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  THE ROD OF HIS STRENGTH IN THIS DAY OF HIS POWER
  by Gbile Akanni
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Summary: Gbile Akanni emphasizes that believers are called to be the
empowered 'rod of strength' through which Christ establishes His reign
and defeats His enemies in this decisive day of His power.

Duration: 39:48 Topics: "Christ's Reign", "Spiritual Warfare", "God's Sovereignty"
Scripture References: Psalm 2:1, Psalm 2:9, Psalm 8:1, Psalm 110:1, Psalm 110:2, Psalm 110:3

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In 'The Rod Of His Strength In This Day Of His Power,' Gbile Akanni
delivers a powerful prophetic message about the authority of Christ and
the vital role believers play as His instruments of strength. Drawing
from Psalms 2, 8, and 110, he reveals God's sovereign plan to establish
Jesus' reign through a committed army of believers. Akanni calls
listeners to wholehearted surrender and active participation in this
divine mission during these pivotal times.

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CONTENT
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Living Seed Media brings to you God's Word, which is His comprehensive
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encounter His Word. For further enquiry or counsel, contact Peace House,
PO Box 971, Boko, Benue State, Nigeria.

Telephone numbers 0703 03636 59, 0703 76811 98. Email address lsmedia at
livingseed.org or visit our website at www.livingseed.org. Let us sit
back and listen as the servant of God brings forth the Word of Life. Our
Father, we are so, so, so very grateful to you because you never fail.

Again, we are recording your faithfulness, the way you cause your light
to shine brighter and brighter as we are heading onto the fullness of
the dawning of day. We magnify your name. What a privilege it is to just
simply follow you, just simply let you take the lead and to just
continue to listen to your call after us as the good shepherd and as
your faithful sheep to just keep following you.

It's wonderful to testify at every point that hitherto you have led us,
knowing that on account of your own wisdom alone that has ordered every
step we take, we are stepping into very, very glorious experiences in
your hands. We owe every gratitude to you. We owe all the thanksgiving
unto you, O Lord our God, who are worthy of all praise.

In all of this, Father, receive glory. Be magnified. Hosanna unto you
forevermore.

Blessed be your holy name. In the name of our Lord Jesus, amen. Amen.

Just to tie up our thoughts and to pray together to conclude our sitting
together this day as to retire filled with your fullness, continuing to
look to you, to the almighty God, to help each one of us in every area
that he has already appeared unto us about. I'd like us to read a few
psalms and see where they tie in together on the issues that God has
been raising with us and then we will be praying very shortly by his
grace. The first psalm we will read is going to be Psalm 2. Would you
like to open to the book of Psalms and come over to the second of them?
Psalm 2. This psalm in my Bible is titled the Messiah's Triumph and
Kingdom.

From verse 1, according to the New King James Version, it is written,
Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of
the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against
the Lord and against his anointed. They are saying, Let us break their
bonds in pieces and cast away their cause from us. He who sits in heaven
shall laugh.

The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then he shall speak to them in his
wrath and distress them in his deep displeasure. Yet, says the Lord, I
have set my king on my holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree. The Lord has said to me, You are my son,
today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for
your inheritance and the heirs of the earth for your possession.

Verse 9. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them to
pieces like a potash vessel. Now therefore, be wise, O kings.

Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and
rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish in
the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all those who put their trust in him. The Messiah, the Lord
Jesus' triumph and kingdom. Would you like to come over with me to Psalm
8? It's an evening of the Psalms.

From verse 1, it is written, O Lord our Lord, O God our King, how
excellent is your name in all the earths. Who has set your glory above
the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, nursing infants,
you have ordained strength.

Because of your enemies, that you may silence the enemy and the avenger.
Jump with me to verse 9. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is your name in
all the earths. And finally, would you like to come with me to Psalm
110? Psalm 110.

And there is an announcement here. From verse 1, the Bible says, The
Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your
footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion.

Rule in the midst of your enemies. Your people shall be volunteers in
the day of your power. In the beauties of holiness.

From the womb of the morning, you have the dew of your youth. The Lord
has sworn and will not relent. You are a priest forever according to the
order of Methuselah.

The Lord is at your right hand. He shall execute kings in the day of his
wrath. He shall judge among the nations.

He shall fill the places with dead bodies. He shall execute the heads of
many countries. He shall drink of the brook by the wayside.

