Yeah!
Yeah
The anointing amid fire burns
My heart is cultured to work
I have in me the burning
fire
Oh a shell of grace
I have in me the burning
So 2nd Corinthians chapter number 5 verse 16
Before that let's do from verse 14
For the love of Christ constraineth us not the love for Christ
The love of Christ constraineth us
Say the love of Christ constraineth us
Because we thus judge that if one died for all then we are all dead
And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves
Now you have to underline that
If you came to church with your own Bible
And they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves
But unto him which died for them and rose again
Praise the Lord
Wherefore henceforth
I need about 5 hours tonight
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh
Yeah, though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more
Every every verse is ours
Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature
All things are passed away behold all things are become new
All things are of God
Who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation
To which that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them
And hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us
We pray you in Christ
Stay be reconciled to God
For you have made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might become or we might be made the righteousness of God in him
For the love of Christ constrained us because we thus judge that if one died for all then we are all dead
And that he died for all that they which lay should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him who died for them rosily
The death of Jesus has a reason
The coming to the earth of Jesus Christ our Lord has a reason
Jesus did not die for nothing he died for a purpose he died for a reason hallelujah
And the Bible is emphatic the coming of the Lord to the earth
Jesus coming to the earth is called the love of Christ
Now there is a difference between the love of Christ and the love for Christ
The two are different they are not the same the love of Christ means the love that comes from Christ
It is the love that you do nothing about and the love for Christ is your love for him
I think it was last week on Sunday I told you a bit about the love for the Lord right?
A great judge I remember that
Now so the love of Christ is the love that Jesus or the love our Lord has for us
You know the Bible says for God so loved the wealth that he gave for God so loved the world so that is the love of
The love of God so God so loved the wealth that he gave his son
What is the love of God if somebody is saying God loves me or you know
Hey
Hold on
Do you know that the love of God for us is not in the present is in the past
God does not say I love you God say I loved you
Why?
For God so loved the wealth that he gave the love of God is not is not
Don't say God loved me because I woke up
Hallelujah
The love of God. Hallelujah. It's not that you woke up from your bed
Hallelujah
You know the love of God is not that the love of God is the giving of Jesus
God's love is that he gave you Jesus. Hallelujah
Do you understand what I'm talking about? Good. And then the love of Christ is that he died for you
So if Jesus ever tells you I love you, he's telling you I loved you saying that I died for you
So the death of Jesus is the love of Christ
So the Bible says the love of Christ constrains us. What is the love of Christ the gospel of Christ?
The love of Christ is the gospel of Christ. What is the gospel of Christ?
His death, burial, resurrection and everything that is inside for us
So that is the love of Christ. So it says the love of Christ compels us, it constrains us
It kind of bind us. Hallelujah. When we get to know how much Jesus had to sacrifice for us
When divinity had to give himself to be killed, to die
So that he will be able to save man when we understand the sacrifice of our Lord, we are compelled, we are constrained
Do you know what it means to constrain? We are so compelled when we look at how much he loves us
Hallelujah
You know there's this song, Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so
Now that is not wrong but it is not true. Hallelujah. It is not just the Bible tells you so
He proved it on the cross. Hallelujah. So it is not just the Bible that tells you so
It is his proof on the cross. Now I'm not saying what the Bible said is not true
These days when you are talking you have to explain yourself. Hallelujah. Praise the name of the Lord
But it is his work of redemption that exhibits his love or that demonstrates his love when he had to hang on the cross
Now a lot of us don't know that the death of Jesus is something nobody in this universe can ever do
We just think it's just one man who is just walking around and then they say he doesn't respect the elders
So they had to put him on a pole and hang him and nail him. No, no, no, that goes beyond that
Hallelujah. It is when the one who made all things was able to cry for a drop of water
When the one who made the ocean said that I thirst
And the people he gave them the ocean now can give him vinegar
Instead of water it is when the one who is who provides a shelter
Was naked. It's not like the Jesus in your watch. Jesus was not wearing anything
He was naked
The maker of the universe was naked on the cross
Hallelujah
Naked and you know, they had to nail his hands one here one there
And then they nailed their legs like this and then one long nail inside it. They nailed it
And nothing was holding him. He was just there like that. And so do you know what is going to happen?
What is the law of gravity? Come on. What is the law of gravity?
So gravity simply means that whatever goes up comes down. Are you understanding that?
Don't write it like that. That's a lame man understanding. Everything that goes down comes down.
See you are able to jump and you don't suspend because of gravity.
There are other planetary places where when you get there, when you jump you'll be going because gravity doesn't work there.
Now so Jesus on the cross, you know what gravity was doing? Gravity will be pulling him down.
It means that the nails will be tearing his hands and his legs. Such an excruciating pain.
Hallelujah. And this was the one who made the world and that he did for you and for I.
So that we can be saved. Praise the name of the Lord. Very important.
A lot of people think, oh what we talk about Jesus died for you. We are just thinking about one guy who was just walking and then he died.
And later we are making a story that he died for us. No, no, no, no, no. He died with you in mind.
