AFG ||Opening Night||Dr Joe Tarkon ||City of David Atlanta

explores the way. He is the principal of the International School of Ministry under Femi Lazarus Ministries Ecumenical, where he cultivates sons and daughters in spirit, truth, and wisdom. Beyond the pulpit, Apostle Femi Lazarus is a devoted husband and father, a public health professional, media executive, and author. From Ambience TV reaching nations to the Slum Education Initiative touching streets with light and learning, he is proof that divine help isn't just spiritual, it's transformational. This isn't just an introduction, it is a divine intersection. The Apostolic mantle is here. City of David, if you know help has a name and glory walks on feet, then release every sound of honor you carry. Get ready to receive Apostle Femi Lazarus. Amen.

Hallelujah. Please, let's be seated. Please, please, please. Amen, amen, amen. Ah, okay. Amen. This is a setup that is too big for me to carry. I want to honor He doesn't like me calling him Daddy, but that is who he is. Please help me celebrate the angel over this house.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, sir. Every time talking with you is refreshing, and I told myself while coming that I need to be around you more. Just want to be around you. Blessing. Thank you so much, sir. Please help me honor our pastor.

Thank you.

Amen. And again, we have our daddy here this evening, Daddy Joe Olaya. Wow, good to see you, sir. Amen.

Okay.

You pray for me. Stretch your hands towards me and make a declaration. Amen. Okay, that I receive utterance, then I receive of the grace upon our fathers. I'm not joking. Pray for me. I receive in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Lord, in Jesus' mighty name.

Amen.

Thank you, Lord. All right, again, we also have Pastor Dola Bolawa here. Please, good to see you, sir. Amen. So I'm going to stick to my time. I just want to call our attention to something because we are just starting This meeting, I didn't want the message that Pastor was preaching to end, and I think we might not understand the depth of what we just received. That's uncommon. That's uncommon. Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. I want to call our attention to something God said Because we are just starting, so there's a way I want us to start, particularly with my session. In Genesis chapter number 1, verse 26, I want to show us something very important, and this might be the confirmation that somebody needs. Can I hear amen to that?

Amen.

In Genesis 1:26, And God said, let us make man in our own image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea. You see, the word there is not let some of them have dominion. He said let them. It is open for everyone. Over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image In the image of God created he him, male and female created he them. Verse 28 is where I'm going: And God blessed them. The first statement that man received was a blessing. You may not understand that you were blessed before a curse tried to overtake Look at what he said. He blessed them, and God said— what did he say? Be fruitful and what? Multiply. Let's pause there. So it is fruitfulness before multiplication. And that's, that's so important. And look at it, everything God blessed from the beginning seems to have learned how to remain blessed, except man. The plant doesn't need prayer point to reproduce. In all my years of ministry, these few years, I've never been called to come lay hands on a cow. But for some reasons, men have struggled to be fruitful in some cases. Meanwhile, fruitfulness comes before multiplication. What that means is that you are not permitted to leave a territory because something is not working. Everywhere you find yourself, be fruitful. Then you can replicate the fruitfulness to the ends of the earth. That's powerful. Place your hands on your— where do I mention now? And say loud and clear, I am fruitful.

I am fruitful.

He said multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing. That one time I was entering a house and I saw beware of dogs, and the owner said, enter, it won't bite. I said, are you him?

Are you him?

Are you the one in the mind of the dog? From the beginning it was not so. Man was created with dominion. I've seen things that people do because they are struggling to walk in dominion. I've heard stories of girls who slept with dogs. But what is readily available in Christ We've seen people who will go into rituals and kill someone else for amount of money that will not put them on Forbes list. I've never seen ritual put anybody among the wealthiest in the world. It means even the ancestors have limitation. What are the terrible things people have done for lack of dominion? Strange things that the things that we should legislate over now becomes what we, what we get at the end of our life, enjoy for a bit, then die. Both in your young age and in your old age, you'll be fruitful. I was in a meeting, it was a birthday celebration. A woman invited me to come for her 50th birthday. I went there, and while we were in that meeting, I saw an elderly man walked in, and I recognized the elderly man because in years back, and well over 20 years ago, I was in a meeting where the elderly man was ordaining a young preacher into ministry, and the elderly man came in with his suit fervent. You see, still burning. But I also remember where I was seated, that the man he poured oil on that day It's no longer where he left him. So I was asking myself, what's the secret? And I see our Daddy and Mommy— Mommy, good to see you, ma— still burning. It might be easy to bear fruit when you are young. You have to know God to still bear fruit when you are old, because old age is the season of consequence. The night is the face of consequence. Night is not necessarily good, and that's why when we say that we are coming to the end of age, even the universe is in this night season. The Bible refers to it as the day of darkness and gloominess. It's the harvest of everything sown from beginning till now, good or bad. In the name of Jesus, we all will bear fruit in old age.

