Against All Odds
Folorunso Alakija Preached on 6/24/2019Habakkuk 2:3
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54:38
Summary
Folorunso Alakija shares her journey from a fashion designer to an oil tycoon, illustrating how God uses challenges and delays to refine believers and prepare them for a life of purpose and service to others.
Key points
- •Your origin story is a victory: biological life begins by winning a race against 200 million other cells against all odds.
- •God specializes in using the 'rejected stones' of the world to become the chief cornerstones of His kingdom.
- •Opposition and delays (like legal battles or business hurdles) are often refinements meant to define your character and destiny.
- •Greatness is not for self-aggrandizement but to be a platform for blessing the vulnerable, such as widows and orphans.
Scripture
Faith
Purpose
Perseverance
Stewardship
Blessing
Life application
Identify a current 'odd' or challenge stacked against you and consciously choose to view it as fuel for your finish line rather than a reason to stop. Commit to one act of generosity this week to remind yourself that your success is a tool for blessing others.
Reflection questions
- In what ways has God taken something 'rejected' in your life and turned it into something valuable?
- Are you currently facing a delay that feels like a denial? How can Habakkuk 2:3 change your perspective on that wait?
- Mrs. Alakija noted that business is 'God's business.' How are you inviting or excluding God from your professional life?
- Who are the 'widows and orphans' in your sphere of influence that God is calling you to reach out and touch?
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Full transcript
0:00Rose of Sharon glorious ministry missus
0:03for Laurentia Allah JJ
0:07[Music]
0:16praise the Lord praise the living Jesus
0:23father I just thank you this morning
0:25this beautiful morning that you have
0:27made for this church for your children
0:32that's are gathered here they're not
0:35gathered before man they're gathered
0:37before you I thank you for giving them a
0:40name and a place in the land of the
0:42living and thank you for touching their
0:44lives I thank you for the gathering of
0:47the saints in this place I thank you
0:50Father Lord God for your son that leads
0:53them that's representing you in this
0:55church together with his wife I thank
0:59you for blessing this church with all
1:01the gifts of the Spirit and the kingdom
1:04I thank you Father for the opportunity
1:07that you have given me to be here today
1:09and thank you Father for that which you
1:12have started that which you're doing
1:13that which are yet to do I thank you
1:15Father Lord God for the lives of each
1:17and every family members that are
1:20represented here today I pray father
1:22logo that you touch each and every one
1:25of them that you'll make a difference in
1:27all that concerns each and every one of
1:28them than you perfect them I pray father
1:31logo that if you're the one was blessed
1:33me that you will bless them too in
1:35manifold greatness in every area of
1:39their lives you know that they desire
1:41know that they need in all father logo
1:44that they cry to you for father Lord God
1:46I pray you will visit them and descend
1:49mightily into their hearts into their
1:51homes into their careers I need to all
1:53that concerns them and you will open the
1:55doors of heaven and you will grant unto
1:58them their hearts desires in abundance
2:01in manifold abundance in the name of
2:04Jesus I pray father Lord that they will
2:08not have to struggle for anything
2:10anymore
2:11because Jesus has already paid the price
2:13on their behalf and that you'll open
2:15their hearts with faith so that they
2:18will know that believe it and run with
2:19it
2:20name of Jesus that they're struggling
2:22days are over that they're struggling
2:24days are over that they're struggling
2:27days are over in the name of Jesus
2:30father lo God I thank you and I pray
2:33that every one that's under the unction
2:36of my voice that all that you have to
2:39say to them through me
2:40father laga they will go home with it
2:42they'll run with it and you will water
2:44it and it will bring forth good fruit
2:46and will make a difference in their
2:48lives in their homes in their situations
2:50and father Lord God you will do that
2:52which only you can do you will do that
2:54which only you do best you'll put a new
2:56step in their dance and you'll put in a
2:58new dance in their steps and you will
3:00glorify yourself and you will bless your
3:03children and go put the enemies of their
