Transcription
Break your Bible to 1st Samuel chapter 1 and verse 19. 1 Samuel 19. Have you seen it? Have you seen it? 1 Samuel 1:19. Let's read it together after the count of two. One to go. Rama. And Elkanah knew his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
And Elkanah knew his wife, and the Lord remembered her, provoking divine remembrance. Provoking divine remembrance, provoking, triggering, stimulating, coercing, as it were, divine remembrance. Hallelujah. I say, hallelujah.
Now, God has no nickname. Jehovah Shalom is not his nickname. It's his capacity name. Jehovah Rohi is not a nickname for God. It's a capacity name of God. God has no title. God has capacity. When we say Jehovah Roa, Jehovah Rafa, we are calling him that based on what he has done in that dimension. When we say Jehovah Kwana, we are calling him that based on who he is in that dimension. When we say Jehovah Shalom, we are calling him that because he has given us peace that passes all understanding. Jehovah Rafa is because of what he has done concerning our life. Jehovah Jireh because we have seen the provisions of God. So we call him Jireh. Jehovah Quanam, the God that is jealous over his own, is because we have seen that in the midst of thousands of people, he always exempts us out to prove the jealousy of his own. So it's not a nickname, it is a capacity name.
Why do we call God Alpha and Omega? Alpha is who he is. Omega is what he does. He's Alpha, meaning before him, nothing began. Omega means the end. He ends troubles. He ends battles. So he's got Alpha and Omega because of who he is and what he does. Am I talking to somebody right now?
The place where we read the Bible says, "And they rose up to worship." Put her. They rose up to worship. Hannah had no child, yet she was a worshiper. Hannah was mocked, yet she was a worshiper. Hannah had nothing to call her own, but that did not stop her desire to worship. Hannah had nothing tied to her name, but that did not stop her desire to worship. When you follow God because of things, things leave you. When you follow God because of who he is, things come to you. Am I coming to talking to somebody here?
One day, David said, "I was almost backsliding when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. I was almost backsliding when I saw wicked men who don't know God, yet they buy cars." I was almost backsliding when I saw people who are not prayerful like I am, yet they have houses everywhere. I was almost backsliding when I saw people who are not connected to God, yet they are growing. He said, "When I was about to backslide, God opened my eyes. I saw their end. When I saw their end, I suddenly discovered that a man without God who is in a brand new jeep is a coffin driving a carton. A man without God, all he has is nothing compared to me that knows God. I saw their end. When I saw their end, I stopped being jealous of them." Am I talking to somebody now? When I saw where they are ending, I stopped being jealous of them because I knew they had no future. I knew they had no destination. I knew the devil was just playing puzzle with their life. Let me tell five people. If you have God, you have everything. Oh, you're not saying that to five people. Say that to five people. He that has God has everything. He that has God has everything. He has God has everything. He that has God has everything.
So it becomes a crime for you to think that you're following God is premised on the things that God gives you. It becomes an abuse. There are people who are here today. All their heart is, "God, solve my problem." All their heart, "God, give me this." All their heart, "God." So their Christianity is based on the things that they can get, based on the things they feel can be done for them. Not based upon the God who created them, not based upon their relationship with the God who loves them, the God who has shed his blood for them.
The place where we read said, "And the Lord remembered." Now, does this mean that God forgets? "The Lord remembered." Now, that scripture is contextual. Divine remembrance is sudden celestial attention. The right word there is that God suddenly focused. Divine remembrance is sudden celestial attention. Divine remembrance is celestial focus on a destiny for manifestation. When heaven decides to focus and give priority on a destiny, priority on a life, heaven decides to say, "Okay, now it is your turn." We have blessed others. You have visited others. Now it is your turn to get a turnaround. Whenever God turns to you, it's your turn. Your turn is whenever God turns to you. Whenever God turns to you, it's your turn. Whenever God gives you focus, you become the center of attraction. Whenever God gives you focus, you become the center of attraction.
The place where we read said, Hannah. And are you aware that there is no divine, nothing triggers divine remembrance like mockery? Mockery. Peninnah had children. Hannah had no child. So the mockery was intense. The shame was intense. The misery was intense. Mockery. Anytime God sees mockery, anytime God sees shame, anytime God sees a believer going through any form of shame, any form of mockery, what will make the world laugh at them? Heaven shows up with a remembrance. Am I talking to somebody here?
A man called Noah. Suddenly, the Bible says he gave a declaration. He said the earth is about to be destroyed with the flood. And he told them what to do into the ark. And the Bible said the flood came. Everyone was swallowed up. The world was consumed. Only eight people were in the ark with animals after their kind. And Noah was there for one week. Noah was, the flood has ended. The flood was over. The door of the ark was shut. And Noah was there in the ark. The animals were there. The daughters of Noah were there. And in Noah, Genesis 8:1, he said, "And the Lord remembered Noah and every living thing that was in the ark."
Are you aware that Jacob loved a lady called Rachel? Loved Rachel so much that he was ready. When the Bible began to describe Rachel, her external features, her character, her dominion, our men, you can see why Jacob, Joseph Jacob was attracted to her. And the Bible says Jacob was ready for seven years to labor. Seven years of labor for one woman. Seven years of toiling. If you think that the EOS pay bride price too much, ask Jacob what he went through. Seven years of labor, seven years of anguish and pain just to get a wife. And he got the wife. And he got a wrong woman. And the father said, "You have to labor seven years again." He labored 14 years just to get what his heart wanted, to get what he desired, to get the pleasure of his heart. As soon as Rachel came in, one year, no child. Two years, no baby. Three years, no baby. Four years. And Jacob began to ask himself, "Is this what I labored for? Is this what I worked 14 years for? So you just fine like this, nothing to offer? So you just beautiful like this, nothing to show? So you just look attractive, no evidence? You look sumptuous, no proof. Is this what I labored for?" Just imagine the pain. Rachel was dealing with multiple pain. The pain of the shame of her womanhood and the pain of a husband that expected much, yet he saw less. The pain of a man that expected so much, but saw less. But the Bible says in Genesis 30:22, "And the Lord remembered Rachel." Anytime God sees mockery, God shows up in remembrance. Anytime God sees embarrassment, God shows up in remembrance. Anytime God sees shame, God shows up in remembrance.