Therefore, he shall lift up the head. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit at
my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. The Lord shall
send the rod of your strength out of Zion.

Rule in the midst of your enemies. Your people shall be volunteers,
willing sacrificial servants of yours in the day of your power. In the
beauties of holiness.

From the womb of the morning, you have the dew of your youth. In the
meantime, the Lord has sworn and will not repent or relent. You are a
priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

May the Lord bless his words to each one of our hearts, consolidating
all that has been building in us since we began to gather at his feet.
From Wednesday evening, all through yesterday, all through today, in the
name of our Lord Jesus. Let me just first join to make the announcement.

Why do the heathen rage? Why are the people imagining what can hold no
ground? A vain thing. When the almighty God has already made his own
choice and done his own installation in heaven. When the almighty God
has already appointed his own king.

In the Psalm 2 we read, the Bible said, in spite of the struggle, the
confederacy, the alliance, the global alliance of rebellious man on the
surface of the earth. To fight against the constituted, legal, and as a
matter of fact, the ownership of rights. Of the authority that God
wields over his creation that he created for his own pleasure.

There is a mobilization that the prince of the power of the air, the
devil, the enemy of light, the enemy of peace, of liberty of
righteousness. He who only comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. He's
mobilizing the whole of humanity, beginning with the leaders of nations,
to be united in fighting against the law of God.

The authority of the most high. To stand up, to kick against the pricks.
To rise up, to roam their lives headlong into a dungeon.

To simply mobilize all they have to fight against what they can never,
never prevail. The Bible said, he who sits in the heavens shall laugh.
The Lord shall hold them if there is any.

He will consider them a laughing stock. He will look at them and shake
his head at what is going wrong with these ones. Wouldn't they listen to
proper counsel? He said, and then he will stand up when he's fed up with
the confusion the enemy has sowed into the hearts of men upon the earth.

And he will speak to all that are collaborating with darkness, with
confusion, with unrighteousness, with uncleanness upon the earth. He
will speak to them in his wrath, and he will distress them in his deep
displeasure. In the midst of all this, thus says the Lord, yet have I
set my king upon my holy hill.

And we just noted that he who has so decreed, he can never swallow his
word. He is not a man that he should lie, nor is he the son of man that
we could expect he could change his mind. He could turn around from what
he committed himself to do.

Jesus is the king over all creation. In fact, his reigning over the
earth is the least of his authority and dominion over all creation. He
created all things, and all that he has created, The Bible said, whether
they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things
were created by him and for him.

This includes the universe that is visible and the universe that is
invisible. This includes all of the heavens beyond the heaven of
heavens. All belongs to him.

We are wondering that we may be doing the Lord Jesus a favor to permit
his word of righteousness to rule over our planet, not knowing this is
the least, actually, of what he has already received right as the Father
has given unto him to be here over all things. Right, therefore, to
uphold everything by the word of his power. The earth is like a drop in
the bucket of the possessions that he created to possess.

There is no hope that vain man in all of the vain legislations, the vain
policies and decrees that man is setting up in the earth to make man the
God of himself, to make man the center of authority over himself, and
not the Jesus, the Lord Christ, who made man for his pleasure. All of
the efforts that man is making is laughable. And the Bible says the
Almighty, who sits in the heavens, he shall have a good laugh, and he
will hold all of what we are doing in derision.

It's like it's something negligible, it's like all of it is of no
consequence, actually. But when he stands up, he will quietly yet
enforce what he has already decreed. Now, I want us to take the advice
in verse 10 to 12, Now, therefore, be wise, all kings.

I know this word is going to get to presidents of nations. This word
that God is declaring is going to arrive in the palaces of sovereign
rulers, including those that are the kings and queens of nations. This
word is going to come to reigning and ruling politicians, to houses of
legislation, and to the bench and bar where justice is determined.

This word is going to come to those who had opportunity to rule in the
earth and to be the judges of the earth. And the Bible says, be wise, be
properly advised, all kings, be instructed, you judges of the earth. If
you were not serving the Lord before, stand up and serve the Lord with
fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the sun, embrace Jesus, lest he be angry and you perish in the
wind. When his wrath is only kindled but a little, you will simply
vanish out of his sight. Blessed are all those who put their trust in
him.

