0:00 I would like to introduce to you our speaker tonight, Brother Zach Poonan from Bangalore. Brother Zach Poonan was working in the Indian Navy. 0:25 Ever since God called him for full-time ministry, he quit his job and has been serving the Lord in India and abroad for the last more than 50 years. 0:49 He has written more than 30 books and numerous articles. Which have been translated into many Indian languages and also foreign languages. 1:11 Even a thousand messages of Brother Zach's are available on YouTube and also on CDs and DVDs. Like all the elders of CFC churches, Brother Zach, he supports himself and his family. 1:39 Without taking any salary from the church. Nor does he receive any royalty for any of his books or CDs or DVDs. All his books and articles, CDs and DVDs are all available for free to download from our CFC website, www.cfcindia.com. 2:21 And some of his books and CDs and DVDs are available at a very reasonable and throw away price outside in the book counter, which you can make use of after the meeting is over. 2:50 meeting is over. Let's welcome our speaker tonight, Brother Zach Poonan. Let's put our hands together. 3:12 It's a very common thing when introducing speakers to talk about their ministry. And in the Christian world, there's a lot of emphasis on ministry. How much you've preached, how much you've written, and where you've traveled. 3:49 And so many things. But when we stand before the Lord in the final day, he's not going to look at any of those things. He's going to look at the heart. How did you live? How did you live with your wife at home? 4:25 How did you bring up your children? Even if you never preached a sermon, you never traveled anywhere except your own country. 4:50 Jesus was like that. If we were to introduce Jesus in a public meeting, we'll have to say something like this. This man is a poor carpenter. He has never written any book. He's never traveled outside the small country of Israel. 5:25 But he has a great love for lepers and blind men and poor people. And he helps them. His treasurer is always stealing money, but he doesn't fight with him about that. 5:46 He forgives him and says, "Okay, you can take it. I don't want any of that." And most of his sermons are only about 15 minutes. Like Matthew 5:6-7, John 14:15-16. 6:20 It's not a very impressive testimony. But he was the greatest person that ever lived on this earth. And he said, "Follow me." That has been my goal in life. 6:47 I have never had a lust to increase my ministry. I got so many invitations from many countries. I don't go. 7:09 I am primarily a worshipper of God, not a preacher. But in my private life, I worship God every morning when I get up. 7:29 And my great goal in life is to love Jesus with all my heart. And to love every human being. To have no bitterness in my heart against anybody in the world. 7:54 To always keep my heart in love. And when speaking to people, never to make them feel that they are smaller than me. Even when personal conversation, I want to consider everybody as equal to me. 8:23 Even if he is a young 20-year-old boy. That is the Christianity I believe in. To live always with my wife, never raising my voice 365 days of the year. 8:46 That is my Christianity. And when I preach, I am only talking about that to other people. That's all. So my main goal in life is not even to build the church. 9:13 It is to live like Jesus in my thought life. To try and speak the way Jesus would speak even in personal conversation. 9:35 And sometimes I make a mistake to be quick to ask forgiveness and apologize. And always to seek to be more like Jesus Christ. 9:58 And in that area, all of you can be like me. You may never be able to preach like me or write books like me. That's not important. But all these things which I just said, all of you can be like that. 10:21 For example, supposing you start with one verse. Ephesians and chapter, sorry, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. It's a very small verse. 10:50 Sometimes we ask ourselves, what is the will of God for me? Many people say, brother Zach, how can I find God's will for me? Okay. I don't know whether you're supposed to be a teacher or a sweeper or engineer or what. I don't know. 11:15 But this I know is God's will for all of you. And for me. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 18. 11:38 It says here clearly, this is God's will for you. So other things we don't know what is God's will. This we definitely know. That's written in your Bible. 11:58 So don't pray again what is God's will for you. Start here. This is where I started. I said, Lord, many areas I don't know your will. That in everything in my life, I must give thanks. 12:27 When good things come, give thanks to the Lord. When things which I think are bad, I give thanks because God is going to work that for my good. If I get what I want, give thanks. 