Righteous Invasion of Truth

Guest (Male): This morning we rejoice, and we thank you for all things in Jesus' precious name. Let a believer shout, "Amen!" Somebody shout a glorious, "Amen!" Somebody say, "Glory! Glory!" Amen. Let's celebrate our Papa in the house. Celebrate our Mama in the house. Do that with joy. Do that with a clap. Do that with a big shout. Somebody shout, "Glory!" Amen. We salute you, Papa. We honor you, Mama. We celebrate you. Amen. Every time we see you, something leaps. How many of you are ready this morning? Somebody shout, "Glory," and put your hands together for Dr. Abel Damina!

Dr. Abel Damina: Glory! Glory! Glory! Glory! Are we excited this morning? Are you ready for God's word? Father, we thank you for this another opportunity to come before your holy, precious written word. Thank you that the mighty Holy Spirit lives on our inside, so revelation knowledge is gifted everybody under the sound of my voice. Whatever is not planted by God is rooted out. Burdens and yokes are destroyed.

Thank you, Lord, that through the teaching of your word, your healing power flows amongst us. So you work with your word, confirming your word with signs, wonders, and miracles. So we command that everyone under the sound of my voice that has been going through a trying time, we command that you are strengthened with might to overcome in the name of Jesus.

We thank you, Lord, that your word builds us up. Your word edifies us. By the end of this service, we shall all be the better for it. So we give you praise, glory, and honor for answered prayer. In Jesus' name, we pray, and every believer says a powerful, "Amen!" Glory to God.

Are we excited this morning? Lift your right hands above your head. Let's release our faith together as we say these words: I am born of God. I am born of the word. The word of God is my nature. I do not struggle to do the word. I do the word naturally. Therefore, today I will understand the word of His grace. I will be built up. By the end of this service, I will never be the same. Never, ever be the same again. In Jesus' name, and every believer says a powerful, "Amen!"

Glory to God. Are we excited to study the word and just fellowship together this morning? Can we celebrate our togetherness with a shout? Glory to God. Is that a shout in Power City? I'd like you to walk around to two or three people. Shake somebody, greet somebody this morning. Tell them, "You will be blessed because I came." Glory, glory, glory, glory. Glory to the Lamb of God. Glory to God forevermore. Hallelujah. Whoa, Hallelujah. Glory to God. All right, grab your pen, your notebook, your Bible. You can be seated with your sweet, smart self this morning.

We are still examining the church of God in service. This morning, we're beginning a sub-series under the church of God in service on why you must be committed to a local church. It's critical to know the importance of the local church. The local church is God's wisdom on the earth for carrying out His will among men. The local church is God's wisdom or God's strategy or God's device on the earth to carry out His will among men. Matthew, the 16th chapter, the 13th to the 18th verse. Read for me, PJ.

Guest (Male): When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples saying, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" And they said, "Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets." He saith unto them, "But whom say ye that I am?" And Simon Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 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: And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. So this is Jesus and his disciples. He says, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" You already know the background. But where I'm heading to is, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." Jesus called it "my church." It's an old word, the word Ecclesia. It means those who are called out.

I want you to know that the coinage "church" did not start with Jesus. That's why he said, "my church." He didn't say, "I will build the church." He said, "I will build my church." That's why, like you say, "This is my house." You don't say, "This is the house." You say, "This is my house," because there are other houses that are not your own. So, "I will build my church" because there are other churches in existence that are not His church.

Which means that Jesus looked at his disciples and he said, "You are the called-out ones. You are my church. I will build my church." The word Ecclesia—those that are called out. Like in Acts chapter 7 verse 38, Israel came out of Egypt and they were called the church in the wilderness. This is he that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel when they came out of Egypt. So there was a church, or the called-out ones, in the wilderness.

"Ec," which means call, "Kaleo," out. So Ecclesia. So "my church" or "my called-out ones." Called out from where? They are called out from darkness to light. Called out from sin to righteousness. Called out of bondage to freedom. They are called out of the world unto God. They are called out of sin into fellowship with God. "I will build my church." And he said the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Now, that's past tense, not present tense. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

So the church are the ones who are called out by Jesus. The church are those who are called out by Jesus, and only Jesus can call out His church. Only Jesus can call out His church. Now, so the church are those that are called out to serve God's purpose.

The Bible calls it the heavenly calling. That calling is called the heavenly calling. Hebrews 3:1: "Holy brethren, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our profession, partakers of the heavenly calling." The calling is heavenly. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 17 and 18, he says, "The hope of his calling," that you may know the hope of His calling. Heavenly calling, the hope of His calling. So Christianity is a calling out of darkness to light. Christianity is a calling out of darkness to light. First Peter chapter 2 verse 9 and 10. Read for me.

Guest (Male): But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Dr. Abel Damina: Which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. So you are all part of Jesus Christ, the ones he called out. So the church, therefore, are those that are called out by Jesus. In Ephesians chapter 1 verse 22, he has put all things under and gave him to be the head over all things to the church. All things to the church. Who is the church? The next verse says, "Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all."

So the church is the body of Christ. The church is the body of Christ. Brother Paul in Ephesians chapter 5 talks about a man and woman in marriage, the husband and wife. He says, "For this cause shall a man leave father and mother." And then in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 31 to 32, he calls it a great mystery. A great mystery. And he says, "I'm talking about Christ and the church." He called it a great mystery using the analogy of a husband and wife.

The truth of that is that Eve came out of Adam. So the church comes out of Jesus. Eve came out of Adam, so the church came out of Jesus. The church out of darkness to light. The church came from Jesus, which makes us one spirit with Jesus, just like Adam and Eve are one flesh. Adam and Eve one flesh, we and Jesus one spirit. Which makes the church the body of Christ. The body of Christ. First Corinthians 12:27, pay attention.

Guest (Male): Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Dr. Abel Damina: You are the body of Christ and members in particular. So he calls the church different names and different concepts. He calls the church different names and different concepts of the same thing. In Ephesians chapter 2 verse 18 and 19.

