COZA CHANGED THE NAMED GUZAPE TO GUZAPE HILLS AND MADE THE AREA POPULAR.
FROM TRANSCORP TO SHERATON TO UTAKO TO THE DOME. PASTOR BIODUN NARRATES CHALLENGES IN COZA’S JOURNEY TO GUZAPE HILLS
THERE ARE PLACES YOU GO AND THINGS YOU WATCH SUCH AS PORNOGRAPHY, HOOK UP SITES LOOKING FOR SEX PARTNERS THAT SHUTS THE HOLY GHOST AWAY FROM YOU.
THE 21st CENTURY CHRISTIANS ARE THE MOST POWERLESS CHRISTIANS SINCE CHRISTIANITY STARTED. THEY DONT PRAY.
MEN WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PRAYING FOR THEIR HOMES ARE DEPENDING ON THEIR WIVES TO PRAY.
A PREGNANT WOMAN WITHSTOOD SANGO WORSHIPPERS WHO TRIED TO CHARM HER IN LAGOS.
THEY TRIED TO INVOKE A CURSE ON HER AND SHE RESPONDED IN THE NAME OF JESUS; THEIR LEADER WAS STRUCK DOWN AND THE REST TOOK OFF.
CHURCH MEMBERS ONCE STOPPED SEEING ME AFTER SERVICE FOR COUNSELLING FOR FEAR THAT I WILL ASK THEM TO GIVE TO SUPPORT BECAUSE OF THE HARDSHIP THE CHURCH WAS GOING THROUGH
WE WERE SACKED FROM OUR PREVIOUS CHURCH LOCATION ON A SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN WE WERE EXPECTING A GUEST FROM ENGLAND. WE WERE AGAIN SACKED FROM HILTON AND SHERATON AT THE FIRST CHURCH SERVICES
I WOULDN’T SAY I AM THE ONE BUT I AM ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAS MADE GUZAPE HILLS POPULAR. IT IS ONE OF THE TRADEMARKS OF THE GOD OF ABRAHAM; WHEREVER YOUR FEET WILL TREAD, BLESSINGS WILL FOLLOW.
Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo on Joy |Sunday Worship Service | First Service
Psalm 31:19
Inasmuch as many Christians have experienced the goodness of God, there is much more in the reserve.
I was reading something about when Italy was still the world power; when it was the richest country in Europe. Somebody went from another country to the place and they opened the treasury to him. Then he took one of the gold coins and threw it there. Church Gist.They asked him, "Why did you do that?" He said I want to see if it has a bottom because in my kingdom, the treasury of our king does not have a bottom.
In other words, what God has for us for blessings does not have a bottom. God’s goodness is inexhaustible.
1 Corinthians 2:9 – 10 AMPC
It is one thing to serve God or be a Christian; it is another thing to believe that some things are in store for you as a child of God; to believe it; to recognize it and be grateful for it and again be grateful for recognizing.
What God has as "goodness" for you and me is not on the surface; it needs to be explored. If you see ore diamond, it looks like charcoal. Church Gist.It needs to be explored; it is not on the surface. Natural people can't see it and recognize it; it has to be told you by the Holy Ghost. As I preach to you, the Holy Ghost reveals it to you and bears witness in your heart.
They call God God because He is too good. Because of the revelation I have of the goodness of God, there is no blessing anybody can receive that I will start thinking, "Is he doing fraud?" I have searched through the Bible: every one that walked with God, God blessed him.
Galatians 5:19 TPT
There is something called “Mr. Flesh”. Galatians 5:19 TPT lists the cravings of the flesh. They are products of the fallen man and the devil jumps on them. Some people think I can be angry, once I don't fornicate I am fine.
These are not only going to stop you from making it to heaven, the things available that the Kingdom brings to you; you will not be able to enjoy. Church Gist.So don't suppress the flesh; kill it. Some have been holding things in their hearts for years.
Psalm 119:68
God's goodness is such that it takes the Holy Spirit to search it out. So goodness is not scarce for Christians; accessing it is the problem. Nahum 1:7- The Lord knows who trusts and takes refuge in Him. He also knows those who take refuge in the flesh.
How do we get trained?
Isaiah 12:3
It is with joy that you draw from the well of salvation; Joy is the fetcher. Anywhere there is joy, there is no gloominess. Demons like darkness and gloominess. Happiness is based on happenings.
Do you know that where you are now looked impossible to you 10 years ago?
I was with some people from other churches and they asked how come I chose to come to Guzape Hills. Because they said, now Guzape Hills is one of the prime areas everyone wants to move to.
I said, “Can I tell you the truth? When we chose it we didn’t know anywhere”. I wouldn’t say I am the one but I am one of the people that has made the place popular. Church Gist. The first day we were coming here, I believe I named it Guzape Hills. Maybe it was called that because God can say things in the atmosphere and you will not be the only one that picked it up. But the day I wrote Guzape Hills I was laughing because I didn't see it anywhere. The way you name something is important. We started writing Guzape Hills. The head of the landlords here called me and said, "You have given us another name?" I said, "Yes". Church Gist.Again I didn't claim I named it but I didn't hear it from anywhere – Guzape Hills. And then it started becoming popular, but it is because we carry that as believers. It is one of the trademarks of the God of Abraham; wherever your feet will tread, blessings will follow.
Isaiah 30:32
God fights with your praise; your tambourines and harps. When God hears these sounds, He will be looking for your enemies. Anywhere there is joy, even where the issue is gigantic it is surmountable.
Where I was raised, Yoruba, they will tell you by a proverb – you must worry; you must look sad but that is where teaching and training are important. Coming to church is not enough.
