Opening Charge for 2023

[Speaker 1] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 2] Let's sing this song together as we start today, this first Monday in the year 2023. For this God is our God, For this God is our God, He is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide, He will be our guide, From now even unto the end, Unto the end. For this God is our God, For this God is our God, He is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide, He will be our guide, From now even unto the end, Unto the end. For this God is our God, For this God is our God, He is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide, He will be our guide, From now even unto the end, Unto the end. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing. Of the mercies of the Lord. Oh, with my mouth, with my mouth, Will I make known, make known, Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness, To all generations. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing. Of the mercies of the Lord. Our Father, we are grateful unto you. We bless you. We thank you. We adore you. We give you all the glory for this first Monday in the year 2023. We bless your holy name. We give you all the glory. We give you all the honor. Lord, it had been you. Lord, it is still you. We are persuaded it will yet be you. We thank you for those of us who are here physically. We thank you for our brethren who are joining us on Telegram. We thank you for our brethren who are joining us on Mixlr. Lord our God, we say blessed be your name. We say Lord, be exalted. Lord God, we adore you. We magnify you. We say Lord, it is on account of your mercies. Life is not a right. Life is a privilege. We thank you for the privilege of life. We thank you, Lord, for redemption. We thank you for salvation, for adoption, for justification, for sonship. We thank you for the Holy Spirit that is in us. We thank you for the spirit by which we can cry, "Abba, Father." We thank you, oh Lord, for being made acceptable in the beloved. We thank you for the gift of holiness. We thank you for the gift of sanctification. We thank you, Lord our God, for every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Lord God, we thank you for eternal life. Baba, we are so grateful. For no man can come unto the Lord except the Father draws him. We worship you, oh Lord. From start to finish, you command our destiny. Blessed be your name, our God. Thank you, Father. Unto you we gather again this evening, oh Lord, as we open for the year. Our Father, as we open for the year, we look up unto you. Lord our God, we are asking that it will be a time again in your presence in the name of Jesus Christ. It will be a time indeed in your presence in the name of Jesus Christ. As you instruct our hearts this evening, Lord, we pray. Let the instructions be timely. Let the instructions be specific. Meet us where we need you most. Lord, our eyes are on you. Let nothing prevail against your purpose for our life this 2023. Establish us, oh Lord, in your path. Instruct our hearts this evening. Thank you, eternal Father. Blessed be your holy name, oh God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. This evening, we will be opening up 2023 with what I call the opening charge. I just termed our fellowship this evening the opening charge. We want to open up 2023 with this charge. That's what we do yearly, anyway. The first Monday, we try to give what will appear as the burden of the ministry for the year. Who can still remember the burden for the ministry for last year? The Lord Our Shepherd. The Lord Our Shepherd. And we said even though as the year began, we were running into the year, and for we academic staff that went through the eight-month strike, the shutdown of the university, no salary coming here and there, it looked like, yeah, the Lord is indeed our Shepherd. And indeed, it was the Lord. It was the Lord. And this year again, the Lord has been burdening our heart as a ministry in a direction. It is in that direction we want to charge us this evening. What most of the messages that will be coming subsequently will be looking at, will be working around. I don't want to call it a watchword. I don't want to call it whatever other name they call it, but I prefer to call it a burden. The burden for the year. The burden, what will form our direction as a ministry for this year. I want to begin very gradually by taking us to something very fundamental about life, about this side of life. You will see that in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. The opening charge for the year 2023. 1 Thessalonians 4. I just want to begin from there. We'll move gradually to Revelation where we will begin to compare scriptures with scriptures. Now, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, for this side of life, the Bible says from verse 13: > "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17) Now, two things I want to draw our attention to in this place. In the verse 13, the scripture says it is important that we are not ignorant. It is important that we are not ignorant. And in talking about what we should not be ignorant about, it says "concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope." Now, from this point of the scripture, what is fundamental here about human beings is that at the point of death, the Bible was addressing believers here that it is important that we don't behave, we don't act as another group of people. Who are those group of people? Those who have no hope. Now, what is the basis of this hope? He said we should not sorrow as those who have no hope. You see, some people have hope and some people are hopeless. Now, those who have hope, what is it that the Bible described as the basis of hope? What is it? What is the basis of that hope? Christ in us, the hope of glory. Isn't it? That we are sure that those of us who are in Christ, when we die, there is hope for us. There is hope. What is the hope? There is the hope of resurrection. Is that not the hope? And those who are sure of this hope are those who are what? Who are in Christ. Isn't it? So, brethren, as we begin to look into 2023, trying to give ourselves a direction for the year, I want us to see very fundamentally that as far as eternity is concerned, as far as God is concerned, as we approach 2023, we should be preoccupied with this thought. There are only two classes of people: those who have hope and those who are hopeless. The reason why we must occupy ourselves with this this year—I'm going there very soon. But you see, I want to plead with you as we begin to journey through 2023. I want to beg you, I want to encourage you, I want to exhort you, I want to appeal to you that as much as possible, it is important that we begin to preoccupy our mind that while men may divide people into several classes, can we mention those classes that we may divide people into? The rich, the poor, men, women, married—the categories are plenty—unmarried, barren, with children. How do we call the other ones? Parents with children. Barren then parents with children. Rich and poor, we have said that. Let's look at the divisions. They are many. How do we divide them? Literate and illiterate. Yes. Young and old. Skilled and unskilled. Jobless and gainfully employed. Learned and unlearned. You can just keep going on and on like this. While we may keep dividing and dividing, what I want you to see here is that as we divide like this, you begin to categorize your life. Do you notice it? "I am not educated. I wish I am. I am poor. I wish I am rich." Landowners, landlord and tenant. Pastors and other people—amen people. Just keep dividing on and on. But you see, as we divide, what I'm trying to say is that as we divide, these different divisions, they bring burdens to our heart. Do you agree with me? For the person who is married and has been barren for the past maybe 15 or 20 years—I know of brethren like that, and they are still trusting God till today—they will divide themselves against those who immediately they just marry like this, even their equal, they are already through with childbearing, and they have not started. Will that not form some kind of burden? It will form. For somebody who has been running a PhD for the past 12 years and he is still yet to finish it, and he was just told, "Oh," he just saw one of the brethren say, "You see, PhD done and dusted just in three and a half years." Does that not form burden in the heart of that person? Are you following me, brethren? You see, we can keep dividing like this into classes. And as we divide, these things, they place burdens on our heart. Do you agree with me? I just want to share with you the opening charge for 2023, what the Lord is burdening us with as a ministry. And for my own kind of job that I do, you can further divide. Those who are graduate assistants, those that want to be assistant lecturers, junior lecturers, senior lecturers. By the time you look at somebody who is 33 years old, he's a professor, and you are 55, you are trying to get your PhD to be a senior lecturer, you look at it again, you are dividing. It forms burden in your heart. Nigerians that are in Nigeria, Nigerians that are in diaspora. And then they begin to feel, "Ah, when will the door of America or London be open so I can be in Canada?" We can keep dividing. What I'm trying to say is that the division is endless. This thing that the Lord began to call our attention to for 2023 is that if you want to divide people and you want to class yourself, you will see that the division is endless. Crucial to this division is the cares it brings upon our heart. What are these cares? They are the things that Jesus spoke about in the parable of the sower. He said those who fall among thorns, they are those plants that the cares of this life—legitimate cares of this life—did not allow to bear fruit because they did what? What did they do to them? They choked them. And so they could not bear fruit. In another scripture, Luke chapter 13, verse 22: > "And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, 'Lord, are there few who are saved?' And He said to them, 'Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.'" (Luke 13:22-24) What the Lord is making me to understand for 2023, the reason why many will strive to enter and will not be able is because of these divisions. Because of these divisions. "I am poor, I want to be rich. I am not learned, I want to be learned. I'm in Nigeria, I want to be in Canada. I am barren, I want to have children. I am single, I must be married." All of these things, you can keep—that's why I said that the list is endless. "I am a junior lecturer, I want to become senior lecturer. Senior lecturer, I want to enter professor cadre. I am still holding a masters, I want to hold a PhD." And for some, I hope you know that some are striving. "I am a female, I want to be a male." Do you agree with me? That may not be common in this side of the world, but you know it's common in some other side of the world. "I am a male, I want to be a female. Why should I be a female?" There are different categories of this division. But the Lord is calling my attention to a very crucial thing. That the reason why many will strive and will not be able to enter—are you with me, brethren? The reason why many will strive, not as if they did not try to enter. When he says, look at the scripture, it came home to me in the NIV translation. It says to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door because I tell you, many will try to enter but they will not be able." Many will try. He