REFLECTING ON ALL UNGODLY WICKEDNESS AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SONS OF MEN (part 3)

We give God all the glory again. We give him all the honor. We give him all adoration. We thank him for his mercies. We thank him for his help. We thank him we are in his presence again this evening to study the word of God together, our discipleship class of Family Tent Ministry. And we trust the Lord that as we study the word of God together, it will be a refreshing time in his presence in the name of Jesus Christ. Let us have a word of prayer as we continue today from where we stopped last week. We have been considering a very, very important topic, which is reflecting on all ungodliness, wickedness, and unrighteousness of the sons of men. Reflecting on all ungodliness, wickedness, and unrighteousness of the sons of men. Let us have a word of prayer. Almighty God, we are grateful unto you. We are very, very, very grateful for the opportunity to be here again this evening. We thank you for the opportunity to study your word. We commit ourselves into your hand. Precious Father, Almighty God, Lord, teach us your ways. We pray for we who are here physically, our brethren who are joining us on Telegram, our brethren who are joining us on Mixlr. Precious Father, we are asking, we are praying, meet with each and every one of us in the name of Jesus. Lord, please speak to our heart. Let doubt give way for trust. Let confusion, let them give way for direction. Thank you, Eternal Father. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. So, we have been able to look at what is meant by wickedness, ungodliness, and unrighteousness. We summed the three ways in one word: evil. Evil. We have been able to see that the Bible tells us to know that towards the coming of the Lord, wickedness, ungodliness, unrighteousness will be what is common everywhere. It will almost look very normal. Just like I was telling somebody recently, one time it was a very, very shameful thing for you to see a lady's thigh. It is a very shameful thing to see it. Ladies make sure that the covering, the skirt goes below the knees because, of course, according to Leviticus, the Bible, the Bible makes it very clear that our nakedness starts from our thighs. But over time today, you notice that not exposing the thighs has become the unusual thing. Ladies who don't expose their thighs, who make sure it is covered, they are no more many. They are very few. What you see everywhere is this aspect of nakedness being displayed everywhere, and it has become normal. Nobody is talking about it again. Nobody is querying it again. That is what we are trying to say, that wickedness will become the common thing. And again, we have been able to see from the Bible that despite the reality that wickedness will be the common thing, we should never think that wickedness will only be in the world. We saw that wickedness will also be in the church. Wickedness will be among brethren. Iniquity will abound too among so-called brethren. So, it is not something that will be far away from us. Again, from the word of God, we have been able to see that wickedness, evil, unrighteousness of the wicked is something that is within the sovereignty of God. The wickedness of the wicked can never, never ever operate outside the sovereignty of God. We said the reality is that like the scripture says in Proverbs 16, that was where we ended last Monday. When you look at Proverbs 16, the Bible made it very clear talking about the wickedness of the wicked. The Bible made it clear that the wickedness of the wicked is within the sovereignty of God. Proverbs 16:4: "The Lord has made all for himself; yes, even the wicked for the day of evil." That is New King James. NLT: "The Lord has made everything for his own purpose, even the wicked for punishment." NIV: "The Lord works out everything for his own ends—even the wicked for a day of disaster." Do you see that? The Message: "God made everything with a place and purpose; even the wicked are included, but for judgment." Amplified: "The Lord has made everything to accommodate itself and contribute to His own end and His own purpose; even the wicked are fitted for their role for the day of calamity and evil." Do you see that? So that was where we ended last week. That when Judas was busy in his coven of wickedness and he was negotiating how much he will collect to betray Jesus, you notice something very clearly. What happened? After all the negotiation, after all the buying and selling and bargaining and rebargaining, how much did they agree for? How much did they agree for? Thirty pieces of silver. Why not 29? Why not 31? It can never be 29. It can never be 31. The Bible says they agreed for 30 pieces of silver. Why? Why? Because already it has been written that I will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. So, although Judas was in his coven of wickedness doing evil, he couldn't do anything outside what God had determined. What God had decided is 30 pieces of silver. They cannot betray Jesus for anything more or anything less because God had spoken. So, it is the same thing about all the wickedness of the wicked. It is the same thing. I gave example too last week of Joseph. Everything they planned to do, every game, every gimmick, everything only ended up in bringing Joseph to Potiphar's house. So, was Joseph progressing or regressing in life? Joseph was progressing. Joseph was progressing. That was where we left the matter last week. So from there now we want to pick the matter up. Let