The 2014 Shiloh convention of the Winners’ Chapel ended recently in Ota, Ogun State. Women’s Editor, TEMITOPE DAVID-ADEGBOYE, who attended the five-day event, reports.
Heaven on earth is real, and the redeemed of the Lord can live in the heavenlies, thereby being the envious of all and not a source of pity.
The above lines summarise the submission of the various speakers at the 2014 Shiloh convention of the Living Faith Worldwide (LFW) Ministries, popularly known as Winners Chapel.
The event, held between December 9 and 13, at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State headquarters of the church. With the theme ‘Heaven on Earth’, the programme was presided over by the Set Man of the ministry, Bishop David Oyedepo.
Shiloh, an annual convention of Winners family worldwide, is a prophetic annual appointment with God ordained for both the advancement of the church and the individual members of the Winners family.
This annual convocation was flagged off by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost from the book of Joshua 18:1 which states: “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.”
According to 1 Samuel 3:21, “And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.”
Oyedepo, who spoke on the topics ‘Heralding the era of heaven on earth’ and ‘Walking in the reality of heaven on earth’, stated that Christians can live in the realm of heaven on earth, only if they do not ever settle with defeat and live in dominion, adding that every challenge is overcomeable.
“Heaven on earth is impossible without an effective prayer life; your dominion is domiciled in your illumination. Christianity is a race of responsibility; until you know what God demands of you, you can’t place a demand on Him,” Oyedepo said.
To walk in the reality of heaven on earth, Oyedepo added that this depends on discovery of oneself, which is vital to the kind of life one lives here on earth and your personality.
“Dominion is synonymous to the kingdom, and every king has a staff of office. Many Christians are under-utilising their identity because they do not know who they are. Our discovery determines our display. Knowing who you are determines how you act (Psalm 82: 5-7).
“Discover your identity to recover your destiny. The scriptures declare us as joint heirs as stated in Galatians 3:29. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Declaration is affirmation as stated in Col 1: 13,” he said.
On how to enhance their dominion, the bishop stated that the instrument of every Christians’ dominion is the word of God, adding: “The more you know the word, the deeper you have dominion, walk in righteousness, enhance your dominion base with prayer and fasting, and exercise your authority by speaking boldly. When you don’t speak, your kinship will be downtrodden. You flow in the supernatural when you are at peace with God.”
He had a word of advice for his fellow Gospel ministers.
“To my co-labourers in the vineyard, there’s no software of exploits in ministry; it’s all hardware in prayers, fasting and studying deep to the Word of God. Prayer and fasting is ordained for empowerment and not for receiving request. Many of us need to throw away our TV sets and phones, because it’s killing our spiritual lives.
“You are empowered to illuminate the kingdom of darkness. Only light has power to rule over darkness. When you are illuminated, you naturally disarm every harassment of darkness. You can’t live in the heavenlies with natural illumination; you need divine intervention. Only the illuminated can command dominion,” he submitted.
Oyedepo also highlighted the importance of living a Godly life, the anointing and commitment to kingdom worship as ways to walk in the reality of heaven on earth.
His words: “Godliness is a non-negotiable demand for anyone to live a heaven on earth life. Also, the anointing is needed to operate at the level of whatever they are doing in heaven. The anointing empowers our manifestation, and the whole world is waiting for our manifestation.
“One other demand is commitment to kingdom worship. You don’t have to be a pastor, evangelist or apostle to serve God. He cited Daniel, Abraham and Job who were not pastors but served God. Heaven on earth demands dedicated stewardship at your own level.”
His wife, Pastor Faith Oyedepo, preaching on the topic ‘Unveiling our exemption rights in Christ’, observed that, while we live in perilous times where wickedness and bad news are common across the world, Christians are redeemed people in Christ (1 Peter 2: 9), and by this redemption, they are exempted from all evils and are overcomers (I John 5: 4). “However, only those who think exemption escape defeat and destruction.”
On how to get exempted, she stated: “You don’t wait for it; you enforce it. Engage in the mysteries of the kingdom which are the blood of sprinkling, communion, anointing oil, tithing and the mantle.
“These mysteries must, however, be applied in faith. You must engage a praiseful lifestyle and also engage in prophetic intervention as obtains in 2 Kings 17 and Hosea 12:13.”
Vice President (Foreign Missions) LFW, Bishop Thomas Aremu, stated that joyfulness and gladness of heart is the first access to God.
Speaking on the topic ‘Praise access heaven on earth’, he added: “The environment of praise is His natural habitat and everywhere God dwells is heaven.”
He urged Christians to constantly engage in praise, as it will always provoke and preserve God’s presence.
Oyedepo, in another unique session at Faith Tabernacle, declared prophetic blessings on foreign delegates who represented their nations at the big event, while some top government functionaries, including first ladies of both Kwara and Bayelsa states, traditional rulers, political players, captains of industry, business tycoons who want a touch of God and others too numerous to mention were also present at Shiloh 2014.
Speaking on the topic ‘Understanding our root in the supernatural’, Pastor David Oyedepo Jnr. emphasised the love of God as the foundation to doing exploits of God as stated in 1 Cor. 2:9. He said the voice of love is for signs and wonders.
On how to activate the voice of love, he urged the congregation to labour in fasting and prayer.
This year’s event, which also ended on a positive note, witnessed miracles of diverse kinds, dedication of unprecedented number of babies born this year, while newly-weds received prophetic utterances for a fruitful and peaceful married life.
The programme was rounded off with prophetic declaration by Oyedepo that 2015 is our year of Heaven on earth.
Reeling out the declarations for 2015, the one the Winners congregation call “Papa” described 2015 as one when giants would rise up in all sectors of human endeavour.
The annual event attracted members and non-members from across Nigeria as well as from 52 other foreign countries. Over 5.5 million worshippers across 173 nations were electronically captured to have joined this year’s Shiloh through David Oyedepo Ministry International (DOMI) radio.
Shiloh 2015 holds from December 8 to 12, according Oyedepo.
