FIRST LOVE 3

Revelations chapter number 2. Amen. Revelations chapter number 2. Now, Revelations chapter number 2 is that very interesting passage of the scripture. That gives us an idea of what the Judgment Seat of Christ will look like. Now, in the study of eschatology, which is, um, basically the study of end-time events, there are events that has been prophetically and doctrinally listed to be chains of events that we're expecting in these last days. One of the events is the post-rapture tribulation— I'm sorry, pre-rapture tribulation— and that's the tribulation against the church, or of the church. It's going to be both internal and external. The church as a body is an organism. You must understand that the church is an organism. She's called the Bride of Christ, so that's a body. As in the intelligence of God, the mechanism to self-repair So that in itself is going to cause tribulation. Sometimes you want to ask, when things go wrong, should they be checkmated or ignored? Which of them is love? It's a very important question. You must find balance. Amen. So, but there's going to be also external forces against the church. And that's the Antichrist spirit, not the person of the Antichrist. It's going to come from systems, from sectors, from governments, nations. As a matter of fact, in Matthew 24, we are told that will be hated by all nations. That's pre-rapture. Then there's the rapture of the saints. The word rapture doesn't exist as a word mentioned in scripture, but the event was described. At the sound of the archangel, the dead in Christ will be raised. Then we that are alive will also be caught up. And after the rapture, we have what is called the marriage supper of the Lamb. Where the resurrected church, the church from the resurrection of Christ till the rapture— those are— that's the church bought with the blood. So that church will be with Christ in holy matrimony, and that will take place in the clouds. And according to biblical, um, numberings, it's going to take place for 7 years. Don't forget that a day before God is like a thousand years. So it's a brief wedding, but it's for 7 years. While that is going on, because of the chaos that would have happened during the rapture, or because of the rapture, where you're going to be seeing headlines of mass disappearance, commotions caused because of these vacancies, different things happening around confusion. All of a sudden, the church is gone. Then a man will rise that is going to be a global leader at that time, one that can be trusted to help the world navigate the next place from there, because the event of rapture will alter the course of human existence completely. And that man is going to come and rule for 7 years. And after the first 3 and a half years, he's going to break his own principles. He's going to solve the problems in the Middle East. He will be referred to as a man of peace, but Daniel referred to him as a man that set up abomination in high places. Another word the Bible used to describe him is man of sin. In Revelation 13, you see another name used to describe him as the Beast, and that's why the mark of the Antichrist is called Mark of the Beast. After that 7 years, then we're going to have the second coming of Christ. The second coming is not rapture. At the rapture, he will be in the cloud, then the church will go and join him. At the second coming, he's coming with thousands upon thousands of the saints, and we are going to be with him. The second coming is for a purpose. Rapture is a brief event, in the twinkle of an eye, it's gone. The second coming is coming for us to be here for a thousand years. Which the Bible refers to as the Belinamerein. I've explained for those who have passed through School of Ministry what's going to happen, those who are left behind before all those things. So catch up the tape. So for 1,000 years, Jesus will show— you know, he was called Son of Man to show you the agenda of God, the idea for making man. So we now show you how God designed this place to be managed. So for 1,000 years, we're going to be with him as his people, and after that, we're going to move to the judgment phase. There's something in between. It's one of the most scary thing to teach preach. Because in that 1,000 years, the devil will be chained. After that 1,000 years, he will be released. And the Bible said he will still deceive some. That's quite scary, right? How can someone who's been with Christ for 1,000 years be deceived again? Well, that's what the Bible says. Now we're going to have two kinds of judgment. One, you should not be there. That's called the Great White Throne Judgment. That's God the Father himself. If you appear before that one, condemned, condemned, condemned. It's just the level of condemnation that differs. In that Great White Throne Judgment, even hell will be judged, and even death will be judged. In fact, hell casts to the lake of fire. If you pay attention to the way the Bible describes hell every time it's been mentioned, it's more of a being than a place. Then we're going to also have what is called The Judgment Seat of Christ, which is the judgment of rewards. I'd like to tell us, I understand that as we study human history, the Bible has been used for many things. It's been used in some places at some time as a weapon to keep people in slavery, and it's still being used today. It's been used by some as a weapon to manipulate people and take their money from them, and it's still being used like that by some today. It's been used by some as just anything to keep people subjugated, and they won't stop. But that doesn't make the Bible a lie, because you can get to a point as a Christian that you start telling yourself that maybe Jesus is not even worth following. And that's why Foundation Bible School is important, so you can know him that you have believed. I saw a video one time. A woman was mourning at a gravesite. You're about to bury someone and say, ah, you will not go, you not go, you not go. And while they were— she was saying that, she slipped and fell inside the stuff. Just few minutes ago she was saying, ah, I'll die with you, and now she say, ah, babe, who could have drawn me down? So in life, you see people that you love fall into pits, you don't join them. You can be sad, but don't be discouraged. It's okay, it's okay to be sad. But don't be discouraged. Are you here? You serve Jesus till the end. We must make up our minds that we will follow him till the very end. I don't know if you have made up your mind to follow him to the very end. Let's sing that song. Yeah, sing it now. Sing it with a sense of what you're singing, consciousness of it.

Yes, louder. To follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.

Hope you know, a man sang that song at the point of death. So you're simply saying that I've embraced the cross and I won't turn back from it. Sing it one more time.

I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus.

No turning back.

No turning back.

Thank you. So one day, so, and as you've seen the pattern in Revelation chapter number 2, this is a pattern, and you must understand that the one who is sending this letter It's Jesus himself. When he said to the angel of the church of Ephesus, he was referring to the pastor of that church as the angel of the church. So every now and then, the one who has sent us will check our works, you know. This calls for sober reflection. It tells us that when you have the privilege to serve, don't be full of yourself. Don't get carried away. Thank God for the women putting their clothes on the street and saying Hosanna, but don't forget that's the same road you will take to the cross. Do you understand?

Yes, sir.

So look at the way Jesus looks at things. Look at what matters to him. To the angel of the church of Ephesus, write: This thing says he that holdeth the 7 stars in his right hand, who walketh— you know, he already gave the meaning of the 7 stars also. So he sent to the leaders of those churches, but the 7 stars are also the leaders. And then so it means as a leader, Jesus is holding you in his hands. Praise God! So you are not alone. Anybody who enjoys leadership 100% is not really leading. Leadership is stressful.

