NEW GENERATION MINISTERS' CONFERENCE (NGMC 2024) - DAY1 (EVENING SESSION)

This is NGMC 2024. I believe it has been awesome. The Bible says that they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. And that scripture will find expression in our lives in the name of Jesus. By the grace of God, the word of God will take us from where we are and to where we ought to be, in the name of Jesus.

Glory to God.

Abba Father, here I come to wine and dine with you. Abba Father, here I come to wine and dine with you. Abba Father, here I come to wine and dine, wine and dine with you. Abba Father, here I come, here I come to wine and dine with you, Lord, dine with you. Abba Father, here I come, here I I come at your table, Lord, wine and dine with you. I've come to draw, I've come to draw strength from you. Set me on fire, set me on fire once again. I open up, open up myself to you. Let fresh anointing, let fresh anointing I've come to draw strength from you. To draw strength from you.

Set me on fire once again.

Set me on fire once again. I open up myself to you. I open up myself to you. Let fresh anointing, fresh anointing fall on me. I have the Father here, I go. I have the Father here, I go. Here I come to wine and dine with you, wine and dine with you. Happy Father's Day! Here I come, here I come unto your table, Lord, to wine and dine with you. I've come to draw, I've come to draw strength from you. You are my strength, set me fire once again. I open up myself, open up myself to you. Let fresh anointing, fresh anointing pour over me. I open up myself to you. Let fresh anointing pour over me. I open up Open up myself to you. That fresh anointing, that fresh anointing, pour on me. I'm thirsty for more. I'm thirsty for more of you. Nothing else could quench this thirst. Nothing else could quench my thirst. I'm thirsty for more. I'm thirsty for more of you. Nothing else could quench this thirst. Nothing else could quench my thirst. Open the floodgates of heaven. Let your rain fall on me. I open up myself to you. I open up myself to you. Let fresh anointing, let fresh anointing Open the floodgates of heaven. Open the floodgates of heaven. Let your rain, let your rain fall on me. I open up myself to you. I open up myself to you. Let fresh anointing, let fresh anointing fall on me. Open the floodgates of heaven! Let it rain! Let it rain on Mother Floor! Open the floodgates of heaven! Let it rain! And let it rain! And let it rain! Open the floodgates— open the floodgates of heaven for you to be able Let it rain, let it rain. Open the floodgates of heaven. Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain. Let it rain, let it rain. Hey, open the floodgates of heaven.

Oh, Shanti Malala.

Let it rain. Open the floodgates of heaven. Let it rain. Let it rain. Hallelujah.

Let's celebrate the choir. Celebrate them, celebrate them, celebrate them. Hallelujah! Amen, amen, amen. Before I bring the Apostle up tonight, I want to tell us that the conference manual is ready. And then let's celebrate the Lord. Over the years, this has been a powerful resource material, you know, for ministers all over the world. And then we receive feedbacks over and over again. And so people can get this conference manual, and then it's just ₦10,000 to be sent to your email. But, uh, to— for those of us that we attended the conference or we attending on ground, you can also get the ad copy for that price. Tell somebody, say, the hour is come. Say louder, say the hour has come. We have the Apostle in the house. Let's celebrate grace. Hallelujah! Apostle! Amen, amen, amen. Now, he's a great, great, great man of God by every standard. You know, there are people who have been supernaturally and divinely configured to speak to the conscience of generations. When they speak, you know, lives, callings, destinies open up. It's not just an apostle by title, it's an apostle by calling, and the proofs are all over the world. You know, I, like, 2 days ago I was driving, I was listening to Mentorship Empowering Conference 2021, so, and it was leading prayers, and then I said, this is apostolic and prophetic, glory to God. And then you see the call of God on his life is very strong. I see many times people are just enthralled and attracted by the results, the proofs, the manifestations, but they don't know the art. The art behind all the things that you see God do through his ministry, I believe, will be communicated to you tonight. So by the grace of God, is there a son in this house? He's been part of this ministry just like you are sitting, you are standing. He, he, he fed well. Amen. And he followed where— and he's still following. And I'm trusting the Lord today that God will raise millions of his kind all over the nations of the earth. By the grace of God, he has moved to the city of Abuja, and then the Lord opened a massive door for them in the city of Abuja. The work is exploding everywhere. The late pastor of Sphere of Light Church Global, Apostle Femi Lazarus, he has crossed cross-cultural and international impact. And let me say this, let me say this, he's a laborer. You know, sometimes I wonder, PPC, every morning he ministers thousands of people all over the world. He's not lazy. He knows what he's doing. The grace of God, and God is using him mightily in this generation as a pattern, as an example for ministers all over the world. I love him, I love his ministry, I love the wife, I love the children, I love the church, I love everything that God is doing through you. And I'm so much privileged, you know, to be a father to you. Thank you, thank you for the love, the support, the camaraderie. So tonight I want you to open your hearts because I believe that something is going to drop upon your life. And then it's not just coming to preach, you know, as a son is coming to minister, to preach, as one who has been ordained and sent to actually speak at this conference. And the Bible says, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. So as I begin to speak, open your hearts. There'll be impartations, there'll be light, revelations, and I believe destinies will open up. So we are so glad and privileged, all the way from the beautiful city of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, we have God's choice servant in the house tonight, Apostle Femi Lazarus Victor, please celebrate!

