0:00 Девочка-пай 0:30 So, in these days we have had the opportunity to hear some younger elders, and I hope you have been blessed by what you have heard from them. 0:53 And now, in this session, we want to hear two of the oldest. Brother Ian has been from the beginning. In fact, the whole work here in Bangalore started when he and I, together, were seeking God in our own desperate, defeated state for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. 1:27 We used to come together and pray together. We were just two needy people. And if you are a needy person, it is wonderful if you can find another needy person with whom you can pray. That's what we did. And we didn't know, I at least didn't know, I was pretty fed up with my own defeated life. 1:54 But in January 1975, God amazingly met with both of us separately. And I'm glad he met with us separately, with me on one day in one place, with him on another day in another place the next day. And that was because God did not want it to be a joint experience. 2:13 I'm always afraid of these joint experiences. Our relationship with God is personal, individual. And God met with him and met with me. And that turned our life around. We were baptized afresh. We had experienced something earlier, but we had backslidden. 2:32 We were baptized afresh in the Holy Spirit. And then, of course, we began to share it in our local church. And we were turned out in about six months, literally kicked out, with no warning. I mean, I was told one Wednesday, we don't want to hear you anymore. 2:53 Fine. I said, God bless you. Can I speak one last Sunday, next Sunday? They said, no. I said, all right, I'll go. I said, I will not cause any problems. I'm a man of peace. But then they finally felt bad that I had ministered so long. 3:10 You know, I had ministered without taking any salary, without taking a title for one year. And they felt bad about that. So they said, okay, we'll let you speak next Sunday. And then I spoke and I said, this is your opportunity. 3:25 You'll come to the borders of Canaan. You have to decide whether you want to go in or turn back into the wilderness. And I left. And they did not want Ian to leave because he was still ministering there. But then he got up and said, when Zach's leaving, I'm leaving too. 3:44 And we didn't know what to do that evening. And we met together in our home, not knowing where to go. It was really like Abraham left, not knowing where he was going. We had absolutely no clue. We had no intention of starting a church. 4:00 Definitely not. We said, okay, let's pray together. One or two others also left and joined us. And we would just pray together and meet, go day by day, step by step. And that's how the church began. And it's been 36 wonderful years working with this dear man of God 4:21 who has been in the background, not known by many, but has been the strength and support of this church that has enabled me to travel. And you will see that at the judgment seat of Christ. I don't want to rob him of that reward by talking about it now. 4:45 And then after that, we will hear Brother Prabhakar. He's one of the first brothers, probably the first, from Tamil Nadu, whom God brought, and he will tell you his story. But I wanted these older brothers to share so that those of you who are younger, 5:03 who are starting now, can see what God has done in their lives and through their ministry, through the years, to encourage you. Brother Ian. Deeply touched by God. I've got the privilege to meet this church. 5:29 I know it is the grace of God and his mercy. I could have been languishing in that Baptist church, lost my children and probably lost my salvation also. 5:52 I thank God. And God sent a man like Brother Zach across my path, not just once, but thrice, which means that God had something for me and for us. I really thank God. 6:14 I am deeply, I'm really humbled to be part of such a glorious family, to be part of the body of Christ. This is not a fairy tale. This is not pie in the sky. This is real. It's real for me. This is my family. 6:36 It's been my family for 36 and a half years. And it's going to be my family for all eternity. I praise God with all my heart. I said it. I'm not ashamed to say it. That it's not my flesh and blood relatives who are my family. 6:53 If they come in the body of Christ, praise God for that. But my dear brothers and sisters, and I thank God for every one of you. And for those in our local church here who have blessed me through the years for Brother Zach and Sister Annie, 7:10 their family, their boys that have been a blessing and encouragement to our children. I thank God with all my heart. I don't want to just relate facts. Something that has been impressed on my heart like road signs along the way. 7:36 That's what I want to draw your attention to. Because I believe that's how God leads us. God leads us through his Holy Spirit. Like Brother Zach just said, it was his Holy Spirit that changed the direction of our lives, 7:51 began to change the direction that God wanted to lead the church. But unfortunately, they chose not to be part of it. And it was the Holy Spirit who led us and the prophetic word that God gave us at different times through the years. 