2 Chron 13 Salt Covenant People

Praise the Lord once again to be together with my dear friends and my brothers, my sisters. You know it's something that how God moves when two or three are gathered together on these such a distance and yet God is there in the midst of us somehow and I praise God for it. Amen. Hallelujah. Brother Case, would you lead us to the Lord tonight and cry out to the Lord to speak to us and to move amongst us. Amen. Amen. Father, we thank you. We honor you. Yes. We are grateful for another opportunity to have fellowship. Thank you for making it possible to be here. Father says, unto Shiloh comes, to him shall the gathering of the people be. Thank you Lord for you are here and our gathering is unto you. Please Lord, set forth the rod and thy staff to us. The rod and thy staff, let them comfort us at this hour, let us be strengthened, cause us to eat of the living manna, cause us to eat of the tree of life. 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staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the rod and the staff, the enemy began to flee and things began to change when, when the men of Judah raised the war cry. So I just were sharing last time there was a time for a war cry. It was a desperate war cry. They had just sounded the trumpets. A priest had sounded the trumpets, which is a signal to cry out to the Lord and to draw God's presence to announce it's time for God to move. It's time for God to move. And war trumpets or praise trumpets or what they call coronation trumpets, when a king is crowned, they would sound the trumpets and begin the procession. Anytime they want to call people together, they would sound the trumpets. But last time we just focused on that war cry. And in fact, we discovered what they probably cried by reading in Joshua, the first chapter of the ninth verse. And in Hebrew, it was, which means let's do this. Gird yourself with courage and raise yourself with strength. And be powerfully aggressive. Take that power and go. So this would be their war cry. For the best that I've studied, and I know I would be happy to stand corrected on that, but from my study, I believe, and several others who I've read, believe that they began to cry this. And then we looked at the New Testament. The war cry in the New Testament is found in Ephesians 6. And what does it say? It's talking in the rest of the chapter about the armor of God. So we're obviously in the right area to have a war cry. But what it says, Be strong in the Lord, in the power of his might. It sounds very much like, Be strong in the Lord, in the power of his might. There's a difference to our war than from their war. And the difference is that the war victory has already been won. Even for them, the victory had already been won, because God says, I will give them into your hands. For God was with them, giving them the victory. But even though they had God with them, they still, God waited for them to utter that, to depend fully on God, to call on him, and to utter that cry. Maybe God is waiting on you. To bring victory into your circumstance. Maybe his spirit has begun to stir. A fire has begun to be kindled. Maybe not. Maybe your fire is just all covered over with circumstances. But perhaps it's time to begin to sound the trumpets and draw the presence of God into an anointing of a war cry. Amen. Hallelujah. So that's a review from last time. And I hope that's enough to tease your spiritual appetite to get the last session from last Friday. Go to the group. Amen. Brother Cassandra, were there any questions that come out of last time? Anything that you would like to ask before we go forward? Brother Emmanuel, you were here for most of it. Any questions for last time? No. Yeah, Brother Casey, were there any questions that arose out of the last teaching from last week? Yeah. Was there anything or are we good? We are good. I wanted to say that I had... There was a time I had that prompt in my spirit to pray in that line. I had it very clear in the spirit. It said, raise a war cry or rather a battle cry. That was one element I didn't really understand until you taught it. So I had to pray, but I didn't understand why the Lord would say, raise a battle cry. I already was speaking to you. That was last year. So I would have asked it as a question because I didn't know about war cry as a prayer or something. But the Lord had said that last year. He said, raise a battle cry. So when he began to teach it, I said, wow, so this exists or so. Amen. Amen. And that was particularly concerning our nation. Concerning the nation, correct. I believe it's time for the people of God to sound a war cry regarding Nigeria. It's been too long that the enemy has picked up like a raven, like a big black bird picking off a little here and there of God's people. It's time for that to be cast down. Not by might, not by power, but by the spirit of the Lord. These battles are spiritual battles. They're spiritual in nature. And the powers of the enemy that feed the confidence of the enemy's army. These gods, who are no gods, are ancient. They have continued to hate God's people. I don't know. They could be the same demonic power that stirred up Jeroboam against Abijah. I don't know. But it's very possible that similar spiritual forces, even in the 20th chapter, one of the famous chapters, there were three nations stirred up against Israel. You know, this is spiritual in nature. And we have to recognize in Nigeria that the enemy has a spiritual objective. But God says, if my people, who are called by my name, will repent, will fast, will cry out, will find that war cry anointing, that God will shake the heavens and the earth, that God will come down and will defend his people and will cause a victory for God's people. And the enemy will be routed. It's time. I believe soon time or now time for God's people to rise up and do war against those spiritual powers, both in the north and in the government corruption that have sought to destroy that nation and to hinder and bind God's people in Nigeria. God has placed a fire of the gospel within the hearts of many Nigerian people. And may that fire erupt into a war cry. And may they raise up, may they raise up, cry out to the Lord and to do battle until the enemy is routed. Not by might, not by power, but by the spirit of the Lord. Hallelujah. Amen. Bless the Lord. Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. Amen. So let's read from the first of this. I believe that we're going to see how that war cry is based on a covenant. It's based on believing a covenant. And let's read from the, let's just read from the third verse, brother Kev. Second Chronicles, right? 13 from verse three up to verse 10. Okay. An Abijah set the battle in array with an army of violent men of war, even 400,000 chosen men. Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with 800,000 chosen men, the mighty men of valor. An Abijah stood up upon Mount Zimmerim, which is in Mount Ephraim and said, hear me, thou Jeroboam and all Israel. Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt. Yet Jeroboam, the son of Naboth, the servant of Solomon, the son of David, is risen up and hath rebelled against his Lord. And they are gathered unto him, then men, the children of Beliah, and have threatened themselves against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. When Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted and could not withstand them. And now yet think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David. And yet be a great multitude. And there with you golden cast with Jeroboam made for you, made you for God, sorry. Have you not cast out the priest of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites? I have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands, so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods. But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. And the priests which minister unto the Lord are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business. Amen. Amen. We'll read further later, but there's several things that come to my mind. And the question and the title of today is, what is a covenant of salt, which God made? It says God made with David. We can read the covenant that God made with David in 2 Samuel, like chapter seven. And it shows what God is saying, that he makes a covenant with David and to his sons and to his children's children, that there will never lack a man who sits upon the throne of David. And even if, see, this is the part of the covenant of God in 2 Samuel 7 that's added. This is a new covenant. This is a covenant which includes grace, mercy, forgiveness, and overlooking, being patient with these people. This was not before. Not the Mosaic covenant and not the Adamic covenant. The covenant he made with Adam, he made with Moses, he made with Abraham. Those had strong restrictions. And this one has restrictions. However, there is a mercy that's combined with this covenant, which is interesting. So what is a covenant of salt? It struck me as curious. And so I read the covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7, verse 12 to 16. Cassandra, let's just read this. Anyway, I should have just let you read it instead of describing it. But can you go ahead? Keep your finger in 2 Chronicles. Let's go quickly to 2 Samuel 7. And can we read 12 to 16? Interesting thing in this chapter we just read is what does it mean that the Lord would discipline them with the stripes of men? What do you think, Faber? What does that... How does that play out? I'm sorry, Reverend. I lost you for a moment. So in the passage you just read, it said the Lord would discipline them with the stripes of men. What does that mean, the stripes of men? As I think about that, I would think about Psalm 66, verse 12. Okay. Psalm 66, verse 12. David said, we went through fire, we went through rain. You allowed men to walk upon our head, but you brought us into a wealthy place. I think, just like it was with the children of Israel, it said that has caused... Okay, Psalm 66, verse 12. That has caused men to ride over our head. We went through fire and through water, but that brought us out into a wealthy place. So I would think about that, and I would think about how the Lord allowed the children of Israel to go through the hands that we talk about in pop music. Right. Yeah, so that's what I think about. Oh, and after David, they served the Lord for some time, but then after a few kings, they began to turn away from the Lord their God, and so God would turn them into the armies and into the hands of other nations, and they would be at war with other nations. They eventually went to Babylon, et cetera. So God would use other nations to discipline them, and when they would cry out to the Lord, then he would again hear them and restore that fellowship with them. So I think maybe that has to do with it as well. Yes, sir. And your answer is good, because that's how the Lord works with us. Psalm 66, verse 10 to 12, 13, 14. It's good in understanding how God works with people. Hallelujah. So let's jump into this. What is this salt covenant? Hallelujah. You know, today salt is not of the value that it was, but salt was such a valuable thing at times in history. Salt became more valuable or as valuable as gold. And why was that? Well, cities were raised up, and cities