Transcript: Growing Into Christ Part 2

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Just like a soldier, going to battle, Garrett himself with every armor needed for battle and for winning. So believers must guard themselves with the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Join apostle Emmanuel as he teaches God's word to equip you for a victorious life on earth. This is believers equipped. Today, I'm going to continue around that subject as well. Growing into Christ part two. But this time looking into the signs, looking into what it means to grow into Christ. Then looking into the signs that shows that a believer is not growing. And if we have time, then we can also look into how Christ is formed in a man. In actuality.

How Christ is formed in a man. And if we have time, we can look into the dangers of refusing growth. That is the outline of what I plan to teach. If you also have time, we can then look into the marks of a believer who is truly growing into Christ. Glory to God. Amen. So we would go as far as time permits us. But it's a series like I said. And we'll do justice to it as God helps us. When we speak about growing into Christ, we are not merely talking about becoming more religious.

We're not talking about engaging in more activity. You know, being more active in church or more familiar with spiritual vocabulary because you know, there is spiritual vocabulary and there is a vocabulary that you use or spiritual language that you use that makes you sound spiritual or look spiritual. I want to give examples so that you don't start measuring people by the examples that I give. I start looking at people because I gave an example and then you heard someone saying or speaking that way. And you start looking at them with one suspicious eyes. But there is a way that people talk And you can tell that they are doing this to feel spiritual. You see, they are doing this to appear religious, appear to people as being serious. And there is a form. There is a form of godliness, an appearance of godliness. You know, the bible speaks of having a form of godliness and denying the power thereof.

There is an appearance of godliness. Give me that scripture in the new 11 translation. Can you read it for me the first line? He has been First, there is an acting of religiosity, you see. There's an appearance. There's a way in the same manner that somebody's acting in stage play and they are acting as a mechanic. So to look like a mechanic, what do you do? You wear them a costume. There's a form, a costume, an appearance. It doesn't mean that the person is a mechanic, but to play that role very well, the person will be dressed like that.

The person will look like that. The person has to talk like that. The person has to... You understand what I'm saying? To make that form, that appearance more believable. That's exactly how there's a form of godliness. It means you can look at the sister and truly believe in the same way you'll be convinced. How many of you have watched a movie and you ate the character somebody played in that movie? So much so you ate the person in real life. Has that ever happened to you before?

Despite you know that that's not who he is. What he only took was a form, an appearance of that character. But you so believe that appearance that when you now see the person in red carpet, you just hate. He was the one. He raped. He didn't rape anybody. He was playing a role. Do understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir. He was playing a role, but he played it so well.

And there are believers that play Christianity so well. That's the point I'm trying to make. They played so well. They played so well. Because that's what it is. It's it's it's an appearance. It's a name that we bear. And so the girl knows and the guy knows that if you're a Christian, there's a form. There's a way people expect you to behave. So your life might not look like that, but you know the form.

Your life might not look like that, but you know the expectation. So because you know the expectation, you can take the form. You can wear the makeup and wear the costume and look like one, talk like one, dress like one, appear like one, but your character does not spell the same. Your inner life does not spell the same. Your private life does not spell the same. But you know you bear Matthew. And how can you bear Matthew? I'm not look like a Matthew. So when people come to talk to you, there's a lingua that you use in speaking. But when they get to know you, they don't realize that it was only an appearance.

It was only a form. We address this on growing into Christ. Is that not so? Because there are many believers today who are being deceived by forms. The reason is because themselves are not growing. So I can take the form of a pastor. This is not strange. Have you not read your Bible? The Bible says that you should be wary of wolves who have taken the form of a sheep. Wolves in sheep's clothing.

Now note that the wolves are not in shepherd's clothing. Because the bible says I will give you shepherds after my own heart. So who are the shepherds? The pastors. Who are the sheeps? So where are the wolves? Are they pastors or are they members? It's amongst you. I heard a pastor quote a statistics. What was he quoting?

He said that it is statistically proven that 50% of believers 50% of believers across Nigeria and worldwide watch pornography. Not human beings, Then he told the members, do you know what that means? He said look to your left and look to your right. That means at least one person you have looked at Watch this pornography. But it is true. It's true. It is true. Yeah. We're supposed to. It doesn't look like that because we have a form.

We know how to dress it. You don't understand? There's a way a Christian should look like. And you know that your life is not how a Christian should look like. So when you want to appear before me, you wouldn't come the way you are. You would come the way you have been taught how Christians should appear. So even though you are loud mouthed and you come to church, you say, ah, sister Joy, brother Maker. You. But there's a language. You see, there's a language.

There's a lingua. There's a lingua. It's a form that you must conform to. Otherwise, you're not a Christian yet. And then these are the indices that we use to measure maturity. You know what that means? It means in our eyes, whoever can dress like us the most becomes the most spiritual. And it's a problem. It's a problem when that is how we measure Christianity. It's how people are deceived and manipulated.

Because there are people who have mastered the dressing. They've mastered the form. They've mastered the appearance. And they use that appearance to sway unsuspecting believers because you two are not growing. So you cannot discern who is not like us or that. Even if a wolf wears the cloth of a sheep, is there not a way that sheep sound? When the guy came to you and was in... You should not suspect that... Or that you can look like a hull, something is wrong. Should not suspect.

I mean, every other person you say, man, man, you came. Is wrong. But you have refused to grow. So in your mind you think, ah ah. You know, maybe that's just how it is. Because you believe more in the appearance, in the form. Because we estimate growth and maturity by the form. So a wolf can look more like a sheep than a sheep. Is it not the form? It's the form.

It's the appearance. It's the wear the skin of one and look like and behave like one. And then I am able to deceive you. People have married wrong because of this appearance. They have married wrong. They've married wrong. They've stepped into wrong marriages. People have been manipulated because of this appearance. The guy can prophesy. He can give word of knowledge.

He's gifted. Appearance. He's in church. He's a worker. Appearance. In church. Beast in church. Beast. Predators. Predators are in church.

Looking for whom to devour. They are in church. I was told that a mother was in church on Sunday and was, concerned about the fact that her daughter's phone was stolen. Were telling me after, my pastors were telling me after, and she was bewildered about the fact that her daughter can come to church and her phone could be stolen in church. What kind of church is that? No. No. No. It has nothing to do with the church. There is no church that there is no...

Jesus said that there are wolves. Jesus told us. Jesus told us that there are wolves. If if you have an offense against the church because of that, then you should have an offense against Jesus for admitting Judas. You should go and meet Jesus. He admitted the Judas. It has nothing to do with the character of the church. Our responsibility is to teach you, to mature you, to feed you with knowledge and understanding that makes you stable, that makes you grow into Christ. So that when you see one of us, you will know this is one of us and not by their appearance. Because the bible says that even the devil is able to transform himself into an angel of light.

