Truth and Truthfulness 03062021

[Music] Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me. Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me. He has shown me the path of life. In His presence is fullness of joy. He has shown me the path of life. In His presence is fullness of joy. [Music] Church fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home from you. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Music] I will rejoice for He has made me glad. [Speaker 1] I want to welcome you again to another edition of our Singles Club every first Saturday of the month. We are in for our March edition, today being the first Saturday in the month of March. We trust the Lord, who has been our help, to help us again today. The month of January and February, the Singles Club, we did separate clubs. We merged our adolescent and our singles together in a single meeting. Today, we are back to our regular meetings, having our singles separate from our adolescents. Today, we want to consider a very, very important topic. Something that is what I would describe as the foundation, something very foundational to our Christian faith. We want to look at the topic, particularly for young people anyway, not only for young people, even though it is Singles Club. Not only for singles, honestly. It is not only for singles. It is for everybody who claims to be a believer, whether you are single or married. It is a very crucial thing: truth and truthfulness. Truth and truthfulness is not something that pertains to singleness. It is something that pertains to both singleness and both for singles and for married. For anybody at all who claims to be a Christian, the matter of truth and truthfulness is a very, very important thing. I will first lay some foundation to make you see some very important things in scripture and then we would then gradually navigate to discuss how these things apply to us. Let us have a word of prayer. Almighty Father, we bless Your holy name. We thank You for this opportunity again for another Singles Club for the month of March. Lord our God, as we gather unto You, we pray that You will meet with us. Our brethren physically here and our brethren online that are connecting with us from everywhere across the globe. Lord, I pray, everywhere we are this morning connecting to this program, Lord, I pray, meet with us in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord our God, we are asking. The Bible says Paul plants, Apollos waters, but it is God that gives increase. Lord, give increase to this meeting in the name of Jesus Christ. Our eyes are always on You, Lord. Suffer not our feet to be moved in the name of Jesus. Thank You, Almighty Father. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Now, I first want to call your attention, we are looking at truth and truthfulness. Truth and truthfulness. The first thing I would want to call your attention to is that ever from the beginning of time, from the beginning of time, God at no time did God, how would I put it, there was no time that God did not manifest Himself to man. The invisible things of God, I want you to look at Romans 1. I want you to look at something there. God has not hidden what should be the way, what should be the truth to man. God is always manifest. God never, there was no time God attempts to becloud man or to deceive man. God has always been manifest. This is me. This is the truth. This is the matter. Look at what the Bible says in Romans 1. I just want to read through something there, from verse 16. Look at the testimony of Apostle Paul by the power of the Holy Spirit. Some things are here for us to note. [Speaker 2] [background noise] Romans 1 from verse 16. It says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jews first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.' For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness," I want you to note that, "the wrath of God, the anger of God, the visitation of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." What I want you to see is that the anger of God has always been against anything that suppresses the truth. Anything that tries to hide truth. Anything, God does not hide truth. So anything that tries to suppress the truth, the anger of God is always against that thing. The anger of God is manifest against that thing because anything that suppresses the truth will be unrighteousness. Anything that tries to create something else, that tries in any way to play the truth as not the truth. I hope you are following me. Anything that tries to suppress it, that tries to hide it away, anything that does not manifest that this no, the truth, this is the truth. Anything that tries suppressing the truth is something that the anger of God is against because that thing will be unrighteousness. The Bible continues, look at what the Bible says in the next verse. It says, when the Bible says that who suppresses the truth in unrighteousness, that tells you that ungodliness and unrighteousness is a suppression of truth. It is a suppression of truth. Anytime you see ungodliness and you see unrighteousness, you should understand that truth has been suppressed. Truth has been taken away. Truth has been set aside. So the Bible says the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Look at the next thing. It says, "because what may be known of God is manifest." What I am trying to make you see is that what should be known of God, what God wants man to know is manifest. It is not hidden. It says it is manifest, for God has shown it to them. God has shown it. God has shown it. What I am trying to make you see is that truth don't try to color itself as not the truth. Truth always come out just as it is. Truth manifest. Truth don't try to deceive you. Truth don't try to be hidden from you so that you don't know it, so that you don't know that this is what it is. Anything that does not come out exactly the way it is, it is not truth. Truth is something that will come out. That is why Jesus said, "In my Father's house there are many mansions. If it were not so," what did He say? "I would have told you." That is, truth don't create impression. Truth is not pretentious. Truth is not pretentious. Truth is candid. Truth is manifest. Truth is straightforward. It says, "because what may be known of God is manifest, for God has shown it to them." Look at what the Bible says. Do you see what the Bible says? That is why I said from the beginning of time. Bible says, "For since the creation of the world," Hallelujah, "for since the creation of the world," the Bible says what? "His invisible attributes are clearly seen." His invisible attributes. I am talking about truth and truthfulness. There is this thing that my dad normally say, my late dad. He would say, "Olorun o n ṣ'aye," that is, God don't lie. "Olorun o n p'iro," God don't gamble. God don't dribble. God don't dribbles, no. He is just as He is. He is just as He is. It says, "are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." I also want you to see also that ever from the beginning of time, error, Satanism, ungodliness, anti-God, antichrist, anti-God's purpose, anti-God's mindset, anti-God's plan, anti-God's intention for man, everything that takes that attribute, look at it, how they also how it was also at the beginning. Look at it. The Bible says, "Now the serpent was more cunning," Genesis 