Speaking from the theme for the year, “The Year of the Holy Spirit,” Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, while ministering at the January 22 Sunday service, urged the church to forget every threat of the devil and be confident in the Holy Spirit.
Citing Romans 6:8, Ephesians 6:15–17, and Acts 2:38, he explained that any believer who has Christ living in them has life through the Holy Spirit and is dead to sin. According to him, the proof of the Holy Spirit comes upon a believer at baptism; he added that it takes desires and knowledge for such a believer to experience it.
In his words, “When you are baptised in the name of Jesus, it settles everything in every area of your life.” He went on to say, “No Christian should say he or she has no proof of the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit comes on every believer, but it takes desire and knowledge for Him to come upon a believer.”
He continued, “When the Holy Spirit comes upon a believer, he comes fully, and at the centre of the gospel of the kingdom is the ministry of the Holy Spirit.”
Referencing Ephesians 5:18, Pastor Taiwo told his listeners that believers need to be kingdom-conscious. This, he said, would help them operate more with the Holy Spirit.
In his words, “If you are a true Christian, there should be a yearning for the Holy Ghost. As a believer, you cannot afford to forget or do without the Holy Spirit at any point in your life. It is time to let the Holy Ghost do His work in the church. We should not replace the Holy Ghost with technology.”
The man of God continued, “Our natural man cannot do anything; we all need the help of the Holy Spirit to make it through life; therefore, we have to allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in our lives so that we can access the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.”
He rounded off his message by urging the congregation to yield themselves more to the Holy Spirit, as He wants to provide the motivation and the power of Christ-likeness that will turn people towards Him. This, he said, can only be achieved through the Holy Spirit in them. “You cannot be thinking and talking in the Holy Ghost and not move in His power or in His fruits,” he said.
Pastor Taiwo Odukoya @ Thursday Showers
Whatever you think is impossible, can you just bring it to the fore and say, “Holy Ghost, take charge, take control now in the name of Jesus?” There is a restoration taking place right now. There is a change; there is a reversal in the name of Jesus! You are coming back to testify. Your testimony will affect many around the world.
These are the opening declarations of Pastor Taiwo Odukoya at the Thursday Showers of January 19, 2023.
Speaking on faith and fear, Pastor Taiwo stressed that faith and fear don’t share the same vessel. Either one takes over or the other one flies out. He further said that faith is action that advances towards the fulfilment of the full deposit of what God has promised. “It is the substance of things hoped for; it is the evidence of things not seen,” he said.
Reading from Ephesians 3:16–17, the man of God said that the seed to every harvest one may be looking for is in the Word. This is why, according to him, believers need to always build up their faith through constant meditation on the Word.
In his words, “Where you are does not match up to where you are going. Where you are should never at any time become the definition of where you are going. Where you are going is always bigger. You are going from glory to glory. You are then conformed to the image of Christ. So, don’t ever allow the devil’s lies to limit you.”
Speaking on God’s radiating riches in Glory with no matches to man, the clergy noted that God doesn’t behave like men who measure and qualify everything in currency and financial worth. “We rate God by His glory,” he said.
Pastor Taiwo further linked this with the character of the Holy Spirit and the true personality of Jesus Christ, noting that every child of God who has the Holy Spirit has a spiritual capacity.
He continued, “God will not launch you out without enabling you. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Creation. He is the Spirit in the Word. Our God is the Spirit; and He communicates in the Spirit.”
