Heat and Drought of Human Life

[Speaker 1] Trust in the fellowship cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God will always desire a godly reform. These are words of solution and instruction in righteousness on Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [background music] He will never, never fail. He had never, never fail. Jesus the same forever. Oh, He can never, never fail. He had never, never fail. He will never, never fail. Jesus the same forever. Oh, He can never, never fail. He had never, never fail. He will never, never fail. Jesus the same forever. Everlasting Father, Almighty God, we are grateful unto You again as we gather together this evening. We who are here physically, our brethren who are connecting with us on Telegram, those connecting with us on Mixlr. Lord God Almighty, we say, Lord, according to the scripture, let the gathering of Your people regardless of our various locations, let our gathering be unto You in the name of Jesus Christ. Everlasting Father, as we fellowship together again this evening, our Lord, our Lord, we are praying that You would meet with us. You will speak to our hearts. And Lord, as we also spend some time today to pray, being the last Monday of the month of October, Lord, we pray that You will help us to pray. You will teach us to pray. You will enable us in the place of prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Everlasting Father. Blessed be Your holy name, our God. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. We thank our God again as we all gather this evening for our usual Monday discipleship class. A time of studying the scriptures together, learning at the Master’s feet together, looking intently into scriptures. A time where we trust the Lord to also be instructing our hearts from His word. And I believe God that as we do the same today, it will be a time of refreshment. It will be a time of blessing. It will be a time of encounter for you wherever you are and for us who are here in the name of Jesus Christ. Last week, we were able to bring to a close the series, "The Weapon of Our Warfare, They Are Not Carnal." And we were able to make ourselves to see in that, under that topic, the necessity of knowing this weapon of our warfare, understanding it, appreciating it, valuing it, believing in it, and putting this weapon of our warfare into our daily living, our daily practice. Today, which is the last Monday in the month of October, normally we allow time to be able to pray on diverse things we have been learning every last Monday. So, as we will be beginning another topic today, not too sure now whether it's going to be a series, but as we journey, whenever we can get to before the time of prayer, we will get to that point and then we will take a good time out to pray. And then trust the Lord that wherever we will be able to get to this evening, it will have been a time of blessing and refreshing. That's my thought in the Lord this evening. We will be considering this topic: Heat and Drought of Human Life. Heat and drought of human life. Of course, when you talk about heat, you are talking about a temperate condition or an atmospheric condition that is not too favorable where everything is hot. When everything is hot, when the air is hot, the atmospheric condition is hot, people begin to sweat, people want to take cold water, people are looking for AC, they are looking for fan. It is talking about a situation of discomfort, a situation of uneasiness, a situation of challenge. That is what heat would ordinarily represent. So, heat and drought of human life. Of course, when we talk about drought, we are talking about that which relates more to plants. The Yorubas would say, "igba eru." When everything is dry, when there is no water, when you see plants drying off. You can look at that type of season during our own Harmattan season in Nigeria where everywhere is dusty, everywhere is dry. You see plants, they are no more green, they become yellowish, they dry up, some wither away because of the situation of no water. So, talking about drought, we are talking about again a situation that is not favorable, a situation that is not palatable, a situation where things are collapsing, a situation where things are not working the way one would have wanted them to work. Of course, it's also a challenging time, just like heat period. So, heat and drought of human life, they are talking about conditions and situations and circumstances that we may describe as challenging, as unfavorable, as difficult, as something you may call a trial, something you may call enormous challenge, something you may call an uphill task. That is what heat and drought, that is what they will be representing. That is the picture. So, when we say heat and drought of human life, we are talking about human life and the diverse challenges that come. Human life and difficulties that come. Human life and seemingly problems that come. Human life and seemingly the circumstance and situation where everything around you seems to be against you. So, that's what we mean by heat and drought. Heat and drought of human life. And when you look at this matter of heat and drought, we want to bring it in relation to the Christian life. The Christian life. And in doing that, I would want to establish a fundamental thing as a starting point this evening. We'll take that fundamental as a starting point this evening. Possibly that will take us to prayer and next week when we come, we come to look at the implication of the fundamental things that we raised today about heat and drought of human lives. What is the fundamental I want to raise? We'll be using very popular scriptures to establish that. Let's look at something in the book of