3, I am reading from verse one. It says, "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?' And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God said, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'' Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. You will not surely die.'" I want you to turn quickly, that same chapter three, just look at something down the scriptures. Verse 13. What do you see there? It says, "And the Lord said to the woman, 'What is this that you have done?'" What was the woman's response? "And the woman said, 'The serpent deceived me.'" I am trying to make you see that that from the foundation of the world, that which has been anti-God, anti the purpose of God for man, anti the plan of God for man, that which is Satanism, that which is of the devil, that which is of darkness, have always come in a way that is not true by deceit, deception. Anything that takes the form of not what is the truth is never of God. Anything, it is always traced to that which is against God, that which is Satanism, that which is devilish, that which is anti the wellness of man. I am trying to make you see something. The woman, when the serpent was speaking with the woman, everything she was telling the woman was something that is not exact, that is not as it is, that is not the reality. What I am trying to make you see is that everything that is not about being real is also something that is against the wellness of man. You notice that Satanism was against the wellness of man. The woman did not know that it was a deception at that time. She thought it was something good, something better for her. But what I am trying to make you see is that everything that is not the truth is also something that is against the wellness, the plan. Anything that is not the truth is also something that is against the plan of God for man. Once something is not the truth, once something is not the truth, once something is not the exact thing, once something is against the truth, once something suppresses the truth, anything at all that take that form, it is something that is against the wellness of man. What I am trying to make you see is that anywhere truth does not prevail, it cannot be well with man. It can never be well. I am showing you it has been like this from the beginning. It is not a new thing. I am not preaching a new gospel. I am just showing you the gospel. It has always been like this from the beginning. That is why I took you to the beginning. That is why the Bible said, "Look, what can be known about God ever from the beginning, ever from when time started was not hidden." God came clearly to man. "The day you eat this thing you will die. Don't eat this thing." And it was clear. It was not something complicated. It was simple and straightforward. It was clear. At a point again, somebody came and this somebody offered another information. He said, "Look, you will not die." But that was not the truth. That was something that suppressed the truth. The truth was suppressed. And immediately the truth was suppressed and man went into that thing that suppresses the truth, what happened to man? Man lost his glory. The wellness of man was taken away. The abundance of man was taken away. What was the joy of man, the peace of man, the wellness of man was taken away from him. I am telling you it is the same thing till today. Anything, in any situation at all, in any circumstance at all, in any kind of, in any relationship, in anything you do, in any where you find yourself, once something suppresses the truth, I want to declare to you, in that situation it will never be well with man. This is a thing that you must understand as a young man. As a young woman, it is a thing you must understand. So that for instance, if you are in a situation where you are dealing with somebody and you are suppressing the truth, I want you to know that that thing you are trying to build will never be for your good. It will never be for your good. That thing you are trying to establish, that thing you are trying to get by suppressing the truth. Look at the story. Eve was trying to get something. What did she want to get? She wanted to get wisdom. The thing look like something that will make her wise. But it was at the expense of the truth. It was at suppressing the truth. But it will give her wisdom. Of course she got the wisdom, didn't she? She got it. What wisdom did she get? She was able to know good from evil. But having been able to know good from evil, what benefit did it serve her? What is the benefit? I want to ask you, what is the benefit to humanity today that we got to know good from evil? What has been the benefit till today? What I am saying is that look, put Christianity apart. Look at man in his natural life. He has gotten the knowledge of good and evil. All the government of man across the globe, with all their intelligence, with all their research, with all their technology, where is peace? Where is love? Where is rest? With all the advancement of man, what do we see? My son and I were discussing yesterday. You just hear everybody in the world preparing for a war we don't know for, we don't know. Everybody is just building ammunitions, building ammunitions, building ammunitions, wanting just getting ready. That is the best that man can achieve as man. War, tear down, pull down, take advantage of the other person, conspiracy, war. Just look at what has man been able to achieve outside God. Leave Christianity apart. Let's assume that Christ did not die. Let's leave God apart. What has man been able to achieve by his knowledge of good and evil? Has it been to the benefit of man? Look at all the government and all the structures of the world. What can you see? Sorrow, pain, calamity, evil. Man praying on man, murder, death, robbery, crime, atrocity, broken home, broken marriages, restlessness, murder. Is that not what man was able to achieve or what else did he achieve? Tell me. You say some countries are more advanced than some countries. I agree with you in terms of system and structure, in terms of welfare and material condition. But I want to ask you, when it comes to wellness, when it comes to peace and rest, which of them was able to achieve it? Could America achieve it? Could United Kingdom achieve it? What I am trying to say, what I am trying to make you see is that anything that man attained by suppressing the truth, it can never be well with him in that thing. It can never be well with man in that thing. That is why you see some situation where some young men or some young women or some situation where they want to enter into a relationship and they will come with all kinds of falsehood. Some will tell lies about this, about their age, some will tell lie about this, about their past and everything. And they enter into a relationship. Eventually the other person get to discover it and then the marriage goes on fire. So the person who suppressed the truth to enter into the relationship, into the marriage relationship, what was he able to benefit at the end of the day? We are talking about truth and truthfulness. And the first thing I am trying to make you see is that ever from the beginning of time what can be known about God, God made up His mind not to hide it. What will give man rest, peace, and quietness was never hidden. It was manifest. "Don't eat this thing or you will die." It was