Stephanie Ike Okafor : Obedience, Identity & The Kingdom of God

When you're coming out of darkness into light, you still have a palette for darkness, and so darkness is performative, so your palette is for performance. So even to Minister Brenda's point, you could enter a church and it's like, oh, this person doesn't sing on tune because your palette is for. Performance rather than spirit. And so when you are sent somewhere, then it's no longer about oh that's my singer that I love when this person sings, because there is you know, there are some similarities but also very distinct in what you feel when the Holy Spirit is moving and what you feel when. You're just emotional. As we kick off this conversation about proclaiming the Kingdom, you know, growing up, I remember that as a teenager, if you told me that in my lifetime we were going to experience a global pandemic. I would say, it's not possible. What is that? You know, you hear stories from the things that your parents experienced, and you know what the stories that they heard, and you never think that you're going to experience such things in your lifetime. If you told me that, we would be in a generation where there is literally a fear and a panic concerning the possibility of a world war. That would seem impossible, but here we are, and it's literally a panic over the nations because of how things are happening everywhere. But if you also told me that in a place like the UK we may be concerned about being martyrs, I would say that is also impossible. But we are literally approaching to that. You know. I was doing some research and I discovered that in fifteen thirty six there was a man named William Tyndale and he was burned at this in the UK for translating the Bible into English. Now recently, I don't know if some of you know this, but there are some efforts to criminalize public preaching in the UK that you could go to jail for up to two years. And it's interesting the words they use. They say that it's. Causing offense and distress. But in that same law that they're trying to push forward, they're saying that even if you pray with someone, that is saying I'm. Willing for you to pray with me. So how is that offensive? You see? Unfortunately, oftentimes it's Christians that are the last to know that this world is warfare, because if we want to talk about things that are causing distress and offense. Then there are many movies and songs that needs to be banned. They are literally they. Are things that are engineered from the Kingdom of Darkness to put people in bondage, to indoctrinate, you know, children and how they think, how they view things that is offensive. But yet the target is on Christians. And so as we kick off this conversation, Pastor sala, I just want you to open us up with what is the kingdom and why should this be the focus of the believer. Oh okay, what is the Kingdom? I'll try and summarize it by saying, the Kingdom of God is about bringing the atmosphere, the culture, the presence, the ethics, the legislation of heaven from heaven down onto earth. Remember, the prayer says that in Kingdom come, that will be done on that. That was the priority of Jesus. I still ea is. But to summarize it, I will summarize the kingdom in terms of its play out to three things. One declaration. Most of us think the kingdom is just about declaration. Jesus said in Mark one fifteen. It says repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. The only way you can have legitimate entry into the Kingdom of God is through repentance. There's no other way, not positive thinking, not yoga or anything. Yeah yeah, so, but with declaration, that is about the proclamation of the kingdom. The second thing is demonstration. Most church is only no declaration, but not the demonstration. But with Jesus, the real kingdom has to do with pushing back darkness. And we see when Jesus said repenting Mark one fifteen, the Kingdom of God is at hand. In Mac one twenty three, there was a reaction when he went into the snagg. The man had been there for many years, sitting in the church where they had been declaration. But when the real kingdom came, some demons reacted because kingdom is about government, and it's about pushing out an illegitimate government. And whenever the kingdom is really preached. We also see that in Acts eight, when when the Bible says Philip preached Christ, the Bible says the demons cried out. And so there's demonstration name people will be healed, sicknesses will be broken, and ant of that. And then the last is discipleship. Wherever you have the kingdom and there's demonstration, there should be discipleship, and that's about reculturing the people into a kingdom lifestyle, living like the king. And so that's that's it in a nutshell. Agree, Now, that is powerful because even as you're speaking, you know, we all have the assignment to carry what it means now to be an ambassador of the kingdom in order to reflect those three things that you discussed. And so I'm even curious because Pastor Susan and Pastor Ayam, you both are young pastors, and so what do you see are maybe perhaps some of the struggles when it comes to proclaiming the kingdom as an ambassador. I think one of the main things that we are finding is number one, biblical literacy, people actually knowing God through the world. With the rise, there's pros and there's cons to social media. There's the rise where you know, it gives more visibility to what God is doing. But then the cons of it is is that people are becoming a lot more individual or they're consuming their understanding of what relationship with God is through the people that they see. And so I think that that's one of the key things that I feel in this time we need to get back to getting back to knowing God through the actual written word, understanding his heart, understanding his agenda, understanding who we are, our identities. I think the second thing also is community. Like I said, I think with the rise of social media, of course there are pros, But on the other hand is it's making people a lot more recluse and a lot more individual and they're not understanding the power of community and the role that it plays in their discipleship, in their maturity. So I would say that those are two of the main things that we are seeing as we are discipling and as we are growing the next generation good. I think in my generation there's a fourth dichotomy being presented of character versus gift. So aspect discipling people, it's that they're choosing between either bearing fruit, kindness, gentleness versus demonstrating the power, which looks like healing and prophecy and et cetera. And what I'm seeing is that those that we would claim on their parents' level that are demonstrating the kingdom are exhibiting power but don't have fruit of the spirit. Are those are the fruit of the spirit that are kind, gentle, loving, and joyful. But kindness and gentleness doesn't heal what they're sick. So I believe there's a need in this hour where God is trying to bring a wholeness to the message of the Kingdom, where yes, I think Matthew ten says, preach and the kingdoms at hand then instructions to heal the sick clens, the leopards. So the Kingdom starts as a message by ends in demonstration. And I believe we're in a time where God is holistically bringing out to the forefront. So that's the challenge that we're facing right now. You know, even as we speak about that. You know, what I think of is we have to have a willingness and an intentionality and a hunger to go from being a babe to being spiritual mature because what you have, especially some of the things that you see in our generation and even what the scripture tells us about the last days when people would have, you know, itchy, and they start seeking places that will tell them the things that they want to, you know, want to hear. The reason why you even have things like where