Cdc 23 April 2018 an Overflow From Home Within the Hedge

[Speaker 1] We thank God for the success of the family seminar on Saturday. Honestly, there's no other way to describe it than to say our God is sufficient. Our God is our help. We saw himself. Honestly, we saw himself. Sometimes when you pray prayers that look like little prayers and you ask them in some details, they look as if God cannot answer in those details, but God answers prayers, and he can answer prayers to the minutest details. There are some things we asked to some very, very serious detail, and honestly, we saw it on Saturday. So, our God be praised. This evening, I want us to look at—we were looking at within the edge on Saturday, and I still noticed that looking at that Exodus, there are still issues I still want we should carry over into this meeting. We're going to carry those issues over into the meeting. While on Saturday we were looking at it totally to marital issues, we were looking at it in respect of very, very clear instructions from the Lord. But those matters in Exodus 16, they still linger within my heart, and I felt let us look at them a little further today. Let's look at them a little further, particularly this matter of the Lord's instruction. In Exodus 16, I just want to call your attention to those verses where the Lord spoke in respect of the manna, in terms of the preservation. In verse 13, it says, "In the evening quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay round the camp. And when the dew had gone, behold, upon the face of the wilderness, there lay a fine round flake-like thing, as fine as hoar-frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another: Manna, that is, What is it? For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them: This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded. Let every man gather of it as much as he will need, an omer for each person, according to the number of persons take it, every man for those in his tent." The people did so and gathered some more, some less. When they measured it out with an omer, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Each gathered according to his need. Moses said, "Let none of you be left until the morning." But they did not listen to Moses. Some of them left it until morning, and it bred worms, became foul and stank. And Moses was angry with them. They gather it every morning, each as much as he needed. For when the sun became hot, it melted. On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, then he said to them, "This is what the Lord meant. Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning." So they did it. They did put it aside until morning as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it. Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the Lord. Today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none." It came about on the seventh day, what did we read again? What did we read in that verse 27? That some people went out to gather. He said they should not keep it, some kept it. He said they should not gather again on the sabbath, some people went out to gather, but they found none. Then the Lord said to Moses, "How long do you refuse to keep my commandment and my instruction?" Then verse 29, "See, the Lord has given you the sabbath. Therefore he gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." So the people rested on the seventh day. The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey. Then Moses said, "This is what the Lord had commanded. Let an omer of it be kept throughout, in a pot, throughout your generation. That they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt." King James says, "Moses said, This is what the Lord had commanded. Take an omer and keep it throughout your generation that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt." And Moses said to Aaron, "Take a pot and put an omer of manna into it, and lay it up before the Lord to be kept throughout your generation." As the Lord has commanded, Aaron laid it up before the testimony to be kept in the ark. And Israelite ate manna forty years until they came to an inhabitable land. They ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. Please, what do you notice about this preservation of the manna? What do you notice about the preservation of the manna? Number one, yes, it must be a memorial, that's the third thing. But the first thing about preserving the manna. In the first instruction, what were they told? They should not keep of the manna. Every man should just take what they need for the day. When they got to the sixth day, he said the Lord will rain for two days. That two days, it starts both Saturday and Sunday inclusive. Now, when they of themselves, when they kept the manna, what happened to the manna? It stank. When God said they should keep it for two days, what happened to the manna? There was no worm in it. Again, God now said they should now take that same manna and put some in a pot and keep it as a memorial in the altar so that their children's children can see it. What will happen to that manna? Will it be stinking? I'm trying to make you see—do you get what I'm trying to say? Don't keep overnight, they kept, it stank, smelly, wormy. Keep overnight, nothing happened for the two days. Again, the same thing that cannot be kept overnight that must be eaten, God now speaks again. Keep it as a memorial that every generation to come will see it. So, I want to ask you, what can you say about the word of God and the manna? That's the burden for this meeting. That was the burden that I just turned today an overflow from Saturday's meeting because I left and some things keep coming back. It keeps coming back. There are still issues to look at in this chapter. Please, what do you—I think all of us here were on Saturday. Oh, no, sorry. You were not and just