Speaker 1Welcome to the Dr. Obedovinga Day podcast. Dr. Obed is a thought leader and apologist who speaks to life's great existential questions of origin, purpose, faith, and destiny with fluency and grace. He is an author and the president of the Christ Cosmopolitan Incorporated, a vibrant apostolic commission that heralds the message of the fullness of Christ. Dr. Obed has seen his ministry soar to great heights over several years, touching the lives of many across the globe through his various ministry platforms. May you grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ as you listen to mind-renewing and heart-enlightening messages by Dr. Obed. Do enjoy this teaching. God bless you.
Speaker 2Father, we thank you. Ebenezer, son of Ahel, that's fine. Have you brought us with a heart full of gratitude? Adonfu Adonbi Yedawase Yedawase Life by the Spirit of God. We declare the truth that is in Christ to the hearing of all who are gathered here. Regardless of time, locations, we pray, Almighty God. Grant that the truth of your word will permeate hearts and settle and transform our hearts. Refresh our minds, renew our minds, rejuvenate our spirit one more time, we pray. Revitalize our being, we ask, in the precious name of Jesus. We call it done. Amen. This morning, I want to still carry on with the subject matter of ministry and spirits. I think that by now, we have a lot to do. Let's pray. Object to the prophet. He never said that. Listen to what Paul said. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. The spirits, plural, of the prophets, plural, are subject to the prophets. He didn't say the spirits, one, of the prophets, singular, is subject to the prophets. That is not what he said. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. How different is it from the spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets? Very different. You may apply it to the sense of withholding yourself and being under control. And not coming under a compulsive disorder. You are right if that is what you intend to communicate. Because in the verse 33, that is actually the sense with which Paul was saying what he was saying. Because he now goes to the verse 33. He talks about how there should be order because God is not the author of confusion. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. Now, please get this. You cannot jump out and claim that a spirit has spoken to you. And that spirit has spoken to you. That spirit is creating confusion. When God has his order in all churches of the saints. God does not alter confusion in all churches of the saints. That is to say, there is no one church that has a different governing rule. When it comes to how the churches of the saints must be run unilaterally. Under prophetic unction and works. You cannot claim that you are a church. But the operation of your prophetic. Digresses from the order that is in all the churches of the saints. You cannot claim that. Just to fall back and to go forward. A lot of times, like I said already. People misconstrue what a church is. Sometimes, people see the church only geographically. And lose its spiritual essence. Other times, people see the church. Spiritually. And lose its geographical essence. None of them is right. I say it again. The church is both geographic. And the church is spiritual. 1 Thessalonians 2.14. For ye brethren became followers of the churches of God. Which in Judea are in Christ Jesus. The churches of God are in Judea location. And in Christ Jesus, spiritual. So when you read the revelation of Jesus. The seven churches. Were supposed to be in various locations in Asia Minor. All the way from Ephesus to Laodicea. Which when you trace the path. Forms a sandal or a shoe. In their various locations. When you trace the path. From Ephesus all the way to Laodicea. You see that it traces a foot. So Ephesus to Laodicea is actually a divine walk. Just by the way. The churches of God must have order. There must not be confusion in the churches of God. Within these churches of the saints. I say. There must be peace. And once there is confusion. Then. We must know that there is a problem. With the spirit that is operating. God does not put anyone under confusion. To defy the authority he has placed in the church. He does not do that. God will not speak to you to create confusion in any church. I am going to show you what exactly happened to such a person. Please. When I say in any church. I am talking about the church that is in Christ Jesus. And the church that is geographic. Both of them. Because the churches in Christ Jesus. Are also referred to as the churches of the saints. Which have location. And which also. Geographically. And which are also located. Spiritually in Christ Jesus. Now. There is an interesting. Interesting. Story. In 1 Kings 22. 19 to 25. And I want you to pay particular attention to this story. Because. There should be no confusion. Now hear this. In 1 Kings 22. 19 to 25. The word of God said. Hear thou. Thou therefore the word of the Lord. I say. