THE ROOT OF BITTERNESS 2

Welcome to an encounter with the spirit, word, and prayer through the prolific apostolic and teaching ministry of Apostle Femi Lazarus, lead pastor of 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.

Um, Hebrews chapter number 12 from verse 14 to 16. Hebrews 12 from verse 14 to 16. And I want us to, um, pay keen attention to, um, this scripture. If you're there, say amen. Now look at what the Bible says. Hebrews 12 from verse 14 says, follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see God— see the Lord. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God. 'Unless any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.' You see that? So he went on to speak a bit about Esau, and I, I was trying to understand why Esau will be brought in that context. And I realized that the Bible was saying that the same way Esau mortgaged the plan of God for his life, um, bitterness is also a way to sell off. Is that okay now? Um, to be bitter is a way to also, um, look at the great things God has proposed for you and then to sell it out. Um, the word bitterness used in Hebrews 12 there is the word that— from Hebrew word that means pikria, pikria, which means acidity, or also means literally poison. It means poison. The same word can also mean sharpness, to be piercing. You see that? To be sharp. Now this is not the sharpness like we would use it. This is like the sharpness of a painful knife. Are you with me? Of a what? Painful knife. So when a person is bitter, the fellow is poisonous. When a person is bitter, the fellow is sharp. A bitter person inflicts pain. On people because of the sharpness. Amen. So that's the word. So what the Bible is actually saying is, um, it is very possible to follow peace with all men. It is, it is possible. We will not be told to do it if it is not possible. It is possible to endeavor to be at peace. Amen. Um, and some of the reasons why that is difficult is because it is quite easy, um, to walk with people who are lovable. But there are people who are not lovable. Yes, they are sharp, they are coarse, they are, um, they are acidic. And in all of those cases, I found out that it's because you are not even the problem. They have greater things they are dealing with. Is that okay now? They have internal battles unresolved. They have things they are not talking about. And I always tell people that rudeness is a lazy man's way of showing strength. So when you see a rude person, that's someone who is trying to be strong but doesn't know how to be strong. Humility is strength. To be gracious is strength. To not return evil with evil is strength. To be looked down upon and refuse to look down on your— upon yourself is strength. If somebody said to you now that, are you stupid? That's not an insult. It is a question. You fight because you believe you are, huh?

True.

You fight because that question agrees with a question you have been asking yourself and you have not found an answer, that maybe I'm stupid. Amen. Somebody looks at me now and say, Lazarus, are you stupid? My answer is no, I am not. And someone said, what about the context? You know, this— there's, there's Nigerian context you have to think about when you're asking this. You know, are you stupid? Is there from you dey mad? When you switch to Pidgin, it's because it becomes quite more harsh. You know, one time I was where I was living with someone who was very bad with words. And when she wants to curse, she speaks in Yoruba. And if you have seen where Yoruba person is fighting— apologies, I'm one— Yorubas shout. Go to Lagos. Ojuwelekba anoshodi.

Eh, gay me, ah, you want ah.

Nobody's going to exchange blows. But you just hear shout, I will kill you today, I will dismantle you, ah, this, this. They are not going to touch each other, but they will shout. Amen. Um, if you go to the East, there might be one warning, then the next thing is a big blow. They don't talk too much. Action. Amen. Then the North have their own. So I, I paid attention to the kind of words he was using on us. So I requested one day, she was quite happy, so I requested that maybe we should stop speaking Yoruba in this house. Let's start speaking English. So when she gets angry and she wants to throw words, she goes, ah, then she now say, ah, you are foolish. I say, I agree. And when the thing gets to the peak, just switch again and enter those diabolical words.

Amen.

And people are not really gracious these days because they are the first victim. They are in pain. They're in pain. Nobody goes around injuring people if they are not in pain. The fellow who is holding knife to someone's head and saying, I will blow your brains out for a phone The fellow is not normal for a phone. I heard the story of an Uber driver in Lagos. Somebody was trying to collect the phone from the guy, and the guy was struggling with the phone. The guy had this local gun and shot— fired the gun at him in his face, and he went blind. He took his two eyes for a phone. So most times when you see where these guys are, you discover that they have to smoke to feel among— they have to be high. There are many lazy people that look strong. Somebody will hold the wife, took hold and press her against the wall and say, I'm going to show you I'm the man in this house. That's not strength. That's not strength. That's weakness. That's weakness. Severe one. Serious one. Amen. Say loud and clear, I am not weak. I am strong. Say it again. I am not weak, I am strong. Say it again. I'm not weak, I'm strong. So I showed you the other time that the word bitterness translates to mean poison. It also means acidity, to be acidic. So it means that the moment Um, even as the name implies, when you become bitter, you are no longer sweet. You are no longer sweet. So ask your neighbor, um, are you a sweet person? I don't know what is in your mind. I don't know why you are laughing, but understand the context of my question. Is that okay? Uh-huh. I understand your neighbor is not an orange or a mango. So I'm talking about sweetness in terms of pleasantness, the ability to give off sweet fragrance that people will meet you and they feel better about themselves after encountering you. When people converse with you, they, they, they, they— it brings them closer to meaning. They feel there must be a purpose about my life. And sometimes life is not pleasant. Um, you want to reflect the pain the same way the moon reflects light from the sun. Sometimes you just want to give people a piece of your mind, but we must be gracious because we have been called to look like Christ, not just when we are in church, but everywhere we find ourselves. Um, I, I, I think I, I shared with you, I was sharing in Asaba, um, last week, um, I was going to minister and I just started hearing someone fighting. I heard the voice of a young man telling an elderly man, get out from my front, you this, get out of here, you fool, this, that. And I was wondering, first thing first, the man is old enough to give birth to you. Femi Lazarus, first in first. Then the senator we were still together said he doesn't know that he's addressing the former Chief of Defense Staff. So when we came down from the flight, soldiers were waiting in their numbers. Apparently he saw that they were waiting for the man. It occurred to him, I've shot myself in the leg. And I saw the way he was walking fast, and the old man just looked at him and moved on. That's graciousness, that's strength, that's maturity. One time I was on a flight And a governor was sitting just in front of me, one of the sitting governors. He was sitting on somebody's seat. It was not his seat. And the man came and said, oh sir, you are in the wrong seat. I mean, if I was in his shoes, I would tell him, you are in the wrong seat, sir, politely. We paid. You can't cheat us politically and cheat me on my flight. You can't cheat me in two ways. He wouldn't look up. He sat down with sense of entitlement. I said, this is not a leader, this is a ruler. No humility. I think I shared with you, no humility, no graciousness, nothing. And I love the esteem of the man standing there. He had to leave him, but we all understood the message. This might be a governor, but he's not a leader. Humility is strength. We must not use our privileged position to lord over people. Humility is what? Strength. So bitter people are not sweet people. They reflect what is on their inside. When you are bitter, you become defiled. When you are bitter, you become defiled. It defiles you from inside out. Bitterness defiles you. In the name that is above all names, you will not be defiled.