The word transform there is the word. It's different from the word transform that was used in do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed. The word transform is the word metamofu in the Greek. Metamofu is the transformation that happens from the inside out. It's like what happens from the butterfly when a butterfly is moving from lava to popan to butterfly. Is that not so? That is metamorphoo. It is changing the appearance of the butterfly from inside out. It's different from a housefly that dresses like a butterfly. That's metaschimatizo.

It means changing the outward appearance that does not affect the inward appearance. It's like the makeup that women put on their face. That doesn't change the character. You understand? Metaschimanteso is like an augmentation of your physical appearance to look like something. And the Bible says the devil can transform himself to an angel of light. It means he's not an angel of light, but he can so convince you that the voice speaking is an angel of light. The question now is, if the appearance looks so much like Jesus, the appearance looks so much like an angel was talking to you, How do you know that it is not? For our metrics of growth is appearance, is activity in church. Am I boring you?

The danger of not growing up, I said this a lot, go and listen to that teaching in part one so that don't have to repeat myself, is terrible. It is terrible. Because there are many preachers with appearances. That's the problem. Many, many within the church with appearances. I heard a story of a particular pastor who there was a particular member of his church who would always come. And every time that member comes, he doesn't come every time really, but when he comes, there's money. It will drop like 10,000,000, 15,000,000, 20,000,000. So you can imagine as a pastor now. Let me tell you what it does to you as a...

Let me not tell you what it does to you as a whistle. Let me let me not tell you let me not tell you what it does to you. Let me not tell you. Let me tell you 0.01% of you. When you find somebody like that, one of the things that it does to you is that it makes you believe you are called. I'm telling you, oh Jesus, you don't know this thing. Because there is so much vision in your heart that you want to do, and it is obvious you need finances for it. Then somebody comes and say this is 10,000,000. That day you will know, God called me. Because suddenly the finances of the ministry resulted.

One day I'll talk about these things. Because a lot of pastors live in self deception. And it's because they don't want to have appearance. They don't want to live in appearance. So they live in deception and make statements out of deception and are basically insincere with themselves with respect to the work of ministry and finances. The consequence of it is that they are poor. The consequence is that they are broke because they have not admitted to themselves that they need money. And they will keep on telling themselves that it's God we are doing it for, which is true. But they are saying that almost to me that the money thing is inconsequential, and it is not. Do you understand what I'm saying?

So much so you hear a preacher for instance saying, I'm not in this ministry for money. We know none of us are in it for money. But whatever you are in it for requires money. So if you are in need for souls, guess what you need to get the souls? Money. Guess what you need to keep the souls? Money. Guess what you need to... You understand what I'm saying? Can't imagine money.

But, you know, the guy doesn't want to feel as though he's materialistic. Doesn't want people to think he's canal so that he's avoiding appearance. So that you don't see him and judge him by the fact that he's sincere about his needs and the ministry needs. So what happens is that they would rather be poor. Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, And then judge those who are more dashed about prosperity. I use all kind of words to describe them and create their character as though having means for the gospel is a sin. Do you understand my English? May the Lord give you understanding. Amen.

So as a man of God, someone comes to you and then does that. There's a way that excites you. So one of these days, the pastor meets this guy. In fact, one of his daughters came to him. Because this guy will come to church and drop the money and look so pious and spiritual. He was almost recommending one of the daughters to the guy and say, ah, this guy, I don't think he's married. Let me ask, he looks like the perfect person for you. And they go, why? Appearance. So one of these days, met him somewhere.

And upon meeting him there, I think he went shopping, home like that. Met the guy, pastor. How are you doing, sir? Good afternoon, sir. This is... And he just asked him, what what do you do? And the man of God said, almost casually, he said, oh, I'm into drugs. He said, oh, you're a pharmacist. Said, no. Now you know this thing.

The pastor said the pastor said, you mean you you you you have a community pharmacist? You... The committee... You you... He said, I know now. Pastor, stop doing like this. Now you know this thing now. He said, I I don't... I know. That means if that guy ever gets caught, the pastor knows this thing.

The pastor knows this thing. Because if you see can it directly to the pastor's face, where would you not see it? If you have drugs now, What's the difference? Appearance. And that appearance was so convincing that even a pastor was convinced. Let me tell you the danger of appearance. Ah, even Samuel, the bible said, not the judge of his word. His word doesn't fall to the ground empty. He was a major prophet. But he looked at the firstborn and what did he say?

He said surely appearance. Appearance convinced the prophet that one whom God has not chosen is chosen. That means somebody can appear so right that even you who is genuinely spiritual will be so convinced by how they appear that they are the chosen one. That's what happened to Samuel. He said surely... Because he looked like a king. You know what that means? He looked like someone that God has been grooming for kingship. That's the meaning of what Samuel was saying. You can't blame him.

It looks like the office. It looks like the position. When David came, he didn't have that appearance, but he was the one that was chosen. And some of us don't have the appearance. An appearance of a pastor. I don't look like one at the moment. And there's someone who can see me now and and just touch me instantly and say, ah, look at them Gen Z people. I'm old. I'm a old man. Jesus.

I remember a time that we started ministry and parents were having issues with me because the pastor was so young. So I decided I was going to keep a beard. Because apparently, that is how they know you are spiritual. I don't know. Had something to do with spirituality. Started telling God, this thing must come out. I'm not sure what's happening here, but hear the word of the Lord. There shall be no barren land. Do you read the card? Do read?

Because appearance matters to us so much. And we are human beings. That's why it gets us. Because we judge things by what we see is a part of our limitation as human beings, and we cannot deny it. But you must understand that when we talk about spiritual growth, spiritual growth cannot be judged solely by what you see, Even though its fruit is in what you see. Its fruit is in what you see. Which is why I said that we're not talking about activity. We're talking about a living and a progressive undeniable transformation by which a man begins to take on the nature and the character, the mind, the values, the responses, and the stature of Jesus Christ. This is what it means to grow into maturity. So growth in Christ is not simply about what you know.

Now many scriptures you can quote. It's about what you are becoming. What you are becoming from within, not what you look like outside. It's not simple that you can quote scripture, but that scripture has entered your spirit. It has subdued your flesh. It has reordered your desires, and it has begun to shape your life until men can see that Christ is being revealed unto you. That is maturity. It's not that you can quote it. If you can quote it but cannot live it, you are not growing. And we will judge you that you are growing because you can quote it.