3:05lives to the shake to change now I'm
3:07forevermore for in Jesus mighty name we
3:10have prayed and all the people said and
3:14other people said
3:17praise the Lord praise the living Jesus
3:21you may be seated in his presence I
3:25[Music]
3:26thank the Lord for giving me the grace
3:29to be able to worship with you today I
3:35got a call just a few weeks ago and I
3:38was asked whether I would be in Florida
3:40anytime soon
3:42I said you know what I am gonna be in
3:44Florida I'm gonna be here for a program
3:47and that's on the 25th but I can come a
3:51few days earlier to join the men and
3:55women of God in this church praise the
3:58Lord
3:59so God works in mysterious ways his
4:02wonders to perform I'd like to thank
4:07most especially the bishop Bishop Henry
4:11Fernandez whom God had spoken through in
4:18his heart a few years back and God has
4:21made it happen praise the Lord I'm glad
4:25that I'm meeting with him a man of faith
4:28whose church has been named after his
4:33faith I tap into that anointing in the
4:36name of Jesus so you don't know what
4:40you've got really truly
4:42I mean having faith in God and does
4:45begin to open because of your faith
4:47because of what you believe in what
4:49you're trusting God for is amazing
4:52because God doesn't come down he sends
4:55people he silently sent Bishop Henry
4:59Fernandes into your lives together with
5:02members of his family God as I heard his
5:06story and I was moved and I was touched
5:08and I was saying good lord I need to
5:11know more about this laughs really
5:13because if you can have faith that this
5:17can happen and it does happen what more
5:22do you need
5:23God just we just need to open our eyes
5:26to the to the magnitude of the power of
5:31God and walk in it those who are not yet
5:37born again who don't know God I wonder
5:39what they're waiting for they're missing
5:41out big time you agree praise God god
5:45help us I'd like to thank dr. prophets
5:49in man or
5:50atha a man that I have known for a few
5:54years now I can't remember the number of
5:59years that I've known him for but he's a
6:01man of God whom God has been using to
6:06ignite and expand the work of the
6:10kingdom God is using him in amazing ways
6:13and I remember that always in the nick
6:18of time God would send him send me a
6:21word through him any time I see his call
6:24I know that God has said something that
6:27he wants to say to me and I get excited
6:30praise the Lord thank you very much for
6:34that connection and all that you do for
6:35the body of Christ god bless you I pray
6:41that after all is said and done when I
6:44finish you will never allow anything to
6:49D by you you will not allow anything to
6:52delay you you will not allow anything to
6:55deny you of all that God has in store
6:58for you and of what God desires for you
7:01to be so that you can be that woman you
7:04can be that man it can be that child you
7:06can be everything that God has in store
7:09for you to be I'm here this morning to
7:13share with you on the topic I have
7:15titled against all odds to greatness
7:21against all odds to greatness you will
7:25be great you will be great I said you
7:29will be great I thought somebody would
7:31claim it
7:32[Applause]
7:36you know life is a race life is truly a
7:40race and from our mothers wombs we
7:47started running against the odds that
7:51were stacked up against us
7:53and in fact biological science says that
7:59about 200 million sperms are running
8:05after one seed one cell to fertilize it
8:14it's trying they all try to fertilize
8:17one egg all of you here were fertilized
8:25at one point in time by one sperm but
8:30can we imagine 200 million sperms were
8:34running after you and that reduced to
8:42nine 199,000 sperms and then it reduced
8:50to 900,000 sperms and then one of them
8:56located you look at that you fertilized
9:02you and you got born and you came out
9:06say to the person seated next to you
9:09congratulations
9:11because you won against all odds you won
9:15against all odds and that's why you're
9:18here today you made it you made it
9:23against all odds our God is an awesome
9:27God he specializes in the impossible he
9:33specializes in the improbable he
9:35specializes in the impeccable and he
9:39specializes in the incredible is he not
9:43incredible
9:45he's amazing throughout the Old
9:48Testament and even the New Testament the
9:51entire Bible you find people whom God
9:55changed their stories for his glory and
10:00for their testimonies I just remind you
10:03of some of them Abraham who was a
10:08hundred years old before he could have a
