THE ROOT OF BITTERNESS 3

Welcome to an Encounter with the Spirit Word and Prayer through the prolific apostolic and teaching ministry of Apostle Femi Lazarus, Lead Pastor, Sphere of Light Church Global.

It is his vision to raise God's end-time armies.

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

So brace up for Already experienced.

Amen. Um, I think to lay a proper foundation for my teaching tonight, um Femi Lazarus. There's an important question on my mind, and I think it is a necessary one. I've asked myself several times. You've been in places that Things are looking beautiful. Maybe the question I should ask is, when is the party going to be over? And I'm going to explain that question. You want to ask your neighbor, when is the party going to be over? Ah, it's a very important question. Sometimes couples need to ask themselves, when is the party going to be over? Um, it looks as though, um, every human relationship that we enjoy, um, look like a form of party. And sometimes you are, you are so excited to meet someone, someone new in your life. You're excited about the contribution they bring and the difference they make, and All of a sudden, it's like the wine is finished, and you are confused that the same people who have once said to each other that you are the very milk in my tea, now the guy is saying, I'm gonna drink the tea bland. I can do without milk. Amen. Have you wondered how to— it happens everywhere, from our campus days, everywhere. Two best friends, all of a sudden can't even say hello again. Maybe you ask the question again. Hope this party is not going to be over soon. And it's because we have not been able to deal with the cancer that eats up human relationship, which is strife and bitterness. People have things they are not talking about, sometimes for fear. Um, I'd love to talk to this person But, um, I don't know how this person will take what I'm saying. All right, I don't know how this person is going to take it. I, I want to talk to this person. I don't know how this person is going to see it. And we seem to swear a note of silence, and things go bad. Things get really bad. And mercy. Let me give you an important counsel. It is very possible to have long relationships. It is very possible. Most of the things that destroy relationship can be seen, and most times relationships go bad because we assume You assume. We assume many things. We take risk. The fact that someone is excited around you doesn't mean the fellow plan to stay longer. That's it. You have to know how far is too far. Don't assume. Even in pastoring people, we, we don't just have pastors in Sphere of Light Church. We don't assume. We want to be sure. Has God called you here? Do you think he may call you later? So that we can plan. You see that now? We can plan. And even when the answer is no, he has not called me yet, he may not call me later, I end up by saying, um, he has not heard God yet. Let me tell you something, there are beautiful relationships that cannot survive one fight. Because you might be loving but not durable. And if you're not durable, you should not be trusted. You see that now? We— one of the signs of character is that you have learned not just the art of loving people but the heart of forgiving people. And if you are going to do life the way God intends for you to do life, you must learn to forgive people in advance. You must learn to forgive people in advance. People wake up on different sides of the bed and they can say many funny things. One of the things I have done for my heart is that I don't have anyone in my cycle who is telling me what anybody says about me. God is not interested in me knowing. I don't have anybody. Oh, Apostle, have you seen what they say about you? That, that I don't have. That's why I can teach prophetically. That's why we have a resident pastor. That's why I prefer not to counsel anybody, so I can be prophetic. So nobody will say that, ah, you see what I told him, he's using to preach now. Let the case rather be, I wanted to talk to him but he has preached about it. So I understand that you love the person you are with, there's a party going on, but can you survive when the initial wine is exhausted? And water has to be turned to wine. Can you survive the moment that there is love but there's no emotional connection? And it happens in marriage. Oh, marriage. Oh my, when I met my wife, I felt we would never argue. Argument. I felt the day would— I could almost swear my life to it that the day would never come that I will argue with you. It's okay, anything, it's okay, just go ahead. Fine girl, just do what you want to do, don't worry. But sometimes you hear yourself say, what did you say? And then you are worried. There is no human relationship that will not go through its own turns. We must learn how to survive. We'll be able to relate for so long if I don't expect too much from you and if you don't expect too much from me. It's as simple as that. Maybe when you save every contact, put it there. Godwin, human. Toby, human. You see that? Barista, human. Just so you can know. Your wife too, Sweet Love, human. Daddy Joe said the first equation to a good marriage is that angels don't eat what? Jollof rice. When you just get married, say, I cannot— can I carry your leg? Just— that's new wife, new wife. You are the angel. The day you catch that angel eating jollof rice, change the name. Angels don't eat what? So it's your— if your spouse is eating rice, it means somehow they are not perfect. That's just the simple equation. If you invest more emotions into a relationship than wisdom, it will crash. Don't just invest emotions, invest wisdom. Be wise, be wise. Today we are going to be studying 3 characters. We're going to be studying Jacob, we're going to be studying Reuben, we're going to be studying Levi. Is that okay now? 3 characters. Um, I showed you last week Hebrews 12 from verse 14. Hebrews 12 from verse 14. Let's turn our Bibles there. Hebrews chapter number 12 from verse what? 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. Lest any root of bitterness spring up— springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. Verse 16 is quite concerning because he said, lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. Verse 17, for ye know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, He was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Now, to understand Hebrews, um, 12:16 and 17 well, I recommend that you will, um, listen to my teaching, the series we are running currently in Lekki, um, The Market Called Life. Am I correct? Yes. Femi Lazarus. Um, it's a very insightful one, and I, I need you to pay attention to that series. The application is deep and wide. Okay, so here the Bible is likening, um, one who is given to bitterness as a fornicator. Um, when the Bible described Esau, so you look at Esau and said Esau never fornicated. What he did was that he took porridge in exchange for his bed, right? Am I correct? Ah, but when the Bible was going to describe that, said he's a fornicator. So a fornicator is one who exchange, um, something big for something small. So when you become bitter, you are about to mortgage something. Most times bitterness comes to take people away from where their inheritance is. Bitterness, um, it's actually a function of change in focus. You must always remember the reason why you are doing what you are doing. You must always remember the reason why you love your wife, why you said she's the one, or why you said he's the one. You must always remember. There will be 1,001 reasons not to remember. I'm telling you, there will be, there will be. I know those of you who are currently dating may not believe this one, but there will be. That person that can't hurt a fly will hurt you. Oh yes, knowingly or unknowingly. Oh yes, oh yes, that person is going to hurt you. The fellow will say things that will hurt you or do things that will hurt you or whatever it is. But you must always remember, that is the strength of character. Our world is full of people who make bogus promises. I'm with you, but what's the value of your words? We measure that by looking at the length of relationships in your life. Show us your pedigree. How have you been able to keep your words over the years? Why should I trust you? Why should I believe you? Why should I put you at the peak of the things I'm doing? When you can misunderstand me one day and you are nowhere to be found, why should I do that? You see, when we look at the might of God, one of the things that should amaze you is the lightness of his heart. How that not for once, as God said, Um, I'm going to remove my faithfulness from your life. The Bible said he caused the rain to fall both on the good and the wicked. Not for once. Imagine if I will hurt you the way you have hurt God. Just imagine somebody offended the way you have offended God. The way you say, God, I swear I will never do it again, that same night you are back there. And he understands. Amen. I said amen. Can we lift our hands and just say thank you, Jesus? Thank you, Jesus. You must be careful. If not, at the end of the day, you will have nothing really good in your life. Bitterness would have stolen everything. So straight to my teaching, which I hope God I believe God is going to help me. Let's, let's, um, narrow our gaze quickly. Um, I wrote here that the root of bitterness runs very deep. Um, usually it hides behind unresolved issues that have been kept over time, mixed with assumptions. Because once you are angry, you stop talking. You see that? And then assumption takes over. Assumption, they say, is the lowest degree of man's intelligence. That's the lowest use of man's intelligence. That's the lowest use of man's intelligence. So you can't assume. Many times when people are angry, they— if I don't have anything against you and you look at me, I don't have anything to suspect. But if I feel I have something against you, I will read meaning to your every look. Look at the way she looked at me. You are the one communicating to yourself what is not. A person given to assumption will be in pains all the time. It's going to make you insecure. Are you seeing the usher that took the offering basket? That the usher passed me, did not give me to give. Offering. That's why I don't like church. Are they trying to say that I'm broke? Is it because of the shoe I wear? Do you know who I am? Do you know where I'm coming from? That's why I don't like— forget about those grammar they are speaking. No, no, no, you are saying all those things about an usher who doesn't even know you exist, who probably just missed a step. Assumption will frustrate you first. Assumption. Maybe your wife has offended you and you, you, you, you— she's looking somehow and you are assuming that, look at this woman, look, look at the way she's looking. Can you see the way she's looking at me? Huh? It's all about to apologize. Look at the way she's looking. You are saying all those things by yourself, and meanwhile what she's thinking is, how can I make him happy? And you are reacting from the information you are giving yourself, and you are frustrating yourself. Tell your neighbor, stop assuming. Stop assuming. Stop assuming. Amen. So like I said, today we're going to study 3 characters. We're going to study the character of Jacob, Reuben, and Levi. Let's just go straight to it. Genesis chapter number 49. Genesis 49, and I'm going to start the reading from verse 1. Genesis chapter number 49, we'll start reading from verse 1. And Jacob called unto his sons and said, gather yourselves together that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Are you seeing that in your Bible?