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne. And all the hosts of heaven standing by him on his right hand. And on his left. And the Lord said. Who shall persuade Ahab. That he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead. And one said on this manner. And another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit. And stood. Before the Lord. And said. I. I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him. Wherewith. And he said. I will go forth. There are a lot of things that people are persuaded about. That they don't know. That in that action that they are undertaking. They think that they are doing something. But in that particular action. It will lead to their fall. There is a council that has met. This council. Is made up of right hand spirits. And left hand spirits. In the universal meeting of God. Before I carry on. Jesus hinted Peter. Peter. You are an apostle. You are an apostle. But demand has been made on your soul. Something is about happening to you. There is a demand. But I have intervened. And I have prayed for you. The Lord said. Simon, Simon. Behold. Satan has desired to have you. That he may sift you as wheat. But. I have prayed for you. That your faith fail not. And when you are converted. Please get this. A person. Can fall. And not fail. In faith. I want to go over it again. Something can happen to you. Man of God. And. You will need to be converted. Though you have not fallen. You can run away from your calling. And your ministry. Without realizing it. And still be in the faith. Listen to what Jesus said. He said. That your faith will not fail. Two things here. A person may be a Christian. And has run away from. his ministry and has lost the ministry totally. Jesus said, Satan wants to sift you. He has desired you. Many people think that Peter fell out with Jesus in the sense that he became a non-believer because Jesus said, when I had converted, no. There is believing conversion and there is ministry conversion. It happened to Peter. A person can go out of order in ministry and needs to be converted. A person too can go out of order in faith and needs to be converted. So there are many people who are working as Christians that need conversion. Equally as there are people who are out there in the world who need conversion. So there is the conversion to faith and there is a conversion to ministry. When you lose track, when you lose track of faith and there is a conversion to ministry, there is a conversion to faith and there is a conversion to ministry. There is a conversion to faith and there is a conversion to ministry. anytime people go out of order in the work of the ministry don't think twice a spirit has been sent to persuade him hey some of the times it is so subtle that the person is so convinced and persuaded to go in a certain way he will justify you see it is not a spirit that comes to say leave the ministry walk out no no no the spirit gives you reasons i will persuade him the spirits of the prophets not your spirit only one person one person cannot claim to himself only now hear this he said i will go and be a lying spirit then jesus said satan has desired you that spirit said i will persuade him i i will persuade him and the lord said where with how would you do this he said i will go forth i will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets and he said thou shall persuade him and prevail also go forth and do so when satan desires a man to destroy his ministry there's one thing he gives him he gives him justifiable reasons to do what he's doing he'll give you reason of money he'll give you reason of life's precious he'll give you reasons of being put and underutilized he'll give you reasons of your potentials not being identified let me tell you something just by the way there's one fair sign of knowing that satan has convinced somebody let me tell you something just by the way there's one fair sign of knowing that satan has convinced somebody anytime you find somebody doing ministry and the person stops it please listen to going to secular it is satan i i wouldn't i wouldn't blink about that you are doing ministry you have stopped ministry to go secular satan has convinced you you have been persuaded let me tell you something just by the way there's one fair sign of knowing that satan has convinced somebody There is no way anybody called into the ministry, departs from the ministry, abandons his bishopric, that Satan didn't enter him. I'll give you one more proof. Judas Iscariot abandoned his place of ministry and went after money, chasing after coins, silver to sell his master Jesus. But the Bible said before he did that, Satan entered him. He will give you reasons. You can walk with Jesus for three and a half years. And Satan will persecute. Persuade you. He will enter you, persuade you, convince you to depart from the ministry. And you know the interesting thing. Sad people will never stop being Christians. Usually, they will still be in church. They will still be Christians, but they will stop going to church. They will give reasons why they're church. Church is not a location, but it's spiritual. Why? Because they know that they cannot serve in any other place. So what you will see first, listen, the thing is, it's not, and you know, So the first thing the person does, the person stops church. Then the person begins to sit at home. Now, tuna can drink. Tia sorry men, tia sorry. Start a church, don't start one. I know I'm not called to start a church. But me to where I am, I cannot serve under anybody. No, no, no. I can't. I can't. But in some way, it's not like that. But it's true. It's not like that. It's not like that. It's not like that. It's not like that. It's not like that. The spirits of the prophets. It's not like that. It's not like that. It's not like that. It's not like that. It's not like that. It's subject to the prophets. What does this mean? He's not only talking about that the spirit has come upon you. No, that's all he's saying. He's talking about the fact that in the prophetic realm, if you don't take care, you will expose yourself to a certain spirit to convince you. Yes. When you miss God, don't blame God. When you miss ministry, don't blame God. Do you know the interesting thing that happens? At this point in time, you realize that when you miss God like that, dreams upon dreams, validation upon validation, you begin to meet your kind of spirits. within the prophetic arena. i need to say this before we go back to one case we are not talking about the numbers we are talking about the author of confusion not being god now to put the matter in perspective let's go back one kings 22 please