us go back to that our Psalm 92. Psalm 92. That was the test we were considering last week. Psalm 92. We bless you, Lord, you are holy. Holy Lord and forever you are God. Psalm 92. Look at what the Bible says. We read this last week. I am only just trying to repeat the reading but we now take it from where we left it. It says, "For you, Lord, have made me glad through your works; I will triumph in the works of your hand. O Lord, how great are your works! Your thoughts are very deep. A senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand this. When the wicked spring up like grass, when all the other workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they might be destroyed forever. But you, Lord, are on high forever." I noted last week that the psalmist made something very clear. He said you have made me glad by the works of your hand. I will triumph in the works of your hand. O Lord, how great are your works! Your thoughts, they are very deep. The thoughts of God, they are very deep. The thoughts of God, they are very, very deep. The thoughts of God encompasses the wickedness, the unrighteousness, and the ungodliness of men. And I want to call your attention to something. If you go back to Genesis chapter 1, the Bible says God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. When there was light, there was something crucial that happened when there was light. The Bible says God separated light from darkness. I want you to note, God never exterminated darkness. Rather, God separated light from darkness. Then what did he do next? He called the light day and the darkness he called night. So there is a time of day and there is a time of night. Who established both of them? God. So when you see darkness prosper, don't think that darkness is so powerful. It is because God also established a time for darkness. He called the light day. He called the darkness night. And the Bible said there was morning and there was evening the first day. And you will notice again by the time God was now coming to time, you know God lives in timelessness. The Bible said God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, the lesser light to rule by night. The Bible says he made those great lights to determine times and season, day and month. So anytime the sun goes up and come down and we have night and then the sun comes up again, a 24-hour is gone. What I am trying to make you see is that the 24 hours of the day is a combination of darkness and light. So it is a combination of day and night. If there is no night, 24 hours will not be complete. It is God who established it that way. Brothers, sisters, friends, listening to me, the thoughts of God, they are very, very deep. The works of God are great. If you are somebody who fear darkness, it only shows how much you don't know God. Darkness operates within the operations of God. That is what I am trying to make you see. God has created them for himself. He did it for himself. And I want to make you see as you are joining, taking this journey, because I want to explore something. You will notice that the next thing you see in that verse, it says a senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand this. Hallelujah! The works of God, they are very great. The thought of God, they are very deep. The senseless man don't know this. A fool can never understand this. Don't forget, it is a fool who says there is no God. He is talking about wicked men. Wicked men don't understand it. Foolish men don't understand it. But do you know one thing? The master of darkness, the grand master of darkness, he understand it. He is only deceiving men. That is why men don't understand it. Ah! You think Satan don't understand that darkness operate within the sovereignty of God? Oh! Let me show you scripture that will make you know that Satan knows this. Do you notice that when the sons of God gathered with Job, the Bible says Satan also gathered? Do you notice that for him to operate with Job, he needed to be permitted? Satan knows his limitation. Oh! He deceives men that don't understand it. And that is because Satan is deceiving them. He makes them think that once they carry out their power, pwa pwa, ah, we can do anything. Satan knows he cannot just do anything. It is they that don't understand it. And that is because Satan is deceiving them. Let me show you another thing. I am trying to make you know that Satan knows his limitation. That is why the Bible was warning us as Christians. He said put on the whole armor of God that you may stand against the wiles. If Satan don't deceive, he cannot operate. Satan don't have power. The power of Satan is deception. Even though fools, wicked men, senseless men, they don't understand, their master who is working through them, he understand. He understand very, very well. And I am trying to show you in scriptures that the thought of God, they are deep. That his works, they are great. And I am trying to make you see, and I want to make you see that Satan got to know this much more, more clearer. It became very clear to him by the death and the resurrection of Jesus because he never knew that it was by death that they would take the power of death from him. God outsmarted Satan by the resurrection. The Bible says if the prince of this world, if they have known, they would not have done everything for Jesus not to die. They would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. But let me be showing you some things. When God told Satan, "The life of Job is in your hand," do you notice that Satan