fell because of salt. What do you mean, Brother Gordon, that salt? Well, what I mean is an army could not march far without food, and food could not be preserved for long without salt. So part of the great Roman Empire was the fact that they could preserve food and carry large enough amounts of food that had been salt preserved. Salt was used so extensively that entire cities thrived simply because they were near a salt mine or a salt source. The Roman Empire built a highway that went all the way to the Aegean Sea because it was more salty than the sea that was near them, and they would have up to 40,000 camels. In fact, some of these roads and highways are still called salt lanes or salt highways in their common language. Salt was so prevalent as a valued thing that it was used in place of money at times for exchange. And have you ever heard the term, oh, he's not worth his salt. Is that a common term you might hear? Brother Cassander, is that something you might hear? Yes, I've had to check it out to be sure, but I've had to check it out when I wanted to use it. He's not worth his salt. He's not worth his salt, or he is worth his salt. So often these sayings come along to us and they no longer carry the meaning that they first used because they lose the connection. We no longer value salt as strongly as they did, but people would be paid in salt. That would be the method of payment at times. Where does the word salary come from? S-A-L. S-A-L in Spanish, in French, in other languages, I'm not familiar with them all. S-A-L means salt. And salary means the payment made to get your food item. Even the Roman military would be given a salary, meaning salt money. Not necessarily salt, but meaning money to procure what they needed for themselves. It was their salary. We don't realize the value of salt. Entire cities grew up because they were near salt sources. Battles were fought over sources of salt because without it, what is salt used for besides flavoring our food? You use very little to flavor your food, so it cannot be the primary need for use of salt. The cleansing item. It's a cleansing item. They can use it for medical purposes. It can be used in agriculture, depending on the soil that you are working with. If you have an acidic soil, salt will help to remediate that need. Cleaning, purifying, treating ailments. What's the process of preserving animal hides? It's called tanning. And tanning often used salt rubbed into the hide. And often this was the need for the coverings of warm clothes. Before cloth was invented, salt was used. There's just so many health purposes. So in the early days, many long years ago, it had so much more value and meaning than what it does today. So it became so important in their culture, in business. Often when men would make a covenant agreement to buy an animal, to buy land, to make a business deal or contract, they would each have their little bag of salt tied to their waist. And each one would take out some salt and put in the other man's bag, and vice versa. And if ever you could return all of the salt which the man put in yours, you could break the deal. So this kind of a covenant or contract was one that was used. And it had several things. It meant it would be long lasting, would not fail. If you could return that salt to him, well, then you could go back on your covenant. So do you know that it was often used like that to make covenants and agreements? Also, surprising, the Jewish wedding ceremony. I don't know if you do this in Nigeria favor. Did you use a salt ceremony in your wedding? No, I didn't, but... Did you use unity candle? No, but I know it's a custom that is practiced among certain people in Igbola. Certain people. Yeah, among certain people. And also, salt is one of the things that you have to present to the bride's family, especially in Igbola, if you're going to buy, it's essential. It's one of the things that you must present. So it doesn't have the significance now that it did. It's easy to buy a bag of salt, right? It's not one of the most costly gifts. You can buy it for little. But at the time, it was of high value. Now it's so prevalent that it's not the same. So that reminds us the Nigerian custom where salt must be given to the bride's family shows us that in history that there was a high value to that. It was precious. And you wouldn't give mundane, unprecious gifts. Like, why do you give salt? Well, now I think you understand a little better already. The Jewish custom, it goes like this. The bride will bring a salt container. And the groom will also bring a container of salt. And in the center of a small table or whatever they have, they will have a bowl or a container for salt that will be used in the family kitchen in the new family. And so the man and the woman simultaneously will dump their own containers into the central container. Knowing what you now know about salt, it has significance like all of my resources and all of my covenant goes to you. Okay, all my covenant, all my resources are ours now. So it's a joining together of resources that is mentioned there in that covenant. A Jewish covenant is not so much about romance and love. It's very much a business agreement that even the families enter into, as you've noticed with Nigerian weddings. Yes, there's a lot of love and there's a lot of romantic things. But often they're very practical and significant things that are done in exchange, almost like a business covenant. So now let me share one more thing I found interesting about the wedding, Jewish wedding customs. You know, you use the salt whenever you're cooking, right, in the kitchen so they can sprinkle in some salt. And so eventually