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Fellowship Bible Church approaches Global Missions a little differently than the norm among American churches, but not through any wisdom of our own. God has given us the connections, the resources, and the vision to partner directly with pastors and church leaders in local churches around the world. So much more than the typical "map and budget" missions program, we invest, equip, and help establish already existing national churches so they can reach their communities for Christ.
In this podcast, you'll hear stories of what God is doing all over the world as Scott and Jim, the Global Missions pastors of Fellowship, discuss recent trips, testimonies of life-change, and updates on how we get to be involved in the world.
If you're a part of Fellowship Bible Church, you are directly involved in what God is doing in the Global Church. Subscribe to discover how!
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Welcome to the Global Missions podcast of Fellowship Bible Church and we are here in Nigeria.
We just finished up a knowing God conference in the state of Kaduna, Nigeria. And I'm here with four brothers and friends of ours. We've got Femi here, Joshua, and then Joseph, and then John. you. And so let's take a couple of minutes and have each one of you all.
introduce yourself and just tell us a little bit about where it is that you guys are are are managed ministering and Where what your what your ministry is so if any we'll start with you I'm Fermi Olu I'm a missionary in Ghana, Tamil, specifically and I've been doing race message for about three years now and it has been so wonderful
You don't really need much of introduction, but tell us a little bit about, know, go ahead and do it again. Most of the folks at the FPC know you well, but go ahead. Yeah, sure. I'm Joshua Yakubu I'm currently residing in Nigeria, just headquarters of EMS, the current EMS School Services Coordinator.
Of course, even as a base there, primarily my major focus is on the grace message. So that's what I do. It's part of my blood.
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I am Joseph Andrew Moussa from the Gambia, the EMS country coordinator by the special grace of God. God has been helping us to see how we advance this plan from eternity past based on the aspect of grace We are here in Nigeria. We are just done with an event in Kandunatu, the glory of God. Thank you.
I am John Yohana Isemanman and I'm the country coordinator of the EMS of ECWA Malawi. I've been there for eight years now.
Still learning grace and grounded in grace. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. And so we have Malawi, we've got the Gambia and we've got Ghana represented here with the missionaries that are here with us. And so we have actually been to each one of your countries where you guys are all missionaries. Joshua has helped to set all that up and
So, John, why don't you start first? And we've been working with you and Malawi and your team for almost 10 years now or more. so could you give us what...
What understanding, the teaching of the heart of God, growing in the knowledge of God, teaching based on the finished work of Christ and grace, what does it mean, what does it mean to the field there, to the churches there, and how have you seen it make an impact on
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churches there? Yeah, I will say that it means a lot to them, the church in Malawi, basically. Now they live in freedom of the legalistic doctrines that they have been so accustomed to, you know.
they know that their salvation is assured. They cannot lose it unlike before, where they feel they could get involved into a certain scene. And then if paraventure dies in that, they go to hell. More like losing their salvation. But over time, they get to learn that their salvation is assured.
once safe, always safe. What Jesus did has paid for their sins of yesterday, today, and even the future same. So they are so sure of that. you know, these legalistic practices of going to the mountain to pray, they feel God is closer when you go to the mountain. So that has been dealt with to some extent. And also the issue of fasting, you know, they feel
their relationship with God is more like a transactional kind of a relationship where they give and take, you know, and they feel they need to do certain things, you know, to appease God. But over time that has really been understood that all that God is calling them for is to have a relationship with them. Yeah. But there are still some that are struggling, you know, to really understand, but majority
I want to believe they have really grasped and they don't just keep it to themselves, especially the missionaries that I'm working with, you know, you see them in their own places doing...
