ANOINTING FOR GREATNESS 2nd of January, 2004

Everything you do this year please do it with all your strength! There was a shepherd boy that became the greatest king that Israel ever had. There is something that we can learn from this shepherd boy and that is that everything he did, he did with all his strength. When he goes to war, he fought with all his strength. When he's praising God He will do it with all his strength. When he's dancing for God, even though he was a king, nobody could beat him. I want you  to start this year with just about 3 minutes of praising God like you have never done before! Go ahead, praise Him! Worship Him! Dance for Him! Clap for Him! Sing unto Him! Praise Him like you have never done before! …. Thank You Daddy! Amen!

Thank You Lord! Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy is the Lord….. Those of you who can sing in the spirit, go ahead now, begin to sing in the spirit. The rest of you can just key in……… Alleluia, Alleluia, alleluia! Thank You Lord! Thank You Lord! Thank You Lord! In the mighty Name of Jesus!

Father we bless Your Name! King of Kings! Lord of Lords!! I AM THAT I AM! Ancient of Days!! Alpha, Omega, Beginning, Ending, Almighty God, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace! Glory be to Your Holy Name! Glory be to Your Holy Name! Father Glory be to Your Holy Name! Thank You for the New Year! Thank You for the year that has gone! Thank You for miracles signs and wonders! Thank You for  Your Congress! Thank You for the souls saved! Thank You for the souls healed! Thank You for those set free! Thank You that there were no accidents Glory be to Your Holy Name Lord! Father Glory be to Your Holy Name! Accept our thanks in Jesus' Name! (Amen!) Today Father, have Your way. Send down the fire of the Holy Spirit! Let today be different, let it be wonderful, let it be glorious, let it be powerful! Let it be just wonderful! Take all the glory, give all the blessings In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!) Let somebody shout 'Alleluia!' (Alleluia!)

For those of you who were not here on the Eve night – the Lord told us that this year is going to be the most crucial year in our lives, that what is going to happen to us for the rest of our lives will be determined by what we did or didn't do this year. So we want to start in a fairly different manner. We want to pray some serious prayers because you see, you cannot allow anybody to block your way this year – and I told those who were here on that Eve night that when you hear some prayers you may want to hesitate to pray. Don't hesitate pray! They are very, very necessary. And we are going to settle the matter of our leadership first because whatever happens to the head is going to affect the body.

So your first prayer is for the GO. You are going to say... You will lift your voice to the Almighty God and say, Father, if the General Overseer is using any other powers other than Yours, kill him! Go ahead  talk to the Almighty God: If this General Overseer is using any other power other than yours, kill him, kill him straight away, kill him this very week, we don't want somebody who will lead us astray.! If the General Overseer is pretending and he's using any powers other that Your power kill him! Kill him immediately! Open your mouth and pray – it is very important! Pray this prayer, your own is coming! Pray! Pray! If the General Overseer is using any other powers other than Yours – kill him! kill him! kill him! Straight away! Don't spare! Judgement has to begin in the house of God! If he is using any other means other than Your powers – kill him! Don't spare him! Thank You Father! Hear Your children in Jesus' Name! (Amen!)

Then you need to point to him and say, "Father, But if he's using Your powers and Your powers only then increase his anointing!" Go ahead talk to the Almighty God: If he's relying on You and You alone, increase his anointing! Because we need more miracles, we need more signs, we need more wonders! Lord if this Your son relies on You and You alone then equip him like never before! Increase his anointing so that he can do what You want done, easily, effectively, thoroughly…. Thank You Father! …… Father hear the cry of Your children and do exactly as they have asked for, exactly as they have asked for… do it for them … that Your name might be glorified. Thank You Lord! In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!)

Now you are still praying for the GO. Your own is coming so pray very well and say, "Father, if the GO is going to slow me down this year by not telling me the whole truth – remove Him! Go ahead! Talk to the Lord! Your life depends on it! You cannot afford to miss this year! Pray! Pray! If the General Overseer's going to slow me down this year by not telling me the whole truth – remove him! Put somebody there who will tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! I can't afford to waste anymore of my life. It's up t o You Lord! I have cried to You at the beginning of the year! Hear Lord! Hear and answer and do quickly what I've requested for, to the glory of Your Name! Thank You Father! In Jesus mighty Name we pray! (Amen!)

Now You go on and say, "Father, If any pastor, any minister will hinder me this year uproot him or her – go ahead, talk to the Almighty God! Any pastor, any minister, any where that will want to hinder me this year – uproot him or her. Any one who wants to hinder me, any pastor, any minister who will want to hinder me this year, who will not let me move like I should move, whose life-style is going to drag me back – uproot Lord! Don't spare! No don't spare! Just go ahead Lord God Almighty! purify Your church, to the glory of Your holy Name purify Your church! Thank You Father! In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!)

Now you are going to pray for your neighbour. Don't touch anybody – just pray. Say, "Father, Any agent of the devil that is hiding among us – set them on fire! Set them on fire! Set them on fire! Every agent of the devil, hibernating among us – set them on fire! set them on fire Lord, set them on fire! set them on fire! Wherever they may be. Whether they be among the workers, or they be among the choir, or they be among the ushers or they be among the pastors or they be in the congregation! In any way, how, whatsoever, any agent of the devil hibernating amongst us – set them on fire! Thank You Lord! Thank You Father! In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!)

It's your turn now. We will make your own gentle for now. It's not going to remain forever gentle. Say, "Father, If I've been  hindering Your work in the past, forgive me – I won't do so again" Go ahead! Talk to God! If I'm the one who had been hindering Your work in the past, Lord, forgive me, I won't do so again. Have mercy on me Lord! Have mercy on me! Have mercy on me!  If I've been hindering Your work in the past Lord, please forgive me, I won't do so again! I won't do so again! I promise You Lord this year,  I won't hinder Your work! Please forgive me. Have mercy on me Lord, have mercy. I promise You I won't do so again!

Say, "Father, don't let me be my own enemy this year! Go ahead! Talk to God! Almighty don't let me be my own enemy this year! Thank You Lord! Don't let me be my own enemy this year! Thank You my Father and M God!  Don't let me be my own enemy this year! Please Lord, Don't let me be my own enemy this year! Don't let me be my own enemy this year! Don't let me be my own enemy this year! Thank You Jesus! BBYHN Alleluia! Father! In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!)

One final prayer for yourself before we proceed, and that is, "Father, let my life glorify You this year. Go ahead! Talk to the Lord! Almighty God Let my life glorify You this year! Let my life glorify You this year!…. Let my life, my entire life,  glorify You this year! Let it be so Lord! Thank You Father! In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!)

