Transcript: A Covenant by Sacrifice

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This message is from believers equipped, a meeting organized by the Disciples Christian Network where the word of God is taught with practicality and believers are raised to reign in life. Join apostle Emmanuel as he walks us through the word of God. Psalms chapter 50 and verse five. The bible says, so my teaching today, my deliberation today would be something that the holy spirit whispered in my heart some minutes before I came today. Gather my sins together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. So if you want to title what I'm gonna teach, you can call it a covenant by sacrifice. You'll be so blessed. Amen. A covenant by sacrifice. I want us to pray so I won't take too much of our time.

A covenant, a sacrifice. I will never be the same. I've touched your grace. My life must change. I will never be the same. I've changed. Gather my saints together unto me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. You see, we are all saints. We are all the children of God. But there is a very specific calling for those who have made a covenant with God by sacrifice.

This is the reason why we live on earth every single one of us, but our experiences are different even as we live on earth. God is not by us. There are principles that governs the operations of this kingdom. And if you understand what I'm saying, you will see how your life will shine from one level of glory to another. The experiences of the saint, the experiences of the righteous differ. In as much as we all live on this earth, in as much as the same price was paid by Jesus for our redemption, for our righteousness, for our forgiveness. The same price was paid, yet our experiences differ. The same price was paid, yet the level at which God deals and interact with men differ. The same price was paid, yet our rankings and our levels of authorities differ. We propagate and we preach it the believer's authority, but there are those who have proven by their work with God, revealed by the results that was exemplified in their lives.

That the experiences that they have in God and the results that they have are very much different from the realities that we see in the life of several believers. It makes you wonder, is God partial in his dealings with men? Why is it that for some men, the equation surrounding their life with respect to the result that they work in, even with respect to material and physical blessings, the way and manner by which some men are prosperous in God, When measured directly with the way some people are poor, you'll be amazed at the disparity. And you would wonder how can a man be so rich and yet a man be so poor and yet they are Christians, both of them. How can a man walk in such levels of authority, such levels of the anointing, such levels of power, such levels of glory, and yet another is struggling, another is praying, and it's as though God cannot hear his prayers. What therefore makes the difference? Because if men do not understand this, it is very much possible for your Christian experience to be one that ends in frustration. Because you would know that a lot of things Jesus has done for you. True. But that when it comes to matters as it pertains your desires and coming into the fullness of the experience of that desire, you would find that there is a disparity.

You can't seem to figure out why your claims are not your experience. So what I'm trying to tell you is that it is possible to have a desire, and the desire you have is based on the visions God has shown you, based on the encounters you have had, based on the visions you've seen about your future, based on even your purpose. And you've seen that according to God's dictate. When the holy spirit brings teachings like this, it is because he wants to edify, he wants to equip, he wants to correct, he wants to rebuke, he wants to strengthen myself, who I'm who I'm teaching. I'm not teaching this because I'm perfect. I'm not teaching this because I'm I've perfected the heart of even what I'm teaching. Are you with me brothers and sisters? Yes. But that is the ministry of an apostle. And so God speaks like this as a correction to his body, as a correction to even the vessel.

Are you with me? Yes, sir. Yes. Thank you, Lord Jesus. I will say that you would have seen so many visions that it concerns your purpose, that it concerns your ministry, that it concerns where where God is taking you to. And you know that there is nothing you would ever see that is... That that that pertains to your life that is from God that will be small. It is in God's nature. He will never show you anything that your mind has the ability to conceive on inception. The moment you see it, it will look unbelievable.

It will look difficult to conceive. It will look what is this? Am I the one who is going to do this? How do you come to a 15 year old or a 17 year old boy and you tell a 17 year old boy, this is the plan I have for you. You will stand before kings and I've put my words in your mouth. You're a prophet. At least if you tell me that I have a children ministry, I have believed that. A 17 year old can still conceive that. Isn't that the case? But how do you meet a teenager and say you will stand before kings?

You will stand before nations, And you will speak my words. I've put my words in your mouth. It looks unbelievable. It looks like something that is... You see, are you with me? Yes. But that is the character of God. I took a very interesting study into the lives of several of the saints of old in scriptures, especially to discover what their age was when God started using them, and I found so many interesting things. Do you realize that Esther was not up to 20 when she married the king? As a matter of fact, she was not even up to 19 when she married the king.

You'll be humbled at the rate, the age where God started using certain people in scriptures. It will humble you downrightly. You will realize you're wasting time. You're wasting time. This thing will... It will help you to throw away that false narrative that makes you believe a man must be on a a a excessively old in the things of God. You will be learning very very soon that it is possible to get born again in 1975 and yet be schooled by someone who gave his life to Christ three years ago. Be schooled in the things of the spirit. You will learn that very soon. Anyways, so I'm telling you that the visions you'll see are mercy.

The visions you'll see are big. A lot of people have seen that vision and have not become it. A lot of people have seen that their kingdom finances and that money, heavy currencies is meant to pass through their hands. A lot of people have a knowing, had a knowing in their heart that I'm supposed to do great things for the kingdom. I'm supposed to be moving wealth into the things of God. I'm supposed to be moving money to finance crusades, finance churches, finance kingdom projects, and yet they have crossed a particular threshold in their life and they've not seen the things that they've seen in their visions manifest even the traceiest form of it. And now it becomes a burden. It becomes a burden because you begin to wonder if not careful, can fall into a state of cognitive dissonance. And a lot of what has begun that same work where God has begun to show us mighty and terrible things that he wants to do within and through our lives. And if if these kinds of teachings are not brought in order, you realize that your life eventually will not become as you have seen.

Do you know that all it takes to become what God has shown you is not all that Christ has done. I think I just put myself in trouble. Let me say it again. All it takes... Or let me rephrase it. To come into the fullness of the vision and the purpose of God for your life, all it takes is not just what Christ has done. In other words, you won't become a billionaire solely because Christ died for you. You won't become an accomplished minister solely because your sins were forgiven. Does that have a major part to play? Of course, in fact, that is even the premise by which you can become anything in the first instance.

But to think that that is all there is to it and your responsibility in the equation is not involved, that is a deception from the pit of hell. And so many people think that the sacrifice of God... I I've heard a lot of teachings like that that makes you believe that there's no need to pay any price anymore because Christ has paid the price. It is true that Christ has paid the price, but it is important to know what price Christ paid. Imagine with me for a minute that your mother told you that go to this particular shop. I've paid for that item for you. Is that not so? Now when you get to that shop, do you expect to pay another money? What do you do upon getting there? You just receive because the price has been paid.

But do you go to the shop and ask for everything in the shop? You... It means you will need to find out what price was paid. So if the shop sells cars and the shop sells gears and the shop sells tires and the shop sells brake pads and everything. And what was paid for was wiper. Now you get there expecting to live there with a car. The question is what price was paid? You need to understand this because you see, you cannot add anything to the to the price that Christ has paid. You can't add anything to it. It is not your sacrifice that will bring you that will bring you salvation.

It's not your sacrifice that will bring you eternal life. It's not your sacrifice that will bring you righteousness. It is not your sacrifice that will bring you holiness. Are you with me? These are things that has been made available by Christ through his death, burial, and resurrection. There is no amount of price a man can pay that can make you right with God. No. There is no level, no amount of good living, an attempt to be righteous himself that can make you... That can make God at peace with you. A superior price needed to be paid for that.

Are you with me? Sacrifice isn't something anyone wants to do. Sacrifice in itself is not something... Even the definition is not something that is pleasant. Sacrifice means surrendering something that is precious to you to a deity. And do you know that the nature of this surrendering is not a transaction? It means you have no idea what you are getting back in place of what you have surrendered. That is what makes it sacrifice in the first instance. In other words, I don't expect anything in return, but I do... I let it go regardless.

It is all at the discretion of the deity to determine what he gives back to you. This is why it is called sacrifice. In this kingdom, one of the most potent ways of talking to a spirit is by sacrifice. When you place a sacrifice on the altar, God hears you louder than when you are shouting in prayers. Because your sacrifice is the voice of your heart, not just the voice of your mouth. Sacrifice is a language in the spirit, and God himself was the one who initiated this language. Do you realize that God was the one who initiated this language? In Genesis, when Adam sinned, the Bible says God killed an Hanima and clothed Adam with that Hanima. Have you read your bible? Adam thought that it was just about the covering.

Adam thought it was about clothes. Adam thought that it was just because the fig on his body would dry up, and then God wanted to preserve him longer because of the cold. But if you look at the spiritual implication of things, you realize it's not just about covering physically. It's a matter of covering spiritually. Because not anything can cover a man. Are you with me? Spiritually? The reason why God had to do that was because Adam had become a sinner. The Bible says the eyes of the Lord cannot behold iniquity. So God had to kill an innocent animal and put the animal on Adam so that when God looks at Adam, he's looking at Adam through the innocence of the animal.

