Transcript: Preparing for Apostolic Meetings Part 1

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The entrance of God's word gives light. It gives understanding even to the simple. Sharper than any two edged sword, it discerns the thoughts and the intents of the heart. The word of God shapes, it heals, it corrects, it instructs, and it transforms. An apostle Emmanuel Obolo Atefei has been given a mandate from God to propagate the gospel of the kingdom and to raise an army of kingdom minded believers. Men who will be movers and shakers across all spheres and across all mountains of influence. Kingdom minded believers scattered across all the mountains of influence. All the mountains of influence. Sitting on the thrones of this world, holding the pillars of dominion, movers and shakers. That's what you are becoming.

A kingdom minded army moving into conquering business, moving into entertainment and conquer entertainment, moving into all structure of influence. And like David with the 400 men in the cave, he's raising an army of mighty men, not just in the numbers, but in quality of men who can be sent to arouse heaven's mandate upon the earth. This is where mighty men are made. So join us every Tuesday for believers equip and be a part of the making of great and mighty men. Let's start from verse three. And Mothis went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain saying, thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel, you have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to me above all the people. Glory to God. Glory. Above all the people.

For all the earth is mine. And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. So Moses came and called for the elders of the people and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded in. Then all the people answered together and said, all who that the Lord has spoken, we will do. So Moses brought the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, behold, I come to you in the thick cloud that the people may hear when I speak with you and believe you forever. So Moses the words of the people to the Lord. Then the Lord said to Moses, go to the people and consecrate them today. And tomorrow.

And let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day, the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Glory to God. Amen. Joshua chapter three verse five and Joshua said to the people, sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders amongst you. Can we read it together once more? One, two, three, go. Is it the same thing in Exodus 19? Verse 10 that we read, the Lord said to Moses, go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow.

Let them wash and let them be ready. For on the third day, the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus. Amen. Precious holy spirit, we ask that you open the eyes of understanding. Amen. Speak to each and one of us. Amen. Communicate your hearts to us.

Amen. And let us receive the depth of your word. Amen. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Thank you be Lord because you've answered our prayers. In Jesus name we have prayed. From those two scriptures you've read, there's something instructional that we see. There are days and there are days. There are days in which God draws near to a people in a specific way or in a particular way.

There are gatherings and there are gatherings that carry a divine appointment. There are seasons in which God decides to confront a people or to reveal himself to a people or to awaken a people or to heal a people or to redirect a people or to even bring a people into another phase of his purpose. And the Bible calls such moments times of visitation. Remember that scripture when Jesus looked at Jerusalem and wept in Luke chapter 19 from verse 41 is where he said Jesus wept over the city. Now as he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it. The next verse, saying, if you had known, even you, especially in this day, the things that make for your peace, but now they are hidden from your eyes. Next verse. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you, and close you in on every side, and level you and your children within you to the ground. And they will not leave in you one stone upon another because you did not know the time of your visitation. All these wolves will come upon this city because they did not know the time of their visitation.

The problem wasn't that God visit... Wasn't that God did not visit them, right? The problem was that that visitation came, that hour came, that time came. But they did not know it. They couldn't recognize it. They couldn't tell it. They couldn't discern it. Jesus is telling that story and he's telling that story to show that in the same way that God told folks in the old testament that there is a particular time that God decides to come and reveal himself amidst a people. And then he instructs that people or those people to prepare for that time. In the same way, Jesus tells this particular city that in the time that God decided to reveal himself to this city, they did not know the hour of their visitation.

They did not know the time of their visitation. Are you with me? Yes, sir. The Bible called it moment of visitation. Glory to God. Heaven came but their hearts were far away. The answer to generations of prophecy walked into their city. But because they treated him as ordinary, they missed the very thing that God has prepared for them. Which bothers me because it means that it is possible for a man to have been prophesying a particular reality. It is possible for a man to have been praying for a particular reality.

And in the day that the hour of his visitation comes for which he should enter into the experience of that which he has been praying for, he doesn't know. Or he misses it. Or he just couldn't discern it. Are you with me? It is possible for God to visit a people and for some people within that environment to miss the visitation. It is possible to sit in the atmosphere of an encounter without personally encountering God yourself. It is possible to be present physically and absent in what is happening spiritually. You remember Jacob? He slept at Bethel. He saw the ladder.

He encountered God there. And when he woke up, what was his testimony? In 28 and verse 16 of Genesis, it says, surely the Lord is in this place, And I did not know it. That was someone's moment of encounter. That was someone's hour of visitation. And what the person says is, the Lord is in this place. And I did not know it. Glory to God. Amen. Reminds me again of when Jesus had that encounter and the voice came speaking from heaven saying, this is my beloved son.

Jesus speaking says that that voice did not come for Jesus particularly, but for those who were present with him at that time. They were the ones that needed to hear the information that came from heaven. That that encounter was for them and not for Jesus. The proclamation of this is my beloved son, when it came the second time in the ministry of Jesus did not come for Jesus. It came for the people. But the Bible says that when the encounter came, when the voice spoke from heaven, the people who were there couldn't hear anything. What they heard was lightning. Even though there was a properly articulated voice that was speaking, what they said they heard was lightning. And when they heard lightning, some people started theorizing what had happened. Some said, maybe an angel appeared to him.

Others called it another phenomenon. People started giving words to what had happened to him. But when Jesus would speak, Jesus said that this did not happen because of me. It happened because of you. But those that happened because of, or those that happened for their sake, couldn't hear nothing. All they heard was thunder. All they heard was a sound. Glory to God. Glory. Thank you, Jesus.

