GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU…

GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU…

1 John 4:4; Romans 8:31-34; 1 John 5:4-5

The greater One lives within you…He is greater than the world! He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness…(2 Peter 1:3).
We are still examining the life of King David, who is a type and shadow of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Please note that our mandate is not to become like David, but to become like Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

David was an anointed man, inspired in the wisdom and power of God.
Even in the Old Testament, he could still enjoy an uninterrupted fellowship with the Spirit of Christ. This man held on dearly to the Spirit of God, pleading for God not to take His Holy Spirit from him (Psalm 51:10-12).

If a man living under the era of the law could hold steadfastly to the Spirit of God, what is required of us, who are living in the dispensation of the Holy Spirit?
Are we holding on dearly to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in order to fulfil our God-given assignment on earth?

Let’s examine 1 Samuel 17:31-40 (as the Lord enables us)…

Verse 31 - David kept asking questions, making enquiries and discoveries until the matter got to Saul…
Are you inquisitive enough? Do you ask questions? What type of questions do you ask? Are they constructive, soul searching questions that produce solutions?
A-S-K (Matthew 7:7).
Many times, we ask questions, but on the wrong platform, we ask the wrong person…Ask the right person, the right question!
David kept asking until it got to the right person that connected him to Saul…

Verse 32 – ‘Let no man’s heart fail because of him…’
As the anointed of the Lord, he knew that he carried the divine presence of God, and that the Lord would fight for him. While everyone else saw Goliath as a national threat and impending doom (calamity), David saw him as a stepping stone (springboard) to greater height…
Numbers 14:6-9
How do we see problems? How do we see challenges? Are we not trying to shy away from some of our problems? Are all these problems caused by our perceived enemies?

Verse 33 – ‘You are not able to go against him, you’re no match for him…’
Even perceived mentors might not know the depth of what God is calling you into.
Many people will judge you, based on your stature, present status, title, experience, academic qualification, etc…
Men will always look at the outward appearance, especially carnal-minded men like Saul…
The natural man does not discern (receive, accept) the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him… (1 Cor. 2:14).
While Saul was given to logical reasoning and carnality, David possessed the mind of God…
Do we have the mind of Christ?

Verses 34-37 – There is power in testimonies!
Godly testimonies provoke the power of God, they provoke victory over (discomfit) the enemies.
True testimonies are embedded in the Word of God. Real testimonies glorify God and proclaim the lordship of Jesus Christ alone.
God will surely dissociate Himself from any testimony that praises or glorifies man at His expense… (Isaiah 42:8).

The Lion and the bear…

Through David’s testimony, Saul was able to see some little traces of hope, in spite of his spiritual dullness (blindness)…
Saul said ‘Go, and the Lord be with you…’ (He changed his mind).

Verse 38-39 – However, Saul would not allow him to go without clothing him.
Saul clothed David with his own armour and that constrained (or incapacitated) David…
Go get your God-given armour! Put on the armour of God, the spiritual armour…
You cannot run your race with another man’s armour! You cannot win the battle of life, neither can you successfully fight the good fight of faith, holding fast to someone else’s armour…
Go for your God-given, custom-built armour…
What is the armour? (Ephesians 6:13-18).

Verse 40 – David took his staff with him and chose five smooth stones…
This had probably worked for him several times. He had tried, tested and proven it… Sincerely, I believe he just took five stones subconsciously, he never depended on the number of stones that were in his possession, he depended absolutely on God.
Furthermore, five is the number of grace!
Jesus Christ fed the multitude of about five thousand (men alone recorded) with five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish.
Having been anointed with the power of the Almighty God, David drew near to the Philistine…

Put on the full armour of God! Submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee…(James 4:7).

Arise in the strength of the Lord, oh mighty men and women of valour, because…Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world…

       PASTOR NATHANIEL SADELA

        Resident  Pastor

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DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR GREATNESS

DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR GREATNESS

1 Samuel 16:13-18

For capacity enhancement, the first thing we need to know is that we can do nothing without the help of the Holy Spirit. Without the help that comes from above, we are helpless...

Thou shall help us in the time of trouble, for vain is the help of man...

No matter how skillful a person may be, it takes divine empowerment for such a person to be recognised...

The anointing positioned David ahead for opportunities that would later come later on...Are you rightly positioned? Where are you?

In your prayer life, in the study of the Word of God, where is the place of your dwelling?