12:47 If I don't get what I want, give thanks. When people appreciate you, give thanks to God. When people criticize you, give thanks to God. Everything. I know God's will for me. 13:09 Everything that happens to me every day, I must give thanks. Thank you, Lord. Lord, you're teaching me something. All the time, God is giving me a free education. 13:30 To make me more and more like Jesus Christ. And let's begin here. In everything, give thanks. I don't know if you've ever heard a message like that in your life. 13:51 They talk about finding God's will in so many other areas. But we don't know God's will in so many areas. It's not easy to find out whom you should marry, what job you should take. Where you should live. Should I build a house or not? Or should I rent a house? 14:14 So many things. But one thing we know. This is God's will in every situation in your life, give thanks to God. So why not start there? 14:35 Here is another verse in Philippians 2. Philippians 2. This is written in God's will. In God's book. And he's told here, this is God's, this is what will please God. 14:56 See, it says in verse 13. Philippians 2 verse 13. God, I don't know if it is like that in Kannada. God is at work in you to will and to do his good pleasure. You're not doing it. God is working inside you through the Holy Spirit. 15:28 To do his will. What is his will? That's written in the next verse. Everything in your life you must do without grumbling and without arguing or disputing. God's will. 15:48 That's wonderful. That's wonderful. So two areas now we have found God's will. First one is, everything give thanks. And second, in everything do it without grumbling and without complaining or arguing or any such thing. 16:08 Are you doing that? Are you trying to do that? If you are sincere, it says God will work in you to help you to do it. I'll tell you honestly, this was my prayer for many years. 16:29 I have never in my life even once prayed, Lord take me to this country or that country to preach the gospel. Or take me to this state or that state in India. 16:50 No, I have never asked God for such things. I have said, Lord help me to give thanks in everything. Help me to love my wife like Christ loved me. Help me to bring up my children in a God-fearing way so they will honor you when they grow up. 17:19 Not they will be great preachers but they will live godly lives, that's more important. Because becoming a preacher is a matter of honor. If you want to be a preacher or an elder, you can be seeking honor. 17:50 It's very dangerous. Because you can become proud and then God will push you down. So, don't seek for such things. I can stand before God today and say, I never in my life sought for that. I want to live a godly life. 18:18 And I was so defeated in my life. We have this thing, blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. I was born again when I was 19 and a half. I asked Jesus to come into my heart. 18:43 I was working in the Indian Navy. Christ came into my life. And things began to change in my life. I began to behave like a Christian in the midst of my place of work. I stopped going to the cinemas. 19:08 I started reading the Bible every day. I started going to church. I started fighting against my bad thoughts. And fighting against my anger. I was just like you with all these weaknesses. 19:32 And for years and years and years I was fighting, fighting against these things. And I read a word like this in Philippians 4 verse 4. Rejoice in the Lord always. That was one of the verses that challenged me. 19:53 I said, Lord, that's written so clearly in the Bible. If I have a pure heart. I will rejoice always. You see that is the mark of being in God's presence. Rejoicing always. 20:16 Never grumbling. Never complaining. Never gloomy or in a bad mood. And I did not get that all in one year. But I said, Lord, I want it, I want it, I want it for years and years and years. 20:38 And it became true finally. You know, when they dig for gold in the gold mines. In Kolar gold fields, there is a gold mine in Karnataka. 21:03 If you dig ten feet, you won't find it. You dig a hundred feet also, you won't find it. You got to dig some ten thousand feet into the ground and there, the gold is there. And those who find it become very rich. 21:25 So, it's like that in the Christian life. You know, we dig for ten feet and say, oh, I didn't get it. You pray a little and try a little bit, nothing happens. And then you give up. You will never come to this life of rejoicing always. 21:48 But like those gold diggers. They say, I'm going to find this and dig and dig. I'm going to find it. I don't care how long it takes. And for years and years and years, they get tired digging, digging, digging, digging. And suddenly they get that gold. 22:13 That's how they dig for diamonds in South Africa and they find it there. See, there are many things you get on the surface of the earth also. Good things like oranges and bananas and cashew nuts and so many good things to eat. 22:42 But they are not as valuable as gold. The really valuable things God has hidden deep in the earth. That's a parable in the Christian life also. There are certain things you can get very easily on the surface of the Christian life. 23:09 The meaning my sins are forgiven. Found a fellowship with good believers and can clap and sing and be happy. But your life at home is so miserable and unhappy. And your children grow up to be wayward. 