We want to look at something that I believe is going to help us as a people, is going to strengthen us, is going to give us direction. We want to consider “The Responsibility and Authority of Lightstrong>.” We'll be discovering the secret of influence with this discussion. So, in case you want to subtitle this; you can say, “Unveiling the Secret of Influence.strong> span>span>p> Previously, we looked at, Light as a Navigational Tool into Destiny Fulfillmentstrong>. But now, we will not see light as a tool, we want to understand the responsibility of light. And by the grace of God, we will also discover what the authority of light is. And I don't want us to fixate our minds on the bulbs that we can see all around me here. The things we are dealing with is beyond what we can see. Even though it is not beyond what people can see, but is beyond what we can see here. span>span>p> So, let's begin from the Book of Genesis chapter 1. Let’s begin from the book of the beginnings, looking at Genesis chapter 1, and I will read from verse 1 to verse 5, looking at the Responsibility and the Authority of Light. span>span>p> “1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void. And darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. span>span>em>strong>Verse 3, Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. em>strong>Verse 4, And God saw the light, that it was good. And God divided the light from the darkness. em>strong>Verse 5, God called the light Day, and the darkness He called night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.” em>strong>span>span>p> We are looking at the responsibility and the authority of light. If I ask any one of us today, if there are two things available, one is a responsibility, the other one is an authority, which one would you pick? Authority! span>span>p> So, authority is more attractive, authority is something that anyone will want to pick. But as God would have it, authority does not just come. Authority does not stand alone. Authority cannot suddenly appear. If there will come an authority, there must have been a responsibility. So, usually even though we love authority, if we will ever experience it, it is because we have accepted responsibility, and we have held that responsibility enough to command authority. span>span>p> Now, let's quickly look at Genesis chapter 1, from verse 1 to verse 3, especially verse 2. It says, the earth was without form, and void. And darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was lightem>strong>. In this instance, at this moment, none of us can look at light and say, light has authority. When God says, let there be light, God didn’t say let there be authority for light. God only said, let there be light. The question is, what will light be for? Will light be for a fun, or for a function? span>span>p> Now, if light is for a function that means the light is for a responsibility. If light is for a function, that means there are things or at least one thing that the light is meant to be there for. Now, as I'm standing before us now, I am holding a small mic. And then I have this pulpit in front of me that is able to handle the Bible and the notes. So, if you say, let there be a pulpit before Brother Gboyega. And you say, Let there be a mic in his hand, are you giving authority to these things or you are giving responsibility to them? Responsibility! span>span>p> So, let's say a million people get to watch this video online. A million people! And then they see this pulpit. Now, what will happen is, assuming this pulpit has an inscription on it that shows its name. So, a million people have seen its name, what has happened? The pulpit has become known to a million people; that pulpit has become famous. But the fame didn't just appear. It was responsibility first. What was the responsibility? To carry this Bible and to carry the notes! These are not easy things. Do we think they are easy? Who will want to hold his or her hand up, and say, “put the Bible throughout one hour, and then I will hold it,” it will be painful. See what the mic is doing. No matter the fame that will come to this mic in days and years to come, it all began by being useful first; accepting responsibility. span>span>p> Imagine that I put on this mic earlier before I came here, and the mic didn't turn up, will I hold a mic that is not working in front of us? So, if there will ever be authority, a man or a thing must have accepted responsibility earlier. So, we are looking at the responsibility and the authority of light. Indirectly, we are saying, we are looking at how light began to become useful. We are looking at how light accepted responsibility. How light became a thing of blessing, a thing of joy, to the point that everyone cannot do without it, and hence everyone talks about it. span>span>p> So now let's go on. I still want us to check a few verses in that chapter 1. Let's check Genesis chapter 1, from verse 14. Now see what the Bible says, “Then God said, Let there be lights”.strong>em> Initially in Genesis chapter 1 verse 3, God said let there be light. Do we remember? One light! Going forward, God said, let there be lights.em>strong> Only God knows the number, they could be a thousand, they could be ten, they could be a million; they could be billions. God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs. em>strong>Let them be for what? Is it for fun? Let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. em>strong>span>span>p> So, every time people want to see a sign or they want to be introduced to a season, and