We want to consider what has been titled “Surrounded, Yet Following”. And we will start our meditation from the book of Hebrews chapter 12, from verse 1 to verse 2, the Bible says,

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

May the Lord bless the reading of his word in Jesus name.

Therefore, haven spoken about many other things from the beginning of Hebrews chapter 1 to chapter 12, the Bible says, “Therefore, we also,” just like other ones. The Bible says, we also meaning that, there are others, but we, like others, the Bible says, since we are surrounded. So, others are surrounded, and the word of God to us is just like others, we, you and I, we are also among them that are surrounded.

It says, Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded, it is no more something to ask, am I among them? Am I surrounded or am I not surrounded? The word is since we are surrounded, not like in the future, we will be surrounded, the Bible says, as at this moment, we are already surrounded. We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. And in my mind, I use the word, ‘world’ to represent that cloud. So, I can read like this, I say “we are surrounded by so great a world of witnesses”.

You know, sometimes when people are speaking English, they will say there is a whole world of difference between two things. It’s like there are two worlds; this and that. But in this situation, we are seeing a situation where the Bible says those who are surrounding us, they are a whole world of witnesses. They are not five people, not 10 witnesses, not some people. The Bible says, cloud. Since we were born till date, how many of us could count the number of clouds? How many of us could say, as I look at the cloud, it looks like there are 50 million things in the cloud? We've not been able to count them. So, another word for that cloud is innumerable; something that cannot be counted. The witnesses that surround us cannot be ascertained.

There was a time God asked Abraham that, look up, can you count the stars in the sky? And He said, so shall it be impossible for you to be able to count the number of people that will come out of you. So, when we are talking about cloud of witnesses, we are talking about uncountable number of people. And I'm almost realising a situation where the Bible is telling us indirectly that we are surrounded by invisible witnesses. As we are seated in this hall, we can see ourselves. But should it be that there are other beings that are in this hall that we cannot see, do we realise they are there? No! We only realise those we can see.

So, imagine that I'm here, and you can’t see me, it's possible for you to even say, “Don’t mind that Bro Gboyega, that man, he talks too much.” But when I'm there, you keep quiet, you say, “Let me not abuse him in front of him.” So, when we are aware of what we are surrounded with, or by, we are careful. When we don't know those who are watching us, we are careless. It looks like what the Bible says, when there is no vision, the people cast off restraints. People do not hold themselves any longer. They begin to do anyhow at any time. But the word of God is, we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.

I've not also found a man or a woman who can hold the cloud. As we see the cloud, we only see the cloud, we can’t catch it, we can’t collect it, we can’t contain it. So, there is something spiritual about the cloud. It's invisible. You can't grab it, you can't control it. You cannot micromanage the cloud. None of us since we started growing up, have been able to say this is my own cloud. We look up one day in front of our house, and say, “my friend, see my cloud. Let me take my own. I will bring it to the room.” We've not been able to own clouds. We've not been able to personalize cloud. No wonder the Word of God is, 'the witnesses that surround us cannot be personalized; you cannot control them, you don't even see them, you don't know them'. You are surrounded, I am surrounded.

You are not surrounded by your husband lest you say, no, my husband is not around today. You are not surrounded by your friend, and you say, no, that my friend has travelled to another city. You are not surrounded by your teacher, and you say, my teacher is not in the class. You are not surrounded by your boss, and you say, my boss is not in the office. You are not surrounded by your pastor, and you say, no, the pastor is in the house with his own family and I'm in my own house. You are not surrounded with witnesses that you can tell when they are around and when they are not around. As we are seated here, can we tell the kind of cloud that is over us? Do we know whether it's a thick cloud or a light cloud? We don't know. So, clouds are over us, and yet we don't know. And the Bible says, we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. Let's look at the word, witness, what does it represent?

Let's say there is a particular claim. Somebody claims that this particular product, if you can use it, it will wash your red cloth, and the red cloth will become colour white. You then say, “ehen ehen?” And somebody say, please, I want to witness to that, I have done it. Yesterday, I bought this product, I went to my house, I washed my cloth, and my green cloth became colour white. And people will say, “if we did not believe before, now that we see a witness, somebody to testify about it, now, we believe it.” And the truth is, the more witnesses a claim; a profession, an assertion, somebody says so and so is the truth, the more witnesses that are for that truth, the more the claim will be believed.

Remember that place where the Bible says, “Who has believed our report?? Do we remember that place in Romans? Who have believed our report? The reason why we make report is that people can read them and believe them but people won't believe if there are not enough people to say, that report is true. Do you know the song that says:

Whose report will you believe?