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organizing seminars by themselves and then getting people to teach them the Word of God and wherever they find themselves, you know with these messages, it's always mind-blowing to whoever that is listening. So, so far I will say that God has been so gracious and the growth is encouraging. Amen. Thank you. Yeah. And we had you on a previous podcast a month or so ago, you know, when we were in Malawi and we did a
podcast there on location as well, but it's good to be with you again and hear from you again what what God is doing in the area the area of the world where you're Ministering specifically in the area of Africa
So yeah, so Joseph you're in the Gambia and We got to we got to know you in 2022 that when we first met or 2023 2023 yeah, and so that's when you first Heard the teaching through the knowing God material the heart of God the finished work of Christ and and so
you've gone back to the Gambia. It's only been a couple years, not quite as long as, you know, John's been working in Malawi, but you've gone back, taken the content of the teaching back to the Gambia. And so what has it been like there in the Gambia the past couple of years? Well, first of all, I want to thank God for the finished work of Christ.
The perspective of grace started from eternity past, down to the cross and from the cross to eternity. When I received the teaching of grace through knowing God, first of all I took it to Sierra Leone because that's where I was sent.
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And to the glory of God, when I arrived there, I taught the few congregations that the Lord brought to me through the establishment of the church. And by the grace of God, when Scott and Joshua came, I saw an impact in the life of the few people that they met that the Lord has helped me to reach out to. In fact, the way they were responding to the teaching, it was amazing. Yeah, so I...
Within that I was also called on again to go to Gambia. Going to Gambia, I realized that they are not really properly clear with the aspect of grace and I've just been there for one year. So some of the things that I actually opened their eye to see was for them to know that whatever, everything about their life did not start in Genesis. It started back in eternity past. And Christ,
through God's redemptive plan, their salvation was secure. And so I was able to take them through the process. I'm just one year there, but as some of them are getting it very clearly. In fact, as I came here, of the one that I'm discipling, because there are many of them, is one of them that is actually teaching God's eternal plan presently in our church. And I was even sent the
teaching of one of them to Joshua to see and to comment and to actually give a feedback how is it going. So so far I have seen the aspect of their understanding changing and I've also see them enjoying the freedom.
that only Christ can give and they are getting it gradually. And it's amazing for what God is doing. And as we continue, I believe the Lord will help them to be able to grow more, all of us, in the knowledge and the finished work of Christ.
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Thank you. That's great. What God's doing in Sierra Leone and also in the Gambia where you where you currently are. That's great. So I'm going to skip you for a minute. Joshua, but I'll come back to you. And so, Femi, you are in you're in Ghana and we also met you in twenty twenty three as well. Then we came to your place in twenty twenty four. Simon and I did we did a knowing God conference. And so now here we are in twenty twenty six.
And so what has been the impact of the teaching in your life, but then also in the church? And it's a small work right now, not a great big work like some of the other areas like Cameroon or Chad. But what has been the impact in your life? And then also...
in the ministry that you're doing right now in Ghana with the churches that you're working with? I want to first and foremost give glory to God for giving me this opportunity to encounter this truth. I've been to seminary but I want to say I am starting my seminary afresh.
The scripture says, we shall know the truth and the truth will us free. I was delivered in the year 2023 when I first encountered this message. I was in bondage, in fear because my mother passed away while I was not around and I was told that she had a quarrel.
with somebody that very fateful day. And my belief has been that if you commit sin, no sinner will see the Lord. So I never understand that once forgiven, forgiven forever, she has accepted Christ. She even went to church that very morning. So every day I was in tears, crying that so my mother has gone to hell.
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But when I encountered this message, I was totally delivered. I was totally set free. know, the way I see the Scripture before now, I see Old Testament as something that I don't need to reckon with. But now I'm seeing the Scripture connecting together.
I've seen that before creation, before Genesis, there was eternity past. I'm seeing the preparation stage. I'm seeing the fulfillment stage. I'm seeing the eternity future. And I'm seeing the connection. Even the message I preach today became so simple because I'm able to link them together, having the overview of this understanding. It has really, really helped me and is still helping me, even at the cost of this meeting in
I had an encounter that's, you know, is something so wonderful to me. My eyes is, going in this every day and it's helping me and my wife. And the small church over there is also helping us. After that conference, year 2024, the people have not remained the same.