Amen.

Because it doesn't matter how wise you are, um, the moment you become bitter, you can't manifest wisdom. You will speak from folly, hmm, speak from folly once you are bitter. So bitterness is a trap. It's a very serious trap. And whether you are anointed or not doesn't change the fact that you can be bitter. The anointing does not remove bitterness. No. You can be anointed, blessing lives. You are releasing sweet incense, but hey, there's still something. It looks like there's a fragrance that is coming alongside with, um, with the sweetness that, that you represent. There's a scripture for that, um, in the book of Ecclesiastes, and I, I want to quickly search it out. That speaks about dead fly will make anointment, um, used to— what is it— apothecary, to stink. So you might have a very sweet incense, but there are also things on the side that destroys it. See, you, you have to put the teaching of Isaac and Ishmael side by side with my teaching tonight. You can be so anointed, so gifted, But the pain on the inside is not allowing the sweetness of the fragrance of the anointing that should have transformed life to work in itself. What should heal is now hurting. What should mend is breaking. What should raise people is killing them. And I've said this again and again, sometimes the way we handle ministry in Africa is scary. It makes God difficult to approach. It looks like he's going to just kill you one time. You don't even know who he is. It's like the government is against you, you are from a dysfunctional background, the society is against you, and even God is looking for a way to kill you. That's not the God of the Bible. And that's why your theology is wrong. Ah, I made a mistake, I forgot to have my devotion, then God did not speak to me throughout the day. Is God that petty? He hates malice, but he keeps it. He hates strife, but he's striving with you. That's not the God of the Bible. Uh, God has not spoken to me for the past so, so and so number of days. I perceive that God is angry with me. Apostle lay hands on me so God will not be angry with me, so my hands will turn away his anger. The blood of Jesus is not that potent to change it. Wrong theology. Wrong theology. Say it again: God is love. Say it again: God is love. Say loud and clear: God is love. When a person is bitter, the grace they carry becomes polluted. The same way a water that is sweet or neutral in taste, whatever you call it, can become bitter. What you carry can be polluted bitterness. So I want to— because of the length of the work that I have to do around this story today, I want to go into a story in the Bible. Um, today I'm going to talk lengthily about the story of Absalom. And David. On Sunday, I'm going to talk about the story of Jacob and Reuben. We're going to compare these two cases of bitterness. Is that okay? Are you with me? Are you sure? Now turn your Bibles quickly to the book of 2 Samuel, chapter number 13. 2 Samuel, chapter number 13. If you are there, say amen. So I'm going to start the reading from verse 1, 2 Samuel chapter number 13. This is one of the very significant story— stories in the Bible that illustrates what bitterness can do to a person, to a lineage, to a family, and to a kingdom. And it came to pass after this that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister whose name was Tamar. And Amnon the son of David loved her. And Amnon was so vexed that he fell sick for his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin. And Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her. But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah David's brother. And Jonadab was a very subtle man, that is, a crafty man. And he said to him, why art thou, being the king's son, lean from day to day? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar my brother Absalom's sister. And Jonadab said to him, Lay thee down on thy bed and make thyself sick. And when your father come to see you, say to him, I pray you, let my sister Tamar come and give me meat and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it and eat at her hand. He gave him a strategy, what the Gen Zs will call OT. He said, if you, if you do this, you're going to get, um, your sister. Number one, why, why should you fall in love with your own sister? It doesn't make sense. Huh? Talk to me now. It doesn't make sense. Why will a man fall in love with his own sister? But you will look at the description that was given. The Bible called Tamar the sister of Absalom. Absalom and Tamar, um, were the children of one of the many wives that David married. Um, David was the king. He had choice of women. As a matter of fact, before we got here, in 2 Samuel 11, when he went after Bathsheba, and consequently when Nathan came, he said, when you became king, I gave you the wives of Saul. I didn't withhold anyone from you. He said, if you wanted more, I would have given you. So David had many women. He was enjoying his life. Um, he was giving birth to children, but he was also betting pain. Sometimes a man said to me, and I see people say it around, particularly young people, you know, sometimes you see people addressing the issue of Nigeria and they say, let's fight, let there be war, what's the whole nonsense, let's end everything. And usually you find out that there are people who have never experienced war.

Before.

Hey, polygamy is in the Bible. I know doctrine and this, this, that. Nobody can talk to me against it. It bet pain. There are men who are cut out to die, but the children may never recover from the pain they have produced, the consequence of their actions, the things they have done to their families, the number of children out of wedlock, what they have done to their wives, what they have done to their children. The children may never know peace, not because they don't love each other, but because a man has sown discord. A man is about exiting the stage, but he's, he's, he's created problem. We, we would not have had the issue of Absalom and Hamnon if they were all given birth to by the same women. The problem here was the fact that there were steps. Are you with me? Is it simple enough? That's the first issue. Just have women everywhere. And let me give you this counsel: if you believe in that lifestyle, you will— you may manipulate your children with money, but as they mature, they will grow to hate you. Many African fathers think that as long as you can pay them and give them money— I pay your school fees— you think you are buying the future. It's a lie. It will only be for a while. At the end of the day, the ultimate way to love children is to love their mother. We need to redefine this nonsense. If you claim to truly love your children, then you have to love their mother. Can't keep betting pain. If you are not married and you are here, allow yourself to be re-engineered now. When you marry people, you don't just marry what they wear, you marry their mentality. And some mentalities are very bad. There are many bad people in good suit. There are many acidic people in nice kaftans. The shoes are well polished, but I wish their character was better polished. They don't have an idea of how to keep a home. They think women are articles that you keep and hang somewhere. Someone said, why do you always address men? Because either wears their— or on easy lies the head that wears the crown. You are the foundation. As goes the head, so goes the body. If you get it right— let me say this to you— the rebellion many men are facing in their home is God telling them, you are rebelling against me. If you miss your priesthood, you will have children who are smoking. You will have girls you sponsor to school, but they are doing hookups. You think your money can buy posterity? It can't. There are some foundations we don't remove. There are things you don't take away. If you miss your priesthood journey as a man, you will bet pain in your home. Are you with me, men? If you are here, say amen. Amen. I'm excited about you guys first and foremost. Today the weather is cold. It could have been easy to be in a beer parlor and take some Scotch, but you are here. Let's give Jesus a big hand. I believe God is changing the narrative. I believe things are changing. There is a generation, um, that will emerge that will get it right. And we change the narrative and change the stories in Jesus' name. Let's say a big amen to that. So David actually built that foundation, and as we study the story of Hamnon and Tamar, we're going to see many things David himself didn't get right. Many things. Oh, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel. And so long story short, this guy went to pretend that he was sick. The father sent the sister, go and take care of your brother, and she went there. And the Bible said he took her, then he lay with her, then he defiled her. He slept with her. The moment he finished sleeping with her, he hated her more than the love that he had for her. That's how powerful lust is. It is not durable. It was just about her body, and the moment he saw the whole thing, ah, you need to see the way he threw her out of the house.

