NOVEMBER 2018 SPECIAL THANKSGIVING SERVICE WITH PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE:

FEATURING SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR TENANTS, LANDLORDS, ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, HOMELESS, MOTHERLESS, ORPHANS, WIDOWS, WIDOWERS, JOBLESS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

THEME: DIVINE VISITATION

TOPIC: DIVINE HABITATION

DATE: 4TH NOVEMBER, 2018

PRAYERS:

1. Let us lift up our hands to the Almighty God and bless His Holy Name. Give Him Glory, Honour and Adoration. Bless the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Ancient of Days. He reigns forever. Bless His Holy Name for all what He has done for us since the beginning of the Year till now. Praise Him even for what He will do before the Year runs out. Magnify His Holy Name.

Thank you our Father, may your Name be glorified.

2. Father, any danger that may still be left in this old year, keep them far away from my home – any sickness, disease, accident, any tragedy that may still be left in this old year; keep them far away from my home. Please Daddy, you have brought me safe thus far, keep me safely through – keep sorrow, sickness, death and danger away from my home.

Thank you Father, in Jesus Mighty Name we have prayed.

3. Father, concerning all Landlords who are here; let it be well with them. Let there be Peace and Joy in their home. Please Lord, don’t let them know any form of sorrow again. Concerning all tenants, prosper them. Let them become also Landlords.

Thank you Jesus, in Jesus Mighty Name we have prayed.

SONG:

We give you all the Glory
We give you Honour
We give you all the Glory
We give you Honour

OPENING PRAYER:

Almighty God we give you all the Glory, we give you all the Honour, we give you Adorations for bringing us yet to another Month. Thank you for all what you have done for us since the beginning of this Year. Thank you for what you will yet do before the year runs out. Father please accept our Worship in Jesus Name.

Father, we are moving towards the end of the year and from experience, the end of the year is always full with all sorts and manner of danger. Please Lord, any danger still left in this old year, keep away from us. Any accident, any tragedy, any form of sorrow; please keep far away from us.

Whatever Blessings that may still remain in this old year, Father divert it to our homes.

And Father I’m committing all Landlords into your hands; Father continue to bless them. Let there be Peace on their homes. Let there be Joy in their homes. Keep evil far away from them.

As for all tenants, in your own Miraculous way; let them become Landlords. Prosper them also.

And Lord God Almighty, am committing all our Traditional Rulers to your Hands, bless their Kingdom, continue to prosper them, continue to support them. In every area of their life, Father show yourself Mighty.

Daddy, I commit all your children who had been Faithful in the payments of their tithes and giving of their offerings; please embarrass them with your Blessings. The kind of Blessings that will cause them to say: God this is too much, direct unto them. In every area of their lives, silent their Mockers.

And today, in a very very Special way; visit all of us. Please Lord before the end of this Month, let our Testimonies be complete. Let our Sun continue to Shine and don’t let it ever set.

Thank you my Father and my God because we know that today you will save souls, heal the sick and set the captives free and your Name will be Glorified. In Jesus Mighty Name we have prayed!

Amen .. Let somebody shout Hallelujah!

Please shake hands with two (2) or three (3) people and tell them: Good morning, God will bless you Mightily this Month.

… And then you may be seated.

BIBLE TEXT: 2 SAMUEL 6: 11-12

11. And the Ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obededom the Hittite three months and the LORD blessed Obededom and all his households.

… Maybe I should stop there first, and decree into the life of everyone of you that the Almighty will bless your households and the Blessings will never end.

12. And it was told King David, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obededom and all that belongs to him because of the Ark of God.” So David went and brought up the Ark of God from the house of Obededom to the City of David with rejoicing.

I am sure that you know this story. David was trying to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the City. On the way, the cattle stumbled and a young man stretched out his hands to steady the Ark of Covenant. And in the process, God killed him. So David said: “I don’t know that the Ark of Covenant could be a dangerous thing. So he looked for a young man called Obededom who happened to be a stranger – let us take the Ark to his house, if he can die, let him die.

But the moment the Ark of Covenant gets into the house of Obededom, God opened the Heavens and began to bless him. I mean God blessed him so Mightily that the whole Nation heard about it.

I feel led by the Spirit of the Almighty God to say to somebody here today, very soon this Nation will heard about you – Amen!

So they told the King that the man you thought will die has become a Celebrity because the Ark of Covenant is living in his house.

So David said is that so? They said Yes. Well, I am the King, I took the Ark of Covenant to his house, I will go now and get it. So he went, collected the Ark of Covenant and brought it back to the City with Gladness.

Today, I have been asked to speak to you about “Divine Visitation” but what maybe we should talk about is “Divine Habitation”.