The people have not remained the same. The translation team, while we were the studies together, one of them was marvelled. And he said he has never seen a material like this. He was so touched and it was not even the conference. So, and the elders of the church, I'm doing this with the children, discipleship, incorporating it into them. And anytime I'm given an opportunity to preach, I do that using this.
I'm so glad I'm still a baby, but I'm growing and I've seen the truth. Amen. Yeah, thank you. So we're here in Nigeria. We're currently in Abuja, but we were in the Kaduna state. We were there for four days. So I'll pass it to you Joshua. Like what took us to the Kaduna state? Like what did did God give us the opportunity to do there through
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many of your contacts, what would God do there? Okay, let me go back a bit. How came about the conference? You know, from 2023, we normally gathered together with local church pastors.
And so these local church pastors haven't had the impact of this. back, some of them from Coduna, some of from Zaria, and some of them in Georgia. So the participants haven't had the conference, 2023, 2024, the teaching, so very, impactful in the process of sharing the impact with fellow colleague pastors.
I can't exactly remember how many different calls I received from different pastors. Some were even saying, Joshua, you are selective. I mean, so you choose some, you don't mind us. But we're feeling left out. Yeah, we're telling you this. You are selective.
Yes, something good like this, and you don't share with us that kind of a thing. When are you doing it again? We would like to join. But of course, we know we have already in the walk and have gone a little far, so we can't group new people into this. So what that means is that when we start, we start with the knowing God lessons, and then we moved on into Romans, and then we moved on into Ephesians. So with some of these groups, already down the path, so to speak, you can't just throw them in.
without starting at the beginning, is that? Exactly, exactly. seeing the starting point is the knowing God. So how we study knowing God, Ephesians, Romans, Romans Ephesians, even establishing the church. So bringing any new person into this would definitely meet us in the middle of somewhere. so when that lamentation was too much and then the calling was too much and they said, well, so the best way
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is to start with this new set of people. And that's what trigger this Kaduna conference. And then as I discuss with you sometimes, I told you in all of the places where we go, I had this No Engle conference. This particular conference held in Kaduna is a conference that gather intellectual people.
intellectual, well-learned people. And that was the reason why I was emphasizing, honestly, we need you and Scott. So like intellectual people, well-learned people. What do you mean by that? These are pastors that have like they have lots of training or what do you mean by that? the pastors, they have a high attainment, theologically. OK, so it's theological. You have people that have their PhD.
in theology, who are professor in a seminary. And many of them, theologically, they have really learned. So this caliber of people came. And to be honest, because this is completely a different approach. It was like their PhD is not really a PhD.
when they saw and they had the reality of this. so you hear how people were confessing. Okay, among the people that gathered, district leadership, present leadership and past leadership came. And in the setting of Ekwa, for you to reach a level of a district leadership,
You definitely you have really spent many years in ministry and then you are a well experienced pastors. But I see years spent in ministry and experience and the knowledge gained in the seminary, we are nothing. We are nothing. Because virtually, virtually every participant, none. I didn't hear one participant who said I have known this tree before. No, no one. No one.
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So you see to me My joy was complete. That's why I said, okay Remember you talk why can't you and someone address do this? I said no, it's got to be high People know that we can only do it but we will meet your presence and you can attest to the fact that my present Yeah, yeah and God continues to open many many doors for you
with so many contacts that you have.
thin EMS that spill over into equa. You this was an equa group. This was not an EMS group. This was a complete equa group. And so God in his grace and in his plan, he just keeps opening up many, many, many opportunities to you. John, we were talking just a few minutes ago, actually, after we finished dinner, that all of us went to different churches this morning. And so there's eight of us here.
