Childlessness and Marriage (2) 4 Biblical Examples

[Music] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God will always have a godly remnant. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Singing] You are the Lord that is your name. You will never share your glory with any man. You will never share your glory with anybody. Almighty God, that is your name. Almighty God, that is your name. You will never share your glory with any man. You will never share your glory with anybody. Almighty God, that is your name. Almighty God, that is your name. You will never share your glory with any man. You will never share your glory with anybody. Almighty God, oh that is your name. [Speaker 1] Everlasting Father, we are grateful unto you. We thank you very, very much for this privilege to be here again for the second Saturday in the month of September. We are very grateful, our Father, for your mercies and for your love. We thank you, our God, for all who you are and for all that you are. As we gather again this morning, we are praying that your Spirit will work in our midst. Your Spirit will meet with each and every one of us. All of us who are connecting together, our brethren who are joining us on Mixlr, our brethren who are joining us on Telegram. Our Father, we trust in you. We who are here physically, we pray that your Spirit will work within us. Your Spirit will work among us. You will meet us where we need you most. Thank you, Eternal Father. Blessed be your holy name, our God. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Last month, we began the topic "Childlessness and Marriage." We were able to come to the point where we were able to pray last month when we saw that everybody must have a clear understanding that the husband and the wife in a childless marriage, honestly, they are both carrying the weight of the childlessness but in different capacity, in different measures and weights. But they are both bearing the burden and it is a very heavy one. And all stakeholders, mothers-in-law, fathers-in-law, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, the church, friends, they should rather be of encouragement and support for lives, families, homes, marriages that may be experiencing the challenge of barrenness, of childlessness in the marriage. What brought us to that conclusion was we looked at the first example, which was the marriage of Abraham. We saw that it was God who called Abraham. He said, move from among your own people, move to come to a land that I will show you. So, like every other person that was called by God, Abraham too was called. And the Bible recorded that Abraham was not only called of God, Abram or Abraham, actually he was able to develop a consistent walk with God. The Bible records that when he got to Canaan, he built an altar and there he communed with God. So, there was this walk. And we noted that it is very, very important for us to see the truth that because people are called by God or that they have a walk with God does not immune their marriages from challenges. There could be challenges. Abraham was not a godless person. Abraham was no more an unbeliever, he was no more an idol worshiper. He was a worshiper of God. He had a walk with God. And the matter of barrenness or childlessness, which had begun from the point before they came into God, still persisted even after God gave the promise when he was calling him that through your descendant shall all the families of the earth be blessed. So, the godly could face challenge and even as much as the challenge of childlessness. We also saw last month, the things that brought us to the conclusion, we noted also that we need to bear in mind that childlessness is a very, very critical challenge. Abraham had a struggle. Will this man that is of Damascus, will he be the one to inherit me? God has given Abraham so much, but he was still saying that God, you have not given me anything. We noted that barrenness, childlessness can be a very serious challenge even for the godly. We also noted last month that it is very, very important for us to know that in dealing with childlessness, in dealing with heavy challenges, in dealing with overwhelming issues like childlessness, then we saw that God did two things for Abraham. The Bible records that God spoke to him. God told him, Eliezer of Damascus will not be your heir. So God spoke to him. Number two, God did not only speak to him, God gave him a vision. God said, look to the star. See whether you will be able to count them. If you can count them, or you cannot count them, when you just look at it like that, then you will realize that is how your descendant, that is how they are going to be many. And the Bible says Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. So we saw that when there is a challenge in our life, like we saw in the life of Abraham, childlessness is a very serious challenge in any marriage. Even though Abraham had a walk with God, even though he was born again, he had a walk with God, childlessness was a very serious hollow. It was giving him a serious depression. He could not even appreciate all that God had given to him. It looks like God has not given me anything. And God did not tell Abraham, shut up. Rather, God did those two things for him. Number one, God spoke to him. Number two, God gave him a vision. And the Bible says Abraham believed God. So, what that means, like I said last month, was that Abraham was able to come out of the depression. He was able to come out of the discouragement that was in his heart about the matter of their childlessness. He believed God. Oh God, so shall my descendant be like the stars. So he was able to come out of it. And I said that when God wants to deal with this matter in our lives, let me put it this way. I said that childlessness can be a serious challenge both for Christian marriages and marriages that are not Christian marriages. However, for Christian marriages, for people who have a walk with God, for people who have been called by God, for people who are walking with God, God has a way of dealing with the depression. God has a way of dealing with the psychological, the emotional trauma that comes with it. God has a way of dealing with the confusion that comes with it. And the first thing God does in dealing with the confusion that comes with it is not that God gives a child. No. God changed our attitude to the problem. He changed the attitude of Abraham. He spoke to him and he gave him a vision. And so we concluded last month that it is very, very important for us to come to the conclusion that I said earlier, that when you notice that some lives, marriages, home, believers, families are going through childlessness, it is very, very important that we give them as much encouragement as we can. And not only that, we should, as much as possible, not contribute to their challenges. Don't contribute to their challenges. God did not contribute to the challenge of Abraham. What God did was to give him a word and a vision. And the way you can help individuals, families, couples that are going through very serious challenges in their life, in their waiting period, that are waiting for something, that are trusting God for something, that have been waiting and waiting and it looks like it is not coming, what you can be for them to be a blessing is give them a word, the word of the Lord. Not just the word from the Lord, can you also give them a vision? Can you come with, I saw this about you? Can you make them see what God is seeing? Can you make them see what God is saying? This was how we concluded last month. We are looking on this our topic of Childlessness and Marriage. And it is from this point we want to move on today. I believe for those of us who were not with us last month, I have been able to give a very short summary of what we discussed last month. These were the things we discussed. We have four marriages to look at. The marriage of Abraham and Sarah, or we can say Pastor and Pastor Mrs. Abraham, or Mr. and Mrs. Abraham. Then we have another marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Elkanah. We have another marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac. And we have a man in the New Testament, Mr. and Mrs. Zachariah. These are the four marriages we want to consider. And we want to learn from these marriages, biblical lessons about childlessness in marriage. So we have learned four major lessons from the marriage of Abraham. That was what we learned, four major lessons from the marriage of Abraham. And as we want to move on today, there is still another side in Abraham's