Please celebrate!

Celebrate!

Thank you, Lord.

Amen. Amen. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Can we lift our hands to heaven and Let's bless the name of the Lord. Let's bless the name of the Lord. Let's give him praise. What a word we have received tonight. What a word. What a word we have received. What a word we have received.

Thank you, Lord.

Oh, we give you praise. We give you praise, we give you praise, we give you praise, we give you praise, we give you praise. Oh, blessed, blessed, blessed be your holy name. Thank you, Father. We honor you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, in Jesus' mighty name. We are praying. Hallelujah! Who is excited to be here?

Amen.

Now, before we sit down, some of the things I'm going to be saying tonight, um, the physical manifestation is here. Amen. I want you to help me celebrate Papa and Mama.

Amen.

Let me, let me tell you this, all right? And I'm going to say this so that it can be registered out there. I came here at the season in my life where after service, many times I have to trek back and You know, when you don't have transport, you pray, I walk. Amen. If I can't run fast on bike, I'll walk and trek. And I remember several times Papa will discern that this guy is broke, and he will send Pastor Shola, and they will squeeze money to my hands. Amen. We cannot stand stand now as though we fell from the sky. The word of God here can shape the shapeless and form the formless. And I, I will tell you, the devil came for me, but God kept me here. He did, he did. I, I will say this practically: there is no way any aspect of our ministry will be standing if God had not he didn't be here, and that's why we are still hiding here. There's no going anywhere.

Amen.

God is good. Let me celebrate Papa and Mama. Thank you, sir. Amen. Thank you, Mama. Thank you, Papa. Thank you so much. Let's be seated in God's presence. I want to stand on all existing protocols and celebrate all servants of God in this meeting, heads of ministries, associate pastors. Please, let's give them a big, big hand and let's celebrate ourselves.

Amen.

Many of the things I would say, Papa said many of them. Anyways, why should that not happen? I learned them from him. Amen. So tonight I'm going to be teaching on how to build a strong ministry. How to build a strong ministry. 1 Corinthians chapter number 3. Now my teaching tonight is quite lengthy and voluminous, so I might be quite fast. Amen. 1 Corinthians 3, if you are there, say amen. Now Paul, speaking to the Corinthians church, said something very important. He said, according to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon. Say, but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. All right, so strong ministries are built They don't emerge. Strong ministries are built. Look at the Bible, the book of Proverbs chapter number 24 from verse 4. Proverbs 24 from verse 4 says, true wisdom is a house built by understanding, it is established. Let's start from verse 3 now, please. 24 from verse 3, quickly. True wisdom is a house builded, and by understanding it is what?

Established.

Now through knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Now ministry requires building. It means that the mindset that will, that will do ministry well is the— now building suggests that quality ministry requires a plan. Amen. It requires what? Now you can't build and tell the bricklayers to put the structures as it comes to your mind. I say today let them put this, and then tomorrow I feel like putting this pillar here. All right, it doesn't work because without a plan you can't build to last. Your building must be correct on paper before it is correct structurally or physically. So building requires calculations of different things: the quality of materials, strength of materials, the quantity of materials, and, you know, different things across in building. So strong ministries are built— this suggests that there must be a vision. Anywhere there is no vision, the of people perish. In fact, the word perish there means that they cast away restraint. So the adjustment you make is a function of the vision you have seen. The preparation you also give yourself to is also a function of the vision you have seen. No man can prepare more than what they have seen. You can't take yourself serious more than what you have seen. Without vision You can never do enough, all right? Because you will mark your own scorecard. It is your vision that suggests whether you are doing well or not. Amen. So strong ministries are built— just follow me patiently, we have places to get to tonight. So strong ministries requires vision, requires a plan. A plan. Number 3: requires understanding of the cost. Anyone who thinks in himself to build will first sit down and count the cost. There is a price to pay for what you desire. To desire it without willing to pay the price is fraud— is fraudulent. Amen. There is a price to pay. The price of aggressive devotion. Aggressive devotion. Now, amen. Praise God. Because this is ministers conference and I'm going to be very brutal. I'm in my daddy's house, okay? So if you are not happy, come and beat me in my father's house.

Amen.

Because you can't trade— you can't talk to ministers with emotions. We have to be very frank.

Praise God.

So you can't build without understanding the cost. You have to understand the cost. Where do you see the ministry in the next 10 years? Write it down. What does it take to get there? Write it down. Many of them will require certain prices from you because the ministry takes the posture of the minister. Where you stop growing, the work stops growing. Is that okay now? No ministry outgrows the minister planted to run it. We must understand that until the vision is written down, people can't run with with you. You write the vision and make it plain upon the tables that he may run, that what? Readeth it. Now Proverbs give us insight that bind my instructions upon the tablet of your heart. So what that means is that we, we bind the vision of the— please pay attention— of the ministry upon the heart. Amen. Don't worry. Can you hear me at the back? Upon the heart of all who Are you a professional looking to immigrate legally to the United States? Today we're going to talk about one of the best options to apply directly to a U.S. permanent residency, a green card, via the EB-2 national interest waiver. Father, we want to say thank you. You have been good to us, and we you meet rubbish. I conferred not with flesh and blood. So you must understand clearly what God has sent you to do. Praise Praise God. Is somebody following me? Are you sure? Now let me— I have about 10 questions to ask you, and you must answer these 10 questions if you are going to build anything strong. Question number 1: What kind of ministry have you been sent to build? Question number 1: What kind of ministry have you been sent to build? Now, if you're an associate pastor, this would have been answered by the structure of the house, if the house is correct. What kind of ministry is this? Number 2: What is the cutting edge of this ministry? What is the cutting edge of this ministry? Cutting edge suggests the tool for accomplishing the purpose of this ministry?

