Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Righteousness Sake 2

[Opening hymn plays] Speaker 2: Glory and power and might be unto the Lord forever and ever Amen. Amen, amen, amen, amen. Blessings and glory and glory, wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and honor, power and might be unto the Lord forever and ever Amen. [background noise of congregation] Speaker 1: Our Father, we thank you again for today. We bless your holy name for the opportunity to gather again in your presence, to fellowship with one another, to fellowship with the scriptures, to fellowship in the scriptures, to fellowship with your Spirit. Lord our God, we acknowledge you, oh God, in this meeting. We say Lord our God, come and take your place. Come and reveal yourself. Come and exalt yourself. Come and manifest yourself for this meeting in the name of Jesus. Lord our God, meet us where we need you most. Meet us, Lord, where we need you most in the name of Jesus. Thank you, eternal Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We have been considering for some weeks now the Beatitudes. We have been able to look at most of them and we are left with just one or two to round up the whole of the Beatitudes. We started with what we may call the last one last week, but not necessarily the last, even though it is related to the one that followed. That is, blessed are those who are persecuted. You will find that in Matthew 5:10. Matthew chapter 5 verse 10 says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Blessed are such people. Last week we were considering this verse 10 and we were comparing it with verse 3. If you look at verse 3 and verse 10, they are very similar. They are very similar in the outcome or what is supposed to be the blessedness. In verse 3, the Bible says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." In verse 10, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake." Again, what did you see? "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Our focus last week was why is it that for those who are poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of God, and those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, theirs is the kingdom of God? It is very vital for us to know as believers that as long as a man is not poor in spirit, as long as a man does not see his dire need for God—that's what it means to be poor in spirit. You realize how much you need God. You are never rich in spirit. You realize your poverty, you realize your inability, you realize that how much I need God. I can't walk alone, I can't go alone, I can't make it alone. Moses said, "Except you go with us, please don't carry us from here." Until men can realize their dire need for God, it is difficult for them to be persecuted for righteousness' sake. It is so difficult because such men will always alternate God. Once you don't know how much you need God, you will alternate God. You cannot be faithful to God. When things become difficult, you would rather throw God off and compromise than stick with God to suffer. It is only men who are poor in spirit that can also be persecuted for righteousness. There is a strong correlation. Every time you see yourself compromising, it's just a sign that you don't see how much you need God. That is why you can throw God off for some other things. But if you are poor in spirit, you would rather die than leave God. You would rather die. You will say, "No, let me lose every other thing, I cannot lose God." And I concluded last week by making us see that it is those, therefore, who are hopeful in God that can be faithful to God. If your hope is not primarily in God, you can never be uncompromisingly righteous for God. You will always alternate with where your hope is because hope is the solid foundation for faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Once a man is hopeless, he cannot be faithful. Hope is the solid foundation for faith. In the next thing that Jesus said in verse 11 and verse 12, they are not too far from what is in verse 10. If you look at verse 11, it says, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Verse 10, 11, and 12 are saying the same thing. It's about persecution. It's about suffering for righteousness. I have said something that if you are somebody who alternates God, you can never suffer persecution for righteousness' sake. Then there was something I also said last week. Once you cannot endure for the sake of righteousness, you are not somebody who can bear up with little things. As a student, there is an exam. When you are writing the exam, you cannot bear with "no, I must not cheat. I would rather have a C or even a D than cheat." You cannot bear with "no, I would rather not get this job than tell a lie about my age." If you cannot bear up with such little things, then you can be sure that you are not somebody who can qualify for being persecuted. If you cannot endure the little things, then when it now comes to open persecution to be persecuted for something, it becomes almost a difficult thing. It is just like temptation. If today the world is attracting you and you cannot stand for Jesus, you are distracted by the attractions of the world, then you can be sure when it now comes to "come and die," you cannot do that. You won't be able to do it. I want to do three things today. Possibly, I want to look at various kinds of persecution because Jesus described just two here. He said when they speak evil of you