did not touch Job's wife? You ask me why? Very simple. Very, very simple. When he was told to go and touch all that Job owns, he took all the children. He took all the property. He destroyed everything. He never touched Job. He never touched the wife. Why is it that when he was destroying everything, when God said, "Don't touch Job," why didn't he touch the wife? Because he has a clear understanding that they are no longer two, that they are one. I am showing you spiritual principle that are clear to Satan. Do you notice that when Jesus was on earth, do you notice that every time you will see, "Son of man, have you come to torment us before time?" They understood that there is a time of torment. Go and check everywhere Jesus encounter a demon. You will notice that it will be, "Eh! Ah! Don't torment me! Don't torment me! Allow me to enter the pig! Allow me!" Or have you come... it is Jesus that will be shutting them down because he doesn't want them to reveal him. Because Jesus must not be preached until after his crucifixion and resurrection. So he should be preached after his death. That is why he must not be known before his death. But you notice that principalities and power, demons, they knew him. And they would say, "Son of God, have you come to judge us before time?" They knew that he is their master. They knew that there is a time of torment. It is wicked and evil men that are deceived that don't know. The demons working in them, they understand this. Go and look at the book of James. Check the book of James. Let us look at the book of James. You will see that the Bible says that, "Do you believe that there is one God?" The Bible says you do well. It said but do you know one very, very, very important thing? The Bible says that Satan, demons, they know this. And do you know what they do? The Bible says that they tremble. They know this and they tremble. Look at the book of James. James chapter 2 verse 19. Look at what the Bible says: "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." So the devils know that there is one God. They know that that God is the Almighty and will finish them. Go to Revelation. It was just an angel that took chain and went and tied Satan with that chain and threw Satan in the bottomless pit that he should no more deceive the world for 1,000 years. When the 1,000 years was completed, he went again, went again and untied Satan. Not archangel, just angel went to tie devil. For you to know the distance between Satan and the Lord. So the devil knows his limitation. But the funny thing, when you look at Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 2. Look at the book of Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 2. When you take it from verse 1, look at what the Bible says. Oh, may you not be foolish. It is fools that don't understand. It is senseless men that don't understand. Demons understand that there is one God and they tremble. You, you are there, you are not trembling before God. Demons, they know. They are trembling. They know that judgment is coming. They are aware that, "Heh!" You, you are there, you are jumping around. You are living anyhow. You are living faithlessly. You are living anyhow. You don't fear God. You can tell lies without fear. "Eh, Nigeria, allow us." You can do things. You don't understand. It is fools and senseless men that don't know that the work of God is great and that his thoughts are very deep. It is fools that don't know that God can never be mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, he is going to reap. If you sow to the flesh, I bet you, the Bible says of the flesh, you will reap corruption. If you sow to the spirit, of the spirit you will reap eternal life. It is fools that don't know that no matter how you turn it, the wicked will not go unpunished. It is fools that don't know. Demons, they know. Devil knows. So when you are living stupidly and you are living foolishly and you are living carelessly as a Christian, oh, you only display how foolish and stupid you are. Because the demons, these enemies of God that are sworn enemies, they are trembling. They, they know that, "Ah! Ah! Hey! Our own has finished." But they will turn around to deceive you because they tell the lie there is no consequence. Ah, they know that there is problem. It is you that is becoming senseless. You are allowing one demon to turn your head around. You are allowing one stupid devil to turn your head around that you can escape with iniquity. Don't let them turn your head around. Wise up, wake up. It is fools that don't understand that the work of God is great and that his thoughts are very deep. It is fools that don't know. Demons working in them, they understand this. I want to show you what is deep about the thought of God. We have not gotten there. I have not gotten to that point. I am still trying to make you understand that you must not be a senseless person. Don't be stupid. Be full of sense. Be careful the way you live. Be watchful how you live. Be vigilant, be sober. Your adversary the devil is going around making you to live in disobedience while he is inside trembling that judgment is coming. We will not be fools in the name of Jesus. We will not be fools. We will not be fools. These are some of the things I told myself in growing up as a young man. And one thing I have come to know, if you don't know what you are standing for, you will fall for anything. Martin Luther said a man who have not seen something for which he can die is not fit to live. Do you understand that at all? A man who