WEBVTT 00:00:01.159 --> 00:00:06.639 Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.640 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:13.919 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:13.919 --> 00:00:17.879 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:25.000 right in. You can have your seats. Genesis 48. 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:33.079 Yes, we are moving. Genesis 48. We have already 00:00:33.079 --> 00:00:37.600 seen how the things of the Spirit are administered 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:42.939 by the laying of hands, healings, the baptism 00:00:42.939 --> 00:00:49.939 of the Holy Ghost. Talk about that. We're going 00:00:49.939 --> 00:00:57.299 to see another dimension of how God Use this 00:00:57.299 --> 00:01:01.420 gift of God that Peter said. This power, this 00:01:01.420 --> 00:01:05.420 gift of God, this supernatural activity called 00:01:05.420 --> 00:01:11.439 the laying of hands in advancing his purpose 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:17.040 and agenda on earth. Are you in Genesis 48? So 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:33.250 I'll read from verse 8. Then Israel saw Joseph's 00:01:33.250 --> 00:01:40.810 sons and said, who are these? And Joseph said 00:01:40.810 --> 00:01:45.370 to his father, they are my sons whom God has 00:01:45.370 --> 00:01:49.329 given me in this place. And he said, please bring 00:01:49.329 --> 00:01:57.189 them to me and I will bless them. Now the eyes 00:01:57.189 --> 00:02:04.810 of Israel. were dimmed with age so that he could 00:02:04.810 --> 00:02:10.930 not see, then Joseph brought them near him. And 00:02:10.930 --> 00:02:14.550 he kissed them and embraced them. And Israel 00:02:14.550 --> 00:02:18.270 said to Joseph, I have not taught to see your 00:02:18.270 --> 00:02:25.990 face. But God, but in fact, God has also shown 00:02:25.990 --> 00:02:29.159 me your offerings. You can imagine the man that 00:02:29.159 --> 00:02:34.159 is not seen. See, I thought I would not see your 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:36.699 face. But now I've seen even your offspring. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:43.680 So Joseph brought them from beside his knees. 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:48.759 And he bowed down with his face to the earth. 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:55.460 And Joseph took them both. Ephraim with his right 00:02:55.460 --> 00:03:00.069 hand. toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh 00:03:00.069 --> 00:03:03.469 with his left hand toward Israel's right hand 00:03:03.469 --> 00:03:08.430 and brought them near him. Then Israel stretched 00:03:08.430 --> 00:03:14.870 out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head 00:03:14.870 --> 00:03:22.610 who was the younger and his left hand on Manasseh's 00:03:22.610 --> 00:03:30.979 head guiding his hands knowingly. Please take 00:03:30.979 --> 00:03:37.879 note of that. He said, guiding his hands, knowingly. 00:03:37.879 --> 00:03:39.960 If it is your Bible, I want you to underline 00:03:39.960 --> 00:03:45.800 that. For Manasseh was the firstborn. And he 00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:50.419 blessed Joseph and said, God, before whom my 00:03:50.419 --> 00:03:55.460 father Abraham and Isaac walked. The God who 00:03:55.460 --> 00:04:02.400 has fed me all my life long to this day. The 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:06.500 angel who redeemed me from all evil. You know, 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:11.800 we're going to take that. But, you know, most 00:04:11.800 --> 00:04:14.979 times today when we say angel, we normally think 00:04:14.979 --> 00:04:21.759 of beings. But angel is not a specific name like 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:26.579 to accord it to someone. If you see here, he's 00:04:26.579 --> 00:04:30.180 talking about God as an angel. You understand? 00:04:30.300 --> 00:04:35.779 Because angel talks about someone you sent. Understand? 00:04:37.500 --> 00:04:39.819 So we're going to subsequently look at that. 00:04:41.980 --> 00:04:44.839 But let me read 15 again. I want you to pay attention 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:47.939 to that. And he blessed Joseph and said, God, 00:04:48.100 --> 00:04:52.120 before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, 00:04:53.610 --> 00:04:58.629 The God who has fed me all my life long to this 00:04:58.629 --> 00:05:03.850 day. The angel who redeemed, what? Who has redeemed 00:05:03.850 --> 00:05:08.490 me from all evil. So he's calling God the angel. 00:05:10.389 --> 00:05:17.230 Bless the Lord. Let my name. See that? Let my 00:05:17.230 --> 00:05:22.850 name be named upon them. And the name of my fathers. 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:30.600 Abraham and Isaac. And let them grow into the 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:34.899 multitude in the midst of the earth. Verse 17. 00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:40.600 Now, when Joseph saw his father laid his right 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:43.939 hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. 00:05:46.180 --> 00:05:49.819 So he took hold of his father's hand to remove 00:05:49.819 --> 00:05:53.980 it from Ephraim's head. to Manasseh's head. And 00:05:53.980 --> 00:05:57.540 Joseph said to his father, not so, my father, 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:02.720 for this one is a firstborn. Put your right hand 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:08.439 on his head. But his father refused and said, 00:06:08.980 --> 00:06:14.620 I what? I what? I know. Again, underline that 00:06:14.620 --> 00:06:20.360 one. I know, my son. I know. Again, the second 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:25.819 time. He also. He also shall become a people. 00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:31.560 And also shall be great. But truly. His younger 00:06:31.560 --> 00:06:35.680 brother. Shall be greater than he. And his descendants. 00:06:37.019 --> 00:06:41.259 Shall be. Come a multitude of nations. Verse 00:06:41.259 --> 00:06:46.740 20. So he blessed them. That they said. By you 00:06:46.740 --> 00:06:52.550 Israel. Will bless. Say may God. Make you as 00:06:52.550 --> 00:06:57.769 Ephraim and as Manasseh. And thus he set Ephraim 00:06:57.769 --> 00:07:01.149 before Manasseh. Meaning he set Ephraim ahead 00:07:01.149 --> 00:07:07.230 of Manasseh. Are we together? So go back to verse 00:07:07.230 --> 00:07:11.730 10. Where is verse 10? Did you see that? That 00:07:11.730 --> 00:07:16.129 the eyes of Israel were dim with age. So that 00:07:16.129 --> 00:07:24.040 he could not see. Jacob. That is, Israel was 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:27.939 not seen because of old age. If you read from 00:07:27.939 --> 00:07:31.399 verse 17, where we look at verse 17 down to 19. 00:07:32.100 --> 00:07:35.339 When Joseph saw that his father laid his hands 00:07:35.339 --> 00:07:38.480 upon the head of Ephraim, what did he do? He 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:43.180 was displeased. And he wanted to change that 00:07:43.180 --> 00:07:49.779 order. But his father refused. This is to tell 00:07:49.779 --> 00:07:51.779 you that the laying of hands is not just merely 00:07:51.779 --> 00:07:57.980 physical touch. It's supernatural. Joseph knew. 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:05.779 Israel also knew. Because his displeasure saw 00:08:05.779 --> 00:08:09.560 that there is something he is aware of. He knew 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:11.600 that it's not just about just random putting 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:16.019 of hands. No, it has significance. He saw that 00:08:16.019 --> 00:08:17.480 and said, no, no, no, no, something is wrong. 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:22.160 So Joseph knew it. That what that was doing. 00:08:22.420 --> 00:08:26.459 Was not just ceremonial. It was spiritual. It 00:08:26.459 --> 00:08:31.439 was supernatural. That's why Joseph was not happy. 00:08:31.860 --> 00:08:35.779 With that order. No. He knew something was happening. 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:41.700 Verse 19. Israel was blind. Of course as we noted. 00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:46.960 Though he was blind. But he was not spiritually 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:52.519 dull. He was not spiritually dull. But the laying 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:56.539 of hands, he set Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. He 00:08:56.539 --> 00:08:59.940 made Ephraim the younger, greater. How? By laying 00:08:59.940 --> 00:09:02.580 of hands. How can you set somebody who is younger 00:09:02.580 --> 00:09:06.960 and just make him to be, to carry, to become 00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:11.659 greater than another person who is in the natural, 00:09:11.879 --> 00:09:18.879 supposed to have taken the first place. He did 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:25.379 that by the laying of hands. That's exactly what 00:09:25.379 --> 00:09:29.580 Abraham did to Isaac. And Isaac did to Jacob. 00:09:30.500 --> 00:09:34.700 By laying hands, they set them to function in 00:09:34.700 --> 00:09:38.960 the office of a prophet. The mouthpiece of God. 00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:47.950 Are we together? The mouthpiece of God. You see, 00:09:48.009 --> 00:09:53.509 in Genesis chapter 12, verse 1 to 3, we saw how 00:09:53.509 --> 00:10:03.669 God called Abraham and blessed him. Well, you 00:10:03.669 --> 00:10:06.710 see, something that sometimes we miss is that, 00:10:06.730 --> 00:10:10.730 how did God do it? He navigated a strange man 00:10:10.730 --> 00:10:15.909 towards Abraham's way. His name is called Melchizedek. 00:10:17.289 --> 00:10:24.049 You know, sometimes we just, you know, Melchizedek. 00:10:26.409 --> 00:10:30.509 The Bible tells us, you know, that Melchizedek 00:10:30.509 --> 00:10:36.049 bless who? He bless who? Is it money he gave 00:10:36.049 --> 00:10:39.370 him? Are we together? Is it money he gave him? 00:10:40.169 --> 00:10:42.789 So there was a, you see, there's a pattern we're 00:10:42.789 --> 00:10:45.570 seeing. Genesis 20 verse 7, God called Abraham 00:10:45.570 --> 00:10:50.289 a prophet. He was not just prophet anyhow. There 00:10:50.289 --> 00:10:53.090 was a system of men. Do you get what I'm trying 00:10:53.090 --> 00:10:59.529 to say? It was done to Abraham. Abraham to Isaac. 00:10:59.629 --> 00:11:04.450 Isaac to Jacob. Now Jacob to the sons of Joseph. 00:11:06.929 --> 00:11:11.789 It was a pattern. And this blessing we're talking 00:11:11.789 --> 00:11:21.360 about, it's not just, it's not money. Hallelujah. 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:30.460 So God blesses. Yes. You know what I'm saying? 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:37.120 We sing. God is the one that bless. But how does 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:40.639 God does it? I mean, how did... Do you understand 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:50.070 what I'm trying to say? How does he do it? To 00:11:50.070 --> 00:11:53.429 Abraham, he uses Melchizedek, who was a priest 00:11:53.429 --> 00:12:06.370 and a king. And that pattern continues. Men are 00:12:06.370 --> 00:12:13.610 the methods of God. Hallelujah. Don't ignore 00:12:13.610 --> 00:12:16.909 men and think something will just drop from heaven 00:12:16.909 --> 00:12:21.820 like that. God has decided he will side with 00:12:21.820 --> 00:12:30.399 man. Did you get what I'm trying to say? He will 00:12:30.399 --> 00:12:41.740 side with man. So, Abraham blessed Isaac. Isaac 00:12:41.740 --> 00:12:47.419 blessed Jacob. Jacob blessed Joseph's sons, Ephraim, 00:12:48.460 --> 00:12:59.539 And set Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. If you read 00:12:59.539 --> 00:13:04.700 Hebrews 11, you will see again that is being 00:13:04.700 --> 00:13:15.620 talked about. That order. Hebrews 11. Let me 00:13:15.620 --> 00:13:20.779 read Hebrews 7 first. Let's see that one of Melchizedek. 00:13:22.019 --> 00:13:27.500 You can see the involvement of men. What am I 00:13:27.500 --> 00:13:32.639 trying to say? I'm trying to say that, as we 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:38.679 noted, let me make this thing clear. I will explain 00:13:38.679 --> 00:13:42.700 the issue of blessing in the psalm later on in 00:13:42.700 --> 00:13:48.070 the course. We understand that as we Those of 00:13:48.070 --> 00:13:52.210 us that have been in the cell, we've been treating 00:13:52.210 --> 00:13:56.350 this concept of rapture. We tried to study the 00:13:56.350 --> 00:13:59.629 background and history, where the word was coined 00:13:59.629 --> 00:14:05.970 and all that. One important thing we saw, there 00:14:05.970 --> 00:14:08.250 is a theology called the dispensational theology, 00:14:08.570 --> 00:14:12.889 that God has two plans for humanity in relation 00:14:12.889 --> 00:14:18.080 to sin and man's responsibility. That he has 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:24.100 one plan for Israel and one plan for who? For 00:14:24.100 --> 00:14:28.279 the church. Are we together? And we then saw 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:33.340 what they are saying. That God has several plans. 