and they say all kinds of things against you and lie against you. Then persecution can take various forms. Then this matter of "theirs is the kingdom." Why is it a matter that is coming up? Look at 1 Peter. Let's look at that. Then I will gradually come to different kinds of persecution. Look at 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 18. "Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle but also to the harsh." Now, what do you see in verse 19? The Bible says, "For this is commendable if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully." For God is pleased with you when for the sake of your conscience you patiently endure unfair treatment. I'm trying to make you see why theirs is the kingdom of God. Are you seeing that when people endure pain because of righteousness, because of their conscience toward God, what is God's attitude to them? God is happy with them. God is pleased. It's something that gives God joy that because of me you suffered this thing. It's not because you could not do otherwise. It's not because you don't have ability to deal alternatively, but because of your conscience toward God. He was telling the servant that if you are doing right, you are true to your master, but your master is forward, your master is a bad person, but you, you remain faithful. You don't mind the unjust treatment because you are sincere with him. He takes advantage of you. Ordinarily, you begin to think of how you too can manipulate him. You will be thinking of, "Okay, does he think he's wise? I too will..." You'll be thinking. But the Bible says no. Because of your conscience toward God, you are suffering unjustly. You are enduring the unjust treatment. God is pleased with you. What I am trying to make you see is that when men alternate suffering for righteousness, they displease God. They displease God. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. If you have a conscience toward God, you say, "No, I cannot alternate God. My hope is in God. I would rather suffer unjustly than me too to begin to manipulate. No, God doesn't want us to be a manipulator." No, I would rather please God than also become a 419 to a 419 master. Is that not what is happening in Nigeria today? When you enter—I gave illustration last week of the situation of our country, the level of corruption in the country. You discover that it is the rank and file that corruption is. By the time you meet this one, he says, "Since they didn't pay my salary, will I not eat?" By the time you meet one, he says, "Is it not Nigeria? That is what works." By the time you meet him, he says, "Is it not..." You see everybody giving a reason for why they are evil. Everybody! Everybody has a reason. There are reasons that individuals are giving for their corruption. Why? Do you see that God is saying even if your master is corrupt, if actually you have a conscience toward God, you cannot be corrupt? If actually your hope is in God. Why are people corrupt when their masters are corrupt? Why? It is simply because their hope is where? It is in that thing they want to collect. Their hope is in money, their hope is in riches, their hope is in something different from God. When a man cannot suffer for righteousness' sake, his life cannot please God. That life is a displeasure to God. We're trying to establish why Jesus said theirs is the kingdom of God. So, if a man cannot please God, does he have any place in the kingdom? No. He has no place. He has no place in the kingdom because if your life doesn't please God, you have no place in His kingdom. Look at verse 20. "For what credit is it if when you are beaten for your faults you take it patiently?" Is that not true? If you are driving and you don't have your driver's license, or you are driving, you have not renewed your particulars, and then the policemen stop you and they say, "Mr. Man, your driver's license? You don't have. Okay, your vehicle particulars expired two years ago." They now detain you that you must settle before you go. If you are there suffering, won't you take it patiently? There is no credit for that. You are suffering for your wrongdoing. There is no credit. But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. You have done what is right. Your particulars is complete. Where is your driver's license? It's there. Everything complete. He said, "Just park there! Just park there, Mr. Man!" Because they couldn't get anything they could collect from you. And then you take it patiently. I was reading a write-up in one of Christian Embassy, "Divine Relocation." Look at this incident. A brother, some people, other commercial road users, they got to the police check-up. The policeman parked everybody. "All of you, stop!" Everybody stopped. Another officer among them came. He said, "Ah, you are too close to the checkpoint. All of you move backward!" Anyway, they moved backward. Later another one came. He said, "Sir, why are you all parked like this? Now, go after that checkpoint and park to that side." Is it not frustrating? It's annoying. The brother just moved and went and stayed after the checkpoint, parked, waiting for them to come and ask for whatever they want to ask for. While he was waiting, the other two or three vehicles, they were arguing with the police officer. "What is wrong with you people? You said we should go forward, you said we should go backward, you said we should go and then..." While they were busy arguing, a truck that was coming went out