Get out! Look at it.

And Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, Arise, begone. Are there no women that men can sleep with but can't marry? How do you call that love? If Femi sleep with her, he said, get up, get up, get out. King James is very polite, said, be gone. Um, let's see what Message have to say about this verse. I'm not sure, but I know Message is always quite extra, huh? No sooner had Haman raped her than he hated her, an immense hatred. All right, the hatred that he felt for her was great, greater than the love he had for her. Get up, he said, and get out. He didn't want to see her. What can be so— what can be more cruel than that? You've messed that up. And now you are walking out. Go back to King James, please. Let's go to verse 16. Then she said unto him, there is no cause. This evil in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done unto me. But he would not seek Achan. He said, see, I understand you have raped me, but this one of sending me away now is even worse than that. Look at what he said, verse 17, quickly. Then he called his servant that ministered to him and said, put now this woman out from me and bolt the door after her. Dara, get out. And you know what happened? She put sackcloth on her head and tore the colorful robe that was the custom of princess to wear, that indicated that they were virgins. So she tore the garment and she put sackcloth and was walking on the street of Jerusalem and was crying. Verse 18. Now let's go, let's go, let's, let's jump a bit to where I stopped. All right, let's go to verse 20 quickly. Um, let's go 19, please.

Sorry.

Look at what happened. And Tamar put ashes on her head and rent her garment of diverse colors that was on her and laid her hand on her head like this, huh? And she went on crying. She was crying, the princess. And Tamar and Absalom her brother said unto her, Adhammon, Amnon thy brother, been with you, but hold now your peace, my sister. He is your brother. Regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house. When I read this, I, I was wondering if David was as powerful in his home as he was in ministry, the best place to go was to her father. You can be very powerful in ministry and weak in your home. You can be very powerful in ministry and weak in your home. She went to Absalom. And look at Absalom's response.

Ha!

Has Amnon done this to you?

Ha!

No, no, no, no, don't take it to heart. He's your brother. You'll be fine. Stay in my house. Relax. When you hear such counsel, what's your response? Oh, Absalom, the mature man, you understand how to handle family affairs. So mature. He could have killed Amnon the same day, but he never did. In fact, look at what he did. Verse 21, quickly. And when the King David heard of these things, he was very wrought. Yes, quickly. And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon, neither good nor bad. For Absalom hated Amnon because he had forced his sister. Now he was pained, but he never said anything. Never said anything. Never said, why did you do it? Never said, you did this to my sister. Never complained. Have you seen people you offended never talk? They say, you know what, um, see, are you pained? Say, we give God the praise. Ah, it is well. Look at the way he talked to you. So you say, let's just thank God, let's just thank God. Yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's one of those things. Um, we are people of the spirit, all is well. We have Christianese language that we use to excuse the fact that we are humans and we are pained. When you are hurt, speak up. You have done this. I don't like the way you talk to me. Why? Sometimes you say, I'm not going to talk to person, the person is not going to understand. But speak, let the person know, let the person know. And then the following morning they say, good morning. Yeah, yeah, see, sister, I'm talking to you. You're welcome. And when we say, let's know Holy Hands. Oh, glory! After the service, hey sister, how you doing? Thank God. You know what they say? Thank God. They can't look at— thank God. The Bible said he never said anything good or bad. I think the worst person to offend is the person who will not tell you that they have offended them. Let's just thank God. Let's just move on. Say, um, we have called both of you to settle this matter. Say, ah, there's nothing to settle. There's nothing to settle. Um, you see, the way I take life, the way I take life, you, you will think that they are the commander-in-chief of maturity. See, the way I just take life. They are greeting you for the past 2 weeks, you have not been responding. Now they are saying, let's settle the matter. I say, you know, no, no, no, you see, it's not, um, it's, it's not a deep matter. It's not that deep. It's not that deep. So where I came from, we don't take all these things to heart. You are angry, you are pained, you are looking for a way to avenge, you are looking for a way to get back at the person. All the opportunity to make peace has come, you have refused to. So I just thank God for his grace.

What grace!

What grace! What grace! Let's continue the scripture we are reading quickly. Um, media. So Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

Yes.