Huh?

Gather yourselves together that I may tell you what to befall you in your what? Last days. Now, um, verse 2. Now gather yourselves together and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your father. Verse 3. Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, you will not excel because you went up to your father's bed and you defiled it. He went up to my couch. So let me explain that, um, so What he said is that, um, Reuben, you are my firstborn and this and all that, but he said you will not excel. And I said, because you went on to my— your father's bed. Then he turned to the verse, he went into my couch. He was explaining the reason why he felt that Reuben deserved the curse. You know, for so long when I read the story of Reuben, I always felt he was a very bad boy. What's the height of it? To be crushing on your father's babe, that's the height. I said, that's the height of it. What can be, what can be more terrible? Huh? To, to crush on your father's baby, is that, is that not what is terrible? Yes. Let's read again. Look at it from verse 3. He said, Ruben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellence of dignity and the excellence of power. He said, unstable as water, you shall not excel because you went up to your father's bed and defiled it. I went to my couch. Um, there's a statement there, and I want us to investigate the use of word that was used there. Um, um, um, for instance, there are cultures that the language they speak has attributed to it respect. For instance, in Yoruba, you say 'Eh,' you are speaking to somebody older. If you say 'O,' you are speaking to somebody who is either 8 meters or younger. If you don't know what to use, there's also a way to say it. You just avoid using either of the both and talk.

Okay.