manifest. It was clear. The beginning of man's trouble was to suppress the truth in order to gain something. That was the beginning of man's trouble and that is where we still are today. Things have not changed honestly. It is just still the way they are. And I am still telling you today young man and young woman, what can be known about God, truth is not hidden. It is not hidden. Your only problem is that you choose to suppress the truth. Truth is not hidden. Truth is not hidden. What can be known of God is not hidden. Bible says that so that they are without excuse. Truth and truthfulness. And the second thing I told you is that any situation where man tries to suppress the truth it cannot be well with him. I also make you to see that everything that suppresses the truth is always about the devil. It is about Satanism. It is about antichrist. It is about anti-God. It is about the wellness of man. I want you to note all these vital points. Anything that try to suppress the truth is always about the devil. And you will see that again. I will look at the word of Jesus again in John 8 just to bring that matter out clearly. Look at what Jesus said in John 8 when He was speaking to the Jews about freedom, about truth and freedom. Look at what He told them. Look at the conversation between Jesus and the Jews. John 8, I am reading from verse 31. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth." Are you seeing something about Jesus again? Jesus was speaking to the Jews who believed in Him. He said, "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples." And what will be the consequence of abiding in His word or being a disciple? What is it, what is it that they will attain unto? He says they will attain unto the truth. They will attain unto the truth. They will attain unto the truth. I will come back to emphasize this but I just want to show you something about that anything that is not of the truth is of the devil. That is what I where I am going. I will come back to this, I will expand it later. Then they answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say we will be made free?" Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin and a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." I will come back to this 32 to 36 later. I am just going somewhere. "I know that you are Abraham's descendants but you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with my Father and you do what you have seen with your father." They answered and said unto Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father." Then they said to Him, "We are not born of fornication. We have one Father, God." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceed forth and came from God. Nor have I come of myself, but He sent me. Why don't you understand my speech? Because you are not able to listen to my word." Verse 44, "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do." Are you following, are you following me? What is it that they want to do? Look at what He said. "You are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning." Maybe you are not understanding this matter. Are you understanding this matter at all brethren? Please go back again to that beginning. God said they would die. Satan said they would not die. What was the scheme of Satan? To kill or to make alive? It was to kill. And when they ate it, what happened? Of course he killed them. He was a murderer from the beginning. He was a murderer. And do you notice that immediately this thing came in, what did Cain later do? Cain killed. What is man doing today in diverse way, killing of one another? Bible says he that hates his brother is a murderer. You see hatred, you see bitterness, you see malice, malicious intent, anger. I am showing you the father, who is the father of such men. Any man who hates his brother, who is his father? The man may be educated. The man may be a professor. He may be the best researcher in the world. Who is his father? When a man is busy doing something because he want to kill his fellow brother, his design is to destroy his fellow brother, who is his father? You see, I am trying to make you see something very clear. He says he is a murderer from the beginning. And please look at the next thing about murderers, about the devil, about this murderer. The Bible says, "and does not stand," where? "He does not stand where in the truth." Are you following me? I believe you are connecting with me wherever you are. He is a murderer. He does not stand where in the truth. Anything that does not stand with truth stands with the devil. I want you to note this thing. Truth and truthfulness. Anything that does not abide in the truth is not of God, is of the devil. And what you find in that place is death. That is why the wellness of man is never in anything that suppresses truth. The wellness of man is never in anything, in any project, in any undertaking, in any relationship, in any activity, in any career, in any business. Mention anything. Anything that suppresses truth stands with the devil. And the devil is a murderer. What you will find there you will find hatred, you will find deceit, you will find, that is what you will find. Everything that brings to death. Mind you, even man that is inside, even man, the natural man, go and ask him whether he wants to die. If there is anything that man don't want at all around him is death. I hope now you understanding me. Even the person killing people don't want to die. Go and check it. The wicked man that is busy killing somebody, killing people's children, he will be praying, "God keep my children oh." He doesn't want to die. He doesn't want that thing to happen to him. Man knows that anything death is not something in his interest. Man wants to live. But I am telling you, anything that suppresses the truth is also the symbol of what? Death. He does not stand in the truth. Look at the next thing. Please look at the next thing. It says what? "Because there is no," there is no what? "There is no truth in him." Hallelujah. There is no truth in him. When he speaks, please look at this scripture. We are looking at this scripture because this is the direct word of Jesus Christ. It's the direct word of Jesus Christ. I am showing you the reverse of truth and truthfulness. That truth is Christ. Truthfulness is Him. And the reverse of that is the devil. And anywhere you find that which is not truthful, those whoever is involved is not of God, is of the devil. Whoever is involved is not of God, is of the devil. It said he does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Now look at the next thing. He said, "when he speaks a lie, when he speaks a lie," the Bible says, "he speaks from his own resources. He is a liar and the father of it." He is a liar. He is not just a liar. He is also what? He is the father of it. In the contrast Jesus said, "I am the truth. I am the truth. Not that I speak truth, I am the truth." And then we will say, "Truly truly I say unto you." It is not only that I am the truth, I am also truthful. I am the truth. And whenever I speak, there is no lie in Christ. When Christ speaks, He speaks from His own resource because He is the father of truth. When Satan speaks, he speaks from his own resource. He is the father of lies. So I want to make you get something. I am getting something across to you. I am trying to make you see something. That therefore