Matthew, we'll look at the book of Jeremiah, we'll look at Habakkuk. We'll try to see some of the things that the scripture brings before, is challenging our hearts with. In Matthew chapter 7, a very popular story in between verse 21 and 27 thereof. The Bible says that: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?' And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." (Matthew 7:21-23) Another version, KJV, I read from NKJV. If you look at the KJV version, it says, "Depart from me, you who work iniquity." And then in 24, it said: "Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them will be likened to a foolish man who built his house on sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." (Matthew 7:24-27) Now, I want you to appreciate what flowed into this illustration. What the Lord was actually capturing in this passage is the reality that it is not enough to call Him Lord. Have you given your life to Christ? Do you acknowledge Jesus as Lord? Is He the one that owns your life? Do you call Him Lord? That is a good thing. However, that acknowledging Him as Lord would be as good as nothing if you don't do what He says. So, doing what the Lord says is the actual action that shows that any individual, any man or woman, actually recognizes Jesus as Lord. So, it is not about preaching Jesus like I am preaching Jesus now. It's not about singing Jesus, as we have many song ministers or music ministers. It's not about dramatizing Jesus, as we have a lot of drama ministers. It's not about whatever way we minister again. So, the point I am making is that it's not about whether preaching Him or dramatizing Him or singing Him. It is not all about that. What the Lord needs to see is that you are doing what He says. When you are not doing what He says, whatsoever you are thinking is Christianity is not Christianity. Christianity actually means doing what the Lord says. That is why when you look at the book of Peter, the Bible will say we are children of obedience and not children of disobedience. What made what is making the world to be the world, to be an enemy of God? Bible says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15). Another place says friendship with the world is enmity with God. Now, what makes the world to be an enemy of God is that they don't do what He says. And if I may bring this to your doorstep, it is in doing what He says that actually confirms our salvation. When we rebel against what He says, our salvation is in doubt. We have reason to wonder if a man is born of God. For Bible says that he that is born of God cannot continue to rebel against God. Bible says he cannot continue in sin. Not that he will not continue, he cannot continue. Now, the Lord is drawing a very strong matter here that it is not enough to just call me Lord. It's not enough to just be preaching that Jesus is Lord. It's not enough to just be teaching that Jesus is Lord. It's not enough to dramatize and to sing it that Jesus is Lord. All of these things, while they are good, they become useless when we don't obey the Lord. So, the hallmark of Christian living is obedience to Jesus. Doing what He says. Your life is not, "What you said now, the Bible says so, and that is what the Bible says, but me, I want to face reality." Now, when you begin to have a reality outside what the Bible says, you are only saying that in the real sense of it, you are never born again. Anybody who is born again does not rebel against what Jesus is saying. One thing that connotes it is that. Now, having established that, the Lord now went ahead to give a particular illustration or a parable, whichever way you want to look at the further sayings of Jesus in these verses that we are reading. He says in the verse 24, "Therefore," which means what He is saying now is premised on what He was saying before. What He said before was that, "Then I will profess unto them, I don't know you, depart from me, you workers of iniquity." Anybody who claims to know Jesus but is not obeying Him, what the Lord will tell that man at the last is "Depart from me." And when the Lord tells a man that at last, then it's a sorry case. There is nobody again to redeem you. Redemption is no longer possible. Now, what we are seeing, He now said, "Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them." So, it is coming from that matter, those who are doing the will of God and those who are not doing the will of God. So, anybody who is doing the will of God, Jesus said we will liken that man to a wise man because on the long run, the man will not be a loser. I pray for you wherever you are listening to me that at the end of the day, you will not be a loser in the name of Jesus Christ. And I also pray for myself that at the end of the day, I would not be a loser. So, wisdom in this context is that you are wise enough to be sure that you are doing what Jesus says. If you are not doing what Jesus says, then you are a foolish person. You are not wise. You are not wise. He says, "Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them." So, the doers, not just those who are professing Jesus, not just those who are preaching Jesus, not just those who are dramatizing Jesus, not just those who are singing about Jesus, not just those who claim allegiance to Jesus, not just those who are inside fellowship, who are inside churches, not just all of these people. The people we are looking for are the doers of what He says. Please put our focus, put the topic we are looking at in mind. We are looking at the Heat and Drought of Human Life. And I said I first want to establish a fundamental foundation. I want to bring a principle to bear to first make some things clear about heat and drought, about heat and drought of human life. And I'm