EXCHANGE OF DESTINY – Part II.
Text: I Kings 3:16-27
Then two women who were harlots came unto the king and stood before him.
17And the one woman said, "O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. 18And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered that this woman was delivered also. And we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. 19And this woman’s child died in the night, because she lay upon it. 20And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead. But when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I had borne." 22And the other woman said, "Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son!" And this said, "No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son!" Thus they spoke before the king. 23Then said the king, "The one saith, `This is my son who liveth, and thy son is the dead’; and the other saith, `Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.’" 24And the king said, "Bring me a sword." And they brought a sword before the king.. 25And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other." 26Then spoke the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her heart yearned for her son and she said, "O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it!" But the other said, "Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it." 27Then the king answered and said, "Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. She is the mother thereof."
Prayer Point:
> Holy Ghost, in every way that I have used my own hands to throw away my own destiny, forgive me and let there be restoration in Jesus name.
Last week, we looked at the story of two harlots, each gave birth to a baby boy, one slept on her own, killed her and when she discovered that she had killed her baby, she decided to exchange her with the other harlot’s baby. This she did successfully, but when the other woman woke up and considered her baby, she discovered that an exchange had taken place. I said that, in the way, some people’s destiny has been exchanged from the original given to them by God only to be exchanged with the one from the devil.
We want to take a look at the second harlot today. She did three things worth of mentioning.
>The first thing the second harlot did was that she killed her own son. People have killed their own destinies with their own hands.
> The second thing was that she took the other harlot’s son. A lot of people have taken from another person what was not rightly theirs. That is, stealing something that was not theirs. A lot of people have destroyed their own lives, their own destinies and now they are looking for other people’s lives, destinies and plans to destroy. The woman after stealing the baby would have killed him too, that is the only thing she could do with the stolen child, to kill him, if she can kill her own child, how will she take care of another person’s child. Enemies will not be able to touch your destiny talk less of killing it in Jesus name.
> The third thing she did was to transfer her own dead child to the other harlot. Giving unto others what does not rightly belong to them,
So, starting with the first action, a lot of people have used their own hands to destroy their own destiny. What rightly belonged to them was either carelessly handled or not properly taken care of and this has led to the destruction of what the Lord has given them from the foundation of the world. The case of the second harlot is a good example. We were told that she slept on her baby and killed him. The death was not as a result of the operations of the enemies, he was not sick, it was not an accident, armed robbers did not come and attack, but she herself used her own hands to kill her only son turning her to a barren woman again. The same way a lot of people have destroyed what the Lord rightly gave to them with their own hands.
The case of a governor of one of the states in Nigeria is a very good example. He jumped bail in England and was removed on coming back home.
There was also the case of one boy who got drunk and tried to swim across a river, he got drowned in the process.
There was a also a boy employed in our company, doing well and even with all the money that was being given to him, he became a thief, was caught and fired. He was earning over $3000, but was caught selling an equipment of less than $100 with three other boys.
Also the same way people have used their own hands to throw away what rightly belonged to them. Because of greed, impatience, lust, love of money, etc, people have thrown away what rightly belonged to them. The case of Esau and Jacob is a good example. Because of food, Esau sold his birthright, because of porridge; he threw away what rightly belonged to him and exchanged it for something that his family will for ever regret till the day Jesus Christ will come back. So people have lost their rightful wives, their rightful husbands, because he was not rich when you met him, you rejected him. Some have lost their rightful jobs, their rightful houses and locations as a result of their own carelessness, greed ambition, lust, impatience, foolishness, etc.
People have also used their own hands to carry their own death, used their own hands to sign their own death warrant. Urias carried his own letter of death from King David to the warfront, because he was not too vigilant. He was a patriotic, dutiful, and responsible soldier, but he lacked knowledge and vigilance. Why did the King send for me? A whole king sending for a recruit soldier on the war front. Why am I carrying a letter to the warfront? Is it the duty of a soldier to carry messages for king? Why me? Consideration? So many whys should pass through Urias.
Those documents you are about to sign, do you read it very well, do you understand it, have you gone through the fine lines.
I had a terrible experience with an advert on the television, I woke up and they told me that I can get one type of car for $100 and later they said I can get one house for $1000 but I have to join their group. The membership fee according to them is $99, but if I can call at that minute, they will reduce it to $39.99. So I joined immediately. However, on their website there is no car that is $100.00 and no house at all. But they have already taken my credit card and charged it several times before I cancelled my membership. Be vigilant, be sure of the details of the business you are about to go into.