The children of Israel were crying because the taskmasters were after their lives. Do you know that some elders, when they saw the reproach of the children of Israel, they went to Pharaoh? Moses was not the first person to go to Pharaoh. The elders, the leaders in Israel, the Israel extraction living in Egypt, went to Pharaoh to say, "We are tired. This burden is too much. Our taskmasters are on us." Pharaoh said, "Wow, you have time to come here because you have no work to do. I will increase your burden and increase your pain." That is what happens when you try to get freedom without God's backing. Anytime you try to get freedom without the backing of God, you multiply affliction. Anytime you try to get freedom without the instruction of God, you multiply pain. Anytime you try to get freedom without divine assignment, without divine unction, you multiply calamity. They went without being sent by God. And when they went, they said to them, "Oh, really? You have time to come. You are not working." They increased their labor, increased their burden, increased their pain until God heard from heaven. He saw what they were going through. And in Exodus 2:4, we discover that God remembered his covenant.
Stretch your hand to me. As you hear the sound of my voice, everyone here today, God will remember you. If your amen is louder, you're the one I'm talking to. I said, God will remember you. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me.
Are you aware? Listen, in your Bible, if you study your Bible very well, there was a man called Mordecai. Mordecai was Esther's uncle. Esther was the niece. And Mordecai delivered the king, preserved the life of the king from being killed. Bigthan and Teresh, they were two chamberlains that were close to the king. They had access to the king. They knew what he ate. They knew where he went to. They knew where he came out from. They knew his daily routine. They knew everything. Familiarity brought contempt. They sat down to plot. "How do we even waste this man? Let's plan a coup so that we ascend the throne." Mordecai, because he was a man at the gate, he heard about the ploy and he told the king, "These people are not just trying to usurp power. These people are not just trying to get position. They are actually after your life." And the ploy was exposed and nothing was done for Mordecai. A man that preserved the king's life, nothing was done for him. A man that saved the king from death, nothing was done for him. He was not favored, he was not helped, and he was calm. He still remained as a security man at the gate.
Now, there was a conspiracy by a man called Haman. Haman came and decided he was going to waste the whole Jew. Why? Because his only anger was that as he passes by, everybody rises up from their seats and bows to him. But Mordecai sits down without bowing. It wasn't arrogance. It was because Mordecai was coming from a system and a culture where they were told by scripture that "Thou shalt not bow down." So Mordecai was working based on the covenant. And it was the covenant he supported that sustained him. It was the covenant he stood for that delivered him. So he refused to bow. A man was angry. Ladies and gentlemen, you are coming to a gate. Eighty people rise up to greet you. It is only the one that is sitting down that you took notice of. It means you have a corrupted mind. Eighty people rise up to honor you. It's only the man that is sitting down that you are aware of. It means you are petty. Are you aware that the reasons why some people fight others is petty, very petty? When they give you reasons, you... Somebody said to me, "This person is after my..." I said, "What did he do?" When he began? I said, "Is it this?" So he was angry and conspired against Mordecai. And the Bible... this Mordecai that is quiet, preserved the king, and said nothing, nothing was done for him. And the Bible says in Esther 4:1, "When Mordecai saw that all was done," in other words, the plan was concluded, the letters have been signed, everything was done, "he tore his clothes." What was Mordecai saying? "I kept quiet at other times, but not this time."
Are you aware that in matters of restoration, time is of essence? In matters of recovery, time is a priority. Why? You started January, nothing happened. February, nothing happened. March, nothing happened. April, now we are in May. Time is flying. It is the reason you must cry out to God today to say, "Lord, I would have kept quiet, but not now. Time is going." The Bible says when they took out Samson's eyes, they plucked out the eyes of Samson. He was quiet. He was crying. He kept quiet. But when they put him before the pillars and they were about to waste him, in Judges 16:28, he said, "Remember me, oh God, one more time." Time is going. How can it be heard that I died with my enemies? Remember me one more time. The Bible says in Jeremiah 15:15, "Oh Lord, thou knowest. Remember me and visit me."
Hear me, child of God. Nothing provokes visitation like remembrance. Nothing provokes manifestation like remembrance. Nothing provokes lifting like remembrance. Nothing provokes celebration like remembrance. As you hear the sound of my voice, after this meeting, when the anointing touches your head, God will give you attention. When the anointing touches your head, God will give you focus. When the anointing touches your head, God will give you celebration. I say you will get a celebration. You will get a celebration. You will get an encounter. If your amen is louder, I'm walking with time. So if you think I'm starting, I may have closed. Are you ready?
Divine remembrance. There are people here now as you're hearing the sound of... There are some of you looking at me now. All heaven has to do is to give you attention for one minute. One minute divine attention can change your life for eternity. One minute to just focus on you. To just focus. To just focus.
He says, "And Hannah was worshiping." He said, "And suddenly the Lord." Number one, what God will remember men today. I want you to know that the first thing that provokes divine remembrance, it's a persistent enemy. A persistent enemy. A persistent enemy. A persistent enemy provokes divine remembrance. Persistent enemy. Peninnah held Hannah tight. Same house. Boxed her. It even goes in line with her name, Peninnah. She pinned Hannah, had her tight, restricted her from celebration. Ladies and gentlemen, you must understand the contention of enemy triggers divine remembrance. The contention of enemy triggers divine remembrance. When God sees enemies, when God... There are enemies that the Bible calls consistent and stubborn enemies. Are you aware? Watch this. Watch this. Watch this. There are two ways God deals with enemies. One, he kills them. Are you aware God kills enemies? Yes. Yes. Yes. God kills enemies. Haman was hung on the gallows he prepared for Mordecai. God takes them out. God takes them out. There are enemies God takes out. There are people today, there are strong men, God takes out. But there are another class of enemy. God does not kill them. It's high blood pressure that kills them. God will prosper you in their midst. He will so prosper you that it's not he that will kill them. It's high blood pressure that kills them. That is why he said, "Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies." They don't like you. You are prospering. They don't like you. You have bought your first car. They don't like you. You have built your first house. They don't like you. You are traveling abroad and coming back like no man's business. It's not God that kills them. High blood pressure.