anything that does not represent truth, anything that suppresses truth, anything that is not the truth, anything that is not of the truth, I want you to get it clear. I want you to know it. It is not only just that the person is not truthful. The matter is also that the person is operating within a kingdom. He is manifesting a kingdom. It is about kingdom matters. It is a kingdom issue. It is a kingdom issue. It is a matter of which kingdom do you belong to. It is a matter of operating the principles of a kingdom. It is a matter of manifesting the life within a kingdom. So that if somebody say that I am in the kingdom of God, we need to check. I am saying this today, I am talking about this matter today, because there are so many many many people who talks about being in God's kingdom. And yet there is something about that kingdom that is fundamentally missing. Please look at the book of Timothy. I first want to show you something again in the book of Timothy. First Timothy. First Timothy chapter 3. I am reading from verse 14. Look at what the Holy Scriptures put in this place for us. The Bible says, "These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly. But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of who? Of the living God." Now that church of the living God is what? "Is the pillar and the ground of what? Of the truth." I hope now you understand what I am trying to say brethren. When you enter a fellowship, how do we know that the people we are dealing with they are actually the church of the living God? How do we know? He said that church, that place must be a what? The pillar and the ground of what? Of the truth. It means the way people, you you need to get this matter clear. He said, "If I am delayed so that you might know how to conduct yourself in the house of God." Paul was talking to Timothy about the local assembly. The local assembly. He was not particularly speaking about the church universal in this place. He was talking about how he will conduct himself in the local assembly where he was as a leader. It was not about the church universal, the whole body of Christ together. No, no, no. He said, "I am writing so that you know how what your but if in case I delayed you may know how to conduct yourself, how to behave yourself, how you ought to what should be the manner of your conduct." When we say conduct, we are talking about your speaking. We are talking about your relationship with people. We are talking about practical everyday living. Conduct. Conduct. He said, "You may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God." So He's talking about if for example we say that fellowship, let's say the fellowship of the brethren in Ephesus. So Paul wanted Timothy to know how he ought to relate to the brothers and the sisters. Go and look at what he has been writing. He has been talking about him as having the position of a bishop, a good thing. A bishop should be of he was talking about everyday conduct, everyday behavior, daily living. What I am trying to say is that when a man is in the kingdom of truth and light, there is a practical daily living that it translate into. It translate to a conduct. And that conduct, that daily practical living, will translate when we see it, it will be what? The pillar. It will be a pillar. A pillar and a ground for what? For truth. When a man cannot conduct himself in the truth, when a man cannot abide in the truth, when a man cannot stand on the truth, when a man cannot display and demonstrate the truth, when a man cannot speak the truth, can I announce to you? He is not of this kingdom. It is a kingdom principle that those who are of the kingdom, they can abide in the truth. When you enter into their fellowship, when you meet with them, when you fellowship with them, you will see pillar. You will see ground. You will see men. You will see lives that are contenders and defenders of truth. But when a man says he's of the kingdom and he cannot abide in truth, listen, he suppresses the truth. He gives when I say suppress the truth, I have been able to explain it to you. You can see how Satan did it at the beginning as a murderer. How did he offer it? "God did not say that." When they deny the word of truth, when they deny the word of God, when they contradict that which God has said. Do you notice that Jesus said in John chapter 8, He said, "I speak the truth that I heard from my Father." Once a man cannot repeat what God has said, he's not in the truth. God said, "Do not eat it." Satan said they should eat it. The truth. As a young man, as a young woman, I want I want to beg you. Don't let anybody deceive you. There is so much confusion today. And what I am trying to make you see as a young man is that please understand it. It doesn't matter the level of charisma somebody has. If it does not abide in the truth, it's not of our kingdom. It is not of our kingdom. Say the person speaks in tongue? Satan speaks in tongue. Say the person quotes the scripture? Satan quotes the scripture. I hope you forgot. Satan told Jesus, "He has He said He will give His angels charge over you." That a man can quote scripture intelligently and cleverly in a situation does not make him to be of God. He say he believe in Jesus Christ. In fact you you are not getting the matter clear. Satan believes in God. He believes in Jesus and he trembles. You say he believe in judgment? Of course Satan believe that there is a judgment. He was telling Christ, "Have You come to torment us before time?" He knows. That you believe that there is a judgment does not mean make you to be of God. He say he calls Jesus Lord? Jesus said, "Not those not everyone that calls me Lord, Lord." Then I am trying to make you understand some fundamental things. There is something about this kingdom, fundamental to this kingdom, is that from the beginning, ever from the beginning of time, that which is truth has always been manifest. And that which is not of the truth have always been hidden. Have always come as if it is the truth. Have always suppress the truth. There's always this suppression of truth. Whatever suppresses the truth is not of God. It's of the devil. It's of Satan. It is not in the interest of man. The wellness of man cannot be in it. It can never be well with man. It's a thing you must know. And that is why both kingdoms are still contending till today. That is why Jesus said, "I will build my church, the gates of hell will not prevail." There is still there is still a kingdom that is suppressing truth, that is coloring truth, that is saying, "Did God say?" No, God did not say that. No, fornication is love. It is not it is not sin. There is still there is still a kingdom. You must get that clear. There is a kingdom that is suppressing the truth. There is a kingdom that is camouflaging the truth. There is a kingdom and that kingdom, please listen, that kingdom can quote scriptures. That kingdom believe in judgment. That kingdom calls Jesus Lord, Lord, but does not submit to His will. That kingdom, please listen, there is an interaction between that kingdom and the kingdom of God. Satan interacted with Jesus. I hope you know. There is an interaction between both kingdoms. But you must get it clear. There is a kingdom of truth and light and there is a kingdom of lie and darkness. And the operation of the kingdom of lie and darkness is to suppress truth. The Bible says they