two of us. No, he was here. He was here on Saturday. Now, different dimension we took it on Saturday for those of you that were around. Now, what I'm trying to ask is what can you say about the manna and the word of God? What is he making us to see? Don't keep, they kept, there was worm. Keep for two days, they kept for two days. For that two days, there was no worm. Now, keep forever. The manna again could stand forever. What is coming to your mind about the word of God and the manna? What is the lesson? What is it that we must see in this matter? Can anybody say anything? Can you share anything in that matter? [Speaker 2] The word of God is sustaining the preservation of the manna. I see the circumstances may change, but as the manna is just like that, but when the word of God changes concerning the manna, the manna adapts to whatever what God is saying for that particular time. So, the word of God is the determining point of how we are using the manna per situations. [Speaker 1] Okay. Okay. Any other thing? Any other thing? [Speaker 3] I just see as an explanation to people's logic or [unclear: so whatever God thinks] happens not because of someone, because God has pronounced it. So, it takes shape with—the manna must of necessity conform to that which he has spoken. [Speaker 1] Okay. Okay. That's another way to look at it. Now, do you notice that God said something? When he said they should not go on the sabbath that they will not find. Some of them went. Some went, of course, they found none. God now said, "How long will it take you to do what? How long will you refuse to keep my commandment and follow my instruction?" I like Genesis—it said follow my instruction. How long will it take you? For how long will it take you that you to understand that he said don't go, they went, hoping that they will gather some again that day, there was none. Before God now said how long will it take you. Now, the point I'm trying to bring out as an overflow from Saturday, is this. Maybe if I read this scripture. Let's read this scripture in Genesis 26. Look at verse 1. It says, "And there was famine in the land, other than the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. Then the Lord appeared to him and said: Do not go down to Egypt, live in the land of which I tell you. Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and I will bless you." And on and on and on until we came to verse 12. Now, look at verse 1 and verse 12. Look at verse 1. What did the Bible say? There was famine, and Isaac wanted to leave the land. What did God say? Don't leave the land, stay there. So, he sowed in that land, and in that same year, he reaped a hundred times as much as he would have planted, and the Lord favored him with blessing. Now, while all that was going on, the Bible says in verse 14—please look at verse 14. Can we read together? He had flocks, herds, and a great supply of servants and what happened? The Philistines envied him. What is the nature of the land? There was drought. The Philistines themselves, they were not making—they could not make much out of their land. Could they? But again, you see, I'm talking about this "God said." God told him again, see, do what, put in the land. Now, I want to make you see that the Philistines envied him. Why? Why did they envy him? They were both sowing in the land, but nothing was coming out. They were putting their own too in that same land. But nothing was coming forth. So, Isaac became great, they envied him. In fact, look at what they said in the verse 16. Can we see verse 16? They envied. Now all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had closed and filled with earth. And Abimelech said to Isaac, what did he say to him? Verse 16: "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we are." Now, what explain the difference again? What explain the difference? God's instruction. God said. Are you following what I'm trying to bring out? Now, what we're talking about in terms of the manna is that the manna remains the same, the manna. It's the same manna. The one that they took on Saturday that did not get bad, on Friday that did not get bad for Friday and Saturday. Do you understand me? It's the same manna that will go bad if they keep it for Tuesday, for Monday to Tuesday. You know it's the same manna. It's not a different manna. It's also not a different manna that is to be kept in the pot that nothing will happen to forever and ever. It's also the same manna. You see what I'm trying to draw your attention to? The key to succeeding or prospering for us as Christians—we are privileged, but many times we don't realize it. We are privileged people, but we don't realize it. Look at what the psalmist said. I'm just trying to show you my burdens that came after Saturday's meeting. Please, look at Psalm 33. We are privileged people, but we don't realize it. Look at verse—are you there? Please, I read from the verse 6. Let us all be reading it together. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea as in a bottle, he put the deep in a storage place. Let all the earth fear the Lord, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spoke, what happened? It was done. He commanded, what happened? It stood fast." Verse 10: "The Lord bring the counsel of the nations to what? To nought. He makes the thoughts and plans of the people of what? Of no effect." Did God make the plan of those people who want to keep Monday to Tuesday of no effect? Did he make it of no effect? He wanted it to stop. But he made it of no effect. But when he now made a plan and said they should keep for two days, what happened? It stood. Is that not? Now, look at what the Bible now says, "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, and the thoughts of his heart through all generation." Please, I want to ask you, brethren, what can make your plans and