So that sacrifice was so That sacrifice you see was a language of atonement in the realm of God. That was what God was doing. He was dealing with Adam on the account of the innocence of the animal that was that was killed because man had become a sinner. Do you understand what I'm sharing with you? That is how a spirit talks. That is how spirits hear. In the realm of the spirit, sacrifice is a language. In Genesis four, Cain and Abel learned this principle from how God dealt with their father. They brought a sacrifice to God. Nobody taught them.

What we teach people today and they find it difficult to practice, nobody taught the patriarchs what sacrifice is. Yet the Bible says by faith, Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice. Who taught him? They saw a pattern that God exemplified in dealing with their father, how that man had become a sinner. Are you with me? And God had to look through the lens of the innocent animal. Do realize that the same thing that God ordained in the garden was the same way that atonement was done all through the Old Testament? It was God himself that initiated this process. The Bible says by faith, Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice. And because of that sacrifice, even when he was dead, his blood was still speaking in the realm of God.

Sacrifice made Abel become immortal. That is why some men die, and we are still talking about them because of their sacrifice. Sacrifices immortalize people. No selfish man is ever remembered. But when a man sacrifices even from his burial, people start talking about them. If only Abraham was still alive, if only Deborah was still alive, if only Elizabeth was still alive. There are men in scripture who it was the... It was their sacrifice that made them escape death. Are you with me? And so the bible says, gather unto me my sins.

Not every single one of them. Everybody is a saint. Everybody who is a Christian. Everybody who is a believer. But the ones who I'm specifically requesting for are those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And by reason of the covenant they have made with me, I have begun a walk with them. Listen to me. If you will walk with God to the fullness of what God has proposed for you and ordained for you, it will be by sacrifice. Stay with me. You'll understand what I'm saying.

Sacrifice conveys... I wanna give you some things that sacrifice does in dealing with God. And why is it that God said, gather unto me my saints, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice? Do you realize that this scripture shows us that God is always available for men to strike a covenant with him, to begin a walk with him? However, man will have to respond as a matter of choice, as a matter of will to respond in with... To God in this manner. That is why the Bible does not say gather unto me my sins, those who I have made a covenant with by sacrifice. That will be partiality. It would mean God intentionally alienated some people. But he said that we see when it comes to this business, I am all available.

Any man who now chooses to enter into a covenant with me, let them come. I'm not ordering these dimensions from anybody. I am always available to any man who wants to journey into... Journey into me and journey with me beyond the confines of where every human being stops. But if any man has taken that decision, let them come. Listen to me. There are realms you will never attain in God outside of sacrifice. There are heights you will never attain in God after... Outside of sacrifice. As a matter of fact, if the agenda of God for your life is crucial, if the purpose that God has for your life and the man that God has for your life is iconic in a sense, you will only enter into the reality of that same thing by sacrifice.

So peradventure, God has shown you that you'll be at the top of any mountain, a global accostor, an evangelist to the nations, and you have seen thousands of people gathered in your crusades. You have seen yourself owning multinational businesses. You have seen yourself listening to me. You have seen yourself as a business person. You have seen yourself as a career person rising to the peak of your career, either in banking or in law or in engineering or as a medical doctor in whatever capacity, becoming a billionaire, becoming so wealthy and so prosperous that the wealth of nation that subject to you, it will become that by sacrifice. Unless unless a man decides not to walk with God. And guess what? If you decide not to walk with God and sacrifice is still not a language you understand, you will still not become anything. Because even to walk with the devil requires sacrifice. I can tell you for free that God is better.

To walk with any spirit requires sacrifice. Any spirit. Sacrifice is the language of spirits. And so when a man wants to get the attention of a spirit, the man must begin to speak the language of that spirit. Are you with me? Only spirits speak that language. When men cross that border, men get the attention of spirits. This is what makes this thing a very strange thing. Men who have risen in the demonic kingdom, in the aquatic realm are men of sacrifice. Men who don't care to lose anything to give anything away.

Men who don't care to lose their soul, lose their loved ones, lose their children, lose their daughters, all for what they are seeking for. This is the reality of things and matters in the occultic realm. It is painful to walk that way. There is no joy in it. There's no fulfillment in it. Only pain, sorrow, and regret. Why many choose that way? I will never understand. At the end of that way, you then find yourself in hell. I've seen people who the devil comes to and tells them you want to be great.

There are men of God who have taken the path of sacrifice. And they sacrifice their integrity to the devil. Sacrifice their souls even to the devil. Just put a charm under the church and watch the magic happen. Many of you think these things only happen in movies. One of my brilliant daughters came to come and meet me and told me that the father is a pastor. The mother went to an occultic man because a mother has an ancestry in the occultic. And so when the pastoral ministry of the man was not gaining footing, according to the promise that the man made the woman before he married, he said, well, since you have now gotten to this point, let's try my own. But we don't have to deviate completely. We just had it.

It is supporting flavor. They went and then they uprooted the church and erected a charm underneath the church expecting that that will bring about massive growth and increase. But you saw how the devil works? There was no growth. There was no increase, but the church membership reduced to nothing. The finances of the family reduced to nothing. The family is in poverty. And yet there is charm underneath the church. What was the purpose of the sacrifice? The devil is unfair in what he gives.

The devil is never his neighbor. He's wicked Monday to Sunday. He never had a time where he's joyful. The devil does not have a break time. The devil does not have a happy moment. The devil does not work comedy. He doesn't joke. He's ever serious with his mandate to kill, to steal, and to destroy. If the devil gives, it is because he wants to do three of these things. In other words, he gives to steal, to kill, and to destroy.

If he gives money, it is to steal. And he will steal, he will... The devil has no mercy. He has no pity. He has nothing. People who have traveled deep in your cult can testify to this. And what made many people go there is that they were looking for the path of least resistance. And they thought that joining with God is a burden to bear. And they thought that the devil was offering them things for free. In the realm of the spirit, there is nothing that is free.

It is either you pay the price or someone else does, but it is never free. There is no such thing as free in the realm of the spirit. That is the reason why this is illegality. It is why salvation could not be free. God could not just say everybody be saved. Are you with me brothers and sisters? Yes, sir. Anything you will become in God, you will become on account of the degree and the level and the depth of your sacrifice. And I will show you the reason for this. Because if I just said this, you will not understand why this makes sense.

You will not understand why God does it. If you have understanding, it won't become a difficult thing for you. Every great man you know in God became great by sacrifice. Every... A great businessman, a great career person, a great investor, a great anyone became great by sacrifice. The first thing that sacrifice does and the first reason why God will mandate that men make a covenant with him by sacrifice is because sacrifice is what conveys the posture of a man's heart. And if you have journeyed into God or you have an understanding of the ways of God, you will know that how God deals with men is by the posture of their heart, not necessarily by their words or by their actions. One of the ways you present yourself before God is to present your heart. Your heart is where... Is the is the laboratory, where the dealings of God take place, the leadings of God.

Everything that God will do, he will do in your heart. Understanding takes place in your heart. Believing the gospel takes place in your heart. Disbelief takes place in your heart. Doubt takes place in your heart. The heart is a very important laboratory, and God demands that he's the only one that have access to your heart. The value and the worth of a man is the state of his heart, not what he says, not what he does. In the realm of the spirit, actions don't speak louder than words. Your heart speaks louder than both your action and your words. So it is possible for a man to pray for seven years and not not...

And yet not become anything in God. Because the state of the man's heart directly opposes what he's asking for. Are you with me? Yes. I am telling you that if your heart is not right, God does not begin a walk with you. The premise of elevation, the premise of... The premise for which any man becomes anything in and with God is his heart. What God demand that a man submit first before he submits any other thing is his heart. Proverbs 23 and verse 26. The Bible says, my son, this is God speaking through the mouth of the wise man.

Can we read it to get everybody the first line? One, two, three, go. Son, give me your heart. First, what does God say? Give me your heart. Do realize that there are not many things God asks for in scriptures? There are not many things God says give me. There are many things God says give the prophet. Give the priest. Give to the temple.

Give to the poor. Give to the needy. Are you with me? But there are not many things God says give me. God does not need your money. God does not directly accept your money. Nobody throws money to heaven and say, God, take it. No. But when it comes to the issue of the heart, it doesn't say give your pastor. It doesn't say give your spiritual father.

It says, my son, give me your heart. If I will begin a walk with you, it will be on the premise that you have given me your heart. The question therefore becomes how much of your heart does God have? Do you know that the heart the heart is where the real man is? What do I mean by that? A man can be planted amongst your numbers. And yet by his actions, he walks with you. He eats with you. He laughs with you. He jokes with you.