they want to know the days, they want to know the years, they will need lights. And let them be for light in the firmament of the heavens, to give light on the earth. And it was so then Godem>strong> made two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. em>strong>Let’s pause from here.span>span>p> Initially, the Bible says God made lights. Plenty! Then later the Bible says, And God made two great lights, two great lights! The Bible says, one to rule the day, and the other one to rule the night. Something becomes obvious to all of us here. Lights are not for fun. A light is not a mere entity. A light is expected to be a ruling entity. In fact, God created two. Assuming they were one million, God would have said, “number one hundred and something, something thousand, you shall rule this thing. Number one point something, you shall rule…,” God would have mentioned them in their numbers and assigned rulership to each one of them. So, we must settle that at the back of our minds, that lights are not mere entities, lights are ruling creatures of God. span>span>p> He says, the lesser light to rule the day, and the greater light to rule the night. Now let's conclude with Genesis chapter 1 verse 26, “Then God saidem>strong>,” of course, we've made light, we've made light, we've made two great lights. Now, let's take it further. Let us make man in Our image, according to our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.em>strong> God didn't just stop creating stars also, and different kinds of lights. God didn’t just give authority to those things. God went ahead to say let us make man also. And let this man in the manner of the light that I had created earlier. Let them also rule. But God didn't just use the word, rule, God used the word, let them have dominionem>strong>. If you have dominion, that also means you have rulership. span>span>p> So, when God says let them have dominion over, God was saying let them have rulership over. So, as those two great lights have dominion, God also says, let man have dominion. So if you are a male man, have dominion. If you are a female man, have dominion. If you say, in what order? Have it in the order of light that have been created before you. span>span>p> So, God sets the light in the firmament of the heavens; when we talk about firmament, we are talking about the atmosphere, in the sky. So, God puts light in the atmosphere, and God says, so that they can be for light on the earth. Indirectly, they are set in the heavens, they serve the earth. They are placed in the heavens, they rule on the earth. span>span>p> So, if we want to take it further also, God said, Let us make man in our image, let that man have dominion over. So, that means God is going to set man in a place, and man will rule over certain things. See the list, God says, have dominion over the fish of the sea, have dominion over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over all the earth. and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. This covers almost everything we can imagine. God says to man, have dominion! span>span>p> When God says, Let there be light, and Bible says, and there was light, and God saw the light. So imagine God saying, Gboyega Adedeji, have dominion over this. Somebody could say, what is that? I don't know, let's ask God. Have dominion over this, have dominion over this, and also this. It is expected of God just as He did in Genesis for the light, to look back and check Gboyega Adedeji, and God should say, “And God saw that Gboyega Adedeji was exercising dominion, or is exercising dominion over this, over this, and over this, and over this, and that. And God saw the dominion, and God said, “It is good”. span>span>p> When God says, the light should be for light, let there be light, God came to check it. What I said should be, is it? If it didn't, what do you think God would have done? God would have done it again. I can imagine Jeremiah and God having conversation and God says, what do you see? There was a time he was seeing, and God said, what do you see? Because it also happened that Jesus also healed a blind man, and Jesus said, what do you see? He said, I see men walking as trees, upside down. And Jesus touched him again. That's to let us know, Sir and Ma, if God put upon you the responsibility of dominion, He will come to check, are you dominating? span>span>p> If God says John, have dominion over this, let me give an example, have dominion over your appetite. God says, have dominion over your finances. God says, have dominion over the witches and the wizards in your local area. Have dominion over principalities in Abuja, where you live.” God will not say that and say, the case of Bro. John is a matter of maybe, maybe not. No! God expect it to be. If God says, Let there be, there must be. Bible says, it is required, it's a requirement, it’s compulsory, in stewards, that a man, em>don't forget, that man is who we read about in Genesis 1:26, when God says, Let man have dominion, that a man in dominion should be faithful. em>span>span>p> What is Faithfulness?strong>span>span> Faithfulness is, you have been assigned a responsibility, you do it! And if you will die, you die doing it. If you will live also, you live doing it. That's what they say, what do you do for a living? Nobody come to ask us, what do you do to die? They say, what do you do to live? That's what they are saying, what do you do for a living? Because they believe as you do those things, you get joy, you get income, you get different things, and then you