What tool?

What is the cutting edge of this ministry? Number 3, what is the emphasis of this ministry? Now, you have not been called to teach everything in the Bible as it were, but you have been called to reveal scriptures through your emphasis. There is an emphasis every minister has been given. So it means you can't copy another man's assignment. You can't emphasize on this today and that tomorrow. There is an emphasis of the ministry. Number 4, what is the model of this ministry? What ministry model are we running? And when you are answering this question, don't answer a emotionally. Now listen, let me just say this to help us in answering questions as touching the model of the ministry. Be careful that you are not limited by environmental factors, because sometimes God might be calling you out of the norm, and there is the emotional, um, how would I call it now, intrusion that this model of ministry is not being practiced there. Maybe somebody is coming from a place where everyone around morning service, I'll be running in the evenings on Sunday, and that's not the model God has given to you. You must answer that correctly, know it, and stand with it without emotions. Is that clear? Number what now? Now let me explain this. What should come to the mind of the people when they think about this ministry? What should come to the mind of the people when they think about this ministry. Okay, so let me break this down.

Explain.

Amen. Now, it is possible that the minister wear coat of many colors. The same man can teach, can preach, does healing meetings, um, deliverance meetings, prayer ministry, and all those things. But you see, what should come to the mind of the people is what you project. While there are many things things, it is your duty to carefully choose what is projected. Are you following what I'm saying? No, you need to understand. We saw that there was fire on the mountain in Matthew 16 when Jesus said, who do men say that I am? And the Bible said, as they were answering, some said you are a liar, some said you are one of the prophets, some said you are this and that. Only Peter said you are the Christ. Meaning that if you leave your definition to men, you'll go— you'll miss it in ministry. It is your duty to choose what is projected. Never allow people do it for you. Number 6. Now, am I correct? What is the vision of this ministry? The vision of the ministry suggests the final address of the ministry in the next 20, 30 30, 40 years, if we can't trace the name of this ministry, in what area should we look for you? What will you be doing? Where are you going? Number 7: What is the mission of this ministry? The word mission in this context and the word vision are not the same. Vision describes where you are going. Mission describes how you intend to get there. Vision describes where you are going. Mission describes how you intend to get there. Number 8 now: what are the values of this ministry? What are the values? So you can use the word core values. That's what determines the basis of what is accepted or not accepted in the ministry. That's what determines the basis of what is approved or not approved in the ministry, the basis of who is related with or who is not related within the ministry. Now, we have a practice. When there's an invite from sources we don't know, we investigate and we check on different grounds. But I'll tell you too. Number 1, what is the emphasis of the ministry? It must align with our values. If I check the first 5 teachings and I can't find any, it doesn't exist, and that's the end of it. Is that clear now? Number 2, what relationship all right, are they maintaining this ministry? Because who you relate with is a reflection of what you hold dear. Relationship is not determined by just the words you preach, but by the quality of person you are. We check that, we check that. The company of fools get destroyed. Number what now? What is the structure of this ministry going to be like? Structure is what gives essence to vision. Let me explain. It doesn't matter how powerful the vision is, it is the structure that will make it either easy or difficult. I read something in a book, operational manual called The Mandate. Bishop Oyedepo highlighted that he said, it is the structure of a ministry that determines the future of the ministry. Anything that has no structure has no future. Powerful words. I remember when I came here and met Papa for the first time, the first area of coaching was structure. Many ministries have no structure. People just— I mean, I went to minister somewhere years back. I was in the North, all right? I was invited to preach there. When I got to the altar, I saw over 15 stickers on the altar. I saw for Winners, I saw for Christ Embassy, I saw for T.B. Joshua, I saw for Redeem, I saw for Winners, I saw— and I saw all the flyers on the same altar, multiple streams. Streams of income. Sorry for the word income. Or multiple streams of grace. The ministry has no structure. Everyone in the ministry are apostles or prophets or teachers. The ministry fed up. When there's no structure, everything will crumble. Any ministry that will see the next generation, attention must be given to structure. You can't build ministry on Facebook. It might be projected there, but real ministry is done behind the scene. Amen. Number 10 now: What is the culture of this ministry? What is the culture of this ministry? Now this really, most time we don't pay attention to it. So let me give you an illustration. I remember recently I was— amen, are you with me? Please don't mind the way I teach, just follow me. I was in an embassy and I was just seated waiting for my turn and I saw a woman that was arranging plates, arranging, and every time she was arranging the plates, you would hear the sound and just easing. I said, look at people, they've littered this this, they've littered that there. I mean, I was going to take a cup of coffee, so I said, let me hold on, all right, for this woman to finish. And every time she comes to park plate, just tumble everything together. Number one, I knew this is a Nigerian. I feel I'm saying, because in Nigeria, people don't expect to do the work they are paid for. Like, you are paid to clean, when you clean, you don't grumble. So I called her and I said, you look stressed. He said, my brother, I'm stressed. Say, is this now— she said, is this fasting and prayer thing? He said, fasting and prayer. I said, wow, amazing. So, you know, I'm going to church this evening. I'm an usher in church. I said, what church? She mentioned. I said, amazing. Listen to this: when there is poor ministry culture, there will be misrepresentation. There will be. The culture of your ministry becomes obvious from the moment we step our feet at your gate. Becomes obvious. What are the people like? Who welcomes us? How do they think? How do they talk? Are they friendly? How can you say rejoice without laughing?

