Pastor Sam Adeyemi

The Prayer Connection

2011-02-03T12:46:00.000-08:00

James 5: 13-18

The simple definition of prayer is communication with God. There are several dimensions to prayer – worship is a primary dimension where we praise Him for His worth, others are consecration, intercession and petition. Prayer is a dialogue not a monologue, a conversation between us and God; we speak and He listens, we, too, must learn to listen to God because He has things He wants to say to us as well. Listening is a significant factor in communication.

The effectiveness of prayer is not based primarily on the technique but in the quality of our relationship with God. God is more interested in the state of our heart and our relationship with Him, therefore, in prayer, we should focus on our relationship with God because God deals with our conscience.

Not every prayer is acceptable to God; He's not interested in the prayer of the wicked, it's an abomination to Him. Enoch had the best testimony ever - that He pleased God. Enoch pleased God because he had faith in Him. Without faith, it's impossible to please God, for anyone who comes to God must first believe that He exists as the Ultimate. Faith is the reality of believing in an invisible God to the extent that you do all to please Him. The time has come for true worshippers to seek God in spirit and in truth, not merely seeking gifts but a relationship with God. He rewards those that diligently seek Him, not those who diligently seek gifts! Seek the Giver not the gifts.

The first commandment is to love God with all your heart and mind, when we do this, God becomes real to us and we experience boundless possibilities. Consider David in the bible, some bible scholars feel he was born out of an adulterous relationship and relegated to the back in his family, yet when God needed a king to lead His people, He chose him because his heart panted after God, developed an intimate relationship with Him and became a man after God's heart.

When last did you express to God how much you need to know Him? It's time to build an intimate relationship with God; it's the foundation for prayer. Our greatest aspiration should be to walk with God not to work for God.

The Kingdom Mandate For Wealth-Sam Adeyemi (1)

2011-02-03T12:44:00.000-08:00

Our children will turn out well

2010-06-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

In the scripture above, God was speaking to the Israelites at the border of the Promised Land. The Israelites had been grumbling bitterly against God because they feared greatly for the fate of their children, after they had heard the reports of ten of the twelve leaders who had been sent to spy out the land. The ten men brought a back a bad report about the Promised Land, so their courage faltered. They did not believe that God will take them in and defeat their enemies, as He promised, so they chose to go back to Egypt.

Their excuse was that they were concerned for their children but the real reason was their insecurity, fear, lack of capacity for faith and trust in God. This lack of faith and their disobedience angered God, so God said that the complaining parents will not enter the Promised Land but the children, who they feared for, would.

Many people in our country are very much like those Israelites - compromising and breaking God’s laws and the country's laws in an attempt to create platforms for their kids to be successful. God is saying that breaking laws will never guarantee a future for children. Nobody has any control over the future of their children; we are only stewards and caretakers.

It's understandable when most Nigerian parents fear for their children's future because some of us watched our parents serve diligently, loyally, honestly and faithfully until retirement, only to be shabbily treated as a reward in spite of lofty promises of gratuity and pension by the government; while the ones who cut corners, on the other hand, live comfortably and seem to have secured better lives for their children. Turns out that they are the smarter ones, or so it seems. This has pushed some people to dabble into all sorts of fraud, bribery and corruption to get wealth. The spirit of God is saying all of these are houses made of straw. God doesn't need your help, He needs your faith. You cannot steal money to build a future, remember, 'unless the Lord builds a house, the builder builds in vain'.

We must not prepare our children for a future the same as our past, their future will be different. The Nigeria that our children will live in is going to be much better. Anybody who trains his child to cut corners is training that child for a Nigeria that no longer exists. Nigeria is changing at a fast pace, let's commit to preparing our children for the future and God will give us capacity.

Victory in Christ

2010-03-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 15:57
Every battle ends with either a shout of victory or the wail of defeat. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead gave us something to shout victoriously about because it was a demonstration of victory over sin, death, and hell. 2 Corinthians 2:14 proclaims that God leads those who believe in Christ in a perpetual victory parade. In God’s camp, there is perpetual victory, joy and celebration. Jesus conquered satan, disarmed principalities and powers making an open show of them by triumphing over them on the cross.

