Dynamics of God's Holiness 6

[background music] [Speaker 1] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home for these are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 2] Lord, we give you all the glory. We worship you our God. You are worthy to be praised. [Speaker 2 singing in Yoruba and English] Lord, we give you all the glory. We worship you our God. You are worthy to be praised. E se un o Baba. Oh, baba wa e se o Jesu. Oluwa wa e se un o. E se o Baba. Olorun wa e se o. E se un Jesu. Ani se kili a ba fi san ore re. Ti won ti po to laye wa. Egberun ahon ko to fun yin re. Oluwa e se o. E se un Baba. Baba e se, e se un o. E se, e se o Baba. Baba wa e se o. We thank you Jesu. E se o, e se un o. E se o Baba. E se o, e se un o Jesu. Ani se kili a ba fi san ore re. Ti won ti po to laye wa. Egberun ahon ko to fun yin re. E se o Baba. [Speaker 2] Almighty God, we magnify your name. Almighty God, we give you praise. We thank you, Lord, for this last Monday in the month of March. We thank you for the Monday is also coinciding with the end of the first quarter of the year. Baba, we thank you for January. Lord, we are grateful for February. We are giving you thanks for the month of March. Thank you for your mercies. Thank you for preservation. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your goodness. Thank you for your mercies. Thank you for support. Thank you for provision. Thank you for assistance. Thank you for deliverance. Lord, we are grateful. Blessed be your name, our Father. Accept our thanks in the name of Jesus. Lord our God, unto you we are gathering together again this evening. Lord, our brethren online, we who are here physically, Lord our God, with one voice, with one faith, we say, Lord our God, work in our midst today. Magnify your name. Glorify your name. Magnify your word. Lord our God, and as we also take time to pray, Lord, help us to pray. Lord, teach us to pray. Lord, make us to pray. Assist us to pray aright. Assist us to pray through in the name of Jesus. Lord God Almighty, we are asking that for our brethren who are online on Mixlr, on Telegram, and we who are here praying, you will meet every one at the very point of their needs today in the name of Jesus. Lord, speak into each our situation. Thank you, eternal Father. Blessed be your holy name, our God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We thank God again as we gather unto him this evening. As our usual practice, our last Monday, we try to create enough time to be able to pray through the things that we have been fellowshipping about, fellowshipping with, things that we have been looking through in scriptures. We try to take time to pray through them on the last Monday of the month like this. What I simply want to do is to call our attention to a few things in scripture, and then we will begin to pray from that point. What I will first immediately do is to remind us again of some of the things we did in the course of the month, and then I will take a charge and then we will go ahead to pray. In the course of the month of March, the things that we have fellowshipped about that we have seen in scripture, still on this matter of the dynamics of God's holiness, the matter of "Be ye holy for I am holy." We have been able to look at—we looked at Leviticus chapter 19. We took it from verse 11. [Speaker 3] "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. You shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. You shall not curse the deaf, nor shall you put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord." [Speaker 2] Last week, we stopped at the a-part of verse 18. By the time we want to move on, we'll be looking at the b-part. Now what I want to call our attention to, brethren, as a basis for prayer this evening, as a basis also to pray, our minds back again to the burden of how we started this year. I don't know, that burden keeps coming over and over and over and over again. If you remember the burden with which we started the year, we said as far as eternity is concerned, there are two categories. And what are those two categories? Those who have hope and those who are hopeless. What is the basis of hope for those who have hope? The basis of hope for those who have hope is that there is a personal encounter with who? With Jesus Christ. And what brought us into the matter of holiness is that we saw that in Revelation chapter 7, chapter 21, chapter 22, God kept on talking about these two classes of people. He that is filthy, let him be filthy still. He that is righteous, let him be righteous. My reward is with me to give. He that is holy, be holy. He that is ungodly, be ungodly. He said, "My reward is with me." We keep noting these two classes of people. And we saw also that very, very importantly, our encounter with Jesus gave us both righteousness as a gift and grace as a basis of holy conduct. Righteousness as a gift and grace as a basis for holy conduct. The conduct that comes by grace is that which we are talking about when we are talking about the matter of holiness. Since God had given grace, then you can be very, very sure that anybody that do not conduct himself along line the nature of God—He said, "Be ye holy for I the Lord am holy"—it will not be because you could not. It will be in spite of the grace I gave. In spite of what I gave you, you still did not live right. For the world, it's a different