Femi Lazarus.

Let somebody rejoice. The person will say this. Amen. But let me say this to you. One of the very important culture a ministry must have is the culture of love. Amen. Very important culture. Love is a fertilizer. Anywhere there's love, things grows. Love is a fertilizer. But do you know that love can also restrict the growth of a ministry? Yes, there is a way your people will be so much in love with themselves that first-timers don't feel accepted because you have communicated that the cycle is complete. One time I check and I saw, and I was asking myself, why is the church not growing beyond certain numbers. And as I investigated, I saw something strange. That is because when they release videos online and pictures, it is the same set of people that are appearing there. So when people look at it, they say there's no space for us here. The photographer is this person, Femi Lazarus. They are snapping themselves. It is good, but people can come. And say that there's no room for me here. Are you following what I'm saying here? Let me say something more about culture. I remember I was preparing a teaching recently and God told me to go and investigate why Mr. Biggs died. And I saw that as I, you know, make my research on that, I saw that sometimes ministers get complacent that people fail to value what God has given to them. Sometimes we need to ask ourselves practical questions. Who is in charge of follow-up, and how are they following up? Let me say something funny. One time I knew something was wrong. I did mathematics for a long time, so I approached many things from that standpoint. Let's say for instance there's an attendance of 400 and this Sunday there is 150 newcomers. Let's assume, all right, so we should have 550. Am I correct? From 400 average attendance, then you discover that you have 450. You have not gained, you have lost 100. So I started wondering what's going on. So when I finish preaching, I will go into the office and hear what the follow-up members are telling first-timers. Then I heard somebody say, in this church we have 3 visions, we have 3 covenants with us. First covenant of life, what did I say? Ah, what that means is to build culture, you don't leave people to their initiatives. You don't. Never leave people to take initiative in crucial areas. Everything must be manual. Are you following what I'm saying? Are you following what I'm saying? See, the ministry can evangelize so well, and people at the helm of affairs are baskets leaking away everything. And that's why ministry takes the job of a builder to investigate and see all the loopholes. Requires builders. Are you bored? Am I boring you? Are you sure? Okay. We don't leave ministry to chance. We don't leave anything to chance. We don't let life answer the questions we should answer as ministers. Are you following what I'm saying here? Are you following what I'm saying here? How then do we build a strong ministry? How then do you build a strong ministry? Now, a strong ministry is a ministry that fulfills the purpose of its existence and is structurally, structurally built to stand the test of time. A strong ministry fulfills the purpose for which it is called And then it is also structurally built to stand the test of time. You can fulfill the purpose for your existence and not have structure for the test of time. Meaning that, listen, when Jesus describes the builders, the man that builds his house on the rock and the man that builds his house on the sand, he said 3 things will check it. Number 1, the storm. I feel I'm saying now the wind. Now number 2, flood. Are you following what I'm saying? The rain, the wind, and what?

Flood.

Are you aware that every now and then there are winds of doctrines and strange things that are happening? And what that does is that every wind shows you what you are building. Never be afraid of adversity. They show you the quality of your men. Yes, never be afraid of adversity. They show you the quality of your men and the quality of your labors. Let's say by chance you invited a preacher to minister for you, which I believe through investigation, please avoid that chance, and the minister is building contrary to everything the house stands for. If at the end of the day you have breakaway, is a sign that the quality of men you have raised is like that. And sometimes the reason why that happens is that there are people we place in positions emotionally not because they have matured to earn it. You dash them because you love them. Anybody you compromise structure for will destroy the culture. You don't compromise structures.

No.

If anybody will pass from Level A to Level B, it must be because they pass certain tests. Are you following what I'm saying here? And sometimes that's what happens. Many things must be hanged. Let me say this, you know, people listen to teachings like this and say, ah, why is it that tough? Can God speak? Let the one building the house on the rock build. Let the one building on the sand build. Both of them will stand. Actually, both of them will be completed. In fact, the one building on the sand will finish fast, but something will check the boat. And that's why I said strong ministry requires patience. Let me tell you what God told me, and God warned me. He said, if you can avoid the temptation of trying to be ahead of your colleagues, you will avoid many troubles. Many people fall into many troubles because they want to be ahead. A ministry is not ready for branching if sons are not raised. Papa told me this, and I have run with that word, that ministry does not start in places, it starts in men. So no branch is ready until men are ready. Are you following what I'm saying? Very important. I remember recently we're taking survey how to start our UK church, check the clusters. We have cluster in social so part, we have closed time so and so part, and then all that. But the protocol is simple. The church starts around your strong men, not around the crowd. Strong men. Are you following me? If I'm not boring you, shout amen.

Amen.