marriage that I quickly want us to see before we begin to move to the other three. You see, the other three, we are going to almost place them side by side. By the time we get there, you will understand me better. But there is still something about this first marriage, Abraham's marriage, that I still want us to see further in that marriage because these are current challenges that we have today. Like I told you, what gave birth to discussing this topic under our marriage forum is in the last eight months of this year, between January and August, we have been able to handle different marriages that have the challenges of childlessness. And we saw different responses. And in our ministry career, moving from church to church, we have seen different things across churches. And we just felt, why don't we gather together under couples' forum and try to learn, see what the Bible says about these things. Let us learn from the Bible. Let us learn from the word of God so that we can have biblical response to these challenges. So, we want to look at something further about Abraham's marriage or Mr. and Mrs. Abram that is of importance to us this morning. Let us look at Genesis. Let us go back again to that Genesis. Genesis Chapter—we stopped at Chapter 16. So let us go there and see what scripture says. Genesis Chapter 16. That was where we stopped. Genesis Chapter 16. That was where Sarah was speaking to Abraham about her barrenness and she was thinking of a solution. Genesis 16:1-2: Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. We are trying to look at what we can learn in this marriage. Now, this was where we stopped last month where we said that indeed, not only the husband, even the wife too struggle with the challenge of barrenness, of childlessness. They too. So when we are telling a woman, what is even wrong with you? You should give birth to a child. Do you think anybody is happy that there is no child? Do you think anybody is rejoicing that there is no child? Then you will see sometimes mothers-in-law, fathers-in-law putting them under more pressure. You must do this, you must do that, you must get this. It must be done. They are under pressure. That was where we stopped. Now, we want to move on from there. Now, I want you to see something in this story. These things are written down for our learning. And the more we can learn from this story, the better for us. They are not just stories. They are things God wants us to see and learn from. The Bible says now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So she said to Abram, look at what she said. See now, the Lord has restrained me from childbearing. The point is, this statement that Sarai made, is it the truth? Is it the truth about that marriage? Thank you, brethren, you are responding. It is not the truth. God did not restrain Sarai from having children. How do we know? Because God had already spoken to Abraham that see, Eliezer of Damascus will not be your child. He will not be your child. Your descendant will be like the stars of the heaven. Abraham believed God. So when Sarai came to Abraham to say, see, God has told me, Sarai was having a perspective about God that is not true about her situation. And I want to pray for somebody this morning. I pray that everywhere you may be having a wrong perspective about God, about anything you may be going through, may the Lord correct your perspective in the name of Jesus. Because it is a very dangerous thing. It is a very dangerous thing when you are going through any situation and you are having a wrong perspective. You are not speaking from the point of God. Sarai said that categorically. And for you to know how much she is so weighed down by this perspective, she said, please, go in. So for her, see, God has concluded my case. God is through with my story. My case is a closed file. Do you know for how long I have been barren? Do you know for how long there is no child in this marriage? One time we were worshiping idol. We were worshiping wood and stone. There was no child in our marriage. Today, today, we are now worshiping God. We are worshiping God. We have been walking with God all of these years and the matter is not changing. See, the idols could not change it. And God himself, who can do anything, cannot change it. See, it is a closed case for me. My case is closed. And do you know that this is what many people do sometimes? They will just close their case. They will just believe that it is a closed case. They will just believe nothing good can come out again. I want to beg, I want to beg, I want to beg you. I am speaking to people. Sometimes it seems you have waited, you have waited, you have waited, you have waited. You have tried and tried and tried. You have done this, you have done that. This failed, that failed. And it looked like, it is like God doesn't want... it was a perspective, but it was a wrong perspective. She said, please. She was seriously under that burden. What I am trying to make you see is that when people carry a wrong perspective about what is happening in their life, when they don't carry the God perspective, but they are carrying a perspective different from that of God about their situation, they will also be carrying a wrong burden. They will be carrying a wrong burden. But my concern here is this marriage. Sarai spoke to Abram. My concern is, what was the response of Abram? When God was speaking to Abram, the Bible says God told Abram, look at the star. Sarai was not in that picture. You know, some things begin to come to heart. Was it that Abraham did not communicate that vision to Sarai? Because I am trying to make you see something. When a Christian marriage is going through childlessness, God's way of first dealing with their problem is to give them a word and a vision. God will give them a word, a word of direction. God will give them a vision of what God wants to do. In a Christian marriage, if we don't find that, then those people that we are calling Christians, it means they are not taking time to deepen their relationship with God. We must be able to deepen our relationship with God in such a way that when critical challenges are around our life, to get us out of depression, out of discouragement, God will want to give us a word and a vision. God came to Abraham and he gave him the first important, that is the most important way God deals with the matter of challenges in our life. For families who are listening to us right now, I know that some of the families, some of the singles—because it is not couple's forum, but marriage forum—some of the singles who are listening to us, if you have been following us in our discipleship class, we have noted something that when God wants to do anything in anybody's life, God must first speak to that life. Because until God speaks, nothing can be done. He spoke and it was done. God must speak. Then God will give a vision. That faith has eyes and faith has ears. The eyes of faith and the ears of faith. Anytime there is a critical challenge in our life, a challenge like childlessness, and we are believers, if we are actually Christians, if we are practicing Christian faith, God will give a word and God will give a vision. That was where we stopped last month. Now, what we are seeing is that whether or not God give a word or a vision, or to be precise, even when God has given a word and a vision, there is a very important thing to note. The person who received that word, either the wife or the husband, whoever received it—if it is both of them who receive it together, good. If it is the husband who received it, if it is the wife who received it—they must be able to bring their spouse to that level of understanding. When God gives us a word, when God gives us a vision concerning a challenge in our marriage, in our relationship, we have another duty to do in dealing with that challenge. As we are seeing in this case, in dealing with childlessness, if the two of you did not receive that word together, if the two of you did not receive that vision together, we have another duty. We must consistently, systematically, deliberately, intentionally, as a matter of prayer, as a matter of intercession, as a matter of dedication, bring our spouse to that understanding that we receive. Because it is the person who received understanding and vision that will be able to carry the other person along. So, I really don't know whether Abraham did it to Sarai. The Bible did not record that. So we must not begin to say whether Abraham was at fault. The Bible did not give us that picture. So we must be careful not to say what the Bible did not