Brother Manassa and Sister Victoria are from Nigeria, and I think they've been in the States for about a year, year and a half, maybe two years now. And I actually had to leave the country. There is a lot of persecution going on in Nigeria. Some interesting things that I've learned is that Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa. It has the largest Christian population of a nation in Africa. There are, according to statistics, about 80 million believers. Now that, of course, goes across the gamut of different types of faith, but there are 80 million who call themselves Christians. The Pew Research Center said 89% of those Christians attend church at least once a week. I thought, wow. That's amazing. Since 2015, there have been 11,500 Christians killed. Now, of course, that's probably added to since the statistics have been given. That is about 2,300 Christians that are martyred every year. That is, when you even break it down even further, one martyr every four hours in Nigeria. That means their pandemic is not the coronavirus. They have less deaths with coronavirus. The martyrs actually suffer much more. The population is, though there's many Christians, the other half, or roughly the other half, is Muslim populated. They have the group, I believe, Boko Haram that's there. They have other farmers that like to intrude on others' lands and they kill and it's a very dangerous nation. If you're not killed, you're probably kidnapped if you visit there. It's a very rough time for the nation of Nigeria, so we ask that you pray for them. And Brother Manasseh, I'm going to ask you to come forward and that you would just share what the good Lord has laid upon your heart with our people here today. I'm going to clip you up. You're going to be on this mic and on this mic, so you can drift from that mic, but you can't drift from this mic. OK, thank you. All right. Uh-oh. I might turn that thing around. I'm going to turn it back around. How about that? Maybe not. I'm going to turn it on this side. I don't even dress myself too good. There you go, brother. OK, thank you. I might put that in your pocket. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you. It's a great pleasure to be here again and to see Pastor Steve and Sister Lydia and the congregation. The last time I was here I came in the evening. Was it on Sunday or Wednesday? Okay, but it was in the evening and we had a wonderful time. Then I came alone. Today, I came with my wonderful wife, Victoria. So if you don't mind, you can stand up gently, let them see you. Okay. Victoria. Thank you very much. Victoria is a, she's a short but tough lady. Because somebody that can stay with me and also go through what we go through in Nigeria, you just have to have a strong heart. I was born and raised where the Boko Haram headquarters is, and I watched how Boko Harams were being trained when I was in high school. That's around 68, 69 and 70. I graduated from high school in 1970, but I was watching how they were raising the Boko Harams. They were young people, and they did it under trees. We call it neem trees in Nigeria in my place. Under trees, not in a building. Early in the morning, they were so dedicated, they were so committed that early in the morning these young boys will get up and they will walk and then bunch up themselves under trees and they will have like one tutor or a tutor and a helper. And usually the tutor will have like a stick. And they were drilling them and you have to memorize the Koran. And if you miss it, they would hit you, really hitting you. And when you reach the age of maybe 14, 15, they will now send you to a far away place from your parents. And then you will be there with a different tutor. and they will not give you food. So early in the morning, you will wake up and they will drill you in the Quran. And then in the evening, the young boys will be going from house to house begging for food. I'll beg you for food and in chanting some few Arabic words because Nigeria is not an Arabic country. And then if they give them food, they will have to come to that tutor, that teacher, and the teacher will remove the ones that he feels like eating, and then they will eat the rest of the crumbs. That's how they were raised, harsh, tough, right from young age. And so they drill that Quran in you. that Mohammed is the prophet, and there is one Allah, and that Allah means God, but with small g, is not the God that we talk about. So here sometimes in America, you hear some people say, well, those are like mild good Muslims. They are not radical. Take it easy on them. Our goodness for you, they are all working toward the same agenda. make no boss about that. When you think he's yellow, he's a good Muslim, he's right there working towards the radicals. They are working towards the same Allah. And that Allah is not the God that you and I know. That Allah is vicious. That Allah is a terror. And so they pump into the mind of these boys. that if you die in the course of jihad, in the course of proclaiming Islam, there are 70 or something virgins that are saved for you. That is, once you die in the course of promoting Islam, the moment you die, you