In that story of Jacob, God was there before Jacob became conscious of his presence. So the sacredness of the moment did not depend on Jacob's awareness. But Jacob could not profit from that moment because he could not recognize nor discern what was happening in that moment. I'm telling you that it is possible for a man to miss his moment of visitation. It is possible for a man to miss his time of visitation. His moment of an encounter. His time of destiny collision. The time when God has proposed for a man to be shot into destiny. It is possible for a man to miss his work. It is possible for a man to miss destiny in that manner.

Thank you Jesus. Manifest conference is coming. It's our annual conference. But it is not... We mustn't get to that point where we become familiar with it. Because familiarity with a meeting will destroy the value that you place upon it. The fact that we gather every year does not mean that we are repeating the same meeting every year. It's the same thing for Sunday services and believers equipped meetings like that. It's the same thing. When you become familiar with a prophetic gathering, you will lose value for that gathering.

And the moment you lose value for that gathering, you will ultimately miss your moment of encounter. You have to realize that there's an assignment upon every meeting that happens in the disciples Christian network. In fact, every spiritual meeting, not just in the disciples Christian network, but if a meeting is spiritual in its context, and God is the one who authored that meeting. Right? There is an assignment that meeting is supposed to carry out in the lives of everybody who attends it. Are you with me? Yes, sir. And there's an anointing that is connected to the assignment. There are things that God has consistently done with us through this conference. And there are things he intends to do this year that he has never done before.

And every conference, every time we have this conference, I've seen remarkable shift with us as a ministry. But more importantly, even with individuals who attend the conference, who are able to benefit, who are able to receive the fullness of what God has planned that conference. Glory to God. And I think it is important to prepare every single one of us so that we don't lose value for the conference and so that we benefit maximally for the conference. In the same way that God instructed Moses and Joshua to prepare the people for his coming. The instruction to Moses was, you have two days for the people to consecrate themselves. Because on the third day, I am coming. You see the same thing with Joshua. And for those who were not prepared in this manner, you see how they missed their moment of encounters. Are you still with me?

Thank you Jesus. Hebrews chapter one and verse 14. The Bible says, are they not all ministering spirits? Sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation. Ministering spirits, they are speaking of angels. So the Bible describes angels as ministering spirits. In Psalm 103 verse 20, the Bible says, Bless the Lord, you his angels. Who excel in strength. Who do his word. Heeding the voice of his word.

So the Bible speaks of angels who do his word. Who heed the voice of his word. And in Hebrews that we read, the Bible calls them ministering spirits. So throughout scripture, when God initiates assignments, there are angels and angelic activities corresponding to what he's doing at that moment in time. When Daniel prayed an angel was sent to Daniel with an answer in Daniel chapter 10 verse 12. When Peter was imprisoned and the church prayed an angel entered into the prison to bring him out. In acts chapter 12, at the birth of Jesus Christ, that assignment that God was doing in that time attracted an eruption of angelic proclamation and praise as well. Don't get me wrong. We don't worship angels. We don't build our faith around angels.

But we understand that the invincible realm is active whenever God is executing his purposes. Whenever God gives a man an assignment, he releases and dispatches the ministry of angels to carry out or to heed in carrying out the demand of that assignment. Are you with me? Yes sir. So if God says for instance, Psalm one zero three shows us that these angels do his word. So when God releases his word concerning a meeting, when God related what he wants to do concerning a people, there are angels that are dispatched to ensure and to guarantee that what God intends to do find expression. So if angels excel in strength and do his word and heed the voice of his word, then in Psalm one zero seven verse 20, when the bible says that he sent his word and his word healed them, you will then understand that angels, look at that, he sent his word and it healed them and delivered them from their destructions. And the bible says in Psalm one zero three verse 20, that angels do his word. It would then tell you that when his word is sent, what causes actioning are the angels dispatched to do the word? Are you with me?

So we are not careless believers. We understand the ministry of angels. We are spiritual people, and we understand that angels are released. Angels are on assignment when God related his word. Glory to God. Amen. So the moment the word of this meeting is released, there are angels and assignment specific to the meeting. When God told Moses that he would send him to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt into the promised land, there were angels on assignment. There were angels on assignment. The angel of the Lord is mentioned again and again in the story of Israel from their dawning from Egypt into the promised land.

So there are specific consignment of angels to the manifest conference, even to the experience, even to the believers equipped that we have. For those specific meetings, there are there are... The angel on assignment are always different. So it's not the same meeting. That's my point. The anointing for the meeting is always different. What happens on a Sunday is different from what happens on a Tuesday. In the same way, it's different from what happens on a manifest conference. That meeting happens only once in a year. There are specific deposits that God intentionally makes available for that meeting.

There are dimensions of the anointing that God specifically makes available for that meeting. Glory to God. Dimensions of the anointing. Dimensions of graces that God specifically makes available for that meeting. It is the way that God operates. It it it means that it is very much possible to have been around for Sunday services and and and you're faithful, and then you come for manifest conference, and then something you've been placing to God as an expectation on experience services and and believers group services, you come and manifest conference and your word comes. And the miracle happens right there. And somebody wonder... You see, the oppression in meetings like that are always different. Because the provisions are different.

Glory to God. Glory. The provisions are what now? Are different. And believers must be taught to place value or moments of encounters. Thank you, Jesus. And there are three stages to profiting from an encounter. Meetings like this, moments of visitation. There are three stages to profiting from them. Let me call them three stages to profiting from moments of visitation.

I would prefer that to encounters. Glory to God. Amen. There's what you do before the moment. What you do during the moment, and what you do after the moment. A lot of people think that everything depends on what happens whilst the minister is preaching or ministering. But scripture teaches us and shows us that what happens before the encounter will often time determines what the person receives during the encounter. It's the reason why we have to do the work of preparing ourselves for encounters, preparing ourselves for moment of visitations. The same rain can fall on different grounds and produce different results on different grounds because the condition of the ground is different. If you want a desired result when rain falls on the ground, it's your responsibility to prepare the ground before the rain falls.

