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Faith is fake and useless without works- Bishop David Oyedepo

by Church Times

Welcome to November! I have no doubt that we have been enlightened the more on how to live a sanctified life all through the month of October 2020. I also believe God has destroyed everyone’s taste for sin and we are set to live a life that pleases God all through the remaining days of our lives.

Above all, by the help of God, we shall all make heaven at the end of a most triumphant journey on earth, in the name of Jesus Christ! This month, we shall focus on: The Essence of Work for Supernatural Breakthrough!

We understand from Scriptures that faith without works is dead. As it is written, Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone (James 2:17). Can you imagine a student in a school that does nothing but read the Bible, pray and fast when his textbooks are there? He will be the most fantastic charismatic failure! Unfortunately, this is where many charismatics have crashed; they have substituted work for faith, but faith is fake without work.

What then is Work?

At creation, after God created the world, He created what the man would do and then put him in the garden. Man was the last thing God created and after his creation, He gave man an instruction in Genesis 2:15, And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

‘To dress and keep’ means to work it. Therefore, work is the first commandment given to man. From what we read in Genesis 2, work existed long before the fall of man. So, work is not a curse! God the Father is a worker – the Bible says on the seventh day, He rested from all His works (Genesis 2:2).

God is not under a curse, so working does not connote a curse; it is only a channel through which our dreams and aspirations are realised. In Psalm 127:1, the Bible tells us that every builder invests labour. Therefore, labour can be defined as the capital price of success. Thank God for faith, but in the school of success, faith is impotent without work (James 2:17); it is mere fantasy.

Also, when Jesus came, He said concerning Himself and the Father, …My Father worketh hitherto, and I work (John 5:17). That means up to this moment, God is still working. Jesus Himself was an ardent worker. He said of Himself, I must work… (John 9:4). In my opinion, Adam was not busy enough. After naming the animals, he never once said he was going to work. Perhaps, Jesus, the last Adam must have thought, ‘I saw where the first Adam failed, I must not fail’ and so He concluded, ‘I must work!’

Please understand that there is no substitute for work. Nothing destroys the destiny of a man or woman like cheap money. The scripture confirms that in Proverbs 13:11, Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. Whatever we own that we cannot legitimately account for does not secure a future for us.

There is no substitute for hard work and no one succeeds by accident. Success is not a product of luck. Thus, we can unlock our great destinies by embracing the cost of success. God said to Abraham, …Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee (Genesis 12:1). What did he depart into? He did not depart to sleep, he departed to animal husbandry.

In other words, he departed to work. It is a costly mistake to assume that prophecies fulfil themselves; they do not! After Abraham departed to his work, God began to multiply his cattle; as a result, he secured the monopoly of the market and became very rich in cattle (Genesis 13:2). Abraham was first of all rich in good works before he became very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold. Therefore, we are not entitled to true riches until we are truly rich in the work of our hands.

In conclusion, many people have been waiting for prophecies to be fulfilled and they will be waiting forever. So, if you are waiting, you are wasting! Prophecies never fulfil themselves; our parts must be fulfilled before God can be committed.

However, you must be born again. If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so. Simply say the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now, I know I am born again!

For further reading, get my books: Following the Path of the Eagle, Exploring the Secrets of Success, Ruling your world, Success Buttons, Success Strategies, and Success Systems. I invite you to fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:55 a.m., 9:50 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. respectively.

 

Also, you can join our live services via Facebook: David Oyedepo Ministries International, Twitter: @Davidoyedepomin, Instagram: davidoyedepomin, YouTube: Domi Stream, Hebron 95.9 FM, Winners World App, Impact Africa TV (on Startimes and NigComSat), Domi Radio and via the Church Satellite. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, call 01-4548070, 01-4548280, or E-mail: dphprints@gmail.com.

 

 

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