Activating Faith For Complete Victory - Part 2 by Pastor Philip Olubakin: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

God Needs Strong Men

Society collapses because of the failure of men. Men are the bearers of the seed. That is why Satan attacks men. The greatest need in this generation is the reemphasis on strong male men — men who stand in their place and hold the fabric of society. God committed women into the hands of men. That responsibility means a man must never rape, never abuse, never abandon the assignment God gave him.

Laying Foundation — The Month of the Word

Faith is called by its name but at its root it is a word month. Without the Word, faith has no ground. The charge is clear: discipline yourself this month. Write out words that bless you. If faith is needed in any area of life — look for word, not prayer points. Romans 10:17 — faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

God Allowed It — and He Is Aware

Psalm 105:16-19

Moreover, He called for a famine upon the land. He broke the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them — even Joseph — who was sold for a servant, whose feet they hurt with fetters. He was laid in iron until the time that his word came. The word of the Lord tested and refined him.

The Amplified translation says: He sent a man before them — Joseph — who was sold as a slave. His feet they hurt with shackles; he was put in chains of iron until the time his word of prophecy regarding his brothers came true. The word of the Lord tested and refined him.

The first truth this scripture reveals is that everything Joseph went through — God allowed it. The betrayals. The broken state. The bitterness. Rejection from family. The marital delays. The heartbreaks. God allowed it and He was aware.

He summoned the famine. He is God. He cut off every source of bread. He sent a man before them. He is not absent from the difficulty — He is the one who ordered the process.

There are certain things God allows to happen in a life for generations — not only for that person, but for those who will come after — because that person is a solution. A solution to their generation.

You Are the Solution — Not the Problem

The main things God allows to happen in a life happen because there is a word of prophecy that has already come forth. But that word cannot simply fulfill itself. The person must be tested and refined. Romans 8:28 — all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

What happened to Joseph was not the end of the story. It was the preparation for the story. The pit was not his grave. The prison was not his permanent address. Everything that was allowed was allowed because Joseph was the answer — not the problem.

The betrayals, the shackles, the iron — all of it was part of refining the man God needed in a particular moment in history. The word of the Lord tested him until the time the word was ready to come true.