COUNTER CULTURAL

Thank you, Lord. Can we lift our hands to heaven and say, thank you, Lord? Thank you, Lord Jesus. Let's thank him. Let's give him praise from the depth of our heart. Let's give him worship. Let everything within you magnify him. Thank you, because he deserves the lifting up of our hands. He deserves all our praise, all honor, and all glory. Let's give him praise. Let's give him honor. Let's give him adoration. He deserves all our praise. It deserves all our honor. Thank you, Lord Jesus. In Jesus' mighty name we pray. Amen. Please be seated. So we're starting a new series So I want us to open our Bibles to the book of Daniel, chapter number 1. So we're going to start the reading from verse 1. Ah, so pay attention to this story. It will help you. In the third year of the reign of Joaichin, King of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, unto Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Joachim, King of Judah, into his hand with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god. And he brought the vessels— and he brought the vessels, all right, he brought vessel into the treasure house of his god. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuch, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes. Children in whom there is no— there was no blemish, but well favored and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, such as had the ability in them to stand in the king's palace. And whom they might teach the learning of the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat and of the wine which he drank, so nourishing them 3 years, and at the end they might stand before the king. So hold on a minute, go back to verse 5. Now the king— these were captives, okay? Um, the King Nebuchadnezzar besieged their homeland, captured them, and separated people from among the captives. And he gave specifications. So he said, these guys, they are going to stand before me to reason with me.

Why?

Why was Nebuchadnezzar interested in what they have to offer, but he's not interested in them building their own country, but he's interested in what they have to offer. You see, I will have to teach you in parables for a while till I can open up on certain things. One of the things you must discover is that King Nebuchadnezzar recognized that they were different. He recognized that whatever whatever it is that is on their life can better build his own country. But he also recognized that you can carry that thing and still be a captive. You can carry the blessing and still be a captive. You can be a blessed slave. You can carry the blessing and still struggle. You can struggle in the areas of your anointing. You can deploy what is not working for you into another, another person's life, and it will work. And soon they begin to ask themselves questions that if truly you have this thing, why is it not working for you? As far as Nebuchadnezzar was concerned, they were assets. But never let them know that they are assets. They must never know, because as Long as they don't know, they will consider eating at the king's table a privilege. Oh, I'm privileged! Oh, praise Master Jesus! We're among those that were captives, but the king has given me a special place at his table.

Why?

Because there's something you bring to the table. Look at the funny thing. It will be 3 years after that they will be able to stand before Nebuchadnezzar. Now you need to know what that means. Think about it.

3 years.

So they will have to use the first 3 years to— because what you read is that they were learning science and all those things, but that's not actually the root word. They were actually learning sorcery, um, the learning of the tongue of the Chaldeans. There is an aspect of science that you start dealing with metaphysical realities. Are astral realities, astral projections. So they have to learn for 3 years. Then not just learning, but they had to change their food.

Hold on.

Nebuchadnezzar was saying, Ashpenaz, bring them to feast at the king's table. Hey, but these guys have already been feasting at the king's table all their lives.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

So you are not the one starting it. They are used to it. They are seeds of royalty. If you didn't get this part of the story, so Daniel was actually part of royal seed. Let me say this, by the way. There are many things God may intend to use you for, but your exposure can defeat it. So Even when God or the enemy is going to do big things with anybody, they need certain kind of exposure, certain kind of mindset. Do you understand that?

Yes, sir.

All right, so, so they put them there, eat the king's meal. Drink the wine. What was he doing? Please look up. We— I recognize that you are royal seeds. If you can be captured, whatever mentality you had plus the blessing that allowed you to be captured, don't bring it to my cabinet. So it's— let your mentality change. Detoxify your minds. Learn new things. What makes great nations great nations is not their size, but the mentality. So you can imagine, Africa is big. Are you there?

Yes, sir.

So let's continue from verse 5 and 6. The king appointed them a daily, daily provision of the king's meats and of the wine which he drank, so nourishing them for many years, 3 years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were children of Judah, Daniel and Ananias, Mishael, and Azariah, unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names. For he gave unto Daniel the name Belshazzar, and to Ananias Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And unto Ananias— all right, so you know the funny thing is that you know Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The only one who remained Daniel, his native name was Daniel. Once you are needed. Nobody needs to change your identity to conform.