That's the thing about appearance. So somebody comes to you for instance and tells you that, oh, I'm going through all these things and I'm starting to feel that I'm unloved, I'm on this, I'm that, I'm that. And you tell the person, ah, don't you know what the Bible says? The Bible calls the devil the father of all lies. Rebuke the devil, he will flee from you. Do not be ignorant of the devices of the enemy. This is the device of death. You can quote scripture. As you are quoting, the guy will say, this person, I look up to you. And then you leave that place.

And as you are going, they call you on the phone and they tell you, hello. Were you the ones that left the children last? Or my... Mister so and so. Say I was the one... Are you stupid? Why did you not lock the door? Now you're looking for one of them. Oh, I'm sorry. Are you stupid?

And you called the phone. You said, guy, I know now I was this stupid. You that you were telling somebody now now now. Or you can cause it. Only that you cannot recognize it. So what's the difference between you and the Pharisees? Who knew when the king was to be born? But the man know the king had been born. The king called all of them and said, when is the king of the Jews meant to be born? And they could tell him that when he was to be born.

They could tell him where he was to be born, but they never saw the stars. They didn't know he had been born, but they had information. They had appearance. I was telling one of my daughters yesterday, said, scriptures and the word of God you have been taught is not a joke. This thing is your life. This thing is to be practiced. You're not being taught these things. That's why many of you, if you approach church and you approach the word of God in the way that you grew up. When we were growing up, we wanted to run away from... Sermons were boring, we were forced to cram memory verses, we were awarded for who can quote the most memory verses, and it was all about...

There were competitions about who can quote, there were quizzes about who can quote. I mean, that was what Christianity was like growing up. See, it was just a burdensome experience. For people like me, I didn't find it funny at all. I mean, there were children who were more spiritual than I was. And they were excited. I mean, we had people who could quote entire Psalm one one nine in the same Sunday school class as me. And you can't imagine how that would make me feel because I was still struggling with John three sixteen. And now somebody can quote 170 something verses in their memory. The question now is, is it in your life?

That's where the difference was. That's where the difference was. That's where the difference was. Because we will celebrate the coating but miss out on the living. Miss out on the living. And the girl came to me and told me, nobody cares about how I feel. Demons come and they will whisper in things to you, and I've seen them. They they they look like a housefly. They are just like they are more irritating and more disgusting. I've seen them.

Those whispering demons. They will gather around your ears like this, and they never come as one. I don't know if you have seen... Have you seen bees gathered around the beehive? That's how I see them. They cluster around the victim's ear. That's why the thought is persistent. It is more than one speaking at the same time, trying to convey a message to you that is not true. But they know that in the persistency of the conveying, you will believe. Because repetition births persuasion.

Jesus, no, he's a lie. I'm loved. It doesn't mean that I stop because they have plenty. It will... Hey. They'll be painting scenarios to you to show you that you are idiot, you're not loved, you're a failure, you are rejected, you are this, you are that. It will be coming. And you'll know the word. You will know. It can't just come, just sit down and say, oh, God, you are still a child.

You're not growing. That's the predicament. The predicament is not that you could quote the scripture. Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir. One of my ladies was sharing a testimony with me, my daughters, and I was impressed not at the miracle, but at the process of the miracle. Watch this. She told me, she said... She got a job and she shared a testimony about the job. And the job was paying her.

I think it was in 6 figures. And she was doing the job wholeheartedly, but all of a sudden, the employer just changed his attitude to her. And all of a sudden, cut her responsibility by 50% and then cut her payment by 50%. And she didn't understand what she was doing because she was still being hardworking. She was still, you know, doing everything she's got. And she's a graduate, a fresh graduate. So you can imagine all eyes are on you and then you need this thing and then somebody's acting all and did not if you come from a family of means. You actually don't need the money. Is that not so? And then she was telling me that she now wrote down an apology letter and promised to help her output and get better and that more responsibilities can come down into her hands.

But she had written the letter. She didn't realize that, oh, it's just a week or two to further the awakening. If I submit this letter now, that means this person can read this letter now, double my responsibility, and it will affect my service and commitment in church. I'm not submitting this letter now. I would rather wait until after I've done everything that required of me. It's even good that you have given me 50% off. I can now give my 100% to God. That was an exact word. Let me read it for you. I want to read it.

Because it, to an extent, conveys what I'm trying to say. So I want to thank God for the tangible transformation that has been happening with me since I joined the Disciples Christian Network. I won't testify to God's faithfulness coming into 2026, well as though things were not working so well. I testified of a job offer ahead. That's even the first one. I testified of a job offer that I got in Germany last year, which is to commence by January, but the recruiter just stopped responding to my messages. I sent follow-up messages but no responses still, but I kept declaring that it's my year of open doors, even at that. Also, at where I currently work, the lead consultant whom I work with just started complaining about everything I do, And what I was doing was exactly the same thing I've always done. But it's just sincer discontent. 50% of my workload was reduced, which came with 50% in the reduction of my salary.

In trying to salvage the situation, I wrote an apology letter highlighting the things I would start doing better as I was already taking courses online and taking some other steps to ensure that we get results. I drafted the letter, but then it was a week to the worker's retreat and a week to the further awakening. I thought to myself, if I send the letter now, I'll have to be on my toes to ensure I deliver results, which would affect my attendance at the retreat and my output at the outreach. I decided not to send a letter anymore and told myself, If a man cuts down my work 50%, I will employ myself 100% in God's work. I lived into building capacity for wealth and the diligent spirit. And I launched out to apply for jobs during the retreats and outreaches. There's one in particular that I completed three phases of the interview in less than forty eight hours. And to the glory of God, I got the job with the pay three times the previous one in six digits. That's not the miracle. This is the miracle.

I especially thank God for growth because all through this, I maintained an attitude of thanksgiving and joy whilst trusting God. That's the miracle. That's the miracle. All through this. Now you would hear the testimony and and miss out on that simple detail. All through this. Because you don't understand what that means. That you got a job offer and internationally and you were told you'll start January with a huge paycheck, and then they just suddenly cut you off. And you have given testimony already in church. Isn't that disappointment?

The first thing that the devil come and put in your ears is, has has God not filled you? The moment that comes to your ear, how do you know you're mature? Is that you recognize it immediately as this is the devil's whisperings. Get out, you devil. My God is faithful and ever faithful. Because not a jot of his word. Return to him void. Have you not said it? Will you not do it? I did not said it.

Will you not do it? Surely God is not a man that should lie. Not a man that should repent. Oh my God. Now you're not just quoting scriptures. You are living it out as an experience. That's a proof that you are growing into Christ. So much so, your soul is unaffected. There's no sorrow in you. There's no sadness in you.