We shall believe the report of the Lord.

His report says I am filled, His report says I am healed,

His report says I am free, His report says victory

Whose report will you believe?

 

So, when reports are written, it is that they may be believed. Somebody says, do you know Camoquine can heal Coronavirus?” “Are you serious? Have you ever seen anybody that the thing has healed before?” What they are asking is, do you have any witness? Somebody is like there are 17,000 people in Africa that have been healed with Camoquine, of Coronavirus. Those 17,000 are 17,000 witnesses. This is where they say, the more the merrier. The more witnesses you have, the more people believe.

If they say now that ‘Ugwu leaf’ can make anybody that eats it every day to live for 150 years, Sister this and that without mentioning anybody's name, will never stop eating ugwu again. Why? Especially when you hear that they say 12,000 Nigerians are being researched. And those 12,000 are alive, they are 100 and something years, they eat Ugwu every day and they are alive.

When there is a claim that something works, something is good, people are asking who has tried it? Who has used it? If they say a particular way is the right way, who has followed it? What has become of those who have followed it? Is it worthy of my emulation? Is it worthy of my example; should I follow or should I find my way? So, the more witnesses we have for any way, any product, anything, the more people believe in it and they want to copy it, they want to use it. So the Bible says, since we are surrounded. If the Bible says, “We, I begin to perceive Apostle Paul adding himself to the list. He said, we. He would have said, ‘you are surrounded,’ but he said, ‘we’.  If Apostle Paul could say then, that he was part of them, then I beg to submit that we that we are here, we are surrounded.

Another way we can put it is there is no escaping. You know, there is a Yoruba saying that says, you don't put your leg inside water and you are complaining of cold. And you can't come to the kitchen, and you are complaining of smoke. You knew what the places are for before you stepped in. Haven stepped in, that’s why the Bible says, no one who lays his hand on the plough looking back is fit for the kingdom. Why did you put your hand on the plough when you knew, you were going to look back? Look at Lot's wife, why did you leave the land of Sodom and Gomorrah when you knew you were still going to look back again? Because she looked back she never completed the journey.

So, the Bible says, we are surrounded, so, this is not a time to say maybe its Bro. Gboyega, and brother this and sister this and that, that are surrounded, me, I am free. The thing didn’t reach me before they stopped the surrounding. No! You are surrounded. So, are you surrounded by danger or you're surrounded by good? Let's find out.

It says, we are surrounded by so great, it’s great. When you say something is great, it means it is very big; it’s plenty, cloud of witnesses. The Bible says, because you are not alone. This journey that you are in, you is not forced to be in it, and you are not the only one in it. The Bible says, because of this reason let us lay aside every weight. Look at that statement, Apostle Paul writing this message says, let us, again, he included himself. He didn’t say, lay aside every weight as if he is pointing at them; “it is you people oh, not me.  I don't have any weight.” No! He said, “Let us,” beginning with me that I'm writing to you, too you also, let all of us lay aside every weight.

From the word, weight, does it look like a problem? But does the word weight connote problem? So, the word weight does not quickly look like a big problem. He doesn’t say, lay aside all your problems. He just says, lay aside every weight. But the only problem with weight is that it is weighty. The Bible did not say those who are carrying weights are going to hell. The Bible just says, weight, lay it aside.

I don't know how many of us also who wants to journey from here to Dutse in Abuja, and you want to trek for any reason? And then, you think the best thing you can do is to carry something big on your head and you start journeying, how easy will it be? If Bro. John does not carry anything and he is walking with you, who will get to Dutse first? Now, supposing that this thing is all about getting there, it doesn't matter who comes first or second, you know, I can carry weight and get there at my own time. And when I get there, I expect everybody to even say, “Well done, sorry! Well done, you have tried. Other people came light, you came heavy. Coming is the important thing. Welcome!” If that is going to be the issue, then it wouldn’t matter what we carry.

The reason why it becomes important how we journey is because of the statement that came after that statement. Now, let's look at something now. He says, and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run. That's where the issue is. I can claim I'm a strong man, but how fast can I run when I'm carrying something heavy? Even if a child of 7 years is running with me and he is not carrying anything and I carry something that is heavy enough, that child will overtake me to Dutse. So now, it doesn't now matter your age or maturity, it is just about how light are you. Is it not possible for somebody that gave his life to Christ to last year to progress more than some of us that have been in Christ since 1986? So, it's not about when did you join Christ, it is about, in this your race, are you running fast or you are running slow or you are walking? If the Bible did not say run the race, then we could have said, I can choose to walk the race or crawl like a baby; like a five-month, seven=month baby, be crawling, “Mommy, I'm coming oh, just wait for me.” And the way the mothers will wait, we believe destiny will be waiting for us.