Yet he was sent there by an enemy to understand your ways, to study your culture so that a fifth column can be created. In the day the enemy wants to strike, it becomes the agent that opens the door to the enemy. Because you see, you can be so fortified from the outside. Are you with me? Yes, sir. That the enemy cannot penetrate because your doors are shut. So he sends someone. And the person by reason of action can look, can get your emotions. By reason of actions, I mean, in the morning you wake up, you are coming for ministration. He calls you, sir, did you get there safely?

Is there anything you need from me? Sir, can I come and clean your house for you? And then he comes around. Whilst he comes around, he carries your bag where you are going, and he's... He postures himself like a faithful servant. Are you with me? What he's doing is he's learning the ways, and he knows that he will send you an assignment. He knows a day will come when I will betray this man. He knows everything I'm doing, I'm doing, but my heart is not there. In other words, the real value of a man is not his actions, it's his heart.

It means only fools are moved by the actions of men. Did you hear what I just said? Are you seeing the intelligence of God? God says, won't deal with you because you come to church on Sundays. Give me your heart. So whilst you are crying, God is not moved by your many tears. Give me your heart. Your tears mean nothing if I don't have your heart. Your words mean nothing if I don't have your heart. Your prayers even mean nothing if I don't have your heart.

My son, give me your heart. How many people serve God as workers in church whose heart are not in what they are doing? The guy the guy is coming to church, you can already seem frustrated and angry, angry at the pastor, angry at the HOD. They say, oh, there's a meeting. He starts he starts complaining even in his heart. He has insulted everybody in his mind before he come for the meeting. The moment he arrives there, good evening, ma. How are you doing, ma? And everybody smiles back at him. And God says, no.

No. No. No. Men might look at the face. I look at the heart. I can't begin a walk with you because you have not given me your heart. I don't hold you. That's the meaning. Men might be deceived by words. Men might be deceived by the that men...

That other men feigned themselves to be, but never God. Never God. Remember, even the prophet was deceived. The prophet, the most... The Bible is not a jolt of his word fell to the ground. He was the most accurate prophet Israel has ever seen. The Bible called him Samuel. The moment Samuel saw the first son of Jesse, he looked at him and said, surely... He didn't say, I think. He didn't say my opinion or I feel.

The man said surely. That is how convincing a man's appearance can become, make other men believe. This was a prophet, not a mere man. He said, surely, the Lord's anointed is before him. On what ground is he the Lord's anointed? Do you know what it means to be anointed by God? Samuel, what did you see? Signs, wonders, miracles, healings. It means a man can so can so posture himself bodily that you believe he's anointed without seeing a single result. Oh my God.

It's not happening now. Go and check what he saw. He saw his appearance, glistering face, the cloth he was wearing, his height. He he he looked like royalty. Only... For somebody to look like this, God must have blessed him. Is that not how we judge churches today? Where is the ACs? The ACs, nothing wrong with that. You with me?

Yes, sir. So don't don't in any realm think, oh, he's speaking. I'm not. So my dear me said, he spent 300,000,000 naira on fitting the church with AC so that, you know, dents, so that wherever it is you are in the church, you are cold. Wherever, either in the middle, the center, the back, the front, massively big church. So the aces are not just standing somewhere. They are coming from above and from beneath. And he walked that complex system. He told his members, he said, because I believe you are kings. I believe you are royalties.

So when you step into the house of God, you must have a feel of royalty. I believe that so much, and we will do the same thing. Are you with me? But I'm telling you that it is possible to think that just because that is there, God is there. That was what Samuel did. That is not the first sign of God being there. Do you know that the person who God was with did not have the time for... Do you do you even know how Samuel came to see this guy like this with all his beautiful appearance looking so posh. Do you know why? Because the moment Samuel told Jesse was coming, Jesse told all his children to go and bath, To go and sanctify themselves, spray perfume, look good, look well, look alright.

In other words, that is not even how they were. They were like that that day because the prophet was coming. And guess what? The strategy would have almost worked if this man was not a genuine prophet. He would have all... The bible says he just said told all his children to go and sanctify themselves. I call it emergency sanctification. Guess what? The person that God was with came from the dung hill, from the wilderness, taking care of sheep. Imagine how he was smelling.

He had no time to bath, no time to do anything. The moment he appeared, God said, that's him. That's the king. What? How can that become the king? Yes. He said, found a man not after my body, after my own heart. In other words, the first thing I consider was not his appearance, it was his heart. If his heart is right, forget his appearance. It was so much up with the still of his heart.

It's only a matter of time. The first thing I would look at is his heart. Is his heart with me? Does he belong to me sincerely? Or does he want this position for what he can do for himself? There are many people who are praying for wealth. And when God did an analysis of their heart, God saw that the reason why they are praying for wealth is because they want to have a revenge on poverty. So the mouth is saying, God, I will take young boys off the street. The mouth is saying, God, I will deal with prostitute. I will I will I will have an NGO that does this and that, and the mouth is saying sweet things.

And when he come before the pastor, he convinces the pastor even by what the mouth is saying. He says, pastor, I have a vision. My vision is to kingdom man. And God looks at his heart and says, no. No. No. That's still a child. It's not people like you we are... We give wealth to. And guess what?

Let me go ahead with myself. So I'm telling you that how God does business with men is through the posture primarily of their heart. So in Psalms 26 and verse two, you will realize that David's most important prayers had to do with the state of his heart. Examine me, oh Lord, and prove my heart. Prove me, he says. Try my heart, he says. Examine me, oh, Try me. Prove me. Prove Prove me. Me.

Prove me. Prove me. Psalm 51 verse 10. It was the same David who was praying. He says, create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence. Do not take your spirit away from me. Do not cast me away from your presence. Do not cast me away from your presence. Many people have read this scripture and they said this was the prayer of the old testament.

It's not true. They say that we are eternally in the presence of God because the holy spirit now lives in us. And yet the way and manner by which Benein commands the presence is not the way you command it. And the holy spirit is in both of you. Shouldn't we sit down and talk? Have you considered that in as much as we have more than what the old testament guys did, it looks as though in results they are... They did more than us or did. Are this not question? Should we just talk emotionally and say, Moses is looking for what I have. Deborah is looking for what I have.

It's true, but they did more than what you are doing. It's true. And if it is only by reason of that, it means we should never be too proud to learn from them. Because there's what we... But there's what they know that we obviously do not. And what this man knew was that to journey into heights in God, God considers the state of a man's heart above and beyond the man's action, above and beyond all the paraphernalia of ministry, above and beyond all the shenanigans, above and beyond everything you might think. God is more concerned about the state of a man's path. It was David who said, where can I run from your presence? If I go to hell, you are there. If I go to the deepest part of the oceans, you are there.

Search me, oh, Lord. Know my inward parts. This was in Psalms one three nine verse 23. He says, search me. Know my heart. Try me. Know my anxieties. The word there is my tendencies. Know the things I'm capable of doing that I'm not yet doing because I don't yet have it in me or I don't yet have the physical circumstances or results to do it. Are you with me?

If God blesses you with wealth, what will you do? Do you know what it means to have 10,000,000? Do know what it means to have a 100,000,000? Do know what it means to sit on 20,000,000,000? Do you know what it means to have a million dollars? Do you know what it means to control and regulate wealth? Do you know what it means to be able to do anything you want? Do you know do you know what it means to to just crawl... Do you know how many times you have called on Instagram and you have seen something you could not afford? And you just breezed by.

Imagine you could afford everything and still have excess. Would you remember that God has a will? Would you remember the prayers you are praying now because there's no money? And you see because we have been taught and we think prayer is principle. That's what they say. Prayer God does not answer your prayer if it is not according to his will. So, okay, now that I've seen that, okay, okay, I know now know. God bless me so that I will give you money. After all, say it must be according to your... Is that not your will?

God is not a fool. So even before your words, he checked the heart of a man. He raped your service with respect to the state of your heart. The measure and the true value of every man is his heart. That is why the bible says guard your heart with all diligence. Allow nothing. Permit that heart for out of it proceeded forth the issues of your life. Philippians chapter four and verse seven says, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts. How does a man prevent his heart to God? You can't remove your heart and just give it to God now when God says give me your heart.

So one of the ways that God studies your heart and the posture of your heart is by the sacrifices that you make. The book that is read to understand the heart of a man is the quality of sacrifices that he makes. If your heart is wrong, God cannot deal with you. If your heart is right, God will accept you. Your heart is the most important asset you have before God. And what God looks at to begin a walk with men. And so when God wants to prove the heart of a man, when God wants to try the heart of a man, what God does is that he he he opens up man to a realm of sacrifice. Sacrifices reveal yourself to you. Sacrifices is the report card that spirits use to know the value of your heart. Are you with me?

And when God wants to test where your heart is, what he does is that he demands for his sacrifice. And this is not something he will do once. Oh, no. You will live a lifestyle of sacrifice. This is how a man becomes great in God. Look at look at me. Matthew chapter six, popular scripture from verse 19 to verse 21. The Bible says, do not lay up treasures on earth. Have you seen that? Where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal.