Secondly, people have also used their own hands to take what does not belong to them. I told you the story of a politician whose mandate was taken away from him after winning the presidential elections, somebody was given the presidency, where is he today?, He even died before the politician eventually died. Two of them I believe would be sorting it out either in heaven or hell now. So what is in this life that you must destroy somebody’s life to make your own life better? It is not possible to destroy someone‘s life and make your own better.
It is only the people that cannot think and are not wise, that will take what does not belong to them. In the ministry in those days, there is this woman that we all loved so much, very brilliant, very knowledgeable, very beautiful, adoring, sociable, and likable. But there is this thing called wisdom, we need to continue asking God for wisdom, because at times it is very difficult to differentiate who is wise and who is knowledgeable. When they were about to choose the Head of that ministry, there were two people ahead of her, but she was so desperate and what happened was that two irrelevant positions were created and the two men ahead of her were posted to those positions, clearing way for her to be the head. So she became the Head of that Ministry. Taking what does not belong to you by force, because of impatience, greed, power, love of money can be very dangerous.
The first problem this position created was with her marriage. The husband believed that the only possible way for her to get to that position was because she was sleeping around. So there was a family problem as a result of this. So someone who used to go out with her husband before became someone that could not go out again because people would always be asking for the husband.
Secondly, the woman was from the part of the country where the ruling government deprived one of their kinsman the opportunity to rule, it was this same government that appointed her, so she was seen as a traitor by her own people who initially loved her. The people from this part of the country also set aside the date on which the election that their kinsman won and was annulled to protest against the government, however, the government insisted that everyone must go to work on that day, she was now torn between her job, her husband, her people and the government that appointed her. Probably to be on the side of her people, or fear, she did not go to work on that day. When she was not found at her table, she was given a query, and all these combined together was too much for her alone to handle, she collapsed and died right there in that office that she fought tooth and nail to get. Do not take anything that does not belong to you, and if you are in possession of something that is not yours please return it immediately, take action right now before you start having doubts whether I am saying the truth or not.
That thing that you about to take illegally, that woman or girl that you are planning to sleep with that is not your wife, that boy or man that you are planning to sleep with and is not your husband will eventually put you into a very serious trouble. Wait to take that which rightly belongs to you. I would have bet with my whole life that had it been that this woman waited for turn, by now she would have been the head of this ministry, enjoyed that position and would have moved on even onto greater things.
All the people that she had helped when she was alive were also fired upon her death.I want to beg you; do not take what does not rightly belong to you because you have control over this.
Tithes is not your money, it belongs to God, do not touch it.
Also do not throw away what rightly belongs to you too. But as for as many that are here and what rightly belonged to you has been taken away and exchange with another thing, there will be a reversal of situation in Jesus name.
Do not bear names that are not yours, parents, before you give names to your children, find out the meaning, and do not just give names because they look or sound beautiful. Check all the names of people in the Bible, they have meaning, what is the meaning of your name? People have acquired what is not theirs as a result of names. I met the wife of a friend of mine that we have lost contact with each other for a long time and I started asking after the children, when I mentioned the name of one of the children, she said they do not call her that name any longer, when I asked why, she said there was a time she started falling sick and they were taking her from one hospital to another and there was no improvement, thank God for their pastor that asked them the meaning of the name of that child and they said that they did not know. When they found out, they discover that it was a name of a god that is dedicated to a serpent. So they have to change her name and rename her and she started doing better. Jacob has to change his name before he could move forward with his destiny. Abraham, Sarah, Saul changed their names before their destiny could come alive. Please consider the name that you bear.
Lastly after taking what did not belong to her, she gave unto somebody what did not belong to that person. We were here during the last mother’s day celebration, when the promotion that did not belong to a lady was given to her, and we all witnessed what happened to the giver and the receiver.
If you are jumping from one bed to another, you will be given what is not yours; you will acquire what is not yours.
Also some people, in the process of going from herbalist to white garment, to red garment, to colored garments, from one synagogue to temple, they have been given what does not belong to them. Some people look for what does not belong to them. Satan loves it when you are running from one place to another looking solution where there is none. God asked Satan in the book of Job 1:7 “7And the LORD said unto Satan, "From whence comest thou?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down upon it”
How do you know that your destiny has been tampered with or has been exchanged, or manipulated? You do not need a prophet to tell you, When you see that you are not supposed to be where you are? When you are not where your mates are? When something works for others, but when it is your turn, it becomes a problem, when people that meets you in the US are doing better than you, the ones that you came at the same time are doing better than you, when your own spirit is telling you that all is not well this way, you need to take action.