Simon Yocco has left. Scott's doing the recording, but this team is eight of us. And so you went to a church this morning and you shared.
they gave you the pastor gave you the pulpit and he was one of the pastors that attended the conference this past week and tell us and the listeners on the podcast what the pastor told you while you were there. Yeah, the church I was posted to is first Equal Church, John Roa. And I love the fact that
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whoever that come up with the idea of spreading us across churches to minister, I think that idea is really, really good. So I went to the church and surprisingly the pastor was not even aware that I was coming. So to him it's a privilege that haven't attended the conference and then he has like a follow-up facilitator or pastor going to his church. So when he came up to introduce me,
He was telling the congregation that, as you all are aware, I was away with my wife since Tuesday for a conference, but I have never ever in my life attended a conference of this sort.
completely our mentality about Bible, how to approach Bible has changed completely. And he was saying, he was telling the members that he wished he could carry them along to the conference. While he was talking, he non turned to me and he was like, sir, I wish this can be extended to these people. And it's a Hausa speaking church.
I can't remember the Which is the local language? Yeah, which is the local language. Which you speak? Yes, which we speak. And I haven't preached in Hausa for, I can't even remember, so it was an opportunity for me, you know, to preach. So he now said, he now told the members that they will, henceforth they will notice that his salmon will definitely change. Because what they learned,
was completely different from what they were used to. So it was really amazing. This morning I went to, I was speaking.
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with the pastor's name, his name was James. And again, an older gentleman, been to seminary, very well trained, like all the people that we're talking about that was at our conference this past week. And he said to me, he said, the problem, the problem is what is being taught in the seminary is that what is being taught in the seminary is not in line with the heart of God. And so here's a guy that's very well educated.
in the seminaries of Equa, preaching in an Equa church and identifying the problem. And that was coming from a well-educated, well-seasoned pastor himself. so he was recognizing that himself. Joseph, you mentioned to me...
days ago you were sitting in the conference and somebody I think was it a lady who mentioned something to you? some feedback about what they were thinking in relation to the teaching? actually he came to me and said I have listened to so many teachings on discipleship. said most of the discipleship that I've listened to
the people always point people to themselves. How they should talk, how they should behave, the things that they should do. They say, what is amazing about this teaching is the fact that Christ is at the center and our identity in Christ is what defined our life.
And so he said he was really impressed. He said because he has given up and going on to any event that has to do with discipleship because it's all about pointing them to another person to imitate, to copy. He said, but everything that he listened to for that four days, it was towards God, eternity, in the heart of God.
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the love of God, the relationship of God, our dependent on God, the kindness of God, our trust in God, our relationship with God. He said this has really helped him. And he told me that that was what he was even discussing with his wife, because he was sitting very close to his wife. And so I said to him, he has gotten the best, and he should continue with that to the glory of God. Amen.
So Joshua.
Share with us how we have gotten to where we are here with a team of eight people. We're five here, then there's Scott, then there's Simon, and then there's Peter, who also is in Kenya. He's not with us right now. But how have we arrived at this group of the eight of us and what we are considering a team, and we're in the process of splitting this team up to visit the different African
in areas that we visited in 2024. And so tell us about how we got here and what is the goal of what this group of us are trying to do this year.
the rest of this year as we continue to visit different countries. Okay, thank you. As we have said over and over, when we started this in 2023, and during that 2023, there were a lot of demands from the participants from different countries. We need this in our place. And of course, you know, that has been my heartbeat. My heartbeat has been since encountering this truth. My next question has been, what about...
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my fellow colleagues that are also serving the Lord legalistically.
what would be of them and that became a passion, that became a burden. so in 2023, demands came, need to reach the participants drawn from different countries, especially key leaders of every country as spouse. And so in that, that 2023 demand came and that led for us to have a meeting. You, Jim, Scott and Simon, and we strategize, how can we be able to reach out to this field?
And that informed now the decision for us to travel to different countries in 2024. And of course, know, Simon and myself, we got to know this truth much earlier. And so our level of learning has really grown to a level. And so the...
In that meeting now, we strategized to visit all of these fields. And of course, we visited those fields. And in all of those fields, of course, the knowing God was the focus. And then all of those conferences, known, you hear somebody saying, I have had this truth. The truth always come new. So we got that done in 2024 as we travel to Nigerian inclusive 15 countries.