said, "Make every effort to enter." Now, the way it came to me in NIV translation is that those that will enter are those who made all the efforts. Some will make efforts but they will not make all the efforts. He said, "Make every," not plenty, not some, but "Make every effort." Leave no stone unturned. Make sure every stone is touched. Don't leave anyone untouched. That one that you leave untouched may be the basis of your disqualification. May be the thing that will be an entrance. May be the thing that will cut you short. Make every effort to be sure that you enter the narrow door. These divisions—please, is there anything wrong? Let's take them. If you are poor, to try to be rich, is there anything wrong about it? If you are not educated and you want to be educated, is there anything wrong about it? If you are holding a first degree and you want to have a masters, is there anything wrong about that? If I don't have a child and I'm trusting God towards one, am I doing anything wrong? No. If I'm single and I'm saying, "God, 2023 is the year of my becoming married," have I said anything wrong? No. Please, don't get me wrong. What I am saying, however, is that the Lord is saying it is these legitimate things, it is the strive for these legitimate things that is going to choke many people this year. These legitimate things, the strive, the concern, the anxiety about them. Now, what the Lord is trying to make us see as we go back to where I'm coming from—let me read further. > "Because I tell you, many will try to enter and will not be able. Once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where are you from?'" (Luke 13:24-25) Please look at what they will be saying. > "Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence—that one is story. You taught us in our street,' but He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where are you from? Depart from Me, workers of'—of what? Of iniquity." (Luke 13:26-27) It means the matter of the striving is a matter of what? Not being workers of iniquity. The matter of the striving—there is nothing wrong in seeking to be rich. If you trust the Lord to move from one status to another, there is nothing wrong. But the question the Lord asked that man that came into the wedding hall—go and check the question. The question the Lord asked him is not, "Why are you here without the garment?" Was it a question of why? What was the question? Was it saying, "Why are you here without the garment?" What was the question? It is "How?" "How did you enter without the garment?" So the question is not, why do you have a masters? Why do you get married? Why do you move out of Nigeria and go to the US? It's not the question of why. The question is how. How did you get that certificate? How did you get that money to do that project? How did you buy that car? How? How? How? How? How? How? The question I will be asking in life is how. How, not why. How did you get it? How did you move from this class to this class is not why should you move. No, it's not why. It's how. How did you move from assistant lecturer to lecturer one? How did you move from senior lecturer to professor cadre? How did you move? How? It is the question of how. He said, "How did you get here?" And brethren, what should really bother our heart concerning 2023 is that fundamentally, as we journey through 2023 afresh again, he said, "those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength." Afresh again, anew again, let us put it on our forehead. Let us put it, what did he tell them to do? On the lintel of the house. He said they should write it again where? In their hand. They should place it so that they can see it so that they will not forget. Let us envision ourselves again that as far as eternity is concerned, there are only two classes of people: those who have hope and those who are hopeless. At the end of the day, what is going to really matter is, are you still in Christ or are you outside Christ? What is going to matter will not be, are you rich or are you poor? What is going to matter at the end will not be, are you a boy or are you a girl? It will not be, are you young or are you old? It will not be, are you in Nigeria or are you in Canada? It will not be, were you able to get a masters or you are holding a first degree? It will not be, "Ah, so you are barren, you cannot enter heaven. It is only those who have children that can enter." It will not be, "Ah, sorry, single people don't come into eternity. It's only those who end up being married that can enter." All those divisions will not matter again. What the Lord is burdening our heart with is that be careful not to lose the line of the fundamental division by the line of the auxiliary divisions. Be careful as you march through 2023. Be careful as you are marching through 2023 not to lose the line of the fundamental division as you journey through these secondary divisions, these auxiliary divisions. As you are trying to enter into them, be careful. Be on your guard. At the end of the day, all those other ones will not matter. The Lord is calling attention, the Lord is drawing us again in the journey through 2023 and saying, "Children, be on the watch. Be on the watch." You know, somebody sent—I said the person knew that I'll be talking on this opening charge this evening. The person sent—maybe any of us too might have seen the video. It was sent to me on WhatsApp. A young crab that saw before it was hot vegetable oil. You know it looks like water. But it's very, very hot. The crab was somewhere. It was looking at the oil because it was colorless like water. The crab felt that I can also swim in this. And so it went forth and crawled into it in order to swim. But as it crawled into it, it was fried. And the words that was in that video was, "Be careful