The people that are waiting to benefit from our growth, they will wait. They will say, even if it’s going to take Brother Gboyega 16 years, we will wait for him. If it's going to take brother Shola, 17 years, we will wait for him. Is it going to be like that? Or by the time we get to those kind of places 17 years, those who were waiting could have gone? What are we going to say our lives ultimately become useful for, when the people we are supposed to benefit, they've even gone? Only for them to be telling God excuses on their judgement day, the reason why they couldn't succeed is because brother so, so, so that supposed to give them something on their journey couldn't catch them.

I'm sure we've watched this race that they use baton. When we were in secondary school, inter-house sports; you know there is a race where in a particular house there will be like four or three or so people representing. There are many people representing one house, and one person will start the race but that person will not finish. He will do small and give the baton to somebody else who will collect and start running again. Do we notice that once the baton falls off, it doesn't matter whether you are the first person to get there, as long as you have no baton to hand over, you are useless to the next person. So, it's not just about being fast, you must also be fast carrying what you must carry to the next point. Because there is somebody; there is a man, there is a woman, there is a boy, there is a girl that is waiting for you who needs what you are bringing for him or her to start his or her own race.

So, we can’t get to those moments, and we are like “Brother, good morning. Brother, good afternoon. Sister, how are you? I have come. I did my best oh, I came very early.” And I'm like “Sir, you have come very early, but you are not adding any value to me.” So, you don't just want to go forward in life, and all to realise that you don't have much to offer the future. That's one thing that we must remember. The other thing we must remember is that for those of us that have said, weights are problems, we are saying that because we have realised that once we begin to add more weight to ourselves, what happens is that we become slower. We are not sinning, but we are slow. And many believers, many Christians, many disciples are not sinners, but they are slow on their journey. They are slow. They are slow learners.

Slow learners, not because God created them like that but they are slow learners because they are carrying a lot of weight. That ordinarily, if you can remove the weight they are carrying; they are as fast in learning as any fast person. So, it's possible that God is teaching you about giving and God began when you were 32 and now you are 45, He is still teaching you giving. And imagine there are 5000 things that God will teach you, what happens? So, we will be saying, I'm getting old but my life is not expressing any meaningful impact on my generation. The reason is not that you are a sinner, can we see we are not talking about those who are sinning. We are talking about those who are not sinners; who are just carrying weight and therefore they are slow; they are slow learners, slow starters, slow workers, slow runners.

We are not saying our problem is sin, we are not saying the reason why we have not become the great people that God created us is because we are sinners. No! We are saying we are weighty people. And because of our weights, it becomes difficult for us to catch what God wants to throw at us. Let's say somebody is holding me at the back. For those of us that followed our parents on the bike, when we were small, you know, the way they will say, hold my stomach oh! Hold me very well. Me! I've done it before. Imagine that, not a child now, a big man is holding you very well, and somebody wants to throw something for you to catch, how easy will it be for you to stretch forward and catch it, is it going to be easy? So, the person that is holding you is not making you to sin, the person is making you to be slow. So, you could be struggling, and the thing can fall off. How many opportunities are we going to find?

That is why Apostle Paul said, let us lay it aside. These things will not be easy. Imagine somebody that is holding you very tight, he may be doing it because the person loves you, but the person is not appropriate and that action is not appropriate for your destiny. Somebody holding you tight is doing it because he or she believes that's the best for him or her. But that is not the best for you. The person is making the best decision for himself or herself. But the decision is holding you back, and the word is, lay it aside. It is not going to be easy.

This is where we come to the Holy Spirit and say, Lord, help me, these things that are holding me back or holding me down, preventing me from jumping, preventing me from moving forward, preventing me from running, Lord, help me to put them aside. It will not be easy, it could be relationship, it could be a commitment, and then those things now become like weights. They prevent you from doing new things, they prevent you from going to new places, you can’t take new opportunities because an old opportunity so to say is holding you down.

You know, there is this saying also that success is an enemy so to say of maybe another success. The last time you were successful is an enemy of the next time you will be successful. Especially if you keep holding unto the success, you may not be able to see a new success. The word is lay it aside, if you perceive it to be a weight. It is not a sin; a weight, lay it aside. For some of us, the weight is our attitude; the way we greet people, the way we don't greet people.