A woman, one of our beloved daughters, one of the branches, wonderful young lady, she said, "Papa, I follow you bumper to bumper." He said, "The one, I'm a business person. The program I can attend, I travel to attend. The one I can attend, even in my business premise, once it's time, I tell my people, stay on Celebration TV. When Papa comes up, let me know." Once it's time, I carry my notes and I'm listening. Say, "I bumper." He said, "The only message that I have not heard from you is the one you have not preached." Bumper to bumper, I follow you. I said, "Okay, what happened? Share with me." And she said, "In their family, not one person can buy a block, talk of building a house. Not one. That when you begin to do well, the mother, sister, you are doing well privately, she will call you and tell you, 'Oh, so you don't get money now?' After you take that call, something happens. Business starts scattering." How she knows how she got to know that you are prospering is a problem. You will call your mother, "Mommy, did you tell this woman?" He said, "I don't talk to her." She just called the mother. Say, "Oh, you again." And sometimes, he said, when she called the elder brother, the elder brother was a consultant in Abuja. He had properties in Maitama, had properties in Apo. When this woman called the guy, after two weeks, he became sick. They carried him to the village. He was in the village. When they were selling, they sold everything. After they finished selling, he became well. A man that had properties, you know what is my... you know what is Apo? A plot of land there is two billion. One billion land, half a billion land. This guy went back to Abuja and began to squat with people. She said, "I said, no, I need to hide my head somewhere." He said, "I contacted this grace." He said, "Initially, I was one of the biggest critics. I didn't like you at all." He said, "But I listened to a message that made me know I need to hide there." He said, "The title was not my head, not my blood." He said, "When it's like you came into our family, you are just talking what was happening." He said, "I began to... and my work with God has changed. My relationship with God is outstanding." He said, "But this is why I'm giving this testimony now in Abuja." She was talking to me in Abuja. She said, "I told my mother that I'm going to break that yoke. I came to the village. I bought land. My mother took me privately. I bought, I paid quietly. I used my mother's name." Sir, that lady, as I was leaving the place where we are surveying the land, my phone rang. It was her. "You enter village, you don't see me, you carry your leg go buy land, make we say you go reach house back." While they were going, she had an accident. Two people died. She said she had an injury. She managed it. She survived. And she began to pray. We entered into 40 days fasting. We started in December last year. He said she didn't miss one day. She was fasting and praying. After it passed, she told the mother that she's coming. She took the woman's picture, made decrees on it. And three days later, the woman was sick. Hold on. And they packaged the woman to the hospital. As soon as she heard they have admitted that, she went to the village. She sat down, started the building, began to rush the building, began to rush the building, began to rush the building. When they brought the woman back, just three weeks ago, duplex was standing. Hold on. Hold on. As the lady came down, he said they should drive her too. When she turned, this one, listen at the girl. She heard her chest and began to scream and died. That is why I said there are some of them, it is high blood pressure. Hear me. How can you be so wicked that you say you are the custodian of poverty in the family? Since you choose to be poor, I refuse to join you. Since you choose in the family to be sick, I refuse to join you. Since you want everyone to be in captivity, the young lady said, "Daddy, I, as I'm talking to you now, I'm building another one." As you hear the sound of my voice, what no one could do in your family, you will do it. Where no one could enter your family, you will enter it. What no one could achieve, you achieve it. What no one could become, you will become it. What no one could handle, you will handle it. Where no one could enter, you will enter there. What they could not touch, you will touch it. Who they could not meet, you will meet them. What they could not achieve, you achieve it. I said you will achieve it. I say you achieve it. You don't serve a dead God. You serve a mighty God. He is the same yesterday. He's the same today. He's the same forever. When God says yes, no man can say no. When God lifts you up, no man can bring you down. God is on your side. Power is on your side. Glory is on your side. Favor is on your side. God is on your side. God is on your side. Somebody shout.
Take your seat. Take your seat. Are you ready? Enemies. Listen. How do we silence enemies? Number one, God kills them. Number two, high blood pressure kills them. Oh, you're not following what I'm saying? Number one, God outrightly comes, kills them. Number two, what kills them? And since they refuse, how can you make another man your... your your focus in life? What is your problem? Are you aware there are people that other people are their office? Ask Delilah. Sam was her office. Number three way to handle enemy is to handle their thoughts. Their what? Every weapon given to us. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. "Though we walk in the flesh, we don't walk after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God in the pulling down of strongholds." How do we put down strongholds? Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself above the imagination. If your enemies can't remember you, they can't frustrate you. Imagination. If you can arrest the battle in the thoughts, if you can stop the process of the plan, they will never see the success of their plan. If you can stop the thought, it's the process. Whoever comes to contain you, first thought about it. Whoever comes after your life, first thought about it. And God knows the power of thoughts. Genesis 11:6, he said, "And nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." So there is power in thoughts. If you can stop their thoughts, if you can pray and obliterate... The Bible says concerning Daniel, Daniel 6:3-5, "This Daniel was preferred above the presidents, above the governors, above the princes, for an excellent spirit was in him. And the king thought..." While the king was still thinking, "What do I do for Daniel?" The enemies read the thought. That is why God, in dealing with our enemies, he replies thought for thought. The response of God to the thoughts of the enemy is thought. And that is why I say Jeremiah 29:11, "I know the thoughts they are thinking. I too, I'm thinking. They have thoughts. I too, I have thoughts. I know the thoughts that I think towards you. Thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you." God replies with thoughts. In Isaiah 55:8 and verse 9, he says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways." As the heavens are higher than the earth, so my thoughts than your thoughts and my ways than your ways. That tells you it is thoughts that determines ways. It is thoughts that determines height. How far you go in life is a function of how you deal with perception. The thoughts. In Psalm 139:17, "How precious are thy thoughts towards me, oh God? Great is the sum of them." The thoughts, the thoughts, the thoughts, the thoughts, the thoughts, the thoughts. If they can't remember you, if they can't think of you, if God makes it solid that you do not cross the heart of your enemies, how does God do that? By giving them another assignment. How does God take your thoughts off their heart? By giving them... God will give you attack as another assignment. I don't like your amen at all. If your amen is louder, that will happen faster.