that salt would be depleted and the bowl would be low. Neither of them could fill it without the two of them being together. You know, after six months or a year, they would come together, each bringing salt, and they would go together and refill it as a custom and tradition. That continued to remind them of the covenant which they had made. All right. So additionally, there's another category. So it's important in business. It became a monetary source or base of monetary. It also became, you know, a covenant symbol in wedding. But now also in sacrifices in the Old Testament. Let's do some reading of the Old Testament sacrifices and see how salt was involved from the beginning by God. It was instituted as being so important, salt, so important in the sacrificial ceremonies that God originated. Let's read Leviticus chapter 2, verse 13. Leviticus 2, 13. Leviticus 2, 13. And every oblation of thy meat offering shall thou season with salt. Neither shall thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering. With all thy offerings, thou shalt offer salt. So does this not say that every offering made specifically in this verse, the meat offering, should never lack salt? Well, I didn't know that. Or did you know that? Right. So what does this have to do? You see, there's a tradition and there's a precedent in the Word of God for this covenant with salt that God made with David. So that's what we're doing. We're looking at, you know, perhaps we'd never noticed before. The book of Numbers chapter 18, Numbers 18, verse 19. Sister Bertha, can you look up Ezekiel 43, 24. Ezekiel 43, 24. And go ahead, Brother Kitts, when you have Numbers 18, 19. Numbers 18, 19. All the heave offerings of the holy things which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord have I given thee and thy sons and thy daughters with thee by a statute forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee. Isn't that something? The heave offerings. So what can anyone describe to me what happened in a heave offering? What was offered? You know, Brother Kitts, what were they offering? Can I read it again, please? Yes, go ahead. Okay, let me read it again. Numbers 18, verse 19 says, All the heave offerings of the holy things which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord have I given thee and thy sons and thy daughters with thee by a statute forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee. All right, Sister Burton. Yes, Ezekiel 43, 24. Yes. When you offer them before the Lord, the priests shall throw salt on them, and they will offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord. Correct. You are correct. So this is, again, in the Book of Ezekiel, reminding the priests how they should offer a burnt offering, including sprinkling salt upon that offering before it's consumed by fire. Offering, the meat offering upon the altar sprinkled with salt. You know, I looked over this for many years, and I didn't realize how important it was in the offerings that God always included salt. It's so fascinating to me when you discover something that's been there all the time, and you say, Lord, that's a mystery to me. We tend to explain it. I do not know exactly why God included that salt in every offering, except its significance in the cleansing, in the mercy, in the purifying, in the healing. Hallelujah. If you want to keep flies off of something, salt it, put pepper on it, and it will keep the flies. It will preserve it. Hallelujah. Even Jesus referred to this process in our lives as we are to be holy and acceptable sacrifices unto the Lord. You know, in Romans it says, present your body unto the Lord, holy and acceptable. It's your reasonable service. We are personally surrendering our lives to God, and as a sacrifice, and yet Jesus said an interesting thing in Mark 9. Mark 9, verse 49 and 50. Whoever can find it, unmute and read Mark 9, verse 49 and 50. Whoever first finds it, go ahead. Go ahead. Mark 9, verse 49. Go ahead, brother. Mark 9, verse 49 and 50 says, For everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt hath lost its saltness, wherewith will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. So here we are, a sacrifice, an offering unto the Lord, and Jesus said every one of you should be salted with fire. The salt and the fire and the sacrifice are all there regarding our lives. There's much discussion about these two verses, and I don't think that we'll cover all the possible discussions of it. I think that we'll just go with the flow of what we've been studying today, and just say I believe that every sacrifice must be salted, and that it must be consumed. You know, when we offer our lives to the Lord, it's not optional. I'm going to take it back. No, it's going to be consumed. This is an offering as a sacrifice with salt, and every sacrifice must be salted. So it's a curious verse, and it's an interesting thing if you want to follow up with it, but I believe that God is calling us in this season to allow our lives to be in covenant with our God in such a way that we are a willing sacrifice, that we're willing to go through the fire mentioned in Psalm 66 by Brother Faber. That process that will purify and become a sweet smelling savor unto the Lord. Our lives are not our own. We've been bought with a price. Therefore, we must glorify God in our bodies. Faber, I saw you on mute. Go ahead. Brother Faber, go ahead. I was just connected to what you said, and I was like, hmm. So go ahead. Make a response. It's fine. What is speaking to you here, and what's being said? Where is it leading you in your heart, in your mind? You know, some time ago, I studied on this. I actually prayed with it. Yeah. It's