True.

Are there leaders here? Leaders of departments?

Huh?

Some of you would have been enjoying your good night's sleep till you get a message. Has it happened to you before? Oh yes, you'll see somebody is doing— say, oh my God, so good person again. I mean, we just had the word yesterday. Sometimes when a resident pastor walks to my office and says, sir, there's a matter. You know, I try to be composed. Okay, yeah, talk to me. But inside my mind I'm saying, what again? So you want to know the number of times I hear, sir, there's a matter? And I'm like— and every time I hear there's a matter, it's not always nice.

What again?

You know, sometimes I want to escape and say, let me just put something. Don't come and meet me, go and meet God. Praise God. And sometimes you have your own matters to deal with, you have your own challenges, your problem. I remember when my wife was going to give birth to our two daughters, the first one and the second one, the same thing happened. I was preaching, I was on the altar preaching, I got a text message. Pom pom pom pom. Um, Apostle, sir, we're on our way to the hospital. Pom pom pom pom, fire on. Pom pom pom pom, the doctor say we are ready. Pom pom pom pom, fire on. Pom pom pom pom, we have a baby now. Pom pom pom pom, congratulations. I stepped on the altar as an expectant father. I left the altar with a bouncing baby girl, and you would not even know in the message. You wouldn't even know. I was sweating. God, please. But praise God, the one who has sent us is holding the Seven stars in his right hand. So if he has sent you, he's holding you, and you will not fall off his hands. I didn't hear amen to that. If he has sent you, he's holding you. Now you must be conscious of God's backing. He will back you, and he will keep you. He holds the 7 stars in his right hand. The one who walk in the midst of the 7 golden candlesticks I know thy works. So he's looking at our works and thy labor and thy patience. Can you give me New King James? Let's do it with the dye. I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. He said, that's pass mark. And you have tested those who say they are apostles. And are not, I found them liars. So you have persevered and have patience and have labored for my name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you: you have left. The real word there is the word forsaken your first love. That's a serious word. So everything can look cool. But the substance is gone. And I gave you an illustration using marriage, that if you don't get careful, you can get to a point that the only thing holding you is the oath, but you are not really excited about each other again. That marriage is dying. And if you don't quickly repair it, it will move from bad to worse. Now look at his admonition in verse 5. He said, remember from where you have fallen and repent and do the first works. So your first love produced a kind of work. You only started maturing to feel like a fool serving God. You were not like that before. I said you were not like that before. You were not like that before. You start going to start hearing different opinions. Oh, church again. Then they use your head. Say, what time do you guys close your church? Say, we closing our church by this time. Then what time do you leave church? Then we leave church— I leave church around 4:00 PM. And then, ah, now you kill Jesus. How can you allow those who have not tasted your Jesus to tell you how to love him? Now you kill Jesus, so, so all this thing we're gonna just do like this for your mind now, and they begin to water down. And never let anyone deceive you. Words do have effect on people. You may try to brush it off your conscious, it stays in your subconscious. One day something happens that triggers it and you remember, ah, waste of time. One of the ways you know that your first love is no longer there is that your first works are gone. You are no longer excited. Yes, if a guy is dating a girl and the girl says, please, when you are returning back— let's say the guy is coming from, um, let's say, and the girl is coming to, um, this area is what? And the girl said, please, um, I don't know if you'll be passing through Kuje. Please, when you are passing through Kuje, there's this roasted corn I just like that they sell in Kuje, from Gwarempa to Kuje, then down to Jabi. Yeah, yeah, no, no, not an issue at all. Consider it done. It's easy to do the work once love is intact.

It's easy.

Are you following what I'm saying?

Yes, sir.

Every once in a while, I pass through the distance I used to travel to go see my wife when, you know, yeah, you get what I mean. No, I don't want to lose my stees. So Pastor Tomijaye drove She's gay. I just call him, "Afa, where you dey?" He say, "Let's drive." He didn't feel like anything. One time my wife said, "Please, Femi, pass that cup on the table." I say, "I don't like people sending me." I really don't like people sending messages. When I was growing up, they used to send me up and down. So all the messages I should answer, I've answered. It's only God that is sending me on air right now. But then I started thinking about it. Ah, why is it now becoming difficult? I should serve. Let me ask you a question. Is it still easy serving God? Do you still enjoy it? Because the farther you are from the cross, the more difficult it is. The closer you are to the cross, the easier it becomes. So I showed you 7 signs that you see in the life of a believer who is still connected to Christ. That the first love is intact. And I showed you number one. Did I tell you about that? I didn't preach that here. Must have been in my dreams. I tell you, I preach in my dreams. Now let me show you a scripture. John chapter number 4. Now Jesus meets a Samaritan woman, and, um, the Jews are very interesting people. They are quite proud about their heritage. We don't mix. With Samaritans. The same way Nigeria, um, if you are from Nigeria, you are called Nigerian. You are from Burkina Faso, you're Burkinabé. Not babe, bae. You are from Benin Republic, you're Beninois. Am I correct? Ghana, Ghanaian. Samaria, Samaritan. So she said to him, how is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan? Now you must understand that Jesus was meeting this woman in her raw form. Raw, unfiltered, journey as bad as bad can be, broken and bruised through life.

Issues.

I mean, apart from the fact that my life is a canvas of bad experiences, that's bad enough. Then I'm also a Samaritan. Jesus was not a Christian. Yes, you understand that?

Yes, sir.

What did I say? Jesus was not a Christian.

Okay.