As the Spirit of the Lord came upon David on that day, by the reason of the anointing, the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and a distressing spirit from the Lord (or through the permission of the Lord) tormented him.

As one king was quietly empowered by God for future impact and prominence, the presiding king had been rejected by the Lord...May we not be rejected by the God of heaven!

The earnest expectation of the creature eagerly awaits the manifestation of the sons of God...

Sons of God are earthen vessels (men and women) through whom God provides heavenly solutions to earthly problems. They are solution providers! May God empower us to become solution providers to our world!

Saul's servants identified his problems. They observed the needs and vacuum in his life, hence the need for a solution provider came up!

Therefore, Saul's servants suggested the appointment of a man who could proffer solution to the king's problem...

God will create a vacuum or a need in people's lives, so as to showcase the gifting, skillset, ability or endowment which He has deposited within you (which He is still sharpening, if you allow Him)...

He will showcase what He has been nurturing in you (as you put them to use) in the fullness of time...

About six (6) attributes were given about David by one of the servants of Saul. Let's examine them briefly:

1. He was a skillful player.

He was talented in the use of harps to praise the Lord (Psalm 33:3). He displayed dexterity in the use of his God-given abilities.

Are you a man or woman of competence?

Do you display competence, character and credibility in tasks or assignments given to you?

Even in the so called mundane things we handle, are we committed?

2. A mighty man of valour.

He was a valiant man. One who possesses or shows great courage, bravery and determination, even in the face of danger or adversity.

David was a man who never turned his back against God. He would never 'chicken-out' in the time of persecution...

Psalm 27:1-3; 46:1-2; 91:1-2.

Are you a fair-weather Christian?

Are you willing to follow Jesus all through the way?

3. A man of war.

David said in one of his psalms, 'He teaches my hands to war, so that my hands can bend a bow of bronze' (2 Samuel 22:35; Psalm 18:34; 144:1).

He leveraged on every opportunity that God gave him to develop himself before exaltation.

Are you developing yourself?

Are you utilising the opportunities God is giving you (on a platter of gold), to prepare yourself ahead for the next level?

David was never afraid to take on any challenge. He even stretched himself, seeking for greater challenges, because he totally given to spiritual preparation...

4. Prudent in speech.

He was an anointed speaker. He words were seasoned with grace. He had his ways with words. He was eloquent, gifted in speech.

(Prov. 15:23; Psalm 45:1; Isaiah 50:4).

He knew the right word for the right season! He was indeed, the anointed of the Lord. He sincerely, had been endowed with the capacity to solve problems.

5. A handsome person.

He was a 'comely' person. He was good looking (presentable).

Don't use the anointing as an excuse to look rough and unkempt.

You don't necessarily have to wear expensive clothes if you can't afford them. Always ensure that you look sharp, clean and responsible.

Moreover, his type of 'comeliness' was such that radiated from within...

Let your beauty be such that emanates from the heart...the hidden man of the heart, incorruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 3:4).

6. And the Lord is with him!

He enjoyed uninterrupted access to God's presence (Psalm 16:11; 27:4; 23:1-6).

The presence of God in David's life made a world of differences in his life. His success in life depended so much on divine presence, that he pleaded with God not to forsake him (Psalm 51:11).

Do you desire the presence of God?

Don't you get bored in the house of God? Don't you get bored in the place of prayer and with Bible study?

If God is with you, it doesn't matter who is against you, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world...

It's time to covet His presence more than anything else.

In conclusion, we need more than our educational attainments (degrees, certification) and career achievements to serve our generation according to God's purpose.

We need to discover, cultivate, nurture and deploy the endowments that God has deposited within us!

(1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6; 1 Thess. 5:20).

Stir up the gift of God in you...

Fan into flames, the spiritual gift...

Kindle anew (afresh) the gift of God...

Keep ablaze the gift of God...

            PASTOR NATHANIEL SADELA

        Resident  Pastor

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THE ANOINTING TO FUNCTION

1Samuel 9:1-2; 1Samuel 9:15-17

Every man destined for greatness must carry some measure of God’s anointing power which will serve as auction to function.

-          Moses received the anointing to function when he met with the Lord on the mountain of God called Horeb. Exodus 3

-          Joshua received the anointing to function when God ministered to him after Moses death. Joshua 1

-          Samuel received his anointing when the Lord called him out of sleep. 1Samuel 3

-          Elisha received his when he saw Elijah being taking from him. 2Kings 2:11-14, etc. to mention just a few

-          Saul equally received the anointing to fulfill purpose but somehow lost it to his next door neighbor due to some reasons we shall be considering today

·         Please note that the way and manner we choose to operate with the anointing of God upon our life will determine whether it is for keep or for a while.