ball game. But for those who claim to have hope, it will be, ah, after grace had been imparted, why couldn't you live right? Grace had been imparted for us to live right. And these were the background of things that we have been discussing. And brethren, I want to call your attention to something today that I just—I said this is a charge. It is a charge around the matter that we are discussing that will form basis for our prayer. Look at Revelation chapter 1. Revelation chapter 1 then we'll compare with Psalm 34. Revelation chapter 1. Now the scripture says, I'm reading from verse 1: [Speaker 3] "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—" [Speaker 2] Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ. This revelation that is of Jesus Christ was given to him by God to show to who? Be looking at your Bible. To show to his servants or servant? Servants. Do you notice that? Is it the same thing for everybody? The first one is plural. Servants. Is that? Okay. God gave Jesus this revelation. The reason why God gave this revelation to Jesus, it's a revelation of Jesus that God gave him to show to his servants. [Speaker 3] "—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant—" [Speaker 2] That one does not have 's'. Is it the same thing in your own Bible? The second one is not plural, it's singular. To his servant, John. So the revelation was meant for who? The revelation is about Jesus. It was meant to be shown to who? To the servants. However, God was not speaking to all the servants directly. What did he do? He gave it to his angel to put it to the hand of who? One servant, John. So through John, who will now get it? The servants. Brethren, you see what I want you to see particularly in this place is that the book of Revelation is not actually a book for unbelievers. The purpose of this book is not actually for unbelievers. The purpose of this book is that there is a revelation about Jesus and that revelation about Jesus is so crucial that the servants, they should know it. Even though God will not be speaking to all the servants directly, God will be giving it to one servant that will now take it to these servants. So these things were written by John. So we are receiving it through John. But the burden I'm pointing your attention to, have you not seen somebody talking about Revelation chapter 3, where Jesus said, "I stand at the door of your heart and I knock and then when you want to preach to an unbeliever, say Jesus is at the door of your heart knocking. If you open he will come in." That letter that you are talking about to unbelievers was a letter to a church. Are you following me at all? That letter where Jesus said that, look at it, that's Revelation chapter 3 where he says, "I stand at the door of your heart and I knock. If anyone hear my voice and let me in, I will come in. But if you don't open—" look at it, that revelation to the Laodicean church. Verse 20 specifically. Now I want, because I want you to get what I'm saying, I want to take it from 17. [Speaker 3] "Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock." [Speaker 2] So who was he speaking to? Unbeliever or the church? He was speaking to the church. He was speaking to the church. He was speaking to the church. Now why do you know I'm calling your attention to this thing? This letter is a letter to the church. This revelation is a revelation for the church. But something bothered my heart. Brethren, let's go back to that thing we read in January. Chapter 22. Let's go to chapter 22 from verse 8. [Speaker 3] "And I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, 'See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book.'" [Speaker 2] I want you to note something. The people who belong to God are those who keep the word of his book. Are you following me? Are you following me? Look at what the angel said. Then he said, he said, "See that you do not do it for I am your fellow servant and of your brethren the prophets." That is one people, the prophets, abi? Then what's the next thing? "I'm also a fellow servant and brethren of those who do what? Who keep the words of this book." It is not those—please listen to me. Revelation 22, I took it from verse 8. Please, the angels, they are not fellow brethren with those who preach the word of this book. Are you following me? They are not fellow servants of those who preach the word of this book. They are not fellow servants of those who pray the word of this book. They are not fellow servants of those who teach the word of this book. They are not fellow servants of those who sing the word of this book. They are fellow servants of those who do what? Who keep the word of this book. Who keep. That is, there is something to keep. And what is to be kept is nothing but what? What has been said. Are you following me, brethren? Are you following me, brethren? Now we will leave that point. He continued. Then he said to me, "Do not seal the words of this prophecy of this book for the time is at hand." Then what's the next thing that followed? Verse 11. Now, please let's look at this thing. [Speaker 3] "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." [Speaker 2] Please, what is this thing telling us? What is this matter telling us? Please, this revelation is for who? It's for the church. It was signified by angels, abi? To be given to who? To John. When John finished seeing the whole thing, the