say. We must be careful to see Sarai. But we are only saying that if for any reason in your own marriage, God is giving you a vision, God is giving you an understanding about a challenge in your marriage, please learn to communicate that to the other person as a matter of intercession, patience, prayer. Bring that person to that faith. The Bible says Abraham believed God. Let the other person too can believe God. You should be able to bring that person. I tell people, marriage is ministry of works. Anybody who is not ready to work on the life of another person, who is not ready to invest into the life of another should not go into marriage. If you are not ready to invest your life into people, you are not ready to invest your life into another person, please, marriage is not meant for you. Because there are people in marriages today who are giving their spouses serious challenges because they don't understand that marriage is about investing into the life of that person God gave you. We invest our time, we invest our grace, we invest our ministry, we invest our calling, we invest our vision, we invest our teaching, we invest our... we invest everything into that person. It is not only... unfortunately today, people think marriage is just about money. Once the young man have money, the problem is solved. If that is true, go out there. You will see many millionaires that their marriages are not working. You will see many millionaires that their marriages have failed over and over again. Everything is not about money. There are greater things in relationship than money. If you live proper life, you live very well, money will serve you. You will not serve money. In this our generation, people are serving money. People are making money to make them kill a lot of things. It is quite unfortunate. But that is not our focus this morning. Our focus is that please, you must be ready to invest. So, I am not blaming father Abraham. I am not saying Abraham did not tell Sarai because the Bible did not record that for us. So I am not going to say that. But I am only saying that we must get this that if the other person don't have the vision, there could be a problem. Another way to look at it is that is it possible that Father Abraham told Sarai about it, but Sarai could not come to that understanding? Would that possibility be there? We don't know. But the reason why I am saying that is that it is possible that sometimes you are having an understanding, you are having a vision and you just feel that it is as a matter of just mentioning it to the person. See, God has said something. Our child will be like the stars of the heaven. So don't worry, we... sometimes it goes beyond just mentioning. It goes beyond just mentioning. It goes to the point of praying the person through, staying with the person, repeating it over and over again, praying through, interceding for the person to get it. I will give you a good example why I said this. That it could also be possible that Abraham told Sarai, but the thing did not sink. Do you know how many times Jesus spoke to the disciples that he is going to die and he will resurrect? Jesus at a point, Peter said, master, you will not die. Jesus rebuked him, get thee behind me Satan. Jesus told them, the Son of Man shall be delivered to Gentiles, to the rulers, and he will rise again. He said that over and over and over. Still, when Jesus died, Magdalene went to the tomb and she found that the body of Jesus was not there. She came back to this same Peter and said they have stolen the body of the Lord away. Peter and one other disciple—you can go and read that in John Chapter 20—they ran to the tomb. When they got there, the Bible says they believed that Jesus' body was stolen because they did not yet understand the scripture that Jesus will rise again. So even though Jesus was telling them the scripture, they were not understanding. So it is possible sometimes too you are telling your spouse and the person is still not coming to understanding. He is still saying, hey, I don't know. Please don't get angry. You need intercession. You need prayers. You need close follow-up. Why did I say close follow-up? Look at Jesus. After he now resurrected, the Peter that he told that he will die and resurrect told disciples, since they have stolen Jesus' body away, let us go back to fishing. And they joined Peter. They went back into fishing that they have left when Jesus was alive. Jesus did not kill Peter. Jesus did not scatter Peter and say, Gabriel, go and cut off his head. You see, sometimes as believers in marriage, we don't have the heart of Jesus. We don't see the place of laboring over lives. Wife, labor over your husband. Husband, labor over your wife. Fiancé and fiancée, labor over one another. If you have not entered into one, begin to tell God now to enlarge your heart. Don't have a narrow heart. Don't have a small heart. Marriage is not meant for people with a narrow heart. Marriage is not for people with a small heart. Marriage is meant for people with a large heart. People who can carry other people. People who can bear up with people. People who can tolerate, who can take things in. That is the people that are meant for marriage. If you are not like that, please don't go into it. You will scatter it. So we are looking at a very important thing. Jesus did not scatter Peter and destroy Peter. Jesus appeared again to Peter. It was where Peter was fishing. Jesus made sure that they toiled all night, they didn't catch anything, just as at the first time. He want to remind him again of those experiences of old. [Singing] Oh, Jesus knows all about our struggles. He will guide 'til the day is done. There is no other friend like the lowly Jesus. No, not one. No, not one. May we be a friend like Jesus. May we be like Jesus. You say, oh, that person I am befriending, we are in a relationship. Which kind of heart are you having? Are you a friend like Jesus? Look at how Jesus came to Peter. He was trying to remind him of those good old days again. Peter, there was a time you toiled all night you didn't catch anything. It was at my word I said cast it this way. And when you did so, there was a catch, there was a great catch. Without me Peter, even financially you cannot survive. Financially you cannot survive. If I don't bless the work of your hand, you cannot survive. Why did you leave me and run back to fishing? He was trying to bring Peter back into a perspective about Peter's life. He was reminding Peter, this is not what you are called out for. Peter, you have been called to a greater assignment. And I pray for somebody this morning. Everywhere discouragement or confusion have made you to leave your place of primary assignment, may the Lord restore you in the name of Jesus. Jesus went to Peter. And then when he got to them that morning, he said, okay, throw your nets to this side. And there was a catch. At that instant, Peter said, that must be the Lord. You see, he remembered, wow! Ah, it is the Lord! It is the Lord! It is the Lord! And then he left everything and ran to Jesus. And then the others came. And then you can see Jesus. Jesus said, Peter, do you love me more than these? Peter, do you love me more than this profession? Do you love me more than this fishing? Do you love me... Peter, I love you, Lord! I love you! He said, you love me. Okay, feed my lambs. He asked him again, Peter, do you love me more than these? He answered again, Lord, I love you! Jesus was trying to press a lesson home. He thought time again, he said, Peter, Peter, do you love me more than these? At that point Peter became uncomfortable. The lesson is now dawning on him. He said, Lord, you know I love you! You know all things! You know my heart! You know everything! I know your heart. I know you love me. But something is still distracting you from me. You need to leave this thing. I'm trying to make you see the Lord. I'm relating that in relationship between a husband and a wife. God could have given you a vision. God could have given you something about your ministry. God could have told you something about what God wants to do with the marriage. God could have told you something about a challenge both of you are facing. Maybe there is a financial problem. Maybe there is childlessness problem. Maybe there is a health problem. It could be any kind of critical challenge. But we are looking at childlessness as a very critical challenge because childlessness is a very critical one. It's a serious challenge. You know, it's so serious because for instance, somebody can give you money if it is financial. But somebody cannot just give