Number two, he said, "They came to Shiloh. They came to the house of God, the temple." Your connectivity to the house of God is a trigger, a stimulator. People don't know the power in coming to the house of God. If you understand it, you won't miss one service. You won't miss one service. You won't miss a Bible study. You won't miss any service. When you understand the oil that is extracted from availability in God's presence. No sir, come to the house of God. You know there are people in the house of God who do not understand it. In Psalm 92 from verse 13, I believe he said, "They that are planted in the house of God shall flourish in the courts of our God." Then what shall be their benefit? Number 14. Verse 14. Come on. Verse 14. Verse 14. Want to go. "They shall bring forth fruit." This is the benefit of being in the house of God. Meaning you are permanently refreshed. Even as you are growing older, you are producing evidence. As you are growing older, you are producing results. That's what it means. It means they shall bring forth even in old age. Why? Because they are registered in the house of God. "They shall bring forth fruit in old age. They shall be fat and flourishing." In other words, they will expand. Fat that speaks of expansion. They will expand and they will flourish. This is a benefit of being in the house of God. Not that Papa traveled, you too travel. I'm speaking to leaders here. Whenever Papa is not around, you're not in Bible study. That's hypocrisy. You are a worker. You are the head of department. I'm not around. You are not around. That's hypocrisy. Your pastor is not around. You two are not around because we are we are we are the same. That's that's that's... Listen, leadership is responsibility. If they want to ordain you and you know you are somebody who has no time, reject the ordination because the day you got ordained, automatically you must give God your time. One time, listen, one time they went to battle, the battle of Ziklag. They came back and discovered David's wife was taken. I've preached on that before. The wife was taken. The city was burned down with fire. So David ran. He met a man that was dying. The man, an Egyptian, helped him, gave him direction, and he got back what was stolen. When they got back so much, they had so much spoils. They conquered so much. So while they were leaving, they told some soldiers to take care of those who were left so that they can go and come. When they came back, it was time to share the process of their spoil. Those soldiers who stayed back came and said, "Where's our own?" Other soldiers were angry. "When we were going to fight, you stayed back. When we are going for war..." He said, "We stayed back because the king told us to take charge of what is left." He said, "It doesn't matter. We went over three days journey. They must not get a portion." And David rebuked them. In 1 Samuel 30:4, he said, "As the part of he that goes forth into battle, so is the part of he that stays by the stuff. They shall part alike." As the part of the pastor who travels to go and preach, so is the part of the leaders who make sure the church is okay. When I want to reward, I will reward them. The same as the part of the man of God in that OFM branch who says, "I am traveling with Papa. Leaders, make sure Bible study is held." And the leaders, the workers, all of them stay back for the... When God wants to reward him for his traveling, he will reward them for their staying. But you are not aware. You're not aware. So you are just there as a leader, as a worker, you are there. No worker should be absent from any service. No worker. There's something about the house of God. Hannah knew that despite her challenge, the answer was in the house of God. She carried herself, carried herself, and came to the temple and stayed in the house of God. There is power in the house of God. Look at Jesus. Sometimes Jesus will come to the house of God.
Are you aware that there are three things, three triggers that you need to hold on to if you must get results in the house of God? One is burden, burden, burden, burden. B-U-R-D-E-N. Burden, burden, burden, burden. When you come to the house of God, what is your burden? You are head of the department. What is your vision? People, when you see people wasting, it is because they have no burden. Nobody. No burden. You cannot be a leader and you are sitting down having a clique. There are things you are discussing against authority. You have no burden. If you have burden, you can't be a gossip. If you have burden, you can't be a gossip. We don't have gossip here anyway. We can't... you can't be a gossip and survive in Restoration City. No, no, no, no. You can't be a gossiper here. You survive here. We catch you. You say what does not concern you. That's it. Gossiping is saying what does not concern you. You can't survive here. There are places today where they want to tear down the church with gossip. "This one said, that one said." Even to give testimony is a problem. A sister came out and gave testimony. "This happened. God gave me a car." You see, "I have told my God, oh, I will not sell my body for money." Who sold body for money? Amen. Who sold body for money? Who sold body for money? Because your mouth cannot close. Gossip, that is a ministry. You are staying around. And have you have you discovered that most time it is people that are closer to authority that don't have testimony? People closer to oil that are stranded. People closer to the man of God are stranded. Why? When they are around the man of God, rather than focus on the burden, say, "Let me make sure I exploit this oil for my good," they surround themselves with rubbish, gossip. And that is why I've said to our pastors, anyone around you, you start hearing one or two in their mouth, get them out. No time. No time. Gossip your commitment. People will laugh at you. When you are