Amen.

I didn't hear that amen resounding. People blow up and blow out. In Psalms 23, we might miss a detail. When David was speaking, he said, 'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no what?

Evil.

For your what?

Uh-huh.

Rod and your staff, they do what?' So I'm beginning to get into my message now. He mentioned two instruments that God used to administer comfort: the rod and the staff. If we look at the Bible, we look at where the boat— God doesn't make mistake. If he wanted to say a rod or staff, he will say a rod or staff. He said rod and staff when Moses was before the Red Sea. What he told him to stretch forth was his rod. Instant miracle is a form of comfort. Somebody came for a meeting like this and a word came: by this time next day you carry a set of twins. Maybe the person is not here. And by the way, I believe that believers will give birth more. Some of you have already closed I'm about to decree, and this word will not fall to the ground. Correct! Receive your babies! Look at you! Tell me, say amen. You heard it, it's done. I've seen cases that you lay hands on people and say be healed, and instantly they are healed. That's a rod instant miracle. Years back, I was invited to come pray for a man And the person who invite— who told the man about me had boasted so much. That's why most times I fear all this video that we used to play. But the kind of message Pastor have preached today, so I know I'm covered. Boasted that when this man come, you walk. And I met the man I said, for how long have you been paralyzed? He said, 1985. Everything I've read about from Kenneth Hagin about healing disappeared. I lay hands on him and say, walk. Even me that said the walk, I just knew that I was looking for a You know? Yeah. Oh, you not— it has not happened to you before? Oh yes. Oh yes. In a meeting like this, there's a kind of sick person they bring. If you have not prayed, you be— you be— Osha! But there's a God who doesn't put us to shame. I prayed for the man, it didn't, it didn't work. I said, you walk now. Each time I said that, he fall like pack of cards. Then God said, you will come here every day, this is your new PPA, before you go to work and lay hands on him. I was doing that for over 6 months. And there was never any sign of change. One time I went there and something really serious had happened. So every time we win— just trying to give you an illustration— when I got there, I met the daughter outside. Was wailing. I tried to talk to her. What's going on? Where is Daddy? She couldn't talk. The more she looked at me, the more she wept. I left her and went inside, and I met the wife weeping. And for the first time in that 6 months, his chair was empty. So I said to myself, After 6 months of labor, we lost him. While I sat down, almost joining them in tears, and I saw the curtain of the room open and somebody was walking out of that place, and it was the man Now I understood why they were crying, because now I become also teary. The wife said she wanted to brush for him on his seat. And that's why I want to beg those who are single, don't just look for beauty. It will fade. Look for kindness. For some reasons, because of the gap between our generation and learning from the fathers, there are many things that we allowed in but we are not deep in. There are many people who can hang around when things are fine. That woman was brushing his teeth for him every day since 1985, and she said she was about to brush his teeth for him, and he said, I think I can't stand. So she stepped back, and he held something and stood, then sat down again. Then he said, no, let me stand. Then he stood and said, I think I can walk.

Listen.

There are times that one declaration may not work, not because God is weak, but because you need to grow into your miracle. Staff is not for fashion, it is a product of age. So there is the rod instance But there is the staff. You mature to wield it. He comforts you with the boat. Amen. So there are— I can give you examples. Anna was trusting God for a child. It might be difficult to call Anna barren because there was no record that she had crossed menopause. But Sarah, you see, we can brag about things we receive by grace till you see people who are walking better with God but are waiting for what you have. Sometimes we speak with so much privilege. And say a girl is single, say you dress well, wear some good makeup and all those things and all that. Was that how God brought you your husband? You see, there is a God that it is not a part of his ability to lack ability.