not to disobey the Lord." Many times, what you judge as pleasant, what you judge as good for you, what you judge as wonderful, why the Lord may be preventing you is that the Lord is seeing what will terminate, what will end you, what will finish you. He said, "Be careful not to be rebellious. Be careful to obey the Lord." They now went on to say one major way we don't listen to the Lord today is in the way of sin. There are things that the Lord have said, "Don't do. Don't do." But many times, just like that crab, because the crab could not judge why somebody will say, "Don't enter water." But he could not understand, "This is not water." But somebody who has a greater and higher understanding of the future is saying, "Don't enter." But the thing is water. He said, "That is our relationship between us and God." Then he turned it again the other way. Once he made that thing to look like water for the crab was because the crab, as it's limited to understand what it is, he said, "It is in the same way that the devil work around our life." He said, "There is no human intelligence that can match satanic intelligence." Are you aware? There is no human intelligence that matches satanic intelligence. That's why the Bible says, "Be strong in the Lord." Outside the Lord, we are not strong. Our strength is in the Lord. Look at the hymn writer: "I need Thee every hour, Most gracious Lord; No tender voice like Thine Can peace afford." But the standard I want to make reference to is: "I need Thee every hour, Stay nearby, Lord; Temptations lose their power When Thou art nigh." In ourselves, we are not strong. He says no human intelligence can match satanic intelligence. You see, so many times, Satan is able to make death by his intelligence look like something attractive for us. But because we have limited intelligence, and that's why the Bible warn us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." Because your understanding cannot match satanic intelligence. They can manipulate. They can make it look, "Ah, wow, great." He said, "That is exactly how it is, too." That we should be careful to stay with the Lord. Because satanic manipulation can make death appear like life. And we will think when God is saying, "Stop," you may not understand, but if only you trust, you will not die. But when you feel, "I understand what I'm doing, I understand what I'm doing," and you move forward, what happens is that you get fried. Why did I bring that to what we are discussing this evening? It's because what the Lord is burdening our heart with for 2023 is that see, many will make effort but they will not make every effort. Making every effort is to be sure that in every way, in everything, nothing makes you to forget the fundamental division: those who have hope and those who are hopeless. In getting whatever you want to get in 2023, in acquiring whatever you want to acquire in 2023, always remember this statement of the Lord. And you know, many times, do you notice when I look at the preaching of the Lord Jesus, I feel there is something, I feel in myself that there is something about hell that we don't know. That's what I feel. The reason why I feel that way is because every time Jesus has cause to talk about it, the kind of stern warning that comes with it from the mouth of Him who knows should make those who know not to be afraid. We know in part. Even prophecy is in part. Do you agree with me? Knowledge is in part. Jesus don't know in part. Jesus knows all. And every time He has cause to talk about hell, He will say a kind of stern warning. He says, "It is better if your eye causes you to stumble, remove the eye. It is better to be in heaven with one eye than to have two eyes and be in hell." The kind of emphasis and weight about the need to live to please God. The kind of weight and emphasis He gives to these things. Look at some other place. He said, "Look, don't fear them that kill the body, but they cannot do anything to the soul. I will tell you who to fear. Fear Him who after He has killed the body, will cast the soul into hell." Why is it just warning so sternly? I feel there is something about Him who knows. There is something about hell that He knows that we don't know. And it is this same Jesus that is saying again, "Make every effort." And I was asking the Lord, "What is it about this 'every'?" It became very clear in my spirit for 2023 that be careful all these divisions, those divisions, they are not necessarily evil. All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. They are not necessarily evil. But be careful. The question I will be asking in life is "How?" "How?" not "Why?" How did you get that certificate? How did you make that money to do that project? How did you buy that car? How? How? How? How? How? Be careful. There are just two divisions, two classes of people: those who are in Christ and those who are outside Christ. And how does this division come? Division comes out very clear in the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 21. I first want us to see the verse where he was talking about—I want to open my note quickly so I can pick the verses. The first one I want us to see is Revelation 21:2-3. The second one is 21:27. The third one is when he said, "I come quickly." So let's go there. Chapter 21, verses 2 and 3: > "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.'" (Revelation 21:2-3) What is the first thing we want to note? What is it? He said God's vision in Genesis will yet be restored at last. This is the mystery of God in Christ. What was God's vision in Genesis? God made the man and the woman, and He comes around to do what? Be with them, stay with them. They have continuous unbroken fellowship. Is that not? What interrupted it? Sin. At the end of everything again, what is God