You know, for those who have seen this Tim Lahaye “Spirit-controlled Temperament”, you will realize that there are some temperament that are just like somebody is born with. And one of the temperaments that people are born with is being moody. It is not a temperament but it is an attribute of a temperament; melancholy. You are a melancholy or you're being melancholic. There is a tendency that you will become a moody man, a moody woman. So, depending on your mood, you look. Sometimes you look so sad not because you're sad it is just your mood. Sometimes you're happy, it's not really that things are really moving; it is just your mood. Why that is not a sin, it can also become a weight.

Just imagine somebody wants to favour you and the person comes on your moody day, when you are sad. And you know that they said, anyone that wants to have friends must himself be friendly. You cannot enjoy favour from somebody that you are harsh on. You can’t come to me now and be shouting on me and be beating me, and be expecting me to favour you. So, if you want me to favour you, there's a way you will come; maybe a smiling face, something that is cheering. You are just smiling, you are happy, the person would have favoured you before even remembering that he wanted to favour you.

But we can look in a way, and somebody left his house saying, I want to favour him, I want to favour her. When you see the person, you’ve forgotten you want to favour, you came back home, you say, my favour is still with me. You're like, “oh! I think when I saw him or her, the look didn’t encourage me.” Let's look at it again. Has it never happened to us that you wanted to tell a friend something or somebody, a neighbor something but when you said, good morning, Ma. And the way the person looked at you, you just forgot everything you wanted to say. And even though you don’t forget, you tell yourself, this is not the right time to tell this woman this thing. But imagine that as you said, good morning, Ma. “Good morning, how are the children? Fine!” Before you know it, that thing you were reluctant to say, you can say it. That’s the same way; the gift you are reluctant to give to somebody, you can give it. So, an attitude, a disposition; a way of life, your mannerism, your manner of living can also become a weight on your destiny.

So, Apostle Paul is not saying because you cannot smile very well, you are a sinner. No! He says, just lay it aside. Just let's think about anything that can be a weight. You promise somebody, don’t worry, I will give you something so, so, so time, and then the time comes, you are like I’m sorry, I don forget. And every time, you will always forget. Especially when you need to do something for other people, you will always forget. But when people promise to do something for you, you are the one following them everywhere. That thing you said you will do, you have not done it. So, that is already a weight, Apostle Paul said, you are surrounded, put it aside.

Those who are watching you, and those who are even cheering you up, and saying well done, good job, you can’t see them; you are surrounded! When you are asleep, you are surrounded by them. When you are in a dark place and you can't see anything, they are still watching over you. They are your witnesses in the sense that the situation you are going through, they were there before. They did not compromise, those weights, they laid it aside in their own time and they're looking at you now, will you lay your own aside or will you keep it jealously?

Please, this is very absurd, so pardon me for this example. How many of us love our ‘poopoo’ (food waste product) so much that we put it on the bed and we sleep beside it? None of us can say, I love my ‘poopoo’ or you urinate, you say, I love my ‘weewee,’ and you keep it beside your bed, you sleep beside it. And in fact, you start keeping it like, the more the merrier. I love seeing them. What do you do with the ‘poopoo’? You don't ever put it away, you flush it away.

Apostle Paul is not talking about something like ‘poopoo’ that you don't like. He's talking about something you like, it has become like five and six for you. When people see you, they will see that thing. That's why he is telling you now, it is not easy oh, but put it aside. Nobody needs anybody to teach him, put your ‘poopoo’ away, put anything that is dirty away. Even dirty clothes, we you are the one that wore it oh, and the thing is dirty, we throw it away. Later when we have time, we go and pack it and wash it. If we don't wash it, it doesn't get to come close to us.

So, Apostle Paul is not talking about those things, he is talking about things that you cherish, he said, lay it aside. If you notice that there's something you are holding dearly too, but that thing is keeping you from moving forward. It doesn't allow you to run. You're walking with it but you can’t run with it. He says, put it aside. Don't forget, Apostle Paul said, even he himself is part of the people. That means Bro. Gboyega is also part of this discussion.

Many times we look at ourselves, we could have gone farther than where we are right now. We could have done much more than what we are doing right now. But we have been busy on many things. We've been attached. He says, let's put them aside. And we must not forget this, he said, “And the sin which so easily ensnares us”.

