PREPARING FOR INCREASE [PART 2]: PASTOR MENSA OTABIL – SUNDAY SERVICE, 13TH FEBRUARY, 2022
SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE BY DR. MENSA OTABIL (GENERAL OVERSEER INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH (ICGC) CHRIST TEMPLE, ACCRA GHANA)
TOPIC: PREPARING FOR INCREASE – PART 2
DATE: 13TH FEBRUARY, 2022
TEXT: ISAIAH 54:2
Let’s rise up together as we take our DECLARATION OF INCREASE in this Year of Increase:
Are you ready? Say with me:
I confess today that Jesus Christ is my LORD and Saviour. In Him I have life, His Abundant Life.
The Lord is my Light and Strength. As He is, so has He made me. By His Spirit I Increase in Word and in Wisdom. In Faith and in Favour.
The Lord has said: “In Blessing, I will bless you. In multiplying I will Multiply your Seed.”
So, I can boldly say: My God shall Increase me more and more. What I Place in God’s Hands grows into Overflow.
Though I begin small, my end shall Greatly Increase.
In this Year of Increase, I grow in Grace and in Strength. To be all that God wants me to be.
In Jesus’ Name – AMEN!
Today I am doing Part 2 of my Message – PREPARING FOR INCREASE.
I did Part one last week.
DMC NOTES: You can read full Text of that Message on the Label of DMC) – PREPARING FOR INCREASE Part 1 on this Link:
Isaiah 54:2 (NKJV)
Enlarge the Place of your Tent, And let them Stretch out the curtains of your Dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your Cords, And Strengthen your Stakes.
It is very interesting that this one verse (Isaiah 54:2) has a lot of imperatives; a lot of commands.
So it’s not suggestive.
And if you read the Language, it is Command, Command, Command. God is telling is to do something.
And that tells you that for us to Prepare for Increase, we must do something.
Everybody who is Preparing for something, does something! You can’t Prepare and do Nothing.
… There is a lot of Instruction in the Passage.
Last week (6th February, 2022) we looked at the first Instruction – Enlarge the Place of your Tent.
And today we are looking at the Second one: “And let them Stretch out the curtains of your Dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your Cords, And strengthen your Stakes.”
So we will start with trying to understand what those words mean.
WHAT DOES ‘STRETCH’ MEAN?
“And let them stretch out the Curtains of your Dwellings;”
The word Stretch means to spread something to its full extent.
So, in Preparing for the Increase that God is bringing Israel, He tells them in Isaiah 54:3 that they are going to break to left and to the right. And they are going to increase wherever they are.
Now in Verse 2, He is telling them how to get ready for for Verse 3 (which I will deal with Next Week).
He says they must Stretch Out – Which means to spread out to the full extent.
… Everybody say: Full Extent.
Now it is Possible to Stretch a little. But here the intension is to Stretch to the Maximum Possible.
God wants us to do something that is extensive in Preparation for Increase.
What did it say they must Stretch out? – He said: stretch out the Curtains of your Dwellings.
They are supposed to Stretch the Curtains!
Now I know must of us know what a Curtain is. But the Curtain of 2022 is different from the Curtain of this time.
So when God says they should Stretch out the Curtains; what He has in mind is not what we call Curtains now – That drapes that you hang around a window.
That is not the Curtain here that is supposed to be stretched out.
The Curtain here is the fabric that is used to create a Tent.
And so when He says “Stretch out the Curtains” He means that fabric that is creating a Tent.
… That Curtain represents Two (2) things:
- First, it is a WALL: The Curtain is a Wall that creates space inside the Tent.
The Walls of the Curtain marks out the space that can be occupied within a Tent.
Now if you have seen a Tent before, you know that there is a fabric that is stretched out. Where the fabric goes, determine the boundaries of the Tent. It is the Wall of the Tent. It tells you how much space you can occupy.
God tells the People – Stretch it out! If the Walls are not stretched out, it would limit the space that can be created by the Tent.
- Secondly, the Curtain is also a COVERING.
… It’s not just a Wall, it’s also Covering. It Provides Shelter and Protection.
