Pastor Jimmy Odukoya @ Sunday Service
Pastor Jimmy Odukoya, while ministering at the September 24 Sunday service, established the fact that God can use anybody at any time and anywhere for any reason and for His glory.
Speaking on the theme, The Scarlet Thread, as taken from the story in the Book of Joshua 2:1–24, the newly appointed Senior Pastor of the Foutain of Life Church noted that no one has the power to put an embargo on who God can and cannot use to achieve His counsel, adding that God doesn’t call the qualified but rather qualifies the called. “God can use anybody at any time in any place for any reason in any season for His glory,’’ he said.
Using the account of a young Jewish slave that told Naaman the leprous Syrian general about the Prophet in Samaria as recorded in 2 Kings 5:1–4 and King David’s experience with the sick and abandoned slave as recorded in 1 Samuel 30:10–15 as illustrations, the clergy emphasised the importance of kindness. According to him, showing kindness to others in times of need or challenge has tremendous impacts on people, just as the slave discarded by his master, who was shown kindness by David, became the key to the great victory and recovery of all that had apparently been lost.
Pastor J, as he is fondly called, further said that the scarlet thread represents the blood of Jesus. According to him, this thread is woven through the Bible and points to the redemptive power of the blood through the Cross of Calvary. The senior pastor emphasised that we are all saved by grace and therefore admonished that our lives should be a testament to God, should be lived in love, and should be a blessing to others.
“Abraham was a liar, Moses was a murderer, David was an adulterer, Peter denied, Thomas was a doubter, and Lazarus was dead,” he said. But then God was still glorified in the lives of these people, in spite of their flaws.
The pastor therefore urged his listeners not to be afraid to come to God, as He is not afraid of identifying with them even in their mess, adding that they should not also be involved in judging others but to restore them in love.
The message will be continued next Sunday, October 1, 2023.
THE PRESENCE OF TROUBLE DOES NOT INDICATE THE ABSENCE OF GOD
Pastor Jimmy Odukoya @ Thursday Showers
At the Thursday Showers service on September 21, Pastor Jimmy Odukoya, the Senior Pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, spoke about the power of God’s presence and the importance of faith. He gave an illustration using the story of the pool of Bethesda, where anyone who got into the water when it was stirred received their miracle. He declared, “The pool is open; there is a stirring in the Spirit.”
Reading from Joshua 1:1–9 and Deuteronomy 34, Pastor Jimmy challenged the congregation to believe in their prayers and not be surprised when they are answered. He said, “Half the time we tell God how big our problem is rather than telling our problem how big our God is; God did not say that there would not be trouble; the presence of trouble does not indicate the absence of God.”
He also compared the situation of a student taking an exam with a teacher present but silent to that of a believer facing a trial with God present but silent. He assured the congregation that they are never alone and that they should not fear.
He added, “If all you see is what you see, then you are blind; the things that are made come from the things that are not made. If it does not scare you, then it is not God; anything that is comfortable is not God; you don’t need God when you can do it. He will always put you in situations or circumstances that will force you to be dependent on Him.”
He emphasised that God often uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and that one’s relationship with God is based on one’s experience with Him. He said, “You can only relate to God based on your experience, so you can’t know Him as your provider if you have not been hungry before.”
He shared testimonies of how God met the needs of different people who trusted Him and pointed out that “you keep carrying the weight that is not meant for you to carry; your salary is not your source; what is in your hand is not enough for what you are looking for. Wealth is not the amount of money you have in your bank account; it is who you have access to.”
He concluded by quoting Matthew 6:33 and encouraging everyone to seek God first and not worry about their needs. He said, “When time gets tough, just praise Him; God will do whatever He needs to do to meet your needs. Stop chasing His hands; chase His face.”
The full messages are available on the Church’s YouTube channel, The Fountain TV (link), and TOM TV (Taiwo Odukoya Ministry). They are also available on CDs and DVDs at The Fountain of Life Church Digital Media Store.
