4 June by Donna Uning CM-
“The future you see is the future you possess,” shared Rev Gbenga Kotila to the crowd at Kuching Park Hotel here recently. “The future that you cannot see is impossible to possess.”
Rev Gbenga shared how Gideon was a Jew from the tribe of Manessah. During Gideon’s time, the Midianites would come when the Jews’ harvest is ready, to destroy their harvest. These Midianites would come with their chariots of horsesm with blads to pull down their harvest, even if it came early. Hence, Gideon his his harvest in a closed place.
“The devil, when he sees your future coming, he tries to close you up,” he said. “He tries to close you up so you do not step in, so that you would not walk.”
But God told Gideon that what he was doing was not what he was supposed to do. Gideon needed to do something different!
“One of the prayers you need to know how to pray is ‘Lord, teach me how to do it,’” he said. “Some labors don’t bring any harvest, some labors don’t bring anything, and some labors produce nothing. They labor and labor and nothing to show – that’s not good.”
Relating to the Jews, Rev Gbenga shared how the Midianites acted like the devil because they would not come during the time of sowing. But when the time of harvesting came, the Midianites would rose from their wait to destroy all the harvest, along with the hope for the future amongst the Jews.
“Your future will never be real; your future will never be established, unless you rise in the order of God; you need to rise in the fire of the Holy Spirit – tell the devil, no more! Speak with authority, no more!” he called. “The devil won’t know that’s enough until you tell him that’s enough! Soldiers don’t speak like chickens, soldiers speak like soldiers! Hallelujah! Let’s speak like soldiers!”
“Your future will never be established until you tell the devil, no more! Because you have the authority!” he emphasized. “Speak with authority! If you don’t speak with authority, you won’t win.”
Every believer has got authority. Are you a believer?
“Jesus said, you are the light of the world. You are designed to be the light of the world; God will illuminate you so people can see. You are a city, not a town, not a village and not a local community. You are a city set upon a hill not to be hidden,” Rev Gbenga said. “You don’t see stars shining on the floor, you see stars shining in the sky. And God says you are stars destined to shine! Tell your neighbor, I’ve got a future, you know! You can’t afford to hide; you can’t afford to be hidden.”
He added, “There comes a time when God can no longer hide Moses. The days, the seasons have come where you no longer will be hidden. No more hiding place; because your potential will speak. The grace of God in your life will speak. The anointing upon your life will speak! In the name of Jesus! Do you believe that?”
Gideon was hiding and the angel came with the Word from the Lord, ‘Hello Gideon, Mighty man of valor.’ Gideon said, ‘What? Mighty, what?’ Sometimes we say,’ I cannot; tidak boleh.’ What’s the meaning of that? “We need you to rise as a believer and say, “boleh!” Paul said I can do all things through Christ who strengthened him.
Gideon was hiding when God spoke to him to get ready for his future. “Get fired by your future!” Rev Gbenga called the church, adding how Gideon reacted doubtfully. Isn’t that the way we sometimes feel when we’re burden with certain responsibilities? While our pastor calls us to the word of God, we skip the church. “The first thing that happens to you when the future begins to call is a demand on you. Nothing is too much; God knows your capacity. When God was making you, He knew what He did in you that you did not see. He knows how to bring it out!” he said.
God started with the rod with Moses; he didn’t know the strength of the rod. “There’s more for my future,” he said adding that God called Abraham at 75. “Don’t look at your age and try to stop yourself. There is still more to accomplish; because there’s a future ahead.”
That’s how God looks for the mighty man; is it you? “All He needs is to touch your tongue,” he said. How many people have crippled themselves for their future because of their present situation? You are beyond situation! When the situation is over, you will still be standing. No wonder Paul said, ‘after you have done all, stand!’ “I think the next time we build a church, we should build churches without chairs!” Rev Gbenga added.