angel was concluding about the revelation. He said, "Look, I am a fellow brother of those who keep the word of this book. Don't worship me, oh. We are all together. Only God is to be worshipped." Are you following that? He now said, look, something about this book. Don't seal what is inside. Don't seal it because the time is at hand. However, whosoever is unjust still, let him be unjust still. Please, I want to ask you. John is to tell this matter to who? When John received from the angel who is he to tell? To tell the servants. Now among the servants, who is raising the matter that let him who is unjust be unjust still? [pause] Are you understanding the burden of this meeting? Among the servants, should we still be saying, he who is unjust, let him be unjust still. He who is filthy—you are addressing the servant. The message is to the servant. And he's telling you that look, the person who is filthy, let him be filthy still. Now, will you expect these two categories again among the servants? We know we said there are two categories. What are the two categories? So those who have hope. This vessel is for those who have hope. Now inside those who have hope again, what I'm trying to make you see, are you seeing what I'm trying to make you see? That even again, while you are thinking hopelessness is outside the fold, no. No, brethren. Even within. Even within. Even within. Even within. And why is this matter coming within? Why is it coming within? It's because you will notice that even when the church was addressed, you will notice that there were those that were told, "You tolerate this. You allow that. You did this." Are you following me? The letters to the churches. You did this, you did that. The doctrine of Balaam. Those you allow for fornication. You allow for Jezebel, the teaching of Jezebel. You allow for that. You allow for that. You allow for this. What I'm trying to make you see, brethren, that as brethren, what are you allowing? What are you allowing? As brethren, what are you allowing? What are you permitting? What are you—what are you agreeing with? I've told you that the burden, our major burden throughout this year, is trying to make us look at this matter. And you see, I don't make boast to say that look, when the matter of let us return to God start becoming a thing that is coming out here and there, please I also want to let us know that it also signifies that we will soon go back home. We will soon go back home. I don't know whether I got that thing to read, but I know it's from WhatsApp. I don't know whether you also got it to read. The boy that was sent by his father to go and buy food for the father. And he went, of course, to buy the food. While he was coming back with the food, he met where they were playing ball. At first he stood as a spectator. At a point he became more interested. At another point he moved from spectator to partaker. At a point from partaker he become the man of the hour. And he was dribbling to score all the goals. Mind you, to do that he must drop the food in his hand. He gave the food for someone to hold pending when he will finish. By the time every ball, the whole thing was getting to the end, it was getting dark. Everybody need to go back home. The owner of the ball pick his ball. The person he gave the food to help watch over place it somewhere. Goat have dealt with the food. The provision he was to take to the father have been eaten by goat. And then he got back, he only saw the plate, the food was not there. Everybody have gone back to their home, so you too go back home. And then it now dawned on him that only one thing brought him here. Beyond the ball, beyond the healing. And maybe he even became a renowned player that got two million dollars per second. But when everybody was to go home, what did he take home? The million or the food he was asked to go and buy? The food. And he was to go home and there was no home to go. He couldn't go home. May that not be our portion. And the writer concluded by saying that look, this is going to be for us. We must realize that as human, we are capable of so many things but only one thing matters. We are capable of so many things. But when the music stop and the song is over, it is the food that you were asked to go and buy. They will not ask you for any other thing apart from what you were sent. Is that not true? That is what you will be asked. Brethren, the burden that I came with this evening for us to pray, still around this matter of holiness, is like this matter has been a matter. I saw something in Psalm 34 that shows that this matter seems to have been a matter. And I'm bringing it to you as a matter in, you know, that is a burden of the Lord for this hour. The burden of the Lord for us today is not how much we can preach this gospel. It's not how much we can teach this gospel. It's not how much we can sing this gospel. It's not how much we can pray this gospel. It's how much we can do this gospel. How much we can do it. How much we can do. The Lord is saying, "Son, your generation showcase preachers, teachers, prophets, evangelists of the world. But I'm seeking a generation that will showcase doers of the word. That will showcase where I will see men who do, who put these things into practice." And what I'm trying to say is that the basis of hopelessness among those who ordinarily should have hope is that majority may be preaching, may