We all need to learn how to carry a vision from that man.

If anything, my admiration for John spiked with this current study, and I’m challenged as one sent to the world by my Christ.

I am very challenged

9. Followers of Christ

“The next day John was there again and had two of his followers with him. He saw Jesus walking by and said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” The two followers heard him say this, so they followed Jesus." [‭John‬ ‭1:35-37‬ ‭ERV]

The last time we read the book of John, I found out for the first time that Andrew was actually a follower of John the Baptist. 

The spirit told John about Jesus and what did John do? He told the people following Him about Jesus.

He pointed them directly to Christ and he did hands off. That was how Andrew followed Jesus.

His oga (John the baptist) showed him the true Oga. John never stopped talking about Jesus, He pointed men to Christ. This also showed John’s heart. He understood ministry and his purpose in all of this. He pointed Andrew to Christ, Andrew sweetly asked Jesus where He stayed and followed Him home.

Something amazing to see here is that Jesus’ very first disciple came from John the baptist. 🥹🥹🥹

Then Andrew went back home and called his brother, Simon Peter to also come and see.

Vs 41 says that was the first thing Andrew did, he went to call his brother.

Simon Peter, the first pope and earthly bishop of the body of Christ.

First to preach Jesus at the start of the church.

The leader of the early church.

The detailing is so amazing!

So so amazing.

Again, stop tighting the gospel to your chest, preach it. Spread it.

10. The one who existed in the beginning knows the end from the beginning

Then Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John. You will be called Cephas.” (“Cephas” means “Peter. ”) [‭‭John‬ ‭1:42‬ ‭ERV]

Peter’s name was not Peter

His name was Simon but we all call him Peter today

John pointed Andrew to Jesus and Andrew brought his brother, Simon

And immediately Jesus saw Simon, He changed his name to Peter (Cephas which means The rock)

“So I tell you, you are Peter. And I will build my church on this rock. The power of death will not be able to defeat my church.” [‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16:18‬ ‭ERV]

You see this encounter in Matthew 16 and John 1, it didn’t just happen.

Peter declaring Christ as Messiah and Jesus telling him the church will be built upon this rock wasn’t coincidental. 

Christ knew Peter from the very beginning and it is amazing how he called him by his kingdom name the very moment he met him

The very first day Jesus met Simon, Christ called Him by His destiny; Peter, The Rock!

Even when Simon Peter’s identity in life did not tally.

I’m not even sure Peter understood any of this, but Christ knew him.

In fact, it is by divine providence that his brother Andrew was a follower of John.

God is detailed!

He is indeed Alpha and Omega!

There is nothing coincidental about your life.

Nothing! God is very much intentional about you.

It didn’t just happen that it was Andrew that was with John at the time Jesus passed by.

Nothing happens by mistake

Those details of your life that do not make sense to you? God knows.

Just rest in this!

On new Identities

Jesus did not just give Simon Peter a personal name or pet name:

"You will be called Peter"

This is what you are to me, "the rock" and this is what men will call you. 

This is what you identify as, from henceforth!

God has called you righteous and "this is what you will be called."

He has called you complete, forgiven, enough, perfect!

This is what you will be called.

God is very intentional about what He calls us

It doesn't matter who we are right now

He calls us by our finished product

He has called you saved and freed!

You will not accept any other name outside what God has called you. 

No please.

You will also not call yourself any other thing outside this.

God is big on names, there is so much in a name. 

Your identity is hidden right there in it.

So I ask:

What do you call yourself?

I do not care what your reality is o.

Peter was rock even when his faith shook and he was sinking inside water,

Peter was rock still even when he denied Jesus,

Peter had been rock before he met Jesus because God had given him that name from the beginning,

And this is it really!

God has called you that name from the beginning!

Even if you do anything outside of this name, you will remind yourself that you are righteous. 

You will remind yourself what God has called you.

Then you will go ahead and live accordingly.

The one who knows the end from the beginning has given you a name, own it!

Live it!

Random extra for me in this chapter is that Andrew followed Jesus home on the first meet.

What kind of man was Jesus?

Which kind aura be thattttt??

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the man that Moses wrote about in the law. The prophets wrote about him too. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph. He is from Nazareth.” [John 1:45 ERV]

11. The Fulfillment of Prophecy

See the excitement Philip used to call Nathanael, just look at.

He saw the word being fulfilled right before their eyes and he ran to his town to call his friend.

"Come and see who we found"

Guys, we are in the middle of another fulfillment of that which has been written before now.

We are in the last days.

We are in the days when the spirit of God will be poured upon all flesh.

Even for our nation, we are experiencing a shift. We are right here in the middle of prophecies said of old.

What is your reaction to times such as this? Are you still waiting for the last days in the future? Do you believe it is here already?

Then he said, “Believe me when I say that you will all see heaven open. You will see ‘angels of God going up and coming down’ on the Son of Man.” [John 1:51 ERV]

"Believe me when I say you will see heaven open"

I sense so strongly that this is a word for now.

It feels like Jesus said that directly to us

The response of my heart is this:

In my lifetime, I, Olúrèmí will see Heaven open. My eyes will see prophecies fulfilled in my generation.

Amen

Question: 

There’s God the Father in Heaven, God the son which is Jesus. So is the Holy Spirit not God living inside of me 🙄🙄🙄🙄? 

Answer: 

Yes. There is God, the Father, God, the son (Jesus) and, God the Holy Spirit .

God, the Holy Spirit lives inside of us.

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit *who is in you*, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” [‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬ NKJV]

Question 2:

Are we not given same assignment? 

Why, is it so easy to / do we deviate from the assignment assigned to us?

Answer:

 Yes, we have all been called to witness Christ 

I think one of our greatest undoing is our love for the pleasures of this world. 

What are we willing to let go for this Jesus?

Some of us cannot stop listening to Asake 

I’m going too far, some of us still listen to Naira Marley and Burnaboy

If they ask you, you will say it is not sin. It’s just abdgehegarrwcec

Was eating normal food a sin? 

But look at John:

Lived in the wilderness,

Fed on locust, se you people know what locust is,

That’s a man that had no love for the world.

Our problem is that we love the world more than we love the one who has called and sent us. 

Our second greatest problem is that we deny the problem above which makes it more difficult to seek help from God.