HEARING GOD

 Today, we will be talking about something very important : HEARING GOD

 There have been a lot of questions as regards this and we try to answer then bit by bit but today we will talk about it fully

 *Have you heard God speak before?

 *Have you felt it that God is asking you to do something before?

 *You hearing from God personally and God using others to speak to you,  which happens more often?

*Do you sometimes find it difficult to know if it's God speaking?

  One thing I've come to see about most Christians is this,  we talk to God always (more like talk at)  cos we usually don't expect a reply or wait for any.
Even if He gives one,  we are not certain if it's God speaking or it's just our mind.
I think every Christian has been here at a point In their life and so many of us are still there

I'm reminded of the altar erected by the Greeks in Acts 17, with the inscription "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD"
A lot of us still relate with God this way

As if He were unknown
 One of the greatest benefits of the coming of Christ Is a relationship with God,  one where we get to rub minds together. Both parties sharing themselves with one another

 That image of the strict father that wants to send you to hell the minute you mess up,  first of all cancel it.

That's not what Christ came for.
He is the loving father that wants to gist with us,  wants us to know Him and even though He already knows us,  He still allows us to tell Him things about Him

He carefully pays attention while we talk with so much love and adoration.
And He expects same from us.

What Christ brought is Intimacy.

 But what is Intimacy when it's just one person talking every time?

For all our questions about hearing God,  it's never a case of God not speaking.  It is usually us not hearing (more like not listening)

 Game of thrones is showing every Monday from tomorrow.
  If I fail to tune in to watch,  does it mean the show is not going on?

 If I fail to tune in to Bond Fm's daily morning show,  does it mean the speaker did not come or did not speak?
No

God transmits,  He speaks.
The problem usually lies with the receiver.

Sometimes,  we go to God,  ask and ask and ask.  Then we end.

Praying without listening is like switching off your phone after calling for help.

The people you called for help,  how do they reach you?

Like AW Tozer will say: It is God's Nature to speak

 In hearing God,  We need to check the following things. If we do not understand them,  we might have a challenge hearing

•  Know that God speaks and that you can hear

The first step is knowing and accepting that you can hear from God.  If you do not believe that He can speak to you,  you will most likely not hear whatever He has to say to you.

John  16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

 The Holy Spirit,  the seal of our relationship with the father,  our engagement ring,  When He comes (He is here already), His job will be to guide us into all truth.  He will tell all we need to know

All that the Father is saying.

It did not say The Spirit of God will speak to a select people

Everyone of us can hear

My own sheep will hear my voice and I know each one, and they will follow me.*
John 10:27 TPT

So first,  know and accept that you can hear God speak.  Don't doubt it.
Don't think it's just for some certain people or leaders in church.

• Understanding that hearing from God is not a luxury.

Now we know we can hear (from) God but we also should know that we NEED to hear God.

Because,  the Shepherd will always speak to guide the sheep, it is very important for the sheep to hear

 We don't just wait to stumble upon hearing God.

 Hearing God is a must for as many of us that call ourselves sons.

When you meet your partner or your friend and you talk to them,  do you think in your mind,  "maybe he will talk.  Maybe he will not talk?"

No,  you don't.

If you say something while you are talking on phone and the person on the other end says nothing,  you will be worried

 Are they okay?
Is this person ignoring me?
Is something wrong with the connection?

The same way we know we have to hear our friend's voice when we are gisting,  is the same way we know that we need to hear God.

Let's Read Romans 8:14

Romans  8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

It says,  For as many as are led.
If we say we are children,  then there has to be a leading.
To lead is to direct,  to guide,  to show.
"Follow this path"

"We might not be able to follow that path again o,  the road is bad. we stop at that junction and turn left"

 "Let's wait for the car to pass before we cross"

 I don't know if we've had encounter with a tour guide before.

They are always speaking

 "You can't climb this part of the Olumo rock at so and so time"

"If you take that route,  you will get lost"

 And sometimes,  the tour guides even gist with us outside the instructions on what to do and what not to do

 The tour guides are not just there for decoration or so you have someone to gist with.
Usually,  it is to avoid mishaps

This is another reason why we NEED to hear God.  To avoid certain things happening to us.
To help us walk through this journey of life smoothly.
To tell us stop,  move,  wait,  hold on

 It is very important we know what God is saying about every situation in our lives.

