Love, the Solid Foundation for Holyness (5)

[Music] [Speaker 1] Churchly fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Singing] Holy, holy Lord and forever You are God. And forever You are God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And forever You are God. [Speaker 2] We thank our God again for another time as we all connect together this evening. We appreciate Him for His love, for His mercies, for His grace. We appreciate Him for His goodness. We appreciate Him again for another time to look at the Scripture, to learn together, to reflect on the matter we have been considering: Love, the solid foundation for holiness. We have been considering this matter for some time now, and we are just going to press the matter further from where we left it last week. Last week, we began to look at the apostolic prayer and the purpose of the apostolic commandment. Those were the two things we looked at last week: the apostolic prayer and the purpose of the apostolic command. In looking at the matter, we saw that the purpose of the commandment is love out of a pure heart. Love out of a pure heart. That's the purpose of the apostolic command. And then when we went to the apostolic prayer, we began to see the place of love as we look at the prayer that Apostle Paul offered to God on behalf of the church. So, today we want to continue from that place where we left the matter last week. Let us have a word of prayer. Everlasting Father, we are grateful unto You. We thank You, our God, for the privilege of gathering together again unto You this evening. Our Father, we pray that as we look into Scriptures together, Lord our God, You will speak to our hearts. Lord, we pray for we who are here physically, our brethren who are joining us on Telegram, our brethren who are joining us on Mixlr. Lord, we pray that as we all fellowship together this evening, Your word will come to us. Lord, You will meet us where we need You most in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord God Almighty, we pray for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, there will be seed for the sower. There will also be bread for the eater in the name of Jesus. Thank You, dear Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So, we go to Philippians chapter 1. The apostolic prayer in the book of Philippians chapter 1. We take it from verse 9. Philippians 1:9: "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment." We were using the Amplified translation to look at this prayer. We have looked at verse 9. We are going to verse 10. Using the Amplified translation, it says: "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight, that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment, so that you may surely learn to sense what is vital and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value, recognizing the highest and the best and distinguishing the moral difference, and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless, so that with sincere hearts you may approach the day of Christ, not stumbling nor causing others to stumble, being filled with the fruit of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God." So, we have looked at the fact that if you look at this prayer, the concern of the Holy Spirit in this place, in this prayer, is to make us see that indeed love grows. And what grows in love is knowledge. What grows in love is understanding. What grows in love is discernment. When love begins to grow in all the knowledge, in all the understanding, in all the discernment, the impact of that growth is that you will be able to sense what is vital. And we were using the illustration of Jonah last week. That was where we stopped last week: to approve, to sense what is vital. Now, we saw that because Jonah was so obsessed with what his enemies, that's the Ninevites, what they did, he so much focused on it. It became what got his attention. And because of that, what was vital at that critical moment in his life when God said, "Jonah, arise, go to Nineveh," what was vital at that point was that the Lord was giving a command, an instruction to go and do something. That was the vital issue at that time. But you see, what was vital was not vital to Jonah. So, you see that because his love was not growing, instead of seeing that the Lord is calling him to an assignment that he must go and fulfill, he was seeing that no, these people must not see repentance. They must die. The judgment of God must fall on them. And I know that if I go and preach, these people may repent. And as they repent, the judgment of God will not come. But these people are so wicked, they must see the judgment of God. So, the best thing I can do is to run away, let them not hear the gospel. You see, he could not perceive what was vital. And what we began to sound last week is that Jonah was not a small boy as a prophet. But because his love was not growing in understanding and in knowledge, you can see how he was missing what is vital. It is the same with us today. If we don't grow, if our love, because one thing you must understand is that the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts. There is nothing like God would grow love. No. The truth is that as you grow in grace, it is the same way you grow in love. But you see, what grows in love is not as if the love itself will grow. When we say love is growing, what we actually mean is that this love that has been shed abroad in your heart, you begin to understand the depth of that love. You begin to have love grow in knowledge. It begins to grow in the light, in the image, in the character of Jesus. So, love grows in knowledge, it grows in understanding, it grows in discernment. As this thing grows, the life in which it is growing, that life will begin to sense in every situation what is vital. Now, not only will you be able to sense what is vital, it says the next thing is that you'll be able to approve and prize what is excellent