00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:35.980 I don't know how you, and we saw that the error 00:14:35.980 --> 00:14:42.659 is, you see, the little apostle said something 00:14:42.659 --> 00:14:50.860 yesterday. Every theology comes from Moses. Do 00:14:50.860 --> 00:14:53.259 you understand what I'm saying? If you miss what 00:14:53.259 --> 00:14:56.720 Moses is saying, you miss. Because every prophet 00:14:56.720 --> 00:14:58.840 read from him. You know, there is a time people 00:14:58.840 --> 00:15:03.100 try to argue about, I mean, try to defend the 00:15:03.100 --> 00:15:06.320 Bible. Say, these people, the Bible is written 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:09.720 for over a certain number of authors. Over a 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:13.840 period of 1 ,005 years. For 1 ,500 years. And 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:16.120 they did not know each other. They did not know. 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:18.860 Of course, they might not be contemporaries in 00:15:18.860 --> 00:15:23.139 many instances. Some are. But no, they read. 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:27.720 When Daniel saw the number of years that the 00:15:27.720 --> 00:15:29.159 children of Israel were supposed to spend in 00:15:29.159 --> 00:15:31.179 Babylon, where did he read? Where was he reading? 00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:34.620 He was reading Jeremiah. Did you understand what 00:15:34.620 --> 00:15:38.779 I'm saying? These people read each other. How 00:15:38.779 --> 00:15:43.860 could they? Where will they be reading? All of 00:15:43.860 --> 00:15:45.799 them read from us. That was why when Jesus was 00:15:45.799 --> 00:15:49.059 talking about Luke 24, he said, beginning at 00:15:49.059 --> 00:15:52.769 what? Moses. He's always the one. Beginning at 00:15:52.769 --> 00:15:58.049 Moses. And in all the prophets, he expounded 00:15:58.049 --> 00:16:02.809 unto them the things concerning himself. So I 00:16:02.809 --> 00:16:07.450 want you to get that. So one of the things we 00:16:07.450 --> 00:16:11.389 saw in ourselves is that there is a confusion 00:16:11.389 --> 00:16:15.049 around interpretation. The scripture was read 00:16:15.049 --> 00:16:18.940 literally. Do you know what I'm saying? It was 00:16:18.940 --> 00:16:22.659 read literally. But that was a mystery. Oh, thank 00:16:22.659 --> 00:16:25.100 God for Passover. You see, that was a mystery 00:16:25.100 --> 00:16:31.159 that was hid for past ages. They thought. Then 00:16:31.159 --> 00:16:33.659 we see some people. That's why I'm pointing that. 00:16:33.820 --> 00:16:37.820 Part of the dispensational theology is that there's 00:16:37.820 --> 00:16:40.720 something we call Christian Zionism. You understand? 00:16:41.980 --> 00:16:45.539 And their claim is that you have to bless Israel 00:16:45.539 --> 00:16:47.769 for you to be blessed. I've been to Israel, I've 00:16:47.769 --> 00:16:49.870 been here and there for research for one year, 00:16:49.950 --> 00:16:53.929 in the sun. I mean, I don't understand how we 00:16:53.929 --> 00:16:57.110 are getting this. But where did they quote? They 00:16:57.110 --> 00:17:01.330 quote Genesis 12 to support that. That because 00:17:01.330 --> 00:17:03.470 Abraham is the father of the nation of Israel, 00:17:03.649 --> 00:17:08.769 in the sun, the nation of Israel. I don't know 00:17:08.769 --> 00:17:11.190 how they say the nation of Israel. Because the 00:17:11.190 --> 00:17:12.849 nation of Israel, that one, is not the same with 00:17:12.849 --> 00:17:15.970 this one. Because what nation was before? was 00:17:15.970 --> 00:17:18.829 not the same with what nation is today. This 00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:22.970 current state of Israel is about 80 % Jews, 20 00:17:22.970 --> 00:17:27.410 % Arabs. So I don't understand. So do the Arabs 00:17:27.410 --> 00:17:30.890 also join in the... Did you get what I'm trying 00:17:30.890 --> 00:17:36.109 to say? So that you have to, he said, I will 00:17:36.109 --> 00:17:38.109 bless those that blessed you and curse those 00:17:38.109 --> 00:17:41.690 that cursed you. And so when you read it literally, 00:17:41.829 --> 00:17:46.669 and because we came from material... materialistic 00:17:46.669 --> 00:17:48.710 environment, each time they say blessing, that's 00:17:48.710 --> 00:17:52.970 what we normally think. But you see, the Bible 00:17:52.970 --> 00:17:57.150 must be read together. You understand? The Bible 00:17:57.150 --> 00:18:00.289 must be read together. That's why we saw, it's 00:18:00.289 --> 00:18:02.569 not just at that very time that God spoke to 00:18:02.569 --> 00:18:09.910 Abraham. He said, I will bless you. By the time 00:18:09.910 --> 00:18:12.410 you go to chapter 18, he told him how, he said, 00:18:12.450 --> 00:18:14.890 through your seed. And of course, he's talking 00:18:14.890 --> 00:18:17.450 about the whole world, not a nation. He said, 00:18:17.470 --> 00:18:21.190 through you, the entire earth, all families of 00:18:21.190 --> 00:18:23.849 the earth shall be what? Shall be blessed. The 00:18:23.849 --> 00:18:25.750 issue is that once you are intelligent, you should 00:18:25.750 --> 00:18:32.049 follow. By the time he goes to chapter 18, he 00:18:32.049 --> 00:18:37.029 again reiterated. But this time around, he restated 00:18:37.029 --> 00:18:39.150 it in another way. He said, through your seed. 00:18:39.490 --> 00:18:44.160 So Abraham got it. Because how will Abraham ever 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:46.559 be able to bless the entire nation? Definitely, 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:49.440 it will be something that through him, not him, 00:18:49.519 --> 00:18:52.980 because he is limited. Did you understand what 00:18:52.980 --> 00:18:55.740 I'm trying to say? So God opened him. He said, 00:18:55.779 --> 00:19:00.140 it's through your seed. So that before you think 00:19:00.140 --> 00:19:04.859 he's talking about Isaac, you understand? He 00:19:04.859 --> 00:19:13.630 said, no, no, no. No. Chapter 22, he again came 00:19:13.630 --> 00:19:18.130 and restated it. 24, 28, he came and restated 00:19:18.130 --> 00:19:23.549 it. The same thing. Brother Paul came in Galatians 00:19:23.549 --> 00:19:26.670 chapter 3 and showed to us that seed is Christ. 00:19:28.970 --> 00:19:31.789 When Peter was explaining in Acts chapter 3, 00:19:31.890 --> 00:19:36.650 he quoted the same text. I just mention now. 00:19:38.029 --> 00:19:44.180 He said, God sent Christ, Jesus. Verse 26, he 00:19:44.180 --> 00:19:49.740 said, to bless you. How? He said, by turning 00:19:49.740 --> 00:19:53.160 you away from your iniquities. So the blessings 00:19:53.160 --> 00:20:00.000 of God is about turning a people away from their 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:04.279 iniquities. That's the blessing. Galatians 3, 00:20:04.339 --> 00:20:09.460 from 6, 8, you know, shows to us also that the 00:20:09.460 --> 00:20:13.299 blessing, It's talking about inclusion into the 00:20:13.299 --> 00:20:19.000 plan of God. And that inclusion comes with you 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:22.700 being given the gift of righteousness. With you 00:20:22.700 --> 00:20:26.940 being forgiven. So to be blessed, it means to 00:20:26.940 --> 00:20:31.900 be included in the agenda of God. And to be cursed 00:20:31.900 --> 00:20:36.259 is to exclude yourself. From the what? From the 00:20:36.259 --> 00:20:42.170 agenda. He is not casting a spell. Are we together? 00:20:43.589 --> 00:20:51.009 Amen. Amen. Yes. So that's what the Bible is 00:20:51.009 --> 00:20:55.690 talking about. Paul will say, you know, son, 00:20:55.769 --> 00:20:58.809 for the sake of my people, I wish that I will 00:20:58.809 --> 00:21:01.430 be accursed. You know what I mean by the accursed? 00:21:02.089 --> 00:21:05.289 It means I wish that I should be what? Excluded. 00:21:06.089 --> 00:21:09.630 But you see, it's also a wish. He said, if my 00:21:09.630 --> 00:21:12.160 people would just be safe. How I wish I would 00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:15.539 be excluded in the sun. He's just talking about, 00:21:15.740 --> 00:21:18.819 he's just showing how zealous he act. Remember 00:21:18.819 --> 00:21:21.259 I said, cost is what to be excluded from the 00:21:21.259 --> 00:21:24.480 plant. He was yearning that, oh, how this my 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:28.220 people can be, I mean, can be included. If only 00:21:28.220 --> 00:21:31.960 all these people will be able to see by just 00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:35.779 me being removed for them to enter. These are 00:21:35.779 --> 00:21:42.269 men that are carrying burden. But that's not 00:21:42.269 --> 00:21:44.589 the way. Everybody will have to come in by his 00:21:44.589 --> 00:21:51.670 own way. So our cause is being excluded from 00:21:51.670 --> 00:21:53.690 the plan of God. And that comes by unbelief. 00:21:55.049 --> 00:21:58.589 So the blessing. So a Christian Zionist think, 00:21:58.750 --> 00:22:01.049 you know what I'm saying? That is by blessing 00:22:01.049 --> 00:22:04.250 Israel, contributing money, by saying Israel 00:22:04.250 --> 00:22:07.029 bless, Israel bless this Israel here. You know 00:22:07.029 --> 00:22:08.529 what I'm saying? That's when they are blessed. 00:22:11.150 --> 00:22:13.109 How can a blessed man be thinking like that? 00:22:17.369 --> 00:22:20.869 But David said, Psalm 32 verse 1, Blessed is 00:22:20.869 --> 00:22:24.410 the man in the Son, in whom the Lord does not 00:22:24.410 --> 00:22:28.470 impute iniquity. In the Son. Are we together? 00:22:29.390 --> 00:22:34.710 Amen. So, that is the part I'm talking about. 00:22:35.170 --> 00:22:38.390 So when you hear of blessing, it's an inclusion. 00:22:39.319 --> 00:22:43.140 into the agenda of God. But that inclusion into 00:22:43.140 --> 00:22:44.680 the agenda of God comes with responsibility. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:50.180 So when you hear that Jacob blessed Ephraim, 00:22:50.279 --> 00:22:52.779 what he's trying to say is that he's enlisting 00:22:52.779 --> 00:22:56.480 him. He is commissioning him. He is ordaining 00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:59.720 him into the ministry. Ministry of what? Ministry 00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:07.319 of proclamation of that goodness of God. Genesis, 00:23:09.420 --> 00:23:15.039 27, he said, God said, he's a prophet. A prophet 00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:18.279 is a mouthpiece of God. The one that tells about 00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:22.980 the agenda, his plans for the earth. And that's 00:23:22.980 --> 00:23:29.099 the same thing. So what can we see? We can see 00:23:29.099 --> 00:23:34.380 that laying of our hands is a way of ordination, 00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:40.519 of enlisting men into offices. That you can lay 00:23:40.519 --> 00:23:47.380 hands to put men into offices. Right from Genesis. 00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:54.059 It's all ceremonial. When hands are laid, things 00:23:54.059 --> 00:23:57.339 happen. Great blessings are ministered through 00:23:57.339 --> 00:24:05.420 men. Man remains God's method. Man remains God. 00:24:05.460 --> 00:24:08.480 Yesterday I said, this Bible is written by man. 00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:13.940 And we call it God's word. That's to show you 00:24:13.940 --> 00:24:16.740 God does, in fact, there's a text that says that 00:24:16.740 --> 00:24:20.299 God does nothing without what? Revealing it to 00:24:20.299 --> 00:24:27.579 who? To his prophets. Yes. He chose it that way. 00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:31.839 You want to know God? Follow me. I'm telling 00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:34.680 you, no angel will reveal anything. Even the 00:24:34.680 --> 00:24:37.279 angel they are trying to look. You know what 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:41.230 I'm saying? Yes. We saw it yesterday. In Ephesians 00:24:41.230 --> 00:24:48.009 3, we saw it. In 1 Peter, we saw it. It is through 00:24:48.009 --> 00:24:51.190 us that God wants to show the manifold wisdom 00:24:51.190 --> 00:24:55.630 to the principalities. So why will you be surprised 00:24:55.630 --> 00:24:59.349 when you see an angel? No. You should know he 00:24:59.349 --> 00:25:04.349 has come to learn. Now, as we are preaching, 00:25:04.509 --> 00:25:09.049 we are teaching, we are exposing. You understand? 00:25:09.150 --> 00:25:12.769 No angel have the capacity to get into this mind 00:25:12.769 --> 00:25:18.809 of God. Oh, did you hear me? These are exclusive 00:25:18.809 --> 00:25:23.289 preserve of sons. Sons are those who carry the 00:25:23.289 --> 00:25:27.390 Holy Ghost. No angel carry the Holy Spirit. Did 00:25:27.390 --> 00:25:30.049 you understand what I'm saying? Yes. So we are 00:25:30.049 --> 00:25:33.750 the custodians of the mysteries of God. Do you 00:25:33.750 --> 00:25:37.710 remember the teaching yesterday? We are the custodians. 