0:18 As the church grows in numbers, we have people at different levels of the Christian life. As our children grow up and they are some of them are hearing the gospel for the first time in a sense 0:37 even though they've been sitting here many years they were too young to understand. So the great burden a true servant of God has is to ensure that God's word is preached not in one single message but over a period of time in any church where the 0:57 children spiritual children at all grades get something and that's not easy because there are some who never seem to get out of the kindergarten even after sitting in the church for 78 years. 1:15 Now I believe that a Christian should enter the promised land in two years. And I'll tell you why I say that from two examples. The Bible says that when we are born, we 1:32 are like little children, babies born. And in almost every case by the time a child is two years old he can walk till then he's falling getting up falling you don't get upset with a 9month old falling getting up even sometimes little over one year they're 1:51 falling getting up but if a child is 2 years old and if you think of your child if it was 2 years old still falling still getting up falling many times a day you would get concerned are You concerned that you've been a believer for 2 years 2:10 and you're still falling falling. Okay, even I can fall. I can trip on stone outside and fall even at my age. So that can happen to anybody at any stage. But victory over sin means does not mean I'll never fall. Victory over sin means I've learned to 2:29 walk. So I'm not asking you whether you ever fall or whether you ever will fall. My question is, have you learned to walk? Are you more than 2 years old in the Lord? Now, I know that's not true, the vast majority of Christians, but that's 2:48 because they don't take the Christian life seriously. If you I'll tell you, if you keep carrying, if you want to make sure your child never learns to walk, I'll give you the prescription for it. Carry him all the time. Never let him on the ground. Put him on 3:06 the ground. You carry him. Carry him. Soon as he goes gets out of the bed, carry him. Let somebody carry him all the time or keep him in the bed all the time. I guarantee even when he's 10 years old, he won't learn to walk. 3:21 He's got to be put on the ground and he crawls and he gets up and tries to walk and falls down and don't get disturbed. He'll learn to walk. And I find today in Christryendom there are so many pastors and preachers who are just carrying these little babies in 3:36 that church all the time. The only message I'll tell you what I mean by carrying a baby. The only message they'll preach to them is God loves you, brother. You don't know how much he loves you. He's always longing for you. 3:51 He misses you so much. He's wanting to see you in heaven one day. Oh, it doesn't matter if you fall. He loves you. He wants to pick you up and carry you. You keep listening to that for five or 10 years, you'll be a baby. You'll 4:02 never in your life will you get victory over sin till somebody lets you on the ground and you run and fall and you're determined to learn to walk that and you you look at a child, it doesn't matter how many times it falls in a day, it determined 4:17 to walk. It never gives up. Oh, I fell down 50 times today, so there's no hope for me. Foolish believers say that. Not a child of God. So the other reason why I say two years is the 4:35 God's plan. I mean you know you can take longer than 2 years. How long does it take for you to finish 12th grade or high school most children 12 years but you can take 30 years right? Why not? You can How long does it take to go 4:54 get a be a graduate in a college? Four years. Well, you can take 40 40 years as well. It depends on how seriously you take your education. The average, the person who's really sincere will finish 12 grades in 12 years, finish college in 4 years. The 5:10 child will learn to walk in 2 years. And a wholehearted disciple of Jesus will learn the life of victory in two years. I believe that's God's will. Which shows how few Christians are really wholehearted about overcoming 5:24 sin. They prefer to be carried and petted and cared for. Now if you turn to Acts of the Apostles chapter 2, sorry, not Acts, Deuteronomy chapter 2. We read here about how the children of 5:48 Israel wand he's he you know Moses is describing their wandering through the wilderness and I want you to see this verse Deuteronomy 2 verse 14. First of all how many years did Israel wander in the 6:08 wilderness? Do you know altogether? 40 years in one that is a punishment God gave them. Now listen to this. This is at the border of the promised land. He says in Deuteronomy 2:14, the time it took for us to come from Kadesh Barnea. Kadesh 6:26 Barnea was the place where they sent the spies into the land. You read in numbers in chapter 13, the spies went into the land and came back and said, "Oh, we can't conquer this land." Joshua and Caleb said, "No, we can go." But the 6:41 other 10 spies said, "No, we can't go." And the 600,000 people believed the 10 spies and said we can't go. Canaan is a picture of the life of victory. Deliverance from Egypt is a picture of being born again. Going through the Red 6:54 Sea is a picture of water baptism. The wandering in the wilderness for 40 years is a picture of life under the law. The child trying to learn to walk for 40 years. But it says here the time it took from Kadesh Bara until we crossed the brook 7:11 Zered which is ready to cross into Jordan is 38 