Are you seeing this? Yes, sir. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth. No. Next verse, the bible says, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves do not break in and steal. Calm down a moment. What are the treasures a man lays up in heaven? Money? Because the Bible is talking about treasures that can be laid up in heaven as against laying up treasures in earth where physical components have even the economy can influence it. Thieves can influence it.

Moths can influence it. He says lay up trails for yourself in heaven. Stay with me. Look at the next verse. This is where I'm going. The Bible says for where your treasure is, dear, your heart will be also. Where your treasure is, dear, your heart will be also. What is treasure? Any thing that has value to you. Are you with me?

In other words, where your treasures are? In other words, it can be money. Where your money is, there your heart will be. Where your family is, where your dignity is, where your reputation is, there your heart will be. Are you with me? Where your treasure is, it means when God wants to know the value of your heart, you know what he does? He asks for your treasures. Because if he can have your treasure, he can have your heart. My son, give me your heart. So how does he have your heart?

Did you get this? Where your treasure is, dear your heart will be. So if God says give me your heart, how does he collect it? This is why a man will intentionally live a life given to sacrifice. He says, gather unto me my saints, those who have made a covenant with me. Though it means they have willingly laid off their treasures. I will lay off my treasures. And thrones I have laid right in all that I've in my heart. So, Lord, I will bow to you to no more than God. Are you with me?

Are you seeing the context of this? Is it your treasure? Your heart. In other words, if I'm requesting for your heart, how I will get it is I will request for your treasures. It has so much value to you, I will ask for it. You have saved up 100,000 naira and you say, I want to get a new phone. I've been saving up for this, I will ask for it. Not because I need your money. What I want is your heart. But I found out that where your treasure is, there your heart will be.

So if your treasures are with me, they are safe because your heart is with me. That's why he says not lay up your treasures on earth. Lay up your treasures in heaven where moths, where thieves have no access to it. The reason is because your heart is with me. It's not money. It's not properties. It's because these things tend to have the attention of our heart. This thing tend to have a latch on your soul. And so when God wants to read your soul of these things and ensure your heart is for him, he will ensure you will read yourself of these things. And though there are times God will lead you in a journey of sacrifice and will last for five years.

And we'll keep on emptying you, emptying you, emptying you, emptying you. And you will read several books on financial management, but that's not the dealing God is taking you through. And so even as you are trying to be disciplined, it's not in times of squandering money. It's in terms of God requesting for it. And you will hear a still small voice say give it empty. Alright. That's good. That's good. The deceit was to think that you were saving for a new property, and now it has reached 500,000. God said, I allowed you to believe it was for your property because I know that your heart is with respect to that threshold.

If I had self safe to give me, you not have given me, But it's good you save for a proper, now give me. I heard a man of God say he was preparing for marriage, and he had... This was years ago, over thirteen years ago or so. And he had saved 900,000. That was a lot of money then. 900,000 naira. The ministry was being constructed, and God told him to go and marry. So he was happy. He saved up his money, And whilst they were preparing for the marriage, he was praying and God told him, that roofing project you have you have in the church, the money your account is for the roof. He said, no.

The money is for my account is for my marriage. God said, no. The money in your account is for the roof. I made you believe it was for your marriage. It's good because where your treasure is, there your heart will be. The reason why you have tried giving 100,000 naira and your... It has never reached it is because your heart is not with God. You attempt to save for a laptop. You see, the discipline you never believed you had, the moment you find a compelling reason, nothing will touch that money. Some of you will store it up.

Some of you become hungry. Some will starve. And God says, look at that. Where your treasure is, then your heart also will be. You can't have this much commitment to a laptop. Give it to me. You see, when God takes you through that journey, nobody understands. Everybody thinks it's about the thing. It is not. That is what I'm trying to show you.

Are you with me? There is something greater that God is trying to do, and I will get there very soon. Look at this. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures with a moth. Next verse 21, please. That's where I am. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Do you understand the context? Do you get the context? Do you get the context?

Yes, sir. Now look at the next verse. Interesting scripture. The Bible says the lamp of the body is the high. If therefore your high is good, your whole body will be full of light. Next verse. But if your high is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness? I've show... I've explained this before to you.

Is that not so? I'm not really camping here. Are you still seeing the context? In other words, it is possible for the heart of a man to be deceived. For a man to have darkness but believe he has light. I've shown you this before. Right? So this is not really where I'm going. Next verse, look at the context. No one can serve two masters.

Are you seeing the context? No one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. He then says, you cannot serve God and mammon. This is the context. It means the reason why God will request for your treasure is because you can't serve God and mammon. So it means if God wants to give you treasure, he will first collect treasure from you. You know why? Because your heart cannot be latched onto what God gives. What God gives cannot become the real thing why you you are derailed. Some people have entered money.

That was when they started carrying girls. Now you can afford it. A man of God went to a church, and a man was in that church who was impotent, had been impotent all his life. The man went down by miraculous power, healed the man who was impotent, and he became normal, functioning well. In three months, he had impregnated three women. Said, the impotence, how they function? Do you know that that is not a joke? It's a real story. It's a real event that happened. This will now make you understand why God does not...

He's not quick to answer the people's prayer. This is why the bible says everything is beautiful in its own time. In other words, God will bring about the answer in its own time. The reason is because he has vetted your heart, and he has seen that your heart is not prepared to handle the level of greatness you are requesting for. Which is why I said, if you will become that great picture you have seen, you will become so by sacrifice. The reason is because your heart must be entirely committed to God, and how that will be so is by sacrifice. So God will ensure that you have no you have no crave, no desire in you for dignity. Who wants the fame? God or you? No doubt if God give you the fame, God can receive the glory, but it doesn't mean he will because your choice is involved.

You can get the fame, and then the moment you get it, you will not hire PR personnels. You will hire professionals. They will tell you, you see, if if you use the name of Jesus, if you are paralegious on your platform, you will lose your audience. If you use this, you say this. So to become more acceptable and more appealing, you must avoid things like this. If you go for interview, don't say this. Don't say that. We know you are a Christian. We're not saying you should not be a Christian, but we are talking... Is why did God now give you influence?

Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir. These are the things that happen. We know you're a Christian, but you see, the moment you step into power like that, you cannot just be going to talk anyhow because people will... You don't want to just give cheap branding. Why did you become a Christian? Anna was asking for a child for many years. The moment she said, if you give me this child, this child will be yours. Do you know the reason why she was asking for a child all that years? Because that other woman was mocking her.

She wanted a child to prove a point that my God also hears me. I also go to church. I'm serving God. Can God not show them? Can God not punish my enemy? People who have been spiting me, can God not bless me so that they will see? And God will say, don't bless people who are they will see. I bless people to advance my kingdom. And until your purpose, until your motivations align with my heart, there is no reason why I should give you what you're asking for. And the woman prayed for many years.

In the day she whispered within herself, if you give me this child, I've realigned my heart to now do your will. I know the reason why you want to give me a child is not so I can show people. It is because you want that child for yourself. You have consecrated my womb to be a tunnel that... Be a tunnel through whom you will receive a prophet, and I've realized this. And so I give you my womb. I give you my womb. And God says, yes. In that day, the eyes of the prophet opened to see her. Is that the same tabernacle she has been coming toward this well?

That's why it does not say, my son, give the prophet your heart. It's give me your heart. The moment God had a heart, the prophet's eyes had to open. Do you know that she only... Do know she didn't have one child? She had several children. It means her womb was not closed. God was only looking for the alignment of her will. Do you know the reason why I want to bless your womb? Do you know the reason why I want to give you money?

It's not for yourself. No. You can't be selfish. And so God will prune your heart. God will prune your heart. God will take you through a pulling process to to to to to So you have seen that you'll be a great man of God and above to the nations. I tell you, you will sacrifice a lot. You will die. Sacrifices, listen to me, are of different sorts. Obedience is a sacrifice.

Prayer is a sacrifice. Giving is a sacrifice. Death to self is a sacrifice. Can you die? Do... Have you ever considered what it means for the for the world to know you? Many people don't know how ordinary you enter class and somebody says, can you just give your round of applause for this person? You are happy. You gave a speech and everybody stood up. I was saying, wow.

Wow. Wow. You were done. We're saying nice speech. You did well. You were you were smiling not like a fool. You could not recover. We saw you in the evening. You were still smiling. You went to sleep.

You were remembering. As I was speaking, I saw that girl's face. She was just looking at me like this. How many people? 50 people. One fifty people. What if it was the world? What if it was 10,000? What will it do to you? Do you understand what I'm saying?

You came and somebody said we're so blessed by your motivation. You pour down fire. You were waiting for it. The moment you were done, you say, oh, come and meet me now. Nobody came you aside. Does that mean nobody was blessed? Does that mean I didn't bless anybody? I mean, not even a text message, not even a single word, not even somebody to say, ah, God, ah, and you want to pray your thinking. Maybe it's because I tabon. Maybe it's because you are...

