Understanding The Move Of God by Apostle Michael Orokpo: Sermon Notes

The Two States of a Territory

Isaiah 32:13-15

This scripture is a prophetic revelation of the two possible states of a territory. When we discuss the subject of the move of God, we are not just looking at individuals. We are looking at geographical territories — the impact and the influence of God within territories, within nations and within continents. So it is a reality that transcends individuals; a reality that can impart on territories. The Bible is revealing to us here that there is a city that once upon a time was a joyous city. But it became desolate. It is possible for cities to become desolate first of all in the spirit, then in the natural. It will take discerning individuals to tell when a city begins to deteriorate.

Unfortunately, when you read the Bible, you discover we are not the only inhabitants of the territories. Every territory where you find people, there are also spirits advancing their own agenda and facilitating their own purposes. In John 10:10, Jesus said the thief cometh not but for to kill, to steal, and to destroy. But I am come that you might have life and life to the full. So anywhere you find yourself, there are two spiritual governments trying to exact dominion over the territory.

The good news is that God comes to override whatever the thief does. It does not matter that he came first. When God shows up, God will always override his operation.

Spirit Cities and Territorial Dominion

In Isaiah 19:3-5, the Bible spoke of the spirit of Egypt. Egypt is not just a geographical location. Egypt is first of all a spiritual civilization before there is a geographical entity named Egypt. The geography of Egypt is a reflection of the character, the purpose and the essence of the spirit. This is how territories are formulated. Territories are not just a product of human intelligence. If they were, you would not find character that is barbaric to men. But sometimes when you look at territory, no matter how civilized people are, you begin to see character traits that are inhuman — and then you know that beyond the intelligence of man, something is happening here that must be traced.

In Daniel 9:3 and Daniel 9:20-22, when Daniel began to pray, he discovered that Babylon was not just ruled by Nebuchadnezzar — Babylon was ruled actually by the prince of Persia. And he also made a comment that when the prince of Persia is gone, the prince of Grecia will come. These spirit entities exercise dominion over those territories so that their character and their agenda will become the lifestyle and the culture of the people.

Territories are not just a product of human intelligence. Spirits are involved in the building of civilization.

For this city in Isaiah 32, the Bible said it was once a palace, once a place called the joyous city. But suddenly something happened and the city became desolate. When the city became desolate, wild beasts took over. But something can happen to reverse the protocol. It is when the spirit of God is poured forth from on high. So when we talk about revival, we are not necessarily talking about something that stimulates the appetites and emotions of people to get them excited. We are talking about the influence of the spirit of God over the souls of men until it forms a culture that can shape civilization.

How the Thief Enters

In Isaiah 56:9-10, the Bible told us how the thief comes — they come when the watchers, the gatekeepers are asleep. Demonic entities are summoned to come and undermine what God is doing in the land.

When you see suddenly that people have placards and they are fighting for things that are inhuman, it is not a product of man's intelligence. Something has entered the land. It is not normal for a man to be fighting to marry a man. There is a spirit. A civilization is coming that is alien. And what you do not know is that it is called the spirit of perversion. When it takes over, after a while men will begin to behave like animals.

His watchmen are blind. The men who should stand at the gate and stop the advancement of the devil were sleeping. The slumber is not that people close their eyes. The slumber is that other things have become our priority. We pursue pleasure. We pursue the cares of life — these are the headstones of the work of God. Something stole the moments that should have been spent on the altar. It is the technology of the thief.

This is what God sees that engenders the outpouring of his spirit. Because if a revival does not happen, men will not wake up. So when we speak about the move of God, we are talking about the tangibility of God and the influence of God over the souls of men powerful enough to redefine civilization.

The day has come where we must begin to see God beyond church. We have to see God in the market. We have to see God in the sporting arena, because once upon a time God was there. But if God has withdrawn from there, then a new move of God must be triggered.

Signs of a Genuine Move of God

Number one: Jesus will be exalted.