automatically go to heaven. And then there are virgins, they are waiting for you. women that have not been polluted and they believe that with all of their souls and their spirit and their body is disciplined towards that. I watch how Boko Haram young people were raised. That's where the capital of my home state is Meduguri. And Meduguri is in Borno State. And Borno State is in the Northeast. Just go to the Northeast. And that's their headquarters. And that's where I was raised. I was raised together with the Muslims. My father was a pastor of the Church of the Brethren Mission. but I hadn't given my life to Jesus Christ. So basically I wasn't a Christian. It will go by the biblical basis for what it means to become a Christian. Am I communicating so far? If anybody doesn't have Jesus in his or her life, that person is not a Christian. Even if you are baptized seven times. So that's what I told, I told Baptists here in America, you guys are fighting about Baptist and you are fighting about doctrine. Hey, first of all, let's get our acts together. I say I am first a child, a Christian, then a Baptist in that order. You're going to be a Baptist. If you're not born again, if you don't have Jesus, you die and go to hell. I'm following Bible. A lady in our church in Ashland, Ohio, the church actually is located in Savannah, Ohio, but our pastor lives in Ashland and we live in Ashland. And this lady has been a Baptist for years. Serious Baptist. Man, you can cross her road. But recently she was admitted at the hospital or so. It was so clear that she was going to die. And our pastor is a pastor, he has a real pastoral heart. during the COVID, our pastor was delivering food and things, home to home, house to house. He became like a cowboy, you know, delivering for me. He is something else. I mean, you call him and say, yeah, I'm now at the door here delivering food and stuff. If a member like coughs, he is there. Hospital visitation, house to house visitation, he will make a call. I mean, that guy is, I was telling my wife, man, I'm concerned for him because, man, he is. and my wife said, that is his calling, that is his calling. You know, with the Nigerians, that is his calling, his calling. I said, okay, calling our hands off. If it is calling our hands off. But very serious, very dedicated. So he was persistently going to the hospital to visit this lady. You know, are you really sure? Are you sure that you have Jesus? Because that's all that matters now. She said, well, look, I'm not sure, but you know, you gotta be sure. Days, only a few days or so, you pass away. And he was so persistent that, you know, there's something that are called COVID. Is it COVID-19? Or notorious virus, whatever it came from, it's notorious. But because of COVID, They were stopping our pastor from visiting his members in the hospital. Do you have that here? Man! So pastoral visit became like no-go area. And our pastor was just like... Because he's used to that. And they said, you can't go. Like, what do I need to do to go there? I mean, our pastor is small, but he has a big heart. I need to see my members. And sometimes you will go and, is it through the window? You know America, they have nice glass, and you will see each other through the glass, and then he, pastors, our pastor say, no, he doesn't want through the glass. He want, it was a drama, it was a drama. I want to see my member, I want to talk to my member in person. He was so tenacious. So passionate that they had to just he got on their nerves. Is it on their nerves? I think more than nerves. So they had to let him go. Because you have to know this Jesus. You have to be sure. And we were praying. I mean, he would just say, let us pray that this woman just is not just Baptist that she needs to know this Jesus to be sure of her of her This woman just let her God here. And then she prayed and asked Jesus Christ to come into her life. The story goes, you will see the glow. She began to beam and was just glowing and was so excited. Then she now say, yes, I'm sure where I'm going right now. I'm so relieved. I'm so happy. But my husband doesn't know Jesus. That is one indication that what she saved. Because once you are saved and you are sure you are saved, you begin to think about others. I want to talk to you this morning about passion for souls. Passion for souls. And I wish to God that you understand my accent so that we are on the same page. Passion for the lost. Passion for sinners. What is passion? passion. Passion is something that consumes you. You want to do. You are so desperate. Nothing can stop you. Pastor John Bukay, our pastor, one of the members, a businessman became so sick and we were praying for him and then they admitted him in a hospital in Columbus, Okay, good, thank God, because I get confused. There's Ashland, Ohio, there's Ashland, Kentucky, and then my wife, I think, talked to Siri, so Siri gave her also plenty of Ashlands. But anyway, this is Columbus. Columbus is a very big city. They admitted that businessman in the hospital there, and our pastor wanted to go out and see him, and they said, no, you can't, again. This time, our pastor became crazy. His head was