of control, killed everybody that were arguing in that spot. That brother was the only person that was not touched. Is that not divine relocation? Many times, the thing that annoys us, we always get annoyed when it comes to suffering for what is right. And that's why many times in little, little things, ours is not the kingdom of God because our life don't please God. In many little, little things. I'm still coming to types of persecution. I want to make you see that there are a lot of small, small things before you come to the big, big things. There are a lot of small things where God is looking for commendation, where God wants to see you suffer for righteousness. God being pleased is not only when they cut off your head for kingdom of God's sake. No. It is not only when you lost your job for the sake of the kingdom. No. There are a lot of small, small things that we ought to live right. And because we just spoil the whole thing—you see my right, we argue, we do this, we fight that, we fight so many things—and our life don't please God. So, pleasing God, theirs is the kingdom of God. Don't be thinking that it begins when they throw you inside prison. No. It starts from small things. Look at verse 21. Speaking to that matter in verse 19. He says, "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow His steps." Brethren, toward what are we called? To what are we called? Suffering. The Bible says to this you are called. The suffering is all part of what God has called you to in Christ. This suffering is part of the call that God called us. Suffering for righteousness is a calling, and everybody received that call. It is a call. If you don't know your calling, I can tell you one of your callings. You are called to suffer for righteousness' sake. It is a call. Anybody who is in Christ received this call. So, anybody who does not suffer for righteousness' sake is an individual who was not called in Christ. So his hope cannot be the kingdom because the kingdom is meant for those who are in Christ. So anybody who cannot suffer for righteousness, that person did not receive a call. Which call did he not receive? A call to Christ. So that calling, "Come and become a Christian so that you can enter the kingdom of God," that call is also to suffer for righteousness' sake. We must be prepared to suffer for truth. It is something you should understand so that you begin to understand why Peter, when they were privileged to suffer for Christ—he's the one writing this thing—they were rejoicing. It was a joy that, ah, you see, this is part of it. Yeah, we are going somewhere now. And what did Apostle Paul say? He said, "If we suffer with Him, we will also be glorified with Him." This is the truth. The point I'm making fundamentally is that you cannot say you are part of God's kingdom if you don't have a mind that is ready to suffer for that which is right. Any believer who has met Jesus must understand that we are called to suffer for righteousness. It should be a clear thing in our heart because it's a calling that we receive. He says to this you are called so that Christ have been an example so that you can follow in His step. Now, you find the same thing again in Matthew 24. Let's see something in Matthew 24 from verse 4. "And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Take heed that no man deceive you. For many will come in my name saying I am the Christ and will deceive many. And you will hear of war and of rumors of war. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, there will be famine, pestilence, earthquake in diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrow. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will be offended and will betray one another and hate one another. Then many false prophets will arise and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures until the end shall be saved.'" You are seeing it again that in this place Jesus matched two things together: enduring persecution and salvation. But this salvation is not the salvation of coming to Jesus. When he says endure till the end, he's talking about theirs is the kingdom of God. Because he's talking of enduring till the end. It's not the salvation of we being saved at the beginning, but the salvation of eventually being with Him. So do you see it again that those who will eventually be with Christ, what is the basis? Endurance. I'm just trying to prove a point that anybody that cannot be persecuted for righteousness' sake cannot have God's kingdom. It is not possible. Look at 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 12 and 13. "If we endure hardship, we will reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will deny us." May that not be our portion. "If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is." You see Jesus, this is the Lord speaking through Paul here, but there is a direct word of Jesus. He who tried to save his life will lose it, but he who lose his life for my sake will preserve it, he will gain it back. So if you try to gain your life, you will lose it. And my point is this—I've often told myself—is it not foolishness to try to keep a life that I cannot keep? Have you ever taken time to think about it? That you cannot really keep your life. You can't keep your life. You can't keep your life! Let me give you this example. So many examples. There are biblical examples, there are contemporary examples. I know an individual who in order to preserve his life, he wanted