Isaiah 54:1
Singing a weapon to break forth from barrenness. The same thing can happen to two people but they will turn out differently because of their disposition in the matter.
Philippians 4:4
Rejoice always not sometimes. The Yoruba version of this scripture paints a picture that- how you know the stew is done is when you see it jumping. In the words, be jumping with joy.
The Lord divided his Kingdom into three and says if you have these three, you have the Kingdom of God - righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Church Gist.If you ever prayed without joy, God didn’t hear you.
1 Peter 3:6
It doesn't matter where you are coming from, you can have a new beginning. People have a memory of your past but God doesn't have it. The danger about Christianity is that when a wicked man starts living well, God forgets his wrongdoings; at the same time, an act of wickedness can cancel 20 years of good works.
WHAT TO DO TO KEEP JOY IN PLACE?
As long as you have breath, you will have reasons to be sad, if you pay attention to that. If many say good things about you and just one person says a bad thing, you are likely to forget all the good things and focus on the bad because that’s what you chose to pay attention to. Church Gist.There is no man you need more than God. Mentors can die, sponsors can die; God cannot die.
Psalm 103:2
1. The first thing you need to do to walk in the fullness of Joy is to bless the Lord with your soul and all that is within you. You should be in memory of God's benefits to you and His goodness. You should not forget the Lord's benefits. If you forget, you are already entrapped.
Psalm 77:11
When somebody cheated us of the money we had in Abuja when we just came, and we prayed and fasted, it was as if they'd written: "don't come to our church" on our handbills we shared. It was a battle from the enemy.
One Saturday night, I got a report from my resident Pastor here that they told us to leave the venue we were in. We were expecting a guest from England. Some lawyers in my church said, "Let's sue them". But If we sue them on Saturday night, how were we still going to meet for Sunday service? So we said, "we will take it higher". We went and paid for Hilton. As of then, that meeting was 1 million Naira; and we paid with the hope that when we start the service, we will negotiate and balance ourselves. After the first service, we were called and told that the children make rubbish so we should leave. So we said we will go to Sheraton. We paid the money and went to Sheraton. Church Gist. At the first service, they called us that after the service they didn't want to see us again. Then we found a place in Utako. COZA members didn’t want to go to Utako; we were losing members. We were new. Then I went for an event storming heavens with prayers and fasting: “Lord what should we do?” We found a hall near another church. So when we found the hall I was excited but they said it is on the same street as one church. I said, "I didn't hear what you told me. I am not going to be in that kind of place". Lord! You have to provide. I went for a secular event and they thought they should put all pastors on one table. Church Gist. So we shook hands and one pastor said, "So you are the COZA pastor? I heard about you and I heard what happened to you. That's how churches go down in town". He repeated everything I was going through to me. He said, "You know Abuja people, they don't give". I said, "What do you mean?" He said watch your counseling line. That's where it dawned on me that people have stopped seeing me after service to avoid being asked to give money because of the situation we were going through. When the man painted the picture, I knew I was in trouble. So there are things that have happened to me now I just look at what has happened before.
If you have a short memory, you can’t walk with God. Testimonies are powerful. Have diaries that you write things down. Every time the Lord wants to do a new thing, He first mentions what He has done before.
2. You must build hope from God’s faithfulness.
David recounted God's faithfulness in helping him rescue his sheep from wild animals to overcome Goliath. It is easier to talk weak than to stand on the Word of God. Church Gist. A lot of Christians are building their lives on what is happening instead of building it on what has happened.
Romans 15:13
Like Bishop David Oyedepo will say; “If you are thankful, you will be thankful”. You must learn how to abound in hope. What is stealing your joy? It is an insult to God for you to be sad.
Psalm 78:4 - Let joy be in place.
3. Feed on God’s faithfulness – Psalm 37:1 – 4
Make yourself a delight to the Lord. Dance before the Lord. Anytime things are not working; ask questions. Church Gist. Ask the Lord, "Lord what is going on?" And the Lord will show you. Believe me. God talks like that. The Bible says God's faithfulness is new every morning.
4. Shut the Door to the enemy
The 21st century Christians are the most powerless Christians that have existed since Christianity started.
A pregnant woman in Lagos accidentally stumbled into Sango worshippers wearing all white coming from the Yaba market in the afternoon. They were doing their rituals. She apologized to them but they said it was too late. Everyone around was saying, "woman, beg them'. The woman said I have apologized. The leader of the Sango worshippers brought out an item and started reciting an incantation the people around were begging the pregnant woman to kneel. The woman said. “I can never kneel". Church Gist. When the leader of the Sango worshippers raised his hands, thunder was coming out of his hands. The woman also raised her hands and said, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth; I have apologized to you and I didn't do it intentionally. Therefore let this backfire now". The thing hit the man, he fell and the rest took off.
The average Christians in the 21st century don’t pray. Men who are supposed to be praying for their homes want to depend on their wives for prayer. And they don’t pray.
Some of the things that will be stealing your joy every time are the places you go to; the pornography you watch, and hookup sites you attend to look for sex partners. Church Gist. It shuts the Holy Ghost away from you completely. It is on those sites you catch demons and diseases that will manifest 20 years later. It is taking glories from you.
There is a lady who took communion and she vomited cowries. Ask her where she got it from. Will she swallow cowries? If she did it, will she be surprised they came out? There is something called dematerialization to materialize. Church Gist. When it comes into you don’t see. It enters into you, it gets to the right spot and it comes out to torment you. It is stealing your blessings and destinies from you.
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