Praise the name of the Lord. He died with you in mind. You don't like what I'm telling you. He died with you in mind.
You are the reason why Jesus died. You see Jesus did not die as a martyr. You know who a martyr is?
One who dies for his beliefs. Jesus did not die for his beliefs. He died for the world.
So John 1.29 says, Behold the Lamb of God, which taken away the sin of the world.
For he had made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God.
When Jesus was on the cross, he was there for us. And that is the love of Christ for us.
See when a Christian does not appreciate that, it's a problem.
For example if we are singing, He marted my bread, sugared my coconut, so so on does Jesus did do.
Jesus did not batter bread. He does not sugar. If you want, go to the store. There is somebody there who does that.
He is battering bread and he is sugaring coconut. That is somebody's business. Jesus died for you.
Hallelujah. One of these days I think, I think during the COVID time or something, when we were doing the small small groups,
I did this thing I was talking about the death of Christ or something. You know the benefit of His death.
Now, so the Bible says Jesus' love, what is the love of Christ? His death for us. He gave His life for us.
Praise the Lord. He gave His life for us. He came from heaven.
From heaven. There is a song, it says, You didn't want heaven without us. So Jesus you brought heavens down.
My sin was great, your love was greater. One can separate us now.
See, so my sin was great, but His love was greater.
Now, some of you are not enjoying it. You want me to tell you that you will be travelling abroad. We are all day here.
That is the epic of God's love for us. When He was able to give. You know if you pick Islam for instance,
Islam is that fight for your founder. So you mention Mohammed's name, you don't mention it well.
You don't even add peace on him. You are in trouble. Do you understand that?
Even when he was alive, he was fighting people with his people. If you go against him, he will send people to come and finish you.
Yes, he conquered Mecca through war. Do you understand that? After all the Muslims, he conquered places through war.
He will come, he will finish you. He was a warrior. Jesus conquered the world through His vicarious love.
Through His liquid love. Hallelujah. He conquered the world through love.
You see, we don't die for Him through war. No, no, no, no. He died for us.
Oh, you don't like what I'm telling you. Some of you are very tondrously silent. I'm just wondering.
And that is the love of Christ for you. See, and in believing that you are able to be saved,
Romans chapter 10 verse 9 and 10, if thou shall confess with thine mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
You will receive. So when you believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, salvation comes to you.
You become born again. You become a child of God. You receive the nature of God.
The very righteousness of God and the expressing of the righteousness of God with all the verities of God in you.
Hallelujah. You come, you join the family of God. Hallelujah. Now you are born in Zion.
Now you have the spirit of God. Now you are holy. Now you are sanctified. Now you are filled with the spirit.
Now you enjoy the Lord. Now you are heavenly bound. You are called a citizen of heaven.
We are not trying to go to heaven. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. When you get born again, you are bound to go to heaven.
Are you understanding that? See, we don't get born again to plan or to do something to go to heaven.
Philippians chapter 3 verse 10. What does the Bible say? The Bible says you are citizens of heaven.
No, no, no. 320. Let's go there quickly. I don't want to misquote. Alright, come on quickly. Quickly.
320. You see, hey, the pastor said something. He's not there. 320. Woohoo.
BBE says, for our country is in heaven. For our country is in heaven. Tell somebody, our country is in heaven.
It's like I don't have people here. Say, our country is in heaven.
So apostle Paul said, we know where we are coming from. We know where we belong. We are not just Ghanaians.
We are citizens of heaven. Am I communicating here? Say, I'm a citizen of heaven. I don't have people here.
Say, I'm a citizen of heaven. We are not trying to go to heaven. Don't you understand what I'm telling you?
We are born by heaven. Hallelujah. We are not trying to go to heaven. We are there. When you get born again, you are there.
Hallelujah. Alright, sit down for a minute. That's where we belong. Heavenly citizens. Citizens of heaven.
Hallelujah. Look at how the easy English puts it.
But we belong to heaven. Our home is not really this world. Did you get it? We belong to heaven.
Some of you, you don't like these things. We are not Jehovah's Witnesses. We are marking houses that when this thing happen, we will go and take the houses.
No, you look at the new and fresh house that you marked. No, no, no, no, no, no. You are the earth. That's fine.
But we are heavenly. Come on, shout it. I'm heavenly. I don't have people in this church. Say, I am heavenly. I belong to heaven.
I belong to heaven. You see, it's like a German citizen in Ghana. No, I may be eating your food, but I don't belong here.
I may be driving on your road, but I don't belong here. I'm a citizen of heaven. Glory to God.
Hallelujah. This is good, man. Hallelujah. Citizens of heaven. Look at how another person put it.
He says, our citizenship, however, is in heaven.
How many of you are trying to go to heaven? I'm sorry to disappoint you. We don't try to go to heaven. We are born there.
Our citizenship, however, is in heaven.
Hallelujah. Our citizenship, however, is in heaven.
So we are here on earth, but we belong to heaven. So if Jesus comes today, will you go?
