THEME: BEYOND EXPECTATIONS
MINISTERING: REVEREND JOSEPH ADEOLU OLAIYA (PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, LIVING FAITH FOUNDATION, KADUNA)
TOPIC: COVETING THE BEST GIFTS
DATE: 8TH AUGUST 2023
BIBLE TEXT: 1 CORINTHIANS 12: 28-31
Praise the Lord – Hallelujah!
Let me Congratulate the New Ordainees – The Anointing that has been released upon you shall reet on you Permanently (Amen).
God will never withdraw the Anointing on you – Amen!
His Grace will sustain and keep you all through His Mercy will be your Shield – Amen!
His Spirit will direct you everyday of your Life – Amen!
And it shall be well with you – Amen!
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OPENING PRAYER
Father, we Thank You for this Morning; Thank You for the Opportunity to serve in the Vineyard.
Father, I ask that the Word You want for Your Children will come forth this Morning – Word of Life, Word of Help, Word of Deliverance, Word of Fulfilment and Word of Promotion; let it come forth upon Your Children.
In Jesus Most Powerful Name we Pray – Amen!
Be seated – God Bless You!
I give Thanks to God for this Great opportunity to Stand here and Minister to you.
And I Thank our father-in-the-Lord and our mother-in-the-Lord – The Lord will keep on Prreserving you (Amen).
I have been asked to talk to you this Morning on: “COVETING THE BEST GIFTS”.
In 1 Corinthians 12: 28-31; we have some “Ministry Gifts” listed there!
1 Corinthians 12: 28-31:
28. And God hath set some in the Church, first Apostles, Secondarily Prophets, thirdly Teachers, after that Miracles, then Gifts of Healings, Helps, Governments, Diversities of Tongues.
29. Are all Apostles? Are all Prophets? Are all Teachers? Are all Workers of Miracles?
30. Have all the Gifts of Healing? Do all speak with Tongues? Do all Interpret?
31. But covet earnestly the Best Gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more Excellent way.
And at the end of the Listing of the Ministry Gifts, the Question was asked: “But covet earnestly the Best Gifts”.
That means that we have the Best of them and we have those that are better.
So, there are three (3) Classes of Gifts
Before then, the nine (9) Singular Gifts were listed in 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11 and then, the Ministerial Gifts were listed later.
But Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians, gave us the List of the five (5) Ministry Gifts.
The Singular Gifts were Grouped into three (3):
I. The Vocal Gifts – Whiich are Inspirational.
II. The Revelation Gifts
III. The Action Gifts – Which are Powerful.
Of the Inspirational Gifts, Prophesy is the most desirable because it does what the others do.
Of the Action Gifts; Faith is the Best of them because it does what Miracles does and what the Healing of Miracles will do.
But when it comes to the Revelation Gifts, it is a bit dicey. But the best of them all is the “Word of Wisdom” because it does not only solve Problems; it also gives you Guidance.
And Paul says: Earnestly desire or covet.
When you know the Purpose of a Gift, it will help you to Streamline your desires.
Summarily, the Gifts were given to bring Individual Blessings to the Individuals in the Church and to the Church Body collectively
So, you can make Profit from the Gift of Healing:
I. If you are Anointed to heal the sick, the day you are sick; during your Ministrations, the Anointing that is following out through you to the other People can be reversed into your body to heal you.
II. The day your children is sick, you can make Profit – Your Children can be healed.
But if God Anointed you to heal the sick and you throw away the Gift of Healing; on the day you are sick, you will have Nothing to Profit from!
So, the Gifts are given to be a Blessing to the Church and to be a Blessiing to you!
So, how do you get the Best of them (Gifts)?
You are given the Opportunity and Freedom to covet or to desire!
That instruction makes it Plain to you and to us that there is no Spiritual Gift you really truly want for the “Right Purpose” and the “Right Reason” that God will not give you!
The Problem we have is that most of us have “Wrong Motives” and we need to clean that up.
And in coveting the Best Gifts; Apostle Paul said: I show you an Excellent Way to go get your desires.
There must be “Earnestness” but there is an Excellent Way of getting!
How do we desire?
He goes on to say: You may speak in Tongues of Men and of Angels; if you do not have Love, you are like a “Sounding Brass” or a “Tinkling Cymbal” – Like Tambourine that is making noise. That is all you are (: The Bible Quotation under Reference here is 1 Corinthians 13:1).
He says that you may know all the Mysteries; if you have no Love, you are Nothing!
As a “Baby Christian”; I used to think that Apostle Paul was just trying to over-emphasised Love.
But then Brethren, everybody who get Anointed and becomes Gifted and does not grow and abide in Love, will be destroyed – That is the Danger of the Gift!
If you don’t grow in Love, the absence of Love will not reduce you to Nothing but to minus you!
So, I know that you are eager to be used and I know that Daddy ( Referring to Daddy GO) has been talking to you about the Miraculous.
But if you get the Miraculous and there is absence of Love, the Miraculous will destroy you.
People want to be the Greatest, the Most Noble, the Most Famous and so on – Wrong Motives and it will destroy you.
So, what are you supposed to do?
Simple – What is the Purpose of the Gift?
To build Up the body, to bless the body!
So, everytime that you want the Manifestations of a Gift, think of the Blessings!