continue to live. If you don't do those things, they believe you will die. So, when God gives you a responsibility, God is not thinking in his mind, Ah! John may take it, he may not take it. Francis may, may not. No! God believes it must be. span>span>p> The Bible says, the evening and the morning were the first day in accordance with the Word of God. There wouldn’t be first day if the light didn't appear. You know the matter of first day began after light. Did you hear any issue of day before the light? Because the Bible even told us earlier in Genesis 1, from 14, He says, light will be for signs and seasons and for days. So, God would not begin counting days on this our earth if light did not begin to work from that day. So, they can count how many days it has been since light began. God knows!span>span>p> But what would have been the reality, if when God said, let there be light, and the light begin to behave like us? “God, I understand what you're really thinking, Lord. I really feel your pain, Lord, the earth is very dark, I understand. But Lord, don't you think this particular creature is going to be threatened if I start shining, Sir? Sir, if I shine, you know the way I can do this thing, you know the way you have prepared me to really do this shining, but if I shine, don't you think I will destroy a lot of trees.” We will be giving God a lot of excuses. And we can do that all our lifetime. The very thing God asks us to do, we never do it. What are we doing? We are giving God excuses. span>span>p> Now, let's go to another place, John chapter 1. You know for me now there are two places in the Bible that have beginnings. And they are very important. Genesis chapter 1, and John chapter 1. So let's look at the book of John chapter 1, and we will read from verse 1 to verse 5,span>span>p> “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him. And without Him, nothing was made that was made. In Him was life. And the life that was in Him was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” span>span>em>strong>p> In the beginning, there was the Word, you see, that Word was also God. And all things were made by the Word, by God. In fact, inside God was life. And that life became light for everyone. And that light shines in a manner, in a degree that darkness cannot overcome it. The Bible didn’t say there is no darkness around. The Bible didn't say enemies are not present. The Bible is not saying there are no haters and doubters. The Bible says, the light shine, let me speak Nigeria word, the light shines “so tey.em>”  You know “so teyem>” sounds like “so much.” The light shines so much, so hot, so bright! The light shines so much; so bright. span>span>p> What happens? Darkness, the enemies could not overcome it. Now, the reason why we have this to read today, that darkness did not overcome it, is because darkness attempted to overcome it. Darkness attempted to stop it. You see, for every light that shines, there is always the place of darkness to contend with that light. The only enemy, not the greatest, the only enemy of light is darkness. Darkness is both a situation and a personality. Darkness is the absence of light, and it is the person of the devil. span>span>p> So, whenever light wants to come, darkness wants to keep it from coming out. Peradventure, your destiny is in the order of light. I want to announce to you that you have an enemy. You have an adversary. You have a doubter, and hater, you have a creature of God that is called darkness, whose only occupation is to stop you from shining. He does not necessarily want you to die. He just wants you not to shine. You are not a threat because you are alive. You are a threat because you are shining, in case you are light. span>span>p> Let's continue. John chapter 1 from verse 7 to verse 9, “This man came for a witness to bear witness of the light. That all through him might believe. em>strong>Verse 8, He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. em>strong>Verse 9, That was the true light, which gives light to every man coming into the world.” em>strong>span>span>p> See, this statement in verse 9 was mentioned first in verse 4. And if two things are coming in the same chapter, similar things, then there is something we must learn from it. Verse 4 says, In Him was life and the life was the light of men,em>strong> so men need light. That life that was in Him is the light of the men. Every time men are looking for light, they look at the life that is in Him. Then they get light. Then in verse 9, the Bible says, He is the one that gives light to every man that comes into the world.em>strong> So, if you come into this world, you need light, and He is that light. span>span>p> I begin to see a situation where somebody says, I was born in the village. Even if I have to die in the village, I want to be known everywhere in the world. I imagine somebody saying, when I was born, I was born very poor. I didn't know anything. I was born without this. I was born without that. But my desire is to be very great. I want my name to spread. When people hear my name, I want them to say, there is a God in that man's life. So, you are thinking you are nobody. But somehow, let me use another word, you want to invade the world. You want to influence the world. Don't forget, we are unveiling the secret of influence. You want to change the world, you want to alter the dimension or the arrangement of things in the world. In fact, you want to turn the world upside down. You don't want to be worldly but you have this world-impart, world-invasion