to preserve his life, and so when it was time to go for youth service, even though he was overage, he refused to stand with God. He was concerned with the fact that, no, I want to work in an oil company, and if I go for service, I will manipulate the service to serve in one of the oil companies. From there I'll begin to work with those oil companies and from there my life will move on. He was trying to save his life. So he manipulated the age. He manipulated things and he was in service. Of course, good for him, his manipulation was working. He was able to go to states in Nigeria where there are a lot of servicing oil companies. He was there. But do you know? He did everything he could to get something in the oil company. He could not serve in the oil company. He struggled and struggled and struggled. And for almost another over a decade, he was still struggling to get a job. So, have you saved the life? He could not save it. We also have stories of some people who were not due for service that insisted on going to serve in this state, and they never returned. That journey they took was a journey that they never returned. There was an accident and they died. So what am I trying to say? You cannot really keep your life. We can't keep it. It is foolishness to be trying to hide our life from suffering in order to keep it because you cannot even keep it. That's the truth. The Bible says the Lord is my keeper. So the best thing is to give it to the one who cannot lose it. And who is that person? That person is God. So the Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:12, "If we suffer with him, we will reign with him, but if we deny him, he will deny us." What I am establishing is that any man who is not prepared to suffer in Christ, then his own can also not be the kingdom. Suffering for the kingdom is a fundamental aspect of having the kingdom. That is why Apostle Paul said something. He said it is given to us not only to be saved through Christ, but also to suffer for Him. It is given to us not only to be saved through Christ, but also to suffer, to suffer for Him. We will see that in Philippians 1:29. "For to you it has been given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake." You see, it has been given to us in Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. "For to you..." Does that scripture have any other meaning apart from what we have just said? No. He said, "For to you it has been given on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him." "For you have been granted the privilege for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer in His behalf." Do you see that? What did the Bible call it? A privilege. You have been granted the privilege. It's a privilege. It's a very big privilege in Christ that we don't only believe in Him, but we also suffer for Him. It is a big privilege in Christ. That is what we have been given in Christ. And the Bible says it is a privilege. So what are we seeing? When we suffer for righteousness' sake, what is God doing with our life? He's granting us a privilege. That is why when somebody did not understand, or sometimes they did not understand, people have queried this song: "What shall we do today, today oh, I lift up my voice in praise. All I know you are always there for me. Almighty God, you are my all in all. No matter what I face, when trouble comes my way, I will praise your name." People have queried that thing. "Ah, why are you saying when trouble comes your way? Why didn't you say when success comes your way? Why didn't you say when blessing comes your way? Why is it when trouble comes your way?" But the person who was singing that song, he was saying something that when trouble comes my way, he was seeing it in the light of the scripture, that when God makes us to go through trouble, what is it? It's a privilege. If God gives us the chance to suffer for righteousness' sake, it's a privilege. But today, Christianity don't seem to see it that way. Am I correct? It looks like it is when you don't know God that you suffer for righteousness. When you know God, you should not suffer. It looks like when you suffer for righteousness' sake, it is because there is a sin in your life. Sometimes people attribute it to sin. But they forgot that the way Jesus died was one of the most—it's a way nobody will pray to die—and yet He did not sin. All that Job suffered was not because he committed any sin. It was because God was rejoicing. God was bouncing. God was just doing like this, "Ah, my son, well done, well done!" But what did that look like on this side of life? No. We have attached some things to suffering, particularly suffering for righteousness' sake. That is why it becomes so difficult to endure little, little things. That's why Nigerian Christians tell lies. "We are in Nigeria, God understands. God knows that Nigerian Christians, they try." Don't talk like that. God is not—He's not a debtor. He will never owe any man. That is a lie. It's a lie. Because he's making us to see that no, we don't have to suffer for this, we don't have to suffer for that. Nobody wants to suffer for the cause of Jesus. Nobody wants to. And you will see it. We lie to get job, we lie to get visa, we lie to travel out, we lie for this, we lie for that. It's like if you don't lie, you cannot progress. It is just a sign that we don't understand our calling. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God. And now, look at something about persecution as I try to start drawing this meeting to a close. I think I've been able to make you see enough why Jesus said theirs is the kingdom of God. Let's move on to another aspect. Nature and kinds of persecution. I have a small definition here. It says it's to endure injury, grief, affliction, cruelty, harassment, punishment, or even being put to death because of your adherence to a religious creed. It is to endure injury, to endure grief, to endure affliction, to endure cruelty, to endure harassment, to endure affliction, to endure punishment, or to even be put to death for one's adherence to a religious creed because you hold to a truth. The irony about persecution many times, the irony about it, is that those who are persecuting us sometimes will be doing it in the name of God. And I give you two examples. Who were the people who killed Jesus? The religious leaders. And why did they kill Him? He was killed because they felt He was disobeying God. That's one paradoxical thing about persecution, that sometimes it may even be fellow Christians. Look at what's the name of that girl? Seibu? Yeah, Seibu. What happened to that girl? By the time the whole thing happened, look at comments. "That girl must be stupid. She should have also told a lie. She should have done that." Do you know that sometimes when you stand for righteousness, it is fellow Christians that will be telling you that you are a fool? They will be the one looking at you that you are a fool. I was discussing something with somebody many, many years ago. And I said, "Sorry, I'm not qualified for that thing." He said, "No, you have everything it takes." I said, "No, they said the person must not be above 25 in age." And the person said, "Ah, what's your problem? Age is just a number." Is age not a number? What are you talking about age? Just take the job. I said, "Sorry, I can't take it." Age is not just a number. They said no more than 25 years old. How do you even know that that is your actual age? How are you sure that's the day you were born? Even your parents can make a mistake. Just take this job! I said, "I'm a Christian too." But I said, "Sorry, it's not an opportunity, it's a distraction." It's a distraction. If we don't stand on righteousness, it's not an opportunity. And many times you'll be thinking that, ah, if you behave like that, you will not make it. I'm telling you, you will make it. Let our hope be in God. So, if you look at Stephen, it was the same thing for Stephen. Other scriptures you can also read about that is 1 Kings 22:2-28, then Jeremiah 20. Read all those scriptures. You will see that there is a paradox about persecution that sometimes it is the godly that persecute the godly, or the seemingly religious that persecute the godly. Leaving the paradox of persecution, why are we saying that if a man cannot endure persecution, he cannot also enter the kingdom of God? It's because persecution is inevitable. 2 Timothy 3:12. Persecution is inevitable. You cannot escape it. "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." So the reason why you cannot enter the kingdom of God if you are not set to be persecuted is that persecution for the cause of Christ is inevitable. You cannot escape it. I want to also speak quickly on nature and kinds of persecution. If you look at our definition, we said there are some keywords in our definition: oppress, harass, afflict, distress. So, persecution—A—persecution can be very subtle. You may not even know that persecution is happening. Subtle persecution, example: mockery. Mockery. "Ah, Maria, sorry oh." You will find believers saying it to believers. Have you seen such before? It's persecution. Mockery. They just mock you. They just call you some names. I remember as an undergraduate I have a name. You know my name? Social Deviant. That's what they call me. Why am I a deviant? Because I don't talk in exam. And if you talk during exam, I will report you. Someone will say, "Wole, Wole." I'll say, "Excuse me, sir, this person is calling me." So everyone began to call me "alakoba," social deviant. But before you enter the examination hall, I will teach people even though I have not read. I can teach people but if you enter into that examination hall, you must not talk to me. So I was a social deviant. So you just walk sometimes, people will just hiss. What are they hissing about? It's persecution. And if you are somebody who always wants to have the goodwill of people, you will be feeling, maybe I should... There are things I don't care what people say. Persecution, it could be subtle. Mockery. Use of demeaning statement. It's persecution. They just demean you with some statement. "Ah, don't mind him. He thinks that's even the way to love. The Bible says we should love one another. Is that the way to love?" That is somebody who is an enemy of your progress. They will look for names to call you. Demeaning statement. Derogatory languages. It's also persecution. Derogatory languages. Don't mind him, "alakori." I know one sister like that. At a point she came to me. When she gets to school, she will write the time she gets there, the correct time. Nobody must exceed 7:30. So if she gets there at 7:29, she'll write 7:29. Others want to kill her because if she got there at 7:29, others would write 7:10. If someone got there at 8:00, they would write 7:15. If they got there at 9:30, they would write 7:20. If they got there at 10:00, they would write 7:30. So if she is there, she gets