THE WORD OF GOD AND THE SUPERNATURAL - The Fountain Of Life Church

By iborotonye-edet Weekly News May 31, 2023

Pastor Kunle Areogun @Sunday First Service

Being the last Sunday in the month of May as well as Family Sunday service, the May 28 Sunday first service was evidence of God’s goodness in the lives of members. The children were also celebrated as they showcased performances to celebrate International Children’s Day, which was on May 27. Prayers were also raised for the country, the church, and the children.

Exhorting members from Psalm 89:20–22, which was also the promise for the week, Pastor Lara Adesanya admonished her listeners that any believer who has God as his or her God and walks with Him is special and anointed, noting that no enemy can overcome them because God Himself will crush the enemies.

Pastor Kunle Areogun, while ministering the word, told the congregation that an encounter with the word of God produces a supernatural result. Using the encounter of the sick man at Bethesda who had an encounter with Jesus as recorded in John 5:1–9 as an example, the clergy noted that an encounter with the word brings about positive changes in one’s life. The man of God continued his message by saying that the encounter of the Samaritan woman with Jesus, as recorded in John 4, was a spiritual arrangement that had physical results. “From the woman being saved to the whole city hearing about the gospel, no one encounters the word of God and remains the same,” he said.

Pastor Areogun further mentioned three things that aid the supernatural in the lives of believers: prayers, natural activities, and getting the promise of the word. According to him, prayer is vital in the life of a believer, but praying without the word of God and not taking the necessary steps will not yield any success. “Prayer on its own doesn’t change anything. It only guides and gives directions, giving accuracy to the things to be done in knowing the mind of God per time for each situation,” he said.

He continued, “You don’t pray and sit at home for success to come; that’s spiritual gambling. The more you exercise your faith, the stronger it becomes. The situation in the physical might be saying something else, but when you take charge in prayers, taking steps, and standing on God’s word, the more you get closer to your answer.”

He cited Romans 8:14 and John 1:12 to show that one of the reasons a believer’s request through prayer can be delayed is immaturity, noting that God will not grant what might destroy His children to them immediately. He also noted that challenges should not hinder believers from putting their whole trust in God. In his words, “Challenges will come, but have this assurance that the word God has spoken is valid, no matter the year, time, or situation. Let your confession be according to His word, not what people say or what is seen. Problems will come; mistakes might happen, but the word of God still remains.”

He therefore urged the congregation to keep trusting God and hold on to their persuasions of who God is, adding that His promise and performance cannot be stopped. “The devil can’t stop the promise and the performance; he will only try to attack the believer’s persuasion. Do not give in. For the devil not to kill your persuasion, stand on the word,” he said.

The full message is available on the Church’s Youtube channel, The Fountain TV) and TOM TV (Taiwo Odukoya Ministry): https://www.youtube.com/live/LY-PwwI8NDk?feature=share It is also available on CDs and DVDs at The Fountain of Life Church Digital Media Store.

ON FIRE FOR GOD

Pastor Babatunde Ladipo @ Sunday second service

By virtue of the Children’s Day celebration, Pastor Babatunde Ladipo, at the May 28 Sunday second service, started by prophesying and praying for the children and their parents.

Going straight into the message for the day, the clergy, while making reference to the Word Explosion’s conference, whose theme was the Holy Spirit, reiterated the tremendous revelations about the Holy Spirit in the scripture, stating that He signified with wind, fire, dove, oil, and water. “The Holy Spirit is a mystery of the Almighty God,” he said.

He went on to explain that, going by the New Testament church, the church that was birthed on the day of Pentecost—the same ball that descended on that day is fire, and it is the symbol of the Holy Ghost, and every child of God is expected to carry that fire.

Carrying the fire of God, according to the clergy, means to be passionate for God, having a zeal and an insatiable appetite, a surrendered life devoted to God with some level of divine energy, a personal relationship with God, a life of holiness. “When you are said to be on fire for God, your appetite must change. You must be attracted to the things of God. “You live a life of power when you are on fire for God,” he said.

Referencing the book of Acts of the Apostles in the Bible as a typical example of a church on fire, Pastor Babatunde said that the difference between the church and the world is the fire of the Holy Ghost in the lives of believers. “Set the church on fire for God, and the world would come watch the church burn with God’s fire. Set yourself on fire, and the world would come and watch you burn because fire attracts,” he said.

He continued, “When you see a church of fire, you will see a manifestation of the gift of the Holy Spirit. You will see all kinds of miracles like never before. The move of the Spirit is unparalleled.”

The clergy also cited 2 Timothy 1:1–6 and Leviticus 6:12–13 to say that prayer, meditation, studying God’s Word, and winning souls are ways to keep the fire burning. “If you surround yourself with people who are not burning, you will go nowhere, but if you surround yourself with people who are burning for God, then you will burn. “Either you are in the fire of His love or in the fire of His wrath,” he said.

“WORSHIP”

Pastor Paul Briggs @ Thursday Showers Service

The atmosphere at the May 25 Thursday showers took on another electrifying level as Pastor Paul Briggs led the worshippers in deep worship. According to TFOLC’s King’s Dome parish pastor, worship is all about God and not about the worshippers, adding that God desires His children to know Him for who He is and not just what He can give them. “Worship is not about the song; it is more about your heart and life,” he said.

Defining worship using Romans 12, Pastor Paul Briggs stated that worship entails presenting oneself as a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable to God. “God is not after your money; He’s after your life,” he stated. The clergy also spoke about the dimensions of encounters, saying that encounters are like two-edged swords. Citing Matthew 5:6, he further explained that there are triggers for supernatural encounters, stating that encounters are triggered primarily through hunger. “Once there is a hunger for it, then something is bound to happen,” he said.

Pastor Briggs also mentioned that God initiates the triggers by His sovereign will. “There are patterns and habits people develop that open up spiritual experiences, and one of them is worship,” he noted. He continued, “There are dimensions of encounters you get when you enter into the atmosphere of worship. Even though God has not done anything for us yet, this understanding helps us to remain in worship.”

Using the woman by the well as recorded in John 4 as an example, he explained that as soon as the woman had an encounter with Jesus, she went into the city and told everyone about her encounter with Christ, and they all believed and came to meet with Him and told Him to tarry with them for some time.

In closing, Pastor Paul Briggs stated that it is not acceptable to live a life of worship in the church and go out there to live another life; it is unacceptable. Believers should not be found living a two-faced life; rather, they should always live a life of worship and must also stabilise their confessions in Christ.