God says, I’m about to Increase you:
I. First, you have to Change your Location – Enlarge the Place of your Tent.
II. But Secondly, you have to do something about the boundaries that you have created for yourself. Because if you don’t Stretch these Curtains well, you will create a boundary that will even be shorter than the Place of the Tent.
But if you look at the instruction there, it is a little different from the first Instruction.
The first Instruction says: Enlarge the Place of your Tent.
If you just want to be Particular about it, it’s a Second Person Instruction – “Enlarge the Place of your Tent.”
God is telling them: Enlarge the Place of your Tent.
But then, when it comes to the Second Instruction, He says: Let them Stretch out.
He didn’t say: “You Stretch Out.”
“Let them Stretch Out.”
In the Hebrew, it’s in a Third Person.
In other words, this stretching out is going to happen not only for you, but other Factors are going to be involved in the stretching out.
Because Naturally, we wouldn’t like stretching out. We don’t like stretching out! If they don’t Stretch us, we would stay where we are.
So, God says: You can do the enlarging; but when it comes to the stretching, other Factors are going to get involved in.
… Somebody say: LET THEM!
Now who are ‘Them?’ – Them are them!
“Let them Stretch Out!”
It has many implications; and it says many things.
Also, when you read in the Original Hebrew, the tenses “Enlarge the Place of your Tent” is Singular.
“Let them Stretch Out” is Plural.
So Enlarging can be done by yourself; but the Stretching is going to require more than you.
… It is going to require other Factors and other People coming into Play.
So what does it mean when He says “LET THEM STRETCH OUT?”
- It means when you are allowing something, you are Permitting it.
It means allow first, your suffering to Stretch.
Remember the People He is talking about in Isaiah 54:1 – He said: “Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into Singing, and cry aloud, You who have not laboured with child!’
And then He says: “Let them…”
What is supposed to Stretch you is your Condition, your Suffering, your Pain.
Don’t waste your Pain – Let them Stretch you.
Now why is He saying that? You know, when you feel you are barren, you are desolate, you are forsaken, you don’t Stretch yourself. Those conditions can squeeze you, they can limit you.
But God is saying – The conditions you are feeling, that is trying to put you down, let them Stretch you.
So there is something you are going through now, it’s Painful. And if you are not careful that Pain would squeeze you and make you small, and make you doubt yourself. It would make you not think big, because of your Past failures, because some things didn’t work last Year.
But God says, I’m about to do something in your Life and your Negative Condition must Stretch you.
So, whatever you have been through; what you went through in 2021, in 2020; what you have gone through in the last ten (10) Years that seems to be limiting your Life and making you feel so small, God says don’t allow it to! Don’t allow that thing to limit you. Let it rather Stretch you.
Because there is a way in which your Pain can Stretch you. That Pleasure cannot Stretch you; because Suffering is a Motivator, Pain is a Motivator, Disappointment is a Motivator.
A person who has suffered had something that kicks them early in the morning not to suffer.
If you have never suffered before, your appetite for Life is different from Somebody who had suffered before.
If you have never been broke, your appetite for Life is very different from Somebody who has been broke!
But if you are coming from a Broke Place (like some of us came from); where you are broke to the Square Root because your Parents are broke, your Uncles are broke, your Aunties are broke, your Ancestors are broke. There has never been a Prosperous Person in your bloodline!
When you are coming from there, there are Two (2) things it can do:
- It can make you hiss and say: “Oh, I am from a broke Place, I can’t do much.”
- But if you obey God He says, let that thing Stretch you. Let it expand you! It was bitter, it was Painful, it was hurtful but let it Stretch you.
Somebody is about to be stretched by their Pain, by their disappointment – Amen!
The Man left you, but it’s going to Stretch you!
The lady left you, but it’s going to Stretch you!
Your business fail, but it’s going to Stretch you!
Somebody disappointed you, but it’s going to Stretch you!
… Somebody say: MY PAIN WOULD STRETCH ME!
You are desolate, but you are going to Stretch!
You are barren, but you are going to Stretch!