There's a way to say it. So it looks as though when Jacob was talking, he was avoiding something. He said, Reuben, you, you went into your father's couch. We have a question, sir, um, Daddy Jacob. Which of the couch? Who did he sleep with? We shit you. Is that an important question? I would probably would have felt bad if he said, 'Reuben, you went into your father's wife.' Now, either of the divide is bad. We just want to assess how bad is the bad. Is that simple enough? Because it looks as though Daddy Jacob was avoiding a nomenclature. And we are going to dwell around that nomenclature. Who did he sleep with? Who is the person to you? Why can't you say before your children if you are so proud about it? It's a very important question. But before we get to, um, understanding What Daddy Jacob was saying, maybe we need to do a bit of check. When did Reuben sleep with the person? Did you confront him? What did you say? Who told you? Did you see it yourself? Why did you wait till your final day on earth to place something on him that cannot be reversed? Maybe another important question is, was Ruben that bad? And as I started checking, I started seeing things that were quite concerning. Anybody who understands psychology, if you read this scripture, then you know what happened. When you are angry with a person, you can't wait to address the matter. True. If you have 20 people to talk to and then one in particular has done something bad, you want to first exhaust on the person. True. Because if we, if we read Genesis 49, you will see that what Jacob did was to address the matters he has bottled. The first 3 That was what he did. We— let's continue. All right, go to verse 5 now. Simeon and Levi are brethren, instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. Yes. Oh my soul, come not thou into their secret, unto their assemblies. Sorry. Yeah, mine honor will— all right, sorry, no, that's not the— let me read, um, From my own Bible or something. Okay. Simeon and Levi are brethren, instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not into their secret. Unto their assembly, my honor, be not thou united. Wow. They said, let them go, but let them not carry my honor. There's something here, and I need us to be able to look at it. So let's, let's check again. We are not saying Reuben does not deserve some punishment, but when you say that he will not excel with his seeds in his loins, you have condemned the generation. So what we want to check is that, um, has Reuben done anything before in the past that we can even look at? And say, let's lighten the weight of the punishment at least, right? Can we, um, open a case file for Ruben? Huh? Can we open a case file for Ruben? I understand what he did was bad. When I changed my results in school, it was bad. It was very bad. Okay, it was very bad. I can't, I can't tell how many times I changed results. But I think I had to change it just once. You know, there's a way they deal with you that once, that if the thought comes again, you by yourself will say, get behind me, Satan. You by yourself. And I remember, um, did I do it once? I think once. I think once my dad welcomed me. He turned it to the back, said, wow, fantastic. I said, yes, I tried from 33 to third. I said, I tried. Wow. Say, go inside, go and eat. I can't tell if it was that one, but there was one particular one that I knew that this one, they caught me. I do. So I was going to just open the door of our living room and throw my bag inside, then run. In those days, you will run towards the neighbor that knows how to beg. As I threw the bag inside, the old man— so you know This is where it ends. In a moment, the hope of the future disappears. You can't even— you can't imagine any future. It ends here. So I just knew. And there are times that there are people who are able to open the case file for you and say, you know, um, he's a good boy. And while they are saying that, they will lighten the weight of the punishment. Has Ruben never done anything good to deserve this? So let's, let's check Genesis chapter number 37. Genesis 37. Let's start the reading from verse, um, 18. Um, so what I'm going to do, please look up everybody. Um, the approach to my teaching today is that I'm going to go into the future. I will start from the future, then go back to the past, then go to the future, then go back to the past. Is that okay? So we can have robust understanding. Very important. And when they saw him— so this was the case of Joseph and his brothers. When they were planning to kill Joseph. And why were they trying to kill Joseph? Because his father had indicated that this was his favorite. Note that. And when they saw him from afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him. To slay him. And they said one to another, behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now, therefore, let us slay him and cast him into some pit, and we will say some evil beast have devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams. And Reuben added, And he delivered him out of their hands and said, let us not kill him. Wow. So we are finding out that he wasn't that bad. Um, he may have his issues, but he's also a very kind young man. Before we go further into, um, the issue here, the question is, what kind of siblings arrange to kill their brother? What kind? Automatically you can tell the same father but different mothers. Dysfunctionality. And we're also going to open the case file of Jacob to see how bad his own issue too was. Did he say let's? It was Reuben who said don't kill him. Don't let's kill him. Look at it. He delivered him out of their hands and said, let us not what? Kill him. Verse 22 now. And Reuben said unto them, shed no blood, but cast him into this pit, all right, that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him, that he might— now this is the reason why he did that. That he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him unto his father again. So Reuben was there to shield Joseph. So he said, let's put him in this pit, okay? But his intention was, when we put him in this pit, um, I will, I will go behind the back and, and, and give our daddy again. Now look at verse 23. And it came to pass when Joseph was come up unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him. Yes. And they took him and cast him into a pit, and the pit was empty, and there was no water in the pit. Yes. Verse 25: And they sat down. So after throwing him into the pit, you know what they did? They sat down to eat bread. They were eating bread. They were so cold towards him. They sat down to eat bread, and they dropped their eyes and looked beyond. A company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going, um, to carry down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, what profit is it if we slay our brother? And conceal his blood. Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content with that. All right. And then there passed the Midianites, uh, merchantmen, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt. And Reuben returned unto the pit And behold, Joseph was not in the pit, and he rent his clothes. That is, he mourned for him, he cried. Ah, the reason why Jacob was alive in the first place was because Reuben saved Joseph. If Reuben had not saved Joseph, the famine that was killing people would have killed them. Reuben was the prophetic orchestration behind their migration to Egypt. It was because he preserved Joseph that Joseph went to Egypt, that the rest followed Joseph to Egypt. So if there was no Reuben, there's no going to Egypt. It means if there was no Reuben, there was no need for a Moses to emerge. If there was no Reuben, there would never be Genesis, um, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It was the prophetic will behind it. His part may look small, but it was important. It was important. He might not do much, but the role he played was pivotal. Um, let's ask a few questions. Did Jacob ever love Ishmael and Reuben? The answer is no. Why did Jacob love Joseph more than the rest? And I'll tell you why. Because Joseph was the first child of Rachel. You know Rachel, that babe that he worked 14 years for. So before Joseph was born, Leah had given birth to Reuben, had given birth to her other children. Hey, none of that mattered to him. But the moment Rachel gave birth to Joseph, all his affection went to Joseph, and they were seeing it. What kind of a father parade one in the midst of other 11? With a coat of many colors. That's the father that destroys his own house. One of the principles about fatherhood is to conceal your favorite. What I'm about to show you now is true both to spiritual families and earthly families. Let me tell you, the one wearing the coat of many colors will be destroyed by the rest. Copy and paste. I'm not going to elucidate. Copy and paste. The one wearing the coat of many colors, the rest will come for that one. And that's why if you have a family where, or a church where everybody can talk about anybody, everybody is gossiping to the pastor, is the end of gossip. They say the one you are fronteering, that we are giving this person opportunity, they will bring that one down. A father should never listen to gossip. Let me leave it there. Huh? Are you, are you still here? We are going somewhere very important. They're going somewhere very important. So I was wondering, Reuben must probably have done something really bad, but it wasn't that bad. Did they ever confess that they sold their brother? Huh? Did they ever confess? They never did. Joseph, did Joseph ever tell the father that they sold me? He never did either. You think they moved on cleanly? No. I don't have time to show you today. The grudges was there. If it was not there, why did he not send for them when he became prime minister? He never sent for them. He never asked about the father. He never went to look out for them till they came. Even when famine was killing people everywhere, he never did. Note that. So I wrote here that Reuben's intervention was a prophetic intervention. It was necessary, um, in determining their journey to Egypt. Um, the emergence of Joseph in Egypt, the reunion of the rest with them in Egypt, which bettered the emergence of Moses. And we have all the beautiful stories because Reuben did what? Intervene. So the man was laying curse on his children. You see, bitterness is mostly generational. Let me share a quick story with you so you can have background about Jacob and the kind of guy he was. Um, in Genesis chapter number 27, I don't have time to read, I'm just going to speak from there. Genesis 27, one day Isaac said to Esau, he said, go and prepare for me a venison. He said, I want to bless you, then I will go and join the ancestors. Um, so Esau went out to prepare the venison. Huh? And then the mother now called Jacob and said, your father wants to bless your brother, but I am going to get it for you. He said, quickly now, go and get that goat. I will prepare it for you. You will serve him. Okay, so he did. Isaac was on his deathbed. Esau had gone to look for the venison. He didn't go to play. He went to look for what? The venison. Um, Jacob was here waiting on the mother to finish. The mother finished. Skinned the animal, clothed on Jacob. Jacob went before the father, received the blessing from the father. Esau came, saw that his brother was scarcely gone from the father's sight. The blessing had left. Esau came, the father said, I bless your brother. Esau and Jacob will be sworn enemies. On Isaac's deathbed, he was looking at his wife. You conspired to deceive me. The man will die. The wife will never see him again. He was going to die. Their home, that family never came back again. The entire family gone in one moment. They never look back. Jacob ran with his staff, never came back. Esau followed after to kill him. Isaac dead. The mother who conspired left alone. So he also came from a, a form of background that wasn't so nice. And sometimes you can hate it till you repeat it. It is not enough to hate it, you can hate it so bad that you fail to get the wisdom not to do the same thing. Why was there the chaos in the first place? Because the father showed favoritism. God had already spoken that the blessing should go to Jacob. God spoke. There was no need for drama if there will be obedience. God spoke. There was no need for drama.

