Transcript: The Intentionality That Guarantees A Different Future

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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 Believer's Equip. In Jesus' name we have prayed. Please be seated. Ecclesiastes chapter 10 verse 15. The labor of fools wearis them. For they do not know how to go to the city. Precious holy spirit break the bread that our eyes will open.

And speak that we might understand. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Some time ago really is not even some time ago, I think it was just during the course of the week. Drove at cost to drive to where we used to have church some time ago in Aberdeenah inside the University of Ibadan. And as I entered that environment, something struck me. And it wasn't just memory, it wasn't just nostalgia, it wasn't just the the feeling of returning to a place where we once were and where God helped us. What struck me was a revelation of how life works when men are not intentional. And the reason was because the churches that were using classrooms around us when we were still there were still there when I left, when I went, when I went back many years after. Those churches were still there.

They were there exactly the way we left them. Some of the people we used to see around that environment were still there. They were there exactly the way we left them. The same patterns were still there. The same conditions were still there. The same system of survival was still there. The same limitations was still there. Years had passed, but many things had not changed. Time had moved. But circumstances had not moved, remained the same.

Seasons have changed. But lives remain the same. Again, I'm reminded of that truth and that truth is what you must train yourself to accept and to understand. That time does not change a man. The passage of time doesn't change anybody. The passage of time only reveals what is changing. Time does not cause the change. Time only reveals what is being built. Time only exposes what a man is becoming. Time does not automatically turn foolishness into wisdom.

Time does not automatically turn poverty. Into wealth. Time does not automatically turn laziness into excellence. Time does not automatically turn a careless student into a great destiny. Time does not automatically turn an an unrenewed mind into a transformed life. If time alone changed people and everybody would be wise. If I, if time alone changed situations and everybody who have suffered long will eventually become great. If time alone changed poverty, everybody who who was born poor, after many years would eventually become rich. But life does not work like that. There are people who have been poor for twenty years and are still poor today.

There are people who have been in church for fifteen years, twenty years, thirty years. And are still weak spiritually. Nothing around their lives showing that they've been in church for that long. There are people who have been hearing powerful teachings for many years and are still childish. And are still offended. And are still undisciplined, unstable. There are people who have been dreaming for many years and nothing has been built. They spoke about their plans, spoke about their goals and aspirations to people. And everybody heard what they wanted to do, but nothing has been built. And that scripture we read says the labor of fools, where is them?

And is a sovereign scripture for me personally because it shows that a man can be laboring and still be lost. The labor of fools, where is them? It don't say the laziness of fools. It says the labor that a man can be sweating and be directionless. The labor of fools, where is them? A man can be busy and be unproductive. A man can be tired and still not be advancing. Yet he's tired from working. But not moving. Not making progress.

And the problem is not that he's not doing anything. The problem is that it does not know the way to the city. There's no direction in its approach to life. And there are many people like that. Many people like that. These people are not idle in appearance, but they are not intentional in direction as well. They wake up, they sleep, they eat, they complain, they attend classes, they attend work, they go to work, go to their places of business, they attend church, then they scroll online, they follow trends, they talk about money, they talk about destiny, they talk about their dreams. But they are not being governed by a definite spiritual and mental structure that can force their life to produce a different outcome. And when I went to where our church used to be, it was as though life was saying to me, look carefully because people can remain where you left them. After many years, and nothing has changed, absolutely nothing.

I went to the area where I grew up before we moved in Ibadan here. It's a local area. Some people might have even lived in Ibadan their lives and not even know the name of the place, not even have heard it before. I went there to go check on someone. And as I got there parked, came out, looked around, and everything, everything was exactly how we left it. And I'm talking more than fifteen years ago. Everything. The environment was the same. The people were the same. The shoutings were the same.

The communication was the same. Boys playing field in the corner. The ones that used to play football in that field when I was growing up, I've now become the coaches of the one playing football there now. Wearing their slippers and shouting to the young boys now. Still tattered. Lives obviously stripped of meaning, obviously stripped of relevance. After the passage of many years, the fact that time went doesn't mean that anything changed. Are you with me? Conditions can remain as you left them for many years. Systems can remain as the as you left them for many years.

Environment can remain unchanged. And if a man is is is is not intentional about his lives, he can remain trapped in the same cycle whilst the years are passing. And what you would find out is that years have passed by and the man's life remains exactly the same. Proverbs chapter 24 from verse 30 to verse 34. The Bible says, I went by the field of the lazy man and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding. I went by the field. Look at the next verse. And there it was, all overgrown with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles. Its stone walls was broken down.

Next verse. And when I saw it, I considered it well. I looked on it. And received instruction. I went by the field and I observed the field of the lazy man. I consider it well. I looked at how the field was and the state of the field. And the nurses that were there. And I received instruction. That means observation can become instruction.

A man can look at another man's life and learn wisdom. A man can look at another man's field and understand how destiny works. When Solomon saw the field of the lazy man, he did not mock him. He received instruction. He looked at the thorns and the tissels and the broken walls and he understood that poverty does not arrive suddenly. He understood. He he looked at how the man neglected. He had a field. He had a garden. The Bible says he looked at the field of the poor man, of the lazy man.

So even the lazy man had a field, had a vineyard. That's that's like, that's synonymous of a man that has potential. Because if you have a field and a vineyard, then you are expected to be wealthy because in those days, farming was the main occupation. Is that not so? It means all you need to do is go to that field and mix something out of it. Plant. Watch what you have planted. But Solomon said I went there and I observed that field. The first thing I noticed is that the man must be lazy. Because instead of vines growing, what I saw was thorns.

It was overgrown with thorns. Its surface covered with nacelles. Its stone walls was broken down. He said, Kai, immediately I saw it, I received instruction. And what was I received. Next verse, it now shows us what he received. He says, a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest. Next verse, so shall your poverty come like a prowler and your need like an armed man. A little slip. That is how great destinies collapse.