Are you with me? Yes, sir. No wise person will start creating channels to divert the flow of rain when the rain is falling. What you want the rain... What you want the ground to do when the rain falls is prepared before the rain falls. Are you with me? Yes. Reminds me of Genesis. The bible says that God had not caused rain to fall upon the ground because there was no man to till the ground. So everything doesn't depend on what happens when the minister is preaching.

There's the preparation that goes into what we do before the visitation itself comes. There are hearts that must be prepared before the visitation comes. Glory to God. In Luke chapter eight from verse 17, Jesus says something there. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Next verse, therefore, I want you to read this with me everybody. Hold on. Hold on. That's the word I want you to see. Just the first line.

Read it again. Note that Jesus did not say take heed what you hear. What did he say? What does that imply? How you hear? That the condition in which a man receives the word affects what the word produces in the man. It don't take take heed what you hear, it says take it how. What is the condition in which the word found you? What was the state of your heart when the word found you? Matthew 13, the bible speaks of the sower.

When he went to sow, and the bible speaks of four different kinds of heart. And it typifies them as soils that were present when the man was sowing. And the word of God that was sown in this different kind of heart had different results. Not based on the quality of the word that was planted. The word that was planted was consistent. The word that was planted was the same. What was different was those that the word was planted in. And the Bible speaks of the soil as the heart of those who listen to the word. So if we do not prepare our hearts to listen to the word, it means even when the word is planted, it will not yield results. I'm saying all of this to tell you that the preparation for an encounter, the preparation for a visitation is a principle that is scattered all through scripture.

Glory to God. Glory. And the reason for that emphasis is because I like to base what I'm sharing with us on scripture. Thank you, Jesus. So what I'm gonna do today is basically to help us with what do we do? What are the things that we must do? And give a set of instructions that every man must begin to live by leading to the manifest conference. But not just the manifest conference. On a microscopic level, every meeting that you come for. It becomes how you prepare for moments of encounters.

That if I know that God has sent a word for me and to me on a Sunday, then I show up like that. I show up prepared like someone waiting to receive. Do you understand what I'm saying? Thank you, Jesus. Three instances. The first one, imagine with me that you are sent to Songo or that junction over there, really. Let me use a busy junction. Let's use Songo over there. And you are told, go there. You're not given anything to go and do there, just go there.

So you go there. What do you do? You just stand there and you wait. Is that not so? But what if you are told, second instance, go there and wait. Someone will give you an envelope. But will it change how you wait? What do you think will be the difference between the waiting of the first man and the second man? Okay. Wait.

A third instance. What if I now tell you, go to Songguo and wait. Someone in a red cloth will give you an envelope. Does it make what you're expecting for more specific Yes, sir. And more direct? Yes. What are the chances that you would find someone in a red cloth? But if you're told that someone will give an envelope, what are the chances you would find someone that would... That is holding specifically an envelope? Do you get my point now?

What I'm trying to show you is this. The information you had beforehand would prepare you and determine precisely precisely how you would wait for what you are expecting to receive. Is that not so? It will prepare you. That means that if you have all this information beforehand, you wouldn't go to some go sitting down there. Do you agree with me? There's a way you'd be looking. There's a way you'll be scanning. There's a way you'll be watching. Who exactly is wearing a red clothe?

Are you with me? The first person I told just go there. Can go there and sit down. Can go there and sleep. Can go there and do whatever. Is that not so? Is an information that you have beforehand that determines how you prepare for what you intend to receive. Are you with me? Which I think is your chances of even receiving something? It works a similar way in the spiritual realm.

Glory to God. It works a similar way. It's why the bible says take it how you hear. Take it what condition your heart is in. What must you do in preparing for moments of visitation? What must you do? What must you do? Many years ago, we would teach... I was in a fellowship then of young people, just students writing an international exam. There was a conference we used to have then, an annual conference as well.

We call it the the fire conference. We started that conference for a particular reason. There was a word that God gave. I remember I was praying when I received the idea and the vision behind the conference. And I called those that I was with. And we're coordinating the fellowship together then, shared it with them. They all bought it, received, caught the same spirit of that vision. Note, the moment the vision came, that's an assignment. Is that not so? The vision for what the conference would do was the assignment of the conference.

Let me explain what I'm saying. So people come usually into the fellowship, spend about six months in the school, and it's a school that brings them into the fellowship, by the way. So when they come to the school, most of them are in the hostels, some come day students, but then there is a fellowship. The fellowship gives them access to the word of God, the power of God prayers, and most of them come like this on ground level. But before they leave, they've been set on fire. They've been put on a course of destiny, and they shoot out. And we saw over the years that many of them after some while lose what they received. Their life after. You wouldn't know that they were once a part of a revival. They just disperse and lose the fire.

So as I was praying, it became a burden in my heart. And I said, you know what? Let's have this meeting that only holds when people are about to pass out. And the assignment of the meeting is simple. It would be to solidify everything that has happened in six months in the heart of these people. And we'll call it the fire conference. The assignment is simple. They catch the fire in that meeting. Could there be impartations? Then they are taught how to sustain the fire.

Are you with me? Yes sir. Today I'll be teachings. So it was two things basically. Fire must be caught. Principles for sustaining the fire must be taught. Are you with me? That assignment would determine the kind of ministers we would invite. So if we were inviting ministers, will be scanning for who can distribute fire. You you understand what I'm trying to say?

Because an assignment has been given. It it wasn't just an emotional thing. There is a reason and a vision behind the thing. We didn't just sit down to say, let's organize something. Do you know how much it would cost to organize a conference? You think anybody is going to throw money away? There's a reason why we organize a threatened awakening. And we do everything. We go all out because there's an assignment behind it. Are you with me?