God spoke.

But the father's favorite was Esau, maybe for the kind of meat he was bringing. Femi Lazarus is favorite. And what did he do also? Eh, Joseph, the firstborn of Rachel— oh my heart, I love you so much— you take the coat of many colors in the midst of his brethren. Dysfunctionality always breeds dysfunctionality, always. So he didn't like Joseph because Joseph was a good boy. He loved Joseph because of the mother. Ah, if you, if you look at, if you take time to open their book one by one and check their life, you discover that Joseph was not even that good. What kind of a boy have a dream and tell the brothers, I saw all of you bowing before me? It is very easy to laugh until they call family meeting tomorrow and younger brother is telling you The auntie, I saw you and your husband and everybody, you are bowing to me. The Bible, you say, come, bring down your head here, let me teach you how, how it is done. You might call him a child, but he was an arrogant child. And why did he have the audacity to say that? Because of the father's pampering. Even Joseph will not fulfill his destiny without problem. Sometimes the greatest threat there is to the purpose of God for your life is pampering. People can love you so much you will never become— everybody just want to like you. Hey, why so nice? Why? And that's how you not be cooked. Even when you have done something bad, oh, don't worry. You need haters, if not you will not have a prayer life. You need somebody who will tell you, I can't wait to see you dead, so you can wake up and smell the coffee. You need haters. A Joseph will never adjust without being sold. Never adjust. He was used to being the best. When he felt fly in Potiphar's house, God said, no, the class is not complete, but you need to be back to the prison. He felt, oh, he was the topmost in the prison. They forgot him there again. Till he came to the end of himself where only grace can bring him out. You see, the, the point you get where only God can help you, where all the beautiful contacts are exhausted, that's the point you find God. Where is God? He's at the end of your rope. He's at the end of your rope. God is where your strategy ends. That's where he is. Where your methods, your means, your plans, all the things— um, um, 2024 I'm going to do this— at least it is very certain that that 2024 will pass if it will be God. Ah, let me give an instance. Um, a guy just get up January 1st and say, 2024 I'm going to get my wife. That's the, the, the— you've not even had bad ex. This one is ex-convict. That's what you're about to have. That 2024 will now become the year of story, because whatever plan you have without attaching grace as a factor, you will discover that you can't get it done. You can't get it done. You can't get it done. Particularly a junction as dicey as the junction of marriage. It is never a function of the kind of makeup or beauty. It is a function of God who bring bones to bones.

It is.

Have you seen people that share story that did they, did they just say, let me even just, you know, when women do this stuff, let me just even just get something out there. Safe. That's it. They not say, hey, how are you doing? I've been trying to talk to you all the while. When it is grace, it is effortless. It is effortless. It is effortless. Unforced rhythm of grace. Say it again. Unforced rhythm of grace. Say it again. Unforced rhythm of grace. It is effortless. Now look at this. When did Reuben sleep with his father's wife? Genesis 35:22. Was it the father's wife? Was it the father's babe? Was whatever it was. Genesis 35:22. If you're there, say amen. Um, so let's, let's journey a bit, um, because something had just happened in the family of Jacob. That made it even more painful for Jacob. Okay, so let's, let's jump a bit. Um, um, let's start from verse 16. Genesis 35 from verse 16. And they journeyed from Bethel, and there was, um, but a little way to come to Ephrath. And Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor. And it came to pass when she was in hard labor that the midwife said unto her, fear not, thou shall have a son also. And it came to pass as her soul was in departing— for she died, so Rachel died giving birth— that she called his name Benoni, but his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died and was buried in the way to Ephrat, which is in Bethlehem. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave, that is the pillar of Rachel's grave, unto this day. And Israel journeyed and spread his tents between the Tower of Edar. And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in the land, that Reuben went to lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. Eh, and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were 12. I, I didn't understand. You love Rachel, she just died. In her lifetime you already loved another. How? What kind of a man are you? I thought we saw the one you labor 14 years for, so she will not suffice? 14 years of hard labor, that's like 14 years imprisonment. So the reason why I said you went into your father's couch is because it was heavy to say that you went into your father's babe. It was my— you, you father and son were actually dragging girlfriend. It was girlfriend. It's bad, it's bad that a man who is married should have a girlfriend. Is bad. It's worse that the son now likes the girlfriend. We, we don't have suggestions as touching the age of Bilhah, but I want to assume that she will be about the age of one of his children. I want to assume. We, we, we were not given the clue. Who was she before then? Was she the girl that Reuben was liking, then the father took? We can't tell. We can't tell. But all those questions will not be necessary if you stay where you are supposed to stay. It won't be necessary. Sometimes a man can, just for his own fun and enjoyment, lead his life in a way that will bet pain for his children. Jacob would never have been cursed if they said that he was touching a girl outside. Hey, don't do that again! Don't! But you are touching the girl that I like. Who between the both of them paid the bride price for Bilhah? None. They were chopping and cleaning him out. Who had legal rights to Bilhah? None. Father chop clean out. The son too. Let's, let's give it further. Let's see. I don't know what to think about this man called Jacob. I don't know what to think about him. Look at it. 35:24. The sons of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin. Uh-huh. The sons of Bilhah. So hey, the girl was not just a girl he didn't pay her bride price. She even gave birth for him. Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid. Huh? No, no, no, see, no, he, he serves them round. Look, let's read. And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, Dan and, who, Naphtali. The sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, Gad and Asher. So those ones, he gave them tutu. So he, he had son, he had children with Leah, the first wife. He had children with Rachel, the second wife. Then he went to now made the maid his concubine. A side chick. The maid. Side chick. The maid. Side chick. Then Rachel's maid.

