Founder of Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo has said one of the secrets of his success in life is his constant recourse to the way things were done in the past with the hope of gleaning knowledge on how to do them better.
Oyedepo made the submission while addressing some select pastors and church leaders in the course of the celebration of his 70 birthday which started about a week ago..
He turns 70 on September 27.
According to him, nobody can attain anything meaningful without regard for the old .
He said, ‘There is always something in the old required to birth the new. Those who despise the old never succeeds to secure the new because every new thing comes from an old seed.
‘Every new plant comes from an old seed. Every smart boy came from a dull parent. There is no smart boy that gives birth to himself.’
Quoting the Bible to buttress his point , he asked rhetorically, ‘how Modern was Isaiah that we are quoting him.How modern was Moses that we are obeying him’
He then explained that reading biographies has contributed largely to help him become who he is today.
Oyedepo said further, ‘Grace multiply by knowledge. As I see those who went before me, it helps me to know how God manifest himself for those who are after him. That made me began to study biographies to make me make the most use of my ministry. The lessons are unfathomable. ‘
Citing the example of Covenant University, he said, ‘when Covenant University was going to start I got an inspiration to study nine world class university. I did a comparative analysis. The outcome was mind-blowing. And suddenly Covenant University became a phenomenon in less than 20 years ‘
He stressed that there is something in the past that would be needed in the present. All the tutelage we received from scriptures were all part of our present. It took a thousand and five hundred years to write out the stories of the Bible.
‘When I saw Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones I waited for three days and nights on the mountain. On the third day the Lord said to me that he had touched my tongue with a coal of fire.. it was all taken from the past to bring me to the present Ask for the old pathway and walk in it. Any testimony that has not been fabricated is the truth. Stop looking for different versions of the Bible.’
He warned against blind use of the Bible noting that there is nothing that can be added to This says the Lord. ‘Thus says the Lord is Thus says the Lord’s. You can not improve it’