Alongside that assignment is the ministry of angels. That's what I'm telling you. So the moment the word was released, that this is what God intends to do for students who come here and the last time they're about to go, when they are finishing their exams, organize a conference, pow, the power God comes upon them, seals up what has happened, and then they are taught how to keep it. Angels are dispatched to ensure that when that meeting comes, those angels are the only ones you see. Do do you understand what I'm saying? Those angels are not the ones who function every time we have a fellowship meeting. Those ones were dispatched from heaven for that assignment itself. So when those ones come, they will come with coals of fire. Their their appearance will be, you see? Glory to God.

When those ones come, it will be obvious that these ones are fearing. They come carrying out the mandate of the meeting. They come carrying out the assignment of the meeting. The idea is that angels are sent to do his work. So if this is the reason why God said let us begin to gather people for this purpose, There are angels released specifically for that purpose. The word manifest in scripture is the word to make manifest. The bible says in the book of Romans eight and verse 19. Let me show you something. Glory to God. Glory God.

To make manifest. The idea carries something that was previously hidden but is now being revealed. There is another word for that which is apocalypses in scripture. But this word manifest, manifest. Manifestation or revealing can be apocalypses. Many a times, but the sudden appearance of something that was previously hidden is oftentimes used in scripture as the word in the Greek. It's what you see in Mark four twenty two, what you see in first Timothy as well, three sixteen. Mark four says for there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed. The word revealed, there's the word manifest. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?

Yes sir. First Timothy says that without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was what? Manifested in the flesh. Manifested in the flesh. Are you with me? Yes sir. So it's the word to make manifest. Romans eight verse 19 speaks about the manifestation. The revealing of sons.

Are you with me? The word revealing there used in actually the word apocalypses but carry the same idea as the word to make manifest. Glory to God. So the idea and the vision behind this, which is what informed a monthly service we used to hold then called the manifestation of songs. It used to be monthly. Glory to God. The vision behind that meeting is... That is the manifest conference from the word itself. A meeting where people are gathered, impacted. Glory to God.

Empowered, engraced, and taught. Most importantly taught. Most importantly what? Thought. To the end that they can be made manifest, to the end that they can be revealed on the seven mountains of influence. To the end that they can be sent to capture and to take their world. So everything that we do on the manifest conference, when we come each year, is engineered to this specific purpose. So if it has a theme, the theme carries out the idea. Glory to God. Amen.

Two years ago, we were talking about the spirit of revival. After that conference, there were manifestations of the spirit and revival that we saw even in this church. And I've noticed this for every manifest conference we've had. Every. Every. Last year, we're talking about the finished works of Christ. What a powerful meeting it was. So the idea is people are empowered, people are strengthened, people are taught to the end that they can be sent out into the seven mountains of influence. To the end that they can be made manifest to their generation. Glory to God.

Glory. So there is something that comes upon a people specific to the manifest conference. There are angels on assignment specific to the manifest conference. So that as we gather for the conference, what they are doing is empowering, is bringing levels of transformation, deliverances, breakthrough, whatever a man would need in that conference to be revealed to his generation. Bringing light, bringing illumination specific to the conference. So it doesn't matter what the theme is. It doesn't matter what even what the... What we are talking about or what they are addressing in the meeting. What is happening is a revealing. A revealing of songs.

Glory to God. Glory. A revealing of what now? Songs. Of sons. A manifestation of sons. KJB uses the word manifestation. A manifestation of sons. That is what is happening as we gather. Songs of God are being made manifest even as the word of God is being made manifest.

Even as the glory of God is being made manifest. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? Yes. So if that is the assignment, then there are angels specific to that assignment. The next thing that is specific to the assignment is the anointing. There is an anointing that God gives specific to assignments. I did that teaching many years ago. The assignment, the anointing and angels. Assignment, the anointing on angels. Many many years ago.

It is so for every individual here with an assignment. When you are taught the ministry of angels, will learn this. That every time God gives a man an assignment, even if he's a businessman, as long as the assignment came from God, that's the word of God to you. With respect to your purpose and your ministry, there are angels on that assignment. Glory to God. Glory. There are angels under assignment. And there is the anointing of God as well on that assignment. So as we gather for that meeting, there are things that will be happening that will only happen the conference. And we've seen this again and again.

Last year we saw this. Three years ago we saw this. Three years ago we saw this. Testimonies, miracles that will only happen in the conference. So that to miss your word or to miss that moment of visitation or to only attend carelessly would have meant that you missed something that you might not have known. When Jacob said God is here and I did not know it, twenty three years of his life went away due to the ignorance of God is here, I did not know it. What he lost, what that statement cost him was about twenty three years of his life. What that statement cost him? That's the reason why the moment he had another opportunity again in another encounter, what he said is I will not let you go. Because now I know.

Twenty three years have taught me that one must not come unprepared for moments like this. Twenty three years have taught me that there is a way a man prepares for moments like this. And if this moment comes in your lifetime, oh my goodness, let it not be that God was here and you did not know. Glory to God. Let it not be that God was there and you did not know. I traveled to Ife some years ago. And I met a young man there who ran to me. And was trying to describe himself and I couldn't recognize him. And then he said, mention the name of the school. Mention the name of the conference and said fire conference.

I said, oh, wow, you were there? He said yes. That meeting turned my life around. Did this and that and that and that. I said glory to God. And then he told me about his life. Now he came to the school. And what he's doing right now? He told me as a den that he was concluding his university year. Whilst he was concluding his university here, he was currently the president of the campus fellowship.

The campus fellowship was given to him and they had 28 members according to what he told me. Of sharing testimony with me, he said, now he's signing out and passing over to someone else, the fellowship has grown to 220 members. In one year. He said they had so grown that they had to change venue twice. All in one year. He said he can trace everything to what happens to him in that conference. They started mentioning the different ministers we brought in their own session what happened to him rather. When this man was ministering, I got this word for my life, I got that word for my life, I got this word for my life. Is what happens in moments like that? Young man was telling me that he now knows what he has to do.