8:11 I believe that this is so important that we have the Holy Spirit to lead us just like it was in the beginning. And we have the prophetic word. They are like road signs so that we don't get lost. And even if we take a deviation, 8:29 which we did at one time, God brought us back again. So I just want to call your attention, first of all, to 2 Peter 1. In verses 19 and 20, as I go on, 2 Peter 1, it says here in verse 16, 8:50 I like to read from verse 16, verse 19 is the word down my heart, but verse 16, it says, we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty 9:12 for when he received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to him by the majestic glory, this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. And we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven 9:29 when we were with him on the holy mountain. So, we have the prophetic word made more sure to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 9:49 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. And this was so blessed 10:06 as I thought of this word. And it says there that the prophetic word is a lamp shining in a dark place. Some of you may have seen the souvenir that we brought up from Brother Zach's 70th birthday, the man holding a lamp. 10:25 In the olden days when there were no lighthouses, that's how it was. That in the darkness, there was this lantern that this man held to guide the ships. And, you know, the word there is the same thing. It's a portable lamp. 10:43 In the old covenant, it was, they needed somebody to go to God, to go, they needed someone to go to the lighthouse or somebody to go to God. In the new covenant, it really blessed my heart. We are portable lamps. We can have 11:00 the prophetic word on our lips. We can have the prophetic word in the church. And interestingly, it says, until the morning star rises in your hearts. and that word, very blessedly, is the word phosphorus. Phosphorus, you know, 11:19 that chemical that glows. You see these fireflies at night that have that little lamp in its body. And there are some creatures in the sea that have that little glow that glows in the night. it comes from within. And that blessed my heart 11:40 that that's what the prophetic word in the church should do. We have the prophetic word made sure, it says, and we are to focus. I want to read that to you from the Message Bible. It says, we couldn't be more sure what we saw 11:54 and heard. God's glory, God's voice. The prophetic word was confirmed to us. You'll do well to keep focusing on it. It's the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the morning star in your hearts. 12:13 The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it's not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women 12:27 to speak God's word. And that's what I want to emphasize on my brothers and sisters. As we think of how God has led us, it was the prophetic word, it was this lamp that shone in a dark place and that continued to shine and in different points 12:45 the lamp shone and gave us direction. And like I said, there was a little time when we went astray, God brought us back. But that's how it is until the morning star rises in our hearts, until we partake of divine nature, 13:00 until we have the life of Jesus within us, the light comes from within, the light emits. And that's the word there, the morning star, it's a light emitting. you know, it's from within. That's what the word should do. We come to conferences, 13:18 we come here and hear the word, we have to focus our attention on what God is saying. What is God saying to me? What is the spirit we heard many times? Let him who has ears hear what the spirit is saying. Let him who has ears 13:35 to hear and to give heed to this word. And why I say that? Because that's what, it was not Brother Zach's bright idea. I know in all the time we were in that Baptist church, never once did he ever speak of wanting to, you know, 13:53 we start another church, we start another group. Never once we really felt that God would take the church along with what he was trying to do. And just like I said at the beginning of creation when everything was, when there was chaos 14:11 and darkness and emptiness, the spirit of God moved itself upon the waters and then God spoke let there be light and there was light. And I believe that's how it is. That's how the, that's how the church came into being. 