He's coming to take you. He's just coming to take his family members.
I belong to his family. I'm born again. I have the spirit of Christ in me. I'm marked with the Holy Ghost.
Hallelujah. Man, I should not change the message. So as we are talking, what was I saying?
So Jesus Christ loved us so that when you believe in him, you are saved. You're saved. You are not about to be saved.
Somebody said, what if you are not baptized with water? Really? You think Jesus is out there putting people in water?
He's out there saving people. The Bible says, if thou shall confess with your mouth that the Lord Jesus is Lord, and believe with your heart that God has saved you.
The Bible says, go into all the world and preach the gospel. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. Really?
The Bible didn't say, he that believes and is baptized in water shall be saved.
So what kind of baptism are you talking about? The Bible says we have one faith, one Lord, Ephesians 4. One faith, one Lord, one baptism.
We don't have two. We have one baptism. What is that baptism? It's called the baptism into the Lord, the body of Christ by the Spirit.
1 Corinthians chapter 12 and 13, he said, for by one Spirit are you all baptized into one body. Hallelujah.
So when you get born again, you are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. You are inoculated into the body. You are injected into the body of Christ.
You become a part of Christ. I'm a legal part of Christ.
Oh, you don't get out of the body of Christ. Hallelujah. If you came to church today, you are not happy. I can't help you. But I am a legal part of the body of Christ.
So if Jesus is looking for his people, he calls me. Do you understand that?
So now let's come back to what I'm telling you. That's not even what I want to tell you tonight.
Now, so how do you call it? Jesus, the Lamb of Christ, is the sacrifice he made for us.
Hallelujah. The sacrifice he made for us. And the Bible says when Jesus Christ died for all, all died,
so the Lamb of Christ is his sacrifice, the sacrifice of himself for us.
Now, then the Bible says in that he died for all, then all were dead.
So that those that live will no more live unto themselves.
The reason why Jesus Christ died for us is so that when we believe in him, we will not live for ourselves.
The essence of the death of Christ, the reason why he had to die, is so that we will not live for ourselves.
This is one of the big things in the Word of God. Hallelujah. Are we all together?
This is one of the big things in the Word of God, that we don't live for ourselves.
It means that Jesus Christ died for us and those that believe in him should not become selfish.
What is selfish? To live for yourself. To live for yourself. Listen.
There are people who live for themselves. There are people who live for the devil.
And there are people who live for God. There are three dimensions of life.
One, the one lived for self, the one lived for the devil, and the one that is lived for God.
I think we should make it four. The one that is also lived unto the world. Hallelujah.
There are people, they are neither here, they are neither there. They just want to enjoy life.
They are living for the world. So, Jesus our Lord died so that we will live for him.
Open your Bibles. Let's get there again.
Verse 15. All of us are going to read verse 15. Open your Bibles. Verse 15.
Verse 15, 15, 15, 2 Corinthians. And 5, 15, 2 Corinthians. Are you all there?
Alright. Now let's go. 1, 2, go. Oh no. 1, 2, go. 1, 2, go. Uh-uh. 1, 2, go. Uh-uh. 1, 2, go.
Some of you are not reading. 1, 2, go. Uh-uh.
Hallelujah. So, he died for all. Jesus died for all so that, come on, look into the Word. So that, so that, I'm talking to all of us who look into your Bibles.
Everybody look into your Bibles. He died for all so that, so Jesus died so that they which live should no more live for themselves.
So when you believe in Jesus, you are not to live for yourself. Hallelujah. When you believe in Jesus, you no longer must live for yourself.
What does it mean to live for yourself? When you do things and live your life by yourself, for yourself, according to yourself.
For example, there are people who say, oh, we are going out to spread the Gospel. We are going out to preach the Gospel to people. And they will say, oh no, no, no, I can't come. Why can't you come? I'm tired.
Jesus did not die so that you will be tired and sleep when we are going to Winsops.
For example, we are coming to church. Somebody says, I'm not coming. Why? Because it has rained. You are living for yourself.
Are we together? You're living for yourself. And that's not why Jesus died for you.
He did not die for you so that when it rains, you don't come to church.
He did not die for you so that when you are hungry, you don't go to church. Why are you not going to church? Because I'm hungry.
You ever met those guys who tell you that, ah, Jesus, I don't go to church. I'm washing God in my room.
That is living for yourself because the Bible says we should be together. We should not forsake the assembling together of ourselves. We should not forsake it.
When we are together, we should come together, smile to somebody, say something nice to somebody. Hallelujah.
And most about all, receive the word of God. So the Lord Jesus died so that those of us who believe, those that will believe that he died for us, we cease to live for ourselves.
It's no more about you. Hallelujah. You know, you are talking to people and the people are always, I, I, I, I, I. You know, I, I. You know, there's something about me.
You know, for me, eh, about me, eh, me, when it comes to, ah, personally, when they keep on doing that and they don't even consider others, such people are living for themselves.
May you not live for yourself. Come on. I say may you not live for yourself. Praise the name of the Lord. See, don't let your life be all about you.