God has set him to have a ministry and to plant a ministry in Ife there. Now he has a church there. Doing well for the kingdom. Based off an assignment that God gave. Glory to God. Glory. Thank you Jesus. Based off an assignment that God gave. So how do you prepare for hours of visitation, for moments of encounters like that? How do you prepare for it?

Oh, by the way, I'm not done with my story. Those years was when we learned to teach people how to prepare for meetings. Didn't think it was an important thing. Until I realized that there is a way I was when I go for meetings where I know God is gonna meet me in this place. Right? That I don't see people like that. And it became a border. So we started teaching people. I remember first time we brought Lorenzoil for that conference, ministered... Was it a day or two?

I can't remember. I think it's a day. Gave him a day to minister. The people had been so taught when he was coming. That when he arrived, he said nobody told me that a place like this exist in Ibadan. He said you would have told me earlier. You would have found me here every Wednesday. People drank and drank and they, oh my God. The people were so hungry. The man could not teach anything.

By the time he finished and he was going, we whispered to his ears. That just a few people wants to sow seed. He said okay, I'll pray for them. He sat down. When the queue of those that wanted to sow seed formed, it was more than 300 people. Was was queuing. They've been so taught. The man kept on saying, these people are hungry. They are hungry. I said, yes.

They don't burn them well. There have been some thought. Second minister came the following day, same thing. Same thing. I didn't realize that what was missing was that some people just did not know. They just did not know. That there is a way to prepare. So that when the meeting comes, There's a way to prepare. I was teaching on Sunday and I described a coalition with a truck. Now that you cannot nobody will collide with a truck.

And live with their limbs intact. With their shirt polished. And your gator is still there. And you come out unless God was guiding you like this. You understand what I'm saying? But that's not even what I'm talking about. Physically. Are you with me? There's got to be. Now, Think of it this way.

Still imagine with me. I like painting pictures when I'm teaching. Don't mind me. Still imagine with me. That the encounter is the truck. And the truck has to hit you. Glory to God. Do you agree with me that you can stand on the road? And not know when the truck pass. The truck will just pass, but you are on the road.

It's not as though you were not there. That leads me to the first principle, the first law, the first whatever you want to call it. Is discern. Discern. Discern. Do what? You have to recognize the sacredness of the moment itself. Discern. Discern. Discern.

Oh. Another word, scripture, it is passive. Perceive. Perceive. Do you remember the story of that woman? That would always observe the prophet passing through her house. Whenever the prophet is going for... I don't even know where he's going. The the man will start to be passing through her house. There was a word she uses to describe what happened there to her husband.

She said, she went to her husband and she told her husband, I perceive. Glory to God. Can you read it together for me? Come with. I do what? I perceive. I perceive. That's the word. Perceive. You have to discern.

The sacredness of the moment Do you know what this discernment, this perception did for this woman? It made her prepare. He says, I discern that there is something that is happening. This is a man of God. And it's not a coincidence that this man keeps on passing through our house. It can't be a coincidence. Come, let's make a room for him. That's the preparation. Let's make a room for him. Let's put a table there.

Let's make it comfortable for him. Anything he would need, let's put him there. The next time the man was passing, preparation had been done. They called him and said, sir, we've made this for you. What? The man looked at her and said, what do you need? Do you know the woman was barren? Yes sir. And the man had always been passing. That's why he said, you can stand by the road and the truck will pass.

You can stand there and the truck will be passing. Boom. Because you cannot perceive. You can't discern, you you can't perceive the sacredness of the moment. Enough to know, oh God jump into the water as though something is happening. There is something different about this atmosphere. There's something different about what God is doing now. Do you understand what I'm saying? Reminds me of when I travel... Oh, I've shared a story before.

I travel to Lagos. My accommodation was terrible. It was... My accommodation plan was terrible. The family I intended to stay with were not around. So I could only stay with their neighbor. Met their husband, that one could not perceive. For those who know the story, the problem with that one is that his perception was gone. So he thought he was a regular stranger that needed help. Because something had happened to his perception.

Are you getting what I'm trying to say? So if it was up to the horseback, the family would have would, that's it. They would have just continued in that thing. I don't know how the woman knew. But the woman was not treating me as though she's treating a stranger. That shows me that there was some kind of perception. Enough to even say, this is the key to the house. Help us keep it in this place. Nah, you can't give a stranger who you have never met the kid to your house and say, help us keep it in this place. Do you remember?

In Genesis, the Bible says that Abraham was outside his house like this. He was not outside his house. He was just looking, just just chilling, raising fresh air. That's what the guy was doing. Was collecting fresh air. Breeze was just blowing the guy. All of a sudden, two men. Give me that scripture. Three men. The Bible never said three angels.

The Bible never said God. The Bible said three men. It says it says it says he lifted his eyes and looked and behold. Three men standing by him. And when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the ground. Three men. Men. So what was special about three men that would make him suddenly realize that, ah, no. These are not just men. Look at before the encounter.

Look at before the encounter. Bowed himself to the ground. Look at the next verse. The moment he bowed, he says, my Lord, if I have now found favor in your sight, do not pass on by your servant. Abraham, tell me something now. What did you see precisely? How how were you seeing precisely? Because what the Bible tells us is three men. And there's no passage in scripture that explains precisely what he had seen. Inside these three men, on these three men, about these three men, all we knew, that means that if not for Abraham's action, all would have known about them is that they were three men.

You don't understand what I'm saying? If not for the response Abraham had given, the only information we would have had is three men passed by. God was here. I did not know it. The Bible says, Abraham bowed. And the moment he bowed down, look at the next verse. He said, my Lord, if I've now found favor on your side, don't pass your servant by. Next verse. Please, let a little water be brought. Wash your feet.