Now you know that you can hear Him and you need to hear Him

Next is:

• Listen to God and expect to hear him.

 If you are expecting someone to speak, you wait for a minute and just listen to hear what they have to say

 Even when they don't speak immediately. As long as there's an expectation, you wait

Let's read Ecc 8:3a

Do not be in a hurry to leave the king's presence/sight

 God gave me a book late last year for 2019 (unpublished yet)  but I will be sharing from the book in this part.

One thing most Christians are yet to understand is sitting and waiting in prayer.
Prayer is communication,  a 2 way street

We are having a conversation.
Expecting the other to day something and listening to what they have to say is just as important as the part where we talk.

For most people, prayer is just talking. God is not dumb, He speaks (in so many ways). Imagine meeting with a friend and they go on and on about themselves, every time you try to say something they are still speaking. You wait for them to finish so you can speak but they pack their bags and leave the date as soon as they are done. If anyone does this to me, I won’t meet with them again. Sadly, we do this to God always. Always in a hurry to leave His presence.

 Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go, stand in front of me on the mountain. I, the Lord, will pass by you.” Then a very strong wind blew. The wind caused the mountains to break apart. It broke large rocks in front of the Lord. But that wind was not the Lord. After that wind, there was an earthquake. But that earthquake was not the Lord. After the earthquake, there was a fire. But that fire was not the Lord. After the fire, there was a quiet, gentle voice.*
1 Kings 19:11‭-‬12 ERV

God told Elijah,  go to so so so place,  I will speak with you.

The same way God is telling us,  I want to speak with you.  I want you to listen
 Elijah gets there,  wind blew,  No God.
Earthquake,  No God.
Fire,  No God.
Before the still voice of God

 This brings us to one thing.

*Waiting to listen*

Don't be in a hurry to leave.

 Elijah could have left after the wind blew and nothing.
"Ah!  God I went there o,  but no show"

 A lot of us do not wait long enough to hear God most times.

We should never forget communication is both ways. Be open to listening to Him speak.  Cultivate the habit of listening (total silence in your mind, no activity whatsoever) and you will surely hear God. He could respond with a hug, a word of knowledge, scripture, peace, an assuring conviction or you could even hear Him loud and clear like He is sitting right in front of you.
Till you do, sit quietly, no matter how long it takes.

Also,  in our expectations to hear from God,  it shouldn't be for when we are in difficulty only

Does the tour guide speak only when you are in danger?  No.
He speaks even before you get there (of which,  he is the only one aware of where Danger lies,  that's why he is guiding you in the first place(

We should be willing to hear God on any and every thing.
Not just when there is trouble,  we are desperate or need something

God craves relationship

He wants to walk with us.

 And we benefit so much from hearing God.
It is not Him benefiting
We are saving ourselves from a whole lot of suffering,  troubled minds,  tribulations etc

And we are also building intimacy with Him.

Sometimes,  He is not telling us turn left or turn right.  He is just there reminding us we look beautiful today

 Same way,  the tour guide can randomly tell you your hair is nice or you have a lovely smile

 Sometimes,  He is reminding us of His love.
Of our identity in Him.
Or He is asking us to help someone else (probably by praying for them)

 He also reveals Himself to us in the place of hearing Him.

They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.
Romans 1:19 NLT

 Now that we know why we need to hear and the things to have in mind

Let's move to the big question.

HOW DO WE HEAR FROM GOD?

 I once tweeted years ago that God is a speaking God and someone replied that He is not.  He already said all He has to say in the Scripture.

Truly,  the Scripture is very complete,  it is God breathed and our number one source of all we need to know.  It is also a check for whatever we hear from God.

 But there is a danger in assuming that God doesn't speak other than Scriptures.

We will not be paying attention to other ways He is using to speak with us

Imagine that I assume the only way I can communicate with my partner is written letters 😓

 What we do is limit ourselves and our hearing Him

 I remember hearing a testimony.

God told a certain pastor to go back and change his clothes,  to a blue shirt and a suit.