mindset, then you need the light that overcomes the world. span>span>p> The Bible says, everyone that comes into the world needs the light. And I want us to understand from that, that another way we can put it is, anyone that wants to win the world, the Bible says, God said, let us make man and let them have dominion. The dominion is not in the heavens. God didn’t say, let man rule in the heavens, no! God gave dominion over the world to man. All the things that God mentioned, the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the things that creep, the cattle on the earth, all of that summarizes the world. The dominion over the world has been given to man. And if you want to rule your world as it were, then you need Jesus, you need God to impart you. span>span>p> The Bible says, in Him; in the Word is life. And that life that is in Him is the light of all men. And the light shines so much in the darkness. The light did not shine so much in the light. The light is not shining so much in heavens. The light comes to the world to shine. You know, we have a situation where we want to get out of the world, and shine in the church or shine in heaven. But our shining is supposed to really be on the earth, in the world. A man who wants to go into politics is supposed to shine in that political party called PRP, PLP, PUP, PDP, LP. As a man of God, your influence, if it will penetrate the world is going to require the light that God has made available for the world. And so, you cannot intend to overcome the world on their own playing ground without you engaging a power; a force that is outside the world, yet available in the world. span>span>p> You see, Jesus is not for outside the world, Jesus is for the world.  The Bible says, “For God so loved the church?” “For God so love the world so much,” the same world that we don't want to go into that's the world that God loves so much. I don't know how many times where the Bible says, For God loves the Christian so much. The Bible says, For God so loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son. He didn't give His son so that His son can be in the heavens, He gave His Son so that the son can come into the world. Haven come into the world, darkness arose as an opposition against the Word, darkness arose as an opposition against Christ. That is why the Bible says, the light shines so much in darkness, and the darkness could not comprehend it, the darkness could not overcome it. span>span>p> So, if you want to also in the order of Jesus, become an influencing factor, an influencing entity on this earth, in your world, and in the world, then you will need the power that is bigger than the world. You know, when the Bible says, greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world, Men and brethren, there is a “he” in the world. There is a “he” that is in the people of the world. Whether you go into business, or you go into politics, wherever you go to in this world, there are people, there are entities, there are spirits that are already reigning and ruling. So, if you will dislodge them, if you will overcome them, if you will reign in spite, you know when the Bible says, sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your footstool. You know, there is a place that now says, rule in the midst of your enemies, if you will ever rule in the midst. You know, many of us don't have trouble ruling when our enemies are outside, “have they gone? Let me quickly rule.” They’ve come back? You start to be careful. I don't want my enemies to see that I am  succeeding.” If you will rule in their midst and they won't be able to do anything, then you need Jesus. You need the light. span>span>p> Let's continue. John chapter 8 verse 12, and this will introduce Jesus to us more specifically. The Bible says, “Then Jesus spoke to them again saying I am the light em>strong>of the what? The light of the world,”em>strong> I don't know, maybe at the end of this message some of us that have hated the world, we might have to start loving the world like God. But what's our goal? This love that you have for the world, what is the goal according to Genesis chapter 1 verse 26? To have dominion!  He says, I am the light. There was a place where Jesus said, as long as I am in the world, I am the light. Look at this, He says, I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk em>strong>in what? In darkness, but have the light of life.em>strong> span>span>p> I imagine my life full of the light of life of Jesus. And see, Jesus is not stagnant and standing in one spot, Jesus is moving. So, as I keep following Jesus, full of the light of life, I'm not supposed to walk in darkness. I'm not supposed to experience the power of darkness. Let me throw it at us. And I will make it clear because what I'm saying in essence is this. I'm following Jesus, following, not like people think, I am really following Jesus. I'm following Jesus in the light. You remember what Jesus said, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not, He didn't say, the gates of hell will not attack. He said, they will not prevail. span>span>p> So, I'm following Jesus. What this is telling me is, I must not be a victim. I must not be subject to the power of darkness. And this is where I wanted to throw it at us. Do we remember those who really worship Satan very well in Nigeria, in our local places, and even in our cities, those who worship Satan? Have you noticed any one of them and then you will realize that they are exempted from satanic attack?  