committed to a grace and you are loyal to an anointing, people call you a fool. I was in Selah. Free time. There was a particular boy. He carries camera on his neck. But there was something he did that I noticed when he wants to take pictures. The way he takes pictures, even if your heart is stoned, you must laugh. I see that he wants to take a picture like this. So I... I started laughing. So I turned to the pastor. I said, "What kind of person?" He said, "This guy does not miss one service. One, one. He doesn't miss service." So I'm... I'm just sitting there talking to the pastor. He just tell me say... So there was no picture he took of me that I didn't laugh. I said, "Which kind of human being is this one?" He said, "I said, it's a picture. I'm going to the stage. I turn. I'm talking to... I'm greeting the choir. Admire what they're wearing. Just come. He looked at the choir. I would take picture. He would look at me." So I was actually enjoying it. So I began to give him attention. He would take picture and all of that. Now, he did that the first session, second session. The third session, power of God hit the place. He felt camera break. Camera scattered. So I noticed he sat down in the corner. Was so... I felt bad. Now, I felt bad for two things. His camera was gone and there was nobody. I was missing that comic. This life is not that serious. Relax and be happy. Some of you... Some of you are too serious. Someone said, "Why she doesn't like to watch me is that I joke too much, that I should be serious." I said, "Don't watch me. I'm not sent to you. I'm not sent to..." He said, "Remember message people, we cry." I said, "We don't cry, we laugh." Listen to those that will make you cry. I'm not sent to you. So the camera was broken and the guy sat down like that. So I said... She called me. I said, "How much is the camera?" I said, "No, no, no, no. I can't take money from you. Pray for me." So I prayed for him. In the evening, I said, "He couldn't get another one." He said, "No." It passed a year later. I came back to that town, that country, and I was told that the president said he wants to meet with me. So I said, "No, why not?" I created time. One of the mornings, I went to his office and they took me from that office to another inner office, his private office. While we are sitting down, I noticed somebody came with a camera. And I turned. He said, "They say mean I should stand." I stood at it like that. I said, "This face is..." Of course, now you can't forget me, sir. He bent again. Now I said, "What are you doing here?" He said, "Sir, I am now the chief press secretary to the president." How he began to narrate his testimony. "That's what happened, sir. When you come to the house of God, he was taking the pastor official pictures for free. He will frame his picture free. He will do this for him free. I wanted to offer him money. He said, 'No, pray for me.' I was in our trip technique. One guy was just shouting as I was preaching. I was... many of you may remember it was at the... Said, 'Young man, come. What do you want me to do for you? Mention anything, I will do it.' People were shouting, 'Anointing, anointing, prayer, power, Holy Ghost.' He said, 'Give me money. Give me money.' So they shouted, 'Oh, they say shouting fool, or there be money? Ask for anointing.' He said, 'No, no, they do me. Give me money.' Everybody was shouting. They say, 'Take anointing. Money will finish. Even if it finishes, rest. Give me money.' They were trying to pressure him. Why they were doing that? A young lady screamed, 'Me, I don't want money. Oh, I want anointing.' So I called them to give the young man money and they gave him money. People were insulting him. He didn't care. He had his money and walked away. I was in America and they were trying to stop someone from seeing me. The way the girl was screaming, 'He's my father. He's my father. I knew him from AUI. He's my father.' And I turned, I saw her standing with a white man and with two white kids. And I said to her, 'Do I know you?' And she made a reference and said, 'I was the one in the hall some years ago.' And I shouted, 'Me? I don't want money. I want anointing.' Sir, from that day, heaven catapulted me. That's how I met this man. And today, sir, look at... I am sure this was many years ago, over 12, 13 years ago. I am sure the money I gave to that young man would have finished. I am sure it would have finished by now. But this is someone that collected something intangible. Are you aware? If you study Genesis 25 from verse 5, the Bible says that when Abraham came, he gave Isaac all. Can you see that? What... What did he give him? All that he had. Look at verse six. Look at verse six. 'And unto the sons of the concubines which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts.' Are you not confused? If he gave Isaac all, from where did he see gifts to give the concubines? What he gave Isaac was not tangible. What he gave Isaac was not physical. What he gave Isaac was the spirit that made him Abraham. It transferred. Do you... Are you aware? It was in the next chapter that there was a famine in the land in chapter 26 that Isaac prospered. The Philistines covered the wells of his father. Isaac so prospered that the translator of that scripture did not know how to qualify his prosperity. If you read verse 13 of Genesis 26, 'The man grew, the man was great. The man went forward until he grew. Till he became...' Is that we cannot describe it. 'The man was great and went forward and grew until he became.' In other words, because they collected something, open your hand and stretch it here. Stretch your hand. Wherever you hear the sound of my voice, I make declarations under God. The power of the Holy Spirit as it comes upon you. What you need to get your next level, what you need to eat your harvest, what you need to enter your rest, take it now. I said, take it now.