Guest (Male): For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.

Dr. Abel Damina: He calls them fellow citizens, he calls them the household of God. Fellow citizens of His kingdom, and he calls these citizens the household of God. The word household means the family of God. And everybody who is in this family came from God. The household of God, the family of God. In Ephesians chapter 3 verse 14, he says, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family, family in heaven and earth is named."

The family is in heaven and the family is on earth. That's why it is a body of Christ, because it is a family. We have one heritage, one family. Galatians chapter 6 verse 10 calls it the household of faith or the household of the believing ones. The family, the household of faith or the household of the believing ones. So Christ is the head of that body.

So the very day you got born again, you became the very member of the body of Christ. The very first day you received the gospel, you became a member of the family of God. God is your Father. I thought somebody would shout that very loud. Say it louder! Let the TV and radio audience hear your voices! Glory to God. Don't you just feel good saying that? Say it one more time!

I know if Tinubu was your father, you would say, "Tinubu is my father," and you will flex. Tinubu is my father. But this is not Tinubu, whose tenure expires in another four or eight years. Not even up to eight anymore, maybe six years. We're talking about God, from the beginning to the end, existing in Him. That's your Father. That's your Abba. That's your Daddy. That's whose DNA flows in your body. Glory to God forevermore. Whoa, I tell you, it's a joy to just know that I have a Father and my Father owns the universe. Glory to God. I said, "Glory to God!"

So everybody in the kingdom of God is a child of God. God is your Father. You're a member of His household. So we are talking about the church and the local church. So the church is Jesus', the church is Jesus' body. He is the head. The word head means he is the source of everyone who is a member. He is the head means he is the source of everyone who is a member of His church. He is also the Lord of the church. First Corinthians chapter 12 verse 13. Please pay attention, this is very important.

Guest (Male): For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Dr. Abel Damina: You cannot be a member of the body of Christ until you have drunk of the Spirit. It is the Spirit of Christ in every man that makes that man a member of the body. The Spirit of Christ is the life of Christ, is the DNA of God. We have been all made to drink into this one Spirit. By this one Spirit, we are baptized into one body. The word baptizo—we are immersed, immersed into one body.

We are immersed into one body. So the very first day you received the gospel, you became a member of the family of God. God is your Father. So the church is a gathering of those who are called out by Christ, or who are called out in Christ. They are called out to be in Christ. First Corinthians chapter 12 verse 12 to 13. Read for me again.

Guest (Male): For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free.

Dr. Abel Damina: So we are all the members of the body, all of us. Now, for the church to be called out from darkness to light, it means that the church is the expression of Jesus in the world. Just like Eve is the expression of Adam. The church is also not an extension of Jesus, but an expression of Jesus. We are the expression of Jesus on the earth.

Marriage is supposed to be a symbolic understanding of the church and Christ. Not the marriage itself, but the source of the woman, that the woman came from the man. That's why Brother Paul calls it a mystery. So the church is in Christ.

We also have in the church the gathering of believers. We're all in Christ, but then we have the gathering of believers. You're born by the Spirit into Christ. You're brought out of darkness into His marvelous light. You're brought out of Satan to the kingdom of God. But then all of us in this body of Christ, by the Spirit of God, now have what we call gatherings. We have what we call gatherings.

And the gathering is the gathering of believers in an organized setting. The gathering of believers in an organized form, which is called the local church. The local church. Those believers who are in Christ, who are in the body of Christ, now they gather together. They physically assemble. They gather together.

Jesus used that example in Matthew the 18th chapter, the 15th to the 17th verse.

Guest (Male): Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Dr. Abel Damina: If he shall neglect to hear the church, that's the final level of authority in the body of Christ. In the whole of heaven, the final authority of God on earth is the church. The word church there is the word gathering. If he neglect to hear the gathering, let him be unto thee a heathen and a publican.

So which makes the gathering the highest in authority. The gathering of the saints is the highest form of authority. So where there is authority, it says you go with him, you go to him. If he doesn't hear him, bring him to the church. And the church begins with two or three. The church of Jesus is where two or three are gathered in my name.

So when you have two or three people gathered under a well-defined leadership, that is the church. Two or three people gathered together around the word of God under a well-defined leadership, that is the church. Once two or three people are gathered around the word of God under a well-defined leadership, that is the church.

So the church begins with two or three. The church begins with two or three. The church does not begin with a building, the church does not begin with a microphone. It begins with two or three under a well-defined leadership. Because the kingdom of God is like a man who cast seed into the ground and should sleep and wake up night and day. He knoweth not how, but the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself. So once two or three people are gathered under a well-defined leadership around the word of God, that is the church.

That is the church. That's why it's easy for us to open campuses, because my yoke is easy and my burden is light. There is simplicity in Christ. There is simplicity in Christ. We make it very easy for all our campuses around the world so that nobody is under a financial burden where he cannot sleep because they are trying to raise money to pay rent for a building that they cannot afford so they can be a church. No, no, no, no. Nobody puts you under such a yoke, and nobody puts you under such a burden, and nobody gave you that assignment.

It's so easy. You can gather around the kitchen. You can gather in the garage. You can gather under a tree. You can gather, you know, anywhere in the sitting room. We make it that easy because the real church is the believers that decide to fellowship in a location, and anywhere can be the location.

Anywhere can be the location, as long as it's convenient, it's not distracting, and it's not uncomfortable. So nobody is under pressure in Power City anywhere in the world where you're afraid to go to church because there's a heavy fundraising or everybody has been given a target. If you don't meet the target, you'll be targeted. No, glory to God.

I say, "Glory to God!" And without pressure, the work of God is advancing. Without pressure, men are coming to the knowledge of the truth. Without pressure, the kingdom of God is finding expression through believers all over the world. I didn't hear a powerful, "Amen!"