spinning. Who do I talk to? I really want to come see my member. And there at the hospital, somebody was either playing around with his intelligence, or so the person said, well, the governor is the one that issued the instruction that you can't visit your patient in the hospital. Pastor John will not take that lightly. What did he repeat? He emailed the governor directly. I am a pastor, this is my member, it is my power of work, I have seriously wanted to see my member, and they say at the hospital that you issue out the instruction that I cannot see my church member. And the governor replied, I didn't give that instruction to the hospital. So they called the hospital, make sure that Pastor John Buke sees his member at the hospital. And so he did. Ladies and gentlemen, my brothers and my sisters, this morning, my heart is heavy. The soul of a human being is more important than the body. And the soul of human being is more important than wealth. And he said, I can't see my member in the hospital. And so he met, he saw the, of course, you know that governor has come in. And so he was able to see the member and with the family and they spend time together until the member passed away. I gave you two illustrations to show how a pastor that has pastoral heart will pursue the source of the members more than their physical body. Let's come to the words of Jesus. Mark chapter eight. Let's come to the words of Jesus. Pastor Stephen, I know you are gracious and you are kind and you are gentle. I can write a whole book on your gentility or gentleness. But once it is time for me to, because I can be long-winded, respect me and cut me off. Because in Nigeria we can pray for two hours. And so we don't, I know we are scheduled with so many things I've gone through that Robbie also told me the things we have to do today. Please just indicate gently and I'll cut off. But let's, our Bible is to Mark chapter eight, Mark gospel chapter eight. For the sake of time, I will cut off the reading, but let us look, let us start from verse 36. For what shall it profit a man, and that word man, women inclusive. You know, when you say the word man, it just is a sum of word. Women are there, girls are there. So don't just say it's just man, man. We have confusion today. Usually we do have that confusion. So it's all of us. For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul, Jesus was talking. Or why shall a man give in exchange for his or for her soul? whoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his father and of his father with the holy angels. Lord, bless your word to our hearts and move us into action. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. So passion for souls. I gave my life to Jesus Christ 1972. After I had rebelled against my parents and left home at an early stage and went to this big city called Merdiguri, the capital city, I wanted to live a life that was high. We call it high life. So I was pursuing, I wanted to enjoy life. So the village was not a place for enjoying life. But suffice to say, when I went to the city, the way they enjoy life is different from the way we enjoy life in the village. When I say village, am I communicating in the countryside? Because in the countryside, we go to the farm, and we produce our fruits, and we produce our vegetables, and then we go, and then we go to school, and then we come back home, we play soccer, and then sometimes we dance. You know, life in the countryside was really good. But because of the sinful nature, I rebelled against my father and mother, and I said, this is not life. This is low. Let me go for high. So I went to this big city. In the big city, they introduced me to, I think, smoking cigarettes. I will not judge you on that if you do. Marijuana. You know marijuana? Marijuana will make your head a little cuckoo. And then drinking. And then women at that young age, before I know it, I was engulfed with things that were terrible. Things that instead of enjoying life, they were going to kill me early. somebody say, uh-huh, yeah, really. Then they introduced me to a, that time there was an African-American guy that was, his name is James Brown, so he may be old enough to know, so he may be too young, but James Brown was a musician. Hey, hey, hey, pillow, right, uh-huh, one time, you know, something like that. So I was introduced to that. Before I know it, marijuana, Woman, hey, hey, I feel all right. But I was not really feeling all right, but I thought I was feeling all right. One time, so I memorized James Brown song. And when I start dancing, people will gather, literally gather. Then one time, baby, then I'll be running on the floor. Then people will gather, oh, this is high life. My plan was that even though my father was a pastor, my plan was that I will get my education, then I will marry many wives, beautiful wives. In Nigeria, you can marry more than one wife. So I'll marry several of them because the government will give me a big job and big house, you know, and then I'll have these women and then I'll be goofing around. This is life. That was my plan. and I will really be rich because I can steal the government money and nothing is going to happen