thoughts stand forever? If it comes out of the counsel of God. He said the counsel of the Lord stands forever. He gave counsel: nobody should keep till the following day. They kept, it went bad. Later he said but on Friday, do something. Keep it for Friday and Saturday. They did that one, did it go bad? It did not go bad. If somebody had kept though for Monday till Tuesday and the thing goes bad, but God tells you that you keep your own overnight. You know you're likely to begin to compare your life with the person whose own went bad. Do you understand me? If somebody is doing something, he took counsel about a matter to keep something overnight and the thing goes bad. From that thing that happens, if you're in the same situation and you want to keep overnight, what are you likely to do? You're likely to compare with the fact that people who kept overnight, it went bad. But it's not as if what God—when God said keep your own overnight, not as if it's a different substance or a different material or a different project. It's the same project. But what will make your own not to go bad is that God said keep this one overnight. What made that one to go bad was that it was not God's counsel. Are you understanding me? He says the counsel of the Lord stands forever. If you want your business to stand forever, if you want your projects to stand forever, if you want your undertakings to stand forever, like he said, all we need to do is to look for what is God's counsel about the project. Once you can get it and you do that one, what happens? It stands. Look at what the Bible now says in verse 12. King James says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people he has chosen for his own inheritance." Another translation. NLT: "What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance." Why did he say—why did he link when he was finishing 12—look at 11, he said, "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, thoughts of his heart to all generation." "What joy for a nation whose God is the Lord." What does that mean? He just said the counsel of the Lord stands forever, thoughts of his heart to all generation. He now say, "Ah, what joy for a nation whose God is this Lord." What is the Bible trying to tell us? He's saying that he has given an attribute of God, how awesome that is, the fact that when God says a thing, that counsel is going to stand. Now, if a nation now happens to have that particular God as their God, they are such a lucky and blessed nation. Are you getting it now? He's saying that, look, blessed is that people that God decide to choose. Was God speaking like this to the Philistines? Was he speaking like this to the Canaanites? Was he speaking like this to the Jebusites? He was not speaking like that. He wasn't. Are you making this connection? He was only speaking to one nation. The Canaanites don't have the law of God. All other nations. Look at what I wrote down. I said of all every nation, tribe, tongue that exists in the then world, it is only the nation of Israel that has the privilege of the voice of God. Now, I want to make you see how exclusively privileged that nation is. Now, what I'm saying is this. God is not a God that just begin to speak to anybody on the street. There must be a basis for which God reveals himself to you. And that thing must be that he must have chosen you as his own child. He must have chosen you as his own inheritance. The Bible says he chose us before the foundation of the world, that we'll be holy and blameless. God must have made a choice for your life. God must have brought you into a relationship. [background noise] The way this Ore, for example, is privileged to constantly hear Funmi's voice. How many children are privileged like that? They're not privileged. They're not. But do you know that she can hear that voice, hear that word, hear that instruction, hear that training, hear everything constantly, and it is exclusively to her because there is a relationship? Mind you, she didn't make a choice for her mother, she just found that this was her mother. You should remember he said, "You did not choose me. I chose you. I chose you." Remember he's saying that, look, blessed is that people that God decide to choose. You see the point I'm making is this: believers are so privileged, believers are so blessed, but we're not realizing it. Let me tell you what the link I'm talking about. What I'm saying is that we don't realize that the counsel we receive from our father is nothing compared to what we hear in any other place because his own stands forever. That his own counsel will frustrate the counsel of the nations. It will confuse them. They will not understand your life. They'll be wondering how was he able to do it. The Philistines were wondering: how could this man plant, how is he growing, what is making it to grow? "Go away from us, you are much mightier than we are." His decision confounded them. Do you know that the Bible says in John 3, Jesus Christ was talking about them who is born of the spirit? What did he say about them? "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." What is he trying to say? Please, can you explain Israel? A nation took a particular manna, he said no, we cannot keep for today, it will go bad. When it is Friday, they will keep it and it will not go bad. They will ask him "will it not?" and he will say no. He'll say why? "God said." What will you tell the person? God said. The reason why it went bad was because God said. Why is your life about God said? But I'm showing you the blessedness of that "God said." It makes your life unexplainable. Jesus said, "The wind bloweth, you don't know where it's coming from nor where it's going, so is everyone that is born of the spirit." But do you notice that many a times, what do we now try to do? We try to bring ourselves where? We try to come down