false prophets will begin to rise in the last days it's not because of the false prophets, but what they are feeding in the people. And so we have to be a people that we desire spiritual maturity, because you cannot just desire to stay as a babe. You cannot just desire to stay fed all your life. And then the issue we have, the plague we have in Christianity now becomes you know what, this church is not feeding me enough, and you just church hop or you make it like a buffet. You know, you go to one church for this and another church for that, and you just start circling the block. But when you decide to be mature, then you. Really come into a place of engagement with the Holy Spirit as your teacher, regardless of where you know the Lord may plant you. Mister Brenda, do you want to speak on that? Yeah? I think you mentioned we have to want to become mature. I think a lot of that way also falls on the leaders of the church because essentially, right as a new believer, where I go, then my palette and my appetite is based off what I have. It develops from that. And so I think as leaders it's our job to equip, not pacify. And so oftentimes because I need you to come to my church. I'm gonna tell you what I want. You to hear, but I'm only gonna give you enough so that you come back the next week, not teaching you how to. Develop your own personal relationship. And it doesn't eliminate the community and the body because we need the local church. And to Susan's point. Because I can get my pastor wherever I want to get I'm on Instagram or on YouTube. I feel like, oh, I don't need church, and we do. Because all throughout scripture we see Paul's talking to a community of believers. The first church was we did it together. We did church on Sunday, we did all through. The week together, and. It says and it was added to the church daily. And so there is this benefit to growing together where we hold each other accountable. So I read this scripture and then I sit with you and go, so, how's that planing out in your life? Also, when I'm missing the mark, you can say, hey, Brenda, get it together, because there's an accountability within that community that starts within the local church. And so I do think instead of saying, oh, this church isn't feeding me God, is this where you would have me, And if this is where you would have me, can you teach me what I'm supposed to get here? Could you? God? This situation? Is it that God's trying to teach me that he could teach me even through a person that I don't feel. Like I vibe with. Maybe it ain't about the vibe. Maybe you need to be stretched. Maybe your feelings need to be heart you know. What I'm saying. So I think like it's I think we need to be spirit led. I think that we could go to a place and the first thing we says like, hm, I don't know about that worship. Well, if you think about what God has done for you, I don't care if the keyboard. Is attitude or if the person can't catch a note. When I think about what God has done, me and him could go to worship together as long as the word is cutting, because the Bible says scripture cuts and it goes through flesh and marrow. Right. So I think that the idea is like, Okay, God, are you here, and if you let me here, teach me how to be obedient enough to sit and get what I need so that I'm mature. No, I love that. And I think what's so beautiful about what you said is really going back to the place of even for new believers, God, where are you leading me? You know? Because the thing is, when you're coming out of darkness into light, you still have a palette for darkness, and so darkness is performative, So your palette is for performance. So even to Minister Brenda's point, you could enter a church and it's like, oh, this person doesn't sing on tune because your palette is. For performance rather than spirit. And so when you are sent somewhere, then it's no longer about oh that's my singer that I love this person sings, because there is you know, there are some similarities but also very distinct in what you feel when the Holy Spirit is moving and. What you feel when you're just emotional. And so there are many times that you could be in an atmosphere and there's praise and worship, but it's performance and you're shouting, your screaming. They do that at concerts. People feigned in Michael Jackson concerts. It was not the spirit of God that made them faint. And so when you recognize the kingdom you're coming out from, then there is a need for direction. There is a need for guide, Lord, where are you leading me? And even when you have concerns about the ministry, because yes there are things that are concerning today in the church right, but in prayer you begin to ask the Lord, Lord, guide me to the place that you have for me, so I can receive where you see me at. Because sometimes you may think you're more mature than how Heaven says you, and so you may think, though, I'm just ready for this, and the Lord is like, no, sit down. You need to learn humility in this season. And so but at the same time you also mention that it's also on the ministers, because I think too often you have a lot of churches, thank God, not the Liberty House, because the Liberty Church is a place of you will see some spiritual, mature people in this house. But too often you will see where ministers are undemining what the people are hungry for, and so they want to feed you just to what Brenda said for you to keep coming back and just almost like a tech talk, almost like a motivational organization so that you can have your motivation for the week. And we have to get to the place because where the world is right now, witchcraft is on the rise. Wherever you go to a bookstore, when you see books on witchcraft and the demonic, don't just see it. And say, oh, that's odd. Think about the fact that it's there because they're not gonna buy things that don't sell. And so if you're seeing. Witchcraft on the right, we cannot undermine what the people are hungry for. But also I believe past socialize, you're so perfect to speak to this because I also believe they are ministers listening to this, and how what would you say to them when it comes to what is the message that needs to be declared? The need for the message of the kingdom in this end times. Wow, it's interesting that you spoke about witchcraft in bookshops because recent conference I spoke about that that if you go to a bookstore to day in the UK and also in the US US. I was looking for a Bible the other day. I only found two Bibles, a Catholic Bible and an old Good News Bible. The rest of it was witchcraft, how to cast spells, blah blah blah. And like you said, if the books are there on the on the shelf, that means there's a demand for it. That means somebody is reading it and casting spells, and it might just be your neighbor. And and so we we we we we need to reorz. The sad thing is that we, like you said, we pastors are the guilty ones because we want the church is full. But it's not about the full church on a Sunday. It's about how we're able to equip and empty out the church to do kingdom work Monday to Saturday, and not not just bring them to church, take church to them. And when I say take church to them, not the American way of you know, God bless America bless because I know what you guys mean when you say we brought church to you. But I'm talking about the word that you use, use the very significant word at the beginning. Ambassador. Being an ambassador is an office and and the ambassador has two or three rules. One of the key ones is representation. The second is they carry immunity, which means they are not governed by the laws or the whatever of that nation. But the carrier representation in that the ambassador doesn't cannot give his opinion in that country. I remember there was an incident who remembers the Iraqi the Iraq War. Yeah, when America was about to encroach on Iraq, there was a guy who