And now, Jesus is not a Christian. Now, as simple as that is can give somebody headache. How can you say I am like Femi Lazarus? I am Femi Lazarus. Jesus is Christ, and you, you're a Christian. The people who called you that name didn't have revelation of Jesus. They saw him from afar. Let's leave that. Well, let me show you something about the story of this woman. Look at what happened here, still in that same John chapter number 4. Let's go to verse 16. John 4, from verse 16. Jesus said unto her, go call your husband and come hither. And the woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, thou hast well said, I have no husband, for thou hast had 5 husbands And he whom thou now hast is not thy husband. In that you say that truly. And the woman said unto him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worship on this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. And Jesus said unto the woman, Believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet in Jerusalem Worship the Father. For ye worship ye do not know what. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. The hour cometh. And then went on. Now look at this, and we have to talk about worship. In verse 25, she said something very important. The woman said unto him, I know that the Messiah cometh, which is called Christ. When he is come He will tell us all things. Look at the next statement. Jesus said unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. He didn't hide his identity. Look at the next verse. And upon this came his disciples and marveled that he talked with the Samaritan woman, yet no man said, what seekest thou? Why thou talkest with her? Yes. And the woman left her water pot and went her way into the city and said to the men, come see a man which told me all the things that I ever did.

Is not this the Christ?

So the moment she encountered Jesus, it was a natural thing for her to want everyone to meet the Jesus she has met. That's one of the major signs you see in anyone who has encountered the Jesus of the Bible. They can't stop talking about him.

You want as many people as possible to know, have you met my Jesus?

And that's why evangelism is a natural package of being in love with Christ. I said evangelism. Is a natural package, or should I say supernatural package.

True.

Once you are in love, you want everyone to, to know. And that's why I'm trying to give you instances now. I mean, the girl gets into a relationship with a guy one time, just want to put the picture. Have you seen my boy or my girl? Whatever. Say sharp, right?

Huh?

Sharp. You are yapping well. Because once you love, you want everyone to know. It comes with it. She went everywhere. Come meet my Jesus. And that's why you must live a life worthy of evangelism. What did I say? You must live a life worthy of what? And I'll tell you why I said that. Now I understand that the Bible says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to them that believe. But you must understand that you can't preach the good news if your life is a bad news. So there is a Christian living— are you still here? Living the life that is worthy of the message. Now I can go on and on and show you several examples, and that's why you see Look at this. Turn your Bibles, please. The book of Acts of the Apostles. Let's go to Acts chapter number 9. So I want us to have collective reading together. So that rule, you read verse 1. Okay, let me start from all of you. You read verse 1, then verse 2, then verse 3, and verse 4, then verse 5, then verse 6, then verse 7. The two of you, verse 8. Are you ready? Now verse 1. 1, 2, 3, go! Agin Cyprus. Verse 2 now. Verse 3. Verse 4 now. Verse 5.

He's out for these people against the priests.

Verse 6.

And he said, Femi Lazarus, from his chamber, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou oughtest to do.

Verse 7. Verse 8. Thank you. Let's clap for ourselves. Now look at this. The story of Saul that later became Paul is a very, very interesting story, and this is One of the reasons why you must be interested in evangelism: the solution to the crisis of the church might still be in the world. You see, when I meet— when I see people— please pay attention now— when I see people do strange things If you see girls dancing, music videos, what they should not be doing, I look at them and I just imagine the saved version of this one. I see a boy smoking and you know all those things, I person, and I just imagine the saved version. Of this person. You know, if you are thinking like this, you cannot be walking in lust. You can't. Because what you are thinking about is that everyone should meet Christ and that everyone will propagate the gospel. Just go home and meditate on what I've just told you now. You just want everyone saved. While we're on campus, there was a boy who was a cultist. He, he loved to club and party. One time we looked at him and said, this boy will serve God. Agreed about him in prayer. And that's the part many people miss in evangelism— prayer. That's what opens the ground and breaks it for you to come and drop the seed. So finally, one of the crusades, we we had on campus, he came out for altar call, and Bolareng became very hot. He could trek any distance just to preach. The same places he's gone doing all funny things, he will trek those same places going to preach. The moment Paul encountered Jesus, the next thing, what will you have me do?

The one who is asking that is one who is willing to do something.

That willingness, that surge, that's why I'm saying, you see, it's in your spirit. It is the things you are exposed to that is killing it.

The Spirit of God on your inside is full package. You have it.

Look at, look at the way I showed you that the last time I was thinking about this in Psalm 51. When David was crying, he had sensed the disconnection between him and God. He said, cast me not away from your presence, take not your right spirit from within me, but restore unto me the joy of my salvation.

You pay attention to your internal being. There's something going on on the inside. There's a lot going on. Don't be distracted by the noise. Pay attention.

Even when you pray and you don't feel anything, the charging is called edification, or ekodomio, to build up. Edification. When you are being charged, you may not feel it. But it doesn't change the fact that you're not being charged— that you have been charged. Pay attention. David knew.

He said, don't take this right spirit. And is this the spirit that enables me to do right? If you cast me from your presence, I'm capable of the worst evil. But as I stay in that presence, energized by the Spirit, my heart is willing. To do your will.

The Spirit of God on your inside empowers you to love God and to go any length for him. And that's why we must— don't— we must not lose that. Remember the days you used to trek to attend church service? Now that God has blessed some of you who cast, once in a while still do something. I'm not saying pack your car and trek. I'm saying let it cost you something. Are you following what I'm saying? This is the second character you see in anyone that has truly met Christ, is that they love to fellowship. Fellowship. You want to stay with him, you want to, you want to, you want to breathe his very air. You want to hang around him. You want to hear from him consistently. If you are in a relationship and the person you're in a relationship with doesn't call you for one week, you don't call, person won't call back, won't text. Just moves on. 2 weeks, no calling, no flashing, no beeping, nothing. Might still like your post on Instagram. One thing is certain, you are alone. Because anywhere there is affection, there should be attention. When you meet Jesus, you want to stay with him, you want to hang around. Look at the way David said it in Psalm chapter number 42. Psalm 42, open. Let's read together. Um, 1, 2, 3, go. I want to show you something. Psalm 42, are you there? Let's read verse 1 together loud and clear. 1, 2, 3, go. Now look at this. Let's read this in Message translation so you get. I am thirsty. Okay. A whitetail deer drinks from the creek. I want to drink God. Deep droughts of God. I am thirsty for God alive. I wonder, will I ever make it arrive and drink in God's presence? Now, when you encounter this life— are you following what I'm saying here?