10:10child Jacob Joseph
10:13who was the first slave and foreigner
10:17who became prime minister corrects Moses
10:23who survived against all odds and became
10:28the son of the daughter of Pharaoh
10:32Daniel who survived the den of lions
10:37Shadrach Meshach and Abednego who
10:41through their faith was saved in the
10:45fiery furnace the woman with the issue
10:48of blood who was an untouchable who
10:52nobody wanted to come close to but later
10:56became the celebrated woman she then
11:02then there's the death there's the lame
11:04man at the Pool of Bethesda that Jesus
11:08raised from that lame position of 38
11:13years and his story changed
11:16there's Lazarus that Jesus raised after
11:20four days of being dead and the story
11:27goes on and on and on i certain i'm
11:32completely certain that there are many
11:34of you here who have one story or the
11:38other to tell about how God brought them
11:41this far how he took them from this
11:43position to that position places and
11:47things that they've done that they never
11:48dreamt in their lives that they could do
11:51God has opened so many doors for me that
11:54I never
11:55dreams that I could ever walk into stood
11:58beside people I never thought I could
12:00ever meet
12:01sat down and eaten with people I never
12:04thought I could you know be eating
12:07together with and they dotted all over
12:10the globe little me just me Here I am
12:14NOT more than this heights praise the
12:17Lord praise the Lord
12:20guess what I too have news for you this
12:25beautiful Sunday morning I'm also I'm
12:29also a recipient of God's grace God's
12:34immeasurable grace God's impeccable
12:38grace God's goodness and great favor
12:43that's me spending here and that's why
12:46I'm able to stand in your presence this
12:49morning praise the Lord
12:51growing up in a family of a father and
12:56seven stepmothers non stepmothers that
13:01came one after the other but stepmothers
13:03there were my stepmothers at the same
13:05time with 64 siblings
13:09I'm child number 11 praise God that in
13:16itself was enough to propel me to want
13:21to make sure that I succeed in life
13:25praise the Lord I learned to become a
13:31lawyer but my father who knew every
13:34single one of us by the way said no
13:37you're gonna be a secretary you're gonna
13:41be a secretary
13:42why you had the money to put me through
13:46college University any university
13:51anywhere in the world they said no she's
13:54a girl let's just study for one year and
13:59get married and she's gonna have her
14:02name changed why do I want to invest so
14:04much money on math I praise the Lord
14:10like the obedient daughter that I always
14:14was I accepted I studied second sector
14:18of course in England came back after my
14:23trainee in the UK I returned home to
14:26Nigeria and started my career as an
14:29executive secretary in an indigenous
14:31company shortly after that I joined a
14:35bank that was just starting out I was
14:38there for 12 years was at the time
14:41called international Merchants Bank of
14:44Chicago I was there in various
14:48capacities and I ended up as a banker at
14:52the end of my 12 years work there my
14:57desire to become an entrepreneur at some
15:01point in my life took the better of me
15:04in 1984 and I left paid employment and I
15:09went to study fashion design abroad I
15:12went back to England and that I can see
15:18was a turning point of one of the first
15:21hurdles I had to face praise God
15:25so I studied fashion design in London
15:27and I came back and set up my fashion
15:30house under the label of supreme
15:34stitches I was not born again but that
15:37word supreme came to me praise the Lord
15:40God had his own plans in my life's
15:43journey I've experienced many events
15:46which have proven God to be faithful
15:52against all the odds that I ever faced
15:56and I'll be sharing with you today five
16:01short stories of such events amongst
16:06many I'll keep it simple
16:08I'll be quick because of our time praise
16:11the Lord and they are life-changing
16:14lessons that I learned along the way
16:18through those experiences
16:21there was a fashion design competition
16:24that I entered which was the monday
16:30immediately after i launched my label on
16:35a Saturday a young man walked in to my
16:39my my showroom and invited me to take
16:43part in a in a highly coveted fashion
16:47competition which was run organized by
16:51the most famous newspaper in Nigeria at
16:54the time The Daily Times of Nigeria
16:56through its subsidiary called
16:59times Leisure Services I was tired from