forgotten his name. He was the spokesperson, and he kept saying, we will defeat we will defeat us, we will defeat us. When the US eventually evaded Iraq, we saw him no longer in his military uniform, in mufti, saying I'm just a civilian. So all this while he was there, he was the spokesperson. He had to represent his kingdom. But I mean, and I'm hoping that you won't change, you won't become a civilian when it comes to you know, CrOx time. But the point is this, ambassadors have legislative power to act on behalf of their nation. And so you know, we we pastors need to teach our members who they are and the authority they have to shift kingdoms wherever they are. Yeah. Now, even as you spoke about an ambassador, and when is you don't have an opinion. You represent the you know, you're representing the kingdom you come from. You representing the country you come from. And we are citizens of Heaven and so what we ought to represent is the culture of the kingdom. Of Heaven. But in that I would just. Like even take a little shift because sometimes when we talk about proclaiming the kingdom, we see it in this big picture, but when you when you really bring it down to my life is not my own. Everything the Lord gives me, I am called to present it according to his standard. And even when we talk about proclaiming the Kingdom, we have to see it in the day to day activities of life and the things that require your obedience over your emotions. And I want to hit on some of the cultural things where we would, you know, proclaim that we are, you know, children of God and we are for the Kingdom. But then when we get into certain situations, all of a sudden, there's flexibility. Now I'll start. With Pastor Susan and Pastor Aya. You know, as a young married couple, one of the things we're seeing in our generation is just what is taking place in marriages and divorce sometimes feels like this hot topic. You don't want to touch it. Because at this point, I mean, it's common, you know, it's creeping in everywhere and when we and sometimes people will say, oh, the Church is being too extreme when they talk about me marriage because Obviously, no one is going to encourage you to stay in something that is toxic and something that is abusive. That is not what we're talking about. But we have to get down to what is the popular reason that divorces are happening in today's society, And it really boils down to self selfishness. You know, even when they ask Jesus about divorce and he says, in the beginning it was not so, but then he says, Moses permitted it because of the hardness of heart, and then he reinforces his stand. But that if any. Of you commit, you know, divorce, you are committing adultery. And why does he reinforce his stand because you. Will now have the Holy Spirit. So where you had the hardness of heart, you have the Holy Spirit to now step in and bring transformation from the inside out. But we're seeing where divorces are happening for very basic reasons, like you know, this person is not letting me sh I'm just not where we fell out of love. But love is not something you fall in or fall out. It's something you become. And we're bringing all these cultural standards to something that is kingdom. From the very beginning, marriage was never just about you meeting someone that you have chemistry with and you just say yes, and then when you don't feel like it, you come out of it. Marriage was always supposed to be the display of what it means between Christ and his church, Christ and his bride. And so when we talk about the kingdom, we should also see that even in let's start with marriage. But as a young couple, what has that? What how would you speak to that when you talk about when even when you go through issues in your marriage and things like that, how do you stand on kingdom over emotions? That's a really really question, that is a really really good question. We've been married, hallelujah eight years, amen, Amen, And you know marriage, the ebbs and flows of marriage are not easy, right. There's different things, different forms and things that come against you. But one of the things that I've learned from myself personally when it comes to marriage is the descripture and Ephesians five. And I always say this to the ladies in our church that are getting married. It says submit to your husband as onto the Lord. And one thing that I always say to. Them that I've had to learn is the practice of submission in your has in your marriage in general, not only to your husband, but being yielded to the to what God desires in that marriage first begins with how much you have practiced it as an individual in your own life, like in your daily daily doings, like how yielded are you to the Lord, Because if your practicing with him, it will become easy you'll be able to identify it when it comes to marriage. Right. And so that's one of the key things that I find that we're seeing a decrease in that people are not as yielded in their own personal relationship with the Lord. They have not cultivated or nurtured that connection with him, so when it comes to their marriage, there isn't this contention or this resistance in the marriage. Right. So I think for me personally, especially from my background and where I'm coming from, that's one of the things the Lord had to say in prayer, like Susan, listen, I have set this marriage, I have purposed this marriage. However, you will be the demise of this marriage if you are not humble, if you do not allow me to form you and shape you in our personal time, it will become a problem in your marriage. And so over time, I have seen that as I've exercised obedience to the Lord, because you know, there's moments where we argue and I want to open up my mouth, I want to say some things, but the Holy Spirit's like no, no, no, no no, mm mmm mm hmm. And it's that if I've practiced that personally, I can practice it in my marriage. And I think that's where we need. We need to get Christ back into our relationships. We need to ask Him to humble us. And every time I go into prayer and I complain about something I may not be happy with, the Lord is like, but I want to deal with you. I want to do with your heart. I want to deal with your mindset. I'll never forget. There was a time where we had earlier in our marriage, we had a contention and I remember going on a walk and saying, God, speak to your son, speak to him. I can't take it no more, no, no no. You know, actually do as a Christian woman, And I remember the Holy Spirit saying to me, Susan, but what are you you doing? You know? And that's when the startering begins to happen in prayer time like what but but but I remember coming back home, and I remember my husband also said that he prayed. Also, I remember coming back home and us coming together, and he said the Lord spoke to him too, and so that reconciliation would have not happened if I was not submitted to the Lord. And so I really do believe. And this is something I really want to because we're hearing so much about divorce, even within our groups and the people that we know. Something that I would say is get back to your first love. Stay yielded to your first love. That's the only way you will see prosperity and fruitfulness in your marriage. That's what I would say. More, I was getting scared she was going to expose me sensitive topic. I see we're speaking sephony. I was thinking about descriptions secon Timothy that speaks about in the last days, people become lovers of themselves, money, proud, slanderous, et cetera. Then it says in verse five, having the apearance of Godliness but denying its power. Verse seven says. Always learning and never able to arrive at the knowledge of the truth. So my submission is that my generation knows a lot, but possess little. My generation will invest in the appearance of a day and not build a foundation for their marriage. And some would argue that they do, but