come in form of an angel of light. All their operation is to suppress truth. All their operation is to make sure that that which God said is not said. Jesus said, "I speak what I heard." The Holy Ghost will not speak of Himself. He will speak what He is also hearing. Are you understanding me? So the Holy Ghost speak only from one source. What is that source? He speaks from that one source, that same resource which is the truth. So if anybody is born of the Spirit, if anybody came alive by that Spirit, the pillar and the substance of that person's life is what? Is truth. It is truth. It is truth. So the church of the living God, let me quickly say something. I'll just say it as an addition and then I will move on. You know Jesus said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail." I want you to get something very well. Jesus is also the second Adam. I believe you understand that. You will see that in First Corinthians chapter 15 thereabouts talking about Jesus as the second Adam. Now the Bible says as we have bear the image of the first Adam, we will also bear the image of the second Adam. Now I want I want you to get something clear. Look at the first Adam. How how did he get his bride? How did he get his bride? You will notice that in the making of his bride, God took an aspect of him and molded it into his bride. So the bride of the first Adam was just a small part of the body of the first Adam. In the same way, I want you to know that the bride of Christ is a subsection of the body of Christ. What will be the what I am trying to make you understand is this. When you enter into a fellowship, into a body of fellowship, there are some people that are called President and they are lying. Does not mean that God is not building His church. God is building His church in that place. That person is not just a part of that church. He's not a part of that church that God is building. He is in the body of Christ. That looks it may sound very mysterious to you. But what I am trying to make you understand is this. Not everyone that appears to say something that appears to look like of the kingdom are of the kingdom. John said they were among us but they are not of us. So that it might be manifest that they are not of us, they went away from us. Jesus said, "Of all that You have given me, I have lost none, save the son of perdition." He didn't lose none of His own was lost, even though one was actually lost but none of His own was lost. Judas went with the twelve. Judas went with the 70. They did all the kingdom things. So that a man is involved in the kingdom things and he seems to be sent out of God does not make him to be a part of the kingdom. Any man that cannot abide in the truth is not of God. The foundation of God's church, the foundation of the church of the living God, is that it is a pillar and a ground for truth. Anything that suppresses truth ever from the beginning of time is devilish, is Satanism, is anti-God, is antichrist, is anti-man, is anti the plan of God for man. It has been like that from the beginning. And both kingdoms are still contending till today. That is why Jesus said, "I will build my church, the gates of hell will not prevail." There is still there is still a kingdom that is suppressing truth, that is coloring truth, that is saying, "Did God say?" No, God did not say that. No, fornication is love. It is not it is not sin. There is still there is still a kingdom. You must get that clear. There is a kingdom that is suppressing the truth. There is a kingdom that is camouflaging the truth. There is a kingdom and that kingdom, please listen, that kingdom can quote scriptures. That kingdom believe in judgment. That kingdom calls Jesus Lord, Lord, but does not submit to His will. That kingdom, please listen, there is an interaction between that kingdom and the kingdom of God. Satan interacted with Jesus. I hope you know. There is an interaction between both kingdoms. But you must get it clear. There is a kingdom of truth and light and there is a kingdom of lie and darkness. And the operation of the kingdom of lie and darkness is to suppress truth. The Bible says they come in form of an angel of light. All their operation is to suppress truth. All their operation is to make sure that that which God said is not said. Jesus said, "I speak what I heard." The Holy Ghost will not speak of Himself. He will speak what He is also hearing. Are you understanding me? So the Holy Ghost speak only from one source. What is that source? He speaks from that one source, that same resource which is the truth. So if anybody is born of the Spirit, if anybody came alive by that Spirit, the pillar and the substance of that person's life is what? Is truth. It is truth. It is truth. So the church of the living God, let me quickly say something. Look at what the scripture says in Hebrews. Look at Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 2. Look at how the scripture puts it in Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2. Look at the kingdom the the Bible says in the in the crowning of Jesus. The crowning of Jesus. Look at what the scripture says there just to corroborate something and then we we close with the reference I just made now. Look at Hebrews chapter Hebrews chapter 1, please. Hebrews chapter 1. I read verse 8 and 9. Look at what it says, "But to the Son," talking about Jesus. I want you to notice something again about Jesus. He said, "But to the Son, He says, 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. And a what? A scepter of righteousness. It is the scepter of your kingdom.'" What is a scepter? The staff of office. The symbol of authority. Are you understanding me? He says, "A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom." Are you understanding that? The symbol of Jesus's authority, the symbol of His authority is what? Righteousness. Righteousness. Righteousness. Anything that does not stand with righteousness does not stand with that kingdom. The symbol, the scepter, the authority, the authority of Jesus's kingdom is righteousness. That's why you notice it is a Yoruba saying but I began to hear it from my from my father. I'm talking about my biological father. He would say, [speaks in Yoruba] what he's trying to say in what I've just said is that there is no enchantment against truth. There is no divination against it. Truth fights and contends. It fights and contends. Nothing can fight truth. And anybody that is in the truth, that speak the truth, that stands on truth, has no fear. That's why the Bible says the righteous are bold as lion. They don't have fear. There is no fear in truth. But go and check it. Go and check the other kingdom. Even check it in your own life. Once you have told a lie, fear will come into you. When they call you about the matter, "Hehen, this thing," hey, you have to start beating fast. Bible says the wicked flee when no man pursues him. And that is why one of the weapon of the enemy is to make people fear. That's why the Bible says God has not given us the spirit of fear because anything that relates to fear is not of truth. I am connecting this thing so that you can understand it. It says, "The scepter of righteousness, Jesus's authority is righteousness." Look at the next thing in verse 9. He said, "You loved righteousness and what? You hated lawlessness. Therefore your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions." As