ISAAC AND SAMUEL 2

Welcome to an Encounter with the Spirit word and prayer through the prolific apostolic and teaching ministry of Apostle Femi Lazarus, Lead Pastor, Sphere of Light Church Global. It is his vision to raise God's end-time armies.

God has not called you to prove you are the best. He has not. As a leader, you are a broker of gift and talent.

So brace up for an experience.

Thank you, Lord. Amen. Quickly, let's check the book of 1 Samuel chapter number 1 as we continue in that series. On Tuesday, we resume a new series entirely. So it's going to be a surprise, so you have to be here. Is that okay? So 1 Samuel chapter number 1. If you are there, say amen. Let's start the reading from, um, for the sake of understanding. Understanding, you know the story of Esther— I'm sorry, Anna, Penina, and Elkanah, right? And the Bible said yearly they go to Shiloh. Um, the husband will share the food. Elkanah, Penina, and her children will eat and then give to Anna what portion, okay? And at a certain point, Hannah became tired of the food She wanted the result. She wanted her own children. If there's anyone here who has been waiting on God for certain things, you'll get your testimonies this morning. Your testimonies will meet you speedily, such that by the next time I set my eyes on you, there will be so many testimonies. In the name of Jesus. All right, so yeah, she got tired. That's the crux of the story. She got tired from verse 9. Now she got tired, got tired of her situation. There's a lot, um, that tiredness— when you get tired of certain— there's a lot it has to do with announcing a change of level. You can be in a distressing case and not be tired. Yes, and that's why Isaac told Esau. He said, I've made your brother a ruler over you. Your ruler he shall be. He said, but it will come to pass— there's always a but— when you become discontented, when you become restless, sometimes restive or tired, you break it. People who pursue sometimes fulfill prophecy more than those who just hang around.

Yeah.

Amen. Is there anyone that is tired of a situation this morning? You are coming out this morning. You are coming out this morning. So Anna rose after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon the seat by the post of the temple of the the Lord. Yes. Verse 10: And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept. So let me pause a bit here. So at least in a week, at least I'll say that I— at least, um, to be polite and to be moderate, I say I receive at least 250 emails. I have weekly, every week. And one of the things I always pay attention to is that there are very few people who are genuinely tired of their conditions. Is there anyone here that the matter has gotten to boiling point and you are tired? If there's anyone here who is tired of that case, it doesn't matter how bad it has gone, you'll come out. Again, I prophesy, you will come out. The moment the matter gets to boiling point, there's a way you react. You don't take no for an answer. You don't, you don't accept it. You get tired. He became tired. Stop now. Don't serve me food. Don't give me meat. I want to pray. Shared my story with you. Prayerlessness is actually a sign that a man's eyes of understanding is not enlightened. See, if you pray and you are struggling to find prayer points, your eyes have not been opened yet. And that's why many Christians, particularly Pentecostals, that's why many people just pray in tongues. Praying in tongues is powerful, but pray in understanding also so you can track your request. Pray in understanding too. You are not trying to beat anybody's record in tongues. Pray in understanding too. Ah, I'm an intercessor, so I understand that this thing called intercession is like taking petitions. And many times you just have to be vocal, you know. And because I stay in the seat of intercession primarily, so many times God brings cases to me. And say, pray about this matter. I don't know the person. If you, if you stay in the place of prayer long enough, God will begin to give you cases to pray about, people. And anywhere you meet a genuine intercessor will never use their case against them. So I had this vision and I saw a woman standing Then I saw a known pastor that I know standing, and I saw the devil standing beside the woman and was petitioning the case. Was petitioning the case that this woman— look at what he said in that vision. The devil said, this is one of the daughters of Abraham. Said she was sick and she reached out to this one, your son. Reached out to him that she needed money to buy drugs. Said, but he did not believe her, and then she died. And the devil quoted the scripture that love believeth all things, that he's not working in love. Says, so I have come so that you can avenge her case on him. Ah, so I was asking And as the matter was going, it was looking as though the man would not come out. So I asked, why am I here? This looks like a done deal. Why are you showing me this? And God said to me— no, don't let me— God said to me, True said to me that when matters gets to where it gets to, that the devil has all evidence against the believer. There remains one thing that can speak mercy. So he said, I have brought you here so you can call for mercy on his behalf. You know, later I heard from the man of God that he actually died and came back from the dead. Now, are you following what I'm saying? As you sit in the place of intercession One of the things you will learn is that there are people who are walking on their two legs, but their matter has been sealed in the spirit realm. A fate has been sealed, and unless there's a voice in the spirit realm, people will just say it's mere coincidence. Let's be spiritual. Life is spiritual.