years. And during those 38 years all the generation of the men of war perished from within the camp as the Lord had sworn them. 7:30 What does that prove? That means in God's plan from Egypt to Kadesh Bara where they were supposed to cross into the into Canaan was two years because they did not 7:47 God sent them into the wilderness for another 38 years. So it's from that verse that I understand that God's plan, original plan for the Israelites was that two years after they came out of Egypt, redeemed by the blood, baptized in the 8:06 Red Sea, God wanted them to overcome Canaan. He said, "Two years, such a short time." That was God's plan. If they trusted, you know, after 2 years, Joshua and Caleb said, "We're ready." They were ready after two years. See 8:22 what they say in numbers. Let me tell you the history. What happened after 2 years? 2 years after they left Egypt. They came to this place in Numbers in chapter 13. The Lord spoke to Moses. This is 2 years 8:44 after they left Egypt. We know that from the verse I read in Deuteronomy. send this people to spy out the land because I am going to give this land to the sons of Israel. That's like the Lord saying in Romans 6:14, "Sin shall not have dominion over 9:03 you. I don't care how many giants have ruled the land of Canaan or your life and your body and your mind all these years. It they will not reign over you anymore. I'm going to give you this land. Now send some tribes, people from the tribes 9:20 to search out the land. And Moses sent at the command of the Lord. From each tribe he took one person and the total was 12 people. And they all went, verse 16, these men they Moses sent to spy out the land. 9:39 And Moses, verse 17, sent them to spy the land and said, "Go there and come back and tell me what is like. What is the land like? Is it good or bad? Verse 19, what are the camps like? And how is the land? Is it fat or lean? Verse 20. 9:53 What about the trees? Try and get some fruit from there. Verse 20. And they went out and spied out the land. You see, um, he also told them in verse 19, see whether the people are lining it, whether they are strong or weak. 10:07 Okay, they went out and spied out the land and came back and they car, you know, the grapes were so huge. It says in verse 23 that when they cut down a branch of a one clust a single cluster of grapes verse 23 it was 10:24 so heavy that two people had to carry it on their shoulders and then they came back verse 25 after 40 days they had gone around 40 days examining the land and they came to the congregation and they told them we went into the land 10:42 verse 27 and It certainly does flow with milk and honey. You see, this is the testimony of those who have come into a life of victory. It's a wonderful life when we are living in fellowship with Jesus all the time, filled with the Holy 10:56 Spirit. It's a life of overcoming like Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2 and verse 14. He says, "Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ." There's only one meaning for always. if you look up the dictionary is 24/7 11:14 who 24/7 leads us in triumph in Christ. Now it's almost unbelievable but there was a man in the Bible who said that the Apostle Paul and there are many men since then not many but a few through the ages who've had that testimony. 11:27 Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph who brings every giant of Canaan under our feet without exception. There's no giant too strong for the Lord. But they said, even though it's a beautiful land of land of love and joy, 11:42 and verse 27, I'm paraphrasing it, the land flowing with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, and gentleness and goodness and faithfulness and meekness and self-control. It's a wonderful land. The fruit of the land, but the giants who live there are strong. 12:00 The cities they have fortified are so large. And the descendants of Anarch was there, the huge giants. And so Caleb quieted the people and said, "No, we can go in and possess this land." See, you he was also one of the spies 12:19 according to Genesis, I mean Numbers 13:6, he was one of the spies. He said, "I saw those giants. I know they're huge, but we can take possession of it. We can overcome sin." But the men who had gone up to them 12:38 said, "No, no, no, no, no, no. This anger, I tell you, my father had it. My mother had it. My grandfather had it. My parents told me that." And they said, "It runs it runs in the family." I tell you, it runs in everybody's family, not 12:50 just yours. And we I cannot overcome it. That's the language of these people. No, no, no. They're too strong. This sexual lust, oh boy, it's too strong. It's too strong a giant. I know God says sin will not have dominion over you but not when it comes 13:09 to this that this this particular giant is particularly strong and we're not able to go up against the people. They are too strong for us. Think of whichever sin the sin which easily besets you and see if your language is this language of unbelief in 13:25 verse 31. This is too strong for me. And they gave a bad report. What is a bad report? God wants you to conquer that land and you come saying, "No, it's too tough. They're too strong." The land is a 13:44 wonderful land. Oh boy, I'd really like to live with love, joy, peace, rejoice always, and be anxious for nothing. And thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph. And I'd like to live there, but it doesn't seem to work because giants 13:57 are too strong. And when I look at these massive sins that rule my