And so of course, the fellow colleagues, the key leaders have attended 2024, 2023, 2024. So now the next action, how do you go about it in 2025, even while in Kenya? So when I was in the state, and then I came a bit earlier for us to really discuss and strategize for the next action for 2026. And so I was given the privilege to assess, because closely these people have worked with them closely.
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at least to the best of the knowledge the Lord has given me, I can be able to assess the level of their understanding. So during our meeting, assessing them and then so, okay, the next step now is okay, among the key leaders in three coordinators,
John Joseph, Fermi and Peter in Kenya and then James. James is in Nigeria, he's in the field, but James has also grabbed this truth so immensely. That's right. Yeah, so we say, we are going to cop these people into this. Initially we were four and then adding more four,
Five, I do five persons become nine. That's right. Yeah, so the target for this year will come now. so for this message to be properly understood, it has to be translated to every dialect.
major dialects spoken in every country. so based on the instruction given to me, communicated to them, so we need to have a translation team. We need to have a teaching team for every field. We can be everywhere. You and Scott cannot be everywhere. The world is expanding. I cannot be everywhere. So the next step there is, in every country, get a translation team to local dialect and then the teaching team.
And then, even when I communicated this to them, I have to screen a lot of numbers they kept bringing. Please, it's not issue of crowd now, but issue of people that understand this message and then accept it and are applying it. And so, the focus now this year, meet with this team, the translation team and then the teaching team of every country, and then get...
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these books to them, mean, let them understand the concept, let them understand the context. It's not only translating it. If somebody understand it and then translate it, it will go well. If somebody understand and teaches it, it will really go well. And so that will come in the comfort. And you see, even beside this group that...
I have a group also back in the office that I'm really grooming. With Saleh, apart from our meeting with Saleh, like Ruth McPhilip, our director's wife, she's my discipline. So I have those people that has developed interest and then want to know this day out. So the focus this year is to get this
translation team in every country and then a teaching team so that they would get this truth very closely so that they can't go ahead with the work. So that brought about the larger group. I want to say this, honestly, it was a great investment because the more you teach this, the more it becomes real. The more you teach this, the more it becomes real.
and our dear colleagues, the knowledge I had before, I was telling you the other time, think when we were in Malawi or so, and I said, have taught the knowing God in Equa TV. And I said, I'm going to teach it again. Because as I continue studying this material and I continue teaching it, my goodness, there's much and much knowledge that comes. And so that brought it so, you see, the purpose, what I understand here is not only try to get a translation team and a teaching team,
But even as we do this, our fellow colleagues will all learn as we teach, you learn. So it's another school. we teach, we're also teaching ourselves under the Lord. So that's the focus for this year. But like the group we have in Keduna is a new set. And I said, the reason they're brought about this group. So in February last month,
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We went to Malawi. We spent time with John.
been there for a while, you shared about that. And then from there, you and Simon and James, you guys went on to Chad, which is another of the 15 fields. And now here we are in Nigeria, we did the conference that we've been talking about. And so you and Joseph and John are going to take off tomorrow, you're going to the camera room, which is another of the 15 fields. And then in the morning,
Femi and I, we're gonna take off and we're gonna go to Ghana, which is another of the 15 fields. So the idea this year in 2026 is to, we've enlarged the team and we're gonna go and revisit each one of the fields for the purpose to establish the translation team and the teaching team, a small group of people. And like you said, growing in ourselves for our own understanding
but then also talking about strategy to get it translated and then talk to the churches in that location. So FEMI tomorrow we're heading to Gana and so
I'll come to you because we're actually going to your place tomorrow and we're going to be at your place this coming week. so talk to us about like, what does it look like this week? You know, being at your place with the people, the training and relation team that will be with us this week, with the teaching team that will be with us this week. Just share a little bit about what this week is going to look like in terms of our time together.
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because this is in a sense what we're going to be doing in all the other locations around these 15 different countries.
Yes, this week is going to be an exciting moment because to keep learning, like I said, we are still at this primary stage and we are yearning to learn more while we're doing the translating studies with the translating team. Issues keep coming up and then...
I'm still young in this matter, I'm yearning to know. And even the other teaching thing.