Take your seat. You cannot be verbally reckless and hold authority. There are statements a person will make and that should be the end of his or her leadership. There are statements because you have no burden. Do you know a department is a... is a sub-church? Is a sub-church? You should sit down as a leader, have goals. The first goal of every leader in a church is to see the loyalty of the people in that department become solid, 100%. The growth is their spirituality. Before you think of numbers, their spirituality. How spiritual are those you are leading? Is there still gossip and fighting amongst you? How spiritual are those you are leading? Then how loyal are they to the grace they are under? And that's the truth. One time Jesus asked them, "Who do men say I am?" That was not self-seeking glory. He said, "Okay, who do you say that I am?" Am I talking to somebody here? It's very, very important that you understand the place of loyalty. A pastor wanted... a pastor wanted, he was talking to everybody that was selling things. He met those who were selling minerals, selling pure water. He said, "You are selling this thing. Tell me one portion of scripture that says you should sell this thing." They said, "Ah, Jesus says the water of life." The pastor started laughing. He saw another one that was selling bread. Tell me, say Jesus is the bread of life. He was said, "Give me scriptures." He finally met one that was selling yam. "Give me scripture why you are selling yam." He said, "The Bible says God is the I AM that I AM." Am I communicating? Yeah. Your burden in the house of God. What is your burden? You see verse 13, you saw that she prayed. You see the burden. Number, number two, in the house of God is intercession. Intercession. Intercession. Intercession. Intercession. Intercession. What you must do is that you must become one who is an intercessor. In Numbers 10:9, Numbers chapter 10 and verse 9, the Bible says, Numbers chapter 10. And the Bible tells us, okay, you can bring that up later. One to go. Hold on, hold on. Can you sing with some level of life? One to go. "And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpet; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies." What is intercession? Blowing alarm. Blow alarm. When you discover there is stagnation in your life, intercession is your ability to raise an alarm. Raise a sound. Blow an alarm. He said, "God will remember you and save you from your enemies." Intercession. Nothing brings succession like intercession. Everyone that wants to succeed must learn how to intercede. There are people that have never prayed for anybody. Let me tell you a trick. If you must see God do something in your life, desire him doing that for another person. And what puts a seal on intercession is a sacrifice. He said to God, "If you give me this child, I will bring the child back to you." There are people that don't understand. Do you know why you must learn to be a giver? Giving helps your spirituality because the more things you can give, the more you are losing connection to self. Self wants to keep. Self wants to hold. You have clothes. Once you are full of self, you can't let it go. "How can I? What will I wear?" You have money. Self says, "Keep it." Spirituality says, "Give it." You have contacts. You have opportunities. You have properties. Self says, "Keep it." Spirituality says, "Lay up treasures above. Give it." You cannot... There's a dimension of favor God will not give you until you are a giver. I'm telling you the truth because if he gives you that dimension of favor, you become arrogant. You become proud. If he gives that dimension of favor, you become self-centered. Recently, some of our pastors, I've been doing something solo with a team, but some of our pastors, I just put them in our outreach department and some of our few workers on the Celebration TV, I put them so they can be seen how we do crusades and what we spend. Recently, they sent me messages that say, "Daddy, is this how you are living your life?" When they see what is spent for one meeting, what is spent for two meetings? I purposely said, "Take this one. It's transfer. Transfer to this. Send to this. Send to that. Send." They say, "What, sir?" If we hear anybody come out again and say, "Church, there's money," we will sit down and do video to reply. I say, "Relax, don't bother yourself." But I want to be aware that the labor, the labor, why God is doing some things is because God has seen the hearts. And there are people who are just sitting down in church, nothing. In fact, they are angry that church has not helped them. The only person the... [Music]... for this church. [Music]... me for this. Not personal, not personal. Those people they help, all those people they help, they know them. They know them. Now, who knows man? No man. Man knows no man. Don't person. Don't person. Forget. When they see somebody, they don't start again. They don't start again. Wash, wash, wash, wash. All this they give person, you know. There are people that stay in church. The kind of things that goes through their mind. There are people in church, they just sit down. All this they call anointing, anointing, anointing. They just keep power. People fall down. "Me, I nothing move me. Oh, nothing move me." Oh, that is the kind of things. That's what goes through their head. Nonsense, nonsense things. This is a church of help. This is a church where we... we are a family. But that should not be your purpose of being in church. No, no, no. "I'm in the house of God 'cause I have a burden in my heart." Inter... Mary, he said, "They have no wine." Jesus said, "What's what's my problem with you? My hour has not yet come." Mary just laughed, said, "Leave him alone. Whatsoever he says unto you, but if you can do what he says, you trigger his hour. If you can do what he says, you trigger his moment. You trigger him to work if you can do what he says." Can I hear a loud amen? Can I hear the loudest amen? Can I hear the loudest amen? As we come to the house of God, study your Bible. The Bible says, "And and she was praying." Eli marked her mouth. She was praying. Refuse her to be distracted. Many of you came to church with so much focus, but now you are distracted. Years ago when you came, your heart was for the Lord, but you allowed things to distract you. How come those who have been preaching this gospel are still... in fact, their passion for God is increasing every day? Every day. You can't follow me from your heart and your passion not increase. You can't. You can't. You can't follow the function of God on my life and your love for God not increase, your prayer life not increase, your study life not increase, your mindset does not become global, not thinking, thinking like a villager, not thinking myopic and microscopic and moronic, speaking in huge stones in mono syllabus. But you are there. Your mind is global. Your mind is global. Your heart is enlarged. Am I communicating here? What is your burden in the house of God? Look around the church. What came from you that you can see they are seen in church? You are in a local church. That church where you are worshiping, what have you bought for that church? They said, "This one, I'm the one buying it. Nobody should drag this one with me. When it comes to instrument, leave it for me. Anything about the instrument, they should contact me. Anything about chairs in church, contact me. That's my own assignment in the church, leave that for me. Anything about the choir to get them uniforms, please, whatever it costs, forward it to me. Anything about this the the foil of the church." Hannah said, "I understand that intercession is not complete without planting a seed. So I will bring him back here." Anything concerning foiling this church. How can there be a millionaire in a church and that church has no land and there are millionaires in that church? What... what kind of misplaced millionaires are those ones? What kind? We bought this land when I had no building.