This is how we know believers. But if you have to keep an appearance, that means you will be sorrowful inside. But because you have given testimony in church, let them not know that I acknowledge that I get the job now before then start thinking that maybe I came to lie. Sir, tell sister, is your job in Janda? It's going well. It's not going well. You didn't get the job. Oh, I didn't know what happened. They didn't reach out to me anymore, don't worry. We are trusting God.

More important things are coming. Kai, you have seen a believer who is growing in maturity. Not one who is making an appearance. Am I sharing something with you? Yes, sir. I corrected someone about something, and I told her obviously that this is the devil speaking to you. And the lady heard what I said. At least unless she pretended she heard it. Maybe she pretended she heard it. You never can tell.

But I assumed that she heard it. I would come months after and say, Apostol, that thing that you spoke about is still affecting me. Because I knew immediately that between my speaking to her and now understanding it, and now that she's still getting affected by it enough to sink into sorrow and depression, something else had spoken to her. Else had spoken to her. Guess what? The lady was in church when I thought that the kind of information that you receive changes your perspective. Now when God came and told man that this food will kill you, how do you think man was seeing it? Poison. Rat poison. You understand what I'm saying?

Yes, sir. And what man was seeing, death. And I gave an example. I said, imagine you see powder, and then you thought the powder was milk. And somebody just came and told you, ah, that's the rat poison I just bought yesterday. Will you see that powder the same way? Milk in my... Ah, Omar. And that person come and say, oh, did you see the milk I put on the table? Which milk?

The one on the white flask. Same one said, yeah, is it milk? Said, yes. It's true. It's milk now. That's what happened to Eve. God told Adam and Eve. God told them, in the day you eat up this fruit, you will die. Another information came. You will not surely die.

And instantly, the transformation happened in her eyes. The bible says she saw that the tree was good for food. So how do you see what God said will kill you as good for food? Let me bring it back. Do you understand the ear? That's the same way the devil has convinced many people that this brother you are seeing is good for food. Apostle said, this brother will destroy your destiny. And you believe because you were seeing it. But you left that place and the devil brought another information to you. Did he not buy something for you yesterday?

Oh, oh, it is good for food. It is good for food. It is good for your soul. It is good for your soul. Because what information does is to change your perspective. The Bible says that the devil goes around like a roaring looking for whom to? So why does the Bible not call him a devouring lion? Isn't that what lions do? Lions devour, but he is not called a devouring lion. As a matter of fact, he not even called a roaring lion.

It's a simile. It goes around like one. Are you behaving like a bird? Are you a bird? You don't like talking like a parrot. Are you a parrot? The Bible says it goes around like a roaring lion looking for whom to devour. He's not a devouring lion. He's like a roaring lion. It means all he has is noise.

But don't be quick to dismiss his noise because his noise is powerful. And that noise is exactly how he divorced men. That noise that noise he makes in your ears to make you afraid. Look at when the king said that whoever does not bow will be put inside the furnace of fire. Do you agree with me that the furnace of fire is burning and it will kill you? Do you agree with me? Why those guys now refuse to bow? What did the king say they should do? He say increase the flame. Now whether you increase the flame or not, will the fire still kill you?

What's the purpose of increasing the flame? It's a roaring lion. The idea of it is as though it is more than it is. Let's paint it bigger. That small problem. Now let's amplify it as though that's the only thing happening in your life right now. So whether God is good to you, you will not know because the only thing that the devil is screaming at you is how imperfect you are. So you, have you forgotten what happened when you were young? When you were young, one of my young ladies came to me and told me, he said, apostle, I wanna leave the work force because I can't balance with my academics. I wanna...

Oh, no problem. Bye bye. God bless you. And number two reason why wanna leave the work force is because I was abused when I came. I said, come back. Come sit. Talk to me. Talk to me. You say, I'm I'm the kind of person that I was traumatized when I grew up. I'm not used to any atmosphere where somebody corrects me in a very harsh manner.

And and if somebody corrects me in a harsh manner, I can't take it because I had a very traumatic experience growing up. So I I try to avoid atmospheres that are harsh because correcting me in public, correcting me in a harsh manner is not how I... I said, I look and say, Kai. I realize if I keep quiet, I have destroyed the destiny. Because the easiest thing for me to do is go. Is it he? How can stupidity be this thick in the mind of someone as to believe that what they were saying had sins. I looked and said, what? This is how the devil destroys life. And the lady felt so convinced that she was right.

Because you were corrected. I met the same issue, the same issue twice on the same day because you were corrected. He said, I went to something when I was growing up. And so what I will do is I will run it from the correction. And I'll give one of them an example. I said, if you have a wound in your leg and somebody sees the wound and say, ah, and bring spirit and pour it on the wound, what will happen? They say, it will pay me oh. So will you not because of the pain fight the spirit? If the same spirit was poured on your leg and there's no wound there, will it pay you? It shows you that the spirit is not the problem.

Your wound is the problem. What you should be looking for is how can this wound be healed? Not how can the spirit leave me? The correction is not the problem. You are wounded. That's why you are recounting trauma, trauma, trauma. You should not think that that's okay. Nobody should be okay carrying wound up and now. He said, fifth meal. Don't don't touch me.

And help you? Hey. I'm wounded. I'm wounded. How can you be given an excuse for why you are foolish? Isn't it not to be transformed? Isn't that the goal? To receive healing? And then when I pour the same spirit there tomorrow, I like the smell of this thing. Do you you understand what I'm saying?

Yes, sir. The reason why we sink into such things is because we are not growing as we ought, but we have an appearance of spirituality. So we convince ourselves everything is okay. One of those ladies was telling me that I heard God, had an encounter, but yet you are these foolish. All of that doesn't translate to growth if the main thing that should be happening is not happening. Growing into Christ. I'm leaving my teaching too much. Growing into Christ. I testify. I testify.

Your goodness is real. Your goodness is real. Your goodness is So we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God. Into a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. And that means that the goal of God is not merely that you attend church. The goal of God is not merely that you avoid certain sins. The goal of God is not merely that you have a testimony that you gave your life to Christ five years ago. The goal is that you come into the measure, stature, and fullness of Christ. The goal is that there is a kind of man you become in God. The goal is that Christ is no longer the one you worship, but the one whose life is being reproduced in you even as you worship him.

Because as you behold, we should become. In obedience to Christ. Amen. To grow in Christ means that your thinking begins to look like Christ. Your priorities begins to look like Christ. The way you think is not like Christ. So I said that... Have your seat. That growing into maturity means that you begin to think like Christ. I have a teaching on this.

I've forgotten the title of that teaching. Perhaps the media thing can find it for you. Where I spoke about feeling like him. Feeling half time. Thinking half time. Where I explained what it means that he is the way. He is the way we feel. He is the way we see. He is the way we make decisions. Maturity as a believer means that it has become the way you see.