Father, we have no help but You. You are the only one that can help us. There are many enemies of our souls that we don't even know – people and organisations and groups that may not want us to reach our goal. This year Father, beginning from now, uproot them in Jesus' Name! (Amen!)  Whoever they may be, whether General Overseer or pastor, or minister, or choir or worker or usher or anyone that will not let us reach our goal this year – uproot in Jesus' Name! (Amen!)

And Lord we beg, don't let us be our own enemies this year Thank You Father! In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!)  Let me hear somebody shout 'Alleluia!' (Alleluia!)

Now we could be seated with the exception of those who are born in January. All January children stand. All right we want to pray for you. This is your month and you will have extra ordinary success this month. In the mighty Name of Jesus! I commit all January children into Your hands – they are the children of the beginning, Father, and you are the Alpha.. Father, help them! Support them! Promote them! Prosper them! Lket it be well with them! Let this year be more wonderful than the ones they have spent in the past! Let their joy forever be full! In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!) Let me hear you shout 'Alleluia!' (Alleluia!)  God bless you! Happy Birthday to all of you and Happy New Year to every one of you. This year will be glorious for you. God will show you His salvation one way or the other He will make sure your joy is full. By force He will drive laziness out pf your bones – that inability to pray, the Almighty God will take it away from you.

I told those who came on the Eve – no more shallow waters! This year, because  of what God has told me, I'm not gong to be gentle with you, I'm not going to be gentle with myself either. I'm not going to be just Daddy this year – I'm also going to be coach! Going to be your coach so if you are not ready for serious business don't come to the Holy Ghost Service stay away – we are only  interested in serious people this year. We don't want a crowd of failures, we want a crowd of those who will be great. How many of you will be great? Let me hear a great 'Alleluia!' (Alleluia!) And then you need to know – no royal road to success. If you want to reach the top you need to know that climbing is not for the lazy ones. There is always a price to pay for something good. Anything that is cheap has no value. How valuable something is determined by how great the  price you have to pay. This year we are going to pray hard, we are going to work hard, we are going to sow hard, we are going to study hard and we are going to harvest hard. By the time the year is over you would have laid the foundation for the rest of your life.

I prayed a prayer for  those who came on the Eve which I know is already working for them. I want to pray it for those of you who are here too :  by December 2004 you will be as powerful as I am now… I didn't hear your 'Amen' to that. ..what I'm believing God for you is that by December of this year, you will wave your hand and the sick will be healed, so shall it be.

That will tell you straight away why it can't be just any crowd. It's only those of us who are ready for serious business…. a group of commandos for the Lord. There are some people who come 3 times a year. They come in March. They come in August. They come in December. They will be welcome but like I told those who came on the Eve it is what is inside the bird that the bird flies with. Two people can dress very well, wear the same kind of suit, sit down together smiling – you can’t know the difference if everything is just normal.. But if a policeman comes to the 2 of them and says, "Hey, you!" One of the 2 is a carpenter, the other one is a lawyer. The carpenter is going to say, "Yes sir! Yes sir!" But the lawyer will say, "Yes, officer, can I help you?" What is the difference between the two? What they know! By the end of this year, God helping me, the devil will say, "Hey you!" You will say to the devil, "Are you talking to me? Are you addressing me?" " Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Ah!" That's how it will be in Jesus Name!

But then the pot that is going to eat the stew, the bottom will be hot.. That is why I asked you to pray the prayers we prayed at the beginning. You need to know the kind of power God is going to transfer to you. That is why I say if the GO is using any other power other than that of God, God kill him! Because out of that power is going to be transferred to you this year. (Amen!) And that's why I also asked you to pray the 2nd prayer or is it the 3rd ?one? That if the GO is going to hinder me this year by not telling me the whole truth, remove him! I know you are praying that prayer  now and God had heard! So if for any selfish reason I want to hold back the truth from you, I will remember your prayer. This year I will tell you the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth whether it is bitter or not.

So if you have friends that you love, tell them that the Holy Ghost Service has become something else. It is now the School of Greatness, theSchool of the Supernatural and I want you to help me inform all those who have attended the School of Disciples I will have a short meeting  with them on February 6th after the Holy Ghost Service . And please, all the Covenant Partners in group 4 I will want to have a meeting with you on the 25th January at 5pm at Comfort Palace, so in case you don't get our letters before then, please if you know any one that is in Group 4 just tell him: 25 January, 5pm Comfort Palace, we are going to have a meeting.

1 Samuel 16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

The Almighty God said to Samuel, "Why are you weeping for Saul? I have rejected him!" I pray God will not reject you! (Amen!) Anyone that God has rejected is finished. Finished! No Pastor, no GO can bring him back again. God is saying to Samuel, "I'm the one who chose this fellow, I'm the one who told you to anoint him, I'm the one who said he should be king. Then he got there and he became too big, he won't obey me anymore.  I made him, so  I unmake him!" I pray one more time the Almighty God will not reject any of you. (Amen!) You better say 'Amen!' hard! (Amen!)

So He said, "Fill your horn with oil, I want to send you to Jesse, I have provided me a king." There is at least someone here today who is going to become a king for God. It is for such people that I have a message this year. I will do my best, I will do my very best to teach you this year. It is up to you to learn.  God said to Samuel, "Samuel, forget the past because I want to do a new thing!" The Almighty God wants to do a new thing in your life. (Amen!) If you will not answer my prayers I will stop praying for you… You know I can direct the prayers at myself, I can just say, God is asking me to let you know He wants to do anew thing in my life…

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. It said, Old things have passed away. All things have become new! This year, in your life, everything will become New! In Phil. 3:13-14 Paul said, "I am forgetting the things that are behind and pressing towards the ones to come.." I'm prophesying to somebody here today, your success of  toady will make all the success of the past appear as nothing! Your joy this year will make all the joys of your previous years as nothing! Your greatness this year will reduce all your greatness of the past to nothing. So shall it be in Jesus' Name! (Amen!)

So God said to Samuel: Forget the past! I want to do a new thing. "Fill thy horn with oil." What is that one saying? He is saying, Samuel it is time for anointing, time for power! Tell your neighbour: This is my year for anointing! This is my year of power!

You know, one of the things God said, concerning this year is that the days of false prophets in Nigeria are numbered. So may  I appeal to all of you who always say, 'God said' when He hasn't said anything, you  better keep your mouth shut.