14:27 It happened as God spoke, as God guided us and led us after he baptized us and afresh in the Holy Spirit and fire. And so the prophetic word was shining through the darkness and that has got brighter through the years. In 36 and a half years 14:45 we thank and praise God the light has not got dimmer. We praise God that there's a generation growing up at least in CFC Bangalore who are gripped, some of them who are gripped, who have this, who are now the morning stars 14:58 beginning to rise in their hearts. and they are now light emitting. They are phosphorus. They glow in the darkness. And that's what I want to be and that's what I want to encourage all of us our young people especially you know, 15:13 focus on the prophetic word. Let it work in you till you, till there's phosphorus. Till there's light in you that will come forth that will give light to others. And that is how God led us. It was one Sunday morning in this Baptist church 15:31 that Brother Zach just spoke a little about. And I remember that Sunday morning when the air was as it though electrically charged everything you know, things even though the whole church was not in that decision they would rather 15:50 have had us continue but they knew that something was happening. and the word that rang out loud and clear that Sunday morning I'll never forget it we still have the message on now on CD it's from Luke chapter 19 you can look at it 16:10 in verses 41 this was a word that after they agreed to let Brother Zach speak I believe that was of God they couldn't stop it there was a word the church needed to hear at that time a prophetic word and before that before that 16:28 there was a man of God there were two men of God that God brought across our path one was an Anglican pastor who helped us who helped us to understand who led us into an assurance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit Brother Zach 16:41 one day and me the next day and then following that a few months later some other brothers and sisters in the church about six families and there was this Presbyterian pastor there were others who came and you know we gave them 16:59 freedom to speak and try to get people to speak in tongues and leave your tongue loose and all this kind of thing but these two men stand out we thank God for them and I think both of them have gone into glory and just one brother 17:15 Harold Bredson very recently and he had said this word I remember that he was sick that morning he was lying down in the vestry and he was only able to get up to come and speak that word and he gave a word a very powerful 17:31 word that day and at the end of that word he said he says God will fulfill his purpose through his servant either with you or without you and that's the word he left with the church this was months earlier before they literally asked 17:50 Brother Zach to leave he was not supported by the church I was and when they said that I should continue and I would work under the board I said I'm sorry I have the same convictions I believe what Brother Zach believes 18:07 I believe what the Bible says I believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit if he leaves I leave also and so we left after the message that Sunday morning and that word in Luke 19 41 and 44 you know Jesus said if you had known 18:26 even you the things which make for peace it's good my brothers and sisters we don't just think back I don't want to think back 36 and a half years I want to think of now I want to take this word for now Jesus said if you 18:40 have known even you the things which make for peace but now they have been hidden from your eyes that's a sad thing that the things which make for peace get hidden from our eyes and he spoke further there in Luke chapter 18:56 19 it says there before earlier that when he approached Jerusalem he saw the city and wept over it and I know the times we had when we used to meet together with some of those who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit 19:09 we would seek God we really seek him many times with fasting and times weeping praying that God would lead the church along and Jesus said there he spoke he said the days will come upon you verse 43 when your enemies will 19:26 throw up a barricade against you and so on they level you to the ground and it says you will not leave in you one stone upon another and listen to this word this was the word because you did not recognize the time of your 19:40 visitation that was the word that came that morning to the church because you did not recognize the time of your visitation and speaking in Luke chapter 13 you can turn to that word also because that was a word also that 19:58 Ranzak had shared together with Luke 19 and Jesus speaking of Jerusalem there he says who killed the true prophets he says a word he spoke to Jerusalem they killed the true prophets he says how often Luke 13 verse 34 often 20:14 I wanted to gather your children together just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings and you would not have it and that was a word that came that Sunday morning there were many many in tears sad that we were leaving 20:32 and the ones who were baptized in the Holy Spirit when they came and said now what do we do we said no you go back you don't need to leave with us they said no but if we go back they're going to tear down all that we have 20:46 believed so we didn't know what we were going to do like brother Zach just shared the title of that message which we have you can always ask for order it it's a moment of crucial decision and I just don't think of 36 and a 21:03 half years as I sing I think today I want to recognize the time when God comes near me and we as churches my brothers and sisters it's good that we recognize the day of our visitation it's good that we recognize the they 21:22 get hidden from our eyes it's good we recognize that Jesus wants to gather us together and if we don't gather with him we are scattered