We started a series in this month of May which is the Elevation Series and we said that at the beginning of the series that there are four critical steps, that the Holy Spirit will be taking us through in the series, and we looked at the first one on the first Sunday of this month, and that is the "Status of Every Believer", we must understanding who we are to understand what we should command, and what we should attract. So we looked at the status of every believer, knowing that you as a believer, you as a son of God, you as a child of God, you are sanctified, you are anointed, you are a heir of God. And we understood from the Scriptures what all those things meant to us and how that we step into those positions we are able to attract some of the things that God has for us.

 

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The second step of the series, we looked at the Altars Of Decisions, we were meant to understand by the help of the Holy Spirit, that we have certain platforms that God has made ready and available for us, that if we key into them, we are able to step into Elevations and promotions in our lives. And last week we looked at the "Danger of Pride", how pride is the enemy of Elevation. That God vote always in favour of the humble, And He votes against the proud. God lifts the humble and He resist the proud. And today we are looking at the step four which is the final step in the Elevation series. We are looking at The "Spirit Of Elevation". And this morning I would love to start from the text of this series, which is in Psalm 75, that is the text that the Holy Spirit has been using to lead us in this series. And we are going to read it again today because it is so crucial to our conversation.

 

Psalm 75 and I will just read the two verses that you are familiar with. verse 6 and 7. For exaltation comes neither from the east, Nor from the west nor from the south. ⁷ But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another. Now this verse made us to understand the source of Elevation, that we should not be confused where Elevation comes from, we should not be confused where exaltation comes from, we should not be confused where promotion comes from, promotion does not come from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. Promotion and Elevations come from God, God is the Judge, God decides where the favour rest. God decides, Has the prerogative where the favour will rest.

 

So this morning, we will be continuing in this spirit, in the Spirit of Elevation. And we are going to use a case study to start out this morning. 1 Samuel 16. I will read from 12 to 14. We are using the case study of Saul and David. Remember from Psalm 75 that we read, promotion and exaltation and Elevation and upgrades do not come from the east nor from the west, or from the south, it comes from God. God is the judge. God is the one that will decide where the favour will rest. 1 Samuel 16:12-14, I will just read because of our time. I want us to look closely at what happened here. So he sent and brought him in. talking about David here,  Now he was ruddy, that's a description of David, He was ruddy, with ^[f]bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, "the Lord said; not man" “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” Pardon me, let me read 1 Samuel 15:35 because it will give us a bit of the background of the picture that this Scripture is painting here.

 

1 Samuel 15:35 ”And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel" Now the position that God said arise and anoint David for was not a vacant position, Saul was a king over Israel, if you go to the land of Israel at that time and say to them, who is the King in your country, or who is the king over this nation? The citizens and the people of Israel will say we have a king and His name is Saul. Remember at the background; Because we must understand that spiritual things control the physical.

 

Somebody may have been sitting on the throne once that person has been rejected by God, spiritually that place must have been declared vacant. I want you to follow in the Spirit that the Lord is bringing this message to us this morning. Spiritual things control physical things, many of us are so fixed on the physical that we don't understand what is happening behind the scene. Some of us are so fixated on the physical movements and the things that are happening, so we tune in to CNN to see what is happening physically what is going on around the world, or you switch on to Aljazeera, to what is happening around the world, and you don't understand that what they are showing you are physical things that are happening which are backed up in eternity by spiritual happenings that have taken place.

 

Now physical things we see, are the things that are tangible that we can touch, but there are things that are invisible, that we cannot touch but they are as real as the ones you can touch. Saul was a king in Israel. As at this time God had rejected Him. But Saul was still carrying on his head the crown as the king of Israel. But I want to show you something that the Holy Spirit is leading us into this morning, that will show us that even though somebody is carrying the crown, another is carrying the spirit.

 

Now let us go back to that 1 Samuel 16 and we are reading from 12-14. Let me start again. So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” This is the one upon which the favour will rest, I am the one judging now, this is the one that the anointing should rest upon, that the favour should rest upon. This is the one that is next in line for an Elevation, This is the one that is next in line for an upgrade, this is the one that I will be lifting in this season.