That's what the Bible says, that Jesus died so that our lives will not be all about us. Hallelujah.
The next thing I'm doing is that I'm getting a degree. The next thing I'm doing is that I'm married, after married. The next thing I'm doing is that I'm giving birth. The next thing I'm doing is that I'm building
The next thing I'm doing is that I'm doing this. The next. And everything is I, I, I, I.
You never say the next thing I'm doing is I am living for God.
The next thing I'm doing is that I'm going out for an outfish.
outreach. Hallelujah! Now so Jesus died so that we don't live for ourselves. It's not all about you.
Hallelujah! Because you see right now if you decide you're going to live for yourself you
will not even have a reason to go to church. You have a reason. You have a reason because see
every day you come to church there's a reason why you must not come to church.
It's true. There is a reason if I ask some of you why you should not have come to church today
somebody would have said it's rain. Somebody would have said I'm tired I want to sleep.
Somebody would have said it. So there's always a reason why you should not come to church.
Hallelujah! But if you understand the love that Jesus has for you, you will not be living onto
yourself. Hallelujah! You will not say a friend has invited you for a party so you will not go
to church. No that's a sin. You are taking your name out of the book of life. Yeah! We are to live
not onto ourselves. Not onto ourselves. Don't let your life be all that you are looking for.
All your ambitions, all your desires, all your plans, all your visions and all your aspirations.
That is not life. Somebody texted me today they say, man of God please pray for me. I say why?
They say I've gotten an opportunity to travel and I say, but the means is not there.
Hallelujah!
How do you expect me to pray that prayer?
I just said thank you for revealing your plan.
Well, dear, who should serve God with me?
You see he has got, he's looking for money. The money is not coming.
Where is the money going to travel from? We are not here. Hallelujah! Listen, I'm not saying
travel is not bad, but listen, life is not all about you when you get born again.
Life is not all about you. We are going out for soul winning. You are looking for the next man to
marry. That is all that your mind is about. Hallelujah! The moment we win a soul, that looks
like something you can marry. He said, ah, could this be my husband? You are not winning the soul
for Christ. He said the spirit for the Lord, the body for myself. That is serious. Hey!
It's, but it's serious. The moment you win a soul, you are looking at, wow, this one I can marry.
Marriage is in your mind. When Jesus is saving people from the fire, you are, you want to marry
someone who just came out of fire. How is that possible? Do you understand what I'm talking to
you about? It's serious. It's serious. It's serious. It's not all about you. It's okay to be single for
a long time. Are you understanding that? It's okay to be single for a long time. It's okay.
It's okay. I say, lady, it's okay that no one is proposing to you. It's okay. Life is not all about
who is telling you, I want to marry you and then you are dead. You are mesmerized and your face is
looking like chocolate that is not cooked. It's okay. Are you understanding that? Yes, it's okay.
That you a guy, you can be there for one year, two years, three years after your heartbreak.
It's okay. Don't just get up and write. No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
And you ladies have been telling you, if any guy comes to you to tell you, I love you, tell the
person, go and propose to daddy first. Because I know my sons, I know all of them, they are character.
Some of them are really bombs, bombs, atomic bombs. You go and say yes to your own
your own this thing. That's the way you will die. Do you understand what I'm talking to everyone? Yes.
Tell the person, please this life is not all about yourself. Can't you just concentrate on the Lord?
Hallelujah. Life is not lived for self when you get born again. Praise the name of the Lord.
Are we together here? Or you are angry? The same way, I mean if you see any lady making advances
towards you, say if you don't stop your own, don't even come and tell me. If you don't stop it, I will slap you.
We are witness of 30 days of this day and you are here and you are thinking about who to propose to.
My friend, this heaven we are going now, we are going to receive crowns of gold and crowns of
what crown? You get crown and table crown. That's what you will get. Hallelujah. Say I'm not living for myself.
Don't live for yourself. Be seated. He says, so they will not live for themselves but they will live
they will live. Come on. They will live. That last part. They will live unto him
who died for them and rose again. And who is that? There is only one person worth living for.
His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. He must fill your aspiration. He must fill your ambition.
He must be the reason why you are alive. Didn't you read what Paul said? For to me to live is Christ.
Hallelujah. Come on. You are not getting that. Paul is saying that the reason for my life is Christ.
The reason for living is Christ. It means that if you take Christ out, I don't have any reason to be
alive. Hallelujah. Say for to me to live is Christ. See if you go and ask a Christian, I mean maybe
here in church you'll find some sensible questions and some sensible answers but if you go out and
you ask some Christians what is the meaning of life? Life. If it's a lady, life. What life are you
talking about? Life? Alright. So life, you know, you get all the nice things in this world. You get a
car. You get a house. Then you get a rich husband, you know, like a husband that can spoil you with
money. Then shaking the shoulder, money. That's not life. Hallelujah. That is not life.
See life is about what you drive, what you wear, where you sleep. You know,
every day you will know you are posting jiwago. It will take you 70 years before you can buy one.