Life is—

sometimes I, I pay attention to events and stories. Life is spiritual. One of the things I want us to do better in this church is to pray. I want to give us a minute, and this is the prayer you are going to pray. Listen to this: Every negative matter that is sealed concerning me Father, arise on my behalf and change the equation. Ah, look at the way some of you are getting up. Ah, ah, ah, get up and pray for yourself. Intercede for your family. Every matter that is sealed in your mercy, arise, change them, change them. Change them, change them. Rescue me, Lord, rescue me, Jesus. Let them come to nothing. He that diggeth a pit shall fall therein. Though the enemy may come like flood of water, but the Lord will raise a standard against them. Let every negatively sealed matters concerning my life come to nothing. Let them come to nothing. In Jesus' mighty name we are praying. Sit down for a moment. Oba Tongba Kung Aladura, Moti De. Oba Tongba Kung Aladura. It means the one who sees the tears of the prayer warrior, I am here, fight for me, rescue me, and I will not pray in vain. I love the way Paul puts it. He has done it. Come on now. Now listen. Listen, I'm not going to leave you alone because you know why? I am not ready to lose any one of you, huh? I will tie you to my robe, huh? As I pray, we pray. Are you following what I'm saying here? You will not vanish like smoke. You will not vanish like smoke. You You know, while the praises was going on, the Lord kept reassuring me. He said, I have clothed this house with beauty and splendor. The house is not the building. The house is you. The house is you. The house is you. Lines are falling onto us in pleasant places. Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, oh yes. We give you praise, Jesus. Sit down for a while. Um, talk about discerning seasons. I'm going somewhere. I, I can't— I think either 2011, I think 2011. Um, I, I was living in a house. They came to contribute money. That was before that 2011. The people came to contribute money and say, we want you to leave this house, so this is your next house rent. Yes, fellow tenant. They said because there are girls who want to bring to this house and they say they can't come because Pastor is here. So Pastor, no spoil our work, can they go? We are your friends.

Chai.

When the wahala became much, I left. Actually, the girl that wanted to come too, that it's only because Pastor is there, that they will meet somewhere else now. So what's my own? But suddenly God opened my eyes and it occurred to me, you know, sometimes you notice that Where you have come from, people don't rise, or when they rise, they don't stay rising. That was what I saw. Just occurred to me. I started checking, checking stories, check, check. Ah, I said, it's me and you. I'm ready to die on this matter. So I started fasting. I don't talk about how long, but I fasted till fasting knew that somebody was what? Fast till my legs were shaking. When you fast to a point, dry. May you not miss the strength to pray in the season you should pray. After a while, I I had a vision. By this time, I was already— there's no slim person in this house. I was slimmer than the slimmest, tinier than the tiniest. You could count my ribs. There's a way you fast, you look like you've developed kwashoko, except that the stomach is not bloated. My God. And I had a vision. I saw myself in that same place where I was praying, and I saw an angel of the Lord. I knew it was an angel. He said, get up. And he said, look to your right. Who is that man on the ground? I said, I don't know him. He said, look closely. I said, I don't know him. He said, that's the father of your grandfather. He said when he died, he went with something that belonged to all of you. So your cry has come to us, and I've been sent to wake him up. That's after 3 days of 21— 3 seasons, 3 sessions of 21 Days Dry. 3 sessions. I was doing the 4th session when I became hospitalized because I was vomiting blood, plus 1 session of 21 Days White. Another one session of 7 days white. Then on the third day of 3 days white was when this happened. Why must it take this long before this thing can be broken? God said, because you did not meet and discern the one who went through that journey and broke it. Said if you did, they can bring you out. Ah, if there's anyone who went down with what belongs to you and your lineage— people have been dying early, 37, 36, 35. They look promising and they are shut down. By the power and the authority in the name and in the blood of Jesus, you are exempted from that flu. You are exempted from that flu. You will not die trying. You will come out. Even if no one has risen from there, you will rise. Sit down for a moment. Don't care about— Sir, this world is a wicked place. This world is a wicked place. Can't remember who was sharing with me. Okay, I think one of my friends was sharing with me. He has shared online himself, so he has shared. The elder brother, within 6 years— no, within 4 years, they wiped out 6 people. The elder brother just bought a property, went to the village, and an elder said, let's break cola. The cola was what he ate and went back home to die. See, we have shifted though. This is warfare. I'm not teaching about trauma.