you a child and say it's already your biological child. You know, it's so critical. In culture, they start thinking the person is a witch. You start thinking, oh... you know, it's a very critical one. And we are looking at how God dealt with it. So there could be a critical challenge in the marriage and God spoke to one person, either the husband or the wife. There could be a challenge and God says look, this is the way to go. The person that God told has a serious duty in his hand. He must be able to bring the other person to that understanding. He must not say, but I told her, I told him, I have told him. That's why I'm showing you Jesus and the disciples. Look at how Jesus was following up Peter. The Bible says Jesus was with them after his resurrection for another 40 days. And he was showing them signs and wonders so that they would be able to come to understanding. He began to open their mind. The Bible says he opened their mind. He began to... you see, he was concerned that no, these people must get it. They must get it. And he was investing, he was investing. And hallelujah, eventually they got it. I am telling you, that your husband you are thinking will not get it and you want to abandon him and go away. He's not seeing what I am seeing. He's not hearing what I am hearing. I want to leave this man. He's a useless Christian. That your wife that you are saying, she's a useless Christian. I don't know what is even wrong with her. God spoke to me. I'm going to abandon this lady. Oh, if only you can stay a little longer. If only you can pursue in prayer, in patience, in tolerance. If only you can go with revelation, asking God to help you, that person will come to understanding. Simon Peter who was so unstable, the Bible later says Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. That same Peter stood on the day of Pentecost and 3,000 gave their lives to Jesus. That same Peter! That same your wife that you are looking at, that same your husband that you are looking at that you feel cannot come to understanding and you abandon the person, you don't take time to bring the person into understanding, that person, if you persist, can become a changed life. That is what we are trying to see. That God spoke to Abraham. But we really cannot tell what happened because the Bible did not record it. So we are careful not to assign blame to anybody. But we are just taking lessons. We are taking lessons from this that it is possible that even after God could have spoken, somebody is still troubled. Somebody is still depressed. One of the party is still pleading with the other one. Look, let us leave this thing. God has left us. Look, we need to move on! We need to move on! The person who have understanding should not just give in. I don't know whether it is that Abraham has been speaking to Sarai about it and Sarai was not understanding. I really don't know what really happened. Because Abraham already have understanding. But maybe this Sarai said, our problem is too much. Okay, okay! I will do what you say you want us to do! Since you are not... no, don't abandon what God told you. Don't leave it. Be patient with that person. Pray a little more. Give more encouragement. Be tolerant. Somehow, somehow, the person will come to understanding. But what we see in this place was a different thing. They took an alternative to the revelation of God. I pray for you this morning. When you are facing your critical challenge, may you not take an alternative to God's revelation. May you not take an alternative to what God is saying. May you not take an alternative to God's vision. May you not take an alternative in the name of Jesus! They took an alternative. Hey! Alternative! An alternative that we are still regretting till today. An alternative that we are still saying, ah, how did we get to this point? Look at what the Ishmaelites are doing with the son of the free woman. Look at what the son of the bondwoman are doing with the son of the free woman. An alternative we are still regretting till today. I'm just praying for you. I'm praying for you. God's way of dealing with childlessness, of dealing with childlessness is a critical challenge. But I'm using that as an extension to any kind of challenge. Maybe as a young man, you are waiting for a husband, you are waiting for a wife. Maybe as a young woman, you have been waiting for a husband. It looks like those people that were seven times your junior are already married having children. And you are wondering, God, will you answer me? And God, I'm already getting old. Maybe as a family, some of the young people you taught, they are now millionaires and you who was their teacher, you are struggling in poverty. And you are saying, ah, this marriage is not blessed. In this one we die. It could be any kind. That's why I said maybe it could be a health challenge. Maybe there is a terminal illness. Maybe there is a disease condition. It could be anything. Challenge can come for the godly, any kind of challenge. That's what we saw last month, that the godly could be challenged. The Bible says many are the afflictions of the righteous, but from them all—hallelujah! From them all, the Lord will deliver. It may be many afflictions of the righteous. The righteous may be afflicted. But I am telling you, God can deliver. And the way God delivers is what I am showing you. Deepen a relationship with God. Deepen your relationship. When God wants to do anything in anybody's life, God will speak. God will give a word and a vision. A word and a vision. And when God gives, the lesson we are learning for the month of September is that we must be able to bring our spouse to it. We must be able to patiently bring them. We must be careful not to use an alternative method different from that method. These are the lessons that we are learning for the month of September. When you receive that, there will still be pressure. There will still be pressure here and there. Be careful not to alternate that thing God told you. Be careful not to leave it. The pressure could be coming from your husband. The pressure could be coming from your wife. You don't need to because of that abandon them. That's why I showed you the case of Jesus. Because of that, you need to see how for your wife, for your husband, you will be able to bring them to the understanding. Because the person is your wife, you will be able to do so, I'm telling you. Because the person is your husband, you will be able to do so. All you need is the heart of Jesus. That is all you need. Don't alternate whatever God shows you as a way out of childlessness. Don't ever alternate it. Only thing God is showing you as a way out of a problem. Whatever God is saying, because that thing that God is saying is the seed of your miracle. It is the seed of your victory. It is the seed of your overcoming. Once God speaks, the word of God don't go back to Him void. Hallelujah! They don't return back to Him void. They can never. They can never return back. The Bible says my word which I speak, it will not return back to me. It will accomplish that for which I have sent it. It will prosper... look, that is the word of God. Once God sent that word to you, that word will prosper. But you must understand timing. We are coming to that later. As we go on, you will see it. Other lesson to learn: timing. God has given the word. God has given the vision. Let's learn to carry our spouse along. Let's learn to carry our partners along. Let's be careful. If you are not married, it is just pressure from your father, your mother, your friend. Don't let anything make you alternate the way God is showing you to go. Go that way. In any case, the Bible says Abraham heeded the voice of Sarai. That was not the way to go. It wasn't the way to go. And what I want to show you from this, why I want you to see this is that if the godly, if we are not careful, we will go the way of unbelievers. That's the lesson we are learning from childlessness. That's another very important lesson we are learning. If we are not careful, even the very godly that you will say they are Christians, they are believers, even the very godly, if they are not careful with what God is showing them, if they are not careful with what God is putting before them, they may find themselves alternating God. Abraham went the way of polygamy. He went the way... that's what some people are doing today to solve the issue of barrenness, the issue of childlessness. The way of the unbelievers. The way of the world. People begin to look for other kind of things that are not Christian to solve their problem. I know believers who have