Now God said to me that in February, at the Holy Ghost Service they’ll be an anointing service. I said, "Lord, Amen! I will do whatever you ask, I will do all you ask. But we have just had an anointing service in December and usually we have anther one in March." So He said, "Yes, I know but some people were not here in December and they will come in February and they want to be a King for me so I'm going to anoint them." I said, "Your will be done! What about those of us who have been anointed in December?" He said, "You'll get a double dose." I said, "Well Thank You Daddy but will there be another anointing service in March?" He said, Yes, Have you forgotten that David was anointed 3 times and that there are people among my children who will be greater than David?" Is anybody like that here today? Let me hear you shout for joy Let me hear you shout for joy! And by the way, just in case I may forget… when you are coming in March I may forget, get 2 brand new handkerchiefs, pure white because you are going to hold one on your left, one on your right and God is going to do something. He's going to bless your right, He's going to bless your left! This is a very. very crucial year!

Fill your horn with oil, Samuel. It is time for anointing. It is time for yokes to be destroyed. I am prophesying to somebody today, every hindering force in your life shall be destroyed this year! (Amen!) Every hindering force, from any angle whatsoever, shall be destroyed by the anointing this year! (Amen!) Isaiah 10:27 says the anointing destroys the yoke. My brothers and my sisters, my beloved children…..

Matt. 3:11 says that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to baptize us with the Holy Ghost and with fire. May I tell you that this year you are going to have a taste of the Holy Ghost fire! (Amen!) Now when God said to Samuel, fill thy horn, He said to him, where you are going, we are not going to need half full of oil. The horn must be full! It is time for abundant anointing. You will remember years later David said inPsalm 23:5, Thou anointest my head with oil. What happens to my cup? My cup runneth over.  This year your cup of power will overrun.(Amen!) I've said it before in the past, that a time is coming that a member of the RCCG will be so powerful that when you go to the market anyone you bump against by accident  will be healed! I believe that is going to start this year!

The anointing for excelling, the kind that was on Daniel, is coming on someone this year.

God went further to say, I have provided me a King. We all know God is a great provider. Phil.4:19 It says,  But my God shall provide all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. This year your physical needs will be supplied, (Amen!),  your mental needs will be supplied, (Amen!), your spiritual needs will be supplied, (Amen!), your marital needs will be supplied! (Amen!)

When you read Psalm 23 you will see the link between all these supplies and anointing. It said my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Christ means "The Anointed One." After David was anointed that was when he wrote Psalm 23. And when you get home study Psalm 23 or better still get my  book on Psalm 23, and you will see everything God says He has provided for you there. Sleep - He maketh me to lie down. Not by force, just gently like a baby. In green pastures, and we all know that that green pasture is the best food for the sheep. So He provides me with abundant food. He leads me beside the still waters so that I can drink to my satisfaction. He restores my soul. He gives me restoration. He leads me in the paths of righteousness. He gives me divine guidance. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil … … He gives me boldness! He says,  For thou art with me… He assures me of divine presence! He says, Thy rod.. that means correction – make a mistake, I hit you on the head, And Thy staff, they comfort me! I will never lack for comfort. Thou preparedst  a table before me. You know divine catering, You can never find a better caterer than the Almighty! In  the presence of my enemies. Security! Real security! And then He anointed my head with oil. That's anointing! My cup runneth over! Overflowing Blessing1 Then surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me – for how long? - All the days of my life and I have somewhere to dwell. I'll be dwelling in the house of the Lord forever and ever!. God has provided everything you can eat! Sleep! Abundant food! Drink! Restoration! Boldness! divine Presence! Correction! Protection! Comfort! Divine catering! Security! Anointing! Overflowing Blessing! Goodness, mercy and accommodation! God is a Great Provider. Will somebody give that God a big round of applause!

According to Ephesions 3:20, it said, God is able to provide abundantly, exceedingly, abundantly above all you can ask or think. Before you can even think about it He will say, "I will provide…"  because His name is Jehovah El Shaddai, the God who is more than enough! Only God could say, as He said in Malachi 3:10, He said, I will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing, one blessing, that you won't have room enough to contain. Get ready brethren, a time is coming when your blessing will be so much , there will not be enough room to contain them. Not only blessings of these material things. You know Deut. 34:7 says, Moses was 120 years old and he didn't need glasses. The Bible says his eyes were not dim and his natural force was not abated. You know what that one means – your natural force not abated? That means he could still father a child at 120. And then I see some of you walking like this at 60-something. " Don't you know I'm already old? I'm an elder now…" When God says that  a young child will die at hundred! That we will come to church and say, "Hey, we lost a child.." How old is the child? Hundred years old! That's the promise of God! So those of you who are  already thinking of walking by the stick because you are approaching seventy, throw away the stick, stand higher! You are a child of the living God! Let me hear you shout 'Alleluia!' "I can't fast, I'm 65 years old!" This year you will fast! You will fast until you become young again!

Joshua 14:6-13 Caleb said, I am now 85. I am as strong today as I was when I was 40! Ready to go to battle to take mountains, to defeat giants at 85! How old are you that you are now asking that they must carry you before you can come out? He will renew your age like the eagles. (Amen!)

God is the great Provider! He will provide you with health, strength, long life, vitality. The man is saying, I have provided for all but now I want to provide for myself! ….. When the Almighty God comes to our midst and He goes round, checking, checking, checking and then He gets to your side, He says, I want you to be special unto me, Will you be happy? I didn't hear you?   You know for a while I've been thinking. I've been studying everything that has to do with the Holy Communion Service and by the way I should have told those of you that didn't come on the Eve, by the grace of God, the Thursday before the Holy Ghost night there will be Holy Communion Service here on Camp, by 7 pm..

And when I got to Mark 14:12-16 I tried to imagine that man in whose house the Lord ate the Last Supper. There are thousands of houses but God chose that man's house! God will come and eat in your house this year! (Amen!) I say God will come and eat in your house this year! Can you imagine if the President says he wants to come and eat lunch in your house? Everybody in the street will know! Because the day before he arrives the security men would have come to check everybody in the street and they will be saying, "Ah! What’s happening?" The President is coming to eat in your house! Can you imagine if the King of Glory is coming to eat in your house! All the Host of heaven would have come to check every house in the street! – every witch, every wizard, every demon would have been scattered! God will eat in your house this year! But will you make the house ready! If God says He wants to use your house this year will you surrender the house to Him? They said to some people, "We want to use your house for house fellowship. They said, "No…  I don't want every Dick and Harry coming into my house. My rug is imported from Persia." God wants to pay you a visit! Your God will visit in Jesus' Name! (Amen!)