You are posting jiwago. You are posting kyu, this thing and this thing.
You know when you post it, maybe you post it, you post it and you see maybe a tv that is rotating,
then you you will ask Pasar Crescent's voice, I refuse to be poor. I will never be broke again.
I will never be broke in my life. That's a Christian. What is driving you?
You are a Christian. You see your mate you completed school with, the one who come
and pass with a white Benz. Then we just roll down. We say, hey, how have you been? Oh wow, wow, wow.
And you look the way you have walked because that time it has not rained like today.
And your legs and your foot has collected dust and the perfume that is coming out of the Benz,
then you begin to question God. God is not out there giving you Benz's. He says you must live for God.
You live for him who died. Hallelujah. Sometimes you ladies, you can even have one guy come in
your life, you look at that guy and the guy is really really man a good spec baby. That's a spec.
At least it's a spec. But the guy is not born again. So man of God is a very nice guy. He loves
the Lord and everything. Just that he doesn't like this born again, born again thing.
Somebody was marrying somebody, they told the girl, I don't want the wedding to be in church.
It's not like they don't have it. They have a church building. So I don't want the wedding to
be in church. They said, well, we just go and do it in the garden. Me, if I'm your pastor, I'll tell
you a trick. That baby, I won't come. I won't come and do the wedding in the garden. Because you are
not a flower. You are a Christian. Hallelujah. So we live our lives for Jesus. The one who died for us
and who rose again. Hallelujah. He is, he is, Jesus is the purpose for life.
Oh, calabasas. One time a pastor told me, he said, I don't know what my people, my people,
they are not responding. I've taken time to teach them about purpose, purpose,
purpose. They should have a purpose for life. I said, no, no, no, no, no, it's not about that.
There's no, there's no other purpose. So you want somebody says, have you found your purpose in
life? You are a Christian. If somebody asks you, what's your purpose in life? Say Christ.
That's a perfect, heaven will be glad. The purpose for life is Christ. It's Christ. He is the reason
why we live. He is the reason why we are alive. Hallelujah. For me to live is Christ.
He's the one who moves my heart. He's the one who drives my ambitions. Hallelujah.
Praise the name of the Lord. If you ask somebody right now, why do you want to get money? You see
the person say, ha, ha, ha, you want to get range, range Rover. You want to range Rover.
You want to range Rover. But you can ask somebody, why do you want to get money? Say ministry.
And the person is not faking it all. There are people in church who say, God give me money for
ministry. They are lying. Even the 200 ganadars in your account, when you come to church, you still
give 50 pesos of free. So you are lying. Do you understand? Christ must drive your ambition.
He must be the reason why you are living. Hallelujah. You see, that's why when you meet
Christ, when you truly meet Christ, I'm not saying when you go to church, when you truly
meet the Lord Jesus Christ, your direction for life changes. I wanted to be a lawyer. I wanted
to be a journalist, a politician, or a medical doctor. I mean, when I was in class two class,
I was thinking about pilot, but I'm not a witch to be flying. So I settled with journalist, lawyer,
a doctor. Hallelujah. Or a politician. And when I was in SITS1 Fresh, I was doing politics.
One mate of mine right now, he's even, he's he contesting for SRC at Legom. He was,
hallelujah. But here I am. I have found the true worth of life. Christ. Hallelujah. And I never
regret knowing Jesus. Hallelujah. No, no, I never regret knowing Jesus. That's the best decision you
can ever take or make in life. To work with Jesus Christ, that is the best decision ever.
People go to church, they don't know him. But you see, that's why I'm teaching you him right now.
That's the best decision. To learn of him. To daily become like Christ. To busy yourself with
Christ. Hallelujah. Young people, are you here with me? Come on, you here with me everybody?
That is the best thing in life. One of the ways you live for yourself is whenever you post nonsense
on your status. You are living for yourself because you are, you found something that is funny and you
are putting it for people to read. So I will know that, oh, you are funny. You are not funny.
You are selfish. I like the way Gabby says, hey, hey. Use that to share the gospel.
As your sister, some of you have friends, you know that they don't go to church. You know that
they don't even know they know Jesus Christ. But they never come into your mind. Meanwhile,
you meet them and you fool with them, alright. It's serious. It doesn't come, oh, Charlie,
let's go to church. Oh, this Sunday, let's go to church. I want to invite you to church. How much
will it cost to invite your friend to church? How difficult is that? Hallelujah. Say, I bring
my friends to the house of God. Like you may say, I bring my friends to the house of God.
That we must live our lives for Jesus. Live our lives for Jesus. Come on, tell somebody,
live your life for Jesus. You will not just be in the house and say, hey, hey, church is in the
heart. Christianity is in the heart. It's not about going to, you know there are people like that.
Christianity is in the heart. It's not about going to church. That Bible you are saying is in the
heart. No problem. The Bible says what is in the heart is what is coming out. So it is never in
your heart. Because if it's in your heart, the churches this day, they don't ask you. Who should
love you? You, have you loved, have you finished loving? Mad people who are mostly, who mostly
have that issue. Nobody loves me. First question you have to ask them, how many people have really
loved in the church? You are not loved, who wants only to love you? Love and you will be loved.
