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Jubilee Church Manchester (JCM RCCG) - Fresh Oil, Fresh Strength Series
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Good morning. I want to speak with you today on what I've titled the necessity of strength—and we're going to focus on the lion as our symbol.
Our theme this month is "fresh oil, fresh strength." As we gather, I want to say to you: You need divine strength on a daily basis to fulfill your days and your destiny. This is not optional. This is essential.
Let's begin in Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10 to 13. The Apostle Paul writes:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Being strong in the Lord means being filled with divine strength. When we talk about putting on the armor of God, we're talking about equipping ourselves spiritually. In this world, the devil is roaring about like a lion seeking whom he can devour. So you need strength. You need the whole armor of God.
Continuing in verse 12:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
We are not fighting human beings. When someone manifests satanic tendencies, the spirit behind them is what we must wrestle against. Our warfare is spiritual, not physical. Therefore, we need spiritual strength—divine strength.
In verse 13:
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
When you put on the whole armor of God, you will stand when enemies come. The forces of darkness against you and your destiny will not prevail.
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Now, let's turn to Proverbs chapter 30, verse 30. The Bible gives us a remarkable description of the lion:
A lion which is strongest among beasts and turneth not away for any.
The lion is the strongest among beasts, and it does not turn away from anything or anyone. No matter how large or powerful an opponent may be, the lion faces it head-on. The lion is full of strength. It is bold. It is fearless.
But here's why I'm pointing you to the lion: In Revelation 5, verse 5, we read:
Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is bold. He is fearless. He fears no one. And yet, He is also compassionate. The strength of the physical lion, its boldness, its refusal to turn away—these qualities reflect who Jesus Christ is.
God wants us to function with this same kind of strength. Just as the lion in the natural world is full of strength and bold, so should we be filled with divine strength. This season, greater strength is coming into your life. May the Lord fill you with strength in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Let me enumerate several reasons why you and I need to be filled with divine strength at all times.
God created you for a purpose. In Jeremiah, the Lord said, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee."
I pray that what God created you for becomes clearer than ever. If you have not yet discovered your purpose, I pray you will discover it now. Say this prayer with me:
"Heavenly Father, what you created me for, let it be clearer to me than ever. And help me, O God, to fulfill it, to accomplish it in the name of Jesus Christ."
Consider Moses. In Deuteronomy 34:7, we read:
Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
Moses finished well. His eyes were not dim. His strength was not diminished. This speaks to strength—spiritual and physical vitality. May you fulfill your days and destiny. May you live long to declare the works of the Lord in the land of the living. With long life shall God satisfy you, and may you finish well.
If you have not yet discovered what God created you for, no matter how old you are, you can discover it now. God has preserved you for certain purposes. I pray you will discover them in the name of Jesus Christ.
In Exodus 23:25–26, we read:
Ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. There shall not be cast their young, nor be barren in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill.
We need divine strength to fulfill all our days.
You are not afraid of your enemy. As we saw in Proverbs 30:30, the lion turns back for nothing because of the strength God has placed in it. So you need divine strength to be unmoved, unafraid, unwavering in your faith.
God has given you territories—your sphere of influence, your vision, what He has sent you to accomplish. You need divine strength to take full charge of these territories. God is calling you not just to survive, but to dominate in the arenas where He has placed you.
God created you to do exploits. In Daniel 11:32b, we read:
The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
When you know God and are filled with His strength, you will do exploits. Many of us cannot do exploits because the strength of God is absent. But this season, He will fill us anew with fresh strength.
Consider the early disciples. Before the Holy Spirit's power came upon them, they were timid. They were shy. They were afraid. But when strength came upon them, Peter rose up and began to minister. He began to do exploits. He began to win souls. He said, "Whom shall I fear? I will only fear God." Men he could not face before, he now faced boldly. Timidity disappeared.