That is how destinies full of potentials collapse. Because this man had the field. There was the potential for success. That's what I wanna show you. There was the potential for greatness. There was the potential for wealth. There was the potential for increase. He had the field. He had the field. He had more than most.

He had even more advantages than most people his age had. He could be sent to a good university. He had the opportunity of exposure. Out of everybody that grew up where he came from, God singled him out. And brought him to a place where his eyes could open to see. He had a few that was given to him. But the Bible says this man is devoid of understanding. And because he's devoid of understanding, he must have fought. But perhaps one day when he wake up and when he wakes up, everything will change for him. His life will suddenly be better.

Solely because he has plenty potential. Solely because he has a field. Solely because he has a vineyard. And for adventure, I give it enough time. I'm hopeful that things will change. I'm hopeful That I become successful. But Solomon says that little neglect here and there, little sleep, little slumber, little folding of hands. I like how he uses the word little. That means a man's future does not collapse by the greatness of his offense. Is a little prayerlessness here, a little unseriousness there, a little compromise here, a little laziness there, a little wasted time here, A little distraction there.

A little postponement here. A little I will do it later. A little let me enjoy my life first. A little, you know, God understands. A little there is still time. I'm still young. Let's see how it goes. A little folding of hands. Little here, little there. It compounds inevitably to a life that poverty will deal with eventually.

And Solomon said I saw this and I received wisdom. Received wisdom as to how my life must proceed if I must avoid the outcome of this man's life. Years have passed and the field is still covered with tongues. That's why you must be careful what you are becoming whilst time is passing. Because time is not neutral. Time is either building evidence for you or evidence against you based on what you are doing. In a way you can even say it's neutral. Because it is based on what you are doing. I was telling a group of people that I was talking to that when we said time is going, do we really do we really understand what we are saying? Because if you say time is going, the question is where is time going to?

Because after you die, you'd find out that time still remains. And your children will continue to live. And your children will die. And time still remains. And their children will continue to live. And their children will die. And time still remains. And their children's children will continue to live. Do understand what I'm saying? Yes sir.

It means time is not going. You are the one who is going. It is the man that is going. It is the man that is passing through time. Time is constant. You are the variable. And time being constant will always repeat the same the same sequence every year, every day, every second, twenty four hours. It will pass, it will go, it will pass, it will go, it will come twenty four hours. Minutes will read, seconds will read, hours will read. It's constant.

And years will pass like that. And you would come back after many years and see a life you left like that in 2026 and come back in 2030, just four years difference. And you'll realize that there is absolutely nothing that has changed other than the fact that time has gone. Absolutely nothing. And it is because of that delusion that we have, where we think that we are just hopeful. So we we... What we do is that we live in hope. We live in expectation. We live... The average believer, the average believer right now is living his life in hope.

That in the randomness of what he's doing with his life, one will shall walk. In the randomness of what he's doing with his life, something will shall... There will shall be a breakthrough somehow somehow. The bible says the labor of fools, where is them? There's no direction to our labor. So the average believer is doing many things. And the the thought behind the many things they are doing is that they don't want to miss out on anything. So the guy is busy. Imagine he's a student for instance. He's busy going to classes.

And whilst he's going to classes, he doesn't want to miss out on whatever advantages in politics. So he wants to register to become SRC leader, member of this place, member of that place, wants to take on several leadership positions. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Whilst he's doing that, doesn't want to miss out on the benefit of being a worker in church. But eventually there's a benefit there because you never know how God will lift us. He can come from there, he come from there. But in case he come from there, let me not miss it. So let me be here and there and here and there and here and there. So whilst his leader over three things, he's also pushing about two things in his life. Applying for jobs, submitting proposals, going to classes, coming to church.

And the life is a cycle of business. And the only question I would ask you is, I hope you know what you're doing because in the next five years, time will reveal to us what you are doing. Time will reveal to us if it was a labor of fools. Time will reveal to us if it... Because the Bible called it labor. Fools are not lazy. Fools are not lazy. Labor means they are hardworking. They are doing these things intentionally so. A labor of fools.

On the long run, it willies them. It willies them because they find out that we've been busy. But time has gone and has not shown that we are we are busy. We thought we were building something. But the passage of time has revealed that we are only gathering sound. The building had no direction. The building had no structure whatsoever. Stay with me, I'm going somewhere. It's gonna be a very brief, very, very brief charge. And so many people are waiting for harvests of a future they have not planted.

They are waiting for a future that they are not building now. They are waiting for opportunities they are not preparing for. They are waiting for God to use them. Whilst there's no preparation in the secret place towards this. And I found out that a lot of our lives is only based on guesswork, trial and error. Try and error. And life is too short. And too precious. Because you only have one life. You only have one life that you would live to fulfill the purposes of God for your life on earth.

You only have one life. You only have one life To fulfill the assignment that God has given to you on earth. Just one. The moment that one life expires, that's all. Eternity is what awaits. And it's unfortunate because even eternity is dependent on how you use that one life you have. Is that not amazing? That the quality of life you would have in eternity is dependent on the choices you made in that one life. For instance, if you chose not to accept Jesus, eternity is already doomed. Eternity is doomed.

Is what you what you would live is what is called eternal damnation. Eternal torment. Eternity is too long a time for a man to be tormented. That's a torment. It is torment that has no end. You know, it's a suffering that has no end. When you are in time, you can encourage yourself that all will be well. When you go to hell, there's no encouragement. It's a terrible place to be. And the Bible then makes us understand And even amongst those who go to heaven, there will still be differences.

There will be rewards that we'll receive. There will be all kind of classifications and stratifications. Because the bible says that the righteous will be judged by their works. So it means it means the bible says books will be opened. And the book of life will be opened. And books will be opened. And believers will not be judged by the book of life but by the books. That have been opened. Thank you precious Elizabeth. I saw the dead small and great standing before God and books were opened.

And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works. By the things which were written where? The books. These books is the scroll containing everything that you are meant to use your life to do on earth. Do you remember Psalm one three nine verse 16? David was the one that showed us this scripture. He said, your eyes saw my substance being yet confirmed and in your book, they all they they all were written. The days fashioned for me when as yet there was none of them. It means the days fashioned for you have been written in a book.

