Righteous Invasion of Truth

Dr. Abel Damina: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Abel Damina is my name. I want to welcome you to this broadcast. It is a time of learning, a time of unlearning, and a time of relearning. The essence of this broadcast is to bring to you the revelation of Jesus Christ. The mandate of God on our ministry is the revelation of Jesus, reintroducing Jesus to this generation, equipping the believer to know who you are in Christ, what you have in Christ, and what Christ can do through you.

So, get ready, fasten your seat belts. Today, we are going to adventure in the scriptures. The scriptures tell us in John 5:39, Jesus speaking to the Jews said, "You search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life, but they are they which testify of me." The Bible is Christocentric. It is a message centered on the person of Jesus Christ.

So, get ready today as we traverse through the pages of the scriptures, unveiling Christ so we can reveal your true identity in Christ. Because once you know who you are in Christ, then you will know what you have in Christ, and then you can be able to know what Christ can do through you. It gives you a life of fulfillment, a life that is purpose-driven so you can make the impact you were designed to make in this life through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Call a friend, call a loved one, tell somebody to tell somebody to hook up right now as I take you into that service where the Spirit of our God is already moving. Happy listening.

Guest (Female): And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Dr. Abel Damina: He says, "I say also unto thee." This was in response to what Peter said. So, let's look at the pretext of what Peter said in chapter 16, verse number 17.

Guest (Female): And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."

Dr. Abel Damina: Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Those are critical words. "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Now, don't forget, the nation of Israel were God's anointed people. In looking at the scriptures and in looking at the church of God in service, we are establishing the fact that the church is not a New Testament concept. It started in the Old Testament.

When Jesus was teaching about the church, he didn't have Matthew to Revelation. All he had was Genesis to Malachi. So when we are talking about the church, we need to establish from the Old Testament where Jesus got the concept from, where he taught it from, and where the apostles also taught the word church and the service of the church from in the Old Testament.

Don't forget the nation of Israel were God's anointed people. So you can also call them Christ. Christ is not a proper name; it is a description. So the nation of Israel was also anointed, and they were also called the Son of God. When he says, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," in other words, he embodies the nation of God's project. He embodies the nation of God's promise. He embodies the nation of God's plan through that nation. Look at Exodus chapter 4, verse 22.

Guest (Female): And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, "Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn."

Dr. Abel Damina: The next thing is, "I will build my church." The word build here is the word *Oikodomeo*. It is a very popular word, a frequent word in New Testament Greek. *Oikodomeo*, where you have two words: the word *Oikia* or *Oikos*, where you have not just a place where you dwell, but in the Greek culture, where families dwell, like a family house where everyone through generations had a space, a place which binds generations together.

So, which means this house binds those before and those after. It unites generations in one place. "I will build my church," used for a building where people live. And again, if you read what they read, your mind goes back to Genesis chapter 28, where you have Jacob's vision. Now look at that Genesis 28, the 12th verse.

Guest (Female): And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, "I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."

Dr. Abel Damina: For anything to be Bible doctrine, it must first of all appear as a seed in Genesis or a germ in Genesis. Then you must find it in Exodus to Deuteronomy as types and shadows. Then you must find that same concept in the prophets as prophecy. Then you must find that same concept in the songs of David as a psalm. Then you must find that same concept in the parables of Jesus as a parable. Then you must now find that concept taught properly in the Epistles as doctrine. That is what establishes Bible doctrine.

Bible doctrine is not just waking up, scratching your head, and carrying one verse. No, it has to traverse through the pages of the scripture. Don't forget, when Jesus was teaching doctrine, his book was Genesis to Malachi. When the apostles were teaching doctrine, their books were Genesis to Malachi. They didn't have Matthew to Revelation. Matthew to Revelation are commentaries of Genesis to Malachi. So if Jesus is teaching church, he must have found it as a concept somewhere in the Old Testament. And that concept is what we are tracing now to the germ form of that word church in Jacob's experience.