For you to be a teacher, at least you need to get some mastery. So we are so excited. By tomorrow, some of them will start coming in from nearby villages so that by Tuesday, you'll be able to start properly. And we are so glad that you've been our miss so that you can help us all together. The book has been translated, but again, we pause it.
because we need to get the real understanding. So since it has not been printed, it can be re-edited. So we are so excited that when you come, you'll be able to help us to do that. And then everybody is so excited. So you're highly welcome. Thank you for taking this decision. Yeah, we're looking forward to being there this week. We head there tomorrow. So in conclusion,
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Let me just say that, like for Scott and I, this was a really fun week being with you all because we had.
Let's see, three sessions a day, four days, three times four is 12. I do my math right. I was never very good in math, but I think we got that right. And Scott and I, we only took four sessions of 12. And we took four of the 12 sessions. And so you all did the rest of the teaching. And so years ago, it was Scott and I doing...
all the teaching. Then it was Joshua, Simon, Scott and I. And now it was so it went from in a sense two, then it went to four, and now it's the nine because you reminded me of James. I'd forgotten about James. So it went from two to four to nine. And so that's what we did this week is we it was nine of us that were doing the teaching. I enjoyed that a lot. It was great just to see God using you all. I know Scott did as well. So
Give us some feedback, John. What did the week mean to you to be able to be a part of the teaching to a large group like we had this past week and just being a part of the teaching team? did that mean to you?
Just like Joshua said, I realized that it's like my level has upgraded from where I used to be. Because this time around, I am studying, not just studying, but studying to teach.
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And I'm so glad to meet the caliber of people that we taught. And I saw a different version of teaching the book. I've been teaching it in Malawi, but to permit me to use the word lay people.
You know, I speak the interpret, you know, but having to talk to people directly, I mean, it was just so amazing for me. And I felt so into it. And I look forward to doing many more of that, you know, and it accorded me the opportunity to like a reunion, so to say, some of the people we haven't seen since we graduated from school. And then we're bringing them together. You know, I mean, it was like,
old school days, you know. But basically the teaching was so amazing for me, you know, and the clarity of the message was something else, you know. Back in Malawi, I have the translation team, but they translate it into the local language. So I'm just there to supervise, to ensure that the right, you know,
translation is being done. But this time around...
I'm studying it and with the mindset that I'm going to teach it to certain kind of people. So it was really fun filled week for me. Yeah, that's great. It was, you know, from Scott and I's perspective, it was super fun. Yeah. Partnering and teaching together. you guys, the team. Yeah. It's such an amazing team. Yeah. And I love the humility. I mean, the oneness, the openness, the fun and everything. Yeah. Yeah.
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It was exciting. really. You guys are really giving something special with the group of brothers that we have here. Joseph, how about you? was the week mean to you in terms of teaching? For me, actually, it's part of... I just saw it as part of God's plan of food. And again, I saw God's grace in the entire plan. And I asked myself, am I the one standing here?
talking to this caliber of people. And again, I was really touched by the humility, the professors, the doctors, and some of them who have been our leaders before, how humble they were to actually listen to the teaching that the Lord used me to pass across. And again, for me, it's also a reflection that God continue to help me to continue to grow.
to the knowledge of the truth so that I'll able to keep control to pass it on to others. And so that's one of the amazing thing that I got from the whole thing, the interaction and the fellowship. I'm grateful for that. Thank you. And then Femi, how about for you, being a part of the teaching team and involved this week the way that you were? Yeah, actually it was a refreshing moment for me.
because to be told that you are going to teach, was very, it was, I was amazed and humbled.
stand among my fellow lecturers, teachers like Joshua who has been in it for many years and you people into it many years and to teach at the same time. So it helped me to sat down. From the beginning of the teaching I was so keen, more keen, more listening than because I wanted to learn. So it's opened my heart to learn because you can't give what you don't have.