When a genuine revival begins to happen, when we are able to shut out the devil, when we are able to open the doorway for the spirit to come in, you will see that Jesus will be exalted again. Because when the Spirit comes, He comes to bear witness to Christ. The Holy Ghost is not fighting to be known. That is why in the Godhead He is the one who is invincible. When the Holy Ghost shows up, He comes to exalt Jesus Christ. In John 16:13-14, Jesus said, "How be it when the spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth. He shall not speak of himself; whatsoever He shall hear, He shall speak to you, and He shall show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for He shall receive of mine, and He shall reveal it to you."

When the move of God begins, the first sign is that Jesus will take His place as the King of Kings and as the Lord of Lords. When you see that the influence of Jesus begins to wane in the heart of men — until when you mention the name of Jesus it is like a religious cliche — know that darkness has come. A revival is needed. And the proof that the move of God is happening is not that we are excited in church. It is that again the honor that is due Jesus begins to find expression.

Once upon a time the western world had genuine revival. That is what bettered the cultures that built the nations we have today. When you see the skyscrapers, when you see the advancement going on, it is because once upon a time there was a move of God where Jesus was recognized as king. So His value system was adopted and taught and people ran with it.

A generation must rise up again to contend at the gate until Jesus is Lord. Because when a revival comes, everywhere we go, we exalt Jesus. He is our symbol. He is our pattern. He is our Lord. He is the one we follow. And it is His ways that define who we are.

Number two: There will be conviction of sin and massive repentance.

When the move of God begins to happen genuinely, you do not need to judge people to tell them they are sinners. That move has the capacity to convict men. Men will come on their own and say, "Listen, I was given to immorality, I am tired. I was a liar, I am tired." The move will convict you to submit to the lordship of Jesus.

It does not matter how many churches we have if there is no move of the spirit. Even the churches can become social gatherings. Some churches adopt worldly methods to attract youth. But bringing the youth to church does not mean you have gotten the youth. You have just imported the way of the world into church. It is better to get 10 youth who know Jesus than to allow the church be colonized by the world.

If there is no genuine conviction, there was never a move of God. In Acts 2:37-38, when the Holy Ghost fell and Peter spoke, 3,000 were cut in their heart and said, "Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?" They were cut not in their head, in their heart. They knew where they were was not where they should be and they pointed back to the Lord. In the book of Acts, people who were involved in curious practices brought their books and dumped them before the apostles and turned a new leaf, because there was a move of God. There is a need for God's move to hit our territories again.

Number three: There will be tangible manifestation of the power of God.

We are now at a point where men believe more in medical science than the name of Jesus. Faith is no longer faith. Faith is now a cliche. But when the move of God comes, you will see the power of God in its raw form. It is in the days of the move of God that blind eyes open, that the deaf hear, that cripples walk.

In the days of Moses — Exodus 40:34-35 — the literal shekinah would come upon the mountains. Then in the days of the apostles — Acts 5:15 — when they closed from church, not a miracle service but normal church service, they littered the sick on the street. The shadow of Peter rested on cripples and they began to walk. Blind began to see. It happened every day, every time. In Acts 2:12, many signs were done by the hands of the apostles.

God Himself said these signs shall follow them that believe. He did not call us to explain to the world why it is not happening. He called us to prove it. In My name shall they cast out devils. In My name shall they speak in new tongues. They shall lay hands on the sick. The sick shall recover.

Believers are not just those who come to church. Believers are those who cast out devils. Believers are those who lay hands on the sick and they recover. In John 14:12, Jesus said, "The works that I do, you shall do also. And greater works than these shall ye do." There has to be a move of the spirit.

Number four: There will be consecrated living. Holiness becomes the order of the day.

We are Christians. We do not go everywhere. We do not talk everything. Our path is narrow. When you find a Christian who is not separated unto God, something is wrong. The things that appeal to the world do not appeal to us. Our appetites have been sanctified. As it is written of Jesus — "For thou lovest righteousness and hatest iniquity" — therefore thy God has anointed thee with the oil of gladness.