Someone in church asked this as a sign from God

The pastor didn't know why but He obeyed.
That someone in church has a very large ministry today.  Gave their life to Christ

Let's imagine the only way God can speak is the Scripture,  please where did they wear blue shirt and suit in the Bible,😂

 So first,  God speaks in so many ways and we will be learning about them tonight

1. THROUGH HIS WORD

The word of God is God. To hear from God,  we have to understand and know Him,  His character,  perspective,  how He does His things.
All these is made available in Scriptures.

 Sometimes,  you are going through something and you pick your Bible.  You are reading John 3:16.
You've known this verse all your life o but somehow you get a new revelation in relation to what God wants you to know at that point

 And you are wondering if this is the same verse you've been reading all along

And you are wondering if this is the same verse you've been reading all along

Don't know if we've experienced this

Are you sick?  God has a word for you in His word

Are you tired?  Same

Are you happy?  Same

The word of God is the most powerful book ever because it is God Himself

 You want to hear God speak?  Then hear what the word (which is God)  is saying.

 This is the easiest and most common,  everyday means of hearing God.
It is a must

You can't say you hear God and never through His word.
That's a big problem

 2. THROUGH OUR THOUGHTS

This is the part where people get confused.
"I'm not really sure which spirit is speaking o"

 "Maybe it's my mind or the Holy Spirit"

"Or I'm just over thinking things"

 This is where the place of our *inner witness* comes in.

The reason we tag it thoughts is because we are not so sure it's the Holy Spirit talking.

 Listening to our thoughts,  inner witness or conscience can be very tricky. I miss it sometimes too.
It takes a lot to be able to able to recognize this


Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking.*
Colossians 3:15 aERV

Let Christ's peace control your thoughts.

 If there is no peace in what you think you are hearing,  then safe to say you cancel

Another way to check is the written word.
If you are not sure it's God saying this through your thoughts,  take your Bible and check what God has already said

If you are still not sure,  ask God to speak more clearly.

I do this and it works

If I'm not certain about what I'm hearing God say.
I go back to Him and ask Him to speak more clearly in a way He cannot be misunderstood

If your teacher says something and you don't get it,  a simple "Excuse me ma,  please can you come again and probably break it down" does the magic

 Whenever you are in doubt,  ask God

           3. CONVICTIONS

Some people call this Sanctified desires.
Like you just know in your heart that you have to do xyz.  You just have that strong desire towards this.

We need to understand that there is only one spirit in us,  the Holy Spirit.
You can't have evil spirit and Holy Spirit at the same time

 So we need to learn to trust that He is leading.

 But the Helper will teach you everything and cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name.
John 14:26 ERV

He will cause you to remember. That knowledge will just come.
You just know it

 But how do you know it's the Holy spirit that is talking?

The sinful self wants what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against the sinful self. They are always fighting against each other, so that you don’t do what you really want to do.*
Galatians 5:17 ERV

 The Spirit will never lead in the direction of the flesh

So trust it whenever you get that leading or conviction.

4. THROUGH THE SMALL INNER VOICE

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:21 KJV

Sometimes,  you hear a voice inside your head.
Like someone is speaking to you inside your head and only you can hear.
A lot of us should have experienced this?
That's the Holy Spirit.

5. THROUGH THE AUDIBLE VOICE

Very few people hear God this way.
You hear a voice in real life but you can't see this person and you know it is God. You are the only one hearing also


 Some Pastors I know of got their call this way.
It's okay if you don't hear this one.

Remember God speaks in diverse ways,  as long as you are hearing.

 Other ways God speaks to us

• Through Others
• Dreams,  Visions,  Prophecy and trance
•  Nature,  surroundings
• Circumstances

You can add ways you've heard God speak to you also

 To end the teaching.
The place of Obedience in hearing God

Obedience happens one step at a time.

I wanted to tell you everything I knew and give you all my knowledge, but you didn’t listen to my advice and teaching.
Proverbs 1:23 ERV

It doesn't stop at us listening.  Obeying opens us to hearing more and trusting more.

We show that we are His intimate friends when we obey him

You show that you are my intimate friends when you obey all that I command you.*
John 15:14 TPT

 And this brings more intimacy,  more ability to hear clearly.

 If I talk to you and you never do what I say to you,  I will most likely lock up.

Continual Disobedience is us out rightly saying we don't rate God or whatever He has to say

 Staying in this phase affects our hearing

Now that you know that you can hear God,  please take out time to (in the place of prayer also) and obey all that He tells you.