We should celebrate this victory and show it off for the whole world to see. The Christian life is not designed for temporary victory. Regardless of the circumstances, Christians should not walk around wearing long faces because its our duty to enforce Christ’s victory, taking every opportunity to remind the devil that he has been defeated. The way we respond to situations ought to capture the attention of other people and turn them to serve God. God uses us to spread the knowledge of Him, like a sweet smelling perfume. It’s a parade! We walk by faith and not by sight therefore we should not be driven by our situation and circumstances or the dreary news that come from the media houses. Read the good news in the word of God instead. It reports that we are part of Christ’s victory parade! In Christ’s victory parade, His resurrection heralded victory over the forces of darkness. He freed the devil’s captives and gave gifts to man. These gifts include apostles (pioneers and ground breakers), prophets (dreamers and visionaries), evangelists (sales people), pastors (managers) and teachers (trainers and consultants), given for the furtherance of the kingdom of God.

When you become a part of God’s victory parade, He sends you as a gift to solve problems for your generation. But if you are a downcast and discouraged defeatist He can’t send you, therefore let your authority in Christ sink into the core of your being so that you can reign as royalty on earth. It’s either you are reigning or devil is reigning.
It’s our responsibility to resist the stimuli of sin, stand our ground to declare the truth of God’s word over our lives. We have the authority to do many of the things we are asking God to do.

We cannot be wretched children of a rich God or weak children of a mighty God, it’s entirely up to us. Also, we must present all we are as instruments of righteousness to God so that sin will not have dominion over us. We are part of Christ’s victory parade!.. Pastor Sam Adeyemi

The Power of the Christ Life

2010-01-15T17:17:00.000-08:00

The greatest display of power in human history was performed by God when He raised Jesus from the dead. He did this to prove that He is alive, so, we can be at peace knowing that our God is not dead. God's paramount goal when He performs miracles is to prove that He's alive and that we can have this resurrection power work through us.

But how do we get this power to work in our lives? To access God's resurrection power, we must identify with the death of Jesus Christ. Paul, in Philippians 3: 3-11, recounts his life accomplishments and counts them to be nothing so that he might attain to the resurrection power in Christ. He disregarded his human ability and chose rather to depend on God's ability; he died to self to live for Christ and we should strive for same.

When we allow the Christ-life to flow through us, we develop the capacity to walk in love and rise above bitterness in relationships. We will no longer be controlled by our human nature but by Christ's, so we tend to respond to situations just as Jesus would. The essence of the resurrection power working through us is for us to be witnesses unto Christ and not for self. Our greatest quest this year and through life should be to know Jesus Christ and forget a personal relationship with Him.

We should make a commitment to be on assignment for God. (Acts 1: 8). God is raising new Davids. Like in 1 Samuel 16:13, He will bring nonentities out of obscurity and place His power on them to do His will. This year, we will experience and know Him beyond the Person the Pastors speak about. Hence, the problems we could not solve last year, we will resolve with ease because the power of the Christ life in us turns every problem into an opportunity for a miracle and a testimony! We will prosper in business without depending on the existing economic structures because God is building a new system. In the political arena, power is also changing locations.

This is a season of change, but until you put down your old life, you cannot take up the resurrection power. It is how much of Christ you allow to find expression through you that will determine how easy it will be for you to resolve the issues of your life. Our creed this year should be 'I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me'. Galatians 2: 20... Pastor Sam Adeyemi

Handling Life's Challenges

2009-12-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

Text: Matt. 11:28, Mark 5:25, 15:16.

The story of the woman with the issue of blood shows that there is always someone to run to when we have challenges. Jesus said, “Come unto Me.....” This is a liberating word for all of us who need help.

Some of us are carrying burdens not meant for us, and even while we bear the ones meant for us, we are sometimes weary. We get weighed down by our given assignments sometimes because of the challenges that come across our paths, but we should not forget to go to Jesus for help.

Rest is the opposite of frustration. Jesus promised rest to those who come to Him. This means that we can have the peace of God in the midst of trials and tribulations. Don't fall for the lie that when you are saved, you are free from problems and struggles Rev.3:5 & 12. Struggle is the proof that we have not been conquered by our enemies 1 Tim.6:12.

How to handle Challenges

1. Consult the Word of God: we should learn to consult the word of God, only, and not any other medium, especially when difficult times arrive. I Chronicles 10:13. We need to fill ourselves with the word of God otherwise we will be vulnerable to negative things.

2. Singing: In an atmosphere of worship, God’s power is present to heal and prosper everyone.

3. Share your burdens: Learn to share your burdens with people who can help you spiritually, like an intercessor, counselor, and mentor.

