0:00 Praise God uh for all his blessings, spiritual blessings and also the material blessings. Even as uh brother Mike was mentioning uh such a um God has answered our prayers and has 0:19 given this new place to meet like this and uh yeah I don't want to take anything for granted and let's um thank God and let's not forget uh after we re receive the blessing it's always important to go 0:36 back and thank God for answered prayers. And also now we are in the 11th month 1st of November. Um God's protection over the last 10 months upon all of us upon our church. Um let's look back and give thanks uh for the way he has sustained all of 0:55 us and also for the conference uh for all the spiritual food God has given to us for the last uh weekend. Uh let's not forget what God has given to us. hold fast and uh whatever we heard it may be still residing in our head uh 1:14 family let's make sure that we seek to obey whatever god has impressed upon our hearts again from him through him to him uh not by our own strength even as I'm standing here I my prayer has been lord help me I cannot do it um even today I'm 1:33 physically not at a great state because of allergies and all of that so I appreciate your prayers but even spiritually like it's a it's every time even though I have done it few times before every time it's it's a new thing 1:46 again I it's uh Lord I need you please help me uh help me to speak the words you give me and uh speak in the way you want me to speak and exactly what you want me to speak so let's pray once uh and then we can go to the message 2:01 heavenly father thank you so much for your kindness for your mercy for your gentleness for your patience towards us. Thank you for every blessing you have poured out into our lives. All the spiritual blessings you have given to us 2:13 through our Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord also thank you for taking care of all our earthly needs, food, shelter, clothing. Even a place uh like this Lord where we could gather uh and encourage one another. Please be with me as I 2:29 speak your words. Help me fill me with your holy spirit. Give me purified lips. Help me Lord to speak your words just the way you want me to speak and uh guide me and lead me. Pray whatever you are giving to us Lord. Help us to have 2:43 listening heart and see and a willingness to obey all that you are teaching us. Thank you once again. We commit this time into loving hands in Jesus name I pray. Amen. All right. So I want to begin first with u our one of our favorite verses for our 3:00 church and one verse that we constantly hear um [clears throat] it is uh Ephesians 5:18 Ephesians 5:18 it says do not be drunk with wine for that is dissipation 3:19 but be filled with the spirit. Um some translations say be continuously filled or be being filled. The second part of that um so do not be drunk with wine. People who drink wine, they don't drink just once in their lives. They 3:36 constantly go back and drink. Likewise, we as Christians, we need to be continuously filled because they we will leak. Uh we will need the power. What we received yesterday may not be sufficient today. So we need to go back to the Lord 3:51 and ask him with thirst and faith to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And what I want to focus is um what happens after we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Um um what are the marks of the uh person who's filled with the Holy Spirit? First 4:07 of all, uh his eyes will be on heaven. He will see things from heavenly perspective. uh it's not just like having some um uh you know once we are filled you do some miracles or speak tongues but primarily we our perspective 4:23 will be changed we no longer see things from earthly perspective but from heaven's perspective and also the one thing that I always um think what is another mark of a spiritfilled uh spiritfilled person is we'll have a greater control over our tongue it is 4:41 through our tongue we can uh lift one or destroy another person. Uh we tongue is a restless uh evil. It's it it is very difficult to control when the Bible says and holy spirit gives us grace and strength to control our tongue. Um so 4:58 that [clears throat] that's why in the on the day of Pentecost they receive the tongues of fire and also I have seen personally when I am uh seeking to be filled with the holy spirit and god gives me the power of the holy spirit 5:09 when I read the word of god there is a revelation something that was plain before now I see something new in the same word that I have seen same words that I have read before uh we have a continuous revelations the and the 5:24 treasures will be uh found and discovered from the word of God. Uh I hope that is your experience too as you read the word of God and that should generate a greater thirst in us, a greater hunger to read the word of God. 5:36 And of course uh when temptation strikes, the power of the Holy Spirit gives us uh gives us the grace and help to overcome and to resist the temptation. And uh recently I heard I think in our zoom meeting brother Zach mentioned what is another mark of the H 5:53 holy spirit being filled with the holy spirit is we will be able to love those who are unlovable those who are like our enemies it is impossible in our human strength to love someone who is like an enemy um and one of the mark of a person 6:11 who is 100% filled with the holy spirit Jesus Christ we see how