Remember, there is no country that can contain that kind of crowd that God promised Jacob: to the west, the south, the east, and all of that. So that promise is a spiritual connotation of God's work in the earth. That promise is God's vision, God's dream, God's desire to harvest the whole earth as his family or harvest the whole earth as his dwelling place. Jacob comes out of the vision and the dream, and then look at what Jacob says in verse 16 and verse 17 of Genesis 28.

Guest (Female): And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not." And he was afraid, and said, "How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

Dr. Abel Damina: The house of God, the gate of heaven. This is the house of God, the gate of heaven. The word *Bayit El* in the Hebrew. Then he anointed the place with oil, according to their custom and culture as they do for deities generally. Then in verse 22, you will see that the anointing with oil is an oriental tradition. He calls the place Bethel in verse 19.

Guest (Female): And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Dr. Abel Damina: "This stone which I shall set for a pillar shall be called the house of God," the word Bethel or the household of God. Now, is he referring to a building? No, he is referring to a people. The house of God is a people. Look at Genesis 28, verse 13 and 14.

Guest (Female): And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, "I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

Dr. Abel Damina: So the house of God: a place or a people? Remember, we are trying to establish the original meaning of the word church, not the innovated meaning that we have in our times and days today. Some people don't even know what church is, and it is important for us as a church, the church of God in service, to understand biblically what church is and to be able to defend it if you are asked a reason for this hope that is in you.

So it is critical to look at biblical concepts and establish the understanding the way God intended for us to understand it. "Upon this rock I will build my church," or "I will build my people." We have it in prophecy now. Psalm 118, verse 20. We have seen it as seed form in Genesis. Now let's look at it as one of the songs of David in prophecy. Psalm 118, verse 20 to 22.

Guest (Female): This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

Dr. Abel Damina: "The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner." That is God's building spoken of. Again, you will see that same word used in Isaiah chapter 28. "The stone that the builders rejected," referring to God building his own house. So the building of God is a people. It is the house of God, the *Bayit*, the Bethel. So in John chapter 14, verse 1, now in the Gospels, you will see where Jesus begins to speak of what we have seen in the Psalms, what we have seen in Genesis, in John 14:1 to 3.

Guest (Female): Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Dr. Abel Damina: "In my Father's house are many mansions." Now, let's stay with John because in John chapter 2, Jesus goes into the temple. And we know what the temple is, the word *Naos*, which is a physical building where sacrifices are offered, and they say the glory of God is there. But Jesus in John 2 enters and calls it something else. Give me John, the second chapter, the 16th verse.

Guest (Female): And said unto them that sold doves, "Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise."

Dr. Abel Damina: "Make not my Father's house an house of merchandise." It's not today that prosperity preachers made the church a place of exchanging, selling and buying, selling anointing oil, selling perfume of favor, selling salt that preserves your life. "Take these things hence, make not my Father's house an house of merchandise." Don't make my Father's house—it's my Father's house. And this account by Matthew, look at it, Matthew 21, verse 13.

Guest (Female): And said unto them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called the house of prayer;' but ye have made it a den of thieves."

Dr. Abel Damina: "My house shall be called the house of prayer," but you have turned it into a place of stealing, taking advantage of gullible people, lying to them, scamming them. "The bigger your seed, the bigger your harvest," lie. "Givers don't lack," fraud. True givers lack because giving means you are going to create a space where you lack. So when you give, lack exists. In fact, givers will lack. The only joy givers get out of giving is what they gave for has been done. And they are happy to go through that lack until they are able to make another money.

That is why Paul said to Timothy, "Charge them that are rich in this world." He didn't say charge them that God made rich. He said charge them that are rich in this world not to be high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches. Why would they trust in uncertain riches? Because it is their skill that brought the money. So he said, charge them not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who giveth us all things richly to enjoy. Let them be willing to distribute, let them be willing to communicate, let them reach out and be a blessing. Let them not be pompous and proud, feeling that "I got it by my skills." Let them also remember that the same way God has provided a planet for all of us to make money, there are people that are also in need that their blessing can touch their lives. That's what Paul was teaching Timothy in the book of 1 Timothy, chapter 6.