 

But if you will look at the physical, David was a young boy who was tending His father's sheep. In fact his elder brother called it few sheep, at the back side of the desert. David was that boy with that stick leading, the shepherd boy leading a few sheep. But God said; in the physical, you are seeing a small boy leading a few sheep, but in the spiritual, I have already elevated him. His status has changed. And that is why child of God, you must always connect with your spiritual status, and not fixate on your physical status.

 

Because if you fixate on your physical status, you will miss out on what God is doing in the Spirit. When God is working in the Spirit you might not see the wind, you might not see the rain, but know that the valleys are been filled with water. And that's why the Bible says; the just, believers, sons of God, they shall live by faith. No wonder in Matthew 4 Jesus address the devil and said to Him, man must not live by bread alone, we don't just live by the things that we can see and the things that we can touch, but we survive, we are sustained, we move into Elevations in our lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

 

We move into our Elevations by every word, and I want this word to sink into your spirit. Because there is somebody that God is looking upon in this season, that God wants to  change your level and you are still fixating on your physical status. God is saying to you this morning, don't look at the outward appearance, "for God does not look at the out ward appearance, God looks at the heart." He said; "anoint him for this is the one" ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; see this "and the Spirit of the Lord" We will see how this is so important; And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David.

 

God said to Samuel, arise anoint Him, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. That day marked the beginning of his Elevation, even though he was still a shepherd boy. Even though there was no physical crown on His head. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David. Lets continue; So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. See it very critical But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, do we see it? The Spirit of the Lord rested on David, but the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul  and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him. This our case study is so critical and it shows us that, when God wants to activate His Elevation in your life, what you have is an encounter of the Spirit.

 

When God wants to elevate you, because I have heard some believers will say is it this spiritual experiences that we want to eat? Let God do this thing sharp, sharp. But is not a man that would lie, nor the son of man that would repent, when He says a thing, it will come to pass. When He promises it will be established, but many at times we are not patient on the timing of God. We don't humble ourselves under His mighty hand. Because every time God is working, every time God is moving in your favour, But you need to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God so that in due time; there is something called due time in the spirit. God does not work haphazardly there is something called due time. He is a God of protocol, He is a God of order, He is a God that operates in His own principles. So there is something called due time with Him, In due time He will exalt you. Don't take for granted the spiritual impartations you are getting, because that is the beginning of your Elevation. When God wants to activate something in the lives of His sons and His daughters, He sends His Spirit to come upon them.

 

There was a particular time when God instructed Moses to build Him a tabernacle, and the Bible talks about a certain man called Bezeliel, The Bible says God said to Moses; don't look at Bezeliel the way you used to look at Him, for I God have put upon Him, the Spirit. You don't do something you have not been engraced for.  There is a particular Scripture that makes us to understand, it says the gift of a man and the Holy Spirit was making me to understand it. When they say the gift of a man makes room for Him, we always think about natural gift, we always think about somebody being able to lay a piano very well, or being able to sing very well. That Scripture talks about all gifts whether they are physical or spiritual gift. The gift of a man will make room for Him.

 

So when God anoints you, that anointing makes room for you. So that you stand before kings and not mere men. Because of our time, I am going to paraphrase this story, before this time, David could never have thought that He could come and serve in the palace. But when the anointing came upon Him and a distressing spirit came upon Saul, they said see, we need to look for somebody that is skilled, somebody that is graced, and the gift of David, with divine enablement made room for Him. And David started standing before kings and not mere men.

 

And the Bible made record that they invited David into the palace, to come and play for the king. And when he plays for the king, he will be relieved, there will be solution, there would be answers, when he played for the king, because his gift made room for him. It was after this anointing that David was able to face goliath, the boy that was practicing a sling shot in the back side of the desert, God used the same sling shot that had become anointed to defeat a goliath. Don't undermine the anointing of God in your life. The gift of a man makes room for Him, it talks about the spirit of Elevation.