… I want God to dwell in your house: whether you are a Landlord or Tenant; may the Presence of God never depart from your house.

You see there is a difference between a “House” and a “Home”.

When we talk about a “House”, we are talking about a building that some people are living in.

When we talk about a “Home”, we also talk about a building that some people are living in.

But there is a difference between the two (2): one is called the “House” – this is my house. And another is called a “Home” – this is my home.

What are the basic difference between a House and a Home? What turned a House to a Home?

It is determined by what goes on inside.

For some people, a house is just a place you come, you sleep, wake up and go

For others, a home is where you go and you relax, enjoy and have a wonderful time.

That is why many, many people who came from the Village like myself; when we come to big towns, we rent a house but we never forget our hometown.

Why do we call it the hometown? It is because of the memories of Joy and Blessings that we had. As we are growing up, certain things happened that if you travel to America or Japan; you still want to come back home.

Now what are those things that can transformed a house to a home?

1. CONTENTMENT – In home, there is contentment.

If you get to the hometown of some people, you will look at the buildings; they are nothing compared to the big Mansions you see in the city. I mean that you can come to Ifewara (a town in Osun State, Nigeria) and the tallest building there may be a 2-storey building. The first time people like me came to Lagos, and you have to look up to see the end of a house; you open your mouth and you cannot close it.

But it is a home because in there we don’t have much but we are contended. We sleep on bare floor, spread mats there but we are contended.

… There is something called CONTENTMENT that you can find it only in homes.

1 Timothy 6:6 says: Godliness with Contentment is great gain.

Hebrew 13:5 says be contended with whatever you have.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 says money doesn’t satisfy.

… It does not matter how much you have, you will still want more.

As a matter of fact, Ecclesiastes 5:12 (this is coming from the man who is considered to be the richest man who ever lived); it says: at times wealth of the rich will not even allow them to sleep. He said the sleep of the labourer is sweet.

A man who has been carrying bags of cement at Wharf from early morning till late in the night. By the time he gets home, maybe all what he could get to eat is one big loaf of eba (powdered cassava) and then washes it down with ordinary water and he hits his bed. While someone is still talking to him, he will be fast asleep. And yet there are some people: their bed is air conditioned; everything is cool but he still need some tablets before he could sleep for just two (2) hours.

Those of you who can sleep anytime you want to; let me hear you shout Hallelujah – Hallelujah!

Now, what has this gotten to do with God dwelling in your house?

Philippians 4:9 says: My God shall supply ALL your needs (not all your wants) – the basic things are supplied by God.

… Contentment comes with that and your sleep will be sweet.

2. Another thing that makes home different from house is PEACE.

Proverbs 17:1 says: Dry morsel with quietness within is better than an house full of sacrifices with strive.

In our home in the Villages, the food you can call dry morsel. In those days, you cannot believe that we eat bread without butter. We didn’t know that there is anything called butter.

How many of you know what am talking about because you are all looking at me as if am the only bush boy here.

We ate our yams with palm oil with a little bit of salt put into it.

And we enjoyed it. Why?

Peace, Quietness, No fight, we are not afraid of the fellow in the next room. Now you know in the house of face- me, I face-you; you are not even sure of the person in the other room. Is he your friend or enemy?

But in the home, there is Peace. And that is important because if God is in your house, there will be Peace.

Why? Because, Isaiah 9:6 calls Him the “Prince of Peace”. And if the Prince of Peace is in your households then if storms come; as storms do come as in Marks 4: 35-41. If God is dwelling in your house and all of a sudden there is a storm; there is somebody you can call and He will speak a Word – PLEASE BE STILL and immediately there will be Peace.

Storms come suddenly, storms don’t give notice but if God is in your home; you don’t have to worry; If storm comes, you call on Him.

Some of you remembered the story of one of our Pastors. He went to Church with his pregnant wife, they had a wonderful Service, the wife was almost due for delivery. They returned home and while they were eating, suddenly the wife gave a shout, fell down and died – no sickness, no problem.

And of course the Pastor began to shout: Jesus help me and have Mercy. The neighbour heard the noise, they came and saw the pregnant woman on the floor dead. But the woman died so suddenly that they can still see the baby in her breathing. So they rushed the woman to the hospital and they were hoping and praying: Lord let the doctor reach the baby before it is too late. The doctors didn’t have to apply anaesthetics because the woman had died so they just quickly went through and reach the baby. It was only the husband saying help me, help my wife too. And the doctors says let us stitch her back so that we can bury her neatly. But just as they finished the stitches, the woman came back to life.

When God is dwelling in your house and storms come; you can cry to the Prince of Peace and Peace will come.

May I decree in the Name that is above every other names that in anyway possible, the Prince of Peace will guarantee Peace in your home.