You start analyzing yourself because nobody came to see. What if it was 10,000? What if what if it was a 100,000? What if it was the whole world? Do you know what it means to have 10,000,000 people listening to you? A 100,000 capacity who are calling you daddy, and it won't get into your head. Do you really think that the men of God you see on social media doing strange things, do you think they are bad? Somebody says I can no longer walk on the ground. Everybody off clothed for me. Put on the ground.

Carry me. My legs must not touch the floor. Do you know someone... It is possible that some of these people are very genuine. You have no idea what your tendencies are. You can do worse. You have not even entered into any position. You became h o d h o d. The workers, you are doing h o d over. We're already sweeping before you came.

You now entered. Nobody looked at you and said, good afternoon, You were you were offended. I said, didn't go down the HOD. I'm a I'm a HOD. HOD. And I come and meet you. Sir, so what should we do? Anything you want to do. It will do about many people. It will do over six people.

What if you now become the choirmaster of a 5,000 mass choir? Pastor Chris, why can't you even gather 10,000 mass choir recently? What if you are the director? Oh, no. Everybody must frustrate the moment you come. You will teach honor and you tell people, listen. If you honor me, there's a way you will behave. How can I be speaking? You are looking at me. Your head must bow.

Wait. Do you think those put... Listen. Don't don't don't think this is a joke. Those who have money and talk anyhow with their parents, do you think they planned it? Become arrogant. And your mother now calls you and because you now have money, say, mommy, please. Who do think you're talking to? It looks funny. You know why?

You don't have money. So you know... You have no idea the corruption money can have to the soul. To to just speak about man cannot serve two masters. God began from do not lay up your treasures. That was that was the conclusion. Look at the building just to arrive at that. What if you get the influence? What if you get the influence? What if as a model brands are now seeing you?

You are now on billboards everywhere modeling for creams and for all these brands. Can you still be a student successfully? What if international doors open and you get your first $10,000 contract? Will you come to church the following day and sit down without looking for recognition? Or will you sit down and say, if only they knew how much is in my account? If only they knew. That is the reason why anything you have seen in God... You see how I began now? Yes, sir. Visions with respect to purpose, God is only committed to taking you there on account of how much of your heart he has.

Listen to me. The strength of your work with God will only be with respect to how much of your heart he owns. My son, give me your heart. My son, give me your heart. I prayed for a young man who came to come and see me. You know he would always come for my meetings in Aberdeenah. Loved me. At least I thought he did. And I... One one prophetic service, I called him out, give me a word of knowledge.

He was so humble. He came back after the meeting. He would always come back for every meeting. He would always come like that. And one particular meeting, I asked him, what do you do? He told me what he did. Told me he was a student. And I just thought that he's not where he should be. I looked at him. I said, should I pray for you?

Are you sure you are ready? Yes, sir. Your son is loyal. He said, be careful of people that talk like that. It's true. Your boy is loyal, sir. Then I didn't know much, so I believed him. Prayed for him, gave him some instructions. He made his first contract in eight digits as a student as a student. Eight digits.

That was the last time he came to church. You know what will happen at that point? What will happen is that you start thinking yourself as superior to every other person that is there. That's what I will... Even the man of God. You look at what you have materially and you say, even this man does not have this. Even this person does not have this. You never believe that this thought can ever invade your space. There's a level of temptation that you have no business with until you cross some levels. He cannot move you.

Devil has no business even bringing it to your path. Ah, no. No. No. When you hear the amount of money it will require to even free the temptation, it will it will cast itself out. You know how many people have been disciplined by their parents, and the devil at last told them, just run away from home. The moment they lie, there's no money. There's no... You don't want a book for... It's just face.

You consider the hunger, the pain, where will you sleep, where will you... You'll your... How am It means a time will come that that thing can be allowed into your space because you now have the resources to bring it to pass. You now have the resources to bring it into fruition. The reason why it breezed by is because the resources was not there. Do you know how many people don't even have the boldness because of their upbringing to speak to a woman? Do without stuttering. So the guy never believed that Mia can be someone who will, even a lady. So you think you are okay, but the moment you succeed, the moment you prosper, and just... It it might even be your academics.

You just you just receive an award of excellence. Or God just blesses in your business. And a lady just sees that, ah, be like, say this guy get money. The issue was you were brought up in a way that doesn't make you very confident to speak to them, so they will come and they will come to you. When they come to you, they will speak to you. You say, what's up now? How are you doing? You're doing well for yourself. He's gone. The guy will never believe that you had that in him.

He's the heart. The heart. The heart. The heart. If everything that you treasure goes in the direction of self, Hear me. God will already judge you selfish. It doesn't matter what you say with your mouth. God doesn't walk with your tears. He walks with your heart. Matthew 15 and verse eight, the Bible says it.

The Bible says it. The... These people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. This was God speaking. They draw to me. They draw near only with their mouth. Are you saying God is not a man that you should... God cannot be mocked rather. See that now. God cannot be mocked.

He knows when men are being deceptive, and so he would try your own heart by telling you to offer a sacrifice. The moment the offering comes, your heart is now revealed to you. You now really know you don't love God. We love your name. Jesus, you're beautiful. Love your name. Hear the song you're singing. Lord, we your name. You are a beautiful one. We love your name.

And as we sing right now, it becomes a melodious thing that we do. Is that not so? So... And then the presence of God, the presence of God so influences and overshadows us. And we all sing and we bask in the melody of what we are singing. But guess what? Guess what? You will now go to your secret place where there's no backup, no soprano, no keyboard. And so what you say is, I will love your name. Jesus, You're a beautiful one.

I will love your name. And it says now you mean what you were saying. I will love your name. Jesus, you're a beautiful one. You are in love. I love your name. And then it just keeps quiet while you're just enjoying yourself. Worship, he comes and he says, if you love me, if you love me. Do you know that there are times when God will ask, do you love me? And when he says yes, a follow-up question is if you love me.

In other words, spirit is gonna believe you love. You see, it's because we interact with men, we've been deceived to think that men understand love and understand commitment or consecration the way that spirits do. So I can look at the woman and say, I love you, and the woman is head over heels. Like, you think that's the way the spirit works. Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no. The language spirit understand is sacrifice. And the first reason... I'm still on the first reason, my goodness.

Why God would demand a sacrifice from you is to try your heart, is to reveal to you the posture of your heart and to ensure that your heart beats after nothing than him. And so everything that your heart had a tendency to beat for, he would demand from it of it. There are some of you, the moment you enter a relationship, God ceases to have a meaning. Your brain is lost. Your mind is lost. The guy becomes all you are thinking about. For that kind of a person, it's not about what age should I enter a relationship. It's about when do I have clearance because God will take that away from you. God will... A God will take it away from you.

And so every attempt you now use to deviate and to walk into that path that God has not sanctioned, it will end in calamity. Your heart will come out in pieces. They will treat you like trash for every time you end up worse because God has not given you clearance. Give me this part of your life. Give me. There is... You have you have erected an idol. You know what you do when you say, God, I've given it away. I've given it away. When that happens, that is really, really how you say that you have given God the glory.

Listen. There are some of us that God cannot entrust nations to us because our heart is too small to accommodate nations. The people God can give nations to are those whose hearts have been enlarged through sacrifice. Because when God gives them power over nations, he knows that families will benefit. Government will benefit. It's not thinking about myself, me, myself, and I. It's all about the agenda of God. Name of glory. Listen. You open your heart to God, you embrace the demands of sacrifice.

Do you know that what God intended for Abraham was to make him the father of many nations? But you realize that all through Abraham's journey, he was only concerned about himself. Every negotiation he had with God was, God, when will you give me a son? When God... When he looked as though God was delaying giving him a son, the next thing he did was to agree to the recommendation of Sarah to sleep with the maid Haggai and conceive Ishmael, which was as against the mind of Christ. God saw that this guy is not ready to receive the fullness of the prophecy, which was to give him, to make him father of many nations because he's too concerned about himself. He only wants what what will fulfill and make himself happy. And as long as that is what Abraham is testing after, there's a limit what we can do. So God gave him a son. And then after giving him the son, God ensured that his treasure was invested on the son.

God answered Abraham, give me your son, your only son whom you love. Because the the the... What I'm making with you is bigger than that son. And as long as your treasure is invested on that son, you will not be open to receive the break... The bigger picture I'm opening for you. As long as your treasure is invested on that son, you will not be able to receive the bigger picture I'm opening for you. Give me your son, your only son whom thou lovest. Listen. The moment Abraham had this, God had helped him to an extent. Finally, understood what God was trying to tell him.

The Bible says he woke up early hours before dawn. Did not inform Sarah, told nobody about it. He picked the lad, picked two servants, and off they went. It means there are times that God would demand a sacrifice from you. You tell no one because everybody will tell you will stop you. They're not foolish. Because they love you, they will stop you. Do you hear what I just said? Imagine you have you have... You've saved up 1,000,000 and God tells you go and give it.