You know when I was studying Matthew 21:1-11 about the ass that Jesus rode – what a blessed ass. You know he even walked the clothes of human beings. Do you know he trampled on human clothes. How I wish God could ride me! How many of you want Jesus Christ to just ride on you? ! Let me hear you shout 'Alleluia!' ! (Alleluia!)   because that's exactly what He's going to do from now on.

And when I read this Mark 14; if you read from 3 to 9 there, there was a woman who had an alabaster box of ointment, very, very precious and she came broke it and poured the oil on the head of Jesus Christ. You know when people read that passage they talk about how precious the ointment is – ah she gave something very, very costly to God! That is true but what I saw there is the unbelievable privilege  of being the one who will carry oil and pour it on the head of the Almighty! How much will I pay for the opportunity, you know when we sing the song, "And crown Him Lord of all I always try to imagine myself taking the crown to put it on the head of Jesus Christ! What a privilege! Even to be the one whose head will touch His feet. You know when she was wiping the feet with the hair on her head, the head was touching that leg that had been from eternity to eternity! What an honour to be chosen by God for God! May God choose you this year in Jesus' Name! (Amen!) I say may God choose you this year in Jesus' Name! (Amen!). What an honour to be a divine treasurer, to be the treasurer of the one who said , "The earth is mine and the fullness thereof." What an honour!

And He wants someone special, someone special that will be reserved for Him. He's looking for someone who will be reserved for God so that He can pour wealth into His pocket. In Haggai 2:4 and 8. He said , "You work for me and I will show you that gold is mine, silver is mine!" He's looking for a barren woman who will say, "Lord, give me a son and I will give him back to you!" like Hannah said. The Almighty God is looking for someone who will say, "Heal me and I will serve you!" Like it happened  to the mother-in-law of Peter. She was feverish, Jesus went in, touched her hand, she got up immediately and began to prepare food for him. This year God is looking for people who want to give, not those who want just to receive…. those who want to serve Him! They are the ones He will prosper this year. He's looking for those who will dance for Him so that He can remove all the shackles that the enemy has put on their feet. He's looking for those who will clap for Him so that He can make their hands free. He's looking for people who will shout for Him, so that He can give them something to shout about! He said, "I have provided me a King." Not a useless person! He didn't say, "I have provided me a slave!" when He said I have provided me a king… whether the devil likes it or not, you are going to reach the top. As many of you as have determined to serve God whole heartedly this year, you will reach the top!

2 Timothy 2:20-21, the Bible says in a great house there are all kinds of vessels, some vessels unto honour, some vessels unto dishonour. It said there are certain vessels that are meet for the master's use. You will be a vessel unto honour to the Almighty God in Jesus' Name! (Amen!). He said ,  I have provided for myself a king! It is easy to understand that when God wants to provide something for Himself, it has to be the best. When you check the vessels that are used in the house of God in those days. In 1 Kings 7:48-50, you will find that every one of them were made of pure gold – gold that is so pure…. God is looking for human beings – this year in particular – that will be pure gold stuff! Pure in thoughts, pure in deeds, pure in their words, pure in their motives! And the moment He got such a fellow He will give them special protection. Psalm 105:14-15, it said touch not my anointed… don't try it! Don't try it! The moment you  become special to God, anybody who tries to harm you will have the Almighty God to deal with. In Deuteronomy 32:8-10 it describes those who are special to Him as the apples of His eyes and only a stupid person will want to go and tamper with the apple of the eye of the Most High! Psalm 91 tells us the kind of protection God gives to those who are special to Him. How can you be a house-help, living in the house of God and expect evil to come near you? No way! You will just hear that it's happening outside. It's not going to come near you.

I mean there are certain things He said, in this Psalm 91. If you look at verse 14-16 there, it said if you will voluntarily decide, I'm going to serve God. I'm going to serve God with all my heart because I love Him! I will be His servant! I will do whatever He asked me to do! There are 7 things God said that He will do for you – number one is that I will deliver you. I will promote you! That's what it means by saying – I will set you on High! He said, I will answer you! He said, I will be with you. He said, I will honour you! He said, I will satisfy you with long life! He said, I will show you my salvation! All this will be your portion this year in Jesus' Name! (Amen!)

But He said, I have provided me a king! Anyone that God says, I am providing for myself – no matter how humble people may look at him, he will be operating as a king. Eccl 8:14 it says where the word of the king is there is power. You become dedicated to the service of God, every decree you make will be established. In 1 Samuel 8:19, the Almighty God says, concerning Samuel, that boy that was dedicated to Him, "He's  going to serve me all the days of his life. He's not going to serve any other person other than me!" He said, "When he speaks, before his saliva can touch the ground I will do what he asks me to do." Do you know that this year, as you become completely dedicated to God, when you pray here, before you get to the expressway, the answer will come. You better say 'Amen!' to that! (Amen!)

You know when I was studying Elisha and I got to 2 Kings 2:23-24, and there were some demonic children that were mocking Elisha and he turned round and cursed them, the Bible said, 2 she-bears came out from the bush and tore them! I said, "Ah!, the bears, had they been waiting? Waiting to kill people?" The answer I got from the Holy Spirit was that even if there were no bear anywhere around, because my servant has spoken, I will create 2 immediately, to carry out his wishes! Everything that you need that your prayers may be answered speedily, if they are not yet there, before the sun rises God will provide them! God will provide them!

Now if we look at 1 Samuel 13:14 you will notice that before we even came to 1 Samuel 16 certain things had been happening….

God had been seeking for somebody since last year, He had been  seeking for somebody : Who am I going to promote in the year 2004? Who am I going to set on high in the year 2004? Who is going to be head in the year 2004? Who is going to serve me with all his heart in the year 2004? Who is the one? Let me hear you shout 'Alleluia!' (Alleluia!)

He said, the Lord had sought Him a man. You see a king always goes for the best. 1 Samuel 8:10-17 the Bible made it clear, that a king,  when Israel asked for a king, the king you are asking for is going to take the best that you have for himself! Now the Almighty God is called the King of Kings, so automatically when He says I want to select somebody for Myself, He searches carefully. He looks for the best of the best. I pray that the Almighty God will choose you this year (Amen!) and you will become the best of the best. (Amen!)

When we read Proverbs 3:9-10. It says honour the Lord with the first fruits of your increase…. no… no…. don't treat God as if He's a beggar. He's the King of Kings, He wants the best. That's why it says give Him your first fruits – don't give Him leftovers! Now God is looking for the best among the best and remember He has billions to choose from! That's why the Bible says His eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth. God is looking for somebody. If God want s to choose somebody who will be the greatest Pastor in the whole world – you know there are so many pastors to choose from and He may brush aside all the pastors and look among those who are not even pastors yet. If God is looking for someone who is going to be the best of the best in the whole world will  He find you? I say will He find you? You didn't answer me! Will He find you? (Yes!) So shall it be in Jesus Name! (Amen!)