00:25:38.380 --> 00:25:40.940 We are ministers. Paul will say, the stewards 00:25:40.940 --> 00:25:53.980 of grace of God. We write in Acts, right? Acts 00:25:53.980 --> 00:26:05.680 chapter 6. Go back there, quickly. Oh, did I 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:11.960 read that text? Hebrews. Oh. Hallelujah. Let 00:26:11.960 --> 00:26:15.619 me read Hebrews first. Hebrews 1. For this Melchizedek, 00:26:15.700 --> 00:26:19.839 king. Verse 7. And chapter 7. For this Melchizedek, 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:23.579 king of Salem, priest of the Most High, who met 00:26:23.579 --> 00:26:26.160 Abraham returning from where? From the slaughter 00:26:26.160 --> 00:26:28.980 of the kings and blessed him. Did you hear that? 00:26:29.559 --> 00:26:33.119 Verse 6. He said, but he whose genealogy is not 00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:37.420 derived from them received tithe. from Abraham 00:26:37.420 --> 00:26:44.200 and blessed him who had promises. Who had promises. 00:26:44.759 --> 00:26:47.420 Melchizedek blessed him. Nobody told Abraham 00:26:47.420 --> 00:26:50.119 to pay tithes. It was a practice in where he 00:26:50.119 --> 00:26:51.859 was coming from. You know, it's from the children 00:26:51.859 --> 00:26:57.039 of U. That's how they honor people. That's why, 00:26:57.059 --> 00:26:59.140 even though we don't, you can give tithe, no 00:26:59.140 --> 00:27:01.859 problem. You know, sir. But nobody, nothing will 00:27:01.859 --> 00:27:04.779 follow you if you didn't give it. But of course, 00:27:04.799 --> 00:27:07.519 we're commanded. To be generous givers. That's 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:10.440 a New Testament practice. But we can learn something 00:27:10.440 --> 00:27:13.039 from the tithe. That's honor. Because Abraham 00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:14.519 is coming. And that's the same thing. I'm going 00:27:14.519 --> 00:27:16.359 to discuss some other things. The same thing 00:27:16.359 --> 00:27:18.440 with oil. Because I'm pouring oil on people. 00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:21.279 When he started, nobody ever told Jacob to do 00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:23.539 that. Jacob was the one who started. On his way 00:27:23.539 --> 00:27:25.940 when he was going to the house of Lebanon. Right? 00:27:27.779 --> 00:27:33.839 For the air. The air. Is it air or air? For the 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:38.619 things he saw. To honor the place, he pour oil. 00:27:39.720 --> 00:27:43.079 It's a practice in those days. Even in your village, 00:27:43.180 --> 00:27:46.539 when they want to take something, that's the 00:27:46.539 --> 00:27:49.940 practice now. Do you know what I'm saying? Yes. 00:27:51.559 --> 00:27:56.960 Some will pour on the floor first. So, it was 00:27:56.960 --> 00:28:00.519 a practice, but God adopted it with time. Remember 00:28:00.519 --> 00:28:04.329 we told you, God accommodated. The limitations 00:28:04.329 --> 00:28:07.890 of the culture and the language of a people to 00:28:07.890 --> 00:28:13.369 be able to communicate his plan. So we saw honor. 00:28:13.670 --> 00:28:17.170 He honored the man of God. He honored Melchizedek 00:28:17.170 --> 00:28:26.190 and Melchizedek blessed him. Look at chapter 00:28:26.190 --> 00:28:34.160 11. Chapter 11, verse 17. Hebrews 11, 17. By 00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:37.880 faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up 00:28:37.880 --> 00:28:43.259 Isaac, and he who had received the promise, offered 00:28:43.259 --> 00:28:47.700 up his only begotten. Of whom, verse 18, it was 00:28:47.700 --> 00:28:52.019 said, in Isaac your seed shall be called, according 00:28:52.019 --> 00:28:56.359 that God was able to raise him up, even from 00:28:56.359 --> 00:29:00.900 the dead, from which he also received him in 00:29:00.900 --> 00:29:06.990 a figurative sense. 20. By faith, Isaac blessed 00:29:06.990 --> 00:29:09.690 Jacob and Esau concerning the things to come. 00:29:09.769 --> 00:29:13.130 By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed who? 00:29:13.490 --> 00:29:16.509 Each of the sons of Joseph and worshipped, leaning 00:29:16.509 --> 00:29:23.630 on the staff, top of his staff. And all we can 00:29:23.630 --> 00:29:28.690 keep reading are what others did. Go back to 00:29:28.690 --> 00:29:44.400 Acts chapter 6. Acts chapter 6. Look at verse 00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:54.700 5. And the same pleased the multitude. And they 00:29:54.700 --> 00:29:58.319 chose Stephen, a man full of faith. The Holy 00:29:58.319 --> 00:30:06.099 Spirit and Philip procured us. Parmenas, Nicholas, 00:30:06.559 --> 00:30:13.759 and Nicholas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:18.480 they said before the apostles when they had prayed, 00:30:18.660 --> 00:30:23.259 they laid hands on them. You see that? They chose 00:30:23.259 --> 00:30:27.099 them for an office. This camera is not for healing. 00:30:27.980 --> 00:30:30.160 So the laying of hands is not just for healing. 00:30:30.700 --> 00:30:34.160 It's also for ordination. for commissioning men 00:30:34.160 --> 00:30:38.059 into an office, into a work, into the ministry. 00:30:42.900 --> 00:30:48.000 They lay hands on them. Not the pattern, they 00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:51.099 pray it. After praying, they lay hands on them. 00:30:51.460 --> 00:30:54.920 Prayer is not a substitute for laying of hands. 00:30:56.460 --> 00:31:00.460 You understand? It's not you pray or you lay 00:31:00.460 --> 00:31:06.859 hands. No. All of them are a system of God that 00:31:06.859 --> 00:31:12.059 men use to transmit the power of God. To cause 00:31:12.059 --> 00:31:16.680 shifting, to advance the agenda of the kingdom 00:31:16.680 --> 00:31:27.339 on the earth. So see what happened when hands 00:31:27.339 --> 00:31:31.579 were laid to these men. See how they increased. 00:31:32.299 --> 00:31:37.319 That was brought about. Something happened. Always 00:31:37.319 --> 00:31:39.960 I wanted to observe. Immediately after hands 00:31:39.960 --> 00:31:45.460 are laid. Observe what happened. It's not ceremonial. 00:31:49.579 --> 00:31:54.779 Verse 7. Then the word of God spread. You see. 00:31:56.400 --> 00:32:00.079 Sometimes you think. What happened is just only 00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:02.549 what the apostles were doing. Wait until you 00:32:02.549 --> 00:32:05.509 read chapter 7. How a man who is supposed to 00:32:05.509 --> 00:32:10.049 be one who is supposed to be serving food starts 00:32:10.049 --> 00:32:14.470 speaking for the entire chapter. He wasn't reading 00:32:14.470 --> 00:32:17.890 from his script. Did you get what I'm trying 00:32:17.890 --> 00:32:26.789 to say? Are we together? Hands were laid. Before 00:32:26.789 --> 00:32:29.089 then, you never know who they were. Did you know? 00:32:30.109 --> 00:32:35.619 You didn't know. But they were choosing, they 00:32:35.619 --> 00:32:39.140 brought them. They set them before the apostles. 00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:45.000 It wasn't a coincidence. It was deliberate. They 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:48.940 lay hands on them. Bible says, and the word of 00:32:48.940 --> 00:32:53.440 God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied 00:32:53.440 --> 00:32:56.079 greatly in Jerusalem. And a great many of the 00:32:56.079 --> 00:33:00.599 priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, 00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:05.279 full of faith and power, Did great what? Great 00:33:05.279 --> 00:33:09.180 wonders and signs among the people. Up until 00:33:09.180 --> 00:33:14.240 this moment, did you hear ever name Stevie? Something 00:33:14.240 --> 00:33:15.960 happened. All the time we'll be hearing apostles. 00:33:16.740 --> 00:33:19.299 And the apostles did great wonders. And this, 00:33:19.380 --> 00:33:21.339 this. And then they preach. And things happen. 00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:25.519 You know, sir? This time around, they brought 00:33:25.519 --> 00:33:29.559 this man. They lay hands on them. Things happened. 00:33:30.539 --> 00:33:35.680 They were commissioned into another level of 00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:38.759 ministry. And the word of God increased. Great 00:33:38.759 --> 00:33:46.980 miracles. Then there arose some from what is 00:33:46.980 --> 00:33:50.980 called the synagogue of the freedmen. They are 00:33:50.980 --> 00:33:56.859 not free. The synagogue of the freedmen. Then 00:33:56.859 --> 00:34:00.769 what did they do? They started disputing. with 00:34:00.769 --> 00:34:05.289 Stephen. And they were not able to resist his 00:34:05.289 --> 00:34:13.269 wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. And 00:34:13.269 --> 00:34:17.329 then they started secretly. When these guys started 00:34:17.329 --> 00:34:19.570 speaking, you could know that this man was in 00:34:19.570 --> 00:34:23.050 another level. You could see later when the disciples 00:34:23.050 --> 00:34:25.610 were scattered, the man which you thought that 00:34:25.610 --> 00:34:28.010 was serving tables, you didn't know that a grace 00:34:28.010 --> 00:34:31.880 has come upon him. He moved to Samaria. The other 00:34:31.880 --> 00:34:34.679 one, Philip, started preaching. Miracles happening. 00:34:35.260 --> 00:34:39.860 He was a man who was not known before. But they 00:34:39.860 --> 00:34:44.280 brought him. The apostles lay hands on him. And 00:34:44.280 --> 00:34:48.219 things began to happen. This is how God advanced 00:34:48.219 --> 00:34:53.820 his ways on the earth. Are we together? Hallelujah, 00:34:53.880 --> 00:34:58.320 are we together? Go back to that text where I 00:34:58.320 --> 00:35:02.559 started. Yesterday. In Romans chapter 1. I showed 00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:06.119 you something. Did you see what I showed you? 00:35:08.400 --> 00:35:16.320 In verse 11. For I long to see you. That I may 00:35:16.320 --> 00:35:20.579 impart. You some spiritual gift. So that you 00:35:20.579 --> 00:35:25.860 may be established. So that you may be established. 00:35:28.519 --> 00:35:30.960 So there's a goal for the laying of hands is 00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:34.960 to establish believers. As we teach fundamentally, 00:35:35.239 --> 00:35:39.500 yes, we establish men by teaching. But not just 00:35:39.500 --> 00:35:42.300 teaching. There's a laying of hands that establish 00:35:42.300 --> 00:35:46.880 a man in the ministry. Don't joke with it. It's 00:35:46.880 --> 00:35:49.380 a system of God. If you have not understood it, 00:35:49.400 --> 00:35:51.639 you just carelessly don't order. You know, sometimes 00:35:51.639 --> 00:35:56.019 you have to pay attention. Some of us are sick. 00:35:56.099 --> 00:35:58.309 Sometimes you'll be sick. You see, when you neglect 00:35:58.309 --> 00:36:01.829 a grace, you won't benefit from it. James said, 00:36:01.989 --> 00:36:04.110 is any one of you sick? Call the elders. You, 00:36:04.210 --> 00:36:06.230 you are sick. You only gave us excuse. So I'm 00:36:06.230 --> 00:36:11.349 not going to come. I mean, how could you not 00:36:11.349 --> 00:36:16.150 see grace around you? Thank the Lord. The Lord 00:36:16.150 --> 00:36:18.369 has given pastors curse now. He says, I need 00:36:18.369 --> 00:36:26.000 you. I come, please. They will come. You have 00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:29.360 to honor the grace. Do you understand what I'm 00:36:29.360 --> 00:36:33.699 saying? Yes. If you cannot reach pastor, there 00:36:33.699 --> 00:36:36.199 is your leader there. In fact, your brother inside, 00:36:36.280 --> 00:36:39.780 remember I told you that all believers, your 00:36:39.780 --> 00:36:41.699 sister is there in the room, you neglected her. 00:36:47.820 --> 00:36:51.920 You can only say, Titi, Titi only, this place 00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:55.050 is burning me. But now, That's the only thing. 00:36:55.150 --> 00:36:57.530 Chichi, can you go and buy me? I cannot go out. 00:36:57.710 --> 00:36:59.929 That's the only thing you think Chichi is useful. 00:37:01.949 --> 00:37:03.929 Chichi is carrying a grace. You couldn't recognize 00:37:03.929 --> 00:37:07.030 it. You only think she's useful. And go to the 00:37:07.030 --> 00:37:10.570 market and buy me this. I can't go out now. Okay, 00:37:10.630 --> 00:37:14.690 sit down there. This is one of the difficulties 00:37:14.690 --> 00:37:18.170 we have. You have to begin to see your brethren 00:37:18.170 --> 00:37:20.929 differently. Wives, see your husband differently. 00:37:22.119 --> 00:37:24.900 Husband, see your wife differently. It's all 00:37:24.900 --> 00:37:27.239 the time. There was a lady who was about to get 00:37:27.239 --> 00:37:29.579 married. When I heard the way they are conversing, 00:37:29.579 --> 00:37:31.800 I call her. I say, you will miss a lot if you 00:37:31.800 --> 00:37:34.099 control like this. The way you are speaking with 00:37:34.099 --> 00:37:37.260 your husband, you speak carelessly. You know 00:37:37.260 --> 00:37:40.079 what I'm saying? And the way you see him, only 00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:41.639 in one direction. You're going to get in trouble. 