by When you go through pain in life, when you go through poverty, when you go through failure, when you go through rejection, then you have passed through the track record that grants you the opportunity to minister to those people. Are we together? Now, listen! One time the disciples came to Jesus. Are you blessed this afternoon?
The disciples came to Jesus and they said…, they came with the mother of James and John and the mother of James and John requested something; she said “sir, will you grant that when you would have conquered Ceasar and you now sit as king, let my sons sit by your left and by your right”. Are we bible students? Jesus never said the position is not vacant, He asked a question; “can you drink of my cup and be baptized with my baptism?” can you drink of my cup and be baptized with my baptism? I don’t know where I heard this story, but I heard it somewhere and I’m going to tell you quickly.
A man of God, I think maybe it may be a fiction or something, that a man of God called on God in prayer and he said; “Lord, you’ve been unfair to me.” Why? He said; “you’ve been prospering other men of God, they are laughing and always happy, great congregations, great membership. And I’m here suffering and angry.” And then according to the story, I think it’s just a fiction to communicate a message. God told him, “Okay, come let’s go.” And he went to heaven, and when he got to heaven, he was told, he entered a room where he saw different crosses, cross, different sizes that represented the assignment of men on earth. Are we together? And that God told him, he said; “okay, since you are blackmailing me, go and choose the cross that you want by yourself,” and he saw one tiny one on the ground and the man went and quickly carried it.
And God told him; “but that’s what I gave you, you just picked back the same thing you have always carried. That means the cross you are taking now was the cross you always had, that was your own that you are complaining about.” And he saw some giant crosses, and he said they are people on earth carrying this? And he said those people laughing you see, that’s what they are carrying. Do you understand my story? That the cross represented the burden, and he was complaining that God gave him something heavy. So, God told him now choose by yourself, and he quickly went and carry the small cross. And God told him, the cross you are complaining about on earth, this is it, the small one you picked.
There are people today, who are carrying burdens, they are carrying destinies on their shoulder, and you may see them rejoice, you may see the glory that comes from them, until you hear the story, until you hear the things that they went through.
Many years ago, the first crusade that we had, we were just about twenty or so in that car, we did not even have money to lodge or do anything. We were on our way going, the crusade was going to start at about six, but at about to three, we were still on the road. The car died, and refused to start.
There was no money to even take another bus again, we knew that if faith did not bring this car back to life, we were finished. We literary were laying hands and praying for the car to come back to life, because there was no other way we could pay for anything. Say process! Please shout it, say process! Many of the things we could failure is not failure, it’s a track record. It’s a track record you need to justify the lifting that God brings to you. Now, hear this! I share this with you today to inspire you. Do you know one of my dear friends had to carry the guitar, literally and started playing the guitar in front of the car and then we started prophesying and praying in tongues.
Sincerely speaking, that’s how that car came back to life. And we drove back to the crusade ground. When we got to the crusade ground, our ladies those days, there was no money to buy firewood. LADIES! had to climb the trees, TREE! to pluck, and the ladies that were in welfare were still the ladies in worship team. There had to prepare our meal and then run and go and dress for the crusade. But those days are over now, but thank God they came. Are you seeing that now? So, today if you are about to pray for someone who is starting ministry, and he says; “man of God, arh., I’m in trouble, I cannot afford a rent of ten thousand.”
You will not look at him and say, shame on you, you would remember that this man reminds me of where I used to be, and with that compassion you can hold his hand and say don’t worry, it is not proof that you are failure, it’s proof that you are through a process. Are we together? Listen! I’ve prayed for dead people in my life and they did not come back to life. Say process! All the miracles you hear today did not happen all of a sudden.
I’m being sincere with you to inspire you. I will never forget one time, they called me to go and raise a dead body, and they said the body had died. I went as a zealous person and I stood there, when I got into the mortuary, I saw several dead bodies, I said which one am I to pray for? They said; “this one.” When I stood there and I saw that dead body, I started remembering men like Arch Bishop Benson Idahosa. I said these men really had faith. That dead body, I didn’t know what part of it to touch, because it was like stone.
Will I touch the head, which part will the anointing start flowing to for that body to come back to life? But that was process. I stood there, I prayed, I quoted scripture, I prophesied, I used Ezekiel 37, dry bones. Uh., come on now. The body did not even shift, not to talk of coming back to life. After a while, I just said, you know what? Job said; “even though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”. I’m not Jesus Christ, I’m not the one that died for the sins of the world, open this door for me and let me go out. Now listen to me, listen to me, listen to me.
Today, if you bring a dead body, I’m no longer concerned about my reputation because I was trained, my ego was stung again and again till there was nothing else. So, now God can flow through that dead vessel. Why? Because the awareness that my reputation was at stake died since. Are you getting what I’m teaching you now? Let me tell you, you need process.
When we were done with the crusade that I told you we started, it was time for everyone to go, and there was no money to pay the bus people. Then I now told them, I said; go, drive back to Kaduna state, before you get to Kaduna state, someone will be waiting for you with the money. This was by faith o, and the drivers were not born again. You know… those of you from the North understand what I’m saying. You don’t carry that kind of story, there is no brotherly, ehm., no no no, if the money is not there, you are in trouble. I said; just go. And they went and left me alone. I said God; either you called me or you didn’t call me.
But my faith must work today. Faith works under pressure. When you have plan B, faith will not work. Listen! Let me tell you this, I’m not saying you should do some of these things I’m doing. Ahn? Don’t try it, I’m just giving you a story. I read Kenneth E. Haggin’s book, those days and I got up and trek to the bank, no money o, I had an account then with First Bank, and that time one branch could not transfer money to another branch. It was that branch and that branch alone. I went and joined a long queue by faith, expecting miracle alert to find its way into my account.
I stood there for hours because they were paying lecturers. When it was my turn, they used to be a machine then that said, ‘cashier number one, cashier number two’. It now says, my turn, and I went there and they said; “sorry sir, are you expecting some money?” I said; of course, what would I be doing in the bank if I’m not expecting some money. And he said; “sorry, the money has not arrived”. That was how I turned back, disappointed, but I did not know I was passing my exam.
Today, now I can speak to you, and by evening you will see favour that you never saw, because there was a track record. Listen to what I’m telling you now, I can prophesy to you now, and you will leave this place, and all of a sudden it will be as if the windows of heaven opened, because there was a price that was paid. The price of the throne is the cross.
Powerful!!!