God is looking for somebody like Abraham who will surrender his best to God so that God in return can give him the best. God is looking for somebody like David on whim he can pour every blessing He has so that the cup can run over! But He wants someone who will turn round and say, I will sing unto the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with me. He is looking for someone who will focus on God and on God alone. Now, so He was searching for someone – then Psalm 89:20 tells us that He found someone, He said, I have found David, my servant. With my own oil have I anointed him. He found one. God will find one today. (Amen!) He will find someone who will do His utmost will. If the Almighty God were to ask a question today and say, Who is on the Lord's side? Who will serve the King of Kings?" What will be your answer? I didn't hear you!

There's a song we used to sing – a question and answer song, that's all – Who is on the Lord's side? I want to know, who is on the Lord's side? I am on the Lord's side and the Lord is on m side. As long as I live, As long as I live, I am on the Lord's side… well maybe we should sing it once or twice so that those who don't know it can pick it up quickly. It's a very crucial song for this year. … who is on the Lord's side?…..Sisters alone I want you to sing it. I will ask the question, you will answer it…. who is on the Lord's side? I want to know, who is on the Lord's side? I am on the Lord's side and the Lord is on my side. As long as I live, As long as I live, I am on the Lord's side… That's good! Now brothers! Who is on the Lord's side? I want to know, who is on the Lord's side? I am on the Lord's side and the Lord is on my side. As long as I live, As long as I live, I am on the Lord's side……Everybody together now! Who is on the Lord's side? I want to know, who is on the Lord's side? I am on the Lord's side and the Lord is on my side. As long as I live, As long as I live, I am on the Lord's side……… And l will be on your side in Jesus' Name! (Amen!)

Now He said, "I have found David, my servant." Now this seems to be… I thought He said, I have provided me a King and now He's saying, I have found David, my servant? King, servant, servant king? Which one? The  person God is looking for is the one who will be a king and yet be a servant. Jesus Christ said in Mark 10:44, It said, the one who is going to be the greatest among you must be the servant of all! God is looking for someone whose handkerchiefs will, heal, whose handkerchiefs will cast out demons! Like Apostle Paul – at the same time… if you read Acts 28:1-10, when there was a shipwreck on the Island of Malta and it was raining and it was very cold and all the people in the boat were sitting round the fire. Who was the one who went to fetch firewood? Apostle Paul!

You ask a Bishop to go and fetch firewood!…. Don't you now who I am? I'm a provincial Pastor! Me? To sweep the ground! We are going to sit there. Don't you know who I am? You want me to dust the chair for people to sit on?…… The hand that cannot do manual labour can never heal the sick! You can write that one down! And you want to be able to open blind eyes? Forget it! It's not going to happen. It's not going to happen!  It's as simple as that! You want  God to use you? Come down from that exalted throne that you have placed yourself on and become a servant!

Peter, his shadow healed the sick and yet when Jesus was feeding the multitude Peter was among those serving the bread and fish. Not only that, when Jesus Christ said, Gather up the remainder, Peter was among those who were collecting the leftovers. I told you I would tell you the whole truth this year! Those of you who  just want to come and just sit down, doing nothing, no contribution of any type. We say we want to work for God. "Well how much will it cost to hire a labourer?" Who should be the labourer if not you? Some of you came to the Congress, everything was set. Check, I visited every toilet to make sure everything is clean, waiting for you. Oh, some years ago when things were smaller - ask those people who are older pastors there, I will take my pail, fill it with water and Izal and get my broom and then I say, "Any volunteer who wants to follow me?" "Where are we going?" "To  wash the toilets!" These hands that can wash toilets, will raise the dead! Do you want to raise the dead too?

The King that will be the servant. The greatest of you will be the servant of all. Nowadays we hear of, "I am the wife of the provincial Pastor, I can't work in the kitchen – don't you know who I am? My hands are for bangles not for holding firewood." Fine, put all the bangles there my dear and watch the rest of us as we begin to chase out demons, as we  begin to heal the sick, as we begin to cause the lame to walk! Do I hear somebody shout Alleluia! (Alleluia!). You can't do manual labour? You are not going to go far. When I became born again I told the Almighty God I had been wild, wild for the devil, now I am on Your side, I don't want to be an ordinary Christian, I want to be like You!"  How many of you want to be like Jesus Christ? Ah! So shall it be in Jesus' Name! (Amen!)

And things began to happen. Ask the elders there. They know my history. I was  born again in their presence. Ask the interpreter - he knows my history! Glory be to God! I know that we wanted to cut the bush round the Church at Ebute-Metta. I was a lecturer in the University. My car was probably the newest one even though it was second-hand in the church. I told you he knows my history – I was glad! I went to the market I boughtagboaje - file it very well, I was the first to arrive in Church, cutting grass! The hand that was cutting grass can now make the barren conceive. Then we wanted to extend our land and to do so we carry sawdust and pour it into the lagoon. I was happy! I got a big basket. One day as I was carrying the sawdust, there was go –slow and some people thought there might be  a way through the church. They didn't know that it's just the church there. And one of my former students in the University of Lagos was driving into the church and he saw me with big basket of sawdust on my head. He said, "Ahhhh! Oga!" I said, "Which oga? Which oga? You want to be oga to Jesus?" To lead is to serve. To lead is to serve. The Almighty God is looking for someone whose dead bones will raise the dead but who at the same time must be willing to pour water on the hands of others. Are you still on the Lord's side? (Yes!) You still want Him to take you as something special? God is looking for someone like Paul, through whom He can perform special miracles but who will forever regard himself as less then the least… If anybody ask me, why are you always saying  Sir, Sir, Sir " to everybody? I'm less than the least of the saints. The lower you are, the higher God will promote you. The higher you put yourself, the bigger will be your crash when He crushes you. The Bible says, underneath are the everlasting arms. You want him to promote you? Humble yourself!

Now there's no shouting now! I told you I would tell you the truth, the whole truth…… But there is nothing else for me to do – before I get here  they have already cleaned all the chairs! That's true o - because you came late! Those who want to be number one they will come before you. But there are other ways you could even serve God. How many times you drove past those who are coming  to the Holy Ghost Service and  there's nobody in your car? How many times? Sir, don't you know that there are armed robbers? Is it your car that armed robbers are looking for? The Almighty God doesn't know that you are coming to His own place? He doesn't know you are coming to serve Him? There are many of us here – I told you, I'm not going to spare you this year because you are going to be number one – you are going to be the best, you are going to reach the top, but the pot that will eat the stew there will be some fire underneath!