been looking for job for a long time and because it was not coming, there's the case of a sister who the one that now came was that she will need to sleep with the executive director. And she went ahead to do that. Said she could no more be waiting. She is tired of waiting. You some things may find yourself delayed in some things. But please, I am begging you. I am pleading with you. Don't go the way of the world. Abraham went into an alternative way of solving the problem. He left the fundamental design of God. The Bible says and God took a bone out of Adam and he molded it into a woman and he brought her. And Adam said this is now bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of me. And the Bible says for this reason, a man will leave father and mother and be joined to his wife. Not his wives. His wife. That is the agenda of God. That is the way of God. That is the design of God. That is how God wants us to go so that we can be representing what God is going to do later. Adam is a kind of Christ. The first Adam, the second Adam. The Christ, which is the Lord, is going to have his body. We are the body of Christ. So the husband will love his wife as Christ loved the church. The wife will submit to the husband as the church submit to Christ. So head and body. It is one head. We don't have two heads. It is one Lord. One Lord, one body, one faith, one baptism, one hope, one resurrection. Unfortunately today, even some Christians are preaching polygamy. They are saying two lords, two bodies, two baptisms, two hopes, two resurrections. No. No. If you are listening to me, wherever you are, please, if you have a question, send in your question. Because I know that we are from different churches. We are from different backgrounds. And we are looking at a matter. When something is an error, it's an error. We learn from both the mistakes and the success of the heroes gone ahead. We don't go the part of their errors. We don't say, but somebody said Abraham too married two wives, Jacob married two wives. Uh-huh! So me... ah! You don't go the part of their errors. Jesus spoke again when the Pharisees in Matthew Chapter 19—you can go and read that up—when they said can a man put away his wife for any reason. And Jesus said, have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, for this reason, a man shall leave father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one. Whatever God has joined together let no man put asunder. And they were asking him, the Pharisees, because they did not come to learn, they came to test him. They already have their made-up mind. Why then did Moses allow us to put away our wife and marry another? Jesus said Moses allowed you to do that because of the hardness of your heart. Moses himself was the one who received the revelation that predated Adam. Adam had not been made. The story that Moses gave in Genesis was before Adam was made. So nobody could have passed that story to Moses because nobody could have known that story. No man know that story that this was how God made Adam, then God made... no. Adam himself will not know that story, how he was made. Moses was telling something about the beginning. Something that is so deep, something that was before man was made. And he was showing the ordination of God that God have ordained when God created Adam and Eve, God ordained that a man shall leave father and mother and be joined to his wife. So Moses never, never thought that you should marry another one. No. It was because you people were difficult for him to handle. He could no more handle you. Your heart was hard. You go ahead, some of you kill your wife. Some of you do everything to humiliate and do whatever to the woman. So in a bid to save the life of the women, Moses allowed you. From the beginning, it was never so. From the beginning, it was never so. I am begging you, if you are listening to me, this was an error in Father Abraham. We know it is an error and we are speaking categorically about this one because it is recorded. In Chapter 17, God appeared back to Abraham. He appeared back to him. And he told Abraham, he said, walk before me. Walk before me and be blameless. Walk before me and be blameless. You... this is not the way to walk. Walk before me and be perfect. He said, look, I am the Almighty. You know what God is trying to make him see? There is no situation in which I am not mighty. He said, I am the Almighty God. Walk before me and be blameless. I want to tell you, brethren, God is the Almighty. Kosi ohun t’Olorun o le se. There is nothing God cannot do. He is the Almighty. There is nothing in which God is not mighty. No matter how bent, how crooked the situation may be like. No matter how... I don't know what it will look like. But I want you to know, brethren, that we are serving the Almighty God. He said, Abraham, Abraham, you are making a mistake. Abraham, you are making a mistake. You ought not to have listened to Sarai. You ought not to have heeded that way. You ought to have been an encouragement to her. You ought to have stood by her, made her to see that look, I have not stopped you from having a child. I am working something. I have a purpose. Sarai was a woman of the night. God had not designed Sarai to have more than a child. That is why when God was speaking to Abraham, he said through your seed, not your seeds. God wanted a seed so that Isaac will be like Jesus. So that Abraham will be the father of Isaac and the father of Jesus. Through your seed! So Abram would produce faith. Abram is the father of faith. Jesus came by faith. So through his seed again, that seed Jesus Christ. Through his seed again, the physical shadow Isaac. That is the seed. That is God's intention. So Sarai, the wife for that marriage, is to have that seed. Look at the plan of God. Look at the intention of God. God was working an eternal plan. God was working something great. God was working something beautiful. God was working something mighty. But Abraham... I want to beg you if you are listening to me. These things are written down for us to learn. I've seen your churches, pastors, people who say that yeah, polygamy, Abraham have two wives, God is not against polygamy, Solomon have more than 1,000, so God is not against polygamy and they begin to talk all these kind of thing. It's quite unfortunate. It's quite unfortunate that this is even spreading among those who we may call Christian. But like we also said, the scripture have written, not every man have understanding. I pray for you that is listening to me, may you understand the ways of God. May you understand the ways of God. May you understand the deep things of God. May you walk in the path of righteousness. May you walk in the path of uprightness. May you walk before God and be blameless. May God look at you and say your walk before me is blameless. May you not be blamed in your walk with God in the name of Jesus Christ. Father Abraham was blamed for that work. He was blamed. He said ah-ah, Abraham! Abraham! Ah! But you know, God is a God of mercy. God is so wonderful. God is so great. Someone else might have just cut Abraham off and said, okay, since you want to go your way, that's the end of you and God will raise somebody else. But instead God came to him and he said, Abraham, Abraham, Abraham, I am the Almighty. I am the Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless. And I want you to look at the conversation for you to know that it is about a child. I will make my covenant, I will make my covenant between me and you and will multiply you exceedingly. Then Abraham fell on his face and God talked with him saying, as for me, behold, my covenant is with you and you shall be the father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be called Abraham, for I have made you father of multitude. I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make nations out of you. Kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendant after you in their generation for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendant after you. Also, I give to you and your descendant after you, the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession and I will be their God. And God said to Abraham, as for you, you shall keep my covenant. God gave circumcision as a covenant. Every male child shall be circumcised on the eighth day. I'm skipping that. He that is born and all of that. God gave circumcision as a covenant. Then after he has given the covenant of those that will be his seed—do you notice that God did not give this covenant until Isaac was about to be born? God did not talk about this covenant because now the covenant child is coming. The uselessness of Abraham, the error he made... I want you to look at the conversation. Then God said to Abraham, as for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and give you a son by her. Then I will bless her and she shall be the mother of nations. Kings of people shall come from her. Then Abraham—look at what Abraham did. Look at what Abraham did. Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart—you see, he has thrown away the word of God. You can see why God is saying walk before me and be blameless. Are you seeing something now? And he said in his heart, shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is 90 years old, bear a child? So 90 minus 16, Sarai was 84 when Sarai now concluded that a child cannot come again. Yet, God was waiting for when she would be 90. When she would be completely dead. No longer hope. Because it was after Jesus died, every hope was lost that anything can happen again that there was a resurrection. May we wait for when God will make us to be wonder. May we wait 'til when God will use us for wonder. May we wait 'til when God will use us for wonder in the name of Jesus! God wanted to do wonders with Sarah. [local language] God wanted to do wonders. It was after the enemy did their worst. It was after every hope was lost. Jesus was crucified, he was buried, they put a stone, no hope. Everything locked up and everybody said everything was God. That was when the power of God started. That was what God wanted to do with Sarah. At 84, they may still say, maybe something happened. But at 90, nobody in that culture will say that person can give birth again. That was where God want the matter to get to, so that it can be clear that it was an impossible situation just as resurrection is the hope of Christianity. God visiting Sarah will be the hope of Abraham. That was what God was planning. Look at what the glorious thing God was planning through Sarah and Abraham. May you not abort the plan of God for your life in the name of Jesus Christ. May we walk in the glory that God have intend for us. May we walk in the dignity, the power, the honor that God intends for our life, for our marriages, for our home, in the name of Jesus! Look at where God was going. Look at the mistake of Abraham. And some people are speaking today, Abraham married two after all, it was just... and God was still Abraham's friend. So even when you marry two, it doesn't mean you cannot walk with God. Is God saying we should go and learn from his error? Is God saying that we should be walking before Him and be blamed? Is that what God wants us to do? Abraham said, shall Sarah who is 90 years bear a son? And Abraham said to God—look at Abraham. Abraham said to God, oh that Ishmael might live before you. Have you seen how Abraham have finished God in his heart? In his heart! God, you have removed... yeah, yeah, right, that one. He just finished him. God, you don't have anything to do in this one. It's a closed case. You have finished in this one. You don't have any power. You don't... forget it, forget it. Look at how Abraham and some people are saying that that is the part we should follow in Abraham. That polygamy can be an answer. Young man, young woman listening to me, don't go the way of error. Faith speak in the heart, the word of faith. If you have not been following us in discipleship class, please, you can join us on Monday, listen to our things, go to the website, they are all there. Biblical concept of faith, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34. Go and listen to it. Faith speak in the heart. Faith is not dead. It speaks in the heart. It's speaking! Abraham was no more speaking faith. Abraham was speaking nonsense. Abraham finished God in his heart. He was saying God, that Ishmael may live, that is God, it's like you forgot. There is already a son. We already have a son. You know the other one cannot work again and you know it cannot work. Thank God that God is a God of mercy. Thank God that he is a good God. Thank God that it is God who began the work in us and is the one to finish it. If it depends on us—that's why I tell people—if you think that it is by your power, your power that you are working as a Christian, you are foolish. If it is not that God is the one who keeps us, if not that God who watches over us. Yes, we must be watchful, we must be vigilant, we must be sober, we must be prayerful. We must be on our alert. Satan like a roaring lion seek who to devour. But don't ever glory in your strength that it is your strength that is keeping you. There is a God who is greater than our strength. There is a God when our heart is overwhelmed, who is able to lead us to the rock. There is a God who is the author of our faith, who will also finish that faith. There is a God who began the good work in us, who is able to finish it. If not for that God. That is the kind of God we serve, who is able even with our failures, still able to work out for our good. That is what God did. And today people are justifying that failure. That is the one people are talking about that Abraham had two, Abraham did that even the father of faith. But I'm showing you a failure. The father of faith at this point was at the lowest ebb. There was no faith. But there was an Almighty God. Are you understanding me? There was no faith, but there was an Almighty God. The mighty God who called him, who began the journey with him, who knows that we could fail. And when we fall like that, instead of leaving us to scatter, he quickly stretch forth his hand. You find the same thing with Peter. He told Peter, come. And Peter was coming. Unfortunately, Peter began to look, Peter began to look at the wind and he began to sink. [local language] The God with a long arm that can deliver his own. He cried, master! Jesus quickly reached forth his hand and pulled him up. [local language] The God with a long arm that can deliver his children. He went again and pulled him up. For Peter was not supposed to look at the wind. People begin to say that when we look at the wind, our life is still correct. No. You don't look at the errors and learn. You are supposed to learn and avoid the errors. The Bible says so that we don't do what they did wrongly. 1 Corinthians Chapter 10. We go the way that they do right, the one that they did rightly. So at this point there was no faith in Abraham. Please don't go that way in your own life. You can see that inside Abraham's heart, there is nothing, I mean, he finished God. There is nothing God can do to revert it. He said oh God, that Ishmael may live. That is God, it's like you forgot. There is already a son. We already have a son. You know the other one cannot work again and you know it cannot work. And look at what God said. Look at what God said. Look at how God answered Abraham. God said, then God said, "No! No! Sarah your child shall bear you a son and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him." So the covenant I'm giving you now, do you see it? It's not a covenant with Ishmael. That is why God never spoke about his covenant of circumcision when Ishmael came. God don't have any business. There are no two saviors. It is one Lord. One Lord. It is one Lord, one God, one faith, one baptism, one hope, one resurrection. Unfortunately today, even some Christians are preaching polygamy. They are saying two lords, two bodies, two baptisms, two hopes, two resurrections. No. No. If you are listening to me, wherever you are, please if you have a question, send in your question. Because I know that we are from different churches, we are from different background and we are looking at a matter. When something is an error, it's an error. We learn from both the mistakes and the success of the heroes gone ahead. We don't go the part of their errors. We don't say that somebody said, Abraham too married two wives, Jacob married two wives. Uh-huh! So me... ah! You don't go the part of their errors. Jesus spoke again when the Pharisees, Matthew Chapter 19—you can go and read that up—when they said can a man put away his wife for any reason. And Jesus said, have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female and said, for this reason a man shall leave father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one. Whatever God has joined together let no man put asunder. And they were asking him, the Pharisees, because they did not come to learn, they came to test him. They already have their made-up mind. Why then did Moses allow us to put away our wife and marry another? Jesus said, ah, Moses allowed you to do that because of the