I close this meeting today, I'm drawing you to a very important thing in First John chapter 3. That is what will relate to the matter of lies, biblical examples of lies, and then we will close for today. I am begging you always know, always understand, there is nobody who is truly of our kingdom that will not abide in the truth. There is nobody who is truly who belongs to the church of the living God. Some they are just around that church, they don't belong to it. Some they are just among that church. Somebody was asking me, "But sir, how would that be?" I said go and check the parable of Jesus in Matthew chapter 13. Jesus said the kingdom of God is like a net which a man throws into the sea. That is Matthew chapter 13 from around verse 47 thereabouts. He say it is like a net which a man throws into the sea and it catches all kinds of fish. He says at the end, go and check that parable. Jesus was telling us what is the nature of this kingdom. He said at the end, He says they will sort the good fish into a vessel and the bad ones they will do what? They will throw away. The kingdom, inside that kingdom, all kinds of fishes are all in there. They are operating. They are all in there. But at the end there is an end. You must get that clear. Not everybody who is in the church is a member of the church of the living God. Not everybody inside the church, not everybody in your fellowship. Not everybody. But we can begin to know them. We can begin to understand them. Please go and check it. Jesus said it. He said, "Take heed, beware of false prophet." He said, "But by their fruit you will know them." A good tree cannot bear a bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear a good fruit. By their fruit you will know them. You will know them. He said, "But beware because everything will mix together. Everything will be together. But they cannot abide in the truth. But they cannot remain in the truth. When they cannot defend the truth. When they cannot stay on the truth. When they cannot speak truth in their relationship. They cannot speak truth in their conduct. They are not of the kingdom. They may speak in tongues. They may do miracle. They may raise the dead. They may preach the gospel. But they are not of the kingdom." They are not of the kingdom. So you must understand this. Get it very clear. That the nature of God's kingdom, all kinds, all the every kind of fish are there. All of them are there. But there is an end. There is an end. There is an end. Hallelujah. There is an end. Ah, there is an end. There is an end. And I see God warning you today there is an end. I see God speaking very categorically to you that there is an end. Check your life, watch your life. Let him that think he stands take heed lest he fall. Watch your life. Are you really of this kingdom or you just appear that you are of the kingdom? Are you really of us, are you really among are you really of us or you are just among us? Look at what the Bible says in John. I want to close I am trying to bring this meeting to an end. I am trying to close this meeting. Let's see First John chapter 3 there. First John 3. First John 3. I want to read from I would like to read this this in the NLT translation. I would like to read in NLT translation. Look at I begin First John. Look at how He puts it from verse 1. Let me first read this the New KJV. When I get to the point of emphasis I will take NLT translation. "Beloved, now we are children of God." Hallelujah. It is not later. I hope now you understand that. I am trying to close this meeting. It is now. It is now. It is not when Jesus come that I will be truthful. No. He said, "Now." Hallelujah. I can be truthful. I can be a light in the midst of the darkness of this world. I can be light. I can shine as light. It is now that I'm a child of God. Holiness is now. Righteousness is now. It is not when I die and I get into heaven. No. It is now. In my relationship, in my conduct, in the neighborhood, in the school, in my career. Everywhere I am people can see light, they can see truth. Yes. I can shine that light now. It is now. He said, "Now," not later but now. The children of God will not be later, they are now. It is now. The good fish that will be put into that net later into the vessel later, they are now in that they are now there. It is now brethren. The Bible says who have redeemed to himself a peculiar people. What is peculiar about these people? He says the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared unto all men and teaching us to say what? To say no to worldliness and worldly lusts and to live godly and righteous in this present world. It is now. It is not later. It is now. It is now. Beloved, now we are children of God. Hallelujah. It is now I am a child of God. I can display the nature of God. I can display the foundation of that kingdom. When I speak, I speak of my Father. When I speak, I speak from my Father. When I stand, I stand in the truth. It is now. However, the Bible says it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. Eti mo mi, mo ṣẹṣẹ n bọ ni. Ah, eti mo mi. What we shall be have not yet been revealed. But we know that when He is revealed we shall be what? We shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. Oh what a joy. What a joy. What a joy. What an expectation. What what a thing to look up to, to wait for, to be expecting that one day when He appears, I will be like Him. Hallelujah. I will shine as light. But now I am a child of God. Now we are. It may look like we are just ordinary people now, just mixing with every other Nigerians and living with them. It look like ah, gbogbo e bo, but let me tell you, it is not yet revealed what we will be. But what does the Bible says? "Everyone, everyone who has this hope in Him," what does he do? "Purifies himself." So when you see a man who is not purifying himself as Christ is pure, this hope is not in him. This hope is not in him. Now look at the next thing. "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to do what? To take away our sin, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him," are you seeing that? Are you seeing that? "Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him." Let me take that in the NLT translation. "So if we continue to live in Him, we won't sin either. But those who keep on sinning," are you seeing that? "Those who keep on sinning," I decided to read this translation because sometimes people don't understand. When you look at it in King James, it looks as if those who are of God are infallible. No, it's not true. That's not true. Those who are of God are fallible. They can fall into sin but they don't continue in sin. It's very vital and fundamental to know that. They don't cover sin. They abide in the truth. Once they lie, they run away. Ah no, they cannot stay inside because they abide in truth. They will say, "Brethren, I have told a lie. This is not the truth. This is the lie. The truth is this." They cannot abide in it. They cannot continue in it. That's the reality of their life because they abide in truth. They cannot commit fornication and be still be calling the person their no is just my my fiance. They will say, "No, there is fornication. There is a sin." They don't they abide in truth. They don't cover sin. They expose sin. That's why I read a simpler translation that could make you understand the reality