It is not—

it is when you are not important that you find yourself in some climes and change your native name so you can blend in, because already there's no weight on that name.

Amen.

All right, look at Daniel 1:8. We read together. 1, 2, 3, go. But Daniel proposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with a portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the prince of eunuchs that he might not defile himself. There was no preaching, there was no message, there was no counsel. Nobody told him anything. The guy just— if this is the norm, I won't be a part of it. You see, it's people, people, you know, nowadays when people are talking, I look at them, I just, I look at them and smile, say, ah, we are going to change the narratives, we are going to change it. Now lie, they can't even change their radio station. Because one of the most difficult things to change or to obstruct is people's way of life. It's the culture they have come to embrace, their reality. The pattern they've come to hold dear to themselves, what has worked for them. And sometimes this is where the issue is: what you're trying to confront is working for everybody. So you look around, this did this and it worked, this one did that, it worked, this one did that, it worked. So who are you to change it? So the direction every society goes is determined by the culture of the society, and the culture of the society is built on the orientation of the people, and orientation is laid on the fabrics of the knowledge they have. So the knowledge that you receive forms an orientation in you. The orientation determines the culture. The culture determines the direction of the society. Let me come again. The knowledge that we receive is what gives you, or what forms the basis for the orientation that you have. So you hear people say things like, um, give me some nasty words people say. Um, you don't know any?

Huh?

Yeah, single mothers are all irresponsible. Now look at that. That's, that's it. That's a serious word. Imagine someone saying that. And by the way, I've written it down. I'm going to have conference for single mothers, single fathers, widows, widowers, and it's going to be a yearly conference. Okay, and that conference is going to also be with um, dining together, because there is a need for an answer to that area. Amen. Let's leave that aside. So imagine someone saying that single mothers are all irresponsible. Why is the fellow saying that? A knowledge. The fellow has received that knowledge again and again and again that it has formed an orientation for the person. You know, I remember this funny thing that happened. We were taking a walk in a museum in Houston. So as we're taking the walk, ah, I called my— I said, so I saw a guy shaking his bum bum. He was shaking it too. Ah, shake it. So we're going to move past. Ah, and look at the guy was really checking it. If you come and try this one in Nigeria, the rest is history. But it will pass here.

Why?

The culture. And what's the basis for the culture? The orientation. What's the foundation for the orientation? The knowledge. So understand, listen, whatever information you are exposed to is ultimately going to determine your culture. So no knowledge is neutral. No knowledge. I remember I landed at Atlanta and I went to ease myself. So a guy looked at me in the restroom and smiled. So I looked at the guy, I said, I won't be here. I— no, no, no, I just left. All right, no more, no more. I can't do it. But before, they will say that village people followed me here, so I won't be here. So I left.

Why?

Because I'm conscious of what's going on in the environment. Ah, you smile, smile back. So you see that What is a lifestyle in one environment is an abomination in the other. Let me give you another instance. When you say people are living fake life, it's not really fake life, um, as such. It's fake culture. They are trying to live a life that they have no foundational orientation for, so they give themselves away. You can tell this fellow is saying that, "My daddy is the younger brother of the friend of Tony Blair." I said, "So we used to travel, we used to..." You listen to the person. Let's leave it. One of the worst things you can do to yourself is fake life, because that's one sign that you have not embraced your own reality. You need to look like someone else, talk like someone else, to feel complete. So another important reality you need to know about culture is that people are very emotional about their culture. Every societal structure, culture, people are attached to it. They are emotional about it. Take an Ekiti man. Ekiti is a state in western Nigeria. Take him to the moon and you tell him that you have pounded yam with blender. He will tell you it's sweeter when you pound.

Aha!

See, you will explain from now till tomorrow. If he eats it, it's because he likes you. But inside his mind, is he saying, these people don't know what they are missing? Give me another one. You want to put an Igbo man where he doesn't have access to apple and ofe oha or nubu egusi and draw? Obo no. Where he doesn't have access to ukwa, it doesn't matter what you're giving him. The guy is just looking at you and says, you are stressing yourself.