WHY IS IT POSSIBLE TO EXCHANGE DESTINY
1. The first reason is sin. These women were harlots, Harlotry is a terrible sin. Like any other sin, it is possible for a good destiny to be replaced by a bad and a terrible one. Sin gives satan the authority to exercise some operations over you.
2. The second one is association. Whom do you associate with? Whom do you talk with? In our text, a harlot living with another harlot, what do we expect? If she is living with a genuine born again Christian, what happened would have been avoided. Who are you associating yourself with? It could lead into your good destiny being exchanged. Watch closely the people that you are associating yourself too. Start associating yourself with the genuine children of God.
3. Sleeping too much. I have emphasized this during the course of my sermon. We see that most atrocities are committed in the course of people sleeping. The Bible emphasized that “when men slept”. Do not oversleep. Once in a while, pray in the night and God will help in you in Jesus name.
Lastly, you need Jesus in your life to take your destiny back. The greatest tragedy that can happen to any man is not in falling down, but when you fall make sure that you rise up again. The greatest tragedy is not when your destiny has been taken away, tampered with or manipulated, if this happens, then fight and regain your destiny back. Tell the next person to you, I will fight and get all that belongs to me back in Jesus name.
There was this lady that use to come and disturb us in this church while we were still in Cesar Chavez Elementary School. She was a nuisance so to say, we did everything we could for her and there was a day I told her that she should travel back home, instead of walking aimlessly, hopelessly and homeless, I promised to look for people that we can join hands together to pay for her ticket back home, her reply to me at that time made no sense to me. Listen to this, she said “I cannot go back to Nigeria now” when I asked her why, she said, “I cannot go home now, because there is someone back home who is waiting for me to come, and if I did not go back, she cannot come” As far as I was concerned, only a mad person will talk like that. When I was looking for help for her, I usually tell people that part to convince them that she was mad. I called one of our pastors who is a psychiatrist and that was what I told him and he agreed with me that she must be mad. But let me tell you, even from the mouths of a mad person, there are some things that are really important. So when I was explaining to one of our Pastors from Nigeria, and I told her that this is what happened and to convince her that the lady was really mad, that she said that someone was waiting for her to come back to Nigeria and that until she arrived that person could not come . The Pastor breathed in and out and said, that that probably is the cause of problem and that if she had switched destiny with the person in Nigeria, there would be problems like that. In other words, if it is the one that was in Nigeria that is supposed to be here, so there will be problems, more so if that person has given her life to Christ, she said that no matter where we take her to, she said that if we like we should pray from morning till evening, her problems would not be solved until she returns the destiny back to the owner and that means that she has to go back home.
One day I receive a call from the prison, it was this lady. She told me that she was arrested because she went to MVA to collect some documents and because she was annoyed with some officers she was arrested. What do you want me to do? She said she wants me to bail her out. She gave me the name of the lawyer, the amount, instructions etc, and I was about to start the process when I receive another call also from the prison. The person asked whether a lady named so has just called me and I said yes. She instructed me not to do anything to help her because she is mad and that it is better for her to remain there until she is well. I look at it that it is a better situation, the next time I will hear about that lady, I heard she had been deported. Like that pastor said, she said that, unless she returns back to Nigeria, her problems cannot be solved, why the owner of the destiny has gone to see the King of kings, the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. So Jesus was the one fighting for her, she was no longer fighting for her self.
To get your destiny back, you have to go back to the King of Kings, you have to go back to Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said, give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and give unto God what is God. Give appropriately.
The harlot has to go to the king to get her baby back, no one else could have given her that baby back. Harlots, under normal circumstances are not supposed to appear before the king, but because of the special case of this woman, the king granted her an audience. If the King can grant a harlot an audience, then why not you. If you seriously, and I mean seriously bring your case to the Lord today, you will see a difference in your life. The woman got her rightful and living child back when the king intervened, Jesus will intervene in your case and you will get your rights back today.
The process may not be smooth and it may not be as expected. When the woman was going to the king to report, she was probably confident that she would get her child back, she must have armed herself with evidences, probably with one or two witnesses to prove that the living child actually belonged to her. However, when the king said “Bring me a sword and cut the living child into two” how do you think the woman will feel? Bad is the answer. On stating and pleading our case with the Almighty God, we may not receive good news instantly, in fact we may receive bad news at the beginning, but I want you to know that the Lord is working ahead of us, His ways are not our ways, His ways are higher than our ways. One would have expected the King to say “prove your case” but the king said, bring me a sword and cut the living child into two.