◦

GOD'S LOVE

So my topic for today's teaching is going to be titled God's love

 I know this seems like a very "redundant" topic and some might say, obviously everyone knows God loves them, but we move still because every now and then we need to be reminded of the magnitude of God's love for us, how encompassing God's love for us is. Basically, I don't think I'll be talking much or doing much explaining but rather highlighting scriptures that talk about God's love for you and me.

Basically we'll start from the very basic but important John 3:16 which says that God loves us so much that he gave his only begotten son for us so that we won't perish but we will have an everlasting life. I believe this transcends beyond the physical life but dwelling with him in heavenly places. When you truly believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and has come so that we might be saved, you have eternal life.

Now, let's talk about His love for us in difficult times. Sometimes, it might feel like God is hiding or He’s not listening, but He is in the midst of the storm with you and I. He has not left your side and neither has he forsaken us. He’s holding your hand, hold on to him to be your peace in the midst of the storm. He’s crying WITH YOU over the heartbreak and difficult time you’re facing. I think that it's important to make conscious efforts to remind ourselves that He’s with us in whatever it is and that can be what gets us through today and everyday after that.

 Also, God never promises a perfect life. He does promise that He will be there every step of the way. God loves us and he knows our story and his plans for us are of good and not evil to give us an expected end.


Don’t be obsessed with money but live content with what you have, for you always have God’s presence. For hasn’t he promised you, “I will never leave you alone, never! And I will not loosen my grip on your life!”
Hebrews 13:5 TPT

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

For hasn't he promised you that I will NEVER leave you and He won't loosen his grip on your life.

Just take note of this
Someone who does not love us will definitely not care so much about you to give you peace

A preacher said "God’s supply of grace will ALWAYS exceed our life’s demand for it.” His grace is enough for you and I and His power is made perfect in our weakness.

Matthew  11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

There is something about God’s power in the confession of our struggles. Vulnerability breeds honest community, and it is in that safe space that we receive healing. The secrets we keep create shame, we should  confess them to one another and to God and in that the power of shame is taken away and replaced with the power of our healing God.

Pastor Steven Furtick in one of his sermons explained that breakthrough comes at the point where everything seems darkest, when it seems like you're underground and you're covered. He used the illustration of a seed that has been planted by the farmer and stays underground for so long before it germinates and brings forth fruits. But the catch of this, is that the seed has everything it needs to survive underground. Everything, food, nutrition whatever it needs to bring forth fruit. And so do we, we have everything we need to survive at our darkest moments. Not only to survive but to thrive and grow and bring forth fruits. God loves us too much to leave us stranded.
 And on this note, I want to let us know that you are not an afterthought, you are part of a beautiful story, a part of His beautiful story. God knew you before you were born and has you in the palm of His hands and wants us to be happy and also grow too and know that growth is never easy or comfortable or what we want in some cases but it's what we need.

 Romans  8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.*

 For I am certain that not death, or life, or angels, or rulers, or things present, or things to come, or powers,

 39  Or things on high, or things under the earth, or anything which is made, will be able to come between us and the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

With this Bible passage, I end it, reminding us that nothing can separate us from God's love. This topic is always quite personal to me and I can go on and on talking about God's Love because I know how just reminding myself of His love has gotten me through so much and how amazing it feels to know He loves me that much and how I feel so powerful and confident knowing that His love is here to stay regardless of anything. I also think everyone should feel that type of love and know that it is available to them without conditions really and we as humans very often need to be reminded of this love that God has for us. He sees the depth of our hearts and loves us the same.

And songs does wonders to remind us of this love so please and please listen to music that just reminds you of his love or how amazing He is really. I could always help with that.

I want us to whisper a prayer for everyone with a hurting heart on this group and our loved ones not on this group. May God heal them and meet them at the point where they need Him most. May they understand the magnitude and depth of His love for us and may they always walk in that love too.

Thank you Lord for your word and we thank you that the entrance of your word brings light and understanding and we pray that may your word resonate deeply with us and transform our lives. Amen.

MEDITATION

MEDITATION

As defined by the Dictionary: focus one's mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation.  To think deeply about something

What exactly are we meditating on and why?