And it came to pass after full years that Absalom had sheep shearers in Bahazo, which is beside Ephraim, and Absalom invited the king's sons. Now go to verse 24. And Absalom came to the king and said, behold now, thy servant had sheep shearers. Um, let the king, I beseech thee, and his servant go with thy servant. Um, did you notice that Absalom never said anything to Hamnon, and Hamnon never said anything also? If you have offended people and they are not talking, you talk. Have the conscience enough to say, I have done something bad. Absalom never talked. I'm not— never talked. Their father didn't talk. And I'm going to show you that pattern in the house of David. They seem to know how to move on without settling matters. How, how, how were they meeting at the dining when they called for a feast? 2 full years, and you are seeing the girl, you took her virginity, you are seeing her elder brother, and he will call you to a feast and you still go. What kind of impunity is that? Hear me, there are people who are not the ones that are bitter, but they are the ones causing bitterness. When you hear them, they are very sweet people, but they are sweet and painful. He said they don't know how to keep matters in their heart, but they are sharp as double-edged sword. Was it Hamnon that was bitter? No, but what he did was bad, huh? Let me tell you this: the most difficult person to fight is somebody who is more corny than you. Everybody sees them as smiling and okay. In fact, they have the reputation to not know how to keep issues But they also have the reputation of causing problems. The moment Amnon saw that he had slept with the girl, he couldn't hide his feelings. Get out, get out, get out. First year, you see Absalom the following week and say, Amnon, how you doing? And say, I'm fine. You raped his sister. You are not talking, he's smiling. You are not begging, huh? I remember a case years back. I won't mention where we were so the matter will not be traced, but we're in the country. A boy, a Nigerian boy, was sleeping with the wife of one of the natives. He was sleeping with the wife, and you know what he did? He still had the guts to go to their house every night to drink beer with the husband. He will sleep with the wife during the day, he and the husband will sit outside his house and drink beer with his friends and come back and laugh at the man. One day the man found out that he was sleeping with the wife and he came with a cutlass and said, I will cut off your head. Tonight you must not have the custom of going about causing people pain. You must not have the custom. We're going to deal with the issue of bitterness, but we must also deal with the issue of the injurious. There's a girl somewhere that is trying to move on from a guy who has raped her, and now he's a pastor and never apologized. Never apologized. Say life has happened, you should take it and move on. You have sown a seed and you're going to have daughters too. We must learn to make peace. Don't sweep matters under the carpet. The fact that the fellow is not talking doesn't mean they are healed. Don't go about causing people pain. Don't go about causing problem, bleeding people out, and everywhere you step people are crying, they are weeping because you have passed with the tail of a scorpion. And you are the one who is so loud. Glory to God in the highest. Glory, glory, glory, glory to God. And you are a problematic person. You are a problem. The last time you almost broke somebody's head over a bucket. I said, who took my— who carry my bucket here? You need to wear a house of pew.

Me, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm a wall. You, you—

it's your business. I don't know what you're talking about. You need to go and ask of me. You need to—

when I get angry, I scatter things.

Tell your neighbor, make peace with the past. It's very important. Make peace. Make peace. Are you with me? Ah, so he said, he said to the king, he said, I have a feast. After how many years? 2 years. How many years? 2 years. 2 years. 2 solid years. In fact, the Bible said 2 full years.

Didn't talk.

There was no record of David calling Absalom to ask, how do you feel? What can I do? Tama, what can I do? What was the penalty for the sin that Amnon had committed against Tamar. All these questions that are left unanswered, I will show you what they will produce. Many questions. You have slept with my sister. Our father is not talking. He moved on. It was about the palace. He was still writing Psalms. He was busy writing Psalms. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Where is that shepherd when your son was sleeping with my sister? You know, there's a way you will handle family, your children will hate your leadership. You see, there cannot be lasting peace where there's no justice.

Peace.

There cannot be. In fact, calling for peace without justice is a way to bully people. Let's just make peace, let's just make peace. No, no, no, there's a matter, okay? Say, okay, I'm sorry. No, there should be acknowledgment. I acknowledge, because this I'm sorry is a way to even scorn the people, is a way to scorn the people. But if you are the one dealing with somebody who is not seeing it, for the sake of your own sanity, forgive them in advance and move on so you are not cheated twice. The fellow has ought you, now they are still living rent-free in your head. Move on. Let me say this in the most graphical way possible: not everyone with a head have sense. That's, that's, that's the truth. Have you heard people reason and you, you wonder what, what is up there? Have they put hands inside to scatter it? What was there? What are you thinking with? A girl has been raped and somebody saying, how was he dressed?

You wonder.

He may not be the rapist, but he's a potential one. And before you know it, it becomes the acceptable question in society. Somebody has been raped, they say go and bring evidence. Oh, the fellow that was raped was going with mobile phone to record. They about to rape me. They about to rape me. They about to rape me. Don't be in a hurry to say I do. Hear the way he thinks. You You might be marrying a fool. Yeah, the way he thinks. And there are girls who don't make matters easy for themselves. There are girls also, they have heads, a big wig on top, just that what is inside the skull is missing.

It's missing.

There's nothing there. The way they think, the way they process life, the way they reason, the way they see life. It will interest you that a woman is asking the fellow woman to provide evidence for a rape.

A woman.

And our society is built largely on injustice, and it's— there's the ripple effect, there's the consequence of that. We will solve most of our insecurity problems in Nigeria if there will be justice. Social justice. Are you there? Should we continue the reading?

Yes.

2 Samuel 13. So after full years, yes, invited the king's sons. Verse 24 now. And Absalom came to the king and said to him, let's go to verse 25. And the king said to Absalom, nay, My son, let us not allow all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him, and albeit he would not go, but he blessed him. So he even wanted the father to be there. That's what he was saying. Go and read very well. He wanted the father to be there. What he wanted to do was to kill the boy in the presence of the father. He could have invited Amnon alone. Let's look at the effect of this story. Verse 27 now. But Absalom pressed him that he let Amnon and all the king's sons come with him.

Yes.

Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark you now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon, then kill him.

Fear not.

Have not I commanded you, be courageous, be vigilant? Yes. 29. And the servant of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule and fled. You need to think about this beyond the letters. An entire family, all the siblings were seated And somebody was going to kill his brother, and he needed the siblings to be there. Not just the siblings, he actually wanted the father to be there. Why? He wanted him to feel the pain he had carried for 2 years.

He had been carrying it, and he wanted everyone to have a piece of his pain. Let the society feel what I feel.

That was what he was doing. They struck him dead. Ah, the king's children, they were royal seeds born in the palace. At least the father might be a warrior who goes out to fight, but they are not used to blood. And right there was their brother lying in the pool of his own blood, drowning there, struck on the instruction of their brother also. And they fled. Think about the trauma. Think about the number of days it will take them to recover. Think about the number of months, the years that they will have the pictures in their mind the day their brother killed their brother and was lying in the pool of his own blood, dead. What kind of pain was this? What is happening in the house of David? David, What is happening? You may not know what trauma means. There was a time I was living in a house and I was studying around 2:30 AM. Then I noticed that somebody was watching me from the window. You know this face my face you house?

Uh-huh.

So I didn't know who it was. There was light in my room but there was no light outside. So I gummed myself to the wall. We don't know who is there, but I knew somebody was watching. And then all of a sudden we had a lambag, loud bang on the door. There were thieves, they were trying to break in. The fellow, we had to look in the house, the fellow who we knew can cause problem. We say, come, enter into this guy, I must go. You are the one that can go and tell a thief with gun, I rebuke you in Jesus' name. Before they will test it on your head, that your parents will come and look for me. Enter this guy, I must go. If you come out, I will punch you. But you know, after the thieves left, they couldn't break in. After they left, we couldn't really sleep in the house for the trauma. Anyone who has experienced armed robbery before will know what I'm talking about. You just keep feeling it might happen anytime. So look at the traumatic experience in the house of David, because somebody was what?