to me. Can you see the plan? I want to enjoy life. But God who made us, our creator, he wants us to enjoy life much more than the one that I think I will enjoy life. Because he is the author of life. Did I make my life? No. My father and mother gave birth to me, but did they actually make my life? No. Our lives are more than just biological, scientific egg and sperm meeting together. Am I communicating, am I too, am I too, I don't want to be too fast. I want us to, I want to carry you along. God is the author of life. I don't care whatever you do in America here, you kill about millions of them. Whether you kill them millions or you kill them in hundreds, you are not the author of life. God Almighty is the author of life, that I know. So who do I think I was? Because of shot just round, hey, hey, hey, feel all right. Would that make me feel all right? No, I was messing up myself. Who was suffering? I was the one suffering. I'd be rolling on the dirt, you know, not carpet, rolling on the dirt. You know, and people would be gathered, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. They were yelling me to help fire. So, then 1972, somebody now preach in the church and I said, this this sounds good. I went and met him. Then he said, are you a Christian? Because my father is a pastor. I thought I was. So, I started bragging. I didn't want my father's be a pastor and brag on some good things that I did. No man can be saved by good So I was a jerk. Let me use American English. I was a jerk. I'm a real jerk. Because by thinking I was enjoying life, I was messing up my life the more. Because one sin lead to another sin. One sin lead to another sin. So piles of sins. And the Bible says the wages of sin is death. Both spiritual and physical death. The reason why we die physically is because our forefathers Adam and Eve messed up. Am I still theologically correct? Help me now. Really. Then I became a Christian. Then I discovered that life was really more meaningful than the previous life. Of course, Paul said it. Paul said, if anyone be in Christ, he, and then he again, female inclusive, he or she is a new creation. 1972, Jesus came into my heart and made a new person out of me. He changed me from inside out. My parents were surprised that their son who was an idiot, who was a jerk, has now changed. Because after I was changed inside, my dressing changed. The James Brown style of dressing I used to wear was bogey, like a bogey. You know what I mean? In Ohio, we have people called Amish, and they use bogey. My trousers was bogey. I mean, when I was walking, the trouser would be as if the trouser is sweeping the street. And to me, that was life. And people, many people, thousands of people know me with that life. and some were hailing me and some were saying, this guy has gone crazy. I remember my mother told me that some women in our village gathered together one day and they came to my mother and they said, your son Manasa is ruined. He is lost. Forget about it, you will never have this son back again. This one is a goner. That's how the community knew who I was. Here's my father apostle, and here was the life I was living, and the people in the community know that it wasn't hidden. One day I came to the market, when I say market in Nigeria, market is not store, is not shop. Market is done outside. I'm a village boy. I'm a village boy, a country boy. So market is done outside. So different people from villages will come and gather and buying and selling and exchanging. One day I went to the market and I got so drunk. And after I was drunk, I came openly in the market and opened my pant and I was urinating in the market. Whose son is that? Whose son is that? Whose son? The son of a pastor. But when this guy explained to me the gospel of Jesus Christ in his living room, then I invited Jesus Christ to come into my life. I've never seen it, but I asked him to come in. If you can change life, change me because I need some change. Then two days after that, I was in my uncle's room and I heard a voice, take a Bible. And I took the Bible. And of course, I used to read the Bible like a literature or like a newspaper. and I took a Bible and then I hear open this. I open open and for the first time, the Bible was sweet but I still the Bible is sweet. So, the Bible was and then turned and turned there. Then the lord took me to Acts chapter one verse eight and that was the last verse he gave me. He said, but you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be my witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and Then I had a feeling of my heart was filled with joy and I was praying and I was praying out those toxins and then the Lord said, today, as from today, I have called you to preach the gospel. In my uncle's room, I can take you to the place. It was a reality. Then I said, no, I know I'm sure of my salvation, not going to heaven, that's okay. But preaching the gospel, no, I'm not educated, so I will not preach. Did he say I should go out and teach English? No. I'm going to go out and preach the gospel. So I argue with God. I said, preaching, no. Going to heaven, I'm sure I'm okay. This morning, I want to ask you