Rest yourselves under the tree. Next verse. Please be fast. I will bring a muscle of bread that you may refresh your heart. After that, you may pass by. In as much as you have come to your servant. He was not even saying pray for me. He was not even saying do the same thing the woman was not doing. The woman too wasn't saying, I need anything. Abraham just said, don't pass me by.

Let me just take care of you. Let me just give you this and give you that, then you can now pass. You see that there is a pattern here. And the pattern is that there is a protocol that anytime a man or a woman prepares himself for an encounter. You know we say, and I'm gonna get there by the way. I'm an expectation. Expectation. I'm gonna get there. It's part of the principle I'll teach you. And how it works.

But if that is the only thing you know about preparing for meetings, you still don't know well. The reason is because the woman did not have an expectation. In fact, when the prophet the woman, what should I do for you? She said, no, nothing. But the protocol, the existing protocol could not accept nothing. It means there is a protocol that a man can subject himself to. That even if he does not know what he wants. Because Abraham too wasn't making a request. Abraham said, just just let me let me let me let me prepare this. Let me let me make you rest.

Let me give you water. Then now pass by. Let me serve you. After my service to you, pass by. Continue with it. They said, do as you have said. So Abraham hurried into the tent and said, quickly make ready three measures of fine meal. Knead it and make cakes. Next verse. And Abraham ran to the earth, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hissed him to prepare it.

Next verse. And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared. And set it before them. And he stood by them on that tree as they ate. Was just standing there. Ah, this guy hit. This guy hit. Was just standing there. And as they were hitting, then they looked up and they said, where is Sarah your wife? The man did not say anything.

He just stood there almost as though he was waiting for something. He just stood there as they were eating. Let it not be that I'll just give them the food to eat and then go and go inside and say, let me not disturb them. When they now want to ask me question, they will not find me. No. I'll be here. Where you send out your wife? Here in the tenth he said, next verse. And he said, I will certainly return to you. According to the time of life.

And behold, your wife shall have a son. Ah. When did we converse, reach that level? When did we converse and reach that level? It's important to discern. Look at Sarah. Look at innocent Sarah. Look at Nezvah's. Then she was listening. She was listening.

Abraham and Zera were hold, well advanced in age. And Zera passed the age of childbearing. Next verse. Then Zera laughed within herself saying, after I have grown old, shall I have pleasure? My Lord, being hold also? Is it possible in other words? Is it possible? She laughed at what they were saying. Next verse. And Lord said to Abraham, why did Sarah laugh?

Thank you. Saying, shall I surely bear a child? Since I am old, now pause. If you studied Christophany, you would see the Lord here again. Because first he was thrilling. Go and study it. Go and study it. That's where you see the Christ revealed in the whole testament. It's a doctrinal matter you should study. When time permits, I will teach it one day.

Christ revealed in the old testament. Usually you see that manifestation wherever you see the angel of the Lord. The angel of the Lord. He always speaks as the Lord. He speaks as high, the Lord, I've said. High, the Lord have commanded. But then the Bible refers to him as the angel of the Lord. So that's not just an ordinary angel, as to mean any of the angels. Do you understand transit? Yeah.

Yeah. That's the pre incarnate. Christ. As revealed in the old testament, but that's not that's not a discussion for today like I would say. So the Lord said to Abraham, why did Sarah laugh? Say, shall I surely bear a child since I'm old? And the young lady still lied and... Go to the next verse. Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time, I will return to you according to the time of life and Sarah shall have a son.

How do I know that this was a moment of visitation? Because just a verse before, a a chapter rather, a chapter or two chapters before, God had had an encounter. God had revealed himself to Abraham where God had told Abraham that Sarah would have a son. The same thing that God is telling Abraham here. God had told Abraham in a vision. God had told Abraham where? In In a vision. And promised him the same thing about his son. One, two, three, go everybody. This was in Genesis just a chapter before.

When Abraham was in a vision. But the principle of manifestation is that the spirit and the bride must say come. That means that when God releases a thing, there must be a human vessel. Do you get my point now? That prophesies the same thing God has said. That's what the book of Amos shows us. So it wasn't enough that God had revealed him in a vision To him, God still came as men. Glory to God. Amen. So God still came as men.

And came to prophesy the same thing that he said as spirit. So that definitely was a moment of encounter. That means Abraham must never have missed that moment. Yet the men were not waving to him from afar saying we are coming to your house. That's why people miss moments of encounters. Because if he does not meet you unprepared, you will miss it. If you are not already standing there like you know that this messenger is for me. You will miss it. Very rarely do moments like that come. Coming to wake you up and saying we came for you.

It meets a man prepared recognizing that this is my moment. This is my time. Do you realize that when Jacob was fighting with that angel, wrestling with that angel? Yes, sir. The angel kept on saying let me go. Do you realize? It was Jacob who said, for where? What was it? Is it for where? Me and you?

Today? We die here. We die. We die here. Then they kept on saying, let me go. Let me go. So what would have happened if they had let him go? Because it was after he insisted that the angel now asked him, what is your name? After he insisted that I will not let you go, it was after that the angel now said, what is your name? Are you with me?

Yes, sir. He said Jacob. No longer will you be called Jacob. Your name will now be called Israel. For as a prince, thou have had power with God, and you have prevailed. So what would have happened if you had let him go? Because all this came after Iran. You are not getting it. Let me, you are not getting it yet. Do you remember Elijah and Elijah?

That severally, Elijah kept on telling Elijah, stay here. He say he say, I'm... God is gonna take me away. I don't want you to journey for nothing. Stay here. Oga said, you know, almost as though every time that moment is coming, it is you, the receiver, that must insist that, see, I recognize that this is my moment, and nothing will distract me from it. Because a man must discern. A man must be able to perceive the sacredness of the moment. You see, the first thing that makes men miss in meetings like this is that they can't even perceive. Is why people come for Sunday services as Sunday service.