be teaching, may be singing, may be praying these things, but few are putting these things into practice. Has the Lord had to raise when they were concluding the matter with Brother John? Even among my people, whosoever is just, let him be unjust still. An implication that is not as if I don't know your ways. Are you getting that at all? I know your ways. I know your works. I know your works. I know your works. I know you in toto. That is the point. Do you think I don't know your works? I know your works. And your works is not just about preaching. It's not about teaching. It's not about speaking. It's not about singing. It's not about praying. It's about what? Those who do the word. Who do the word. Who put this word into practice. And as my heart was getting bothered with this thing, getting burdened for today, the matter came to me and the way it came to me, even though I'll be reading a scripture in Psalm 34, but I will take it with the way the burden came. A little, not necessarily following the context of that scripture, but following the burden that the Lord was raising. Now look at what the scripture says, brethren. It says, I want to take Psalm 34. Are you there? It says from verse 5: [Speaker 3] "They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed." [Speaker 2] Anybody that looked away from him will eventually be ashamed. Look unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith. Number two, it says: [Speaker 3] "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him from all his troubles." [Speaker 2] I don't know why every time the Bible want to talk about the godly and the righteous the Bible call them poor men. This contrite man, this lowly man. It's a common thing with the scripture. Go and check all through, you will notice the poor man, the contrite man, the lowly man, the needy man. Said this poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. It says: [Speaker 3] "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them." [Speaker 2] Note something. Having said they looked to him they were not ashamed. Number two, the poor man cried to the Lord, the Lord heard him and saved him. The cry of the poor man, the hope of the poor man, the basis of the poor man, the life of the poor man is hanging on who? It's hanging on the Lord. And so he is on him who is able to save him from all his trouble. May our hope not be in men. Men can save us from some of our troubles, but God can save us from all our troubles. He says the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them. It's not how much you pray for angels to operate in your life, it's how much you fear the Lord. "My angel, I empower you, go and do this, go and do that." That is not the matter. The matter is, do you fear God? Are you understanding me? The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him to—once you fear the Lord they encamp to deliver you. It's not so much how much you pray to them, it's the kind of life that you live. Then when it get over verse 8, please brethren, I don't know whether there is a different reading from other reading. But New King James and King James, New King James say, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" Is there 'oh' in the beginning of your own Bible? Every version have that? What does NIV says? [Speaker 3] "Taste and see that the Lord is good." [Speaker 2] There is no 'oh' there. Then when he came to verse 9 again what do you see? You see the matter again. He said "Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!" In the verse 8, 'oh'. In the verse 9, 'oh'. And that is where the matter of the burden came so seriously. Look at the matter here. Please look at the matter. Look at the verse 9. The 'oh' is addressing who? Who is the 'oh' addressing? Have you seen something? I thought when there was going to be a cry to say, "Oh! fear the Lord," it's going to be to sinners. Are you understanding me? I thought it's going to be, "Oh! hopeless generation, unbeliever, oh, you that are worshipping Ogun, fear the Lord!" But what I saw amazed me. What did he say? "Oh, fear the Lord, who? His saints." You His godly people. There are many things today, there are many distraction today telling the godly, "The fear of God is not profitable." There are many things pushing the godly. If fear of God will not pay you. And I see the Lord speaking to this generation. And the Lord say, "Oh, you the saint, you His saint, fear the Lord. Don't get distracted. Don't get carried away. Fear the Lord, you His saint." The matter of the 'oh', eyin a yan fe, ah, don't get distracted. Don't look elsewhere. Don't let something take you out of that place. There is nothing greater and better than that. Why? Because after we conclude the matter, anytime we bring the matter to its conclusion, what would we say is the conclusion? Ecclesiastes 12:13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all." That's New King James. New King James say, "for this is man's all." NIV, how does NIV put it for us? How does the Message put it for us? Can brethren come up with that? Can they use the mic please? Ecclesiastes 12:13. NIV? [Speaker 3] "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind." [Speaker 2] This is the duty of all mankind. KJV? [Speaker 3] "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." [Speaker 2] This is the whole duty of man. Amplified? [Speaker 3] "All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God, revere