have not seen something for which he can die is not fit to live. What that means is that if you are not somebody who have come to believe in something for which you are standing for, and you can die for that thing that you are standing for, you are not a human being at all. You are still senseless because you will be falling for anything. They turn like this, you will turn. They turn like this, you will turn. "Ah, no, you see it doesn't matter. You know, what is it?" Like somebody was telling me sometimes, many, many years ago when I was struggling to get job. And that was about after 12 years after my graduation. I was still not gainfully employed. And then there was this juicy offer. And then I quickly run with my application to the place. And then by the time we are putting things together, I got to see in the instruction that after that time that if you are above 35, you are not fit to apply. So when I saw it, I just call some of the officers that were doing it, I say, "Ah, I notice something that I didn't see this before that 35 years and above cannot apply." I think then I was 37 or 38. And then they now said, "Ah, young man, what's your problem? Are you not in Nigeria? Age is just a number. Don't worry we are here. Post your application." I said, "Ah! Even you that want to collect application, you are so part of them." I said, "I'm sorry. If it is above 35 years, then God have not provided this job for me. I'm sorry. I will draw my application." Look, if you don't know what you are standing for, you will fall for anything. It was the officers that wanted to assist me to submit. It is just for me to withdraw the whatever is there, the birth certificate, and go and do declaration of age. And they are telling me what to do. May you know what you are standing for. Look, it is only fools. It is fools and senseless men. That is what I am telling you. Don't be foolish. Don't be senseless. It is fools and senseless believers that are operating like unbelievers that don't know that the work of God is great. When it come to the wickedness of men, the ungodliness of men, the unrighteousness of men. Listen to me, the works of God, they are great. His thoughts, they are very deep. It is fools that don't know. Demons, they know. Devil knows. So when you are living stupidly and you are living foolishly and you are living carelessly as a Christian, oh, you only display how foolish and stupid you are. Because the demons, these enemies of God that are sworn enemies, they are trembling. They, they know that, "Ah! Ah! Hey! Our own has finished." But they will turn around to deceive you because they tell the lie there is no consequence. Ah, they know that there is problem. It is you that is becoming senseless. You are allowing one demon to turn your head around. You are allowing one stupid devil to turn your head around that you can escape with iniquity. Don't let them turn your head around. Wise up, wake up. It is fools that don't understand that the work of God is great and that his thoughts are very deep. It is fools that don't know. Demons working in them, they understand this. You know what Jesus said? You know what Jesus said? Jesus was speaking to the people and every time I read that thing, I normally tremble. I don't know whether you have read that portion of the scripture. Jesus said if your right eye will make you sin and enter into hell, he said it is good you cut off that right eye, for it is better to enter into heaven with one eye than to have two eyes and go to hell. He went on again, he said if it is your leg and was mentioning different thing that will cause you to sin, he said cut it off, cut it off. That it is better to go to heaven with one of the member than the two and be in hell. He said, "I'm telling you, I'm telling you." The person who came down from God was begging us. Men who understand that when it comes to wickedness, ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, the works of God are great. His thoughts are very deep. Men who understand this, they warn us. You know what Paul said? Paul said, "Knowing the wrath of God, we plead with men." Knowing the... men who knows, who know God! Men who understand God! Because when it comes to ungodliness, when it comes to unrighteousness, when it comes to wickedness, the works of God, they are great. His thoughts, they are very deep. The way God will finally come out to the wicked, hey! The way God will finally show up against unrighteousness, ha! The way God will finally show up for wickedness, unrighteousness and ungodliness of men. The way God will come out eventually. Ah! If you understand it, you will flee wickedness. We will not be fools in the name of Jesus. We will not be fools. We will not be fools. What is it that they don't understand? What is it that they don't know? Look at verse 7: "When the wicked spring up like grass." When the wicked spring up like grass. How does grass grow? Grass, how do they grow? They grow anyhow. They grow everywhere. They grow very quickly. So the Bible is saying that actually, just like what we started with, wickedness will be everywhere. Wickedness will be anyhow. Wickedness will prosper quickly everywhere. Once a small rain just fall, pah, what happens? You just see grass, vroom, vroom, vroom, everywhere. Every little opportunity, wickedness prospers. Every small opportunity. You can take that with Nigerians. If you are coming to my estate and you get to a particular point we call roadblock, in the afternoon, it is 300. But you get there by 6:30, 7:00, you will be hearing 