So where two or three are gathered together in my name, I'm there in their midst. That is the church. So he say, "If he neglect to hear the gathering, treat him as a heathen and a publican." Because once he refuses to hear the gathering, even if God physically comes, he will not hear God. So the greatest authority is in the gathering of the saints. And that's a physical example of the local church. Look at First Timothy chapter 3 verse number 14.

Guest (Male): These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Dr. Abel Damina: That thou oughtest to know how to behave thyself. So there is a way to behave in the church. How to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God or the pillar and the mainstay—the word ground is mainstay—of the truth. What is the house of God? Which is the church of the living God. The house of God is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of the truth.

Now, that is the gathering. In First Corinthians 14:19, First Corinthians chapter 14 verse number 19.

Guest (Male): Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

Dr. Abel Damina: The word church there is in the gathering. Yet in the gathering, yet in the assembly of believers, in the church. Verse 23 of First Corinthians 14.

Guest (Male): If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

Dr. Abel Damina: If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, that's the assembly. That is the gathering. Come together in one place, that is the local church. That is the local church. So the whole church, or what we call the local assembly. Now, if you're born again, you're already in the church. Once you're born again, you're in the body of Christ. But you've got to go beyond just being in the body of Christ to be a member of a gathering, a physical assembly.

The day you got saved, you were baptized into Christ. That's identification. After that, you will need to gather with people like you. You will need to gather with people like you. You will need to gather with your brothers and sisters. You will need to gather with the family who have believed the gospel. And that will be your own decision and action.

So the local church is the assembly of those who are in Christ. The local church is an assembly of those who are in Christ. Those who are in Christ. That thou mayest know how to behave thyself in the church of God, the house of God, which is the church. First Timothy 3:14 where we read, First Corinthians 14:19 and 20, talking about the local church. When we are now gathered together.

So you are born again already, you belong to God, but there must be an assembly. There must be—M-U-S-T—there must be an assembly. Imperative. It's a necessity, there must be an assembly. You can't be born again and stay in your house. You will find out in a few minutes.

When we are now gathered together. For instance, the Jews by lineage came from Abraham, then they gathered together as the church in the wilderness. The gathering in the wilderness. So you are born again already, you belong to God in Christ, but then there is the church, the local church like Power City.

Power City, that's our local church. In Uyo, it meets at 98 Abak Road. And then all over Akwa Ibom, we have campuses and around the world, we have campuses. Physical assemblies where siblings of the same Father gather to fellowship. No orphan. We are not orphans. We have the parentage and we have brethren. We have our siblings. We are not alone.

Teaching good? The church of God. If you observe the book of Acts very carefully—and we will go there very soon—it majored on the assembly. The book of Acts, it majored on the assembly. In other words, joining Christ, being in the body of Christ is not your doing. You believe and you are baptized into the body.

But then one of the first steps—in fact, if you lead someone to Christ by the way of evangelism, you don't tell them, "Read your Bible, pray every day, pray every day, pray every day. Read your Bible, pray every day if you want to grow."

We were taught that, but I'm not teaching you that. That's not correct. It's like a mother gave birth to a baby in the hospital. As soon as the baby came out in the maternity ward, the mother just left the baby and said, "Take your feeding bottle, drink milk every day. Suck milk every day from that feeding bottle." And the mother just walks away. Feeding bottle is there with milk. Drink every day if you want to grow. If you don't drink, you die.

No mother does that! The mother births the baby, the mother cares for the baby, the mother nurtures the baby, the mother feeds the baby, the mother sustains the baby until the baby grows to where the baby begins to learn to eat by himself or herself.

But you get people saved and you say, "Read your Bible, pray every day, pray, pray every day, pray, pray every day." And the only prayer they know is the one they used to hear by the church near their house: "Fall and die! Fall and die! Be roasted! Be cooked!" So now you have said, "Pray every day," so every day they wake up, "Fall and die! Fall and die!" because that's the only prayer they know.

God never intended that we get people born again and leave them on their own. That's not the plan of God. The very first thing you ought to instruct a new believer to do is to join a local church. The moment somebody is born, you tell him, "Follow me now to church. That's our family. That's where your brothers and sisters are, and that is where food is made available for us to eat." That's the first thing.

The first thing you introduce somebody you just got born again is to a local assembly. The greatest gift you can give to any new believer is a wonderful local church where the person is properly taught the word of God. That's the greatest thing you can give to a new convert. A local church, a good local church.

That's the first step: join a body of believers that will be a family to him. Join a body of believers where fellowship and warmth and love and protection and help will be available. That's the first thing you introduce to a new person who just got born again. And we're going to see that in a few.

Because the book of Acts, that is its own first step. That is its own decision. It's the most important decision you have to do. Because listen, your Christian walk will depend on your association with the local church. Your Christian walk will depend on your association with the local church.

That's why, you know, when we began to teach the revelation of Jesus over 10 years ago in this house, and then I kept teaching and teaching and teaching, and the word of God began to go all over the nations through the various platforms where we were teaching. And people began to send me emails. I never was one for branches. You know, you've been in this church—I've never—those of you that have been here long enough, you know that even while I was preaching the materialistic prosperity gospel, I was never for branches.

I've always been one person who just wanted to be in one local church, build the people there to the best of my ability, and just travel around the world and be a blessing to other churches. So I've never been one who dreamt or ever planned that I was going to have branches. I was okay to build one local assembly and just be happy serving God.

But then when we began to teach the Christ message and the revelation began to go all over the nations, people began to write me emails. "Dr. Damina, I don't go to church anymore. It's your message I follow now online." The emails were coming from all over the world. My spirit told me, "That's not right."

So I went to God in prayer and I said, "Father, I have the Christ in my hands." And I said, "Lord, people are all over the place sending me mails they don't go to churches anymore, and I know that's not healthy for them. But what do I do? Because I don't even know what to do right now. What do I do? What will you have me do, Lord?" And he said to me, "Open, open campuses. Open campuses all over the world."