 

When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon you, everything changes, because now favour is resting on you, God has voted in your favour and God's one vote is enough. He will cause men, He will cause kings to come to your light. I want us to see that Isaiah 60, so that we will understand the implication of when the Spirit of God comes upon you, how God elevates you, don't be fixated on the physical, that's what keeps coming to my spirit for someone, don't be fixated on your physical status, switch your view, you have been watching the channel of your physical status, it is time to start watching your spirit.

 

Isaiah 60:1, It says; Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Talking about the Spirit of the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord is the glory of the Lord, the glory of the Lord is risen upon you, child of God, the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Don't think what you are seeing, is all there is to it , there is more, God is cooking things in the Spiritual and it will soon manifest in the physical. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, that will be the experience of the inhabitants of the earth because God has voted against them. And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. It will be so evident that you are anointed for this purpose. It will be so evident that your gift is making room for you, it will be so evident that the anointing is upon your life and His glory will be seen. They will recognize it. The Gentiles shall come to your light, because this is what happens, when you are anointed, when the spirit of Elevation comes upon your life, gentiles will come to your light, they want to come and see, what is different about this person?

 

Something has changed, we don't understand it, this person is now proffering solutions, this person is now giving answers, there is a light beaming. When the apostles of Jesus, on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit of Elevation came upon them, the Bible says and Peter stood up with the eleven and he started declaring, and started speaking, and the gift of God the presence of the Holy Spirit, became a light upon their lives and the people asked them, "men and brethren what shall we do" when you are talking we are seeing solutions, we are receiving answers, we are hearing speak in our own language the wondrous works of God, we can't ignore this sight, we can't ignore this anointing.

 

We can't look away, what shall we do? And the very same day, when the Holy Spirit came, when the Spirit of Elevation came, the church became a mega church in one day. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. When the spirit of Elevation comes upon you, kings rulers, authorities they will come to the brightness of your rising. Lift your eyes all around and see, that's an instruction for somebody you have been looking at your environment. David said I  lift up my eyes to the hills, You need to lift up your eyes that's a word for somebody, lift up your eyes, you have been so fixated here, and God is saying lift up your eyes, lift up your eyes and see what I am doing, see how I am causing all things to work together for your good. You have not been seeing it, it is time for you to see it, lift up your eyes and see. Now this things are in the spiritual, they will manifest in the physical in due time.

 

Child of God there is due time.  God is working that is why He deserves your praise, your hallelujah belongs to Him, your praise belongs to Him, your worship belongs to Him because God is working. Your Father is working, and that is why He is saying lift up your eyes and see what I am doing. You are so fixated on your physical status that you don't understand that spiritually you are anointed. Lift up your eyes look around and see; "Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant" when you see it you will become radiant. Your countenance will change, your disposition will change, there are certain things that are happening that we are not seeing, that's why you are still looking morose, that is why you are still looking the way you are looking.

 

When you see what God is doing concerning you, concerning your family, concerning that your marriage, concerning that your childlessness, if see what God is doing, you will see it and become radiant. Imagine David anointed to be king, already spiritually God was done with Saul, God has giving His attention, He has voted for David, He has given His attention to him, so God is causing all things, all grace to abound toward him. He is causing his favour, He is causing his light, He is causing his countenance to shine upon him. Imagine if David became ignorant, He could have died of depression because if you look through the story of David, His due time took time and child of God, your due time could take time, it does not deny you of what God has said, your Elevation is sure it is just a matter of time, your promotion is sure, it’s just a matter of time. Your liftng is sure it is just a matter of time if you can humble yourself. There is a posture and that posture David did not play with.

 

Despite and in spite of the experiences that he was going through, he didn’t cause God, he didn’t sin against God. He did not allow himself to be caught in the web of unbelief or doubt. He believed God. When Saul was after his life, in the physical, he was looking chased. In fact at some point, he felt less anointed, that did not remove the fact that he was anointed. Child of God, you might go through situations, like Joseph you might be in the pit, you might be in the prison but that dream must come to pass because you are anointed for it.