Look at this. So a strong ministry is a ministry that fulfills the purpose for its existence and is structurally built to stand the test of time. Somebody said that there are terminated ministries and there are terminal, um, terminated ministries, generational ministries, and transgenerational ministries. Amen. Amen. A ministry can die when the set man is still at life. It depends on the quality of structure. Let me say this again. Please don't build emotionally. Build with wisdom. It is through wisdom a house is built. Is that okay now? Somebody was talking to another person and He said, I don't argue with fools. And the person said, you can't, you can't say that in life, you have to defend yourself. The fellow said, I agree, I agree. You see that now? I'm still not going to argue. Make sure when you are checked out, what you are saying and what is your structure is the same. Very important. Look at this: ministries that will stand the test of time is not built on gifts but on the word and prayer. Acts of the Apostles chapter number 6 from verse 1. So something happened. Bible says that their numbers increased and there was murmurings between the Grecian Jews and the Hebraic Jews. What that means is that between the enlightened part and the non-enlightened part. Are you following what I'm saying there? All right, and then It was Peter who called. He said, it is now not reason for us to leave the word of God and serve at tables. Leave table ministry for men who are trained for it. He said, let's look at amongst us men, all right, full of the Spirit that we may appoint over this business. 7 men of honest report. Please go back, verse 3 now. Full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may Men of honest report. Say, men of honest report. Never trivialize feedback. Never trivialize feedback. Sometimes you may be anointing a gifted rebel and the people the fellow is talking to are aware. Are you following what I'm saying here? Very important. In fact, anybody who is smart, who makes suggestions as touching out the meaning, what the ministry can do, but not with humility, is not a vessel to function with you. There is a way people make suggestions to prove to you that they know better. When you, when you put them there, they will feel they have earned it. It is not a privilege. The best men are men who takes responsibility as privilege, not as right. Men of honest report. If I can add this, because this is ministers' meeting, am I correct? Any associate who doesn't ask question is risky. Risky. Never ask question, never ask how I can do this better. Never observe is risky. Risky. You know, people, people say many things and take reference from different sources. Even when a man is building wrongly, he can be loud. Unfortunate for those who are listening to him. A man can be building long and is loud, is kicking against the things he will later learn when the ministry crash. Look at this. Strong ministries or ministries that will stand the test of time, they are not built on gifts. No, they are built on the word and prayer. So look for men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. I don't know why they added wisdom to full of the Holy Ghost. It just means that a man can speak in tongues and still be foolish. That is what it means. He's speaking in tongues, but when you hear him, something is not right.

It.

It's not fine. It's not fine. Are you following what I'm saying? The tongues can be in capital letter and it's still not all right. Listen to what I'm saying. It is not the highest, the loudest tongues. It doesn't answer to these things. Of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost. And how do you know wisdom? The fear of the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Listen, there are 3 traits you'll find anywhere you find wisdom. Number 1, you'll find patience. Number 2, you'll find humility. Number 3, you'll find the fear of God. Do you know that the Bible recommends that you don't give a foolish man wisdom? You think wisdom is the solution to foolishness. The Bible says it's not so. Wisdom is too high for a fool. Let me tell you the danger. Are you following what I'm saying? Are you with me? Are you with me? When you study the track record of a person person and you see pride, you see arrogance, the more you teach the person secrets of expansion, of growth, the more the fellow grows to compete with you. Maybe I'm going too far. Thank you, Papa. The Bible said in Mark 4: 11. Let's see that scripture. Mark 4:11. Mark 4:11. He said— look at it— he said unto them, unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to them that are without, these things are done.

How?

Why? So that in seeing they will see. Look at it. And not perceive. In here. So there are people that Jesus left them with their ignorance because of the hardness of their heart. Somebody is not submissive, somebody is not learning. Anytime you say that this is the secret for this, now this is how you go about this, every time he's pressing phone and you keep pouring. No, it doesn't work that way. No, a fool is foolish because of arrogance. The fellow must first find the way of humility. Only then can wisdom work. Very important. So look at what the Bible says. Let me have this. 2 Corinthians 4 from verse 1. 2 Corinthians 4:1: Seeing therefore we have this ministry, having received mercy, we faint not. Yes, verse 2 now: But we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty honesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully. So you don't check men who are crafty. And listen to this, listen to this. Every minister have the responsibility of proving that the way to your heart is that people love Jesus and they are teachable. If not, you will raise sycophants. Everybody just want to lie and eat themselves at the leg. No, look at it. We have renounced the hidden things dishonesty, not working in craftiness. It's not for the crafty, no. Nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by the manifestation of truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. So when he says look for men of honest report, he's talking about this now. Men who have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not working in craftiness. Those who are not craftily doing many things. Somebody's on the keyboard is winking to a girl after service, they will go back home, he comes back with strange fire, and you wonder why there's no revival. There can't be. No, you must check. And when it comes to this criteria, you value character over gifting. It doesn't matter how gifted a man is, if he has not entered the character for a role, he's still not qualified. Even if he's the one to bring down fire, it is character over gifting. Are you following what I'm saying here? Permit me, we have to use certain strong words because ministry demands it.

Yes.

It doesn't matter what the ministry teaches or represents. The word and prayer culture of the ministry will go a long way to show if it will last or not. The word or the prayer culture— and the prayer culture, not either of these— the word culture and the prayer culture. What attention is given to research of scriptures?