Rachel!

You would never think he could cheat on Rachel. That was the height. Let me tell you something, if you don't deal with lust, not even the finest woman can take it from you. Not even the figure 8, whatever it will be. You will still commit. It's just a matter of when. Just a matter of when. And you know, when I study the genealogy, Abraham's descendants, there's something very common to all of them: impunity. The sense of thinking, I can do what I want to do and nobody Can, can hold me too. Just in case you don't know that Rachel was still alive when he was already sleeping with that girl. So the family were, they were still grieving that Rachel had died when Reuben now went to. So when, when he came, ah, you know, I was thinking that I wish he left legacy like Abraham. You know, Sarah died too, and they had to get a young girl to warm him up. Are you aware? Uh-huh. Well, at least she died. I wish Jacob could boldly say that you went in to your father's wife. So why couldn't he talk? Because it was not proper for the both of them. It wasn't right for him, it wasn't right for Reuben. Why did Reuben do it? Because he knew it wasn't right for you too. It's like somebody went to steal the money you stole. Both of you can't complain. Only the owner of the money can complain. True or not true? You went to steal somebody's money, you keep the money somewhere, then another thief that now robs a thief. You know, there are thieves that like to rob thieves. So Ruben was that kind of thief that was robbing a thief. So both of them get to the house. Mm-hmm. Are you looking for anything? No, no, no, no.

You can't talk.

I pray for you in the name of Jesus, you will not use your hand to breed dysfunctionality. You will not use your hand to bring problem into your own life. So it simply means if Jacob had lived right, there was no need for his children to be cursed. Just live right. Just live right. Just do what is right. There was no need for anyone to be cursed. Reuben was not cursed because he slept with a girl. He was cursed because he slept with a girl that the father said, this is my own babe. I don't know his own problem too, but apparently he too was starting his own as the firstborn. Father will soon die. I have a right to inherit what is his own. Is it like his girlfriend? The Abrahamic blessing is there. He's not contending for that one. I don't know, I don't know. Ask your neighbor, are you a Reuben? Tell your neighbor, don't be a Reuben. So you see the reason why he was pained. Pained to his bone. Then he kept it. He kept it, never discussed it. When you are pained, say it. Rebuke him. Rebuke it. He never said— waited for the moment that when he says a word, nobody can change it. I have seen bitterness push father to curse their children. You know, you know, already Jacob did not like Leah. Leah gave birth to Reuben. On top of that, you are still doing this. Have you seen mothers or fathers that hate their sons? For looking like the mother because they hate the mother. Yes, a man can hate his own child for looking like the wife that he no longer likes, and a woman can hate her own son for looking like the father that she doesn't like. Maybe they've gone separate ways. More like, who gave you the audacity to talk like him? Who gave you the audacity to look like him? Who gave you the audacity to talk like her? I can't wait for us to start dealing with dysfunctionality again, because it will amaze you that many children were born into this world to face problem that they did not start. Am I the one who pick her for you? Was there not a time you loved each other? Why can you hate me for looking like her? Why? Is it my fault? There are children who are being taunted in their home every day that you look like your mother, and in the same house they tell that your mother is a witch. Follow God early so that you will not have a home that is the nursery bed of pain. People can say whatever nonsense they like. See young people on social media trying to find doctrinal establishment for polygamy, but anyone who is from there will tell you there's no pain compared to that. There's no pain. Anyone will tell you, say I can marry as many women I like. As a lady, I, I mean, I just want to You just, just be a baby mama. Um, the children who are taking biscuits today will soon begin to ask, who is my father?

Yes, sir.