You're not going to tell... Sorry. God just said I should give this thing up. Are you foolish? It means it is foolishness to tell people when God gives you certain instructions, especially at the contents... At the confirmed sacrifice to protect yourself and to protect them. We lift your name up, Lord. We lift your name up. We lift your name up. So what do you do?

A great war before dawn while while no man has woken up. This is the instruction God has given. This is what I this is what I sense in my heart that God has given. Take your son. Listen. Let me just balance this. Because I said this now, does not in any way mean that God will tell you, take your spoofies and sacrifice it. And then you now say, apostle have said we should not tell anybody. So I won't tell my parents, but I will sacrifice it. The school fees is not yours.

Listen. Take your son, your only son. Do you know that God told him take your son, your only son. Despite they had two. That was why God was specific on your only son. In other words, the other one did not mean much. It did not matter much. And guess what? Guess what? God didn't say my only son.

God said your only son. In other words, I have measured the level of value you have placed on these two, and I can tell this one is who you consider your son. In other words, your treasure is in this, and I thought your heart's there. So I have two accounts. God say empty. Say which one? People that ask such questions know. They know. Because you know it is where your treasure is. That's where your heart is.

If it is a sacrifice, it will cost. It's what makes it a sacrifice. Are you with me? Yes, sir. Yes. And when God wants to entrust nations into your hands, this is what he does. You know that for every time a man sacrifice, he grows bigger in his heart than what he has sacrificed. This is how art enlargement happens. Your heart can never be enlarged below what you have given or beyond what you have given. In other words, your heart will always grow as you sacrifice.

Grow as you give, grow as you let go. In verse 11 of Genesis 22, the bible is about the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham, who said, here I am. And he said, do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him. It means it was never about the lad. It was about your heart. I'm trying to know if I can commit anything into your hands. And God now says, for now, I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son from me. Pause a moment and think. Do you know the name God is called? God is called the omniscient God.

This means the all knowing God. And yet the all knowing God says, now I know. It means there are many things God decides not to know until you prove it. Now I know. God, this man left his father's house. I don't know. I don't know. And when he gave himself, God says, now I know. Now I know. Listen, if you see God give things to men, it is on account of how much he has studied our hearts.

It is possible for heaven to withhold some of the things you pray for because your heart is not large enough to accommodate them. There are things that God gives you at this level. It can cost you your salvation. Anything your heart cannot accommodate that enters into your hand will destroy your life. Any amount of money that your ass cannot accommodate that entered into your hand would destroy your life. So whilst you are shouting, I want to be the next president. I want to be the next senator. I want to be the next billionaire. I want to be the next man of God, the next, next. God is asking you, do you have the capacity to handle it?

How am I sure when I make you a senator, I will still hone you? How am I sure? You won't find out the lack of a woman. I want to be a kingdom financier. Bless me, Lord, with wealth. That's not a challenge. But you know what it means to sit on money and not be affected by money. You would not want to give it away. And so God, we ask that you give, that you give, that you give, that you give, and that you continue to give. I prayed for a daughter of mine some years back.

Someone who used to call myself my daughter Come years back. And whilst I was praying, my eyes opened. It was Njako. And I saw that God will use the woman mightily in the area of finances. God will use her mightily. I saw a great financial giant. I saw... In fact, what I saw was a... One of the women who controls massive resources in Nigeria, a believer, I saw her standing beside the woman. All the wealthiest woman in Nigeria, believer, lover of God.

I saw her, and I saw her standing beside the woman. And God said... And God told me greater. Greater. I told her, I said, you are a kingdom financier. I said resources moving heavily into the kingdom through your hands. The girl went to school, got a job, beautiful job, forgot about ministry, Forgot about so called spiritual father. Forgot about... For four years or five years or so until calamity struck. Then she remembered I have a pastor somewhere.

When she called me, she said, sir, all your prophecies have come to pass. I now make money. I now have three jobs in the field that I have. I'm making over eight digits, seven digit over eight, seven digits every month. I'm doing it. I remember when you told me I'll be a kingdom financier. I never told you you'll be a container. You'll be a kingdom finan... What are you financing? Your belly?

Your looks? There's a way your heart can be that you can only accommodate yourself. The only person you can see is your yourself. If if if... Listen. Do know that you can only spend so much on yourself? You don't need every money in the world on yourself. How much do you need to be okay? Have you thought about it? Can you think about that?

How much do you need... Do you think you need to be comfortable? A million dollars? Your father, don't need it. How much is a good house in a good location? How much is two good cars? When you consider how much you would even need till you die to spend to be comfortable, are you with me? You realize that you don't have to be a billionaire in dollars for it. Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes.

You don't have to be. So the desire to be is now sponsored by what? Because you see, if your mind can only accommodate yourself in the lens of imagination, any amount of money that ever comes to your hand that is bigger than what is needed to take care of yourself will destroy yourself. And the reason is because you have not seen anything beyond that. So you will spoil yourself until you are rotten. There's only so much a man needs. That is why even the billionaires in the world are the most liberal people you will ever find. Even those who don't know God, you hear one is giving $1,000,000,000 to polio vaccination to end polio in Africa, and you will see African countries begging to collect the money, lining up for money. Lying up for money. And yet if these leaders who are begging to collect this money to finance their countries, get this money, they will pocket the money.

This is the reason why we are poor. The bible says a liberal soul shall be made fat. I heard in Evan Einstein University, a man, a single individual came up and gave $1,000,000,000 last month to the school. Every medical student in that school, in that session, in this session is paying tuition free. Nothing. Paying nothing. Do you know what that means in America? Education is very expensive in America and a man gives $1,000,000,000. How... Can you really spend that on yourself?

What kind of food do you want to eat? What kind of house do you wanna live in? Is when we... Listen. When we have this kind of selfish desires, then our mind begins to... Now you have lived in a in a house all by yourself. You said, let me just change location. Then you go and buy another one. This one is now $1,200,000. You live there for six months.

See, I'm tired. Let me buy a skyscraper somewhere. Ah, can we now build house on the moon? Because your mind will begin to create more creative ways to destroy yourself. Is it not is it not adventure that people are looking for under the sea? Do you know if you are... If don't you have money, you will not be there. It's as simple. There are certain things that are not your business. Starting death, you cannot die.

The moment money comes, you say let's thaw the oceans. How much is the ticket? You hear the money. My God. Let's tour the oceans. There are temptations the devil does not bother you with until you climb certain heights. The Bible says the devil came to Jesus and said, if you are a son of God, turn this stone to bread. If he could not, he would not have come. Why didn't he come when he was 12? At least he saw him in the temple.

In other words, he came when he knew it was in his power to do it. He was within his power. The devil will come when he knows it is within your power to do certain things, he will come. He will come. He will come. Now you're the president of the faculty. Do you know if you tell those 100 level girls to come to your house, they will come? Didn't they honor you like that? They'll say, hi. He wants to teach us.

It's within your power. A man of God, you like... You know you have a terrible problem with lust, but then you say, you know, I'm a man of God. You you have to be loving, so you hug everybody. Whether or not they are offering hug, they first knew. Jesus. Let let me pray for you. Now you've spread your hands. You are under the shadow of my wings. Come.

Call a girl by by 11PM. You say, how are you doing? You say, I'm fine, sir. And because you are the man of God, cannot say, sir, don't disturb me. Say, okay, sir, are you fine? Why did they call you? You're just looking for emotional succor. And you know you can you can do it because you're a man of God. There are things the devil... It it can't come to your mind.

You don't have the power to do it. The moment first office come is why God must prove your heart, and he would do so by sacrifice. He will request. This is why your life must be a consistent life of sacrifice. It's a choice you must make. I live my life on the altar of sacrifice. Are you with me? My life will give you glory. Do you know that the level you get to in greatness when your time equals your money? Where people literally pay you for your time?

Where one hour of your time means $8,000,000, means $10,000. Can you sacrifice that one hour to pray? Without being distracted, you'll know what is on the line. You'll know what is going. Your phone is ringing. This president is calling you. That prime minister is calling you. We're inviting you for a speech in our country to speak to our leaders, and we are giving you $150,000 for thirty minutes of speech, and you are there praying kala kabaratas. I won't be disturbed. I won't be faced.

My moment is God in the moment with God. Can you sacrifice time? And God will see it now. You are coming to church. It's a burden to come to church. You call... Your your your common thoughts is that your feelings and emotions, and yet you think that you will ever accomplish anything great in God. You are a baby or a child. That's why 80% of believers are poor, are broke. That is why many of us never accomplish anything great in God.

Are you with me? Listen. How are you sure when you get that contract, you will still know the way to church? You have not even gotten anything you go to church by your feelings. How about when you are great? How about when people know you? And you have to protect your image. If you step out on the streets, people wanna sign autograph. They wanna sign... You have a more reasonable excuse to not come to church.