from the level of the spiritual to the level of the natural. Where we can explain like other men. To the logical, to reduce our life. Okay, you meet the man, he kept the something and then he said God said. The next day you saw the man again, he gathered some of that same thing, put inside one pot, he now put it before an altar. You say okay, what of this one? He say this one is forever and ever, it will not go bad. You say "which quality?" he say "it's the same one." Please, can you explain that man? Can you explain the life? You ask him again, "are you sure this one inside the pot will not go bad?" he say "it cannot go bad." He say "did you treat?" he say "no." "Is it a different one?" he say "yes." So how are you sure? He say, "God said." It was what sustained them. Do you know the song I love most? "Antonio, thus saith the Lord, Jesus, Jesus, I love you, and I choose you more and more, Jesus, Jesus, blessed Jesus, oh for grace to trust him more." You see, there is something I'm talking about. You know we finished on Saturday, this just flow back to me from the meeting and I just said that today we will do an overflow from Saturday. And I just tried to look at it that come, it is true. What is the only explanation an Israelite can give for his action? The only explanation is that God said. That's the only explanation: God said. And do you also know that what I'm trying to bring out is that many times we don't see that as something that is one, exclusive? Do you know what I mean by exclusive? It's not common. God was not speaking to every other nation except Israel. The Philistine cannot explain it. The Jebusite cannot, the Amorite cannot, the Hivite cannot, the Edomite cannot, even the Ishmaelite cannot even though they are brother. Ishmaelite cannot, Esau cannot explain Jacob on this matter. Do you understand me? Because it is exclusive to Israel. It is only Israel that can explain himself and understand himself. It is only Israel that can say I know what I'm doing. And others say "okay, let's see whether what you are doing you really know what you are doing." Monday to Monday, they keep doing it. Monday to Tuesday, they keep doing it. You will think he's doing something else, you also go and take and keep yours and then the thing goes bad. But by the time you follow him to do what he's doing, on Friday you to keep on Friday against Saturday, it did not go bad. What is the mystery? Please, what is the mystery? The mystery is God said. The mystery is that when God speaks, it stands. That's the mystery. What I'm saying is that we need to understand that number one, this thing is exclusive. God was not speaking to every other nation, he was not talking to everybody, he was not dealing with every person, he was dealing with Israel as a nation. And you notice that when they went again on Sunday—on Saturday to go and gather, the sabbath, they did not find, he was angry. Say for how long you people just follow my instruction. What is it that God wanted them to learn? Take your mind back again to Deuteronomy 8:3. He said, "I humbled you, I make you to suffer hunger, that you may learn that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceed out of the mouth of God." It is a principle that God wants his own to learn. That we can live by what he says. We can live by it. And we expect that it will stand. Let me give you a good example of something. There was a crisis in a marriage so I was discussing with the husband. We were talking, we were talking. The husband ran through just about the principles of God. He said so many things like the wife is the problem, he started so much, so much, so much. I now showed him something in the Bible. I said look very well at the word of God. I said there are two ways to live. I said there is the law of existence and there is the law of life. He didn't get nowhere. He said, "is it not to live?" I said no. To exist is biological. To live is spiritual. He say what do I really mean? I now start to explain to him, "as long as I am come that they may have life." I said which life is that? I said, "for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten that they should not perish but have everlasting life." I said there is a life, there's an eternal life. That's the life I'm talking about. I'm not talking of they have a life, but they don't have that life. So, I said Jesus said "I am come that they may have life." I said which life is that? So, by the time I decided okay to understand now he say the life that Jesus gives, I say yes that life. An existence, they are two ways of living. I said to exist, the first law of existence is self-preservation. That's the law of existence. I said but the law of life is self-denial. I said if you really want to have life in this marriage, you must leave the first law, leave the other law, stop to stop existing, start living. He started "how, what do I really mean?" This is what I mean. I said you are a believer? He said I'm a believer. I said you give your life to Christ? He said I want to teach you things. But I said if any man become after me, I showed him Luke 9:23. He said let him first deny himself. And I took amplified and I showed him what it means to deny. I said it is to renounce, it is to reject, it is to refuse, it is to forget yourself and your interest. I said to go back into the marriage, refuse yourself, forget yourself, disown yourself, renounce yourself and your interest for the marriage. Just go there and be living for the other person. Just forget your interest, forget about yourself. You know, the expression quickly changed. One month? He thought I was waiting for one month or some days. But the point I'm making is that after some time, he was the same person that come to say, "my wife is changed." Look at what I don't know. I said you can't know because it's a mystery. What preserved the manna