Let's just do what is right. But there's a balance. What is the balance? It is possible to be pregnant for a man who is not worth it. That should not be a yardstick to stay there. Restart your life. And when your children start asking questions, own up. That's it. Restart your life. The idea of that, um, because I got pregnant for him, I must marry him— it has killed many women. Sometimes you can be pregnant for a fool. Is a fool that is good looking, and you two agree that you were foolish. Don't just say he's a fool. It takes two fools. No, agree. I don't like blame, blame, blame, blame, blame, just blaming people. No, he was a fool, I was a fool, then we did foolish things. I will give back to you, but you are not a fool. So yes, it's not a crime to be born. Is that okay now? It's not a crime. No child should feel like it's a crime to have been brought to this world. No child. Are you following what I'm saying here? Very important. But if we do life the way the Bible says to do it, regardless of the urge you feel, zip up. You will be glad. There is something sweeter than sex. It is the dignity of integrity that you can stand at the end of your days and say, I served God with my life. Follow my footstep. What a life! It's better than any other thing. You don't want your children goggling about you and they are seeing your pictures everywhere. Be careful, be careful. Jacob couldn't talk, Reuben couldn't talk. The father had stolen it, the son stole what he stole. God wasn't happy with the both of them. That was not what they learned from Abraham, but that was what they were doing, and that's what they were doing to themselves. Be careful. Um, maybe I need to address something quickly. You see, let me beg you. If you fail to forgive your spouse, you have the tendency of hating the child that looks like your spouse, or not liking that child like the rest. Maybe not hatred. So it means that you have the tendency of not getting the prophetic implications of their existence. I'm going to show you something, maybe today or Sunday. Go and check the prophecy of Jacob about the sons of Leah. They were wrong. He never— he did not capture their future. Jacob never— do you know who Levi was? He was the one holding the scepter of priesthood. He never saw it. He just caused his anger. Say, let my honor not dwell in your house. Meanwhile, God was placing the honor there. Where the honor was, was with Levi. He said, let Aaron make this breastplate and put these stones there for honor and for beauty. The honor of God was where he said, let my honor not rest there. Why? Was, was prejudice. That was the issue. The devil saw those cracks and he attacked the destiny of those children. He came for them, came for them. Maybe the guy he was so excited to prophesy about was Judah among the sons of Leah, because that one, there was nothing you could do about him. One of these days I'm going to take Judah as a person. Judah may be among people who are committing crime, but there's a grace for exemption on him. Don't just follow him. Last, last, they are saying that the scepter will not depart from him until Shiloh comes. Was not the one even suggesting, let's quickly sell this guy. There's no need for the pain and the dysfunctionality we face. There's no need for it. Let me tell you something. Um, you may not take what I want to tell you, but it is true. Anybody who is married or who knows will tell you that what I'm saying is true. Two people can celebrate 20 years in marriage, 40 years in marriage, but they dislike each other to the teeth. There comes a time that people just agree, there's nothing I'm gaining from you again. Let's just keep this for the sake of eternity. Yeah, yeah, it gets that bad. It gets that bad. You say, ah, is it possible? What's your forgiveness quotient? No, you have to answer. You might be on your way to what I've just described now. And you are saying, wow, how quickly are you to forgive? To forgive and restore affection? Let me tell you something. If a spouse grows up in a place that there's, um, rejection Hm, where the person face rejection. Number one, the first— the fellow will find it difficult to forgive. Number two, the fellow will find it difficult to restore affection when there's pain, because that is the life the fellow has known. We have to examine the, the results. The effect of all these things on children, we have to examine them. So he resented Reuben, number one, the first product of a marriage he never wanted, who had the audacity to drag his girlfriend He didn't like him for that. Um, if we calculate the age of the children, you find out that after Ruben slept with that girl, the father still continued to have another child. He continued. So Ruben was following Jacob's pattern of infidelity. That was the pattern he was following. This, this— my heart is quite heavy. I, I just wish I can pause then ask us to pray. Let's pray two kinds of prayers. Let the singles ask God, help my heart now. Before I say I do. Help me recover from injuries I may not know I have. And let the married pray: Father, we receive grace and more wine in our marriage. Will you pray the prayer? Yes. The singles: Help my heart now. Help my heart. I want to learn how to forgive. I want to learn how to restore relationships. I want to learn how to move on from injuries and Help me, help me now to get it right. And let the married pray, Lord, grace, new wine in our home, rid us of bitterness, in the name of Jesus. Please pray that prayer. You have a minute, you have a minute. Pray it, pray it, pray it. Oh yes, Lord, help me, help my heart. You can start seeing it from the way you treat your friends. From the way you have argument, from the way you keep malice, and copy and paste. How will my home look like? Please pray, pray. If you are standing beside your wife or your husband, then you can hold hands and pray. Pray one for another and say, Lord, help us, help us, help us. In Jesus' mighty name we are praying. And please be seated. Let me, um, say this, that you should not use the opportunity God is giving you to prepare to mourn singleness. What did I say? Don't you waste the opportunity God has given to you to prepare to mourn what? Singleness. Don't mourn your single days. Now let's— this is my final lens tonight. And this is where the matter now gets serious, and this is where I'm going to round up tonight. Genesis chapter number 34. Genesis 34. Like I said, I'm going to go back to the past and come back to the future. Let's look at a very important story. So when we— hey God— they listed all the children that they all had, huh? You will think that was all, but no, there was a child that was not mentioned. You can guess who the mother was— Leah. Leah. If I picture Jacob, I will picture that whenever there's a problem in the house, he will say, children of Leah, I have no I have not. Did I try to marry your mother? Was it not just what happened? Genesis 34 from verse 1. And Dinah, the daughter of who? Leah. Why was she not mentioned? That she bore unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

Yes.