he loved his own enemies is you and I are one of them. We are like his enemies but he died for us. So as we are being filled with the Holy Spirit as we in this in obedience to 6:26 being filled uh to this command to be filled with the Holy Spirit. One of the mark is my love for my fellow brothers and sisters not just people who agree with me but people who do not agree people who maybe not just within our 6:39 church anywhere my love for those people who even I I disagree with or who are like my enemies my love should grown loving those who are not lovable. So uh that's one thing that I wanted to say before we go to the next part which is 6:56 uh the verse from uh chapter 6. Go to the next chapter please. Uh Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12. For a spiritfilled man, one of the mark is immediately you see a lot of verses about um in chapter five about family, about workplace and then chapter six 7:16 talks about the spiritual warfare, spiritual battle. One of the mark of a spiritfilled man is he will be engaged or his struggle is not against the flesh and blood but verse 12 but against the rulers 7:34 against the powers against the world forces of this darkness against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. The four things mentioned right first of all it says what it is not about flesh and blood it's not about fighting with human 7:50 beings a spiritfilled man a believer who is spiritfilled will seize fighting against flesh and blood against people but he will focus all his energies to struggle or to fight against these rulers and the powers and the world forces of 8:08 the darkness against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. And the next verse is so take up the full armor of God. God knows we have a struggle. This is our struggle and God gives us a full armor of God. Um 8:23 [clears throat] but I want to uh I want to emphasize this point where it is so clear as we see from Old Testament to New Testament. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel fought with many nations. Philistines um one of them and 8:39 uh there are many other people nations around Israel. They were constantly in fight. It was always against people. But as you enter into the new testament and new covenant immediately everything shifts starting from Jesus, starting 8:53 from Paul, the battle is uh spirit uh is against the spiritual forces. But even um even Jesus in uh chap uh John 18:36 let's read quickly John 18:36 when he was before Pilate. 9:13 My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But as it is my kingdom is not of this realm. Jesus is talking about my kingdom 9:28 is not of this world. if it were so, my servants would be fighting. But he yielded. He did not open his mouth. He um when Pilate was asking questions, he was silent. He did not fight back. Um he entrusted himself to the heavenly 9:43 father. Um so that's how that's one of the response we see from the Lord in the way he responded uh when he was tried. And let's start with the Old Testament 9:57 first. Um in Genesis chapter 13 in Genesis chapter 13 in even in the Old Testament there are glimpses of people who displayed the traits of the new covenant. They displayed the traits of how a person in the new covenant should 10:16 act. in the Old Testament story, Abraham and Lot. Abraham was Lot's uncle and um they were all uh so verse 7 uh Genesis 13:7 um [clears throat] let's uh let's start with the verse 5 quickly. Now Lot who went with Abraham 10:35 also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land could not sustain them while dwelling together for their possessions were so great and they were not able to remain together. And there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abraham's livestock and the 10:52 herdsman's of Lord's livestock. And now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. Take a note of that. And then so there is a one land they were all sharing and now both have livestock and there was a strife between 11:10 these headsman of Abraham Abraham and Lot and these people from Canaanite Canonites and Perizzites were watching and dwelling there and they were watching this fight and Abraham Abraham sorry at that time he was called Abraham. He says this is one of the 11:28 thing that I want to I want all all of us to focus. Please let there be no strife between you and me nor between my headsman and your headsman. So for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate for me from me. If to the left 11:46 then I will go to the right or if to the right I will go to the left. And you know what happened later on. But Abraham had every right. He was an uncle. He was elderly. He says, "Okay, I'll take this place and you go that place." No, he 12:01 said, "Lord, let's not fight. Let's not have any strife between your people and our people. Let's live in peace. Look, this un the people other people are also watching. If you go this way, I'll go this way. And if or if you choose go to 12:13 go this way, I'll go this way." Uh the graciousness of Abraham, you can see that he chose not to fight, but he chose to yield. The spiritfilled man will do that. Um, I'm not going to fight. I give up my uh my desire to fight. Um, uh, so 12:31 you decide if you go this way, I'll go this. So, let's have peace. And what a testimony it is even for those people who are watching or dwelling in the same place. Uh, Abraham uh was called by God and he