00:37:41.960 --> 00:37:43.239 This is one of the things that married people 00:37:43.239 --> 00:37:45.840 need to understand. Your relationship is multidimensional. 00:37:47.880 --> 00:37:49.940 Yes, there is a time you think you will play 00:37:49.940 --> 00:37:52.130 like friends. But if you only think like friends, 00:37:52.170 --> 00:37:54.670 you'll miss a lot. I'm telling you. Others will 00:37:54.670 --> 00:37:56.210 be coming and be receiving the grace. You are 00:37:56.210 --> 00:37:59.269 here. Do you understand what I'm saying? So you 00:37:59.269 --> 00:38:01.809 have to be careful. The same thing if you have 00:38:01.809 --> 00:38:04.829 a roommate. He's a believer. See him that way. 00:38:04.989 --> 00:38:08.230 That should be the most important relationship 00:38:08.230 --> 00:38:11.090 you should have with him. Every other should 00:38:11.090 --> 00:38:16.210 come under that one. You have to recognize what 00:38:16.210 --> 00:38:20.110 is behind you. That's how God made it. All that 00:38:20.110 --> 00:38:24.610 we need to grow in the son. You know, we normally 00:38:24.610 --> 00:38:26.090 quote that scripture according to his divine 00:38:26.090 --> 00:38:28.989 power. He has given unto us what? All things 00:38:28.989 --> 00:38:31.389 that pertains to life and goodness. Are we together? 00:38:33.010 --> 00:38:36.690 We normally quote that. Brother, he said, I have 00:38:36.690 --> 00:38:39.130 all things. And the old is there you didn't see. 00:38:42.530 --> 00:38:46.489 You did not see. I pray your eyes is open. After 00:38:46.489 --> 00:38:49.659 this meeting, Your eyes are open to see the provisions 00:38:49.659 --> 00:38:52.900 of God. To see that the grace you need to move 00:38:52.900 --> 00:39:03.780 to another level is just beside you. Amen. He 00:39:03.780 --> 00:39:06.559 said that I might impart you some spiritual gift. 00:39:06.659 --> 00:39:09.579 And the reason, the goal is that you might be 00:39:09.579 --> 00:39:13.559 established. Is that you might be established. 00:39:16.400 --> 00:39:19.099 You observe there is something upon my brother's 00:39:19.099 --> 00:39:23.760 life. It seems as if anything happened. He doesn't 00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:29.260 get bothered in the sun. You know, some of our 00:39:29.260 --> 00:39:32.860 mummies are here. Before, Mummy Iko, Mummy Victoria, 00:39:33.300 --> 00:39:36.480 in the sun. You know, many of us, sometimes I 00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:39.980 watch, I just might say, oh God. You know, the 00:39:39.980 --> 00:39:43.380 way we relate with them. The last one of Mummy 00:39:43.380 --> 00:39:49.460 Iko. He's older than me. How older than me? I'm 00:39:49.460 --> 00:39:55.260 a young person, but he's far older than me. And 00:39:55.260 --> 00:39:59.480 this woman, he raised them. They were all sound. 00:40:00.099 --> 00:40:03.679 He's not a mystic. When you see a consistency, 00:40:04.039 --> 00:40:10.239 it's not by, it's not a coincidence. I dragged 00:40:10.239 --> 00:40:13.480 my wife. Then we were newly married. We visited 00:40:13.480 --> 00:40:18.039 all of them. You say, mommy, how was it? Yes, 00:40:18.039 --> 00:40:21.320 sir. You can't say a grace and neglect. All of 00:40:21.320 --> 00:40:27.320 them, we visited them. Do you get what I'm trying 00:40:27.320 --> 00:40:29.980 to say? We visited them, we sat with them, and 00:40:29.980 --> 00:40:32.400 we asked them, mommy, what is this? And they 00:40:32.400 --> 00:40:38.400 were downloaded. And they were downloaded. And 00:40:38.400 --> 00:40:39.880 you hear, you are seeing that it's just all this 00:40:39.880 --> 00:40:47.309 old mama. She's moving like that. That is it. 00:40:48.530 --> 00:40:53.510 God must give you the sensitivity to see the 00:40:53.510 --> 00:41:01.909 provisions. No, I can't make mistake. Not when 00:41:01.909 --> 00:41:04.750 I have the provision around me. How can I stay 00:41:04.750 --> 00:41:08.510 in ignorance? How can I see a grace? Some of 00:41:08.510 --> 00:41:16.320 them, they are just in the same room. You are 00:41:16.320 --> 00:41:19.460 busy looking for one man of God here. What is 00:41:19.460 --> 00:41:24.280 it? You are here. They're here. Are we together? 00:41:24.679 --> 00:41:29.559 That word gift there, that spiritual gift, of 00:41:29.559 --> 00:41:33.400 course you know it's spiritual. And that's why 00:41:33.400 --> 00:41:36.320 the impartation is spiritual. Because what comes 00:41:36.320 --> 00:41:39.320 upon you is spiritual. Are we together? It's 00:41:39.320 --> 00:41:46.989 a spiritual gift. It's charisma. In Greek. I'll 00:41:46.989 --> 00:41:49.869 leave that to Pastor Imam Kostin. They are coming 00:41:49.869 --> 00:41:54.809 to dishes. We look at the word impart. What is 00:41:54.809 --> 00:41:56.929 that word impart? Because he said that I might 00:41:56.929 --> 00:42:00.510 impart you some spiritual gift. The word impart 00:42:00.510 --> 00:42:05.449 is metadomai. Meta from the word meta. M -E -T 00:42:05.449 --> 00:42:15.300 -A M -E -T -A D -I D -O M -I Meta Didomai in 00:42:15.300 --> 00:42:22.219 Greek. It means to share. To share or to give. 00:42:23.940 --> 00:42:29.760 To share or to give. You have to know that the 00:42:29.760 --> 00:42:34.260 person giving or sharing is the one who has what 00:42:34.260 --> 00:42:38.900 to give or to share. So Paul was coming. He said, 00:42:38.940 --> 00:42:42.920 I have it. You remember as Peter said to that 00:42:42.920 --> 00:42:47.099 man at the beautiful girl. He said, what I have, 00:42:47.179 --> 00:42:52.380 I give you. Please, brother, I told you men are 00:42:52.380 --> 00:42:57.659 the system of God. They have something. Peter 00:42:57.659 --> 00:43:01.099 knew he have it. He said, silver and gold, have 00:43:01.099 --> 00:43:05.699 I not? But there is something I have. And that 00:43:05.699 --> 00:43:10.659 is what I give you. He has. The power to heal. 00:43:10.840 --> 00:43:15.659 He said, in the name of Jesus. He pulled a guy. 00:43:17.679 --> 00:43:23.320 You have it. So Paul here is saying, I am coming. 00:43:23.440 --> 00:43:27.159 I have something to share. And it's called spiritual 00:43:27.159 --> 00:43:39.449 gift. Remember, he told them the goal. That they 00:43:39.449 --> 00:43:44.670 might be established. Remember Ephesians chapter 00:43:44.670 --> 00:43:49.289 4? It talks about the ministry gifts there. That 00:43:49.289 --> 00:43:53.110 they are for what? For equipping. Are we together? 00:43:53.570 --> 00:43:58.670 For what? For equipping. On to what? The work 00:43:58.670 --> 00:44:05.710 of the ministry. Remember. This is based on the 00:44:05.710 --> 00:44:08.750 testimony Paul has heard about the church in 00:44:08.750 --> 00:44:16.550 Rome. Did you see in verse 8? Romans 1 verse 00:44:16.550 --> 00:44:19.989 8. He said, first and foremost, he said, first 00:44:19.989 --> 00:44:24.409 I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all 00:44:24.409 --> 00:44:31.010 that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole 00:44:31.010 --> 00:44:37.619 world. throughout the whole world. So he heard 00:44:37.619 --> 00:44:43.440 about their faith. He said, ah, there needs to 00:44:43.440 --> 00:44:47.719 be more advancement here. I yearn to come because 00:44:47.719 --> 00:44:52.699 I need to establish you more. And for which reason? 00:44:52.780 --> 00:45:00.139 For the sake of the ministry. So Paul is an apostle. 00:45:00.320 --> 00:45:04.449 He's in the office of an apostle. Ministry gifts. 00:45:05.230 --> 00:45:09.949 And the ministry gifts are for equipping. He's 00:45:09.949 --> 00:45:15.889 coming to equip them more. He's coming to equip 00:45:15.889 --> 00:45:19.469 them more. So as hands are laid on you, know 00:45:19.469 --> 00:45:24.010 that they are to equip you. Are we together? 00:45:24.429 --> 00:45:27.449 As hands are laid on you, they are to equip you. 00:45:37.519 --> 00:45:40.320 You know, my grandmother, my grandfather was 00:45:40.320 --> 00:45:44.980 a missionary. And so, yeah, he's dead already. 00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:48.179 But I have the grandmother. One day, I visited 00:45:48.179 --> 00:45:52.400 her. I consciously, I told her, I need you to 00:45:52.400 --> 00:45:54.119 pray for me. I know the grace of that old man. 00:45:54.280 --> 00:45:56.000 Although he's not here, but he's also on you. 00:45:56.980 --> 00:46:01.440 I deliberately told her, I want you to pray for 00:46:01.440 --> 00:46:04.780 me. You see, you don't be careless. Some of the 00:46:04.780 --> 00:46:07.900 graces, they are inside your house. You saw what 00:46:07.900 --> 00:46:17.500 Jesus said. A prophet is what? You have to be 00:46:17.500 --> 00:46:27.420 deliberate. You have to be deliberate. They say 00:46:27.420 --> 00:46:30.099 grace upon the old man. And they were together. 00:46:31.340 --> 00:46:35.380 Even when in my mother church, women are not 00:46:35.380 --> 00:46:38.099 normally allowed to recoup it. That old man, 00:46:38.159 --> 00:46:39.460 because he's a missionary, he's a rugged man. 00:46:40.039 --> 00:46:43.019 Sometimes if he moves to another place, the woman, 00:46:43.159 --> 00:46:46.199 she's the one that preaches in the church. So 00:46:46.199 --> 00:46:52.860 she's his assistant. They move together. He has 00:46:52.860 --> 00:46:58.420 the grace of perseverance, endurance. He doesn't 00:46:58.420 --> 00:47:08.829 see obstacles. In the border of Nigeria, that 00:47:08.829 --> 00:47:13.530 was when he did his ministry. Brother, he stayed 00:47:13.530 --> 00:47:21.610 there for 15 years. He has only one soul. For 00:47:21.610 --> 00:47:25.989 15 years, he was preaching. You see, when I think 00:47:25.989 --> 00:47:27.650 about it, that scripture come alive. You see, 00:47:27.769 --> 00:47:29.929 preach the word in season and out of season. 00:47:30.090 --> 00:47:31.730 There come a time when people shall not endure 00:47:31.730 --> 00:47:36.019 sound doctrine. If it were others, they would 00:47:36.019 --> 00:47:38.139 say it's a failure. How could a man stay in a 00:47:38.139 --> 00:47:43.679 place for 15 years? Everyday preaching. Talking 00:47:43.679 --> 00:47:48.320 to people. Some will say, you know, the Muslim 00:47:48.320 --> 00:47:51.980 part of Nigeria. Some will come because of persecution. 00:47:52.280 --> 00:47:54.039 They will return. As if they come, they will 00:47:54.039 --> 00:47:56.780 go again. Because they are afraid. Only one stood. 00:47:59.039 --> 00:48:03.969 After 15 years. By the time he was retiring, 00:48:04.130 --> 00:48:07.489 he moved out from that place, back home. He only 00:48:07.489 --> 00:48:10.789 had one soul for three years. Because he got 00:48:10.789 --> 00:48:12.510 born again. That's not the call of God. While 00:48:12.510 --> 00:48:14.969 already he has married, he's old. There's no 00:48:14.969 --> 00:48:20.710 time for you to do the work of God. He was in 00:48:20.710 --> 00:48:24.469 the village farming and he was a hunter. Then 00:48:24.469 --> 00:48:27.010 when he got the call of God, he became born again 00:48:27.010 --> 00:48:29.449 and then he entered. Even though he was already 00:48:29.449 --> 00:48:33.630 an adult. How much of you know that you're young? 00:48:33.730 --> 00:48:37.230 Imagine what you would do. The answer to the 00:48:37.230 --> 00:48:41.570 call, he moved. Went there. Stay there. At least 00:48:41.570 --> 00:48:45.829 one soul. One soul matter. That soul that he 00:48:45.829 --> 00:48:50.309 succeeded, the same soul from that time, they 00:48:50.309 --> 00:48:55.429 persecuted him for his truth. Later on, the same 00:48:55.429 --> 00:48:59.690 man, they took him, he went to school. Some pastor 00:48:59.690 --> 00:49:02.170 schools. He didn't go anywhere. He returned to 00:49:02.170 --> 00:49:05.809 the village. He preached. Through him. Mighty. 00:49:05.989 --> 00:49:09.670 You can see. See. You see. We care for ministry 00:49:09.670 --> 00:49:13.150 of numbers. We love numbers. Because anybody 00:49:13.150 --> 00:49:15.630 that care about soul, we care about numbers. 00:49:17.909 --> 00:49:24.050 Do you get what I'm trying to say? But you have 00:49:24.050 --> 00:49:28.409 to be aware how God judges men. If you read Hebrews 00:49:28.409 --> 00:49:32.159 11. What is the business of putting Moses and 00:49:32.159 --> 00:49:36.599 Rahab the prostitute in the same line? How did 00:49:36.599 --> 00:49:38.840 you come there? All of them is why? By faith. 00:49:40.019 --> 00:49:42.059 Did you get what I'm trying to say? Read there. 00:49:42.519 --> 00:49:44.519 If you are the one to put those lists, what we 00:49:44.519 --> 00:49:46.679 call the heroes of faith, how can you put some 00:49:46.679 --> 00:49:53.780 other people there? How? He succeeded with one 00:49:53.780 --> 00:49:57.360 man. But that one soul later, what he did in 00:49:57.360 --> 00:50:03.150 that town, So, that one soul that he succeeded 00:50:03.150 --> 00:50:11.369 with was an extension of the old man. Don't look 00:50:11.369 --> 00:50:19.429 down on what God is bringing to you. So, you 00:50:19.429 --> 00:50:21.550 have writing a song, even if you see one view. 00:50:23.849 --> 00:50:29.050 Believe it. For years, the look the physician 00:50:29.050 --> 00:50:32.650 was writing. He documented, go and ask questions. 