Let's read Joshua 1 vs 8. Five different translations

Joshua 1:8 And don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed. (Message)

This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

Joshua 1:8 AMPC

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful. (Amplified)

Yes, keep this book of the Torah on your lips, and meditate on it day and night, so that you will take care to act according to everything written in it. Then your undertakings will prosper, and you will succeed.
Y'hoshua (Jos) 1:8 CJB

The scroll of this law will not depart from your mouth; you will meditate on it day and night so that you may observe diligently all that is written in it. For then you will succeed in your ways and prosper.
Joshua 1:8 LEB

First,  the word should not depart from our mouths,  we should meditate on it day and night.
The message translation says we should not even for a minute let this Book of revelation be out of our mind.

Why?
The reason to meditate on the word every minute,  day and night,  every moment is so that we nay be able to observe all that is written in the word.  All of it,  not some or the convenient words,  All.

The LEB translation says so that you may diligently observe it

Meditation is a key to the word of God coming alive in us

To meditate is to stop reading,  focus and contemplate on every word,  sentence,  phrase,  searching deeply for deeper and Fuller meaning. Weighing each word with scripture

When you search on Google for the definition of a word in the dictionary,  it doesn't just bring the meaning.

Sometimes it gives you 3-4 meanings,  with synonyms for each meaning

It comes up with sentences for the usage of that word. It gives full context and meaning to that word

When we start meditating,  what we are doing is typing a word in our dictionary. 

Then the Holy Spirit (the search engine)  is the one that brings us the results or definitions.

 In meditation,  we unlock the riches of the word. All of the hidden riches of the word of God is unlocked in meditation.

The word of God has an unending depth. We could search and search,  dig deeper and deeper but there will be no end.

Just one word,  but we can dig for the rest of our lives and keep uncovering layers of understanding,  revelation,  truth and life.

I don't think any man has discovered all the depth and significance to not even one verse in the Bible.
I don't think any man has. This is why I implore us,  whenever you are to read to verse especially a common one you know very well,  don't just rush through it.

I used to do that,  sometimes I will even rush it out from my head. Don't do that. That revelation you've gotten from that verse is not all

with my heart I meditate and my spirit searches diligently:
Psalm 77:6b AMPC

This is what happens. We meditate and the spirit searches diligently. To do something diligently is to be constant in effort to accomplish it. To be attentive and persistent

For the spirit to make due diligent search,  we must stay on the word long enough.

If I search a word on an online dictionary and I close the tab immediately. I abort the work of the search engine

So it is for us.  We should not be in a hurry to leave that word. When we meditate, we are reaching out to the Holy spirit to speak to us. Without the Holy spirit we cannot uncover or unlock any riches in the word.

We will only be faced with surface knowledge. Knowledge that can be reached by anyone because it is not covered or locked. We have to rely on Him to reveal when we meditate

Now while meditating,  because the human mind is very inquisitive,  questions pop up. As usual,  the Holy spirit is waiting for those questions to pop up so he can answer them

So here are possible general questions our mind asked.

- Who is the writer and who was he speaking to?
(Remember those secondary school comprehension question.  "Who said this and to whom?". This format sticks when we study the word also)

- why is the author or verse saying that? 
(Eg Why did Jesus tell Peter "feed my sheep"?
Why did God order people to be killed?)

- What does the verse mean?
(Meaning of feed the Lamb?)

- Does the verse contain a spiritual principle? 
(Paul advice not to marry of you can.  Personal opinion or spiritual principle?)

- How does this truth or verse apply to my life?


These questions are constant for me and many more. Some of us might share same or even beyond this shared here. According to Bob Sorge,  there are 5 things to look out for when studying the word


Context
You cannot understand a verse unless you know the context to which it is spoken.

Word Meanings
Look up meanings of the word if you don't understand or as the spirit leads. Original translations help a lot.  So you can also find the Greek/Hebrew word.

Cross references
Where else does the word occur in the Bible (for this search the original Hebrew word,  see how many times it occur and how it has been translated in each verse.  Some words have more than one meaning)

Repetition
If a word a repeated a lot in the Bible,  there is a need to pay attention.

Symbolism
Some words are symbolic and do not have direct meaning.
(Eg the Holy spirit as a dove.  This doesn't mean the holy spirit is a dove)

These 5 things have helped me a lot in understanding and interpreting Scripture correctly.