You have no Helper, but you are going to Stretch!
“Let them” – The cumulative effect of everything you have experienced, let it Stretch you!
- “Let Them Stretch you” also mean, allow Others to help Stretch you.
… Allow other People to help Stretch you.
In the days of this Prophecy, women were the ones who built Tents at home. One woman can clear the land for the Tent – Enlarge the Place of the Tent.
But when it comes to stretching of the Tent, one Person cannot do it – You are going to need other People to help Stretch the Tent.
So He says: Let them do it! Because sometimes the People God is going to use to Stretch the Tent, they are not Nice People. They are People who would make you cry every day.
Because nothing you do is acceptable to them. You do your best, they say it’s rubbish. You do better than the best, they say what is this; what were you thinking when you did this?
When you look at it you will say: Oh he doesn’t appreciate me. Or you can say, I am being stretched. Because God knows you can’t Stretch yourself – You are too sympathetic to yourself. So He is going to bring Somebody who is not sympathetic to you.
It is like going to the Gym, and your Gym Instructor says – STRETCH!!! One more reps, two more reps, move that muscle. And you say I’m tired, I can’t do it. And he says, do it!
Because if he leaves you, that muscle would never be stretched, would never be exercised.
So, God says a Third Party would be used to Stretch your Capacity and your Ability.
Don’t take those People in your Life as those who are hindering you – They are stretching you.
Some of you are working with bosses that are stretching you and you are thinking of leaving your job because the Man is stretching you, you are working hard! Working long hours, no appreciation.
One of the things I have come to Notice in Life (it may not be true for everybody). But appreciation sometimes is a discouragement. Because there are people, when you clap for them once, their head get swollen and they don’t try again.
So, sometimes when God wants to Stretch you, He is going to make you work with People who will never clap for you. And you may think they are “doing” you bad (laughing)!
They are not doing the bad – They are actually doing you Good because your Potential is so Great; but your Self-Esteem is so Low and Somebody must break that Potential so that you can become all that God wants you to be.
Somebody say – I AM GOING TO STRETCH!
… Are you ready for Increase? It includes stretching – “Let them Stretch!
And then He issues another command “DO NOT SPARE.”
… Other Translation says: “Do not hold back.”
When God tells you to Increase; it means to Stretch, or don’t hold back.
Don’t say to yourself – “It is Good enough as it is, I don’t want it to be too large.” God says Enlarge! Don’t hold back!
And what does it mean?
- It means – Don’t Limit what God can do.
Don’t hold back on your Faith because Faith is trusting God fully.
People would say: Ha, you are taking this Faith thing too serious. You are believing God too much. You have to use common sometimes.
I believe in common sense. But you are working by Faith, you are not working by Common Sense.
You are working by: “This saith the LORD.” God says it, I believe it, that settles it.
… Don’t Limit what God can do!
- Don’t spare yourself any Effort.
Don’t spare yourself! – Don’t be lazy: give it the biggest Push.
Don’t make excuses. Don’t be faint. That’s what God is saying – Don’t hold back! Don’t spare yourself any effort.
There are certain things that God wants to do in our lives which for a Season in our lives may mean that we would sleep only two (2) hours a day! – It is not for ever!
Some would tell you “that’s not sufficient sleep.”
But I know there are certain Seasons in our lives, sleep would not bid you.
You are going to work like crazy. You are going to Pray like crazy. You are going to stay up, you are going to lock up doors. You are going to talk to a thousand People.
And when they say No; you get another thousand People and speak to. When they say No; you get another thousand People and speak to them, until somewhere, after ten thousand calls, somebody says: YES!!!
Don’t hold back! Don’t let your Pride stop you. Don’t let your arrogance stop you. Don’t hold back, don’t Spare.
God says to them – You are stretched, don’t do Small things. Because many times we easily give up “I have worked and worked and worked!”
Life does not reward Work; it rewards Result.
Nobody is going to Pay you because you have worked hard. They are going to Pay you because you Produce Results.
And sometimes to Produce Results, you have to Stay Up.