So my Father's house is the house of prayer. Look at Matthew 21, verse 42 again, speaking about the house of the Father.

Guest (Female): Jesus saith unto them, "Did ye never read in the scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?'"

Dr. Abel Damina: "The stone which the builders rejected," same thing we read in Psalm 118. Then look at Brother Mark's narrative of the same situation. Mark 11:23.

Guest (Female): For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, "Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea;" and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Dr. Abel Damina: Now get ready, a new learning is about to happen here with this verse of scripture I just read. Because we've always used that scripture as a scripture for prayer to move things and change things. But remember, mountains are where temples were built in Bible days. So when he says, "If you shall say unto this mountain, be thou cast into the sea," it is usually the imagery of the Exodus, a movement of the people. How does it happen? It happened when Jesus rose from the dead.

Because it is a house of prayer. So verse 24 will now say, "What things soever you desire, when you pray." Because my Father's house, mountain, shall be called a house of prayer. So that Mark 11:23 and 24 is actually talking about the temple of God, the house of prayer. Look at Mark 11:17.

Guest (Female): And he taught, saying unto them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer?' but ye have made it a den of thieves."

Dr. Abel Damina: My house shall be called of all nations a house of prayer. So Jesus is talking about the temple in Mark 11. Have faith in God, or have faith in the faithfulness of God. So: mountain, temple, all the same thing. Because Jesus never made any mountain move. So in teaching about mountain, he was teaching about temple. And the temple in verse 24 is a house of prayer. So when he said mountain, he is speaking a temple language. So the mountain there refers to man-made place of worship or things around it.

John chapter 2, "My Father's house are many mansions." So that means the temple, my Father's house, or house of God. In John 14:2, can we also say, "In the temple there are many mansions?" Can we say, "In the temple," because the temple is my Father's house or the house of God. So instead of saying, "In my Father's house," we can say, "In the temple are many mansions." Because if temple was used in that translation there, many people would not be thinking of building projects happening in heaven right now.

If you had read John chapter 2, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up," that means it will be cast into the sea. The temple will be cast into the sea because the real temple shall be a house of prayer. The physical temple shall be cast into the sea upon his resurrection because the real temple shall be a house of prayer. Read for me John chapter 2, verse 21 to 22.

Guest (Female): But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

Dr. Abel Damina: If your Bible was mine, I would underline "and they believed the scripture." When therefore he was risen from the dead, the disciples remembered that he had said this unto them, and they believed. So he had taught them about temple, he had taught them about his Father's house, he has taught them about building the church. When he rose from the dead, they now believe the scriptures, Genesis to Malachi. Now, what did they believe? Genesis 28:12 to 23. You can read that at home. The Psalmist said it, they believed. Isaiah said it, and they believed. So they believed Genesis, they believed Psalms, they believed Isaiah. So which means this temple is a people, not a cathedral. Look at Psalm 112, verse 6.

Guest (Female): Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.

Dr. Abel Damina: Okay, give me Psalm 118, verse 16.

Guest (Female): The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord.

Dr. Abel Damina: "Open to me the gates of righteousness, I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord." So it's about people, not buildings, because God is building people, not physical structures. So, "I will build my church" from my Exodus. I will build my church from my Exodus. Remember, there must be an exile first before there is an Exodus. The exile was the dead; the Exodus was the resurrection. So, "I will build my church" from the Exodus. Don't forget, we are teaching the temple, we are teaching the church from the Exodus narrative, from the Old Testament narrative.

So which means we have to look back at the Exodus to see what the church means. The church therefore is people. The word *Ekklesia*, which is from two words, the word *Ek* and the word *Kaleo*. The word *Ek* means out. The word *Kaleo* has three different connotations. Number one: I can call or summon you. That's the first connotation. Number two: I can call you as per communication. Number three: I can also call you a name.

For example, I can say, "Honey, come," and she will come. I can say, "Honey, do you see what I am talking about?" See, I called her name in communication. I called her, "Honey, come," I summoned her. Number three: "Honey, you are my wife." I called her and I gave her a function that is hers. So that call has three connotations. Number one: to summon. Number two: a call within communication. Number three: I can also call you a name that defines your functionality.