and of real value. Now, we still use Jonah because Jonah is our case study. Now, what is of real value? You will discover that it was God that began to make Jonah know what was of real value. For Jonah, when God brought a plant into his head, at the bar of his head, somewhere at the middle point, and the sun was almost killing Jonah, and then God caused a small plant to grow. When it grew, what happened? The plant shielded Jonah from the heat of the sun. So Jonah was happy. "Ah, thank God for this plant." He didn't know that God was trying to teach him something. God wanted him to be able to know what was of real value. God now caused a worm to attack the plant. When the worm attacked the plant, the plant died. And because the plant was dying, the sun was now able to beat seriously on Jonah again. Then Jonah got so angry. And God was asking him, "Why are you angry?" He said, "I'm angry because you made this plant to die." And God said, "You have a cause to be angry?" He said, "Yes, I have every cause to be angry, even unto death." That was Brother Jonah. Now, look at what God now told him. God said, "So you don't want this plant to die? A plant that you see today and tomorrow you will not see. You don't want the plant to die. You did not plant the plant, but you didn't want it to die. But you want the people of Nineveh to perish. A population that is over 120,000 people. That number, you want them to die. You did not see any value in those ones, but you are seeing real value in a plant." You know what God was trying to tell Jonah? It's a major problem with us today. Do you know that many of us, we think our convenience and our comfort, they're more important than the souls of men? We think our convenience and comfort, they are of real value than being of edification to somebody's life. Standing to make sure somebody knows God better even if it has to cost you so much. Wanting to be sure a brother doesn't miss it, a sister doesn't miss it. Wanting to be sure that, no, this soul don't perish. Many of us, we prize convenience more than prizing the life of men, the souls of men, the edification of the body of Christ. And what a mistake we normally make that we don't see very clearly about the body of Christ. Jonah could not see the value of God, the value God was placing on the people. God was seeing a people that should not perish. God was seeing a people that should turn from their left from their right, that should not perish. Jonah was seeing enemies that should die. Enemies that should be destroyed. Enemies that should be wasted by God. Why? Because he was self-driven. He was not love-driven. He was not purpose-driven. He was not driven by his love. He does not understand the matter of "for God so loved the world." He does not see how much God does not want the death of the wicked, but that the wicked should repent. He does not see how much value God places on men. I'm trying to teach you something: that God places even on the soul of the wicked. The Bible says there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents. Which tells you that for God, what is of real value—do you notice that word "there is joy in heaven"—it's a very serious thing. That when people repent, it gives heaven great joy. Angels are rejoicing. "Hallelujah, wow!" Now, that tells you the kind of value that God places on men. I'm trying to show you two things. Look at the value God placed on these men, this type of men, wicked people, people you call wicked people, people you call callous people, people who would be hurting you, God, kill them! God, destroy them! Look at how much value God places on them. And to make that even more in the New Testament, look at what the Bible says. The Bible says, "But God commended His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Christ died for His enemies. While we were yet enemies of God, He died for us. What am I trying to tell you? Is that those who value on earth can value person that even done evil to you, on the wicked, on sin. Instead of us prizing these ones, why? It is because we love ourselves. We prize our value, our real value, ourselves and our interest. They are the real values, the things that belong to us. Our property, those things, we prize them above the souls of men, even the wicked, but values of the repentance is so much value. And that is what Jonah was missing: what is real value. But do you know where I'm going? Where I'm going is not even that. Where I'm going is more serious than that. I'm talking about you. Real value. I'm going to add one verse to that Scripture, that 1 Peter 4:7. 1 Peter 4:7. Let's look at that 1 Peter, we come back to this prayer. That 1 Peter 4:7 that we read. 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 7 where the Bible says, "But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers." Then verse 8. The Bible says, "And above all things have fervent love for one another. Love will cover a multitude of sin." Immediately after that place, the verse 9 says, "Be hospitable to one another without grumbling." Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. Now, what will take grumbling away? You know it's in the verse 8. Have fervent love for one another. That fervent love will cover a multitude of sin. So, be hospitable to one another without grumbling. And if you look at the verse 10, "As each one has received a gift, minister it to another as a good steward of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks..." I want to bring something out for you about this matter of approving real value. I want to show you, I'm showing you how God handled the matter of Jonah. I've shown you that that principle of God has not changed. Because in saving us, God did not consider whether we are fornicators, we are wizards, we are wicked. Christ came to die for us. He died for His enemies. God was not preoccupied with what we did against Him. He was preoccupied with how our soul will come to salvation. That's