interesting how he said all the offerings must be made with salt. And I, the covenant of salt from the study, I see it as, you know, looking at the symbolism, the significance of salt, you know, applying it to our lives. And that was how I approached it at the time. I saw it in my heart. I prayed for myself. And my point here is, it's interesting how he says the offering must be accompanied with salt. And this is to say, and he says he's also making a covenant of salt with us. So if I am presenting myself on to the Lord, and then I have also, I am into a covenant of salt with the Lord, I see salt as a preservative, right? And it is. And in the realm of the spirit, our salt cleanses me. There is the righteousness of the Lord speaking over my head. Because I'm going to see that righteousness of the Lord. I'm going to see that righteousness of the Lord. That sweetness from the Lord. That salvation from the Lord. That purification from the Lord. And so your offering must be accompanied with all of this that the Lord has done. Because your offering on its own is not enough. Your offering, our offering, our offering on its own is not enough. It's imperfect. And that is why we have to present our offering with salt. With mercy. Amen. Yes, sir. Good. Yes, sir. That's good. Amen. Right on target. Exactly. And thank you for sharing that. Anyone else, you're welcome. Brother Emanuel, if you're able to join in, what are your comments? What are you getting from this? Brother Emanuel, where are you at? Can you hear me? Yes, ma'am. Okay. Just like you said, this study, especially where we read last, it's a very deep one. And then I've just been reflecting on this tonight. Okay. I remember where the Lord Jesus Christ said, talking about the significance of salt. Just like Pastor Tabor said, some days ago, I was actually praying about salt. You know, looking at them. For lack of a better word, I don't even know. You know, salt is pure. Like, it's white. You know, we usually say as white as snow. But salt is also white. I have seen sugar that is chocolate in color. But I have not seen salt that is chocolate in color. It's always very pure. It's always very white. And I remember the Lord Jesus Christ saying to us that we are the light of the world. Delighting us to the salt of the earth. To me, I am seeing that the covenant of salt that God made with David in the Old Testament. Jesus Christ is telling us, or maybe what I understand by that is that we are that new covenant. Because it was actually a metaphor. He didn't say you are like the salt of the earth. He said you are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Yes, we are. Which is about the new covenant, yes. Right. That God has made with us. And this is who we are. Now, there's something I used to do. Just like when you were trying to enumerate the usefulness of salt. One of the things that maybe Nigerians, I wouldn't say Africans. One of the things that Africans, I've seen them like in the West where we are. One of the things that we know salt to do is to repel evil. Evil. Because I have seen people, yes, I have seen people when I was trading somewhere on the island. Every evening when they close, they sweep their shop. They wash it with water and then the next thing they sprinkle the whole place with salt before they leave. And the next morning when they come, they do the same thing. Sometimes that's where, actually that's where I was looking at them and I was saying, what are those people doing? You know, yes. And then when I started them doing business, managing someone else's business. I somehow, unconsciously, I started doing it. Sometimes when I come on the Monday after the weekend, before I do anything, after praying, I sprinkle salt. Pray over it, I sprinkle salt, you know. I just, the significance of salt and what it does. I said the fact that this thing, you know, gives taste to food. As I sprinkle you here, I believe this is what you're going to do. And as it is used for preservation, I pray that this place is preserved. You know, all the prayer points, I just make them and then I set up the business of the day. And yet the Lord is saying to us that we should be happy in that world. Because that actually caused me. He said for everyone will be seasoned with fire. That's the Holy Ghost. And every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. But then the truth is that I have been trying to, I've been relating over this and I'm saying what exactly is the Lord saying here? That every sacrifice, everyone will be seasoned with fire. And then every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. For me, just like he said, it's not a city we can exhaust today because it's very deep. Because we get into it today, we might not be able to finish this teaching as the teachers. Because even as we are teaching us, we are also reflecting on it. The usefulness of salt and the covenant the Lord has given us to make in our lives. But I'm saying that the Lord gives us perfect understanding into this and to open up our eyes. Because without salt, food is not... Food on its own is not tasty. It's not tasty if you put it in your mouth, it's not tasty. But sometimes I wonder, why did I want to put it in food? Because without it, the taste of the food doesn't come out. Right. So I believe the Lord will open our eyes into the mystery of this. And we lost Sister Bertha, I'm sorry. She was doing well. So this salt always speaks of covenant. And it's often used with covenant. With healing, with cleansing. This is just a powerful thing to realize. It reminds us of covenant. It speaks to us of covenant. And so our lives always should be reminded of covenant. Now, Brother