© Ayo Omolayo
Today is the second day of the program. I sat down at the Minister’s seat, waiting to be called up to the pulpit by the man of God. So many rounds of hot prayer sessions were going on.
Soon it was time for the word and I was called up to the pulpit. Everyone stood up and applauded as I took the mic from the pastor.
“Can we clap those hands for Jesus?” I said and the crowd cheered the more.
“Can we all say a word of prayer to God? Just go ahead and pour out your heart to Jesus! Go ahead and tell him what’s in your heart”, I said and prayers went on.
“Like the woman at the well, I was seeking.
For things that could not satisfy
But then, I heard my saviour speaking
Draw from my well that never shall run dry.
Fill my cup Lord!
I lift it up Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul
Bread of heaven
Feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup
Fill it up and make me whole.
Go ahead and tell Jesus to feed you tonight! There are secrets to be revealed. God worked so many wonders at the revelation of his word yesterday. He is here to do more. Go ahead and tell the Lord to feed you”.
Aggressive prayers were heard from different corners. I made sure we had spend up to 30 minutes in prayer, so their spirit man could be charged and awake, before rounding up the prayers.
Soon the congregation were on their seats, ready to be fed.
“Yesterday, we talked about the baby Christian. Today, we would be talking about the growing christian. The christian that is already in the process of spiritual growth. Let’s look at the scriptures once again.
Now before we talk about the spiritual growth, I want to call your attention to something. Let’s look at the book of Luke 14:26″, I said and immediately, it was projected on the screen.
“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Verse 27. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Verse 28. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Verse 29. Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Verse 30. Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Verse 31. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
Verse 32. Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
Verse 33. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Spiritual growth is never possible without the decision to move from being an ordinary christian to becoming a disciple. But look at the first thing the Lord said should take place before you can start building your spiritual life. Jesus said you must sit down and settle in your heart if this is truly what you want. Sit down and count the cost first.
Yes! Count the cost! Don’t rush! Yes! Don’t rush! Because the world will call you a fool for following Jesus and turning back at the end of the day. Look at that scripture
Verse 28. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Verse 29. Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Verse 30. Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Excuse me! Sufficient to do what?”
“Finish!” The congregation chorused.
“Are you sure? Sufficient to do what?”
“Finish!”
“Sufficient to start! Right!”
“No!”
“Sufficient to lay your spiritual foundation?”
“No!”
“Please help me! Sufficient to do what?”
“Finish!”
“Any fool out there can start something. Any fool out there can start a foundation. But the question here is how many of you have what it takes to finish it?
Now the reason I why Jesus asked that question was because of the fact that he wants to be sure of you. The bible says that if a man lays his hands on the plough and look back, he is not fit for the kingdom of God. A man that looks back according to God’s marking scheme is an unfit man. I mean unfit for the kingdom of God. Please! Give me Hebrews 10:38″, I said and it was projected on the screen.
“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Do you know what that pleasure is? The Message version of that scripture”.
It was projected immediately.
“Hebrews 10:38 But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust; if he cuts and runs, I won’t be very happy.
I love that translation. That’s the meaning of pleasure. I won’t be happy with that person. God would not be happy with that person. So the first assignment you have is to sit down and count the cost. Count it very well and let us know if you are ready to get to the end of the journey.
Let us know your stand. Let us know that we are not pouring water into a basket. Let us know that all the bible study and bible classes are not in vain. Let us know so we won’t bother you too much. Let us know so that we can be safe with you. Let us know so that we won’t be afraid if you would not run off and waste divine investment.
Who would love to send a child to school who doesn’t want to go? You’re telling him to go to the university, but he’s telling you he is not interested. I hope you know forcing him to school is a waste of time? Even if he goes, he would pull out and go out to do another thing in school.
Now let me tell you something. After you have begun your journey as a disciple there are 3 things that stops spiritual growth like nothing I’ve never seen. I mean they are so deadly. COMPROMISE, WEIGHT AND INDISCIPLINE.
I’ll talk about the other two tomorrow. But today, I’ll take my time to explain what compromise is. After today, whenever temptation comes knocking, you will never dream to fall into sin. I mean, the urge to commit sin and later repent which is now a trend in the body of Christ will disappear completely from your head.
What exactly does compromise do to you as a child of God? Now before I go further to explain, I want buttress on the point that compromise is one of the deadliest weapon that has caused a lot of Christians to be spiritually stagnant.
Now in the realm of the spirit there are spiritual realms and heights. I mean it’s like you’re a student in JSS 1 and God wants to move you to JSS 2. Before every spiritual promotion is a spiritual test. God must test you before you are promoted to the next class.
In schools before you are moved from JSS 1 to JSS 2, what happens? Examination! Right?”
“Yes!” The crowd answered.
“That’s the same way it happens in the realm of the spirit. Now this is the stupidity in compromise. Especially those of you who tell themselves that I would sin now and repent later. This is what happens to you.