life, verse 33, I look like a grasshopper which this giant called anger can crush every day and this giant called sexual lust can crush every day. I'm a little 14:15 grasshopper there. Scripture is given so that we can learn from it for ourselves. All scripture is given for us to learn. The things that are written in the past were written for our instruction. And everybody was, you know, one thing 14:33 you can see that they wept because they were sick and tired of this two years wandering in the wilderness. They said, "We thought we could enter into this land." And these spies come and tell us. I think these spies are pictures of 14:47 pastors, preachers who never entered the land themselves, older leaders who have disheartened all the people saying, "No, no, no. We've lived for you. Don't try and come with all your new religion. I've been a Christian 25 15:05 years and I couldn't possess the land. What are you talking about? You're just a young upstart." That's what they told me when I was a young person. I'll tell you I thank God I did not listen to them. It took me many years to come to victory but I 15:19 would never have come if I had listened to all those old men preachers and pastors who were defeated in their lives and tried to dishearten me. Everybody around me was accepted their word. I said no I don't care. I remember telling the Lord Lord if I'm 15:37 the only person in India who believes it I'm going to believe it because I believe your word. I'm not going to just say I believe God's word and then neglect it like a lot of people do. I am absolutely convinced that many of 15:48 you listen to me carefully. You say you believe the word of God but I tell you to your face some of you do not believe God's promises. It's not true because you've sat here in NCCF for so many years and it hasn't changed your life 16:02 much. It hasn't changed your family life much. What are you believing? Where is the light shining? It's darkness. in some of your homes. If people could come secretly to your home and watch what's going on, it's darkness. 16:19 And yet, I want to say to you in Jesus name, it should not be like that. Let's move on. Let's possess the land. And it says here, but Joshua verse 6, chapter 14, verse 6, and Caleb, they spied out the land. They spoke to 16:35 the congregation. Look at this language of faith. The land which we pass through is a exceedingly good land. It's a wonderful life, brothers and sisters. Like it says in Proverbs 14:14 in the Living Bible, the godly man's life is 16:51 exciting. That's how it's supposed to be. Every day challenge to overcome situations, circumstances, sin. And the Lord is if the Lord is pleased with us, verse 8, he will bring us into this land and give it to us. 17:10 And he they tell the others, "Don't rebel against the Lord. Don't fear these people. Don't fear these sins that have ruled you for so long. They will be our praise. It's like they're going to be like the animals we capture. We're going 17:26 to capture them. Their protection has been removed from them. The devil was defeated on the cross. Don't act as if the devil is still victor. When you live a defeated life, you're proclaiming by your life, Satan is victor. 17:43 I tell you, he's not the victor. Jesus is victor. I don't care what you say with your mouth, what is your life proclaiming? What is your family life proclaiming? Satan is victor in my home. Satan is victor in my life. Satan is victor in my 17:57 thought life. It doesn't matter then what you say with your lips. Satan sits back and laughs. These fellows can say what they like with their lips. They can sing such beautiful songs. But their life is testifying something 18:17 else. And all my fellow demons, Satan says, can see it. All my fellow demons can see it every day that their life is proclaiming something completely different from what they sing on Sunday morning. Dear brothers and sisters, how many of 18:36 you will rise to the challenge that Joshua and Caleb gives? It says the Lord is with us. It says don't be afraid. their protection. Verse 9, has been removed from them. 18:55 And the Lord is with us. I will not be afraid. In one translation, it says they're like bread. We're going to eat them. They're our food and all. And that's really true. They are like our food. 19:13 Like let me repeat that story. I've the parable of that I've heard before and some of you probably heard me say it, but for those of you who haven't heard it, there was this ugly looking lizard or iguana, one of these big lizards sitting on a man's 19:29 shoulder. It's a picture of sin that had conquered his life. And then angel comes to him and says, "Get rid of that. Get rid of that." And that iguana lizard says, "No, no, no, no, don't get rid of me. You know, you and I have been 19:40 friends for years. I'll behave myself. I'll behave myself. And so he says, "Okay." And and he argues with this angel, allows this sin to remain. And then finally he gets fed up and he he says, "Okay, you do it." And the 19:57 angel pulls out that iguana lizard and throws it on the ground. And suddenly it becomes a a horse. And he he the angel tells this man, "Now you don't have to walk anymore to the promised land. You can gallop on this horse. This sin 20:16 that ruled your life is what slowed you down, slowed you down throughout your life. If you conquer it and put it down, it's becomes a horse on which you can run and go full speed into God's kingdom. I've never forgotten that 20:32 parable. Every sin I conquer is something that I can ride on and go fast into God's kingdom. Remember that, brothers and sisters. And don't listen to the devil when he says keep me. Keep me I'll behave myself. He'll never 20:44 behave himself. He's here to ruin your life. And he says when you hear such a wonderful message of victory, one would think all of Christendom should rise up to and says yes. This is what's written throughout the Bible. It says in Romans 21:00 6:14, "Sill not have dominion over you." It says in Romans 8:37, "We are more than conquerors." Not just conquerors. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. It says in 2 Corinthians 2:14, "Thanks be to God who 21:13 always causes us to triumph in Christ." Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:es 1-4, "I know nothing against myself. My conscience is absolutely clear." Paul says in Acts 24:16, "This is my testimony. I live with a perfectly good 21:31 conscience every single day, all the time, 24/7." What a life example of these men. Paul, John says at the age of 95 in 1 John 5:3, God's commands are not a burden. There's not a single command of God, John says at the age of 95 that I found 21:50 to be a burden in the last 65 years since I was filled with the spirit on the day of Pentecost. Can you give that testimony? Even for one year, leave alone 65 years. There's a Chinese proverb that says 22:08 the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and then another step. You don't have to walk thousand miles. Just one step. One step. Continue. Continue and you'll reach the end of the thousand miles. 22:25 God's got a plan for your life. It was planned before you were born. It was planned before I was born. And all of us have messed up that plan for a Lord for many, many years. You and I. I know I have. I've been a backslider in my life, too. 22:45 And I repented and wept and cried out to God for years till God one day filled me with the Holy Spirit and turned me right around. I had my day of Pentecost and continuing in filling with the spirit. You cannot do it without it. It is 22:58 impossible. Don't even attempt it. And don't go for these fake counterfeit spirits fullness found in a lot of Pentecostal churches. Go for the real thing that the apostles got on the day of Pentecost where Jesus said, "You 23:10 shall receive power, not tongues. Power. I wanted power. I was thoroughly defeated in my life more than all of you. But I said, Lord, I want power. I was at rock bottom when God met with me, filled me in the spirit." And I'll tell you why. If I 23:26 were to draw a d graph of my life when the time I was born again I was really wholehearted and it was climbing climbing I was really wonderfully according to the light I had till a day came in my life I said lord I give up 23:38 the ambition in my I had in my life to go to the top of my profession and I chuck it because you called me to leave it and serve you and I continued like that but the one thing I lacked or a couple of things I lacked I did not have a 23:53 spiritual father I did not have a spiritual mentor to challenge me to a life of victory. I never heard a preacher preach saying sin will not have dominion over you. Come on, be an overcomer. I never heard that. So, I was 24:08 defeated. And the second thing I didn't have was fellowship. I never saw a church which functioned like a body of Christ where people loved the Lord and loved one another and function together as a body. You know, it makes a 24:19 tremendous difference when you have a body because if this hand is paralyzed, there's another hand that comes to hell. And if any part of this body is injured, when you're part of a body, it functions and helps and restores it, can massage 24:37 it and bring it back to life. But imagine if this hand is all by itself and it's dead. It's just like that, dead forever. I didn't have a body. I didn't have a spiritual father. And it's the years of my defeated then I, you know, my graph started going 24:53 down. And once you're discouraged, you get more and more defeated. When you're discouraged, you condemn yourself. Oh, I'm preaching so many things. It's not true. I finally got so fed up with my life way back nearly 50 years ago. 25:10 I said, "Lord, I'm not going to preach anymore because I'm a first class hypocrite. I'm preaching and singing things which are not true in my life. I don't want to fool anybody anymore sitting up there in front and or standing up in front and acting like a 25:25 holy man when I'm not. I'll I won't give up being a Christian. I love Jesus. I know he died for me. I know he's the only way of salvation. But I'll sit at the back of some church and never preach again. I really said that 25:40 to the Lord. Unless Lord, you do something for me. Make I only one thing. I don't want the gift of healing or even preaching nothing. Make my inner life correspond with what I'm singing and saying. That's all. I don't ask for anything anything 25:56 else. Make my inner life correspond with what I'm saying. I believe with my testimony, with the songs I sing, that's all I ask you, Lord. And I was at rock bottom. I prayed like that and nothing seemed to happen. I'll tell 26:16 you this, sometimes it can be so discouraging when you pray and pray and there doesn't seem to be an answer to it. You go down and down and down and down and I was at rock bottom in my backsliding and there one day 26:34 when I least expected it, God met with me and filled me with the Holy Spirit. all of a sudden and began a life in me. Of course, he as a post script, he also gave me a 26:54 little finger called the gift of tongues only this size. It wasn't 12 ft long like