We can expect the following questions to arise. Why did I come to the king in the first instance? Had I known, I would have fought this without the help of the king. Every proof that she had for her case became useless. Her witnesses, attorneys had nothing to say. Our righteousness, the Bible says it is like a filthy rag. Our righteousness cannot help us in any way to get our destinies back; we need to surrender our lives, all that we have to the King of kings.
The harlot has to surrender. She has to surrender that child, she said in verse 26, my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. Though the child was hers, but to get it back she had to let go of that child, she had to say that, it is no longer mine, I surrender, I will let go, if you hold onto your destiny, you life you are not likely to get it back, you have to let go, you have to surrender it to the Lord Jesus.
Irrespective of what is taken from you, there is something that you should not allow anybody to take from you, and that is your salvation.
Give your life Jesus today.
There was this case of a young girl about sixteen years with a child in Ilorin, Nigeria. One day she entered a church looking tattered, dirty and unkempt. She listened to the message, and when the altar call was made, she gave her life to Christ. She waited to see the Pastor and explained her situation. Her father drove her out with the mother when she was about four years old, the mother was killed in the process and since then was fending for herself. She was raped in the process and gave birth to a baby boy. The most pressing problem was that where she was squatting, she had been given a quit notice by the landlords and tenants’ association of the street because they believe that she is a thief. But she claimed that she is not a thief, things were definitely difficult, but she is not a thief.
The pastor asked her to go and bring her things the following day so that they will put her and her son up with a family pending the time they could afford an accommodation for her. The lady left and she did not return the following day as promised. On the third day, the pastor sent someone to go and check the address that the lady left and the person was told that she had left for an unknown destination.
After about a month, the lady came back to the church, but this time around, she conditions have changed. Beautiful dress, head gear, bags and shoes. She was well kept and the baby she was carrying on her chest last time was now in a stroller, it is not easy to get a stroller in this part of the world. The pastor sent someone to tell her to wait and she replied that she planned to see the Pastor herself.
She told the Pastor that on the day she left the church, she had parked all her things with the hope of coming the following day. However, she was woken up the second day by a loud knock on the door and she thought someone had come to eject her, on opening the door she was still pleading with the man to give her some hours so that she can pack her things and go, but the man asked for her name. After telling the man her name, he said he has been looking for her over one year.
After the father sent her with the mother, he got married again, but once again, he got separated from the other woman. The second marriage did not produce any child. When the father was about to die, he left a will and he stated that all his properties should go to this girl that he had not seen for years. From there, her story changed, she was given a new garment, new shoes and was taken to Lagos to see her father’s properties, she was taken to some companies to take over her father’s shares and was brought back to Ilorin also to see her father’s properties.
It was a surprising thing to find out that she was squatting in number 10 of a particular street and was given a quit notice by the landlords and tenants’ association of this street, but her father is the owner of number 7. So during the next meeting of the landlords and tenants of the area, she was present this time not as a squatter, but as one of the landlords. So when they got to the point of what to do to the girl squatting in house number 10, they quickly skipped it. Your case will be to hot to handle for your enemies, your enemies when they reach your point on their agenda, they will have no option than to skip in Jesus name.
If you need a touch of God, I want you to come out now as I will anoint people for protection from the hands of the enemy and for restoration of destinies.
Prayer Points
>Father, in the name of Jesus, I will not use my own hands to destroy my own destiny in JESUS name. I will not be an obstacle to my own breakthrough.
> Father, give the grace not to take what does not belong to me. Anything that does not belong to me, father, I will not touch it in Jesus name. Father, everything that is in my possession that is not mine, forgive me and give me the courage to give it back in Jesus name.
> Father, anywhere that I have given unto anybody what he or she does not deserve, forgive me and give me the ability and courage to give back in Jesus name.
> Father, restore my destiny today in Jesus name.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The last illustration was taken from the sermon notes of Pastor Leke Sanusi of Victory Temple, London.
This sermon has PART ONE.
The PowerPoint versions of these sermons are available on request with a donation to REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD, JESUS PALACE BUILDING FUND.
Write to
Pastor Akinsanya Adubi
6737 ANNAPOLIS ROAD
HYATTSVILLE, MD 20784