Let me say this to you.

Any minister of the take the audience serious and does not take the calling serious. And what you don't take serious can't grow. There are people who just wake up on Sunday morning, never open their Bible as pastors, and just check, join this plus this. News flash: we are speaking to a generation that is so intelligent, and they know when the pastor is adding palm oil plus garri. They know that he didn't study this. Let me say this to you. While I was serving, I attended a church, and I, I served in the church first and foremost in the media department. I sat with them in the technical room, and I observed when I got there that 100% of the people in the media department were streaming out that church service. The sheep We lie down in green pastures, not in preserved pasture, not in refrigerated pasture, not in microwaved pasture. The idea of green pasture is not something new, but something fresh. The same word can be fresh, and freshness suggests that the altar is potent. And sometimes that's how error is bettered. The hunger to teach new things. No, no, it must be green. And when the pasture is green, people will come. And, and you know, this, this happened to us recently. Um, I was sharing with Papa, um, I, I, I see, let me just Let me say this to you. Anywhere the word is green, people will leave where they are to search for it. There is a generation that is hungry, and we must keep it fresh. Let me say this to you. Recently we started having thousands of people from different nations trying to check our messages, go online on YouTube, on Spotify, on Telegram.

Checking.

And listen to this, I have taught, we have released over 2,000 messages, released out on social media platform, over 1,500 thoughts but not released yet. And I will always tell them, a time is coming, a generation will look for this, but let's be accurate now, not then, that when they come they are not disappointed. If you know God will lift, you build track record of the word and build it diligently. Don't live a life as a minister where you have inconsistent depth because you prepare sometimes and some other times you fail to prepare.

No, no.

So there must be a strong word culture that nothing pass as doctrine If it is not established by scriptures through the mouth of many witnesses— listen to this— foundationally in theological school, tell people 2 or 3 witnesses. But as we go higher, there must be the corroborative effort of scriptures. That is, there is no school of thought in the Bible that fight what I call truth. Now we know the principle of all scriptures, the convergence, because even those practicing occults have a Bible verse or something.

Things.

That doesn't mean it is correct. Are you following what I'm saying here? So we, we spend time to search, though it does not really mean this, but 2 Timothy 2:15 says, study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, but rightly dividing the word of truth. So there is a place of right division. Listen, um, The way this thing works, if you know it, you know it. If you have it, you have it. Sincerely, um, I know the Holy Ghost teaches us all things. If you— let's give you an instance now. If you sit for an exam that you fail to study for, what the Holy Ghost will do is to brood and remind you of the things in your conscious and subconscious that you can't remember.

True?

I used to hate mathematics, and sometimes when I see that in exam hall, I will be there saying, somebody invented this maths, so how did they invent— Oga, you fail it. The fact that you are asking about invention there shows that you don't know it. True or not true? If the ministry will stand the test of time, it must be built on the word, because it is the quality of the word that determines the quality of the men, structure for the rain. Are you following what I'm saying here? People misbehaving, they never did. Some people are humble because they can't afford the sin they want to commit. They can't afford it. They can't afford it. If they can, they would have known their true color. I'm telling— listen to what I'm saying. It is not just bad things you pray against. There are good things you are not ready for, and when it comes, it is still not a blessing. It is still good things you are not ready for, it's still not a blessing. There are times that the ministry does not need publicity until the structure is right. No publicity yet till we get it right. What is the quality of the things we are teaching? Let me say a few things. Let me say a few things, and I'm going to say this because this is my house. The moment we saw that God began to project our ministry, we stopped announcing all the branches. We went back to the drawing board. You don't invite people to come and see until what they are seeing is correct. Very important. So both the rain, the flood, and winds—contrary direction of the air—blew upon the house, and it fell not. Let me say this. Are you with me? Are you aware that there are, for instance, I want to say something, but let me give this example. Are you aware that there are lessons, good lessons about marriage? Please get me in context. That can be learned from Jezebel. For instance, when the husband was crying, I want this land, they're not giving me, she said, relax, I will get it for you. Let's just stop there. The way she got it, don't learn that one, okay? But you saw a woman that the satisfaction of the husband is the priority, though a wicked woman, but at least one quality. Am I correct? Let's talk about that woman, Delilah. The one who destroyed Samson, but at least peaceful enough and persuasive enough for Samson to put his leg on the laps. Here is a good woman now that the husband can't touch. What I'm simply saying is, if there are people we call false and they still have disciples despite proof that these are our house. Then they got— do you understand?

That's what I told you.