00:50:32.730 --> 00:50:35.570 Do you know what it means to record? He wasn't 00:50:35.570 --> 00:50:39.789 there, but sat down and write. And he was all 00:50:39.789 --> 00:50:42.550 writing for somebody who is not pregnant. Theophilus 00:50:42.550 --> 00:50:46.030 has been taught already. But he wants him to 00:50:46.030 --> 00:50:48.469 be assured, to be established. That's what he 00:50:48.469 --> 00:50:51.269 said. To be assured of what you have already 00:50:51.269 --> 00:50:54.210 been taught. He sat down and wrote to one man. 00:50:54.769 --> 00:50:56.550 Again, when he was writing the book of Acts, 00:50:56.670 --> 00:50:59.300 he said, oh, excellent, Theophilus. In that former 00:50:59.300 --> 00:51:03.340 treaty, what I began to tell you, what Jesus 00:51:03.340 --> 00:51:08.539 began to do and to teach is something. And then 00:51:08.539 --> 00:51:11.179 he was following Paul up and down, documenting 00:51:11.179 --> 00:51:13.719 the things, following Paul up and down, documenting 00:51:13.719 --> 00:51:17.599 the things, just to give one person. Your idea 00:51:17.599 --> 00:51:23.909 about God's work has to be changed. This... This 00:51:23.909 --> 00:51:26.329 desire for approval, this desire for applause 00:51:26.329 --> 00:51:28.969 of plenty of people have to go. Because you can't 00:51:28.969 --> 00:51:33.329 have the quality of what God wants you. Our desire 00:51:33.329 --> 00:51:37.530 is more people, but on his own way. Did you get 00:51:37.530 --> 00:51:39.809 what I'm trying to say? Moses wanted to do his 00:51:39.809 --> 00:51:42.449 own way. He strangulated the Egyptians and killed 00:51:42.449 --> 00:51:44.730 them. He thought he was by that. In fact, he 00:51:44.730 --> 00:51:47.010 was thinking that the people would see that God 00:51:47.010 --> 00:51:51.670 is the Savior. Why can't you see now? No. God 00:51:51.670 --> 00:51:53.659 said no. He's not qualified. There are some things 00:51:53.659 --> 00:51:56.400 I need to change in his mind. He then took him 00:51:56.400 --> 00:51:58.920 and took him to the medium. To Jethro. Jethro 00:51:58.920 --> 00:52:02.619 just polished his head. You understand? This 00:52:02.619 --> 00:52:05.280 is before the Levitican priesthood. So there 00:52:05.280 --> 00:52:08.159 was a priest of God called Jethro. Even the Levitican 00:52:08.159 --> 00:52:10.880 priesthood. When you trace him, you trace him. 00:52:10.920 --> 00:52:13.599 He was part of the descendants of Abraham. Through 00:52:13.599 --> 00:52:15.639 Keturah. Did you understand what I'm saying? 00:52:16.010 --> 00:52:18.789 So Abraham, that's why God says, shall I hide 00:52:18.789 --> 00:52:20.989 anything from myself and Abraham? Knowing fully 00:52:20.989 --> 00:52:23.949 well that this is what he will do. Although you 00:52:23.949 --> 00:52:27.389 don't know them, but they have gone with the 00:52:27.389 --> 00:52:30.070 knowledge of the Most High. Suddenly appear somewhere 00:52:30.070 --> 00:52:32.630 in the desert. You think the knowledge of God 00:52:32.630 --> 00:52:35.190 is only with the Israelites who are in this. 00:52:35.250 --> 00:52:39.010 No. God navigated Moses' path and took him to 00:52:39.010 --> 00:52:42.050 that place. And Jethro trained him. And when 00:52:42.050 --> 00:52:43.750 after 40 years, he said, okay, I think you can 00:52:43.750 --> 00:52:47.300 go now. But he has learned his lessons. And God 00:52:47.300 --> 00:52:49.699 showed to him in the sun. Say no. This time around 00:52:49.699 --> 00:52:52.539 you have to believe me. Go with my power. No 00:52:52.539 --> 00:52:56.199 wonder the type of miracles he did. This time 00:52:56.199 --> 00:52:57.780 around no. It's not by hand. It's not by boxing. 00:52:58.239 --> 00:53:00.900 How many will you do? If Moses would go and say 00:53:00.900 --> 00:53:04.300 I will box. He doesn't have anything. In the 00:53:04.300 --> 00:53:08.460 sun. There are the ways of God. For the weapons 00:53:08.460 --> 00:53:11.000 of our warfare are not carnal. But they are mighty 00:53:11.000 --> 00:53:13.079 through God to the pulling down of strongholds. 00:53:13.360 --> 00:53:16.210 Are we together? You have to lay hold of the 00:53:16.210 --> 00:53:19.269 weapons of our warfare. They are not canal. You 00:53:19.269 --> 00:53:22.889 are not canal. You are a spiritual man. There 00:53:22.889 --> 00:53:28.469 are instruments. There are systems. There are 00:53:28.469 --> 00:53:31.710 methods. You understand? And one of it is your 00:53:31.710 --> 00:53:35.630 hands. And God is sending you to understand that 00:53:35.630 --> 00:53:39.849 he has power. He wants to move through you. It's 00:53:39.849 --> 00:53:50.519 a laying of hands. It's a laying. Of hands. So 00:53:50.519 --> 00:53:55.199 tell your neighbor. You need impartation. To 00:53:55.199 --> 00:53:58.199 be established. You need hands to be laid upon 00:53:58.199 --> 00:54:03.159 you. To be established. After you have been taught. 00:54:04.199 --> 00:54:09.860 You need your hands. To get to work. But before 00:54:09.860 --> 00:54:15.850 then. You need hands to be laid upon you. Hallelujah. 00:54:15.850 --> 00:54:30.409 Look at Acts 13. Now in the church that was at 00:54:30.409 --> 00:54:34.690 Antioch, there was certain prophets and teachers, 00:54:34.949 --> 00:54:39.969 Barnabas, Simeon, who was called Niga, Lucius 00:54:39.969 --> 00:54:45.579 of Cyrene, Manion. who had been brought up with 00:54:45.579 --> 00:54:53.980 Herod, the tetra, and Saul. Verse 2. As they 00:54:53.980 --> 00:54:58.699 ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit 00:54:58.699 --> 00:55:04.579 said, Now separate to me Barnabas and Saul for 00:55:04.579 --> 00:55:09.659 the work to which I have called them. Verse 3. 00:55:10.300 --> 00:55:15.159 Then. having fasted and prayed, and laid hands 00:55:15.159 --> 00:55:19.900 on them. And they sent them away. They sent them 00:55:19.900 --> 00:55:24.880 away. They just finished ministry, fulfilled 00:55:24.880 --> 00:55:28.760 ministry. Look at 12. It's in the rate for us 00:55:28.760 --> 00:55:34.000 already. Look at 12. Verse 25. And Barnabas and 00:55:34.000 --> 00:55:37.639 Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled 00:55:37.639 --> 00:55:42.820 their ministry. And... They also took with them 00:55:42.820 --> 00:55:47.320 John Mark, whose surname was Mark. Oh, John, 00:55:47.360 --> 00:55:52.599 whose surname was Mark. Amen? Yes. They just 00:55:52.599 --> 00:55:55.960 returned. In verse 2, in Antioch, they ministered 00:55:55.960 --> 00:55:58.559 to the Lord and fasted. The Holy Spirit said, 00:55:58.659 --> 00:56:02.639 say, pray to me. Say, pray to me, Barnabas. And 00:56:02.639 --> 00:56:10.599 so for the work which I have called them. Don't 00:56:10.599 --> 00:56:13.039 mind. Saul and Paul is the same thing. It's just 00:56:13.039 --> 00:56:18.019 that Paul is a Roman name. Saul is a Jewish name. 00:56:18.199 --> 00:56:20.920 Are we together? It's not that Saul, when he 00:56:20.920 --> 00:56:25.880 was a sinner, and now Paul, when he's a... Are 00:56:25.880 --> 00:56:27.940 we together? You know he's a Roman citizen also. 00:56:28.239 --> 00:56:39.079 Amen? So the word separate, you know, it's powerful 00:56:39.079 --> 00:56:44.369 there. It's translated from the Greek word aphorizo. 00:56:44.690 --> 00:56:57.550 A -P -H -O. A -P -H -O -R -I -Z -O. Aphorizo 00:56:57.550 --> 00:57:03.329 is a verb there, which means to appoint or to 00:57:03.329 --> 00:57:09.280 set apart for some purpose. For some purpose. 00:57:09.320 --> 00:57:13.139 To set apart. For some purpose. That place we 00:57:13.139 --> 00:57:18.340 read. Romans chapter 1. Is the same word used 00:57:18.340 --> 00:57:21.659 here. Romans chapter 1 verse 1. Paul a born servant 00:57:21.659 --> 00:57:26.380 of Jesus Christ. Called to be apostle. Separated. 00:57:26.539 --> 00:57:32.219 To the gospel of God. Which he promised before. 00:57:33.000 --> 00:57:35.679 Through his prophet. In the holy scriptures. 00:57:36.619 --> 00:57:41.280 So that's the same word. Afrizo. To separate. 00:57:42.320 --> 00:57:51.500 For a purpose. 2 Corinthians 6 .17. 2 Corinthians 00:57:51.500 --> 00:58:10.349 6 .17. And take the helmet. Sorry. Therefore, 00:58:10.349 --> 00:58:14.409 come out from among them and be what? And be 00:58:14.409 --> 00:58:18.630 separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is 00:58:18.630 --> 00:58:21.989 unclean, and I will receive it. He's talking 00:58:21.989 --> 00:58:26.289 about set yourself apart. Because there's a difference 00:58:26.289 --> 00:58:30.090 between holiness and unrighteousness, or the 00:58:30.090 --> 00:58:38.219 believer and unbeliever. Galatians 1, 15. Galatians 00:58:38.219 --> 00:58:48.320 1, 15. But when it pleases God who separated 00:58:48.320 --> 00:58:53.880 me, meaning who set me apart from my mother's 00:58:53.880 --> 00:58:58.579 womb and called me through his grace, through 00:58:58.579 --> 00:59:03.559 his grace, he separated me. So that is the word 00:59:03.559 --> 00:59:08.019 there. He says separate me. Set them apart. He's 00:59:08.019 --> 00:59:10.940 not just saying, just take them away. No, what 00:59:10.940 --> 00:59:13.239 he's saying that, he said, ordain them for the 00:59:13.239 --> 00:59:14.679 next walk. Did you understand what I'm saying? 00:59:14.780 --> 00:59:18.260 In other words, I want you to empower, and these 00:59:18.260 --> 00:59:21.019 people understood what the Holy Spirit is saying. 00:59:21.800 --> 00:59:25.139 So after the utterance, they know how you separate 00:59:25.139 --> 00:59:33.079 men is by what? Laying of hands. They knew. So 00:59:33.079 --> 00:59:35.800 that's why after they have prayed, What did they 00:59:35.800 --> 00:59:41.579 do? They responded to what the author said. They 00:59:41.579 --> 00:59:48.360 laid their hands and sent them away. That, you 00:59:48.360 --> 01:00:01.400 see, the fact that, listen. Did you remember 01:00:01.400 --> 01:00:06.010 that Paul, hands were laid on Paul? In Acts chapter 01:00:06.010 --> 01:00:13.530 9. Do you remember that? In Damascus. We get 01:00:13.530 --> 01:00:16.489 again, we saw, after they finished work in Jerusalem, 01:00:17.110 --> 01:00:23.530 they are going to another work. Hands were laid 01:00:23.530 --> 01:00:29.409 on them. You must never outgrow the need for 01:00:29.409 --> 01:00:34.519 impartation. You must never outgrow The need 01:00:34.519 --> 01:00:38.539 for impartation. The fact that hands were laid 01:00:38.539 --> 01:00:43.000 on you some time ago does not mean that's all. 01:00:44.659 --> 01:00:48.780 There are faces in your assignment. You might 01:00:48.780 --> 01:00:52.019 finish one work here. As Paul and Barnabas in 01:00:52.019 --> 01:00:55.639 Jerusalem, they were praying. They say, oh, there 01:00:55.639 --> 01:01:03.809 is another one. They lay hands on them. Paul 01:01:03.809 --> 01:01:07.070 later reminded Timothy that hands were laid on 01:01:07.070 --> 01:01:11.329 him. Did you understand what I'm saying? Look 01:01:11.329 --> 01:01:18.289 at 1 Timothy chapter 4. 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 01:01:18.289 --> 01:01:24.530 14. Do not neglect the gifts. You see that again? 01:01:24.869 --> 01:01:27.750 He told the church in Rome, I want to come to 01:01:27.750 --> 01:01:33.309 you so that I might impart spiritual gifts. Now 01:01:33.309 --> 01:01:36.250 he was reminding them, reminding Timothy, something 01:01:36.250 --> 01:01:39.989 came upon you. He said, do not neglect the gift 01:01:39.989 --> 01:01:44.889 that is in you, which was given to you by the 01:01:44.889 --> 01:01:50.230 prophecy with the laying of hands of the eldership. 01:01:53.110 --> 01:01:58.989 He now again reiterated that in 2 Timothy 1 .6. 01:02:02.250 --> 01:02:05.329 Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gifts 01:02:05.329 --> 01:02:11.670 which is in you through the laying of my hands. 01:02:12.590 --> 01:02:18.730 It appears hands were laid on him twice. In the 01:02:18.730 --> 01:02:24.110 first letter, he said through the laying of hands 01:02:24.110 --> 01:02:28.130 of the eldership. That could be the authority 01:02:28.130 --> 01:02:33.300 of the church or elders. But now he specifically 01:02:33.300 --> 01:02:36.559 said through the laying of my hands. I can imagine 01:02:36.559 --> 01:02:39.320 how Paul have laid hands. Of course, how can 01:02:39.320 --> 01:02:44.059 you have a son in the faith like that? And you 01:02:44.059 --> 01:02:45.659 have not laid eyes. Remember what he said. You 01:02:45.659 --> 01:02:48.159 have carefully followed my word, my doctrine, 01:02:48.320 --> 01:02:53.059 my manner of life. Definitely, you must have 01:02:53.059 --> 01:03:01.639 laid hands on him. Do you remember? The reminder 01:03:01.639 --> 01:03:06.400 was to make Timothy to produce the fruit from 01:03:06.400 --> 01:03:08.760 the impartation through the laying of hands. 01:03:08.860 --> 01:03:11.820 So there's an expectation. When hands are laid 01:03:11.820 --> 01:03:14.099 upon you, there's an expectation of something 01:03:14.099 --> 01:03:17.119 supposed to come out of it. Because it's not 01:03:17.119 --> 01:03:21.360 just ceremonial. It's an impartation and there 01:03:21.360 --> 01:03:26.260 is an expectation. And the expectation is that 01:03:26.260 --> 01:03:30.650 there's supposed to be some fruits. In your commitment. 01:03:34.150 --> 01:03:39.489 In the fruit of ministry. Just like we saw in 01:03:39.489 --> 01:03:42.550 Acts chapter 6. Hands were laid upon them. We 01:03:42.550 --> 01:03:46.889 begin to see wonders. Men who were unknown, they 01:03:46.889 --> 01:03:51.409 became known. Begin to operate in a new dimension. 