 It really is a special pleasure to join you today in this 2020 convention. I especially thank the leadership of the Scripture Union Nigeria for this very kind invitation. Let me specially salute our national chairman, Prof. Madhu Iway, who is also Deputy Vice Chancellor of Michael O'Parris University of Agriculture, O'MuDi at the State. The local organizing committee of this convention and of the Scripture Union deserves our commendation for the hard work and innovation that holding this conference virtually has entailed. As you can see, they have surmounted practically every technical difficulty to make sure that from practically anywhere in Nigeria or anywhere in the world we can all participate in this very important convention. Very well done indeed. I was intrigued by the theme of the conference, the ancient paths. Because of its great relevance to where we are today in the faith and where we ought to be, Prof. Jeremiah wrote as follows and I will read. It says that thus says the Lord. Sorry, just a moment. I just want to read it from my own. It says thus says the Lord, stand in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where the good way is and walk in it. Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said we would not walk in it. That's Jeremiah 6 verse 16, which I believe is where the theme was taken from. There's no question in my own mind what the ancient path is and the good way is also very clear. Jesus says I am the way, just to paraphrase John 14.6. So it's very clear that the good way is the way. So walking in the good way is simply leaving the gospel of Jesus Christ. When I was in school, in secondary school, and you had high moral standards, you were called an SU. If you were a person of high moral standards, they simply described you as an SU. Just as the disciples in Antioch were nicknamed Christians because everyone saw Christ in them. So it was them that young men and women who were born again then were named after this same organization, the scripture union. So those called SUs were people who shared the gospel with others and they sought to win souls for Christ. They were often mocked at that time when I was in secondary school. But they never even seemed to care. They were not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, even though it sounded like foolishness to many as scripture says. They suffered persecution even from fellow students and even school authorities. They were clearly different from other people. They spoke differently in their preaching you heard about the death and resurrection of Christ, of salvation not by works but by grace alone, of godly sorrow and of repentance. Those called SUs then were witnesses of the gospel and its power to transform lives. They took every opportunity to share the gospel. They went every day fishing for souls. They prayed that the Lord would save souls through them. Many spent years praying for salvation of the souls of friends and loved ones who were not saved. And signs and wonders followed as they preached the word. The gospel preached in its simplicity brought many to repentance to salvation and to transformed lives. They showed that Christianity is not a religion. It is not a religion. They showed that Christianity is actually only about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to make a different plan for us. That those who believe in the sacrifice that he made on the cross where all of our sins were laid upon him. That those who believe will be saved. And that those who believe will be saved by grace. Today is difficult to find men and women who are described as Christians by virtue of their behavior. Just by virtue of their behavior. As the SUs in those days were described as SUs just by virtue of their behavior. This is because of the gospel that people are hearing. The gospel that made people answer the altar call. It's a different gospel that is being preached today. A gospel that says that if you are in search of wealth, if you are in search of a husband or a wife or promotion, give your life to Christ. Those saved by this type of message do not repent. They do not become fishers of men but of things. Because they came with a promise of prosperity for themselves or of some breakthrough for themselves. So it's rare to see them evangelizing. The message they heard is incapable of transforming because it is the wisdom of man, not the wisdom of God. The message has no power because it is not the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes according to the scriptures in Romans 1.16. The world seems very comfortable with itself but the way the gospel is preached today, it appears that we are not comfortable with ourselves. The gospel is the transforming word. The ancient paths is very clear. We must go back to preaching of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. It may sound unglamorous in foolishness but it is the power of God unto salvation. It has saved many. It is the faith of our fathers and it has saved many. It has saved millions. And it will continue to save millions. It is the only power that exists that can transform lives. So I'd like to say to all of us today that the work that we have today is very clear. It is the work of going back to the ancient path, going back to the way the truth and the life. It's time for us to do what it is that we have been called to do, to preach the gospel of love and of salvation. I want to commend again all of the organizers of this and I want to say that we must continue to do the work and we must continue to work as hard as possible. I'm so excited to see that the scripture union is going from strength to strength. God bless you all. Thank you very much. It is now my very special pleasure to declare open this convention 2020. Thank you. God bless you.