still going to do again? God is coming back again to come and dwell with men. That is everything that Jesus is doing. If there is anything God is doing with your life, that is where God is bringing it. If there is anything God is doing with your life, that is where it's going to climax. At the end of the day, God will dwell again among His people. What made that dwelling impossible? Remember, it was sin. And that was why the Lamb of God was slain to do what? To take away the sin of the world. Everything that God is doing with your life, the sum total—God will bring you into greatness, into riches, into being married, into having this, having that, giving you opportunity—everything that God is bringing you into, none of them will ever divide the fundamental line of workers of iniquity and followers of holiness. Nothing will divide that line. Everything that God will do with your life will never involve iniquity. If it involves iniquity, it is not God. It is not God. The ultimate vision of God is that He is coming back again to do what? To dwell with us. That's the ultimate vision. That's why He said in New Jerusalem, coming holy as a bride for her husband. God Himself is coming to dwell among His people. Let us get ourselves reminded of these things again. Of course, at that time—at that time, don't worry now—because you have to be holy, because you have to be godly, you may go through a lot of weeping. You may go through a lot of pain. You may go through a lot of persecution. You may suffer wrongfully. You may suffer a lot of things. You may be denied opportunities. You may not be allowed—you may want to japa and you saw that the only form to get it is that "No, I must tell one lie," and you are not ready for that, and you have to suffer to be here in Nigeria because you could not go out except it has to be by unrighteousness. He said, "No, I will rather stay here." Don't mind the things that you will suffer, because at the end of the day, God will wipe away every tears from their eyes. There will be no more death. There will be no more sorrow. There will be no more crying. There will be no more pain. For the former things shall pass away in the name of Jesus. It is coming. Don't mind what you will suffer. Don't mind what you may be denied. Don't mind all of those things. The Lord has assured that He will wipe away all the tears. Everything is just for a while. Everything is just for a while. Let us set our heart right. The second thing I'm drawing you to is verse 27. In the verse 27 of chapter 21, the division again—we are looking at this fundamental division. He says: > "But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life." (Revelation 21:27) So, brethren, let's look at it like this. If the Bible says inside that holy city that is coming down, there will be nothing, no one, no individual, nothing like that we will not find anything that defiles or causes an abomination or is deceitful. The NIV translation says, "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." Please, what does that tell you about those whose names are in the Book of Life? What does that tell you? If your name is in the Book of Life, what does it tell you about how your life will be? Look at it very—it's a very simple thing. He says, "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." So, which category of people are their names in that book? It was just—it's just as simple. Because logically, the comparison should have been, "nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those who does not do it." That is what it should be. Isn't it? But instead of saying "only those who does not do it," he said "only those whose names are in the Lamb's Book of Life." It gave me an understanding that if your name is actually there, you cannot but be holy. If your name is actually there, you cannot but be holy. It is the fundamental division I'm talking about. Those who are in Christ and those who are outside Christ. That's the fundamental division in life. Every other one, they are secondary divisions. While they are good, while they are not sinful, while they are not necessarily things that are evil, let us be careful. They can constitute cares that can make us not to be fruitful. That's the word of our Lord Jesus Christ. They can constitute cares. They can become things that can choke, choke, choke the word of life. They can constitute things that will not make you to live correctly. They can constitute things that will not make you to live uprightly. They can constitute things that will make you—look at this ordinary—look at this simple one ordinarily. Our fathers, they went through the wilderness. The wilderness was a place where there was no what? There was no food, there was no water, there was no—yes, no food and water to a large extent. God made them to pass through that place. A place of no food, a place of no water. But what was God's intention in all that God was doing? Does that mean that God will not bring them to the promised land? He will definitely bring them. But what choked that land out of them? What choked the land out of them? They became preoccupied with there was no food, there was no water. They now began to act. What were their actions? Number one, they became complainers. The Bible said don't let us complain as they complained. They became murmurers. No, murmur as they murmur. They began to lust after evil. He said we should not do like they did. And some said they became fornicators. You know the pressure to get job has made some of us to become fornicators. The pressure that there is no food, no food—is food not a legitimate thing?