When the power and strength of God come upon you, every fear leaves. Some people cannot hold a microphone before. When the power and strength come upon them, they become bold. They speak. They declare. They minister healing and deliverance. I pray the Lord will help us discover our purpose and do exploits for Him in the name of Jesus Christ.
We need strength to serve God with a whole and undistracted heart. Sickness and weakness distract us from our calling. Divine strength enables us to love and serve the Lord fully.
God has promised to give us sound health and strength. We need divine strength so that we can enjoy the gifts He has promised.
Now let me share with you some secrets of the lion's strength. Remember, the lion is symbolic of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and we all belong to His family. Jesus Christ is our Father.
Lionic strength is genetic. A lion cannot give birth to a goat or a cow. A lion gives birth to a lion. If the Lion of the tribe of Judah is your Father, then He has given birth to you as part of His kingdom, as ones who carry His nature.
Some of you were timid before, but when you woke up to this reality and allowed God to fill you and stir up the strength He had placed in you, you started to function as a lion. You discovered the nobility and power that was always yours by birthright.
Are you connected to this family? Have you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ? Is He your Father? If you are part of His kingdom, you carry His strength. If the devil cannot get the Lion of the tribe of Judah, he will not be able to get you in the name of Jesus Christ.
When we speak of "meat," we are speaking of the Word of God. Do you feed on the Word of God daily?
In Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4, Jesus said:
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
You need the Word of God. Just two days ago, I was listening to the audio Bible, and the Holy Spirit gripped me as I listened to the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth had passed the age of menopause. She was old. She was barren. She and Zacharias had long since given up hope for children. But while Zacharias was performing his priestly duty, the Angel of the Lord visited him. The Lord said He would give them a child.
Though Zacharias doubted and could no longer speak, when he went home and did what the Lord had promised, Elizabeth became pregnant. An elderly woman, past childbearing years, suddenly got pregnant. The Word of the Lord accomplished what was naturally impossible.
I know a woman who gave birth to twins at 59 years old. I know a woman who was on dialysis, who had tubes removed, who suddenly got pregnant and gave birth. When you are soaked in the Word of God, God gives you fresh revelations daily. The Word brings joy. The Word brings life. The Word brings strength.
Soak in the Word. Drink the Word. Eat the Word. As you take in the Word, it gives you strength.
Ecclesiastes 10:18 confirms this. No more laziness. No more idleness. Wake up and walk. This is a secret of the lion's strength—active, purposeful engagement with life.
This is very essential. Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 tells us:
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone.
The lion moves in company with other lions. This is symbolic of unity, harmony, love, and fellowship. We have created fellowship and cell groups in this church. Some take it for granted, but when you belong together, when you do things together, when you pray together, when you solve problems together, when you share together, you draw strength from one another.
I was blessed to see our women—elderly women, widows, single mothers—doing things together, sharing fellowship, even playing sports together. That is unity, and that is where strength comes from. Do not be alone. Be part of a community. Be connected. Draw strength from fellowship.
The lion does not keep quiet. It roars. The power of life and death is in the tongue. Proverbs 18:21 says so.
You must speak up in prayer. You must awake to worship God. You must come against and nullify negative dreams you have had. You must speak against evil pronouncements, against the evil plans of enemies in your workplace and in your life.
You do not need to fight flesh and blood. Wake up and roar! Say, "No! Your cancers will not stand. They will not come to pass. The cancers of the devil against me will not come to pass."
I say to you: they will not come to pass. Declare it. Roar against the darkness. Speak the Word of God. Use your voice as a weapon of spiritual power.
God wants you to be strong. God wants you to put on the lionic anointing. Be strong in the Lord like the Lion of the tribe of Judah—bold, full of strength, full of vitality.
As we wait upon Him, as we praise Him, as we pray and say, "O God, fill us," He is going to fill us. This season, we will say, "O God, let the word that You have promised us come to pass. Give us new strength. Give us new enablement. Give us fresh oil and fresh strength."
May the Lord see us through in the name of Jesus Christ.