So what they receive is an experience of a Sunday service. Just the dancing and the teaching. Are you understanding this thing I'm saying? So the first thing that a man must do is to perceive the sacredness of the moment. God is here. Ah, God is here. This is my meeting. Like to perceive the sacredness of the moment. It's my time of announcement. There's a word for me in this meeting.

And you come understanding that it's either this or this. You come with the mentality of I will not let you go until you bless me oh. You come with the mentality that if people are receiving encounters in this meeting, mine must be there. There must be that perceiving that this is a sacred moment. God is here right now. There must be a deliverance waiting for me. There must... Do you understand what I'm saying? There must be. Discernment.

Discernment. Let me show you a scripture. Ecclesiastes chapter eight verse five. Found a cushion many years ago and he did something to me. The Bible says, a wise man. The b part of it is what I want us to read. One, two, three, go everybody. Do you know what that means? Both time and judgement. Both the season the season, And the ability to discern what the season demands.

It means if you treat a time of visitation like it's just one ordinary time, you will approach it with an ordinary attitude. But a wise man can discern both the time and the judgement. That's why one of the instructions that Samuel gave to Saul was when these signs come upon you, do as occasion serves. That's time and judgement. When you see that, do you understand what I'm saying? The moment you recognize that the signs have come, that's the moment you do our vocations out. Understand it's no longer an ordinary moment again. Understand something has changed. Once you discern the secret note of the meeting, your attitude towards the meeting changes. If you have not discerned it, then you will attend like it's every other meeting.

You will pray when you feel like it. You will listen only casually. You will allow small distractions here and there to steal your heart, to steal your affection, to steal your attention. But when you recognize that see, this is a God marked moment for me and my destiny. Your conduct and your attitude immediately changes. You instantly find yourself guarding your heart. You instantly find yourself guarding your schedule, guarding your conversations, guarding your attention because you understand that something weighty is approaching. There is something weighty about the season I'm in. Oh my God. This is my attitude every time I'm going for meetings and conference I don't go carelessly.

I'm always understanding that if I'm going for this meeting, then it must mean one thing for sure. There's a word for me here. There is a word that God has for me. There's a word that God has for me. Listen, there's a way we can be casual oh. We can become familiar with the presence of God. That it no longer means anything to us. Because if you understand what I'm saying, you realize that beyond the manifest conference, it has to be your posture every time. It has to be it has to be your posture every single time to understand the sacredness of the moment. Especially in a place like the experience, in a place like the believers equip, where you know obviously that God is here.

The signs show it. Do you understand what I'm saying? It's obvious. It's obvious. There is no time that you come for this meeting. That the power of God is not here. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. See. See.

If it is discipline. Yes, sir. With respect to how much maturity we have with respect to the things of the spirit that make it such that we come for meetings and we can teach like this and everybody is seated. Otherwise, we will not be able to teach. Is why the Bible says the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet. There are angels everywhere, every time we come here. It only takes a word. It only takes a word. And you will see angels moving as though someone send them on an errand. Let me show you.

There are three people now. That the power of God will come upon. It's not necessarily because anything spectacular is happening. I just want to show you that when we send the angels, they will go. It's just to show you that if we just tell them to go, they will go. You understand what I'm saying? If we give the instruction, they will move. So the fact that we are having a calm meeting and everybody is seated doesn't mean anything. You understand what I'm saying? Don't think that because everywhere is not scattered, God is not there.

You will miss your word. Sit down. We are teaching. Sit down. Sit down. We are teaching. Sit down. Are teaching. Sit down. Every time that we gather, every time that we gather.

Psalm one three three says, how good and how pleasant is it? When brethren dwell together in unity, every time we gather, what happens? He says, it is like the oil that flows from the head, running down the beard, the beard of Heron, running down on the hedge of his garment. It says, the next verse, verse three, it is like the dew of Heaven descending upon the Mountains Of Zion. For there the Lord commanded the blessing. Life forevermore. But every time we gather, there is a commanded blessing. The Bible calls it life forevermore. A commanded blessing. Yes, sir.

Flowing like oil. Regardless of what physical manifestations you see or not. So let that not be the indices. Discern the sacredness of the moment. It's a preparation before the moment, before the encounter. There are things you do during. And I will show you in scriptures, but not today. What I'm showing you today, hope you can finish. Is what you do before. You must prepare your heart to know.

This is it. This is it. This is it. Don't be like those disciples on their way to Hermios. Who Jesus reveals himself to and they cannot know. They can't tell. They just walk having a casual conversation with the Jesus they were just talking about. And they couldn't know. They couldn't tell it was Jesus. Imagine those guys were prepared because that's a moment of encounter.

That's an hour of visitation. But he didn't meet any preparation. Their eyes were still veiled. Their eyes were still closed. Please settle it in your heart. There's not a meeting in this ministry that is casual. The manifest conference is not just another meeting that is competing for space in your calendar. No. No. It's a divine appointment.

So you have to place value on that meeting deliberately. The Bible says Jesus could not do any mighty work in Nazareth. Because the people became so familiar with him that they dishonored what God had placed among them. What other cities were pursuing? Nazareth despised. Because they are pretty familiar. It is in the same manner a city can despise an anointing. Because it appears familiar to them. A people can despise a mandate and an anointing. Because it appears familiar to them.

And people will travel all the way. And realize that what you so trivialize is not available where they are coming from. And you would see the value even before they travel that they would have on the meeting. That those who have served, those who have been attending, those who have been present would it it will look as though it's another Sunday service. We will just come and gather again. And they will just come casually. Some person will be coming from their workplace. Some person from their department and you just see them jisting. No, no, no. That's not how we attend meetings.