23:35 And you're constantly worried about money and afraid of so many things. A little sickness comes and you wonder, maybe God doesn't love me. And some of the things mentioned in the Bible we just never seem to experience. 24:02 You've got to seek with all your heart. See Jeremiah chapter 29. Jeremiah 29. And verse 13. 24:23 The Lord says, You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. So when you read some verses like the ones I quoted just now. Only three verses I showed you. There are many more. 24:46 In everything give thanks. Do all things without murmuring and grumbling. Rejoice in the Lord always. Those are just three. There are many many more. 25:07 Are these good things? Would you like to be with a person who is always giving thanks or always grumbling? If you are a type of person who is always giving thanks. 25:27 Many people would like to be with you. Because you are a person who is always giving thanks for everything. Never grumbling or complaining about anything. 25:47 Always always rejoicing. That is how God wants every one of his children to be. People must see that Jesus has saved you. See. How many of you know what is the first promise in the New Testament? 26:12 That is found in Matthew chapter 1. And verse 21. Please look it in your Bible. Matthew 1:21. 26:33 The angel came to Joseph. And said. Mary is going to have a child. You must call his name Jesus. Why call him Jesus? Because. He will save his people from their sins. 26:56 That is the difference between saving someone and forgiving someone. That is the difference between saving someone and forgiving someone. That is the difference between saving someone and forgiving someone. That is the difference between saving someone and forgiving someone. 27:05 That is the difference between saving someone. That is the difference between saving someone and forgiving someone. We are not talking about forgiveness now. Forgiveness plus salvation. 27:36 Okay. Many of you may think I am saved. But actually you may only be forgiven. Let me use an example. Supposing my four-year-old boy is standing at the gate of my house. 28:00 And I tell him. Don't go onto the road. Because they are digging a deep pit there. You will fall into it. It will be dangerous for you. But you know how four-year-old children are. 28:22 They disobey. And he falls into the pit. And he cries out. Daddy, daddy. I say. I come there and say. What happened? He says. I am sorry, daddy. I disobeyed you. He is inside the pit. And I say. Okay, son. I have forgiven you. 28:38 Goodbye. Have I forgiven him? Yes. Have I saved him? What? Yes or no? But did I forgive him? Yes. You understand the difference between forgiveness and salvation? Yes. He is inside the pit. And I say. Okay, son. I have forgiven you. 28:53 Goodbye. Goodbye. Have I forgiven him? Yes. Have I saved him? What? Yes or no? But did I forgive him? Yes. You understand the difference between forgiveness and salvation? 29:15 Is Jesus a forgiver or a savior? If he only forgives you, that is the first step to have a pure heart. Yeah, that is needed. 29:37 I forgive my son. You disobeyed me. Okay, I forgive you. But then I must pull him out of that pit and save him. So, many Christians then say, "Jesus is my savior." I say, "Okay, tell me." 29:59 Has he saved you from your anger? You say, "No." You say, "I sin, he forgives me." He cleanses me in his blood. Has he saved you from grumbling? No. No. But when I sin, he forgives me. Has he saved you from selfishness? 30:30 No. Has he saved you from getting angry with your wife and others? No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. 30:50 No. No. No. No. I say, "Then Jesus has saved you from nothing." He only keeps on forgiving you, forgiving you every day. Then call him by his right name. "Lord, you are not my savior. 31:12 You are my forgiver." But the Bible says he is to be our savior. You see how the devil has fooled people. He has robbed you of your inheritance. 31:35 Forgiveness is 10%, salvation is 90%. After I was born again, I was born again 60 years ago. When I was about 20 years old. 31:55 60 years ago. So now you know how old I am. But for the first 16 years, I knew Jesus only as forgiver. Not as savior. 