17:04getting the business off the ground
17:08and I only had the Sunday to rest and
17:11here was this man asking me to jump into
17:15something else I looked at myself I said
17:18what I just thought I could just take a
17:21cool break and you know before I get
17:24into the stream of things you know give
17:29it a try
17:30you never know at least it would offer
17:35you exposure and experience even if you
17:38don't win anything
17:40what was that up against I was up
17:43against seasoned fashion designers who
17:48were already in the business for years
17:50some of whom had even taken part in the
17:53same fashion competition two or three
17:56times before that time and I looked up
18:02and down and I said to myself on our
18:06show you're not the one that it's the
18:08type that runs away from challenges
18:10tired or not pull up your socks roll up
18:14your sleeves come on get on with it as I
18:18give me the phone I sign the form
18:22three weeks later to cut a long story
18:24short I became the best designer of the
18:29year for the whole of Nigeria
18:33praise the Lord
18:37the mental fatigue that I went through
18:40those three weeks the physical fatigue
18:43that I went through paid off never give
18:48up it was against those odds
18:55that I emerged in 1986 stroke 1987 the
19:02designer of the year and it opened the
19:08door to fame and fortune because it was
19:14a newspaper that organized it they
19:17showcased me everywhere at least twice a
19:22month to meet people in different
19:27classes to see and come across and talk
19:34to rub shoulders with managing directors
19:40maybe even the wife of the president I
19:44met her but guess what
19:47I had met her before they organized it
19:53because immediately that I won and the
20:02newspaper was carrying my works she read
20:07about it and scents for me a fashion
20:10designer of her time in her heart who
20:14loves clothes and not just her because
20:18she's in the forefront the first lady of
20:21the nation women from all walks of life
20:25in Nigeria when they noticed that oh
20:30she's wearing this she's wearing that
20:32they make their way to where I was and
20:35they came to patronize me
20:39to the extent to the extent that I
20:43started exporting my clothes to Europe
20:46and to America and people were proud to
20:51go like this oh I'm wearing supreme
20:53stitches praise the Lord praise the
20:57living Jesus I met a lot of people from
21:02different walks of life different
21:05professions beautiful people and I was
21:09able to make clothes for the men as well
21:11so there were days when I would not be
21:17able to have time to eat the women would
21:21come with bag loads of fabrics and they
21:26would cross their legs waiting patiently
21:29to be attended to I attended to each and
21:32every one of them and I was losing
21:34weight I was losing weight because I
21:38wasn't having time to eat it was an
21:41awesome time an amazing time when God
21:43opens that door you'll be wondering what
21:47happened what did I do to deserve this
21:51when he says yes
21:55[Applause]
22:02nobody can say no from that competition
22:07I learnt that challenges bring
22:10opportunities that create opportunities
22:14praise God in my case it was a sudden
22:20learn launching pad into the teeth
22:25lesson number two then came my foray
22:29into the oil and gas industry by divine
22:34arraignment I applied for an oil
22:36prospecting license which went through
22:40three different ministers of petroleum
22:46each time one went and another one took
22:52up the seat it seemed as if it would be
22:55necessary to start my application all
22:58over again I didn't hear anything I
23:00wasn't sure whether my application had
23:03gone into the cooler or whether it had
23:05gone into the dustbin
23:07so just to be sure that something was
23:13being done about it and then when it
23:16seemed as if I had to start that process
23:20all over again I was being mentally
23:23drained the process was cumbersome and
23:29sometimes I was losing hope I was not
23:34sure that the license would be granted
23:37because at the time it was based on
23:41discretionary allocation so I was hoping
23:45against hope
23:46when will it be the odds seem to stack
23:53higher and higher as the waves got
23:56stronger and stronger and I became
23:59weaker and weaker and I was at my wit's
24:03end before I finally decided that I need
24:08to find the Lord Jesus
24:10I need to find God I can't do this on my
24:15own I need the Lord Jesus I gave my life
24:20to Christ at the age of 40 I'll be 68 in
24:25two or three weeks time so I covenanted