You—

I want to tell you something. Two things that comes to your spirit. Number one is fellowship through the study of the word. The word of God is alive. If you are not reading it, you will not know. You say, um, you see, for me, um, usually when I want to read, when I want to sleep and sleep is not coming, as I pick the Bible and open, I will sleep. You have left yourself in kindergarten class. How can you say that that which infuses life makes you sleep? Let me tell you something. This word is alive. Look at what Jesus said in John chapter number 6. Let's read John chapter number 6. Let's start the reading from verse 60. We'll go to 62. John 6, read from, um, King James, please. All right. Many therefore of the disciples, when they heard this thing, said, it is a hard saying, who can bear it? Look at verse 61 now. And Jesus, when Jesus himself knew the disciples murmured, he said unto them, does this offend you? Verse 62.

All right.

And what, um, what? And if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before— look at verse 63 now. For it is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profits nothing.

The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are what?

Life.

Now you can eat their spirit and their life and not understand. It means they are spiritual and they are alive. The Bible is the only book you read with the presence of the author. He's always there. When you read it, he's there to help you, show you what he meant.

Now, there's been a theological argument, and I, and I said this on Sunday, that there are two, um, factions of the church: the world church and the prophetic church. The world church believes that the Bible cannot mean now. What it never meant to the original author from the beginning. You must understand this. Listen, Jesus spoke to people who were veiled, and many of them have no understanding of what he was saying. The same word carries dispensational meanings because the one who is speaking is—

listen— is speaking from eternity. He's not in time. What the word cannot mean is what was never intended by God.

To all dispensations. So what I'm saying is the same word can mean differently to a generation, I mean something else to another generation, but from the beginning it was captured in God's thoughts.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

So the Bible is not a literal book, else you could be a professor of the word. The highest you will ever be is a student of the word. You can't be a scholar. You can never get to a point where you need no more teaching because the— listen, if the word is alive, you know what that means? It means there is unending revelations from the word. You've seen this, you saw this, then you read the same.

Have you been there before? You read the same Bible verse and you're wondering, I, I read the entire book of Titus. When did Paul write? When did he write?

Because the word is alive.

It's not dead. So as you receive with meekness, the Bible says, say, receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. As you read it, you are getting enlightened. You are getting— look at what David said in Psalms 119:99-100.

Psalm 119:99-100 said, I know better, I know, I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation.

Look at 100, I understand more than the ancients because I keep your precept. The testimony that he was talking about is the law, the word.

It makes you live above your time.

It makes you live above.

You know, one of the worst things that can happen to you is to be trapped in time, and I'll tell you why. If you are trapped in your time, you are as confused as those of your time. The only way you can be a solution is to have journeyed ahead by the Spirit, that the word of God has made you wise.

So once you have encountered Jesus, you have fellowship with the Word.

And I want to say this to you: you have to make a decision that for your personal study, you read hard copy Bible to avoid distraction. That one won't beep, will not notify you that WhatsApp has sent I forgot, I have brought many Bibles for those who are new converts who don't have Bibles. You've given your life to Christ more than a year and you don't have a Bible, you now step out and say, 'Apostle, I too.' We need to drag you to the judgment seat of Christ. Praise God. Have you read the Bible before you start crying tears of joy? Say, oh, Jesus loves me. Thank you, Lord. Many of you, the reason why your Christian life is not organized is because you are eating regurgitated food, microwave food. You can't go to the kitchen of the word. Somebody has to read it, then tell you. He said, at the time you ought to be teachers, you need that someone will have to teach you again. When will you start reading the word of God for yourself? And there are many ways you can study the Bible. I want to tell you, you can study topically. That is a topic in the Bible. You are enlightened. Let's say the subject of love or faith or redemption. And you can have character study. You want to study about the life of a person, then you can study books. That's one of the best if you're you are just starting. So you say you start the Bible, and you should have an ambition to finish the Bible every year. You should have. So I'm going to read the book of Genesis, and you start 2 chapters in the morning, 2 chapters at night. You'll be amazed. You are always fighting with your spouse. Tell yourselves, let's start reading the Bible. The things you want to say, you read it.

Oh yes, I'm going to say this, this woman is always—

okay, um, you know what, let's read the book of Ruth together, all right? So we just take it one chapter together. As you read it together, the things you want— God is telling the both of you as you are reading, the one you are saying for your wife, say, hey, come The next verse is addressing you. The word of God is so perfect, you can't add to it, you can't subtract from it. So once you— and the next thing you want to do once this true life is in you is that you want to fellowship with God through prayer. You to pray. Now you must understand that prayer is not an avenue for— is not a trade-by-butter kind of— it's for fellowship. The primary purpose of prayer is what?

Fellowship.

That you spend time with God. Now the word fellowship, fellowship is the word koinonia. Which means sharing, partnership, exchange. That's what you're doing. You're fellowshipping. Now let me tell you this. You see, the devil knows the importance of prayer. That's why he fights it. Go and check. One of the top 2 things that believers study that they find difficult to maintain consistency with is the study of the word and prayer. But that was what Peter said, that we give ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word, meaning that the devil is distracting you from doing the most important things. If you are preaching and you are not studying, you preach errors. If you are preaching and you are not praying, you will burn out. You will get to a point that the life that is for personal consumption is what you have given. You distribute rivers of living water, flows, but the well is for personal consumption. Praise God. So you must enjoy prayer. Say it again: I love to pray. Now let me give you a solution. If you notice that every time you want to pray, you fall asleep, it's Is there anyone here like that? It's okay. Not— yeah, thank you. All right, you notice once you want to pray and say, Father, in the name of Jesus, before you pray, pray. And let me tell you the prayer to pray: Lord, energize me to fellowship with you. Listen, the reason why you have been struggling is because you are not doing with grace. In prayer, you are not trying to beat anybody's record. It's not Olympics. You are simply trying to talk to your Daddy. And learn to do it on the go. Yes, pray without ceasing is to connect without breaking. So learn to fellowship on the go, spending time with God in your spirit. Is that okay? Now learn to make melodies in your heart, singing psalms, hymns, and what spiritual songs. Learn to make that melody as you're seated. Oh, Rastakaban, Belako Stiva. Don't wait till the plane is shaking. No, no, prayer is not just panic button.