Don't let your life be the center for your living. Because the reason why Jesus died
is so that we can live for him. So whenever you hear we are doing something for Christ,
forget, before even some excuses will come inside your mind, be there.
Hallelujah. Did you understand what I am talking about? That is what it means to say I have met
Jesus. Because he says he died for all, so that when we receive his love, which is his death,
we will no more live for ourselves. So the way to say that, the way to show that you have met him
is to live for him. It is to be an agent of Christ here on earth. Be an agent of Christ.
That is what it means to meet Christ. That is what it means to believe in Jesus. Your life is
changed. The same person who will go and waste time sitting somewhere and be chatting and in the
morning will get up and galavanting, galavanting all around, meeting people, meeting people,
talking about sports, talking about whatever. It is like this person is changing. It is like this
person, his conversations are changing. The way he lives is like he is changing. It is like right now
he has become too much, I am going to church, I am going to church, I am going to church. If they
do not start accusing him, it is like you go to church too much. If they do not accuse you,
you have not met Christ yet. As for me, I can only come to church on Sundays. We see that.
As for me, I can only come to church on Sundays. We can see it in your face. Because you see,
on Wednesdays I am not in the mood. On Fridays I am not in the mood. Evening sets in. I don't know.
When I go, my place is very dark. My place is people who attack people. Who is attacking who?
Hallelujah. So the Bible tells us that we must not live unto ourselves. We must not be the reason why we are alive.
I am the reason why I am alive. Making mama proud. We don't live to make mama proud.
That is what the Bible says. We don't live to make mama proud.
I tell my 16 years girl, one day you will eat from the fruit of your labor. Labor does not have fruits.
Hallelujah. Listen, we don't live to make mama proud. I know some of you will not agree with me.
No, no, no, no. The point is, in fact, if Jesus died so that we would live and make mama proud,
it is if we would live for He who loved us, who died and rose again.
And you see, when you live for Jesus, automatically your mama will be proud.
In the beginning they may not agree. But I tell you the things my mother herself says.
The only one that you should come to the church, you can give her a knock for me.
She says, see this woman. You understand?
But now she was telling a friend, oh, hey, oh, when I met my friend,
I told him, oh, my friend, young, young, young, young woman.
I told him, young, young, young, young woman, I told him, Jesus, young, young, young woman.
Oh, I was like, why are you crying? Why are you crying?
What are you crying about? You know, last month, I didn't know what you were saying.
What are you crying about? I was like, oh, I am crying.
I am crying because I am crying because I am crying because I am crying.
You know, he was just advertising me.
So when I heard that, I said, ah, from who is my mother? I said, which of their mothers?
So when you live for Jesus and you become strong on it, very soon people will be proud of you.
So proud of you. Oh, wow.
Life is the perfect life to live your life for Jesus. Hallelujah.
And let Christ drive your motives. Let Christ drive your ambitions. Let Christ drive your desire.
If you are going to desire anything in this world, let it be Christ driven.
If you are going to aspire anything in this world, let it be Christ driven.
Don't be selfish. You may have a lot of reasons why you should do this or you should stop this or stuff like that,
but always make sure that it is Christ driven. It is Christ centered.
Hallelujah. It is Christ focused. For me to live is Christ.
Put that there. Philippians. Let's go to Philippians.
122, I believe. Now we are closing right now. We are out of time.
I didn't come to preach. I just came to tell you one or two things.
Verse 21.
All of you, let's read out the first part once you go. If you are there, come on. Philippians 1.21.
The Bible says, the Bible in basic English is, for to me, life is Christ.
What is life? Come on, what is life?
Talk to me, what is life? Life is Christ.
You understand? Life is not fight. Life is Christ.
Hallelujah. Life is Christ.
Until your life is defined that way, you are not living a purposeful life.
A purposeful life is not a life that you become a medical doctor or a teacher or something.
That is career. There is no problem with that. If you want to become, that's fine.
But life is Christ. I said life is what? Talk to me, life is what? Life is Christ.
So make up your mind that your life will be centered around Christ.
Today you are going to church. You are reading your Bible.
And then they will start even calling you, hey, you see the wires of Miami.
Hey, you see the wires of Miami. Hey, see that's what Christ is trying to do.
Your life is all about Christ. And you see your life will be changing.
You that used to be a fighter, they don't care you. When they care you, they care you.
It will be war. Right now it's like your life has changed.
The things that used to anger you, they don't anger you again.
Say I'm angry, I'm angry. Leave me, I'm angry, I'm angry. Hey, I'm angry.
Your life is changed. You be in the house, five people are in the house, you don't talk to them.
When you wake up, when you get up, you are gaga.
You see, some people you meet, they have neck pains.
It's not because they are sick or no, they are not sick.
But the way they walk, the way they do their neck.
Their neck. So they are skinned.
You look at them and sometimes you look at their face and their mouth.