It has become the way you think. It has become your manner of thinking. Your manner of feeling. And your manner of making decisions. It has become your priority. That's what it means to mature in Christ. It means it has become your priority. Your priority begins to look like Christ. And so when your priority looks like Christ, your love life begins to look like Christ. Your love life begin...

It's not difficult for you to love people because you are growing into Christ. Who is love? Whose very nature is love? And you are growing into that nature. You realize that it's easy to... It is easier for you to walk in love. You don't hold offense to every single thing. Small fires don't become wildfires or because you lack wisdom. You know how to overlook. You know how to forgive.

You know how to let go. You know how to not pay attention to everything that people say. That would otherwise hurt you because your capacity for love has increased. You can forgive even when you are hurt. You can forgive and let go even when you are hurt. This is what it means to be mature. This is what it means to grow into Christ. What it means to bring to Christ. The bible says that whatever it is that you have, you have... If you don't have love, you have nothing.

You can speak in the tongues of angels and speak in all kind of manner, languages. But if you have not love, you can prophesy. You can walk in healings and miracles. But if you don't have love, bible speaks of faith. Bible speaks of hope. But the greatest of all of these things, the bible calls love. As a matter of fact, one of the clearest way to measure your maturity is your capacity to love like Christ. Not your capacity to love. You can love like a fool. Where you throw your emotions at people without boundaries.

And people take advantage of you ever and over again. And you think that you are loving like Christ. Because you are preventing yourself to be taken advantage of. Because you lack discernment. Because your love and your kindness has no boundaries and even your emotions have no boundaries whatsoever. So you can ridicule yourself again and again. You are easily trusting of people. Somebody comes to you and tells you, I need 1,000 naira. I need 100,000 naira. I need $250,000 naira.

You just give them because you trust that what they are saying is the truth. And you think, oh, I love like Christ. You might as well be a fool. That's why I am very intentional in my choice of words. Your capacity to love like Christ. To love like Christ. To love like Christ. I can give unfailing examples of this. While we have dissension among believers is because we have not grown into maturity. And so we keep offense in our heart and bitterness in our heart and and all kind of spite.

And the devil can come and sow seeds of discord amongst believers, amongst the brethren because there is no love. If there is love, you will not believe something somebody told you about your older brother just like that. The first thing you would do and then make a decision about them. You at least come and report it to an authority. Pastor, I heard this about this person, and I'm genuinely concerned for this person. That's love. That's that's the language of love. That's the character of love. That's the character of love. It shows in our ability to love like Christ, to be pure like Christ.

Your submission begins to look like Christ. Your prayer life begins to look like Christ. Your handling of pain begins to look like Christ. Your use of power begins to look like Christ. Your dealing with people begins to look like Christ. Your dealings with people. Your dealings with people. Your dealings with people. Your response to temptation begins to look like Christ. Your response to offense begins to look like Christ.

Your signs of purpose begins to look like Christ. You're no longer merely asking what do I want. You are growing into the realm where the dominant question of your life is now what is Christ being formed in me to become. That's why Galatians four verse 19 is one of the deepest scriptures on scriptural formation and spiritual formation. It is my little children of whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you. Until Christ is formed in you. That means heaven measures growth different from men. Men measure growth by visibility, by activity, popularity, eloquence, titles, and all of these things. Whatever measures growth by formation, as Christ being formed in you, is his meekness in you, is his obedience in you, is his brokenness in you. Is his consecration in you.

Is his humility in you. Is his mercy in you. Is his fire in you. Is his truth in you. Is his stability in you. Is his passion in you. This is the teaching that should never at any point feel as though it's not for you. It's for the ones that are just growing. Even pastors need to question themselves. Because you can be on the pulpit holding a microphone, leading an assembly of people, yet you are immature.

Does the bible not say that not make a novice a leader? How many novices therefore are leaders? And how you know novices is that the more you... When you... When we speak about these things, they are the first to say, this does not... In fact, they are the ones who will be seeing other people in their minds as I'm teaching. And then I'm supposed to give an... This person, I hope he's hearing what that... I hope he's hearing. Ah, I hope she's hearing.

Some would even look and say... And then the person they are looking to will look at them and say, what is it? And say, oh, And mhmm. That's how they will not hear. That's how they will not hear. You get them and say, I hope you hear you hear what the bible said. Hear what the bible said. What is it? Is it what was talking about? That's how you know someone who will forever remain an infant.

The proof of maturity is that you are not too big to be corrected. The word of God pierces you. There are people that I speak to, and immediately I speak to them. Oh, I tend to correct them. I stop trying to correct them. Their heart is too hard. It will stress me. You know what God said? You know what God said? I found the revelation.

It was in Genesis six. I said, he... Ah, I saw my mystic. God of heaven and hate said, he will no longer... Genesis six. God came and told man. He said, my spirit will no longer strive with man forever. I said, hey. Why am I now striving? And he's the one that put his spirit in me.

I'm now doing what the spirit is not doing. That means it is the work of the holy... It's not my work. When I got the revelation, I said, I will not strive. I will not strive with anybody. I correct you. You give me one kind of idol. One of my young men took a decision. I told him this is foolish. He said, I give me...

And actually, this is what... No problem. No. Apostle, no problem. I will not strive. He was convinced. No problem. Your eyes in your own eyes. I don't have time. This is what will change a man.

And if the man refuses to be changed, I called one of my own girls. I said, the way you act, you won't marry. You see, how can three brothers report the same thing about you? It means your character. I could tell. I could tell. You don't need a lot of knowledge to know that my words were bouncing back at me. When I was done, she said, thank you, sir. And left. I said, no, Hala.

And I will still be here. And we will still have this conversation again. So let's see if you will chew your tongue. Strive again. Not me. Not me. Not me. Not me. When the word of God speaks to you, the pool of maturity is in the capacity of the word of God who break you every time. You must never, you can never get to that point where the word of God cannot correct you.

That's the assignment of scripture. The Bible says, all scriptures are given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. For number one, read it. Doctrine. Number two is reproof. Number three is is what? Correction. Number four is instruction. It means if the only thing that you think scriptures would do to you is give you doctrine. Just teach you, you know, Christ was on the cross and he died for your sins.

And you are saved. You are the righteous of God in Christ Jesus. Glory. That's the one you like. And when it comes to say, oh, foolish Galatians. You say, because you can't correct me. How can I be corrected by scripture? You close your mind to the correction of scripture. I wrote something I said. I said this many years ago.

That when the bible says, if any man lacks wisdom, let him ask. The problem is never in the asking. The problem is in realizing you lack. Because nobody will tell you you lack wisdom. You say thank you. You will argue. You will be hungry. You will insult them. You will say, what is it, sir? One of my daughters came to me yesterday and told me, I was to...