War.

Those who are waiting for you to die will go before you. Sir, how can people be angry because God is raising somebody? Say, in this family, they are graduates, they are the only ones who finish school. Look at them, they are settling down, they are this. And the only thing the fellow is thinking is to take them out one by one. Pray, sir. Pray, sir. Pray, sir. Don't just be handsome. Pray as you go to the gym. Gym your spirit. Are you following what I'm saying here? Exercise your— this world is weak. I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just telling you what it is. I wish it was any better. People say that, why is it not like that in America? Why is it not like that in Japan? Are you from Japan? You came from Enugu, you came from Imbise, you came from Ondo, you came from Akure, Ijebu. Taraba, you are here saying, init, warn yourself. And I can't even begin to mention the cases we are dealing with outside the country. Somebody traveled to America and they ran— someone, an uncle, asked for money. He says, I'm just still trying to settle down. He ran mad that night in his sleep. He ran mad that night in his sleep. You think this thing is restricted to Nigeria? Battles don't need visa to cross. Ah, what are you talking about? Say by the time you go to Canada, you have escaped. Escape? You better pray, sir. You better pray, sir. Yes, sir. The guy ran mad in his sleep. I don't know for who this morning. Me, I have my direction, but I can't tell for who I'm being held down like this. But those who have vowed that they will not rest till they clear you out, it doesn't matter how much they have marked you for death.

They will not succeed.

Sit down for a while. Now I, I'm going somewhere. Let me, let me try to, um, verse 10 says, Esther— I'm sorry, Hannah went in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore, and she vowed a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on your— the affliction of your handmaid And remember me, and forget not your handmaid. I will give unto your handmaid a male child, then I will give him unto you all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. And it came to pass, while she continued to pray before the Lord, that Eli marked them out. Now Hannah, when she spake her heart— she spake in her heart only, for her lips did not move, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she had been drunken and said to her, how long will you be drunken? Put away wine from you. And Hannah answered and said, no, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured my soul to the Lord. Count not your handmaid to be a daughter of Baal or Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken it unto you. And Eli answered and said unto her, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked him. Amen. Many times waiting can be stopped by one declaration. Yes, one, one, one, that your condition has changed. I didn't hear amen to that. Oh yes, I shared this story with you. A young lady that came to meet me said all her life no man had ever come to say I like you. No man. And as at then she was about 25. No man. Hey, so I know when you pray for me things will change. So I said, okay, let me pray for you. Go on your knees, let me pray for you. As I closed my eyes, I saw her carrying a basket, and the Lord said to me, he said, push that basket away. That was all. So I said, I push this away in the name of Jesus. From today, every veil catch fire. You can be seen now. You know the same way somebody can on Bluetooth but it's not discoverable? You can be around, but you are not discoverable. She left, ran back immediately with tears and said, somebody just park now. I said, I've been trying to talk to you. She ran and left the person. Can it be this fast? 'Can it be this?' Now they are married, I think with 3 children or thereabouts. Sir, one declaration is enough. But one of the things the devil is doing in this generation is to weaken those voices. Uh, what is it about church? Which they won't tell me. You better say amen when prayers are made. You better say amen when prayers are made. You better say amen when prayers are made. There was one time, I won't mention the name of the campus, around the campus everybody were shouting, and this, this is all these fathers of faith, don't mind them, all these Dr. they are law people, all this prayer they are praying is not New Testamental. No problem. What that means that you have not seen battle.

Yes, sir.