And I said to God, "But when, when will we train the people that will lead all those campuses?" And the Lord said to me, "On the job. Just like you too, I'm teaching you on the job." I said, "Thank you, Lord." And then we had a chat with Mama, and Mama was like, "In fact, television—put up TV screens all over. Let people hook up to the TV and follow the teachings." I said, "That's fantastic. The vision is coming together." So I can teach from here and all over the world people can hear the same thing, feed on the same thing.

And then bits and pieces, bits and pieces, after a while of prayer and putting things together and I knew that we were now set. We began to announce for those who follow who want to be trained, who want to, you know, become responsible for the growth of others, to send us emails.

And they began to send emails all over the world, and we began the mentoring academy—Abel Damina Mentoring Academy—with the first set of people that wanted to pastor our churches. And I was teaching them, and we were training, and then we launched all the campuses.

And today, look at what God is doing all over the world. People are being trained everywhere and lighthouses are opening up everywhere. And there are even campuses that I have not physically been to, but God is doing mighty things in those campuses all over the world. Some of the campus coordinators I have never seen them with my eyes in the flesh. I only meet them online when we do trainings and all that, and yet great things are happening all over the nations. This must be God!

It's happening all over the world. The only opportunity we have to meet so many of them is in homecoming, and that's why we're looking forward to August the first week. Because they're coming from all over the nations of the earth. Your siblings are coming. Your brothers are coming. Your sisters are coming. Your family members all over the world are coming. Oh, they're coming from Europe. They're coming from the UK. They're coming from the Americas. They're coming from all over Africa. Oh, glory to God. Aren't you excited that you have siblings all over the world?

I bow my knee unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That I didn't hear somebody shout, "Hallelujah!" We were in Aba about yesterday, or day before yesterday. Dr. Gabriel, we went there for me to preach for a few people—one of, you know, some guys who came, some students. They were giving scholarships. I finished preaching for those students, and I decided to stop by Aba Power City. They started the Power City in Aba. Have a beautiful hall, very beautiful. In that hall, they have kitchen, they have everything. Even office, fantastic place.

So I went there, stopped by, fellowshipped with them, prayed for them, then went and did a ministers' conference. The hotel where I was staying on my way to Power City, I saw a man by the garage. "Papa! What are you doing in Aba?" I said, "We came to Aba to preach, and I'm going to church now." "Which church?" "Power City." "Is there Power City?" I said, "Yes." "Give me address! Give me address! Give me address!" They gave him the address. Before I got there, he was sitting in front.

He was sitting in front. When I entered, I said, "You see, I've done my evangelism. See my convert there." You people—he's watching now—you people better take care—you better take care of him, oh. You better take care of my convert. He's excited. He's already among his siblings. They never met, but once he entered there, it's like they have known all the while. It's one spirit. Glory to God. It's one spirit, it's one message, it's one Christ.

We're all feeding on the same. We're all hearing the same thing. That's how God intends for His body to function. How many of you observe that every time our brethren come from all over the world for homecoming, even those you have not met before, the moment you meet, it's like you've always known? How many of you observed that? It's one spirit, it's one family. It's one family.

The beauty of what God is doing all over the world. So your Christian walk will depend on your association with the local church. It comes from your Christian walk. Your Christian walk can never be different from your association. It can never be different from your association.

So the very first thing after the man receives the gospel is introduction to a body of believers. Introduction to a body of believers. So the book of Acts of the Apostles majored on the church as an assembly. The very first thing we see in Acts chapter 2 verse 1 to 4 is that they were all together in one place, in one accord. One accord and in one place. One accord and in one place.

Luke 24:49: "Tarry in Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high." He gave them a location. The church must have a location, a physical location, an address. An address. That's what makes it the church. An address. City of Jerusalem. They were together in one accord in one place. That is the pattern beginning from the initiation of the birth of the New Testament church. In one place.

You know, if they didn't understand the place of gathering, everybody would just be at home following online. And Pentecost would happen, and they would be online, but they would not be there where the Holy Ghost came. Online is not being there. Online is an alternative, an emergency alternative. That's what online is.

Online is an emergency alternative. "I'm not at home. I'm in a city somewhere where our campus is not, and I don't know anybody here, so instead of being alone, I connect to my family online." But online cannot be your permanent church. There is no church online. That's not English language. You can't have church online. That is tautology. That's not English. Church online? No. You can't have church. Church is a physical gathering. You can't have physical gathering online.

Did you get what I'm saying? If it's church, it can't be online. If it's church, it will be onsite. If it's church, if it's a gathering, it will be onsite, not online. Online is just an emergency measure for those that are yet to start a campus, for those that have not heard the gospel, for those who just entered into our teaching, and for those who travel to where they cannot find a campus and they have to feed from the family.

But you can't just be online one year, two years, three years, and you are happy. Then you are not understanding what we're teaching. Because if you're understanding the message, after a while of being online, something inside you, which is the Spirit of God, will start telling you, "No, this is not right. You need to do something about this. You alone cannot just sit down here and be watching and following. No, no, no. There's more to this thing than just watching online."

On the day of Pentecost, they were all gathered in one place. Not church online. They were—the book of Acts majored on the assembly. Look at Acts chapter 2 verse 41, PJ. Acts chapter 2 verse number 41. Glory to God.

Guest (Male): Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Dr. Abel Damina: They continued in fellowship. Did you see fellowship there? Apostles' doctrine and in fellowship, which means in gatherings. They continued steadfastly in gatherings. Look at verse 38 to 39, PJ. Acts 2:38 to 39.

Guest (Male): Then Peter said unto them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

Dr. Abel Damina: So this promise is unto you, but because it is unto you and to your children, they now continued steadfastly in the teaching and in physical gathering. Apostles' fellowship. Look at verse 42 of Acts chapter 2, because that's where the whole thing started. Acts 2:42.

Guest (Male): And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Dr. Abel Damina: Did you observe they continued in fellowship? Physical gathering. That's the first thing they did. Fellowship. Continued with the teaching in a fellowship atmosphere. So if you are—some—if you lead someone to Christ on the road, bring them to fellowship. You have not finished your work of evangelism until you bring the person to the physical gathering of believers.