Bitter.

Bitterness can traumatize an entire lineage, can leave people in shambles. Why was Absalom that cold? He wanted to kill Amnon. He could have sent them to his house in the middle of the night and say, kill him in a way that nobody will know who had done it. He could have asked them to poison his food. In a way, he wanted to kill him, and he wanted to take responsibility for it, that I did it. Why? So they can feel his pain, the pain he had carried for 2 years, 2 full years. Tell your neighbor, release the pain. Tell your neighbor again, release the pain. So somebody ran and went to tell the king and said, hey, they've killed all the king's children. Then the king arose and tore his garment and lay on the earth, and all his servants stood by with their clothes. What was happening to David in his old age? There was no rest anymore. And Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men, the king's son. Um, I want to assume that you remember this Jonadab, huh? You remember this guy, the same guy that said this is how you should do it, is here also. Say no, no, no, no, no, he didn't kill everybody, didn't kill everybody, he only killed Amnon. It's not everybody that died. There are people that are good with playing two sides. You must beware. You must beware. So look at what he said in verse 3. Now therefore, let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead, for Amnon only is dead, but Absalom fled. The same one who told— who taught him what will kill him, it's the same one that came to announce that he's dead. May you not have bad friends. May you not have bad friends. May you not have bad friends. So that was what happened, and Absalom ran. Other children of the kings were traumatized in their house. Um, they were looking for a way to bury Amnon, um, Absalom ran away. And after a while, if you go to verse 14, chapter number 14, um, Joab, um, Joab. One of the— one of these days I'm going to teach about Joab as a person. Joab. Joab is the kind of person, you know, this— let me, let me show you. Let Let me show you what happened. Joab went to get a woman. For the sake of time, I'm just going to explain. And told the woman to disguise like one who has been mourning for days and go and tell the king that, see, I have two children. They were fighting and one killed the other, and they have decided they're going to kill the other one. Please, my lord king, if this other one should die, I'm not going to have children again. Please help me whatever you can. The king said, go to your house. I will send men after you. Nothing is going to happen to your son. Then she came back and said, hey, is this not the same thing happening to you, King? You have two children. Absalom has killed Amnon. Let him return. This, this, that. And she was able to persuade him. Then David looked at her and said, Joab is with you in this matter. He taught you to say this. Say yes, this disease. Actually, Joab taught me. There are many lessons there. I'm just telling you this, don't tell anybody, na lie. Because Joab said don't tell the king. So, so he said yes, it's actually this disease. And the king said, okay, I've heard. Tell Joab. And he said, call Joab, call Joab. Joab stood there. He said, Joab, don't worry, go and bring Absalom back. I've forgiven him. And they brought Absalom. But the king said, I will not set my eyes on him. For another 2 years, he didn't see Absalom. And Absalom requested for Joab and said, Joab, come and see me. He said, the pain of my father refusing to see me is more than the pain of being exiled. I want to see him.

He called Joab.

Joab will not come. You know what Absalom did? He said, go and burn the vineyard of Joab. It means the snake you have brought The venom is still potent. He didn't get better. He came back more injured.

He came back with pain. He came back with a plan. He burnt the vineyard of Joab.

Then Joab came and he said, huh, have I not been calling you before? You refuse to come. Now go and tell my father that I want to see. Then David said, okay, come and see me. David hugged him. They wept. You know, David still never asked him why. He didn't ask him why. He just moved on again. He just moved on again.

How many times?

And you know what Absalom did? He started sitting outside the palace. And they will. He called 50 men, he said let them drive in front of him, let's go there. 2 Samuel chapter number 15, are you there? There's something I want to call your attention to in 1 Samuel 14:25. The Bible said in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty. He was the most handsome guy in the town. Can you see that? Handsome but bitter. Handsome but vile. The Bible said from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him. He look like the kind of guy that every girl can want. Are you with me? No blemish, spotless. So this is one good example. It's between me and her and God, so forget about that. Okay, I can't just say Abisi bu da blebi and now move on. As what? Okay, are you with me now? He had no blames, the picture-perfect guy, but is the kind of guy that can stab his wife in her sleep. Sweet but bitter, very handsome but also very ugly on the inside. The nature of his heart and his physical look, sharp contrast. Contrasting each other. So you look at 2 Samuel, um, chapter number 15. The moment the father said, okay, now I can see you, then you can come back, you will think the guy was going to go and sit down and say, okay, this guy killed my brother, uh, killed my sister, raped my sister, I have killed him, I have done what I should do, this, this, this, let me lay low. No, no, no, no. From verse 1, Bible said, and it came to pass that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses and 50 men to run before him. And he rose up early and stood by the way of the gate. And stood by the way of the gate. You see this part, there are lots of applications to it. And it was so that when any man had any controversy to come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called him and said, of what city art thou? And he said, thy servant is of the tribes of Israel. And Absalom said to him, see, thy matters are good and right, but there is no man deputed for the king to hear thee. Say, ah, are you seeing what he was doing? He went to position himself where he can be interrogating people. This is a matter that is nice to hear, said, but you know, we've not, we've not built the structure to begin to hear your kind of matter in this land. I wish the king will even, you know, this is— I know he was positioning himself. As better than the king. He was positioning himself as one who cared for them more, as one who loved them more. Now his approach to the bitterness in his heart is no longer the use of harmonations or guns. Now he has switched to something more powerful. He was using his craftiness. Now he was not interested in blood, he wanted the kingdom. He wanted the kingdom.

Why?

Because he felt David was a bad judge. He looked at the matter the king left unresolved. He looked at the matter the king left unsolved. If this is the mentality that governs Israel, this is a very bad mentality. It's high time I take this thing from him. Are you learning something? Look at what he said in verse 3. And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right, but there's no man deputed for the king to hear thee. And Absalom said moreover, oh, that I were made judge in the land, that every man which had any suit or cause might come to me, and I will do him justice. David might be a good singer, he was bad with justice. He was bad with it. And it was so that when any man come nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him. When they want to get—

say no, no, no, no, no, don't, don't, don't do that, don't do that.

You carry them up and say come, you are my brother, you are this and that. There are people who look humble because they hate those in power. They are not good either, huh? And it happens even in Nigeria. There are people who look like they are fighting for the masses, but when you hear them, you can hear pain You hear bitterness. In fact, Nigeria might be better in the hands of some people than those who are bitter. There will be war if they come to power.