Just like if you say, "Oh, that is social media unit," that's a name you mention, which means to call out as an Exodus fact. So to call out will mean three things. Number one: to ask for a response, which happens when the Gospel is preached. The preaching of the Gospel is an invitation. When you hear the message and you answer that invitation, you are saved. Number two is a communication. God communes with us. Then number three: God gives us function.

God gives us function. To call you, if I call you something, it's so that you will function in it. To call out, that's number one. Number two, to call like summoning for communication. Number three, to call it something. So there are three connotations in when you call out. It doesn't mean you are leaving; it just means by that calling, you've been summoned. Number two, we have been called out unto what we believe. We respond. Number three, what we become because of the invitation that we responded to. That now becomes our calling.

So the church is firstly from the invitation. The church comes into existence from the summon. Then what we are called, which is functionality. What we are called, which is our functionality. So in this world, we are called out of darkness into his marvelous light. Which means we are not called to run out of the world, we are not called to escape from the world, we are called to be out of the world. That's our calling.

So church therefore is functional. And we need to look at what is the function of the church. Because the call is the invitation, then the summon when I respond, then it means I am born again. But then there is the name, the functionality, what we now do, which is a part and parcel of what we are saying.

Along with salvation comes the call to ministry. So salvation, when you answer the call of the Gospel and you are saved, in that salvation, there is your calling to do ministry because every child of God is called. Every child of God. There is no special group of people called priests or called fathers. No. All of us are equally called, every child of God. Anybody treating himself special as per calling is false. There is the priesthood of all believers. All of us: royal priesthood, holy nation, peculiar people, called. All of us are called. Somebody say, "I am called."

The next time somebody says, "Why are you talking to me like that? Don't you know I am called?" Tell him, "Me too, I am called, man. I'm also called." There is no uncalled child of God. Jesus said, "Nobody comes to me except I call him." The reason why you are here now is because you were called, you heard the call, you answered the call. Now that you have answered the call, that calling gives you a functionality. That functionality is called ministry.

Every child of God has it. That your own is not manifesting is just ignorance tormenting you. When knowledge comes, it will manifest. Concerning spirituals, I will not have you ignorant. Every child of God is called. So a single person cannot be called. A single person cannot be called church. Church is a corporate word. So the Exodus therefore becomes for us a lesson because the entire nation of Israel moved out of Egypt. It's a corporate calling.

So nobody can be called a church. The church is a corporate word; it's all of us together that forms the church. No wonder Jesus would say, "Where two or three," there's a corporate word, "I am there in their midst." So salvation therefore is not personal in that sense because all of us are saved into a corporate entity. We are saved into the family of God. Psalm 105, verse 9 to 15.

Guest (Female): Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: Saying, "Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:" When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it. When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people; He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; Saying, "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm."

Dr. Abel Damina: These anointed and prophets is all of us. It is all of us. So if anybody tells you, "I am anointed, don't touch me," tell him the anointed must not touch the anointed. I am also anointed. He reproved kings for their sakes. "Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm." Somebody say, "How am I a prophet?" You remember one time they were to ordain 70 elders by Moses in the book of Numbers, and two people were prophesying who were not part of the 70? And Israel told Moses to stop them. Moses said, "No, the plan is that all of you should prophesy."

That's the plan. Joel put it beautifully. "I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh: your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams." So the prophetic is our corporate identity as the church of Jesus, and all of us are anointed. There is no unanointed child of God. From one nation to another, he reproved kings for their sakes. Which king did he reprove for their sake? Abimelech was one of them. "Don't touch that woman, she is the wife of a prophet." In fact, for even encroaching into his house, give him gifts and apologize. And Abimelech carried gifts. He reproved kings for their sake. He suffered no man to do them wrong. Glory to God.

So notice anointed, prophet is a corporate word for a people. The Exodus gives us a further narrative to that where we have the Exodus. Exodus chapter 14 and 15, read when you get home. You will see, "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." Put up for me Exodus chapter 14, verse number 13.