32:17 I would call him savior, but he did not save me from so many of my sins. Until one day I read this verse. His name is Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. Not save his people in their sins. 32:39 But from their sins. Sometimes very easily we say, "Oh, I am living in the presence of God." Some people say, "I am always living in the presence of God." Okay, how to find out whether you are living in the presence of God? 33:05 For many years I did not know. How can I know that I am living in God's presence all the time? Because I can't see Jesus. But he is there. How can I know that I am in his presence all the time? 33:28 What is the proof in my heart that I am in the presence of God? Okay, I will show you a scripture which will help you. Psalm 16 and verse 11. 33:48 Listen to this. In the middle of this verse. Psalm 16 verse 11. In your presence is fullness of joy. So how do I know I am in God's presence? 34:08 I will have a fullness of joy. And I have used that like a test. If in my life sometimes I don't have fullness of joy. I say to myself, "I am not in God's presence right now." I am feeling a bit discouraged. 34:33 I am grumbling about something. No, I am not in God's presence. There is only one proof I am in God's presence. In his presence is fullness of joy. Some people say, "I am going to the church. I am there in God's presence." 34:56 But so many people go to church. They grumble, they complain, and do so many things. They are not in God's presence. And you don't have to go to church to be in God's presence. You can be in God's presence when you are driving your scooter, or going to work, or anywhere. 35:21 Or in the office, or in your home. God wants us to live in his presence all the time. And that's why he has given us his Holy Spirit. You know, the Holy Spirit has come to bring the presence of God inside us. 35:48 See, till then, till Old Testament, he was outside. But on the day of Pentecost, he came inside. And there's a lot of difference between God being on the outside and God being on the inside. 36:16 See, in John's Gospel, when Jesus told his disciples about the Holy Spirit, It's a very, very important verse about the Holy Spirit. 36:42 Let's begin at verse 15. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." What are those? Do all things without grumbling and complaining. Always give thanks. 37:02 The joy is always. And so many words like that. Overcome anger. Overcome lusting with the eyes. And to say, "Lord, this is so difficult, I can't do it." And so he gives the answer. 37:24 Next verse. Don't worry. I know my commandments are difficult. I will ask the Father to give you a helper. Helper to do what? What's written in the previous verse? Helper to keep my commandments. And he will be with you forever to help you to keep my commandments. 37:54 Who is this? The Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Truth. The world and worldly people cannot receive him, it says here. They don't know him. They cannot see him. But in your case. 38:14 Now see this. In this verse you see Old Testament and New Testament. Right now. He is only with you. And one day. He will be in you. There you see Old Testament and New Testament. 38:35 The Old Testament and the Holy Spirit was with them. On the day of Pentecost he came inside there. Now. When Jesus was with them. That was the Holy Spirit with them also. 38:55 But they were still arguing with each other. Who is the greatest? You or me? And they were wanting to sit on the right and left hand of Jesus competing with each other. And they, Peter denied Jesus three times. 39:19 And they all got scared and ran away in Gethsemane. The Holy Spirit with them did not help them in all that. But when the Holy Spirit came in them on the day of Pentecost. Then they did not fight with each other. 39:41 Then they did not run away from persecution. They were bold to face persecution. And they became one body. And they experienced being saved from sin. Not just forgiven from sin. 40:01 But they became one body. You see. Supposing your father is a very, very rich Kroarpathy. And he has left a big inheritance for you. 40:25 A lot of property in many parts of India. And before he dies, he writes a will. All the details of his property and his bank accounts and all that and he has put it in your name. 40:50 And he says, when I die, you, my son, my daughter will get this. Now, if your father were like that and wrote a will for you. Will you study it carefully? Will you try to find out where all is my father's property? 41:18 Where all does he have a bank account? I want to get it all. Or will you just give it to some lawyer? And a lot of lawyers are very crooked. 41:43 He hides 90%. He keeps 90% for himself and gives you 10%. Even that 10% is so much, you are very happy. One lakh. 42:03 Oh, oh. But your father has left you crores, not one lakh. Even though you are very simple people, I know you will not allow some crooked lawyer to cheat you like that. 42:24 Because when it comes to money, even simple people become very clever. They will say, my father has left me so much, why should I get only so little? Do you know what your heavenly father has written for you? 42:48 His will. It's here. Forgiveness of sins. And being saved from sin. Did you get both? Or did the crooked devil, like a crooked lawyer, cheat you and say, you only can get forgiveness? 