And don't tell somebody, "Find a good Bible church." It's like a woman delivers a baby in the hospital and says, "Find your parents. Me, I have finished my own, oh. I drop you, pwa! Find your parents." When you get somebody born again and you say, "Find a good local church," you're as irresponsible as that woman!

It is your responsibility from the moment you get somebody born again to start nurturing, feeding, helping. Then you bring him into the family to meet with his siblings, while you have an eye on him for his growth. Say, "I hear." Yeah. Don't just abandon them. It's your obligation to have that person belong to the assembly of believers. Acts 2:46, PJ. Acts chapter 2 verse 46.

Guest (Male): And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.

Dr. Abel Damina: This is the same day of Pentecost. That same day, they continuing from that day—temple worship became part of their life. In the temple—physical gathering. And from house to house—another physical gathering. Because gatherings define our relationship with God. Every child of God is a product of gatherings, is a product of meetings, is a product of physical fellowships. They continued in one accord in one place. The church there is the assembly as they were saved. Look at verse 47, PJ. Acts 2:47.

Guest (Male): Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Dr. Abel Damina: And the Lord added to the church daily. That church daily the Lord was adding to is a physical gathering. Every day people were added to the physical gathering because there was fellowship ongoing and evangelism was ongoing, so the number of the people was increasing by the day.

So much later, when Peter and John had issues with the authorities and they were threatened in Acts chapter 4 verse 22 to 23, after they healed the lame man at the gate Beautiful. Acts 4:22 to 23. Read for me, PJ.

Guest (Male): For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed. And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

Dr. Abel Damina: And being let go, they went to their own company. They went back to their own company. That word "company," the Greek says it's their own companions. They went back to their own companions. They went back, in today's English, to their siblings and reported what was done. They had a company to go back to. A physical gathering.

So the church is not an option. The church is—is a necessity. Every child of God must belong to a physical gathering where the word of God is preached properly, where the life of God is flowing. I'm teaching good this morning. In Acts chapter 5 verse 11, put it up. Acts 5:11, PJ.

Guest (Male): And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Dr. Abel Damina: This was after Ananias and Sapphira had had kpeme. Verse 12.

Guest (Male): And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.

Dr. Abel Damina: The believers were added to the Lord, and the people magnified them when they saw the wonderful things done among them. So when it says "the Lord added to the church daily," added to the church is added to what? The gatherings or the physical assembly. So as people were saved, they were added to the gathering of the saints.

So if you witness the gospel to anyone, the first thing you do is to do what? Get him into your local church. That's the pattern in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Now notice words used for believers. First of all, they were called believers. Okay? And then in chapter 6 verse 1, he called them disciples. Acts chapter 6 verse 1: "And in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplied." Disciples. Now they have moved from believers to disciples. Look at verse 2.

"Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them." Who is a disciple? A disciple is someone who is learning. A student. Someone who is learning, a student is a disciple. In verse 7 of Acts chapter 6, PJ, read for me verse 7. Acts 6:7.

Guest (Male): And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Dr. Abel Damina: The number of the disciples multiplied greatly. Okay? So from that point forward, the most prominent word for believers were disciples. Because they were continuing in the teaching of the word. So that means every believer ought to be a disciple. Every child of God ought to be a disciple.

That means he ought to be where he is being trained and groomed for Christ. He ought to be where he is being trained and groomed for Christ. He is being trained and groomed. So the local church is where believers are discipled, where they are trained, where they are taught, where they are nurtured. The local church is where believers are trained, where believers are taught, where believers are nurtured. The local church.

When you meet a believer who has no church commitment, you can tell from the way he talks and the way he lives. You know that this one is uncultured. It's like somebody that has not gone to school and is not exposed. When he talks, you know that this is a local champion. You will know that this guy has never been pastored.

There's a culture that comes on people that have been pastored. There's a way you reason, there's a way you behave, there's a way you behave yourself when you have been pastored. It will show. The training will show. Am I teaching here? And when somebody has never been pastored—even if he has been in the church but he has not been pastored—it will show in his modus operandi.

It will show. If you search his library, you will know that this one is going nowhere. He has books from everywhere. He goes to church but is not committed to anything and nobody knows him, because he sneaks in and sneaks out. When he doesn't come, nobody knows. And many times they look for a big church and they land—they just hide inside. They just enter and hide. They disappear inside the church. They will tell you they are in that church but nobody knows them, neither do they know anybody. Some of them not even—they don't know the name of their pastor.

I'm not joking. Somebody came here to get married to one person in Power City and they came into my office for—for pre-marital counseling that I do, the little interview. And I said, "Where do you go to church?" And he called one name of church like that—don't want to call the name. And I said, "Really?" He said, "Oh, this is that church you're talking about." "What's the name of your pastor?" He said, "Ah... he's a powerful man of God."

I'm not joking. So I turned to the sister and said, "Really? See the product you are bringing. See the product." The sister was so embarrassed. I said, "See the product you are bringing. He doesn't even know the name of his pastor. This is a lost sheep. This is a stray—stray sheep. This one—this one can be killed by anything because he has no home." She said, "Papa, we will come back again." I said, "Okay, you better." That was the end. As they went out, they never came back again. They never the same again.

How can you marry somebody whose—whose pastor is a powerful man of God? I won't be surprised if you ask, "What's the name of your father?" he will say, "Ah... one primary school teacher like that." I didn't know this song by that time I would have just sung "Kasongoyeye gabadoyaga." What kind of thing is this? Come and embarrass yourself before your spiritual father. No accountability, and where there is no accountability, there'll be no growth. Where there is no accountability, there'll be no growth.

You say, "I like churches where there's high praise." So he only goes for the praise. When they say, "It's now time for the word of God," he says, "We'll see next Sunday." He just goes. He said, "The most powerful time is during praise." When you see someone in the local church, you will know. The local church is where the believer is helped, nurtured.