3. What makes a home a home is SECURITY.

We felt secured at home. When you are very tiny and you caused trouble outside and some people trying to beat you up; you run home – if I can just get home I know that I am secured.

Psalms 91:1 says: He that dwelleth in the Secret Place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

… Let the Almighty comes in.

Psalms 24: 7-10 asked you to open the door and let the King of Glory come and the King of Glory is also the Lord of Hosts.

If God is dwelling in your home, there is Security.

Why? Philippians 2: 9-11 tells us that at the mention of the Name of Jesus, all knees must bow.

If God is dwelling in your house and danger comes knocking; He will go and attend to the danger at the door. The day the devil comes to your home, knocks at the door and you tell the owner of the house that someone is knocking and Jesus will go there, open the door and said sorry i don’t know you – leave here!

In the Name of the Almighty God, no more danger in your home.

In the home where God is dwelling; we sleep in Peace. Why? Because we know that while we are sleeping, there is somebody looking after us who will never sleep nor slumber.

In Psalms 121: 1-8; David said I will lift up my eyes to the Hill, from whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the Lord who has made Heaven and Earth.

And then he went on to say that the One who is keeping me will neither sleep nor slumber. And He will be the Shadow on my right hand.

No matter how powerful a mam is, when he is asleep as a human being, he is helpless. But if there is someone watching over you who doesn’t sleep, who doesn’t slumber then you can sleep in Peace.

Some people will say that is why we employed a Night Guard – laughs.

A Night Guard? I remembered so many occasions when I will be going round the camp at night and there are guards at various places and I will see the guards fast asleep. On one occasion, there is one watching a bank and there were two (2) chairs. He say on one fast asleep and since I have been walking for a while and a bit tired, sat on the other chair. I think it was some mosquitoes that troubled him and he nearly slapped me.

… Guards! Lord have mercy!

There is only one guard who does not sleep, who does not slumber. Do you know His Name – JESUS!

Have told you the story of three (3) fishes before who are swimming in an ocean where there was a mother Shark and a baby Shark. And these Sharks are troubling all the fishes in the ocean. So these three (3) fishes call a Prayer Meeting: Lord come we want to talk to you and the Lord came down – Yes, what can I do for you! The first fish said that there are some Sharks here troubling us. I want you to help me so that every part of my body would be full of eyes – turn every skin to eyes so that if these Sharks are coming from behind or beside I will see them. Lord says are you sure that is what you want? The Lord said ok. The second fish said I don’t want too many eyes; I just want a pair of wings. If these Sharks are coming, I will just fly out of the ocean. The Lord said ok and turned to the third fish, what do you want? The third fish said: everywhere I go, I want you to go with me. So the Lord said fine and left. As soon as He left, the first fish suddenly discovered that every parts of his body has become eyes, the second one too saw two (2) wings and the third one remained as before.

And very soon, the Sharks began to hunt. They saw the fish with many eyes – oh what a beautiful fish you are. So they swam towards the fish, he saw them and jumped to a little pool of water by the beach and began to laugh – come and get me if you can! But soon, the sun arose, the little pool of water dried up and the fish with many eyes died. And when the Sharks saw that first fish had escaped, they turned to the other fish and that one said am better now and flew out of the ocean – began to laugh in the air and said come and catch me if you can! But around that same time, an Eagle was flying overhead and looked down – God, what am I seeing? I didn’t know that you are this good. I have wanted to eat fish and its only that I cannot swim but now you brought one to my territory. So the second fish become a meal for the Eagle.

The third fish was just enjoying himself swimming about and a baby Shark said to the mother Shark: look at this one, not afraid of us and the mother Shark said said are you blind? Can’t you see that wherever this fish goes there is a Shadow of a man following him? You go near that fish that man will kill you.

I pray for someone here today that the Lord will never leave you alone.

4. Another thing that made a home is JOY.

We have Joy when young and that is why we never forget home. And when God is in your home, there will always be Joy.

Psalms 16:11 says that in the Presence of God, there is fullness of Joy.

When you asked people in the home why are you so full of Joy; many times they cannot even tell. They just have a Joy. Just as Philippians 4:4 says: Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.

We didn’t have much but we have Joy – You know how you feel when one of you who had traveled for some time and then he/she returns; you see the Joy with which you received the fellow.

What is making you so Joyful, you cannot even say.

When God is living in your home, you have JOY!

You remembered the story of the Professor at the University of Ibadan who gave his life to Jesus Christ. I used to go there every Month then. The following Month when I went back to University of Ibadan, he said sir I have a question for you. And when a Professor says he has a question, you better tie your belt. So I was getting ready for one serious Theological Question. He said: sir, I hope it is not dangerous to be happy all the time. I said why? He said since I gave my life to Jesus Christ, I have just been having this Joy – I wake up in the morning, Joy; in the afternoon, Joy and I want to go to bed, Joy.

