AYAC 2023 DAY 4 MORNING SESSION WORD 1
Theme: Breaking New Ground
Ministering: PST JOHN ABRAHAM
Topic: LIFE IS A BATTLEFIELD, NOT A PLAYGROUND
INTRODUCTION:
Remember, this convention the running series we have been looking at in this convention in all of our teaching sessions has been “Spirituality, the highway to our enviable destiny”. That is to say we have an enviable destiny but in order for us to access that enviable destiny, spirituality is key. We can’t downplay spirituality and expect to get to where God has ordained for us. Daniel did not downplay on spirituality, Joseph did not downplay on spirituality and they were able to maximize destiny.
Prayer: In the same vein, everyone under the sound of my voice, we shall maximize destiny in the name of Jesus.
However, this morning we are looking at the subtitle, LIFE IS A BATTLEFIELD, NOT A PLAYGROUND. Get ready for war. The devil can never give what you deserve, he will give you what you demand. You are not fighting with a gentle devil, No, he needs to see your red eyes before he will give you what belongs to you. Life is a battlefield not a playground. Psalms 20:74
Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
There are wicked people here and there, you don’t need to look for their trouble, they are ready for you, because the moment God picked you, you became their target. So, that is why they don’t want you to get to where God has ordained for you.
Prayer: But the good news is this, they have failed already.
1Jn 5: 19
And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
There are wickedness in high places, in low places, in middle places. There are wickedness everywhere.
Prayer: But the good news is this, you are more than a conqueror. No matter the wickedness anywhere and everywhere, you will overcome.
And that is why God brought you to this mountain, to empower you, to equip you, to give you all it takes for you to excel in life.
Prayer: From today you will never lose any battle, in the name of Jesus.
Please note the following, we must understand fundamentally that:
To break new grounds, you must be tired of your present ground.
If you are not tired of your present grounds, then you are not ready to break new grounds. If you are still satisfied with where you are, then you are not ready for the next levels. Rev 4: 1. He said, Come up hither. Enough of where you have been all those while, you have stayed there for too long. It’s time for you to get out of that place. To break new grounds, you must be tired of your present ground.
There is no ground that is empty.
There is no territory that is empty, somebody is already occupying the ground that you want to possess. And that’s why it is a fight, in order to dispossess that person and then possess the land. When you see the Israelites , ask them. When God told them to go to Canaan, Canaan was not free, they had to fight in order to do what? Possess the land. And if you and I must possess the land, then we must be battle ready. The job you are looking for, somebody is already sitting on that seat. But the good news is this, Queen Vashti must misbehave for Queen Esther to be enthroned.
Prayer: I don’t know who is sitting on your seat right now, but God will dethrone them, and God will enthrone you. The admission you are looking for, you have other people, thousands of other people seeking the same admission and so that is why you need to fight in order for you to take possession of that which belongs to you. And I know for sure, we will take possession of that which belongs to us.
So, there is no land that is empty. Where you want to go to, people are already there. And that is why you must equip yourself in order to win the battle. Deut 2: 24
Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.
You have been waiting and wasting. If you wait, you waste. So, there is a land that God has ordained for you, but in order for you to possess that land, you must contend.
Action: Help me tell your neighbor, it is time to fight. Help me tell another neighbor, it is time to fight.
If you don’t fight, you can’t have anything to show for.
For every new level, there are new devils.
Let me put it this way: For every new ground, there are new rounds. In the world of boxing, you have round 1, round 2, round 3, round 4. And so for every new ground, there are new rounds, and so you must keep fighting. That they agave you punch in the first round and probably you fell down
Singing: but we fall down, but we get up
That you fall down does not mean that that is the end of the battle, you need to stand up. That you fell down in round 1 does not mean that you will not win the battle in round 10. And so we must be battle ready to take back what belongs to us. we must be battle ready to take that which God has ordained for us.
Action: Let me hear your resounding amen.
Remember, our beloved brother, Anthony Joshua, he lost the two fights he had but the recent ones he fought, I think it was around round 7, he won that fight. If he had given up because he had lost the other previous 2 fights, he wouldn’t have won the next one.
Praise the Lord!
Yes, you lost your pregnancy, go and take it again. Yes, you lost your job and go and get another one. Yes, they didn’t give you admission last year, try again.
Is somebody getting what we are saying here? Business packed up,set another one.
