The Q & A session of the weeklong School of the Spirit workshops had as panellists all the teachers, namely; Rev Kola Ewuosho, Pastor Inyang Okutinyang, Pastor Efe Obuke and Pastor Cyril Yerifor.
Some of the questions were directed to specific speakers based on their teachings, while others were of a general nature.
Q: Please can I learn about the High Priest called Melchizedek. Who was he? An angel or Jesus before he came physically
A: Melchizedek was the founder of the city of Salem. He functioned as both priest and king. Abraham paid tithes to him. Theologians think he was Shem, one of Noah’s sons. (Pastor Obuke)
Q: Dr. Obuke talked about connecting with the Holy Spirit. How do we sustain this connection with the Holy Spirit after WAFBEC?
A: I believe that Pastor Yerifor’s apt message on the art of meditation has addressed this. So you do it by meditation, praying in the spirit and feeding on the revelation that you have already received. (Pastor Efe Obuke)
Q: What is the place of offering money to get a prophecy to work in our lives?
A: Let the Bible speak for itself Isaiah 55:1 – Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.(KJV) Apostle Peter also stated that we have been redeemed by the incorruptible (1Peter 1:23) and not with silver or gold. We cannot pay for a blessing that Jesus has already paid for. The Shunnamite woman got a revelation to and did what she did for Elisha of her own volition, she was not compelled. Some women whom Jesus ministered to also gave of their substance to Him, but the motivation was not to trivialise what He’s already paid for. It must not be mechanical; we can yield to the Holy Spirit and tap in as He moves. And you cannot force God to honour His Word through giving. Everything rests on motive. Giving and receiving is not lottery, but the primary purpose must be love. (Pastor Inyang Okutinyang)
Giving has a place in productivity. The Philippians were acknowledged by Paul for their giving as a response of faith (Philippians 4:15). The principle of giving is not wrong, but the motivation is where the challenge lies. When we receive we should give, it’s normal. There’s a principle if you receive to give. Giving is fundamental in our spiritual growth and development. In a local church, the giver has more insight into what is taught than the person who doesn’t give. However, it is problematic to want to activate a prophecy with a gift. (Pastor Kola Ewuosho)
Giving is fundamental to spiritual growth. One of the primary reasons scripture tells us to give is to break the hold of idolatry in our lives. In pursuit of personal dreams of comfort and the good things of life, the love of money has gripped the heart of both clergy and laity; and the church is now perceived by those outside as a business. Fundamentally, there is a trust deficit in the church. On one hand, pastors do not trust the congregation to give of their best without manipulation, and on the other hand, the congregation does not trust pastors not to interfere with the sacred thing i.e. God’s offering. The consequence of this unfortunate scenario is that true worship and the true spirit of giving suffer. (Pastor Cyril Yerifor)
Q: The circumstance in Mark 11, verses 13 and 14 stated clearly that it was not the season for figs, so why would Jesus expect figs out of season?
A: In an analogy during one of his teachings, Frederick Price explained that Jesus expected fruits because the tree had leaves. When they were not out of season, figs were naturally not expected to have leaves. Whenever leaves were present, it meant fruit, but when Jesus approached the tree and found it without fruits, it was an anomaly. (Pastor Cyril Yerifor)
Q: How do I appropriate healing or any other miracle from God?
A: Proverbs 4: 20, ‘My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.’ (KJV) Jesus died for our sins and paid the price, of which sickness and poverty are part of the consequence. Christians begin right but fail to continue. The Word of God itself tells you what to do. The Word tells us not to be tossed by every wind. Keep chewing on the Word that you have received. (Pastor Inyang Okutinyang)
Q: How do you differentiate between faith and strong desire?