What did I say? That one life that you want to use to you... To do trial and error is meant to be a script you are living out. They are not meant to improvise the life. Because the life is already documented. The life is already written. The life is already determined. That's why when Jesus was speaking, Jesus said, I've come in the volume of the books as it is written concerning me. No, it was Paul. But referencing the messianic prophecy.

I've come in the volume of the books, as it was written concerning me. It means a wise believer knows that I've come in the volume of the books. There is something written concerning me. And when we go to the to the great judgment, it is these books that will be opened. We will now look at how you lived your life and compare it with what is written in the books. How many things did you use your life to do because it was written? Because when you read the story of Jesus, who is the template? What you would see is that it might be fulfilled. That it might be fulfilled. So the question is, how many things will your life hacked out that it might be fulfilled?

Or is it just a game of chances? If it's just a game of trial and error, the labor of fools, where is them? The labor of fools, where is them? Labor of fools, where is them? A young lady came to meet me some time ago. Came to meet me some time ago. And she said, there's so much she wants to do right now in her life. And she's a worker in church, but she's also doing this and doing that and she mentions everything she's doing for me. But she loves Jesus, but she just feels like she can't balance these things she's doing because it's as though she needs to drop. And she feels as though her being a worker in church is choking the love she has for Jesus.

Because when she comes to church, she realizes that there are times she comes to church and it would make her miss on some valuable things she has to do. In pushing her career or in pushing her academics or in pushing her business or pushing whatever. And as she was speaking to me, she was telling me, so help me, give me some counsel and all of that. I told her, I said your issue is not with balance. Balance is not your issue. Because when you see believers start speaking like that, you already know that in the moment, in in the moment, whilst you are going through that life, do you think that the food that is laboring thinks in the in the in the time that he's laboring that he's laboring is wearying him? What... You don't understand. When the bible says the labor of fools wearies them, at what point does the fool realizes that his labor is wearing him? Do you understand my question here?

At what point does he know that guy? This thing I've been doing is useless. At what point does he know? Is he at the point where he's doing it? No. Or after some time? That's what I'm afraid of. You don't understand this. I'm saying That time passes and I realized that all my effort was in vain. That's that's what I...

As I went back there, I went with some people, but they... I I was I was looking around, walking around whilst I was doing what I was doing, and and I was just meditating deeply in my spirit. I went back home. I was in deep thoughts thinking because I saw that nothing changed. You don't understand that people are still praying there, how they were praying many years ago, the same prayer point they were praying. And I still meant them there. The same way the the chairs were used to be arranged inside the classroom. The same order of program, the same activities, the same everything. And this is how many years after. And I'm still saying the same faces.

The same faces. I don't wanna go into too much details. There was a particular face I saw. I used to live in the classroom. I was still living there with wife and children. Also goes to church in one of the classroom churches, praying the same prayer that the doors will open, that the heavens will open, Shouting to Jesus. And this is after... At what point does the fool realize? At what point? We were traveling.

I was invited to a place to minister. It was somewhere in Obomosho. I don't know how I mistook Obumosho and Oshobo. I I I can't explain to you today. But they told me Obumosho. The driver that came to pick me, I told him Obumosho. But it sounded the same in my ears. Then we got to Osho. I'm called the man of God and said, where are you? We are in your city.

He said, you tell me landmarks you are seeing? He started describing landmarks you were seeing. He said, I can't picture that landmark anywhere around where I am. Can you ask around that this place, that place? And we keep... We kept on asking. Nobody knew. We're just gallivanting. Some people were in the car with us. Thank God that the program was a was a video, that was what even saved us.

Because we had gone about six hours on the road. On bad road by the way. Very bad road. Oh, we now go there and have told us that, wait. I am in Obumosho. Jesus, what do we do? How do we navigate that path? Then there there's one village, there's one route that passes through one village that we can pass. I think we left the... We left Ibadan around eleven.

We were still navigating our path by 11:30PM. You know, Ibadan is meant to be a one hour, one hour and thirty minutes. Twelve hours, we've not gotten to where we are going. At what point does the fool realize? At what point? Do you know that all through that journey, it felt like we were going right? We were moving without speed. So my question is, what is the advantage of speed in the wrong direction? What is the advantage of speed? What's the benefit of me declaring?

Receive speed and you you receive speed in the wrong direction. Because I I came with some kind of burden in my spirit because I realized that there is so much randomness to the way that we live. And the reason is because we've not we've not sat down with what is important. We don't know precisely what is needful. The labor of fools. You see, Jesus was teaching and he gathered people together and he sat down and he was teaching them. And Martha, who happened to be a very, very diligent disciple of Jesus, observed that after many days of crusades and conferences, Jesus would obviously be hungry. So she felt that what she should be doing right now, the most valuable thing that she should be doing right now with her time was looking for what Jesus will eat. Is that a wrong thing to do? Oh, God of Nazareth.

That you are concerned about what Jesus would eat. And then she went around looking for food and cooking things and ensuring that things are in place, And she's in the kitchen, and while she's in the kitchen, Jesus was in the sitting room teaching. Mary was there. All the other disciples were there. Everybody was listening. And I don't know what Jesus sensed in his spirit. But adventure, what was meant to become the hallmark of the destiny of Martha was about to come in that meeting. But adventure, what will shift everything? What will transform our understanding? But Martha was busy.

Martha was very busy, And you would look at her and tell her she was busy on the righteous course. When Jesus measured her life, Jesus said, you are you are bothered. Give me that scripture. You are worried and troubled about many things. Go back to verse thirty nine thirty eight. Let's do the 38. Now it happened as they went that he entered a certain village and very woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. Next verse. And she had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jezosh's feet and heard the word. Next verse.

But Martha was distracted with much what? Sense. Oh Jesus Christ. And she approached him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell the one who is at Jesus' feet, who seem as though she's doing nothing. Because if you were to measure them labor wise, you would look up the one who is seven and say you are busy. You are laboring. You are busy. And if you were to estimate the effectiveness of their life based on their business, who would you think would be okay? Just who?