Okay, I'm not saying it is not my business. I'm not— it's not my calling. He came to minister on campus. I was shocked that the same people gathered. Then while he was ministering, he said, I can see there's a girl there, there's a girl. He said, I'm seeing a dog run out of your skirt, a dog. That's how the girl began to— hey! So I said, with all this doctrine, there's a dog under your You better pray when they say you should pray. One of my friends was sharing a story, a case with me. They went to see Dr. DK Olukoya in his— you know, there are people who are specialists in this thing. There are specialists God has given them. So by the time they were done talking to him, talk to them, say he was just greeting them and say, take care of yourself. Take care of yourself. As he shook the second person, he started manifesting. I will burn the world. Ashik. So he said to the person, ah, my brother, you have to do 3 days deliverance. Just wait around. The guy said, I have a trip, I have a trip. Oh boy, don't postpone the day of your victory. Pray where you can, pray when you should, call upon the Lord while he's near. It was one statement Eli said, go. You know, um, one of the fathers was sharing with me their experience with Archbishop Benson Daosa. When Archbishop was around, you travel to Benin to go and see him. Say one of the principle is that before you return, you will eat. Once you go to see me in the house, they've cooked, you'll have to eat. When you say you are fasting, they say, go, your prayers are answered. There are men who can say that. There are men who can say that. You are the one who is not making research. I've shared the story with you before. There was a strange prophet in Elisha— Elisha called Prophet Obadare. Are you with me? We should not come to the point where the stories of this man goes into extinction. Something happened in Ibadan. A girl close to a man of God had died. And they had prayed but nothing was happening. It was in the days of cellular, all this. So they called the lion and they said, Baba, this, this happened. He was a blind man, but there's a way he lift his eyes up to pray. There are men who know God, sir. You can know the Bible and not know God. You can know about God and not know God. You can know Greek and Hebrew and not know God. And he prayed a prayer. He just said a statement. He said it in Yoruba. I will interpret. He said, 'Oluwa, shen wa agban kono o ereti mi.' That is, 'God, will I struggle to collect something from you? Give me this girl back.' She sneezed immediately. Sneezed immediately. There are many like that. I remember the first time I went to see Baba Olowe, Prophet— late Prophet Femi Lazarus. I went to his house. I just finished ministering in their church, so I said I must see Baba. As I entered the, the parlor, then there's another parlor, he just sit down there with his white And he said to me, Momoh, I know you. He said, you're about to get married. I said, yes, sir. He said, your wife, this is how you put the hands. You think he's receiving a call. I said, people who know God have walked the face of this earth. It's not drama, sir. It's not drama, sir. One of my pastors was sharing this story. She went to do sanitation work in Redemption Camp. She was cleaning the altar. It was not a service day, just a normal day. Baba was in the office and felt the impulse to pray on the altar. She was cleaning, just cleaning the altar, cleaning, and then all of a sudden just noticed somebody was walking behind her and it was Baba. She said she didn't know whether to kneel down, prostrate, disappear, or fly. All she could— and all he said was lay his hand on her shoulder and say, my daughter, God bless you. That shoulder was hot and vibrating for 3 days. It was 2010 when Baba came to minister in Ife Ora, and he said, today God has said I should lay hands on Everybody in this meeting, and I should not hold back. People did not fall under anointing, they fainted. Lay hands, switch off. Lay hands, switch off. Lay hands, switch off. Lay hands. This one is not like I'm a macho, I go to gym. Switch off. Power is where it is. Bishop Oyedepo's driver was saying something. He said, many people insult all these fathers, say, but we are— we that are close to them are the ones that know what we have seen. They went to the airport and there was a special space for him to park, and the fellow who should open the key, you know, around his hangar, not open the key. That's— I mean hangar where they park. And he was furious. He's been waiting for a long time. Say, cut this nonsense. He padlocked, cut by himself. Is that the kind of man? There are things that even demons don't do, but it takes believers who don't know God to do, to say, who are they? Foolish man, blah blah blah. Anything you despise can't work for you. You know, Esther could have— um, yeah, Anna could have heard stories of Eli that is an old man, she not do that. When Eli said that statement, she would not believe, but she believed.

She believed.

God uses men to help men. That is the strategy. God use men to help men. When I was teaching about, um, ministers, a, a closed meeting in Ibadan. I don't know whether it was last week or 2 weeks ago, and they were asking me about the knowledge of church history. I said, Apostle, how do you get the knowledge of church history? And I told them, real church history is not on Google, it is around the elders. Let me leave you people. Are you with me? Genesis chapter number 18. Genesis 18. Say, Lord, give me power. Empower me. Empower me. Come on, say it again. You can be seated. You can be seated. Say, Lord, empower me. Empower Empower me, empower me, empower me. I don't want to live an ordinary life. I don't want to be powerless in my sleep, when I'm awake, when I'm walking, when I'm driving. Saturate me with power.