Why?

Because what he's exposed to has become his way of life. Think about that. Way of life, meaning that this is the way he lives his life. This is the way he believes that life is to be lived. Okay, this is the way he believes that things are to be done. Make all the food in this world for me, put small onions. I really don't care how much you spent, I'm out. Why? It's not my way of life. What we are trying to deal with is coming up in stature and maturity and to rise in wisdom to do contrary to what you have seen that has worked.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Um, okay.

How many of you have seen people doing better than you're doing and you just can't wait to be like them? Let's be honest, huh? Okay, how many of you have now come to the point that as you were growing, it just occurred to you that what you were seeing in their life from afar was a lie? That you were even in your small state far better? Let me tell you something, many of you don't know that your life is better than you That many of the people you want to like, if you know, quarter the trouble they have gotten themselves into because of manipulation and employment of worldly wisdom. And because they are in that trouble, when they mentor you, they lead you through the route of the trouble.

You know why?

They don't know another way. If they did, they will not be in trouble. I just want to let you know that your life may not actually be as bad as you are thinking. You might not actually be far behind as you thought. You might have nothing really physically to show for it. See, let me tell you something. If you are at level 1, it is very possible envy someone who is at level minus 50.

Why?

You are not seeing the minus. You are not seeing it. So you just feel, you know, this level one— let me tell you something, there is a wisdom about every level that you are in, and I'm telling you One of the things I want to do today is to get you to the point where it occurred to you there's no one worth envying. None, I tell you. Some of you, your trouble began the day you start trying to be like others. Oh, you know, I want to be like that person. I want to be where they are. All right, you know, the other time as we came, you know, that meeting. Oh my God, look at how that guy stepped down from that black Jeep. Behind that black Jeep is plenty court cases. Plenty people, they have to block on social media before they come out and speak.

Can't sleep.

They have to go through every comment. Hope nobody is exposing me. You are not even thanking God. For where you are and what you have. You are not thanking God for the reality of peace of mind. And if you are here, you don't have peace of mind, God will give you peace. Listen, the moment Daniel said I will not defile myself with the king's meat is simply saying, I am— I have decided I'm going against the norm, and that's tough. I'm going against conventional reality. And if your life will change and enter into— if you are going to come into the plan of God fully, you will have to be bold to go against the status quo. Let me tell you a story. And my entire life, you know, I was just thinking about my life. Everywhere I've been from childhood till date, I've had to go against the norm. What that means is, even in followership, I am emotionally intelligent enough to know what not to pick from you. No, I'm decisive. I watch. I major on the major and minor on the minor. If you lack self-awareness and you start following, you pick rubbish. Okay, so first you must know who you are in Christ. And I'm telling you again, your life is not as behind as you are thinking. The only reason you feel small is because you are comparing yourself.

That's the reason.

You started 2 years ago, but you're comparing yourself with someone who started 12 years ago.

You have 10 years gap. 10 years. 10 years.

So I was saying that my life has always been with the pattern of going against the status quo. First you see the status quo. And he blesses you. First he blesses you, then you are a part of it, then it will cost you. This is a trap. So it's okay even if you have celebrated rubbish. I'd grow it. I'd grow it. So I remember I came from a family where people work. One pattern you see, hard work, hard. Growing up, I— it occurred to me earlier that there's something I I don't have with my siblings. That's this, you know, I discovered myself. It just occurred to me that, see, if I try what this one is doing, me, I will land in the hospital. So while we're in secondary school, you know, JSS class, primary school, there are some boys in class. I don't know how they raise those ones. If anything happens, anything, small thing, let's see after the class, let's see after school. So once I hear let's see after school, I know that even if you are my junior, you are most likely going to beat me. Anyways, I developed my own survival skill on my teeth. So if you come for me, people will be shouting, don't let him bite you, don't let him— because since that is what I have, I will hold you with that teeth and I am not letting him. So I learned Femi Lazarus earlier that honestly I'm not as strong as you guys. And guess what? If you're growing in a family of strength, that's not normal. That's a weakness. Because unfortunately for many of us, you probably grew up in places where nobody was paying attention to know what your own unique strength is. A worse. So it means what you were doing right, you will be raised to see it as wrong. Then you have to live your life one way. Hopefully you mature and come back to see that what I had was not a weakness but a strength. If I was weak in this area, then it means I'm strong in this area. Now you can invest in the other area and emerge. So it occurred to me early Okay, so I was— I, I, I grew up having a learning disorder, so I couldn't read and write for a while. And I'm not in the season to talk about the name, you know, because trending online. So I saw one of my students having a project for those who had that I wept. I said, I'm going to be a part of this. And that's why it's good for you to be enlightened, because sometimes you might feel that a child is a dullard, but the child is actually a genius if well harnessed. Well, I'm not saying I'm a genius, but I think I am. Yes, sir. Hold on, don't worry. I'm saying I think because of your religious mind. I know what I am.