hardness of your heart. Moses himself was the one who received the revelation that predated Adam. Adam had not been made. The story that Moses gave in Genesis was before Adam was made. So nobody could have passed that story to Moses because nobody could have known that story. No man know that story that this was how God made Adam, then God made... no. Adam himself will not know that story, how he was made. Moses was telling something about the beginning. Something that is so deep, something that was before man was made. And he was showing the ordination of God that God have ordained when God created Adam and Eve, God ordained that a man shall leave father and mother and be joined to his wife. So Moses never, never thought that you should marry another one. No. It was because you people were difficult for him to handle. He could no more handle you. Your heart was hard. You go ahead, some of you kill your wife. Some of you do everything to humiliate and do whatever to the woman. So in a bid to save the life of the women, Moses allowed you. From the beginning, it was never so. From the beginning, it was never so. I am begging you, if you are listening to me, this was an error in Father Abraham. We know it is an error and we are speaking categorically about this one because it is recorded. In Chapter 17, after He has given the covenant of those that will be his seed—do you notice that God did not give this covenant until Isaac was about to be born? God did not talk about this covenant because now the covenant child is coming. The uselessness of Abraham, the error he made... I want you to look at the conversation. Then God said to Abraham, as for Sarah your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and give you a son by her. Then I will bless her and she shall be the mother of nations. Kings of people shall come from her. Then Abraham—look at what Abraham did. Look at what Abraham did. Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart—you see, he has thrown away the word of God. You can see why God is saying walk before me and be blameless. Are you seeing something now? And he said in his heart, shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah who is 90 years old bear a child? And Abraham said to God—look at Abraham—Abraham said to God, oh that Ishmael might live before you. Are you seen how Abraham have finished God in his heart? In his heart! God, you have removed... yeah, right, that one. He just finished him. God, you don't have anything to do in this one. It's a closed case. You have finished in this one. You don't have any power. You don't... forget it, forget it. Look at how Abraham—and some people are saying that that is the part we should follow in Abraham. That polygamy can be an answer. Young man, young woman listening to me, don't go the way of error. Faith speak in the heart, the word of faith. If you have not been following us in discipleship class, please, you can join us on Monday, listen to our things, go to the website, they are all there. Biblical concept of faith, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34. Go and listen to it. Faith speak in the heart. Faith is not dead. It speaks in the heart. It's speaking! Abraham was no more speaking faith. Abraham was speaking nonsense. Abraham finished God in his heart. He was saying God, that Ishmael may live. That is God, it's like you forgot. There is already a son. We already have a son. You know the other one cannot work again and you know it cannot work. Ah! Thank God that God is a God of mercy. Thank God that he is a good God. Thank God that it is God who began the work in us and is the one to finish it. If it depends on us—that's why I tell people—if you think that it is by your power, your power that you are working as a Christian, you are foolish. If it is not that God is the one who keeps us, if not that God who watches over us. Yes, we must be watchful, we must be vigilant, we must be sober, we must be prayerful. We must be on our alert. Satan like a roaring lion seek who to devour. But don't ever glory in your strength that it is your strength that is keeping you. There is a God who is greater than our strength. There is a God when our heart is overwhelmed who is able to lead us to the rock. There is a God who is the author of our faith, who will also finish that faith. There is a God who began the good work in us, who is able to finish it. If not for that God. That is the kind of God we serve, who is able even with our failures still able to work out for our good. That is what God did. And today people are justifying that failure. That is the one people are talking about that Abraham had two, Abraham did that even the father of faith. But I'm showing you a failure. The father of faith at this point was at the lowest ebb. There was no faith. But there was an Almighty God. Are you understanding me? There was no faith, but there was an Almighty God. The mighty God who called him, who began the journey with him, who knows that we could fail. And when we fall like that, instead of leaving us to scatter, he quickly stretch forth his hand. You find the same thing with Peter. He told Peter, come. And Peter was coming. Unfortunately, Peter began to look, Peter began to look at the wind and he began to sink. [local language] The God with a long arm that can deliver his own. He cried, master! Jesus quickly reached forth his hand and pulled him up. [local language] The God with a long arm that can deliver his children. He went again and pulled him up for Peter was not supposed to look at the wind. Some begin to say that when we look at the wind, our life is still correct. No. You don't look at the errors and learn. You are supposed to learn and avoid the errors. The Bible says so that we don't do what they did wrongly. 1 Corinthians Chapter 10. We go the way that they do right, the one that they did rightly. So at this point there was no faith in Abraham. Please don't go that way in your own life. You can see that inside Abraham's heart, there is nothing, I mean, he finished God. There is nothing God can do to revert it. He said oh God, that Ishmael may live. That is God, it's like you forgot. There is already a son. We already have a son. You know the other one cannot work again and you know it cannot work. And look at what God said. Look at what God said. Look at how God answered Abraham. God said, then God said, "No! No! Sarah your wife shall bear you a son and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him." So the covenant I'm giving you now, do you see it? It's not a covenant with Ishmael. That is why God never spoke about his covenant of circumcision when Ishmael came. God don't have any business. There are no two saviors. It is one Lord. One Lord. It is one Lord, one God, one faith, one baptism, one hope, one resurrection. One Lord, one God, one faith, one baptism. Not two lords. It's not Ishmael-Isaac. No, no, no. It's not two. It's one. It's not two. It's one. He said no, my covenant is in one direction. It is one body. It is one faith. It is one God. It is one baptism. It is one hope. It is one heaven. There are no two heavens. It's one heaven. Everything is one, one, one, one, one and ultimately one God. That is the direction we are going. He said, "Shall bear you a son. I will establish my covenant with him and the descendant after him. As for Ishmael, since you talk about Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him and make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget 12 princes and I will make him a great nation. But! But! My covenant I will establish with Isaac, who Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year." Then he finished talking with him and God went up from Abraham. Are you seeing something? I will bless Isaac, I will bless Ishmael oh, but the matter of covenant, the thing I want to do with you, have nothing to do with that. It has nothing... it's your error. That's why I told you that you should have walked before me and be blameless. You should have walked before me and be upright. Walk before me. It's a life of faith. The just shall live by faith. I gave you a word, I gave you a vision. Sarah ought to enter into it. The family should have entered into it. You should have been there. You should have waited. You should have keep confessing, keep saying that thing I gave you because it cannot return back void to me. It will prosper in what I have sent it. It will come to pass according to what I have said. That is my intention. Don't start telling me that there is one that you gave birth to. That is not... I never had any... I don't have any agenda about