His preoccupation. That is the example He wants us to follow. Now, wherever you are listening to me this evening, I want you to hear me and I want you to hear me well. Because what we are not realizing is that just the way Jonah became an offender because he was preoccupied with the offenses of his own offender, and he fell out of grace with God. If not for God, Jonah was lost. If not for God, Jonah was a goner. And what made him a goner was what he was preoccupied with. You see, you find somebody miss out with God and did you evil. And because you were wrongly preoccupied, you couldn't approve, you couldn't get, you couldn't realize what is of real value. You were valuing what was done to you and unfortunately you missed the real thing. Why am I saying this? Is that you will notice that when the Bible says, "Above all things, put on fervent love for one another," the Bible was speaking within the community of Christians. There are two things about doing good. The Bible says do good to all men. We have said that in that of Jonah and Nineveh. All men. Wicked men, evil men, men who would be hurting you. Make sure that you don't get preoccupied with their wickedness against you. The real value is how their soul will get salvation. But the Bible also says that especially to those of the household of faith. Those of the household of faith, they are not in the same class with the wicked people. So, the value of those people, their own value is higher than the value of the wicked. And the other thing about this thing, about why you must put on fervent charity—because my focus today, our brotherly relationship—that's what I'm talking about today. That of Jonah is showing us relationship with the wicked. But I'm talking about relationship towards believers. It says put on fervent charity, for love covers a multitude of sin. Be hospitable one to another without grumbling. Every man has a gift, sister. As you, whatever, just keep doing good. Minister, minister. Now, He has said put on fervent charity. Because if you don't put it on, offenses that are within, see, offenses that are without, God is saying that the soul of the wicked, they are more important to Him than how they have offended you. That was what God showed us in Jonah. Now, when you now come to the believers, the believers are not just wicked. The believers are the body of Christ. So you now get preoccupied with what one brother, one sister did, how he did it, he did not do it well. Because don't forget everyone is a work in progress. There is no perfect brother or perfect sister anywhere. God is perfecting them. So in their weaknesses, He is perfecting them. You now begin to hold on to this, holding on to that. And that is now making you to act wrongly towards the body of believers. You can see how foolish and stupid that kind of reasoning is. You can see, because the body of believers, the Lord knows that even you yourself you offend people. You have not been perfected. That's why he says, "Be hospitable without grumbling." But you will not be able to do that if you don't have what? Fervent love. You can't. You will focus on the lapses of the brethren. You will see them. And so like Jonah, offense now magnified like that of Jonah. Your offenses now more hideous than that of Jonah. Your offense becomes more grievous in the sense that look at the book of Matthew and Luke. The Bible says something about Jesus when He was to die. At the point of death, the Bible says, in the book of Luke, Jesus gave us a pattern. I want us to see something this evening on this matter of approving what is of real value. May the Lord open our eyes. May the Lord help our heart. May we grow in love. This love that surpasses knowledge. Hallelujah. Look at something in Luke. When Jesus was to be killed, that is Luke chapter 23, the crucifixion. Luke chapter 23. I'm going to also where on the cross and Jesus was to be, was to be killed. Luke 23. Look at around verse 42: "Then he said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.' And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.'" Look what Jesus was speaking to. I hope you see how all that he did against God was forgotten in a moment. That is with the wicked. I'm showing you this matter again in the person of our Lord Jesus. This matter of not focusing on grievances, because the matter of real value. We don't know what is of real value, and that is why many times we miss out the real things in our relationship with people. Now, he says, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise." Then look at what follows: "Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple torn into two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, 'Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.' Having said this, He breathed His last." If you look at that in the old King James Bible, it says He gave up the ghost. When Jesus gave up, what did Jesus commit into the hand of the Father? His spirit. So, when He did that, what would be remaining on the cross? The body. Was that not the body on the cross? That body was for us. Now, look at something. I'm just trying to make you see something about approving what is excellent. When the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous man." And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. Look at what the Bible says. May we not be like this. I'm speaking proverbially, not in context, but I want to draw a matter. It says: "But all His acquaintances," another translation for that word "acquaintances," another word "His friends," those who were with Him, those who knew Him. What happened? He says, "His acquaintances, His friends, those who knew Him, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, they stood at a distance, watching these things." "Now there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good man and a just man. He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was also waiting for the kingdom." You