—has made some of us to become deceitful. Do you know what some people did? They say, "Ah, God has helped me through this 2022." We need to ask how. How? How? How? If we are to begin to go to state of testimony, will you not tell—will you not tell us about chapter one, skip chapter two, move to chapter three? When we get to chapter three again, you will skip verse four and five, move to verse ten. Because four and five, if you tell us, we will say, "Eh! Brother!" Are you understanding me? "Thank God, Baba has showed up, I've crossed over. Oh, the Lord saw us through. Thank God for faithfulness." Is it really the Lord? Was it the Lord? You know at a point when Jacob got to the house of Laban, he said, "Thank God, I've escaped Esau." But you know Esau had not been finished. You will still need to come back to Esau. It was not until God settled the matter on Esau that he was fully delivered. What I'm telling you, until it is God who lift you, you have not been lifted. Until it is God who does it, it has not been done. Jacob thought it was over, it had been done. He married, he had children and everything, but Esau was still waiting. Esau was not a matter that God dealt with. It was a matter that deceitfulness and lies dealt with. And that's why I tell people, until it is actually God, it has not been done. It may look as if it has been done, it is not yet done. What is the point I'm emphasizing, brethren? What am I saying? Is that those whose names are in that book, they are not those who do what is shameful or deceitful. They are not those who work abomination or tell lies. They are not those kind of people. The people whose names are there are holy people. That's the point I'm making. Just two classes of people: those who are in Christ and those who are outside Christ. Christ is the basis of that holiness. Our intelligence cannot deal with sin. Our power cannot. But those who stay in Him, who grow in Him, who know Him day by day, they will see that they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them. They will find that they can live holy. They will find it because somebody is strengthening them. Those who are in His book, He is strengthening them to live correctly. Are you understanding me? If you are in His book, there is a strength to live correctly. What we are saying about 2023 is that the journey of 2023, I'm telling you what should preoccupy your heart: these two classes of people—those who are in Christ and those who are outside Christ. And what is it that the matter concludes with? How does the matter conclude? I want to go there quickly, how the Lord concluded the matter. He said two scriptures quickly: > "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still." (Revelation 22:11) That's one class of people. The other class: > "He who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me..." (Revelation 22:11-12) That's why I tell people, my reward for following Jesus is not all these things God is doing. My reward is still with Him. That's the mistake some of us are making. My reward—I was saying this in the family devotion this morning—even if God gives me 30 billion today and I turn this place to a mega city, that is still not my reward. My reward is still with Him. Are you getting the point I'm making? Our real reward is nothing material. It's nothing to eat, drink, or wear. It's something with Him. It's something He went to prepare. My reward for being a Christian is not really here. It's something He has gone to prepare. He said, "And My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work." Brethren, dispensationally, the church is in the situation of Revelation chapter 3. Dispensationally, the church—we are at the stage today of the Laodicean church. > "To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot." Choose one. There's nothing like sinning saint or saintly sinner. It's either saint or sinner. "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."'" (Revelation 3:14-19) What is the point I'm making this evening? Is that the church, as we close this evening, the dispensational state of the church today is that we are at the state of the Laodicean church. That's where we are today, where our perception is not aligning with God's view. Our perception is not aligning with God's view. That is where the church is today dispensationally. Let us be careful. That is where we are. But to him that overcometh—not they that overcome—he that overcometh. Let us pray. That is the opening charge for 2023. Let us pursue the fundamental division. Don't let us lose it. Don't let us ever forget it. Let it be before our eyes constantly. I want you to talk to the Lord. Where do you stand in this matter? How do you stand in this matter? Talk to the Lord. What are you placing before your eyes? Please, I'm not saying you don't place your goal to advance in your career. I'm not saying throw away your goal to change your economic situation. That's not what I'm saying, if you have heard me very correctly. I've not said throw away your goal of becoming married. I tell people, till the day Noah entered the ark, they were still marrying and they were given into marriage. There's nothing wrong with marrying. What made them wrong was that they were so preoccupied with it that they lose sight of what God was doing. That was the problem. That was the problem. It has happened before. And Jesus said, "As the days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be." People will be pursuing what is legitimate at the expense of what is primary. There is nothing wrong about that which is legitimate. But be careful. Be careful. There is the fundamental division: those who are in Christ, those who are outside Christ. Those who are following after holiness and those who are not. Those who are filthy, those who are unjust. Many unjust people today—say, "God, if you are filthy, okay, continue if you choose to." But I'm pleading with you, you may need to make a rethink. As we journey through 2023, if you are filthy, please make a rethink. Don't go on. You will be fried like that crab. Those who are unjust, I beg you, make a U-turn. Join the winning team. He said those who are righteous, let them be righteous still. It means some will still be righteous. Those who are holy, let them be holy still. Behold, I come quickly. In the midst of that thing you want to achieve, always ask the question of "How?" Is it by holiness? Is it through God? Is it through Jesus? That's the word. Talk to the Lord this evening. Talk to the Lord. 2023 is our year of progress. It's our year of marching on. It's our year of moving on. But what we are saying is that as we progress, as we move on, as we get established, let us understand that it must be in God. It must be through Him. It must be by Him so that it can be for Him. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Let me invite my wife to close this meeting. Wura, please come and close this meeting for us this evening. [Speaker 3] In Jesus' name we pray. Heavenly Father, thank you again and again for bringing us to this new year. Thank you for not leaving us without a charge. Thank you for your breath upon us, upon this meeting, upon everyone that you bring into this place to hear from you. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for you are here perfecting the saints. You are here for our admonition, for our growth. You are here for the work of the Lord. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for you are here to do the work of God in us and here on earth. Thank you for speaking to us again. Thank you for the charge, the burden, the watchword. Thank you for the inspiration. Thank you for the sure word that you have given to us. We know you've been speaking to us individually and, Lord, corporately as a fellowship, as God's people, you've spoken to us again. Lord, we thank you because we did not enter 2023 without you. Lord, you did not allow us to go on that an angel or somebody will join us, but you are here with us. You came with us, and you have gone ahead of us. You are with us. You are giving us all that we need to succeed in this year as we continue, oh Lord, in our pilgrimage journey. Thank you, Father, for this grace. Thank you for this goodness. Thank you for everything. Blessed be your name in the name of Jesus. Lord, please give us an assurance that you are not done with us. You continue with us. You are working on us. You are going to perfect that which you have begun. You are going to work out your will. Because we know you've written us in the Book of Life, all that it takes to live the life, they are in us. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, you will work in us. You'll work it through us to the glory of your name in the name of Jesus. Help us, oh Lord, again in this year as you have been doing more than ever before to live our life in honor of you, in honor of you in the name of Jesus. We are not of them that look back unto perdition, but we are of them, oh Lord, that believe, that keep hope, that is diligent in obtaining the hope, the glorious inheritance that you have stored up for us. And we have no doubt that, Lord, you will take us there. Because we will go in your strength in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for the gate of hell will not prevail against us. We are not ignorant of the devices of hell. That is the reason why you have made us to see again what the whole world is all about, even in the church. But God, we hold on to you. And we know you will uphold us from falling in the name of Jesus. The heart to go in this strength, the obedient heart, a willing heart, Lord, give unto everyone much more the more in the name of Jesus. Help us as we journey on to arm ourselves with this truth. Help us, oh Lord, to believe you enough and rest on you. And we will see that even seemingly mountains, they will become stepping stones for us in the year 2023 in the name of Jesus. All that you are waiting for is for us to just be willing, is for us to just trust, and we will see the everlasting arm carrying us through. Father, we believe, we trust in you. We come as a house, as a family, to say, "God, we are ready. We open our arms. Father, carry us through in the name of Jesus." Thank you for your word that's spoken to us. Thank you for what the word has gone to do. It will not return back to you void. Our life will not be a barren land. This word that has been planted today, let there be, oh Lord, a watering from heaven. Oh Lord, water it. Burden our hearts beyond this point. Oh Lord, let it bring forth your desired fruit. Let it never leave us until you accomplish the purpose for which it is sent forth. This word will not stand against us at the end of the year or even at your appearing. But Lord, it will be, oh Lord, a word that by it we will run and conquer in the name of Jesus. Thank you for your son that you have used. Thank you for the word that was spoken to us through him. Both the speaker and the hearers, none of us will fail or falter, but we shall all be doers of the word in the name of Jesus. Receive glory, receive grace oh Lord this year. Strengthen us, strengthen your son. Bear him up on your wings. Give us fresh grace, anointing all that he needs oh Lord for the purpose of your name, for the glory of your purpose in this land and beyond in Jesus' name. Thank you, everlasting Father. For in Jesus' unfeigned name we pray. Amen. The grace of fellowship: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forever more. Amen. Happy New Year to everyone. Be careful not to be fried like that crab. Be careful to obey the Lord. [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, Ileri community, opposite Verajoy filling station along Igbatoro 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.