Guest (Female): And Moses said unto the people, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever."

Dr. Abel Damina: Stand still and see the salvation. The word *Yeshap* where you have *Yeshua*. So the Exodus experience gives us a window to know what salvation is. So when they came out of the Exodus, they came out as a people. They came out, everybody say as a people. They didn't come out individuals; they came out as a corporate entity. Look at Exodus 12:3.

Guest (Female): Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, "In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house."

Dr. Abel Damina: Unto all the congregation. That's the word you take note of: *Eda* in the Hebrew. Exodus 16, verse 1.

Guest (Female): And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin.

Dr. Abel Damina: And all the congregation. Taken from the Hebrew word *Ya'ad*, congregation. Now it deals with a few thing. It deals with a few things. Take these scriptures down to see those few things in your personal study. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 3, verse 6, verse 19, verse 47. Then Exodus chapter 16, verse 2, verse 9, verse 10, verse 22. You will keep seeing the word congregation. Because it is a corporate calling. Look at Exodus 17:1 in your personal study. Exodus 34:31. Exodus 35:1. Now the core issue here is Exodus 35, verse 1 and verse 4.

Guest (Female): And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, "These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them."

Dr. Abel Damina: Did you see Moses addressed them as a corporate entity, not individuals? Read for me verse 4.

Guest (Female): And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying, 'Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass.'"

Dr. Abel Damina: He spoke to them again as a corporate entity. Exodus 38:25, read for me again.

Guest (Female): And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

Dr. Abel Damina: Now that's where we derive the word church from, these scriptures we just read. Congregation, that's where the word church came from. The church is a congregation. So the word church is an Exodus fact. So if we call church today, it's taken firstly from the history of God's salvation plan. Exodus will therefore give us the idea of what it is. Then you have another word, the word *Mikra* in the Hebrew, meaning they are called out.

Let's see a few functional things. In Exodus 17, there is war. In Exodus 18, where Moses taught them and showed them God's law from morning till evening. He taught the congregation, he showed them the law of God from morning till evening. Exodus chapter 18, verse 13. Because we are taking the church from where it originated, in the Exodus narrative.

Guest (Female): And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

Dr. Abel Damina: The people stood by Moses from morning till evening. Which means real church, God's plan for church, the church in the mind of God, is a place where we meet for hours. It's a place where we come and stay for hours, learning, being instructed. That's exactly the way Moses spoke to them from morning till evening. That's God's idea of his church.

I've told you we are not going to go with the name of innovated church; we're going to go with the Bible. Of course, then Jethro advised him and said, "You will die soon, because you can't be talking every day from morning till evening. You will die young." He said you will wear yourself out. This was common sense, of course. The meeting didn't stop, but now they had more officers so it became teamwork. But the meetings maintained their duration, just that the ministration now had more people ministering along with Moses.

So there was teaching in the church. There was judgment; decisions were taken. The first thing is at the Exodus, they are called a congregation. No one gets saved to himself; we get saved into a people. We are saved into a family. We are saved into God's people. Nobody gets saved in isolation. You don't get saved and stay outside; no, we are saved into a congregation. We are saved into a people. *Ya'ad*: people appointed or people put together.

So that's the first thing: salvation itself is not personal. It's an Exodus fact. Yes, you are a person, but you are a part of it. But you're not saved alone; you're saved with a people. You are saved unto a people. That's the first thing you ought to learn. That you cannot do salvation alone; you can only do salvation with a people. So you can't be saying salvation is a personal thing. No, it's personal in the sense that you received it, but you received it into a people.

You received it into a congregation, which is where you have the Body of Christ. You are saved into the Body of Christ. You become a member of the body. When you're born again, we now say you are welcome into God's family. I have a book like that, right? "Welcome Into God's Family." That book shows you everything that has to do with your rights, your privileges, and your responsibilities in the family. We don't say you're welcome to Power City. We say you're welcome into God's family. That is the word *Ya'ad*, congregation. You're welcome to a people.

Now with the Exodus 12, that congregation has to be functional. That *Kaleo* has to be functional. So what is that functionality of these people? What is the functionality of this congregation? Exodus chapter 12, verse 16.