I said that is the Plan of God for your life as it is sin that spoilt everything.

Am praying for someone here today, you will never know sorrow again.

So if you want to turn your house to a home, what must you do?

“PREPARE AN ALTAR FOR GOD.” Turn your house to the “Home of God”.

In Isaiah 56: 6-7; God said that His House shall be called “House of Prayer”.

Oh, so you have to turn your home to be a “House of Prayer”. Your house can be a Church. 1 Corinthians 16: 19; Paul was writing and was talking about the Church in the house of Aquila and Priscilla – two (2) members of the Church turned their home into Church.

In Colossians 4:15; he was talking of a man called Nymphas and He said greetings to the Church in your house.

In Philippians 1: 1-2; he was talking of the Church in the house of Philemon.

Turn your house to a “House of God”. Let God dwell where you live so that morning, afternoon and evening; you are constantly Praising God and Singing Praises to Him. When you are cooking, you are singing His Praises; when you are sweeping the ground, you are singing His Praises; you are washing clothes, you are singing His Praises.

You know what? Psalms 67: 5-7 makes it clear that: When Praises goes up, Blessings come down – You Praise God constantly, He will bless you constantly. Your life can just be one continuous life of Praise.

You practice this thing, you will soon become addicted to it. You practice Praising God all the time, particularly in your home; you will be amazed that you won’t even know what is called “High Blood Pressure” again as it will disappear. And lots of sicknesses and diseases will not be able to click on you again because you are Praising God always.

… So turn your house into an “ALTAR FOR GOD”.

The Ark of Covenant stayed in the house of Obededom for just three (3) Months only and the whole Nation discovered that Blessings are coming down to Obededom’s house.

I traveled to a Country sometimes ago and went on a “Morning Walk”. As I was returning, I saw a shop where they are doing Sales – selling 60% to 70% off the normal price. Then I said maybe a Pastor can get something there. So I branched there and was checking. And all of a sudden, the owner of the Shop said: “Life must be Good”. I said what do you mean? He said that you are singing. I didn’t even know that I was singing as I was checking the prices.

I pray that the Testimonies that will be coming from your home from now on will be “LIFE IS GOOD!”

In closing, if you want God to stay in your home, then you must make him welcome. Amos 3:3 says two cannot walk together unless they agree.

In 1 Peter 1: 15-16; it says: Be ye Holy as I am Holy.

You want God to dwell in your house: bringing Peace, Security, Joy. You want your home to be a home where the Presence of God will be all the time? Then get rid of sin – Be Holy for I am Holy!

So if you are here and you have not given your life to Jesus Christ; how can you even invite Him to your home when you are still living in sin? But if you come to Him this morning, there is Power Mighty in His Blood to wash away your sin and you will know when you go home today, Jesus will go with you.

So if you want to give your life to Jesus, please come quickly as I count from 1 to 5 so that I can pray for your Salvation. The Almighty God will visit your home. He will come and never depart.

Those of you in front, lift up your voices to God: ask Him to save your soul, ask Him to forgive your sins, ask Him to come and not just take over your life but your home, marriage and everything that has to do with you. Call on Him and He will save your soul.

And the rest of us, let us stretch our hands towards these our new brothers and sisters and intercede for them that the Almighty God who saved our own soul will save their own souls also. And they too will be welcome yo the family of the Most High God.

… Thank you Father, Glory be to God. In Jesus Mighty Name we have prayed.

GO PRAYS: So Father, we just want to say thank you very much for your Words. Thank you for these people who has come to surrender their life to you. Please accept our thanks in Jesus Name.

They have come to you now; please save their souls, forgive their sins, let your blood wash them clean, write their names in the Book of Life and receive them into the family of God.

Please from now on; make their homes your home. In Jesus Mighty Name we prayed – Amen.

… Let somebody shout Hallelujah – Hallelujah!

The rest of us let us pray. So stand on your feet and shout a big Hallelujah.

I want you to lift up your voices to the Almighty God and say loud and clear that: Father, the All Sufficient God; Come and dwell in my home from now on and forever.

EDITORIAL NOTE: May the Lord make our various homes His Habitation as from now as we consciously release our home as an “Altar of God” in Jesus Name Mighty Name.

… Releasing your home for the Purpose of an “House Fellowship Center” is one veritable and sure way your home can continuously be a “House of Prayers and Praising God”.

Give a useful thought to this as God guide and direct you in taking the rightful decisions!

Thank you so much for reading!

COMPILATIONS BY

MOSES DURODOLA AND TITILAYOMI AJAYI

Discovery Media Crew