This pastor called me a fool. I said, in my mind, I said, let me... I didn't want to escalate the situation. So I'd known and they said, but you are a fool. But it is true. That's the problem. Because nobody says thank you. So the first challenge is not asking. It's a man that realizes he lacks that ask. Because the bible says if anybody lacks wisdom, that means you must first admit.

You must first realize. I'm not acting like someone who is wise. The consistency of my behavior shows I might not be too wise. I keep falling for the same mistakes over and over again, and I've been corrected several years. I might not be too wise. But if the word of God cannot correct you, if you cannot be vulnerable to the word of God enough to be broken at every instance of correction, you will forever remain an infant. Why did I say that? Because Yoruba will say. That. If you're not Yoruba, tell somebody beside me to interpret what I'm going to It's not.

It's. It means it is in the heart of a small child that you'll find the greatest madness. You know, I heard this thing so much from my mother. I know it was a scripture again. I even love this one. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child. And they are the ones you keep on correcting and correcting. That's how you know they are foolish. It's a symptom of foolishness. So is it an insult?

It's not. It's not. I told someone, you are wrong. You can say, I can't see how I'm wrong. Okay. No problem. Glory to God. Amen. It was after hours of sitting down in my car to show you how you are wrong from scriptures. But you cannot see.

If the word of God cannot make you see, who am I? Who am I? Mortar man. How you know that you are growing maturely is that at every point in time, the word of God can correct you. And when it comes, what it means is a broken heart. The Bible says a broken and a contrite heart. A broken and a contrite spirit, Something you must never lose. It's the proof of maturity. A bendable heart, a malleable heart, a heart that can be crushed. Not a heart that frowns at collection.

A heart that can receive instruction. Don't do this. And you don't feel as though you are wise in your own eyes. It's the proof of maturity. It says when you were young, you could go anywhere you want to go. But as you grow up, you will need somebody to hold your hands. It means it is maturity to realize that you don't have all the wisdom. Is maturity. But what do you want to do? I wanna exhibit wisdom.

I wanna try. You want to explore. You want to... It's the symptom of a child. It shows they're not growing. The more you mature, one of the things you will realize is that you don't have time. And because you don't have time, you cannot be everywhere. It means you would be after the things that matter. You want to do only what matters. You don't have time to use your life to experiment.

And you don't trust your decisions as well because you know that you are still refining and fine tuning your hearing God. People come to me and tell me, apostle, God told me. And when they tell me what God told them, I know God cannot tell them. Because you have not grown. So you don't know the character of God from scripture. And by I have not grown, I mean you have not read the bible enough to understand what the character of God is. So I don't have to be there when God spoke to you enough to know it wasn't God you heard. All I need to know is I have read scriptures enough to know what God can say, what he cannot say. It's like you know me. I know what I can say.

If somebody comes to you and says, ah, you know, apostle told me, called me by 2AM in the night. That's the forgiven thing. Apostle called you. She won't be surprised apostle called you. There... There's a lot of common already. The time... The the fact that you were called... You know, are you supposed to call you? You see, yes.

Now he called me. He was even asking, have I hit him? Somebody who knows me will realize that if you ask me, have I eaten? I will now come and I'm so jobless. Is is what you had supposed to... And I I felt so uncomfortable, you know, the way he talking was to me. Am I 18? Am I... Am I... What am I?

Am I okay? What am I wearing? Nah. How am I supposed to be talking like that to me? Can you believe that? Now somebody... Listen. It takes somebody who does not know apostle to say, what? A man of God will behave like that? A man of God will act like that, and they will go around with a foolish narrative and start spreading up cannibalize.

But someone who knows will realize this is it. You... Whoever called you, even if the person has apostle Emmanuel Bolu Atifa at the back of his name, you can be sure it wasn't him you heard. That's exactly what knowing God means. The problem is that we know about God in the same way you know about a man, but you don't know God. So people come with all kind of narratives and say, hey, God spoke to me. I heard God. Come on now. This same God we know, this same God revealed in scriptures. The more you grow, the more your mind cannot shake.

Somebody came to me. I was with my wife, and we're we're going to restaurants. I had packed my car. Came out of the car waiting for my wife and she came out and the story ran to me and said, hey, hey, hey, very arrogantly and very violently. And I was trying to just escape the place and caught up with me and your your creator sent me to you. I I I don't know, but last time I checked, he was still there. He was still within me. I want to check. Did he go? Holy ghost, are you still there?

I mean, I checked this wall and they say, not leave me. Will not forsake me. They will be in me and with me forever. So where... Come he quickly took a break and now overtook you and then as though you are the one that you will send to me in a very aggressive manner. Tell whoever sent to, I'm more interested. Be be careful. I don't want to hear what he has to say because because I'm not ignorant of how he speaks. Let that Aaron just say. Oh, you see a believer?

Right there, he will go on his knees. Speak to me, sir. Oh, Jesus. Carry your business elsewhere. All the big money, go and make money elsewhere. Don't come with someone who who... Come on now. But when you refuse to grow, you will be manipulated. You be deceived in that manner. What did they do for these things?

To get money. And so many people are making fake profits rich. 100,000, $250,000, 300,000, and they buy different things. They call my heart. You see, intention of God was not just to rescue you from hell. The intention of God was to conform you to the image of his son. In Romans eight and verse 29, the bible makes this very clear. The bible says for whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn amongst many brethren. You see, so this was a thing that was ordained from the beginning. And it's very powerful because it shows you that your destiny in God is not merely a thing of career, a thing of marriage, ministry, wealth, or influence.

All of these things are secondary. That your highest destiny is Christ likeness. And that the fourth agenda of God in your life is not to make you famous. It's to make you like Jesus. It's not even to make you get a job. It's to make you like Jesus. It is possible to become visible without becoming like Christ. It's possible to become influential without becoming like Christ. It's possible to become gifted without becoming like Christ. But true growth is that the invincible work of God on your inner man becomes so profound that Christ begins to find expression through your personality, through your decisions, through your conduct, through your burdens, through your appetites, through your convictions, Christ can find expression.

Are you with me, brothers and sisters? So to grow into Christ is to submit to the lifelong journey of becoming all that Jesus has made available to you. It is to move from canality into spirituality, from instability into rootedness, from self rule into surrender, from childishness into stature, putting away these things of the child from those fleshly appetites into holy alignment with God, from just empty confessions into into embodied realities in the spirit. It is to come into the realm where Christ is not just around your life. He's expressed in and through your life. And this is the true proof of Christianity. It's not activity. It's not noise. It's not vibes. It's not excitement.