don't confuse the number of prophets we are looking at here this is why we need the gift of the discerning of spirits ministering spirits are very interesting if you don't take care you will expose yourself to something and miss god i say it again ministering spirits they are very very interesting if you don't take care you will expose yourself to something and miss god watch here we're going straight to the verse 25 let's read yet out therefore the word of the lord i saw the lord sitting on his throne and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left 20 and the lord said who shall persuade so remember persuasion that he may go up and fall at ram of gilead and one said on this manner and the other said on that manner and there came forth a spirit stood before the lord and said i will persuade him i will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets and he said thou shalt persuade him and prevail also go forth and do so now which how many of the prophets this where the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophets he said i will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets that means that every one of the prophets will now carry this lying spirit and he said go forth and do so 23 now therefore behold the lord had put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets and he said go forth and do so 23 now therefore behold the lord had put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets and the lord had spoken evil concerning thee but zedekiah the son of kerana went near and smote micaiah on the cheek and said which way which way went the spirit of the lord from me to speak unto thee when the agency of the prophetic is now sourced from man then you should know and disdain the spirits of the prophets is subject to the prophets and micaiah said behold you will see in that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide yourself when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide yourself Now, Jesus is the only one. God is not the author of confusion. If anything be revealed to another that's seated by, that's not the author of the prophetic track record. to the verse 35. Listen to the way Paul puts it. Hebrews 10:32-35. He said, He said, "But call to remembrance the former days "in which after you were illuminated, "you endured a great fight of afflictions, "partly whilst you were made a gazing stock, "both by reproaches and afflictions, "and partly whilst you became companions of them "that were so used.". Then look at the verse 34. "For you had compassion of me in my bones, "and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, "knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven "a better and an enduring substance." 35. "Cast not therefore away your confidence, "which has great recompense of reward." I want us to read this in the easy English so that it comes out for everybody to get what Paul actually is saying. Now, we go from verse 33. Listen to what he's saying in everyday English. Remember what happened to you in those early days when you first learned about Christ, when you now were in the faith. You came to believe. Then you had a difficult fight against many troubles, but you continued to be strong. Cool. Now we are going to advance. Sometimes people made you ashamed in front of many other people. They said bad words to you, and they did bad things to you. And at other times, you chose to stay with other Christians who were receiving this kind of trouble. You felt the trouble together with those who were in prison. When people took your own things away, you were still happy. You knew that you yourself had something better. You had better things that will be yours always. So do not stop being sure about what you believe as Christians. If you continue to be brave, you will receive great things. You will receive great things. What is Paul saying? Anytime you question the integrity of God's calling on your life, based on things that you have lost here on earth, if by now I had become a doctor, looking at my colleague doctors, if by now I had been a professor, if by now I had become a doctor, if by now I had been a professor, if by now I had been a professor, if by now I had been a professor, if by now I had become a doctor, if by now I had become a doctor, if by now I had become a doctor, now i had been a professor if by now i had been a lecturer if by now i had been doing my own business looking at the way my colleagues in the business have advanced and how anytime those things start coming into your mind it's not you it's satan who's persuading you um look i feel used and i feel like i shouldn't have done this in the first place i was i was so ignorant my naivety was taking over and now i regret that i even have wasted my years in serving god in the ministry those thoughts that are coming to you that you are justifying satan is persuading you why in this life of ministry when we lose things the more we are happy if you lose the ticket of your joy for anything you lost doing the work of god it is satan persuading you i want to take it again listen when you watch on social media you will see a lot of people justify why you have to be careful especially as a young man who is doing the ministry be very careful because we we have have done it it didn't amount to anything and we feel like we are fools please we are fools for christ's sake no no no no no don't be a fool for christ's sake use your conscience satan is talking to you listen the reason is that he comes to persuade you and when you speak to the unlimited in christ it will make a lot of meaning let's take it again hebrews 10 33-35 let's take it again hebrews 10 33-35 so that you will give up on the joy of having to serve God, to lose everything. Watch this. If you are not ready to suffer being a gazing stock, a mocking example, you are not