two questions. What is the greatest thing that has ever happened to you in your life? I say greatest. Maybe you have a beautiful car, a beautiful house, you have some position, you have gone to all that, you have retired, you have had a good time in the world, you have plenty of money. Is that the greatest? To me, it's not the greatest. The greatest thing that ever happened to me in my life was that day, in that living room, when I gave my life to Jesus Christ. Two days or so after that, my life was literally transformed. So I had Muslim people who knew me. I had pagans who knew me. I had people, Christians who knew me. Not, I just, my dressing changed. When we were having the James Brown thing, it used to be something that you don't have all this. It used to be like, like, like, like, you know, something. You take a needle and put it, and then it would be circling. What do you call it? It would go like that. record player. That's the way we were. I had a record player and I think James Brown, all this. Do you know what? I said, these ones are no good. They are not the real life. I discarded them. Now I go around and Muslims and Christians are shocked. You are changed. Just outwardly. You are changed. What happened to you? I said, Jesus. Because I didn't know much Bible. I said, Jesus, change me. Somebody by the name Jesus. That's how I started preaching the gospel. Jesus, is that too difficult? No, it happened to me. You never know it will be until it happened to you. It happened to me 1972. I can take it to the place. My life was changed. My parents were surprised. My mother was shocked. When I arrived in the village, because this was in the city, not in Meduguri where I was. When I arrived in the village from the city, as I came down from the car or from the vehicle, then the people we are outside, you know, moving around, they say what? That's Manasseh. And some say, no, it can't be Manasseh. You remember my bogey trouser? It can't be Manasseh. Now my trouser was normal. It can't be Manasseh. Then there was a heavy argument and debate in the community. So they rushed to our house to come and check out if that was really me. Then they came and said, yeah, it's him. So then my father who want to cause good trouble, he was pastoring a church. My father said, this Sunday also, if really this happened to you, you are going to testify. Testify? You know, you're going to preach. Me preach? He said, you're going to preach. If this thing that I'm seeing here, you come and tell us. My brothers and my sisters, on Sunday, before Sunday, the news had spread all over the place. that Manasseh has changed and he's going to preach on Sunday. So they will divide the group. Some will just go, let's go and check it out if this craziness is serious. Some came and say, yeah, we saw him in the house. It looks like he's the one. So the church was jam-packed on that Sunday. Jam-packed. We want to see if this is true. I have told them my story. Just like I'm telling you, I was telling them my story and you can see the movement in the church. Oh, this thing is true. Yeah, this thing is true. This, you know, uh African church is not like American church. You guys are more quiet and more respectful. Church went crazy. He's the one. He's not the one. He's the one. from 1972, I answered the call to talk about Jesus. I ask you one question. What is the greatest thing that has ever happened to you in life? It is only one life. It will soon pass away. It is only what we do in Christ and do for Christ that will last forever. That's my message for the When I was growing up, we had this belief that white people don't die. That's what we were raised. White people don't die, because they are like, that's no offense, they are like witches. Their color is white, and they can come even from their far country we don't know, and then they drop, and then they are here. These people don't die, because if they would die, they would not come here. Seriously, that's the way I was raised. So I was raised that white people don't die. Then I came to America in 1980. My first coming to the US, we first came here in 1980 at a Lexington Baptist College, a small college here that God used to transform my life. What a college. Small apartment, small place. You should know that. Small building, but mighty word of God. So when I came, they put on television, you know, funeral, funeral, what is funeral? It took me a while to know what funeral is. Then I discovered that white people also die. It is appointed unto man once to die, but after that, the judgment. So if death is a reality, judgment will be a reality. Yes, yes. So the second question I have for you is, because for me the greatest thing that happened to me was 1972 when I gave my life to Jesus Christ. Oh, what a life. Oh, what a change. But the second thing is, the second question is, what is the greatest thing you can do to someone else? Yes, sir. The moment that woman in Ohio, in Ashla, Ohio, the moment she came to Christ and was sure she was glowing, she was having joy, she said, my husband need this Jesus. My husband, you know, Pastor John, my husband. And Pastor John, as I told you, now the husband is in good