Say it again, I love to pray. Say it one more time, I enjoy prayer. Say it again, I love to pray. I am energized to pray, striving for prayer. Strengthened for prayer in the name of Jesus. I do not struggle with my prayer life in the name of Jesus. I pray, I spend time with God. I've been energized by the Spirit of God that is at work in me in the name of Jesus. I pray Now, as you do that, you are— what you're doing is that you are receiving grace. What you will observe is that as you spend time praying in tongues— and that's why if you are not yet baptized in the Holy Ghost, you need the baptism of the Holy Ghost so that the Holy Ghost can carry you.

You have a measure through salvation. It's the one who applies salvation in your heart. We call that the salvific role of the Holy Spirit.

It.

Is that okay now? All right.

Now look at this.

More than that is our Parakletos. He's the one who helps us as we go. You know what help means? He practically carries you. Listen, the prayer you struggle with is the one you are doing.

We know not how to pray, but the Spirit of God makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot— what? Be uttered. Meaning that as you begin to—

listen to what I'm saying— pray in the spirit is not praying in tongues. There are two different things. You can pray in tongues in the flesh. You and your husband are keeping malice, you know, that kind of malice where someone said, um, um, yeah, Say, let's pray. Say, okay, have you seen women? Okay, say, let's pray, let's, let's, let's pray in the Holy Ghost. You are not in the spirit, are outside the gate. You can pray in understanding in the spirit. What did I say? You can pray in understanding in the spirit. In fact, I recommend that learn to pray in tongues, but learn to pray in understanding too.

Why?

So you can pray the word.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

You can be able to check what you are praying with. Sometimes if you are just quick to say, 'Makosa balabalaba, ye ka palabalaba, manko palabalaba, yande labakalaba, oh, we cosend the one hour, we give you praise, Jesus.' I understand that in praying in tongues there is also the law of intent. How does that— what does that mean? It means what is your predominant burden, that is the reason for the prayer, God hears it. But it is important that you learn to pray in understanding so you can pray the word, you can pray doctrinal prayers. You can't pray amiss in tongues, but I'm saying that you might be praying in tongues but you are not in the spirit, because the gift of God is without repentance. So what that means is that You have the gift of speaking in tongues, so you don't have to be in the spirit to speak it. It's there. In fact, you observe many times you have been praying in tongues for a while before you now switch to the spirit. Once you're praying in tongues, first time, everything's just looking— ah, you just, you felt One hour is going, you check, 7 minutes.

Oh, you've been there and you are like, what's going on?

But listen, as you continue and the Holy Spirit takes over, what happens is that you are no longer doing it in the flesh. It is no longer ability but an anointing of the Holy Ghost. Praise God. Oh, praise God. Say it again.

I pray.

Say it again.

I pray.

Say it again.

I pray. Pray.

Pray with the consciousness of the one you are praying to. It's humbling. As a matter of fact, the number one sign of pride is prayerlessness. You must be some very important person to try to do without God. I need daily portion of grace. I need daily portion of help.

Boy, oh boy, I can't.

Oftentimes, before I come out to preach for Bible study, I cry. If you don't help me, I will build people's life with rubbish. I have things I shouldn't say that must not seep into my message. Shield me. Let the utterance from my lips be that which is proceeding from your heart. Touch my tongues with the coals of fire and I will speak as your oracle.

You pray.

And have you ever been in that situation where it occurred to you, I'm not smart enough? I remember one time I was somewhere and the place was so problematic. I looked at my life, I looked at my life, and I— it just occurred to me I don't have the wisdom to deal with this place. And I checked, do I have anyone in my life that has the wisdom to deal with that place? Was the house. And I, oh, my friend, this fellow has the wisdom. I said, okay, I don't have to be wise, I will lean on your own wisdom. He's called the only wise God. He can never go bankrupt of wisdom. You only run into trouble because you didn't seek him. I feel like giving us— we want, you know, in Light Nation we have to get used to coming to church and we say, you know what, let's do one hour. Yes sir, yes sir, yes sir. Becomes a lifestyle and a custom. Is that okay?

Yes sir.

My very sincere prayer is that God himself will give you prayer partners, people who encourage you and inspire you to pray. Get up on your feet, everybody. For the next couple of minutes, let's pray in the spirit. You might pray in understanding, you might pray in other tongues, but let's pray in the spirit. Let's pray in the spirit.

Let's pray. Pray, pray in the Holy Ghost. Pray in the spirit.

Oh, I love to fellowship with you, Lord.

Let your heart connect with him. Pray, pray, pray, pray in the Holy Ghost. Receive grace for prayer. Receive grace for fellowship. Receive grace for communion. Spend time taking grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Receive grace to stay longer in his presence. As we come before his presence, we are changed from one level of glory to another. Receive grace. Pray in the Holy Ghost. Pray in the Holy Ghost.

Ah!

Ah ah ah!

Eh eh ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah—

asking for the enablement and empowerment of God's Spirit to be released upon you now. Ask him to help you. In Jesus' mighty name we pray.

Now look at this.

Look up. Look at the way the Bible describes your spirit.

It describes your spirit Spirit like a candle that God used to search the inward part, which means it can carry small light and it can carry big light. Soon I'm going to teach you about the human spirit because the Bible says that the spirit of a man should bear his infirmity. As you spend time— listen to what I'm saying— as you spend time praying, the Bible calls it you are being built up, oikodomio, edification, to build. What happens is your spirit man, with the communion of the Holy Spirit, connecting The Holy Spirit is able to infuse—

listen—

abilities that your spirit is capable of but cannot do without prayer. One of such ability is discernment. The Holy Spirit needs to be able to relate information with your spirit without breaking Now, if you are not building up your spirit, the Holy Ghost doesn't—

he's already built, he's charged, he's always there.

He can't pass what he wants to pass because you have built more of the flesh.

But as you spend time with him, he's able to edify you.

Your spirit can now pick. You see, the way the assignment works is that you have not heard any exact word from the Lord., but you just lose your peace about certain matters. You just lose— you sometimes you just become— something becomes repulsive. What used to be exciting just becomes repulsive, like you can't stand it. Something is very correct. When you fail to pray, you are like a city without walls. No defense. You can't pick signals. You are not exchanging things. I'm going to show you a scripture now, but I want you to pray, being conscious of the facts that something is going on on the inside supernaturally.