beginning from Matthew chapter 7 that we are reading now. Now, when you look at this illustration that the Lord gave in this place, when He said that, "Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock." Then 27, he says, "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house." On which house now? The house of the one who hears the sayings of the Lord but is not putting that saying into practice. This person is not doing what Jesus says. Now, what I want you to look at in this place about heat and drought of life—I said I first want to establish a fundamental issue about heat and drought of human life and I'm beginning from Matthew chapter 7 that we are reading now. Now, when you look at this illustration that the Lord gave in this place, look at verse 25 and look at verse 27. Please look at it. Take your Bible and look at it. I want us to compare these two verses. Can you look at these two verses? Look at verse 25. Let's see how it reads. "The rain descended." That's verse 25. "The floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock." Verse 27: "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell, and great was its fall." Now, when you look at 25 and 27, you will see distinct similar pattern. 25 says, "And the rain descended." 27 says, "And the rain descended." 25 says, "And the floods came." 27 says, "And the floods came." 25 says, "And the winds blew and beat on that house." 27 says, "And the winds blew and beat on that house." You know what I'm trying to make you see about heat and drought of life? What I'm trying to make you see is this: whether you are godly or you are not godly, the heat and drought of life, they are inevitable. Heat and drought, they are part and parcel of human existence. Heat and drought, the godly are not immune from it. Heat and drought are inevitables of life. As the ungodly at different points in their life will come into seasons of heat and drought, the godly also, those who are doing the will of God, those who hear Jesus and are doing it, those people too at some points in their life, there will be heat and there will be drought. They are things that they both will experience. So, godliness does not, how will I put it now, should not be equated to "There will be no heat and there will be no drought." No. If anybody is telling you that, the person is not showing you the true gospel. That is not the complete gospel. The complete gospel, the whole gospel, is that the godly at some points in their life will experience heat and drought. The ungodly at different points in their life will experience heat and drought. However, just as you find in this illustration, you notice that the heat and the drought of the godly did not consume them. But the heat and the drought of the ungodly consumed them. The dividing line between the godly and the ungodly is that the godly will not be swallowed up by the heat and drought of their life. But the wicked, the ungodly, you would realize that their end will not be peace. You would realize that for them, the heat and the drought of life will eventually become that which swallows them up. Heat and drought. Now, when you look, when we leave this place, let's establish these things further in some other Bible texts. When you look at Isaiah chapter 43, the book of Isaiah chapter 43, look at what the Bible says. I read from verse 1: "But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.'" (Isaiah 43:1-2) Which means that when you look closely into this scripture, you notice that having encouraged Israel not to be afraid, having encouraged them to be strong, the next thing the Lord was raising with them is that they should know this, they should have this understanding, that when they pass through the water, He will be with them. So, it means that although they were chosen, that they had been redeemed, that He had called them by their name, that they are His, would not in any way immune them from passing through the water, passing through the river, passing through the fire, passing through the flame. But He guaranteed them that in the water, He will be with them. In the river, it will not overflow them. The fire will not burn them. The flame will not kindle itself against them. So, you notice that that they are His people, what God guaranteed them is not "You will not pass through water, you will not pass through river, you will not pass through fire." That's not what the Lord assured them. What the Lord assured them was that, "When you pass through it, I will be with you." When the fire comes and wants to consume you, I will be the—I will be in that fire with you. We remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God did not deliver them from the fire. God delivered them in the fire. So, God is saying that look, that you are my own, don't come to a conclusion about your life that I will always deliver you from fire. No. Have this understanding that there will be times when I will deliver you in the fire. It is when you are inside that I will show up. When you are outside, it will look as if I am not there. Gradually, gradually, gradually, when you now find yourself inside, oh, then be rest assured. Just be rest assured that I will be with you. So, from this text again, we are seeing something very, very important. That the Lord was speaking to a people and He was telling them in Isaiah chapter 43, verse 1 and 2, that "See, I am the Lord. I am the Lord. I'm the one who created you, O Jacob. I'm the one who formed you, O Israel. Fear not, for I have redeemed you. You don't need to fear. You don't need to be afraid. I have called you by my name. You are mine." You don't need to be afraid. The reason why you don't need to be afraid is not that you will not pass through fire. No. The reason