You know, there was a time when I was much younger, my grandfather was making jest of his own daughter. And the message came to my own ear when I started growing up. And the jest is that you! You don't know more than men. Once you see a man or men, all the bolts, he said it in Yoruba; all the bolts that they used to knot things in your head, they just scatter. So, the woman may be fine until a man comes in, once a man comes in, she is scattered. So, that man in her life is not a weight; this is a sin. Apostle Paul says, and the sin, put it aside.

What is that thing that is a weak point, you yourself, you know it. Doing something makes you to fall. Bible says, ensnares us; it puts us in bondage. To get out, we always need God to intervene before we can get out. And we keep doing it. It's like every year, every quarter, every month, we'll be fine small, later we go back into it, and we need God to deliver us. Apostle Paul said, that thing that is a sin that makes you, that puts you in a position that makes God not to want to look at you. Don’t forget, that your bad attitude or that your funny attitude of not wanting to laugh does not stop God from looking at you.

The fact that you did not greet me today does not mean God will not look at you. God will always look at you. But sin, the Bible says, God’s hand is not shortened, neither His eyes. Everything that blocks us from God is sin. Without sin, God can reach us. So, that thing that makes God's face not to be able to look at us, Apostle Paul said, that one too, let's put it aside.

So, what is Apostle Paul telling us now, let us become faster in our running. As we are walking with God, as we are following Jesus, let's be faster. Let's not say, Jesus but you know, I finally got there now, does it not matter that I've gotten there? Jesus wants you to get there. He wants us to get there quickly. Imagine those who follow Jesus up to the time that He wanted to enter the boat on the lake; that lake that storm came. That you followed Jesus to the border of that water, the beginning of the water, does it mean you finish the race with Jesus? No! You will still enter the boat, and you will still be in the boat with Jesus. Storm will come, you will still be in it with Jesus. And when you get out of the boat, there is still going to be challenges that will confront you and Jesus. So, following Jesus does not stop because you have done one thing, it continues. And as it continues from one thing to another the word is, go light so that you can go fast. Don't go about with attitudes, with indiscipline. “Na wetin I like me I dey do oh. As you see me so. I be the master of my life. Na wetin I like, I dey do, if I no like am, I no dey do am. If I like I do. What I love is what I do, I am the master of my own life.”

And sometimes, it's possible for a Christian to even talk like that. Especially once you notice, you look, look, look, and there is nobody going to your church. Look, look, look, nobody that knows you in your house. Look, look, look, there is nobody in your office that really knows you, and you are in the middle of strangers. You say, “me na master of myself oh, or somebody will say, “me, na money I dey follow oh. If nothing go come, me, I no go do am.” When you say it finish, you look around small, hope nobody saw me that knows me? That's why Apostle Paul said, you are not surrounded by the visible cloud, I mean visible witnesses. Those who are watching you, you can’t see them. I can imagine somebody watching you, you can't see him, yet the person is able to report you to God. If Satan could say, God, have you not seen Job? And He began to talk. What do you think other creatures of God can say?

There was a time Apostle Paul was talking about women covering their heads. He said, for the sake of angels; because of angels cover your head. So, even though we think we are existing alone as a people, the Bible is telling us that we are not alone. There are witnesses. There are creatures that have left our realm that are in other realms who are also witnesses. They've been where we are. Although they were not in the days of internet but they’ve been on the earth. They've had to also confront their own personal challenges, and yet, maybe, they did not disappoint God. And so, they have become witnesses. They're watching us.

Let me flip it on this other side. Imagine those who disappointed God, imagine a man, before he died, the last thing he did that he could remember is that he fornicated, he committed adultery, and then he died. And then he knows he is facing judgment in eternity, and then he sees God overlooking your own. So, he would say, God well done oh, you dey do well, God. No! He will say, God is this not the only reason why I could not finish my tenure on the earth? God, are you allowing this brother to go through it? God, are you partial? So, it is not only the devil that will be our witnesses or an adversary. Even those that have missed it on the earth, who are destined for destruction, they could even rise up in accusation against us.

God is an impartial judge, so, God will not punish them so to say for what they did, and then let you go for what you are doing. Somebody's like “God, but you know those ones did not cry very well when they did their own, God see my own cry oh.”  Those ones will say, “God, don't forget, I cried till I died”. For those of us that have been looking at God as if, the reason why God does not allow us to have fun is because God hates us. Remember those who have done a little thing and they've been punished. Is it fair on them for them to do little, and they are punished and we are doing big and we are alive?