24:35with the Almighty God and I said then if
24:42you were blessing I will work for you
24:45all the days of my life if you would
24:51turn my situation around and he did the
24:55license eventually came almost three
24:57years after the first application this
25:01taught me a fundamental lesson which has
25:04become one of my mantras today never
25:08mind those who tell you to take God out
25:12of business business business business
25:17is God's business short story number
25:26three we all know what the Bible says
25:30that the stone the builders rejected has
25:34become the chief Cornerstone how did
25:39that happen in my life having applied
25:41for several blocks drawn from the
25:45availability lists some people would
25:49apply for one block but because I wasn't
25:52sure which one would be the winner if it
25:55was gonna win I decided to look through
25:59the lists of blocks that were available
26:01and I listed four or five blocks guess
26:09what it was the one that seemed to be
26:13the worst on the list that I eventually
26:18got that was assigned to me
26:23so the celebration about the allocation
26:29of the license was short-lived this this
26:35was for several reasons nobody wanted
26:39that block nobody in the industry wanted
26:44that block and it had been demonstrated
26:46that he was even allocated to a
26:49multinational company in the first place
26:52who had returned it but guess what they
26:58had to return it it wasn't meant for
27:01them it was too hard for them to handle
27:07God was not reserving it for them so
27:11they returned it and said no we don't
27:15want this this is too much for anyone at
27:22this time to try to do anything with
27:25this block take it back
27:28thanks but no thanks God has his plans
27:33always has these plans nobody within the
27:38industry wanted to have anything to do
27:40with this particular block why he was in
27:45deep water deep offshore the world
27:51technology to exploit oil in deep
27:57offshore did not have enough knowledge
28:04to be able to do that and to do it
28:07successfully so everybody was running
28:10away from it I'm not gonna touch that it
28:14was going to be too expensive to exploit
28:18it was in over 5,000 feet of water you
28:25know how deep that is you can only
28:27imagine it you don't want to be invited
28:29praise the Lord
28:34at that time there was very little
28:41knowledge about the entire area where
28:45that block was it was gonna be a make or
28:53break situation to get involved with
28:57that block highly risky venture however
29:04as I said the stone the builders
29:07rejected the stone the builders rejected
29:13the stone the builders rejected became
29:17the chief Cornerstone why because when
29:22we started work on it after we
29:27eventually got I've lost left something
29:29out forgive me I hooked it for three
29:32years the license the license wasn't
29:35worth the paper it was written on for
29:38three years
29:40going knocking from multinational
29:43company oil company to the other will
29:46you partner with us please with on this
29:49block so that we can work together on it
29:53you have the technology you have the
29:56money we have so we didn't come
30:01empty-handed to the table so if we can
30:04come together and work on it together
30:07maybe something might happen here thanks
30:15but no thanks
30:16until one day Texaco came knocking
30:20Texaco Texaco
30:25Texaco came knocking
30:28we'd like a meeting they wrote a letter
30:30but like a meeting we gave them that
30:34meeting for three months we were
30:37negotiating every day even Sunday's we
30:41were having meetings I remember they
30:45said to us during that negation
30:46negotiation period that this block they
30:51say we don't know cuz nobody really
30:56knows what could be in this particular
31:01block but we do know that in the Niger
31:04Delta basin oil has been collecting for
31:10between 72 million and a hundred and
31:14sixty three million years but that does
31:19not mean that this one is gonna have oil
31:21in it we don't know this is gonna have
31:26to be a very big risk that they were
31:29gonna have to take if we could come up
31:33with a contract we didn't have anything
31:38to lose the only thing we could have
31:43lost were the amounts of money that we
31:47had paid initially here and there now
31:51and again for this and that but the
31:53bigger chunk of the money we didn't have
31:56it it was a millions of dollars until
32:00you got a technical partner who would
32:03say okay let's get married
32:05then they would pay that huge chunk of
32:09money and that's exactly what happened