Out of concern, she came almost going into offense, saying, Jesus, you... I'm doing all of these things because of you. And it's amazing to me that while she was doing all of that, Jesus kept quiet until she came to speak. Amazes me. Don't you care that my sisters left me to do all this service alone? I mean, I'm doing this thing for these people. Look at what Jesus said. Matter, matter, you are worried and troubled about many things. But it looks as though you are serving and you are laboring. But the truth is that where that labor is coming from is from a place of worry about many things.

Worry about many things. So it it look as though you are doing plenty things right now. You are a leader of this. You are a leader of that. Are a leader of this. And you have good reasons for which you are doing them, but it is coming from a place of an and a standpoint of worry and trouble about many things. Trouble about your future. Trouble about not missing out. The fear of missing out. So you wanna be in this debate competition, in that in that in that speaking competition, in that registering this point, being in that one, being in this one, even if it will mean missing things that matter.

One of my daughters told me, when we're having a workers meeting, the workers... My workers were meeting with me and she registered for a competition. And and she was taking excuse from the pastor that she wanted to go and finish the cooking competition registered for so that she can win something. And so that would mean that she would miss the teaching with me to go and complete her cooking competition. And when you think about it, I mean, are the prices to be won? Money, brand deals, endorsement deals, and all kind of things. And you would think and think that this one must be really busy. Whilst everybody was sitting in church, this one was making her life. You're troubled about many things, Jesus told her. Worried about many things.

Your service is coming from a standpoint of trouble and worry. A standpoint of randomness in the heart. No direction as to what is important. And most importantly, what Jesus was communicating to her. Let me show you. Next verse. But one thing is needed. And Mary has chosen that good path which will not be taken away from her. Many things in the scripture but the first thing is one thing is needed. That means that means if in your business around many things, Your scale of preference as to what is priority in life is misconstrued.

It does not matter what you are busy doing. It is a labor of fools. If you cannot define the one thing that is needed, if if you cannot define it, one thing is needed. Then no matter what you're doing, it don't matter what you're busy with, it don't matter how effective you think your life may seem. And the the the the the the terrible thing about it is that at the point of busyness, you never feel you are doing anything wrong. That's the reason why Martha never felt she was doing anything wrong. She came to Jesus to come and tell Jesus, why is Mary not joining me to do what I'm doing? To show you that, she didn't feel that there was anything wrong in what she was doing. The painful thing is after many years, realize that we wasted time. We wasted time.

We wasted time. A man of God can build a church for twenty five years and realize after twenty five years that we wasted time. Yeah. You didn't hear what I just said. A pastor in The US whose church closed down after gathering 35,000 members in the space of ten years. The church folded in December. They had a financial crisis and so they had to shift venues and move from the venue they were in, something so foolish, but listen, Move from the venue they were in into a more uncomfortable venue. And it was more stressful and inconvenient for the members because everything that media service fun and interesting no longer followed them into the venue. They couldn't afford it, so they had to just do a simple service whilst they're trying to raise money and build back. In the process of trying to raise money and build back, they lost 12,000 members in six weeks.

The man realized, he said, I then knew that we did not gather people for the right reasons. You mean for ten years, you did not know? What what what were you doing with them for ten years? Why are dealing with them for ten years? If somebody who has been in church for ten years can decide that this is no longer my church Because the sound and the systems and the ACs and the air conditions and the distance and everything no longer works to his favor. What was he, what was happening inside him for ten years? What was happening to that man for ten years? What what exactly was happening in him? In other words, ten years of coming to church produced what did what what was the pastor doing? Every Sunday when they gathered, what was he doing?

What was happening to the people? I mean, some people spend three years with Jesus after three years, they turn the world upside down. How can people spend ten years with you? I'm an inconvenience to touch upside down. The man said, we saw we saw that we focus on the wrong things. That that's my point. It is difficult to see it whilst you are in it. The labor fools wearis. But the recognition of the wearying does not come at the point of labor. That's why the Bible says there is a way that cements right.

A way that the one who is working that way is convinced that he is right. Is terribly convinced he's right. The summation of your life begins with one thing is needful. One thing is needful. I must be able to decide what exactly is important in my life. That if everything must be sacrificed, what cannot be sacrificed? What must pave way for others to stand? What must? What must? Because whatever it was, Mary had chosen that good part.

Another thing that interests me is the word chosen, not found. Because it is possible to find it and not choose it. It's possible for me to show you this is the good part and not choose it. Yes, sir. The choice of words used is very important. So we came to church and we taught you one thing is needful and showed you the thing that was needful, but Mary chose it. Yay. Mary said, this is exactly the path I'm going to walk. And the Bible says that part that she has chosen will never be taken away from her. It means it means it means it means if your life is not first defined by that part, every other thing that you spend your life pursuing can be taken away.

Can be taken away by economy. Can be taken away by sickness. Can be taken away by another administration that just comes and changes policy. And everything that you spend many years laboring for is gone. Gone. Gone. Somebody was telling me about his father who had spent many years mastering a particular craft and sacrificed everything including his family to gain mastery of the craft. I don't want to go into too much details. Including time spent with his family, sacrificed everything. Was going for courses and traveling and doing building, just spending time building mastery.

And he felt that he was convinced that was what was important. Because it felt as though if I don't get this thing well, I will not be able to make money for my family. So in the scale of things, I can sacrifice my family for this thing because when I do get this thing, it will eventually benefit my family. So let my family understand that I'm doing this for them. Let me not even tell you what happened. Do you know that there are people who don't know that the part they chose and the part of labor that they labored is one that would eventually weary them until... Or is it part of wearying until they were about to die? And whilst they were on their sick bed, they had nothing to be grateful for. All that was surrounding them was regret. And when they gather their children and gather people around them, their entire life is a is a history lesson of what you should avoid.