Imagine that you have a company, somebody stole 5 Naira, you sack the person, now somebody is stealing 50 thousand and you say, well done or don’t do that oh. Every time the person steals another money, you say, “don’t do that oh”.  And other people are watching or the person is even hearing outside. “Do you know that company you stole 5 naira and they sacked you, do you know the person that replaced you has been stealing millions now they’ve not sacked?”

If the person has power to report to EFCC, report to government, he will do it, because he is feeling hurt, “I was also punished for something small.” So, the owner of the company who does not want to be brought to reproach will do the right thing in spite of how the person loves us. So, God can lovingly, the way He loves us, He can still punish us not because He hates us, but because there are witnesses that are watching. So, everything we are doing, please, whether we can see people or not. Anywhere we are, let us remember we are being watched. We are surrounded, we are surrounded, we are surrounded. Can somebody say, I am surrounded. I'm surrounded, I'm not alone. Whether I see people, I don't see people, I'm surrounded. I'm not alone. This, I'm surrounded is a mystery that sometimes could create fear, but it can also create faith.

There was a time the servant of Elisha was afraid that the enemies came and surrounded them with a lot of horses, and he was afraid. And the master Elisha prayed, and said, God, please open the eyes of my servant. And when his eyes was opened, he realized that even though enemies came and surrounded them, in the same way, the host of heaven also surrounded them. So, you are surrounded can give you a sense of fear, but it can also make you to realise even though you're hearing “choo, choo, choo,” in the night, you are not alone. That witch that wants to kill you must remember that you are surrounded. I can imagine God making an edge around Job and no enemy of Job was able to touch him because he was surrounded.

Those who were also part of those who were watching him, even Satan was also watching him. The hosts of heaven were also watching him. Your enemies are watching you. Those who love you from God, they are also watching you. They are watching you to make sure that you are not discouraged. They are watching you to encourage you; they are watching you to clap for you, and your enemies are so watching you to see, will God pardon you for doing bad things. They are watching you. I'm being watched. So, let us be careful.

The Bible says in the understanding that we have, let us look unto Jesus, He was surrounded. He did not give up. He was not overwhelmed by the witnesses. Bible says, let us look unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross despising the shame, and at this time He is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God. That’s to tell you that as you are following Jesus, there is a place ahead of you. There is a place. I don't know, how many of us that has businesses, and you're thinking that when you grow your business very well, you'll be sacking your best staff? You know that this staff is the one bringing money to your company and you still say, I sack you, does it work?

So, is it not the one that wants to destroy your company that you sack?  I want you to remember that even though there are challenges around you, as long as you become lighter, you are running the race with speed. You are not running the race with sin. God cannot sack you. Another way we can put it, God cannot permit you to be killed. God cannot permit you to be messed around with. God will watch over you; God will shield you. God will say, touch not my anointed and do my prophet; my pastor, my teacher, my apostle, my evangelist, do him no harm. Do my servant no harm, why? This man is walking very fast or running very fast, he is light. And he is not committing sin. He is not going about indulging in sin. He is focusing on the race.

The Bible says, looking onto Jesus, as you keep looking unto Jesus, not looking at anybody but Jesus. You keep learning how to lay things aside. They wanted to make Jesus king that was not sin, do we remember? But that was going to become weight. We can call it the weight of glory. Whether you call it weight of glory, or weight of something, it is weight. So, there are times not to even accept any honour from people; from men. The Bible even says, Jesus didn't release himself to men, because He knew all men. I pray that God will help us in Jesus name.

There is a glory ahead of us. God does not punish those who are doing well. And if He punishes you, it's not because He hates you, it is because you are surrounded. When you now know that you are surrounded, in that understanding, live your life. Don't be wicked because you just wished not to be wicked. Don't be wicked because you are surrounded! The disciples of Jesus said to Him, Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven? Do you know when they were talking the Bible didn't say, a lot of people were with them. It is possible they were with Jesus in the bush; James, John, and Jesus, does it look like they were surrounded physically? It doesn't look. But Jesus said, no, no, no. You do not know the manner of Spirit that you are of.  

Imagine Jesus calling down fire from heaven, the people that are watching Jesus will raise an accusation, they will say, Jesus, and you call yourself Son of God, why will you kill these people? Are you really sure you are the Son of God? But He said, you don't know the manner of Spirit that you are of. So, whether we are seeing people around us or not when we remember the manner of man that we are; that we are not alone, we are surrounded, than we are careful. We do the right thing!

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Gboyega ADEDEJI!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!