And as you pray more, you'll be amazed to know the things you are capable of.

Listen, one of the things you are capable of is hosting God's presence, that you get to a place without even talking, there's a deposit of glory.

You are so tarried in his presence and you have carried so much, so much. Listen, it is one of the things I learned to do. I've learned to do it.

I read the book by Oral Roberts, When You See the Invisible, You Do the Impossible.

So in the book, Oral Roberts said something.

When he's in the vestry praying, about to go minister, he said he will never get up till he senses the presence. No, I understand that sometimes we try to talk it away, that you see, you don't have to sense the presence, just believe it's there. I get that part, but be conscious of the presence. And there's also nothing absolutely wrong in sensing the presence. You listen, intentionally carry that presence out. Take it to work, take it to the hospitals. Take it to court. Take it everywhere you walk. Intentionally carry the praises. So as you are praying, you are spending time, glory is rubbing off on you.

You will not know till people who have seen you before see you again and they can tell something has shifted.

Are you following me? Can I give you a few more minutes to pray in the Holy Ghost?

Pray loud and clear in the spirit, knowing there is a partnership, there's a sharing. You are receiving light. Oh, receive it. Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes. Oh yes, oh yes! In Jesus' name we're praying.

Now listen to this, let me show you a scripture. I just want us to have practicals. Are you ready? 1 Corinthians chapter number 14. 1 Corinthians chapter number 14. Oh glory! Oh, thank you, Lord Jesus! If you're there, say amen. Now look at what he said. 1 Corinthians 14. Let's start reading from verse 14. Okay, yeah, from verse 14. It says, for if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays. That's your spirit. He said, but my understanding is unfruitful. And I, I, you see, that's a good thing. What that means is that as I pray deeper in the spirit there is no room for my understanding to lead me astray. It's one way, end-to-end encryption. Is end-to-end. Look at verse 15. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with what?

Understanding also.

Now listen to what I'm saying here. As you spend time praying in the Holy Ghost, Pray for a while.

Pray.

You know, people have tried to ask me, how do you commence projects or start new things without looking back and you always get the result? And I tell you, I will spend time doing two things. One, the first one, the first one is meditation. I will sit with it, put it on my lips. At first it looks very stupid. You need to see me. I will put it on my lips because meditation is not done with closed lips, just so you know, and keep repeating it. I see it, I see it. Oh yes. I can see it. God has done it. He sent me help. I see the help coming from the east, from the west, and south. I can see it. Men and women coming to help. Daily men came to David to help him till his camp was very great and his host like the host of God. Daily men come to Femi Lazarus to help him. Oh, I receive deceive the gift of men. I meditate. Listen, the meditation can take me a month. I don't deceive myself. When I see it, when I see it, I've seen it. The day my spirit now latches on it, one of the ways I know is that there's joy unspeakable, meaning that as at that point As far as heaven is concerned, it's a done deal. How it will be done, we now switch to praying in tongues.

Oh yes.

When you pray in tongues, what you are inspired to pray in understanding about is a product of what you have done with your spirit. Tongues plus interpretation is equal to prophecy.

Yes, sir.

These things won't just jump on you. You have to engage, galize, practice it again and again. You do it and you keep till it becomes your lifestyle. Is that okay? I will pray with the Spirit. I will pray with what?

Understanding also. I will sing with the Spirit. I will sing. How come you pray in the Holy Ghost and don't sing in tongues?

Singing in tongues is biblical. You may not know what you're singing. Do you have to know? Huh?

Do you have to know?

You don't have to know. What the Bible say, your spirit is doing the activity. Have you gone to gym before and you are trying to do something and the gym instructor say you are hitting the wrong muscles? Arch your back so it can enter. You know what I'm talking about? As you pray in the spirit, it's your spirit, right one. You are being built. Look at the way Jude verse 20 puts it. Read Jude verse 20, Amplified Translation.

Glory to God! Glory to God! Glory to God! Glory to God!

Glory!

If joy doesn't come naturally or supernaturally to your spirit, something is wrong. I said glory! Glory to God! We thank you for the gift of prayer, that we can be in the midst of confusion and call on the Lord and be lightened. Thank God we can talk to God. Thank God we can cry to God. Thank God we can call him and he hears us. This is the confidence that we have, that we ask of anything in his name, he answers us. But you, beloved, look at it, build up yourselves founded on your most holy faith. Make progress, rise like an edifice, aya and aya, praying in the Holy Spirit. Listen.

You know, I just tell the pastors, I just say it in passing recently, just keep saying it, that I like the plane where I'm standing. I just say I like the fact, I like to see things from different vantage points. As you pray in the Holy Ghost longer, you are not seeing things from the same way men are seeing it.

You are rising higher. Something is shifting.

Glory!

Have you been in the midst of confusion and you pray till joy breaks out?

Joy.

And the Bible calls that joy, joy unspeakable, full of glory. That's the joy that you have that you don't even know why. You're like, I'm supposed to be crying, and here you are laughing, dancing, shaking your body, rejoicing, because you've risen higher and higher.

Pray in the Holy Ghost.

Hold the hands of someone. Let's share fire! Let's share fire!

Let's share fire! Come on, help your neighbor! Let's distribute the current. Pray in the Holy Ghost, beloved! Rise higher, rise higher! See in the spirit, pray in the Holy Ghost. Pray in the Spirit! Pray in the spirit! In this—

pray in the spirit!

Pray in the spirit. Pray in the spirit. Pray in the spirit. Oh yes, oh yes! In Jesus' mighty name we're praying.

Sit for a moment. Now let me tell you something. In the book of Psalms chapter number 91, there's a reason why the Bible said he that dwelleth in the shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I thought the Bible said in him there is no shadow of turning or variableness. It doesn't cast shadows.