It's not hype. It's not just church attendance. It's not just ring and groove and all these things that we now do and think that church is. It is for mission. Christ seen in you. Christ heard in you. Christ discerned in you. Christ trusted in you. Christ expressed in you. So the real question tonight is not whether you are around Christ, but not whether you have heard about Christ.

It's not whether you know about Christ. It's not whether you sing about Christ. It's not whether you serve in church. It's not whether you are in a particular department or even whether you're a Christian. The real question is, are you growing into Christ? Are you becoming more and more like Christ? Are you maturing into Christ? Is there a measurable resemblance in your life between your life now and your life when you started? Has there been measurable change? Has there been measurable growth with respect to transformation, with respect to character, with respect to the fruitfulness of your life, with respect to the death of the flesh?

Because Christianity was never designed to stop at conversion. It was designed to continue into formation until Christ is formed in you. But most people were merely converted, but not formed. Get my teaching, Christian or convert. It wasn't meant to stop at conversion. There's a process that continues after conversion, which is formation. Can't still be alive to your flesh in the way that you are. You can't still be driven by canality in the way that you are and then say that you are a Christian because the word Christian is a descriptive word. It's not just an identity. What did I say?

Now some people might fight me for this perhaps, but it's a functional word. Why did I say it's a functional word? Because it wasn't the name that was given to believers at conversion. If it was a name of identity, then it would have been a name that was given at conversion, Like the way you bear your name, the way you bear Kunle. You did nothing to bear Kunle. You were only born. So the name is a function of your identity. But when we had doctor Kunle to your name, you weren't called doctor because you were born. That's a functional name. Do you understand what I'm saying?

You went through a process before having qualified to become a doctor. That name is not to identify you anymore. It's to describe particular function even though it has been largely insulted right now. Because right now, anybody can be a doctor. Glory to God. But there are people that actually went through the process of sharpening their mentality and their minds until certain titles we are awarded to them that qualifies them to be named in that manner. That's why some of them become angry when you don't have called them by the title because there was work that went into that name. Are you with me? At the same way, work went into being called a Christian. It was after discipleship in Antioch, the disciples were called Christians.

There were things that were seen in their lives. They were... In fact, the Jerusalem taught us existed for years. Nobody called anybody Christian. Are you with me? Yes, sir. It's not just a name of identity. Right now, that's all there is to it. But you're a Christian only because you bear a name. It's more than that.

It's more than that. It should be seen that something is dying in you. Something is dying... Your lust for material things is dying. It should be obvious. It should be obvious. I was having a discussion with my wife, and I told her, I said... And and she was just speaking to me as well, and we're discussing about certain things we've observed. And I told her, I said, some people are only ever conscious about giving to God and his kingdom. When they are poor, the moment there is an appearance of the blessing, An appearance of the blessing.

Not the blessing. They will do the barest minimum for the kingdom. And that barest minimum that they are doing is so that they can satisfy their conscience. Let it not look like I did not do anything. They do the barest minimum and then spend majority of the income that comes to them on their own lust. But because there is a barest minimum being done for the kingdom, nobody can tell them that, ah, because they will point at something to you. It is a state of self deception. Because what you press to be is still very alive to his flesh. Still very alive to his flesh. And before some money enters the person's hand, oh, God, we will give to your kingdom.

Millions to your kingdom. Hand us a taste, just a taste of what is possible, And you will be amazed at what becomes their priority. Their priority shifts instantly. It's no longer kingdom. Kingdom is now being number three. Their life is now number one. Their ambition is number two. Because money has come. So it is easy to arrange your priority as Christ when you are still looking for things. When the things start coming, what will still keep you grounded?

What will still keep you grounded? What will still keep you grounded. I have plenty personal goals and ambitions. Plenty. Plenty things I want to do. Plenty things I want to build. Plenty things I am building that requires finances. But my priority ever remains the kingdom. It ever remains the kingdom. Every other thing is secondary.

The promise he gave to me is that if I would seek after his kingdom, all those things will be handed on to me. He never said I should seek after those things. So when I have means to do those things and the kingdom also has a need, I will never put my need above the kingdom. I will never do. I will never do. Those that know me know this. I will never do. I was speaking to a man of God. Whilst he was telling me about this conference he was having, I wanted to give to the conference. And I thought, what could I do?

And I was asking him because I didn't have the means at the moment. So just felt to relieve him of some stress by providing for him what he would have spent hundreds of thousands getting with money. I'm doing so, you know, for the ministry because that was my involvement. If I could do more than that, I would do more than that. Desperate is not my church. Desperate is not my church. He was thanking me and calling me and saying, apostle, you can't imagine how much burden you lifted off us. That's why God will bless me. While he was saying that I still felt I could do more or I should be able to do more. But just that the means wasn't there at that moment.

But that's why some of us will remain eternally blessed because we do not measure our success by what we gather now. You see these gatherings there, we will gather it all. We are not stupid to spend on God. Yes, sir. We're not stupid. It is people who are immature that would think that our lavish lifestyle on the kingdom is a waste. And there will always be people like that. The disciples were like that. When they saw a woman come to Jesus and took a year's wage. I don't have time to open the scripture to you.

Took a year's wage of perfume and broke it at Jesus' feet and used her hair to clean it. And you would see their discontentment. You would see their disapproval of what the woman had done. How would you take a year's salary and give it to Jesus? And they were saying, can you not go and buy things to the poor? Can you not go and give... I don't know people who are hungry as though they are really concerned about the poor. As though they are really concerned about the... If you are concerned about the poor, why not spend your money on the poor? Why not spend your money on the poor?

Why is it my money you are concerned about how I spend it? Don't you have money? You are working, they pay your salary. Why don't you carry the salary and give the poor? Since you are so passionate about the poor. Now you see somebody doing something for God and then you have an opinion about it. It will always exist. People will think that in time they are foolish. But believe me, we are not. Believe me, we are not.

It's only a matter of time. It's only a matter of time. Because everything that they go around pursuing that make us look like fools when we are not pursuing. Those who pursued after it whilst we were pursuing the kingdom will bring those things to our feet. And they would say, apostle, we pursued after these things but we have seen divinely in it. We desire what you have. This thing I have. Why you were pursuing this thing? I was pursuing it. And they would bring the treasure of this world.

Lay it at the feet of the apostles. And so that the kingdom that we pursued, the life we pursued, they can have it taste of it. A man of God was sharing a story with us of how when he was a student and he was doing ministry and God wouldn't go and do a crusade. He won a scholarship and he penned the entire scholarship on the crusade. Even his... Everybody thought he was stupid. Those who were aware. Because he already knew that people would not support it, so he didn't bother telling people. But those who were aware that he got a scholarship thought he was stupid. I mean, you need a laptop.