01:03:52.789 --> 01:03:55.829 Men who are to serve tables, suddenly they are 01:03:55.829 --> 01:03:57.969 catching territories, bringing joy to cities. 01:04:01.480 --> 01:04:14.579 Bringing joys to cities. I want you to notice 01:04:14.579 --> 01:04:18.699 something. That in Act 13, there were prophets 01:04:18.699 --> 01:04:23.679 and teachers. They knew the method of God. The 01:04:23.679 --> 01:04:26.320 lane of hands is how they transmitted the power 01:04:26.320 --> 01:04:30.170 of God. And the power of God is for the advancement 01:04:30.170 --> 01:04:33.349 of the work. Because it's a work which he has 01:04:33.349 --> 01:04:37.050 called him. He says, separate me. You understand? 01:04:37.989 --> 01:04:44.050 For the work. Means, I need this man to be empowered 01:04:44.050 --> 01:04:50.130 for the work which I have called him. And they 01:04:50.130 --> 01:05:00.210 knew it. Oh. The work of the Spirit on the earth 01:05:00.210 --> 01:05:06.630 is advanced through the laying of hands. And 01:05:06.630 --> 01:05:11.170 through the laying of my hands, the work of God 01:05:11.170 --> 01:05:16.030 is advanced in my generation. That should be 01:05:16.030 --> 01:05:20.570 your prayer as well. That as I lay hands on people, 01:05:20.769 --> 01:05:25.170 men as established, the word of God increase. 01:05:26.280 --> 01:05:30.099 There is great joy to cities, to territories, 01:05:30.260 --> 01:05:45.079 to nations. To nations. To nations. Act 14. Look 01:05:45.079 --> 01:05:55.280 at Act 14. I want you to notice a pattern here, 01:05:55.380 --> 01:05:57.860 just the same way like we have gone. Did you 01:05:57.860 --> 01:06:00.139 notice that when it comes to this type of ordinations 01:06:00.139 --> 01:06:03.039 into specific ministries, it's not done to any 01:06:03.039 --> 01:06:07.420 person. Have you noticed something? When they 01:06:07.420 --> 01:06:09.980 were asking those to take an office, they didn't 01:06:09.980 --> 01:06:11.500 call random anybody. They said, choose among 01:06:11.500 --> 01:06:13.380 you. And they gave criteria. Did you observe 01:06:13.380 --> 01:06:16.139 that? So when they chose them, they lay hands 01:06:16.139 --> 01:06:19.639 on them. Again, here in Act 13, did you observe 01:06:19.639 --> 01:06:24.440 that? These were teachers and what? And prophets. 01:06:25.300 --> 01:06:31.860 Are we together? Look at Act 14. Now it happened 01:06:31.860 --> 01:06:36.679 in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue 01:06:36.679 --> 01:06:41.079 of the Jews and spoke to the great multitude 01:06:41.079 --> 01:06:49.050 both of Jews and of the Greek belief. But The 01:06:49.050 --> 01:06:52.190 unbelievers, unbelieving Jews, stare at the Gentiles 01:06:52.190 --> 01:06:55.269 and poison their minds against the brethren. 01:06:55.550 --> 01:07:00.130 Verse 3. Therefore they stayed there a long time, 01:07:00.389 --> 01:07:03.710 speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing 01:07:03.710 --> 01:07:07.349 witness to the word of his grace, granting signs 01:07:07.349 --> 01:07:12.110 and wonders to be done by their hands. Note that 01:07:12.110 --> 01:07:16.340 it was a long time they stayed. And the reason 01:07:16.340 --> 01:07:20.539 is because they are building disciples. So, in 01:07:20.539 --> 01:07:22.760 the conium, they stay there, preaching, performing 01:07:22.760 --> 01:07:26.260 great signs and wonders. Are we together? Through 01:07:26.260 --> 01:07:29.059 their hands, laying hands in the sand. Establishing 01:07:29.059 --> 01:07:32.840 men. Are we together? Establishing men. Establishing 01:07:32.840 --> 01:07:39.019 men. Look at. After then, what was formed? The 01:07:39.019 --> 01:07:45.250 multitude of the city was divided. Parts. sided 01:07:45.250 --> 01:07:48.829 with the Jews and part with the apostles. And 01:07:48.829 --> 01:07:51.710 when a violent attempt was made by both the Jews, 01:07:51.949 --> 01:07:56.829 the Gentiles and Jews with their rulers to abuse 01:07:56.829 --> 01:08:03.170 and stone them, they became aware of it and fled 01:08:03.170 --> 01:08:06.670 to Lystra. So they moved to Lystra and Derbe, 01:08:06.829 --> 01:08:15.690 cities of Lycaonia. and to the surrounding regions. 01:08:16.909 --> 01:08:21.609 Look at verse 7. And they were preaching the 01:08:21.609 --> 01:08:25.829 gospel there. So they preached again there. But 01:08:25.829 --> 01:08:27.569 by then in Iconium, they have made disciples 01:08:27.569 --> 01:08:29.670 because it's still a long time there. Laying 01:08:29.670 --> 01:08:32.130 hands, establishing them, teaching them. They 01:08:32.130 --> 01:08:33.909 come also to Lystra, they do the same thing. 01:08:35.409 --> 01:08:37.609 Are we together? They did the same thing. They 01:08:37.609 --> 01:08:40.710 did the same thing. By the time you move, there 01:08:40.710 --> 01:08:46.949 was another confusion. Move to verse 19. Remember, 01:08:47.229 --> 01:08:50.409 after they say, separate me, Paul and Barnabas, 01:08:50.470 --> 01:08:53.970 you know they are from Antioch. Right? So in 01:08:53.970 --> 01:08:57.229 verse 19, he said, then the Jews from Antioch 01:08:57.229 --> 01:09:00.590 and Iconium, remember those who do trouble in 01:09:00.590 --> 01:09:04.350 Iconium, that they moved to Debi and Lystra and 01:09:04.350 --> 01:09:08.369 the surrounding region. Again, they came, they 01:09:08.369 --> 01:09:09.710 heard that they had moved to another city, they 01:09:09.710 --> 01:09:12.680 went and caused trouble. And having persuaded 01:09:12.680 --> 01:09:15.300 a multitude, they stoned Paul and dragged him 01:09:15.300 --> 01:09:18.819 out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, 01:09:19.020 --> 01:09:24.680 when the disciples gathered around him, he arose 01:09:24.680 --> 01:09:27.180 up and went into the city. And the next day he 01:09:27.180 --> 01:09:33.460 departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they 01:09:33.460 --> 01:09:36.880 had preached the gospel to the city and made 01:09:36.880 --> 01:09:40.039 many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Icunium, 01:09:40.079 --> 01:09:42.760 and Antioch. You understand? When the dust calmed 01:09:42.760 --> 01:09:44.880 down, all those troublemakers, they thought they 01:09:44.880 --> 01:09:46.720 have moved. They returned back again. Because 01:09:46.720 --> 01:09:49.460 they have made disciples there. What did they 01:09:49.460 --> 01:09:53.420 do when they have returned? He strengthened them, 01:09:53.460 --> 01:09:56.399 verse 22, the souls of the disciples. You see 01:09:56.399 --> 01:09:59.960 that? Yes. He strengthened them, exhorting them 01:09:59.960 --> 01:10:04.840 to continue in faith and saying, we must, through 01:10:04.840 --> 01:10:08.100 many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God. 01:10:08.479 --> 01:10:12.359 Verse 23. So when, They had appointed elders 01:10:12.359 --> 01:10:15.479 in every church. Do you see that? First is not 01:10:15.479 --> 01:10:18.239 appointing of elders. First is a discipleship. 01:10:18.319 --> 01:10:21.640 They stay long. They taught. They disciple. They 01:10:21.640 --> 01:10:24.560 move. Trouble came. They allow the trouble return. 01:10:24.659 --> 01:10:26.899 They move back. They strengthen those people 01:10:26.899 --> 01:10:31.399 they have in the south. And now they appoint 01:10:31.399 --> 01:10:35.600 elders. You see, in those parts, understand that 01:10:35.600 --> 01:10:37.319 they did signs and wonders through their hands. 01:10:37.659 --> 01:10:40.869 Remember? This one, they put hands in every, 01:10:41.010 --> 01:10:43.470 what do you call it? All those people who are 01:10:43.470 --> 01:10:45.590 sick, all believers who are sick, and the people 01:10:45.590 --> 01:10:47.069 who are sick, they lay hands on them and heal 01:10:47.069 --> 01:10:50.250 them. Many miracles using laying of hands. But 01:10:50.250 --> 01:10:52.909 this time around, it's a special one in the son. 01:10:53.270 --> 01:10:55.829 What did they do? So when they had, verse 23, 01:10:56.090 --> 01:10:59.689 had appointed elders in every church and prayed 01:10:59.689 --> 01:11:04.649 with fasting, they commended them to the Lord 01:11:04.649 --> 01:11:08.859 in whom they had believed. Do you see that? They 01:11:08.859 --> 01:11:10.460 are appointed. What do you say is appointed? 01:11:11.000 --> 01:11:14.239 You know, appointed? It's not, listen, appointed 01:11:14.239 --> 01:11:17.720 means separate. It's not just, you say, you, 01:11:17.720 --> 01:11:22.960 from today, you are the chief usher. You, from 01:11:22.960 --> 01:11:26.020 today, you are the elder in charge of this. No, 01:11:26.079 --> 01:11:28.399 that's not what we're talking about. You understand? 01:11:28.979 --> 01:11:32.579 That's separate. Appointed means to set apart. 01:11:33.279 --> 01:11:36.300 You understand? They appointed Ella. They set 01:11:36.300 --> 01:11:40.619 apart men who are matured to lead. And as usual, 01:11:40.699 --> 01:11:44.659 of course, they lay hands on them. Are we together? 01:11:45.800 --> 01:11:50.479 Amen. So you could see a pattern. You could see 01:11:50.479 --> 01:11:54.680 a pattern. Just the same way. But look, as we 01:11:54.680 --> 01:11:57.960 saw the same thing. In Acts chapter 8, where 01:11:57.960 --> 01:12:00.500 we have already read, for example, they lay hands 01:12:00.500 --> 01:12:03.819 on all believers to receive the Holy Ghost. Because 01:12:03.819 --> 01:12:07.020 after they are preached to them, Peter and John 01:12:07.020 --> 01:12:08.739 came, they lay hands on all of them and they 01:12:08.739 --> 01:12:12.279 received the Holy Ghost. However, you can lay 01:12:12.279 --> 01:12:16.359 hands on all people and put them, you can't do 01:12:16.359 --> 01:12:19.939 that to everyone into special offices in the 01:12:19.939 --> 01:12:22.180 church. Did you get what I'm trying to say? I'm 01:12:22.180 --> 01:12:24.880 trying to make a distinction between ordination 01:12:24.880 --> 01:12:28.100 into special offices, into leadership position 01:12:28.100 --> 01:12:32.720 in the church. and just to administer the things 01:12:32.720 --> 01:12:35.380 of the spirit, the healings, and that you can 01:12:35.380 --> 01:12:37.720 do that. But when it comes to, you don't just 01:12:37.720 --> 01:12:40.060 go there, you see anybody, this one is a believer. 01:12:40.220 --> 01:12:42.579 He looks broad -chested, look good. Come here. 01:12:43.760 --> 01:12:47.659 You are a bishop now. This is the rascality we 01:12:47.659 --> 01:12:48.960 are seeing today. That's why we are having confusion. 01:12:49.779 --> 01:12:54.460 Did you understand what I'm saying? I used to 01:12:54.460 --> 01:12:56.279 think he's only bishop. Now he's archbishop. 01:12:56.600 --> 01:12:59.159 Probably to start archapostle. I don't understand. 01:12:59.960 --> 01:13:05.460 Some names are now increasing. We used to, we 01:13:05.460 --> 01:13:07.399 used to castigate Catholic church, but now we 01:13:07.399 --> 01:13:10.220 are doing worse. No one is a most reverend, holy, 01:13:10.340 --> 01:13:15.020 his holiness, his this, his that. Now we are 01:13:15.020 --> 01:13:18.420 doing most reverend in, I don't even know some 01:13:18.420 --> 01:13:24.340 of these. You see long, long names now. I heard 01:13:24.340 --> 01:13:27.689 a story of one of our pastors in the sun. They 01:13:27.689 --> 01:13:29.630 say, ah, pastor, you are here. I say, no, don't 01:13:29.630 --> 01:13:41.010 call me pastor. I'm a reverend. Oh my God. Amen. 01:13:42.270 --> 01:13:46.229 You know. So you have to be cautious. Now look 01:13:46.229 --> 01:13:50.470 at what Paul told Timothy. You understand? That's 01:13:50.470 --> 01:13:53.569 why I want you to understand that. 1 Timothy 01:13:53.569 --> 01:14:04.270 5. 22, 1 Timothy 5, 22. Oh, if you are sleeping, 01:14:04.409 --> 01:14:09.170 please pay attention to this. Look at it. 1 Timothy 01:14:09.170 --> 01:14:18.029 5, 22. He said, do not lay hands on anyone hastily. 01:14:20.350 --> 01:14:29.340 On anyone hastily. No share in other people's 01:14:29.340 --> 01:14:33.520 sin. Keep yourself what? Pure. Keep yourself 01:14:33.520 --> 01:14:38.119 pure. Is Paul contradicting all he has been writing? 