Yes, sir.

So I had made up my mind that I was going to be in the medical field. And, um, so when I picked up, I picked up, and finally there was a call, and God was saying, you're going to serve me as my servant. And here I am coming from a place where, you know, there's a culture in our African home, and I'm not saying it's wrong, but if you are from such a place, you must know how to fight your own battles. And that's the culture of when we have spent money and invested money on you, you bring back. It's responsible to do so, but not at the expense of your vision. So to balance it, you know, the most difficult person to lead, to, or to counsel, is someone who follow what you have said halfway. They will fail, but they will hold you responsible for it. So never counsel anybody who doesn't have the energy to finish. Before you tell someone, go in this direction, be sure the fellow will get to the end, because you are speaking from the end. If the fellow is somebody who doesn't know how to finish what they start, if they hang in the middle, they will hold you responsible for life. It's Bible, it's in the Bible. Exodus 13:17, God could not lead the Israelites through the way of the Philistines because they will turn back. And you see Deuteronomy 8:2, he said, the way which I led you through the wilderness. Are you following what I'm saying?

Yes, sir.

Dear counselor, counsel them based on their strength, not based on your own strength. I think I'm in the wrong church. There are signs. If you have not seen in people, don't lead them through the way of might. How do you tell someone who doesn't want to wield the sword to get to the battlefield? So sometimes you are— the mindset you have built throughout for life is to be among others. What's the best kind of proud you can be? Hopefully you mature in it and you see that there's something more. What I'm simply saying is, no matter how much you feed a cat, it can't become a lion. If people will not change from inside Ah, Lord, am I in the right place? Pick a cat, meow meow, and say, cat, I bought you Burger King's burger. Oh, I got you milkshake.

Meow.

Sometimes it's not just more word, more wisdom, more rev. Who are you? Are you allowing the core of your person to be changed entirely. Or when you don't listen to everything, meow. That's what we try to do. How many Christians really have spine? That's why what we call revival is questionable, because we're spineless. The president of Burkina Faso Femi Lazarus has— listen, wait, don't laugh, don't laugh, you may not understand— has experienced several assassination attempts consistently. But the presidents who are so weak they can't even be in their own countries Go and check Africa, you'll be shocked. You will thank God for what you have in Nigeria. Go and check other countries. Those other presidents, they are friends of the West. Countercultural mindset or lifestyle is a lifestyle of warfare.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Oh yes. Oh yes. Yes, sir.

And the problem is many believers have embraced the compromise that brings peace. We have embraced the spinelessness that in the days of timidity, your spinelessness and the wisdom that comes from your spinelessness looks like wisdom. Would Moses not be referred to as a wise guy if he was in the palace of Pharaoh? But ain't he a fool for stepping out? I'm saying that even if you choose what a fool can do, as long as you have money, a generation will hail you. Do you have the audacity to follow the convictions that you have from God's word? Bulk of us were spineless people, Christians spineless. You know, now when people just talk, we're going to change the narrative, we're going to I look at them. When it gets to where it gets to, you can't find them. They've disappeared. They can't stand for anything based on conviction. They look at others. What's their posture? Did they nudge when I said it? I don't— just hold it, hold it, hold it. They are afraid of die— of dying, but they've never lived.

They've never lived.