You need things for your... And you are depending on crusade. Won't you rather buy a laptop? Your project is coming. Your this is coming. That man of God now is a proselytoma. How many laptops we cannot buy? It is only in that moment we look stupid. It's only in that moment. And it's because they cannot see further than that.

It's a limitation of humanity to only see on a linear base. So we look fool... We look like fools we waste on the kingdom. We look like fools that we don't know what we are doing. It was only a matter of time. It's only a matter of time. Many years ago, General Some of you might know him. Was looking for money, himself and his wife, to, I think, to move into their... To rent the house, something like that. And the money they were looking for, he mentioned the amount of money was not up to one millionaire.

And while he was praying, God put it in his heart. Give your first million. This was many years ago. This was around thousand and six or so. So you can imagine what 1,000,000 was then. Was it 6? I can't even remember. Yeah. Around that period. He said he told his wife.

So I said, oh, glory to God. You marry a good wife. The wife said glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God. If you marry a foolish wife, how you would know you marry a foolish wife? Is that the first thing you have about the house. You know, we are... There's no house. I'm not saying you're not yet God though.

I'm just saying, you know, when I married you, you told me that we will not... Remember what we told you what you told me? You say we will not suffer. You say we will not. How about the house now? How about this? It's not better to get a good house so that we can raise our children there, look at this place where I live. That's not what you told me. Now instead of moving, you're not telling me, God said we should give our first 1,000,000. What is that?

I'm not saying we should not, but there's time for everything. I'm not saying you should not do that. I'm just telling you that it's time for everything. And we we should know, you know, what is priority. Even God will not be angry with you for prioritizing your family because, you know, it's God that said man shall leave his. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. They did.

Glory to God. That was response of the wife. Glory to God. Glory to God. Oh, thank you, Lord. The money comes. Thank you. You know where the money comes? And they were gathering money together. When was a million they gave?

They gave another... Their giving was as though they had received a million and gave. No. It was strenuous gathering. Streinous gathering. Because when when people hear, oh, I gave my first million, they think that the money just entered fume, and I gave it. Sometimes we stretch. A believer that doesn't know how to stretch will not know fit. Sometimes we stretch. We stretch to do many of the things we do for God.

We stretch ourselves. That was what the freedom of awakening was. It was a stretch. Wasn't because there was an abundance of millions of money somewhere. Every single thing shook all my accounts. Everything shook into pieces. After my wife and I emptied all our accounts, then we're checking. Maybe I still have money somewhere I don't know about. Ah, I opened an account in 2019. Let me check how much is there.

I think we... Oh, there's one. There's one. Let me check. You wouldn't believe that this one I have here, they have some amount of money. Empty. Empty. Empty. It's the work of God we stretch for. We don't stretch for our personal needs.

There's nothing to stretch for. So when people see us do these things, think, that guy is rich. We are rich. We are rich. We are very rich. You can't imagine. But the time will come when what looked big yesterday, we will look at three years from now and say, my goodness, that looks so big then. In the same way we look at our Bardina pictures and say, look at where we were. That looks so big then. I can remember when we were in Bardina.

It was a classroom. It was a classroom. We would have, like, 30 people inside the class, and then we have overflow outside of four rows of chairs outside, and you can't imagine the joy. We will say, hey. There is overflowing church today. Workers will come together and will be excited that eight chairs that we put outside the window was filled. This is exactly how we will look back some one year from now, some two years from now, some three years from now. I will look at pictures and videos we took of which when we were inside it looked like the whole world. We will stand further closer to our destiny and now look at where we were coming from. And I say, hey.

Ah ah, guy. How did we ever think that that was big? Who do big things and those who do things that is small scale. We could do that meeting very small. We don't have to do many of the things we did that cost us millions of naira. We don't have to do it. If we do not put the screens there, we'll still have done the meeting. If we didn't get line and analyst speakers, we'll still have done the meeting. You will not see, but you will hear. And we tell you, it doesn't matter whether you can see us.

I don't know that can hear us. The power of God will touch you. And it will touch you. The point is that we did not have to do. Do you understand what I'm saying? That's the difference between a small man and a great man. Small men do things in the easiest way possible, in the boundaries of their small indentations because they cannot see how tight the scope of their smallness. But when a man has a great mind, the things God will tell you to, you will need to stretch for it. But the time comes, you will so stretch like rubber band. You reach a point you cannot go back to the way you were.

You know what that means? That means it was a stretch. It was a stretch. It was a stretch. A time will come, you will be deformed. The stretch will break you. You can't go back again. That means what was a stretch has now become your normal point. That's the meaning. That's the meaning.

What was a stretch? You can't return. You can't return again. So when... 1,000,000 will be a stretch. 1,000,000 will be stretch. Now 1,000,000 is offering. Yes, sir. We stretch. We stretch.

And what we're we're talking about is just a millionaire. Now when you say I'm stretching, what I'm talking about is now in billions. We're never never prioritizing prioritizing canality. Canality. Never Never prioritizing prioritizing the the flesh. Flesh. Never Never prioritizing the flesh. It's thy kingdom come. Don't lose that thing. Don't don't start building an empire for yourselves the moment you touch money first.

It's not your priority. Thy kingdom come. Thy kingdom come. Learn to place kingdom above your needs. It's not a foolish advice. It is the way that wealth in this kingdom is built. It's the way that wealth in this kingdom is built. Prioritize kingdom. Don't be a rebellious animal. Be a sheep.

Prioritize kingdom so that your lifting will be sustained. Don't taste small money and rebel in your heart. Don't do that to yourself. Where God is taking you to is bigger than that. How much have you seen? How much have you seen? How much have you seen? God lifted one of my sons and started collecting an income, you know, multiple figures. And they were raising a particular amount of money in his apartment, Silly amount of money. And he was the one doing the fundraising.

And my wife came to come and show me. The money was left with 1,200 naira or something like that. And he was come to the group to come and say, made 1,200. He made 1,200. He made 1,200. Guys, guys, you can do this. You can ask him, what? Don't be like this. It's not profitable to you. How much have you seen?

What have you experienced? Eyes up on your feet. Thank you for listening to this message. We trust you have been blessed. You can get more life transforming messages from apostle Emmanuel Boluatife on our Telegram page at DCN media channel. You can also stream the messages on Spotify, Ocho Mac, and Apple Podcast. Connect with us via our social media platforms on Instagram at DCN underscore nations, on Facebook at disciples christian network, on X at DCM Central and on TikTok at Disciples Christian Network. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel at Disciples Television. If you have a testimony from this message, you can mail us at disciplecngmail dot com. God bless you.