Very true, sir.

There will be.

There will be. The fact that you hate a system doesn't mean you have the wisdom and the maturity to replace the people. Soon I'm going to teach a topic, but the time has not come, titled The Science of the People. The Science of the People. There's a branch of theology that is anthropology. There's the science of the people. And the science of Nigerians is like the Israelites in Egypt. When they are moving from an oppressor, they move into greater oppression. Just another ruler. Give us something.

Give us— just give us something.

Huh?

Somebody is in the system, is pained, is angry, is bitter. They will not begin to position themselves as more humble. Suddenly when you have problem, they want to listen. Hey, they are not listening because they care about you. They are not listening because they want to solve your problem. They are listening because at the end of the day they need to sell a narrative that the leader is bad. They are listening to recruit somebody to their side. They are listening to make you feel they are better than the system. They are listening to make you feel that, oh no, no, no, no, I wish they know what you are saying is also the problem I have with them. This, this is it. Sometimes not all listeners are good helps. Some will complicate your life more than it was. Beware of people who are nice generally in the systems that they are serving, but when they talk to you, they leave you with pain and bitterness. It's strange they have praised as the best but when they talk you know they're bad it's something we see around everywhere they have issues in their mind they have issues they have issue with the pastor they have issue with the members they have issue with this and I say you know what um I wish they know how to do this better you see and the things we have done no no no no that's bitterness it's unresolved That was what he was doing. If you look at Absalom, you say he was the most humble man in town. Nobody could proceed and greet him, say, no, no, don't do that, don't do that, don't stain your clothes. I honor you, sir. That was Absalom. I honor you, I respect you.

Why?

He was winning them to his side. He wanted to do something, but he needed to win the favor of the people. It will amaze you to know how gullible people can be. Don't overrate yourself. Don't violate yourself. It will amaze you to know you can be more gullible than you think. Somebody can give you their own battle, and before you know it, you are a soldier in a battle that is not your business. You are a soldier. You have— you have been recruited. You hate somebody now because somebody hates the person. You don't want to see that person, not because the fellow has done anything to you. If you are asked to list the number of people you now hate because of what you heard.

You—

it will shock you to know how easily recruited you are. You might not have a job, but you're an employee. You're somebody's employee, and they're employing you well, though there's no salary. Look at this in verse 6. Look at from verse 5. And it was so, when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him. And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. And it came to pass after 40 years that Absalom said to the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, the vow I vowed to the Lord in Hebron. For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode in Geshur in Syria, saying, if the Lord bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, I will serve thee. And the king said unto him, go in peace. And he arose and went to Hebron. And Absalom sent spies. So that was not 40 years of Absalom doing that, it was 40 years of the reign of David. All right, Absalom sent spies and all that, um, throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, as soon as— look at what he said. He said, I'm going to Hebron to do something nice. But he had sent people. He said, as soon as you will hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron. And with Absalom went 200 men out of Jerusalem, and they were called, and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not anything. And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gileadite, David's counselor, from a city even from Gihon, and he offered— went while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom. He was going to steal the kingdom from his father. This is where it gets serious. He said, when you will hear the sound— since the people are now on my side, I have taken my time. The phase one of this coup was to show them that I'm better than my father. That's stage one. That's the stage 1. I've done the stage 1, show them I'm better than my father. The stage 2 now is to take over power.

He said, when you hear the sound, shout at once, Absalom reigns!

That was the plan. Then Absalom now said, go and call Ahithophel, David's special counselor, the most powerful advisor, the most trusted advisor David had. He said, go and call him. Huh, that doesn't make sense. How are you trying to overthrow your father and the person he trusts the most is the fellow you are recruiting to your side?

Why?

Because he knew that the same pain that was in his heart, Aitofel also had the same pain. Somehow bitter people can identify bitter people. I just look, I say, are you feeling what I'm feeling? Say, I'm feeling it too. I've been feeling it too. Say, you are seeing what I'm seeing? I'm seeing it too. See what I'm talking about? I've been seeing it. I've been wondering. I've been wondering. If a bitter person talks to you because they know that there's something you have in common. Somehow rebellion is painful to the degree that the rebellious is close to power. You must understand that. You must understand that. If you have that knowledge, copy and paste in building systems and structures. It will help you. The devil was not the only one that fell from heaven. There were other falls, but his fall was the loudest. The devil can't drive home the pain until he has brought the injurious person close to you.

Okay.

Are you with me? Are you there? So David sent and called Ahithophel, and the Bible said the moment Ahithophel joined him, the conspiracy against David became strong. Ahitophel was like a man that looked like 10,000 men. His own weapon was the kind of mind God had given to him. When he's on your side, your enemy is in trouble. In fact, the moment David heard that Ahitophel was now on the side of Absalom, he ran.

While Ahitophel may not be Absalom, Ahitophel knows one thing.

He will say, And that will be the end of David. Let me make this prayer for you.

It doesn't matter how smart and how corny those that be against you are, God will turn their plans to nothing. It doesn't matter how intelligent they think they are. There are those who can intelligently bring you down, but God will nullify their plans. It will make their plans come to nothing in the name of Jesus.

Say that amen loud enough. Please be seated. And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gileadite, David's counselor, from his city, even from Gilead, while he offered sacrifice. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually against Absalom. Why, why, why, why will people not increase? Now they are saying David must be a bad man. His son is against him. Do you know him better than his son? His counselor, the most trusted special advisor, is now against him. Do you know him better than them? For them to be against him, he must be a bad person. This is exactly how the devil likes to orchestrate narratives. This is the reason why no rebellion against you is strong until people will believe those people saying, because they say, who know him more than them? They don't anymore. They know him more. When the devil wants to really afflict you, he afflicts you with your trusted soldiers, with your trusted men, with your home. He afflict you with those that when, when they say something, everybody believes, and it can be a lie. Let me tell you this: the day you will be humbled to know that not every woman has an altar of truth— did I pray to not be your own story that will show you When Jezebel wanted to destroy Naboth, she brought out sons of Belial to say he had done what he did not know anything about.

The people against David were the closest to him—

his son and his most trusted advisor. And Absalom and Ahithophel had something in common. They had a common interest. And I'm going to show you. You know, people are very quick on social media.

Hey, this, this, this, for them to be saying that, this, this.