Oh my goodness. I remember a particular meeting I was going to attend in a city, in a state, in Nigeria, here. We're on the road for that meeting for more than six hours. I don't like traveling normally. But rain fell and there was an holdup. Myself and the three guys that were with me, we were together in one road was the boss. We held our hands like this and we were praying. Very quietly inside the bus. You you would think that we were... You...

I don't even know why you think we were. We were praying in tongues. One time you will see one bent like this. Still whispering in tongues. Another time Little did we know that the people who were on the bus were all those students like us traveling to the same meeting. He was at the back without hearing I said, oh. So you would have been doing the same thing. Joel did not have enough confidence. But we that we knew what we were after, we didn't care where we were. The old boss prayed in tongues until we got to where we were going.

The people that were telling us to stop, they were very few. It was like one one one woman and one guy directly behind us. The woman was in front. Then from four, five, then six, then seven, then eight, then nine. Then all the 18 people on the bus were praying in the order, about 16 of us were praying in tongues, as I said, driver and the two men. Till we got to where we were going. Nobody was leading the church. We cannot go, we can't step into that meeting and and something will not land on. It's not. It's it's it's not possible.

It's not possible. It's not possible. You know the way I used to picture it is when I go for meetings like that. If the power that is coming from the man is... If what is standing between myself and the power is a magnetic field, generate so much field. That when the man eventually... When I appear in the meeting, I'm the only one that everything on the man is is moving towards. I'm the only one. I remember a meeting like that. I went to in UI chapel in this place.

When we got to the meeting, wait, wait, listen. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen. When we got to the meeting, I had my own prayer meeting just behind Chapo. It was this meeting that you are used to hold.

Ah, that meeting used to be powerful those days oh. Something has happened. When we got there, When we got there, listen. We finished my own prayer meeting around six. The meeting had already started. So I went from my own prayer meeting into the meeting. But inside was so full that there was no space for us to enter. So I was... It was... The only space was outside.

And the outside was so packed that it was from the car park in front of chapel to the tarmac. People were littered everywhere. I was at the back of the tarmac. The man of God had finished ministering. When he was almost done, he said, the way I'm feeling the anointing on me is to lay hand on everybody. He said, because I'm looking for someone. He said, but I cannot lay hand on everybody. He said, so get me water. So they brought water for him. So what he was gonna do was to sprinkle water.

And he says that when I sprinkle the water, it will be like I'm laying hands on everybody. So he started sprinkling water, and he sprinkled water inside the auditorium. Power of God was everywhere. When he was done, power was everywhere. He announced. He said the person I'm looking for is not here. He left the auditorium and came outside. He came with his water in his hands. He said, there are more people outside than there are inside. Oh.

He said, but an apostle here and you are at the back. He said, an apostle is here, but he's at the back. Sit down. Sit down. Let let me teach. Let me teach. Sit down. Sit down. He said, an apostolize here boy at the back. Oh, god.

See, I'm not a fool. Oh. When moments of visitation come like that, I can discern. And when I discern, there is a weight that I place on the meeting. See, listen. Listen. Listen. When we were students in UI, Apostle Johnson Slimar came to, I think, was Liberty Stadium. And they were using the sports complex. They were the particular...

Well, this stadium was a sports complex. That was what they were using then. I was like some of you. I didn't know much. In fact, was before we entered UI. I was still a student in my... I think... Where was I then? I think I was a teacher in the a level center I was teaching in before I entered UI. But we're already serious with God.

So when we heard that he was coming, we just attended. But we saw this particular group of... It was like eight rows. So they were like eight of them. And I was sitting down somewhere inside that sports complex. These eight people. Any small thing that the man said, I'm going to talk about this. In preparation during the meeting. But there must have been a way they must have even prepared before. Any small thing that the man said, they will shark.

They would stand up. They will be praying in tongues. They will be praying the holy ghost. How... Would you sat down? I was wondering because I was like many people then. That is. His mind and all these things. I was sat down while looking at them. The man wanted to talk.

They were getting the man's attention every how they could. They knew how to get it. Praying in tongue. When he calls the word of knowledge, when he say, who is anything the man says. Whether it's about them or it's not about them. The pastor, their pastor was in front like this. Anything they saw the pastor doing, they were doing. I was sat down. We're looking at them. First day of the conference, the man came.

He said, it's like you people are hungry. They stood up and shouted. He said, okay. You want this grace, I'm current. Go and pray. And he left them alone and was preaching. I said, Shiva, told you. It's not in this thing. Day two of the conference, They came again. Morning session, they were like that.

Evening session, they came again. They were like that. When the man was almost done, he now looked at them. He said, this is more children. Come here. All of them rang like mad men. The man placed his hand. He said, listen. Man said the man said, these small children, come here. All of them ran like mad men.

I was there. I was looking. I said, hey? He said, do you know I was sleeping yesterday and I could not sleep because I kept seeing you in my dream? He said, God said I should place my coat on you. The man removed his suit, placed on all of them one by one. I said, hey, it's in this thing. No. I was there. If I mention their name, you will know them.

Because now they are everywhere. Let's rise up. Rise up. Let's pray. Let's pray. Hold someone and let's pray. Hold someone and let's pray. Pray. Pray. Let's pray.

Let's pray. Let's pray. Come on, let's pray. Says my meeting oh, it's my meeting oh. It's my meeting oh. Glory, glory, glory, glory. Let's pray. Let's pray. Let's pray. Just two minutes and we are going to pray.

Let's pray. Pray like your lamb. Oh my God. Pray like your lamb depends on this thing now. Pray. Let's pray. Let's pray. Thank you for listening. We believe you've been blessed. To be a part of this vision, you can connect with us on YouTube at disciples television, on Instagram at dcn nations and on telegram at dcn media channel.

We love you. Stay blessed.