see this disciple? A disciple on Mixlr, a disciple on Telegram, a disciple on Facebook. He was not the ones that was with them, but he was also waiting. The Bible says: "This man went to Pilate and demanded for the body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a line, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock where no one had ever lain before." Look at what I'm showing. When Jesus gave up the ghost, He left a body that was meant to be prepared for burial. That was meant to be buried. That was meant to be prepared for the resurrection. I'm talking about Jesus left a body, the body of Christ, that is meant to be prepared for His coming, for the resurrection that will come when Jesus appear in the sky and we will be gathered together unto Him. Jesus did not give the body up. He left a body to be prepared for resurrection. While Paul was persecuting that body, Saul, Jesus appeared and said, "Look, why are you acting like this to Me? I will deal with you." He left a body to be prepared for resurrection. You know what His acquaintances did? They stood afar. Pastors are standing afar. So-called teachers, brothers, they are standing afar from this body. Why? It is full of blood. It is stained. If they go, they don't know what the Pharisees will do. They don't know what others will do. They were considering a lot of things. They don't want to be named. They don't want to be framed. And so many things they are considering today. My convenience, my comfort, I don't like for somebody to speak to me like this. I don't like for anybody to touch my thing. I don't like so many things those who knew Him were considering. But there was a man that was correct. I keep telling you, in every generation, correct men are always few. In every generation, those who will get it right, they are always few. The man went, he went to face the principalities in the land. He took a risk. He didn't mind the stain that is, you know how that body was battered. All those things you see in calendar that they put one fine thing on the cross. Those people, they are confused. They don't know what the Bible says. If you see Jesus, Isaiah described it better for us. When we shall see Him, there is no beauty to desire Him. The Bible says His visage was no more like that of a man. You know what it means to give somebody that whip that they were giving Him? It was tearing His skin. That man tried to do something close to what it was. As it goes, they tear. As it goes, they tear. As it goes, they tear. Many times over, wiping and tearing. And that man did not hide. He didn't mind the stain, didn't mind the burden, didn't mind everything, didn't mind what everybody will be saying. "Ah, that man, a grave that he has prepared for his own self." He was not even thinking, "Ah, but me too I may soon die. My children will not start again to be looking for where to bury me." You can see a man forgot his interest. He focused on the body. When you don't have fervent charity, you will not approve things that are of real value. If you don't have fervent charity, the things that you be carrying that you be thinking they are very important to you, by the time heaven appear, it would have been ordinary nonsense. It would have been those things that heaven will just look at you, and heaven will say, "Ah, your case is unfortunate." Heaven will be telling you that. Heaven will be pointing that. Get away. Heaven said to Jonah, "How foolish and stupid you were." But Jonah thought he had every justification not to go. And God said, "I'm more interested in the soul of the repentant." That one is of more value to Me than whatever they did to you. I wish you forgot about yourself and without grumbling, you are ministering the grace of God that I gave you. Don't you know that that is exactly what Jesus is doing with us? Even when we are not perfect every day, He is perfecting us. He's focusing on how we can meet Him. He said, "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they do." And today He gave to us. Bible says He's ever interceding. The Bible says when we sin, we have an advocate with the Father. Even when we misbehave, what does He do? "Papa, Papa, You know I died for this one." Even when we are—I'm showing you what Jesus is being focused on. What He is trying to do to make sure that at the end of the day, none, none—He said, "All that the Father gave me, the will of the Father is that I lose none." None of them. He says it's the will of the Father, of all that He has given, I should raise them on the last day. He left a body to be prepared. The reason why He gave gifts unto men, He gave gifts unto men, is for what? For the perfecting of the saints. Ephesians chapter 4 from verse 11: "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and He gave gifts unto men." One, He made them apostles. Another one, prophets. Another one, evangelists. Another one, pastors. Another one, teachers. For what? For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith, of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ. Instead of us focusing on our gift today as the real thing to value, and perfecting the body, you know what believers are focusing on today? What he/she did against me. What I don't like about her. What this one did to pinch me. "I'm not going again. How? Why?" That is why I said, may you not be men who are looking at the body from afar. "His acquaintances." So unfortunate. Their acquaintances, the people you thought will know, will say, "Ah, change the story. Are they gone? Hey, oya let's go quickly, carry Him!" They were the ones that were watching afar. It was a brother you felt was not correct. And that is why I keep telling people there will be surprises in heaven. The people you think don't count, you will see them counting. The people you are thinking should count, they may not count. Why? It is this matter of whether we are walking in love or whether you are preoccupied with self. That is why