You are in a spiritual exam. Please give me the book of Daniel 3:28″, I said and immediately, it was projected on the screen.
“Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Verse 29. Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
Verse 30. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
Take note of verse 30. What did the king do after Shadrach Meshach and Abednego passed the test? So when God wants to promote you from one class in the realm of the spirit to another realm, he gives you an exam. A test! A trial! That was the same thing God gave Abraham when he said go and offer Isaac as a burnt offering to me.
The moment Abraham passed the test, he was promoted. That’s what is happening in the realm of the spirit.
But this is what the compromiser does. He sits in front of the exam question and tells the lecturer that he will answer the question later. He decides to commit sin and ask God to forgive him later. Truth be told, God will forgive him. He is not willing that anyone should perish. But this is what happens. The guy was in JSS 1 and he was supposed to be promoted to JSS 2 but failed the exam. Will he be promoted?”
“No!” The congregation chorused.
“We use to pray this prayer. God do not allow me to suffer from what I don’t know. I’m sorry to announce to you that what you don’t know is the reason why you’re suffering today. You will suffer for what you don’t know. In the spirit realm, ignorance is one of the greatest weapon in the hands of the devil. He loves it so much. Through ignorance, Satan oppresses God’s children.
Please can I ask you a question. If you went for an exam and you’re given the question paper. You look at all the questions you were given and honestly, you don’t know tye answers. You call your lecturer and tell him, ‘Sir! I don’t know the answers to any of these questions’. Does that means you will pass the exam?”
“No!” The congregation answered.
“I thought you prayed that God should not allow you to suffer from what you don’t know? You mean you will fail that exam abi?”
“Yes!”
“So your ignorance is the reason why you will be repeating the class while the others are being promoted to another realm spiritually.
So the compromiser tells himself that he’s going to fail the exam to pass it another time. I’m going to collect this bribe. After today, I will not collect again. I need money now, my mother is sick. I need to accept this bribe and I’ll make sure this is the last time I ever take a bribe.
And do you know what Satan will do? He will do everything in his power to make sure you collect a bribe again and again and again.
What just happened to you in the realm of the spirit is this. If it took God 3 months to qualify you for a spiritual promotion. Perhaps, you were consistent with your spiritual life for 3 months and God says it’s time to take you into another realm or class. That means you will have to wait for another 3 months for another exam.
So another 3 months in the same spiritual level. And if you fail in the next exam that happens, you remain in that same spiritual level for another 3 months. And when another test comes and you still collect bribe again, you remain in that same spiritual level for another 3 months. Before you look, a year is gone, no spiritual progress”.
“Jesus is Lord!” A woman screamed and stood up with her bible in her hands.
“How many of you have noticed this? Maybe you told a lie and you feel remorseful about it. God I’m so sorry! I will never lie like this again. Lord I’m so sorry. Please give me another opportunity. I promise to tell the truth next time.
You are so sorry that you are just looking for another opportunity to tell the truth whenever the temptation to tell lies come. But did you notice that the opportunity never came at the time you expected it. Have you experienced that before?”
“My God!” The pastor exclaimed and stood up as well. Most of the members were on their feet already.
“What happened to you was that exam was over. Till the next time we would have another exam. You wanted to reseat for the exams, but God had taken the question paper and left. In the realm of the spirit, it’s possible to reseat for an exam. It’s another dimension of God’s mercy for those who are desperate to grow.
But sometimes, he refuses to set another exam for you and keeps you in the class you are repeating for another 3 months. He would be expecting you to pass this second time. But don’t forget Satan will also be planning how he’s going to stop you from observing your quiet time. Start skipping your quiet time and your spirit man will be getting weak and weak awaiting the day of adversity.
So you have been consistent in your quiet time for 3 months. Suddenly, you discovered you started skipping it. Hahaha! Your spiritual life is under serious demonic attack!
Can we rise up and begin to pray right now?”
I was still saying it when the prayers sounded so loud that it almost blew off my ears. Screams from every different corner filled the air.
To be continued…….
Please go ahead and cry for mercy! Every area where you compromised! Lord show us mercy!
Yours might be anger! That day when you flared up and insulted that person. The Holy Ghost was standing beside you. Please keep quiet! Don’t retaliate!
But you said no. You said her own was too much! You said you wanted to prove to her that you are not stupid.
Immediately you finished insulting her. It was as if the ground should open and swallow you. You felt like the worst person on earth.
Your apology to God that day was out of this world. You even cried physically. You even went ahead to report yourself to your mentor and he or she told you to reconcile yourself back to God.
You apologized and apologized that day and it took you a lot to finally accept that God had forgiven you.
But did you know that day was the day you lost your spiritual promotion? That was the day God was supposed to take you into a higher dimension in the spirit realm. But you compromised!
Can you go ahead and cry to God for a reseat?