of their life. He says, "If so if we continue to live in Him we won't sin either. But those who keep on sinning," those who keep on suppressing truth, get it clear, "have never known Him or understood who He is. Little children, little children," the NLT translation again, "Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this." Are you getting it? Are you getting it? "Don't let anyone deceive you about this. When people do what is right, it is because they are righteous even as Christ is righteous." Clear. No argument about it. When people do what is right, it is because they are righteous even as Christ is righteous. And conversely, it says, "But when people keep on sinning, it shows they belong to the devil." These are clear scriptures brethren. "They belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning." Are you seeing it? Keep suppressing truth. Keep making it this way. Keep making it that way. He has been like that from the beginning. It says, "But the Son of God came to destroy this work of the devil." This must be very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very clear to us. Verse 10. Look at what the Bible says. "In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest." What does it says? It says, "Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he," what? "who does not love his brother." Because anybody who is not does not abide in the truth will be a murderer. He will hate his brother. Are you seeing the scripture? You will always be a murderer. He will always be somebody who hates. He will be malicious, revengeful, backbiters, gossiper. Men in fellowship that will tear down their leaders. Backbiters. You will see them. He say anyone that does not practice righteousness or love his brother is not of God. There is something about truth. There is something about truth, light, and love. Anywhere there is truth, the interest of humanity is protected. Anywhere truth is suppressed, the interest of man is not protected. It can never be well with man. It's a thing you must know. And that is why, you the Bible says in the verse 10, "This is how the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest." And now try to go back now into biblical example as we close this meeting. I just mentioned two or three cases to you. Do you remember Elisha and Gehazi? Do you see the trend? Do you see the trend between this those two people? He was a man following the prophet but cannot abide in the truth. It looks as if it was during Naaman's time that Gehazi started telling lies. But that's not the truth about it. That is the one that came out biblically. If he have always been of truth he will remain in the truth. If you leave that case, if you leave that case and you take your mind to Achan. You remember Achan? Achan was among those, men who missed out with God, who missed it out with God. What happened? His breakthrough became his breakdown. What happened? They were able to conquer Jericho. They were warned, "Don't take anything. If you take it, you become accursed." But he saw a Babylonian garment and he went and then he went to hide this somewhere. And of course when Israel was to face Ai, what happened? These men were killed. Joshua was confused. Joshua went to God. God said, "Why do you confuse? Come on raise up your head. Israel have sinned. They are still among the accursed thing. Now begin to bring them out one by one." Gagaligaga the line of Judah was brought and then Achan came out. And Joshua said, "Tell me what you have done." And then he said that he will tell the truth, that what happened was this. I want to ask you, is that man telling the truth or his sin found him out? Does he need to wait for them to be going line by line before he will come out? Because some would say that ah, after he confessed like that they should not have punished him. No, the truth is that he didn't confess any sin. Confession is that you don't abide in a lie. You come out. They don't need to begin to go through casting lot and then looking for the person family by family, family by family until finally the thing now came on your head. You now say, "Let me confess." Which confession are you making again? Which confession are you making? You may remember one incident like that that happened one time when a lady said when a sister sister slept with an acclaimed Christian brother. And saying acclaim because of certain things that manifested. That is what my my concern is. I just pointed out to you that it's not as if Christians are you know they are infallible. No, it's not true. That's not true. Those who are of God are fallible. They can fall into sin but they don't continue in sin. It's very vital and fundamental to know that. They don't cover sin. They abide in the truth. Once they lie, they run away. Ah no, they cannot stay inside because they abide in truth. They will say, "Brethren, I have told a lie. This is not the truth. This is the lie. The truth is this." They cannot abide in it. They cannot continue in it. That's the reality of their life. Because they abide in truth. They cannot commit fornication and be still be calling the person their no is just my my fiance. They will say, "No, there is fornication. There is a sin." They don't they abide in truth. They don't cover sin. They expose sin. That's why I read a simpler translation that could make you understand the reality of their life. He says, "If so if we continue to live in Him we won't sin either. But those who keep on sinning, those who keep on suppressing truth, get it clear, have never known Him or understood who He is." But the point I was trying to bring out is the case of Achan. It did not confess sin. That's not confession. Whoever cannot abide in the truth is not of God. Not of God. Not of God. Then I conclude I bring you to the New Testament example that I mentioned earlier. Judas. Judas. Trace his life. At one point a woman came to to offer an alabaster box of oil. What was the preaching of Judas? Judas said, "Wow, this is a waste. This is a waste." But the Bible kept a record. The Bible says He said this not because he loved the poor. Because Judas was saying that, "This is a waste. They should have given this thing, they should have sold it and then the money given to the poor." But the Bible said he said this not because he loved the poor but because he was a thief. He is the one who keeps the bags. And so what Bible trying to say? Bible was trying to make us see that all the while it was not the case of 30 pieces of silver that was the death that was the what that was the the beginning of Judas's life. Judas have always been a what? A thief. Oly, 419, graduate, odaro, ole ni. He was never among them. He was never one of them. With all the display of gift, with all the charisma, with all the going to preach, with all the power over the sick, he was a thief. Ole ni. And I'm telling you as I'm speaking with you now several brothers and sisters are men and women who seem to be of God are like that. They are thieves. They are rogues. It trying to see so you can get some of these things clear. I am saying this that if somebody can be in the fellowship of our Lord Jesus and he was a thief, what do you expect in our fellowship today? Say somebody is in the fellowship and he's a fornicator. He's a useless brother. He's a 419. He's this or that of a sister. Is it anything strange? So why do we make much ado about