you see the Apostle praying for the church. He said, "I pray that your love will grow." That your love can grow in understanding, in knowledge, in discernment. So that number one, you'll be able to sense the things that are vital. Number two, you'll be able to approve what is of real value. May the things you focus on your life, putting value on, may they not be things that does not matter to heaven in the name of Jesus. What are you focusing on today? "Put on fervent charity!" Prepare this body. What I'm telling you is that heaven rejoices over souls. The focus of heaven is that "Can you help me perfect the body? We know it's not yet perfect. Can you help me? I gave you gifts to perfect it." You are busy hitting your head against the wall that the imperfect body is hurting you. Do you expect the imperfect body not to hurt you before? That's why when I look around today, even into our fellowships, backbiting, division, evil speaking, grievances, grievances, grievances, preoccupying—they say some are not even serious Christians. Some are not serious. What I'm about to make you see is that even the wicked, that's where I began from the point of the wicked. Even the wicked, what God is seeking about the wicked is not for the wicked to die in their sin. It's that what? That you may lay aside what the wicked did against you, and how the soul of the wicked can be converted. That was the lesson we learned in Jonah. That was what we learned in the thief that He said, "Today! Forget all he said against you. Nothing has been written against you. I abolish it. Since I am the one to judge, I pardon everything. You'll be with Me in Paradise." Let 101 people there be saying, "But he did it! He killed my daughter! He did that! He was the one that kidnapped that person! He was the one that did that!" Jesus says, "None of those things matter now." What mattered to God was that a soul of the wicked, broken, has been converted by the life of Jesus. Jesus, the other one said, "Even you, since you say you are a righteous man, why couldn't you save us? That's what you should do something about it." But one was converted by the life. There was one putting his faith in Jesus. He said, "Lord Jesus, remember me. Remember me." And it was not, "Eh, is it now that I should remember you? When you were busy stealing around and you were busy killing people, you didn't tell me to remember you. Eh? Now that there is no more remedy, that they want to kill you at the fire of death, you are like, 'God remember me.'" That wasn't Jesus. May we grow. May we grow in the love of God. The love of His mercies. This love, it is something—you know what Paul said? I'll be showing us that in another meeting. Paul said that we may comprehend the length, the breadth, the height, and the depth of the incomprehensible love of God. Now show me what the Bible says. Bible says if you want to comprehend the depth, the breadth, the length, the height of a love that we cannot comprehend. How do you explain that? It's so deep. It's so wide. It's so amazing. And see, if we don't get into this kind of love, if we don't grow in this dimension, there are so many implications. Our not being able to approve—that Scripture again, Phil 1—because I want to conclude that Philippians chapter 1, that prayer today. If you look at that place that we read, that Philippians 1:10, if you don't grow in this kind of love, look at what the Bible says. It says so that you may surely learn to sense what is vital and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value, recognizing the highest and the best. Do you notice those things? It's not just better, there is highest, there is best. Some things are good, but if you grow in love, you will prize what is the best. What is the best? He says so that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless. That's the one that is very important again, apart from the first one. You see, the problem is that until you get into the first one, you cannot get into this second one. Once you are not approving what is the best in situations, you cannot but err. You cannot but have stain. Untainted means—can I take a simpler term for that untainted? Let me see if I can read NLT from here. NLT: "I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless." You see, what you don't know what really matters, at the end of the day, you won't be able to live a pure and blameless life. You will have things for which heaven will blame you. Is that not what happened to Jonah? Now, look at when Jesus was—in Matthew 25. He said on that day, "I will separate the goats from the sheep. And I will say to the goats, 'Depart from me to everlasting destruction, prepared for devil and his angels. I was hungry, you didn't give me to eat. I was this, you didn't. I was that, you didn't.' And they will say, 'When?' He said, 'When you did to the least of the brethren.'" Then the other one: "Welcome, for when I was hungry, you did this, you did that, you did this, you did that." Do you know that on account of certain things some people have done, some brethren have decided to punish them and not do some things? Mind you, God already warned us that even when your enemy is hungry, give him to eat. Now, this person is not your enemy, but a brethren who was not perfected, did some things well. And you set up some things to deny him and to punish him for it. You have had evil heart towards certain people. I'm not talking about discipline. I'm talking about motive and intention. I'm talking about being revengeful. That is why I said, may you not be men who are looking at the body from afar. "His acquaintances." So unfortunate. The people you thought will know, will say, "Ah, change the story. Are they gone? Hey, oya let's go quickly, carry Him!" They were the ones that were watching afar. It was a brother you felt was not correct. And that is why I keep telling people there will be surprises in heaven. The people you think don't count, you will