You know, my thinking is different, and I tell you, my thinking is different, the way I see life. I remember we had a church venue in Elefe. There's a place in Elefe called Moro. Pastoring what is called Predegre Church years back. So we're using a cooperative building. When you get into that building, you see pictures hung on the wall, round. Many of those pictures are black and white. So you see this picture, 1920-something, 1940-something, 19 60-something, 1970-something, 1980-something. All of them dead men, gone. But their pictures are hanging, and I keep asking myself, how many of these people really lived before they died? Listen, if Jesus tarries to come in the next 100 years Even the youngest amongst us should be gone. When that day comes that you exit this world, will it be said that you lived? You've embraced a life that is built on acceptance. You've embraced a life that is built on what other people like, not what is right to you. You've embraced a life that is built on the opinion of men, although you are in your 40s. The one you've lived that counts for you is less than 5. You've lived the rest seeking for validation and approval. How many people thank God for the opportunity to celebrate birthdays? I know you are alive, but are you living? Let me tell you something. One of the reasons why I don't get disturbed by anything— noise, media, Whatever. I, Femi Lazarus, don't get disturbed. Number 1, I am not part of the crowd. Number 2, I'm a pace setter. I'm a leader. And I've studied history, both of nations and church history. Everyone who conformed never made it to the pages of history. So a man like me is not a man pity. I told our team, I'm in the last phase of ministering for any ministry outside Light Nation, so I don't go accepting invites because of who I appear on flyer with. Oh, where you inviting me to? So by the time our picture is beside each other, I now feel important. I've made a decision, and I've made decision before I even started teaching. That everything I do, everyone function with me, those that share our values and our choir. Um, no, I was in— we had series of Holy Ghost meetings in America, and you know, someone called me and said, you didn't— what kind of audacity is this? You coming for all these meetings, you didn't invite any popular face to sing. Who set the pace?

Femi Lazarus.

Why? Why should I bring you to my platform if I don't believe in you? Why should I bring you for the crowd?

Why?

Do you bless me? And if you bless me, and even if you are not known, I will bring you. Anyone who says I can't kill myself should not be made a chief in his father's house. God is not looking for wimps. That's the reason why we are so revived and hyped, but we change so little, because an average believer is raised to be a conformist. Conformist. Yeah, that's what we are, conformists. So put your right hand on your head. Light Nation, say it loud and clear: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

The Lord has not given me the spirit of fear. But of power, of love, and of sound mind. Say it again. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

The Lord my God has not given unto me the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.

Sit down for a moment. So as you begin to emerge, they tell you this is what goes on in business world. You see, everyone you're seeing that are sparkling and shine and all that, they've had to do so you to just do it. If not, you see, and the people who don't have the dimension that you have will insult you. And sometimes, listen, they don't even know what you have. They, they sometimes they insult you genuinely out of love for you because they believe that if you go this route, you are doomed to fail. Why do they believe that? Because no one has set the pace. That's why they believe that. I'm trying to remember the exact number. One of the stories of the men that fascinates me the most is the story of the man called Nelson Mandela. The very soil that the foundation Africa are built on are not soil of spineless men. There is a move currently going on in Africa to emasculate men, where boys want to be girls and men are raised to be women, to be like women. It's a move, an agenda that removes spine from people. That you rather conform to what is popular than take the risk of walking alone, even though you know that this is not your calling. And sometimes, because people hang in manipulative environments where they talk them out of their calling— one time something happened somewhere. I don't want to get into it or give any clue. So someone told people, please get, and like you're taking an oath that you'll never leave this place. So I asked some of those that were there, I said, hope you didn't take the oath because you have only heard what God has said, not what he will say. So you leave room for what he might say unless he's told you conclusively. There are times God speaks conclusively, this is my path for you, and there are times he begins to give you in bits and pieces. So you can stay tuned to hear what he will say part-time. I'm just fighting tears talking to you because even now that you are the one in the epicenter, what I'm teaching that generations will come to find and learn. Will my words change you? I know what I'm doing, and I know the long-term effect of it. So sometimes I— the only consolation I have is looking at Jesus. Now, how could he have raised 12 knowing that they will change the world, but they were still thinking about fish and bread? Look at this. Let me show you what you have so that you will never, um, compare yourself or try to fit in. Or look down on what you have. Some of you are trying to throw away diamond to run after brass, because the brass and those wearing it, it's finished product, but your diamond is still in its raw form. You're trying to trash it and like, you know, Why?

