Before Bishop Wale Oke began his first ministration at WAFBEC, Pastor Oyemade read out three testimonies from some WAFBEC 2014 participants that who were beneficiaries of the prophetic word from God through Bishop.
Bishop Oke began ministration by reminding everyone present that, “there’s nothing that we have that we have not received. And if we have received it, why should we boast.” He then encouraged everyone to use three minutes to give thanks to God for all He has done, all He’s doing and all He’s yet to do.
Isaiah 54:1 – 2
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes
3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
According to the Bishop this scripture is strange because it instructs the barren to sing, and says that more are the children of the barren than the married wife. The person making this statement is either God or a lunatic.
The barren don’t sing, they cry – especially when they remember those barren areas of their lives. However, it’s God that has the audacity to say such things because He does not address you as you are but speaks your future into the present. Remember we serve a God who quickens the dead and calls those things that be not as though they are.
Barrenness is not only limited to children, some are barren in the area of marriage, finances etc
Psalm 34:5
So when God tell the barren to sing, it’s not only to those that seek children, He refers to all areas of nagging needs.
Isaiah 54:1-2
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate…
Enlarge the place of thy tent…
The kind of enlargement referred to in the above scripture does not come through struggling and sweating i.e. the race is not to the swift, neither is the battle to the strong; by strength shall no man prevail; not by might nor by power, but My Spirit says the Lord.
“When God gives you enlargement it happens without stress.”
God has more for you, He wants to enlarge you. That was the prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:10) and God granted Jabez’s request. This happened before Jesus was crucified and this prayer for enlargement was granted…how much now that He has been resurrected.
‘You shall break forth…’ implies limitations; these could be imposed by men or institutional. However, the most dangerous is self-imposed because, “as a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” This is the reason God says to be transformed by the renewal of the mind.
Verse 2: Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes
Bishop Francis reminded everyone that to every blessing God releases there are two sides of the coin i.e. God has His part to play but without you fulfilling specific responsibilities nothing will happen. Nobody else can do this for you.
In practice there are certain ‘cords’ of your life you must pay attention to and strengthen. These include:
1. Your Personal Relationship with God: strengthen your personal relationship with God and His Word, and fellowship with His Spirit .i.e. building up yourself on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost.
2. Pay Attention to Your Health: You can’t just eat junk! The miraculous is no excuse for not taking personal responsibility. Remember that your body doesn’t have a spare.
3. Pay Attention to Your Family: After God, your home is your greatest treasure. The family is always there to support when every else goes. You must not pursue career or business at the expense of your family.
4. Pay Attention to Your Finances: It doesn’t matter what vision you have but without money it will remain nothing. For money is a defence, lack of it is an offence. Become rich by choice, the richer you are the more useful you are to God’s Kingdom.
Money responds to diligence, planning, wisdom, giving, and the Anointing.