Isaac was digging the well,they were covering, because he refused to give uo, they gave up.If you choose to give up, then the devil will laugh at you, but if you refuse not to give uo, then you will win the fight.
Praise the Lord!
Remember the testimony of our beloved brother, Deacon Ojieje shared on this altar, for 20 years, he was released from his place of work. But, he began to fight , round 1 first year, round 2 , 10 years, round 10, round 15, but round 20, because he refused to give up, he was restored and the arrears for 20 years was paid, the salary if 20 years was paid, the promotion of 20 years came. Why? Becausehe kept fighting.
Prayer: I don’t know who I’m talking to this morning, I don’t know where they released you and said we don’t want you again. After this convention, they will welcome you with a red carpet in the name of Jesus. And that is why you are on this mountain. Probably you came to this mountain because you lost your job. I have good news for you. God will give you something else that is 10 times better.
It is time for you to go back and start that ministry that is packed up. Whatever dream that you had before that you were doing that suddenly because of forces against you, you gave up , it is time to go back and dist your vision and start again.
Praise the Lord!
Action: Can I hear you say, I will fight again. Help me tell your neighbor I Will fight again.1Cor 16:9
For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
So, there is a great door opened to you and there are great challenges too, great enemies too that don;t want you to possess your possession,
Prayer: but the good news is this, the land God has ordained for you, you will possess it,in the name of Jesus . Let me hear your resounding amen
We can’t be scared of battles.
We can’;t be afraid of battles. He who fights and runs can not live to fight another day. You can’t be afraid of battles. 2 Tim2:7 God has not given us the spirit of fear.
Life is a warfare not a funfare. So, you can’t be afraid of battles. Everyday of your life, you must keep fighting if you must keep winning. Eph 6: 12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
And so we can not afford to be scared of any battles, we are battle ready.
Action: Help me tell your neighbor, Are you battle ready? Help me ask your other neighbor, Are you battle ready?
So, we can’t be afraid. Life is warfare not funfare. Please, understand this, that the moment you were born and then they disconnected you from your mother’s umbilical cord, that is the day that it was established that war has begun.If you are born and you refuse to cry, the nurses will beat you whether your head or your bumbum, every part of you, they turn you upside down, they are telling you, you must be ready to live. And the truth is this, the moment they hear Oweeeeeeeen! As you are laughing or crying, they are laughing, they are rejoicing, because they are saying welcome to this world where you must fight. Welcome to warfare, they are saying, yes, congratulations, that is the language of fight. That is the beginning, yes, you are ready to fight.
Praise the Lord!
We can’t retreat in the battle.
We can’t fight and then turn our back and say I’m tired of fighting. No. No retreat, no surrender. Eph 6: 11
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
We can’t retreat in this battle so let’s keep fighting.
Action: Help me Tell your neighbor,say keep fighting.
So, we need sustainable empowerment for victory and that is why we can’t retreat in this battle. Prov 24: 10
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
There is nobody that your strength is small.
Prayer: In Fact if your strength is small, that is why you came to this mountain because upon this mountain, the Lord will strengthen you, the Lordeill empower you in the name of Jesus.
So, we must live ready for the battle because there might not be time to get ready.We don’t get ready, we live ready.We are battle ready anytime. The battles of life, they don’t have timetables so you must live ready to fight the battles anytime, anyday anywhere.
David did not need to get ready for the battle, he was already ready for the battle, when it was time, he didn’t say I forgot my sling and stone at home, let me go and look for it and then come back.No, it was with him and he was battle ready. So, that is why you must be battle ready anytime anywhere, so you can win all the time.
Praise the Lord!
1 Sam 17: 50
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
He had his sling and his stone. He was battle ready. 1 Sam 4: 9
Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.
You can’t afford to cry. No. You must quit yourself and get ready to fight. 1 Cor 16:13
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
On a lighter note, There was this couple that were traveling. It’s been long people were coming to Lagos to search for greener pastures. And so while they were on their way, as they were coming to Lagos by foot because this woman put her husband under pressure and said ‘Ahh, Kunle went to Eko and came back to the village, he has built a house. Abioudun went to Eko, he came back to the village and has built a house. Kept mentioning the names of his friends had been to Eko and built a house. And this woman put her husband under pressure and they sold their farm produce and they put the money in their wrapper and they were coming to Lagos.