In 1978, I observed that my Ministry in Healing the Sick and Casting out Devils was growing enormously but it was lacking in Discerning of Spirits. I had Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom; I had Prophesy and so on and so forth.
But I discovered that I was limited when it comes to some cases because of the absence of Discerning of Spirit.
I turned to God and told Him: God, let us make a deal – I need You to add Discerning of Spirit to me so that it becomes easy for me to cast out devils. And God added it.
That is different from – Oh God, give me Discerning Spirit so that everybody will know that I have a Discerning Spirit and they will know that I’m a Prophet. Stupid Motivation!
I went to a Crusade somewhere; on the first Day of the Meeting, the crowd was very scanty and I decided to call for Miracles. And the Lord showed His Power, “Instant Healings’ – Deaf Dumb People who were sick, who were down; they were healed instantly with Testimonies.
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A Young Man came around and say: “Odu re” : Meaning Deceit or Gimmicks).
He told one of my Disciples: See what your Oga (Meaning Master) is doing – He just came here doing Miracles and he just made an Altar Call and he went down.
He said that if it is my Oga (Master); he will snap Pictures and say: Do you like it? Send it round. He will make Noise on it and use it to raise Money.
“Odu re” (Deceits or Gimmicks) – I say: Hey!
So, my Disciple told him – You and your Oga (Master) must be on your way to Hell.
Go and ask Gehazi – He thought that the Gift of God was to make Money.
The Gift of God is not for “Pomp and Pride” – Get your Motives Right!
A lot of Anointed Men of God, their lives has been caught short.
They were Mightily used by God for Miracles, Signs and Wonders but they became History before they died or they died abruptly because they touched the Glory of God, they touched the Money of God and they abuse the girls.
Many People want to be used Mightily; but don’t forget that the Holy Spirit whose Power will be manifesting in you is called Holy!
I saw a Man of God who became Classmates with God – They became equal with God after God has Anointed them.
At their words the Lame will be rising and jumping, the Blind will be receiving their sight – They will be saying that it is me that God gave the Anointing.
They will edit and correct the Word of God, saying that they are wiser than God, making themselves equal with God and that is why they enter into shame.
Your Life will not end up like that – Amen!
I don’t know where God is sending you. But if you want to covet the Best of the Gifts; tell God that I want this for the Purpose of Blessing your Body!
If your Purpose today is for Soul Winning, then I am going to Pray – Any Spiritual Gift(s) that you want; my Father will release to you (Amen).
Coveting the Best Gift must be done in Love – You must be Humble, you must be Kind and you must be Compassionate.
– You heal the Sick, not to show Power but out of the Heart of Compassion that God if I were sick like this, I will want you to heal me.
– You must be “Easy Going”, you must not be Boastful and you must be Patient.
Because they will come when you are trying to sleep and you will be tempted to say: Don’t disturb me.
No! You must never give up!
For you to receive, you need to believe God and believed what I tell you.
It does not take God 10 Minutes to give out. The issue is whether your Heart is ready to receive.
I want to ask you some Questions:
I. Do you believe the Prayers that has been Prayed for you this Morning?
II. Do you believe that you are Anointed already?
III. Do you believe that you will ask and you will be given?
IV. Do you believe that the Fire will fall on you?
I have seen God remaining Faithful to His Words over and over again – Always Faithful!
Heaven will open shortly. Or let me say: Heaven has been opened, the Fire of the Gift(s) that you want will be released to you.
So, if you want a Release of any Spiritual Gift – To help the work in your hand and the Kingdom; rise to your feet as I Pray for you now!
Say: Father, I Promised You that I will not touch Your Glory, I will not touch the Glory that belongs to You. I will not be like Eli’s children, I will not be like Achan, I will not be like Gehazi. By the Grace of God, I will Sanctify your Money.
Say: Father, I receive Grace not to touch Your Glory – Everytime You work through me, I will give You all the Glory. I will not look down on anybody, neither will I become rude to my Leaders.
By the Grace of God, I also ask you to keep me from Sexual Lust and any other Uncleanliness. I will not take Advantage of the Anointing on my Life to abuse your flocks.
I trust You Oh God that You will give me as I ask You today and You will do beyond my Expectations in the Name of Jesus – Amen!
Based on this Commitment, Stretch forth your two (2) hands and ask the Lord in the Next 1 Minute the Gift(s) you want and what you want to do with it!
Now, can we conclude your Prayer?
And say: I receive by Faith what You Promised me.
That if I lack, I shall be Given.
I Open Up my Heart for the Fire to Fall down!
Thank You Lord! I believe Your Word, I believe Your Promise and I believe Your Servant,
It shall be unto me as I have asked in the Name of Jesus – Amen!
CLOSING PRAYER
My Father, my Father; I am not the Owner of the Gifts – They are Called the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, You are the Owner.
Lord Jesus, You sent the Holy Spirit now as their hands are opened – Fire!
Let the Gifts fall – Prophesy, Diversity of Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Gifts of Healings, Working of Miracles, Faith, Discerning of Spirits, Words of Wisdom, Words of Knowledge.
Oh Lord, as You have “Destined Individuals”; let them begin to receive now!
Now shout – “I receive the Fire!!!
Thank You Lord – The Fire is Falling now!
Thank you so much for staying all through to read.