and worship Him, knowing that He is, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole of man, the full original purpose of his creation—" [Speaker 2] Ah, please! You are going too fast for us. Can you help us get that thing very, very well? "For this is—" what? [Speaker 3] "—the whole duty of man, the full original purpose of his creation, the object of God's providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious—" [Speaker 2] What? [Speaker 3] "—the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances, and the condition under the sun and the whole duty for every man." [Speaker 2] Are you following this thing, brethren? So the Lord is saying, "Look, fear the Lord, you His saint. This is the original purpose for man. This is the foundation for—" If we are talking about happiness, any happiness that is outside this one, it's not happiness, oh. You know what it is? We have said that earlier. There was a church that was happy and it said we have need of nothing. Any happiness outside this one, what is it called? It's that you are wretched. You are blind. You are naked. Anyone that is outside that. They were happy, they were comfortable. There is a foundation for all happiness. A man who does not keep the word of this book can never know what happiness is. Every other thing that you are calling happiness is blindness. Is miserableness. Is wretchedness. I want to ask you, just to just bring something to your mind, brethren, as we want to begin to pray. What will make heaven bury a man and heaven carry another man? Is it not because there was nothing useful in the man to carry that they had to bury him? Do you know the man I'm talking about? How do we address the man? He said the rich man. But there was nothing valuable in the rich man to carry. Heaven said what? Bury him. And there was another man that you call a poor man. And heaven found what? Treasures to carry. Angel! Go and carry this one. This one cannot be buried. This one must be carried. What are we saying, brethren? There is so much today. The emphasis I'm bringing to you, the burden of this meeting I'm bringing to you as we want to pray around this matter, is that brethren, we have said holiness is the watchword throughout this year. But what I'm trying to make you see, brethren, is that the Lord is emphasizing that many are preaching this word. Many are teaching this word. Many are praying this word. Many are hearing this word. Many are speaking this word. But we are only brethren of those who keep the words of this book. We are brethren only to those. That is what the angel said. We are brethren only to those who keep the words of this book. And so he said, "Oh, you saint, you His saint." We are not talking about unbeliever. It is not unbeliever you will be telling, "Why are you divorcing?" Does he not know why he should not divorce? Are you understanding me? It's not unbeliever you tell "Why are you stealing?" Unbeliever need this, you need to receive Jesus. Until he meet with Jesus, the principle of the kingdom are not his own. Because they are foolishness to him. But we are talking about the matter, this matter, and we are addressing who? The saint! The saint! And I will pick our prayer this evening from where we ended a prayer meeting in the action committee of the Family Tent Ministry on Saturday. I want us to start our prayer from that point this evening. We had a prayer on Saturday and honestly it was something that refreshed my spirit. And I felt it's a good point for us to start with. 3 John. 3 John as we begin to pray. 3 John has just 14 verses. It says behold, I'm reading from verse 1: [Speaker 3] "The Elder, to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth." [Speaker 2] Can you begin to pray, beginning with yourself this evening wherever you are? There is this brother called Gaius and the testimony we have about him is that he's not just preaching the truth. He's not just teaching the truth. He's not just singing the truth. He's not just hearing the truth. He's not just speaking the truth. He said, "I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth." Walking in the truth. Pray, brethren. Can we ask the Lord that God, beyond the preaching, beyond the teaching, beyond the hearing, beyond the singing of the words of this book, Lord, may I walk in this truth. Lord, let the testimony concerning me, let the testimony—even as you walk in the truth. Brethren, that was the testimony that God boasted of in Job. He said, "Satan, have you seen my servant Job? A man who eschew evil, a man who fear me." That is what God want—is interested in in our lives. That was what God saw in Job and he had to call the attention of Satan. God was not talking about his riches about this, do you see that he have 18 cattle, he have 19 this, he have—the only thing that God saw that treat God in everything that was in Job was his work. Was his work! The only thing that treat God about a man's life is his work. His work! His work! He said, "Satan, have you seen my servant Job? Have you considered him? Have you checked him? Have you looked through his life?" It's the same thing we are saying about Brother Gaius. He said, even brethren testify, even just as you walk in the truth. Bro, how is your work? Baba said, him that is unjust, let him be unjust still. But you know, I will encourage you that rather repent. I will encourage