I think the self work. We're talking about her, and where if we cannot practice honesty with thine self, it will be very hard to practice honesty with your spouse. So I know in our contention our marriage, any time it gets real hot, there's a level of plank in my eye that somehow I'm focusing on the spec in my perfect wife. I amen, And if I was ever to complain to the Lord, he would always address me first. So if we're going to talk about love, husbands, love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. There is a posture as a husband that my wife doesn't earn my love, She doesn't work for my love, doesn't have to you know and wait for my love. This this love is something I freely give based on the posture I have of the Lord and how he loves me. The Bible says a man that loves himself loves his wife. So I just believe that husbands and wives need to invest in not having any parents, but actually seeking the power to live out a kingdom marriage, which looks like lives. Submitted Christ. That pastor, shall I believe you've been married for over twenty five twenty seven years? Who? Why, pastor, shall I give us some advice? Because the truth is, there's some people in the room, and maybe you're the one who filed for divorce, so you agreed when your spouse wanted to file. And nothing in God is about condemnation. It's just about truth. Jesus was full of truth and grace, and in these moments, because when we see that we are serving Self over Christ, then as you reflect, it's a time for repentance. That Lord, you know what, in that place, I chose me over you because just the same way Christ chose us. Can you imagine if he just got fed up with us, if he's just like, oh, I can stand you on a Tuesday, you know. But it is to demonstrate, it is a display of the love. Between Christ and his bride. And if you're hearing this and you're feeling shame or you're feeling judged, I want you to know that it's not the voice of God. That is not what we're saying. What we're saying is that we have to be able to identify truth so that we know when to how to come before the Lord in repentance to say, Lord, in this place, I chose me, But I'm coming before you to say I'm no longer going to live that type of life of choosing self pleasure over what I'm called to be on this earth, which is to be an ambassador for your kingdom. But passor shall I give us some advice? When it comes to twenty seven years going and more. I'm still a learner, but I have a few thoughts. I mean, marriage, I always say, is God's secret strategy for discipleship. Yeah, if you want to grow as a Christian, get married. Yeah, because it would help your character information. And somebody said some years ago that marriage was never meant to make you happy, it was designed to make you holy. Now, the reason why we have a lot of divorce is one of the reasons is because the marriage is about the clash of cultures. You know, the husband is coming from one place wife. So I grew up in Nigeria most of my life half of my life. My wife grew up here, you know, from about ten eleven. So the Nigerian culture is different from the Anglicized ones. So apart from their family cultures. So we have a mix of cultures. And the challenge is when two people, the Bible says, can two walk together unless they be agreed. No, the secret to marriage is continuous agreement. And for you to be agreed continually, somebody has to submit. Let's put it this way, both of us have to submit. I'll give you a real scenario, my a qv shot. I wanted you to home tonight, so I need to be careful. But the point is this we we we got when we got married. Yeah, I was the only earner, and so it made sense. You know, So my money is our money. So my wife two years in gets a job as a sound sitter. The day she gets paid, I don't see her, and I'm wondering where she is. And she comes home with shopping and another and I said, where do you go to say? Oh, I went shopping? I said, with what money? Said my money? I said mine mine? You said, well, I got paid. The long story shot is you know I said, well, when I was ending, it was our money. He said no, no, no, no, no, no. Where she comes from the woman keeps the money. I said, well, in this house, we do kingdom culture not So it's either because the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy, and the olygoes. There's no righteousness in that. There's no peace right now, and if we don't change this scenario, there won't be any joy. So so so we need to sit down and you know, as it were, I decide how we want to work. This is either my money is my money, your money is your money, or our money is her money. That's what she said. Well I was, I have remained higher up until now. So our money is our money and that's the Kingdom way. We sorted it out that way. Yeah, no, no, I love that so much because there are things that you're learning about each other even you know, for those as you're thinking about marriage, or maybe you're finding difficulties even in a marriage currently like you're going through it. I know with my husband, Brenda knows this. Before I got married, I was a very controlling person, not very just controlling. I just like things the way I like it, and I don't like people telling me what to do. I feel like I'm grown, you know. And then I marry a man. My husband is literally God's gift to me. But in amen, but in that gift. Is a man who cares for you and is intentional about you being the best you. But the truth is sometimes we don't want that accountability. Sometimes I want to eat a donut at midnight and my husband is like, no, this. Is not healthy for you. This is a random but true example. And in those. Moments, it's like do I have to submit to that or could I hide my donut? And I'm giving you just the little things that if you don't bring it before the cross, it grows into a big thing. And so my husband is someone who does not do sugar, is just no, and he recognizes I'm literally the one. You know, you know how you. Can tell someone like be my accountability partner in this, but you don't really want accountability, right, So that's why you have friends, and then you keep the distance of like they're not in your home, they're not seeing what you're doing. And so I told my husband, I'm like, I have a sweet tooth and I really need to cut out sugar. And so the one thing I loved so much was fruit snacks and he said, you know what, babe, you can't be doing that. And one day I told myself, I'm grown, you know, I can have my fruit snack. And so we have our laundry is on the first floor of the house, and so I bought some fruit snacks, came into the house, hid it in the laundry bag. This is sad but true. And then I take the laundry bag upstairs. I'm like, hey, mane who just did so much laundry? Neither go upstairs and fold it. And as I went upstairs, I made sure of like, okay, nobody's coming up the stairs, and I just went there was eating one for a snack after the other, and the Holy Spirit said to me, once you're done whatever you're doing, go let your husband know. I said, oh no, oh, oh no. But you see, the enemy thrives in our darkness. It's little things. Because if I hid that from him, the next time he wants to hold me accountable, then the voice of biddenness will begin to whisper, like why do you have to. Listen to him? And then it grows into something else, And it grows into something else. A lot of times when you see a marriage that feels like it has reached its breaking point, if you are able to trace the root. It was something so insignificant. And I remember just going to him and I'm like, Babe, I have a confession. And he looked at me, like what happened? He said, I hit some frist snacks in the laundry bag. He said, when did it even come in? I said, you don't know. And while I was folding laundry, I was finishing the box the first naxt and we just had a loving conversation. But it was in those moments, just like Susan said, your