it's good we give heed to that we focus on this prophetic word it's a lamp that shines 21:39 in a dark place and like we just read in the in the message Bible in this time of darkness we have the prophetic word thank God that the light gets brighter and so we left the church that day and the 22:00 denominational church we met that evening and we had a powerful prayer meeting before that many people came and tried to persuade me to leave and said don't join Zach he's a loner and he's always been a loner my own dad 22:16 told me I hope you have your eyes open I said to him dad his eyes were never more open than today and ironically I would say thank God it was Brother Zach who led my dad to the Lord who brought him into the kingdom of God 22:34 just two weeks before he passed away so God God works in mysterious ways and we left I had two children my eldest was three and a half and youngest was one about one year and we 22:55 felt free when we gathered together we didn't come out with a heavy heart sad and we felt free we were sad of course that the church did not go along with what God was doing so together with these six families we met in 23:10 the home of Brother Zach and Stanny 16 Decoaster Square we had no plans to start a church as we just said I think of Acts chapter 4 verse 25 I was thinking of that word when I was thinking of these things I read that from 23:26 the message Bible it says there Acts 4 25 why the big noise why the mean plots peoples earth leaders push to position that's how it was there were people on the board there who wanted to become the next pastor earth 23:47 leaders push for position potentates meet for summit talks they had secret board meetings they had a secret board meeting without the chairman decided that they're going to push him out of the church but God had his plan 24:01 and purpose and everything and it says the God deniers the messiah defiers that's how the message paraphrases Acts 4 25 so as we prayed that evening there was another word that God gave us that was a prophetic word that 24:19 gave us direction and that's in Revelation and chapter 3 I've gone back to this word many times Revelation and chapter 3 we heard it's good to together with the epistles of Timothy and Titus to read the first three chapters 24:35 of Revelation because they are through the churches that Jesus wrote to John to Revelation in chapter 3 you know and this was a word that came to us that day it says in verse 7 the middle of that verse he who is holy who 24:51 is true who has the key of David who opens and no one will shut and who shuts and no one opens while we were in that Baptist church we had got light with some brothers that got brought across our path that Jesus came in 25:07 our flesh and that was the key of David and we got light that we can that Jesus became like us in all points tempted in all points and that we could live a godly life so that was the word that came and it says I know your 25:26 deeds verse 8 behold I put before you an open door which no one can shut because you my word and have not denied my name and goes on many other things there cause those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews 25:45 and not but lie and make them to come and bow down to your feet we are not looking for that when Jesus said because you have kept the word of my perseverance I also will keep you from the hour of testing the hour which quickly 26:05 hold fast what you have so that no one will take your crown so that was a word that God gave encouraged our hearts that evening we had a powerful prayer meeting the Holy Spirit came upon us and we just give thanks and praise 26:22 God it was like on that day of Pentecost it says there when they spoke in tongues when they praised God it says they spoke of the mighty deeds of God and that was such a powerful prayer meeting that we praised God God encouraged 26:37 us I put before you an open door that no man can shut he closed one door he opened another and he said no man could shut that encouraged us tremendously and gave us direction for the coming days and we didn't know how God 26:53 would lead us I think back and like I it was 40 years ago not just 36 and a half years ago 40 years ago that a young powerful preacher and Bible teacher who was about 31 at that time 27:13 visited the little home of a newly married couple who were married for about six months and for the first time drank chocolate tea which the wife had made and that young preacher was none other than Brother Zank and that 27:30 couple was my wife and me we had not yet had our first child but that's the first time we met when he came to Seconder Bad where I was living where we were living and we had the Brethren Come Baptist Church that I was going to 27:47 had deeper life meetings and Brother Zach took some Bible studies there which really blessed us and challenged us it was the first time so I never thought of it then I was a full time worker and working with Youth for Christ 28:07 and they never wanted to invite Brother Zach for any of it was said to us don't ever invite Zach Poonin for your YFC rallies and all he will drive the people away and the offerings will go down we will not get a good offering 