Hear me? Hear me? Hear me? When you ask for certain things, God will also ask you for some things. Not because he needs those things. No. But because he's interested in you and in your heart. My son, give me your heart. The bible makes us understand men can be weak. Some of us are light, and so we can't handle the weight of destiny.

So God will say, test him for one year. Sacrifice some more so that your heart can gain strength. It will take a texture of heart to be able to command power at certain levels. It will take a kind of heart to stand in that position and still be a servant of God. It will take a kind of heart to love God regardless of power and position. And God had a responsibility of demanding from you everything that you treasure that will impede you from coming to where he wants you to get to. You see that? Yes. So when you cry, if you give this... If you give me this position, I will make sure that education is improved.

Widows will no longer cry. I will empty the streets of poor people. I will build an orphanage. God says the thing I'm asking for, you have not even done it. No. You don't have the capacity to bear what you are seeing because you have not... Your heart has not gained strength to give what you currently have. What if I ask you for the word one time? Jeremiah 17 verse nine, the bible says the heart is the seat for above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?

I, the Lord, search the heart. I test the mind even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. Look at this. I, the Lord, search the heart. I, the Lord, search the heart. I test the heart. Even to give every man according to his ways, it means I only give you anything in this kingdom according to what I've tested. If I test your heart, the report I have from testing your heart is what determines how much I give you. So when you now read the parable of the talents and when the bible says that God gave each man according to their different abilities, you now understand what their ability was. Their ability was in how much they could give away.

Are you with me? That was what determined how much they can currently have according to their different abilities because the bible says according to the fruit of his doings. In other words, if I test your heart and I realize certain things are too big for you to hone, I can't give you the world. I can't give you a state. I can't give you a territory. Are you seeing the deception that that befalls men who are praying for revival, and they are saying, God, give me this territory. Can your heart even hold one one one room? And your heart even hold one room. The room you are in, but you're asking for a territory. And God says no.

It's not as though what you are praying for is too big for me to give. But no, I don't yet have your heart, my son. Give me your heart. Everything that God gives to men is based on the level of their heart. If the fame will corrupt you, if the influence will corrupt you, why will God give it? When we talk about sacrifice, there are Christians that say there's no need to sacrifice because Jesus has Jesus has sacrificed everything. Be very careful with this doctrine. The sacrifice of Jesus is exclusively related to salvation. The forgiveness of sins and the eternal life. You remember that?

This means there is nothing you can do to receive eternal life. There is nothing you can do to be saved, to be righteous. It is only by accepting what Christ has done that this will be given to you. But if you will have authority on earth, there are things you must do because these things are entrustments. So sacrifice has a way of giving you clearance in the spiritual. That is the second reason why men... Why God demands sacrifice from men. It is because this is the way God gives men clearance, rankings, authorities. Listen to me. There are things in the spirit men are not given.

They are entrusted. What will make you a captain of thousand is an entrustment. So if you if you are first a captain of 10 and you mismanage 10, you mismanage 10. If you will have authority on the... In this earth, there are things you would do because these things are entrustments. I said the second reason why God gives men... Why God demands sacrifice is because it is the basis upon which God gives men clearance, authority, rankings. This is how men are ranked. Are you with me? But if you...

Listen to me. There are some things you must be worthy to receive. Even Jesus had to be worthy. The Bible says in Revelations five and verse 12. Let's go there. Five and verse 12. Saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive. Look at the things he was worthy to receive. Power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, blessing. What was the premise upon which he was worthy?

He was slain. Do you remember? Do you remember? A man called Solomon, he sacrificed 1,000 cartons, And God... He he had the attention of God. God came to him and say, what do you want? Other men are saying, God, give me. Some men are saying... Also God is telling some men, what do you want? On the premise of sacrifice, his sacrifice called the attention of heaven.

What do you want? That man said, give me wisdom to judge the people you have given. God says, ah, because you have asked. Listen. You have not asked for the life of your enemies. You have not asked for riches and wealth to spend it on your own desires. Not only will I give you wisdom you have asked for, I will give you wisdom. I will give you riches. I will give you honor. Does it look like what the lamb received?

It means there's a premise upon which a man receives things. Yes. Listen. The Bible says in the book of Philippians two five, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. The problem is we we we just stop there. But if you go on, the bible says, all being in the form of God did not consider robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man. He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross. Number nine, verse nine, it says, therefore, for this reason, because of this, God has highly exalted him. The Bible says he humbled himself. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every other name.

So there are things you qualify for. There are other things Jesus qualified for on your account. Jesus qualified for you to receive eternal life. He qualified for you to receive forgiveness, righteousness, holiness, all these things. But if it has to do with certain levels of positions, the bible says humble yourself. Jesus humbled himself and so he was given authority. You see that now? He was exalted. I've read your Bible. The Bible says, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God so that in due season, he will exalt you.

God will not exalt you because Jesus died for your sins. God will exalt you because you humbled yourself. You see, that exaltation is not one of the deliverables that that is available because Jesus died. That's why he said, you must check what was paid for. The Bible says, God resists the proud and gives grace, more grace to the humble. It means if you are a believer who is proud, Jesus did not die for the resistance you will receive. Do you understand what I'm saying? You must check what was available in what Jesus paid for so that your life will not be empty. If man says, I want to be great in God, then God will say, what are you willing to give for it? Do I have your heart?

There are certain things if you are proud, you can never receive. Note the word never. There are many people God is still dealing with on finances. Give empty. Give empty. Give empty. A point comes when it is not about... Listen. Ecclesiastes 11 verse one. Look at this.

Can we read this together, everybody? Do you know that the Bible says the Lord... God gives seed to the sower and what? Give me the scripture. Second Corinthians chapter eight and bread for food. God gives seed to the sower. And what? Bread of food. So what is for food? Bread.

In Ecclesiastes, God did not say cast your seed upon the waters. The instruction was cast your bread upon the waters. This is sacrifice. This is sacrifice. The premise of this scripture is not just your seed, it is actually your bread. The one that will cost you. You say, I'm saving for my future investment And go ahead and and you meet... You you have so... Nothing can touch that account. You've saved $1,500 there.

And God says, you know what? Hemp it. Because you you have... A point has now come where you have now thought that your security is the amount you can save. And you have used touch of your security being in me, and so I must put you trust. You will learn very fast. It's not about the money. No. It can never be. It has never been.

No. It can never be. It has never been. Look at the premise. Next verse. Give us. KJVP, KJV. Give a portion to seven and also a portion to eight. Eight in the realm of the spirit. In the realm of the spirit and in scriptural prophetic figures, seven is number that represents perfection and completion.

In other words, when a thing is perfect, when a thing is complete, are you with me? Eight is what then represents the beginning of a new thing. In other words, seven represent the completion of a thing. Eight represents the beginning of a thing. In other words, whenever God wants to begin a new season, he demands bread upon the waters. How a new season is opened up onto a man is that bread must be put upon the waters. So that is the reason why pastors will tell you if you have a birthday sacrifice. It is it is representing a new season in your life. There is something that must leave you. Every of my birthday, I do this.

Nobody ever knows what leaves me, but it's something that cause terrible. Every time I sense a new season... This is the third reason. Every time I sense a new season is coming in my life, Behold, I do a new thing. Old things are passed away. I just sense a new season is coming. I know I must leave something. I must give something that will cost me. I must give something that will cost me. At this phase of my life, what will cost me is not bread and butter.

Oh, no. What will cost me is not even a 100,000 naira. It's not even 500,000 naira. And God instruct, let go. And the moment you let go, the Bible says a portion to hate. A portion to hate. This is the reason brothers and sisters, why some men are great and others are not. When you see a man who is great, sit them down. They... You will have a track record of their sacrifices.

Some of them left their jobs to do what God said they should do. Some of them went to school for seven years. God told them drop your certificates. What do you think that is? Some of them practice medicine and they were so they were so engrossed in it, and God told them you are... You will not practice. Why didn't God tell them this earlier? I like the fact that you have invested your treasure in this. Now give it to me. That's what makes me worth it.

Invest your treasure in it. Give it to me. I... And when your heart can relieve it, watch what I will give you. I will give you beyond and above what your mind can think and conceive. What is the word I cannot give? The problem usually is the heart of man. You know, have a personal principle. I never start a project for myself even for the ministry on something I've not given before. See that?

Yeah. We will not go on any project that will cost us any amount of money if you've not given that amount of money. I won't buy anything that will cost me any amount of money if I've not given that amount of money. The first thing I will do is give it. Once I give it, I know I'm beyond it. I know I'm above it. My heart cannot have this this entanglement to money. No. No. No.