I did not know. I spent my life doing this. I did not know. I did I did not... I don't want my life to become... I don't want your life to become like my own. I'm sure you don't make this mistake. You know what I wrote down in 2017? Let me tell you. In 2017, I wrote down in my journal.

On my dying day, when I'm about to go and be with the Lord, we'll not go with sickness, we'll go we'll go by choice. And in the day we are about to go, we'll gather our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and some spiritual children. And we gather them around. And whilst they are around, we would tell them, do you want to live a great life? And watch out for their answers. Yes, sir. Do you want to serve Jesus with your life? And experience the reward of serving Jesus in this lifetime and in the one to come? Yes, sir. Do you want to experience the greatness that was promised Abraham?

Yes, sir. That I will make your name great. Are you aware that your name can be great? Yes, sir. See, you, how do you know? He said, because I've seen it in you. He said, very good. Then if you desire this thing, study my life. Study it very carefully, and you will surely end up on the path of greatness. That will be my last message to my children.

It will never be one of my regrets are this, my regrets are that because I'm not a fool. The first time I thought this was in 2019. Some of us got some things earlier, but it wasn't even early enough. Some of us knew what was important early. Some of us paid attention to what was important early. That's how we know that our life cannot but be great. It's not it's not a statement of hope for some of us. It really is not. Do you do you know... Check my time.

Good. Do you know that I was reading statistics and studying, doing a bit of research and I was just seeing some scary values, scary values. By default, life is against the average man. Life is against a normal man. Life is against the common man by default. By default. It means the chances of ever rising into prosperity and wealth and greatness and influence in this nation is small. That's the reason why there are plenty churches that are not known than there are that are known. Have you not noticed that people that say men of God are stealing your money? Only ever reference a few men of God.

How about those millions who are poor? Because the truth about the matter is there are more poor men of God than there are that are rich. Have you thought about that? It's the reality of life. There are more on the losing side. There are more below the mountain. It's literally a pyramid. The closer you get to the top, the fewer the people you find there. The fewer you... People that you find there.

Where you find the masses is where there is suffering. Where you find the masses is where there is poverty. I checked I checked statistics, and I found that 63% of of Nigerians are currently living below the poverty rate. That's about 134,000,000 Nigerians. Below. They are not poor. They are beyond poor. Below. Because that is unemployed status. It means it means if you just put a man's life in time and you said...

And you say, go to school. Go and study engineering. Finish school. And you gather 15,000 of them like that. Chances that 15,900 of them will never be relevant is 90%. Do you understand what I'm saying? That's the reality of the nation that we live in. It means, it means, it means, in a classroom of students of 120 people, 250 people, ten years from now, when they meet, those that will be relevant will not be more than three, four. Five, six. It's the pyramid structure of life.

Understanding this will make you realize that you cannot afford to labor like a fool. You just cannot afford it. You just can't afford it. You just can't afford it. You just can't afford to lack direction. You just can't afford to not know what is important, to not know what your life is worth laboring on. You just cannot afford it. It's too heavy a price to pay because you pay with your life. I don't want to label like a fool. I don't want to spend my years doing ministry.

Now I have to come and apologize for the things I thought and say, sorry, when I was growing that time, I didn't know much. That's why I taught you this. I'm sorry. Now I found out the truth. So forget the ones I taught you. This is now the truth. How about the years you spent believing the wrong thing? So what should... Would I apologize for that as well? Don't play charades with destiny.

Destiny is not game. A man must know what is important in life so that his label has direction, so that he does not label like a fool. A man must be able to draw out his skill of preference very carefully so that he does not labor like a fool. Is even worse when a man is not laboring at all. The bible says not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap. I told my workers yesterday, on Sunday rather, I said I said... John said in the book of first John, he said, that which our ears have heard, our eyes have seen, and our hands have handled. That's what we communicate to you.

He then says, the reason why we are communicating this to you is so that you can also join in the fellowship of the Christ. That means, see, we've already touched it. The reason why we are laboring this labor is so that you... We can bring you into the same experience. Do you understand what I'm saying? That's exactly how it is. When you see a man of God laboring over a people, especially in word and doctrine, in prayers, sincerely doing sincerely doing so with nothing, with no nefarious intention whatsoever. What what what drives them is this that our hands have handled. We don't want to get there and get there alone. We don't want to get to heaven, for instance, and get there alone.

There should be... I should see my family there. By the time we are singing and dancing in the presence of God, and we are gathered before the great white throne, and people are celebrating, I should see my loved ones there. I should see people I labored on there. Is that much so? Yes, I should see my church members there. As you see my workers there, it it would be a painful thing to see people you labored on being matched to him. And you stand there in heaven, and you wonder what is the meaning of this. That's exactly how. Even with respect to the quality of the effectiveness of our lives on earth, there are principles we have found that makes life effective whilst you live on earth, that we don't want it to be only the experience of a few.

Yes, sir. Do you understand what I'm saying? That if if life is a pyramid and those on top are small, let the small people be you. Do you understand what I'm saying? Let these people be you. That's really the reason for the label. So what what exactly is important? And what must you be intentional about as you journey through life so that in a couple of years, your testimony would not be, I labored like a fool. I labored like a fool. What exactly is important?

Am I boring you? What exactly is important? The first thing is exactly what Mary found, that good part. The first thing that is important and that a man must be intentional about is his relationship with Jesus. And I'm gonna tell you what this entails, so stay with me. Because the easiest thing to do is to think you understand what we are saying. That's the first. That's the first. That's the good part that Mary found. Not your service, not your career, Not money.

Not relocation, not japa. Not ambition. God first. That is... Listen, any label that is not within the foundation of this premise is a label of fools. I promise you, it is one you will regret. I'm promising you this. Don't take what I'm saying for granted. It's like building on sand. You might eventually find the money you are looking for.

You might eventually find the relevance you are looking for, but you'll be the most empty soul that exists. There will be a void and an unquenchable void in your heart that will make you know that you have found nothing. You will be wealthy and be empty. There will be no joy and no happiness. You would try to cover with many things, and it will not just work. Only you can satisfy me. Only you can satisfy my soul. Satisfy my soul only you can satisfy satisfy satisfy satisfy Everybody? Chill. Chill.