They got something at least. But you with the Rev, even when they lie against you, all your men— okay, now we must get it right. Do you understand what I quoted? Are you sure? All right, so the instrument for fulfilling the calling God has given to you is the word, so you have to pay attention to it. Let me give you a bit of insight here. What you emphasize on must be in the direction of your mandate. How do you have a mandate and what you are doing is different? Let me give you an instance. Somebody said, God has given me the mandate to go and raise end-time armies, and they have 5 programs in the year. The first program, music concert. The second program that they have in the year is, um, fashion show for believers. So listen, you can know that there's confusion, because the nature of program you hold is determined by the mandate. Don't just— the spirit is speaking, no, no, you better— all these spirits. Are you with me? Are you getting something? The aspect of the world you emphasize on will go a long way to show what your mandate is. So irrespective of what the nature of your ministry is, you must know how to preach and teach. Paul, speaking to Timothy, said he that desires the office of a bishop desires a good work. He said then the bishop therefore must be blameless, husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, and then said apt to what? Teach. Must have the— listen, teaching There's the office of a teacher which comes with the anointing to teach, but there is the teaching as learned. You can learn to be better skilled in teaching. You know, recently I saw some organizations that train people in public speaking recommending their students to go and listen to my teachings and learn the heart of storytelling. When you learn the heart of of teaching, then you know that there are tools for teaching— illustrative tools, storytelling, and bringing things to the minute form that anybody can understand. These things can be learned. As I'm talking now, I remember we used to have this morning devotion in the house, and then there's one of my boys— we have— we saw everybody will summarize. So when he was talking, I said, stop. Why do you intend to make us suffer? You know, there's a way you teach, you are suffering the crowd. It's early enough, we are trying to concentrate and fight sleep. There you are again. Uh, so now the book of— what is your problem? So I have to ask him, how did you get to a relationship? I say, I love you. A teacher must You must be a communicator, and it can be learnt. True? It can be learnt. Sometimes saying things that is funny to ease the crowd is also a skill. It's also a skill. Some people may forget everything you have said except those ones. Are you seeing that now? Very important. Is somebody getting something? Okay, so you have to learn to teach. Let's look at the book of 2 Timothy chapter number 4 from verse 2 to 5. 2 Timothy 4 from verse 2 to 5. You know, I can count the number of Bible study I miss in Femi Lazarus Feeding Center, trust the year I can count. If I'm not online for any Bible study, I will go back. I'm always in awe. And let me also say this, and I think I've said it publicly before. The first time I came to Feeding Center— and I want to show you how that we, we sometimes miss the men God is bringing to us because we don't get something right— first time I came to Feeding Center, I I came here not to submit as a son but as a mentee. But as I sat down there, I kept asking, how come every time I sit here, my word is here? It means my inheritance is here. What I'm saying is that those that God has brought as sons, if you have not learned to download their word from heaven, God will have to find another father. And is that serious? And are you following what I'm saying? What I'm saying is a very serious matter. When people come, can they find themselves in the scripture? Is their word there? You don't just preach over the head of the people. These things are done by the Spirit, by the Spirit. So let me jump quickly. Why many ministries are not strong? Why many ministries are not strong? Number one, lack of spirituality. The ministry is strong to the degree that there is strong spirituality. You cannot separate spiritual nature of a ministry from the quality of the ministry. Once you lose the fire, it becomes a business. Lack of spirituality. When you look at the book of Romans chapter number 8, verse 6, says to be carnally minded is death. Please project it. Romans 8:6, to be carnally minded is death, to be spiritually minded is life and peace. So anywhere there is spirituality, there is life. There is life. Look at the book of Colossians 4 from verse 1 to 4. Colossians 4 from verse 1 to 4, quickly look at it. Masters, okay, I'm given to your servant that which is just and equal, knowing that you also have a master in heaven. Yes, quickly, verse 2. Now continue in prayer. Continue in what? Prayer. You can't say I don't have prayer life and I'm spiritual. How? You are delusional. Prayer. And let me say this to you, prayer is not what a minister should do once in a while. You will never know the things you are missing until you pray. You will never know the things you could have entered until you pray. You will never know things that could have happened until you pray. Prayer to get it right. The fire must always keep burning on the altar. It shall not be put out. The fire of prayer. And listen to this: you may delegate many things, don't delegate prayer. Nobody can pray for you. No, you pray for yourself. Don't delegate prayer. Don't delegate intercession. There can be many intercessors But you can't delegate your prayer life and say, this is my prayer life, manage it for me, I'll pay you at the end of the month. You will rupture. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving. Yes, verse 3 now. All right, without praying also for us that God will open the door of utterance. So utterance requires prayer. People ask me, how do you pray for your messages? 95% of times I pray in tongues. Tongues. And I notice as I'm fired up in prayer, I'll begin to get insight from everything, from the word. It starts— it becomes clear. Somebody say prayer. Say it again. Say prayer. This parable Jesus told them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint. A man who is not praying may look like he's standing, but he can't withstand anything. So pray, very important. There must be spirituality. You look at the pattern in Acts 13, leaders were not chosen until they gathered certain prophets and teachers in Antioch, they fasted and they ministered to the Lord. So fasting must be a culture. Fasting, fasting. You know, when I was on campus, they used to call me Pastor Marathon because you can't stay with me, I not learn dry fasting. You must learn fasting. One time we said we fasting and we said everybody should go on how many hours break. Then there was a sister that was staying close to where we're praying, so I went to collect certain document. And as I knocked, she opened the door with a plate of otiam and egg. And the— what I love about that there was that the yam was on the plate and also in her mouth. Because I knew the sister, if it was not in her mouth, she will say, my neighbor, fast when the rest are fasting, pray when you— so you have to align with your generation. You know, Papa preached the message in the church, rise with your generation.

I can't forget.