When people want to know about you, may they not ask those who hate you. Let me come again. The day your helper wants to make inquiry about you, may your helper not ask those who hate you. You will talk anyhow until you know that life is deep. No, you not see problem. People can gather like this and hold Bible and they are lying, and they are lying. They will hold Bible like this and surround the person and they are lying. They are liars and they are lying. Say for them to hold Bible, look at this. The devil needs those that people can believe to afflict you. He needs those people that can be say, huh, who can, who can know him more than his wife? Who can know him more than her husband? Who can know him more than his son? Uh-huh. If they say he's a bad man, he's a bad man. But it's not always true. It is not always true because bitterness recruits bitterness. It recruits bitterness. It is not always true. Let me tell you, life is deep. Are you following what I'm saying? What did I say? The Bible said hell has no fury like a woman scorned. There was a man of God in Nigeria, I won't mention his name. They invited him to a place and, um, they had set up a woman there in the room naked. He went with his wife. She was the one that entered first. The moment she entered, they were snapping. What can speak better than pictures? A picture is more than a thousand words. But thank God it was the wife. Carry your wife along. I've gone to minister in places that the girl coming to serve food that day. I don't know why they send that person. I said, don't send this person again. When you want to come and put food in my room, um, put it at the door and then go. Knock, just knock and go. I'll pick it if I'm interested. Now let's, let's jump a bit. Let's evaluate a few things as I begin to round up. Why did Absalom send for Ahithophel? And look at something in 2 Samuel chapter number 16 from verse 20. 2 Samuel 16 from verse 20. Look at this. If you're there, say amen. Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, give counsel amongst you what we shall do. Say, you are a wise man. Our camp is complete. We have men of the sword, but we have a man whose brain is his weapon. Give us a counsel. And Ahithophel said to Absalom. Look at this counsel. He said, go in unto your father's concubines which he had left to keep the house, and all Israel shall hear that thou hast abhorred your father. Then shall the hands of all that are with you be strong. He said, go, go and sleep. As a matter of fact, what he was saying is that go and sleep with your father's wife. Go and sleep with your father's wife on top of his roof. The concubines, the girls he left behind, say go and say do it in a place that all Israel will know that this is the hatred you have for your father. Hold on a minute. How will a man's special advisor be giving that advice against him? Yesterday was David's most trusted man. Today was the one showing him how to hurt David. Your most trusted man can be an Absalom who is hot but has not talked. He might be carrying a measure of pain. He said, go, go and sleep with them. He said, all Israel needs to know, go and sleep with his concubines. That's what you should do. That's my advice. When David met this guy, the Bible said he was giving— he was offering sacrifice. So you think he was a spiritual man?

How can a spiritual man be giving bad advice? When a man is spiritual but he's hot, his wisdom is dark. A man can be in church but he's pained, the wisdom is dark, the heart is dark. So David had many men around him and he was busy dancing, but his house was on fire.

He thought he knew how to rule because they were not talking. Don't build a system that suppresses the voice of the people. Ah, okay, let me leave that there for the sake of time. Let me, let me jump a bit. Are you with me? Cuz I'm going to teach a few more things. So the question is, why? Why was Absalom given a counsel that was that dark? Why was he that specific about the father's concubines? So let's trace the reason. 2 Samuel chapter number 23 from verse 34. 2 Samuel 23 from verse 34. Let's look at the reason. 2 Samuel 23, from verse 34. So we are just going to trace a few lineage here. Eliphelet the son of Abishai the son of Machathite, Eliam the son of Aitophel the Gileonite. Are you seeing that? Go back to verse 20— 34. Now let's, let's call this— I'm not the only one that'll call these names. Let's call these names together. Are you ready? Oh yes. Let me watch you two. 1, 2, 3, go! Eliphelet, the son of Abishai.

Uh-huh. Hey, what did you say? Eliphelet, son of Abishai. The son of who? Makathite. Uh-huh. Eliam, the son of who?

Ahithophel. Mark this word. Let's compare scriptures now. Compare this with 2 Samuel. Chapter number 11, verse 3 and 4. 2 Samuel 11, verse 3 and 4. David sent and inquired after the woman, and one said, is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of who? Eliam. Who is the father of Eliam? Ahithophel. So when he killed Bathsheba, when he slept with Bathsheba and killed her husband, he He slept with the granddaughter of his most trusted man and killed her husband. And the guy did not resign. He stood.

He stood.

So when Ahitophel said, this is what you should do, he was saying the same thing that was done to my grandchild. Do it to him. Let him feel my pain as a grandfather. He killed my son-in-law. He killed my son-in-law. You will feel my fury. You will feel my pain. The same place he stood where he saw my granddaughter, stand in the same place. And sleep with his concubines, mess them up. A very spiritual man but has been carrying pain for a long time. He's been housing it. The Bible didn't tell us much about Eliam, the father of Bathsheba. So David had a bad custom, and the custom is He will create injustice and will never talk about it. So when Amnon slept with that girl and didn't say anything, he learned from his father. And Absalom has been seeing that pattern in their home and has been vowing, I will never be like him. He's a bad king. They don't know who he is. They call him the sweet Samis of Israel, but I know he's bad.

If you met Absalom, he would tell you he was on a righteous course. He wanted to hang David.

He felt Israel deserved more.

If we take a—

if we look deeply at this, into this matter, will you call David a good king? When the Bible begin to describe David as a shepherd in Ezekiel 34, you will think he was all perfect. But there's a way the Bible just mention your story like you are the best of the best. But it is the mercy of God. It is the mercy of God. So here was— so when Absalom called Ahithophel, it was because Absalom knew the story. Was it not your granddaughter, that is one of his wives, inside there? Your son-in-law was the one killed. I know you too, you have a pain you have not talked about. Join me, join me. And they recruited. So what was haunting David was his past, the problem he had created, the pattern. I, I, I sense very strongly— there's so much weight, I, I'm trying to continue teaching, but I, I sense strongly to ask you to pray that if there's anything you have left unaddressed, may mercy erase them now. If you feel this prayer is not necessary, you can forget about it. But if you feel, ah, the devil can latch on any aspect of the past, I give you a minute to cry to God. I give you a minute to cry to God. Cry to God. Cry to God. Cry to God.

Let mercy speak. I am not claiming to be perfect.