This is famine. Is that not so? This is a recession. Is that not so? If you know how much I've given. If you know how much some people have given in this so called famine and recession. The amount of money that I've given between January to March is more than the entire amount of money I gave last year. And if you know the frequency and the rate at which I give or I... You you... Use your mind.

This will continue to be a lifestyle. That is why we will never lack a thing. We will never lack a thing. It is not in our dictionary. Do you know time can be sacrificed? The time that you commit to the service in the house of God. The time you commit to serve God. Every one form of you can give anything but not your time. Say, God, this my time is so precious to me. And God is...

That is what I want. Because it is precious to you, I want it. Don't you say it works? That is how it works. Say, I have to be my... With with with these clients. I have to deliver these projects. I have to do this. So your mind is not even focused on the prayer. You can't even study your bible.

You can't even read. No. If you are spending an hour with me, let me have that hour. Let nothing else compete with it. Yes. A man cannot serve two masters. This year is quiet. It is very good. I stitch this because God desires that will be great. This is the pathway to greatness.

Let Adebuye sit you down. Adebuye will thank you. I was listening to pastor Kojoye Made, and he was talking during the last... Was it Warfbeck now? Right? That... Was it Warfbeck? I think so. That some years ago, he invited a man of God to Wolfpack to preach, and a man was preaching on faith. He saw that in the green room where every man of God is before they go to the main auditorium.

The man was just by his phone just typing, just typing, just typing, just typing. And he didn't give any attention to any other man of God that was there. He wasn't snapping, he was just by his phone. When it was time to greet, he came inside, he he preached on faith, joy of the holy ghost, every power of God everywhere. He was done. He went back to the office, he was just pressing his phone, ah, thank you very much, Smiled at everybody, greeted everybody, snapped pictures, and left. He said some weeks after, he saw on the news that the man of God's brother was kidnapped and killed. He called the man to comfort him, and the man said, oh, that was what we were negotiating when I came for your conference. I was negotiating with the kidnappers before I came to preach while I was in the office. He sent the money to them and still...

And they still killed him. You should see a man like that doing ministry. Lord. Yeah. Papa, Deboye was having a major conference and he was told his son was dead. Who wants to hear their son is dead? My fiance was with was with mommy Gio, and mommy Gio was telling her in a private meeting how that when this... When the news came that her son was dead. She said she has seen dead bodies raised. She said she has raised more than...

I've forgotten number. I've the number now. Dead bodies that have been raised through her... Not her husband, our ministry. She said when when she was told that the husband was not praying for the son, she said bring my son to me. Take my son from the mortuary and bring my son to me. She said he held this boys... The the son in the hand and prayed, come back, life in the name of Jesus. For how the boy never came back. Do you really think that greatness is attained on streets of gold?

No. There are many thorns on that path. There are many marks on that path. But guess what? There is the grace to lay down. That's what we'll pray for. Rise up on your feet. I will rise and the glory will speak. No limitation holds me down. I will rise and the glory will speak.

The mighty We'll pray for the grace to lay down. There is such a thing as the power to lay down. That was what Jesus said. Jesus said, I have the power to lay down. It's a grace. It's a power. I will not wrestle again. I will not struggle again. Some of you have... Listen.

Some of you have an unholy attachment to money, an unholy attachment to money. You can never give beyond the fighting threshold. It look as though all hell has broken loose. Receive the power to lay it down tonight. Are you ready to pray? Listen, father, the prayer is really simple. I receive the grace to lay down. I receive the power to lay down. Whatever you might demand of me, whatever you might ask of me, I receive the power to lay down. Listen.

Listen. Listen. A man of God told him told me the story. Hear me. A man of God told me the story. Hear me. He got his first car. Saved up for it and got his first car. And the moment he got the first car, God told him to give it away. In other words, he never received the instruction while he was giving the money, while he was saving the money.

The treasure was not the money. The treasure was the car. So God ensured that he got the car. And so when he got it, God said, give it to me. He never did. He never did. He never did. He had that conviction in his heart for three weeks or so. He never did. And the conviction left.

So he felt peace. He felt it was okay. He rode the... He said he said he rode the car for five years. In the fifth year, the car was stolen. He said, three weeks after the car was stolen... Three weeks after the car was stolen, the membership of the church grew from 25 to 605. In three weeks, God told him this was where you would have been five years ago. Five years. Well, the senior colleague that told me this, five years.

Apostle man shared a story of when they had a colonial service, and God came to him and told him, empty all the accounts. He said he was... He said that was the most irresponsible thing to do as a ministry. When you you you run services in millions and empty everything, If it's... If that's the most irresponsible, then I'm the most irresponsible man who is running the ministry. We empty. The pastor inside of the account notice. Whenever a conference is coming and the money in the account is not looking like what we need for the conference, it is gone. It it doesn't matter how much is there. It doesn't matter how much is there.

I don't think twice about it. You know why? That is the principle at which I hold my life. We held a meeting on Tuesday. On Tuesday... On Saturday. Sorry. I told God that it will be my investment, pass money into every life that would come for that meeting. 90% of what was spent was my money. Intentionally so.

Intentionally Guess what? I didn't feel that I spent anything. I spent more than 300,000. Mother. Mother. I didn't feel. It didn't even... It it didn't look as though money left my account. It climbed up as fast as he was leaving. Some of us have gotten to an extent where we...

My prayer my prayer that you get there. My prayer that you surpass me. Amen. Amen. Listen. Don't think for a moment that it was when we had 100 of thousand that we were given. No. It was not. It was not. This is easy now because we started like this.

We began like this. I have no attachment to the pulpit. I have no attachment to microphone. It doesn't matter who shines. Do know there are men of God who are insecure? If anybody stands on the microphone and attempts to move in the power of God, their ass start beating. I hope their legions of these people don't go to him and not me. I hope they don't see that he has more grace than I do. I hope they don't... God forbid.

My joy is that those who are lead can do far greater than me. If I see anybody standing here, I'm moving in the power of God massively or worshiping God and the presence of God overwhelms the entire place, I will go on my knees and worship. That is the joy. Do you think a man arrives there? Oh, no. There was death to self, death to glory. I will not miss meetings. I will not miss service. Not because I want to be the only one that is seen. Oh, no.

On Sunday, I was in foot approaching. How was the service in Ibadaniyah? Powerful. That is the joy. That the joy. That I don't come for a believer's equip, and whoever comes, nobody ever says, I wish Apostle was here. No. There's no joy in that you are a failure as a man of God. It takes a level of death to get there. Hells, you will have an unhealthy crave to be seen, an unhealthy crave for the microphone, an unhealthy crave for fame, for influence.

You have to be willing to let it go. The way up is always down. The way to the throne is the cross. The way to life is death. It is an antithesis, but this is the way it is in the kingdom. Such strangeness, but this is the way it is in the kingdom. You must master this way if a man ever desires to be great. The way up is always down. The way to the throne is the cross. The way to life is death.

The bible says death works in us, that life might in fact work in you. That life might in fact work in you. Are you ready to pray brothers and sisters? Be be bigger than money. Be bigger than material things. Be bigger than everything. I was in a house. Listen to me. Listen to me. I was in a one bedroom, self contained.

I was in a... No. I was in a in a house. The house that I was in had no sitting room chair, had no nothing in the kitchen, nothing in the sitting room, nothing. It was just a empty house. The only thing I had was my bed that I've been using since I was a student. Yet, my salary in a month my salary in a month and pay for the rent of the house three times. The holy spirit instructed, give. When I got there, I was planning for marriage. I'll start doing this.

I'll start doing that. I'll start planning. I'll start I'll start this in place. God says no. Give me your heart. So when people come and visit, you look at who this man of God does not have anything. I didn't care much. I had no concerns anymore for what people can say. Some of you are... Your crave for people's opinion will cost you.

You must die to it. You must be willing to sacrifice your... That's your that's your quest for dignity. What people... What people say? Do you know that you must die to eat before God gives you influence? Else, influence will kill you. Because the moment God gives you influence, people will say different things. And so God will take you through a process where you must give away your desire to to please all men, to please all men. So God will intentionally give you instructions that go against what men want.

To test your conviction, to please him as opposed to pleasing men. To please him as opposed to pleasing men. And as you lay down, God says yes. This is what it means to be a man of influence. You must be able to say what I send you without caring who is listening. If a man of God, how do you know money will not move you to change your message? How do you know you're not allowed to put something to your church and give me a platform? And allowing campaign because he gave you 10,000,000. God must work on your heart. God must work on our hearts.

Even me speaking. Are you ready to pray? The power to lay it down. Can you ask for this grace? We believe you were blessed by this message to connect with the Disciples Christian network and get more from Apostle Emmanuel. Follow us on our social media platforms. You can follow us on Instagram at officialdisciplescn. You can follow us on Facebook at disciples christian network. You can also join our telegram page at dcn media for more messages by apostle Emmanuel. If you have a testimony from this message, you can mail us at disciplecn@gmail.com.

God bless you.