Because we are not people of depth.

We are quick people who make conclusions quickly.

Look at the way we think.

I can't stress myself. Okay, so you, you, you don't see prospects. You can only see what is in front of your nose, both in people and things, because we are not wired like that.

We are wired for instant gratification.

Instant.

So we have no allegiance.

We are not part of anything in process. Why?

Because we, we are not raised to be fighters, to fight through process of transformation, to fight through process of renewal, to fight through process of emergence, to fight through process of making what doesn't look like it become like it.

We are not raised to have the mindset to make things work.

We only go for what is working. Do you have what it takes to pick anything from the scratch and make it work? It takes a fighting spirit, not just skills. It takes a fighting spirit, not just skills. Have you been raised to fight? If you have not been raised to fight, there are instructions, although he's God, he can't give you because you are not a fighter. He said, I'm not going to lead the Israelites to the way of the Philistines because they will see war and run back. Say they will see war and run back. That's God talking.

So they had to go through the rigor of 40 years in the wilderness to walk 40 years the journey that could have been covered in 11 days. 40 years.

Oh, I want the media to help me with that book of Numbers. And when they got to the, to the gate of the promised land, they saw the Anakites, they saw everybody there, and they began to make decisions in their mind that we need to return back to Egypt.

What God saw—

listen to what I'm saying, listen to— the generation that left Egypt was not the generation I'm talking Meaning that timidity is transgenerational.

They have passed the same spinelessness.

Listen, you can get counsel from your parents and they are counseling you honestly, they love you, but the highest the counsel will do is to make you like them.

You can get counsel from a pastor and a mentor and the highest the counsel will do—

when you put a disruptor under a leader who is not They will kill the seed.

That's the highest it will do. Can you help me with the scripture? And they said to one another, let us make a captain and let us return to Egypt. Egypt would have been too shocked that you left 40 years ago. You know why? They don't have what it takes to build. They only have what it takes to enjoy. What someone else built. They don't have what it takes to start afresh. No one has shown them that you have it. All they've seen is do it for us, do it for us, think for us, help us, allow us, lift our hands. They didn't have what it takes that you can start something from the scratch. And those who are not starting from the scratch, while they are celebrating cars.

You are still celebrating scars.

You don't have what they have.

Can't you live the life that you allow men make conclusions for a while about you and see you later? Why do you want the initial conclusion to be good? Why are you built that way? If we can look at you and figure you out, You are not living the right life. Because the wind bloweth, we hear the sound thereof, we knoweth not where it goeth or where it listeth. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit. You are like a wind that can't be figured out.

You are living by the impulse of the Spirit. That's right.

That's the life of the new man. This is why Africa is where it is. This is why Nigeria is It is spineless keypad warriors. If they will take the energy they've spent pressing those keypads to build, they will not be the one typing those things because they ain't builders. Sit down for a moment. Let me say this. Again to you. You need zero intelligence to recognize problem. You need zero intelligence to recognize problem, but you need super intelligence to solve it. Talking about problem, giving commentaries about problem doesn't make you smart. If you call everyone to talk about the problem of Nigeria, the room will be filled. Yes, but call those who are doing something differently to change the narrative. They are few. They've said it in 2023, they'll say it in 2024 and 2027. They'll say it in 2031 and say it in 2035 and say it in 2039. Listen, those they are complaining about are already mentoring their children and grandchildren.

To continue.

The crowd is the crowd. And one of the major realities of— if you know what I want to show you now, listen, anywhere you see crowd, understand that what makes them crowd is because they have limited information. So when I see mob, crowd talk, talk against a person, crowd, crowd, crowd, how, how do you get down.

Look at this, they are dragging me, they are dragging me.

You should be dragged because you are not smart. Oh Lord, I don't want trouble with my life. I just want to live my life and be at peace. And may nobody stress me. Me, I no go stress anybody. Just live my life. Ma just dey rest. Just dey enjoy. Mindless mob. Can't build. What can you make happen? Okay, you can start, you can light a matches. You've tried? You strike a matchstick, eh? All right.