trouble. Because the woman has passed to glory, the focus is on the husband. And God, may God have mercy on that husband. Because Pastor John will wear him out. I don't have to help him. He will wear him out. So, what is the second question you can answer is, what is the greatest thing you can do to someone else? I was preaching Jesus, talking about Jesus. Muslims came. What we are talking about here, I experienced that 1973, 74. I gave my 73, 74, two hefty Muslim men came to my house at night and they said today we must kill him. They start shouting by the gate. Today, we must kill him because he always talk about Jesus, about Jesus. Before I knew, they have come to my bed and jumped on me and began to turn my neck that they must kill me that day. Ladies and gentlemen, God is real. Whether he send his angel or angels, I don't care, but God saved me from the hands of those terrorists that night. I can take you to the place. This God is real. No one that the Bible says in the beginning, God. In the beginning, is there anyone who can tell me that this person is in the beginning? No. All, a lot of you are good presidents and bad presidents. They passed away. So, great presidents. There's one of you are generals that are like general that that vicious general. in the army. I mean, he was ruthless. He was a fighter. He was a bulldozer. Let me use my word, bulldozer. But after bulldozing, he's gone. The only person that is from the beginning, in the beginning, before beginning began, is God. That's why I like Genesis 1.1. In the beginning, God. and god created the heavens and the earth don't you believe this science people they say the world just go boom there is nothing as boom because god is the god of order god is a god time will fail me god is a god this god is sweet i i said i said i wish i can see this jesus and then some some young students at this at the university in ashland they say but but don't worry you will see him one day not now you know what i mean there i get excited about jesus i wish i can see him now In the beginning, God, whether you are from Africa, where sometimes they worship the God of the moon and the God of the stones and the God of trees or so, their understanding of God is limited. But you know what? They know that God is bigger than them. Hello, somebody. And then God now raised this nation called the United States of America after he came from different places. And then God now raised you up high among the nations of the world. And it became a great nation that even when I was in elementary school in Nigeria, in the jungle, really. I was in elementary school in the jungle. I would hear Billy Graham preaching on the radio. I said, where is this coming from? He said, from America. In elementary school. An American missionary with his dear wife came to a village and planted a church school. Their name is Mr. and Mrs. Good. I will never forget that. Took the school to the jungle, a church school, and that's where I went, elementary school. From the United States of America. Because God lifted you up because you believe in this book. Now, you are going so high. It's because we know how to do it. Some scientists. Those babies, if you don't need them, you can flush them out. Some scientists. America has not become great. We don't need this god. Remove Bible from school. Remove ten commandments from school because that will restrict the kids. Well, Ten Commandments is for your own good and for my own good. The Bible that was said, you say, don't you commit adultery against your neighbor's wife. Is that not good? It's good. You say, don't you steal. Isn't that good? It's good. So Ten Commandments was meant for the good of the Israelites, not to harm them. And by that virtue of the Bible, you raise, God help you to raise a wonderful country. Now you are saying, no, we are no more interested. America, watch out. And I can say this anywhere. America, watch out. Rome failed. Rome failed. And Rome failed from inside. America, if you don't take time, you will come down so quickly. I don't want to die. I want to live long and I want to play soccer. Now, I can't If I try to play soccer now, I'll fall like a rabbit. You know, I'll just be falling down. Because life, I'm almost 70 years old. The things I used to do, I can't do them anymore. I'm almost 70. 15th December coming this year, I'll be 70 years old. It is only one life. will soon pass away. It will soon pass away. Only what you do for the lord will last forever. An old woman in Ashland, I think she got it right. She said, well, since I'm old, I might pass away anytime. So, she wrote her will to a mighty, radical, Italian preacher. He's an he's an American but he's an Italian American. He is just serious. I mean, he was a he was a rough guy like me. So when I saw him, I said, man, my pastor connected me with him. Yeah, you go with him. I said, yeah, I like this guy. Man, when the two of us go out, we mess up the devil. So this old lady said, I write my will, you know, for you, because the thing you are doing, I just love that. You know, I can't do it, but I wrote my will. And after she wrote her will, and man, the will, Joe can't get the will now, because