4. Sow your seeds: Your seeds help you to create partnership with God. Mal. 3:10.

We should not forget that God has promised to help us carry our burdens; all we need do is run to Him and touch the hem of His garment, like the woman with the issue of blood...Pastor Sam Adeyemi

Start your own Business

2009-11-03T19:04:00.000-08:00

The Holy Bible records that most of the patriarchs who laid the foundation for our faith were business men and entrepreneurs. Abraham, the friend of God and father of faith was a prosperous business man. His son Isaac and grandson Jacob were business men too. Therefore, owing a business is scriptural and is spiritual, too.

Jesus Christ was a business man for the most part of His life on earth. In MARK 6:3, the people referred to Jesus as "the carpenter". This must have been because He ran His father's business before He started His ministry. Jesus chose His disciples from the business and corporate world and most of His parables and illustrations were derived from the business world. This tells us that the Christian lifestyle should not be restricted to monasteries and a particular group of people, but is supposed to be an active part of our world.

With an established source of finance, the best way to increase income is by starting your own business. Entrepreneurship is the surest way to wealth creation. In Nigeria, entrepreneurship is the next level for us to operate on. Let's develop an entrepreneurial mindset. The master stroke for increasing income is starting your own business... Pastor Sam Adeyemi

Qualities of a Successful Entrepreneur

2009-11-03T18:59:00.000-08:00

An entrepreneur is a person who makes money by starting or running a business especially when this involves taking financial risks” Oxford's Advanced Learner's dictionary. In chapters one and two of Genesis, God displayed some entrepreneurial traits and if we are made in God's image and likeness then we have natural inclinations to becoming entrepreneurs; but not everyone will be.

God desires to bless us financially but we have to prepare ourselves by imbibing entrepreneurial qualities so He can find the right channel to pass blessings through to us.

Contrary to the popular perception that the best time to become an entrepreneur is at a young age, anybody at any age or stage in life can become an entrepreneur. Age does not matter. God creates opportunities at anytime and out of any situation, e.g. adversity. The widow in 2KINGS 4 possessed certain qualities which enabled her maximize her opportunity.

· A successful entrepreneur possesses the following qualities:

· An entrepreneur is a visionary - has a vision of how goods and services can be offered in a more efficient, cheaper and better way, with a keen eye to spot opportunities.

· Entrepreneurs are innovative, that is, they possess the quality of introducing a new angle to existing ideas which when applied will produce better results

· An entrepreneur is passionate - Vision without passion leads to frustration. Figure out what you are passionate about and be willing to do anything (in righteousness) to get it done.

· Entrepreneurs take calculated risks. A person who is adverse to risks would never become a successful entrepreneur

· An entrepreneur is persistent. To become a successful entrepreneur you must put on a never-say-die attitude. Failure is never fatal and success is never final

· A successful entrepreneur understands the socio-economic environment he is in. He must have street sense. Experts are made out of knowledge and practice. It takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in any field.

· On a final note, nobody can be successful as an entrepreneur without a positive mental attitude. The ability to look up to God, rather than feel defeated when faced with obstacles. Let us as Christian entrepreneurs always remember to source spiritual power from God - He is the higher power.

A Kingdom Mandate For Wealth

2009-10-07T11:56:00.001-07:00

Text: Haggai 1:1-11

As long as the church remains loaded with poor people, the church will not have a voice and will not influence the society. We must remind ourselves of God’s original intention for wealth. I had to remind the children of Israel the purpose for blessing them . God is a God of purpose and His purposes can never be stopped (Proverbs 19:21).

Romans 8:28 tells us that if we align ourselves with God's purpose, nothing will stop us.

When God brings resources in to our lives, He has a purpose for it. If you are alive and not fulfilling God's purpose, you are just occupying space and abusing God’s privileges. “When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable” says Dr. Myles Monroe.

In Mark 10:42 - 45 we understand that the purpose of leadership is service. From my study of the Word of God, I have arrived at the conclusion that God's purpose for wealth is the same as God's purpose for power- simply to create equality in the society. God is a God of justice and equality and He does not give power to the powerful just to make them more powerful, but for them to support the powerless. We need to be conscious of God’s purpose regarding money because money can be all-consuming.

Our resources (wealth) should be used to help others. We should not wait for the government to do everything for us.

It is not good for the church to function as a sub-culture in the society. It is not correct, considering the potential power in the church.

The government should not develop our visions for us... Pastor Sam Adeyemi

Emotions and Character

2009-10-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

We are emotional beings; we are enlivened or animated by emotions and without them we do not feel alive. It is our craving for feelings that pushes to indulge in different activities. Ephesians 5: 18 says ‘’ do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit’’.