from Friday to Saturday? It's a mystery. God said. I don't know, it's just changed. You see the point I'm trying to bring out is that we don't realize that blessed is that people that God chose. You see we don't realize that we are blessed people. We are blessed people. God is not talking to everybody. God was not talking—can you compare Israel and the Philistine? Even though they are giants. If you have to choose to be among any people in the world of then, will you choose the Philistines or the Israel? Israelite. Will you choose to be a Canaanite or an Israelite? You find out that because we don't realize that that people, they're exclusive people. And look, please listen. What was the thing that destroyed Israel? What was Israel's problem? Yes, disobedience, but what was the root of the disobedience? Yes, it's unbelief. I understand it's unbelief. Unbelief brings—once you don't believe, you will disobey. You need to believe to obey. That's true. They start following, they start obeying God because it's like what God says is contrary to what logically, they're trying to rationalize instructions. Why are they like that? They don't know God personally, no relationship. Yes, they don't know him, that's one. But there's something that God normally still constantly about them. God normally says constantly about them that they've been hardening their heart. Do you notice that God always tells them that they are not like other nations? You know that God always tells them that. Say "give me a king like other nations." "Don't worship this thing like other nations." "Don't do this like other nations." "Don't do that like other nations." You know, they—when they look at other nations, they have gods of fertility. The things they stand around is thing green, but yours you just say God said. How will you say God said and you are sure of harvest? So, God wanted to make them see that what I said is final. But you know they have a problem. They were looking at what? Other nations. When they got to Canaan, they made groves like what? Other nations. When they got there, they built high places like what? Other nations. They made their children pass through fire like what? Other nations. Do you notice that that is also what we're having today? I give you a very simple explanation. What makes a hundred percent, but let me say most of our sisters to put their skirt above their knee today? Is it because they have a revelation from God? They want to be like other nations. They want to be like them. Even though there is an understanding, there's an understanding that decency means that we cover down our lap. That is why I notice that most Christians, when they sit down like that, they will put a bag. Your believers don't put any bag, they will just sit down. Decent most Christians, just check most Christians, they will put a bag, before they feel that no, this thing should not be outside. There's a sense of God. You know, so they will put a bag, either put a bag on it like this or some will put scarf. They'll put scarf like this, they'll put scarf. Because, but why do they make the skirt so short that it become like that? They want to be like other nations. Not talking about just sisters, not as if brothers too don't have theirs. But I'm just making a small example, because I'm talking about this spirit of other nations. Do you notice that any time Jesus wants to talk, go and check Jesus, when he said in Matthew 6, when he wants to compare us and how we should live? So, don't take thought for your life, what you will eat and what you will drink. For the birds of the air, he said, So therefore I tell you, take no thought for your life what you shall eat, what you shall drink. For your father knows that you have need of all these things. For these things dominate the thought of those who don't know God. Do you notice that it's also like what? Don't be like other nations. Go to Romans 12: present your body living sacrifice. What's the next thing? "And do not be conformed to the world." But be transformed by changing your own mind. What is the mind that he wants us to have? That man does not live by bread alone, but by everything that God says. That our life should have an explanation. Why do you do it like this? "God said." "But it is not..." "God said." "But why are you..." "God said." And ordinarily, logic cannot explain it. But do you notice that when logic cannot explain it, we feel inadequacy, and so we improve it so that it can be logical? We improve it. We try to make it such that it can be logical. And do you notice that that is the struggle today? It's a struggle. There's a struggle between people being spiritual, you understand me? and working as men, natural men. There is a mind of the natural men, there is a mind of the spiritual. Look at what Paul said when he was talking about in 1 Corinthians 2, let's take it from verse 9 to verse 14. I want a very simple translation, maybe NLT or the Message. Let's see the Message. 1 Corinthians 2:9: "We of course have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground. Once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it is not popular wisdom." It is not what? Popular wisdom. Do you get it? It is not popular. But what is our struggle today? We want to look different. But Israel is different. God gave them circumcision. No nation has circumcision. It is so that you can be different. God wants them to be different. You get the point I'm making? It's not a popular wisdom. That's why I say let's read the—so that when you read King James, it will not bring it out the way, you know, it's not popular wisdom. Please read on. [Speaker 4] "Or the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out of date in a year or two." [Speaker 1] All the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts. High-priced experts. The fashionable one that look