It's like a parallelogram. You know parallelogram?
Because they are never happy, they are never excited.
But when you truly meet the Lord Jesus, your life is changed.
You smile of it. The things that used to bore you are changed.
They don't bore you again. You are so excited to know Jesus, so excited to be with the Lord.
Hallelujah. This is what life is.
Hallelujah. I said this is what life is.
Let me tell you this, let me close with this.
At the point of every human being, alright, in the life of every human being,
there is a point where people encounter what changes their lives.
So as I'm here, I was not born like this.
Last I was telling them my testimony, I have been in wakey-peas before.
Wakey-peas. My grandma would be the one to wake you up.
There are women from Accra who are in Chilsung.
My grandma is a darling woman.
She does not understand why you are a male.
And then the wakey-peas going on and people are dancing and you are sleeping by the stove.
If you don't get out, he will pour water on you.
You get out there and go and look for yourself what is happening there.
Do you understand that? We've danced to secular songs and we've had nonsense friends.
I have a friend, like my best friend, when I didn't know Jesus.
Right now he's a rasta guy. He's taking Lutu.
In the village, you go and he's just there and he's taking Lutu.
He's now rasta. He has about three children now.
Yeah, I'm a poor guy.
But at a point in my life, I was telling, I was telling,
I don't know if it was you, I met this pastor who did not give up on me.
Who didn't give up on me?
He said, you saw somebody here, you're not paying around your business,
you're giving out your ribs or somewhere in there.
Is it the way she has appealed to you?
Alright, so I'll pray for you. That's why you couldn't laugh.
Now, so...
So, what was I saying?
Yes, the man didn't give up on me.
He's the man who made me do my first fasting ever.
I nearly kissed that man.
That man was coming for my crap.
So I just joined their church. I've gone to their church one, two times
and I'm not going again.
And he came, I didn't even know he had come.
I was going to the church and I was going to the church and I was going to the church.
We don't dance, we don't do anything.
We are like Jehovah's Witness.
The church is cool, like the Church of Christ.
So this man came and I was pounding fufu.
My grandma liked fufu.
Early morning, somewhere in the village, thereabouts.
And that was supposed to be our breakfast.
So we were pounding the fufu like that in the village.
And the man said, ah!
So he called the pastor, ah, chas!
I called him and he said, I'm going to buy some bread for you.
I said, ferniba, ferniba, ferniba.
I said, ferniba, ferniba.
I said, I'm going to buy some bread for you.
The man just called me and said, pack your things, get some things, let's go, let's go.
I'm going to go to the old man's house for fasting.
She says,
She said, I'm going to go to the old man's house for fasting.
And this man took us to a bush.
He didn't come to seek permission from my grandma.
No, no, no.
When they started praying, we were reading, and that's how he fasts.
He'll be reading Bible, those of you who go with him.
So if you start praying, so maybe at six there, when you start getting hungry,
you'll be around 10, 11.
You read Bible, and you'll be reading aloud.
You'll all be together around like that.
Then it's okay. So maybe you are reading Ephesians.
You start from Ephesians 1.
You'll be reading.
Then you are reading, then you are reading.
When you finish the whole Ephesians, then you'll pray.
Abbekat is,
Ephesians 1, Faber of Vi.
After the prayer, then he'll sit down again.
He'll be like, he's chatting, he's doing this, he's doing that.
And then he'll come again. Maybe he'll say Romans.
And when you are not done, we are not getting up.
I was dying.
Because that was my first time.
I have never forgotten that experience.
My tummy is like, there's a rashes.
Then the man told me,
and his family said,
what?
What?
I mean, so also,
in the middle of the night,
why?
You are not getting up?
You are not getting up.
And after the fast, he prayed for me.
And finally, I say, ha, thank you, Father.
I came home, I ate and everything.
So I started going to the church.
And he told the pastor, the day I don't come to church,
these days, young people, they don't fear elderly people.
He said the day I don't come to church,
the man should call him and report.
And he said, I'm not crying. Come and beat me.
I said, ha?
Then every Sunday I'll be going.
Every Sunday I'll be going.
The man didn't come to ask permission from my mother or anybody.
So I'll be going. I'll be going.
When he came fasting,
I went ahead and he had come.
I had to run back to his home.
Because the fasting,
when he catches you Friday,
you are coming on Sunday morning to come and have church.
Right after Sunday morning, you go and fast.
Then you break on the Sunday at six.
And you're not coming.
Obeba knew anything, nature.
And his fastings sometimes dries.
I mean, he had mercy on me.
So he just gets you something.
Maybe porridge.
They normally do porridge.
That's what I learned when we fasted together.
So porridge with our bread.
And I poured just some three bread slices.
You know, it's coming from Accra.
So Accra sliced bread.
It's not like village sliced bread.
Accra sliced bread.
And up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down.
I don't know.
Suddenly, they'll be,
we'll go to church on Sunday.
Then they'll say, I should come and lead worship.
And I should come and lead prayers and stuff like that.
Then I'm joined.