While they were on their way, they were accosted by hoodlums and the man began to shake and the woman knew ehhh if i keep quiet, we won’t get to this Lagos. As the man was shaking, the woman looked at him and said, ‘My husband, shake,shake, shake. The man was shaking. The woman said My husband , you shook like this the other time and 500 robbers died. My husband shake shake shake. The husband shook shook shook. The woman said my husband shake more. You shook like this and other time and 700 robbers died, my husband shake shake shake. The husband shook shook shook.
When they heard that he shook like that and the 5 and 7 armed robbers died, they left them. Quit ye like men. The examination of life has no time table, so that is why you must be battle ready to know how to confront the enemy when he raise his ugly head.
Prayer: From today, no devil will take you by surprise in the name of Jesus. Anytime, anywhere, you will have your victory.
1Cor 10: 13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
For instance now, if you are in primary school, they cannot give you exam of someone that is in secondary school . So, there is no temptation that has come your ways that is more than you. THere is no battle that you are fighting right now that is more than you. Every battle you are fighting right now is because God knows that you can win that battle. So, don;t think that you can win this battle. Maybe you have looked at that battle in your health and wondering I’m going to come out. I came here to tell you, you are going to come out. You look at the battle of joblessness for how long,yes, 5 years, 10 years, you have not gotten that job.
But the good news is this, you will win that battle in the name of Jesus . 1 pet 5: 8-9
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
A lion will be afraid of dog,is that possible? The dog will say Woooooowoooo! And the lion will say Ahh! I’m running away because of theis. Is that possible? In you is a lion, why are you afraid of dogs? The moment you hear one noise somewhere, suddenly you are afraid. No. Enough is enough. Never again in the name of Jesus. So, that is why you must get ready to fight because your victory is sure. LET ME HEAR YOUR RESOUNDING AMEN. Let me hear your loud amen.
We are fighting a winnable battle. 1Jn 5: 4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
You are born an overcomer so you must put up a fight of faith to emerge victorious in the battles of life. If you’re not ready, you can not win. You can’t sit down and cross your legs and expect to win any fight. No. If you’re going to win any fight you must be ready to fight. But the good news is this, God has already given us the victory. He has decided the victory even before the battle began. That’s the good news.
Prayer: And everyone under the sound of my voice, you will win that battle in the name of Jesus.
Action: Help me tell your neighbors, the battle is winnable. Help me tell your neighbors. Help me tell another neighbor, you will win the battle. 1 Tim 6:12
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
And so your faith is key to win the battle. Eph 6: 16
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
That is why you can’t afford to turn your back. The shield doesn’t cover your back. That is why you must keep fighting, no matter how fierce the battle is, you must keep moving. There is no time to retreat, there is no time to go back. AMen. So, you must keep fighting. It is a good fight. It is a winnable fight.
You’re going to overcome in the name of Jesus
How do we position ourselves for this battle?
It is established that there is war. But, you don’t just sit down when you are aware that there is war and expect to win. And please understand, every prayer that makes God absolutely responsible is an irresponsible prayer, in the word of God’s servant. You have a part to play then God has a part to play. God cannot do the things that you’re supposed to do. Remember, in Deu 2: 24, Quit and get ready to fight. Amen. You must contend, you must get ready to fight. So, how do we position ourselves for this battle?
We must be empowered.
Empowerment is key if we must win any battle. We must be properly empowered. There is nobody that wants to take anything that belongs to somebody else that will not arm himself properly. In warfare, it is the type of weapon you have that determines your victory. Amen.
You can not have a double barrel and you have somebody with AK-47 and you want to have the same result, is that possible. No..Your level of weapon determines your victory. Luke 11 : 21-22”21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder..” We must understand that when somebody is in his house then you most know how to dispose of the person’s awareness. Your weapon determines your victory, the kind of weapon you have that is what will determine your victory. So if you came have a double barrel before you pull the trigger the AKA-47 would have laid you to rest. Praise the Lord. If you came here with a double barrel, it is time to change levels
Prayer: truly you will change the levels in the precious name of Jesus. Let me hear your sound Amen. Psalm 66:3”Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works!Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.”And so what the enemy is looking for is how empowered you are. That is what will determine how submissive your enemies will be,if you are not empowered, then your enemies can submit. But when you see that, yes, you are not playing, then they will submit to you. In the name of Jesus.Psalm 110:1-3” The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.” as I empower you I will make cancer your foot mat as I empower I will make joblessness, stagnation and sickness your foot mat. David was a youth when he fought and won the battle, and that is why you and I, as young men and women who must fight the battle and win it. Joseph was a youth when he fought the battle. Joseph was a youth when he fought the battle. So as young people, we must be battle ready. It is time to war, but we need to be empowered.