chose the right uh he he made the 12:43 right decision for us as Christians too. When we are united, it's a great testimony for the unbelievers. people who are outside by our love they will know that we are Christ's disciples and if we fail to display that and it's a 12:56 bad testimony and uh in the same book in Genesis chapter 26 quickly um again there's another similar story slightly variation but um it's again digging up the wells vers 19 13:13 to 22 quickly so Isaac keeps digging wells. In verse 19, but when Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water in this part of the world, if there's water, man, it's like getting something 13:31 precious, right? Um the herdsmen of Gerard quarrelled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, "The water is ours." But who dag who was digging the well before? It was Isaac, Isaac's servants. So he named the well Isach because they 13:46 contended with him. Then they dug another well and they quarreled over it too. So he named it Sitna. And he moved away from there and dug up another well and they did not quarrel over it. So he named it Rahaboth. For he 14:05 said, "At last the Lord has made room for us and we will be fruitful in the land." Can you see the same thing? um the son of Abraham Isaac he was digging the wells people are quarreling he says leave the well I know I did all the hard 14:19 work it takes a lot of work to dig a well by the way in that part of the world and even now going back to India it's I see I saw what happened in our own home when we were constructing to dig up a bore well it takes a lot of 14:31 effort they were digging but they have to leave because someone else claimed it two times but the third time God gave him a place where they did not quarrel and Again [clears throat] one more example I want to see from uh the Old 14:45 Testament Numbers chapter 12 in all these things I want to highlight how people submitted to God they didn't chose not to fight with flesh and blood this verse from Ephesians 6:12 I was mentioning that was a one of the life-changing in my own life I would say 15:03 in my marriage in the first few years I was I think like many marriages I was fighting with my wife a lot But when God opened my eyes to see this, my struggle is not against the flesh and blood. My wife or my any other human being, my 15:17 boss, my colleague, they're not my I'm I'm not going to fight my my I must focus my energies on fighting the spiritual battles. So in uh Numbers 12 here, Miriam and Aaron had complaints about Moses, right? Because of his wife. 15:34 And um verse 2, Numbers 12:2, Miriam and Aaron, our brothers and sisters of Moses, they said, "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken us spoken through us as well? And the Lord heard it when there was a complaint. Moses did not 15:54 act. It was Lord who took action." And now in the next verse, it says uh verse three in the brackets in the parenthesis. Now the man Moses was very humble more than any man who was on the face of the earth. I think Joshua would 16:11 have written that. Moses is so humble that he would not have written about it. But you see the humility of Moses. He brought the ten commandments. He was a leader. He did not defend himself. He did not fight for his he did not Lord 16:23 heard it when his own brother and his own sister had a complaint. It's not outside people his own people. But Moses was humblest man on that at that point on the face of the earth and the Lord heard it and Lord took care of it. In 16:37 next verse you see four and five you can read it later. um how uh Lord disciplines uh the point was again Moses response right when he was confronted when he was opposed how did he do he chose not to fight and the Lord handled 16:56 it well um in the coming uh to the new testament new covenant um days you see in acts of the apostles uh you see the ministry of Stephen Acts chapter 6 9-10 17:14 [clears throat] he did not fight. Acts 6 9-10 also um they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking and uh there was so much of opposition to him and finally they even 17:33 had people stone him to death. But towards the end verse 15 um he was fixing his gaze on Jesus of Nazareth. He was standing and uh from heaven you see verse 14 for we have heard him say that this Nazarine Jesus 17:52 will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down on us and fixing their gaze on him. All who were sitting in the council saw his face was like an angel. No, that's not what I wanted to say. But when he was when he 18:07 was putting put himself when uh Saul was um was leading that uh stoning Stephen in the next chapter then he says in verse 60 chapter 7:E 60 I'm sorry for the wrong verse I quoted chapter 7 16 then falling on his knees he cried out 18:26 with a loud voice Lord do not hold this sin against them having said this having said this he fell asleep uh before before that his eyes were upon Jesus. Uh he was the first martyr but he chose not to fight and when there were 18:43 people were stoning he committed his spirit into the Lord's hand. He says Lord Jesus receive my spirit in verse 59. That's a response. Um even apostle Paul also went through lot of opposition. Uh let's read um 19:04 let's read 2 Timothy chapter 4. Second Timothy chapter 4 19:21 verse 14. 2 Timothy 4:14, Alexander the copper smith did me much harm. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 19:39 But he says to Timotei, be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching. At my first defense, no one supported me, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them. See how Apostle Paul reacted to someone who did so much harm 19:57 to his ministry. Alexander the copasmith. We don't know what that harm is. But he says he's leaving it to the Lord. But he's warning Timothy be go beyond God. And many people deserted him. But verse 17, but the Lord stood 20:12 with me just as stood with Moses. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished that all the Gentiles might hear and I was rescued out of lion's mouth. uh you see that response of a 20:30 spiritfilled person how even when he was taken advantage of even when people uh do so much harm he uh like apostle Paul uh the spiritual person will leave it to will leave the matter to the lord 20:47 um even in verse uh 11 uh in the same chapter only Luke is with me pick up Mark and bring him with you for he is useful for me uh for service. But Mark initially deserted him but later on there was a reconciliation and he said Mark will be useful so please 21:07 bring him back. uh we [clears throat] see that uh again and again right so if you study the Bible uh more carefully we see many of such examples and um let's now look at few examples from uh our Lord's life 21:26 Matthew chap 26 Matthew 26 50- 52 two. 21:48 So Judas comes to betray Jesus, right? And then Jesus says to him, "Friend, the person who's betraying him, friend, do what you have come for." And then they came and laid hands on Jesus and 22:07 seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword and stuck struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For all those who take 22:26 up the sword shall perish by the sword. And do you think I cannot appeal to my father and he will at once put at my disposal more than 12 legions of angels? How will the scripture be fulfilled which says it must happen this way? And 22:44 then so you see the point and the and then later on he heals the very soldier who came to arrest him. That's the love of our Lord Jesus Christ who is a spiritfilled man 100% where the person who is coming to bed is calling friend 23:01 few hours before he wash his feet and the person who is who is now is a soldier who lost his ear heals him later. So that's what even all the way to the cross he says father on on the on the cross father forgive forgive them 23:17 for they do not know what they are doing and um that's a spirit uh I want to have uh towards anyone uh I'm not there yet but uh as I am determined to seek to follow the way of the cross the way that Jesus has inaugurated for us uh as I 23:36 seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit this is one of the mark I want to see my own life my love for the people growing to the point so much love that love will cover multitude of sins there's only um a mercy calling for mercy you know there 23:52 are two ministries uh one is a ministry of accusation the Satan is 24 by7 involved in one ministry is accuser of the brethren revelation 12:10 Revelation 12:10 says he accuses the brethren day and night, day and night. That means no 24:10 gap. Let's read that. Um, Revelation 12:10. Sorry, I'm trying to go back and forth, but uh, let's do that. It's like a Bible study. So, in the last part of verse 10, it says 24:28 uh, the accuser of our brethren who has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. So it's a 24 by 24 by7 job that um that Satan is doing against the children of God right before God. But you know what Jesus is 24:47 doing? Same thing 24 by7 you know that verse where he's interceding for us anyone which verse we should be familiar with this verse this very very important the ministry of Jesus. Which book? 25:03 Hebrews 7. Yes, thank you. Hebrews 7:25. Hebrews 7:25. So there's Satan is doing his job. Jesus is doing his job. Uh this is his ministry. If you ask Jesus, what are you doing right now? This is what he's able to save forever those who draw 25:23 near to God through him for since he always lives to make intercession for them. So there's accusation, there is intercession. There's accusation, there is intercession. Two contrast, two different ministries. Uh one day I think 25:42 as I was going to work, I was I had some struggle going through and the Lord spoke to one of the message I was listening to. You have a choice before you take the ministry of intercession or ministry of accusation. Right? Lord, 25:54 thank you for the reminder. I want to follow you. There are so many people doing the ministry of accusation. I want to intercede. Intercede for the people. Not interceding for people whom I love. People interceding for people who are 26:07 opposing or who causing trouble who are causing harm. That's the true mark of a spiritfilled person where we are not just loving those whom who love us back but uh loving our enemies. Let's turn to Luke chapter 6. 26:29 Luke 6 verse 32. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the 26:49 same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. Then Jesus says in verse 35, "But love your enemies. 