This scripture shows that there are two sources where we derive the emotions we feel from: either from God or self. When our emotions are not influenced by God, we become self indulgent and get involved in evil activities – drugs, sex etc.

Unfortunately, we become addicted to these evil acts because we have to increase the doses to maintain the ‘’high’’. Conversely, when our emotions are driven by God, we develop positive emotions which lead to positive acts e.g. kindness, long-suffering, faithfulness, self control etc.

The foundation for every emotion is a thought rooted in past experiences. Our feelings are triggered by an image or idea in the mind from past experiences. For example, bad experiences like brutality and abuse sow seeds of fear, insecurity and selfishness in a person’s life, so when similar situations arise later, these negative emotions resurface and the person acts weird.

When we become Christians, the Holy Spirit influences our emotions positively. He changes our character by giving us a revelation of the love of God. 1 John 3:16. With an understanding of God’s love, we stop depending on other people’s assessment of us – our identity is tied to what God says about us. God loves us, He sent His only begotten Son to die for us.

The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, Romans 14:13. We do not need substances for fulfillment. Let’s focus on the Holy Spirit, pray and God will take away all the negative emotions and replace them with the pure love of God... Pastor Sam Adeyemi

The Vision of Daystar

2009-10-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

Acts 26: 12-14

There is power in divine purpose. God releases power, wisdom and resources for the fulfilment of his purposes, so when you align with Gods purposes, power and wisdom are unleashed on your life.

Every human being is purposefully designed with different talents and temperaments to achieve particular things, but we find that we tend to struggle through life, because the things we try to achieve run contrary to our design. In ACTS 26, Jesus told Saul that he could not kick against the tide - against Gods will and purpose for his life. He was called to use his passionate and zealous nature to minister to the Gentiles and not for persecuting Christians.

Daystar was established based on 2 PETER 1: 16-20. According to God’s word, Daystar will be a place where people will discover and release their potentials and in turn become role models in the society - thus our vision statement Raising role models, and mission statement To empower you and me to discover, develop realise and maximize our potentials in God. These statement describe what we do daily to fulfil purpose.

Based on the scriptures, Matt. 22:37-40, 28:18-20, Acts2:42-44, Daystar identified five basic purposes for the church:

Worship

Fellowship

Discipleship

Ministry

Evangelism

Our Core Values include

Righteousness

Excellence

Accountability

Love

The basis of evaluation, therefore, is to compare our results with our vision and mission to check if we are really raising role models. Daystar members therefore have to be displaying these values for us to be succeeding.

The purpose of every church is about transforming people. Subscribe to the daystar vision. In fulfilling this vision, your own vision will be fulfilled. Bring people in, many destinies are being wasted out there. The power of God behind this commission will position you beyond curses and give you capacity to fulfil vision... Pastor Sam Adeyemi

Real Money

2009-10-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

Real money, therefore, is value. If you do not come to the market with products, you do not go away with any value (money). It is the knowledge of this fact that differentiates the rich from the poor. If you have value then you have money, so if you can give this value out, you will have physical money.

People who recognize this will alays control the resources of people who don't. Money is only a means of exchange and you won't get something for nothing. Praying and other spiritual activities are not all you need to become a millionaire, our material world demands that you should have something of value to exchange for money.

The surest way to get moeny is to become an entrepreneur. Start your own business. Now, there's the challenge of capital. In Gen. 1 & 2, it is recorded that God did not need or use money to create the world. The raw materials God used to create this material worldare invisible, God used words. Heb. 11:3.

The most powerful containers of value in this world are invisible and intangible. Words come from our thoughts, ideas, plans and strategies. In the beginning, the world was dark, without form and void but God, from His thoughts of lights, life, beauty, etc, said, Let there be light".

Wealth creations begins in the mind, in the mind are thoughts and ideas, therefore thoughts have value. The wealthiest countries in the world are built on ideas, an intangible resource. This is where Africa has a problem because real wealth to the basic African should be visible. When you believe that real wealth is tangible/visible, you have opened yourself to the devil, ou become vulnerable and engage in get-rich-by-any-means schemes which lead surely to poverty. "Thou shall not live by bread alone..."

To establish true and lasting wealth, God gave us the word, revelation. "And the word became flesh"... Let's tap into God's intangible resources and prosper.

Long before the advent of money, trade was carried out by "barter", products were exchanged in proportions of equal value based on need, for example, potatoes could be given in exchange for tomatoes. After a while, this method evolved because people realized it was cumbersome to pay always with goods, so to make transactions easier, gold coins and paper were invented to represent the value of goods... Pastor Sam Adeyemi