He's too—

he's too around dead not to be able to do certain— everything he wants to do. He said, I'm the Lord God of all flesh. He's there. Anything too difficult for me. When Daddy brought his brief admonition, maybe you didn't know that simple greeting that he brought is enough to run as a series for a whole year. Because even you too, you've made the mistake before that there are people you look at and look at the circumstances surrounding them and feel it will be difficult for this one to rise without knowing that as far as their matter is concerned, settled. And God just shocks you once. There is progress, but there is quantum leap. And you think even if they will take from step 1 to step 2 to step 3 before they get to where I am, they will be this, they will be that. God takes them from step 1 to step 100. God will give you quantum leap. And to everyone that people think that you are not going to amount to anything, God will shock both you and them. The theme of this meeting is God our helper. I don't know if you have ever needed help before. Please, let's put our hands down. No, let me explain what I mean. You may want help, you may also like help, but if you meet somebody who needs help, you would see that there is a big difference. The fact that you like it doesn't mean you currently need it. For instance, Somebody who is at a point now that the state have said that you have 14 days to leave this country, that person needs help. If doctor brings a report And the doctors are saying, as far as medicine is concerned, this is it. The person needs help. Do you need help? The biggest thing the devil can do to a man is not to need what you need. You actually need it. Have you seen people that need help but in the— thank you, thank you, the man of God even came, he's not even shouting, so I don't even feel there's anything that's going to affect your— you need help. Oh Lord, if there's anybody here who has been crying, wipe their tears. Recently we're refurbishing my office, so I brought out my old journals and I was going through one of them and I saw where I wrote in the journal that I was declaring 3 days dry fasting, which I did because of Shu. You know, I served in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, and years back, it was during ordination time.

I—

they were— I didn't want to kneel down. For the nation.

Uh-huh.

Because those who are— will see actually the shoe. Yes, the shoe. Um, when you wear it, it was my— the sole of my feet that was touching the ground. So I had to kneel down, and when I knelt down, I heard a quiet, "Mm." Behind. So I left that place and I cried, and I said, "God, why will you send me to preach without the shoe of the gospel?" So I said I will fast for 3 days for the shoe. So I saw the journal where I wrote it, then I looked at the shoe I was wearing while I was reading the journal, and I said there are things we cried about that we ought not to If only we know a glimpse of the future. I'm trying to explain something. I want to explain something. Are you with me? Stay with me, don't worry. In 1 Samuel chapter number 1. And that's a very interesting story, the story of Hannah. She was married to a man who had two wives. The second wife had children. Um, very, very concerned about women. While waiting for the fruit of the womb. Because you don't know what it feels when all the women that married around the same time you got married have given birth to 1, 2, 3, and you are still waiting. And sometimes some of those children have now even grown to the point where men are now asking them out. And you know, we as Christians, once somebody— it looks like the person's prayer is not being answered, we quickly say there's something the person is not doing right. So Anna will be there, and Elkanah, the husband, will give her what, the portion, and she was eating. They will go to Shiloh, he will give her extra meat. She was eating, and the other wife, what do you think she must have been saying? My J, let me interpret it.

Eat it.

That's what you came to this world to eat. Eat it and eat your children. So one day food became loathsome in her mouth. Look at it in verse 7 of— let's start from verse 6 of 1 Samuel 1. An adversary provoked her, Saul. For to make her fret. That is, was trying to get a word out of her because the Lord had shut up her womb. Anyways, theologians have many things to say about that statement, that many of the things that happened in the Old Testament was referred to as the Lord's doing. We truly judge the character of God through the epistles. Now verse 7. And as he did so year by year when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her. Do you have places? Do you know what it means to have places that they meet every year, but the meeting that ought to be an interesting meeting have now become a meeting of reproach because you have not changed this year from where you were last year. Maybe for somebody else, it is that this is another conference. I'm seeing miscarriage and I rebuke it. In any home where they have wept because of miscarriage, you carry your own babies. It's done, it's done. So she went to the house of the Lord, so he provoked her, therefore she wept. What's the next statement? And did not what?

Eat.

That's very important. The Bible is too meticulous. Every detail is important. So then said Elkanah, her husband, to Hannah, why weepeth thou, and why test thou not? Why is thy heart grieved? And have I— am I not better to thee than 10 sons? Remember, she did not eat. Verse 9: So Hannah rose up after they had eaten— that's the rest— and they have drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon the seat by the post of the temple of the Lord, and she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore. And she vowed a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou will indeed look upon, look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and forget— and not forget your handmaid, but will give unto thy handmaid— what? A what? A what? Not a child. A what? A man.

