 distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. As I reflected over what my message should be this evening, the Lord led me to a scripture that He had led me to in the past, especially about a year ago. As I reflected over some of the difficulties that I later was going through, permit me to read from that scripture as in Exodus 14 verse 10 to 15. I'll read Exodus 14 verse 10 to 15. It is the story of the children of Israel at the left captivity in Egypt and the sword of the Lord to go to the promised land. I went to Pharaoh, Jude, and the children of Israel lifted their eyes and behold, a Egyptian's marched after them. So they were very afraid and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they stepped to Moses because they were not created in Egypt. Have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us to bring them up out of Egypt? First of all, is this not the word that we told you in Egypt? Say, let us alone that when we serve the Egyptians, try to do even better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses certainly did not be afraid, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which we will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace. And the Lord said to Moses, why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. The children of Israel were on a journey of nation building. The Lord had promised the takers to rely on flooring with milk and honey. They had just left the captivity of Egypt where they were punished and cheated by Pharaoh and Egyptians. God took them on a journey out of captivity, out of anguish and promised them a place of comfort, abundance and peace. But the journey was tougher than they expected. It was much harder than they expected. The conditions were much more constant than they expected. And suddenly they saw Pharaoh and his carmen coming after them. They were unarmed and one of the most vicious armies in history was coming after them. They ran in great fear with their wives and children. They carried the elderly, the disabled and the babies. But in front of them was the Red Sea. No boats were crossed the sea. They were between the proverbial devil and the deep blue sea. So the time for their leader, Moses, who himself was now full of fear because he didn't expect what they were now experiencing. And there's a lesson here that when God puts you on a journey to your destiny whether you are a person or a nation, He doesn't tell you what the challenges will be lest you refuse to undertake the journey. So the Israelites, thanks to their leader, Moses, say, and this is in Acts 14-11, they said, Is it because there were no great religions that have taken on the way to guide the world on this? Why have you dealt with us to bring us off out of Egypt? Is this not the world that we were told in Egypt? Where you said, that was alone. I will choose you then. It was alone. Let us serve the Egyptians. Let us not make any compromises. For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness. So it is in the journey of nation building and development. Our nation is not different. We are on a journey from the past. There have been times when the journey is so tough, difficult, and even difficult. We look behind us and we see the armies of the past, the armies of division, intellectual civil war, where millions die, the armies of religious life that refuse to lead us, the armies of corruption and grasp, the captivity of ethnic and religious conflict. We see the armies of the past. But ahead of us, we also see the regime, bloody conflict, and the doom sayers will say that the future will be worse than the past. And then the people say, why did you take us off where we were? Because these people who cried in anguish to the Lord, now say, you should have left us in the past. You should have left us in Egypt. We didn't know that you were taking us out of captivity to kill us in the wilderness. And like Moses, the leadership said to God, what shall we do alone? Wouldn't expect that this would be a journey into destruction. Then God said to Moses, and God speaks also to Nigeria. He said to Moses, why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel, tell the children of Nigeria to go forward. Go forward and inspire God. He also said to not be afraid, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will accomplish for you today, for the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more for ever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. So I say to you, brethren in Christ, and fellow countrymen and women, let us go forward. Do not look back. The armies of the enemy that you see today, threatened to kill our land, and the claws of poverty and injustice, you shall see no more for ever. The Lord will fight for us, and we shall hold our peace. We must go forward. We are the people of prophecy. God has said concerning this nation that he is building a new nation, a nation where men and women of all tribes and faiths will dwell in love and peace. A nation where young people will have ample opportunities for productive and rewarding work. The promise of God is sure and secure. Second Corinthians 1.20 p.m. All the promises of God in him in Christ are in him and in him amen to the glory of God through us. All of God's promises are yes. They are amen in Jesus Christ, but through us, through you and our. This is the future that we are heading for, and we are ready going steadily and surely in that direction. God bless you all. God bless Nigeria.