Listen well. There is nothing called self-development. In Christianity, there is nothing called self-development. Because once you give yourself to self-development, you'll start catching rhema everywhere. You'll be like a mosquito—mosquito Christian. Mosquito Christian, he sucks everything and everybody. Anywhere he finds human beings, he'll just be biting and sucking. He will suck everything, mosquito Christian. Anywhere he finds a church, he will just suck everything: both poison, life, death, law, he sucks all of them. So when you see him, you don't know what he looks like: whether he is a human being or what. Because all the things he has taken has produced a creature in him that we cannot identify with. Mosquito Christian. I know we don't have any here.

Ephesians 4:11. I like that at all. Ephesians 4:11: "He gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Where is the body of Christ? Is the body of Christ in this house? Where is the body of Christ? Okay. For the edifying of the body of Christ. The word "perfecting" there means the maturing of the saints.

Now, the only cure from being—from going to and fro is in verse—is—is—is by the gift of ministry in the local church. If you don't want to go to and fro because that Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11, 12, 13, and 14 says, "That we henceforth be no more tossed to and fro and carried about." The way to be free from being tossed to and fro and carried about is why He gave apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher: to perfect the saints so the saints can do the work of ministry so that they are not tossed to and fro. So if you ignore the local church where you'll be perfected, nurtured, and taken care of, you'll be tossed to and fro.

The safest place to be, or to find these men, is in the local church. And that's where they ought to function. Colossians 1:27 to 28, PJ. Colossians 1:27 to 28.

Guest (Male): To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

Dr. Abel Damina: Warning, teaching, that we may present every man perfect. For the perfecting of the saints. When they make themselves available, we warn them and teach them, then we achieve the objective of perfecting the saints. We will now present every man perfect in Christ.

Who does the perfecting? Men who are gifts. Somebody says—I said—"So who is your pastor?" He said, "Jesus is my pastor." I said—so that I will sound very nice—I said, "You are not wise." You know the other side. I want to say you are an idiot. You know, the word idiot is not an insult, okay? Idiot means a fool. And Jesus said, "O fools." And Jesus doesn't insult people.

So anybody who says, "Jesus is my pastor," is an idiot. Because Jesus is nobody's pastor. The word idiot in the Greek is the word idiotes. Idiotes means to be without knowledge, to be ignorant. That's the meaning of idiotes. Do you understand? Uh-huh.

For you to say Jesus is my pastor, you're an idiot because you don't have knowledge. Is he not an idiot? He is an idiot. Quote me anywhere. He is an idiot. It's the word idiotes. Jesus used it. Even Paul used it: "O foolish Galatians, O idiotes Galatians." Say, "I'm not accountable to anybody, only to Jesus." You are an idiot. Oh.

The Holy Ghost called people fools. The Holy Ghost. Was Jesus not ordained of the Holy Ghost? And he said, "O fools." He didn't say, "O fools," before resurrection, oh. It's after resurrection! "O idiots." I like idiot. Idiot is better than fool. You know, when they created fool, idiot was not in existence. Idiot is an updated version of fools.

A man of God—a man of God woke me up this week, a few days ago. He said, "Damina, why do you like trouble?" I said, "What did you see?" He laughed and laughed and laughed. I can hear him just laughing anyhow. He said, "You like trouble." I said, "It's not me. They brought trouble to my house, so I took it back to their house." He said, "You say the man saw your wheelchair but his goggles. He didn't even use glasses, he use goggles." I say, "Yes, he's not wearing glasses, he's wearing goggles. It's only goggles that see wheelchair because he's not seeing well."

You know—you know, listen. The reason why that man could see me on wheelchair is because the kind of God he serves puts people on wheelchairs. It's not the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. The God of our Lord Jesus Christ does not put people on wheelchairs, he raises people from wheelchairs. Every vision, every revelation that comes from God will carry the character of God. That's why that man—he must have taken something. He was high on something. Either color or sniper. Because it's one of those things that will make you see things when you are high. You see things.

And it's a pity they do it to people who don't know what I know. You must be misinformed to think you can intimidate me with such old wives' fables. Me? You need to calm down. Must be high on something. What brought me there?

Jesus is nobody's pastor. Tell your neighbor. Tell your neighbor, "Jesus is not your pastor." Jesus gave you a pastor in Abel Damina. That's right, that's right, that's right. That's right. He gave you a pastor in men. When he descended, he ascended. Upon his ascension, he gave gifts as men. Pastor. Pastor is a man.

So Jesus cannot pastor you. If he would have pastored you, he will not give you gifts as men. Sela, sela. Glory to God. He gave men to do the pastoring. Look at First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 12 to 13. First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 12 to 13, PJ read for us. First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 12 to 13.

Guest (Male): And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

Dr. Abel Damina: Esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Go back to verse 12. He says in verse 12 of First Thessalonians 5:12, "We beseech you brethren, to know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord." There are those that Jesus has appointed to be over you and to labor over you in the Lord. Those are the men that pastor you.

"Among you" already tells you that these people pastor in the local church. "Over you in the Lord." We need to know those who are over us in the Lord. Look at Hebrews 13:17, Hebrews chapter 13 verse number 17, PJ.

Guest (Male): Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Dr. Abel Damina: "Obey them that have the rule." People don't like that one. The word "rule" means they control you. That's the meaning of the word rule. Say, "I don't like him, he likes to control." Well, welcome to the control center here. Haha. They have the rule, they control you. You really don't like control? Then make sure you don't enter Keke after service. Make sure you don't enter Uber. Because once you enter Uber, somebody controls you.

He controls you. Instead of following Abak Road, he can decide to go through housing. If you say, "Why are you following there?" he say, "Because there's traffic on the other side." He is controlling you, and you can do nothing about it. He can speed and he can go slowly. You say, "Ah, move now!" He say, "The car has problem. Don't worry, we will get there very soon." You can do nothing, you're already inside.