You don’t give up on yourself, you don’t get tired, you don’t get weak, you don’t roll on the floor, you don’t sleep too much – Especially those of you who are Young People.
Sleep is not your friend when you are Young!
When you are about seventy (70) Years old, you can sleep – Even then, not too much!
But thirty (30) Years old, what are you doing sleeping? What do you gain?
When you are thirty (30) Years old, you have a lot of Energy. Don’t waste that energy, because a time will come, you would not have the Energy. A time will come, you wake up, your waist is hurting, your knees are hurting, your ankle is hurting, your shoulder is hurting.
That time has not come, don’t waste it!
Young People, don’t waste it – Don’t spare yourself, work like crazy. Because when you are eighty (80) Years old, you have a long time to sleep.
But before then: Don’t get tired easily, don’t get discouraged easily, don’t give up easily, don’t get offended easily. Because there are some of us, every little thing offends us.
What’s wrong with you?
Don’t spare yourself. God said it – Don’t spare yourself.
And it means – GO FOR ALL THAT GOD HAS FOR YOU.
At my age, I should not work harder than any Young Man or Young Woman – The Young Pastors.
If I work harder than you, you have no future – That’s true!
If at this age, I am working harder than you, you have no future. Because when I was Younger than this, I was working three (3) times what I am doing now.
If you are Young and any old Person (any Person you consider old yourself). The other time Somebody called me, the old Man. I am not an old Man. I am not ready for that. Keep that Language to yourself (laughing)!
I know People who love being called: ‘Old Man.’ I know some Pastors who are thirty (30) Years old and they call them: ‘Daddy’.
Are you crazy? What’s wrong with you? And the Person calling you Daddy is your age! When did you give birth to a thirty (30) Year old?
Don’t common sense itself tell you that what you are allowing on yourself is not good? Thirty (30) Years old, you are Daddy! And sometimes you can find a fifty (50) Years old calling a thirty (30) Year old Pastor – ‘Daddy.
If anybody you think is older than you works harder than you, you have no future.
If you are going to amount to something in the future you must work harder than anybody who is older than you.
You must expend energy, effort, time, more than anybody who is older than you.
You must be more committed than anybody who is older than you.
How can a sixty (60) Year old man, a seventy (70) Year old Person work harder than you?
How can you be tired and Somebody who is seventy (70) Years old is still working? And you are thirty (30) Years old.
So listen to me Young People – You who wants to be Successful: you would be stretched, and we would not spare the stretching.
We would Stretch Hard till you get to the “Full Extent” of what God wants you to be.
Have you noticed that when you grow up (those of you who have grown up); the People you admired most are the People you hated most when you were Younger?
Have you noticed: A Teacher you hated is now the one you love. Because you say Woooow! The way that guy drilled us. A Boss you hated is the one you love!
Because Nobody likes stretching when it’s taking Place; but they like the Capacity that is created after the stretching.
When God expands you to the Left and to the Right, you say Woooow! Look at what God has done.
Because if God uses me to Stretch you and He blesses you, I am not the one who enjoys the Blessings – You are the one who enjoys the Blessings.
Don’t spare – Work hard. Laziness is going to imprison you.
Then He tells them quickly – LENGTHEN YOUR ROPES.
The ropes determine how far the curtains can be stretched.
It means to extend the systems you operate.
- God said to Abraham:
- I will give you the Land you “SEE”.
That means if your System of seeing is short, you will get a Limited Land.
- I will give you the Land you “WALK” on.
That means if you get tired walking, you will Possess less Land.
I. For some of us, the ropes we must lengthen is our Human Relations.
II. For Others, it’s our Leadership Skills.
III. For Others, it’s our Global Exposure and Outlook.
IV. For Others it is our Professional Competence or Governance Systems.
Whatever it is, you have to LENGTHEN yourself to handle all that God has for you.
This Year (2022); we are Increasing. But it’s not going to come by Magic; it’s not going to come by you sleeping and expecting Increase.
No! That’s not what God says.
Hence God speaking to the Israelites should have said – Tell them to go and sleep. And next week they will breakforth to the Left and to the Right.