ready for the work of ministry. So, so maybe you are not ready. You are not ready. You are not ready. You are not ready for the work of ministry. You would be made to feel so stupid, used, and damned. And the painful thing is that you will be made a mocking example, a gazing, mocking example. And at other times, you will be made to feel so stupid, used, and damned. You will be made to feel so stupid, used, and damned. This is where you have to decide. You chose to stay with other Christians who are receiving this kind of trouble. Anytime you find yourself like that, your security is who is going through the same thing. The moment you break camp, you're on your own. Satan has won. You need to stay in the community of the people who are going through such a hard time. Then you draw inspiration from each other. He said, and at other times, you chose to stay with other Christians who are receiving this kind of trouble. Next verse, 34. You felt the trouble together with those who were in the same prison. Why? You had better things that would always be yours forever. 35. If you continue to be brave, you'll receive great things. Let's go back to the Message Bible. 34. 33 to 35. 32. Sorry. Remember those early days, after you first saw the light. Those were the hard times. Kicked around in public. Targets of every kind of abuse. Some days it was you. Other days, your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn't touch your real treasure. Oh, Lord, help us. Give us eyes to see. That the proof of ministry is not in the numbers. That the proof of great ministry is not in the buildings. That the proof of great ministry is not in the cars and the houses we achieve and own. Lord, help your church and help your ministers. Give us the perspective that sees the heavenly reward. If these things come to us, Lord, give us the perspective that sees the heavenly reward. Lord, give us the perspective that sees the heavenly reward. That we will see them as things that are transient and not abiding. But if they don't come, we will find joy in knowing that there is a greater reward. That treasure that no man can steal or touch. Nothing they did bothered you. Nothing sets you back. I want to tell you something. My dear young pastor. My dear old preacher. Never take one day to take cognizance of the ministry work you have been doing and how you have been rewarded by it in this life. Satan is talking to you. And my name is Sidak. Say, I am Sidak. I will drink into the ministry of God. This is the reason why when you have an affection for a party, don't prophesy. Usually, your prophetic in prophesying about the outcome of events starts when you number your desires and remove your affection from that thing. You can hear from God clearly. Because at the end of the day, because the spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets. One can say the spirit because prophets be our spirit here too. Every spirit has a tendency to hear from a lying spirit and also from the true saints of God. And in that realm, if you don't take care and you follow your affections and your natural inclinations, you will hear from a lying spirit. And you will say, the Lord spoke to you. Actually, that is how Zedekiah felt in 1 Kings 22. He said, from whence went the spirit of the Lord? In the verse 24, he said, which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto you? So Zedekiah actually knew that this was the spirit of the Lord talking to him. But it was a lying spirit. Why? When men, have an inclination to please and to look back at what they have lost in serving the Lord. Like Peter, he says, I'm going a fishing. Who moved Peter to go a fishing? Satan. Jesus had already given him that information. Satan had desired to save you. A sweet, but I pray for you that your faith should not fail. And when you are converted, converted to what? Converted to ministry. If you are watching me today, if you are watching me today, if you are watching me today, it doesn't matter who you are. When you have the tendency to look back at what you have lost, please, get converted. What is conversion? Change, brother. Change. From that principle, shift. Never look back when you take this yoke. Whoever tends to look back is not worthy. In this work, when you lay your hands on it, we go forwards only. We never turn backwards. We go forwards only. The calling of God on your life, never, never fall away from it. Why? If you follow your natural inclination, you will attract a certain spirit that will speak to you. And that spirit will persuade you to the full. Jesus said unto him, no man having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is faith for the kingdom of God. Today, I want you to understand that they are the true sayings of God. It is the testimony of Jesus. It is the spirit of prophecy. And in this prophetic counsel, there are also lying spirits that come to draw us according to the truth. According to our natural inclinations. The most dangerous thing in ministry is to take up the work of the ministry without killing your natural instincts of desire and pleasure. Your natural instinct to please yourself and not to please God. Your natural instinct to please men and not to please God. The natural instinct to justify yourself to men and not to justify yourself to God. Friend, it happened to men that had worked with Jesus for three and a half years. Judas, he was a thief. He didn't kill that thing. Peter, he was not a thief. He was a prosperous businessman and was now counting all that he had lost. Do you remember? Who are Jesus? We have left everything to come and follow you. What would we. That thing had been with Peter for all this while. We have left all things to come and follow you. What would we get in return? Jesus said, Oh, Peter, relax. You'll get houses. You'll get children. You would get a hundredfold of