I was staying in my father's house, a house my father gave me. My father gave me a house. He said, "Take it, stay here until we get married." Not to disrespect him. I was there. Many of you saw me there. Yet we got this land started building. I was still there. People will come for prayer. They feel embarrassed. "Why is Apostle man staying here?" It was four flats. I was staying in a flat upstairs. There were tenants, and most of the tenants were students, and most of the students were females. You are just entering to come and see me. You will see bras they hang on somewhere. You will see coats they hang on somewhere. You see underwear they hang on somewhere. As you are coming like this, the flat before my flat, you will see makeup kits. You will see different things on the ground. I have warned them. "Stop. I have visitors. I beg you, flat." "I, my flat." But that I was doing that day. The house of God was standing, and there are people who are not aware, no priority. Then when God starts blessing some people, you start talking. You don't understand that your priority determines your prosperity. Your priority determines your prosperity. Seek ye first, when it comes to working for God, I don't check the figure or the amount, so long as it is for God, so long as it is for. So you must understand that you have been interceding, but it's not complete. Hannah gave God. You see this God, you can't beat him in giving. God does not need your money. Tell your neighbor, God does not need your money. Do you know what God needs? A proof of your selflessness. So when somebody gives, saying, "Lord, I value you more than this thing." When somebody does, do you know 1st Samuel chapter 2:21? That God gave Hannah five children, and the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord. Anything you give to God comes back to you. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. That woman gave, 2 Kings chapter 4, gave a bed to Elisha. Elisha lay on that bed. Slept on that bed. When her son died, it was that same bed she put us on. Anything you give to God comes back to you. Anything you give to God comes back, comes back to you. God said to Moses, "Bring out your hand." He brought it out. He said, "Put it in your bosom." He put it in his bosom. It became leprous. God said, "Bring it out." He brought it. He became whole. Anytime your hand remains permanently in your bosom, you are attracting leprosy. Nothing brings perpetual leprosy like a hand that is continually kept in the bosom. Bring it out. Tell somebody, "Bring out your hand." Bring out your hand. That's your hand. Bring it out. Bring your hand out. That hand, you have increased height. You have increased age. You have even increased pounds and size. Your compassion has increased. Only offering, your offering. The only thing that has not increased in your life is your offering. Everything has increased except your offering. Are they not, are they not aware of the government? People cannot feel. It's talking offering. Offering from one people cannot show up in their hand. They're talking offering. Are you aware that in the midst of this city, people are building houses? Do you know any time in the Bible where God prospered the church? It was only the time of famine. People are building houses. People are buying properties like crazy. In the heat of scarcity, anytime you see scarcity, you see famine in a place, God has selected and reserved a few to bless, to seal up intercession. You put a sacrifice. The third thing we saw there in the house of God, and then I'll give the other point, and then we pray. The third thing we saw in the first one is burden. The second is intercession. The third is joy. The Bible says, verse 18, "And she was no more sad." Countenance was no more sad. You must be joyful. Let nothing steal your joy. Joy is a mental booster for health. Proverbs 17:22. Proverbs 17 and verse 22. "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dryeth the bones." You are eating, you are drying. You are eating, you are drying. You are eating, you are drying because your heart is heavy. Bring the, bring the message translation on that. Message translation. Message. "A cheerful disposition is good for your health, but gloom and doom leave you bone tired." Gloom and doom, gloom and doom, sadness, joyful. Psalm 16:11, "Thou wilt show me the path of life, for in thy presence is the fullness of joy." At thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Nehemiah 6:10, 8:10. Nehemiah 8:10. The joy of the Lord. Psalm 63 and verse 5. Psalm 63 and verse 5. Let somebody say, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." "My soul shall be satisfied with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips." Joy. Let nothing take your joy in the house of God. When it's time for praise, dance. Dance. Stop sounding like Mount Moriah that cannot be moved. Dance. People are dancing. Dance. Dance. Stop picking up. Just fool yourself. Micah said that and became barren. Just fooling. Stay one place. No, sir. David said, "I'm not dancing." David was dancing, and the wife was angry. The wife said, "You dance and dance, and your clothes fell out. Are you not ashamed?" Guess what she replied? The wife with dancing. She was still dancing. When the wife said, "You are not ashamed." "See the way you were dancing like, like a novice to the servant." David said, "Yes. So I'm dancing before the God that removed your father and put me there." Yeah. Yeah. Arrogant people should be replied arrogantly. He said, "Yes. So the God that saw thy father and put me there." If your father, in other words, if your father knew how to dance, God would not have removed him. Dancing doesn't mean you must have good dance steps. Dancing is movement of body. So any, any, you can shake your, shake it. Praise him. Dance. Be, be excited. The word of God is going on. You sit down there. You are hearing it with excitement. Even the one where you are guilty, you say, "This one, I do. I'm guilty. I will change. I will change. I will change." No problem. You continue. Now you hear the one that concerns you. It's like somebody have gone to report me to papa. Are you aware there are people that think like that? "Who you be where they could report?" See, let me tell you something. I am one pastor who you should know by now. I am not the, I am not the look-person face. So that's the truth. If you are not in church and I reach, I say, "I didn't see you," it is out of concern, not that I can't do without you. When God called me to preach, the first thing I did was to make sure I secure my source of income so that I can preach. First thing, I told God, "Will you allow me do other things?" He said, "Go ahead, but give time to my work." I secured that one. As I secured that one, I said, "Let me see who, who." I'm telling you. I'm telling you the truth. I was in Abuja. I just came. There were people that were eager to come and see me with money. I said, "I'm tired. I want to rest. I'm not seeing anybody. I want to." I said, "I want to rest." It was a massive meeting. I said, "I want to rest. I don't want to see anybody." Ah, this person or this one. I don't care because I have lost, I've long lost value for money. I'm not pastoring for money. I love this God. I'm telling you the truth. I'm telling you the truth. He knows that this boy loves him. He knows. I told the Lord something yesterday between me and him. I said, "Lord, I will do something that you will send, you practically send angels from heaven to come down. Who is this boy? Who is this boy?" The plan in my head, I said, "Just let this happen. Let this happen. Try me." I said, "You will." That is the kind of thing those who are ready to to be sold out, serve God with joy and gladness. The Bible says they don't do that, they serve