 

When you are anointed for something, the Spirit rests upon you, if God wants you to become great, the Spirit of greatness rests upon you. Even thought where you are might not look like the oil upon you, the oil will speak in due time. And that’s why we have to be patient and be comforted in this truth, that God is for you and not against you. God is working in your favour.

 

I want us to run through two things that I want us to understand. God’s Elevation comes with the activation of his Spirit and we also saw that in several Scriptures in the life of Daniel, in the life of Elisha but I want to read a Scripture in Isaiah 32:15. Please I want you to note this Scripture in your spirit. Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a  fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest (Isaiah 32:15).

 

Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, Until-I love the word that starts it. Until! Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, talking about your life And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest. Until! There is a Spirit for your assignment. Until the Spirit is poured upon us, until the Spirit is poured upon you from on high, the wilderness will not become a fruitful field. But when the Spirit is poured, the wilderness will become a fruitful field and the fruitful field will be counted as a forest. This is deep. I want you to meditate on it.

 

Until the Spirit- there is a Spirit that will activate you on the earth. When Jesus went to be baptized by John, John said Jesus I am not supposed to baptize you. Jesus said, suffer it to be so, there is something that needs to take place. Something I need for my ministry. The Bible says when Jesus was baptized, "when he arose from the water". It said, the Spirit of God came upon him like a dove. There was an activation upon the life of Jesus. Jesus did not start anything until that activation happened. The same way for you, child of God, there is an activation that your life is waiting for. And once that activation takes place, things start moving, things start moving swiftly and you will see that bones will start coming to bones, flesh will cover them and you will see that everything started falling into place and before you know it you are standing up as an exceeding great army.

 

There are things happening to your life right now, the breath has not come. The reason you are not standing yet is because the breath has not come. You have not been activated. When you get activated, you will start moving into Elevations, you will start moving into promotions, you can’t explain it, everything is just working together. Everything is connecting.

 

You know what happened when there is a networking. When something is networked, it works seamlessly. It works effortlessly. What happens is that the Holy Spirit comes and networks your life on the earth. He starts networking you to the places, to the printers, to the hardwares that is needed for the execution of your assignment on the earth. So when the Spirit is poured out, you are anointed, you are lubricated, you are consecrated, you are smeared with oil.

 

In Isaiah 61:1, Jesus said the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me. He now started saying the things that He was anointed to do. The life that He has been called to live was not activated until the Spirit of the Lord came upon him.

 

You have been living I know but the life you have been called to live, until there is an activation, you can’t actually live that life. David thought that all that there was to him was just to be raising a few sheep but when the anointing came upon his life, he started living the life, he became a giant killer. He became a demon chaser. He started living the life. He could now raise men that were destitute; men that didn’t have a clue of who they were or what they were going to do, they became the mighty men of David. Until he became anointed, He could do nothing relating to these things before this time but when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, his life got activated.

 

I pray that the Lord will open your eyes that you will see that what you need is the Holy Spirit to activate all that divine deposits in your life. In Joel 2:28-29, talking about the Elevations of the Spirit I will love to close with that because that is also very strong. Joel 2, the Bible makes us to understand that when the Spirit of God comes, “28 And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants. I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

 

Joel 2:28-29 “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, there will be Elevation. There will be spiritual Elevation when my Spirit is poured out. And He said I will pour out my Spirit and this is the days of the Spirit of God. We are coming to a dispensation and a time where God is activating His sons, all over the world, from Australia to Africa. God is activating His sons all over the world; activating them for exploits, activating Davids. God is activating Daniels, God is activating Abrahams. God is activating people all over the world. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

 

And this is the days that God is talking about where the activation will be going on all over the world, when God will be activating his children, His sons for great exploit. The Bible says the earnest expectation of creation is waiting for the manifestations of the sons of God. We cannot manifest until we are activated.

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Lara Gboyega Adedeji!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!