28:25 that's how it was then so he was never invited for any Youth for Christ program and I was working at that time with this organization so then when I think back to that time the second time when disillusion 28:45 after the first meeting we had and that we didn't have any contact with each other and disillusion with full-time Christian work my wife and I were newly married we had our first child we said no we need to take a break 28:58 we need to go to some place where we can study God's word and give our time to understand God's word and see what God's purpose we met him when we joined it was more discipleship training 29:19 center and Zach again was taking some Bible studies there we used to look forward to his sessions more than all the other boring sessions that we had and the third time of course so I just I say all this to see that you 29:36 know we don't think that God plans everything so perfectly and the third time when God brought us together in the Baptist church and we see now God's purpose in bringing us together and it was there as we shared that we 29:54 received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and we experienced the gifts of the Spirit we apart from speaking in tongues apart from the gift of tongues and apart from the gift of prophecy and apart from seeing demons cast out 30:12 we saw many people delivered some people who came to our meetings and miraculous healings in a situation a word of wisdom that exposed a man's heart who pretended that he wanted to become a believer so many things like this 30:30 and discerning of spirits God gave us the gifts of the church but God added to the church those who had a longing those who were to be saved and I could say like it says in Mark chapter 2 verse 1 it was heard that Jesus 30:44 was in the home those six years that we met together in Stani's home if we could say and many young people you know it was and in that time we decided to 31:04 work and support ourselves we said that we would not take any support from the church excuse me and we never lacked we never took an offering right from day one we had the offering box at the back we would not even remind 31:23 people that there was an offering box we never asked for money and even when we bought that piece of land today we have the meeting hall there when we built the ground floor we never asked for money we never sent out requests 31:37 for money we never sent out letters or reports of our work and because of the that we took Razak ceased to get invitations to preach before that he spoke at Keswick conventions and different other meetings even in that big 31:55 meeting in Kerala at one time and but after that you know all the invitations ceased for we became unpopular people called us heretics and all kinds of things they wrote about us in Christian magazines and there was a approach 32:12 people were warned don't go don't go to Zach Ponin's church and you heard brother Vincent share and just how that helped him so we continued to meet there and God added to our number we you know 32:32 the drawing room was full the adjoining rooms and the veranda and we were just bursting at the seams but like I said we never asked for money and God enabled us to build the hall that we have and I want to say one thing 32:50 that having experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit being immersed with the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit we came to a place where now Lord we had the faith to exercise the gifts of the Spirit but 33:06 we seemed to reach a roadblock we were not satisfied we believed that there was more and so we prayed and sought the Lord and just like it says in John chapter 16 verse 15 Jesus speaking of the Holy Spirit says he will glorify 33:22 me for he will take of mine and disclose it to you that word many times I have read that and I have claimed that I have asked Lord you promised that the Holy Spirit will take the things of you and reveal them to us and that's 33:40 what he has done for us through the years at that time we were like a locomotive full of power but no tracks to run on and the Spirit of God led us to see the new and living way that Jesus made for us through the flesh he 33:59 led us to see that it's the way of the cross like we heard this so powerfully from Santosh this morning that makes us one we have this vertical connection this vertical beam connection with the Lord and our horizontal beam 34:15 and our connection with because then we began to experience the Holy Spirit began to make us one we were not large in number and not everybody became part of this core but we thank God for those brothers and some of them 34:34 are with us some of them have fallen away and along that path there were some who thought they would be made elders they were not given enough recognition they left us and I think there's only one family today and that's 34:49 brother Danny brother his father has passed away but all the others just fell away but those who had a hunger after God who did not want to be an elder who did not want recognition that they did not want to you know have 35:06 some big part in the church they just wanted to be disciples God made us one