And when Shechem The son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the country, saw her. He took her and lay with her and defiled her. Jacob's daughter, somebody had raped her. But she was not just his daughter, she was the one that Leah gave birth to. So you can tell there was no much affinity. Father-to-daughter affection wasn't there. Leah, stay with your mother, enjoy. So much so that You see, when you see a child that the father did not show affection, the child will feel warm in the hands of another, even when they are predators. Don't marry a man because he's good-looking. Marry somebody who knows what it means to be a husband. There's nothing worse the devil can do to a girl than to insist that a girl's father will not cover her. A woman's first interpretation of affection is from the love the father gives. So she went out, huh, to see, and it was very easy for Shechem to sleep with her. Very, very easy for Shechem to sleep with her. I did a teaching, the title of the teaching is To the Girl from a Dysfunctional Background. We've never released it, um, I'm going to give the media the permission to release it tonight, um, as a foundation for the next series I'm about to start. Um, there are 4 tendencies that can come from a girl not having a father's affection. The first one is the tendency to be addicted to love. That is, you just want people to show you love, just want people to show that they love you, just want somebody to— and when they show it, you feel that's the end of the world. Because you've not seen the authentic. The second one is to be unelderly independent, to be detached, to not want to have anything to do with the male. Sometimes it could be because the father wanted a male child and a girl was born. Then in a bid to impress him, she becomes a male with her courage. Let me leave it. Amen. So When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her and defiled her. And his soul cleaved to Dinah, um, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel and spake kindly to the damsel. Now you compare this guy with the case of, um, what's his name now, Amnon. You see that the difference is clear, but that doesn't make this one love either. Amnon saw her, Tamar, slept with her, then ate her. It wasn't love. The fact that this one slept with her too and still felt affections towards her does not make it love. You know why? Love is patient. If you loved her, do the right thing. You know, some people argue with us when we say that, hey, singles, fear God, don't start living couples life when you are not married. He's going to destroy the foundation and say, no, no, no, you can't tell what is happening. We've been doing it for 3 years and he still loves me. A man who is cheating with you on God will cheat on you with somebody else. Can I come again? A man who is cheating with you on God will cheat on you with somebody else. You laid the foundation when you were enjoying your own, you were drinking Sprite and meat pie. Somebody else will continue from where you stopped. No, it's, it's a law. People don't know. People don't know what they are talking about. And fools are loud because media give everybody a voice. And you feel because you can type means you know what you're saying. You might not know jack and just talk. Do you know what pain is? Do you know your life can become so complicated you can't tweet? You don't even have phone to tweet. I, I saw, and it has happened several times, but I saw recently Femi Lazarus. Somebody went to do a video somewhere and said this is one of the old Nigerian musicians, sang a song. I used to know the song, I used to sing the song, I used to like the song. And one of the things he said that touched me, said the guy does not even have a phone. And I went on YouTube when I saw the video and I saw that one of his songs has 1.2 million views, but the owner of the song does not even have phone to see it. And when they sang that song, they were the Happening Boys. I'm saying that it doesn't take time for the life of a man who has left God to be complicated. It doesn't take time. It doesn't take— to say it can't be me, that's where the devil likes you to be. It doesn't take time. So this guy had finished this, I'm sleeping with the girl, and then like that. Look at verse 4. And Shechem— should we even enter this matter? Should I enter a bit? I'm trying to avoid something, but my conscience is not allowing me. Let me tell you. Why are you laughing? If you have Mark, let me tell you. Let me— I will still tell you. Let me tell you, when a girl has not seen a father's affection, she becomes sexually loose, loose, unless God sends help to bridle it. Hey, a father is the foundation of the building. The foundation may not be seen, you may not say the foundation is beautiful, but we must be able to say that the foundation is strong. Foundation has no business with beauty. Our business is with what? Strength.

Strength.