that. That's why I'm just bringing my covenant to you now, my covenant of circumcision. Even though Abraham went and carried Ishmael and did all of that and did everything, the covenant is with Isaac. It's about Isaac. It's about Isaac. And that is how you see... what I am trying to make you see is that there are people who because God allow a lot of things to go on, because Ishmael prospered, because Ishmael become a big nation, people say but God also blessed, God also did that, but God also did this. So God legitimize it. God allowed it. God... look at your Bible. We are talking about eternity. God said I don't have any eternal covenant with Ishmael. If I will have anything to do from any of that descendant, they will eventually come to the seed, your seed. You know Isaac, Isaac was the shadow. Jesus is the reality. So anybody who will have anything to do with God from any generation, will now come by the seed of Abraham. Jesus is the father of Abraham by faith. Abraham is the father of Jesus by faith, sorry. Abraham is the father of Jesus. So his seed. So Jesus by faith. That's why we say we are of the faith of Abraham. Abraham's blessings are mine. We walk in that same faith of Abraham. We are to walk in the faith of Abraham, not in the unbelief of Abraham, not in the error of Abraham, not in the mistake of Abraham. We are to walk in his faith. I don't know what you may be facing as a challenge. But I'm telling you today that polygamy is not a way. It's not a way out of childlessness. It's not a way out of it. Don't alternate God. Don't alternate God. That a child is born and God bless them, God did everything... do you know how many Ishmaelites have become Christians today? They were still blessed through the seed, through the seed of Abraham, talking about Jesus Christ. God will stand where he will stand. Nothing can change the plans of God. So let us not begin to legitimize error or begin to campaign error as if it is the truth. What is wrong is wrong. What is wrong is wrong. And we must understand that and live by that and have a clear understanding about that, very importantly for our lives. We won't be closing the meeting here today. As I look through the technical... there is nothing, no question coming from anywhere. There are no questions coming, either physically or online. So we want to close the meeting here today. As we wrap up the meeting today, we are reminding ourselves that number one, we must bear in mind that God's way of dealing with critical challenges in our life, he gives us a word, he gives us a vision. When we receive that, we have a duty in our marriage to bring our spouse into it if we don't receive it together. After we have received it together, we also have a duty to keep confessing it, to keep pronouncing it, to keep standing by it until it come to pass, because it must come to pass. That is the reality. God may delay because God... God want to magnify that word. That is just it. He wanted Sarah to be completely dead, where they will not say, hey, maybe it's a by mistake, maybe there is still one living egg inside her. It got to point that even Abraham himself know that it is no more... everything about them, it's got to point so that nobody will say it came by the power, by biological power. Because Jesus would not come by Jacob fertilizing, Joseph fertilizing Mary. Mary will not... Joseph will not sleep with Mary to bring Jesus. It's going to be by the power of God. So it was the same thing that God was working towards. It will be by the power of God. It will be clear that this is impossible, this is just power. The same way resurrection, by the power of God. That's what God wanted to magnify that thing in Sarah and Abraham. Unfortunately, by the time God will come, he first have to correct Abraham. Ah, Abraham you have spoiled this thing oh, you almost spoiled this thing. But I am greater even than the mistake. I am Almighty. I am greater than the error, I'm bigger than the mistake. I'm still able to do what I want to do. I will still go around what I want to do. But you did not allow the thing to shine the way I wanted it to shine. There is a way it would have shined. You didn't allow it... you did an error. But my plans for you will not be aborted. I will complete my plan. And it's an encouragement to us. If you feel you have missed God somewhere, if you feel you missed yourself somewhere, please don't let the devil tell you that God has abandoned you. That's other encouragement we are taking from this meeting. Please don't let the devil tell you, uh-huh, you see, you see, God's plan for your life, you have spoiled it. No. God is greater than your error. He's bigger than your mistake. He's still able to do what he wants to do with your life. I pray for myself, I pray for you. Nothing will prevail against the purposes of God for our life. Nothing will prevail. Nothing, nothing will prevail. Against God's purpose for our life, talk to the Lord now. That nothing will prevail against God's purpose for your life. Nothing will prevail. God's purpose for my life, God's purpose for my marriage, God's purpose for me. Nothing will prevail against it. Nothing will prevail against God's purpose for me, then God's purpose for my wife, the purpose of God for my husband. Nothing will prevail. Nothing, nothing will prevail. Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing. Thank you, Everlasting Father. Let me give the microphone to my wife to round up this morning for us as we close the meeting this morning. Hallelujah! [Speaker 2] Heavenly Father, we are grateful. Thank you for blessing us again. Thank you for sending your word. Indeed, the word that made us, that transforms, that heals, that empowers is life. It's more real than even the physical things, even our physical being. Lord, we believe your word had gone out, oh Lord, to fulfill that which you have sent it. And that, oh Lord, it will do in the lives of every hearer and speaker in the name of Jesus. We remember those who are in these challenges. Thank you for sending them help, sending healing, deliverance and salvation. And as we follow God Almighty, we shall testify. We'll be among, oh Lord, testimonies, testimonies that will be on the record of earth of what God has done and can do again and again in the name of Jesus. Lord, we pray for... no matter the challenge, oh God, starting from childlessness. They are all the same. Your word is sure. Every of your, every of your children God, let them have a fellowship where they will be the true word and vision. They will see the way what God is saying. They will, they will hear what God is hearing. They will understand what God is saying. In the mighty name of Jesus, they will see the invisible. They will ride on the, on the wing of faith. And at the end of the day, they will count God to be true. They will see the faithfulness of God and everyone, oh Lord, everyone along will see it because you are ever true. Help us not to throw away faith. Help us not to throw you away. Help us not to... no, to disappoint you. Help us not to reduce you. Thank you because you are a good God. It is your goodness and because your counsel no one can change. That is what brought about the eventual fulfillment of what you had in plan for Abraham. So we stand on your strength to love for our lives, for the life of your children. That Lord God Almighty, bring everyone that has gone away, that have gone astray. Bring them back, oh Lord. Bring them back, Lord, in the name of Jesus. Thank you Everlasting Father. We pray for your son, oh Lord and God in blessing you will bless him. Beyond this point, oh Lord Jehovah God, more and more let, let there be always, oh Lord, deep calling to the deep with him and the Spirit and the presence and and of the heavens of the Father in the name of Jesus. Blessed be your name, oh Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Let's share the grace in fellowship. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Surely God's goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! God bless you all. [Speaker 1] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and marriage through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development and mission head. Our regular activities are discipleship class every Monday, 5:00 PM. Adolescent 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 out-reaches and every day counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location: Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilere community, opposite the Rejoice filling station along Ilesha 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.