32:12to cut the long story short we struck
32:15oil in what they call commercial
32:17quantities so the glory of God
32:22a lot of beautiful things always happen
32:27during my birthday period yes our first
32:31oil well was dug on my birthday praise
32:39the Lord from this experience I learned
32:48some lessons among others the challenges
32:52we go through in life are there to
32:55refine and define us to be who God wants
33:01us to be nothing can stop it
33:05nothing can Tobias nothing
33:10can't elates praise the Lord I also
33:15learned we may not understand how or
33:18where the turnaround will come
33:23don't it make cherry though its mate Ari
33:28I said go it's Viteri but it will
33:32certainly come Habakkuk 2:3 says for the
33:38vision is yet one appointed time is it
33:43not the vision is yet for an appointed
33:46time but at the end of it it will do
33:53what it will speak and it will not lie
34:01wait for it because it will surely come
34:10our God is not a man that he should lie
34:13every word that comes out of his mouth
34:15will not go back to him boy
34:18what will accomplish all that he sends
34:20it to do all that he has sent his word
34:23to do in your life will manifest in the
34:26name of Jesus and today will not be an
34:29exception in Jesus name God is truly a
34:33covenant-keeping god
34:37you would have thought that the major
34:40challenges would have ended there was
34:45just starting mm-hmm who's just starting
34:49number four then Kate the Goliath
34:55against our David the all prospecting
35:01license was a federal government license
35:05and it was a sole risk allocation
35:11meaning if you strike if you don't
35:18strike oil there's a saying in Nigeria
35:22that since you are on your own I'm sure
35:27you know what that means
35:29hard luck too bad nobody's gonna
35:34compensate you no organization is gonna
35:37say okay do terms not to worry okay take
35:40this no you're you're you are on your
35:44own but if you do strike oil in
35:49commercial quantity the government will
35:52come calling mm-hmm come calling they
35:57did but where they went wrong was that
36:01they decided that because we gave the
36:04license we have the right to take what
36:07we want forgetting what the Constitution
36:13says and what the oil industry
36:16guidelines say they were supposed to
36:21compensate they weren't willing to
36:24compensate so they took and they took 50
36:30percent of our equity shareholding out
36:35of the remaining 60 that we held on to
36:39by law after we gave 42 Texaco
36:49praise the Lord
36:51so there's a hundred percents forty went
36:54to Texaco we held on to sixty then the
36:57government took 40% we came back again
37:00took another 10% making fifty leaving us
37:03with 10% imagine that after all that
37:08after all the sleepless nights the forty
37:12day fasting and yeah yeah who was then
37:18when you are doing all of that nobody
37:22nobody except you and your family yeah
37:27and then what happened there were those
37:30who were happy that all serves them
37:33right what are they doing with all of
37:35that so we were advised by family and
37:50friends when we decided that you know
37:53what we already have our backs to the
37:56ground we can't go any further than that
38:00we'll go to court so we took that the
38:04government to court and people thought
38:07we were crazy
38:08are you nuts you want to take the
38:11government to call you're not gonna win
38:13nobody ever wins against the government
38:15you're gonna be wasting your time you're
38:18gonna be wasting your energy you're
38:20gonna be wasting money paying lawyers my
38:25husband's a seasoned lawyer
38:31my second son is a lawyer my brother
38:36who's late now was a lawyer so we refuse
38:41to be bullied in so he went to court
38:46because of my time I'm gonna have to cut
38:49a lots of things out but it took 12
38:52years from one court to another till we
38:56reach the Supreme Court on some of the
39:01occasions we did not win in some of the
39:04courts but we went back again and we
39:06went back again never giving up praise
39:10the Lord we ended up in the Supreme
39:19Court's in the Supreme Court of Ireland
39:24but God the supremist of the most
39:28supreme showed up he showed up he stands
39:35by his own he won't let you down he
39:39won't turn his back on you like the
39:43faith of Bishop Henry Fernandes I held
39:51on to God
39:54God was on our side and like David we
39:58defeated our Goliath
40:05my listen to everyone listening to me
40:08right now
40:09this beautiful money is that there may
40:12be delays they may even be denials in
40:16your life's journey but God remains