01:14:40.600 --> 01:14:46.260 No. No. So what is Paul saying? What exactly 01:14:46.260 --> 01:14:48.500 is he saying? Why is he saying that you should 01:14:48.500 --> 01:14:53.060 not be in a haste to lay hands? What is Paul 01:14:53.060 --> 01:14:56.630 referring to? Now I want you to just. Listen 01:14:56.630 --> 01:15:01.149 and look at the context. Look at verse 17. Let 01:15:01.149 --> 01:15:05.890 the elders who rule well be counted worthy of 01:15:05.890 --> 01:15:09.670 double honor, especially those who labor in what? 01:15:10.369 --> 01:15:16.229 In what and doctrine. Because when you say elders 01:15:16.229 --> 01:15:18.909 who rule well, that means there is some confusion 01:15:18.909 --> 01:15:23.010 in that place. There are some ones who there 01:15:23.010 --> 01:15:26.939 is some... believers around, you understand, 01:15:27.199 --> 01:15:29.500 that they are not doing what is supposed to. 01:15:29.960 --> 01:15:34.979 Did you get what I'm trying to say? For the scripture 01:15:34.979 --> 01:15:38.899 says, you shall not muzzle an ox while it treads 01:15:38.899 --> 01:15:42.699 out the corn. And the laborer is worthy of his 01:15:42.699 --> 01:15:46.800 wages. Do not receive an accusation against an 01:15:46.800 --> 01:15:51.279 elder except from two or three witnesses. So 01:15:51.279 --> 01:15:54.840 there's something there. Are we together? Verse 01:15:54.840 --> 01:15:59.239 20, those who are sinning, rebuke them. Rebuke 01:15:59.239 --> 01:16:03.800 in the presence of all that the rest may, that 01:16:03.800 --> 01:16:07.539 the rest also may fear. I charge you before God 01:16:07.539 --> 01:16:10.180 and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels 01:16:10.180 --> 01:16:19.720 that you observe, that you observe these things 01:16:19.720 --> 01:16:24.810 without prejudice. Doing nothing with what? That 01:16:24.810 --> 01:16:29.670 is when he now said, do not lay hands on anyone 01:16:29.670 --> 01:16:33.210 asleep. Now that anyone would not mean every 01:16:33.210 --> 01:16:35.670 believer there. No, he was talking, the context 01:16:35.670 --> 01:16:37.649 is about elders. Did you understand what I'm 01:16:37.649 --> 01:16:46.069 saying? The context is about what? Elders. So 01:16:46.069 --> 01:16:50.289 when he was talking, give me NLT. I think NLT 01:16:50.289 --> 01:16:56.130 clearly stated it. So when he said, this is why 01:16:56.130 --> 01:16:58.850 I told you, appointment means laying of hands. 01:16:59.170 --> 01:17:02.569 Look at what NLT says. Never be in a hurry to 01:17:02.569 --> 01:17:07.289 do what? Oh, are we together? To appoint a church 01:17:07.289 --> 01:17:13.970 leader. What is appointing? Are we together? 01:17:14.569 --> 01:17:17.449 So as we said, you know, in our days, when they 01:17:17.449 --> 01:17:19.289 say they appointed him, he's at the point. Hey, 01:17:19.489 --> 01:17:21.869 you receive a letter. You are going to occupy 01:17:21.869 --> 01:17:23.310 that position. No, that's not what we're talking 01:17:23.310 --> 01:17:26.699 about. Appointing means to lay hands on someone 01:17:26.699 --> 01:17:29.359 because it's a system of empowerment. The reason 01:17:29.359 --> 01:17:32.340 is because you don't, when it comes to leadership, 01:17:32.720 --> 01:17:37.039 special offices, you don't hastily lay hands 01:17:37.039 --> 01:17:43.479 on people. You have to be discreet so that you 01:17:43.479 --> 01:17:45.880 will not go and carry somebody that will be confusing 01:17:45.880 --> 01:17:50.220 the whole place. That is the point I'm trying 01:17:50.220 --> 01:17:55.329 to make. So it is to be noted. That in all where 01:17:55.329 --> 01:18:04.430 we saw people put in position of ministry, hands 01:18:04.430 --> 01:18:12.390 were laid. Hands were laid on them. Are we together? 01:18:13.970 --> 01:18:20.489 No oil was seen. No oil. You've never seen. All 01:18:20.489 --> 01:18:23.079 the ones, it's only hands that were laid. It's 01:18:23.079 --> 01:18:29.560 not a mistake. We never saw use of oil. But why 01:18:29.560 --> 01:18:33.640 is it that today, there's a lot used? You see 01:18:33.640 --> 01:18:35.699 that when people are about to be ordained, they 01:18:35.699 --> 01:18:42.220 carry a jar of oil, put on them. We use oil in 01:18:42.220 --> 01:18:44.720 so many of our churches to consecrate, to set 01:18:44.720 --> 01:18:48.300 apart people for the work of ministry. But what 01:18:48.300 --> 01:18:50.159 we have understood from all the texts and scriptures, 01:18:50.760 --> 01:18:53.600 God's system is what? To lay hands, not to pour 01:18:53.600 --> 01:19:02.500 oil. The question is, how did we get here? Does 01:19:02.500 --> 01:19:04.500 anointing a believer with oil have any spiritual 01:19:04.500 --> 01:19:07.359 value? Remember, we've already noted through 01:19:07.359 --> 01:19:12.399 text that what? That the laying of hands is spiritual, 01:19:12.739 --> 01:19:16.199 is supernatural. Is that okay? Is that okay? 01:19:16.340 --> 01:19:20.560 Now the question is, is using oil spiritual, 01:19:20.899 --> 01:19:23.970 supernatural? Does he have any spiritual value? 01:19:27.970 --> 01:19:31.170 Some people will cite James. Look at James. Go 01:19:31.170 --> 01:19:40.529 to James. James chapter 4, verse 14. James 4, 01:19:40.649 --> 01:20:04.439 14. Sorry, it's 5. James 5, 14. Is anyone among 01:20:04.439 --> 01:20:08.800 you sick? Let him call for the elders of the 01:20:08.800 --> 01:20:12.159 church and let them pray over him, anointing 01:20:12.159 --> 01:20:16.300 him with oil in the name of the Lord. Now, throughout 01:20:16.300 --> 01:20:20.710 the text of what we call the New Testament, This 01:20:20.710 --> 01:20:23.869 is the only place that mentions the use of oil. 01:20:25.149 --> 01:20:29.890 Now, you see, when you see a place very unique, 01:20:29.949 --> 01:20:33.609 a vast, that is very unique from the nomad, you 01:20:33.609 --> 01:20:37.510 need to take time to study. Are we together? 01:20:37.930 --> 01:20:43.409 You need to take time to do what? To study. And 01:20:43.409 --> 01:20:48.630 let me mention something very profound. There 01:20:48.630 --> 01:20:51.250 is a standard. You see, when we say doctrine, 01:20:51.510 --> 01:20:56.050 we mean, remember what we said, right? Instruction, 01:20:56.090 --> 01:20:59.829 a set of instructions. It's not separate. Now, 01:20:59.890 --> 01:21:04.189 a verse cannot become a doctrine. Let me say 01:21:04.189 --> 01:21:09.569 it again. Let me say it again. You don't establish 01:21:09.569 --> 01:21:12.670 a doctrine with a verse. Did you understand what 01:21:12.670 --> 01:21:20.449 I'm saying? Yeah? No. So all the problems. that 01:21:20.449 --> 01:21:25.210 we are having with trousers, with head tie. Do 01:21:25.210 --> 01:21:28.029 you know what I'm saying? In the name of the 01:21:28.029 --> 01:21:31.090 Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All of 01:21:31.090 --> 01:21:34.090 them came from one verse. When you sat, you see 01:21:34.090 --> 01:21:37.829 one verse. Yet we have made it a special thing 01:21:37.829 --> 01:21:41.529 in the church. That's why I say, each time you 01:21:41.529 --> 01:21:44.130 hear a verse mention something and nowhere again, 01:21:44.350 --> 01:21:49.380 be careful. Sit down and read. Did you understand 01:21:49.380 --> 01:21:51.880 what I'm saying? Sit down and read. There are 01:21:51.880 --> 01:21:54.840 many verses about indecency. Did you get what 01:21:54.840 --> 01:21:56.319 I'm trying to say? We are coming, you know, we 01:21:56.319 --> 01:22:01.159 are doing, we have a long way to go. Issues around 01:22:01.159 --> 01:22:03.979 women's liberty. We are at what? I think we are 01:22:03.979 --> 01:22:09.939 up at part 19. Okay, we are still moving. Amen? 01:22:10.640 --> 01:22:14.000 So, but what I'm trying to say is that be careful, 01:22:14.079 --> 01:22:18.990 else you are going to a slippery place. Now, 01:22:18.990 --> 01:22:28.090 one of it is this one. Hallelujah. Now, he said, 01:22:28.270 --> 01:22:32.909 and it is very important. Now, what does it mean 01:22:32.909 --> 01:22:36.930 to anoint? It means to anoint. Just simply to 01:22:36.930 --> 01:22:40.149 rob. Just to rob something. When you anoint someone. 01:22:40.909 --> 01:22:45.510 To just rob. Is that okay? That's what it means. 01:22:45.970 --> 01:22:48.680 The verb. When you say anoint. It means to rob. 01:22:51.420 --> 01:22:58.979 To rob. And that is important for us to understand 01:22:58.979 --> 01:23:04.560 that. Now, that word anoint means a life form. 01:23:05.500 --> 01:23:11.319 A -L -E. Hallelujah. Be patient. We'll soon be 01:23:11.319 --> 01:23:14.479 moving for this session. But come with me. I 01:23:14.479 --> 01:23:15.939 want you to pay attention because this is very 01:23:15.939 --> 01:23:18.689 important. If you are sleeping, Make your system 01:23:18.689 --> 01:23:23.109 awake because there's an explanation I have to 01:23:23.109 --> 01:23:26.489 go into this one. Even if we don't finish it, 01:23:26.529 --> 01:23:31.010 we can continue in the next session. Amen? It's 01:23:31.010 --> 01:23:38.289 A -L -E -I. Can you tell that young man I will 01:23:38.289 --> 01:23:48.859 give him... We love them. Amen? So anoint is 01:23:48.859 --> 01:23:57.899 L -I -4, means A -L -E -I -P -H -O. A -L -E -I 01:23:57.899 --> 01:24:02.560 -P -H -O in Greek. Just like I said, means to 01:24:02.560 --> 01:24:06.840 anoint or anoint means to rob, means to rob. 01:24:06.960 --> 01:24:09.439 Come with me quickly. Let me see what I can do 01:24:09.439 --> 01:24:16.470 for the time I have now. Matthew 16. Matthew 01:24:16.470 --> 01:24:32.529 6. Go to 6. Matthew 6. Matthew 6. Let me read 01:24:32.529 --> 01:24:41.170 verse 16. Moreover, when you fast, do not be 01:24:41.170 --> 01:24:46.489 like the hypocrite with a sad countenance. For 01:24:46.489 --> 01:24:50.710 they disfigured their faces that they may appear 01:24:50.710 --> 01:24:54.430 to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, 01:24:54.489 --> 01:24:58.590 they have their reward. But you, when you fast, 01:24:58.689 --> 01:25:02.550 anoint your head and wash your face. Are we together? 01:25:02.829 --> 01:25:06.369 That word anoint there is a life form. Means 01:25:06.369 --> 01:25:09.970 to rub, of course, invariably with oil, understand? 01:25:10.369 --> 01:25:12.569 And wash so that you don't appear like a hypocrite. 01:25:14.489 --> 01:25:29.770 Mark 6. Mark 6, 13. Mark 6, 13. And they cast 01:25:29.770 --> 01:25:37.430 out demons. And they cast out many demons and 01:25:37.430 --> 01:25:43.619 anointed with oil many who were sick. And heal 01:25:43.619 --> 01:25:47.340 them. Please follow me. Because I'm coming. The 01:25:47.340 --> 01:25:49.579 question is that. These are the disciples. Did 01:25:49.579 --> 01:25:52.420 Jesus ask them to anoint? There's a question. 01:25:52.920 --> 01:26:07.119 One side. Go to Mark 16. Verse 1. Now when the 01:26:07.119 --> 01:26:10.500 Sabbath was passed. Mary Magdalene. Mary the 01:26:10.500 --> 01:26:14.380 mother of James. And Salome bought spices that 01:26:14.380 --> 01:26:21.859 they might come and anoint him. Luke 17, 38. 01:26:24.420 --> 01:26:39.119 Luke 17, 38. Sorry, did I say seven? No, seven? 01:26:42.119 --> 01:26:47.420 Come in, let me check that text. Luke 7, 38. 01:26:47.640 --> 01:27:00.039 Put it there for me. Let me go myself. Yes, and 01:27:00.039 --> 01:27:02.899 stood at his feet behind him, weeping, and she 01:27:02.899 --> 01:27:06.640 began to wash his feet with her tears and wiped 01:27:06.640 --> 01:27:09.739 them with the hair of her head. Thank you, sir. 01:27:09.920 --> 01:27:19.039 And she kissed. Are we together? John 11, 2. 01:27:20.100 --> 01:27:37.600 John 11, 2. It was that Mary who anointed the 01:27:37.600 --> 01:27:40.439 Lord with fragrance. with the fragrant oil and 01:27:40.439 --> 01:27:46.819 wipe his feet with her. Right? His feet with 01:27:46.819 --> 01:27:49.819 her hair, whose brother Lazarus was six. Anoint 01:27:49.819 --> 01:27:56.060 there. Anoint. Move to 12. 12 verse 3. Then Mary 01:27:56.060 --> 01:28:01.899 took a pound of very costly oil of spiked nut, 01:28:02.079 --> 01:28:04.939 anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet 01:28:04.939 --> 01:28:07.920 with her hair and the house was filled with the 01:28:07.920 --> 01:28:13.750 fragrance. of oil. Now, Freddie, we read James. 01:28:13.850 --> 01:28:18.529 So why did James ask the elders of the church 01:28:18.529 --> 01:28:25.590 to use oil? So we saw that James asked the elders 01:28:25.590 --> 01:28:29.310 to use oil. Why? And that's unique because James 01:28:29.310 --> 01:28:35.390 did that. Are we together? Why? Now, if you look 01:28:35.390 --> 01:28:38.750 at it, go to James chapter 1. Because that will 01:28:38.750 --> 01:28:40.630 help us understand the background of the book 01:28:40.630 --> 01:28:46.550 to help us to know what exactly James or who 01:28:46.550 --> 01:28:50.149 James was communicating to. James 1. James, a 01:28:50.149 --> 01:28:52.550 born servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, 01:28:52.670 --> 01:28:55.869 to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad, 01:28:56.090 --> 01:28:59.850 greetings. So that means the audience of James 01:28:59.850 --> 01:29:03.449 are Jews. Are we together? Even though they are 01:29:03.449 --> 01:29:06.899 believers, they are what? Jews. So it wasn't 01:29:06.899 --> 01:29:11.800 strange to them. He wasn't writing to Gentiles. 01:29:12.560 --> 01:29:15.500 Remember, I told you already, the use of oil 01:29:15.500 --> 01:29:19.060 already stemmed from Jacob. Are we together? 01:29:20.260 --> 01:29:24.380 So already is a cultural thing. So it wasn't 01:29:24.380 --> 01:29:28.920 strange. So when you ask them, use oil, it wasn't 01:29:28.920 --> 01:29:34.079 strange. The Jews are known to use oil for medicinal 01:29:34.079 --> 01:29:37.170 purposes. They use it for different things. We 01:29:37.170 --> 01:29:39.109 have just read a number of things how they use 01:29:39.109 --> 01:29:41.750 oil. To anoint Jesus, to do this, to do that, 01:29:41.770 --> 01:29:44.609 to do that. Many things. Are we together? So 01:29:44.609 --> 01:29:46.310 they understood what James was talking about. 