400, 500. Let it be that rain is about to fall, you will hear 700, 800. Why? They are taking advantage of wickedness. Wickedness prosper under any situation. Any small opportunity, wickedness will prosper. Why? When you look at Ephesians chapter 2. Look at Ephesians chapter 2. Look what the Bible says. Oh, may you not be foolish. Verse 1: "And you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins." You he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sin. So listen, everybody you see sin in, they are dead men. When people continuing in sin, they are dead men. They are not living men; they are dead. He said we, who were dead in trespasses and sin, he made us alive in Christ. So one thing about being alive in Christ is that we don't continue in trespasses and sin. But that is not where I am going to. That is not what I want to face. I am going somewhere. Verse 2: "In which you once walked according to the course of this world." So the course of this world, what is it? It is the course of what? Their direction. Is the direction of what? Being dead in trespasses and what? Sin. He said you once walked in them before we were quickened. We once walked in them, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. So actually, the course of this world is according to the devil. But if you tell somebody, "You are following devil," what will the person say? "You must be stupid for that statement. Me and devil we don't have any business." I am talking about the deception of the devil. The course of this world, the direction of the world, the way people, when you see people continuing in trespasses and sin, that direction is the direction of this world, and it is the direction of the devil. It is the direction of the prince of the power of the air. Look what the Bible now says: "The spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience." So actually, why they think that they are free, are they really free? Are they really free? They are not free. Actually their thought, their inclination, their actions is actually by the workings of the devil, by the prompting of the devil. But you know they don't see devil. It only look as if that is the way they feel. That is the way they think. That is how they feel. But actually somebody is at work. Somebody is at work. What is it that I am bringing together for you? When you see wickedness prosper, when you see sin here and there, here and there, who is actually the leader of all those people? The devil. Now the devil who is the leader of all of these people, he himself already knew that there is judgment. He was the one who saw Jesus and was saying, "Have you come to judge us before time?" He is aware that this part is the part of destruction. But the people living in that course, following that direction, what would they feel that they are doing? They feel they are enjoying. They feel, "Wow! You know, I hammer that man, I made my five billion from him. Hahaha!" And when they outsmart you in business, when they buy something for five naira, they tell you that, "Look, ah, this thing, it is because you are my friend. I bought this thing 500 naira. And because you are my friend, I will not make too much gain. I will give you for 550." And you say, "Ah, thank you. Only 50 naira is your gain." Mind you, it was bought for five naira. And then when you go, they just smile that they have prospered. It looks as if they are making it. But in the real sense of it, are they making it? They are following somebody who is deceiving them that that is life. The enemy make them to see that that is life. And what I want to make you see is that the wicked normally prosper as grass. The wicked, the reason why it is commonplace is that every opportunity, Satan use every opportunity to deceive men to do wickedly. So they prosper everywhere, they prosper with every opportunity, they prosper anytime, they prosper all the time. As long as it is just a little favorable condition, they prosper. But do you also know the funny thing? Why they prosper as grass? Look at it. It said, "When workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed forever." So why do God allow them to prosper? Why is Baba allowing the wicked to prosper? It is so that they can be destroyed forever. So I am trying to show you something. If they don't prosper, they can't be destroyed. So they are allowed to prosper so that they can be destroyed forever. But when the wicked prosper, it doesn't seems like that. Now look at what the Bible now says in Psalm 37. We want to lay Psalm 37 to the matter we are raising here. Look at Psalm 37. Psalm 37. Psalm 37. Look at the scripture, look at what the word of God is saying. Look at what the Bible is comforting us with. Psalm 37, I am reading from the verse 1: "Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as green herb." Are you seeing something? Are you seeing something? So listen, brethren, listen. The work of God, they are so great. The thought of God, they are so deep. That actually, the reason why the wicked will not prosper like trees, why they must prosper like grass, is that just the way you see grass, they are quickly swept away. They prosper this moment; they are down the next moment. You know what it is trying to make you see? That actually the prosperity of the wicked is what you call fire brigade prosperity. While it may look as if the wicked are prospering, as far as heaven is concerned, they are actually having a prosperity that doesn't last. They don't prosper as trees. Do you know when he was talking about the righteous? He