In the days of the apostles, the Bible said the believers were first called Christians in Antioch — not because of their preaching. Their lives resembled Jesus. You could tell that these people were different from the way they spoke, from the way they dressed, from the way they acted among the people. Where people revenged, they forgave. Where people hated, they loved. Where people were careless, they were careful with their lifestyle. There was a mark that these ones had been with the Lord.

Holiness is not necessarily a dress code. It is a spiritual life, a separated man unto God. But if you are truly separated unto God, your physical manifestation will look like God.

The reason it is possible to live holy is because it is not by power, not by might, but by the spirit.

Number five: There will be hunger.

People begin to desire more. They begin to press for Him. In Acts 17:11, Paul said the Berean Christians were more noble than those in Thessalonica, because when they heard the gospel they went to search.

The gospel in the days of the apostles is not this 45-minute service we have today. Go read Acts chapter 5. Peter was preaching for only God knows how long. Ananias came in, lied, died. They carried him, buried him. Peter preached for another three hours. Sapphira came in, lied, died. They carried her. Peter kept preaching. So that service minimum should be five hours. Paul wanted to depart from Ephesus, he said he wanted to talk to the church briefly, and briefly became all night. Eutychus slept, fell, died. Paul fell upon him and they left him by the side — and Paul preached till morning and nobody was tired.

When the move of God comes, your appetite will be deepened. You will sit on the word of God for hours. You will still be looking. You will be searching. You will want more. The thing will drive you from inside. There will be a passion. As the Psalmist said, "So my soul longeth after thee, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is." When the move of God comes, there is a deep hunger, desire, and passion for God.

Number six: There will be unity and genuine love for one another.

Today, when you come to church, better keep your life private, because if anybody hears that something went wrong with you, they will not only mock you, they will spread the news. Most of us who cannot win souls by evangelizing Christ — when there is an issue of gossip, we become active evangelists. The reason it is easy for us to slander is because we are not soul winners. When you become a soul winner, you are pained when people fall.

In Luke 24:49, Jesus commanded them to tarry until they were endued with power. And the whole church gathered together in one place. In Acts 2:1, they moved from gathering together — the Bible said they were in one accord. In Acts 2:42, they moved from being in one accord to singleness of heart. They started praying together. They became knitted. Hearts became connected. The bond was stronger than blood because the bond was spirit.

They became so one that the Bible said they went from house to house. They broke bread. They prayed together. In Acts 12, when Peter was in prison, the whole church prayed all night for Peter. People who had businesses left them. Peter cannot die. They came together at the expense of their own personal agenda because love had come.

Wounded soldiers should not be killed. Wounded soldiers should be treated and restored, because they have a part to play. Our number is depleting while the ranks of the enemy are increasing.

The righteousness of God fights to restore sinners. He said he made him that was without sin to become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God.

Number seven: There will be great harvest of souls.

You should be able to enter church and when you look around you can point 30 people who met Jesus, are being discipled, and are growing because of you. That is the proof that you are alive in the spirit.

There are people who argue more than Thomas, but today they are on fire. Do you know why it is so easy for us to slander people? We did not win them. If you are the one who won a soul to church, you cannot slander the person.

The Triangle of the Move of God

The move of the spirit is triangular.

• The Word. If the word is not there, what is happening is sensation, not a move. If it is not built on truth and revelation, it is not the move of God. The Bible said in Ephesus, "So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." So when you see a move of God, you will find the word component too critical.
• The Spirit. You will see the characteristics of the Holy Spirit, both power and character dimension. That is when you know it is the move of God. And if the characteristic of the spirit is on display, there will always be prayer to fan it.
• Men. There is no move of God that floats in isolation. Every time there is a move of God, you must find the name of men. The Bible is literally like the biography of men. From Adam to Noah to Abraham to Moses to David. And then you come to the New Testament, littered with men from Jesus himself: Peter, John, Andrew, Paul the Apostle. Littered with men, because there is no move of God without men.

If that triangle is not there, the move of God can never find expression.

The Word: The Revelation of Jesus

When we deal with the word, the emphasis of the word is the revelation of Jesus. Every move of God, the revelation of Christ and His works must be sacrosanct. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:1-4: when I came unto you, I did not come with excellency of speech declaring unto you the counsel of God. I chose to know nothing among you save Christ and Him crucified. My teaching and my preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom. They were the demonstration of the spirit and power.