Luke 6 vs 45.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. (Luke 6:45) KJV

“Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts, but bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:45‬ ‭CEVDC‬‬

When we meditate,  we deposit good treasures in our hearts.
And it doesn't stop there
The more we meditate,  the more we deposit.
The more we deposit,  the more we produce outward fruit and our speech and conduct is being change.

We become Christlike

Usually,  we see Christians that know the word very much,  they can quote anything but the fruit they produce is rotten. You even wonder how it happens.

It's because they memorize the word and know it but they don't meditate on it always! It is during meditation that the renewal of our mind happens.

And when our minds stay renewed constantly,  our lives are are transformed.
Meditation is not just your normal general Bible study meetings or word alive teachings,  it is Jesus feeding us directly through the Holy Spirit. In the place of meditation,  the word is customized personally for you and your situation.

 And it's not just a one time thing. 
When we stay meditating for a long while,  there is an appetite and hunger for more.

Appetite is an incentive to work; hunger makes you work all the harder.
Proverbs 16:26 MSG

The more you meditate,  the hungrier you get. You are filled,  the tasted uncovered layer is soooo sweet.  You hold it dear but you still want more

There is a mistake we Christians make. When the Holy spirit uncovers a layer,  we start jumping up and sometimes close the Bible. We are in a hurry to share on our whatsapo stories or social media out of excitement

There was a day I got a revelation in the word.  I had never seen that Scripture that way,  I started jumping in my room and shouting Hallelujah. The Holy spirit asked me after a while if I can sit down so we continue. If he had not,  the excitement of that day would have made me close my Bible as usual

That layer that excites you is not all that is to that word.  There is more food for your soul where that came from.

Revel in the revelation received but don't close up your heart. Continue the meditation.

You think you are full already? The one feeding you will enlarge your insides to have more space for more food to enter

Don't stop Him because you think you are full. Don't be in a hurry to run off with little or leave.

Meditation is gazing upon Jesus in His word,  stay there. Fix your gaze upon Him. Even when doing other things (work,  play,  on your way back home) , keep gazing on Jesus through His word

See,  when you gaze upon Jesus,  you see yourself. You see all His finished works have made you to be. If any part of your life is not aligned to it yet,  you are forced to adjust

Imagine me like this getting to know that Dangote is my father and I have all his wealth as inheritance,  the way my life will change ehn. From change of wardrobe to the way I talk sef

That is what it is like to gaze upon Jesus (through the word).  We see our true identity in Him and this causes a chance in our lives.

The Bible says in Him we have our being. Our identity is in Christ.  Gaze upon Him and see yours

This teaching today is an action point for all of us,  myself included.

I want us to take it serious. I didn't plan to teach this.  Never even thought of teaching it before but I believe the Holy Spirit has a reason for keeping me awake this midnight

ACTION POINTS

1. I need you to write down things you are struggling with as a Christian.  Search Scriptures concerning this struggle and what  Christ has made you to be which opposes the struggle.
Then meditate on the Scripture every time. While bathing,  cooking,  washing even before you sleep.
Do it every time till there is a change. Please make sure you write it down.  When you notice the change,  go back and mark it off that list. Pick the next struggle

2. 2. As we study daily here,  even if it is just one word,  let it stay in your heart all day. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about it. To teach you till it causes a change in you.

3. Whenever you are teaching here or anywhere about a Scripture,  don't search online for meanings.  Don't collect second hand feeding.  Don't be quick to eat digested food elsewhere. Stay still and meditate.  Tell the Holy Spirit to speak to you Himself,  even if it is just one word.  You want Him to do the search and give you something. And you are not leaving till He does (Note that it is not bad to read and listen to other preachers.  Just a part of our action points)

If we are able to do all of these action points and take it serious,  I'm very certain you will see a change. Please let's write all the action points down now and make a commitment to this. Let's watch our lives change before our very eyes

I leave you with these:

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Philippians 4:8‭-‬9 MSG


For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.
Philippians 4:8‭-‬9 AMPC

So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always. Follow the example of all that we have imparted to you and the God of peace will be with you in all things.
Philippians 4:8‭-‬9 TPT

Put into practice all we have talked about tonight,  and watch things change