Kasandu, as we read in 2 Chronicles 13, where did Abijah, I don't know which you prefer, Abijah, where did he start his discussion in this chapter? He started with the Lord God... Welcome back, Sister Bertha. Thank you for your contribution. It was good. I'm glad to hear where you're at with understanding this. I'm glad to hear you're following along and the Lord is speaking to you already, you're catching it. So look in 2 Chronicles 13 again. Chapter 13 and verse 5. Basically, Abijah is saying to Jeroboam, hey, remember that this covenant was made by God with David. That's step one. Step one is that covenant that we stand upon. You know that we stand on a covenant through the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a new covenant written in His blood. For He makes payment for our sin. For He's made provision of the Holy Spirit for our weakness. Amen. This is the covenant with us. So first, in our prayers, this is where it becomes real. First, in our prayers. Our prayers are based on covenant. And in the 20th chapter, before Jehoshaphat sends out singers and all of that, This prayer is based on the promises of God. That God, you gave this man to us with a covenant. This one in chapter 13, Abijah is saying, hey, remember that we are the people of covenant. Amen. Not just any covenant, but a covenant of salt. An everlasting covenant. A covenant which includes mercy and restoration and healing. Now, the next point. Phase number two. This chapter of 13. And I'm sorry the network is so challenging. It makes it more difficult for me as well. Brothers Zebedee, I see you've unmuted. You're welcome to share. I see you've unmuted, brothers Zebedee, and you're welcome to speak up. Amen. Let's read then. Brother Kasandu, are you ready? Can we read then from verse 9 up to verse 12. 9 to 12. Let's see if we can see another part two to this. Second Chronicles 12, verse 9 to 12. Second Chronicles 12, 9 to 12. So Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord. And the treasures of the king's house... Are you in chapter 13, my brother? Chapter 12. 13. I'm sorry. Maybe I said 12, but I meant 13. We'll continue in this chapter. Okay. Thank you for that. Have you not cast out... I'm reading from verse 9, right? Okay. Have you not cast out the priests of the law, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, that have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands, so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no God. But as for us... Let's stop there for a second, Kasandu. Let's stop there and explain that first. I've been just saying, hey, guys, you know, you worship a god, and you're priests. All you have to do to be a priest in your religion is just come with seven rams, seven rams and a young bull, and do your sacrifices, and bam, you're a priest. What kind of a religion do you guys have? That's what he's asking them. That's the explanation of that. Like, if you really want to be a priest, just bring your seven rams, your bull, and you're a priest to your god, who's no god. That's what he said in plain English. Okay. Verse 10, Kasandu. So, verse 10. But as for us, the Lord is our God. And we have not forsaken him. And the priests which minister unto the Lord are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business. And they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening, burn sacrifices and sweet incense. His shoe-braid also sets there in order upon the pure sable, and the candlesticks of gold with the lamb's gel, to burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but yea, have forsaken him. And behold, God himself is with us for our captains. And his priests with sounding trumpets require alarm against you, O children of Israel. Fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers, for yea, for you shall not prosper. That's what he said. Amen. He said, O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed. So, now, what I understand, what was speaking to me so strongly is, yea, you had your priests and celebrating your God, which are no gods. But as for us, we have not forsaken the Lord our God. You see, the covenant doesn't apply to those who have forsaken the Lord, as Lord and God over their life. The covenant applies to those who are walking in covenant relationship with God. He said, look, we've been serving God every day. We've been following his commandments and we've been worshiping him. And what is speaking to me is this war cry that comes later cannot come in our lives until number one and number two are in place. Number one is we must know there is a covenant made in blood of Jesus Christ over our life that we've been brought with the price and that the blood of Jesus has redeemed us from out of darkness and into light. That we've been called as children. We've been brought into fellowship with him. Now this is covenant relationship number one. We must know that that's the helmet of salvation. The helmet of salvation is this firm knowing and understanding and revelation that I am a child of God, that I do not belong to myself and devil I don't belong to you. This is the helmet of salvation. The firm knowledge of our salvation. The complete revelation. Amen. Then the second part is this each of us having a relationship with God that includes our time with him, our time in his word, our fellowship with each other, and following those things that God has called us unto. We'll never make that war cry when we are cold, when we are distant, when we are impure, when we are following flesh and foolishness rather than dedicating and setting ourselves apart or sanctifying ourselves unto our God daily, hourly, weekly, monthly, and yearly. That is continual