You know, the mystery of that, they are following Satan; worshipping Satan. Another person that is worshipping Satan is even going to be the one that will be used by Satan to kill them. span>span>p> It looks like a story of two animals. I think I heard it from Dr. Myles Monroe. I think maybe a scorpion and something else; a bigger animal, maybe elephant or something. The smaller animal needed to cross the big river and the smaller animal told the bigger animal, just please carry me, and I will be very grateful. And the bigger animal said, “are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten that you normally sting people, you want to sting me so that I will die?” That one said, “No, don't think like that. I'm not foolish now. If I sting you are you die, won’t I die inside water with you?” span>span>p> So, they both thought they had understanding. So, they began the journey, and lo and behold, just as they got to the finishing line, the end of the river, that creature that stings, just stung. “Kai!em>, I told you, you will sting me!” He said, “I will sting now, that's what I normally do”. So, no matter how the devil coats everything, it is within the system that they kill and destroy themselves. The Bible says, the thief comes not, but to steal, to kill, and to destroy.  If somebody is a thief, he comes to steal, to kill and to destroy, will you blame the person for stealing, killing and destroying? Okay, if there are committees and associations of thieves, wouldn’t they kill themselves, destroy themselves and steal from themselves? Is it not what will happen? span>span>p> Let’s think about it, for some of them to rise in their occultic groups, some people need to be killed, nothing else. You know, in the church, you can still do politics, and say we remove you as the head of the unit; come and stay like this. In that place, there is nothing like politics of come and stay. No! It is not politics, they will kill the person. If you can kill the person next to you, you take the person's place. So, promotion is not coming from the devil, you are the one promoting yourself. How do you do it? Kill the next person, then you get to the next place. That is in the dark kingdom. So, you cannot enter the kingdom and say why are you here? I'm here because I don't want to be killed. You are in a wrong kingdom. Where are you? I am in the kingdom of Satan, why are you here? I don't want anybody to be able to steal from me. Then you are lying. When you see thieves, thieves, they steal from among themselves. Junior thieves, they steal from the grand thieves. Yorubas will say, “A thief has taken it, another thief will collect it”.span>span>p> So, if you began with the devil, don't forget, the devil is not alone. He has a lot of brothers and sisters. There are uncles and brothers and aunties in the kingdom of darkness. Those aunties have their own children too; the children are over cities and territories. Ambitious! Equally wicked like you! If you think you are wicked, they are much more wicked. You guys are of the same family. So, you can't think you are looking for safety and then you go into that kingdom. The culture of that kingdom is, if you want to go up, you pull somebody down. Have you not seen Nigerian politics? Can’t somebody say I am competent, take me for this job. No! The person will make sure he destroys the person that is ahead. He says, “If I need to go up, I need to implicate this man, this woman”. So, in the kingdom of darkness, there is no guarantee of safety.span>span>p> But Jesus said, I am the light of the world, he who follows Me; don't fake it, he who is real about it. You will never walk in darkness. You won’t experience darkness. Darkness will not be your mannerism. You will not function in the order of darkness. You remember the two brothers who wanted to call down fire to destroy the people of Samaria? Jesus said, no! you do not know the manner of spirit that you are of. Why did He say that to them? It is because they were his followers and they wanted to behave in a way that is different from people in the light; the way they behave. So, if you are following Jesus, you must not suddenly exhibit darkness. It is wrong for you to say, “I'm a pastor, but you know, I am dangerous, don't dare me. Don't mess with me. You disrespect me, I will destroy you. You're messing around with me. I will show you the stuff I am made of.  You don't dare it.” Somebody rising up in a meeting, in a meeting, and slapping another person, “who are you to talk to me like that?”span>span>p>  Jesus is saying, if you follow me, you will not walk in darkness. It will not happen to you that people can find darkness coming out of you; dark thoughts, dark imaginations, dark behavior. But it's not going to be because you have spent 30 years in the church, it is going to be because you follow Me who is the light of the world. You see, it is easy for us to be holy in the church. That's the issue. We don't live, and sleep and work in the church. The Bible says, in Him, Christ, we live, we move, we have our being, for those who really live in Christ. But usually we come to church, we go to our houses. From our houses, we go to our offices, we go to the market, we go to farm. These are places that we do evil. Another word for darkness is evil. Jesus said, walk with me, follow me, and you will not do evil. You will not think evil thought. I pray God will help us. span>span>p> Isaiah chapter 60, and we will read verse 1 to verse 3. And there's something very instructive for us to learn from there, “Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness shall cover the people. But the Lord will arise over you and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising.” em>strong>span>span>p> Why would this be? Because you are shining! But please, there is something that we are reading here and many of us have not been reading it correctly. In Isaiah 60:1! Do you know how we have always been reading that place? We've always been reading it like arise and shine, is that not what we read? “Arise and shine for your light has come.” The Bible didn’t says, “Arise and shine”.  