Amen.

In Jesus' name we're praying. I want to wrap up quickly. Um, I have a nudge to pray for the sick also this morning, so let me wrap up quickly. Genesis 18, you know the story from verse 1. And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre, and he sat in the tent door in the eat day. So this was when the Lord came to Abraham in form of ordinary men. You know the story. Abraham esteemed and prepare what they will eat. Now look at what they said. Genesis 18:9. Genesis 18:9. Ayla kapai. And they said unto him, where is Sarah your wife? And he said, behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto you according to this time of life. And lo, Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door. Which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age, and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed. You know, there are prophecies you receive and just laugh and say, this man of God just want to make me happy. There are words that doesn't fall to the ground. Look at it. And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, after I'm waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the Lord said unto— meaning that she had locked up. And the Lord said unto Abraham, wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, shall I of a shorty bear a child, which I'm old? Is there anything too hard for the Lord? I'm asking you a question. Is there anything that is too hard for the Lord? Is there any case God can't bring you out of? Is there any condition God can't change? Is there anything too difficult for him? He's God. Your limitations are not his. It's not limited by what limits you. Look at the strategy. You must now pay attention to this. You must know how to position yourself for a change of season. Though weeping endures for a night, joy comes in the morning. There's always a time, and it makes all things beautiful in their time. So you must know when the time is changing. You must know when the— sometimes there's nothing physical as evidence, but there's strong perception. As a man who has been going through the wilderness, I am closer to water. You just know it. You just know it. And sometimes when you begin to know it like this, your physical condition may deteriorate. The heat can become strong because the moment the devil sees that the seed is sown, the sun will rise. That's adversity to dry it up. The reason why those adversities are coming is because the devil is challenging the seed seed of the word. What you believe is closed, he wants you to doubt it. Say loud and clear, I believe, I believe that my time has come. I believe that my season is changing. I believe that an end has come to my tribulation. You must understand that the posture of faith is a posture of a man who is unwavering, unwavering, unwavering, standing that which the Lord has spoken. Unwavering, unwavering. Now I've shown you two scriptures. First, in 1 Samuel 1, The second in Genesis 18, how that the two seasons of Esther and Hannah were changed by a pronouncement. One pronouncement. By a pronouncement. By— you know, you can— I was sharing, I was ministering somewhere yesterday and I was showing them an experiment I saw online. Can you help me? Okay, don't worry, I'll just use this. And they had, um, like a conical flask in a lab and placed the conical flask on a table, okay, and then poured some fleas inside and covered the conical flask. And after a while, they removed the lid— that's the covering— and what was observed was that the fleas could not fly beyond the covering that was there. And even when they removed the conical flask, the flea maintained the shape of the flask. There is a way condition can condition a man that he can no longer think outside of it. It now becomes impossible for this man to see better days ahead. You try to help the fellow, can't see it. The devil is working on your belief system. Because without faith you can't receive, sir. Without faith you can't receive. There are people who are saying amen to prayer, but they have concluded that my case can be better than this. My God, we're on campus, they just placed the result. One of my friends, I saw his result, I said, no, you have to go and protest, you have to contest this paper, this can't be your result. He said, no, no, no, no, I know my level, this is me.

Ah.

Ah, that thing shocked me. That thing shocked me. Say, this is you? This is not me, and it can't be. Now I, I saw that some people who joined the School of Ministry, after 2 lectures, start leaving. That, um, which one is this school of— is like I'm back to school. Ah, that's why it's called School of Ministry. Look at you, you, you think that God is preparing you. Do you know the kind of generation we are facing? It's a generation of details. It takes aggressive measure and preparation, a scholastic approach. We are not just spiritual. You must— are you following what I'm saying?

Yes, sir.