In 1 Corinthians 1:18-2, Paul said: we preach Christ and Him crucified. He said to the Jew it is a stumbling block. To the Greek it is foolishness. He said but to us who are being saved, whether Jew or Greek, Christ is the wisdom of God and the power of God. And that gospel is always powerful any day, any time. In fact, it is that gospel that brings the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 16:13-14, "When the spirit comes, He will not bear witness of himself. He will speak about me, He will take of me and reveal to you." So if you want the Holy Spirit to manifest the power of God, you speak about Jesus Christ.

The Bible said in John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him. Without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was light. The light was the light of man. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehends it not."

Jesus is God, but He is God in human form. Because John 1:14 said, "The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us."

Jesus actually said "I am God." In John 8:58, Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am." And the Bible said the Jews took stones to stone Him. Because in Exodus 3:14, God introduced Himself as the I AM that I AM. So when Jesus said "I AM," they knew He called Himself God.

The proof that Jesus is God: number one, He called Himself the I AM. And number two, He told us He was going to die and rise again from the dead. In Romans 1:3-4, the Bible said He was made of the flesh according to the seed of David, but declared to be the Son of God through power and the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.

In 1 John 5:20, John said, "We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."

If you do not declare Jesus as God, you will never see the move of the spirit. You must declare Him as God. And if you declare Him as God, summarily, He must be your Lord and your Savior.

Jesus as Savior and Lord

As God the Savior — the wages of sin is death, so anybody who sins must die. But God has a system called substitution. If you are owing somebody money, you do not have to pay to be free. Somebody else can pay for you so long as the amount is paid. Jesus had to become man so that He is qualified and able to pay for our sins. In the incarnation He identified with humanity. He became man. Then in baptism He took our sins. Then on the cross He became sin. So Jesus became man, He took man's sin, and He became sin, so that when He dies for man, the full payment would be made. That is why on the cross He said, "It is finished."

The Holy Ghost came as a proof that the sacrifice was complete and perfect. In Colossians 1:12, the Bible said God delivered us from the dominion of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of His dear Son.

I am no longer under the dominion of Satan. I rather exert authority over Satan. Because after Jesus took that power, He did not take it to heaven. He gave it to us. That is why He says, "You go cast out devils. You go heal the sick." The authority Satan was using against me, I now have that authority.

As God the Lord — when He completed His work, Philippians 2:5-9, God gave Him a name that is above every other name. Something was added: Lord. So He was revealed as God the Lord. As God the Savior, we run to Him for salvation. As God the Lord, we submit to His authority.

The summary of what makes us is our revelation of Him, because if you do not know Him, you cannot know you. In 2 Corinthians 3:18, we all with unveiled face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord — we are changed. The more you know Jesus, the more you are metamorphosed.

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul said, "Now are we ambassadors of heaven." I am an ambassador. I represent a government. I am not just a Nigerian. I belong to heaven. I am a citizen of heaven. I do not move around like somebody looking for help. I come like a king. I come like a priest. I come like an ambassador.

When You Know Jesus, the Move Begins

See, when you know Jesus, fear will die. When you know Jesus, love will awaken. When the revelation of Jesus is clear, the Holy Ghost moves. The Holy Ghost goes to work. Even if we do not talk, the Holy Ghost is already working.

God is not afraid to explain what He is doing, because it can be understood and it can be proven. This is the move of the spirit. This is what God wants to do. A new people can emerge. A new generation can rise.

This is why revival is possible. When you know Jesus, fear will die. When you know Jesus, love will awaken. When you know Jesus, you will be bold. You become a wonder to your world. That thing that keeps you quiet when you want to say Jesus is Lord — that thing will leave you. The signs are not for apostles alone. The signs are not for prophets alone. The signs are for everyone that believe. If you are a believer, then you must cast out devils. You must heal the sick. You must manifest the supernatural. This is the move of the spirit — and it is upon us.