all that you have lost. And in the hereafter, you will have eternal life. Say, uh-huh. Now we can carry on. So when that thing didn't show up whilst Jesus was gone, he couldn't carry on with the ministry. I'm going back a fishing. Simon Peter said unto his brethren, let's start from 21, 1, 2, 3, John. After this, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. And on this way, he showed he himself. There were together Simon Peter and Thomas called Didymus and Nathaniel, Daniel of Cana in Galilee and the sons of Zebedee and the two other of his disciples. They were sitting down. Simon Peter said unto them, I go a fishing. Eh, I need you. You do my last say. Or I knew. I didn't tell you by yes you've been your done. You've been your cast. You've been your mark. You're a tear in your head. I call you my human. Never go back to secular. When you answer to full-time ministry. Whatever you dump, never go back to it again. Listen, when you go back, Satan is talking to you. She will hold him. What have you lost? Why don't you look at the joy that is set before you? Somebody will tell you, who did you say that to me? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. people who begin to persuade you according to the persuasion of satan no never do that stick with your calling never question the integrity of god because of the lack of ethnic blessings accompanying your ministry if it pleases God to give it to you enjoy it if it doesn't come always know that it does not matter how many things you get here on this earth once you are in the ministry you will suffer persecution for his namesake you will suffer afflictions and reproaches it is not only in money you would be so misrepresented you become a gazing stock when that happens to you never run away from the ministry stick and stay ministering spirits can be very interesting and if you don't guard your natural inclination a certain spirit will minister to you and you'll be shocked and you will think this is a spirit from God a true a true spirit with the true sayings of God God willing next week I will come and still talk about the spirits of the prophets being subject to the prophets in how these true sayings of God according to the true spirits of God move and do their work but before we do that there's one thing I want to talk to you about numb and kill your natural inclination inclinations else you will attract a lying spirit and think that it is a spirit of the Lord that spoke to you to undertake certain actions that will lead to your losing the ministry in the end if you're still be argumentative about this truth of scripture. He's the author of peace. Let one prophesy and another and let the first hold his peace. Holding your peace does not mean shutting up and setting up for the next person. It simply means we live to see. Time will prove these truths of scripture that we share. If anybody is otherwise minded, let him pray. God will reveal even this to him. And if God does not reveal, time will prove even this to him. Let's not have confusion. Let's have peace. But I pray that you will not lose the ministry. In the end, may the work of the ministry be preserved in your hands. And if right now, you are falling from ministry, I just want to do a call to conversion. Are you growing weak, dear man of God? Are you beginning to question the anointing on your life? Have you swayed away from God? Have you followed your natural inclination, doing something that is satisfying your own ego and thinking you are doing God a service? Brother, be converted. Sister, be converted. Ministry is not ego. Ministry is not fleshly pride. Ministry is not the satisfaction we gain here on earth. Ministry is the reward we have with the Father in heaven. That is the greatest testimony. Robbers can take everything away from me, but they cannot touch that eternal treasure. I pray for you, my dear man of God. I pray for you who was once in the ministry with tears flooding your eyes as you watch me right now. I pray for you who is going through a hard time answering the calling of God on your life. I pray for you who feel used, damned. I pray for you who is regretting that you answered the call of the ministry. I pray for you who feels you have made a mistake to serve God. I pray for you, my dear brother, who is in the midst of contemplation, reasoning things through and trying to back off in the work of the ministry. I pray that you will be converted. I pray in the name of Jesus that being a Christian and holding on to your faith is not enough. Come back to serve God. May the hand of the Lord magnetize your heart to the work that he's called you into. May you never, ever, ever give up on the calling of God on your life. May the grace of God be upon you. Your faith will not fail and your ministry will not fail. For I have prayed for you in the name of Jesus. I call it done. Amen. God willing, next week I will be here to carry on with our ministry in spirit, so pray it. But there's one thing I want you to safeguard. Watch your natural inclinations. If you don't take care, it will attract a lying spirit to you. It happened to Judas. Friend, it can happen to you. Don't allow Satan to have his way in your heart. Never look back for what's only. Have no regrets. However hard and whatever the cost is, always keep that inner joy. The fountain of that inner joy. And know that you have not served a man, but that you have served Master Jesus. Yes, you may be a laughing stock and a gazing stock. But in that day, you would walk with him in white, proud that you answered the calling of God.
Speaker 1Thanks so much for listening. We trust that you've been blessed with truth for life. Be sure to subscribe to the Dr. Obedo Bingaday podcast to receive new messages every week. Until next time, remain blessed. Shalom.
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