yieldness to the Holy Spirit would correct you and bring guidance into your life. And it's like Stephanie, if. You you desired a man who would be accountable, would who would want to see you be the best that you are. And that comes with you letting go of your control. I had to learn how to submit. But there are things that you seek the Lord. Yes it may not feel comfortable, Yes it may feel like a stretch. But just like Pastor Schola said, marriage is going to is discipleship. It will shape you into the person the Lord desires you to be. And so I know, Brenda, you. Are in a place where you are believing for marriage. What would you say, Amen? Now she's you know, great catch, just bringing out there, But what would you say you have learned in your walk with God that is preparing you for a walk with a spouse. I think first, even though they're married, I would consider myself the wealthiest person up here because I have the privilege of being undividedly devoted to the Lord. I get like Paul literally says it would be better not to marry. Now that's not my testimony, but it has helped shift my perspective of this season because I think oftentimes as single people we are always waiting to get married, that we miss the holiness of this season of our lives. And so I think I have the privilege of being able to follow God without having to consider anybody other than myself. So if the Lord says quit your job and move somewhere, I get to do that, and I don't have to go with where are my kids gonna go? And what is my husband gonna think? So I think there is such a sacredness to your singlehood that we often overlook because we be like, Lord, get me out of this is if it's a prison sentence, it's not. It's a sacred season. And so I think what I've learned in this season is that as much as I want to be married. Sometimes I'm like, girl, you're not ready because in submitting to the Lord, there are some things I fight with him about. And so I think as much as I'm like, okay, God, I'm praying for my husband, I think he then tosses the question back and goes by, are you a wife? You know? Like I eat out a lot and Stephanie and her husband be on me about that. You need to cook. I'm like, my life too busy, and so I think, like to your point about the little things, right, it's like a are we preparing for what we're praying for? Or are we just praying waiting on the Lord like he gonna do a miracle for all of it? And so I think I've learned that, and I've learned like the way that I submit to my submit to the Lord is the way I will have to submit to my husband. Right. And so I think, to Susan's. Point, learning to yield to the Lord now and killing my flesh now so that it becomes easier. Because I also think the longer you be single, the harder it is. To be like, hm, you want need to So yeah, I feel like that's. What I'm learning. And also. Just what it means to live in purity while I wait, because I think oftentimes in the distress of waiting, we can make decisions that could be holding up God bringing a person into our lives. Yeah, that's kindly good. Because the truth is, even when I think about when I was, I lived out my single years, you know, it was I lived it for the glory of the Lord, really, but it was not about feeling depressed or distressed or you know, God, my time is going, or any of those things. But it was to realize, like I can trust God even in the waiting season and still be effective and still you know, walk in alignment and still accomplish the things that God has called me to and really ultimately still grow an intimacy with the Lord. You know, singleness does not stop you in growth in spiritual maturity. But even yeah, go ahead, I just want to. I just want to add one more thing, because there are things that God will tell you to do that you won't do because you feel like I don't have a husband. I used to say I would always be like, I will never be a minister, and then I was like, I definitely won't be a single minister because telling people you are pastor is not attractive. Hello, Hi, I'm Brenda the minister who's single. But I think that there's a reason that God entrusted to me this season this way, so that people would know that your purpose and your calling is not aligned to a husband or a wife, Like there are things that God's calling you to do right now that you need to do. And stop telling the Lord you're waiting on him to do. No, do what he said do and watch him show you probably miserable in your single life because you're in rebellion because you're not doing what he told you to do, because you think you need a spouse. No, do it now, and watch him expose the fruitfulness of this season. Beautiful and even as we continue, because the reason I pointed out marriage was not just to highlight who is single, who is dating, who is complicated relationships in the room, but it was just to highlight something that is so common in culture when it comes to the Kingdom, culture versus what we see in the world, and that if we are going to be ambassadors of the Kingdom, they are certain things that you know, feel as though we don't talk about these things because Okay, I have a cousin or I have this, or I have that. We recognize, yes, there are extreme situations where you know things have to take place, but when you look at what's generally happening and how this is trending, we have to address these things. But something else, I believe when it comes to proclaiming the Kingdom that we do have to address is trusting God in the face of opposition. And sometimes opposition just looks like the people around you that would not accept who the Lord is calling you to become, that would feel as though you know, there are times where the call of God requires transitions. The call of God requires you to be called out from one place into another place, and we often tend to we don't even realize that subconsciously we live for people's validations and because of our love or our sense of loyalty to them, that we lose loyalty to the one who. Sent us in the first place. And I want us to talk about this because I think that even in the times that we are in, we are in a season where the Lord is going to start revealing the ordin nation that people carry, and it is going to call you out of something that is familiar to you familiar to your environment to something that would be unknown, that would be scary, that people would feel like you're doing too much. People will feel like, where where is this coming from? And I'm just reminded by you know, Jeremiah one eight, what the Lord said to Jeremiah. He said, do not be afraid of their faces, for I. Am with you to deliver you. This is a real thing. There are decisions we do not make because we are too concerned about what people will think. There are things the Lord will call you to say that you would not want to say because you are too concerned about how people would receive you. But we have to get the mind of Christ back into our generation, a mind that says, you know what, I don't care about my reputation. I don't care about what I. Think is my influence because the only reason I would even have influence in the first place, or a reputation in the first place, is because there is something God wants to do with it. And we have to get back into that posture. And so, Pastor Schala, I want you to just speak on when it comes to even in the place of transitions, because that is something the Lord has been highlighting to me that there's gonna be a lot of transitions taking place where the Lord is going to call people out of one thing into another, out of one you know, what they believe is their career or their identity into something else. And how do we navigate and steward that in a way that we can. Yes we may be scared, Yes we may have concerns, but we can still move in the mindset of an ambassador. Okay, Lord says, come out from them and be separate, and that command or instruction