and I want to say that that's what God has done with brother Zach and myself and then brother Newton even though there's a 15 years difference 35:22 between I mean his age and ours we never felt that way we have worked together in such unity Newton is not a yes man he's never been one and whether it's brother Zach or whether it's me we have worked together in a spirit 35:35 of unity and fellowship and that's the thing we may not have the opportunity to visit one another so often Zach travels Newton has a job I had my business but there was a fellowship that there was something that fused us 35:51 together it was the Holy Spirit and like I said what happened on the 17th of August 1975 that was the church was born I always say that you know it 36:24 showed us the way that Jesus made for us the new and living way through the flesh that we can have confidence to walk that way through the blood of Jesus and that we can become one as we take up the cross like we heard and 36:39 deny ourselves it's not been easy we are both different personalities Newton myself we are different personalities but we have worked together in fellowship we have heard that often we have had our disagreements sharp disagreements 36:55 but never once a smell of strife I can testify that before God never once things would have to tell me where I needed some correction where I needed something where I needed to put something right to and whatever it was 37:13 whether it was something personal concerning my family concerning we worked together and never got offended there there has never been a smell of strife between us and we thank God for that and I believe it's only the Holy 37:27 Spirit it's only the way that we decided to walk the new and the living way that we deny ourselves take up the cross daily and follow after Jesus and that's that's how it's been but like I said we God gave us these directions 37:45 words along the way the prophetic word that we looked at in the beginning that was made more sure we focused on it God gave direction and continued to lead us and as we did that we became one as we continue to walk that 38:01 way like I said we became phosphorus the day star the morning star rose in our hearts and the fellowship between us became more glorious and so at one point we did stray we in our pursuit 38:21 after holiness and we don't blame anybody but we went into a phase of legalism and yeah we I always think that who suffered most were our children at that 38:41 time but I believe it was God's purpose in taking us through that phase of legalism because today we could help others that today we could help others to become servants of the new covenant not of the letter but of the spirit 38:59 the letter kills like it says in 2nd Corinthians in chapter 3 the letter kills but the spirit gives life and that's why God allowed us but I want to say one thing and there was another word that God gave us at that time 39:13 a prophetic word and I remember so very clearly I got light on that you know we were focusing that on 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 depends you know we have been hearing about reading the scripture slowly and to read it exactly 39:30 and slowly as it is written and it says there in 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 by common confession great is the mystery of godliness we have heard about that in this conference that Christ manifest in the flesh and 39:51 we were taken up with the doctrine and we thought the secret of godliness was a doctrine Christ manifest in the flesh that's what led us into legalism that's what made us legalistic but I remember we got light I got light 40:08 and we never despised the paraphrases like the living Bible and message Bible sometimes we get light and in the living Bible it says it is quite true listen to it it is quite true that the way to live a godly life is not 40:22 an easy matter but the answer lies in Christ that was a liberating word the answer lies in Christ not Christ manifest in the flesh that liberated me I can testify to that before God that freed me 40:42 from legalism I had to repent of it I know brother Zach has even publicly in conferences apologized for taking the church through legalism but God allowed us to go through that path so that we can warn one another that we 41:01 can be alert and I believe that the danger we face my brothers and sisters as we continue to pursue holiness and all holiness movements as we continue to pursue a godly life as we continue to live a godly life and live a victorious 41:20 life the danger is not worldliness because that can be recognized very quickly the danger is legalism that legalism can come in among us it's not that we don't keep the commandments of god we have heard about teaching even 41:37 obeying the least of the commandments like women covering wailing their heads I'll come to that in a moment and it's not that we say no we don't need to obey all that but we can obey in the letter and if we don't have time 41:56 to look at it but in 2nd Corinthians and maybe we can I think it's a good word I shared this last week in CFC in 2nd Corinthians and chapter 2 I was 42:16 sharing about being that we are called to be a