The way I was trained growing up is that every chapter of the Bible, you must have an idea of what it is. You must. It was a drilling. We must not throw that away, sir. The devil is trying to condition the church. People say amen to prayer but their thinking can't go beyond certain level because they have been there for a long time. Sir, it is as far as your eyes can see. God will not give you what you have not conceived. When I stand here, I see more. That's the truth. I see more. I see Sphere of Light Church in Ontario. Sphere of Light Church in Toronto, Sphere of Light Church in Hong Kong, Sphere of Light Church in Beijing, Sphere of Light Church in Bangladesh, Sphere of Light Church everywhere. Yes, in Botswana, in Djibouti, in Papua New Guinea, Sphere of Light Church everywhere, everywhere, everywhere. I see it. I don't get carried away with small things. Open your eyes wide. What do you see, sir? Huh? I shared with you a girl went to divorce the guy she married and said that he's too nice. My God, say it's too nice. He doesn't argue, he doesn't fight. Even when I do, he just say yes. When I say, still apologize. What kind of a man is he? I want action. What action do you want? Blast boost? That girl never envisioned pizza. Ask your neighbor, what do you see? My God. Now let me show you quickly how to prepare for a change of season. How do you prepare? I know we have thought about waiting on the Son of God, that God will come in his time, but how do you prepare? For a change of season. Number 1, discern it. Discern it. The change you have not discerned will not come. Any new season you fail to discern will be missed because you will not have the positioning for the new season. There is a prophetic adjustment it takes to enter what God has for you. There's an adjustment, sir. The ability to be in the right place at the right time to hear the right things is prophetic. It's adjustment. There are people who adjust themselves to where they will kill them, and there are people who adjust themselves to who will break them through. Sometimes good afternoon is enough to change a man's life. Sometimes good afternoon. With the right person is more than enough. Who are you and what do you do? May you be in the right place and may you discern your activity. I didn't hear that amen loud enough. Seated beside you is not just a person but a system. The system of God's help is man. The system of God's help is Man, man, man. When was the last time you received the kind of help that make you sit on the floor and cry? Do you know what that means? The kind of help that you ask the person, why is your own too much? There are 5 horns of dominion. One of the first horns of dominion is the gift of men. Like horses. People who carry your matter on their head like it's their matter. I was somewhere to preach, just to preach and leave. Somebody, the man asked me, he said, hey Apostle, do you have visa to so-and-so country? I said no. He said, please, I have somebody here in consider it done. What about this country? Do you have visa? I said no. Call another person. This, this, this is my person. What about that? Do you have the visa? I said no. Consider it done.

This—

at some point I will sit and say, ah, small, small. I know those people are calling Apostle, this document, this, that, that. We are here on standby. Ah, even me, I'm not taking it this serious. But when God sends you men, he has sent you a man. I tell you, sir. I tell you, sir. Just one question is enough to change your life. Just one question. Where do you live? Ah, I'm squatting. Consider it done. May you meet men like angels. Sir, if you want struggles to end, don't despise the gifts of men. I don't care about— no, sir, honor all men, sir. People are— are you following what I'm saying? I have met people who don't look like it but can change your life in a moment. Somebody was calling me, Apostle, where are you? I just want to see you. I said, I'm busy. Finally I said, okay, let's meet at so-and-so place. I met the person. The person doesn't look anything. I said, let me just pray with you so you can go. By the time the conversion was over, I sat down on the floor. Sir, the Yorubas will say, "Aso on la ko le yon la." How do I interpret that now? Let me just put it like this. There are people who may wear shirt and— but God can. Sometimes people don't even have the means, but they have the connection. I went to eat in Ebuka, sir, not a restaurant. It took a while for us to enter restaurant. It took a long while. We that we are friends, my best friend was poverty. It took time. When you hear Mr. Big, you say, oh my God, we too will get there one day. It took a while. So it's Bukka Mama Tea, that's what they call that woman, Mama Tea. It's just beside the road. So that's where we used to go and enjoy ourselves. Now it's not that we are saying I'm selecting this, what kind of water they used to cook. I look at myself, I say, see your life, how was God preserving you where you were eating? Let's leave it. The girl that was serving and washing plates there just asked, I said, Pastor, you have not gone for service? I said, I have not gone. I said, but I'm going now. She said, ah, and I can call somebody. Called the person, the person said, ah, this, this is, where do you want to serve? I said, I want to serve so-and-so place. Said, okay, send so-and-so, send so-and-so. Consider it done. I got to NYSC camp, they were serving food First day in camp, or the first meal they were serving me, it was 3,500. I enter camp with me, how much? So supposed to be 5,000, but I took transport. Sole, if you don't know what that means, go and ask Gogo. This one, long. You know, so from Junction in Ife. They call that place RCC to Akure, from Akure to Ikere Akoko camp. So everything was 1.5. I bought Gala and bought Fanta. So I saw what they do, you hold door like this. So the woman serve me food, yam and stew. You know the way that thing is, and they said that a copper was using how much to feed per day. May God have mercy. Yam and whatever they were giving us in my white and white. So I took the food and I said, thank you so much, ma, God bless you. She said, what did you say? I said, thank you, ma, God bless you. She said, come. Say, what's your name? I said, my name is Femi Lazarus. Say, Femi? I say, yes. Say, my God, that's my husband's name. And she held my hand, say, look at his skin, so fresh. Me, brothers and sisters, me Come on, come on. If I show you this picture on the screen, you say, ah, this man was deceiving me. Me? You need to see this woman very fresh and fine. Say, look at the skin, so fresh. How are you coping? This place is better than where I'm coming from. This, this one, they are giving us food every day. It's better. Say, say, ah, say, come and see me, come and see me, come and see me. Don't go and hit there again. No, such a lovely boy. Please sit down. So I went to— I said, well, I don't know who this man is, I beg, let me just chill. And later they began to introduce her as FCT something something.