wow, this is what is in vogue, this is what is going on. The fashionable wisdom. Please, don't you want to be fashionable? Please, don't you want to be fashionable, brethren? There is one of experts, the expert this, the expert that. Expert tailor, expert driver, expert barber, expert—are you following me, brethren? There is the fashionable one of the expert. Expert preachers. You know, you package yourself very well. Oratory training. You don't just say "God said" and the rest. There's a way you say that will carry some spirituality with it. You know, when I listen to these things I just wonder. I just wonder: these are teachings of people. You know, just wonder. Please, read on. God's wisdom is not the oldest, yes, we want to pray quickly. [Speaker 4] "It is not the latest message, but more like the oldest. What God determined as the way to bring out his best in us. Long before we ever arrived on the scene. If the add-ons had argued about this eternal plan, if they had, they wouldn't have killed the Master of God's design like they did. That's why we have this scripture: No one has ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it, what God has arranged for those who love him. No body"—you see, that wisdom is not imaginable. Please read on. I want to get around verse 13. "But God, by his spirit, has brought it all out into the open before us. The spirit is not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God plans all along. Whoever knows what you are thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God. Except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he's given us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesswork and opinions." [Speaker 1] We don't have to do what? Rely on that. The world's guesswork and opinion. Yes. [Speaker 4] "We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God." [Speaker 1] We didn't get this one by what? Reading books or going to school. Lekan, what did I say? It's a firsthand thing. Bro Zan, what did I say? It's a firsthand thing. God passes—that's why I keep telling people, nobody can take the place of Jesus in a man's life. Nobody. If anybody is teaching you Jesus, and he's not telling you to be personally connected to Jesus, it's not Jesus that he's teaching you. He's only raising disciples for himself. You must—there must be this firsthand one. There must be this one. Every branch connects to the vine. Every branch. All the branches. The branches are all connected. They're all connected to the vine. There's a connection. There's a firsthand thing. There's something I'm trying to bring to you is that number one, we're exclusive people. There is something exclusive about us. We are blessed people. We are privileged people. Number two, our struggle is not with the world. That was the problem of Israel. They wanted to be like other nations. Our struggle is not to be like the world. And the third thing I'm trying to make you see is that in whatever area of your life, marital, academic, business, just put everything together, the best of your life can never come out until that firsthand relationship with God. It can never come out. Paul plants, Apollos waters, but there is an increase that only God can give. Please, I want to beg us. Brethren, there is a best of your life. Bin'ga, there is a best. Funmi, there is a best. Fount'n, there is a best. Don't settle for the good or the better. Sade, there is a best. It is hidden inside God, it's inside. There is a wisdom, there is something, not this common fashionable, no. There is one. It's a mysterious wisdom. That's what will bring out the best in you. Even you will look at it. The only explanation you can give to people is what? God said. That's the only explanation: God said. And that is what will bring out that best in you. I want to stop for this evening. Let us pray. I want us to take just this song prayerfully. "I'll be my best." Not "I will do my best," but I want you to pray "I'll be my best in God." [background noise] I'll be my best, I'll be my best, I'll be my best in God. I'll be my best, I'll be my best, oh, I'll be my best in God. Oh Lord, I'll be my best, I'll be my best, oh Lord, I'll be my best in you. I'll be my best, I'll be my best, oh, I'll be my best in God. I'll be my best, I'll be my best, oh Lord, oh yes, I'll be my best in you. I'll be my best, I'll be my best, oh Lord, oh yes, I'll be my best in God. Oh Lord, I'll be my best, I'll be my best, oh Lord, oh yes, best in God. I want you to turn it to prayer. There is a best in you. That's what God was trying to show me. He said, "Son, this thing is not common. There is something about you that is unique. There is something I made about you." When I selected you, I selected you for something unique. We are chosen in God for something unique, not the common general thing, not the usual regular thing. No. There is a mysterious wisdom that is taking you somewhere. There is a mysterious wisdom. There is a wisdom that wants to carry you. Oh Father, we thank you. Father, we bless you. Father, we give you glory. Thank you, our Father. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you, Jehovah. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Just together as a group, I also want us to just give thanks to God for the success of the seminar on Saturday. Let's just thank the Lord. And let's thank the Lord for the inauguration of the couples' fellowship. I just want to just give thanks to the Lord for this direction. Let's thank the Lord for the success. It was God. Honestly, honestly, honestly, God showed up for us. Diversely and severally God showed up for us. God showed up for us. And Lord, we thank you for the inauguration of the couples' fellowship. We bless your name. We bless your name. We bless your name. We give you glory. Thank you, our Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.