It dwells—

is the immortality that dwells in unapproachable light. As we dwell in his presence— listen, your true meaning and essence is in the presence. There are many things possible in the spirit that you will never know till you spend time with God. One of the things that can happen to you, and it was prophesied years ago, Joel 2:28 says, it will come to pass afterwards, I'll pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Your young sons and daughters will prophesy. Mean that prophecy ought not to be a selective gift. Your old man will dream dreams. Have you seen that in your Bible? Do you desire it? Because listen, the things of the spirit functions when you desire them. So you must be covetous, you must earnestly desire good, good gifts. Now you see God doing things and just desire it. You know, you can stand in any of the services and just desire the power of the Holy Ghost. And just see, listen, the first time in my life I've seen a young person walk in power was years back. I saw a man of God came to minister in our church, and before he preach in the microphone, he held the mic and was speaking in tongues. And I was thinking, what's he doing? And by the time he began to minister, fire everywhere. I went back to my house. I want this. Oh, oh yes, you know you can ask God when it comes to the things of the spirit. You are permitted to be covetous. Covet the best gift. NSD. I said, God, I want this, I want this. And the power came, power of the Holy Ghost everywhere. Meetings, people breaking out in—

you, you must These are things you should look out for. Don't you like it? You should watch out for it.

You and your friends meet up to pray, and as you're praying, like the day of Pentecost, an outbreak of the Holy Ghost in the room, and all of you are there. What you intended for 1 hour, you spend 5 hours laughing, dancing, rejoicing. Can't explain it. These are experiences you need to be having.

Praise God.

So as I saw the power of God at a level, oh, things were happening. I, I was enjoying it. Oh, this one, do you have this case?

Take power. You go, take fire.

Just sharing fire up and down. One of my friends came to me and said, I want this fire. I said, take it now, take it now. He went under the anointing Nothing. He went to his hostel, he went to— as they were praying, he practicalized it. He said, he said, I went there the way you used to do, and he said he walked past them, nobody fell. Say what? Then he went there, lay hands, said nothing happened. He left the meeting and came back and said nothing, say it didn't work. I said, go back by faith, you have received You will never ask for bread and your daddy will give you stones. Say, go back. So he went back with confidence. He said, 1, 2, 3, take it now.

Power moved.

Ah, he looked at his— that's why you need practical. And the best place for you to have practical is evangelism. As we're evangelizing, a word drops in your spirit. I heard a name. Please, do you know anyone by chance who is Ramoke? Say, yes, that's my sister. Something leaps. Your confidence level shoot up. Then you say, ah, I'm seeing something. That Ramoke I'm seeing, um, left side. Because you get to a point in this gift that You see, sometimes you see me ministering and I touch and I say left side. What that means is that I can feel where that thing is. You get to a point, you know, let me explain. Like you're seeing a movie in 2D, they can get to a point you see it in 3D. I think now there's 5D that looks like there is active participation. Sometimes I'm ministering and it takes like 10 minutes. There's a call to me that, hey, wait, what I've been feeling, this is not mine. There's someone here that God is calling my attention to. Oh, there's someone here. The miracle is received. If you don't say it, the miracle won't move. So the reason why you say, what if I'm wrong, is because you are proud. It's not your gifts in the first place. So say it and mature as you fellowship with him. Another thing that it begins to occur to you that is possible is you start seeing visions. You see, if I ever call you and I say, God showed me Take it to the bank. Sometimes I'm talking with my wife and just those stuff, and I can see in 30 seconds what will take me 10 minutes to explain, because that realm, time is compressed. You follow what I'm saying? When we got married, I was the only one who used to see visions again and again every night.

Trance.

Just, oh, God is showing this. Oh yes, I pick my phone. God just showed me this. Or sometimes I say, oh babe, write this down, write this down. Oh, say, this is what the Lord has been— and then one time my wife moved into it. I didn't know she has been desiring behind the scene. I want what you've given him. Give me to. This thing is not just by marriage. I want it to. And before you know it, one of the questions we ask ourselves when we wake up is, what has the Lord shown you? Because you know. Do you understand what I'm saying? Active relationship. She goes out sometimes and returns and say, God, open my eyes, I saw this. Say, it's true. I can't tell many things, I leave it there. You start seeing visions of the spirit, not the one that they are beating you, something so clear, crystal clear. God showing you things to come about people, about yourself. So recently I began to ask God that, Lord, I am passionate about the continent of Africa. You speak to me about Nigeria but not about other nations. Lord, here I am, open my heart to see. And I began to lay demands on that in the place of prayer. And before you know it, God began to speak to me about nations. I say, write this down, about the nation of Zambia. This, this, this is what the enemy is about to do. This, this, this is what will happen. Write this down about Zimbabwe. As you desire in fellowship, you see it. I told God, we are in a generation that is asking for proofs, and the Bible told us that whatever price that is required you tired of consecration and prayer? Show me. I want to see more dead people raised back to life. Do you want to see that? Do you want to see the cripples walking? Do you want to see the blind eyes seeing? You must learn to meditate on God's word till you see it in your spirit. Most times we forget about that. When it comes to miracles. Meditate. It's fellowship. You are seeing it and you are saying it. 10,000 blind eyes open before 2050. Kai, naming it, telling it ahead. Deaf ears start popping open in my meetings. Everywhere ministry, 2-kilometer radius, let the anointing be felt. You are laying what? Demand. And I'm telling you, one of the things about my life is that I'm conscious of power and the presence. Oh yes. Someone said, pray for me over the phone. I said, get a seat and sit down. I said, get a seat and sit down because I know it's not just some in the name of Jesus. I know when I was at that level. I know when I was at the level where if I lay hands on you, well, it's just a preacher. And I know when I got to level where if I lay hands, there's an impartation of the anointing. And I knew when I got to the level where I have to now become careful who I lay hands on. Because even if this is wrong, I can bless it. You begin to graduate. So you look at your hands, for instance. Look at your hands. Look at them. Say, these are not normal hands. My hands are charged. Look at them again. Say it again. These are not normal hands. My hands are anointed to raise the dead, to heal the cripple, to open blind eyes. Say it again. My hands are anointed. Now let's do a work of meditation on that scripture. Acts of the Apostles, chapter number 10, verse 38. Oh, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus. You know, when we came to this place newly, you know, I'd always stand and, you know, this is almost times 2 where we're coming from. And I saw this place filled beyond measure. I saw it filled. So now people are standing up and they are saying we get more chairs. I've seen it, and I've seen that we will have to leave this place sooner than we think. Oh yes, can a nation be built in a day? Yet as soon as Zion travails, ben shofot. You just see God doing strange things. Are you following what I'm saying? Now let's, let's, let's read this scripture meditatively. How God anointed Femi Lazarus. With the Holy Ghost and with power.