there at 7:29 and she writes 7:29, "Ah, you this Christian that wants to spoil the market for everyone!" Derogatory languages. The sister came to me, "What do I do?" I said, "You know what you will do? It is either you are ready to rejoice." She said, "Wole." I said, "Rejoice that they call you all kinds of things." She said, "But I'm also thinking of something. Maybe when I get there, I should not write my own time. I would let them write whatever they want to write, then I'll later go and write the time that I got there." That's what she suggested to me because she cannot withstand all those names. I said, "Sister, you are supposed to be able to stand this thing." She said, "Ah, the name calling, derogatory language, it is part of persecution." It can be subtle. Persecution can also be mild. Mild form of persecution is intimidation, threat, blackmail, and denial. Intimidation, threat. "If you dare preach again in this class, we will cut off your head." Is that not a threat? "If you preach the word of God here, we'll kill you." That's a threat. It can be mild things when you are intimidated, threatened, blackmailed, denied. Persecution can also be severe. That is in form of corporal punishment and imprisonment. Corporal punishment and imprisonment, like the one they gave Peter. Paul was imprisoned. John Bunyan was imprisoned. Then the last one, persecution can be violent or extreme when it takes the form of maiming and killing. Maiming and killing. They can kill people because of faith. You can be killed for the faith. That's the extreme persecution. Now, I want us to close here. What I will be talking about later is what is supposed to be the right attitude toward persecution? And two, how can we get to the point where our heart is set to suffer? How can we get to that point because most people fear? How can we get to a point where we don't fear? Because many times it is your fear that makes you to run. So we will close for today. I will be saying this as we close, that we must make up our mind that if the kingdom of God is a focus, let's prepare our mind to suffer for the sake of what we believe. Somebody made a statement and I agree with him. He said a man who has not come to a point in his life that he has seen something he can die for is not fit to live. A man who has not come to a point in his life that he can see this is a thing I can die for because of this thing, the man is not fit to live. He was talking about commitment at different level. Look at the story of Alexander the Great. You can browse it on the internet. Alexander the Great, if you know that young man, he started fighting battle at the age of 13, 14. He died at a very young age. He was someone that could not be conquered, but I think he was poisoned. He drank a tea, became ill and then he died. Alexander the Great got his soldiers so committed to him. They so much believe in him that in one of his battles, he was to fight a particular king. And he told the king, "It's better you surrender to me, you are not fit to fight." In those days, they would first discuss, they would send messengers. The king said no, they're going to fight. He said, "Okay, I want you to see this." Then he gave a command to his soldiers to climb a cliff. I hope you know what a cliff is. It goes up and then it just ends. The next thing is that you will fall down, a valley deep down, you will die. So he commanded his soldiers, "Forward march!" and they were marching. 1, 2... They got to the end of the cliff. They stopped. He said, "March on!" The first one down the cliff, he died. Down the cliff, he died. They were marching like that. "March on! March on!" And they were dying! Then he said, "Stop." The king said, "If your men are this committed, there is no need to fight them." They didn't fight. Look at how men are committed to men. How much more when God says, "Because of my sake, come and suffer" and we say we cannot suffer for righteousness' sake? It doesn't make sense. We can suffer for righteousness' sake. Let us pray. [background noise of attendees praying] Our Father, we thank you for this evening. Our God, we bless your name, we lift you high. We commit ourselves into your hand. Lord, we pray that for any that want to live a godly life in Christ, that person must suffer persecution. Lord, help us that we will set our heart to the cause of the kingdom, to the cause of the gospel, in the name of Jesus. That, Lord, we will be true soldiers, ready to die at our post in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, eternal Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's share the grace together. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forever more. Amen. Male Voice: This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God’s word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission aid. Our regular activities are: Discipleship class every Monday 5:00 PM, Adolescents and Singles club every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM, Marriage Forum second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM, family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and everyday counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location: Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilere community, opposite Rejoice filling station along Idanre Road, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 080-3386-1136, 070-3361-3848. God bless you all. Amen. [Ending choral music] [End of Audio]