Chill. Chill. Everybody. I wish your eyes can open. I I I hope. Let's start from verse 25. Can we read it together everybody? This is Jesus' teaching. Let's do it in NLT. I like how NLT puts it.

Next verse. Look at it. One, three. Go. These are questions you should be thinking about because it's Jesus that is asking you. So you should be thinking about it. You should be thinking about it. It starts by telling you what you should not spend your life worrying about worrying about. Next verse. One, two, three, go.

Give me a message of this of this verse. One, two, three, go. Next of us. Next of us. Next bus. Give me a message of the scripture. Next verse. Next bus. Next of us. So go to n...

Go to NKJV. No. Let's start from my NLT then NKJV of 33. One, two, three. Go. Seek me no more than no more else and his righteousness and his his unity. Did you say above all else? Above all else. Above all else. So when you're drawing a scale of preference, one labor that you will ever labor, that you will know that it is not the labor of fools.

Is this. The business of seeking God, the business of seeking Christ, the business of getting to know him more and more, the business of the time that you spend in his presence, that labor that labor, you can be you can be sure that time is not wasted. This this is what Jesus said when she said Mary has found that good path. Because while she could be worrying about what she would eat and what other people will eat, what she chose to do was stay with Jesus. And in that moment, it looked as though her life was not moving forward. It looks as though she was not busy like people were busy. It looks as though she was not registering for things and putting in for things and applying for things and she was just spending all her life with Jesus. And people are looking at and saying, why are you wasting your life? You look at the man who is spending time with Jesus and you say he's wasting his life. You are deluded in many ways, in many ways than one.

Because they said the same thing about us. They said the same things about us. They said the same things about us. He says seek first the kingdom. So I know that any... Anything that I do with respect to seeking his kingdom is not a waste. It's not Timothy, take the keyboard. It's not a waste. Anything that I do with respect to the kingdom is not a waste. As long as it is kingdom, it is not a waste.

When they told Martha, this same Martha, when she eventually came and she got it, she said, Kai, Kai, I've been worried about too many things, but one thing is needful. In the day that revelation struck her, she took a year's wage. Whilst Jesus was teaching nearer and closer to when he would die, and he said, if this is one thing with what is needful, then I can spend my life savings on you. And it's not a waste. Do you know people were there? Judas was there. Looked at what she was doing and said, come on, stop that. The bible says she broke the alabaster box from Judas's feet and she was using her air to rub it and she's... And she knew she was not wasting time. How does somebody do that?

And you're not feeling as though, hope I don't waste money. There's a way that revelation can settle in your spirit that you know the best investment I can ever give my life is time spent with Jesus, learning at his feet, studying him, reading his word, knowing him more and more, growing in fellowship with him. The best investment I can ever give my life is this. That a man knows this. Literally. Literally. You know what I like to call it? Wasting on Jesus. Because it's it's... I don't even know what figure of speech that is because it's not a waste, but it looks like a waste.

It looks like a waste. When you look at it outside of that bracket, only those in the bracket will understand it's not a waste. Outside the bracket will look foolish to you. It's the same way those inside the bracket, looking at those outside the bracket will say the labor of fools. Risk them. And they won't know that their labor is wearing them. Because this thing I have found, the bible says, this thing that Mary has found will not be taken from her. That one I have found, you will eventually be looking for it ten years from now, and you won't find it. This thing I found. This thing I found.

This thing I found. Because what Jesus... What the bible says is seek the Lord whilst he may be found. So you say, this thing I found. This thing I found will deliver answers to nations. This thing I found. This thing I found is a well of wisdom. A well of wisdom that will supply answers to those who have gone to Babylon looking for answers. They will eventually come and realize, answer are not in Babylon. Answer are not in Hidom.

They will eventually come because the Bible says, the Bible says, the Bible says, it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be exalted on top of all the mountains. So those that spend time living in that mountain will be exalted alongside the mountain. And when the nations come, they will come and meet us there. Meet us exalted. Meet us exalted. Meet us glorified. And whilst we were laboring on the mountain, when the mountain was not yet exalted, it will look as though we're wasting time. I speak in parables. I speak in parables. Hear me oh?

It can never be a waste of time. There no such thing as you are spending too much time in church. Except it is not with Jesus. Then you then you are wasting time. Then I agree they are spending too much time. Then I agree I'm not doing anything with your life. I agree. There is no way that a man will spend time with Jesus. That the time he's spending with Jesus will not be building the need for productivity in his life. So there's no such thing as you are of so much spiritual relevance that you are not of heavenly relevance.

It does not exist. You cannot be of spiritual relevance and not be of earthly relevance. It does not... There is no such thing in scripture. It's not possible. Do you know that when they saw Daniel, what they knew, Daniel never said. When he was interpreting the language written on the wall, he never came and said, God has said, oh king, you have been wait. He just came and said, king, you have been waiting in the balance. He was speaking from a front room, but he was speaking as a man. He was speaking as Daniel.

When the king would interpret it, what they said was there is none greater than the God of Daniel. That means it is not possible to be spiritually inclined indeed. And it will not translate to what the world will see. And say, Kai, there is none greater than the God of this person. It's not possible. You can't know God and be feeling the way you are feeling. It's not God you know. Come on now. Come on now. It's not possible.

The Bible says those that know their God. They will be strong. They will do exploit. That's what the Bible says. So you can't therefore tell me that spending time knowing God is denying me of exploits. That's not possible. That's not possible. That's not possible. I'm one of the best where I work because I know God. In my business, I'm one of the best.

In career, I'm one of the best because I know God. There are values I have because I know God. As I know God, I see him as excellent. I must be excellent. Because as you see him, you behold and you become. You behold and you become. So when you know that it radiates glory, you know your life must radiate glory. Listen. Listen. Sit down.