Now, that's the message for everybody out there, but where is the
message for us? When you come now to chapters 8 and chapter 110, you
will note that the almighty God is about ordaining strength in the
mouths of babes and sufferings. He's about ensuring that right here in
the earth, those who were not necessarily rated as being very powerful,
very noble, very mighty, very influential, very wealthy, very learned,
God will ordain strength and will cause that they will silence the enemy
and the avenger. Let me note with us that God is recruiting in this MLR
and in the coming days, those lives that he will use to overrun the
world.

To overrun the world with the gospel of Christ Jesus, to overrun the
world with the life that is light, and to drive darkness into oblivion.
God is seeking to recruit an army. This evening, from all that God has
been building up, an army of lives that are firmly rooted and built up
in Christ.

An army of women who are not reeds, easily swayed here and there, but
who are the rods of strength. An army of both young and old, who are
pursuing each person, the people, in the domain of their own influence
and walk of life. Armies that will be running each in his own ranks and
in their various causes, not breaking his rank.

God wants to end all of this empty boast of man upon the earth and
establish his rule. And he is recruiting those he will use. But now
particularly in Psalm 110, the Bible said, The Lord said unto my Lord,
You know when you are in close communion with God, he touches the eyes
of your spirit to see things that are happening or may have happened way
beyond the age of this present earth and often times far beyond the
boundaries of our planet.

David received an understanding. Now this is interesting, and Jesus had
to ask the Pharisees, If the Christ will be born as a son of David and
must be coming out of the root and offspring of Jesse, why does David
call him Lord? And the Pharisees were downfounded. But here is the
answer.

David knew, even before he would die, that the man God will send will
not only be man, he will be God. David caught that by the revelation God
gave him in heaven of he the Almighty arising to install the Christ, who
was embodied humanly while here on earth, born of the seed of David. And
yet the life that came down to perform the human being the womb of the
Virgin Mary was the very life that created all things, the Lord.

And David said, the Lord said unto my Lord, you will notice those two
Lords are slightly differently written to show a distinction of God the
Father and God the Son. And to particularly note that this Lord is God
made man. That the first Lord, the Almighty God is saying unto him, sit
at my right hand until I make whoever hates your dominion, your rule,
and the very life that you must cause every human being to carry and to
live.

He uttered, I make your enemies your footstool. This night, Rehoboth is
the plan of God to fast-track and to blow into proportions that we could
never have imagined, to accelerate the running of his foot soldiers to
do a final mop-up operation to conquer this present generation for the
glory of God, to install the reign of Christ. This revival is God's plan
to arrange the final return of Jesus to reign over the nations, to be
set up not only as the priest forever after the order of Melchizedek,
but also as the king over all creation, particularly over the earth.

And the Lord said, how will I go about this? How will Rehoboth
accomplish this for me? In verse 2 he explains, and furthermore develops
it from verse 3. In verse 2 he said, the Lord shall send the rod of your
strength, Lord Jesus, out of Zion. Zion here is talking about the
saints, the believers. We are old testament saints, but we that he is
speaking to now, we are the new testament saints.

We are the body of Christ, and that the Lord is intending to use the
instrument of power that will flog the heads of nations. He will break
the skulls of kings with this rod, and that rod will come out of Zion.
That rod will come out of the body of Christ, so that by the working of
this rod in the hand of God the Father, Jesus will rule in the midst of
his enemies and they can do nothing about it.

In verse 3 he explains, this rod is talking about human beings, is
talking about you and I. That the Rehoboth is a prepared opportune time,
convenient moment. The time of God's release of rest and of abundance
for the purpose of accelerating the fulfillment of his mission by our
hands in the midst of the earth. So that many more will be recruited to
belong to this persuasion, to belong to this army, to belong to this
team that is the rod of God for the purpose of stealing the avenger, of
quieting the enemy, of shutting up all that stoops to resist the plan of
heaven.

Your people shall be volunteers, they will be willing, they will be very
willing volunteers, they will release themselves unlimitedly, they will
be a living sacrifice offered unto God in the day of the reign of Jesus.
Now, what he is saying is that, that day has come. You probably heard
the choir repeating that it is time.

It is time. This time of his reign has come. Rehoboth that God is
advertising for all of us to step into is the preparation of the rod of
his strength for the purpose of ending all of the confusion of the
enemies and bringing about the reign of the righteousness of Christ in
our land.

Rehoboth is for restoration. Rehoboth is for transformation that will
come by the gospel, that will come by the power of the preaching of
Christ and him crucified. He said, your people shall be willing, shall
be volunteers in this day of your power.