Specific.

Many of us don't know that not being specific in prayer can be a reason for delay. Lord, just give me anything. Give me your husband, give me a wife. You want to beat you, right? And I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. One thing to pay attention to is that she got to a point where food became loathsome in her mouth. Sometimes I look at Christians and they don't look like one who really needs help, maybe particularly in the Western world. Where I came from, we pray. I've seen people pray here too. Do you pray?

Huh?

Some of you, we need to invite you back home so we can drink of the same cup. When Pastor was saying that Uzziah is dead, Pastor has a very huge sense of humor. Many Christians don't cry because the matter has not gotten to boiling point. They are saying, I can still suffer for 10 more years, don't worry, it's not that serious. It's not— have you carried so much weight of anointing and you are praying for a careless Christian? In the name of Jesus, receive this. Amen. Let this door be open. Amen. The one who is praying is even more desperate than the one they are praying for. I want to give you 1 minute. There comes a time that no human help can suffice, and what you are saying is, Lord, help me. Listen, that word is big. When you say help me, you, you don't know how to put it in actual vocabulary. So what's the problem? Why you Lord, help me. I want us to put on the garment of prayer, and in the next 1-2 minutes— can you stay on strings for me, my brother? Do you want to sit to pray or you want to rise up to pray? Whatever it is, whatever that case is, get— become specific tonight and say, Lord. For some of us, this matter might be a matter where we lay on the floor for it. We, we are all at different points, and I said sometimes you don't do not need what you need.

Help me, help me, help me.

Speak it light. Help me, help me, Jesus, thou Son of David.

Help me, help me, help me, help me.

I cry to you, Lord. Oba Tobekun Alatua, Moti Deo, Boromiyo, Eja Mijau, Majin Babatia Dura. O the Lord who answers by fire, help me. Remove the garment of shame and reproach. Help me.

Help me.

Mecha, mecha. Help me. In Jesus' mighty name we are praying. Ah, your amen sounds lazy. Can we shout it loud and clear?

Jesus, Jesus, help me, help me!

Shout it one more time.

Jesus, Jesus, help me, help me! One more time. Jesus, Jesus, help me, help me!

Jesus, help me, help me, help me, help me, in Jesus' name. Please sit down. You see, in my little time I kind of have an idea of what shame looks like. There's a point that delay gets to, it becomes shameful. Have you gotten a car that your mechanic begins to recommend you to another mechanic? Oh yes. Your mechanic says, I know the person who taught me job can. When you get to a point where pastors begin to refer you to pastors, then you know that is heavy. It is not everything we can tell people. Let me share a story with you. There was a man one time who noticed that— and medically this doesn't make sense— noticed that he was having itching sensation, um, around his bum bum. It was itching, it was itching, it was embarrassing. And at some point he noticed that he developed two anus. Oh yes, ogun ogun. There's no angle that the enemy cannot corner a man. If you allow them. How, how many preachers can you tell, pray for me, I have two enough, I don't want one? One time he was watching a program like this and he was crying, Lord help me. When was the last time you cried to God? You know, your problem is that you have too many options. And it is when Abraham becomes 99 that God will appear to him. There are certain things that God will never show up till you come to the end of yourself. We scheme too much, we are too creative. You are so deep, you have 100 options before he gets to prayer. You have this uncle, that auntie, this, this, this. The year that Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord. Go and read the story of Jacob when he was going to meet Esau. He was— he's a master planner, an architect of deceit. He orchestrated them. Oh yeah, you, you, let's break ourselves into two. Say let women and children go first. And no, He packed some things, say, in case if he kills us, I think we have something saved. And God— when he met Esau, Esau said, I have my own. And read that Bible, the moment Jacob was left alone, God came. The moment he was alone. And I said How many years did God wait for Jacob to be alone? How many years has God been waiting for you till you finally say, Lord, help me? As simple as what I'm saying sounds, for many of you, God has been waiting all your life till now. You pray, but it's not an option. And look at it, because if you read, all right, Psalms— sorry, Genesis 48, when he was speaking to the sons of Joseph. He said, it was the Lord Almighty that appeared to me at Luz and blessed me. So it was not an angel that he fought with, it was the Lord. And he had one question for him, one question, one question. The last time you were supposed to receive this, the exam you failed. One question, the same question Isaac asked you years ago: what is your name? He wanted to check If life had brought him to a point of honesty, and for the first time, face to face with the blessing, said, I'm Jacob. You know what Jacob thought? He thought he could help God, that the blessing was about— well, look at it. You are Jacob coming before Isaac as Esau. In the realm of the spirit, the blessing is not for Esau. If Isaac had the power to give him, he will not say bless me again. Look at how many years it took God to wait for a man to answer simple question like what is your name. Think about it. If you send a child to school and the child start speaking and you ask the child what's your name, say blah blah blah blah, you want to withdraw the child from the school. I say, what are we wasting money for? You know, one time my daughter was singing a nursery rhyme. I said, what did you say? Is this what we are paying for? When he said, my name is Jacob, finally your name will no longer be called Jacob. But Israel, he thought that it was beyond the ability of God for him to be honest and still get it. Have you seen Christians who believe that God cannot bless their honesty, they must help him? And you have been doing that 1 year, 2 years, 3 years. It looks like God is a liar. When will you get to the point where you say Help me.

