By Bishop David Oyedepo
Welcome to July! I do not doubt that many of us must have had an encounter with the supernatural all through June 2020. My prayer is that your encounter will be for a lifetime and you will begin to operate in the realm of the supernatural ‘sweatlessly’, in Jesus name! This month, we shall focus on Kingdom Stewardship: Gateway to Realms of Breakthroughs!
From Scriptures, we understand that a covenant to serve God with all our heart, soul and body is the gateway to a world of all-round fulfilment. Concerning Judah, the Bible records, And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. And they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about (2 Chronicles 15:12-15).
As a result of their covenant to serve God, there was no more war (2 Chronicles 15:19). Also, stewardship is ordained for profitability. As it is written, In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury (Proverbs 14:23). This implies that no one ever pursues God and the interest of His Kingdom at a loss.
When we pursue God and the interest of His Kingdom with our heart, we make marks without stress in all our engagements. Active, productive and fruitful stewardship will always cause the giant in us to rise and continuity is the only guarantee for it to come alive. Remember, God is not looking for whom to use, He is simply looking for whom to bless and every instruction from Scriptures we engage with releases God’s blessings upon our lives.
For God to reward us, we must:
- Serve Him Joyfully: God has better alternatives than us. He is not a taskmaster; He only offers us opportunities that will lead to our blessings. We must serve Him joyfully or it becomes an offence. For it is written, Because thou served not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck until he has destroyed thee (Deuteronomy 28:47-48). Thus, if we won’t stop serving God with joyfulness and gladness of heart we will never get stranded in life because He is a rewarder of them that serve Him. When our joy perishes, our harvest perishes (Joel 1:12).
- Serve Him Faithfully: It is written, His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord (Matthew 25:21). Only the faithful ever become fruitful in the Kingdom because faithfulness is what births fruitfulness (Proverbs 28:20).
Remember, every truth of Scriptures is valid but it takes serving God to take delivery. That is why passing the test of service is what qualifies us for the change of levels in the Kingdom. However, to serve God faithfully, it is important to maintain the right attitude in our service to Him.
This is because it takes a pure heart to qualify for rewards in stewardship. Scripture says, And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart (2 Chronicles 25:2). Hence, our hearts must constantly be in tune with God’s purpose in any task we are engaged with. Stewardship is designed for profitability but there are certain conditions to be met for it to be profitable and among these is maintaining a right heart that qualifies us for returns.
What is in it for Us When Stewardship Becomes Our Way of Life?
- Unfailing Reward: The Bible says, I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his reward according to his labour (1 Corinthians 3:6, 8). This means everyone shall be rewarded according to his/her labour of service.
- Enthronement: It is written, And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them, and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the Lord (Jeremiah 30:21).
- Healing, Health and Wholeness: As it is written, And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee (Exodus 23:25; see also John 15:2; Daniel 12:3).
In conclusion, serving God is not a gift or a calling; it is a choice. Therefore, to operate in this realm, you must be born again. Are you born again? If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so. Simply say the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now, I know I am born again! For further reading, get my books: Walking in Wisdom, The Wisdom that Works and All you need to have all your Needs Met.
I invite you to fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have three services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., and 9:40 a.m. respectively. However, due to the restrictions, you can join our live services via Facebook: David Oyedepo Ministries International, Twitter: @Davidoyedepomin, Instagram: davidoyedepomin, YouTube: Domi Stream, Hebron 95.9 FM, Winners World App, Impact Africa TV (on Startimes and NigComSat), Domi Radio and via the Church Satellite. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, call 01-4548070, 01-4548280, or E-mail: dphprints@gmail.com.