from my life to just thirty five years ago, I made a decision. And before then I was a part afraid the life of the party, did drugs and all of that, and was in a sense in the forefront of the world. But I made a decision that whatever it takes to stand for God, I would make that stand because if you don't stand for something, you will fall for everything. And I think it's important to understand the kingdom convictions early and aligned with them. You mentioned something earlier. You were talking about the laws of this land changing, and they're changing really fast, where you could be sent to prison for two years and things. I thought about this. It was actually earlier this year that am I ready to preach the gospel and go to prison? And I thought to myself, well, if I don't do that, I don't have I don't have any conviction. And I thought I would gladly do that because if I go to prison. They actually at first made the opportunity to pray to start a revival in prison. And in the in the day of Paul, he didn't go from one four seasons to to to the other five star hotel. He was moved from prison to prison. So we started prison industry. But but but but but but but but The point I'm trying to make is that you know, yeah, and we could actually come to the point where we have to be mattered for for the King. Am I ready for that? If we are not ready for that, then we are not to ambassadors. And if we're going to really see a real shift, we have to teach and train our people to build that conviction. Yeah, because if you look at the life I angry with this Daniel, the law of the land, they actually made a decree that no nobody should pray to any god. And he you know what he did, He opened up the window and said, this prayer won't change, you will have to change. And that was when the kingdom shifted to that of the kingdom of God. So we need to build real conviction in our people. We've been raising chameleons. We need to really raise souldiers. Yeah, you know, we're almost at our time. But something I do want to say is because you might be coming in here and sitting and you're wondering, you know, where do I start? What does this look like? But it really starts with a shift in your mindset. And we are the times that not we're already in them, but it's going to be more pronounced. The world as we know it is changing, things are shifting. I truly believe that these are the last of the last days. You know, we talk about the last days for centuries, but when you even as you study the Book of Revelation, you study the things that were, you know, for hold for what the last of the last days would look like. We are in that right now, and things are only going to be more heightened, and so we have to have this conviction, like past sociala is saying. But I also believe that what would help us is understanding the power and the weight of what it means to live a consecrated life because this life that we're living, you know, your life on earth is. Only a seed for where you're heading. And so how you live on earth, not only does it determine am I going to be in heaven or and there is a hell? Or do I you know, am I going to forsake the Lord? Because I want to live for myself. And even when I choose Jesus, what would my reward be in heaven? Because not everyone is in the same level in heaven. And so when you start thinking with an eternity mindset, then you start to realize that there is a lot on this earth that is all distractions. Recently, even in preparation for today, we have been on an extended fast. Now I'm pregnant, so my fast is a little different, you know. But one of the things that I made, I was like, I'm just gonna cut it out, was media and just television, you know, watching TV, watching shows and all these things. And in that moment, the Holy Spirit began to open my eyes even more. You see, I've been able. To discern, even when it comes to media, the things that are demonic and agendas of the enemy. But then it's he took it another step, another step deeper, that a lot of these things are just distractions to distract you and waste your time from ever being awakened. You see, a lot of us are in slumber and we don't even know it. We would there are times that we will struggle. I remember one time I was I was in prayer and I was just like, wow, Lord, you know I would I think. It was like, you know, an hour, I was like, you know, I wonder I just felt tired after that hour. I said, I would like to go on for two hours in prayer. But I was like, Lord, I'm pretty tired right now. And the Holy Spirit said, are you tired when you watch a show? Because sometimes that series you would lose sleep to finish a series. He says, but are you tired when you do that? You would fight sleep to finish your show? He said, do you know why? Because your flesh is so fed, is so satisfied. You're so comfortable in your flesh that your spirit life is dead and you don't know it. And so a true test of where am I with God? When I'm in the things of God, when I give myself to the things of God, do I easily get bored. Do I easily want to come out of it? Do I easily get exhausted? That means my spirit is not as fed. As I think. And we need to stare up the gifts within us. We need to get our lives back in the place God, God, this life is warfare. When I was praying. And preparation for this, there wasn't an encounter I had with the Lord, and it wrecked me. And one of the things he said to me, he said, I am sending you to declare war because this we go out, we go shopping. You know, every week, we love that. I love a good fashion, right, we love our things. But you cannot miss it that this is warfare. What has taking place in our world, in our governments, in the laws, is literally warfare. And before we close, the one thing I. Want to leave you with is to understand consecration. And I want everyone to speak on this, but I want to. Get back to you, Pastor Charlotte, because I saw something you had posted on your social media about consecration and I just want you to just speak on that because I think that when people realize I cannot be used for the Lord and still give that same vessel to things of the world. It begins a mindset renewal. Yeah, it's it's a very powerful thought. And you know when when when when we speak concern in the kingdom, we're talking about ambassadorial abilities, legislative power, you know. And when I say legislative power talking about I'm saying this to go to consecration, the ability to stand and speak, and Heaven backs you. You know. You say the Bible says the ratchets will decreate thing and shall be established. But many people take, you know, the mica or whatever and say prayer and we don't see anything. What is the difference between the man or the woman who has legislative power and the one that doesn't. It is the degree to which they are consecrated to their deity. There are some there are some demonic people who will say, uh, good night to you, and that means you will not see tomorrow because they have legislative power. And the reason why they have that kind of authority with their authors because these people perhaps have not touched, they've not had sexual relationships for maybe two hundred days, even with their spouse, because that's the degree of the consecration. Now for us as believers, we think that, oh well, righteousness is a gift. Yes it is. But if you're going to work in authority, there's a demand for consecration, and there are different levels of consecration. There's general consecrations, there's some that are specific to you. But let me end with this the story I told you know in the clip, I went to for a friend's birthday party and they invited some worship leaders and instrumentalists, and it was outside of the country. So we did a worship night for I don't know, maybe about ten hours continuous pace and worship, and it with Nathaniel Bassie, who wasn't able to fly in, but he did, and then it was