43:17 Forgiveness was in the Old Testament. Psalm 103. David. He says, bless the Lord, O my soul. And all that is within me, bless his holy name. 43:38 And what all benefits he has given me. Number one. Verse three. Who burdens all your sins? Read that again. All your sins forgiven. 43:58 That is, one thousand years before Jesus came, David wrote that. He had forgiveness. Then what did Jesus bring? Matthew 1:21. Being saved from sin. I hope you will understand this, my brothers and sisters. 44:18 I hope you will understand this, my brothers and sisters. Don't just ask Jesus to forgive you your anger. But save you from it. When you lust after some woman. 44:42 Or you are tempted by some filthy picture. On the computer or in a movie. And you say, oh Lord, I am sorry I looked at that. Please forgive me. He forgives you. 45:03 But don't you want to be saved from that habit? Because there are so many believers who fall and fall and fall and fall. And they are forgive, forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness. Ten years later they are still falling, falling, falling. 45:28 Do you think God is happy? You know, when I was, when my children were three, four years old, I got them a small cycle to teach them how to cycle. Two wheel cycle. So I would hold it at the back. 45:48 And say, okay, now you pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal. And then, then I would leave it. And they will fall, and they will fall down. This is, again, it is a two wheel cycle. Again, I would, and after a few days, they would do it on their own. 46:15 But supposing I am holding that for ten years like that, and he is never learning how to ride a cycle. I would say, Lord, my son, when are you going to ride the cycle? I would say, Lord, my son, when are you going to learn how to ride the cycle? 46:32 Do you think God is saying that about you? All the time you fall, I pick you up, you fall, I pick you up, I fall, I pick you up. And the Lord says, my son, my daughter, when are you going to learn? When are you going to learn to walk without falling? 46:59 You say, Lord, help me. Remember that promise I read, when you seek me with all your heart, the Lord says, you will find me. I was defeated like you in all these sins. 47:19 But I held on to a promise. And I will give you this promise. Hold on to it. And say, Lord, I will never let you go till this verse is fulfilled in my life. It's like a check. It's like a check. 47:40 It's like a check for a hundred crores. Take it to the bank and say, give it to me. Here is the promise. Here is the promise. Romans chapter 6. And verse 14. 48:03 Romans 6:14. This is God's promise for you. Sin will not be master over you because you are not in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament. You are not under law, but under grace. 48:28 Old Testament, they fell. See, David, he wrote scripture, the Psalms, when he was less than 30 years old. And he was very faithful. But when he was 50 years old, he fell into adultery with somebody else's wife. 48:54 He killed the man and married her. And he said, oh, is this the man who wrote scripture, behaving like this? Yes, because he was in the Old Testament. And then he wrote Psalm 51, oh Lord, please forgive me for this sin. 49:17 And he got forgiveness. He wrote Psalm 103, oh, thank God, he forgives all my sins. He never knew this verse, sin cannot rule over you because you are not under law, but under grace. 49:38 He was under law. We can read it like this also, this verse. As long as you are under the law, sin will rule over you. As long as you are under the law, sin will rule over you. You have not yet understood grace. 50:00 But when you understand grace, that will make you overcome sin. See, about 200 years ago, there was no electricity in the world. 50:21 Just 200 years ago. 6,000 years ago, in Adam's time, there was no electricity. If Adam wanted to get some light, he had to light a, rub some stones and get a fire and light a wood piece. 50:43 That's how they produced a fire and they could get some light. And 200 years ago also, they had to light a candle or light something, a lamp or something and get light with a fire. For 5,800 years, man was getting light by lighting a fire. 51:15 For nearly 5,900 years. But now, in the last hundred years or so, even the poor homes, they have electricity. 51:36 You don't have to light a fire now. Just put on a switch. You know why these lights are burning? No, you know what a switch does? If you open the switch, there are just two wires there. 51:59 They are not allowed to touch. The switch is off. No light. When you put the switch on, these two wires touch. That's all. The current comes. It's only such a small space. 