For God has not given us the spirit of fear.

I didn't hear you talk. You're quiet because what I'm teaching is not yet personal to you. It's giving us the spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind. Do you want to personalize this for a minute. You know, you know what I'm listening— hold on. You know I told you that even if you get ice cream for a cat, a cat is still a cat. There's a difference between a cat and a lion. I'm not seeing the lion in you. That's why I'm struggling to teach, because the church that God has sent me to Is a lion church that someone— your life is right in front of you and you are so angry now. I've lived all my life not living but fitting in, conforming, aligning. Your biggest regret will hang around the things you ought to do that you didn't do. The things you ought to become, you never become because you didn't have the spine to follow through on what God is saying.

That's the church I want to pray. That's the people I want to talk to. And even your prayer posture shows you are still looking at who is looking at you. Take a stand in a place of prayer.

Take a stand!

In your ministry, in your calling, in your business, it doesn't have to follow the norm.

In Jesus' mighty In Jesus' name we're praying. Sit for a moment. It doesn't just take anointing— reduce it a bit— to be a pace setter. It takes audacity, because once God is putting the pace-setting anointing on you, it means that you have to do certain things that you don't have immediate reference for. Even those we respect, they're all doing something else. It is because of the pace-setting anointing that made Elijah said, I'm the only one. So there's something that comes with that grace. If care is not taken, you will slide into depression. The level of discontentment on your inside, and you keep looking for Who carries this burden?

Oh, who carries this zeal?

Because your anointing determines what you see. Yes, what you see, the problem you see is relative to the grace on you. Oh yes, it's not relative to your kind of sight.

The reason why you see what you see, because of the kind of anointing on you. So it be lonely, it can be painful, it can be a lonely walk, and you are asking why is everyone—

because if care is not taken The pace-setting anointing can lead you into offense. So you have to mature. And one of the consolation there is to that grace is I begin to see the emergence of many who are thinking like that, who are seeing things like that. Some of you came from families that you had the pace-setting anointing first. It will make make you the hated one because everyone look alike except you. So the anointing looks like rebellion, where actually it is rebellion against the norm, that the one that God will use to change the trajectory of the family cannot do what the rest are doing, cannot think like them. Every culture built in everyone, from parent to siblings, is determined to make you fit in. So the moment you take a turn and say this is not the direction of the Lord, it's going to be a lonely walk. It's going to be a walk— listen, listen— it's going to be a walk that will be filled with insults, criticisms. Those who ought to recognize your anointing will insult you for it. They will throw jabs at you, and you'll be wondering, can they see see it. They can't see it because they are not carrying what you're carrying. So you have to keep walking in it till it becomes obvious for the world to see.

Until then, stand. Moses was in depression. Look at what Stephen said about him. When Moses was sent to them, he said he thought that Israel will know that at this point God will deliver them through his hands.

Mean that Moses got to a point he knew, I'm your deliverer.

So he thought—

see, that's the mistake you can make. The mistake you can make is to think that everyone can see what you, what you see, to think everyone can recognize what you carry.

It won't work. It won't work. None is going to see it. Many of them are not even seeing themselves.

So he thought that Israel will know that this time God will rescue them through his hands, but they did not know. So he ran for 40 years. God waited for 40 years. Have you thrown it away because they didn't recognize it? Have you thrown it away because they didn't accept it? Have you thrown it away because you lost friends? Have you thrown it away because you lost relationships? So you felt Well, let me rather sacrifice these things and gain friends that God was actually raising. You, they too in future will be part of the beneficiaries of that sacrifice. Boy, oh boy, are there pace setters in this room? Can I give you a minute to ask for the audacity? Not to conform.

You are not praying the way I thought you will pray. Oh boy, you're not praying the way I thought you pray. I wish you pray more. Oh, I wish you'd pray more. I wish you'd be bold. I wish you won't sweep that vision under the carpet.

In Jesus' mighty name we pray. Sit for a moment. You know, everything about the ministry of Jesus was countercultural. When you look at the ministry of Jesus— can I have 12 men?