There are many of us here who could conveniently hire a bus to carry people on Holy Ghost night to the Holy Ghost ground, without you feeling it at all! If you want to serve, there are avenues to serve! There are avenues to serve! This year you will serve Him! I didn’t hear your 'Amen!' (Amen!)I say I didn't hear your 'Amen!' (Amen!)

He said, I have found David, my servant. God is not just looking for somebody who will serve the people. He's looking for someone who will serve Him! H's no longer looking for ministers who will be directed by people. That's what got Saul into trouble. He wanted to be popular! He didn't want to offend the people. I know how to preach so I won't offend you. But I will rather offend you and please God so at the end of the day I will see you in heaven. I will tell you the truth – if you don't like it that's no problem! He said, I have found David my servant, who will serve me.. I'm going to serve God this year. If you will serve Him say it loud and clear! Say it as if you  mean it! God is looking for someone who like Jesus Christ will say to the devil, "You shall worship the Lord, Thy God and Him alone shall thou serve!"

Do you know the reason why many of us don't worship Him the way we ought to? Why we don't dance the way we ought to? It's because we are thinking, what will the people around be saying: "Look at Chief so-so-so, look at the way he is dancing!" I remember what David said, when Michal said, "How can you be dancing like this?" What did he say? "Ahh," he said, "I'm dancing for God – the One who made me King, the One who took the kingdom from your father and gave it to me – He's  the one I'm dancing for!" Ehhh…" he said, "You haven't seen anything yet! Let me dance for you a little more!" Who am I dancing for? The  One who gave me legs to dance! Who am I clapping for? The One who gave me two hands to clap! Who am I shouting to? The One who gave me a mouth to shout! Let somebody shout another 'Alleluia!' (Alleluia!)

Alright let me begin to round up Round 1. Psalm 78:70 – The Bible says, He chose David also, his servant and took him from the  sheepfolds. Remember He said at the beginning, I have provided me a king? Then He said, God has sought out a man for Himself, then He said He had found David His servant and now He said, He chose David, His servant – the Bible tells us that God does as He pleases and so He reserves the right on who to choose and who not to choose. He chose Abraham ad refused to choose Lot. Read your Bible very well. The Bible says Lot was a righteous man and yet God did not choose Lot. Many are called, but few are chosen – I pray that you'll be one of those w ho is chosen! (Amen!) How come that God didn't chose Lot? Because Lot has one big problem. Lot was self-centred. When Abraham said, Well here's the land before you – chose! If you go left, I will go right. If you go left, I will go right. Read it in Genesis 13: 7 to 11. The Bible says, Lot chose all the place for himself. Everywhere that was beautiful he chose that for himself and left the rest for his uncle ! It was this uncle that brought him out. The blessing he got, he got it through this brother – but he was  thinking of himself alone. That's why God said, No I can't choose you. If all you want from Jesus Christ is "heal me, bless me" – he's not going to choose you. You just want to come and eat. Eh! Eat and go! Why did He  choose Abraham? Because even when He gave Abraham Isaac, when God said He needed Isaac back, he said, "God, You can have him!" He chose someone who will put Him first. We sing a song: God must be honoured, must be honoured, must be honoured, Jesus must be honoured in my life everyday 2ce…. Those who want to give their life to Jesus – come – there is no begging this year. If you really mean business and you want to stop pretending to be a Christian; you want to really, really surrender to Him – do His will for the rest of your life - to obey Him, to serve Him.. come now, come now. I will count up to ten because of those of you who are far away but if you are not here by 10 no problem – the choice is yours. 1… As you come, let's sing that song …God must be honoured, must be honoured, must be honoured, Jesus must be honoured in my life everyday …. 2 now…. 3….. 4….5… 6… 7…. 8… 9…. I can still see quite a lot of you still coming from afar off. Keep coming! Keep coming! Get here before we finish praying! Those of you who are here begin to pray!

Talk to the Almighty God! Say, "Lord I will serve You! Just forgive all my sins!  Save my soul! Have mercy on me today!" And the rest of us let's stretch our hands to wards these people and intercede for this people and pray that the Almighty God will be merciful unto them. That the One who saved our souls, will save their souls also – Pray for them brethren! Those of you who are coming, hurry up now. Hurry up now1 Come and surrender your life to Jesus! Promise Him that you will serve Him! That you will serve Him all the days of your life! Ask Him to forgive you! Ask Him to cleanse you in His blood! Pray that you will do His will for the rest of your life – call on Him – say Lord Have mercy on me! I need Your help! I need Your help! Save my soul! I will serve You  - for the rest of my life! I will serve You! I will serve You! Just make me a brand new creature-forgive all my sins, and I will do Your will! I will do Your will!! Thank You Jesus! Blessed be the Name of the Lord! Thank You Jesus! In Jesus mighty Name we pray! (Amen!)

My Father and my God I want to thank You for Your Word. I want to thank You for these Your children that have come forward to surrender their lives to You! Please receive them in Jesus' Name! (Amen!), forgive them in Jesus' Name! (Amen!) , cleanse them in Your blood in Jesus' Name! (Amen!), write their names in the Book of Life in Jesus' Name! (Amen!) Beginning form today let them do Your Will (Amen!) In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!) I want to rejoice with those of you who have come forward. I want to tell you as from today I will be praying for you so I will need your names, your address and you principal prayer requests. Please write the address correctly, so that when I ask God to send  your miracle it will be sent to the address that you give me. If you are not sincere don't pray it because as you pray so will the answer come. So let's stand to our feet now and lift our voice to the Almighty God and say, Father, give me the grace to serve You! I will serve……

……. Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Ghost and with fire – you are going to lift your voice to the Almighty God and say, Father, I am tired of being a lukewarm Christian – set me on fire! Open your mouth and cry unto the Almighty God Set me on fire for You Lord! I'm tired of being a lukewarm Christian! You promised to baptize me with the Holy Ghost and with fire! Now I want that baptism - Set me on fire! Set me on fire! Set me on fire! Set me on fire! Set me on fire! Almighty God Set me on fire! In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!)