fragrance and exquisite perfume of Christ and Paul says there in 2nd Corinthians in chapter 2 he says there thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ I was saying 42:36 that that word actually is that Jesus triumphing over us and the picture that Paul had there was this Roman general with all his captives that he had taken into captivity and them marching through the streets of Rome in 42:52 chains these were all his trophies and the crowds would cheer him and the picture that Paul had there that Jesus has triumphed over us you and me my brothers and sisters we are captives not in chains we are free our chains 43:05 fell off we have been taken captive we don't have the smell of the prison like I was saying we have a fragrance that's what it says there we are a fragrance of Christ verse 13 to God among those who are being saved and among 43:21 those who are perishing to the one aroma from death to death to the other aroma from life to life and who is adequate for these things that's the question Paul asks verse 5 he answers that question not that we are adequate 43:39 in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves but our adequacy that is our competency our sufficiency whatever you like to call it is from God who also made us adequate or competent as servants of a new covenant 43:55 not of the letter but of the spirit for the letter kills but the spirit gives life and we praise God for that like I you know we read the scripture slowly that we can get light and that's how God liberated us and we thank 44:14 God that brother Zach helped us we were led into a life of legalism but we thank God we were led out of it and the answer lies in Christ not Christ manifest in the flesh not in a doctrine my brothers and sisters you can 44:27 believe in a doctrine of Christ manifest in the flesh and go to hell and lose your salvation but the answer lies in Christ who came to earth as a man was proved spotless and pure in his spirit that's the answer lies in Christ 44:44 I praise God for that Jesus said you will know the truth and the truth will make you free so that's how it has been and so we came out of that and like everything you know people can think oh now we are free now we can do 44:59 now we can wear jewelry now we can dress we can go to movies we can do this we can do that some people take advantage and use their like Paul says they turn their freedom into licences but thank God the freedom that God 45:14 gives us is that we can serve Christ that be servants of it was the love of God in us and through us and I can thank God that God gave us a love for not 45:35 only for each other but God gave us a love for people you know Jesus said in Matthew chapter 9 verse 13 a word that I have gone to many times he says go and learn what this means I desire compassion and not sacrifice and 45:52 you can substitute that word sacrifice for many things I desire compassion not our offerings not our service and he says I did not come to call the righteous but sinners and again in Matthew chapter 12 in case you know in 46:08 verse 7 he said but if he had known you know in chapter 9 in verse 13 he says go and learn what this means when they were finding fault with the disciples that they were plucking the grain on the Sabbath day and here in 46:22 another instance when they were watching to see whether he is going to heal this man with the withered hand and he says he was angry at the hardness of heart and he said if you have known I told you earlier go and learn 46:35 what this means if you have known what this means I desire compassion and not a sacrifice you will not condemn the innocent and that's something that has challenged my heart my brothers and sisters the baptism the Holy Spirit 46:49 is not just speaking in tongues and not receiving all the gifts of the Holy Spirit we thank God for that but the love of God was moved with compassion I believe I cannot be a shepherd in the church if I don't have a compassion 47:08 for people if I don't love people it says in one of the psalms indeed the Lord loves his people and if I am a shepherd after his heart it should be said of me indeed he loves God's people then I am qualified then I am fit 47:24 to be a shepherd if I don't have compassion if I am not merciful I don't mean that we compromise sometimes we have to speak firmly sometimes we have to correct and rebuke that's part of the responsibility as shepherds because 47:40 you have to give an account for the flock and I take that seriously also so we have to warn we have to rebuke and correct but to have compassion that whatever we do we do it with compassion we do it mercy and that's how 47:54 it's been that as the church has grown we have always even now recently we have asked people to recommit we are not interested in numbers growing from just about 15 people and today we have nearly 400 people we take it we 48:12 are not excited if the disciples increase we are excited if numbers increase it makes us fear and tremble because we can be infiltrated and that's what we have to watch and that we continue to get light like we heard that 48:32 we get revelation I like that word in Luke chapter 2 verse 32 when Simeon prophesied that Jesus