Come.

2 ladies, come.

Where are they?

Come, let the two ladies, one to my right and one to my left, the men stand behind me. So when you see Jesus passing on the streets, he did ministry at the most religious time in human history, the time of the Syrindrians, the Pharisees. So what you think is that, oh, this Jesus of Nazareth and everybody are saying, Rabbi, Rabbi. That's what you thought. Well, let me show you the reality. Now, this is Jesus moving. Follow me. And there's someone there saying, is this not the woman that was caught in adultery that they wanted to stone? That's, that's, that's the person is following. We told you, you see, he's a captain of useless women.

Now say, ah!— not be Mary, that Mary that was demon possessed. Everybody knows she was a witch. She's there. They say, ah, very useless people. Ah, is that Judas? Judas, that one that came and stole our money that time, he's also there.

It was the league of men with obvious frailties, and yet the Messiah carried Let me tell you something. Let me tell you something. We had a story that was projected and people flooded my DM. Eh, do you know who she is? Do you know who she is?

Do you know who she is?

This is inside railing stories. I am her pastor. I don't care what you think about her. Someone even said, you, you went to Mecca in marriage counseling. Oh yes, I did. That your marriage failed doesn't mean you can't counsel. Oh yes, I did. I'm not a pastor of perfect people. In fact, if you are perfect, you don't have a space around me. It means I'm not sent to you. The ministry of Jesus was countercultural. The woman at the well of Samaria won't talk to a Jew, but Jesus spoke with her. Didn't just speak with her, he empowered her.

Jesus—

if Jesus conformed to the expectation of the Pharisee, you would not be saved.

Yes, sir.

The easiest thing There's a, there's a level of pressure from the society saying we only recognize what is like us. But you are not of this world.

You're different.

You are not of fitting. You go against the norm. Because believers have been called to establish the new order. Do you have the spine for trouble? Because this you that wants to explain yourself every time to be understood, don't you think that's a weakness? This you that always want to give your own side of the story, don't you think that's problem? Again, I ask you, can you face trouble? You know, sometimes when I'm being dragged online, I get calls from people that I respect. And I always think to myself, so when Paul was being beaten blue-black, he's not smart. Ah, how we have picked our nest. In the midst of comfort. Because what is wisdom to this generation now is acceptance.

M.

And we sandwich timidity in what looks like wisdom and feed a generation with it, and everyone will leave the place choosing the pleasures of Egypt than the reproach of Christ. Men who can change narratives. But that's not what Light Nation is.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

I want you to ask for the spirit of boldness and audacity to do what God is setting you apart for. I wish you pray that prayer like a lion. Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Before— please, you can go back to your seat. Listen to what I'm saying. In the name of acceptance, be careful of the counsel of the old prophets. The old prophets is the one who sees you as what you could have become, but because of compromise, he can't. What is wisdom to the old prophet is what will take your life for you— from you. In the name of acceptance, don't take the pregnancy to wrong midwives. Let Marys find Elizabeths that makes the baby leap. In the name of acceptance, don't take that vision to where what looks wise will terminate it. The biggest weakness the devil exploits in your life is the need to be validated. Once that exists as a weakness, he knows he has many people who are wearing Holy regalia who have been recruited by him. They will recruit you too. It's just a matter of when. Be bold, be courageous, stand, embrace the wisdom of the Lord to do what he has called you out for. It is not enough to carry the grace. Is without audacity, the right doors will not open. It will look like you don't carry it. So I ask that the Lord release upon this house the spirit of boldness. Maybe the right people for the prayer are not here. That out of us you raise Pacesetters, you raise people that generations yet unborn will keep making reference to. Let the power of God rest upon your mind. From today, you have a sound mind. The spirit of fear is sent out. Every instruction you swept under the carpet because they were not conventional, receive the grace to pick them back. Receive the grace to lose relationships that doesn't align with your vision.

Receive the grace to walk alone if need be.

Receive the grace to be a pace setter. From the depth of my heart, I ask that the Lord himself will baptize you with the grace of restlessness. You will not stop searching till you have found the truth. It is done in Jesus' mighty name. Give Jesus a big hand.