why you don't need to be afraid is not that you will not find yourself inside river. No. The reason why you don't need to be afraid is that when you are in the water, I will be with you. When you are inside the river, it will not overwhelm you. It may overwhelm others, it will not overwhelm you. As for me, when I pass through fire, I will not be burned. So, the confidence of a child of God should not be that there will not be trouble. No. That's not the correct way to look at the provision of God for our life. The correct way to look at the provision of God for our life is that because God have redeemed me, because God have called me by His name, because I am His, because this God who created me is the Lord of the universe, I have this assurance that as for me, me, when I am in the water, my God can be with me. As for me, when I'm inside the river, the river will not overwhelm me. As for me, me, when I pass through fire, I will not be burned. So, the confidence of a child of God should not be that there will not be heat and drought. No. That's not our confidence. The confidence of a child of God is the other way around. It's the other way around. Hallelujah! It says, "And he will not fear when it comes." What happens when it comes? "But its leaves will be green." I pray for you wherever you are listening to me, in the days of your heat, your leaves they will remain green in the name of Jesus. That is the portion of the righteous. That is the portion of the believer. That is their confidence. It is not, "I hope there will not be heat oh." No, no, no, no. Their confidence is, "In the days of heat, my leave will still be green." So, we don't fear fear. Rather, we intimidate our fears. Mock at your fear. Laugh at your fear. Intimidate your fear. Don't let your fear intimidate you. "Do you know that, do you know that this thing is happening to young people now? Do you know that it is difficult to find a good job? Do you..." and you begin to live in fear. No! "Do you know that these days, they even be able to follow God..." and then fear begin to gather in your heart. "Do you know that the way things are going, it's like a KG of cooking gas is going to rise as much as 5,000 by January." And then you begin to wonder, "Hey, how much am I earning? I earn just 25,000. What will happen to my parents?" and you begin to—fear begin to grip your heart. Maybe you are still in a rented apartment and then you just heard that "Ah, it's like landlord, they are going to review rent to where you are paying 150, you now be paying 500." And then you begin to say, "Ah, my own has finished." Who told you that your own has finished? Mock at your fear! It says when it comes, they will not fear. That is our confidence. I will stop the matter here today. It's already six o'clock. I want us to start praying. Next week we'll continue with this matter: Heat and Drought of Human Life. What should be the attitude of the believers to these things? What must we understand about heat and drought? Because it's a global thing going on. I pray you don't die in your fear. It's a global thing going on. "Do you know it is difficult to find a good wife? Do you know it's difficult to find a good husband? Do you know that pastors are deceivers now? Do you know that..." and then everything you begin to... and then fear... "Do you know there's going to be a Third World War before 2027? Third World War!" I don't know why your heart is so gripped by all the news that you are hearing around you. "Do you know that kidnappers, they say they will now flood all the streets of Nigeria? Nobody will be safe again." And then you begin to... you see, one thing I need to make you see, if you don't begin to have a clear understanding that actually the strength of the believer, the confidence of the believer, is not the absence of trouble, but victory in the face of trouble. That is what the Bible guarantees the believer. Let us start praying this evening. Let's begin to thank the Lord. It's six o'clock. Let's begin to thank the Lord. Let's thank the Lord for how God has been helping us in the discipleship class. How God has been helping us since January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October that we are rounding up today. Let's thank the Lord for His mercies. Let's thank the Lord. Let's thank Him. How God has been bringing His words to us. How God has been bringing His word to us in diverse ways, in different ways, coming to us, instructing our hearts, speaking to us. Let's thank the Lord. Let's thank Him. Let's thank Him. That Lord, we are grateful. We are grateful for the word of life. We are grateful for the scripture. We are grateful for the, oh, Ancient Word long preserved for our good in this life. Ancient Word, ever true. Ancient Word, ever true. Lord, we thank You for scriptures. We thank You for the scriptures. We thank You for the scriptures. We thank You. You are faithful and You are true. We thank You. We bless Your holy name, our Father. We give You praise. We give You glory. We give You honor. We give You adoration. We say blessed be Your name, our God. We say blessed be Your name, our Jesus. We say blessed be Your name. Blessed be Your name. Thank You, Father. Blessed be Your name, O God. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. I want you to open to Psalm 33. Open to Psalm 33 in your Bible. Let us bring up some prayer points from there. Psalm 33. It says: "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy." (Psalm 33:1-3) Can you, in your heart, sing a new song to God? Can you in your heart... it says praise is beautiful in the mouth of the upright. Can you just praise the Lord? Can you just praise God in your own way? Praise God the way you want to praise Him. In the next two, three minutes, why not just praise God? If it is in a song, if it is in a dance, if it is in a shout, if it is in speaking in tongues. I don't know how you want to do it, but do something peculiar. The Bible says praise is beautiful in the mouth of the upright is correct, is good, is correct. Can you just praise the Lord? He began to give us what we should use to praise the Lord. It says, "For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work are done in truth." (Psalm 33:4) Can we praise God that God, Your word is right? All Your works they are done in truth. Can we tell the Lord this evening that Lord, Your words they are right, and Your works they are done in truth. You are a true God. You are a true God. You don't deceive. You don't lie to Your people. You don't pretend. You don't deceive us. You lead us in the way that we should go. Lord, we worship You. Your word is right. Your word is true. Can we praise the Lord again that Lord, we praise You because You love righteousness and justice? (Psalm 33:5) Can we tell the Lord that Lord, we praise You because we know that You love righteousness and You love justice. The earth is full of Your goodness. The earth is full of Your goodness. Your goodness. Look at the air that we breathe in free of charge. Look at the air we breathe in every day. If the government could tax oxygen, they would. But look at how it is free. It says the earth is full of Your goodness. Can we say, "God, we thank You because the earth is full of Your goodness"? We thank You. We bless Your name. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. When he gets to verse 8, it says, "Let all the earth fear before the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast." (Psalm 33:8-9) Can we worship God this evening and say, "Baba, we thank You because You are in charge"? Baba, we worship You because You are in charge. It doesn't matter what is going on around us in Nigeria. Lord, You are in charge. Lord, Your word says You are in charge. We worship Your majesty this evening because God, You are in charge. You are in charge of my life. Can you tell God this evening that God, You are in charge of my life? You are in charge of my academics. You are in charge of my future. You are in charge, O God. Lord, You speak and it was done. You commanded and it stood fast. Lord, Your power belongs to You. Lord, You are the ultimate power. Thank You, Father. Blessed be Your holy name, our God. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. In the verse 10, it says, "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the people of no effect." (Psalm 33:10) You want to pray. Every counsel of the nations that are contrary to the counsel of God for my life, every counsel of air, every gathering... Bible says when the enemy shall come like a flood, the Spirit of God will raise a standard against them. Every counsel of men, every counsel of the nations, everything that are contrary to me, the Lord will bring them to naught. Every plan that are opposed to the plans of God for my life. Every gathering that is gathered against my life. Every counsel of the devil, the counsel of air, the counsel of the prince of air, the counsel of principalities and powers, the counsel of rulers of darkness, the counsel of the host of darkness. The Lord bring them to naught over my life. The Lord bring them to naught. In the name of Jesus. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. Look at the next thing. It says, "He makes the plans of the people of no effect." Every plan of men that are contrary to the plans and purpose of God for my life, every putting together that is contrary, every power of the tongue that is opposed to the counsel of God for my life, I pray this day they shall be of no effect. They shall be of no effect. In the name of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. The next one, it says, "The counsel of the Lord stands forever." (Psalm 33:11) Over my life, begin to prophesy over your life that the counsel of God shall stand forever. Over my life, every day of my life, I shall not be cut down. I shall not be cut short. My expectations they will not fail. My hope they will not perish. The counsel of the Lord forever over my life shall stand. The counsel of God shall stand over my life. It says the counsel of the Lord shall stand forever. In the name of Jesus. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. Look at the next thing there. It says, "The plans of His heart to all generations." You know what the Bible says? It says, "I know the plan that I have towards you, the thought of good and not of evil, to give you a hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11). That's what it's saying here. It says the plan of His heart to all generations. You want to pray. The plan that is in the heart of God for my life will stand for all generation. "Ohun ti Olorun ro simi lo ma se." [Yoruba language: What God thinks for me is what will be done.] What men planned for my life will not stand. It is the plan that is in the heart of God for my life that will stand. I prophesy over my life. It is the plan that is in the heart of God for my life that will stand. In the name of Jesus. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. We want to pray. Look at something when we get to verse 17. From verse 16, it says, "No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither can it deliver by its great strength." However, it says, "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine." (Psalm 33:16-19) You want to pray. You want to ask the Lord that God, help me that my hope will always be in You. It says those who hope in Him. Lord, incline my heart to Your fear. It says the mercy of the Lord is on those who fear Him. Lord, incline my heart to Your fear. It is a very, very important thing. May I fear the Lord in all I do. May I be a life that fear God. Lord, incline my heart to Your fear. A mighty man is not delivered by his strength, but God can deliver His own. God deliver those who fear Him. Lord, help me that my hope will be only in You. Help me not to put my hope in any other things. Help me that my hope, my hope, my hope will be You and You alone. "Ibekele mi ko je Olorun." [Yoruba language: My confidence should be in God.] My hope should be God. Lord, help me that the weapon of my warfare will not be carnal. In the name of Jesus. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. We want to pray. The Bible says, "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine." (Psalm 33:18-19) I want you to pray. It doesn't matter what is going on in the nations. By the Lord, I shall be delivered. My soul shall be delivered from death. It says, "To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine." By the Lord, my soul shall be delivered from death. I will be kept alive in famine. "Ti iku ba n lo niwaju, Baba ma je n le iku ba." [Yoruba language: If death is going ahead, Father, do not let me catch up with it.] "Bi iku ba n bo leyin mi o, Baba ma je ku o ba mi." [Yoruba language: If death is coming behind me, Father, do not let death meet me.] Lord, You will deliver my soul from death. All kinds of death—spiritual death, emotional death, financial death, physical death, death in my health, death in my work with God, all kinds of death. Academic death, emotional death, financial death. I will be delivered from all kinds of death. "Baba bi iku ba n lo niwaju, ma je n le iku ba. Bi iku ba n bo leyin mi o, iku o ni ba mi." Lord, You will deliver my soul from death. In the name of Jesus. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. Look at what it says in verse 20. It says, "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield." I want you to note that scripture. "Our soul waits for the Lord." That is, we are people who have a work with God. We are people who wait on God to know what to do. We are people who wait for His instructions. "Ah no, this is what God said, that's what I want to do." It says, "Our soul waits for the Lord." I want you to pray. Lord, I pray, no matter what other people may be doing, help my soul to be a soul that waits for You. Help my soul to be a soul that waits for You. I will not go on my own. I will not do things by myself. I will not go the way of sinners. I will not go the way of the ungodly. I will not go the way of the wicked. I will not go the way of the unfaithful. I will not go the way of mockers. I will not go the way of the world. My soul will be a soul that waits for God. "Oluwa s’anu fun mi o." [Yoruba language: Lord, have mercy on me.] Lord, I will not go the way of sinners. I will not go the way of the world. Oh Lord, my soul will wait for You. My soul will wait for You. Can you speak to your soul? Speak to your soul. My soul, wait for God. Don't go the way of sinners. Don't go the way of the ungodly. Don't go the way of the wicked. Don't go the way of the world. Don't go the way of the ungodly. Don't go the way of adulterers. Don't go the way of fornicators. Don't go the way of liars. Don't go their way. I will not go the way of sinners. I will wait for the Lord. In the name of Jesus. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. And then we want to pray the last prayer for yourself. It says, "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33:20) You want to pray. Lord, as my soul waits on You, be my help, be my shield. Lord, as my soul waits on You, "Oluwa yide fun riran lowo mi o." [Yoruba language: Lord, manifest Yourself as my help.] "Olorun yide fun riran lowo mi o." [Yoruba language: God, manifest Yourself as my help.] You will not let me down. You will not put me to shame. I will not be disgraced. I will not be ashamed. Lord, You will be my shield. You will be my help. As my soul waits on You, I will not be disgraced. I will not be ashamed. I will not be disappointed. Thank You, Father. Thank You, Jesus. I will not be ashamed. I will not be disappointed. I will not be disgraced. The Lord will help me. The Lord will shield me. "Oju o ni ti mi, eru o ni ba mi, aye o ni ja mi, mi o ni kose, mi o ni subu." [Yoruba language: I will not be ashamed, I will not be afraid, I will not be overcomed, I will not stumble, I will not fall.] In the name of Jesus. In You, O Lord, we shall do valiantly. In You, O Lord, we shall subdue our enemies. In You, O Lord, we shall mount down our foes. In the name of Jesus. We go forth conquering and to conquer. November will favor us. December will favor us. In the name of Jesus. Beyond 2024, it shall be well with us in the name of Jesus Christ. Let Your goodness be upon us for good and Your hands be watch over us. Thank You, Eternal Father. And we pray for our nation. Lord, visit our land. We also speak over this nation. In this nation, it shall be well with the upright. In Nigeria, it shall be well with the upright. In the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Eternal Father. Blessed be Your holy name, our God. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. Let's share the grace together 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. Amen. 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 help. 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 outreaches, and every day counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location: Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilere community, opposite Beulah filling station along Ijera 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 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all. Amen.