Sit down. So it is impossible to know him and be useless on earth. Because the more you know him, the more you see him, the more you become. The Bible says, beholding as in the glass, the glory of the living God have been transformed into the same image. That means that means if you are knowing Jesus and you are failing, we should be asking, which Jesus are you knowing? Which one? It can't be. The Christ of God. It can't be. Because if it is the Christ of God, as we know him, we become like him.

We become like him. We become like him. That means if a weak man starts knowing him, if a poor man starts knowing him, That is one labor that cannot be a waste. One labor that cannot be a waste. Listen, illiterate, illiterate knew him. Illiterate fishermen that had no no western education, no eastern education, no pharisaical education whatsoever. But the bible says, when men saw their exploits in the book of act of apostles, when they saw their exploits, when they saw the way a fisherman, like did not read the Torah, did not read did not read the prophets, didn't read the law. When they saw the way he was preaching, he stood on the day of Pentecost in front of 3,000 people and was quoting David, was quoting 12, was quoting a fisherman. Who taught you? From where did you learn it?

A fisherman. When they saw their exploits, the Bible says they knew they had been with Jesus. They knew. They knew. How did they know? Not by their frownings, not by their, that, not, not, not by their piousness. They saw their result in the market place. They saw the way they spoke. They saw the way they talk. They saw the way they they they from what they saw.

They knew they had been with Jesus. That labor to be with him cannot be a waste. It cannot be a waste. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. Sit down and hear me. Brother, that labor to be with him cannot be a waste. It cannot be a waste. I can't be praying for one hour every day or two hours every day, and somebody tells me I'm wasting my time.

It it is is... It makes no logical sense. I can't be reading my bible. As I'm reading my bible, somebody now comes in and says, don't you have something better to do? What better thing is there to do? I I can't be going to church on Sunday, and somebody says that, yeah, again, on Tuesday, again. I'm now shy. Don't you understand? That's the one thing worth laboring on. That's the one thing.

Do you know what this means? Listen, do you know what this means? This means, if any other area of my life will die, if any other thing must be sacrificed, it cannot be this one. It it can't be this one. If I must sacrifice anything, it can't be this. If I must let anything go, it can't be this. Hear me? Only you can satisfy my soul. Only you can can satisfy my soul. Hear me?

Hear me? You know I start... Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen. You know I studied physiology in school. By default, the Nigerian value system has sealed our fate. You know, there are courses in university that they they drop you into when you cannot meet up with the highest...

The higher profile courses. But as you fellowship with Jesus, there is just something that begins to show you that will transform your finances beyond what you studied. Beyond what you studied. You will... As a fellowship with Jesus, you will just see a problem. And he will give you the solution. And the strategy. And a business plan is drawn. Beyond what career can give. Beyond what school can give.

He called it eating riches in secret places. It's not it's not... Do you understand what I'm saying? Let let let nobody deceive us. Let me show you a scripture. Luke chapter nine fifty nine. Said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. Blunder. Blunder. Blunder.

Blunder. Blunder. Blunder, Blunder. Because the principle is seek me first. So I can't be saying follow me, and you think there is something that is more important than the allegiance that have demanded of you. Look at what Jesus says. Jesus looked at him. That means his father just died. He says, let the dead bury their own dead. But you, go and preach the kingdom of God.

Almost as though Jesus had no respect for his dead father. What Jesus was saying is, there are labors. What laboring? That is second to another. That there is... There... You cannot put it side by side with another thing. And first, so even the bearing of your father is second. He's second. When when Jesus beckons on you, there is nothing that let me first.

It... Do you know what it means? It means if your life becomes so busy, and you now planning your time and say, ah, homo, I'm so busy oh, Jesus Christ. That's why I don't know how to balance my time very well. Let me look at my order of program and skill of preference and see what I can drop. Jesus is not one to drop. You you you don't understand what I'm saying? Your your brain cannot even be going there. You don't understand what I'm saying. It's not possible you can be thinking that.

Okay. Ah. I spent too much time in church. That's why I'm a worker in church. I think the answer is, let me let me stop being a worker. You don't understand? Nothing as it relates to Jesus is worth sacrificing anything for. Do you understand what I'm saying? Nothing. Nothing.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing. Many people don't know that when I was writing jam and writing post tutoring and writing a levels and all those things, I was I was knocking every door that is possible. So then was when University of Medicine on those states came and launched. So I went for their screening, and I got there, and I got met.

And at the same time I got in, University of Bannon opened, and I got physiology. I've not even told my prayer in this story. They don't even know. Because if for any reason they knew that I got medicine somewhere, what is Jesus saying does not matter. You don't understand what I'm saying. It does not matter what Jesus is saying. It is what is the economy of Nigeria say. The economy of Nigeria is saying that to be relevant in Nigeria, you must... There are some courses you must study. And this is one of them.

So if this is where they gave you, they go India. But when I checked with Jesus, I found out that he will have me build something for himself and start an awakening in this city. If anything will be sacrificed, it cannot be what Jesus told me. If anything if anything sacrifice, it can't be. It can't be Jesus. It can't be. It can't be the assignment he gave me. It can't be. Do you know we're having exams? I would preach I would preach on sat...

On Friday in a fellowship, then preach on Saturday, lead prayers for six hours on Saturday. Then I had a meeting I used to go and attend on Sunday. I will be with my people on Sunday and teach them. And after I'm done teaching them on Sunday, I would go to another church on Sunday night, that same Sunday night, and go and teach them in vigil and go from finishing on Sunday night to exam all, to write exam. And because I knew that this was going to be my schedule, every reading I was going to do must happen before then. Because I knew that my timetable was different, so I wouldn't have the luxury of reading the way people read all of a sudden before I got an open book. No. My reading must go ahead because my time can be demanded by the one who sent me, And I will not sacrifice that one for anything. So I will build my life around his assignment and build my life around him. I won't shake him to accommodate things.