On the road, on the way to Aba, I remember many years ago, I came from Zaria to Aba coming to Akwa Ibom, you know, back from—from Zaria. And then I entered this taxi. Then Aba road was thirty-five minutes to Aba from Uyo. As soon as we entered, the man locked the door—at drak! He says, "Say your last prayers before we see God." I say, "God punish you!"

I thought the man was joking. That man drove almost the entire speedometer of that car. We were all inside that car shouting, "Jesus! Jesus!" sweating, but we couldn't come out. Hahaha. We couldn't come out. The man was like a demon on the steering. See the way he—he didn't care about anything, he was just coming. Anything on the road, he will blow the horn. If you don't clear, he will clear you.

I'm not joking. When we got to Uyo, this short journey tensed me. Brother Zaria. I was speaking in tongues, I was speaking Hausa, I was speaking English. Hahaha. That's not a time to sing "Kasongoyeye," that one is—whoa! The guy controlled us, all of us. And we could do nothing, we had to obey him.

So in life, God put certain controls around your life. Am I communicating at all? He controls those that rule over you. He says, "Submit, for they watch for your soul." Imagine you're born again but nobody watches over you. "As they that must give account." So there are people that give account of your life. That's what the writer of Hebrews is teaching us.

Where do you find those people? In the local church. Your campus coordinator is one of them, your house church pastor is one of them, your cluster Bible study pastor is one of them. These are all people that will give account of you.

So you're not—you know, you've got to be accountable. Make sure you attend prayer meetings. Make sure you're not a problem to your pastor. You're not a problem to your campus leader. You're not always a prayer point. There used to be one member of this church, a woman. Every time we announce workers' meeting, she will just carry face.

"Papa, I have heard the announcement, but I want to take permission." Every time. After a while when I just see—I say, "Permitted, permitted. Permitted, permitted." I knew that this one can never be reliable, never be dependable, and I can never take this one serious. "Permitted." The moment I see the face, I know what is coming. "Permitted." I know face for greeting, and I know the other one. "Papa..." "Permitted." And she's not here today because she has now finally been permitted. Haha.

I'm teaching good this morning. Jesus say, "Make disciples." Where will we make disciples? In the local church. A man who cannot be discipled is not a believer. If someone cannot be discipled, he is not a believer. If someone cannot be taught the word of God, he is not a believer.

In the book of Acts, we have a church by location: Jerusalem. All the saints were in Jerusalem following the instruction of Jesus. Antioch was also one of those places. Then later on, we had the church based on leadership. There are churches in the same vicinity, different leadership, somehow different insight into the word of God, but they were still saying the same things. So you find same vicinity had Peter and Paul start different assemblies.

So which means the local church can be based on location and can also be based on leadership. I'm rounding off. We continue the next service. It's going to be very exciting the next service as we enter some other very important details of the local church. Now the second instance, what we have today is a local church based on leadership, or what you can call a denomination. Denominations are local churches that are based on leadership. Okay? People who have a different belief system. Some not because the belief systems are wrong, it's just that the—the light they have is limited.

But we now have those who are mobile Christians. They are professional first-timers. They are professional first-timers. They are always first-timers. They are never—every day, every Sunday, they go to where they must be a first-timer. Haha. They are professional first-timers. They never repeat one church twice. They are always sampling churches. When they have not found a new one, they stay at home. Then when they find, they go. If today is your first time, their hand is always in front. Professional first-timers. I'm laughing so that if you are one of them, you can feel bad and stop it.

First Corinthians 4:15 and 16 as I round off. Are you blessed this morning? First Corinthians chapter 4 verse 15 and 16, PJ.

Guest (Male): For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

Dr. Abel Damina: You can have ten thousand "paidagogos." Paidagogos. That word "instructor" is paidagogos. Paidagogos means babysitters. Nobody allows your babysitter to educate your child. So though you have a thousand babysitters, yet you have not many fathers. Then to make you know you cannot have fathers, he now zeros it in: "For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you," not we have begotten you. "I." You can only have one spiritual father, one pastor, one person responsible for your doctrinal persuasion. "In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel."

You know what he was telling them? Cut off from these babysitters and know who your father is. Look at the next verse: "Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me," not followers of us. Why he was talking to that church like that is because this church in Corinth was a church of multiple influences. "I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of Peter, I am of this, even I am of Christ." So Paul say, "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Where are you getting all that nonsense from? I begat you in Christ through the gospel. So therefore, you cannot have more than one father. I'm your father, follow me."

He quickly streamlined everything. "Follow me. Follow me." You remember Pastor Chris was here last week and he told you clearly: you even if you are listening to two Christocentric teachers, you can be very confused. Because one can say the same thing that is right, another can say the same thing that is right, but it will conflict the other one because there's a curriculum those people are using that is not the one these people are using, and those statements are within a context that is not the same context. So the victim will be you that is prostituting. I use the word so you will feel it if you have been doing it. You know this service is a correction service. From mosquito Christians to stay in one place and grow well.

Say, "I hear you." I'm not hearing you, say, "I hear you." Stay in one place and grow well. He say you can only have one father. Then he explains to you what fatherhood is: "I have begotten you in Christ through the gospel." So fatherhood is the person that is responsible for your doctrinal persuasion.

Paul will say, "Timothy, my son." But it was not Paul that got Timothy born again. Timothy was already born again before he met Paul. He met Paul in Acts chapter 16. That's why Paul will say, "You have known the holy scriptures from a child." So it's not Paul that introduced Timothy to Christ. Timothy was already saved, but it was Paul that built Timothy doctrinally. So he say, "Because I'm the one that built you in doctrine, I'm your father."

So the person that got you born again is not your spiritual father. The person that is your spiritual father is the person that nurtures you, feeds you, grows you up, and establishes you. Say, "I hear you." That's your spiritual father. That's your real spiritual father.

So even if you're not in Uyo and your main source of feeding is Power City, Abel Damina is your spiritual father. If you're going to another church and inside the church, you're still listening to me with your headphone, that church is a thief of my spiritual son! That church is stealing my spiritual son. To know that you are still my son, that's why even inside the church where they are preaching, it is still me you're listening to. You're just there because of either political or marketing affiliations. "All my business people are inside this church. If I leave now I may lose the business. Let me stay here and be doing business while I am following Papa."