you that rather repent. Because the reason why you are seeing he that is unjust be unjust still is that what more do you want God to do for you? What more do you want God to do? You have been brought into the fold, you have been given the word of life, you have been taught the word of grace, and yet like our fathers who perish in the wilderness, you will not listen to God. What else do you want God to do? So God said, if you're unjust, be unjust still. If you are unjust then continue be unjust. If you are filthy, continue be filthy. If you decide to add to the word, then continue. But remember, my reward is with me! My reward is with me! My reward is with me! Because there is no any other sacrifice again that we want to make except that which have been made, which is Jesus Christ. What else again do you want God to offer you? What else? And that is why the Bible is saying, he that is unjust, let him be unjust still. How can you look into your life? Can you look in, how is your work? How is your work? How is your work? How is your work? We are saying, God, let it be. Let it be. Let it be that my work, in every area of my life, in every aspect of my life, in all I think, in all I say, in all I do, may I walk in the truth. I've got my mind made up and I won't look back. Ah, I've got my mind made up. I've got my mind made up. What are you making up your mind about? What are you targeting? What are you intending to be deliberate and intentional about? That is what we are praying about. God Almighty, that my work may be in the truth. The next prayer point that we are taking is what we saw in that place. He said, "Oh, fear the Lord, you His saint. Oh! Oh! Fear the Lord, you His saint!" Because it is the foundation—he said there is no want to them that fear him. There is no want. What he's actually trying to make you understand is that look, on the final analysis, you will discover that the people who are truly happy people are those who fear God. And let me tell you, it is how a man ends that matters. It is how a man ends that matters. Nobody will choose the life of the rich man. Everybody will choose the life of Lazarus. What matters is how a man ends. There is a foundation by the end, when the matter is to be concluded, what we want to check in any man's life, the primary thing we want to check is, did you fear God? Did you keep his command? We want to pray. He say, "Oh, fear the Lord." Can you pray this evening? God, incline my heart to your fear. As we round up this quarter and we look towards another quarter, God, incline my heart to your fear. Lord, incline my heart. Let my heart be inclined to your fear. Let my heart be inclined to your fear. Let my heart be inclined to your fear. Let my heart be inclined to your fear. Let my heart be inclined. Incline my heart to your fear in the name of Jesus Christ. Father, incline my heart. Incline my heart to your fear. Incline my heart to your fear. Incline my heart to your fear. That is the foundation. That is the original purpose our creation. That is the primary reason why we were brought. That is why man was created. Man was created in the image of God. Man is to—is to replicate God. Man is to represent God. Man everywhere man is found, it's supposed to be the image of God is present. And that image of God cannot be present except there is the fear of God. It is by the fear of God. So the reason for your creation is to walk in God's fear. The reason for making you, the reason why you are where you are, the reason for being in that hostel, being in that compound, being in that school, being on that job, being in that place, is that God wants a—an image of His fear. Something to bring the fear of God to bear. Something to bring the fear of God to bear. God is looking for someone. Someone that he can use, he can use to condemn the devil, to shame the devil. He—and that person are the new creation people. Oh! He said, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, whom he has called forth to show the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. You are designed to show forth the praises of God. That is your design. That is the foundation for true happiness. The foundation for real happiness is ah, I am in the fear of the Lord. I am in the fear of the Lord. I am in the fear of the Lord in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Thank you Father. In Jesus' mighty name we pray. Amen. Oh, there's still someone again, still in that 3rd John, verse 12. This time, he was talking about another man that was named Demetrius. He said he has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. This man has testimony from all. But because we may not be sure of the testimony of men, he said this man also have testimony from the truth itself. You know, it is a different thing if somebody says, "Satan, have you seen Job?" but unlike when God say—when God said, "Satan, have you seen my servant Job?" What the Bible is talking about this man is not just that people bear witness, but that the truth itself bear witness. "He said we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true." What I'm trying to say, brethren, let me tell you, yes, there is this—"the Lord know those that are his." That is the truth. But people have taken that test outside its context. "The Lord know those that are his." What that meant is that God cannot be mocked. God cannot be deceived. Anyhow you turn