And I go about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God is with me.

Oh, God is with me.

Oh, God is with me. Oh, God is with me. God has anointed Femi Lazarus. Put your name there. With the Holy Ghost and with power. I am powerful. I have power. Come on, look at yourself in it. I have power. I have power. Now you read this scripture, I will see another scripture. Matthew 28 from verse 18.

Matthew 28:18, look at it. Matthew 28:18.

Oh, glory to God!

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven. Oh, I've received of that. I received of that. Because next thing he said is, go ye therefore.

Go ye therefore.

What are you going with?

You are going with the backing of all power. Going with the backing of all what?

Power.

Oh yes. Look at Acts chapter number 1, verse 8. Acts 1:8, and I shall receive power.

I have received power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon me.

Now on this strength I can be a witness from Abuja to Lagos to London to America to Italy to Belgium, all nations of the earth. Listen, you must desire walking in power. What did I say? You must see.

Don't just pray.

As an usher, if you welcome people to church and the sick is still sick— listen, listen, listen to this. While we're in secondary school, there were some very funny students that will be the best in the class in a subject and still cry. Have you seen bull like that before? Let me tell you something. If you're going to see more power, you must know how to mourn. Let me show you. If anyone told me I'll be teaching this publicly yet, I will deny. But maybe somebody's hunger has drawn this tonight. Are you the one?

Yes, sir.

Are you sure you are the one?

Yes, sir.

If you ever look at the sick and you are scared of praying for the sick, it's because you came without meditating. In the place of meditation, you see it done. Jesus said, my Father walketh it how I walk, and I do what I see him do. Where was he seeing him? The place of prayer, meditation. Look at what the Bible says in the book of Matthew chapter number 5. Are you there? Matthew chapter number 5. Let me read, um, from King James. Just a moment. Oh, thank you, Lord Jesus. Matthew 5, look at verse 4. 1, 2, 3, go! Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be what? Again. One more time. Look at the way the Message translation Femi Lazarus puts it. He said you are blessed when you feel you have lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the one most dear to you. What does that mean? When you mourn, you are crying because you are grieving because there's a loss. So you are You're, you're a mourner because if something used to be there and it's not there again, you can't sleep on it.

You cry.

Why did I struggle today in getting that person filled with the Holy Ghost? You're mourning for a level of ease that was there but is not there now. You see that? To mourn is to be conscious of what ought to be in a place and he's not there. So you are crying, oh boy, I watched that meeting and I saw power, I want it too. And you are grieving the absence. The Bible said then, when he say you'll be comforted, you know what that means?

You'll be shown the Comforter, the Holy Ghost.

There is a dimension of him you will not see if you are not asking. I'm still showing you intimacy through prayer now. Do you understand what I'm saying? Do you understand what I'm saying?

Do you understand what I'm saying?

Lift your hands, say, Lord, I want power. Say it one more time. Lord, I want power. You know, I read something And I'm tidying up now. Oh boy, time is gone. Let me wrap up. I read something, um, from Benny Hinn in Good Morning Holy Spirit when he spoke about— wrote about Kathryn Kuhlman. That there was a meeting she was going for and the door was blocked because of crowd, so she had to pass through the kitchen unannounced. And the presence of God filled that place. Those that were washing plates were breaking down in tears. Shekinah glory. You must crave to stay in that presence. It is sweeter than the sweetest things on earth. It satisfies you in a way nothing else can. Lift your hands where you are. Say, Lord, I desire your presence.

Lord, I desire your presence.

Say it one more time. Now say, sweet Holy Spirit, reveal Jesus to me. I want to know what the presence of God looks like. Reveal yourself. Make it a prayer. In the next 1 minute, make it a prayer. This is holy ground, hear me now. This is holy ground, my friend. Open your eyes. Open your ears till you understand that the Lord is here.

Open your eyes, open your ears so you understand that the Lord is here. All over the world, your spirit is moving. All over the world, as the prophet said it should be. All over the world, there's a mighty revelation of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. As you begin to fellowship, he begins to carry you all over the world. Your spirit is moving all over the world as the prophet that it should be. All over the world, there's a mighty revelation of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. How can you walk when you don't know the ways of the wind? How can you run when you don't know the ways of the Spirit? How can you fly when you don't know the ways of the Spirit? His power at work in you is bringing everything in obedience to God. It's changing everything in obedience, obedience to God. Swallow your pride tonight. Come to the school of the Spirit.

Don't you know, in his hands is the key to eternal life?

Little A little day until his will is done. It's bringing everything in obedience to Christ. The glory of the Lord is in this place. The power of the Lord is in this place. In Jesus' mighty name we pray.

Now listen, the Lord has given me a marching order and he said to turn this place to an apostolic Apostolic training camp, which means men are going to be raised from here that will be sent to the ends of the earth. Now listen, you will not just hear these words, have the consciousness of being sent. The harvest is to be processed, then deployed. If not, it rots. Some of you hearing me will be pastors of branches, men and women sent, full of the Holy Ghost, full of power, full of wisdom, miracle workers. Some of you will be pastoring nations, and you must start— listen, you must start picturing yourself like that. God has sent me here. God use me. Because once you start picturing yourself in your calling, there is a way you carry yourself. Now you're a different person with a consciousness. Are you here? And I'm calling forth the call of God upon your life. From this moment, it will begin to speak. Here amongst us, God will raise apostles, will raise teachers, will raise pastors.

Femi Lazarus will raise evangelists, will raise prophets.

The Lord empowers you. From this moment, you begin to see new manifestation of gifts and operations upon your life. You'll be a powerful force to reckon with. The Lord bless you and anoint you.

Amen.

Receive the grace for prayer.

Amen.

And supplication.

Amen.

In Jesus' mighty name.

Amen.