Encouragement

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EXPECT EXCEEDINGLY GREAT THINGS!

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21;

Most times, people don’t receive much from God, not because God is not prepared or able to do so much, but because they aren’t creating the rooms for Him. The scripture says God can do infinitely more than we could ever think, imagine, dream or request for, but this is according to the power that works in us. What does this mean? There’s no limit to what the power of the Holy Spirit that resides in us could achieve, but how much God’s power (Holy Spirit) living in us is able to do in us and through us, is essentially a function of the rooms and platforms we make available for Him to operate. If God can do exceeding abundantly far more than we could ever imagine or request in our wildest imaginations, why then are we have less? The power of the Holy Spirit in us, on His own has no form of limitations whatsoever as to what He can achieve, but we, the vessels He wants to work through, can constrain and hinder Him from doing all that He really aspires to do.

One of the ways believers rob themselves of the exceeding great things God is able to do in them and through them is by extinguishing the Holy Spirit. Yes it is possible for you to quench the Holy Spirit! 1Thessalonias 5:19 commands ‘Quench not the Spirit’! To quench the Holy Spirit is to hinder Him by your actions or inactions when He is most willing to move. More often than not, what hinders the Holy Spirit is actually our inactions and laziness. There are so many things God would have accomplished in our lives, families, church and nation but for our laziness and inactions. When we shy away from our responsibility of praying to move the hands of the Almighty God to do all He really desires to do, we hinder the Holy Spirit; when we employ the methods of the world rather than relying on God’s accurate leading to do the work of the ministry, we obstruct the Holy Spirit; when we sit back and watch things happen in whatever way they choose to, but do nothing to enforce the will of God through earnest praying and fasting, we slow down the Holy Spirit; when we fail to take effective steps for the furtherance of God’s kingdom but sit and complain about prominence of darkness around us, we frustrate the Holy Spirit; when our lives become harbours of sins so much that the Holy Spirit is not comfortable to reside in us to work, we extinguish His fire; nothing puts off fire of the Holy Spirit like sin!

Another way you can incapacitate the Almighty God from doing exceeding abundantly in your life is lack of faith. Unbelief is one major thing that shuts up the power of God in the life of any man. In Matthew 13:54-58 the scripture reveals that Jesus could not do many significant miracles or healings in His own country where He was born, not because the anointing of the Holy Spirit was not abundantly available on Him, but because of their unbelief. During His earthly days, Jesus before healing or performing miracles would ask if the recipient had faith to obtain whatever he or she desired; those who believed not never got anything from the Lord, but those who had faith, even in the smallest measure, got their miracles! The situation has not changed even today; there are things heaven will never throw at you unless you demonstrate your faith to demand them! It is impossible for you to receive from God what you do not have faith for, the position always is ‘Be it unto you according to your faith’!

The level of your expectations is a major factor that determines what you receive from God. The surest way you can operate in the realm of exceedingly great abundance that God desires for you is to enlarge your expectations on God. We create big rooms for God to move in our lives by having very high expectations. Many people have never experienced significant breakthroughs all their lives because the level of their expectations on God is damn too low! In Luke 5: 1-7 the Lord Jesus having finished preaching from Peter’s boat, divinely instructed him to let down his nets (plural- that is- many nets) for a catch; Peter however, obviously from some form of doubts and struggling due to his technical knowhow in fishing, reluctantly let down his net (note singular - only one net). What was the outcome? Although Peter got a breakthrough all the same, but it’s apparent he didn’t get as much as the Lord wanted him to get. The only one net Peter dropped into the lake enclosed so much fish that it began to break. What happened? The explanation for this is simple: following the Lord’s instruction ‘let down your nets’, all the fish in the lake were waiting at attention to swim into Peter’s nets, but unfortunately, it was only one net; all the fish in the lake had to struggle and force their ways into Peter’s single net until there was no space again, this caused the net to break! Can you imagine the extent of multi mega breakthroughs Peter would have gotten if he had dropped say two, three, four, five or ten nets? That’s exactly why you should realize that you are doing yourself a great disfavor when you restrict God by cutting low your expectations. With God, please understand that you can’t dream too big, you can’t expect or ask for too much! He can do infinitely more than you could ever think, dream or request for in your wildest imaginations!

It must be mentioned that contempt also can deprive a believer from receiving from God or operate in the realm of exceeding great blessings. So many of us have become so familiar with God and His servants that God’s word no longer have effects or produce the expected results in our lives. This is really dangerous! How can you expect to breakthrough in life when you do not tremble at or take the word of God seriously? This was the same trap in which the kinsmen of the Lord Jesus found themselves. They were always saying ‘Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things’? It’s not surprising therefore that they have remained on the same spot, even till today. How sad!

Dearly beloved, God’s desire is that you operate in the realm of exceeding abundantly greatness, but you must adjust your faith, enlarge your expectations (dreams), tune your hearts to him and step out of your comfort zones. Get ready for exceeding abundantly great things!

Shalom!

Ezekiel Olukolajo
(c) February 2012

contact: [email protected]

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