it, God knows his own. That does not mean that those who belong to God cannot be known by men. That's not what he's saying. Because the Bible—Jesus said "By their fruit, you will know them." Again, Jesus said "Let your light so shine that men will do what? That men will see it." And I tell you, brethren, a light that men can't see is not use to God. Go and mark my word. A light that men can't see is not use to God. Don't tell me, "Whether you like it or not, I'm born again." You are a stupid person. You are a foolish man. It's not whether the person like it or not. If your light so shine, the person will witness. The Bible say even though they speak about you as evildoers, they will be ashamed in the day of visitation. Even the wicked know good people. They may say, "Ha! Mad man! Oloriburuku ni! He's a stupid man!" Even in their heart when the Holy Ghost say, "Ah! We know those that are Christian here, oh. We know ourselves." They may curse you, they may insult you, but the wicked know those who are doing right. Let me tell you the truth. And that is why the Bible says, "Let your light so shine that men may see it." Jesus want men to see it. Why? So that he can glorify God. So if the light men cannot see it, it's useless to God. I want you to pray that God, let your light within me so shine that my testimony become visible. Everywhere I go, let your light in my heart so shine. Let my heart be so—be so captured by your light. Let my life, my speech, my conversation, my comportment, my carriage of my life, let it be so—let it be so—so overwhelmed by your light. God! God! That my testimony become visible to men. My testimony become visible! Visible! Visibility of testimony is what God needs in our lives. Our testimony should be visible. If it is not visible, it is not useful to God. Visibility of my testimony. And what—what brings that is that the light of God so capture your heart, he so capture your thinking, that he takes over your—the way you talk. He takes over the way you carry yourself. He takes over your carriage. He takes over your comportment. He takes over your confession. He takes over your attitude. He takes over! And men begin to say, "What manner of man is this young man? How is this man different from us? Ilohun eyato si tiwa, ise eyato si tiwa." They begin to see there is something about this young man. There is something about this man. There is something about this woman. There is something about this administrator. There is something about this teacher. There is something about this parent. There is something about this lecturer. There is something about this doctor. There is something about this pastor. There is something! And I'm telling you, that is the reality of it. When the light becomes real light, men will give glory to God. Any light that cannot bring glory to God is not useful for God. That is the reality of it. Not "the born again is in my heart, whether they like it or not, me I'm born again, sa. Let they like, let them believe me, it is God that will judge me." I know it's God that will judge you. But what I'm trying to say is that that light is not shining enough. That yes, he said, "Let it so shine." Yes, it is shining, but it is not shining enough. I want you to talk to the Lord this morning—this evening—and say, "God, let your light, the light of your grace, the light of your will, the light of your word, as we enter into the second quarter of the year, as we round up this first quarter and we are entering another quarter of the year, Lord, let your light so—so overwhelm my heart, so overwhelm my mind, so overwhelm me. Let me be so captured by your light. Lord, save me from distraction that are looking like attraction. Lord, save me! Save me from the corruption and the pollution of—of my environment. Save me from the corruption around me. Lord, help me! Help me! That my heart be so captivated. Oh, oh, oh, God! God! Take over, take over my heart! Take over!" Oh, look—look—look at the—look at the hymn writer. He said: Consecrate me now to thy service, Lord, by the power of grace divine. Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope and my will be lost in thine. Look at the word of that hymn writer. "Let—let my soul look up with a steadfast hope. Let your light so take over my soul. Let it so take over my soul that my will is lost inside your way." Men begin to wonder, "Oh, the only thing we see in this man is the will of God. The only thing he talks about is the will of God. His concern is the will of God. He has lost—he does not—it's not about himself. It's just about the will of God." His thinking, his confession, his pursuit, his burden, his body, his body—it's about the will of God. Oh God! God! As we round up this first quarter, Lord take me to greater glory. I want a greater glory in the next quarter. A greater glory. Take me beyond January, February, March. As I enter into April, let my life go brighter. Let it be brighter. Oh God, let it be brighter. I want to go forward. I want to go forward! Forward in the will of God in the name of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ. That my work may be upright. That my living may be upright in the name of Jesus! In the name of Jesus! In the name of Jesus! And as we round up, you know, round up—round up the prayer, we also want—we also want to pray particularly into the quarter that is coming. Into the quarter of April, May—oh, April, May, June. You