was a light of revelation to the Gentiles to us a light of revelation we get light Jesus we get light upon his word we get light 48:51 on ourselves that will keep us humble keep us united keep us free from strife and competition and exalting ourselves and like we heard that we can that it's no burden to consider my brother or my sister more important than 49:09 myself that's how it is that's that's how it was with Jesus to be under authority these are the I'm just saying these are the things that have kept us together I'm not preaching a sermon I'm just sharing with you realities 49:25 I've never felt a burden to be under authority I know that God has put me under the authority of brother Zach I thank God for him I could say I too am a man under authority can we say that we brothers who are shepherds I 49:41 too am a man under authority or am I my own authority I want to do my own thing I never want to I'm scared I never towed the line if I have a different opinion I voice it but we have had glorious fellowship together 50:01 with brother Newton and myself now brother Zach is no longer the elder and we have other brothers not just brother Newton and me but we have some glorious brothers in CFC we got eight brothers to support us and help us we 50:13 got some young brothers wonderful brothers ancestors they're not all yes people they don't just toe the line they're themselves always encourage young people be yourself don't try to be somebody else I remember once one 50:29 young brother when we had the wednesday meetings was kind of hitting out and I saw he was trying to imitate brother Zach and I talked with him after the meeting I said you'll destroy yourself God has not given you that grace 50:43 be yourself that and you will blossom I'm so glad he took it he took that correction and I saw complete difference in his life and in his ministry so and there have been others 51:03 also like that and so I thank God for many such ones to be able to say I too am a man or I too am a woman under authority I just want to say a word about that you know this controversy about sisters wailing their heads I 51:19 want to give a testimony here I want to tell you I have never had a problem in 1 Corinthians 11 even before CFC came into being never had a problem my parents went to CSI church and though I know they're covering a cap on 51:39 their head or something but my mother got my sister to when she went to church the to cover her head the Roman Catholics and the Hindus and the Muslims must put us to shame if within our churches we have a problem about 51:59 sisters wailing their heads I've never had a problem in fact even before CFC came into being when I was in Sikandrabad and when there were some clever people who say that the hair is the covering for the sister I said no 52:15 why will it say that her sister should shave her head if she doesn't want to cover it how come that the hair becomes a covering so many things so I say to say that I didn't get this from CFC that a woman and my wife has 52:34 had no problem there that a woman should veil her head I want you to see one thing sisters and I pointed that out to my daughters and I said to the last daughter who got married I said you're going to Australia you're probably 52:50 going to go there and you'll find that women don't cover their heads there I said don't follow their example if you're the only one cover your head I see in the meetings that sister Annie in the meetings we see them on YouTube 53:07 and on the recordings that she'd be the only sister with her head covering so I told my daughter I said don't compromise there I said follow the scripture not what CFC has taught but what is in God's word that's what I want 53:22 to say to our sister see it in God's word not that brother Zach preaches it and that CFC teaches it but Zach preaches what is God's word I have everything that he has preached through the 36 and a half years I have gone 53:35 back to God's word if it's there I obey it and I want to encourage all to have a symbol of authority on her head because of the angels a 53:56 woman should have a symbol of authority on her head because of the angels I thought of that you know that many young women many girls who get married many sisters who get married like and brothers want their bride or their 54:13 wife to wear a symbol of their marriage on their ring finger they want the wedding ring so that no other man would look at her and think that she's not married and try and fool around we're so careful about that wouldn't 54:31 we want the angels to see that woman that sister is under authority so we need a symbol of authority as much like we want a symbol of marriage it's good to have a symbol of authority sisters I hope that helps you and 54:51 like I said I thank God for the church I thank God that I had a privilege to be part of this family and I know God has blessed us through the years God has blessed my children and I want to do the three things that Zach 55:10 reminded us last year keep my face in the dust be an ordinary brother and know that I am a disciple that Jesus loves not so much how much I love him but that he loves me Amen Редактор субтитров А.Семкин Корректор А.Егорова