If you don't rise with your generation, you will queue in another generation, and the queue will be long because it's not is yours. So even in rising as a minister, you, you must identify who are those in my generation and catch up, because the same devil will fight everybody. You must catch up with your generation. Are you following what I'm saying here? And the way we do so is not by competing, no, it's by aligning with the will of God. We see in this kingdom, we are not fast by running, We are fast by waiting. The one who knows the way of prayer will move fast. People may look like they have left you behind and mock you and say, we are— no, no, no, you just stay there and pray. For 2 years of my life, God gave me a dealing of fasting 6 to 6 and prayer. I will cry, others have left me behind. He said, stay there till I bring you another word. No, it is not by trying to get ahead, no, it is by waiting. Written on him. Are you with me now? Even ministry growth is warfare, so you must fight to break through. For your voice to go beyond your immediate environment is warfare. There are clouds that must be broken. You know, sometimes I go online and I see somebody's trying to, you know, now everybody's saying— I mean, I went on YouTube, somebody's saying untold stories about Apostle Femi Lazarus. I say, ah, I watched the thing, I said, is this my story? Even me, I can't recognize myself again. Is this my story?

Lies!

30 people will write different things, and sometimes you see the devil is trying to raise accusation. Abba, prayer. We cancel this school of thought. We nail it to the wall. It will not pass that roof. We will deliver what we have been sent to deliver without hindrance. Warfare. I remember recently somebody went to put my message side by side with the president, and it was millions of people. As they showed me, I said, what is this? Father, there will be no matter as touching this one. Let me leave it. Please pray, please pray. There are seen and unseen forces. Please pray, please pray. Number 2 reason why many ministries are not strong: lack of understanding. Please project Proverbs 12:27, first in King James, then secondly in Message. Proverbs 12:27, first in King James, then secondly in Look at it. He said, the slothful man roasted not that which he took into wanting, but the substance of the diligent man are precious. So let me explain. Give me a message if you can. Do you have it? You don't have it. Let me see if I can. Proverbs 12:27. Somebody, are you following me here? Are you sure? Look at it, um, message. He said the lazy life is an empty life, but early to arise gets the job done. So listen, what it means is that it is one thing to make, to roast, to get an animal. It is another thing to know how. Knowledge answers the question of what. Understanding answers the question of how. How can we move from point A to point B? There are body of knowledge you cannot not despise. Look at Proverbs 13:15. Proverbs 13:15, quickly. Good understanding gives favor, but the way of transgressors are hard. When things are increasingly difficult, you should ask yourself, what am I not asking?

Very important.

When there is good understanding, there is favor. But the Bible is saying that the man who does not understand is a transgressor already, then his ways will be hard. And when the ways of a man becomes hard, what you should seek for is understanding. Don't spend your life defending error. Don't spend your life trying to prove a point that you are right when you are in the wrong path. No. If a man has missed it, you can retrace the steps, seek God, and get back again. Let me round up here, then I continue tomorrow. Though tomorrow I'm going to go more into warfare dimension and prayers. Are you being blessed tonight? I wrote here, people who don't ask questions or observe can't grow in ministry. People who don't ask questions or observe can't grow in ministry. Never be too big or too timid to get close to those who have understanding. Never be too big or too timid to get close to those who have understanding. Bulk of the times when I call Papa, I have questions, and it is shocking to my bone many times when Papa reach out and say, how do we go? And I say, what? And I said, this This is the, this is the trait of great men, always asking questions. And I think that's one thing we enjoy here, that we have a spiritual father who doesn't feel too big to understand us. Amen. So let me just give the remaining, as I wrap up here, reason why many ministries are not strong. Poor structure— I've spoken something about that before. Number 4, poor culture. Tomorrow I'm going to show the areas to labor in ministry, then we get to warfare dimension of ministry. Have you been blessed? Let's lift our hands and give God praise for the hearing of his word tonight. And as you are thanking God, there will be areas God will show to you. That this area requires attention. May we receive the grace to give attention to those areas even as God is showing us. Thank you, Father. So Father, we give you thanks and give you praise for what you're doing here. Thank you for this house and for the ministers you are raising through this platform. My Father, my God, I ask that these words will bear genuine fruit. Every ministries seated here will know what to do next. We give you all the praise in Jesus' mighty name. Thank you, Papa, for the privilege.

Hallelujah!

Glory to God! Let's celebrate grace! Let's celebrate grace! Let's do it better! Do it better! Do it better! Do it better! Do it better! Do it better! Can somebody say wow? Say it loud and say, wow, Apostle! That was a strong meat, strong meat. It was an amalgam of different streams of thoughts packaged in one single space of delivery. We are blessed, we are blessed to have it. We are blessed to have a wisdom tank in the body of Christ. So Apostle Femi Lazarus is a wisdom tank. Thank you, the body of Christ. It was just reading out those delectable morsels of meal from the bosom of the Father, and I believe everyone has been blessed. That was such a strong word. That was such a strong word, and I'm so much excited that you did not hold back in, you know, releasing everything in your heart. Amen. And the burden in my heart is so satisfied, and then, uh, and the hunger, the passion and the burden is lifted. I want to encourage you, you know, as he was ministering, I felt very strongly in my heart that that was not just an exposé, you know, teaching. It was very, very prophetic. I believe it was illustrating what a lot of ministers are going through. And if you can just lay your hands on those life-applicable principles exposed in that apostolic teaching, I believe that the sky is your beginning. So if I were you, I would go over that teaching over and over and over and over again. Remember I said at the beginning that God has spoken