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So it has really helped me. I just, to me, I don't want to talk about others. It has changed my level that this is so serious. It means they are expectation. And so my faith has been helped. And I listened to all of you and I discovered that the more you are teaching this, I'm seeing more things. And I'm seeing that even you people that have been into this for many years,
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Yeah, well something I say a lot is that, you know, all of us, we're all learning and growing together.
I think even through eternity, we'll continue to be learning more about God through eternity. So Joshua, I'll let you wrap it up. And so what did it mean to you this week to have the larger team here teaching together to see in the growth of what God's doing with the brotherhood that God's building? What did this week mean to you in terms of us teaching as a group?
Okay, honestly, this week was very amazing to me. My joy was overflowing. Seeing the fact that some of them, know them, how busy they could be. And then to come and sit down with keen interest.
for these days is something else. For example, the church where are Scott preached today. When we went in the morning and the pastor was saying he planned to only attend for two days and he will not be able to attend. But he said when he came and what he had, any other program he had, had to consider to enable him to attend
And as we have said over and over, these are men highly placed, men in positions. But coming down to listen and then to admit that is a new teaching that you have never heard is a different thing.
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I never had one person who said I have heard about the metanarrative. No, in their participant. They said with their theological knowledge, they always start the story of the Bible or their message from Genesis 1. Once I knew, well, God existed before Genesis 1, but what happened? what to say. So it's an eye-opener.
My phone, I can't remember how many messages I received. Messages of tongues given. Thank you so much for considering me to be part of this. One of the participants...
said to me he's a district, assistant district leader from Zaria. think the first day, the first day he met me and said, look, he picked up a board end to translate the knowing got into Hausa. Because from the district where he's teaching predominantly the Hausas, he said, have a passion for my people.
He wrote me, when the he wrote me, he said, sir, I can't thank you enough. And so he picked a board in and he said, this is the board I'm having. And he asked me to send me the soft copy of the knowing God. He said, I'm going to start with immediate effect. So that is one. Another person said to me, he's a professor in the seminary in Jos He said, actually has been
writing a paper about about Satan and then God but he didn't know how to pick it how to put it this is a professor and he said but from the mental narrative he got it the answer to his struggle he said I've gotten the answer to my struggle he said I got the answer very clear another one and so he said to me this completely new teaching that he has never heard
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And so, number one, he got answer to his struggle. Another person said to me, he's writing on salvation. But he didn't really know how to strike it off. But this teaching has opened his eyes to understand what salvation is really. And he said, he's asking for permission. Will he be permitted to use the meta-narrative in the paper he's writing to be able to shed light about salvation?
So you hear a lot of participants. There's a Hausa woman that spoke in Hausa. said, you people initially cheat us. And what she meant is that, and to me, I thought there was no Hausa speaking among the participants. And Bojil said, when they started, were lost. They didn't know this. But thank God, along the line, people were doing my attention and they interpreted it.
and she said she's overwhelmed with joy. And many of them confess the fact that they have been living the Christian life with anxiety, with desperation, the fear of the unknown, and especially going along with this persecution all over Nigeria. But they understand, I understand now my position.
Why should I be afraid? Why should I be desperate? Why I know God loves me when I didn't even deserve it? I mean, let's correlate it with the human way of this. If Joseph is good to me, then I'll be good to him. thus, people have translated that into Christianity. testimony came up. I now realize.
that look, I don't have to do this for God to love me. In the first place, God loved me while I was a sinner. The love he has for me, not because I did something to merit that love. So why should I be expecting that I should do something to be accepted by God or God get angry at me? So the issue of God's unconditional love was made very, very clear.
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One lady particularly spoke about the fact that she never knows the benefit that she has as a Christian. But issue of accepted, issue of love forever, the blessings that follow. She said, is now I realize this. So the testimony are so enormous. The testimony are just so amazing. And you know, in this part of Africa, the issue of devil.
Everything negative is the devil. And so even when the statement came, God used the devil to accomplish his purpose. Some people wrestle with it. There was a lot of discussion about A lot of discussion about it. People wrestle with it, but in the end, it became so, so clear. Among the participants, you can hear how some of them were answering and they said, no, there's no way. So the picture of God was made clear.