Saul as an anointed of the Lord

·         God anointed Saul as a king when the children of Israel requested for a king

·         God chose him because he was the best candidate in the whole land of Israel. 1Samuel 9:2, 15-16

·         He was compassionate and he cared so much for his people. 1Sam 11:5-6

·         The Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul at different occasions because of the assignment. 1Samuel 10:10

·         Please note that, everyone has a nature/character inherited from the first Adam and unless such character is subdued spiritually, it will always find expression in our daily living and it will eventually push us against God

THE UNCHECKED CHARACTER/ATTRIBUTE THAT DESTROYED OF SAUL

1.      Saul inability to learn from leaders before him

-          Though being the first king in Israel, he failed to learn from the leadership style of Samuel.

-          Samuel behaved wisely before God and the people

-          He was not covetous and served in his office with great humility

-          He proved his uprightness in the presence of Saul and before the Israelite but Saul never took a cue from this

2.       He was not mindful of the consequences of his actions

-          When a man is anointed for a purpose, he must always check to see if his decision conforms to the will of God.

-          Saul’s calamity started when he felt he could function both as a king and also as a priest (Levite). 1Samuel 13:8-14

-          Our choices as children of God must conform to the plan and purpose of God for our lives.

-          Do not overstep your bound.

3.      Saul was a man who could not carry out instruction adequately. 1Samuel 15:1-35

-          “Kill all the Amalekite”, he went, killed all the people but spared the king (king Agag) and the wealth of the land

-          Never think you are wiser than your leaders

-          You may discuss with him a better way of carrying out the assignment but never make the leader look stupid

4.      Saul was stubborn and rebellious in nature, always trying to argue his way out. A character that always push him against God.

-          Never try to play smart with God, he knows you more than you know yourself

1Samuel 15:22-23

5.      Saul will always refer to God as Samuel’s God (thy God) not his own God or ‘our God’.

1Samuel 15:15

6.      Saul never showed genuine repentance to God, he was more interested in the outward repentance which is not acceptable to God. 1Samuel 15:30-31

-          He preferred to look good in the presence of the elders than to look good in the presence of God.

All these unchecked attributes cost him the greatest gift of all,

-          He lost the spirit of God. The anointing to function. 1Samuel 16:12-14

-           

Romans 1:28 God gave him a reprobate mind to do things that are not convenient because he refuse to retain God in his mind.

Job 32:8. But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

What is anointing? Anointing is the divine empowerment to perform a specific task or instruction

·         The moment a man loses the anointing, he loses the ability to perform effectively

-          He will have what looks like the anointing but the power to perform is missing.

2Tim. 3:5 (Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away)

-          Immediately he lost the Spirit of God, he lost the anointing to serve

-          When the Spirit of God departs a man, such a life cannot remain empty. The evil spirit must inhabit such a life.

-          The evil spirit that replace the Spirit of God in the life of Saul came with madness, anger, wickedness, strife, pride, rage, fear, etc.

-          When the anointing departs a man, what is left is annoyance.

·         Saul could no longer perform unless there is a carrier of God’s anointing around him.

-          People began to help Saul seek methods to be able to carry out his God given mandate

-          Wisdom of men can never replace the anointing to function 1Samuel 16:15-23

·         David now became the carrier of the anointing that can propel the auction to function in the life of Saul.

-          The anointing for you to function is it still in you or it has been given to your neighbor, to your member as a leader, to your congregation as a pastor, to your wife as husband, etc.

·         For Saul to function effectively, David the carrier of the anointing must be present

-          For Saul to achieve a worthwhile goal, it must either be carried out by David or in the presence of David the carrier of the anointing.

·         Saul began to live under the shadow of David

-          When he tried to live away from David, destruction came upon him.

In Conclusion

• The reason why Saul lost it completely was his inability to seek God while he may be found. Isaiah 55:6 (seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near)

The Bible Says in

Revelation 3:20“(Behold, I stand at the door knocking, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me”)

• Why not open the door of your heart this morning and let God come in to restore back any anointing you have lost or to renew His anointing that sin has relegated to the background in your life
• He is knocking today, tomorrow may be too late. God can still mend the broken relationship you have with Him if only you will cry out to Him this morning.

Remain blessed.

PASTOR LANRE AREOLA

    

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