their enemies. Don't come to church as if they are forcing you. Don't come to anybody in the church that you constantly kill your joy. Please disconnect from that person that will come around you and they tell you the latest lies, things that will kill your faith in the grace you believe in. One of our branch pastors, there was a lady that was close to him. The lady will come at the end and give him some things. He prayed, and they would go. Always close. And a particular leader began to spread a rumor that sister and that pastor just be there, rubbish. That the pastor got angry. The not aware. The head of the party was not aware that that was the pastor's cousin. He told me, "Sir, don't you know?" I said, "Yes, that's your cousin." He said, "That's the person she is saying about." I said, "Remove her. Remove her. Anyone spreading that kind of rumor should not be close to the altar because it will pollute the heart of other people because of their spirit of assumption." I said, "Tell her the that came from me, and she should be removed with immediate effect, and everything in her possession should be returned. If she wants to go to another church, let her get out. She's not an asset. She's a liability. We can sow her to other ministries so she can continue her character." Whatever tempers your joy should be excommunicated. Whatever tempers your joy. As you are coming to church, you should be joyful. As you are praying at home, you are joyful. As you are worshiping God, you are joyful. Your church should be a place where joy is contaminated. People, people dispense joy. And the truth is, if you're in this place and you are affecting people's joy, God will hold you responsible. People can't serve God excitingly. They can't serve God joyfully. You, you, you're provoking them to anger. There are places where they can never get expression to serve God. Once the, the head is unhappy with them. When the so-called head of the department is not happy with them, they cannot serve the way they want to serve. They can't post them to places. They can't let them take a song. They can't let them express their gift because you are unhappy with that person. Ladies and gentlemen, you are not God. Don't take the place of God. Don't take the place of God. Let people serve God joyfully. Number three, and then I'm going to pray. Number three, trigger for remembrance is priestly blessing. Priestly. Priestly. Eli was a priest in the house of God. The duty of the priest is to take care of the temple, take care of the house. The physical synagogue, the physical structure is the duty of the priest to see to the welfare, to make sure it's ever green, ever fresh. The duty of the priest to take care of that house. And the Bible says Hannah continued there despite what was happening. She continued, she continued, she continued, she continued. There is power in continuity. Acts 2:42. "And they continued daily in the apostles' doctrine." Acts 2:42. Acts 2:46. "Continuing, continuing, continuing daily with one accord in the temple." They continued. She was always in the temple. And are you aware she was, she spent so much time in the temple that she had a personal relationship with the house of God? Personal. And the Bible says, verse 14, that when Eli, 1 Samuel chapter 1, verse 4, when Eli saw her, he marked her mouth. He said, "How long will you be drinking with wine?" Can I say this to you? Can I say this to you? Eli misunderstood Hannah. Called her a drunkard. Sir, are you aware that even your priest can misunderstand you? Your priest can misunderstand you. Your prophet can misunderstand you. But Hannah was not offended. They can misunderstand your decisions. They can misunderstand your actions. But don't let that misunderstanding make you offended. Eli spoke, "How do you call a married woman a drunkard? You are drinking with wine." See the reply, "My lord." Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord. I am a woman of sorrowful spirit." Some people will leave church because of that. "How can you call me drunker?" Oh. Oh. She said, "I, I have sorrowful spirit. I have sorrowful spirit." Even when you are misunderstood, still be faithful. Even when you seem not appreciated, still be faithful. Even when you seem not wanted or loved, still be faithful. Can I say this to you? Can I say this to you? No attitude changes a formidable character. When you have a character that is formidable, no attitude can change it. Don't let men change your good attitude. She was still there because she understood that even if he's my priest, he's a human being and can misunderstand. Can I tell you something that Hannah knew? Hannah also knew that this man, why I cannot judge him, is that he has his own problem because at that time, Hophni and Phinehas were giving him headache. Oh, nobody's talking about Hophni and Phinehas. So any actions and attitude. So they said, "God, give me a miracle so that I can solve my pastor's problem. I can solve my pastor's problem." Many of you are not aware that the same way God called me to be a blessing to you and pray for you, you are supposed to be a blessing to me and pray for me. Not money. Forget money. Not money. I'm not talking of money now. We're talking of prayer. The way I'm praying for you is the way you pray for me. The way I'm out to see you grow is the way you are out to see me grow. Are you what I'm talking about? The way I'm out to see you grow in character. That's how you also see me grow in character. At times I can say something out of the now, pastor, talk this one. I'm still growing. I'm still growing, and I'm better than before. Whether you agree or you don't agree, am I not better than before? Am I talking to somebody here? So why that woman said this, "My pastor has a problem. Father, give me a miracle that will answer my own request and also solve his problem." Now, I'm not saying this to, I'm not soliciting for your help. I am not. But how many times as a committee in the local branch of OFM come together and say, "Let's get things to our pastor. Let's just bless our pastor." No, they're waiting for his birthday, and that birthday said, "Oh, everyone is pulling. Let's bless him." Let's be a blessing. There's something called priestly blessing. As he gave him that honor, look at verse 16. Eli said, "Go, go." Verse 17. Bring verse 17. 17. 17. Eli said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him." Hannah rose up after that. That's what she wanted. A priestly blessing. But it's only resident on that person who resides in God's house, who has a good heart for the house of God. Are you getting something here? Papa, you don't understand. You don't understand. My business is not moving, and nobody's coming to my business. Nobody's approaching. I have this thing. Nobody comes to my shop. Sir, if God's glory is on a place, are you aware? People trace the house of native doctors. You're not aware. They will come down from bike. They sit down, one back, not the enter leg. They will use leg because they think there's something there. Just imagine if you carry the glory of God. If the glory of God is on your shop, people will see other shops that sell what you sell and bypass them and they are coming to you because of a priestly blessing. You are about to go on a journey. You tell your pastor, "I am traveling." Not because anybody's monitoring your life. You are trying to say I am responsible. Nobody's monitoring your life. Daddy, I'm traveling. I will not be around so and so time. Oh, that is a sign of responsibility, not monitoring. Responsibility is the price of greatness, says Winston Churchill. Any man that wants to be great must be heavily responsible. Hear me. There is a priestly blessing in this house. And if you are ready to receive that priestly blessing, be up on your feet.