27:09 Love your enemies and do good and lend expecting nothing in return and your reward will be great. And then and you will be the sons of the most high 27:27 for he himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. You want to be the sons of the most high? We call ourselves children of God. And um if someone says my child is just looking like me and I feel very happy about it in if we are like Jesus 27:47 if we are like our father heavenly father and uh we as his sons display that characteristic in other place Jesus says in the next verse be merciful just as your father is merciful that's the standard be merciful just your father is 28:03 merciful be like your father and be like the sons of the most high for he himself is kind to grateful people. No, kind to ungrateful and to good men. No, evil men. That is his standard. That is the divine nature. 28:22 So there are three levels. If you do good, if you if you harm someone who has done some good to us, that is demonic, right? Someone has done something good but you do harm. It's not even human. Next level is human. Someone does good 28:37 to you, I do good. Someone treats me nicely, I treat nicely. That is human level, right? Um, someone does harm, I'll do harm. But divine nature is going to loving our enemies, doing good, expecting nothing in return, not even a 28:55 thanks. And your reward, there is a reward will be great and you will be the sons of most high. Uh my dear brothers and sisters, the standard for our Christian life is pretty high. But thank God, God has given us all the resources. He's not 29:12 asking us to raise to a PhD level without giving us the resources. I was I attended one PhD dissertation. I mean the that defend right the PhD from one of our church member. I was there. I'm an engineer. I thought I will do my best 29:28 to understand. I sat there for first five minutes. I understood it's I think related to uh medical field. So first five minutes I understood after that it just went above my head. I did not have that grace to understand our wisdom. 29:44 It's at a PhD level. Yeah. This is a PhD level stand loving our enemies. But if God gives me that wisdom like he gave to Daniel like he gave to many people including some of our brothers and sisters here maybe well educated like in 29:58 the doctorate level. God will give us the grace and he uh when he's expecting us a PhD level problem to be solved like the standard of a PhD level he will give us the grace and he has given us he is saying be filled with the holy spirit it 30:12 is impossible for you to display this character of Christ that's why we come back to Ephesians 5:18 Lord you have asked me to love my enemies it is impossible yes it is impossible that's why I have given you the holy spirit and 30:28 last weekend I think is one thing that we heard over and over again is seek, thirst, ask, be filled, be filled with the Holy Spirit. So, and um 30:43 let's read Titus chapter 3 quickly. Titus chapter 3 31:02 verse three. For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, 31:19 hating one another. But that was our state. But when the kindness of God our savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us not on the basis of deeds we have done in righteousness, but 31:36 according to his mercy by the washing of the regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our savior. >> [clears throat] >> So we see that we once I mean what is our previous state and what is our 31:56 current state once we were also disobedient we were foolish we were also deceived by many things by people by wrong teaching by lot of things were but we were also enslaved in various laws but now when the kindness of God has 32:13 appeared and he saved us not on the basis of our own righteous deeds but according to his mercy Be merciful just as your father is merciful. According to his mercy, [snorts] we receive so much mercy from our father. So according to his mercy, 32:30 we were saved by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the holy spirit. Um so just as we received our me just as we received the mercy of God my dear brothers and sisters let us use every 32:47 opportunity to show mercy to others. Everyone is created in the image of God. Even the most um uh terri terrifying sinner or most people who um who are like our enemies are people who do harm. Uh everyone is made in the image of God. 33:06 they are enslaved by the devil. Um they they are captivated. I think there's verse one verse I'm trying to recall um which says um and I think it's first thing u it says I'll try to find it says they 33:24 they are under devil's captive. If you see someone, if you go to a hospital and if someone is doing a lot of bad things, I mean screaming and doing uh something you know that uncontrollable, you you don't feel um angry, you should feel 33:41 sorry and feel sad and pray and help. Likewise, if someone is un like unbeliever uh or someone is doing something because he's under the captiv captivity of the devil, we don't want to hate them, right? We want to love, show 33:56 love. So that is again as I said in the circumstances we may feel that we are lacking but God will fill us with the Holy Spirit. Likewise even maybe the other person is a believer I'm unable to um uh I agree with that person on 34:12 everything. I have some light that person may not have that light. So how do how should I respond? Show mercy. Just God has been patient with me. Just God has been merciful to me. I need to be patient. I need to be merciful. They 34:24 will come to that point one day. But until then, Lord, help me to continuously show mercy just as you have shown mercy. Because I once was like that. I was also foolish. I was also disobedient. I also I also did so many 34:38 things that