Do you want to serve God? I didn't hear you! I say, I want to hear you! Lift your voice to the Almighty God and say Father, I don't want to go to anybody for prayers again – I want to be praying for people! Empower me O Lord! I don't want to be going around begging for prayers. I don't want to be a prayer collector anymore! I want to be praying for people! I want to be praying for the sick and see them healed! I want to be able to pray for the captive and see them free. I want to be able to pray for the captive and see them free! Empower me O Lord! I want to be able to pray for the barren and the barren will be fruitful! Empower me O Lord! Empower me O Lord! Empower me O Lord! Empower me O Lord! Lord God Almighty! I want to be praying for the people – setting the captives free! Lord God Almighty! Empower me O Lord! Empower me O Lord! I don't want to be a problem to anyone! I don't want to be a burden to others. no-no- no- I want to be a problem solver. I want to be a solution! Empower me Lord! Empower me now, like never before! … Thank You Jesus! In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!)

Lift your voice to the Almighty God Say, Father, from now on I want to love what You love and hate what You hate! Call on the Almighty God! From this moment whatever You  love, that's what I want to love! Whatever You hate – I want to hate it! I know You live holiness, You love purity, You love victory! You love power! You love  strength! You love life! You hate sickness, You hate disease! You hate demons! You hate sin! Everything You love I want to love, everything You hate, I want to hate, I want to hate it passionately, passionately! I want to love whatever You love and hate whatever You hate! Passionately! With every bit of my being, every bit of my being! I want to love souls being saved, the sick being healed, the captives being set free! I want to love the life of holiness, the life of purity, the life of victory.. I want to hate whatever You hate – passionately! I want to hate sin…

You must become a prayer warrior! The spirit of intercession, the spirit of  supplication pour it upon me O Lord! I want to pray and the ground will shake! Help me O Lord! Help me! I want to become a prayer warrior! I don't want to be one of those who fall asleep when we are praying – no I want to be a prayer warrior! With prayer that can shake the ground! Turn me to a prayer warrior Lord! Turn me to a prayer warrior! If iI can pray Lord God Almighty! I'll be able to serve you better! turn me to a prayer warrior! I don't want to be one of those who'll be sleeping once we say – let us pray! The spirit of intercession, the spirit of supplication – pour it on me Lord! Thank You Father! In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!)

The Word of God says if my  soul prospers the my body will prosper and I will also prosper materially, so lift your voice to the Almighty and say,Father, this year like never before – promote me spiritually! Go ahead! Talk to the Almighty God!  Promote me spiritually Almighty God – this year like never before! Promote me spiritually! Promote me spiritually!  In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!)

Now go ahead and  ask God for something you want – something big, something great – ask hard things this year. With God nothing shall be impossible. Ask for hard things! Big things! Mighty things! Come on! Storm the Gates of Heaven! Ask for something hard this year! ……. Thank You Father! …… Thank You Lord! ….. In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!)

We are going to pray one more prayer – then I will pray for you! This time you are going to pray like soldiers of the cross. The Bible says, if you believe and you doubt not, you will say to this mountain be thou removed  and be thou cast into the sea and the Bible says it shall be so! With boldness, with trust in the Almighty God, the One who can never fail, the One whose word is forever settled! look at whatever mountain might be in front of you  - command it, in the mighty Name of Jesus to move! Move! Mountain of sickness – move! Mountain of disease – move! Mountain of poverty – move! Mountain of failure – move! Mountain of weakness – move! Mountain of barrenness – move! Mountain of poverty – move! Mountain of stagnation – move! Move now! I command you in the mighty name of Jesus! Move! Move now! Move today! I want to come back with a testimony! Next month I want my testimonies to shake the ground! Mountain move! …… Thank You Jesus! Glory be to God! Yes, so shall it be! Glory be to God! Yes! So shall it be In Jesus mighty Name we have prayed! (Amen!)

I want to pray for you now. If you like let your 'Amen!' be loud, if you like keep it quiet. Thank You Father! In the mighty Name of Jesus! I hereby decree, every obstacle in your way this year shall be crushed! (Amen!) Every force that dares to attack you this year shall be crushed. (Amen!) Everyone who opposes your promotion this year shall be crushed. (Amen!) All those who say you will not prosper will not be around to see you prosper! (Amen!)  They will not be around! Your enemies shall bow down before you! (Amen!) From now on it will be well with you! (Amen!) You will serve the Lord! (Amen!) Everything that you need to serve God with  - the money, the health, the strength – God shall give it to you abundantly! From now on, when you wake up in the morning the devil will say, "Ahh! Trouble has come again!" (Amen!) Witches will see you and run in Jesus' Name! (Amen!) Wizards shall see you and run in Jesus' Name! (Amen!) Demons shall see you and run in Jesus' Name! (Amen!) The power of the Holy Spirit shall fill you to overflowing in Jesus' Name! (Amen!) You shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover in Jesus' Name! (Amen!) ….  Together we shall go to greater heights. The anointing of God upon you shall be increased! (Amen!) So shall it be (Amen!) So shall it be (Amen!) So shall it be (Amen!) So shall it be (Amen!) So shall it be (Amen!) So shall it be (Amen!) So shall it be (Amen!) In Jesus mighty Name I have prayed! (Amen!)  Let somebody give the Lord a big round of applause. God bless you! You may be seated!

Let somebody shout 'Alleluia!' (Alleluia!) Who will the Almighty God choose? I know its you, its me too but as I study the story of David – we may study him for the whole of this year – I could only come to one conclusion. Everything boils down to grace. There is nobody good enough to be used by God. Neither me nor you could claim to be pure enough or perfect enough but thank God for grace! Paul said, by the grace of God I am what I am. In Gen.7:5-8 God said, it repents me that  I made man, I'm going to wipe them out and the Bible says, but Noah found grace with God. It shall be said, Adeboye found grace with God. It shall be said, you found grace with God! In Gen.18:1-3 the Bible says Abraham was sitting at his tent when 3 men were passing by and when they got to the front of his tent they waited.  This year you will receive visitors of joy! I didn't hear the 'Amen' to that one! (Amen!) They waited, and then It said, he ran to meet them, "Please, come and eat in my house…. If I have found favour with you…. I know you are passing by but you got to the front of my house and you waited. Don't just wait. Come and eat in my house." I've said it before. I'm saying it again, God will eat in your house this year. (Amen!) The one who said, "If I'm hungry, I won't tell you – the cattle upon a thousand hills are mine," said, alright we will come and eat. Was God hungry? No but Abraham found favour with God! This year, the favour of God will go with you wherever you go. (Amen!)