40:20dependable it remains reliable event
40:28number five
40:29but God blesses you to become a blessing
40:34I'm a firm believer that what matters
40:37most is not how much you possess but how
40:43well you use your possession to be a
40:47blessing to others don't forget it's got
40:57that entrust us ways and you have to use
41:02it wisely according to his will and the
41:06Bible is full of it give and it shall
41:12come back to you press down shaken
41:15together and running over give gave to
41:20the Lord this led me to seek God's face
41:24on how I can be a blessing to my
41:26generation God gave me the assignment to
41:30care for widows and to care for orphans
41:34God is up there he doesn't come down he
41:37sends people like you and I to meet the
41:40needs of those around us and not walk
41:44away from them this gave birth to the
41:48Rose of Sharon foundation which started
41:51out in 2008 at 2008 with three widows
41:59over the past 11 years the foundation
42:01has intervened in the lives of 3500
42:06widows and orphans directly a more than
42:0910,000 households indirectly we
42:13currently support 2,336
42:17fisheries and give scholarships
42:19nationwide through Nigeria through
42:23self-funding ah widows I am powered with
42:33interest-free loans and their children
42:36and orphans are given scholarships up to
42:39university praise the Lord
42:45these videos come to us dejected
42:50rejected by society and defeated but
42:57they've been given a new lease of life
42:59through our different empowerment
43:02programs they have been infused with a
43:06new level of confidence and they hope
43:10for a brighter future as believers and
43:16members of the household of faith it is
43:20important that we do not close our eyes
43:24to the needs of others and be your
43:28neighbor's keeper and be a be a blessing
43:37by God rather we should open our hearts
43:42we should open our minds and we should
43:46open our pockets to reach out and to
43:49touch reach out and touch is the slogan
43:53of the Rose of Sharon foundation and
43:56yesterday today 23rd of June is the
44:05United Nations International widows Day
44:09yesterday we celebrated it in Nigeria I
44:14wasn't there but organized everything
44:17with members of my team and the whole
44:21was filled to overflowing with well over
44:272,500
44:29participants but I'm beneficiaries that
44:32were there I saw the clips it was an
44:36amazing time in the presence of the Lord
44:38in conclusion I'm confident that God has
44:43a plan and a purpose for every one of us
44:48no matter what the devil or
44:51circumstances throw at us we must trust
44:57the one who holds our future in his
45:01hands
45:03when we do we will succeed despite all
45:09the odds that may be stacked up against
45:12us the road to greatness may be slippery
45:21maybes dingy maybe dark it may be dreary
45:27it may be scary and it may even make you
45:31weary but I see hold on
45:36brothers and sisters don't give up do
45:41not give up I leave you with this
45:44scripture from Jeremiah 29:11 which you
45:49all know and which says help me help me
45:56I know the thoughts that I think toward
45:59you says the Lord thoughts of lots of
46:08thoughts off and not of evil thoughts of
46:15good that will reward you not of evil
46:20because he desires to bless you on a
46:24daily basis for a future and a hope that
46:33is the will of God for the lives of each
46:37and every one of you that are seated
46:38here so hold on brothers and sisters in
46:41Christ
46:42your initial failure is your fill for
46:47the finish line
46:51your initial failure don't stop there
46:56it is the fuel you need to keep you
47:00going to get to that finish line don't
47:06give up work and walk towards your
47:11greatness your greatness is waiting for
47:15you all you need to do is ask and you
47:20will receive seek and you will find
47:23knock and the door will be opened on to
47:26you and you will receive your greatness
47:29when you walk and work towards it
47:33children of God brothers and sisters in
47:36Christ let me end by speech with this
47:41song that I had decided that I'm gonna
47:46sing at the end of my talk and as I was
47:51walking into this beautiful church it
47:56was the exact same song that was being
47:59sung by the choir
48:04so get up and help me I know who God
48:09says I am one he says I am I know why I
48:15am walking I'm walking in power I'm
48:22walking in miracles I live my life from
48:25favor
48:26I Know Who I am I'm walking in power
48:31[Music]
48:35I know I am I know God says I am body
48:42says I am I know - I Know Who I am and