A: Faith is not the same as a strong will. We struggle with the word ‘believing’ because we are trying to have a strong will. Your inward witness will always agree with the Word of God. (James 1:13) As result of our nature, nurture and culture, we all desire the things of this world and this leads to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are all principles by which the world’s system and sin operate in peoples’ lives. However, through meditation, worship and feeding on the Word of God it changes the object of people’s desires. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (Colossians3:1 KJV). The world system teaches that if we do not desire the things of this world we cannot get them. On the other hand God teaches us to set our hearts on the things of the kingdom and the things of this life will be added to us. (Matthew 6: 33) (Pastor Cyril Yerifor)
Q: Did you practice the same principle for the oral exam in other years? Were there times it didn’t work?
A: The principles of operating in the kingdom works every time, but once the principles of God’s Word are negated, it cannot work. Over the years, there have been several situations where I’ve had to use the same principle in various situations over the years. In real life situations these are the principles we must work! We need to cultivate it and it has helped, saved and promoted me. (Pastor Efe Obuke)
Q: Can the Word be rephrased in confession or does it have to be the scripture verbatim, or paraphrased? What’s the next thing to do with the images one receives during the time of confessing?
A: Confession is the individual’s participation with God in their personal development. When you come into Christ the first thing should be to build an inner image of that into your consciousness. It does not necessarily have to be in King James language. However, it is not a mechanical thing but a dynamic process and the Holy Spirit can lead you in any direction. It is good to have a plan, but allow the Spirit lead you. When God’s words come from your spirit, you have creative power. Speak the scriptures as they are and in other ways that might be meaningful to you. The Word/Scriptures can be rephrased as long as it adequately captures the content. We build an inner image as we declare the Word. Confession also helps to purify soulish desires as the Holy Spirit probes motives and helps to build the image of Christ. (Pastor Kola Ewuosho)
Q: Is it possible for God to use someone who does not have the knowledge of the Word? You taught that one cannot do anything without knowledge of the Word, but Gideon didn’t know the word before he was visited by an angel.
A: God can use someone who doesn’t necessarily have knowledge of the Word. For instance, there was no scripture for Noah to read before his assignment was revealed. Abram was an idolater before his call and eventual change of name to Abraham. Note that the first five books of the Bible were written by Moses, before which there was no documentation of scriptures for the patriarchs who came before him. Once the documentation of scripture came, God began to demand that His people read/study. (Pastor Cyril Yerifor)
Q: How did you start hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit?
A: My experience began to be formed following a 1980 Bible study/cell group meeting, where the leader challenged us to go and find out how God speaks. I borrowed a leaf from the young prophet Samuel’s experience and asked God to, “speak for Thy servant heareth”. Over and over again, in those formative Christian years when I tried to make God speak to me in my own way, I met with failure. As I grew, I sought information and learned that God speaks to our hearts primarily by the Inward Witness, not to our external ears. Other dramatic forms are God’s prerogative. So, I would pray in tongues and check my heart to ascertain that Inward Witness. I realised that earlier missteps were a learning curve. (Pastor Efe Obuke)
Q: How do you maintain a healthy spiritual life, work, be a spouse, and do all other things? Since after such a conference you feel you should spend every waking moment just praying, meditating and doing all the spiritual exercises we have been taught here?
A: There’s a rhythm in the universe and we often fail to develop one for our lives. Dramatic spiritual undertakings are not necessary and are usually unproductive. Rather, build a rhythm to the walk with God. For example, the benefits of spending a few minutes of focused meditation would serve better than going to some mountain for a one-off experience. (Pastor Efe Obuke)
Look at your life holistically and plan. It’s alright to dedicate extra time to spiritual development. If a holistic approach isn’t taken, it won’t last. When you get skewed it becomes detrimental. Have a journal, plan, set a goal to include the new insights into your personal life and fellowship with God and apply those things to every aspect of your life. . Set those things in place until it becomes part of your lifestyle. (Pastor Kola Ewuosho)
Learn to utilise ‘dead’ times (e.g. commuting, travelling, waiting at a reception etc) for practicable spiritual exercises that will not distract others. Note that consistency over a long period is much more effective than bursts/intensity over a short period. (Pastor Inyang Okutinyang)