see them counting. The people you are thinking should count, they may not count. Why? It is this matter of whether we are walking in love or whether you are preoccupied with self. That is why I said—I know a best, how best to say it—but what that adage means is that people say we will cover our eyes for bad people to go away, even when good people will pass, you will not see. So you better open your eyes and pray God for discernment to discern. So that the ones that you need to do what you ought to do, you will not miss to do it. The Bible says there is no believer—that's why you saw it, He said, "Above all, put on charity" as you prepare for the coming of the Lord. This business is look, if you will not err, if you will be pure and blameless till Jesus return, if you will not err, if you are thinking of becoming holy, because we are looking at love, the solid foundation for holiness. If you are thinking of a holy life, be praying that your love will grow in knowledge. Be praying that it will grow in understanding. Be praying that it will grow in discernment. Because if these things don't grow, there is no way you can live a pure and blameless life. It's not possible. Because it is in God that we know there is a difference between living and existing. God wants us to live. God doesn't just want us to exist. He wants us to live. God is love. The life of God is a life of love. For God so loved, it was love that brought redemption. It was love that brought justification. It was love that brought sanctification. It was love that brought every other thing you are looking at in God. What made God to be able to discern, understand, and made a plan so that it was the offended that died for the offender. It was because of love. It was that that made God to value what is excellent. "These are my image and they are my likeness. I will redeem my image, I will redeem my likeness." Every other thing may not be redeemed, but not my image, not my likeness. Angels that have sinned, no redemption. Animals, the earth is cursed. I will wipe away the earth. I will make a new heaven, I will make a new earth. The devil, no redemption. All those ones, no redemption. But man, he says a man indeed ought not to cover his head because he's the image and he's the glory of God. Every other thing may not be redeemed, but no, my image, my glory. And love brought a propelling. Everything is inside God. The Bible says that it's not for any good work that we did because there was nothing good in us. When people say because I am good, that's why God saved me. I tell them that you don't understand the gospel. There is no good in anybody. Some people say because he is good, that's why God foreordained him. The good works that you did is after you were made to come to God. God did not pick anybody because of it. Nobody merits the mercy of God. God did not pick anybody because of it. Nobody merits the mercy of God. If you believe your fathering, you know, our family we used to be, that is why God—there is nothing like that. Nobody, God did what He did. Bible says of His own will He saved us. Not counting our trespasses. And unless we grow this way, we will not be able to live the life of God. We will keep erring. We will keep falling. We will be have blame. We will have blame, different blames here and there. The thing you think you value, at the end of the day, will not be valued as far as God is concerned. The things you think you are holding to—believers are not wicked people. They may do wrong, but even the wicked, God valued them. God died for them. How much more the saints? How much more the saints? This is things to meditate on very seriously. Excellent things to be preoccupied with. Precious Father, we thank You. [Speaker 3] Precious Father, we thank You for another time as we all connect together. Lord, we appreciate You for Your word. Thank You for not hiding Yourself from us. Lord, we commit our hearts, commit our lives, that Lord You will help us to live thereby, to live according to this word that You have spoken to us in the name of Jesus. Oh Lord, no man has what it takes to work with You. Bible says You are the Lord that work in us both to will and to do of Your good pleasure. This is nothing but Your pleasure. Oh Lord, work it in us. Work it through us, that we may also be among those that will prepare Your body in the name of Jesus. Help us to give up our interest. Help us to give up all that is gain for us because You first gave up Yourself. Help us in the name of Jesus. Strengthen our heart as You were strengthened in the time of Your discouragement, as You were strengthened even when the enemy came. You were not left alone at any time. Lord, as we call upon You, we are willing, we are ready. We only ask Holy Spirit do the work of God in us and through us, that our Father may be glorified. That our God, our Lord will be pleased that we may bring to You splendor, that we may showcase Your glory. Please manage our heart. Please handle our heart. Please help our heart. Please work upon our heart. Father, please circumcise our heart. Heal us if we are wounded in the name of Jesus. Thank You, faithful God. Thank You for Your son. We pray we will not live less of this truth that You have revealed through him. Oh Lord, he will be a doer, that as You appear in the name of Jesus, he will receive, oh Lord, a welcome in the name of Jesus. Thank You, faithful God. We trust in You, Lord, that You will continue with us beyond this point until Christ and Your life and His life is fully formed in us in Jesus' unfailing name we pray. Amen. [Speaker 1] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in reaching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission hit. 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 every 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, Ileri community, opposite very joyful filling station along Igede 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. [Music]