so powerful, really powerful. The next day was a dinner party, and I'm sure there was an arrangement that okay, well you know what, it'll be expensive flying in another band, and so they probably asked, you know the group, oh do you do jazz, or said yeah, we do it as well. And so the next day, who did I see the same people who brought down the Presence of God now singing Sweetest Table by Shaddy, singing Beyonce the song and moving their bodies to it. And I was terribly grieved. Why because I thought to myself that these people will wonder why they haven't blown like Nathaniel. They do not understand that the reason why Nathaniel Pussy has so much power and authority that people will gather on CNN would look for him, it's not because he plays the trumpet that well. Can play the trumpet as well. Yeah, but he doesn't have the authority of Nathan Elbassy. It's because of his consecration. He's a priest. And when you're a priest, you command. You know, when when you make decrees, he he angels respond, demos will retreat, and Heaven will have respect for your declaration. And so if we are gonna be people who will shift things, we have to consecrete. And pastor can you even just simplify what consecration means. Consecration essentially is a decision to two things. Separate yourself from and separate too. Now, if you don't separate yourself from even the Buddhist monk does that, some other people don't. You don't do that, But there has to be an, you know, equivalent separation to the Lord. And like I said, there's general consecration, and then there's specific So general consecration is that all believers, we are not too phnicate, we're not too still, we are not to do you know. But then specific ones are depending on your calling with God. God will tell you specifics not to do so like something something his mother was told not to drink wine, or this or that, John the Baptist, but you know what Jesus' is consecration was different from John the Baptist. So I mean specific consecration. One has to be careful not to make a doctrine of it. But they are certain things. I don't drink alcohol. If I see you drink alcohola we're good friends, you know, no problem. I don't have a problem with that. But my consecration is such that I will not let another spirit, yeah, take the place of the Holy Spirit. And when I say another spirit, I'm saying Gene. You know why, because I need my senses. Two year I'm a prophet and I need to be in acquaintance with headquarters at all times. I've seen, I've seen, I've seen, I've seen I've seen. I mean, I need, I need at every point in time to be sensitive. I've seen people on the plane, you know, drinking when I can afford to. Yeah, because I don't know if God means to tell me that that person you're sitting next year is a week and I'm not saying that. Yeah, And then you know, and so you better do this of that. I don't know if that's making sense. And then I have some personal concentrations of certain things I don't watch, I don't do. Now this is not a law, but when for the last I don't know, maybe ten years or so. When I'm on I'm on a flight, I don't watch movies. I watch movies at home, but I pray or I read something, or I so that by the time I'm on the other side, the devil is trouble. Yeah, you know I have I have a concept of people people one that is all. I want to be prophetic like you. I said, you want me to lay hands on you. I didn't get it by leaning on hands. I have a consecration. I don't eat before four o'clock on most days. I hardly speak to anybody before four o'clock on most days. Why, because you know, I have I have a specific I'm sorry assignment and I need to prepare so that that is the specific one. Now I will not make it adoptrine, you know, and say that you need to do that. But we we as Christians, are all called to be consecrated. Yeah awful, past Ay, would you want to chime in on that? Yeah, I think the definition of consecration is the exercises of Christ's lordship over your life. I left by a phrase that others can, you cannot, So similar to what Pastor Shada was saying, Daniels said that I will refuse to eat the meat of the king and his wine, not to love to find himself. And what we see there for symbolism is that Daniel was refusing the doctrine of Babylon and the spirit of Babylon. And what was happening here was that Babylon had identified that Daniel and his friends were gifted. And what saying will do when it constantly being believed, is that it's not so much focused on you being unsafe. He wants to use what grace on your life for his kingdom. So when we studied Babylon, Babylon looked beautiful a parent that Babylon didn't have the power to set you free. So once again the quarter consecration also has has a time on it, a chius on it. I remember three years ago Lord led me to fast and fast for a long time. When I say, A long time, guys, A long time Amen. And then one night I went to go to bed. It was around midnight or one am. After I tried to pray midnight prayer, I was tired. I fell asleep and I was sleeping. I don't dream a lot. I don't get a lot of visions. That's my wife's ministry. But this night, in particulars we're sleeping, something entered the room, and something. Tried to come into our bed. And with whatever little shredth I had, I rose up, and an utterance came from my mouth, and I said, I will be ku spirit off Babylon. And the Lord told me that this spirit was assigned to visit you at this time, and if you didn't fast, how I told you the fast from this time this was what was designed to come to infiltrate the ministry I've called you to do. So I'm echoing because. When the Lord is it's laying a burden on you to do something, and to do I think now I beg you do it in the name of Jesus. So others can you cannot? Others can you cannot? And you know what, if I'm being very honest as a pastor, in the natural, consecration might look like bondage, but in the spirit, you are the freest being possible. Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. That's the season one thing. And I love what Pastichhologist said and what my dear husband has said. One thing that is really burning on my heart right now is I send God really calling us back to him. And when I say calling us back to Him, what I'm saying is not just the Sunday or in attendance of this event, but a real submission to the lordship of Christ. I'm reminded of the Scripture of Romans twelve versus one to three, and the question I always get in terms of demonstrating the kingdom and whatnot is you know, how do I know what God wants me to do? And I always say that particular, those three verses give us a framework and how we can understand what God wants us to do each time. And it first begins present yourself as a living sacrifice. When you present yourself when you're surrendered. Then you give God the liberty to come in and transform your mind. And as He transforms your mind and he conforms your identity. To his, then you are. You have the ability to discern His good and perfect will. And that's where I want to get. Like, in order for you to even understand the type of lifestyle God desires you to live, it requires you to first begin with a surrender. And it's not just a moment, it's not just an event. It's a daily surrender. It's a daily Yes God, it is a daily Lord, not my will, but your will be done. It is a daily heal me. It is a. Daily break me through. It's a daily release me from this bondage. You know, I remember last year out of transparency. I remember last year God set me on a fast, for it was a long one. Like my husband Namen, there's something in the marriage about fastening. But I remember the Lord putting me on this first and I remember there was there was a particular attack that the enemy will always bring in my dreams. And I remember going on this long fast and there was a day that the Lord led me to pray a specific first he worked in me, and then he told me to pray a