said the righteous will flourish like cedar where? In Lebanon. The righteous don't flourish like grass. The righteous flourishes like what? Like tree. But the wicked flourishes like grass. Oh! The works of God, they are great. His thoughts, they are very deep. They are very deep. Do you know why they are very deep? Let me tell you something for instance. Let me show you one illustration that will make you say, "Ah, but nawa oh!" Look at the story of the rich man and Lazarus. When you look at the matter in terms of time, who actually was prosperous? The rich man was prosperous. When you look at it in terms of time. But by the time you bring in to eternity, when it comes to everlasting, who actually was prosperous? Lazarus. So I am trying to make you see something, that when he says they flourish like grass, don't be thinking that the wicked will just get up in January, they will just die by January ending. Sometimes, the wicked may continue. They may be born in 1932 and they may continue on and on and on and on and on until they are 100 years old. And you will be wondering, "But God said it is like grass." Do you know why? Because you don't understand the thoughts of God. The thoughts of God, they are deeper than time. The thoughts of God, they are longer than time. The thoughts of God, they are wider than time. The thoughts of God transcend time. The things of God, they are beyond our thoughts. So when God says they flourish like grass, get something clear: they actually flourish like grass. That is why you notice that he said it is that they perish forever. Note. Note. The Bible says do not fear them who kill the body; after that, they can't do anything again. Who are we to fear? Matthew chapter 10. He said fear him who after he has killed the body will do what? Also have power to cast the soul to hell. He said, "Him I tell you, fear." So when God says they perish forever, Baba may not be talking about time. You might be thinking that, "Ah! Ah! But this person continued and he enjoyed till he died." You don't understand the ways of God. You don't understand it. The thoughts, they are very, very deep. They are so deep that you cannot readily comprehend them. The work, they are so great that the way they connect is not the way you think. The way they come together is not the way you think. But one thing you must let very clear is that as far as God is concerned, there is a way God works. And I want to begin to call your attention to something. I want you to look at what the Bible says in Isaiah chapter 33 verse 1. That is where we might be closing today. We will pick this matter up next week and properly conclude it there. There is something however I want to point you to about the wickedness of the wicked, the ungodliness of men, the sinfulness of men. Isaiah 33 verse 1: "Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; and you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease to plunder, you shall be plundered; when you make an end of dealing treacherously, they will deal treacherously with you." Let me use a simpler translation: "Destruction is certain for you Assyrians who have destroyed everything around you, but you have never felt destruction yourself. You expect others to respect their promises to you while you betray your promises to them. Now you too will be betrayed and destroyed." Please note that. Note that. NIV: "Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed." You know what I want to call your attention to? It is something the Lord called my attention to some years back and then I was reminded again when the Lord was raising this matter with me some two weeks ago: the ungodliness of men, the wickedness of men, the unrighteousness of men. That thing that I read in Isaiah, I will read it to you in Yoruba translation. When the Lord was speaking to me on this matter, he actually spoke to me in Yoruba language. He spoke to me on this matter in Yoruba language many, many years some years back and two weeks ago when it came back again, it also came back in that Yoruba language. So I want to read the Yoruba translation. I have read the English. It says, "Egba ni fun iwa baje ti a ko si baje... Ohun si arekereke ti ohun se arekereke... ni akowu arekereke si o... Nigbati iwo ba dekun ati baje, ao ba o je... Ati nigba ti iwo ba fi opin si iwuwu arekereke... won o hu wa arekereke si o..." When the Lord was speaking to me on this matter years back and recently again, the Lord said, "Son, you remember what I told you many years ago? I am repeating it again. Wickedness is abounding in the land. Evil is everywhere. It has cut across everything: the religious center, every institution. It has cut across fellowship, spiritual leader, political leaders, religious leaders, every kind of educational leader, just count all the type of every people: fathers, mothers, it's everywhere." He said, "But Son, don't forget what I told you many years ago. I am repeating it now again. Sapun egun asale." That was the word. I will interpret it. Sapun egun asale. The interpretation of that in English, there is no direct interpretation so to say. But the Lord spoke to me about this matter, I am talking of seven, eight, nine, ten years back: Sapun egun asale. I asked the Lord then what it meant, so he brought me to this verse. Egun asale, the way I can interpret it to you using that verse that the Lord pointed me to is that there are some curses or consequences or given back that will come in your later days. You would have sowed the seed in your early days, but they will