were wrong in your side and the other person is maybe in darkness right now. Maybe maybe it'll come to light one day. But help me to be patient. Um I want to end with this verse from Romans chapter 12. >> [clears throat] 34:58 >> Romans chapter 12. If you get a chance, please read. Wonderful chapter. I think we need to read it more often than other chapters. I think um yeah, first let's read verse 9. Let love 35:16 be without hypocrisy. Yeah. No, no hypocrisy in love. And um verse 17 uh verse let's start with verse 16. Be of the same mind towards one another. Do 35:34 not beaughty in mind or be do not be proud but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in our own estimation. Sometimes we are wise in our own estimation. We give ranking like I'm more spiritual than others. The more spiritual we become, the more 35:51 spiritfilled we become, we see more and more uncristlikeness in our own lives and we become more humble. We won't become like that Pharisee who was despising the publican. We will be humble. We will be we'll become little 36:03 in our own eyes. So the warning is do not be wise in your own estimation. My estimation is is it doesn't matter at all. What does God think of me? What is God's estimation? Lord, tell me where I am. The next verse, never, not even 36:21 once, never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Not just inside, not just outside, anywhere, to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. This verse, verse 18, if possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace 36:39 with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God. For it is written, "Vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord." There is never a commandment in the Bible which says, "If possible, 36:56 obey this command." For just for this one, I don't think I I I don't recall any other command which has this preface. If possible, you know why it says if possible? Because for pe two people to have peace it requires two 37:12 people to act right. So there are certain limitation. I want to have a peace with someone but it also depends on the other person. So Bible is very practical. It says if possible as far as it depends on you do your best. I know 37:27 it is not entirely on you but at least on on my part if I'm sincere I can be at peace with all men. Right? I don't want to pay back evil for evil to anyone but as much as possible as much as light on me I will be at peace. Lord help me help 37:43 me to be at peace with all men. Um uh God knows our limitations but whatever is on our part we can do to be at to be the peacemakers. You know blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called 38:00 children of God. read Matthew chapter 5 um this is at the very beginning blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God 59 peacemakers let us be peacemakers 38:20 uh I I love brother Zach's illustration some of these illustrations are so beautiful if for like like this right two people clashing and not having peace but if one person chooses the way of peace and refuses to fight even if this 38:34 person wants to fight I'm not going to fight so there's no but if two people decide not to fight and they can have fellowship right so this is the best but then this is the second best where I choose not to fight but uh the worst is 38:49 fighting uh but blessed are the peacemakers peace makers not peace breakers peacemakers let's be those peacemakers like uh you know if Jesus could bring a Jew Jew and a gentile together on the cross. How much more he could bring people who are like enemies. 39:07 He can do that work in us as we continuously seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Um and also there are two things peacemaker break maker or breaker. But there could be a third category is peace fakers. We can pretend 39:21 there is peace when there is no peace. That's also wrong. Let the love be without hypocrisy. Uh not acting. Let that let it be genuine. uh that it be pure love towards one another. God can do that work. My dear brothers and 39:35 sisters, I know it is difficult but it's not impossible but um it is impossible if we try with our human strength but as a Christian we have uh so many resources God has given to us at our disposal. Let's use let's tap onto them. Lord fill 39:53 me with your Holy Spirit today. Fill my heart with love for everyone. Let my heart be overflowing with love. that love that can cover multitude of sins. May the Lord help all of us. Thank you. 40:15 Wonderful reminders I'm blessed to hear this morning. to start with Ephesians chapter 6 um about the full armor of God. a extended amount of time. Verse uh 40:39 chapter five and six to start about this spiritfilled man's relationships. How it's going to be with his wife and wives. How it's going to be with their husbands. 40:59 the responsibility of a spirit spiritfilled husband towards his wife towards his children at work. And finally it comes to say that linked with our memory words 41:16 for this week. Same author but influenced by the Holy Spirit. Paul writes to the church in Ephesus. 41:34 The church who had who loved the Lord, who stood in midst of lot of idol worshiing and um they love and Paul ministered this church day and night 41:52 over 3 years and he warns with a burden before closing this letter. It is a war. It is not like a a war in the world but it's a spiritual warfare. 