When—

even the way we pray, Lord, it's not like I need you, but do it. A young lady A girl born again came to meet me years ago and said, Pastor, pray for me. My school fees I have to pay, deadline is here. He said, because if God doesn't provide between this time and this time, I know how to get the money.

That's—

you can't blame her. That's a baby Christian speaking. Have you seen Christians who give God deadline? I have options, but if you are God, prove yourself. Let me wrap up with this story, and maybe somebody is going to cry. I saw my life flashing in front of me, and I knew that the family I— I couldn't find one person who rose from my lineage. I couldn't find, so I began to pray. I prayed till the local vigilantes gathered and said he must leave this street. My landlord was begging them and say he's a prayer warrior.

He said—

I was just looking at them. If you know what I'm fighting. Somebody looked at me face to face and told me that I will make sure— two things she said— I will make sure that none of my children will look up to you for anything in life. Then she also told me that I will make sure you die young. When people can get to the— oh yes, and I was poisoned and carried up and down till a prophet told my father that this one is going to die. The prophet was telling him in my presence about the fact that they should go and buy coffin and take care of the rest. When you have seen that and those who want to kill you are still alive, there's a way you pray. There is a time in your life that your enemies are a blessing because you don't have time. You see, you don't have time to experiment with sin. Because the battle that you are facing has killed your taste bud to it. They were gathering at my window and say, this boy must leave this place. I was weeping. I said, I've not broken this thing through. I was like a broomstick after 21 days dry, 4 times. The man at the pool of Bethesda, John chapter number 5, the Bible said he's been there, um, Some detail you must pay attention to. The word pool there might confuse the Gen Zs. It's not swimming pool, okay? The pool is a market pool. It's in the market. It's a smelly pool, a very dirty pool. It's a sheep market. Animal dungs and all those things were there. And the Bible said that he was there for 38 years. Apparently all his classmates that they got into that class together had left. They've left him there and his problem had remained. But the good thing is that Jesus went there. Amen. Jesus went there and look at it. And Jesus saw him lie in verse 6 and knew that he had been there for a long time. If you see people who have been in battle for long, there's a way you know. He has been there before Jesus was born. He has been there when the mother of Jesus was a teenager. Maybe the day Jesus was born, they walked past him and said, we're going to go and dedicate a child in the temple, and that child is the one that will grow to come and help him. There are many lessons from that. And Jesus said unto him, will you be made whole? And look at— he spoke from his trauma. He said, I have no man. He was talking about what is paining him more than the sickness. Everybody he knew had left. There comes a time that the battle becomes too much, that even the closest of friends say you have to continue from here by yourself. And all that Jesus said to him is, will you be made whole? They have no man. In verse 8, Jesus said, rise, take your bed and walk. 38 years, just like that. I bring the decree of the Lord tonight. Anyone who has been at the same spot for so long. By the power and the authority in the name of Jesus, take your bed and walk away. Walk out of lack. Walk out of shame. Walk out of reproach. Walk out of barrenness. Walk out of stagnancy.

Walk out of oppression. Oppression.

Walk out of demonic attack. The Lord of Hosts will help you. It is done in Jesus' mighty name. Thank you, sir. Let's keep clapping for Jesus. Let's celebrate the powerful word that has come from our senior pastor, now from Apostle Femi Lazarus. Let's keep Celebrating Jesus.