In the name that is above all names, God will keep you alive for your children. Our foundation is what? Strength. Strength. I shared it. I, I saw a guy was was talking to a girl, just passing, years back on the road. Say, I love you. Say, you're a very beautiful girl. You are this, this, this. The girl said, my father told me that this morning. Is it where you are going up and down to drink beer that you'll have time to take your 5-year-old daughter on a date? To be the first to take her out, to dress and wear gown as a father, and hold her hands and say, let's show you what it looks like. Sit down, young lady, order for what you want. You will not know that exists. You know the story of the madman of Gadara? He was in the tomb. Who are those in tomb? Those who are dead. A man who has left God is dead in his trespasses, and he was always cutting himself and bleeding himself out. He will beat the wife. Two has become one. There's no difference. The devil will keep you busy. You don't know that you are not doing important things till the consequence will surface and it becomes too late. Are you aware there is a certain age that if you don't bond with your children, you can't anymore? Yes, sir. And that's the bane of many African homes. The children that are ignored since they were growing up, suddenly they want them to be best of friends now that many times it becomes too late. Now that you are young, maximize the opportunity. Stay with your family. Enjoy it now. Enjoy it. Be family-oriented. There are people here fighting battles that I, I don't want to be like my father. You, you will not be like him. Some people are too proud to say, man, because so nobody will know that. No, it's not— there's not a crime. It's not a crime. If somebody has not laid good foundation, I don't want to be like the person. It doesn't mean you hate the person. If there's anyone whose pattern you don't want to follow, you will not be like that person. God will give you resources, it will give you wisdom in the name of Jesus. It will bless you with insights in the name of Jesus. He will satisfy you early, early with his mercy in the name of Jesus. The hand of God will keep you. You will have good homes, families that are heaven on earth. Death will not snatch you away in the name of Jesus. The grace of God will hold you strong. It will hold you strong in the name of Jesus. It is done. It is done. Let me just round up. So Jacob spake unto his father in verse 4, saying, Get me this damsel to wife. And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his cattle in the field, and Jacob held his peace until they were come. And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to meet Jacob to commune with him. And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it, and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel, lying with Jacob's daughter, which thing ought not to be done. And Hamor communed with them, saying, the soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter. I pray thee, I pray you, give her to him to wife, and make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters to you, and you shall dwell with us And the land shall be before you, and dwell, and dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions, possessions therein. And Shechem said unto her father, unto her brethren, let me find grace in your sight, and what you shall say unto me I will give. Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as you have said. Unto me, but give me this damsel to wife. And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor, his father, deceitfully and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. And they said unto them, we cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised, for that were reproach unto us. But in this we will consent to you, if you will be as we be, that every male be circumcised. Then we'll give our daughters to you, and we'll take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you and become one people. But if you're not hearken to us and to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and we'll be gone. And the words pleased Ammon and Shechem, Ammon's son, and the young man deferred not in the thing, to do the thing. Because he has delight in Jacob's daughter. And he was more honorable than all the house of his father. And Hamor and Shechem, and Hamor and Shechem his son, came to the gate of the city, and they communed with the men of the city, saying, these men are peaceable with us, and all that. So long story short, what they did was that they agreed that if circumcision was what you wanted, they gave all of them heavy meal in the city. God circumcised every male. Now let's jump to verse 25. And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore— that is, they were going through the pain of circumcision— that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man a sword and came up upon the city boldly and killed all the males. Wow, you said this was what you wanted. Let's even assume they've done bad, we agree. But now we see that they are so honorable that every male in the city, including the king, went for circumcision. And in the heat of it, they wiped all of them out. And Jacob was pained. Look at it, verse 26. And Jacob was pained. Quickly, verse 26 now. And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out. And the sons of Jacob came upon the slain and spoiled the city, because he has defiled their sister. They took oxen. Look at verse 30. And Jacob said unto Simeon and Levi, you have troubled me. To make me stink among the inhabitants of the land and among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. And I have been few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me and to slay me, and I shall be destroyed and my house. And they said, should he deal with her sister as a nalot? Then God told Jacob, move on from there. Now Jacob held this matter Going back to where we finished— we started from Genesis 49. Please pay attention now. Genesis 49, verse 5. Simeon and Levi, you know, these two were given birth to by Leah, are brethren, instruments of cruelty. Are in their habitations. Oh my soul, come not thou into their secret, unto their assembly mine honor be not thou united. For in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they've dig down a wall. Yes, cursed be their anger. For it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. That actually was not their destiny, but it was pinned. You know the implication of the statement he said that day to Levi, the person that that statement was fulfilled in his life? Was Moses. Moses had been the meekest. God bore witness on the face of the earth, there's none as meek as Moses. But at the tail end, an anger that has been caused Speak to the rock. He struck it. God said, Moses, you won't see the promised land. It ends here. When he said, cursed be your hunger, it means that you cannot enter into the fullness of the blessing anytime it manifests. You will not be fool. It will speak at the most important seasons of your life. And what was the root of all this? Resentment. They have sinned, they have begged, they have apologized. Forgive them, forgive them, forgive them. Dinah too was not complaining. After all, the father does— did not show affection like this man is. Forgive them. And curse was passed from one generation to another because of bitterness. There are homes still today that the siege of curses is still reigning. Somebody was angry and said things in the air. You know, Moses reversed that of Reuben. Ah, he reversed it. He reversed it. He said, let Reuben live, let him not die, let his men not be few. He reversed it. Reuben will matter in the move of God. His life might be under attack, but he will later matter. He showed from the beginning he was a good man. Your good sons can become terrible if there's a bad foundation. They can be. Fatherhood is many things and more. They become terrible. What are the curses that is moving from one generation to another because somebody was bitter? Sometimes it's a curse that no woman here will stay in their husband's house because a woman was evicted from her own and cursed them. Sometimes a, a mother can even curse her— a woman can curse her own husband and say, I curse you. When you curse a man, you curse what comes out of his loins. You curse the product. Till the sons— the man is dead now, but the children are his replica because you said it. What you said in 1 minute now requires 40 days' try to reverse. Let me make a pronouncement. I know I called altar call the last time, but again I want to insist. If there's anyone here who is coming from a place where there's a pattern of a curse I stand in my place today as a prophet to announce the siege is over. Amen. Every statement that was said into your family or into your life out of pain and anger, any statement that was said into your very existence out of pain. Maybe a relationship ended, then somebody released the word. Maybe somebody's heart was broken and then said the word. I stand today and I plead on the covenant of the blood that speaks better things than the blood of Abel, that every negative pronouncement is reversed. You will not become what you ate. You will not become what you hate. You will not become what you hate. Every negative pronouncement is reversed. Maybe there are some of you here that every time you see yourself looking like one of your parents, you begin to say Maybe this thing is catching up with me. You are different. You are different. You are entirely different. You will not repeat the trauma in that house. You will not repeat the trauma in that house. You will not repeat the trauma in that house. Let me say a statement that might be heavy. But keep it in your mind. There are times you can find yourself in a situation where you know, I have missed it, but the mercy of God rewrite stories. Are you with me? Never conclude about your life. The mercy of God rewrite stories. Most times, for curses to extend, the same thing that brought the first one is needed to bring the second one, is needed to bring the third one. The same thing. Why was— why did Moses strike the rock? Because he was offended. He was offended. That was the same thing that brought the first one. So you check, you will not find generational curses without generational patterns. And usually it is the pattern that began it that will continue it. So sometimes you see a pattern of poverty, you check, you see a curse or a pattern of poverty, but you check, there's also an habit of promiscuity. If you can purge yourself from that, you have escaped. Because what— what— are you with me? What is giving the devil legality in that place is the act. It's the act. I know you are fighting battles. You are trying to hold on to the cross so that that day will not come that you fall. You won't fall. Those who are waiting for you to fall, they might be mocking you now and say, you are shouting Jesus, you'll be back. They will wait in vain. You will beat the the beginning of a new lineage. You will be the beginning of a new order. You will be the beginning of a new pattern. In the name of Jesus, you will be the beginning of a new work. Something new is starting from you. What God has started will not be aborted. What couldn't they say no to? Maybe offense. An entire family was silenced for 3 generations. You have to pass the test. It's a responsibility. You must. You will have reasons to be offended that can take you out of the plan of God, but you must choose to say no. I understand by books. This is the pattern. I understand by books. I refuse to be offended. Go check those whose name suddenly went muted, silent, as you are tracing the history of the family. Why? See what they fell into. Avoid it. Pray for grace. When you see the carcass of a great man, you don't take selfie around it. What killed them is not far away. You don't laugh. You pray for mercy. You pray, you pray. All the things we are tracing out in between the lines, they are not funny. Any con lomo. It is the one that has been there that can tell you what it is. You may not know what it means for father and son to be dragging the same girl. You may not know. For the, for, um, the age mate of Reuben to say, ah, that small girl, no be him your father dey carry. You may not know, but he knew. And those who know, know how that children can start growing and say, this is the man I want to be like, only to grow and say, I never want to look anything like you. You will not fail God. You will not fail God. The mercy of God that preserves will preserve you. The mercy of God that preserves will preserve you. Jude 1 says, unto him that is able to keep us from falling and present us spotless. God will not send you without keeping you. He will keep you safe. He will keep you safe. For those of you that they are eagerly waiting to come back home with shame, they will wait in vain. They will wait in vain. The hand of God will preserve you. Grace upon grace, grace upon grace. The siege is over, the siege is over. It is done in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, Lord.

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