They will come in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning.
They will give up everything of their life from the beginning of their
being recruited. They will be a wholesome sacrifice, a whole burnt
offering unto God, so that they will burn and shine for God in all that
they are, with all that they have.

And the Bible says, you have the due of your youth. We talked and shared
about the mobilizations God is doing with the youth in order to not only
catch the youth, but catch every young at heart that may not be so
young, biologically. And we are noting that God is passionate about
recruiting the youth.

We have read the battle for the young, we've read the other materials
around battle for the young, because for us battle for the young is not
just a book, it is a battle. And we are noting that if we don't mobilize
the youth and engage them for this army that God is arranging to install
the reign of Christ in the earth, the enemy will gladly take advantage
of them, as you saw in the presentations. Are you young out there? God
is particularly focusing on you.

God is particularly seeking that you should arise now that you are
young. Commit yourself to Him and give God the opportunity to begin from
the womb of your money in order to do what He has proposed to achieve
with your lives in the midst of the earth for the purpose of the reign
of Christ. And could you be there, you are not so young.

I would like you to note that God has a place for each and every one of
us. Just as we noted, even the retirees and those advanced in age, those
who are in the second or third generation of life, God has a specific
plan for you. If only you will surrender to Him.

As we note this when we pray, to give each and every one of us the
opportunity not to be found in the state in which God will be laughing
at you and holding you in derision. It's like God will have each of us
to come aware of the fact that in these times, you are either for Christ
or you are against Him. Don't sit down there thinking you, you are
neutral.

Have you completely surrendered so that Christ can use your life for all
of your duration here on earth? Then you are for Christ. Are you seeming
to be hesitant? You are seeming to be dilly-dallying, you are sitting on
the fence. You are against Christ.

You are either for Him or you are against Him. He said if you are
lukewarm, He will spill you out of His mouth. Even if it would seem as
if you were seeking to belong to Him, you were seeking to gather among
His own people.

Today we'll be asking that you take a decision to be sold out for Jesus.
Why? Even if you are a babe, even if you are a suckling, a suckling
infant, God has a plan for you. He will obtain strength in your life.

And no matter your profession, He has a plan for you as well. He is
gathering all of our lives together to become for Him the rod of the
strength that Jesus has to rule in the midst of His enemies. Who is out
there who is saying, enough of my life of lukewarmness, of half-hearted
commitment to Jesus.

Today I want to step out and say, O Lord, take my all. Have full control
of my life. Count me as part of that rod of your strength.

Count me as part of those people who are volunteers in this day of your
power. Count me as those people who want to be recruited and who want to
be consecrated to operate in the beauties of holiness in your hand, who
will be the jewel of youth and of every age that you possess. As you
take the decision, we will be speaking to God together, asking that He
will achieve His purpose and number us in His army therefore.

But the Lord, as far as He is concerned, the matter is settled. He has
set His king on His holy hill of Zion. This thing is non-negotiable.

It's not in the parliaments, whether of the European Union or the United
Nations Assembly, that the determination, the debate will be done and
then the decision arrives at whether Jesus will reign over us or not.
That would be too late. The owner of us, who made us for Himself, He
must reign also over us.

This is right. The Almighty God, who created all things by Him, His
beloved Son, has already appointed Him the heir over all things. Do you
want to stand on the right side with Jesus? Who is there who is saying,
I want to kiss the Son? You may not have given your life sincerely to
Jesus before today you are saying, Lord, take my life.

I don't want to be found among those who are not well instructed, who
are unwise, who are going to be the object of the anger of the Son in
the day of His appearing. I want to kiss the Son. I want to be in
proper, intimate, correct fellowship of communion, of friendship.

I want to belong to Jesus. I want to be counted among His. I want to be
one of His people that is willing also in this day of His power.

Would you like to arise wherever you are? Everybody just stand on your
feet and let's pray together. So much we have to pray for. Much more in
thanksgiving.

But first of all, what decision are you taking concerning what God has
already determined concerning the rule of this planet? And that rule He
has determined is a rule that will be forever, ever. It's a kingdom that
has no end. Would you like to enlist yourself? In many countries as
elections are drawing close, people are lining themselves, hoping that
it's their party that will win, so that they will win.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/gbile-akanni/the-rod-of-his-strength-in-this-day-of-his-power/
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