So instead of, okay, this intimidation, the devil is highly placed there. The devil was brought to where he belongs to, where God has blessed him. So the knowledge of God as a result of this conference from the participants, virtually all the participants has grown. Has grown. And so this issue of desperation, this issue of show up.
issue of this big one is there, this low one is there. I mean, humble people down to really realize that, we can't do nothing except through God. So it was the testimony I just saw in the ones. Look, as somebody volunteered to say, I pick a challenge, I'm going to translate this. It's only God that can do this. So to me, I'm super excited. I'm so satisfied.
that the Lord did this. Lord did this. And believe me, you, Jim, have scored the sacrifice. I said it there. You know the ongoing persecution, genocide of Christians in Nigeria, but it still risks to In fact, we were there having the program, and then there was a demonstration. A demonstration. Right in the state. But you did that. I mean, it risks your life. And then, of course, the global mission and the Fellowship Bible Church as well.
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We tell you, don't know how this thing will happen. God gets all the glory and that's what we keep saying. God's the one that gets all the glory. uses people, He uses the church, but all glory goes to God. I was in the toilet to pee and then I overheard two people talking about the...
lessons, you know, that they wish this could be taught in Hausa. Yeah. So I don't know if you guys have noticed.
in the whole compound when you find chunk of people discussing two whether two or three or five or group they are actually talking about this exactly exactly they are not talking about the normal no no they are talking about this i mean i've never seen this kind of thing i've seen that that that a conference that engages people even outside you know the conference room i mean it's just so mind blowing
any group you see interacting they're talking about it you see if it was not captivating with the level of their commitment with the level of their engagement position some will be discouraged and they will leave nobody was willing to leave I saw the same thing in in in Burkina Faso when we went and that was a Pentecostal pastor that Pentecostal pastor said he was to attend one day
because he has program in his church. But when he attended the first day, he had to cancel the program he had in church to attend this. He said, I have to postpone my program because I can't lose track of this. Can you see this? People are yelling for the truth. People are tired. People are burned out. We do and don't.
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So people need, people see, people don't understand Christianity as a relationship. You see, so I can't get tired having a relationship with you, Jim neither Scott, because sometimes I flow from the heart. So but Christianity is, I mean the way people understand Christianity or practice Christianity is, look.
that that consuming fire God that you must do this for him to love you humans if you do this you consume you who hate you and so people are to attributing out of ignorant attributing some character that are not part of God to God you see this so so to have this will stay to this level we can avoid couple of people does on avoid reason that made him to dash out and come
But even when they are dashing out, they'll say, sorry, I have this, but I'll come back. Can you hear that? To me, it's so amazing. And it's a conference with a different. It's a conference with a different. What I can say is people just in and then this one, when they see you they're talking about it. So like, it's a new teaching. Not like, it's a new teaching. It's a new approach completely. And you can hear from the people, this is completely a new approach.
And it's only God that can do this. I will, as I normally do, I will create that WhatsApp group and then will tell people, you testify? Write a testimony of what you have learned from your conference. I will compile that, will send it. It may come a little late, but I will do that.
And you hear something. Yeah. Thank you. You can't have it done by the time you're done. You're back from Cameroon Why not? Yeah, I think I should do that. I have the least. I'm just kidding. I know you don't sleep. know you work. But believe me, you get this when I'll compare. Yeah. So there's no any greater joy. One can draft. To me, my joy is full. My joy is complete.
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Thanks
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Thank you guys. Thank you for sharing. Thanks for leaving your families to...
take this week to be with us here in Nigeria. And, Femi you're going back to yours tomorrow, but, you know, John and Joseph, thank you for giving another week of your time to be away from your families and your ministry and to move on to the Cameroon to see God continue to strengthen the faith of the people there and strengthen the church there and see the lessons get translated into the local dialect and local language and how God will have a
So thanks for praying for this ministry. There's lots of trips going on and we'll keep giving you all updates and until then, I'll see you next time.