Is that what He said? – No. He’s telling them to WORK!!!!
… Because they are about to Increase and they must Prepare for it.
So, I came here just to tell you -This Year (2022):
I. God will blow your Mind – Amen!
II. He will Load you with Benefits – Amen!
IIi. He will Increase you beyond your wildest Dreams – Amen!
IV. He would expand you to Places you never thought you would be – Amen!
V. God will bring you before Kings and before Queens – Amen!
VI. God will cause you to sit with People you used to Admire – Amen!
VII. You will sit at the same table with them; you will collect from the Right and collect from the Left – Amen.
But, you must Prepare for it! And the Preparation requires: A LOT OF WORK.
- So for everybody who is believing God for Increase, you are going to Enlarge the Place of your Tent.
- You are going to let them Stretch you – Let your Pain Stretch you; let your Disappointment Stretch you; let your Failure Stretch you.
One of the greatest motivation of my Life is my father. Not that he inspired me by words; but I saw his Life, and I said to myself – “I Mensa Otabil I will never be like that. Never!” And that has motivated me for the rest of my life.
… What was supposed to disappoint me stretched me.
I. Maybe you came from a family that is not Good; let it Stretch you.
II. Maybe your father didn’t take care of you; let it Stretch you.
III. Maybe you were abandoned as an Orphan; let it Stretch you.
IV. Maybe Nobody loves you; let it Stretch you.
… Don’t sit and cry: “Nobody loves me, Nobody cares for me, I’m an Orphan.”
The world doesn’t care whether you are an Orphan or you are not; they will treat you the same as everybody else!
… Nobody will give you exert for being an Orphan.
I was orphaned at fifteen (15) Years old – Lost both my Parents. It stretched me. I could have just said: “Look at the world, the world is a wicked Place.”
Well, does the world care whether I have Parents or not? – No! The world is going to demand from you the same it demands from everybody.
So, whatever your Pain is; whatever your Struggle is, whatever your Disappointment is, whatever your Failure is, whatever People think about you – LET THEM STRETCH YOU!
Because all of that is Part of what God is using to expand your Capacity for the Increase that He is bringing your Way!
May the Lord Increase you more and more – Amen!
May He cause you to Increase Abundantly – Amen.
You will not be a Failure – Amen!
You will not be a Disappointment – Amen!
You will not disappoint yourself; you will not disappoint God – Amen.
You will rise to become the Man and the Woman that God wants you to be as we say in our Confession – Amen.
You are going to be ALL THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO BE – AMEN!
Somebody lift your hands to the Lord and begin to Pray and say:
LORD, I’m ready for You to Stretch me.
Let them Stretch me – I accept Discipline, I accept the Demand, I accept the Challenge. I accept it Lord!
Let my Pain Stretch me, let my Disappointment Stretch me, let my Failure Stretch me. Let everything I have suffered expand my Capacity Lord, so I can become all that You want me to be.
… Talk to God!
.
You think you have arrived, but you haven’t arrived. You think you are there, but you are not there!
There is a “New Level” God is taking you. There is a “New Depth” that God is bringing to you!
So lift up your hands to God everybody.
CLOSING PRAYER
Father, I Present Your Children to You.
Today we have read from Your Words (and also read from the Label of DMC now) the Prophecy You gave to Isaiah to Pass on to Judah;
In a time of discomfort, when everything had been lost, You told them not to Plant Small or else their Past Experiences will stop them from Expanding.
We Your Children have taken that same Word for ourselves today; Lord we ask that You give Grace to Your Children who are ready to Expand to the Left and to the Right.
That in this Season of our lives; at whatever age we are – Whether we are in our thirties, or hundreds; wherever we are, today we say Lord, we will not allow ourselves to be Limited.
So, we Stretch to the Left and to the Right, to accommodate the Increase that You are bringing to us.
And may.the Spirit of Increase rest upon on us, from this day onwards
In Jesus’ Name – Amen and Amen!
… Somebody say: I RECEIVE IT, in the Name of Jesus – Amen!
Thank you so much for staying all through to read.
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