show up in your later days. You will sow the seed in the morning. They will not show up in the afternoon of your life. They will show up in your night. They will show up in your evening. By the time some people, it might not show up. Like what it says: "When you cease to spoil." Let me give you... let me just give this illustration for instance. It is not a perfect illustration, just taking for instance. Somebody who have done wickedly throughout as a leader in public service. He didn't allow others to rise. He prospered. Some people, they are supposed to be paid 60,000. He didn't allow them know. He will give them one voucher for 50. He will give another one to government, 60. So on all the workers, he was making 10, 10,000. He was making it and he was prospering. He married well, they did sendforth, they did celebration, everything. Immediately he retired, go and enter the building he want to start living in it. There is one storm. When the storm moved, it moved the roof of the building upon the new Jeep he bought to use after retirement. The roof and the building went, pua! While he was thinking of, "I will do it," what to do? He went to some reserve that he put in the bank. While he was trying to contract bringing it out for somebody to help reroof the house, the capital went with 2.4 million. While he was busy trying to... you will just see things following themselves. Things will just be following themselves. While he was struggling to say, "Yes, I will now sit down to eat," my children that I sent to school, because of the corrupt money he used to send them to school, he will just hear that one is afflicted with one sickness. Look, may God not be in charge of our affliction. Because when God is the one monitoring your affliction, nobody can deliver you. That is what God meant by egun asale. Be careful the wickedness of the wicked, the ungodliness of the ungodly, the unrighteousness of men. Understand that if God, if you see yourself prospering in evil, tell yourself that ah, mo ti daran. Hey, woe is me! Because when God allow the wicked to prosper, it is for them to be destroyed. Your prayer should be that anytime you want to do evil, God should not allow you to prosper. At you try to lie, you have been caught. The first time you want to cheat in exam, you were caught. You were sent out from that paper. You have to rewrite that paper the following year. You better thank God and say, "God, thank you, don't allow me to prosper in wickedness." When God don't allow you to prosper in wickedness, you better be grateful. If God leaves you to prosper in wickedness, ah! Ah! Let us pray. That is where we are stopping tonight. I want you to talk to God. Lord, don't allow me to prosper in wickedness. Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, have you always before me. Let me have you always before me. Let me have you always before me. Let your fear fill my heart. Let your fear fill my heart. Let your love garnish my soul. Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord. Lord, help me. Lord, help me. Lord, help me. Lord, help me. Be of help to me. Let it be that anytime my head or my hand or my eye is contemplating wickedness, Lord, don't leave me to myself. Don't leave me to myself. Bring that your cane and just give me paya so that I can quickly jump back. Don't allow me to prosper. Lord, don't allow me to go ahead. Lord, Lord, Lord, incline my heart to your fear. Direct my heart to your love. Incline my heart to your fear. Direct my heart to your love. Incline my heart to your fear. Direct my heart to your love. Thank you, Eternal Father. Blessed be your name, O God. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Almighty God, we just commit ourselves into your hand this evening. Lord, we just pray for ourselves as believers. Lord, oh, keep your lovely face ever before our eyes. Make it our strongest desire. Let it be that in our secret heart, no rival throne will survive. No other love will compete. We will serve only you in all we think, in all we say, in all we do. Help us to know what we are standing for that we may not fall for anything. Help us that when sinners entice us, Baba, cause us not to consent. Keep us, O Lord, our eyes ever straight before you, looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who because of the cross that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame. May we ever always, O God, take our cross and follow you. May we always ever despise the shame, the ridicule of this world. May we not mind their persecution; may we just despise it and move on with you in the name of Jesus. May the joy, the crown that you have set before us, the inheritance that you have gone to prepare for us, may they ever be before our eyes. May they ever be before our eyes. May they ever be before our eyes in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Eternal Father. Blessed be your name, O God. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. Let's share the grace in fellowship. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever more. Amen. 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 heat. Our regular activities are discipleship class, every Monday, 5:00 p.m.; Adolescents and Singles Club, every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m.; marriage forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m.; 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, Iloro community, opposite Very Joy 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 080-3386-1136, 070-3361-3848. God bless you all.