What does it mean to empower?
- It means to give power or authority. Luke10:19”Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” So, no matter the kind of enemy, God is saying, I have given you power and so if you are hot you can’t be hurt. So that is why you need to be hot so that you cannot be hurt. No matter the grace upon any fly. Will they come around heat?. The heat alone would dispel them mostly especially when it is a gas cooker but when you are done cooking, everything get cold. Then they come around to play with your food. That’s why you need to wake up and don’t allow spiritual slumber for any reason,
Praise the Lord. You shall be freshly empowered by the word.
John 20:21 “Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?”
- It means to enable of permit. Mark 16:17-18. “17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;-18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”Jesus said the same thing, I did it and I allow you to do them. Let’s say for instance, the governor of your state sends you somewhere, he said oh I won’t be able to make it but please, represent me in that certain event. By the time you get there they will give the seat. If you were there, physically, yes or no, every treatment they would have given to the governor that is the same way they will treat you. In the same vein Jesus saying, I give on to you power, I enable you to step into my shoes and do same.Amen. I understand the same way force is about to me. That is the same way force is about you. Amen. So we must know also, and this is very important that once in power is not always, in power. Once empowered is not forever empowered and that is why we must ensue that by all means we do everything that will make you empowered. Remember, Jesus was among the disciples that Jesus said , I give to you power, they went and the bible says that when the return, they returned with joy, they said demons bowed before them , we healed the sick and we did all manner of miracles. One day, the lost that empowerment. So once empowered is not forever empowered. That is why you have EX governors as president today. There were in power but the next day, they were no longer in power, that is why you must know what to do in other for you to remain empowered. Please Understand that we cannot conquer the wicked without knowing who in and who we are. And remember, the last days are the days of power, the devil will not respect your phonetics, he’s not interested. The only thing that he understands is the power you display. You may not speak good English, but if you have power, the devil will respect you. That’s the truth.
What are our generation doing that We are facing Facebook. Nobody is facing you yet. The first thing most youth in the morning is to chat meanwhile you don’t carry the power that you need for that day because each day has new battles and so you were not equipped with empowerment and that is why by the time you go out, you see misfortunes you see disappointment, you see accident, you see things and you are asking and wondering that where is this one coming from, it is because you are not empowered.
Levels of Power
I remember one daughter of Zion years back. She had a show up in Lagos Island, and by the time she got to her shop, they had come to sprinkle some white substance in front of her shop. Well, you cannot meet with God and men will disappoint you. And so, by the time she got to her shop, she was already ready. She had her private time with God. By the time she got there, she brought out her anointing. According to her testimony that day. She sold like never before. So anybody that wants to make you to believe to be afraid, I declare from today that fear returns back to sender. God is ready to release his power, but it comes with a test and a price. Remember also that empowerment is in levels. Ezekeil 47:1-3. ”Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. 2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. 3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.” I met a man who came for bible school in 2023 and he said to me, I joined this church during new era days, he has remained on the same level hasn’t changed power. People have come and they have passed him because he refused to do what he ought to do. And so this is an initiation level, it is a welcome pack. That is when you start your journey
We have the great power Acts 4:33.”And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.” It takes great power to make great thing happen. All great power makes great grace available. It is at this point that you begin to see all manner of manifestations, that the sick will be healed that you declare and God will confirm it. You see all manner of things happening around you. But that is not enough because that is like the secondary level. Number one is the primary level. Number two, you have the great breed power as a secondary level but
We have the university level exceeding great power. Eph 1:18-19. This is the realm where when things begin to happen. Remember the testimony of God’s servant Bishop David Abioye how he said that he entered the plane and when he went to sit down, the air line personnel who came to meet him said, excuse me Sir, I want to know you more. And he looked at her and said why, and she said to him, when you passed something happened. That is the realm of power.
Note: Caution we must be aware of quenching the spirit at any level one may be operating. 1 Thessolonians 5:13 ”And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.” Conclusive at this moment, there is no star without a scar so you must be ready to fight.