God said I have found  a man who will be my king, my servant, David. David wasn't a perfect man. He himself said, in Psalm 18:35 He said, God, they gentleness had made me great! If you were to deal with me the way I deserve to be dealt with….. he said, God if you were to mark iniquity who will stand? But he said, forgiveness is with you so that we can fear you. He said, your gentleness had made me great. May the grace of God be extended to you this year. (Amen!) It all boils down to grace. It is the grace of God that brought you hear tonight and there are several others who have been coming before who will say, this one I want to rest. Oh they will come in February but by then you are already one month ahead! Whatever they gain in February, it will be in addition to whatever you are going to gain already now. Will you lift your hand to God and say, Thank You Jesus! The Bible says By grace are you saved. So everything that is going to happen from now on – it is grace. I was sharing with some of my children - some people will waste this year, not because they want to waste it but they didn't know that this is the most crucial year of their life. But you have inside information. God is telling you from January! "Eh, my son, my daughter – this year is the year which will determine the rest of your life. Inside information from the most high God! That is grace and grace alone.

When God was  talking to me concerning this year, I rejoiced for the youth. Because some of us we are already in the second half of the game. Some of us are already over 60 - even if we agree to be 120 before we go we are already in the 2nd half! Some of you are just starting and now you have this inside information! All of you who are below fifty let me hear you shout Alleluia! (Alleluia!) Those of us who are older – don't worry! Moses began his ministry at 80. So those of you who are above 50 shout Alleluia! (Alleluia!) Grace, it is grace and grace alone. Our God is a God of grace. However, different people respond to grace in different ways. Grace can be refused. Proverbs 1:24-28 God said, I stretch out my hand and they refused. I said okay I will withdraw my hand and when their trouble comes, they will call and I will just laugh. I pray you will not refuse the grace of God! Some people may receive the grace of God in vain. In other words they know that grace is available but they will ignore it.  Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:1. He said, I have not received the grace of God in vain. I too, Adeboye, will not receive the grace of God in vain. Some people abuse grace. Romans 6:1-2 Can we continue in sin and expect grace to abound? God forbid! Some people, Oh we are under grace! By the grace of God we have heard that demons are even afraid of the God of Adeboye. When they kidnapped one of his daughters the herbalist said,, "Hey, you want to get me into trouble? Go quickly, quickly! " … I am a member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, I am a son a daughter of Adeboye, I am covered, therefore I can steal, I can cheat, I can fornicate… can we continue in sin an expect grace to abound. God said, God forbid.

I was talking to God concerning somebody:  How come we prayed so much for this fellow and there is no answer? God said, You don't know the whole story. Everything that is hindering prayers in your life you better let it go – now! Those things you know you are doing that  are contrary to the Word of God. Don't abuse the grace of God and your prayers will be answered this year in Jesus' Name! (Amen!)

And then Paul talked about those who frustrate the grace of God – Gal.2:21 In my own case I did not frustrate the grace of God. In other words. I know I have grace and I used that grace for His glory. Then of course 2 Peter 3:18 the Bible says some people grow in grace. God gave them grace, they used the grace for His glory, so God took them higher in grace. You will grow in grace in Jesus' Name! (Amen!)

All the people that God gave grace to and used the grace correctly we read about them now. We read about Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon. But they all had one thing in common that showed God, Ah all right we have received grace, this is our response. Initially before they do anything else, as soon as they know that they are an object of grace, they did something – they built an altar for the Lord. As Noah was stepping out of the ark, knowing that it is the grace of God that preserved him and his family – what is the first thing he did? He built an altar to the Lord? As soon as Abraham discovered that God had chosen him out of an idolatrous family – he built an altar unto the Lord. The moment He came to Solomon. Ah God you made me king – my father was an adulterer and a murderer. My mother an adulteress of the worse kind that brought death to her  husband. These two people combined and produced me and you still made me king. What did he do? He went to the altar.

What is an altar? An altar number one, is a place of total surrender. Each time you read the story of Abraham offering Isaac in Genesis 22:9 If you get to verse 9 it said that Abraham tied Isaac and laid him on the altar. Abraham at that time was almost 120 years old and Isaac was just about 20 years old, strong! Supposed Isaac decided to run? Can Abraham catch him? I'm asking you. If there is a race between a man who is 120 and one who is 20, who is going to win? Or if there should be a wrestling match between father and son? Particularly when the son said, "Ah, I asked for the lamb for the sacrifice. You said God will provide. So I'm the provision? Ehh? Thank you! You've lived your life till 120, I'm just starting my own – you want to kill me! What kind of a father are you? I go!" But Isaac surrendered. You will surrender to God this year (Amen!) I know the 'Amen' to that one will be low but whether you like it or not  its going to happen. (Amen!) It is my own personal decree for you. You will surrender to God this year! (Amen!)

What is an altar? An altar is a covenant meeting point between God and man/ A place where God and man will meet. In Genesis 28:16-22 Jacob was running away from home because his brother Esau was saying, "Ehh, my father will soon die and then I will kill you for stealing my blessing!" As he was running he got tired and then he slept and that night he had a dream. He saw God on the top of a big ladder and he saw angels ascending and descending and God spoke to him, gave him some fantastic promises. He woke up afraid, "Eh! God is here! This is the gate of heaven and God spoke to me – wretched fellow like me, fraud like me! " He said, "God, I promise, this stone that is my pillow will become our meeting place. I'm coming back O Lord.  When I return, you will know that you have spoken to the right person." God is going to become proud of somebody here this year because of an altar – a meeting place between God and man.

And there is one thing about the altar – whenever God and man are about to meet at the altar both will come with a gift. The gift that man comes with must be such an expensive gift that it cannot be called an offering, it has to be called a sacrifice. David said, I cannot offer anything to God that costs me not. It has to be a sacrifice. When God is coming to the altar to meet with man, because of who He is  - the All –Sufficient One , He never comes  with one gift. He comes with many! There was an altar that God himself raised and we call it the Cross. Whenever God is coming to the Cross to meet a man, He first of all offers you , His only begotten Son. And it doesn't stop there. Romans 8:32 says He will also freely give you every other thing. I'll give you one or two examples very quickly. Noah built an altar to God and offered a sacrifice –you can read the story inGenesis 8:20-22, 9:1-3 He brought a sacrifice to God at the altar. What did God bring to Noah? If I were God I would say, Well you are thanking Me because I saved your family – that's enough. No, no, no God said, because  of what you have done, because of this altar, I will never again wipe out the world with a flood. Because of what you have done,  I hereby establish the law of seed time and harvest! Because of what you have just done, I hereby decree that every heat will be followed by a cold, In other words there will never be a time in your life that you will have a problem that will have no solution. Because of what you have just done Noah, I hereby decree that day will always follow night. In other words weeping may endure for a night, there will always be joy in the morning (Amen!) and for somebody here your joy will always be full!

In Jesus mighty Name!