And one 31st night, I remember,
he came and he anointed me with oil.
That oil was very,
it was smelly nice.
He anointed me with oil.
He anointed me with oil and prophesied.
The man stooped over me, prophesied
long.
You do the work of God.
He's the mighty one who'll say all kinds of things.
And he laid hands on me.
It was as if I couldn't find my legs.
I had encountered
the Lord.
And from there,
my life was never the same again.
Why did I tell you this story?
I'm telling you that at the point of every
human being, in the life
of every human being, there is a point
where you meet Jesus.
And at that point,
when you meet him, make up your
mind to cooperate.
I'm not just saying this to the new
people who have been coming to church.
Make up your mind to cooperate.
Those excuses that
are not going to church, those excuses
that they have to pull you, those excuses
that they have to chain you, sometimes the people
they are coming and you break
wall. You see them
and they say, hey, hey, hey.
Sorry.
No.
You are at that point
to cooperate.
Sometimes don't even let anybody call you.
Wednesday, you start
gathering yourself.
The person calls, oh, so I'm getting
ready. And they are getting ready. It's not like you
will be coming but you will not get here.
There are people who will say, oh, I'm coming, but they will never
get here.
It's
won't be through that.
Listen.
Make up your mind that this
time, you will
make this encounter count in your
life. Hallelujah.
You are going to make it count. I say, you
are going to do all. Talk to me, you
are going to do all. You are going to make
it count in your life.
You are going to take a walk with Jesus.
You are going to live your life
with him. Hallelujah.
You make it count.
You will go to church. You may be
struggling to read the Bible. Don't worry. We'll gather all
of you. I will teach you how to read the Bible and all of that.
But if we are not there yet,
you just be coming to church.
Wear whatever you have.
Hallelujah.
Anything, including your supporter.
Yeah, when you come in, we see
that your thing is drawing.
We just give you a cloth.
But don't say, I don't have
church cloth. I don't have shoe. I don't have
whatever. Uh-uh.
Even if it's your mother's slippers, borrow
and come. Say, ma, give me your slippers.
I'm going to church.
The Lord will see that you are serious about it.
Let this thing
be an encounter in your life.
Hallelujah.
Me like this, the church, they invite,
they brought me to the church. I went out like
a ramant. Then I stopped.
I was not going again.
The one, the man came there unannounced.
It wasn't because of me, but he liked me
when he came and then they told him that the guy
is not coming. He said, he came there.
And he told him, if you don't come to church, I'll beat you.
They said, I'll kill you.
Yeah.
Then I came again. But you know, there was a point
where I couldn't go back again.
It was like I was stuck.
I was stuck.
For me, this won't be your
first time.
You are not going to go back.
Hallelujah.
I didn't respond. The new people, because
I think on Sunday I saw some of the guys who
I've been to church before, down there,
and when we came here, they stopped.
And then when we came here, we brought them again and they stopped.
And they've come again.
But let this
be like
a point of encounter
with the Lord.
At a time that you are not going to go back.
One guy, I'll not mention the guy's name.
One guy, he started coming to church.
He came down there.
And he was, he even prayed in tongues.
Prayed in tongues and all of that.
Started coming to church.
He would go to the house and the mother would say,
ah, my son has to wash his things.
And my, you,
I know the one saying, you have to work somewhere.
Go and work. All this church, it was Saturday.
When you met the guy,
what was his state now?
He's a smoker now.
And we smoker now.
Junkard. Young walker.
His life is bought.
He was in Rashid's bar there.
Yeah.
Oh, look at Rashid there. Look at his face now.
He's sitting there. He's not even smiling.
Just look at him.
We met all of them at the same time.
There's a way Jesus refines your life.
He refines your life.
So you just have to cooperate.
You meet him.
And then you live for him.
Because see, Jesus is called
the glory of God.
He's called the glory of God.
I'm ending. I'm just concluding the message.
He's called the glory of God.
So when you live for Jesus, you are living
for the glory of God.
And the glory of God, the Bible says,
it brights. It's glorious glory.
It will be seen in your life.
When you begin to live for Jesus,
your life will be glorious.
Hallelujah.
Are you understanding that? Your life will be glorious.
Even before your money come,
people will say, ah, Salim Banas,
you have changed though. What is the secret?
You say, ah, I'm living for Jesus now.
I'm truly living
for Christ. He's changed my life.
And he's made me new. Hallelujah.
Be outstanding, everybody.
You are going to lift up your voice in prayer.
That, Lord,
thank you for loving me.
Thank you for dying for me.
Thank you for saving me.
This evening, Lord,
I lift up my voice that I am living
my life for you.
Help me to live my life for you,
Holy Spirit. Help me to live my life
for Jesus.
I am living my life for you.
I need to live my life for Jesus.
Let my life be
for the glory of God, let my life be
for the beauties of God.
Let my life be for the glories of God.
Now open your mouth and begin to pray.
The end awaits in a mid-fire blaze.
My heart is cultured to work.
I have in me the burning fire.
Oh, a shell of great things.
I have in me the burning fire.