nothing? Why do we make much ado about nothing? It's not anything strange. That has been the pattern of the kingdom. It is a net that catches all kinds. Even crayfish, sebi fish na pe, but only that it is cray. All kinds. Even the electric fish that is shocking people to death is also fish abei daki na pon. Hehen, it's fish. Even the shark that is busy sucking blood, when it get people it finish them. Is it not a fish? It is a fish. All of them, all kinds, orisirisi. But at the end, let's look, it has always been the pattern of the kingdom. It is a pattern of the kingdom. It's a thing you must understand. It's a pattern of the kingdom. And so he told he made that he made that and then he wanted more money to come into the bag so that he can keep stealing. And then eventually the pattern continues. When they were looking for somebody to help them betray Jesus and get money out of it, who was available? It was still the same brother Judas. As inconsistent as Peter was, Peter is a very very inconsistent man. Very very you know they did not see him to come and help them talk about 30 30 pieces of silver. It was look, let me tell you one thing. Like attract like. Deep calls to deep. Birds of same feather. How did Judas get to know that they are looking for somebody to betray Him and they want to give the person money? Does that not tell you that brother Judas also keeps two fellowship? How can men be conspiring in their own caucus? I don't know that someone you he. There was a fellowship of darkness and they were making plan in the fellowship of darkness. Because if you get to know the scripture later the Bible says if the prince of this world have known they will not have crucified the Lord of Glory. Making us to see that when the Bible was talking about the prince of this world, the Bible was speaking beyond beyond the Pharisees and the Sadducees. It was speaking about the gate of hell because it was by death that Jesus collect the key of death from he that had the power over death, that is the devil. He conquered him by death. Satan thought he was wise but because God normally take the crafty in their craftiness, God also took him. God outsmarted him in wisdom such that he thought he had finished Jesus. But it was by that finishing him that He became a captive of Jesus. Now the Bible talking about that that that prince of this world, that prince of this world that was exercised by the devil, were busy making plan in the fellowship of darkness. And there was a Judas who was also planning with them. And eventually, what was it? What I am trying to make you see about Judas is that he was a man that does not abide in the truth. That's what I want you to see about him. When he was speaking, "No, this is a waste. It is for this." Was he telling the truth? No. I'm trying to look, check your life. Check your conduct today. Don't be assuming or because people talk around. There are still sinning saints. The saint they are sinning, they are sinning, but you know they will you know they will you know. Look, listen, get it clear. Jesus came to save us from sin. Check your conduct. Check your life. The Bible says from glory to glory He's changing us from earthly to heavenly. Bible says with an open face we behold as in a mirror the image of the Lord. We are transformed into the same image from glory to glory. Bible says we grow unto Him in all thing that will no more be children tossed to and fro by what? By every wind of doctrine. That will be stable and strong. Bible says in in malice and in evil, you can be babes, but in understanding be men. Grow up. Eventually that same man who was busy doing that, was he of the kingdom? We know he was not of the kingdom. Check your life today. There is something about truth and truthfulness. It is about the two kingdom. There is a kingdom of truth and light. And that is the kingdom of Christ and God. And there is a kingdom of lie and darkness. And that is the kingdom of the devil. That is the kingdom of the devil and of darkness. Unfortunately there is a mix. There seems to be because they appear like an angel of light. They appear among us even like an angel of light. And we will be thinking that they are of light. His children, the sons of the devil, the daughters of the devil, they are among us. They look like angel of light. We get down there and we begin to mix up everything. The Bible says as there was false prophet among them, there will be what? There will be false teachers among you that will bring damnable heresies. They are among us. Even the children of the devil. False prophet among them, false teacher among us. Take a stand today. I can abide in the truth. I can be truthful. I can abide in the truth. I can be truthful. I am of God and I am of Christ. For this cause was I born to testify to the truth. That was why I was born again. To be a pillar and a foundation of the truth. Jesus said, "For this cause was I born, that I may testify to the truth. Everyone that is of the truth comes to me. Everyone that is not of the truth don't abide with Jesus." Where are you today? Where are you today? Where are you today? Are you of the truth and so you are truthful? A good tree cannot bear a bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear a good fruit. Check your life today. There may be need for you to radical, you know, do a radical thing about the tree. It is about changing the tree. It is not about the fruit. Once the tree is changed the fruit will change. If you don't change the tree the fruit cannot change. Let us have a word of prayer for today. Have a word of prayer. Wherever you are just talk to the Lord. Talk to the Lord this morning. Talk to the Lord this morning. Talk to the Lord. Talk to the Lord. Truth and truthfulness. Truth and truthfulness. Truth and truthfulness. Light, the kingdom of light. The kingdom of Christ and light. Lies and untruthfulness. The kingdom of the devil. The kingdom of the devil and of darkness. Precious Father, we worship You for today. We bless Your holy name. We give You glory. We give You honor. We give You adoration. Lord, we commit ourselves into Your hand, particularly our young men and our young women. Our youth. Oh Lord, we are praying this morning Lord, we are asking this morning, that You will make us perfect in every good works to do Your will. You will work in us this truth and truthfulness which is well pleasing in Your sight in the name of Jesus Christ. For it is You that work in us both to will and to do of Your good pleasure. Lord, work in us both to will and to do of Your good pleasure in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Almighty God. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen and amen and amen. Let's share the grace together. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen and amen and amen. This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission hit. Our regular activities are discipleship class every Monday 5:00 PM, Adolescent and Singles Club every first Saturday of of every month at 10:00 AM, Marriage Forum second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM, family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and every day counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location: Life Camp by the First Bridge, Illere community, opposite Very Joy filling station along Ijeare 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.