specific prayer which was to uproot every unmingled seed that was in my bloodline by way of his spirit. Lord, just begin to establish your word and begin to replace whatever mingled seed with your truth. As I began to pray, As I. Began to pray into that, I remember a particular day whilst I was on my prayer walk, I felt this thing lift, like I felt a physical manifestation of a breaking. I've got a young son called josiahs And I remember the Lord said that you have started a new path. As a result of your obedience. But that would have not happened if there wasn't a daily yielding present yourself as a living sacrifice. And so I want to really implore individuals in this room to rededicate your life to Him completely, not part time, not some things. Everything God is in the mess. Let God deal with everything, so you can dessergn his good and perfect will and you can demonstrate His kingdom in your sphere of influence. Amen. Amen, Minister Benda, they wrecked me. I'm trying sitting in that. I think the only thing I would add to that is by sharing a testimony that speaks to consecration laid in to deliverance, and this is made four or five years ago, and pastor stuff. Called a fast. She's like, I feel like the Lord's telling me to go on the fast, and that you're supposed to do it with me. Sure, let me pray about it. And we go on this fast. And at that time in my life, I wasn't in ministry. I was hiding. I was buried in hurt and betrayal and all sorts of pain. And every morning we would pray at five am, and then Wednesdays we would pray overnight and Jesus it was an intense fast and then we did all water fast. This was the first time I had ever fasted for I don't know if it's forty days and around, I don't know. Day twenty one, we're praying in the morning. I could at the time pray for like two minutes and then I would be like, all right. And I just remember this one particular morning we were praying for the culture. It was like something broke on the inside of me and I had this level of boldness and intensity and deliverance took place. Because I had to go to the bathroom too. It was like I like it was like whatever was keeping me bound, the spirit of Python, the Jezebel spirit, they were all wrapped into one, and that thing broke in a way that. I had never experienced before. And so with the consecration came a deliverance I didn't even know I needed, but I submitted to the call to consecrate, and God had a plan. And this moment sitting up here is fruit of that moment, because I wasn't doing none of this before that, and I just remember on the call them going something just broke in the spirit like they could it was happening to me and I wasn't saying anything, but they could feel it because God had intended to meet me right there at the point of my obedience twenty one days in. It didn't happen in the first day, it didn't happen in the seventh day. It was my commitment to be obedient and show up when I felt insignificant, when I felt incompetent, when I didn't feel like I had a voice or it mattered. God was like, no, I'm gonna meet you right at the place of presenting yourself as a living sacrifice. And so I think that Oftentimes we can consecrate because of what we'll get out of it. No, the consecration is because of. Who you get to meet through It is because I get to meet a version of God I would have never experienced had I not presented myself as a sacrifice. And Mam, can. We just give it up for how God used each and every speaker. And I just want us to take a moment in prayer and something I would just say just to you know, everything they said is just perfect. What I would just remind you from what they should share this obedience. It's better than sacrifice. The instructions of the Lord. You would know that there is when the Lord starts dealing with you intimately, is when he starts giving you instructions that you will not find in the Book of Matthew. You will not find in the Book of Ads. It's not about theology, but it's something specific to your life. And if you're trying to justify. It by what other people are doing and what I should be able to do this if other people are doing it, that's not how it works. I remember there was a season where I think we fasted the most the whole year, and you know it was like, Thanksgiving in America is a big thing. It's a feast, and you want to say, God, everyone is eating on this day. Can we just. Pause on Thanksgiving and come back on the next day. But you see, if you broke it in that moment, then your sacrifice will not be fruitful. But if you. Are obedient to what the Lord is telling you to do, and this is not a time again to look back and feel shame about the decisions you didn't make or things like that. No, it's a time to turn towards the Lord. If there's something that the Lord has been instructing you to do, it doesn't have to be this grand thing, because sometimes your pride shows up in the little instruction and the simple instruction is where your pride shows up and you don't even realize it. And you try to negotiate with. The Spirit of God, like what if I do this bigger thing, then it should mean more to you, And the Lord is like no, no, no, No'm just after this, consecrate yourself because for the times that we're coming into, you're gonna need to have power. You're gonna need to walk in authority. You're gonna need to know that Heaven is back in my life. That it's not just about me saying I'm the righteousness of Christ. Jesus, I might live in like it because Jesus will say, if you love me, you would keep my commandment, you would obey me. So there is a fruit that comes from the one who has truly received the Holy Spirit. It's not just in talk. You re see it in action. You see it in your life. And so if you're gonna walk this thing with the Lord for real, because we are at war. And one of the things the Lord showed me about what it means to declare war is to awaken his sons and daughters to who they are in the Kingdom and how they are called to proclaim the Kingdom. And I just want us to pray. And I'm just going to ask passion Sola to just lead us in prayer however the Lord places on your heart. Amen, can we buy heres for a word of prayer? Father Lord, we just thank you for this assembly, this gathering of Kingdom ambassadors an agent and praying by your spirit that this will not just be another conference, but that it will be an aggregation of saying to truly understand their identity as Kingdom ambassadors and Kingdom practitioners, and that by your Spirit, Father Lord, each one, each and every one of us, each individual, will truly come under your kingdom, under your government, under the government of the Holy Spirit. And I will be led by him. That we will not be led by the traditions of the world, the philosophy is the empty philosophies, and even the traditions of the Church. That will be led by the Spirit. And that truly we will become transformed so that people can see that we do carry and represent Kingdom culture. And praying by your Spirit that after this conference, that people will have a genuine work with God, the true encounters beyond the words of the speakers, that behind the speakers was they will hear. They will hear what the Spirit is saying, not just to the church, but to each individual. And I will carry that presence home. And when we do carry that presence home, we will carry that presence into our communities. Lord, we pray by your Spirit that the Elijahs of our day we are a rised out of these meetings, the de Brahs of our day will rise up, that the dead will become alive, and those who are asleep will awake and rise into who they really are. Lord, we pray that you would establish each person and anybody that might have fallen shot or might field condemned. Father Lord, we pray for mercy, We pray for encouragement, and I will pray that you will pick them up and they will rise up stronger in Jesus might. And then we pray Amen.