offering of ourselves in fellowship and communication and obedience and following after the Lord as a disciple. These are the ones that the Lord will bring out that war cry from. So where are we? Do we know this covenant, number one? And number two, are we walking in fellowship and purity of this dedication of our sacrifice of our bodies unto the Lord? Are we walking in that? If not, let's get that restored. Let's seek and cry after the Lord until he reveals himself unto us. Amen. Then this is the basis for this kind of warfare that we're talking about for the nation of Nigeria. It has to be a people who know the covenant. It has to be a people who walk daily with their God and have allowed his spirit to purify our lives and prepare us that we could relate, be used of God on this level of warfare. Amen. Are you seeing what this scripture is saying? Hallelujah. Let's read further then, Brother Kiss, from 13. Hallelujah. Amen. From 13 on. You can read it as far as you want to read. But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them. So they were before Judah and the ambushment was behind them. And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind. And they cried unto the Lord and the priest sounded with the alarms. Then the men of Judah gave a shout. And as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass that God smote Jeroboam all the day before Abijah and Judah. And the children of Israel fled before Judah and God delivered them into their hands. And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter. They fell down, slain of Israel, 500,000 Chosen Men. So the children of Israel were brought under at that time. And the children of Judah prepared because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers. And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him. Bethel, with the towns thereof. And Jeshuna, with the towns thereof. And Ephraim, with the towns thereof. Neither did Jeroboam recover strength back in the days of Abijah. And the Lord struck him and he died. But Abijah waxed mighty and married fourteen wives and begot twenty and two sons and sixteen daughters. And the rest of the heirs of Abijah and his ways and his things are written in the story of the prophet Edo. Wow. Twenty-two wives and thirty-eight children. You have to be a mighty man to be able to manage that much. Strong man. You have to be a mighty, mighty man. Hallelujah. I'm telling you. I'm happy with one and I am content with two children. That's enough. I must not be a mighty man. I'm very weak. But I do agree that it took a really strong leader and a powerful person. Not only to guide the entire nation but also his whole family of forty or fifty people. He has the nation in himself. Hallelujah. So they sounded the trumpet. They cried out the war cry unto the Lord. And when they made that war cry, which I believe that the cry that they cried was the same as Joshua cried. Rock, Sock, and Muck. If you look at Joshua 1.9 in Hebrew, you'll see those three words. And you'll see them in other places as well. But it was suggested to me and I do follow that. This is the cry of war. Like Ephesians 6. Be strong in the Lord, in the power of his might. There is an anointing of strength and power like what came on Gideon. Gideon was a mild-mannered, upset young man. He didn't like the circumstances. They were always being oppressed. He was hiding from his enemies. One point we made last week about Gideon is the enemy is always after your fruit. What do I mean by that? This is how. It was the Amalekites, I believe, in that story. The Amalekites would always come in and steal the harvest when it was just ready to harvest. You ever experienced that in your life? You're almost ready to, and then it's stolen. The enemy always wants to steal your fruit. And Gideon was upset about that. He didn't think that was right. You know, there's something about a complainer that I like. Because I believe a complainer is just two steps away from being a good leader. Because they have more than just a person who has given up. They already are upset about the problem. They see the problem, and they already know how to verbalize it. So they're two steps into it. But now they have a solution. You have a solution, and are you willing to speak of the solution and gather other people around? Then you're a leader. Oh, I don't know if you heard what I was saying. A complainer is already two steps to becoming a leader. They see the problem, and they know how to vocalize it. Put it into words. I like complainers. If they'll take the next two steps, they will become a leader. At least they're closer to becoming a leader than somebody who just sits there doing nothing and has given up. Okay? I think this is why the angels said to Gideon, Go in this I spring. You see the problem. You're talking about the problem. And now go, and God will give you the next two steps to becoming a leader. Begin to vocalize, see and vocalize a solution. And begin to draw other people alongside you. Then you're a leader. You see the problem. You know how to express it. And now you have a solution that God gives you. And begin to express that and draw people to you. Four steps to being a leader. Let's start with complaining. It's a little funny in a way, but it's actually also very serious. Because I've noticed that with people like Gideon. And Gideon's war cry was, A sword of the Lord and of Gideon. Remember that one? A sword of the Lord and of Gideon. Strong in the Lord and the power of his might. Amen. Not by might and not by power, but by my spirit. Said the Lord. Hallelujah. Through Zechariah unto Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel, you're not going