the woman just living again, and she's just living, she's still living. She is just alive. I mean, she wrote her will, but she refused to die. You know what I mean? So, God, in his mercy, extend that woman's life. Because she got it right. I'm investing in eternal thing, so in case I die, this guy will continue to save souls for Jesus Christ. Two questions I wanted to go and answer. Not to me. What is the greatest thing that ever happened to you? Don't think you are too old. You've been in Baptist for long. It doesn't matter. If you have not experienced Jesus, you will still die for hell. And the Bible said today is the day of salvation. Now is the time. Settle your case with God. Number two, if you are a child of God, what is the greatest thing you can do to someone else? Today, by the grace of God, by the grace of God, I have led thousands of Africans to Christ. Thousands. To God be the glory. But I'm not through yet. Sometimes I let it begin. Thousands to Christ. I remember I was at Ashland here in Ohio and they invited me. They said come back home and come and you are going to preach. I was discipling this businessman and they said we are going to have a meeting and we want you to come home and be a guest speaker but bring one good American preacher because two are better than one. Hello somebody. Two are better than one. Bring one good American preacher. Our people have respect for America and American Christianity. But now you are going down. Wake up, somebody. America, wake up to your responsibility. The world is looking at you to promote Jesus Christ. Now you are promoting garbage. Stop that. In the name of the Lord, stop that. You have gone too far with the Lord. He has promoted you. Don't you disgrace the name of the Lord because he knows how to disgrace somebody. And you are messing around with Israel. You are trying to discredit Israel. Stay with Israel and you will be blessed. Bible talks about that. It's not me. If you bless Israel, you will be blessed. If you don't, you come down. independent Baptist churches in America. We owe it to you, and you owe it to us, and we owe it to the Lord. You are the one that baptized me into King James only. You are the one. You are the one that baptized into the local church, to him be glory in the church. And I discovered that, man, when the local church do an outreach together with missionaries, the work is done better and easier. Let me take that again. The local church sending out a missionary, missionary on the field, the local church behind you, the work is done stronger. My ministry today is stronger, is more respected because Ashland Avenue Baptist Church sent me out, sent us out as missionaries back to Nigeria. And to the glory of God, Nigeria never remained the same. When we went back from US here, even Muslims come to me for counseling. I go to them and they give me a chance to talk to them. At two occasions, two Muslims say, if we have like 10 people like you, Nigeria will change. That's first one. The second one said, after we talk, talk, he said, you should run for president of Nigeria. Not knowing that I'm more than the president. The position of your pastor is higher than the position of the president of the United States of America. Yes, it is! You are an ambassador of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You are representing Jesus Christ as his servant. What is presidency? When our president in Nigeria was so sick, he's a Muslim guy. When he was so sick, a Muslim woman who believed in my ministry said, I will send a vehicle, a car to come and pick you up. We are going to pray for the president's life, and I want you to come and pray. A Muslim woman sent a driver, sent a car, pick me up. I believe your prayer will work. Ladies and gentlemen, if we live the life of the gospel and we live a decent life for Jesus, even the enemy will bow. The problem is not in White House, the problem is in the church. It is Christians being wishy-washy. Wishy-washy? Flip-flop. I know that one. Euro Christians. Rollercoaster. That's why you can't talk about Jesus because your life is zigzag. Nobody has arrived in the Christian life. Once in a while, I felt that when I felt that, I come and say, Lord, I confess this sin, forgive me, and I keep moving. And I keep moving. There's one thing I learned from the American footballers. You know, American football is not like Nigerian football. It's not like Kenyan football. What we call football, we call soccer. But there's one thing I learned with American football. When they come and they bang each other, bang, bang, and they hit, bam, bam, and the ball falls down. Do they lie down or do they go for the ball? They fumble the ball. When the ball is fumbled, what happens? They run to try to recover the ball, right? That's how the Christian life should be. In my walk with the Lord, if I have sinned, I should do what? Confess the sin and keep moving. But some Christians have just made one mistake or they commit sin and they just lie down there. Ah, the Christian life is so difficult. I don't think I will continue. Wake up somebody. Wake up. God is a merciful God. God will forgive you. He will wash you away from