Guest (Female): And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

Dr. Abel Damina: There shall be a holy convocation. So the people, they are called out of Egypt. When they are called out of Egypt, they are called to gather. God has gathered them in the Exodus; he now calls them to gather, the word *Makira*. Then look at Leviticus chapter 23, verse 2. You know Leviticus is a book of worship, right? So give me Leviticus 23:2, 3, and 4.

Guest (Female): Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, "Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts." Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

Dr. Abel Damina: So the worship of God is seen in the gatherings. "The first day shall be a holy convocation." The word *Mikra* means to summon. To summon. You can read further verse 4, verse 7, verse 8, verse 21. It's from the word *Quara*. Look at that word *Quara* where it came from. Genesis chapter 1, verse 5. You know, again, we've said doctrine will start in Genesis as a seed, right?

Guest (Female): And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Dr. Abel Damina: The word "called." God called. That word "called" is functional. Which means the gathering of believers is one of the reasons why you are saved. You are saved to gather with other believers. You are saved to be a part of the congregation, the family, the household of God. So a proof of salvation is that you're part of a gathering. The proof of salvation is that you're part of a gathering with believers. You belong to the holy convocation. So which means the *Mikra* is a sacred assembly. That's where you have the word *Ekklesia*. It involves the word *Ya'ad* and *Mikra*. Read for me Matthew 16:18 to 19 again, because that's the Exodus language.

Guest (Female): And I say also unto thee, "That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Dr. Abel Damina: So there is church gathering out of the world. There is church gathering of those who are gathered. Till Shiloh comes unto the Lord shall the gathering of his people be. God brings out the solitary into families, into a gathering. Salvation brings you into God's gathering. In the entire book of Acts, they practice the *Mikra*, the coming together. So which means this is the sacred assembly where worship goes on.

Now pay attention here. Certain things are celebrated when they come together. The Passover is celebrated. Exodus 22:31 and Exodus 23:1. Every time they gathered, they celebrated the Passover. Number two, they celebrate the firstfruits. Number three, they celebrate the Tabernacles. And number four, when they gather, they celebrate Pentecost. These are critical things in the gathering called the church. They celebrate the Passover, they celebrate the firstfruit, they celebrate Pentecost, they celebrate Tabernacle. So which means that they are special meetings, special meetings in the gathering or what we call *Quadesh*. *Quadesh* or holy meetings. We celebrate holy things. The unleavened bread is holy. These are holy gatherings and they are holy gatherings because of the purpose of the church.

You can call them special meetings. So when they come to the Tabernacle, they have a *Mikra*, they are summoned. So which means it's done by the Spirit of God or is done by God's man. "Let's meet tomorrow" is New Creation Camp meeting. That announcement is a summoning by the Spirit of God. And every member of that congregation ought to take that summoning serious if he truly belongs to the *Ekklesia*. If he's truly born into the *Ekklesia*, when there's summoning, all the members of the *Ekklesia* show up.

If you don't show up, number one: is either you don't belong, or number two: you are treating what is holy as unholy. You are not treating sacred things sacred. You are taking for granted what God himself has treated special. When we say we're meeting tomorrow, God Almighty, your Father, shows up in the meeting. For you not to show up is a disregard of your Father's presence. It's not just that you missed service.

When you understand the *Ekklesia* and the mind of God about the *Ekklesia* of those he has called out of darkness into his congregation, you will never take any meeting for granted. You will never. Because every child of God is a product of meetings. I am a product of meetings. We don't take our meetings for granted. We pray for the meetings, we prepare for them, we come to them expecting.

And God supernaturally ensures, since it is unto Him we are gathered, we are all given the enablement to serve His purpose. I have news for you: this will be a special year for your life. You will walk in the will and in the plan of God for your life. You will walk in the center of God's purpose. Turn to your neighbor, say, "Hey, neighbor, this is the year we serve God's purpose, we serve the will of God, we make ourselves available in carrying out our collective responsibility."