The Bible says, “Arise,” comma, then “Shine”. You know, at the beginning I asked us, if they give us two things; authority and responsibility to choose one, we all agreed that, we will choose authority, very quickly. span>span>p> So, there are two things now: Arise, and shine. The Bible didn't say, “Arise and shine”. Because that will be very difficult, how can I rise, and at the same time as I'm rising, I'm already shining, it’s difficult. Let me quote a Scripture for us. The Bible says, “Seeth thou, em>strong>and I want us to meditate on it, seeth thou a man that is diligent in his business,em>strong> the Bible says, he shall stand beforeem>strong>,” he shall stand, this thing is definite; it will happen. It may not be happening now oh, but he shall stand before kings and not mere men. span>span>p> Let's say that again. Have you seen a man, have you seen, in the past, have you seen yesterday, 3 years ago, a man, did you see him last week, who is diligent, every time you go to him, since Buhari became president, and even after Buhari left, and since President Tinubu became President, and now President Tinubu is looking at one year in office, every time you see him, you see him being diligent in his business. The Bible says, that man shall stand before kings and not mere men. What does that tell us? It takes time to shine. If you will ever shine, it must be because you have first arisen. So, there is a condition that is necessary for anybody to shine.span>span>p> They said, “If wishes were horses, they say, beggars will rideem>”. So, since wishes are not horses, like I just wish there is a horse. I wish I have a horse, and lo and behold, there is a horse. If wishes are horses, beggars that are begging on the street, they will also have their own horses. Maybe, some of them can wish for hundred horses. It is like saying, if wishes were cars, beggars would ride Limousine. So, since wishes are not cars, beggars are not riding Limousine. Everybody can think and wish, shine. “Oh boy, I just won blow, I just won popularem>, me too I won make money. I want to be rich, I want to succeed. I want my business to grow”em> How many people are saying that in Nigeria? I am sure even the President of Nigeria is saying that. span>span>p> An average Nigerian wakes up in the morning with a lot of wishes. But most people go back to sleep without anything to show for it. So, let's get away from wishes. Let's learn what the Bible is showing us. It says, that shining that you want to do is possible but this is it, you have to first arise. Of course, you have to arise from your bed. Arise from your past failures, arise from the things you did before and people liked it. That thing that people liked has being the reason why nobody like anything again, any new thing, arise from that. Arise from your relationship that collapsed, arise from things that have kept you the way you have been. Arise from your own limited and limiting thoughts; arise from the way you think. You think nobody has ever been great in your family and you think, it can’t even be you, arise from that thinking. span>span>p> Have a different attitude, have a different way of life. Have a new way of thinking, a new way of seeing life. You know, when the Bible says, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Another word for repent is change your mindset. Change the way you think. Change the way you see things. Is that word “repent” not also similar with “arise”? Change your mindset. So, if you will shine in that your business, you have to change your mindset. This your current mindset cannot take you to the point that you desire. Do you remember where you imagined yourself to be that last week when you were planning new year? That your imagined place, it can't be done with this your current way of living. span>span>p> You know, there are some people, they abuse that no matter how much they make, they spend it in one day. And some people can make 1000s of Naira in one day but they finish it. There was a time in my life when I was still very young, I don't know how old, maybe 13, so I used to go to a place to do like, a room help to students in the university. So, we just go in front of rooms, we will be talking like, ‘do you have work oh?’ If you call us, we will come inside, wash your plate, clean your this, mop your floor, do that. When we are going, you will give us 40 naira, 30 naira, 20 naira, you give us all manner of money. span>span>p> No matter how much I made in those days, the money never met me in the second day. Because the people that we will do the work together, we will eat suya,em> we will do this, we will do all manner of things that will make the money to go. So, even if we do it for 20 days in a month, no savings. Thank God, life is no more like that. But there are people today in 2024 who are still thinking like that, no matter what they make, they will finish it. So, the Bible says, if you will succeed, arise from that. Arise!span>span>p> I want us to conclude with this scripture in John chapter 5, from verse 33 to 35, “you have sent to John and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man. But I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp. em>strong>Another word for lamp is a light. And you, the people, you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light”. em>strong>span>span>p> So, Jesus was saying, when John was alive, John was a burning and a shining light. But we should never forget that John did not start shining when he was born. Of course, John shone a little bit when he was born, do we remember? When they said, what is his name? And his father eventually spoke that day after being dumb for almost a year. So, people are like, what manner of a child is this, wow, we have never seen this before. Apart from that day, he didn't shine again. He was not popular. Bible says, he was in the wilderness until the day of his showing to Israel. Another word for that showing is, of the day of his shining before Israel.  span>span>p> So Sir, when he was 13, 14, 15, 16, 24, 25 all those years, he was busy in the wilderness, arising. Can we see, that word “arise” is large. It can take 40 years of a lifetime, so for those who want to suddenly shine, don't think you can shine suddenly except you want to be a fake light. I was watching Twitter yesterday on my phone and a particular boy on the street,  I don't know the town in Nigeria, like a busy road, dualized road, so it must be a state capital in Nigeria. You know this Jeep, Mercedes Jeep, colour white, he came out of the Jeep and the boy was tearing his clothes. He is a yahoo yahooem> boy. He was tearing his clothes.  Eventually, some juju in the car, he brought them outside on the road. He threw it on the ground. Fine boy! A lot of people were holding him, eventually, he was just with boxers alone. White car! White clothes! White boxers! Everything is white. But they did not tell the man that, that day his life is going to be arrested, a young guy, he could not be more than 35, or up to 35, He had already gone mad. His friends were holding him, they were putting him inside the boot. If you see the way he was dressed, you will know that they didn't want to use him for jazzem>, he is the one that has used other people. span>span>p> So, if you don't want to be like that, then it will take you a long time to arise. Many of us did not hear anything about Solomon until suddenly he became king over Israel. But let us not be deceived, that man took time to arise, the same thing with David. David was in the desert with his father's sheep. He was killing lions. He was killing bear. We didn't hear about him. What was he doing? He was arising. Jesus, Bible says, and the child grew. The same thing for John, and became strong in spirit. When Jesus was doing all that, what do you think was happening to Jesus at 29, 30 years? He was arising. But one day He took the Bible in the synagogue and He read it, and He said, this day this Scripture is fulfilled in your presence. I have been arising oh, brethren, I have now fully risen up. I am taking my place in destiny. span>span>p> So, there must come a time in your life when it is said of you that you are arising. The Bible says, Arise, shine. Why are you doing all that? The Bible says your light has come. Your light has come doesn't mean you will not be prepared, it doesn’t mean dross will not be taken away from you. Anything that complicates or implicate, everything that pollutes and corrupt must be taken out of your life. Your heart must be purged, you must go through a consecration process, you must become a man whose heart is right before God. When that has been done, what will happen is that you will shine; you will not shine for a while you will shine for a long time. span>span>p> John the Baptist had died, long time now but we still talk about him today. So, he is still shining. Apostle Paul has died, but we quote him every time. “Let's open our Bibles to Romans chapter 5,” it was written by him. So, every time we quote what he wrote, what is he doing? He is shining. He is influencing us. Another way, he is exercising dominion. You cannot survive without them shining on you. When the sun does not rise up in the morning, do you rise up from your bed? So, you wait for the sun before you wake up. The people of the world are waiting for you before they wake up. Bible says in Romans chapter 8 verse 18, the earnest expectation of the creation, wait eagerly for the manifestation, the shining of the sons of Godem>strong>, if the sons of God will shine, it is because they have first taken time to arise.span>span>p>  Arising is a matter of your posture. Arising is a matter of your position. The same way God sets the light in the firmament of heavens, God will set you and I by how we respond to this rising. When God is telling you, Gboyega, rise, Lara rise, what God is saying is, take the right posture, be in the right position, don't run away from where God is putting you. Maybe God is putting somebody in government position, don't run away from there. Wherever God is raising you, stay there, that is you accepting responsibility. If you can stay enough and do what God asked you to do, it’s just a matter of time, you are going to be known as a light that shines; a light that shines so much that darkness around you will be able to overcome it. Let us rise up, in position. Let us take responsibility for our destinies, let us shine.span>span>p>

Thanks for the gift of your time, A. Joshua Adedeji!
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