I'm teaching good? "I'm your spiritual father." Some say, "No, don't call any man your father." Wait. That scripture is a context. Jesus was talking about Pharisees and Sadducees who love to sit in high seats. Then he says, "These guys, false prophets, call none of these people your father." He wasn't saying don't call people your father. Don't you have a biological father? Don't you call your biological father "father"? So how can he say call nobody your father? When he himself had a father in Joe? Father Joe the carpenter. That was Jesus's father. "Call none of these your father."

But then Paul says, "Timothy my son." We see Paul fathering different people. John was the spiritual father of Gaius. I can go on and on in scripture. Anybody that is building you doctrinally and feeding you spiritually and establishing you in the knowledge of Christ, that is your spiritual father.

Teaching good? Imagine if every believer was like you. How do you think the church will be, especially those who are not committed? You're not committed in anything. You come to church at 8:20. So imagine all of us arrive here 8:20. No usher to clean, nobody to on the lights, nobody to set the system, nobody to do anything. We all arrive at 8:15. Imagine that kind of church. So which means if everybody was like you, there would be no church.

I'm talking to those who are not committed, because you've got to be committed. "They that are planted in the house of God, they shall flourish in the courts of our God." In the book of Hebrews 10:25, he says we cannot dismiss the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. Why? Because the local church is God's wisdom to carrying out His plan on the earth. The local church is God's wisdom for carrying out His plan on the earth.

We'll continue in the next service, but guys, it's so important to realize that the moment you get somebody born again, what is the first thing you introduce him to? You introduce him to the local church, to the body of believers, to the fellowship of the saints. To be nurtured, to be catered for, to be protected, to be well looked after, and to oversee his development so that we can give account of him with joy and not with grief.

Glory to God. Say with me, "I serve the purpose of God." Say, "I belong to the church." Stand on your feet, let's say this confession very powerfully. Turn to your neighbor, say, "I belong to the church of God. I'm a member of God's church. I belong to the family of Jesus. You are my brother. You're my brother indeed. And you will remain my brother forever. So we better treat each other well, because our relationship transcends time. Amen!"

Doesn't that—doesn't that sound different? It transcends time. You're my brother, you're my sister. Oh, glory to God. We serve God's purpose, we serve God's will, we serve God's kingdom, and we are part of the church of God. Amen! And the gates of hell has never prevailed and will never prevail against us. Glory to God.

I say, "Glory to God!" Say with me, "As I preach the gospel, as I raise men, I bring them into the church. Into the church. Into this church." Tell your neighbor, "Don't tell them to find a church. That's irresponsible. You carry them, bring them to the church. Tell them your work of evangelism is not complete till you bring him into church right here." I didn't hear a good, "Amen."

Are we blessed this morning? Father, thank you for your word and thank you for the revelation that comes through your word. Thank you for the responsibility that is ours in the advancement of your kingdom and establishing men and raising disciples all over the world. And we ask that, Lord, as your people continue to grow in these truths, ministry finds expression through every one of us very easily.

Thank you, Lord, that we are committed to carrying out your will on the earth as part of something big you're doing with the body of believers. And we rejoice for the part you have brought us to play in the advancement of your kingdom. I speak over everyone under the sound of my voice: you are faithful to the assignment. You are faithful to your calling. You are faithful to the will of God. You are faithful to the purpose of God.

I call you blessed. I call you steadfast. I call you unmovable. I declare you're always abounding in the work of the Lord. In the name of Jesus. Thank you, Father, for answered prayer. In Jesus' name we pray, and every believer says that "Amen" like thunder! Well, can we give Jesus a celebration shout in this house? Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory! Leave your seat, just go somewhere and tell two, three people, "You are my brother, you're my sister, and we will be in this together forever." You are my brother, you're my sister, and we will be in this together forever. Amen.

Grab your honor offerings. Let's worship as we give and honor Jesus. Online, the banking details are scrolling. Television stations, the banking details are scrolling. We want to give and rejoice and support what God is doing as we take the word of God to the nations of the earth.

Lift up your offerings. Father, thank you for the privilege to give, and the privilege to honor you, and the privilege to make our resources available for the advancement of the gospel in all the nations of the earth. And we thank you that our offerings are a sweet smell this morning, and we rejoice for the privilege to honor and to serve you. In Jesus' name we pray, and every believer says a powerful, "Amen!"

Well, ladies and gentlemen online, we love you and we look forward to seeing all of you in the next service as we continue bringing this light. You don't want to miss it for anything. If you know people that have had problems with the church, that the church has done them a number, if you know many of them, encourage them to join so that their hearts can be healed and they'll be able to see the reason why they should look for a sound church and what part they can play and serve God and live a fulfilled life. Encourage them to be part of the service at 11:00 a.m.

Campuses, we leave you in the able hands of your coordinators. They will tell you what to do even as you give your honor offerings. They will give you instructions and direction. But everybody else, we look forward to see you at 11:00 a.m. GMT plus one. Power City here. The baskets are before all of us. Hit the music, let's do it as we worship Jesus!

Oh my goodness, the word of God is light. 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, he 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 "mustērion" 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 mysteries. 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 will say, "I understood by books," so there's a place of books in equipping you soundly with the message of Christ. Brother Paul will 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." Oftentimes, Jesus will say to the Jews, "Have you not read?" It's the word "anaginōskō" 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 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 the foundational truths of Christianity. These include: *Understanding the Spirit, Soul and Body*, *Winning the War Within*, *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, please call 240-367-6201 or email pciusregion@gmail.com.

We trust you've been blessed by today's message. And for prayers, counseling, or to obtain the complete teachings and books, please call 404-789-7207 or 404-670-2085 or 404-453-5562 or 240-367-6201. We look forward to having you with us again tomorrow. Remain in His grace and be blessed.