Tell a neighbor, "I need you." I don't know about you, but I need you. Whether you need me or not, me I need you. Because you carry something that is relevant for me to fulfill the purpose of God for my life. So I need your contribution. I cannot do without you. Tell a neighbor, "God has made each of us, by default, insufficient so that we will rely on each other to complete each other." So I need you in my life. I need you very well. Every time I come to church, I need to see you.

Tell the person, "Look at me very well. Every time I come here, I need to see you. When we are summoned and we assemble, you must not be missing." Say, "Because I need you. You're carrying something that is mine, and I only collect it when we gather. So when you are missing, you are denying me what is mine in your hands." So do you understand why we use to tell your neighbor you will be blessed because I came? By that which every joint supplieth. Say, "You're a joint. I'm a joint. We supply each other."

How many of you know that any part of your body where joint is not supplying, there'll be trouble? Are you aware of it? That's God's plan for the church. We all supply by that which every joint supplieth. We will function according to God's plan for the church. Say with me, "I preach the Gospel, I advance the kingdom, I preach the Gospel, I affect lives, I make impact through me. The Gospel will get to the ends of the earth."

Father, I pray for everybody under the sound of my voice that God's mind, God's plan, God's intent for the church is carried out amongst us in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Father. No one is barren among us; everyone is fruitful. Everyone is fruitful. The Bible tells us that even those that beareth fruit, he purgeth them that they may bear forth much fruit. So, Father, as your word is coming and purging and cleaning us up, we are maximally productive in the name of Jesus. You are kept by the power of God. You are preserved by the Spirit of Christ. You fulfill God's purpose. In Jesus' name we pray. And every believer says that "Amen" on a note of finality. Can we give the Lord a celebration in this house? Glory!

The word of God is life. The Bible tells us the entrance of God's word giveth light, and it giveth understanding to the simple. As you keep listening, the light of God's word rises out of the rightly divided word of truth, illuminates your mind, illuminates your heart, and brings you face to face with your realities in Christ Jesus. In Ephesians chapter 3, verse 3, Brother Paul speaking about the mystery, the Old Testament, said, "Whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ." So there is a knowledge in the mystery of Christ. The word mystery is the word *Musterion* in the Greek. It means that which is concealed. And then he says, "How that by revelation," the word revelation is the word *Apokalupsis*. It means that which is revealed. So the revelation of the scriptures unveils the mystery. Revelation is the New Testament, mystery is the Old Testament.

But it will take reading and learning to come to a place of full understanding, precise and accurate knowledge. Brother Daniel would say, "I understood by books." So there's a place of books in equipping you soundly with the message of Christ. Brother Paul would write to Timothy, he says to Timothy, "Till I come, give attendance to reading." Jesus, speaking to those Jews, says, "You do err because you know not the scriptures nor the power of God." Often times, Jesus would say to the Jews, "Have you not read?" It's the word *Anaginosko* in the Greek. It means, "Are you reading and not paying attention?"

I want to quickly recommend for you a plethora of books I have written. They are written with an intent to bring you doctrinal clarity, answer your questions doctrinally, and bring you to a place of accurate understanding, a precise knowledge of Christ and you in Christ. I want you to order for those books today. The number and the list of books available will be read to you right now. And if you call today, we'll be glad to make sure you get a copy or more copies of the books so you can enrich your spiritual life and enrich your walk with God and build a quality relationship with Jesus Christ, where you're also able to teach others the same truths you have learned to liberate them and bring them to the fullness of God. Glory to God.

Dr. Abel Damina has authored several insightful books that bring clarity to foundational truths of Christianity, including Understanding Spirit, Soul, and Body, Winning the War, Money with a Mission, Understanding Relationships, Marriage and Family Life, Prayer that Works, Higher Life: Redeemed to Reign in Life, and The Priesthood of Jesus. To order, call 240-367-6201 or email pciusregion@gmail.com. We trust you've been blessed by today's message. For prayers, counseling, or to obtain the complete teachings and books, call 404-789-7274, 404-670-2085, 404-453-5562, or 240-367-6201. We look forward to having you with us again tomorrow. Remain in His grace and be blessed.