I won't move him to accommodate things. Mm-mm. Mm-mm. It says Mary had found that good part. Mary had found that good part. Mary had found it. Somebody told me and said, we had a workers meeting in church, and we finished very late. And I had an exam the following day, and because of meeting very late in church, I couldn't finish. I couldn't read for the exam, and I knew I could have done better. You could have done better by reading a day before the exam.

You are foolish. You are seriously foolish. You could have done better by reading a day before the exam. So because of that, I'm thinking of leaving. Leave. Leave and be gone. We accommodate our life around him around him around him. We plan everything around him around him. And because we are diligent, we know how to plan it. Thought that nothing goes to waste.

Nothing. I will stop here. When the second thing that is that you pay attention to. I don't have time to teach you, but I'll just list it for you. Just list it for you. Number two, pay attention to mental renewal. What did I call it? Mental Mental renewal. I don't have time to explain that. Number three, pay attention to skill, value, and relevance beyond your western contemporary education?

I don't have time to explain it. Go up, pay attention to skill, to value, and to relevance. I'm listing it for you intentionally so that you would know exactly what is important in a man's life so that he will not leave his life ever feeling as though he has wasted time. Because if a man can build his life around what I'm telling you right now... The next. Pay attention to destiny relationships. I don't have time to teach it to. Pay attention to what now? Destiny relationships. Listen, invest in it.

Please do. Please do. Please do. I beg you, do. If you need to read books on it, read books. There are amazing books by Miles Monroe, by John C. Maxwells on building relationships, building friendships, relating with people above you, ahead of you, building confidence to meet with people for the first time. Awesome books that teach about this. Don't just say it's not another type of person. You will suffer.

Please don't take me for granted. Whether you are in ministry or you are in business, you will need people to be lifted. God will lift you through men. It is worthy of investment now. It is. It is one area you build skill inside. I'm not the type. I'm not the I'm not the piece. I'm this. If I'm not the type, you will be the type to be poor.

There's no two way about it. God sent help to us, but it comes through men. Through men. As long as you are a human being on this earth, you'll be lifted through men. In fact, the Bible give and it should be given unto you. Good measure. Pressed down. Shaken together. Running over. Shall men bring onto your bosom.

Shall men, not shall God. Shall men. Do you understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir. Shall men. Don't joke with what I'm teaching you. Don't ever joke with it. I wish I had time to build on it, but go and study. It is worth buying books and reading. Invest that much into your future.

Invest that much into your life. Influencing people and winning friends. I read about relationships and managing relationships, not not romantic relationships. That's all some of you ever read. Destiny relationships. Building skill in relating with people of all categories. Those above you, those under you, those beneath you. If you don't learn this wisdom, you will suffer. You will close doors against yourself and you will not know that you did. One of my daughters was was was telling me was telling me someone who just entered into a...

Who just, you know, entered into a DM and just said, see, I don't have money for this oh because they are friends. And that lady felt so... Don't have... Am I your mother? Can't you reach your mother? But then because she's been of help to help in time past. There's now been some kind of entitlement that has been built, that you feel as though how you request help from someone who does not hold you anything. Is to just march into their DM and demand for things as though they they they... You you are saving money in their hand. I don't have money for this, so you come and help me with this.

What? That means there is no investment in a relationship. You lack wisdom in it and you will suffer. It is true. Because if that person says, what is this? And blocks you. That's how your helpers be blocking you one by one. One by one because you have no wisdom to deal. People ask my numbers and the next thing they are doing is requesting from things from me. Apostle, you know, I don't have this, but I sense God is telling me that should tell you I should get me a laptop.

Apostle, I sense God is telling me this and that and that and that and that. I wouldn't spend a second on that person anymore. You have not the wisdom to marry relationships. Even when somebody is your friend, there's a way to build friendship in honor without praying on that friendship, especially if that friend of yours is somewhat blessed or helped by God. You... There is a way you humble yourself to learn even if you are receiving something from them. Not act as though it is their right to do so since we are friends. Mm-mm. You are unwise. Learn this thing I'm preaching you.

Learn it. Learn it. Don't be entitled. And so you meet somebody, the person tells you, oh, I cannot help you with this and you become offended. That is entitlement. It means you have not built wisdom in relationships. Do you understand what I'm saying? How about with those ahead of you, with those below you? There are people that treat people that are below them like trash out of pride and arrogance. If you have this mentality that you cannot be wrong and people are discussing with you and you you will have issues, you can't be corrected.

You can't be spoken to. Your friends are talking to you. You feel that they want to understand you. Because in your own head, you are right. You are always right. You see things rightly. You have the right perspective of everything. If you are hurt by something, it does not matter what the person was going through who hurt you. As long as you are hurt, the person is wrong. It is selfishness.

It means you have no you have no wisdom for relationships. It is called emotional quotient. If you do not know this, you will not rise. You need this in leadership to manage people, to gather people, to talk business, to sign contracts, to sign deals. There are many contracts you will sign, not because you are intelligent, but because you knew how to interact with somebody. They met you and they just loved you. You are a cheerful person. That is... What do you do? Oh, I do this.

I do that. Really? Can you supply? That's all. That's all. Learn. Learn. Don't ever give an excuse for why you are the way you are. Don't say that is how I am. Learn.

Learn. Don't ever say it's because of the way I grew up. You know, the way I grew up, I don't like people shouting at me. I don't like people grow. Stop giving such foolish excuses. You're no longer there. It is time to grow. Moses, my servant is dead. Go forward. Act one of the most what must die in your life and move.

Otherwise, you will remain in the same place for long. Rise up on your feet. Can you just thank God for what you received? Glory everywhere destiny is a changing right now Father, we give you all the glory. We give you all the praise. Thank you for the word. Thank you for the transformation. Thank you for the empowerment. Thank you for the enablement. In Jesus name we have prayed.

Thank you for listening to this message. We trust you have been blessed. You can get more life transforming messages from apostle Emmanuel Boluwatife on our Telegram page at DCN media channel. You can also stream the messages on Spotify, Ocho Mac, and Apple Podcasts. Connect with us via our social media platforms on Instagram at dcn 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.