52:24 Inside the switch, the wires are so close. No current is coming. The moment it touches all the lights, all the lights come. It's like that in your life. 52:44 It's only a small thing, distance. If you allow the Holy Spirit to close that distance, this power will come into your life. Confess your sins. Don't hide anything. You can hide your sins from man, but don't hide them from God. 53:06 Be honest. Say, Lord, this is a sin in my life. Don't call it a weakness. You know, there are some people, when they speak in a rude way, they say, "That's my weakness." 53:28 Why do you speak so rudely? "That's my weakness." You'll never get victory. Call it a sin. Then God can help you. Lord, it's a sin. It's what Jesus died for. 53:58 Jesus didn't die for my weaknesses, he died for my sins. It's a sin to speak rudely to anybody. It's not a weakness or a bad habit. I'd say, "Lord, I want to be free from it." 54:19 In the New Testament, the equivalent of this electricity is called grace. When grace comes, we get victory. The Holy Spirit is called the spirit of grace. 54:41 So, it says here, "When you come under grace, sin cannot rule over you." Now, you know, just like teachers give homework to their children. I want to give you a little homework. 55:02 When you go home, before you go to bed tonight, or when you are lying in bed tonight, say, "Lord, I have to admit that there are many sins that are ruling my life." Bad thoughts, bad words, bad actions, bad attitudes to other people. 55:40 I know you forgive me because I confess them. But, I want you to deliver me from them. Please give me the Holy Spirit of grace. You think he won't give it to you? If your son asks for bread, will you give a stone? 56:03 See, Luke 11:13. Luke 11, you take this promise. If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? 56:29 You see, there are many mothers and fathers here. Even if you are very, very poor. If your little child comes to you and says, "Mommy, Daddy, please give me something to eat." 56:52 Will you give a stone? Will you give a stone? Even the last bit of rice or whatever there is in your house, you'll give it to him? Jesus said, "Your father in heaven is better than that." Like your child says, "Mommy, I'm hungry." 57:16 Say, "God, I'm hungry." Fill me with the Holy Spirit. And believe. He will do it. Lord, deliver me from sin. Give me a pure heart. 57:36 And it says, "Blessed are those who have a pure heart." That means the blessing of God will come upon your life when your heart is pure. I can testify that in my life for more than 40 years. 57:57 The blessing of God came upon my life. It came upon my body. It came upon my finances. It came upon my children. 58:17 Everywhere. He wants to bless you to overflowing. He loves all his children equally. What he did for me, he'll do for you. But you must seek him with all your heart. 58:38 You must say, "Lord Jesus, you are number one in my life." See, that is why we started a new church 45 years ago. In Bangalore. In Bangalore. 59:00 And then in many other places. And the Hubli Christian Fellowship, which has organized these meetings, is also part of that. We're not perfect. But we preach the whole counsel of God. 59:22 Have you all seen a rainbow? How many colors are there? Seven. And those seven are what make the color white. If one of those colors is missing, it's not the rainbow. 59:49 Even if there are six, it's not a complete rainbow. So, think of your Christian life like that. You've got one part of the Bible. One part of this New Testament promises. 1:00:09 And you're missing something. Say, "Lord, I want everything." God will give it to you. That's right. That's right. So, while our heads are bowed in prayer, I only ask you one thing. 1:00:33 My dear brother and sister, you may be born again. But you're a defeated Christian. You know Jesus is a forgiver, but not a Savior. 1:00:54 You know there are many habits that you want Jesus to save you from. There are many pits from which Jesus has to pull you out. And I'll tell you the good news. 1:01:15 He wants to pull you out. Out of all of them. Will you trust Him today? He's not asking you to do anything. He's asking you to trust Him and ask Him. 1:01:36 Say, "Lord, I can't do this. I can't pull myself out of this pit. You pull me out. I tell you in Jesus' name, He will do it for you." Pray to Him with all your heart from today. 1:02:00 And say like I said to the Lord. "I will not let you go, Lord, until you answer my prayer." If I have to pray for 10 years, I'll pray for 10 years. But I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And I want to get victory over sin. 1:02:20 If it takes 10 years, let it be. I'll wait to pray for 10 years. I want my family to be a godly family. And if it takes 10 years to pray for that, I'll pray 10 years. Heavenly Father, Thank you for these dear brothers and sisters. 1:02:43 Please encourage them and bless them. And I pray that everyone here will know what it is to have a pure heart of victory over sin. To be blessed. We pray in Jesus' name. 1:03:03 Amen.