01:29:46.890 --> 01:29:49.609 So James was asking the elders to combine natural 01:29:49.609 --> 01:29:52.869 and spiritual. It wasn't a conflict with them. 01:29:53.510 --> 01:29:55.329 You understand what I'm saying? When they use 01:29:55.329 --> 01:29:56.729 oil, they are not saying that they don't believe 01:29:56.729 --> 01:30:00.069 in the supernatural. It was just common that 01:30:00.069 --> 01:30:03.500 when you use that in the sun. It's like when 01:30:03.500 --> 01:30:05.020 somebody prayed for you, you say, just go and 01:30:05.020 --> 01:30:07.500 take your bath. Are you saying that you don't 01:30:07.500 --> 01:30:08.819 believe in what he's saying? You know what I'm 01:30:08.819 --> 01:30:12.779 trying to say? So it's a norm for them. It's 01:30:12.779 --> 01:30:18.020 a norm for them. So this was what... But the 01:30:18.020 --> 01:30:22.079 question is that we need to investigate more 01:30:22.079 --> 01:30:27.659 further. And we saw the disciples did that. Are 01:30:27.659 --> 01:30:31.859 we together? From where we read. But... Jesus 01:30:31.859 --> 01:30:34.239 never asked the disciples to anoint. Let's go 01:30:34.239 --> 01:30:41.939 back to that place. Mark 6. Mark chapter 6. Look 01:30:41.939 --> 01:30:55.180 at verse 7. Mark 6. Verse 7. And he called the 01:30:55.180 --> 01:30:58.260 twelve to himself and began to send them out 01:30:58.260 --> 01:31:02.819 two by two. and gave them power over unclean 01:31:02.819 --> 01:31:07.279 spirits. He commanded them to take nothing for 01:31:07.279 --> 01:31:09.760 their journey except staff, no bag, no bread, 01:31:09.899 --> 01:31:15.680 no copper in their money belts, but to wear sandals 01:31:15.680 --> 01:31:22.239 and not to put on two tonics. Also, he said to 01:31:22.239 --> 01:31:25.739 them, in whatever place you enter a house, stay 01:31:25.739 --> 01:31:29.140 there till you depart from that place. Whoever 01:31:29.140 --> 01:31:35.300 will not receive you nor hear you when you depart 01:31:35.300 --> 01:31:38.159 from there, shake off the dust under your feet 01:31:38.159 --> 01:31:41.859 as a testimony against them. Actually, I say 01:31:41.859 --> 01:31:45.640 to you, it will be more terrible for Sodom and 01:31:45.640 --> 01:31:48.800 Gomorrah in the day of judgment than that city. 01:31:49.060 --> 01:31:53.460 Verse 12, so they went out and preached that 01:31:53.460 --> 01:31:57.539 people should repent. They cast out many demons. 01:31:58.270 --> 01:32:00.649 You see, when Jesus asked them, he went them 01:32:00.649 --> 01:32:06.069 to preach, gave them power over unclean spirits. 01:32:06.350 --> 01:32:13.010 So to preach. So what he asked them was to heal 01:32:13.010 --> 01:32:16.430 the sick. Go back to Luke. Luke tells us that. 01:32:16.470 --> 01:32:22.590 Let's read Luke account quickly. Luke 9. Luke 01:32:22.590 --> 01:32:27.810 9. Then, verse 1, then he called his 12 disciples. 01:32:28.370 --> 01:32:31.430 and gave them power and authority over all demons 01:32:31.430 --> 01:32:35.550 and to cure what? Diseases. He sent them to preach. 01:32:35.750 --> 01:32:38.390 Look at verse two. He sent them to do what? To 01:32:38.390 --> 01:32:42.329 preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 01:32:43.810 --> 01:32:47.250 And he said to them, take nothing for the journey, 01:32:47.390 --> 01:32:49.449 neither staff, neither back. What we just read, 01:32:49.569 --> 01:32:54.649 Max was saying. Are we together? And then verse 01:32:54.649 --> 01:32:58.710 six, look at six. So they departed. and went 01:32:58.710 --> 01:33:00.869 through the towns preaching the gospel and healing 01:33:00.869 --> 01:33:06.069 everyone. Jesus himself never used oil. He would 01:33:06.069 --> 01:33:09.069 spat, he would touch. We read all Jesus did, 01:33:09.130 --> 01:33:11.109 you understand, in his healing. So he gave them 01:33:11.109 --> 01:33:16.210 power to do that. You understand? Peter showed 01:33:16.210 --> 01:33:19.149 to us what Jesus was doing, how he was separated, 01:33:19.489 --> 01:33:24.130 how he was appointed. In Acts chapter 10, verse 01:33:24.130 --> 01:33:26.529 38, how Jesus Christ was anointed with the Holy 01:33:26.529 --> 01:33:28.289 Ghost and power and where they are doing good, 01:33:28.369 --> 01:33:30.130 you understand? Healing all those that were oppressed 01:33:30.130 --> 01:33:33.550 by the devil. Are we together? So you could see 01:33:33.550 --> 01:33:35.350 that he told them, no, no, no, no, this is what 01:33:35.350 --> 01:33:38.289 you should do. When you go to 10, also Matthew 01:33:38.289 --> 01:33:43.949 chapter 10, verse 1 to 4. Matthew 10. I need 01:33:43.949 --> 01:33:55.350 to read that text. Matthew 10. We now round up 01:33:55.350 --> 01:34:03.069 there. And when he had called his 12 disciples 01:34:03.069 --> 01:34:06.649 to him, he gave them power over unclean spirit 01:34:06.649 --> 01:34:10.529 to cast out and to heal. You see that? To cast 01:34:10.529 --> 01:34:14.930 out and to heal all kinds of sicknesses and all 01:34:14.930 --> 01:34:17.989 kinds of diseases. You see? Even when he sent 01:34:17.989 --> 01:34:20.409 them, he told them not to carry things. He even 01:34:20.409 --> 01:34:23.420 told them, don't carry anything. So I don't know 01:34:23.420 --> 01:34:28.359 how they smuggle bottles. He has instructed them, 01:34:28.399 --> 01:34:31.020 don't carry anything, just move. Anywhere you 01:34:31.020 --> 01:34:34.699 stop, enter. But you see the people, their culture, 01:34:34.819 --> 01:34:40.939 they smuggle something. And we saw in Acts 13, 01:34:41.039 --> 01:34:43.359 they say after they are healed, they have healed 01:34:43.359 --> 01:34:47.960 them. Look at it, go back to Acts 13. Mark 6, 01:34:48.039 --> 01:34:58.859 13. He said, and they cast out many demons. How 01:34:58.859 --> 01:35:04.819 did they do? They cast out many demons and anointed 01:35:04.819 --> 01:35:09.100 with oil many who were sick and healed them. 01:35:10.899 --> 01:35:14.260 So even though they did the healing, they did 01:35:14.260 --> 01:35:17.039 the casting of demons, they still used oil to 01:35:17.039 --> 01:35:20.000 just anoint these people. Remember, they didn't 01:35:20.000 --> 01:35:22.699 anoint the people who had demons. The only cast 01:35:22.699 --> 01:35:25.210 is people who are sick. Remember I told you, 01:35:25.229 --> 01:35:30.930 it's a cultural thing in the Jews, you understand? 01:35:31.229 --> 01:35:34.010 Because the oil has medicinal purpose, you understand 01:35:34.010 --> 01:35:36.029 what I'm saying? So they do that. Of course, 01:35:36.050 --> 01:35:37.710 they have other purposes. They do with it, you 01:35:37.710 --> 01:35:40.250 understand, just like we have read. But what 01:35:40.250 --> 01:35:45.189 can we see here? The oil is not supernatural. 01:35:46.470 --> 01:35:51.329 Let me repeat again. Oil is not what? It's not 01:35:51.329 --> 01:35:54.840 supernatural. From all this reading we have read, 01:35:55.039 --> 01:36:04.920 oil was not supernatural. From Jacob, we saw 01:36:04.920 --> 01:36:07.739 it as a symbol of honor first, like to anoint 01:36:07.739 --> 01:36:10.180 the place. And you put it there. It's a showing 01:36:10.180 --> 01:36:13.279 of that this is a sacred place. It's an indication. 01:36:13.479 --> 01:36:15.399 Because remember where they were coming from. 01:36:15.659 --> 01:36:20.060 Just the same way Abraham. When Abraham gave 01:36:20.060 --> 01:36:22.619 tithes, You understand? We can learn something 01:36:22.619 --> 01:36:24.739 about the titan. You understand what I'm saying? 01:36:26.220 --> 01:36:31.760 Because Abraham, he was coming from a pagan place. 01:36:32.239 --> 01:36:34.960 There is a system they are used to. And in their 01:36:34.960 --> 01:36:37.239 system, they know honor. So when they meet somebody 01:36:37.239 --> 01:36:40.359 who is of authority, you understand? They give 01:36:40.359 --> 01:36:44.060 him something. They give him a titan as a sign 01:36:44.060 --> 01:36:46.399 of honor. When Abraham was doing that, he was 01:36:46.399 --> 01:36:49.250 not expecting to receive anything. It's an honor 01:36:49.250 --> 01:36:52.670 you do to an elder. In our people, where I came 01:36:52.670 --> 01:36:54.789 from, you can't see an elder, even if it's not 01:36:54.789 --> 01:36:56.310 from your family, you can't see an elder living 01:36:56.310 --> 01:36:59.550 with his load. Although these days, I don't understand 01:36:59.550 --> 01:37:02.029 what we're doing. You see some people, like when 01:37:02.029 --> 01:37:05.189 I'm in school, when I, in those days, I use the 01:37:05.189 --> 01:37:08.729 bus. You see an elderly person shaking in the 01:37:08.729 --> 01:37:12.609 bus and younger people are sitting down. Something's 01:37:12.609 --> 01:37:17.699 wrong with us. No, we have learned. This is not 01:37:17.699 --> 01:37:19.960 Bible. This is culture. Do you understand what 01:37:19.960 --> 01:37:23.140 I'm saying? Yes, your culture can tally with 01:37:23.140 --> 01:37:25.920 the honor in scriptures, but there are things 01:37:25.920 --> 01:37:28.880 we come into. It is part of where we are raised. 01:37:30.180 --> 01:37:32.859 You can't be passing and there's a road, a tiny 01:37:32.859 --> 01:37:35.439 road, and you and an elder is coming and then 01:37:35.439 --> 01:37:37.260 you are struggling who to give space. No, we 01:37:37.260 --> 01:37:40.560 are. How now? It's our culture that you shift 01:37:40.560 --> 01:37:43.640 first and you greet. Welcome, sir. And you prostrate. 01:37:44.970 --> 01:37:47.489 And we have that in Yorubas in the Sunday. We 01:37:47.489 --> 01:37:51.470 even lie down in the sun. This is a way of showing 01:37:51.470 --> 01:37:53.869 honor. It's a cultural thing. That's the same 01:37:53.869 --> 01:37:56.069 thing with them. So it wasn't supernatural. It's 01:37:56.069 --> 01:38:04.109 lying down supernatural. No. It's culture. So 01:38:04.109 --> 01:38:06.449 there's no way Jesus asked these apostles to 01:38:06.449 --> 01:38:12.250 use oil for ordination. No. Ordination is by 01:38:12.250 --> 01:38:15.210 laying of hands. Although we have churches that 01:38:15.210 --> 01:38:16.850 have adopted from the Old Testament, they use 01:38:16.850 --> 01:38:19.489 the Old Testament text. Like for example, Samuel, 01:38:19.510 --> 01:38:23.550 when he was going to consecrate David and all 01:38:23.550 --> 01:38:25.670 that, he carried a jar of oil and was moving. 01:38:26.109 --> 01:38:28.470 But now you are in the New Testament. Understand 01:38:28.470 --> 01:38:32.229 how systems work. See, if you are not careful, 01:38:32.350 --> 01:38:35.449 you will be practicing the Jewish culture, thinking 01:38:35.449 --> 01:38:39.369 that it is actually Bible. You must know how 01:38:39.369 --> 01:38:42.949 to sift between cultural things. I told you. 01:38:43.289 --> 01:38:47.689 That God accommodated men's limitations and cultures 01:38:47.689 --> 01:38:51.210 used their language to communicate his purpose. 01:38:52.090 --> 01:38:55.229 So you must be able to see which one is the culture. 01:38:55.970 --> 01:38:57.930 It's just like you can come, you can come by 01:38:57.930 --> 01:38:59.569 and that's why I said I thank God for Jesus. 01:39:00.729 --> 01:39:02.850 That's the same thing what we are seeing today 01:39:02.850 --> 01:39:04.970 with many other things. Like the issue that you 01:39:04.970 --> 01:39:07.689 cannot permit a woman to lead a church. Or you 01:39:07.689 --> 01:39:09.850 can't permit world where we have been leading. 01:39:10.149 --> 01:39:12.489 You understand? Did you see any name of a man 01:39:12.489 --> 01:39:14.119 or a man? They say they are called disciples. 01:39:14.899 --> 01:39:17.500 They are called believers. He said, these saints 01:39:17.500 --> 01:39:19.420 are followed in their belief. Did he say a man? 01:39:21.319 --> 01:39:25.760 No. So that's the same thing. But if you're going 01:39:25.760 --> 01:39:28.619 to follow the culture of the Jews, no, you can't 01:39:28.619 --> 01:39:31.779 bring a woman inside. In fact, some of you, if 01:39:31.779 --> 01:39:33.819 you are going to use it, some of you that are 01:39:33.819 --> 01:39:35.920 having menstrual period, we will send you away. 01:39:36.159 --> 01:39:39.579 For two weeks, you will not come and miss us. 01:39:41.579 --> 01:39:46.239 So, You have to see which one. So oil has no 01:39:46.239 --> 01:39:49.460 spiritual value. It's not a spiritual thing. 01:39:49.819 --> 01:39:54.060 Are we together? Oil has nothing. So as we go 01:39:54.060 --> 01:39:58.779 for a break, know that the way to ordain, to 01:39:58.779 --> 01:40:02.819 appoint, is by the laying of hands. Are we together? 01:40:03.140 --> 01:40:06.939 Is by the what? Laying of hands. Are we together? 01:40:07.220 --> 01:40:12.039 Yes. Can you use oil? Yes. But use it. with an 01:40:12.039 --> 01:40:14.100 understanding, like aprons. Do you understand 01:40:14.100 --> 01:40:16.840 what I'm saying? We have red aprons, touch their 01:40:16.840 --> 01:40:19.920 body, and when they heal the people. If you are 01:40:19.920 --> 01:40:21.920 doing it in that understanding, it's a different 01:40:21.920 --> 01:40:26.819 thing. Amen. Can you just pray and thank the 01:40:26.819 --> 01:40:33.000 Lord? We appreciate you being here today. We 01:40:33.000 --> 01:40:34.880 hope you carry this word with you throughout 01:40:34.880 --> 01:40:37.760 your week. Don't forget to check the show notes 01:40:37.760 --> 01:40:40.539 for additional insights. Stay connected with 01:40:40.539 --> 01:40:43.220 us through our website or follow us on social 01:40:43.220 --> 01:40:46.899 media. If you are encouraged, share this message 01:40:46.899 --> 01:40:49.920 with someone you care about. Until next time, 01:40:49.979 --> 01:40:50.899 stay blessed.