to do it by your own power and your own might. Do it by the spirit of the Lord. Zechariah chapter 4, that's what it's about. It's by the flowing of God's power through you. We have to prepare ourselves by covenant. I'm beginning to feel this finally. In the last 10 minutes. We have to be standing on a covenant with God. Not doing it ourselves. And second, we have to have our lives purified, prepared and trained by the spirit of God. And thirdly, we have to be prepared to make that war cry. And release that fire anointing upon the enemy. Who is it that destroys the enemy? It's the Lord. In so many cases in the Bible. In fact, chapter 17, they did not call on the Lord. They called on somebody from Egypt to come help them. And the Lord said, because you did not depend on the Lord, but you depend on the arm of Egypt. Then you're not going to be successful. There is a day and a time in the country of Nigeria. In the Christian lives where we stand on a covenant. We've been purified and prepared by God. And the anointing of war comes upon us to make war in the heavens. Make war in the heavens. Declare the praises of our God. You know, in chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles, they said the praisers first. And the Lord routed the enemy. You know, for each battle, it's different. Each battle is different. Sometimes it's praise and worship. But it's always based on covenant. God, you've given us this land. This land does not belong to those evil men who claim it for their own. Who say it's not our land for Christians. Come on. That's a lie from hell. Satan, you do not own this land. It doesn't belong to you and your people. Amen. It belongs to the people of the living God. So, even though the promise was given to the children of Israel. That they were to possess that land. It was their promised land. They still had to go in and make war. Even though God was with them. They were the ones. Oh, I'm feeling this. My Jesus. Hallelujah. They were the ones who had to rise up and make war. And possess that land from the hands of their enemies. And when they moved. God was with them. When the war cry came out. Then God routed the enemy. Oh, it wasn't until the praisers began to obey the Lord. That all of the armies fell before Zerubbabel. It wasn't until the final shout. That the walls of Jericho fell. Each one had its own plan. Guided by the Lord. Based on covenant. We are your covenant people. Hallelujah. Remember I was sharing. Don't lose. Don't let the desert define you. I'm not a traveling Bedouin in a desert. Barely scratching my way through. Living in tents. I am on my way. Oh, come on. I'm on my way to the promised land. I'm called up the Lord. I'm under covenant with my God. And in a little time. We're going to possess. The land that he's promised to us. And to our fathers. The covenant that he's made with us to bless us. And to watch over us and keep us. That's who I am. I'm not just a desert dweller. Oh, my friends. Don't let the desert define you. If you haven't heard that message. Go back and attend to it. And watch it. Listen. And let God deliver you. Hallelujah. From letting the desert define who you are. You may have been down for a time. Hallelujah. But you're not destined to be down. You're destined to possess. What God has said. You know, almighty God. We're destined to preach the gospel. We're destined to win souls for Christ. We're destined to disciple others to know him more. This is who we are. There are his people. All by his name. And we're called to go forth. Until we are willing to do that. We are missing. But we're called forth. Amen. Remember the covenant. Remember the relationship and the purity of serving God. Never giving up on it. And number three, remember to work Christ. Hallelujah. Dear Lord, we're grateful for another opportunity to speak at your feet. To hear what you have to say to us. In this time and season. Once again, we're grateful for your love. We're grateful for your mercy. We're grateful for your grace. We're grateful for your proficiency and divine providence. We're grateful for your healing. We're grateful for your words. We're grateful for your faithfulness, dear God. Receive all the glory in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Father, we ask that the spirit behind your word. What I speak to you. He says they are spirits and that they are life. But we ask that the spirit behind your words. Will give us. Perfect insight. Perfect interpretation. Into this world. So that we may not forget to hear us. Because the scripture says that. When we hear the word. And we simply forget. The scripture. People who look at themselves in the mirror. And behold what and who they look like. And immediately. From the mirror. They forget what they look like. We not be forgetful here. But those who hear your word. And are able to put it into practice. Like the seed that fed on the good soil. So that. We will endure unto eternal life. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Father we commit your song tonight. We bless you for your anointing upon his life. We bless you for the timely word you gave him for us. Father we ask that you will fill him Lord. Something has gone out of him. When the woman with the issue of blood. Touch the Lord Jesus. Father something has gone out of your son tonight. We ask for a refilling. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. We ask that you perfect all that. And also the family. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. And father I pray that even as we perfect all that. Each and every one of us. Like your son. May we not be defined by. That experience. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.