that. Then you keep moving. As I close, Are you sure? Doubly sure that today, if you are to drop dead, you will make it to heaven. Don't tell me you have been a Baptist for years. It doesn't count. It doesn't count. And I'm not being nasty. I'm not being nasty. I'm I'm kind. I'm gentle. But I'm not nice. Are you sure? It's for your own. What shall you profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? Jesus said, I didn't say it. Jesus said it. Secondly, if you have experienced this Jesus, come on, are you talking about him? Are you talking about him? Jeremiah, prophet Jeremiah, wonder what one time he said, I can't talk about Jesus anymore because they are, they are persecuting me. They are torturing me. And when he kept quiet, not talking about Jesus, he say, I feel like fire in my bones. I can't keep her up. Peter and John, the authority said, don't you talk about this Jesus anymore. You can talk about anything else, but don't you mention the name of Jesus. Why? Because the name of Jesus is the only one that can save. With due respect, with due respect for all the religions of the world, the only religion that can save is Jesus Christ. And he is not a religion. He's a person. And he's a person, not a human being. He's God. man. Good man. So, I submit that to you. Are you talking about him or you are ashamed of him? Peter just say, hey, you can make a choice. The choice is easy. But for we, for us, the things we have seen and the thing we have heard, we can't seize but talk about Jesus. Those Muslims who wanted to kill me some years ago, they say what? He always talk about Jesus. So, today we will kill him. They didn't like the thousands of Muslims are giving their lives to Christ in Nigeria. Because they think by killing, they will stop the Christians. No, the Christians in Nigeria now, many of them have made up their mind. If I live, I live for Christ. If I die, I die for Christ. Many of them. That is the stand. They came and they destroyed one of the churches that I started some years ago. They Then the Christians raised it up again. Then they came and they destroyed again. Set fire on the church building. This time the Christians made up their mind. We don't care. Let the building be burning, but we are going to worship our God. Let me calm down. I want to tell this story, real story. So the day of worship came and the Christians came and they gathered and the benches and the bleachers were on fire and things, the smoke was going on. They say, this time we are going to worship our God, whether we sit down or not. raised up the hymn books or raised up the songs and right there they were praising God and worshiping God right as the smoke of the building was rising. And they were rejoicing and praising God and focus on God because only God can save them. Listen to what happened. The Muslims stood and they were watching because they wanted to see what was what they stood there watching. And when they saw them still praising God, they say, you mean we can't stop these infidels from worshiping their God? Here is the smoke of the building and they are still praising this God? The guy that was telling me this story in Nigeria, face to face I saw him, he had given his life to Jesus Christ and he's proclaiming Jesus. The guy telling this, he was a radical Muslim. Today he's preaching Jesus. We slept in the same room with him. Our God is unstoppable. Amen. America, listen to me. Independent Baptist Church, stop arguing and fighting over trivialities and let's lift up the name of Jesus. Amen. I close with that. Stop all the nya, nya, nya, nya, nya, nya, nya, nya. Stop it. And I'm serious. Because this behavior is stopping the promotion and the propaganda expansion of the gospel. We have our independence, but independence should not be isolation. I don't believe everything with my brother. In fact, he doesn't preach shouting. You know, I've never heard, but he doesn't preach shouting like me, but I love to shout for Jesus. But if he comes here, he may go, okay, brothers and sisters, you know, we thank God for this morning, whether it is shouting or gentle, let's lift up Jesus. As for me, my life is sold out totally for Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ takes me home, take care of my tinted, short, black, beautiful wife. Her name is Victoria. As for me, I'm crazy for Jesus. Unwind me. He wanted me to unwind, and there's just no human way to unwind, Brother Manasseh. Thank you, Brother, for that challenging message, and we ought to be lifting up the name of Jesus. We ought to be sharing Jesus Christ with the lost and dying world. Christianity is not a life of do's and don'ts, it's a life of Christ. Christ through us, Christ in us, us in Christ, our hope of glory. We're going to give a hymn of invitation. If you've never trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior, if you never surrendered your life to him, that's what an invitation is for. If you're not living your life for the Lord, it's a time of commitment. Why call me ye Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Is he Lord? I'm telling you Jesus Christ is Lord. Have you bowed before him? Let's stand and sing, have thine own