I've made mistakes. I've done things I'm not proud of. But in all the ways the devil is gathering those facts to hurt my future, to hunt me down— you see, you are not praying the way you should pray. Let mercy speak. Let mercy speak. Let mercy speak. Let mercy speak. I give you 2 more minutes. Oh yes, oh yes. Ah, thank you, Father, in Jesus' mighty name. Please be seated. The elders have an adage. They will say that, um, the things you thought you have done can still be hot. You know, I, I spoke when I was thinking about Isaac and Ishmael that there's a God that sees. The fact that you are a covenant person does not give you the right to treat people bad. That's the God that sees. Slept with Bathsheba, never discussed it with Absalom and say— with Maitophel and say, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Ahithophel saw his granddaughter all of a sudden was now in his house. Maybe as he was coming in when the king called her, they must have met her grandfather outside and said, ah, what I come today? Say, the king called me. And Ahithophel will be saying, I hope this is not what I'm thinking. I hope this is not what I'm thinking. The following day, suddenly sees his son-in-law standing there and say, what has happened? And say, the king I said I should go. Maybe Ahitophel had even counseled, don't eat the food, don't go into her, let's be sure what has happened. Maybe, maybe these are the behind the scenes.

You see that?

And all of a sudden we heard that the guy Uriah had died. The following week, Bathsheba had moved to the palace. The witch cried yesterday, the child died today. Who didn't know that it was the witch who killed the child? And Ahithophel, being a wise man, must have been mapping everything. He was not just interested in causing David pain, he wanted him dead. 2 Samuel 17.

He had a final instruction. He had a final instruction for Absalom. Moreover, 2 Samuel 17 from verse 1, moreover, Ahithophel said unto Absalom, let me now choose—

say, let me choose myself out 12,000 men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night. You know, he said he has left his wife, he's now weary. He said, I will come upon him while he's weary and weak. And dead, and will make him afraid, and all the people that were with him shall flee, and I will smite the king only. That was a master plan. They will charge everywhere, the men will run, because there was discouragement in the camp. He said, we will take David out clean. It was a perfect plan, and guess what? It would have worked. It would have worked. It would have worked. But God will turn the plan of your enemies upside down. God will turn the plans of your enemy upside down. Now he said, and I will bring back all the people unto thee, the man whom thou seekest. As if it has— he has returned, and people shall be in peace. And the same pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. Then said Absalom, call now Ushai. Huh, the Hactites also. And let us hear likewise what he said. And Ushai— and when Ushai was come to Absalom, speak with him, saying, Ahithophel had spoken after this manner. Shall we do after his saying? If not, speak thou. And Ushai said unto Absalom, the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good at this time. For said Ushai, thou knowest thy father and his men. Let me say this to you: may God give you men. One of the peak of God's blessing level of a man is to give the person men. Men like horses. The Bible said that daily men came to David to help him till his camp was very great and his host was like the host of the gift of men who, who don't mind taking a bullet for you. May God give you men. Again, I decree, may God give you men.

Ushai said, you know your father and you know his men, that they be mighty men.

They be shafted in their minds as a bear robbed of her webs. David may be weak, his men are not weak. David may be discouraged, his men are not discouraged. He said, and thy father is a man of war. I will not lodge with the people. Ah, there is something deeper about him. This is not the way he feel. And then said this and said that. Um, let's jump a bit. Verse 11, therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee from Dan to Beersheba. And sent, and as the sand of the sea by multitude that goeth out to battle. Let's, let's jump a bit, huh? And verse 14: And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, the counsel of Ushai the Hittite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel, for the Lord has appointed to defeat. It was God who had to come in. It was not that Ushai was wise.

The sure mercies of David was speaking, that even when a man is weak and is not that perfect, but there's a covenant of mercy, and God has said, I will not withdraw my hands from you. David wasn't a good man, but mercy was speaking. It was God who defeated the counsel of Ahithophel. What Ahithophel had said, only God can speak. He spoke as a god. When men like Ahithophel speak, you tremble.

It looks as though God has spoken, but God had to interrupt, and he brought the counsel of Ahithophel to nothing. The Bible said, for the Lord had appointed to defeat the good— it was good— the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom. May you find mercy. May you find mercy. May you find mercy.

You have not been perfect, but may you find mercy. May mercy speak when nothing else is speaking. May you find mercy.

It was God, o. Allah knew. It was God. It was God. It was dog. It was God. It was God. It was God. Let's jump a bit. To verse 23. Verse 23: And when Aitofel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass and arose and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and he hanged himself. He was a man whose pride was in the fact that when I speak That's the best. He knew what he was saying. It was a big slap on his face. Now how will I speak? And one who shy will come from somewhere and the council will be thwarted. God needed to— if, if Ahithophel was not taken out of the game, you cannot get Absalom. You cannot. Ahithophel in his camp was a game changer. He's a man like 10,000. He hanged himself and he died and was buried in the sepulchre of his father. Bitterness always kills the bitter. It does. It may not be immediately, it may not be at that moment, but eventually, eventually, eventually it will happen. It will happen. Lift up your hands, everyone, and say, Lord, help my heart, help my heart. Let your mercy speak over me. Help my heart, help my heart. I lay my life, my very essence at your altar. Help me, Jesus, thou Son of David. Help me, help me, help my heart. I want to give you few minutes to pray that prayer. Help me. I release the pain, everyone that I hold in my heart. I let go, I let go, I let go. Help my heart, help my heart, help my heart, help my heart, help my heart, help my heart. In the name of Jesus, help my heart, help my heart. Help my heart. Now lastly, pray: Father, let your sure mercies speak for me. There are people here— if people want to bring out what they have against you, you will not even see tomorrow. But mercy rejoices over judgment. Mercy speaks over judgment.

Let your sure mercy scatter the camps of those who are gathering to devour my flesh. Let your mercy speak. I ask for your mercy. Let your mercy speak, Lord. Only your mercy.

Only your mercy. Only your mercy. Only your mercy. Only your mercy. Oh, help me, Jesus, thou Son of David. Help me. Help me. Femi Lazarus. Um, come up. Where's Bright? Is he here? He's not around. Do you know the sound? Um, Nakali, come, come raise that sound. You know the song well. Um, tell us the meaning of the song. If not for the Lord who is on our side to help us. Yes, take the mic. Ah, mercy. Lift your hand, say Lord, mercy. Yeah, what does it mean?

If not that the Lord has helped us, tomorrow would have been too late. But now we have the victory because God has helped us.

Because he has helped us. Let's raise that sound. Raise the sound.

Oh yes, oh yes.

I stretch forth my hands to families and individuals. You will not fail God. The devil will not bring you down.

You will finish well.

You finish strong. Let the hand of God keep you. Let his grace preserve you.

Grace upon grace in the name of Jesus.

In the worst of all situations, mercy will speak for you. It is done in Jesus' mighty name.

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