I said, what?

That's how I left the whole lecture. I went to wait at the entrance of the office space. When she came back, she recognized me. And say, Femi! And she called another girl, Funke, say, hey, please, Femi, so where's your food? This thing, don't go there again. From today, we'll be coming here to eat. Me, and then showed me somewhere. I saw some coppers who are not coppers. They don't look like any one of us. They don't. Fact. If they cannot tell those one, attention, is we they will put inside. So those ones, they are there with iPad and they go out the way they want, jeeps. So they serve our food at the table. Me, I knew where I was coming from. We're about to eat, I just got the word of knowledge for one of them. I say, hey my friend, this is— is this, this, this, this food? Say yeah. Said, this guy is a freak, man. God is word of knowledge. You use this one, toss pay on a normal day.

So what?

So I've never seen this in my life. I've never seen this. Who are you? My brother, my name is Femi Lazarus. Say, brother, can I give you an offering? I say, why not, my brother? Why not? Give me something. So the guy just took my account number. 120K, sir. 120K. Me that came to Cambodia, 123,500.

No, no.

The gift of a man will make room for him. The gift of a master. Ah, they gave me money there. I was going to Mami Market. Say, guys, what do you want? What do you want? My friend that knew me was say, ah, Pastor, where are you seeing this money? Leave the hands. When it was time to post people from camp, they called me and said, come and fill your name to where you want to go, to the PPA you want. Come and feel it. Come and feel it. Said, but I want to go to serve in Federal Medical Center. They will pay you well. I said, no, God said to go somewhere else. We write your name here. The gift of men, sir, like horses. The people who just pick interest in you. And let me say this to you, there are people in this church who don't look like it, sir. Just come quietly. May God bring you in contact with those who will change your life in the name of Jesus. May he bring you in contact with those who will change your life. Discern, sir, and discern men. Discern people. Discern people. Don't joke with the gifts of men. Don't joke with the gift of men. For the sake of time, I'm just going to call a few scriptures, tell you what happened in them. You look at the story of the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5:25. The woman with the issue of blood, Mark 5:25. She recognized that Jesus has what it took to change her life, and she went for it. Sir, the devil will almost try— always try to cause discouragement, but go for what you have discerned. Go for it. Go for it, go for it, go for it. You look at the story of blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52. The guy kept shouting. They wanted to shut him down. He kept what? Shouting. Kept shouting. You must discern the people that God has designed to usher you to a new season. Then you must also discern the word for the new season. And what is the word God has given to us? God has responded. It means don't go and cry, go back and start rejoicing, go back and start dancing, because God has what? Say loud and clear, God has responded! He has, he has. Now there's a very funny story in 2 Kings 5. There was a man that was called a captain, powerful guy. From verse 1, Naaman, powerful guy. He will fight many battles but can't enjoy in the midst of people because he was also leprous. It was a servant girl that pointed him to his breakthrough. Don't despise any man, sir. God can use anybody. It could be a bus driver of the along, though my prayer is that God will bring everybody out of along. Sir, let me give you this word of comfort. It doesn't matter how brutal it is now, your season is changing. Now God told me specifically to declare a new season. And that's why I've been laying the foundation that God uses men for men. One declaration that is well received and well discerned is enough. It's enough to change a man's life. One, one, one. Somebody can watch the service online and say, who is this person? God just said I should bless this person. God, God doesn't need too much, sir. Yes, sir. To change your life.