Then Gideon said, if God be with us, why is it we don’t see His miracles again? “When you don’t see His work for you, you always remember the past,” he said, telling that God is about to do something greater than He has ever done. Haggai 2:9 says, “the glory of the latter house shall be greater than the glory of the former house!” That’s the Word of God.
“Whatever He did with your mother and father, He will do more with you,” he said, “The path of the just shines brighter.” There’s no better yesterday, but there’s a better tomorrow, he added. It is getting better; it can never get worse. Because God is on the throne!
Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”
“Sometimes we look back but God is ready in the now. There is no limit to what He can do. He is the author and finisher of your faith. If He started it, He will finish it,” he said. “I hear in my spirit, God is going to give grace to do more.”
Do you want that? Grace to do more? God is going to do greater things in your days. You have grace for more.
Gideon said, ‘I am the least of my father’s house.’ But God is interested in the least. Why are we giving excuses when God is speaking our future? No more! “Whenever God reveals Himself, the first thing you see is your inability, isn’t it?” he asked.
But Paul said not that we are insufficient in ourselves but our sufficiency is in God.
“It’s not about me, it’s about Him. It’s not about what we can do, but what He can do,” he said. God calls; God gives potential and ability.
Gideon could not see the future, he was constrained.
Rev Gbenga said, “The Bible says where there is no vision, people perish. God needs vision and people, the two works together. When there’s no vision, the people complain, they murmur. When vision comes, I will see the future.”
God told Gideon he would smite the Midianites as one man with an army reducing from 32,000, to 10,000, and finally 300 people. “God does not need multitudes for His fight. When He holds your hand, victory will come. But one with God is a majority,” he said.
Psalm 144:1 says, “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”
Your enemy knows you will defeat him when you don’t believe you’re going to defeat him! If you know you will make it alive, what will you do? “If I know I will succeed, I will step out!” he declared. If Peter tested the water, it will sink. Faith does not reason. Smith Wigglesworth says, faith jumps, fear loses!
“I don’t need to know I will make it, I know I will make it! I have assurance because somebody came ahead of me. Someone secured the future for me! His name is Jesus!” he called.
Abraham died, they buried him. Isaac died, they buried him. Jacob died, they buried him. John the Baptist died, they buried him.
Jesus died, they buried Him but He came out of the grave!
“My future is not dead, my future is alive! Jesus is my future! Jesus is the reality of your destiny! Nothing can stop your destiny because you’ve been created to happen,” he believed. “I’ve been created to happen!”
Hebrews 12:2 says, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
“There’s a joy ahead of you. God allowed the obstacle so you can see a miracle,” he continued explaining. Until you see the Word of God and you see the perceived self-image versus God’s image – you’re not in the Word yet. Man fell because the devil alters our perceived self-image.
How do we know that we are made in God’s image. Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, “Let US make mankind in OUR image, in our likeness.” ‘Us’ refers to the trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and ‘mankind’ refers to us. How come this man now feels he’s a nobody? That is because the devil created another image.
“This is a revelation I caught a couple of years ago in my life,” he told. “I’m a product of God – once you get this, things come to perspective. The devil does not want you to know this.”
Fear is false evidence appearing real.
“You won before you came to this earth. Isaiah says, ‘God declares the end from the beginning. Whatever God finishes, He starts,;” he said.
Hebrews 1:10 says, “He also says, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.”
“The moment you see your future, your potential wakes up! What you see matters in the reality of your future,” he said, adding that in every obstacle, every ridicule, there’s a miracle. “Be fired by what you see in God and not in life.”
God is my supplier, God is my provider, and God is my El Shaddai!
“Be fired by the truth of God’s Word. The truth of God’s Word assures you of your future,” he said. “Speak faith!”
It’s your time of testimony. Don’t just speak the Word of God, be fired by it.
The evening ended with a powerful impartation and healing sessions, as well as a joyful celebration. Rev Gbenga Kotila is the Senior Pastor for Centre for Reality, Ibadan, Nigeria.
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