want to ask the Lord, "Lord, go before us into the quarter. Lord, our eyes are on you. Lord, go before us into the quarter. Lord, go before me into the quarter. Let your good hand be upon me for good. Lord, exalt my horn as the horn of the unicorn. Lord, make way for me. Lord, make way for me! Things that are difficult, let them become unusually easy. Things that I found difficult in the first quarter, let them become unusually easy for me in the next quarter. Oh God Almighty, Lord, things that I'm trying to make headway with, Lord, make way for me as I go through the month of April, May, and June. May I look back to January, February, March and say, 'Ah, God has helped me. I have overcome the challenge. I have moved forward.' I have moved forward! I have moved forward! I have moved forward! Lord God Almighty! Lord God Almighty! Lord God Almighty! Let this be my testimony, let this be my story in the name of Jesus." And I also want you to pray for the nation Nigeria as we close the meeting. I want you to pray for Nigeria. I want you to ask the Lord, and the prayer I want you to pray is a prayer for the church of God in Nigeria. And I want you to pray that prayer, the prayer that, you know, it has been something upon my heart, praying and praying. "Oh God, send down revival. Lord, send down revival. Begin with us. Lord, send down revival. Lord, send down revival. Lord, send down revival. Lord, send down revival. Lord, send down revival. Lord, send down revival. Lord, begin with us." He said, "Judgment will begin in the house of God." Lord, begin with the church. Lord, this cry, "Let there be a new Nigeria. Let it begin with the church." Can there be new Nigerians inside the church? Can there be new Nigerians inside the church? Can the church produce new Nigerians first and then these Nigerians begin to influence society and then produce other kind of Nigerians? Look, the matter begins with us. The matter—don't be thinking of somebody outside there. As you are praying, "God give us new Nigeria," oh, the matter begins with the church. Lord, send revival! Give us a new Nigeria! Begin with your people. Lord, begin with the church. Lord, begin with the church! Lord, begin with the church! Lord, send down revival! Lord, send down revival! Lord, send down revival! Lord, send down revival! Lord, send down revival! Lord, send down revival! Thank you, Father. [Speaker 2 singing] Oh Lord, send down revival. Oh Lord, send down revival. Lord, send down revival. Let it begin with me. Let me invite our Brother God-do to close this meeting for us today. Brother God-do, please help us close the meeting. [Speaker 4] Our Father and our God, we want to thank you for your word today. Thank you for the awakening. Thank you for bringing us back to the word you spoke to us at the beginning of the year. Thank you for the assurance of hope in us and thank you for the light of your word again in the name of Jesus Christ. Father, we have prayed, we have looked up unto you. All we are asking for is that the light of your word will shine in us in the name of Jesus Christ. That our light—our life will not be darkened. That you will cause your word to produce more light in the name of Jesus Christ. You will help us to shine forth this light in the name of Jesus Christ. That men will come to the light—to your light in us in the name of Jesus Christ. That men will come to the brightness of your light in us in the name of Jesus Christ. And you will continue—you will help us to continue to grow in this light in the name of Jesus Christ. Father, we pray as we enter into the new quarter, that you will continue to open unto us more revelation. More mystery. In the name of Jesus Christ. We pray, oh Lord, that to every of our brethren, both on ground and online, we will continue to grow in this truth. And men will bear testimony of this truth in us in the name of Jesus Christ. We will walk in this truth. Eh, in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, we pray for your church again. As we have prayed, let your revival come. Let your revival come. Revive your church again. Beginning from us in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, precious Daddy. Thank you for this first quarter. Thank you for the—for the teachings. Thank you for the—for the mystery. Lord, we appreciate you for giving us this word such a time like this. Daddy, we are grateful. Let as we go, go with us. Let your hand be mighty upon us for good. Let us return next week with testimony of revelation in the name of Jesus Christ. We pray for your son, let your hand be mighty upon him in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, precious Daddy. In Jesus' mighty name we pray. Amen. [All] Amen. [Speaker 2] Let's together share the grace. [All] May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen. [Speaker 1] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission aid. Our regular activities are: Discipleship Class, every Monday, 5:00 PM; Adolescents and Singles' Club, every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; Marriage Forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and everyday counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location: Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilere community, opposite Verajoy filling station, along Ijay 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. [background music]