Weakness turned into Assets!

18 May 2014 by Natasha Kim CM-

Dave Gilpin, the Senior Pastor of Hope City Church in Sheffield, England, graced City Harvest Kuala Lumpur (CHCKL) on the 4^th of May 2014, where he preached to the crowd.

High-spirited and quirky, Dave expressed a contemporary style that many people of this day and age can relate to. Most of all, he has a strong prophetic anointing and is a highly sought after international speaker who demonstrates the gift of faith, that God will do exactly what He said he will do.

“I am here to maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. You are stronger than you think! The problem you’ve got is that you’re more mindful of what you are not than everything you are,” shared Dave.

With that, he began praying that the Holy Spirit would give the people in the room the revelation of whose they are and of who they are.

“I pray God that they would see that they are a treasure chest! There are emeralds and diamonds hidden deep within them in Jesus name. I pray God that they become more conscious of the goodness and the grace of God upon their lives then upon the failures in their lives,” prayed Dave before he began sharing the Word.

One day Dave’s wife brought back a book from America that described people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. His wife was stunned that every page in that book described her husband. Dave however read through it and felt as if he had been psychoanalyzed for the very first time by this psychologist. The book got it right about the inability to focus and about how people with ADHD had problems learning at school.

“I realised that everything in the book was true. The title said, ‘Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults’ but then the Holy Spirit got involved and said ‘You don’t have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder’, what you’ve got is attention deficit hyperactivity ASSET!

“I don’t like spinning one plate at a time, I like spinning twenty one plates and if one of them begins to wobble, I get excited! I love to leave things to the very last minute because making it just makes life absolutely awesome! You think it’s just because of the Holy Spirit that we’ve got ten congregations, it’s because I’ve got attention deficit hyperactivity asset. I’m not here just to spin one congregation. Our goal for the year 2020 is to have twenty five congregations of Hope City Church,” said Dave.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Pastor Dave praying for a sister-in-Christ

Many people suffer thinking that they’ve got a disorder when in reality and in God’s eyes, they’ve been given an asset. Flip that over and know that everything that you think is wrong with you is in fact right with you.

“It’s a gift from the Holy Spirit” said Dave.

Dave recalled a book he read by Simon Baron-Cohen, a psychologist who discussed his theory on how all men had a touch of autism. His example is that men cannot both watch television and listen to their wife at the same time.

“It’s an impossibility. I did a little test in the back to test ‘how autistic you might be if you’re a mal’e. In the autism spectrum, I came one point under Asperger syndrome. You know what I thought? I thought Lord, another gift?” said Dave humorously.

There wouldn’t be an Einstein or a man on the moon without autism.

“Autism equals genius, it might be at times socially dysfunctional but that’s a completely different issue. It seems to me that it’s a gift from God to be used as a specific laser light beam in the world,” he shared.

Detach your thinking from the normal structure and attach what you have to righteousness and the kingdom of God.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

The point is that all have us should in fact regard the things that we think may be stumbling blocks in our character or personalities as assets. The devil wants us all to stay mediocre and lukewarm, allowing us to think that we are worthless and that everyone is just the same or should be the same, and if you’re not the same as everyone else that there’s something wrong with you.

Put all your gifts together in one basket and realise that they are God given gifts.

Turnover your disorders and make them into tremendous assets for the kingdom of God!

“If I put all of your weaknesses in a truck, 50 percent of all your weaknesses are mythical. They do not exist! They are not disorders, they are gifts in disguise, they are gifts that have been squashed down by fear and anxiety but they are God given gifts. You are incredibly gifted!” shared Dave.

Do not allow the devil to make you something you’re not, know your strengths and use them.

The power of God is within you and guiding you, so be confident and know where your own strengths lie.

Do not compare yourself to others for you are tremendously special in the eyes of God.

“God builds His greatest revelations upon your greatest weaknesses. He builds cities of strength on the fault lines of your past and your history. It is an opportunity for you to have a revelation and stand up on the stage and talk about your Abba father because God showed you who He was through revelation, not through information!” said Dave.

The goodness and grace of God rest upon you.

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)