42:11 But a spiritfilled man what he will take when he goes to a spirit realm of war in a spiritual realm. You know when brother Augustine was sharing too I was thinking 42:30 if a company offers an a job to you in their offer letter they have mentioned that the first thing is if you accept this job you have to suffer a lot 42:48 there going to be sufferings guaranteed I don't know whether your bonus is guaranteed or not but your suffering offerings are guaranteed. How many people will accept the offer? Verse 12, Ephesians chapter 6:12. 43:06 Because our struggle, our struggle is not against flesh and blood. We don't fight with human beings but against the rulers against the powers 43:25 the dark powers devil and Satan and his agents and our flesh against the world. The darkness is against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. 43:45 Brothers and sisters, uh this is real and thank you brother for reminding about also one example how you know uh we can tell many theories it goes above above our heads but when we see an 44:02 example oh this is how we apply that's why we were taught in schools even in elementary schools they will a teacher will explain a little bit a theory in the beginning and Then the teacher, a wise teacher will give couple of 44:20 problems to solve. Right? A teacher in front of me nodding the head. They will give some problems to solve and the teacher will help first one or two problems how to solve based on the theory he explained and then he will 44:35 give bunch of homework. He or she will give bunch of homework and the students will try to apply that. Let's move to acts chapter 7. Brother shared a wonderful example here. A perfectly spiritfilled man. The balance grace and truth. Not 44:53 compromised. Not just love, love, love. Not humanly love, but out of love. He speaks the truth. He didn't say your fathers. Verse 44. Acts 7:44. Our fathers, 45:11 our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness. And if you continue to read, and having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing 45:28 the nations whom God drove out before our fathers until the time of David. David found favor in God's sight and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. And then he goes on and he talks about Solomon and 45:44 verse 48, most high does not dwell in houses made by human hands as the prophet says, "Heaven is my throne and earth is the foottool of my feet. What kind of house will you build for me?" 46:00 says the Lord. Verse 51. You men who are stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and years are always resisting the Holy Spirit. You are doing just as your fathers did. 46:22 And then they were so much agitated the people. Verse 54. Is he telling the wrong things? He's showing the proofs. This is what our fathers did. This is how they behaved. This is how 46:40 they treated God and God's rules. They resisted the Holy Spirit. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and they began nashing their teeth at him. He did not see them 47:00 as humans did because Steven was being full of the Holy Spirit. He gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. See the soldier when he sees that 47:19 the master the master surgeon are like you know chief chief of command is when you are fighting in the battle he did not leave you alone has a throne to sit next to dad but Jesus was standing standing next to the 47:36 right hand of God and he said behold I see the heavens open and the son of man standing in the right hand of God son of man Jesus standing in the right hand of God he is not sending us alone to the battle the people who doesn't have help he has 47:54 given the holy spirit and when you are filled with the holy spirit like Steven saw we see the glory of god when people fight when people try to accuse what do we do we see god's glory I had an opportunity in 2023 when I visited um 48:12 I had an opportunity to sit with brother Zach extended amount of time and he's told me two things and one is to be filled with the Holy Spirit always have a clear conscience. Start with God first. God sees inside, people sees 48:31 outside, people may misunderstand but try to have a good conscience before God first and then with people. And then second thing he said that when their fight happens when there misunderstanding happen maybe at home maybe at workplace everywhere always you 48:49 take the lower place [snorts] you humble yourself these are the two conditions um to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Brothers and sisters, let us humble ourselves. As we heard in the conference time also, those who are 49:07 humble, hungry, needful people will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will help us to fight as the soldiers for him throughout this week. Amen. Let's pray. Our dear heavenly father, thank you so much for sending your son in whom you 49:26 have set an example in front of us. Lord, thank you for these good examples who who lived for you who were filled with your spirit and then you in your sovereignty you have kept this in the book you have written Lord for our sake 49:43 in your love letter. Help us Lord to remain humble and have a clear conscience and so [clears throat] that the grace and the holy spirit be filled in our hearts be being filled continually as we 50:01 tasted in one area and other areas in every area in our heart lord father fill us with your spirit we ask and receive all these things in Jesus precious name amen. and