48:48the moon causes ayah where he says I am
48:55I know where important power
49:03I know
49:10[Music]
49:14I know I am I know I know I know
49:23I don't see you need a handle
49:28[Music]
49:30how many of music to know who you are I
49:32know who I am
49:35right
49:41[Music]
49:44praise the Lord praise the living Jesus
49:49God is truly faithful quickly now I
49:56remember the day that I was going to go
50:00and preach in dr. bill Winston's church
50:05in Chicago I was on my way to the
50:08airport with my team and I get a call
50:11from prophets dr. Emmanuel in fact and
50:16he says God says I should tell you that
50:18where you are going as if I told him
50:21where I was going I didn't tell him I
50:23was going anywhere I hadn't spoken to
50:25him in a month says where you are going
50:28the Lord says when you get there and
50:31from now on anytime you minister to my
50:36children pray for those who are seeking
50:41the fruit of the womb so if there are
50:44any people anybody if there's anybody
50:46here who is seeking the face of the Lord
50:49for the fruit of the womb or who is
50:51standing the gap for those who are
50:53seeking for the fruit of the womb I
50:55thank you to come out here quickly I
50:58will say a short prayer the Lord has
51:02something in stock for you the Lord has
51:06something in stock for you
51:08God is able he is powerful he is the
51:13Almighty the supreme essence of the
51:17supreme this supremist of the Supremes
51:21the one who makes the possibility is
51:24possible the one who makes a way where
51:27there seems to be no way father lord I
51:30thank you for your children that are
51:32gathering right now
51:33bring them from all corners of the room
51:35Lloyd you're the one who said that I
51:38should be doing this and you must have
51:41said it for a reason and you have been
51:44doing it those who are waited for 18
51:47years I've had twins those who have
51:50waited for 910 years I've had boys and
51:52girls Fraggle oh good you keep doing it
51:55you you keep proving yourself this one
51:57will not be an exception O Lord God
51:59Father Allah God you said I must always
52:01humble myself in your presence
52:04furthermore God your children are here
52:06they accomplish themselves there in your
52:08presence and on the presence of man
52:10rather than seeking your face they
52:13believe that they trust in you the only
52:16one who is reliable and dependable
52:18that's trustworthy you are the one
52:21dissent from your mites
52:23did you send in your mites and in your
52:25glory from your small room or God and
52:28visit each and every one of these ones
52:30whether they're the ones that are
52:32seeking your face whether they're sang
52:34in the gap for those who are seeking
52:36your face try the local visit every
52:39single one of such also local and come
52:42and make a difference in their lives
52:44further anoint them for the law for the
52:46fruits of the womb you are the one who
52:48told every man to leave their mother or
52:51father and can't get their own wives
52:57that they should be fruitful and they
53:00should multiply that will be their
53:02testimony today on our God rather you're
53:04starting something different something
53:06new in their life in their situations
53:09you're gonna put smiles on their faces
53:10hola girl furthermore god lo you're
53:13wiping away those tears right now you
53:16are wiping away those tears right now
53:18from these home from these families you
53:21are working those tears away father you
53:23are doing that which only you can do you
53:25are doing that which only you do best
53:27right now father Lord touch your
53:29children I'm 9:30 and I don't have fresh
53:32I'm neither when you travel or to that
53:34which only you can do make
53:36way for them make a way for them make a
53:39way for them visit them all or go visit
53:41them allah god bless them so much so
53:45that they will wonder what suddenly
53:49changed Fagin Oh God you will use it to
53:53boost their faith you will use it to
53:55boost their faith nine months from now
53:57they'll come with their children in
53:59their hands they'll come with their
54:00babies in their hands
54:02further they come holding them because
54:06from Allah God you have said Amen you
54:09have said Amen to this prayer father
54:11lord I thank you we receive it all oh
54:15god we thank you we thank you we thank
54:18you for this blessing we cover through
54:21the blood of Jesus glory beats your Holy
54:24Name in Jesus mighty day we are preyed
54:26on other people said and all the people
54:30said hey give the logical for free give
54:35the Lord a clap for free