Yes, sir.

Doesn't need too much. Some of the most dramatic blessings I've received in my life happened casually. Casually, sir. Just like that. You are wondering, from this point to this point, like that? Like that, sir. But through the gift of men. There are people here who don't know what it means to receive help. It looks like this help thing, I've just been hearing it, but I have never really experienced it. Can I pray for you this morning. Let me pray for you. If there's anyone seated here who doesn't know what help looks like, between now and the next 7 days you will see help. The help will be so great, people will struggle to believe. The help will be so dramatic, people will struggle to believe. Now look at this. In the valley of dry bones, God said to him, can these bones live? And he said, yes, Lord, you know it. And God said, Professor— I said there was a wind from the Lord that began to bring bones to bones. There is rearrangement, sir. It doesn't matter how scattered things are, they are reorganized. This is the season of coming into place. All the things have been scattered since you knew it. One by one, they begin to take shape. One by one, they begin to take shape. One by one, they begin to take shape. Now look at this. There are times that God just said to me, "Son, you know you can do this." Even me, I can't remember. I didn't remember. People can complain to you that we have a problem and it's just not, it just want, it's not occurring to you. And God said, in the same way, somebody can need help, the helper is seeing the person, but it has not occurred to the helper that I can do it. God will help you, sir. Now, into specifics. If you came here with any medical report that seems to threaten the quality of your life, the certain diagnosis of certain things, place your hands there now, whether you are watching online or you are here, place your hands there. Place your hands there. Any abdominal issue, cardiac issue, neurological issue, any issue with sight, any issue with the bones, place your hands there. Particularly if you are tired. Cases of miscarriages, series of miscarriages, Place your hands on your womb. There's somebody who has, um, the feeling you do have is like intestinal laceration, like, like you are feeling like your intestine, like there's a scar, like it's this, this, yeah, it's been scarred because of the pain of ulcer. Place your hands there. PCOS, place your hands on your womb. Okay, you are the one, don't worry. Place your hands there. Place your hands there. All eyes closed. Um, where's Minister Debbie Great? I want us to raise this sound: there is power mighty in the blood. We raise that sound 3 times. Now those who are placing hands on those areas of sickness, whether online or on site, now fix your gaze on Jesus the Healer. Please, now And begin to see those sicknesses checking out because today marks their end. Begin to see those sicknesses checking out. Now raise that sound for me. Everybody close your eyes.

Pray, pray. There is power, mighty In the blood, there is power and might in the blood of Jesus. There is power and might in the blood. One more time. There is power and might. In the blood, there is power, mighty. In the blood, there is power, mighty. In the blood of Jesus Christ, there is power, mighty. In the Lord.

For the last time, louder. Lift your hands.

Oh yes. In the Lord, there is power. There is peace in the Lord. There is power. There is power, mighty in the blood.

Now therefore, I take authority over every spirit of infirmity, both in the blood In your body organs and cells, bones, every part of the body of anyone connected here online, I take authority over that spirit of infirmity and I command them to be subjected into bondage. Now I command in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, you foul spirit of affliction, go now! Everything here that is different from the condition God created that is afflicting these bodies— asthma, asthma, go!

Never return!

Hepatitis B, go now! Palpitations, ulcer, PCOS, get out! Every lump, unhealthy growth in different parts of the bodies, clear out now! And I command, be healed! It is done! From today you begin to live the quality of life God has ordained for you. It is done. In Jesus' mighty name we have prayed. Now listen.

Hi there, God is raising for himself an end-time army, and this is the mandate that he has given to us. Truly the harvest is plenteous, but we need you on board as a laborer. This is a call to partner with what God is doing in this great house, to become a monthly partner with us at Sphere of Light Church and Femi Lazarus Apostolic Ministries, menical, kindly reach us via the number +234 903 095 9735. To give an offering or to sow a seed, kindly make use of these account details being displayed. The gospel of Jesus is spreading. Thank you for being a part of it.