opic: Commanding Signs & Wonders from the Platform of Revival

Sub-Theme: Positioning for Divine Restoration

Prophetically, as a Commission, we are in our season of revival. Hab 3:2-6. In the midst of revival, God visits His people. The season of revival is a season of visitation. Every time God visits, men will notice! When the Holy Ghost came down in the upper room, multitudes flowed into the place – it was because God came down. Every time God visits His people, there are two things that happen, according to Exodus 3:7-8. The first thing that happens is that afflictions and bondages are broken. When God visits, deliverance is sure! You are going free from any affliction you have been placed under in Jesus’ name, Amen. Obadiah 1:17. So afflictions, bondages and yokes are broken when God visits. The second is that when God comes down, men change levels. In the season of revival, men change levels and men go up.

Every time God wants to visit a man, he sends a man. The journey of revival begins with us as individuals. The journey of revival begins with our personal revival. You cannot give what you do not have. When we talk about revival, we should start from Joel 2:12-14, which talks about personal requirements before going to Joel 2:21-27, which talks about the benefits. Joel 2:17- 19 talks about corporate revival. Exodus 3:7-8. Until God breaks you, He cannot use you. Luke 9:16. God does not use the vessel He has not broken. It is breaking before He uses you. In Acts 7:22, Moses himself, the great deliverer had to be broken. The first 40 years of Moses’ life was in the palace (Acts 7:22). After that, he met God at the burning bush at age 80 after staying 40 years in the desert (Acts 7:30). The 40 years was to remove the Egypt in him. The man that is full of Egypt cannot bring people out of Egypt. Most of the reasons God does not use us is because we think we are qualified. God does not use the qualified, he qualifies whom He wants to use. Not to depend on his ability of good oratory (Acts 7:22), God made him stay in the desert for 40, where he lost all oratory powers (Exodus 4:10-11).

Revival begins with your heart’s condition. It is your heart’s condition that determines your placement in life. If you take the letter ‘H’ from the word HEART and take the ‘H’ from the front to the back, it becomes Earth. It is your HEART that determines your position on the EARTH. If your heart is hard (with anger, offence, bitterness, judgmental, etc), your life will be hard, if your heart is soft, your life will be soft. We look for changes outside, but the changes begin from the heart. Do not try to be a perfect person, just do your best to have a good heart, you will make progress! 2Kings 4:25-31, I Peter 1:13. What made the mantle of signs and wonders not to work in the hand of Gehazi was his heart. It is the heart that makes the potency of the mantle to work. In this season of revival, God wants to change our story, but he needs our heart to be right. 1 Samuel 10:9. If your miracle is delayed, your heart is the cause. God never intended that we pursue miracles (Mark 16:17). When something is following you, that thing is to be behind you. Miracles are deliberately programmed and worked out (1Cor. 12:10). We have 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 12). Satan has counterfeit of all the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 16:16-18, on one of the missionary journeys of Paul, he met a damsel with a spirit of divination who had many masters and her act brought gains to them. She said the truth – the people with demonic powers can tell you things about you that are truth. Atimes satan tells you the truth to deceive you. Every 9 gifts of the spirit has counterfeits by the satan. The key to knowing the original from the fake is by their fruits (Matt 7:16-20). Gal 5:22 are the fruits of the Spirit. Satan cannot counterfeit the fruits of the Spirit, but can counterfeit the gifts. So do not see the gifts, see the fruits!

One of the spiritual virtues we need to connect to in order to enjoy revival is kindness. Gal. 5:22-25. It takes genuine love for God and for souls that make you go on Evangelism. When the love of God is there, the passion to save people from Hell will be there. Another word for goodness is kindness. Acts 10:38. Jesus, for 33 years went about doing good. One of the virtues we need in this season of revival, to bring harvest into the Church, is goodness. 2 Sam. 9:1-14.

There are two requirements for personal revival from that story:

1. You must embrace the Spirit of forgiveness and mercy.

2. You must replace bitterness with kindness and goodness. David is likened to God the Father, Mephibosheth is like us sinners. Jonathan is like Christ. David embraced Mephibosheth because of what Jonathan did to him.

Eph. 6:8. Whatever you do, you will receive the same.

Various types of restorations to expect

1. Expect Spiritual Restoration. Mephibosheth (we sinners), was in Lodebar – a land of captivity and bondage and the grace of God found him. You can come to Jerusalem today from the land of captivity.

2. Restoration of your dignity from shame and reproach. God terminating shame and reproach.

3. Restoration of your land and properties. The first child of Jonathan was Mephibosheth – literarily, he would have been a King. All the landed properties and assets of his grandfather was restored to him.

4. He enjoyed unusual promotion. 2 Sam. 9:11. Overnight from boy’s quarters somewhere, to the palace; and with 26 people working under him – all overnight. 2Sam. 9:9-11.

5. He began to enjoy divine strange order of favour. He then had access to the King’s table. From study, he enjoyed salary for life!

6. He had a place, seated in the King’s Presence. He could see David anytime he wanted. He had access to everything the King had to offer.

Mephibosheth was decorated and seated on the King’s table. He must have looked good. But to see the defects of Mephibosheth, look under the table. From the table top he looked clean, but under the table, he was not beautiful – he was still lame. Do not judge another man, because under the table you are still lame yourself.

Whatever you are today, God is still carrying you. Someone’s lameness may be anger. Stop pointing to another man, check under your table and see your lameness!